Dear Parents, Caregivers and Whanau,

We are in Week 6 of Term 4 2019 with the end of the school year fast approaching and people getting busy preparing for Christmas and their holidays. Where has the year gone – you might ask? Our Senior College students are in the middle of their NCEA exams and our Year 10 students had English and Science exams last week also. It has been a busy and stressful time for these students and their families also.

I recently read a quote which said ‘The only thing of real importance for leaders is to create and manage culture. If leaders do not become conscious of the cultures in which they lead, those cultures will manage them.’

This is a wonderful reminder to me of the importance as Principal and for all the staff at Middleton, of the role that we play in maintaining and enhancing the culture of this school. If we are not leading it then it will be ‘led’ by others, whether that be students, society or the populist culture of the time.

Recently we celebrated two wonderful occasions at school; the ‘World Vision Celebration Assembly’ and the ‘Year 13 Tribute Assembly’. The World Vision assembly was a beautiful acknowledgement of God’s grace and working through the lives of both staff and students at Middleton Grange School over a 34-year period. Middleton has now raised over 1 million dollars in support of World Vision during that time. The Tribute Assembly focus was on the Year 13 students giving tribute to the school community for the blessing it has been to the Year 13 students over many years. This assembly honoured the staff and fellow students for the impact they had had on their lives over the time they have been at school. The tone was one of celebration, gratitude and appreciation. The Tribute Assembly reflects the culture, ie: Special Character of the school and this year’s graduating class have set the benchmark and standard for future years to aspire too. As a Christian school we are blessed that our school culture is shaped not just by human effort but also by the work of the Holy Spirit.

My encouragement to you as parents is to be the ‘culture shapers’ in your homes through prayer, bible reading and role modelling. The Lord has called you to raise your children with the Love of Christ permeating every part of your home. Our children do look to us to see what we prize as important, not just by what we say, but more importantly by what we do.

Blessings

Mike Vannoort

Principal