Kia ora whānau,

Our final NCEA results were released recently, and I would like to open this newsletter by celebrating what a phenomenal academic year 2025 was for Mount Maunganui College students.

Many of you will be aware of our outstanding scholarship results, with 21 earned overall, making us the leading public school in the city for NZQA scholarships. This is on top of NCEA Level 2 results over 90%, more than 10% above the equity index average and more that 16% above the national average. University Entrance was at 62.7%, more than 10% above both the national and equity index averages.

These consistently high achievement rates in key NCEA qualifications are the result of a tremendous team effort from teachers, students, and families. Moreover, our 2025 Year 10’s Reading and Writing outcomes were 10% above the national average, and numeracy outcomes were 15% above the national average. This highlights the work our students and our entire school community have been putting in to get the foundations right for academic success.

Behind this data is the journey of every student, with all the ups and downs that come with being a teenager. Our community trusts our ability to support their child as they navigate this complex time in their lives. As a school, we have to wear a number of ‘hats’. We have to provide care, support, encouragement and sometimes a firm direction and clear behaviour and learning guidelines. I have always said that there are experts on our children on both sides of the school fence, but when we work together, we achieve outcomes like those celebrated above.

Our second student report for 2026 has been released to families today. Thanks to the families that made the most of our school learning conferences. These are important opportunities for our students to see us working together. It is also a great opportunity to put a face to the name of the important adults who will be a major feature of your child’s life this year. If you were unable to make it, it is never too late to reach out to your child’s teachers. Their emails are on your child’s report.

Last week was Summer Tournament week, and, once again, a record number of Mount Maunganui College students participated across the country. It was great to see our students representing Mount Maunganui College with grit and pride. I want to extend my sincere gratitude to all of our community volunteers who took time away from work and their families to create these moments for our students. I was really proud to see a number of past pupils coaching and managing as well.

Speaking of students giving back, I’d like to acknowledge our Community Leaders, Wanda Hopkinson and Izzy Sowter and their council for their charitable works recently. A few weeks ago, the council raised over $8000 for the Cancer Society in the Relay for Life and again put in a great effort to successfully organise ‘pie day’ for epilepsy awareness.

Enjoy a safe and relaxing Easter break.

Ngā mihi nui,

Alastair Sinton
Principal

Brett Sorrenson
Director of Sport

Kia ora koutou,

Congratulations to all involved in sport Term 1 and Summer Tournament Week. Term 1 has seen a significant participation number across summer codes with a number of individual and team highlights throughout. We now look forward to the winter sport season starting as we return from the school holidays.

During the upcoming holidays we wish all the best to our Premier 3x3 Basketball Teams as they head to the 3x3 NZ Secondary School Nationals and to our sailors who head north to compete in their national competition. The Senior Rugby Tour group fly out Easter Sunday and we look forward to following the action, a massive thank you to everyone who has made this tour possible.

Happy Easter and we wish you a safe and enjoyable holiday.

Wellbeing Opportunity
Mount Maunganui College Sport has partnered with P3 Recovery to aid with holistic support. 20% off memberships for students and teachers are available and 10% off memberships for extended family.
The P3 Essential Membership includes the following:
- Unlimited Ice Bath
- Unlimited Contrast Therapy
- Unlimited Infrared Sauna
- Unlimited Compression Therapy
To sign up:
- Download the app (P3 Recovery)
- Create account
- Sign up to essential membership and use PROMO code: MOUNTCOLLEGE20 (students / teachers) or MOUNTCOLLEGE10 (extended family)

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 we spotlight Finn Van Gisbergen who won the Most Outstanding Male Sporting Achievement of 2025 award at Sports Awards.

Name: Finn Van Gisbergen
Year: 12
Sport: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
Tell us about yourself: Hey, I'm Finn. I'm a Year 12 student and a kids coach at Mount Maunganui Jiu Jitsu. I'm interested in jiu jitsu obviously, running, comedy, and posting content.
Why did you start playing sport: I started doing jiu jitsu as a kid because I had some disciplinary problems. I ended up taking a love for competing when I was a little older though, around 14 years old because I figured out how awesome it felt to win and haven't looked back since.
Aspirations: My short term aspirations are to win juvenile (16-17 years old) worlds and win the ADCC Asia and Oceania Championship in the adult divisions. Long term and further down the line I'd like to win worlds as an adult black belt and open up my own gym.
What do you enjoy about Mount Maunganui Sport: I enjoy how supportive the team is and seeing the posts of all the amazing athletes.

What’s been happening?

