Michael Hall Parent Portal

Friday Flyer - 3rd July 2026

Dear Michael Hall Community,

Another week and another heatwave on the way! Having survived an oven roasted Olympics last week (it was brilliantly held, organised and heat mitigated by Mr Godber, Mrs Nunhofer, Mr Dyer, Mr Room and Ms Selter), we are to be blessed with more 30 degree temperatures for the last few days of the academic year – including our sports day for classes 6 and upwards! Needless to say, we will ensure that there is increased availability of shade and water, along with amendments to timing of events as necessary to support the wellbeing of pupils and staff.

This week the Michael Hall Association hosted the first of the ‘Good Talks’ which are planned to cycle across the year. It was a brilliant event and I left feeling inspired. The three speakers each shared their journey that led them to where they are now in a career sense, but it was not a career talk. It was a talk of connections to nature, connections to creativity, connections to culture and connections to each other as human beings.

The talks made me reflect on my own journey to where I am, the great people who influenced me, the wonderful parenting I received (and still do), my sibling influences, and that through all of the nigh infinite possibilities of who I could have become and what I could be doing, I found my calling as a teacher. In discussion with one of our parents we discussed names. My name ‘Stuart’ derives from Steward which in Scottish ancestry would have been those who served the royal family, so the notion of service is somehow fated to me. I am a servant to education and do so with great pride and passion.

As with so much of life, despite our own reflections, it is not about us but rather where we fit with the rest of the community and the rest of the world. Our school mission “To nurture the whole child through a balanced and high-quality education, fostering creativity, resilience, and a deep connection to nature.” and our school vision “To cultivate individuals who positively shape the world through their creativity, empathy, wisdom, and self-confidence.” is what I saw and heard when the guest speakers were addressing us. What I felt was that there is a group of people who have been nurtured so beautifully and followed those impulses within them that has led them to positions where they are living our vision and mission as Michael Hall; 2 of them are old scholars.

What I want to continue to see coming from our school are people like those guest speakers: confident, articulate, centred, human driven and committed to sharing the light within them with the world in roles they are holistically thriving in.

I wish everyone a lovely weekend and hope that something this last week has left you feeling inspired and positive about the world and people around you.

Warm wishes,

Stuart

Stuart McWilliams
Principal