As we reach the end of the 2025 academic year, it is a privilege to pause and reflect on the incredible fortnight we have just shared, and to look forward to the promise of the year ahead. The energy in the school has been high, and it has been heartening to see our students finishing the year with such pride and connection.
Last Monday, our Graduation ceremony was truly remarkable. It is always a special rite of passage to bid farewell to our Year 13s, and the atmosphere was filled with pride and celebration. We wish our leavers every success as they step out into the world.
Last Wednesday night, we came together for our Pasifika Awards. It was a vibrant and meaningful evening celebrating the success, culture, and identity of our Pasifika students. A huge thank you to the staff and families who worked behind the scenes to make this night such a triumph.
The first half of this week has seen our Year 10s out on Camps and our Year 9s engaged in Activities Week. It has been fantastic to see our junior students making the most of these opportunities, challenging themselves, building new friendships, and learning outside the classroom.
A massive thank you to the staff and parent volunteers who gave up their time to make these experiences possible. We simply couldn't do it without you.
Last night we celebrated the release of our sixth consecutive school album. This is an amazing initiative lead by Head of Music Tia Beaufort. Check out this years’ collection here.
Junior Academic Excellence We also take this moment to recognise academic excellence in our Junior School. Congratulations to our top scholars for 2025:
Second Highest Aggregate Award Year 9 - Hayden Appleton
Highest Aggregate Award Year 9 - Emily O'Driscoll
Junior Proxime Accessit - Stella Dixon
Junior Dux - Kyla Wills
2026 Student Leaders As one cohort leaves, another steps up. I am delighted to announce our Student Leadership Team for 2026. These young people have demonstrated integrity, service, and a commitment to our school values.
Head Students
Fletcher Cameron
Ava Jurisich
Executive Leaders
Fraser Tustin
Kate Mitchell
Cultural Leaders
Anaya Clark
Leah Catley
Kaupapa Māori Leaders
Cadence Wood
Dallys Lunjevich
Community Leaders
Izzy Sowter
Wanda Hopkinson
Arts Leaders
Olivia Kelly
Georgia Annear
Sports Leaders
Harvey Newsom
Olivia Verryt
Academic Leaders
Owen Reaves
Lane Ririnui
Huia House Leaders
Cara Hicks
Isla Kishor
Ruru House Leaders
Montana Cullwick
Diego Farias
Kōtuku House Leaders
Nellie Burns
Jimmy Marshall
Takahē House Leaders
Danhe Stols
Zac Mclean
Staff Farewells As the year concludes, we must say farewell to several valued staff members who are moving on to new adventures in 2026. We thank them for their dedication to our students and our school.
Larenz Tate
Jeff Robertson - Auckland
Jack Belton - Study
Carolyn Gilmore-Pope - Retirement
Phil Snow - Retirement
Abbey Yule - Deputy Principal, Stratford High School
Tara Keenan - Heading home to Ireland
John Devery - Retirement
Di Hodge - Retirement
To our entire school whānau, thank you for your support throughout 2025. I am looking forward to an excellent 2026 as we continue to grow and succeed together. As part of our commitment to continual improvement, please feel free to complete this short survey.
I wish you all a safe, restful, and happy holiday break with friends and family.
Please be aware that there are going to be significant disruptions during the summer break. The best way to communicate is by email, click the link below to send an email.
Congratulations to the following students who have achieved outstanding results. A special thank you to teachers Richard Taylor and Mark Schuler for their guidance and support.
We are incredibly proud to announce the release of the MMC ORIGINALS 2025!
This year, our talented student musicians fully embraced a '90s vibe, recording the entire album straight to cassette tape. The students had a rad time in the Green Room Studio, gaining hands-on experience with old-school recording formats.
Congratulations to the following students who poured their creativity into this project.
How to Listen:
Stream Now:The album is available on all major streaming platforms!
