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4 Queen Margaret Calling :: ISSUE 64 :: October 2019 FROM THE PRINCIPAL BeingWoke, collaborating and creating the future for women I recently had the opportunity to learn about becoming“woke”. Despite the initial concern about the grammar and context, the term seemed worthwhile to explore a little more. To be “woke” is to see and say what has gone unseen and unspoken; think the #MeToo movement, Parkland student activists protesting gun control in the United States, School Strikes 4 Climate and social justice warriors in general. Gen Z, those born between 1996 and 2012, have been described as having more awareness and acting on convictions more than other generations. These young people are under 23 years old. They have never known a life without the internet or mobile phones. They have more access to information than any generation before them. The questions they are asking are about unconscious bias, privilege, social and corporate responsibility, climate change, racial bias, gender and social equity. To engage with such matters regularly and vigilantly is to be, in a word, woke. We are learning what is important to our students through having more dialogue with them. I am incredibly proud of our young women who visit me to talk about ethics, climate change and how we can be more sustainable as a school. They come with ideas, solutions and a willingness to collaborate to work towards a better future. Watch this space for the students’ next steps; they are impressive, articulate, active, confident and determined to make a difference. With role models such as Malala Yousafzai, Greta Thunberg and Sophie Hanford, they see no barriers. Learning is, at its minimum, dualistic. As in the woke movement, we learn from our students as much as they learn from us. This generation of future leaders, passionate learners and resilient women will continue to lead from the front in whatever field they choose, and they won’t wait for an invitation. It has been an absolute pleasure to collaborate withWellington independent schools, Samuel Marsden Collegiate School and Chilton St James School recently with SheEO. Over 80 members of our three communities joined us to hear how women can support other women in business. The big question that we principals have been asked is why are we doing this together? I use the words from the SheEO organisation to answer this question: • This is a co-created environment built on trust. • We are creating a space for women to thrive on their own terms. • We take our time, and we consider the future. • We celebrate and embolden each other. • We amplify each other’s voices. • We own our greatness. When I first heard about SheEO, it was exciting to consider the opportunities and inspiration the connection might provide for our young women. In discussion with the principals of Samuel Marsden and Chilton St James, we realised that this was a genuine opportunity to exhibit and demonstrate exactly what SheEO aspires to and to collaborate on a more regular basis.