FROM THE BOARD CHAIR

The College's Board met again on Tuesday night of this week and we dealt with a full agenda. We met initially with the trustees of the MAC Foundation to be updated on their current plans. We're grateful to both the Foundation and the Friends of MAC for the valuable support that they provide to the College.

At each meeting, Nicola Jacobsen presents a comprehensive Principal's report which is the main focus of our discussion. In summary, we discussed and noted:

• satisfactory progress towards the goals set out in this year's College Annual Plan
• a pleasing 87.5% attendance rate in the first term of this year
• a recent external review of the Arts learning area (which is one of a regular cycle of such reviews)
• reports from the Hostel manager and the Guidance team
• the revised Curriculum refresh
• the ongoing industrial action by NZPPTA members
• buildings redevelopment
• regular reports on stand downs and suspensions; staffing; events and meetings; and leave requests.

As you might expect, we have been saddened by the recent tragedy at Whāngarei Boys High School. As the Board bears the ultimate responsibility for the safety of all of our students, we were updated by the Principal on the relevant College policies and procedures on Outdoor Pursuits (OP) and were reassured about the rigorous adherence to these policies. It's timely that our OP programme will shortly receive a visit from an external accreditation agency.

Our Finance Committee, chaired by Ben Taylor, reported on the satisfactory state of the College's finances in the year to date. We're grateful for the continuing support that we receive from families and our suggested donations level will remain unchanged for 2024. The fee for the Hostel will increase in line with increased costs of operation.

As a Board, we have a particular responsibility for the professional wellbeing of our Principal. To that end, Shona Brown and Ruth Heath recently met with Nicola to discuss the challenges of her role and ways in which the Board can support her work. We continue to be grateful for the strong leadership that Nicola provides to the College community.

In general, the Board believes that the College is operating effectively in a challenging environment, and we are grateful for the work of our staff. We value open communication and please feel free to be in touch with the College at any time on matters that may be concerning you.

The Board meets next on Tuesday 20 June.

With my best wishes,

Ian Hall

Board Chair