Own a Tape: The album is being released on limited-edition cassette tape, available to purchase through the Kindo shop.
Album Credits
Produced by Tia Beaufort Recorded, mixed and mastered at Green Room Studio, MMC, Oct 2025 Album Art by Florence Steer Cover Design by Brooklyn Taylor Photography by Lulu Boorman
Tāwhirimātea by Deffex Kingston Mortell - guitar, vocals Charlie Gilmore - drums Theo Holme - bass
Gone and Out by Kymira Lilka Farrelly - guitar, vocals Leona Agbayani - lead guitar Lily Pearson - bass Coco Bakker - drums
Runaway by Evie and Julia Evangeline Pitts - vocals, guitar, production Julia Kim - vocals T. Beaufort - bass, drums
6 St John St by Mars Rover Tyler Ormsby - drums Leila Taylor - bass Conor Tonor - guitar
Tell Me by Conor and Zahra Zahra Panapa - vocals Conor Tonor - guitar Tyler Ormsby - drums Leila Taylor - bass
Message To You by Spud Lennox Lloyd - guitar, vocals Bryn Lloyd - drums, vocals Layton Cox - bass
Gums by Three Man Tent Florence Steer - vocals, mandolin Eva Dixon - vocals, acoustic guitar
Gold Runnin’ by Sketch Charli Palmer - guitar, Rubes Emery - bass, Penny Eades - drums, Lucy van der Lem - vocals
See The Girls by Kenzie MacKenzie Petitpas - vocals, guitar Tia Beaufort - bass, drums
Angel by Asylian Brennon Collins - vocals, guitar Tayla Reid - bass Oliver Spence - drums, lead guitar, vocals
Love Like That by Josh Bisley Josh Bisley - vocals, guitar
Sick by Stella Dixon Stella Dixon - vocals, guitar
Home Run by Brooke Brooke Baldwin - vocals, guitar
Asunder by Vynl Olivia Kelly - vocals, keys Amelia Stoutenburg - vocals, guitar
STREET BAND ART LAUNCH
A couple of weekends ago, our fantastic Street Band delivered an awesome performance, opening an art exhibition launch at the Historic Village!
The crowd absolutely loved seeing our students put their spin on popular songs, playing our unique brass band arrangements. What a great way to represent the school and the Music Department in the community!
MUSIC LESSONS 2026
Sign-Ups are OPEN!
Don't miss the chance to learn an instrument next year. Sign-ups for our popular Itinerant Music Lessons for 2026 are now open on Kindo.
We offer tuition in Woodwind, Brass, Strings, Guitar, Bass, and Drums/Percussion. Spaces are limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, so sign up quickly. Beginner lessons are taught in small groups (up to 3 students).
Students taking Music as a curriculum subject get first priority.
All lesson students must join a related extra-curricular music group.
In 2025 we had 923 students represent Mount Maunganui College in sport across 43 different sporting codes. Thank you to all students, parents and staff who have made sport possible for 2025 and we look forward to 2026 and sport at Mount Maunganui College.
Keep an eye out in the Daily Notices to begin 2026 to ensure you keep up to date with all key information.
As we sign off from 2025, we wish our Year 13 leavers well and we hope you have enjoyed representing Mount Maunganui College Sport. We look forward to seeing what is next for you and we have appreciated all your day in, day out efforts and positive contributions.
Have an enjoyable holiday period and we wish all families a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Who are our people Here at Mount Maunganui College Sport, we're proud of the community that positively contributes to our programmes – our students, staff, volunteers and supporters. This week and our final spotlight for 2025 we spotlight Headboy and 1st XV captain Lucah Morresey.
