Kia ora koutou

It's fantastic to be back at MGC after my term away on sabbatical. A huge thank you to Ms Emily Stenhouse who lead the school superbly as Acting Principal throughout a very busy Term 2. 

Thank you also to Mrs Sia Alipia and Mr Stephen Galt who stepped up into the senior leadership team as Assistant Principals for the first half of the year, and to Ms Surrey Collett and Mrs Maggie Lloyd who took on the Year 10 and Year 12 Deans positions for first semester. We are very proud of having such strong and capable leaders within our staff who believe in and support our kaupapa - Ma te kahukura ka rere te manu - Everyone will learn and develop the capabilities they need to thrive. 

My time away on sabbatical reinforced for me the importance of belonging or whanaungatanga which has a fundamental impact on people's ability to learn and grow. I am part of a large immediate whānau of my lovely parents, four brothers, two sisters and sixteen nieces and nephews. My sisters live in Fife, Scotland and Vancouver, Canada with their families, and I took the opportunity to spend time with them and share in their lives. I loved having fun, sharing food & stories, walking, biking and visiting new places, debating ideas and politics, learning new things and helping out in the garden and kitchen. These are the things in my family that signal belonging, whanaungatanga. While they aren't particularly special, they bind our lives together with ease and joy, and make small the distances between us.

Being back at school this week, I appreciate the warmth and energy of our students and staff. The small things that people do every day signal belonging, whanaungatanga at MGC. They include smiling at others, being kind, saying kia ora!, helping others, joining in the fun, organising games or competitions, having fun, learning together, standing up for the right thing, taking pride in our school grounds and in wearing our uniform, competing with pride, trying new things, making new friends. All of these simple things together create a strong and vibrant school culture of belonging. Our Manutaki compiled a series of photos to celebrate Whanaungatanga at MGC in Term 2 - it's a fantastic reminder that we are part of a awesome school, and that, together we are proud to belong to the MGC Whānau. Enjoy checking out the photos here. And here's to another busy term of belonging and learning at MGC. 

Ngā mihi nui

Mary-Jeanne Lynch

Principal | Tumuaki