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19 September 2025  |
Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou katoa, Despite the disruptions, it has been another huge end to a term at Mount Maunganui College. Te Wiki o te Reo Māori was in full swing with staff and students getting stuck in learning new words and phrases. Thanks to our Kaupapa Māori leaders, Leila and Skye, and their council for helping lead this. Our annual Headshave was another roaring success and continues to grow in popularity year after year. Special thanks to Cole and Morgan for the tremendous amount of work in making this event a success, and thanks to all participants and donors for their generosity. Our senior DanceNZMade team had a phenomenal weekend recently, taking home three awards – First in Street Style Teams, second overall and second highest scoring overall. Congratulations to Georgia Annear, Milan Brown, Montana Cullwick, Skye Faile, Ava Haslett, Eunice Kim, Kate Mitchell, Sophie Robinson and our outstanding choreographer, dance legend and Head Girl, Sienna Lagerberg. These dancers are really among the elite in the country. Congratulations to Leila and Brooklyn Taylor for placing in the top 5 for the prestigious Play it Strange songwriting competition. Safe travels to our Media Studies staff and students heading to Hollywood these holidays, we are looking forward to hearing about your experiences on your return. Next Wednesday, Mount Maunganui College is hosting a couple of events. The first is Pathways to the Future of Earth & Space Exploration: 150-year celebration of scientific partnership between New Zealand and the United States, the second follows after and is the screening of the documentary ‘Good Night, Oppy’. We have some very distinguished guests supporting these events. Please check out Jim Critchley’s message below for more details. With the end of the academic year for seniors not too far in the distance, I encourage all families to reach out and get in touch with their child’s teachers, dean or senior leader if they have any concerns. Ngā mihi, Alastair Sinton |
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______________________________________________________________ CONGRATULATIONS …
Last weekend, 'The Grandpas' Hip Hop team participated in the DanceNZMade interschool Nationals in Palmerston North. Dressed as "old men" who have escaped from Mount Maunganui's retirement village, they impressed both the judges and the audience.
The team performed amazingly and displayed outstanding choreography by Sienna Lagerberg. Team Members:
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______________________________________________________________ OCEAN TO SPACEExpedition Science: Oceans to Outer Space or Science Without Borders: NZ–US Collaboration Tickets are still available for the two events being held in the school hall on Wednesday, 24 September 2025. |
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The morning event features the University of Auckland, Waikato University, Victoria University, GNS Beneath the Waves, Spaceward Bound, Syos Aerospace, Applied Marine from Toi Ohomai, and special guests from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at Caltech and the Blue Marble Space Institute. This event is for all ages and anyone interested in the Earth, Marine and Space fields. The event opens at 9am and runs until 12:30pm. There will be a short break before a panel discussion featuring the US guests, during which they will answer questions from the attendees. |
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In the evening, starting at 5pm. Sarah Marcotte from JPL will introduce the movie 'Good Night Oppy'. The Mars Rover Opportunity was supposed to work for 90 days, and it lasted for 15 years. The film follows the ups and downs of the mission. Sarah has worked on the Mars Rover programme for over 10 years, and will discuss the mission history. Soft drinks, lollies and popcorn will be available at the back of the hall . ______________________________________________________________ |
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Brett Sorrenson Kia ora koutou, |
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What’s been happening? |
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Basketball Olivia was selected for the New Zealand Youth Team, made up of U18 athletes eligible for the 2026 Junior Lifesaving World Championships. She excelled in her events, breaking the NZ U17 national record in the A final 100m Manikin Tow with Fins with a time of 1:01.97. She later followed this with a second-place finish in the final and placed 3rd in the B Final of the 100m Manikin Carry with Fins. She also competed in a range of ocean and beach events, gaining valuable experience in ski and board disciplines against a strong international field. Bella, competing in the New Zealand Pathway Grey Team, impressed across both pool and ocean disciplines. She placed 6th in the 50m Manikin Carry A Final and 6th in the B Final of the 100m Manikin Carry with Fins. In the surf race - one of the most physically demanding ocean events - Bella fought hard to finish 6th in a stacked international field. Also competing was former Mount Maunganui College student, Braith Swanberg, who represented the New Zealand Pathway Grey Team in several ocean disciplines, including the Surf Race, Ironman, and Ski Events. While all three athletes performed admirably, the competition was fierce. Australian athletes benefitted from their year-round access to warm water and ocean training conditions, which presented a further challenge for the New Zealand teams. Despite this, Bella, Olivia, and Braith gained valuable experience on the international stage, illustrating Mount Maunganui College’s surf lifesaving talent. |
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Water Polo Social Media Facebook: Mount Maunganui College Sport |
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MEFA Jazz Trip to Wellington Twenty-eight music students are down in Wellington this week to take part in the Musicworks Ensemble Festival Aotearoa. Our Big Band, Jazz Combo, Street Band, and the Voices group are representing Mount Maunganui College proudly. Stay tuned for an update on results in a couple of weeks. |
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Leila and Brooklyn Taylor Play It Strange Finalists A huge congratulations to Leila and Brooklyn Taylor for making it into the top five of the Play It Strange National Songwriting Competition. They're now national finalists and have scored $750 to record their song at a professional studio. ______________________________________________________________ |
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______________________________________________________________ RYDAROAD SAFETY EDUCATION WORKSHOP Year 11 students have been given the opportunity to participate in the award-winning RYDA Road Safety Education Workshop. RYDA is designed for 16 - 17 year olds as they begin to drive or ride in cars driven by their peers. This workshop encourages students to rethink road safety and build lifelong safe habits. It aims to increase awareness of risks, clarify rights and responsibilities, and equip students with the tools to make safer choices on New Zealand roads. Additionally, there is a free workshop for whānau to support teens in driving safety. Free parent evening - Thursday, 16 October, 6pm. Please click here for further information. |
