I would like to take this opportunity to thank the staff at Metropolitan Group of School (MGS) for their commitment and dedication towards our learners in the classroom, on the sports field, on the stage and in the music rooms this year. Our girls and boys are certainly blessed to be nurtured and taught by such a talented group of loving people.

What a year it’s been! Metropolitan Group of Schools (MGS) turned 22 years old. Our schools enjoyed sterling achievements across academic, cultural and sporting disciplines, we enjoyed the unswerving support of parents and siblings. We also celebrate the many wonderful learning experiences that have taken place across numerous classrooms, in very creative and innovative ways, and the importance of relationships across generations among teachers and learners. At Metropolitan Group of Schools, we firmly believe that a great education involves us continuously working to improve learning for every child so that they embrace it for the rest of their lives.

Against this background, our Metropolitan Group of Schools Vision Statement is exceptionally relevant. South Africa and Africa needs school graduates who REFLECT integrity, self-discipline and respect for themselves, for others and for their environment; who EMBRACE intellectual curiosity, diversity and collaboration; and who REACH OUT with compassion and humility in service of others. I trust that as you page through this colourful depiction of life at MGS, you will see evidence of our focus on these core values that underpin our vision.

The sculptor Michelangelo said, ‘Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.’ When asked about his inspiration for the statue of an angel, he said: ‘I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.’ Our task at Metropolitan Group of Schools is to ‘see’ each child placed in our schools, and to nurture them in our unique way, so that they realise their full potential. Our motto for 2023 is ‘Motivated, Mindful and Accountable’.

Motivation. It is difficult to be motivated if you don’t have a goal to reach. Set goals for yourself and be passionate and determined in achieving them. Ask yourself what dreams you have for yourself one day. No dream comes without sacrifice and commitment and your dreams and goals need to be what motivate you to be the best you can be.

Mindful. Be present in your actions, your interactions with others and be mindful of your impact and influence on the world around you. I beg you to not live in front of a screen or on a social app. There is a world created for you to make your mark – live mindfully and purposefully in it.

Accountable. As you grow and live, no matter how old you are, at some point you are going to do the wrong things, you are going to say the wrong thing and you are going to make mistakes. It is what you do after these mistakes that counts. If you blame others, the situation or even your circumstances and do not take ownership of your mistakes you will never grow or learn from them. The ability to be accountable and show accountability also shows maturity, growth and self-awareness.

Over the summer vacation I will be working with colleagues to put into place a smooth opening to the new academic year and setting the priorities to build upon the successes of the school so that we can improve still further. We should always seek to do better; to challenge ourselves and our students to set the highest standards and achieve our ambitious goals.

Summer is a special time for all of us and provides many happy family memories. I hope that you and your children enjoy many opportunities to have fun in the weeks ahead. We shall sadly be saying farewell to some families and balancing that with a warm welcome to the new families joining us. We wish you a wonderful and safe holiday and look forward to seeing you all in 2025.