Mount Hutt College principal Jack Saxon has international travel, artificial intelligence and baseball in his sights this week as he sets off on a 12-week sabbatical.
He will visit education institutes in the United States, Singapore, Thailand and Japan, and also get some well-earned rest and relaxation.
‘‘I am hoping to build a picture of how teachers, middle leaders and senior leaders are leveraging AI to ease workload pressure and increase efficiency,’’he said.
‘‘The work around AI has the potential to release the pressure off staff around administrative and assessment-related tasks long-term. This will allow them to focus on what they are passionate about – teaching and learning.
This would only benefit our students.
‘‘The other focus of my sabbatical – leadership development programmes – has the potential to further strengthen student and staff leadership within the school,’’ he said.
In Singapore, he will visit the Singapore Institute of Technologies Educational Leadership programme, and in Thailand connect with schools and agents aligned with Mount Hutt College and discuss trip plans for 24 senior students to South East Asia next year.
In Japan, he has three weeks with his family, but the trip will also include a visit to his college’s sister school, Yumegaoka Junior High School, and setting plans for the college’s 2026 Japan trip involving 12 junior students.
The break is a Ministry of Education sabbatical principals are entitled to after five years of service.
It will be Saxon’s first in 11 years as a school leader; he has held principalships at Kaitaia College and, been at Mount Hutt College since 2019.
Also planned are family trip’s to Central Otago, to ride the Dunstan Trail and ski in Queenstown, and to Nelson to support 18 of the college’s mountainbikers competing in the New Zealand Secondary School MTB Championships.
Saxon also hoped to add a pizza oven to his outdoor area at home.
Saxon said he most looked forward to visit San Diego, America.
There, he will visit San Diego State University and high schools in the state to see how leaders are integrating artificial intelligence (AI) in educational spaces and, as an avid baseball fan, will attend a baseball game, or two.
‘‘It is a great blend of professional goals, looking at how AI is being utilised in tertiary and high schools environments overseas, with my 30-year passion for the sport of baseball,’’ he said.
He said he was grateful to the Mount Hutt College board of trustees and the wider team at the college for the chance to take a sabbatical.
In his absence, Jess McConnell is 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. Saxon is due to return to school on November 2.