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______________________________________________________________ ONLINE PAYMENTSKINDO COMING SOON Quick, easy online payments - 24/7. We’re excited to introduce Kindo. This user-friendly platform will allow you to purchase school items, register for sports and support fundraisers 24/7, with one convenient account for the whole family. Enjoy flexible payment options anytime, anywhere! We’ll share more details soon, so keep an eye out for this new way to manage payments. Why families love Kindo: Flexible Payment Options:
One Simple Account for the Whole Family:
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______________________________________________________________ SCHOOL ACCESS AND VISITOR PARKINGWe acknowledge that the new school development will mean additional difficulties for some families accessing the school during drop off and pick up times. The previous ‘main’ school carpark has now only one point of entry and exit, thereby making it inappropriate for drop off and pick ups and is now restricted to visitor parking only. If you do have to use this gate when visiting the school, be mindful of cars entering and exiting. See the map below that designates visitor parking. The new staff carpark now has barrier arms and is limited to staff parking only. The arms will be down from 7:30 am through to 3:20 pm during weekdays. Outside of these hours the carpark will remain open to all. If you plan on picking up and dropping off your child before and after school, this needs to happen on the surrounding streets. |
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______________________________________________________________ UNIFORMThanks to all our families who ensure our students head off to school in the correct school uniform. We know you have high expectations of how our students present themselves, so we appreciate your support. Occasionally, students present to school in incorrect uniforms, and it can be disappointing for staff to have to start the day by having a negative conversation with a student about uniforms. Here are some reminders to help ensure your child has a positive start to the day:
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______________________________________________________________ ATTENDANCE MATTERSHelpful links: Guidance for Parents and Caregivers - Knowing if your child is well enough to go to school |
______________________________________________________________ PUNCTUALITY AND UNIFORM EXPECTATIONSPunctuality and wearing the correct school uniform are key parts of maintaining high standards at our school. Being on time shows respect for learning and allows students to make the most of their education, while correct uniform fosters a sense of belonging and pride. If your child is late to school for a legitimate reason and arrives before the end of Period 1, please provide them with a note to give to their Period 1 teacher, who will update the attendance system. Students arriving after Period 1 must sign in at the front office to ensure their attendance is correctly recorded. Thank you for supporting these expectations. |
______________________________________________________________ SCHOOL BUS SERVICEThis is a reminder to families that the school has a very efficient bus service. This service will ensure your child arrives at school on time and is ready for period 1 classes. While students can use the commercial bus service free during school hours provided they have a BEE card they cannot guarantee that they will arrive ready for an 8.45 am start. Many of these services mean that students are missing up to 30 minutes of learning time each day. Please encourage your child to use the school buses each day. This may mean they need to leave the house earlier, but it guarantees they are ready for the start of school. Up-to-date information on the school buses is on the school website https://www.mmc.school.nz/key-info/bus-information The afternoon buses leave the school grounds promptly at 3pm each day. The 712a buses are now arriving at 3 pm and the later one arrives at approximately 3.10pm. Since the beginning of the 2025 academic year, we have seen an increase in the number of students travelling on some school bus services without a Bee Card. While all school buses remain free to use, certain services require students to tag on and off with a registered Bee Card. This is important for monitoring usage and supporting ongoing planning. To check whether a student’s school bus service requires a Bee Card, please visit our website: www.baybus.co.nz/plan-your-trip/school-bus-services/ We kindly ask all parents, caregivers, and schools to ensure that students travelling on these services carry and use their registered Bee Card. Please note that students without a registered Bee Card may be unable to travel. Thank you for your continued support in helping us maintain a safe, reliable, and efficient school bus system. |
______________________________________________________________ STUDENT ID PHOTOSAs ID cards are not required for school, students will not receive one this year unless they order it through the Photolife website. Information on how to order will be sent out from Photolife, and cards will be sent directly to them. Parent Queries – Please contact Photolife at: enquiries@photolife.co.nz |
______________________________________________________________ HONOURS BOARDSMount Maunganui College is looking to display our past achievements. If you are a former student or know of someone who represented New Zealand or earned a national title while attending Mount Maunganui College and would like your name displayed, please complete the Google form. We are also interested in former students who have represented New Zealand or earned a national title as adults. While all information is appreciated, we are particularly interested in information from the 1960s to 2000. All submissions must include any verification possible to ensure the information is correct. Achievements can be in Sports, Arts, Culture or Academia. |
______________________________________________________________ ALUMNIMount Maunganui College is developing a database of former students who are interested in keeping up to date with the college's past, present and future. Please click the link below to register your interest and/or share with others. Access to the link can also be found on the college website. MOUNT MAUNGANUI COLLEGE ALUMNI ______________________________________________________________ |
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OMANU WAY SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS 20 August 2025 What is changing? |
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Following the significant improvements in traffic flow observed since the installation of the Girven Road roundabout and the layout changes at the Oceanbeach–Girven intersection, no changes will be made to the Omanu Way layout while traffic counts are underway. Find out more Further details on the construction timeline and traffic management changes will be available via our Weekly Bulletin noticeboard at www.tauranga.govt.nz/newsletters as construction begins. If you have any questions or concerns, please phone us on 07 577 7000 or email our community engagement team at papamoamountlink@tauranga.govt.nz. We appreciate your patience as we continue to improve safety on your roads. Ngā mihi |
______________________________________________________________ KEY DATES2025 Term Dates (click to view) 2026 Term Dates (click to view) September 2025 |