Athletics
Mount Maunganui College athletes recently competed at the BOP and WaiBOP Championships and many found success on the track and field.
BOP Athletics
Individual highlights (Girls):
1st Place: Amelia McEwan - Junior Girls 1500 Meters
1st Place: Omelia Sanger - Junior Girls Javelin (21.73m)
1st Place: Te Rerewai Meihana - Junior Girls High Jump (1.45m)
1st Place: Te Rerewai Meihana - Junior Girls Long Jump (4.42m)
3rd Place: Te Rerewai Meihana - Junior Girls 100 Meters
2nd Place: Te Rerewai Meihana - Junior Girls 200 Meters
4th Place: Amelia McEwan - Junior Girls 800 Meters
Individual highlights (Boys):
2nd Place: Jay Eilering - Intermediate Boys 800 Meters
5th Place: Jayden Hume - Junior Boys 800 Meters
5th Place: Toshiki Ariyoshi - Senior Boys 800 Meters
5th Place: Nathan De Lapparent - Intermediate Boys 3000 Meters

WaiBOP Athletics
Individual highlights:
1st Place: Te Rerewai Meihana - Junior Girls High Jump (1.45m)
1st Place: Te Rerewai Meihana - Junior Girls Long Jump (4.87m) - PB
1st Place: Danhe Stols - Senior Girls Hammer Throw (46.62m)
2nd Place: Zoey Stols - Junior Girls Hammer Throw (25.14m)
5th Place: Sophia Maltai-Spence - Intermediate Girls 1500m (4.52.62) - PB
9th Place: Toshiki Ariyoshi - Senior Men’s 800m (2.10.59)

NISS Athletics
Congratulations to Danhe Stols, Zoey Stols, Te Rerewai Meihana and Sophia Maltai-Spence who represented Waikato and Bay of Plenty at the recent North Island Secondary School Championships.
Individual highlights:
2nd Place: Te Rerewai Meihana - Junior Girls High Jump (1.49m)
3rd Place: Te Rerewai Meihana - Junior Girls Long Jump (4.97m) - PB
2nd Place: Danhe Stols - Senior Girls Hammer Throw (44.45m)
4th Place: Zoey Stols - Junior Girls Hammer Throw (24.82m)
12th Place: Sophia Maltai-Spence - Intermediate Girls 1500m (5.07.88)

3x3 Basketball
Mount Maunganui College 3x3 Basketball continues to stamp its mark and enjoyed success at the National Qualifiers - Zone 2. Mount Maunganui College Premier Girls took 1st Place against tough competition and the Premier Boys returned home 3rd Place. Both teams qualify for nationals which take place over the 11th and 12th April in Wellington. Attention now turns to the Mount Maunganui College Premier Girls defending their national title and the Mount Maunganui College Premier Boys looking to better their 4th Place finish from 2025.

Futsal
Futsal continues to grow at Mount Maunganui College, with all four premier teams travelling to Wellington to compete at the NZSS Futsal Championships. Mount Maunganui College Junior Boys and Girls faced strong opposition and showed great determination, playing competitively while gaining valuable experience. They represented Mount Maunganui College with pride, resilience, and plenty of smiles.

Mount Maunganui College Senior Boys, also a young team, faced very strong competition throughout the tournament. Despite this, they showed great character, continuing to compete hard, develop their game, and represent the school with pride.

A standout performance came from the Mount Maunganui College Senior Girls, who achieved an impressive 5th place in New Zealand. This result is even more remarkable considering the team had no dedicated goalkeeper, and five players had only played once on a full-sized court prior to the tournament. An outstanding effort and a testament to their teamwork, adaptability, and commitment.

All four teams have secured their spot to compete at national level next year which is a testament to the programme players and staff.

NISS Mountain Bike Championships
Poppy Richardson and Sophie Loader competed at the 2026 North Island School MTB Championships in Wellington. Both enjoyed a challenging and competitive weekend of riding IN challenging wet conditions. In the U20 Enduro Poppy Richardson came in 7th Place with Sophie Loader closely behind in 8th Place. “It was a tough, technical course which was made spicy with some heavy overnight rain, which dried just enough to make it safe and not a complete mudfest on the hardest stage.” To top off the competition Sophie proudly received the Passion Award sponsored by Harraways Oats for her commitment to the sport.

