Mr. Mackenzie and Sense of Belonging

The most prevalent response from participants pointed to Jack’s ability to cultivate a deep sense of belonging among students, parents and staff.

To many, he has established a sense of family membership within the community.  Many referred to the school community as more closely resembling a family or clan, naming  Jack as a “Grandpa” or “Father”.  As a former parent, Sarah, claimed, “every kid loved him like Grandpa”, while Grade 7 student, Simon, shared that Jack MacKenzie School felt “like his home away from home...you feel like you fit in, like you belong”.   A mother of three, Lorraine, provided a window into a conversation with her daughters: “I say to the girls all the time: “I am so sad that he didn’t have a family of his own”...and they’re like, “Mom!  Have you looked around the school?  We’re all his kids!”” 

Taken from a research paper, "Exploring a Namesake's Impact on School Culture: A Teacher's Ethnographic Journey", H. McMillan, 2012