Kia ora koutou katoa

I hope this message finds you well and that you had a restful and enjoyable Easter break.

At assembly last week, I spoke about our value of Grit. Grit is defined as the ability to persevere in the face of challenges and setbacks, and it is a critical characteristic for achieving our goals and overcoming obstacles. In a recent Ted talk, I watched over the break, having grit has been researched to be a significant predictor of success and, therefore, essential that we work together to develop this in our students.

Take a look for yourself!

https://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_grit_the_power_of_passion_and_perseverance/c

As we dive into this term, I encourage each and every one of our students to embrace our value of grit and strive for excellence in all that they do. Let us approach this term with a growth mindset, understanding that we may face difficulties but have the collective skills to overcome them. By working together and supporting one another, I am confident we will have another successful term.

I wanted to take a moment to congratulate our students on their improved attendance last term. It's fantastic that we are trending in the right direction after a difficult few years as we navigated Covid in our school and community.

That said, we want to encourage you to keep up the good work and maintain your attendance throughout the rest of the school year. While your recent improvements are commendable, we know that there is still more work to be done to ensure that all students are getting the most out of their education.

Regular attendance is essential for academic success, and we want to see all of you reach your full potential. By attending classes consistently, you're giving yourself the best chance to learn and grow, and we're here to support you every step of the way. To give some perspective, in 2022, every student with over 90% attendance at Mackenzie College achieved NCEA. If our students are present at school, they will pass.

So once again, congratulations on your improved attendance, and let's keep up the momentum as we progress through term 2.

Heoi anō tāku mō nāianei

Sam Nelson

Tumuaki/Principal

LIONS CONVENTION 2023