New Principal's message

An open letter to the Nga Tawa community from Carmel Spencer who will take up the position of Principal at the beginning of 2012:

It is an honour and a privilege to have been appointed to lead this prestigious school.  As your new Principal, I am very excited about becoming part of the Nga Tawa family; for it is this strong sense of family which is embedded throughout the entire school.

While reading “Nga Tawa – A Centennial History” by Michelle Whitmore, I noted a small section in the foreword by Claire C Anderson which states,

"From the first days in Shannon to the present day, Nga Tawa has grown to become one of the most highly respected schools in New Zealand.  One of its great strengths is the absolute support shown by the wider school family.  This atmosphere encourages dedication from the staff and commitment from the girls.”

This was written in 1991 and it is still so true 20 years later in 2011!  Nga Tawa’s rich heritage and character offers a sturdy foundation for the holistic and innovative education that the young women of the future will need.  Girls’ education has taken on a more important aspect since the ‘Girls Can Do Anything’ publicity of the 1980s.  Girls KNOW that they can do anything and therefore it is even more important in today’s society to ensure that girls are making life and career decisions from a solid values base.  Nga Tawa offers that rich opportunity to fully grow during those tumultuous adolescent years in a wrap-around environment that enables academic achievement, co-curricular experiences, spiritual development and personal growth for the young women who will lead this country in the future.  If we educate them well – we educate society well.

As my family moves to become a part of yours, we return to our roots.  My husband (Murray) and I are from Wanganui and know the area very well.  We have two sons – Matthew (22) who lives and works in Wellington, and Campbell (17) who will be in his final year at St Patrick’s College, Silverstream as a boarder in 2012. 

As a family we have spent time in wonderful boarding communities such as Nga Tawa.  This includes The King’s School, Canterbury (Kent, UK); Prior Park College (Bath, UK) and Iona College in Havelock North.  We have embraced these communities and have seen firsthand the wonderful life which boarding offers.  The skills with which students leave this phase of their life will set them up for the rest of their lives.  Being a part of this type of life experience is enriching for all students (including our day students) and a privilege for those charged with their responsibility and I look forward to getting to know the girls in this family setting.

I would like to assure the community that my personal values and beliefs are completely in line with those of Nga Tawa – my commitment to the teachings of the greatest teacher of all, Jesus Christ; my depth of understanding of the heritage and history of a school such as Nga Tawa; and my commitment to the family environment of the school as a parent.

While Nga Tawa has had a much celebrated past with high levels of achievement both in and out of the classroom, it is also a school for the future.  As I said to the Boards in my interviews, we need to prepare these young women for their future, not our past!  With an innovative approach to curriculum delivery and a committed staff, we are able to provide our students with the very best foundation for success in NCEA and the International Baccalaureate Diploma.  In partnership with the wider Nga Tawa community, I envisage that we go even further in the pursuit of excellence for all of these girls in every facet of their lives.

I look forward to 2012 with much excitement and I also look forward to meeting as many of you as possible during my time as Principal of your school.  I will finish with an excerpt from Proverbs which resonates strongly with me and sums up what I believe education is fundamentally all about.

“Happy is the person who discovers wisdom, a person who gains discernment; gaining her is more rewarding than silver and more profitable than gold.  She is beyond the price of pearls, nothing you could covet is her equal”

Proverbs 3: 13 – 15

Pax Christi

Carmel Spencer