NZSS Kayaking
With a smaller team than usual - impacted by the busy schedule of other events a team of five travelled over to Tikitapu to represent Mount Maunganui College.
Highlights:
U14 Girls 250m Sprint
Mia Labone - 4th Place
U16 Girls 250m Sprint
Isla Frazer - 2nd Place
U16 Girls 2000m Long Course
Isla Frazer - 2nd Place
U14 K2 250m
Neave Symes/Olivia Halls - 3rd Place
U14 3x100m Relay
Neave Symes, Olivia Halls and Mia Labone - 3rd Place
U18 K2 250m
Poppy Richardson/Isla Frazer - 3rd Place
U18 3x100 Mixed Relay
Isla Frazer, Poppy Richardson, Ryleigh McKewan - 3rd Place

NZSS Triathlon
The NZ Secondary Schools Aquathlon was held at home in Mount Maunganui, on Thursday 26th March during heavy wind and rain. This unfortunately caused the triathlon to be cancelled, and increased numbers taking part in the aquathlon event. The Mount Maunganui College students impressed, competing against the fattest and fittest in the country.
Highlights:
U14 Female
Amelia McEwan - 1st Place
Sophie Braithwaite - 8th Place
U16 Female
Sophia Maltai-Spence - 4th Place
Ellie Renwick - 11th Place

Swimming
The Mount Maunganui College Swim team competed strongly at the BOPSS Champs and finished 2nd Place overall and top co-ed school. Amelia McEwan was the overall winner in the 13 & Under Women and Rylee Jury finished overall 3rd Place. Ryleigh McEwan was 2nd Place overall for the 16 & Over Men. Congratulations to all other swimmers representing Mount Maunganui College and we look forward to a bright future ahead.

New Zealand Div II Championships
Over three days of competition, a number of our Mount Maunganui College students competed in Dunedin at the NZ Div II Championships. Awesome swimming by them all. A whole lot of fun, travelling with their teams to Dunedin and experiencing for some, their first New Zealand competition. It's great to see the hard work and long hours in the pool paying off.

Surfing
Mount Maunganui College Surfers were buzzing following and epic few days at the National Tag Team event in Muriwai. From Monday to Wednesday, the surf was absolutely firing, perfect waves, and a sick competition vibe. Our girls crushed it, taking 2nd place and is a credit to their teamwork and effort. The boys were just as on point, making it all the way to the final, with a solid 4th place finish. Their surfing was next level all week. The talent on that team is incredible. The performances they put on throughout the comp and in the free surfs was something to be proud of and we can’t wait to see what is next for this group.

Touch
Mount Maunganui College Touch finished in 3rd Place in the BOPSS Mixed Touch Champs. An exciting group and an exciting future ahead.

Water Polo
Mount Maunganui College Water Polo enjoyed a tournament week of learning and success in the water. The boys have competed in the North Island Secondary School Division 2 Cup and finished 2nd Place. Throughout the tournament, the team were unbeaten heading into the final vs Kristin College Premier Team. The final was a nail-biter with Kristin winning 7-6 on the buzzer. A massive congratulations to this group and the management team. An exciting time for Mount Maunganui Water Polo with 5 juniors in this team, and we look forward to the future years ahead.

Wrestling
Kurei Harawira has recently returned from Oceania Champs with three gold medals in the U17, 80kg division. Kurei was successful in Greco-Roman, Freestyle and Beach Wrestling.

Volleyball
Mount Maunganui College Volleyball enjoyed a week of tough competition in Palmerston North for the VNZSSS Nationals. The Senior A Girls competed in Div 1 and finished 13th Place. The journey of the Year 13s in the programme has been significant with the progression over the years being a highlight. The group has climbed from Div 5, to Div 4, to Div 3 to Div 1 in their final year. Highlights included beating Canterbury 2nd seed Christchurch Girls High School 3-1 and finishing the week with redemption over BOP 1st seed TGC; winning 25-9, 25-17. With 7 players returning for the 2027 season, we are very excited to see them push for higher honours.

Finishing BOP 7 meant our Senior A Boys narrowly missed out on being eligible for Div 1 / Div 2 at Nationals. True to their character, they spent the week playing (under a new challenging format; timed games instead of sets for and against) their best in Div 3 / Div 4, with impressive wins over Mount Albert Grammar and One Tree Hill. With a number of players returning next year and being eligible to play in 2028 as well, we are excited to see these young lads develop and continue on from their North Island's Junior Title in 2025.

What’s coming up?
Senior Rugby Tour - Sunday 5 April to Sunday 12 April - Fiji
3x3 NZ Secondary School Nationals - Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 April - Wellington
NZSS Team Sailing National Championships - Monday 13 April to Saturday 18 April - Whangarei
Movewell Day - Thursday 30 April - School
Cambridge High School Exchange - Thursday 7 May - Home
Lynfield School Exchange - Thursday 14 May - Home

Social Media
To ensure you are keeping up to date with all things sport make sure you follow us on social media, this platform is used to highlight “our people” - Mount Maunganui College Sport and Mount Maunganui College Sport

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.