Student Sport Profile Name: Lucah Morresey Year: 13 Sport: Rugby Union and Touch Rugby Tell us about yourself: I was born in Hamilton and moved to Papamoa when I was 2. I grew up surrounded by multiple sports. This includes rugby and touch rugby, as well as basketball, swimming, water polo, cricket, mountain biking, football, volleyball, and nippers. Later on, I also began refereeing touch rugby, attending my first national tournament in Year 8 at 13, inspired by my dad’s involvement with Touch New Zealand as a referee. Refereeing has given me the opportunity to attend a variety of national tournaments, with a highlight being my selection for the NZ High Performance Youth Squad. It has also given me a unique perspective on the game, helping me as a player by improving my understanding of the rules, anticipating plays, and making quicker, smarter decisions on the field. Through my experiences in sport, I’ve developed personal traits such as discipline, resilience, and teamwork, which continue to shape how I approach challenges both on and off the field. Why did you start playing:I started playing sports because I’ve always loved being active and competing. Sport became the perfect outlet for all my energy and gave me something to work hard at. Sport was also a big part of our family, with both my parents being rugby and touch players, so their influence naturally pushed me toward following similar pathways. Aspirations: My goal is to keep improving and compete at the highest level I can. I want to develop as both an athlete and a leader, and one day I’d love to represent my region in the NPC or Super Rugby competition. Long term, I’m aiming for a career that keeps me involved in high-performance environments, whenever that's as a player, referee or coach. This is the very reason why I intended to study a Bachelor of Science majoring in Exercise Science at the UoA next year, to keep myself on this pathway for years to come. What do you enjoy Mount Maunganui College Sport: Firstly, I have really enjoyed the breadth of opportunities offered at Mount Maunganui College. There’s a wide range of sports to try, from mountain biking to rugby, which allows students to explore different interests and challenge themselves in new ways. I’ve also been fortunate to take part in some incredible trips, including representing the school in touch in Australia and rugby in Fiji. Something I truly enjoy about Mount Maunganui College Sport is the effort from the people behind the scenes. The coaches and school are genuinely committed to developing us as athletes. They want us to perform at our best and will go the extra mile to make that happen. There’s a strong focus on growth, both on and off the field, and their support has made a huge difference in my journey as a player and a leader. I have been particularly grateful for the mentoring and coaching I have received.
What’s been happening?
A special shoutout to the following students who are currently representing New Zealand: - Cole Hopoi and Josh Kelly who are playing for the New Zealand Under 17 Basketball team in Samoa. - Cooper Everett and Griffin Hunt who are playing for the New Zealand Under 20 Development water polo team in Australia.
New Zealand U18 7’s Selection Congratulations to Asha James who has recently been selected in the New Zealand U18 Rugby 7’s team to compete in the Global Youth 7’s in Auckland from the 19th of December.
NISS Junior Volleyball Championships Our junior volleyball teams had success at the recent North Island Championships with both the boys and girls making the final. Congratulations to our Mount Maunganui College Junior A Boys team who came home as champions from the 2025 North Island Champs and congratulations to our Mount Maunganui College Junior A Girls team who came home with silver. Special acknowledgement to Coebin Green, Niko Sowter, Henry Henderson, Kyla Wills, Lara Wright and Neve Walker for making the tournament teams.
Rugby 7s The Festival of 7’s and the Condors 7’s took place recently at Blake Park. Mount Maunganui College Senior Girls finished in 13th place and the Junior Boys came away with lots of learnings and a good experience heading into the next stages of their 7’s journeys. A special acknowledgement to Asha James who was named in the condors tournament team.
NISS Junior Beach Volleyball Cup Congratulations to Kyla Wills and Lara Wright as they have recently been crowned as the 2025 North Island Beach Volleyball Champions. Well done to our 7 pairs backing up a week of indoor games to play on the beach. Special acknowledgement to Will Ferris and Enzo Graham for making the semifinals, and Kyla Hislop and Jess Sutcliffe also making semifinals in their first ever time playing beach volleyball.
