PM remembers her days as ‘Aunt Jack’ in the old school yard

Ask 11-year-old Jacinda Ardern what she wanted to be when she grew up, and the most likely answer at the time would have been “a police officer, like my father.”

Today, she walks to the beat as the 40th Prime Minister of New Zealand.

Politics returned to its playing field Thursday and visited Morrinsville Middle School ahead of its 50th Jubilee on April 10.

The anniversary celebration was scheduled for May of last year, but after the country locked down a year ago today, ironically ordered by Morrinsville Intermediate’s most famous student, the school decided to postpone the event, and Arden’s invitation, until 2021.

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While Ardern doesn’t plan to accept the school’s invitation and attend the anniversary, she took the opportunity to share fresh-baked student cookies, tour the school, catch up with previous teachers, and share memories of life as a schoolgirl in the early decade. 1990 with a teacher. auditorium of 360 students.

These included sitting on hardwood benches during school assemblies, climbing the old obstacle course, and being creative in her favorite subjects: wood and metalworking.

Silence spread across the schoolyard as Principal Jenny Clark greeted Ardern and Te Ao Marama Maaka of Ngāti Hauā welcomed her home.

“It is my privilege to officially welcome you here today to visit your old school and recognize our 50th Jubilee,” Clark told Ardern.

For the prime minister, it felt like she was “coming home.”

“I have such happy memories at this school,” he told the school.

“This room is exactly the same, except that it didn’t have these fancy tiered seats. We used to sit on very hard wooden benches in this room.

“I remember outside on the school field there was a horrible thing called an obstacle course.

“My sister [Louise] and we were both terrible at the obstacle course, so my father would take us to school on weekends to practice.

Her nickname, “Auntie”, however, was something she learned a long time ago.

“My second grade teacher, Mrs. Bean, gave me the nickname Aunt Jack.

“They have called me aunt since I was 12 years old.”

It was also the place where he discovered his new favorite songs.

Entering the classroom on Thursday, Ardern came across a smiling but excited teacher named Stuart King, who was her carpentry teacher about 30 years ago.

“You look the same, you haven’t changed a thing,” he told King.

“I am very excited to see you; I’m retiring in three weeks, ”he replied.

Ardern gave King the handmade police car he made for his father, Ross, in 1992. He had carried it in a green paper bag all morning.

But Ardern’s school talents didn’t stop there.

She knew how to handle a chess board, had helped win the chess shield for her home, and had stood firm on the student council as president.

“I remember helping to win the chess shield for my House. I don’t know what that said about my future other than ‘nerd’. “

Morrinsville’s 50th Intermediate Jubilee will be held on April 10, 2021 from 10 am to 4 pm on the school grounds. Past students, staff, and board members are invited to complete the registration form. You can find more information on the Facebook page.