‘Punawai’, the name of our new hockey stadium was revealed and opened by our Mayor Nadine Taylor on Wednesday morning surrounded by staff, students, Iwi, contractors, Marlborough Hockey and keen hockey supporters.

As the lights above the turf were turned on you could hear the gasps and the whispers as we all admired this state of the art hockey turf, on our college grounds. It's been quite the journey to get to this point and while it's not our long awaited new school, it is an amazing new facility for our kura, community, hockey players, and hockey lovers from all over NZ to come and enjoy.

To have this turf on our school grounds is a real privilege. As we know, education is not just confined to the four walls of our classrooms. This facility will enable our students and teachers, in particular our Physical Education department to further extend learning to outside the classroom. I know our students are incredibly excited to be able to train and play on their home turf and I can’t wait to see our hockey teams in action - Go MGC!

As we head into celebrating Youth Week 2024, we are putting the spotlight on our students' achievements, dreams, and aspirations. This year's theme, inspired by the whakataukī, speaks to the essence of togetherness: ‘Māwherangi a tama roto ka taka, kāpuia ake ka pūrangiaho’ | We may not have it all together, but together we have it all.' Our student leaders expressed what it meant to them. "To me, it's about supporting each other and not going it alone," said one student. Another mentioned that the sense of belonging at MGC is fostered through various activities. "This week, I attended a jazz class at lunch, played house basketball, and participated in Kapa Haka. There are always cool things happening at school," she added.

For many students, Youth Week is a time to connect with people from the wider community who are there to support them. "It's not always easy being a teenager," one student noted, "but this week is a great opportunity to meet others and find support."

Beyond the fun and activities, Youth Week is also about fostering a positive culture that supports young people to reach their potential. As educators, our staff at MGC feel privileged to work with the youth in their community. "We have it all in Marlborough, and we're here to help our students make the most of their opportunities".

Emily Stenhouse, Acting Principal