Kia Ora School Whanau!

The Middleton Grange School Parents Group is keen to update you on what they’ve been doing and invite you to join us for regular or occasional meetings – as your time permits. 

The group was established last year and has been meeting twice a term to explore ways to further connect the school community – through social events, through hearing more from school leaders, and through getting to know each other as parents of students at the school. From the first meeting a clear message from Mike Vannoort, the school principal, was emphasized: this group is not all about fundraising; it’s about strengthening the bonds of the school community. We have enjoyed getting to know each other and, as one Dad of a new Year 11 student has said, he was very pleased to discover the existence of this group as a way to learn more about the school. One brave member shared that she had just come through several years of anxiety and depression and made it out the other side and felt very blessed to have a group like ours to join with. We certainly do have some laughs in amongst the planning and banter. 

We have already enjoyed hearing from Rod Thompson about the Adventure Race, the Chairman of the school board about Board functions, and the outstanding Year 13 school leaders for 2021 who are truly an inspiration! 

We’ve also enjoyed being involved in the Family Fun Fest (big thanks to primary school MGSPG members in particular for this), and recently some activities to raise funds for new Kapa Haka uniforms and the new school Fridge Radio Van. 

It has been great to have IT and logistical input from one Dad who has got the Kindo platform for ordering and paying for within-school purchases up and running. He envisions the platform could go further and become a market place where the wider school community could, for example, sell home-enterprise wares and donate a percentage of funds to the school in return. 

Our next event is a social mid-winter warm up with sticky date puds, coffees made by the very capable barista Mike Vannoort, and a chance to chat and mingle on Tuesday 22 June at 7.30pm. 

If you’d like to join us, please email us at our new email address mgsparents@middleton.school.nz or RSVP to the office so we make sure there’s more than enough to go round.

On behalf of the MGSPG

Charlotte Cooper