Ex-students return and we share what we learn from them… we have some fabulous new Board of Trustees members, we have a new caretaker… and a bouquet to dog owners.

Masikati

One of the traditions that happen at this time every year is that we are inundated with high school students dropping in to see us. They have completed their exams and want to say hello. It is all part of them showing their independance and we always take the time to stop and discuss their year with them. This year has been no different, and I thought I might share with you some of the insights taken from these conversations. 

Firstly, they feel comfortable enough to come back and see us. They talk freely about the great parts of their year, their future direction, subjects, teachers and of course the opportunities growing older brings. Yesterday, a boy strode into the Office with a friend in tow (not from MPS) to introduce him to the school that he loved. He lamented about some of the memories he had while here and laughed about some of the antics. What I understand from these students is when they leave MPS, they are prepared to face the new phase in their lives. This is not always evident in the first 6 months of settling into a new environment, but time after time, we learn how the MPS students thrive and go on to achieve in many different aspects of their education. 

We recently had a message passed to us from a group of MPS ex-parents who had met during a school prize-giving and acknowledged the number of MPS students achieving across the curriculum at the school. This is not all about knowledge or grades, a lot is about their ability to apply themselves, to have the grit and fortitude to carry on when things are tough. It is so rewarding to see these young adults in-charge of their lives who are still connected to MPS. This is on the backs of our teachers and principals both past and present, who have all been guided by a very capable Board of Trustees. It is certainly a privilege to be able to be part of this school and we are rewarded by the positive feedback we receive and seeing the achievements of our students.

As you are aware, we had places on our Board of Trustees due to two member ending their terms. We called for nominations and received two by the deadline on Friday. This is great news that we have community members willing to step up and be part of the strategic direction of the school. We are pleased to announce that Vanessa Baakman and Kristy Millar have been elected to the MPS Board of Trustees. We look forward to inducting them into the board over the upcoming weeks and moving forward together in the new year.

We are pleased to announce we have a new caretaker. Simon Hillyer will start at MPS on 11th December. If the name is familiar, Simon is a parent with a son Max in Team Magma. Our outgoing caretaker Euan has done an amazing job but has other exciting opportunities ahead of him.

Thank you for the feedback around the photo shared last week regarding safety of traffic outside the MHR front entrance. I was heartened to read it was not just us who feels the same. Certainly it has been also good to hear that other parents are also voicing their concerns with drivers too.

We would also like to thank the ‘dog’ owners who have obviously read our newsletter and are following the guidelines. Following on from this article last week we have had messages from a number of people asking for their thanks to be passed on too. We have also tried to tackle the challenge of dogs using the school ground out-of-hours. This has certainly resulted in a reduction in the amount of faeces needing to be cleared from the playground.

Muvenezuvarakanaka