My Wellington: Whanaungatanga helps create ‘magic moments’

Taita College principal Karen Morgan has a background that includes a brief stint on Shortland Street, appearing on Xena: Warrior Princess and working as a gang prevention officer in America. Ssince 2016, she has been Taita College’s first and only female principal. She is also a first-time Hutt City councillor, where she is using her experience as a teacher to improve the city’s relationship with youth.

The favourite part of my job is….

The magic moments! Every day without fail I get to experience amazing interactions with students, staff or whānau and it is simply magical. Whenever I see something fabulous or I notice something great, I say to those involved, “magic moment” right there, which encourages smiles all round.

Seeing our students shine just makes my day. Whanaungatanga is an important value for us as are relationships, and we know we are doing things right when there is a real warmth in the school, where everyone gets on with each other and genuinely cares for one another.

READ MORE:
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* Taita College among first in the country to vaccinate on school grounds
* Taita College’s magic moment: Government pledges $32 million to redevelopment
* Commissioner appointed to replace Taita College trustees
* Taita College celebrates four scholarships between three students

When I need to clear my head, I go to….

Visit the classes to see the students in action. I leave my desk and often walk about the school and pop into every class to say hi and thank them for being so amazing. The work that goes on in classes is just so inspiring.

When I see what incredible things students get to do these days in class I know that they are very lucky. Visiting the classes gives me a real energy, and makes me feel so proud of everyone and the mahi they are doing.

My favourite thing about this part of Wellington is…

That Hutt City is a gorgeous place to live. I have so many favourite things because the valley offers so much. I love our people, our place, and our setting. We have the ocean and it is great to swim at Eastbourne, amazing walks in the hills like Te Whiti Riser, the Riverbank Market , superb cafes and restaurants, cutting edge businesses and a diverse community all make this a wonderful vibrant city.

The best place to get coffee and bump into neighbours is….

I have to say I am not really a coffee person. Instant does the trick for me. However, when I do go out I love the Dowse, Tūtaki Cafe and The Crooked Elm. It is so beautiful to sit outside and soak up the relaxed ambience in these places. Living in central Hutt I often bump into people I know.

My neighbours are fantastic and we recently had a shared lunch together. We have a contact list for everyone and our next mission is to ensure that we all have an emergency kit and a plan of how we will connect if we were ever faced with a natural hazard.