As we begin our summer holiday break, we take the time to reflect and celebrate our year at school and the progress, achievements, fun and hard work of everyone who is part of our MGC whānau.

Our last week of the school year was just fantastic to see everyone joining in with such energy, having fun with their whānau class, competing and supporting each other and their House. The standard in our annual lip sync competition stepped big time this year and we were wowed by the incredible talent of our students. Our junior prizegiving is an milestone in our year, where we celebrate the hundreds of Year 9 and 10 students for their achievements, progress and commitment to their learning and our school. Most importantly we had a week where our values of Whanaungatanga, Manaakitanga and Kotahitanga were up front and centre.

Kia whakatōmuri te haere whakamua.
I walk backwards into the future with my eyes fixed on my past.

This whakataukī is particularly relevant as we reflect on the past year; it also reminds us to remember our history. We were very proud to celebrate 60 years of educating the young women of Marlborough earlier this term. It was a fantastic opportunity to celebrate our past, our present and our future and for many students to connect with some of our Old Girls’ and understand more that we are really part of something rather special here at MGC.

Throughout the last six decades, our school has embraced change and innovation, whilst holding true to what really matters: our values of Whanaungatanga - we all belong to our MGC family; Manaakitanga - we are respectful and kind to each other and ourselves; Kotahitanga - we are united in our common purpose.

That common purpose is based on the belief that everyone has the almost unlimited potential to achieve great things. And our job - all of us - students, staff and whānau together - is to make sure that happens. This means that we need to grow and evolve as a school, as MGC has done for the past 60 years. The research and planning behind the changes over the last few years continue to provide us with the clarity of our vision and direction. It is heartening to see that the new national curriculum, Te Mataiaho, is signalling the same changes for all schools in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

We have introduced our new connected curriculum for Year 9-11. Our courses build students' learning capabilities and make learning interesting and relevant so that our rangatahi will succeed anywhere and in any context in their future. We know that this will prepare them very well for their qualifications in Year 12 and 13. We are moving away from the older competitive system of education which meant that the winner takes all and others lose out; it didn’t work for too many students in our school and in our community.

From 2024 there will be changes across the country in Literacy and Numeracy requirements. We have programmes and courses designed to support students to be prepared for the common assessment tasks in Year 11, and also to support students in Year 9 and 10 who need additional support in reading and writing. We are also waiting to hear what the new government will say about cell phones in schools. We know what our rules are now - phones turned off and in bags in classes - and those may change at the start of next year. Fundamentally we need school to be a place where learning and positive relationships come first - communication kanohi te kanohi (face to face) and focused learning environments based on kindness and respect.

The partnership with our iwi partners, in particular Ngati Rārua, Ngati Toa, Rangitāne and Ngati Kuia, continues to support our journey to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and make this school a safe and welcoming place for all. We will continue to strengthen and improve our tikanga and use of Te Reo Māori at school including placing Mātauranga Maori at the heart of our new courses. And I can assure you, this focus will not change.

I am incredibly proud of the collaborative and collective hard work and dedication of all members of our school community, including the countless volunteers and supporters who have contributed to our continued growth and development this year. So a few thank yous ….

Firstly - to our Board Chair Brian Roughan, and Deputy Chair Anna Straker and our Board. Thank you for your fantastic support, guidance and stewardship. We are very fortunate to have your skills and wisdom to guide our work and direction.

To our leadership teams - our Deputy Principals, Support Service Team Leaders, our Middle Leaders - your sheer hard work, your problem solving and your laughter make our kura a better place for our students and staff every day. I would particularly like to mention our new Support Services Team Leaders - Carole McIntosh, Colleen Shipley, Deirdre Bennett, Catherine Timson and Liz Maw who have stepped up and into new leadership roles this year. Thank you.

We are blessed with talented, committed and hard working staff - teachers and support staff. Your care and dedication to our students, both in and out of school, the way you embrace challenges and change with such positivity, is remarkable. I congratulate our incredibly hard working teachers who have spent the last six months planning the new Year 11 courses. We are confident in the extensive work completed by departments to ensure consistent planning of high quality learning in Year 11 next year. Many other schools across the country are also grappling with changes to their Year 11 course planning. We have advantage of not being confined by having to manage the new NCEA Level 1 assessments as well.

As we stand on the threshold of a new era in education and in a new year just around the corner, we must remember to carry the learning of this year and the legacy of our school into our future. Let’s embrace the opportunities that come our way, armed with the knowledge that change is not just inevitable but also a source of growth. Together, as one - Kotahitanga, we will continue to empower all rangatahi to learn and navigate your future with grace, resilience and determination.

Thank you to everyone for your contribution to our incredible school. We are very proud of you all congratulations to those who received awards in our junior kairangi celebrations throughout the last week of term. We look forward to seeing you all again next year for another year of learning, laughter and aroha, together. Have a safe and relaxing summer holiday break.

Ngā mihi nui

Mary-Jeanne Lynch
Principal | Tumuaki