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Congratulations to Ngā Toka o Tirikawa for their phenomenal performance at this year's Kapa Haka Nationals held at Mercury Baypark. After qualifying last year at the regionals, this year marks the first time our roopu have stood at the Nationals, a phenomenal achievement. The performance was flawless, with the hundreds and hundreds of hours of training clearly evident in the students' accuracy, fluency, and mastery on stage. An achievement like this takes an entire school community, so a big thank you to everyone for their support. A big thank you to our teaching staff and our Year 13s who supported our 2026 Year 9 Camps. Most camps were really lucky with the weather, with only one or two impacted by the rain. Congratulations to all students who made the most of the opportunity to learn, grow and bond through the shared experiences. Special thanks to Mr Jarrod Clarke for coordinating this important feature of our school calendar. I would also like to acknowledge our Sports Leaders, Harvey and Olivia, their council and the Sports Department for their organisation and support for this year's Polar Plunge. This event acknowledges the passing of two young people from our community, and all money goes toward supporting the Blood Cancer Foundation. The skies were clear, and the community came out in force in the cold morning air. Even the Year 13s and a couple of teachers on camp made the effort to duck away for a very quick swim in a nearby river. Student Progress Reports were issued last week. These included any results students have received so far this year and their attendance. Deputy Principal Cameron Andrew has added some information below for parents of Year 10s and senior students to help them shape conversations with their children about their academic progress. Congratulations to MMC Voices, who travelled to Hamilton a few weeks ago to compete in the Bay of Plenty Waikato Young Singers in Harmony barbershop regional competition. The only school represented from the Bay of Plenty, the ensemble performed well enough to qualify for the national competition in Wellington later this year, a tremendous achievement on their first attempt. More music success was earned last weekend as Mount Maunganui College band SPUD came second at the regional Rockquest final. SPUD have won the opportunity to press for national recognition in the next round. This week, our Epro8 team narrowly missed out on a gold medal at the regionals, finishing second overall. Epro8 is a science and engineering competition that brings together some of the finest young technical minds to compete in the STEM arena. Thanks to the staff who have supported this opportunity, and congratulations to those students involved. Thanks to teachers Jim Crichley and Richard Cameron for organising the Tauranga Education Innovation Summit. This event has become a ‘must-attend’ for many local teachers, and the subsequent fundraiser/business forum provides valuable resourcing to support students in overseas opportunities and scholarships who may otherwise miss out. Thanks to everyone in our community who supported this. The Commerce Department has been busy recently creating real-world experiences for its senior business students. The Year 11 Market Day has become one of the school’s largest and best-supported events, and our Year 12s took it further by working with the team at the Little Big Markets to sell to the wider community at the Pāpamoa Markets last weekend. Alastair Sinton Principal  |
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______________________________________________________________ CONTENTS: - Academic Progress
- MMC Music
- Sports News
- Staff Carpark
- Student Signing In / Out Procedure
- Attendance
- Contact Details - Reminder to Update Details
- Uniform
- School Bus Service
- Student ID Photos
- Honours Boards
- Alumni
- Key Dates / Term Dates
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______________________________________________________________ Academic ProgressWith Term 2 wrapping up, it is the perfect time to have conversations regarding your child's academic progress. Year 10s had their first round of Literacy Reading results released, with Literacy Writing and Numeracy due to be released on Monday, 20 July at 3:30pm. The results for these can be found through your child's NZQA login. Years 11-13 students should be well into the academic year, with NCEA results coming in regularly. Have a conversation with your child and check the parent portal or weekly attendance emails to keep up with their results. If you notice a Not Achieved grade, have a conversation about this and reach out to your child's teacher. There may be further opportunities or small changes that can convert these into an Achieved grade. ______________________________________________________________  |
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Term 2 has been a busy one for MMC Music! Rockquest / Tangata Beats Congratulations to SPUD! They won 2nd place at SmokefreeRockquest BOP regional finals last Friday night. They will now go through to the next round for finals and national consideration!
Well done to the band members (Lennox Lloyd, Bryn Lloyd, Layton Cox, Daniel Anderson) for all their hard mahi in the lead up! Watch the full performance by clicking here  |
Huge congratulations to Breadfruit (Bodhi Tidmarsh, Olivia Kelly, Tyler Ormsby, Zade Pitkeathly, Charlie Taane, Jack McArdle) for taking 1st place and Deffex (Kingi Mortell, Theo Holme, Charlie Gilmore) for taking 2nd place in the Tangata Beats regional finals. All bands now go through to the next round of the competition hoping to be selected for the national finals in September.  |
Young Singers in Harmony For the first time ever, MMC Voices competed in the Young Singers in Harmony barbershop singing competition in Hamilton. After months of hard mahi and countless rehearsals, the Voices took out 3rd place in the Mixed Chorus category in the regional finals. They will now travel to Wellington in September to compete in the national finals! A big shout out to Whaea Tam for her hours of dedication to the Voices group. Ka mau te wehi!
