Here, Principal Nicola Jacobsen shares her thoughts.

Kia Ora,

At junior and senior assemblies this week our Head Students - India Yule, Thomas Benson, Jackson Duguid and Jessie Winter, all spoke about the importance of whanaungatanga (making connections). Each of the Head Students had different experiences of starting at Mount Aspiring College, but each one valued that by joining different groups and getting involved, they were able to find their place at the College. There are a number of opportunities starting this term - Showquest, Choir, MAC Enduro to name just a few.

At the College we have a new leave process in place. This is for students who are needing to take a leave of absence for sporting, arts, or cultural events. Here is the link to the form (which is also available on the school website). If you need a paper copy of this, please come and get one from the office. Attendance at school is clearly linked to success at school on many levels - academically and socially. As a College attending school 90% of the time (or more) is what we are aiming for.

Learning Conversations are coming up on Tuesday 14 March. These conversations are student-led, and are an important part of students taking ownership of their learning goals and progress at school. The conversation is held with you, as the parent(s), the Whānau teacher and the student. Students will be using Whānau time over the coming weeks to prepare for this conversation. They will present to you their learning goals, progress so far, what they need help with, and for our senior students, their potential career pathways. There will be an email with details on how to book for Learning Conversations soon.

Finally, congratulations to MAC alumni Zoe Sadowski-Synnott and Gustav Legnavsky for receiving Halberg awards this week. It has been excellent to see their success and the hard work they have put into achieving highly in snowsports.

Toitū te whenua, toitū te tangata

The land is strong, the people are fulfilled.

Ngā mihi,

Nicola Jacobsen