MHC Principal preparing for MOE Sabbatical
Mount Hutt College Principal Jack Saxon is in the final stages of handing his responsibilities across to Acting Principal, Jess McConnell, prior to taking a 12 week Sabbatical from Monday the 11th of August.
The Ministry of Education Sabbatical, which Principals are entitled to after 5 years of service, will be his first in his 11 years as a school leader, initially as Principal of Kaitaia College, and since 2019, as Principal of Mount Hutt College.
Jack’s Sabbatical will see him journey far and wide with a mix of R&R and Professional Learning blended together. As part of his 12 weeks away he is planning to…
- Take his family south to ride the Dunstan Trail and Ski in Queenstown.
- Visit San Diego State University and High Schools around San Diego to look at how leaders are integrating AI in Educational spaces. As an avid Baseball fan, he is also excited to watch a game or two whilst in San Diego.
- Visit Singapore to look at the Singapore Institute of Technologies Educational Leadership programme.
- Spend some time in Thailand connecting with the schools and agents that Mount Hutt College has developed MOU’s with, including working through the school exchange that will be part of MHC’s 2026 South East Asia Trip. This trip will include 24 senior students from MHC.
- Travel to Japan for 3 weeks with his family. This trip will include a visit to MHC’s sister school, Yumegaoka Junior High School, and will also allow for planning to be confirmed for the colleges forecast 2026 Japan Trip which will involve 12 junior students.
- Supporting the 18 MHC riders heading up to the New Zealand Secondary School MTB Championships in Nelson in September and October.
Following his return in early October, Jack is hoping to divide his time between writing his Sabbatical Report and adding a Pizza Oven to his outdoor area at home. His Sabbatical is due to finish on Friday the 31st of October with him restarting at Mount Hutt College on Monday the 2nd of November.
Jack reinforced that he was incredibly appreciative of the Board of Trustees and the wider team at the college for allowing him to have the opportunity to take a Sabbatical.
In his absence, Jess McConnell will be Acting Principal. She will be supported by Deputy Principals Kaylib Gorrie and Carolyn Fordyce. Todd Houston and Lachlan Tantau will join the team as Acting Assistant Principals for the period of the Sabbatical.