For further information and for the 2026 timetable please visit the Strength and Conditioning page via the Mount Maunganui College website: Mount Maunganui College Strength and Conditioning

Sign up:
- To sign up please complete the Strength and Conditioning registration via Kindo. Term 2 and Rest of Year options are available now.

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: 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

Sports Uniforms
All students who represent the school in sport must wear Mount Maunganui College sports uniform when at sports events. ‘Off Court’ uniforms can be purchased online at NZ Uniform - Mount Maunganui College or at the NZ Uniforms Store at 94 Elizabeth Street, Tauranga.

2026 Sport Registrations
Kindo - Mount Maunganui College Sport

Mount Maunganui College Sports Website
Mount Maunganui College Sport Website

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Social Media
Please follow us on;

Facebook: Mount Maunganui College Sport
Instagram: Mount Maunganui College Sport

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STUDENT SIGNING IN / OUT PROCEDURE

To ensure the safety of our students and maintain accurate records in accordance with Ministry of Education requirements, Mount Maunganui College operates a formal signing in and out process. Following these procedures helps our school run smoothly and ensures every student is accounted for.

SIGNING IN (LATE ARRIVALS)
If a student arrives at school after the bell has rung, the process depends on the time of arrival:

Before the end of Period 1: Students should go straight to their classroom. Please provide your student with a handwritten note to give directly to their classroom teacher. If the student does not have a note, the classroom teacher will issue an interval detention.
After the end of Period 1: Students must report to the Front Office to sign in. A signed note from a parent or caregiver is required at the time of signing in. Office staff will amend your child’s attendance for the periods they missed.

Rationale: When a student signs in without a handwritten note, it creates a significant administrative burden. Our busy office team is obligated to phone home to verify every unexplained arrival. Providing a note immediately saves time and ensures our attendance data remains precise.

SIGNING OUT (EARLY DEPARTURES)
If a student needs to leave the school grounds during the day for an appointment or other personal reasons, please use one of the following methods:

Email: Send the details of the departure (time and reason) to attendance@mmc.school.nz, the day before or before school on the day you intend to sign out.

Handwritten Note: Have the student bring a signed note to the Front Office to receive a sign-out pass. The sign out pass should be carried by the student as proof they’ve followed the correct sign out procedure.

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ATTENDANCE

You may be aware of the nationwide focus on school attendance. As part of this initiative we will advise parents and whanau when students move between the STAR thresholds as outlined below. These emails indicate days out of school and may include justified absences such as medical absences, family holidays, sporting, cultural, and other commitments. For many students these absences are justified and require no further action. If there are absences beyond those considered justified, please contact the school and the attendance team can provide support.

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UNIFORM

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:

Uniform guidelines.
As per the Board approved uniform the school skirt is not to have the length modified (eg shortened).
If sandals are worn they must be black and have a back strap.
If shoes are worn they must be completely black and polishable.
Please ensure your child also adheres to our jewellery standards. No septums or rings are permitted on the face.
Eyelash extensions are not permitted.
We would like to remind families that only Mount Maunganui College trousers are to be worn. These can only be purchased from NZ Uniforms.
Students can wear a non-regulation waterproof jacket to and from school on wet days.
Discipline and defiance procedures will be used to deal with ongoing uniform issues if not resolved promptly.

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SCHOOL BUS SERVICE

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.

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.

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HONOURS BOARDS

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.

HONOURS BOARD LINK

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ALUMNI

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.

MOUNT MAUNGANUI COLLEGE ALUMNI

Links for social media pages:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61582402786664

https://www.instagram.com/mmc_official_alumni_page/

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KEY DATES

2026 Term Dates (click to view)

April 2026
2        Engagement Reports Issued
2        Last Day Term 1
3        Good Friday (School Closed)
6        Easter Monday (School Closed)
7        Easter Tuesday (School Closed)
20      First Day Term 2
22      Lipsync
25      Anzac Day
27      Anzac Day Observed (School Closed)
30      Move Well Day

May 2026
7          Cambridge Exchange
14         Lynfield Exchange
16         School Ball
18         CAA Literacy and Numeracy Assessments
26         Engagement Reports Issued

June 2026
1          Monarch’s Birthday (School Closed)
8-26      Year 9 Camps
17         Polar Plunge

STAFF CARPARK

STUDENT SIGNING IN / OUT PROCEDURE

ATTENDANCE

CONTACT DETAILS

UNIFORM

SCHOOL BUS SERVICE

STUDENT ID PHOTOS

HONOURS BOARDS

ALUMNI