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