Cricket The summer of cricket is well underway and congratulations to the following students who have been selected in representative teams. Northern Districts Under 19 - Jess Benge - Brittany Jenkins (2024 alumni) Bay of Plenty Coastlands Under 16 - Gurshan Singh Northern Maori Youth - Charlie Olsen - Mitch Hill Bay of Plenty Under 16 - Zoe Hennah
Football 7 Mount Maunganui College Girls bring home a national title. FC Tauranga Moana won the National U17 Football Tournament in Auckland recently. This is the top national tournament for this age group and is a significant accomplishment. The girls beat top clubs from all around New Zealand to get there, including Auckland United, Melville United and Eastern Suburbs in the final. Mount Maunganui College players from the FC Tauranga Moana U17 team were Oli McNeil, Mia Chiari, Belle Ririnui, Lane Ririnui, Amelia Cheyne, Bella McKeown and Bonnie Tilby.
Strength and conditioning The Mount Maunganui College Strength and Conditioning Programme will continue to run before and after school for 2026. Students of all abilities wanting to improve their athletic performance are encouraged to sign up and embrace this opportunity to aid in their long term development. For 2026, we have two membership options - a year membership which costs $250 and term options which will be $80 a term.
Sign up: - To sign up please complete the Strength and Conditioning registration via Kindo.
Physio All Mount Maunganui College students have free access to an onsite physio during the week. Bookings are available via the Body in Motion website and are open for February 2026: Body in Motion Bookings
Sponsorship Want to be part of something meaningful moving forward into 2026 and beyond? We are all about “our people” and “our place” and our sponsors make a genuine difference for all involved with sport at Mount Maunganui College. If this sounds like something you would like to be part of moving forward we would love to connect with you to ensure a positive future for sport for Mount Maunganui College. We have a range of packages and sponsor benefits available and would love to connect with you to ensure a positive future for sport. Please reach out on bretts@mmc.school.nz if you’re interested in joining our sponsorship team or fill in this form and we will be in touch: Mount Maunganui College Sport - Sponsorship Expressions of Interest
Daily Notices The best place to get all information regarding key sporting dates is the daily notices. Students, parents and caregivers can access these at: Daily Notices - subscribe to have Daily Notices directly to your inbox: Daily Notices - Subscribe
🌍 Have You Considered Hosting an International Student?
Bring the world to your doorstep!
Homestay matching is well underway for our students arriving in January 2026 however, we are still looking for homes for incoming MALE STUDENTS from Germany (2), Italy (1), Brazil (1), Mexico (1) and Japan (1).
We are looking for warm and welcoming families in Mount Maunganui and Papamoa to offer a home to these boys
✨ Experience another culture 🏡 Share your Kiwi lifestyle 💰 Remuneration of $350 per week, per student 🛏️ Host for one term, six months, or up to a year
Each student requires their own bedroom and families can host up to two students at a time.
Interested? Get in touch with Kriss, our Homestay Co-ordinator, today
Thanks 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:
This 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.
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.
Mount 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.
Mount 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.
Going overseas for the school holidays? Everyone travelling into New Zealand must complete a New Zealand Traveller Declaration, including returning New Zealand passport holders.
If you’re travelling as a family or group and completing multiple declarations, the NZTD app allows you to copy your travel details into another declaration, making it easier to complete multiple declarations for the same journey. The submitted declarations are then all easy to see within the app.
The New Zealand Traveller Declaration collects travel, customs, immigration and biosecurity information and aims to improve the safety and security of New Zealand. It replaces the paper card you used to fill out on the plane.
To make your arrival easier, do your digital declaration before your flight back to New Zealand.
January 2026 22 PSG – Uniform Sale (School Hall) 26 Auckland Anniversary 27 School Office Opens 30 Year 9 & Year 13 Leaders onsite
February 2026 2 Year 9 & Year 13 Leaders onsite 3 Whole School 6 Waitangi Day 11 NCEA Evening Meeting 13 ID Photos 19 Year 9 BBQ 24 Information Evening 26 Swimming Sports
