Celebrating Success!
October 31, 2025
We’ve had a couple of weeks of celebrations of our students – hosting and performing in Taiopenga, acknowledging our Year 13 leavers at Mā te Wa, recognising academic success for seniors in our Senior Prizegiving this week and last week acknowledging the excellent results of our Year 11s in the Literacy and Numeracy common assessments (CAAs). Enjoy reading about these and other student activities in this week’s bulletin.
Congratulations to our top academic achievers for 2025 – Jessica Lovell, Dux and Annie MacColl, Proxime Accessit, and all other prizewinners and graduates. We are incredibly proud of your achievements and hard work and we wish you all the very best for your next steps. Our future is in very good hands!
At our school, we believe that leadership is not about a badge, a title or standing above others — it’s about walking alongside them. It’s about connection, service, and shared purpose. Our student leaders demonstrate the characteristics of women leaders who make a difference. I’m incredibly proud and privileged to have worked alongside Kyla Thorstensen Manukura | Head Girl, Harriet McLauchlan Manutaiko | Deputy Head Girl and Cleo Collins Manutaki Runanga Ako | Head of Student Council this year, along with the whole 2025 Manutaki Collective and their Year 13s supporters. They have made a difference to our school in so many ways, everyday, And have led with connection and heart, served with purpose, acted with courage and integrity, and lifted others up. A huge Nga mihi nui to Ms Emily Stenhouse, Deputy Principal and Mrs Sia Alipia, Y13 Dean, for their continued support and guidance for the Manutaki Collective of 2025.
Over the past term, we have listened carefully to the experiences of our current Year 13 Manutaki, including our Manukura and her Deputies, and we’ve sought the views of our Year 12 students about what leadership means to them and what they would like to see happen to improve our school. That’s why, after considering the suggestions and views of our students, we are moving to a model with four Manukura | Head Students — a structure that reflects the way we want to lead: collaboratively, not hierarchically. Instead of one voice representing many, we will have a team of diverse leaders, each bringing their own strengths, experiences, and perspectives. Together, they will model the power of shared leadership — of kotahitanga in action.
This approach reflects who we are as a community of learners. Just as deep learning happens when we collaborate and build on one another’s ideas, strong leadership happens when we listen, share, and work together. It empowers every student to see themselves as a leader — not because of a title, but because of their actions, relationships, and contribution to our school whānau.
We were delighted to announce our four Manukura | Head Girls for 2026. They are Miriana Haitana, Māreikura Nepia, Sophia Nicholas and Piper Patrick. Together they will lead the Manutaki Collective next year – 35 outstanding young women leaders who were selected from over 90 applicants. Click here for the list of Manutaki.
The staff and Board were delighted to see the improvement in Year 11 Literacy and Numeracy outcomes this year. Our results in Reading and Writing continue to be well above the national pass rates, both at 91%. Congratulations to students for their hard work and progress in Numeracy. Our results improved significantly this year to 85%. It is worth noting that at MGC, all our Year 11 sit the CAA Literacy and Numeracy assessments. When we compare our results with the national pass rates, we need to remember that many other schools choose which students will sit the CAAs and when.
Check out the blue MGC bars in the graph below – we’re punching well above the national results!
We were honoured to host the annual Taiopenga Festival last week, and despite the downpour on Tuesday, everyone enjoyed a fantastic two days of kapa haka. From the smallest tots from our early learning centres to the senior groups performing on Wednesday evening, every performance was joyful and heartfelt. Nga mihi nui to Whaea Rita Powick, Whaea Helen Joseph, Nan Kahu Chadwick and Whaea Ally Court for their leadership, support and organisation. We were very proud of the performances of our junior Kapa Haka group and Ngā Taiohi o Wairau who shared their culture and messages with pride and joy.
Have a restful and enjoyable Marlborough Anniversary weekend. Keep in touch and thank you, as always, for your generous support and feedback.
Ngā mihi nui
Mary-Jeanne Lynch
Principal | Tumuaki