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Music Bonanza Fundraiser ConcertWe are excited to be putting on the first ever Music Bonanza concert on Friday, 31 July, featuring a headline appearance from L.A.B. frontman, Joel Shadbolt. The one-night-only showcase will see Shadbolt perform a solo set as well as taking the stage alongside the college’s student ensembles. The lineup spans a massive range of genres, featuring performances from Spud, Breadfruit, Deffex, Big Band, Street Band, Jazz Combo, Voices, String Ensemble, and the Guitar Group. The event serves as a fundraising drive. All proceeds from the evening will directly fund national touring and competition costs later this year for the school's touring groups: Street Band, Big Band, Jazz Combo, and Voices. The Bonanza is open to the public, with parents, whānau, and music lovers from across the region encouraged to attend. In addition to the live performances, the evening will feature food and drink stalls, raffles, and live auctions with prize packages up for grabs. We are looking for local businesses or individuals who want to support us through event sponsorship or by donating items for our raffles and auctions. If you can help or for more information on sponsorship packages, please email music@mmc.school.nz Tickets are selling fast so make sure to get yours now by clicking here.  |
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Brett Sorrenson Director of Sport Kia ora koutou,
Mount Maunganui College Sport has enjoyed a successful first half of the year and as we reflect it shows the calibre of students we have representing our school on a weekly basis. A special mention to Harvey Newsom and Olivia Verryt for their leadership since the beginning of the year and being exceptional role models to all at Mount Maunganui College.
The 2026 Polar Plunge reminded us of the power of connection. In honour of the lasting legacies of Jed Roberts and Harrison Mundy, we raised $1,913.70 for Leukaemia and Blood Cancer New Zealand, supporting their work. A huge thank you to our community for turning up, showing support and making this morning special.  |
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A shoutout to the Mount Maunganui Rockclimbing team for taking out the BOPSS Climbing Champs as the Top and Fastest School. We wish Cara Hicks and Mila Piatek all the best as they now head to the World Climbing Youth World Championships in Arco, Italy to compete from the 18 to 25 July. Over the past two weeks, we have had four basketballers selected to represent New Zealand later this year. A special mention to Cole Hopoi, Josh Kelly, Issy Gillard and Riley McClenahan who will be wearing the fern on the court later this year. These four will follow the Broughton twins, who will compete in the U17 World Cup in the Czech Republic from the 11th-19th July - all the best Charis and Shamar. All the best to all students involved in sport over the holiday break, and we wish all families an enjoyable holiday period. We now look forward to an action-packed Term 3 and continuing on the momentum for all involved in Mount Maunganui College Sport. Open Seminar by Dr Stacy Sims Did you know that by the age of 14, over 67% of girls drop out of sport and physical activity? One critical factor is the baseline - girls' bodies and the way they are coached are modeled off the boys (a broken baseline). Girls' bodies grow and function differently, so our education and coaching must reflect this reality. Dr Stacy Sims aims to unpack stereotypes, challenge the language and protocols used in fitness, and provide tools to improve environments, coaching, and confidence for both the girls and the people who work with them. Follow Stacy on Instagram/Facebook/LinkedIn @drstacysims Keep the evening of the 6th of August free for an informal seminar and Q&A session in the MMC Hall. More details will be released at the start of Term 3.  |
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Who are our people We are proud of the community that positively contributes to our programmes – our students, staff, volunteers and supporters. This week we spotlight Year 13 and 1st XI Football captain Ronan Deering.
Name: Ronan Deering Year: 13 Sport: Football, Waterpolo Tell us about yourself: I am an 18-year old student who has been living in Tauranga for most of my life. I have been so grateful to live here and attend school at Mount Maunganui College as it has provided me with so many memories and good times. In my spare time, I enjoy chilling at home, exploring the outdoors, and being around my friends and family. Why did you start playing sport: I have always been a person who has always been active and embraced the outdoors. Whether that's running around the house with a football, swimming at the beach, or hitting golf balls in the backyard. Growing up in a household where pretty much everything turns into a competition has been a big part of shaping who I am — it's where my competitive nature really came from. Getting into organised sport felt like a natural step up from what I was already doing. Aspirations: I am very keen to continue with my competitive sport beyond my time at Mount Maunganui College. I would love to play club football while I am at university which will be a great opportunity to meet new people and to become accustomed to a different environment compared to what I am used to at college. Whatever level that ends up being, I want to keep pushing myself, keep developing as a player and a leader, and see exactly how far I can take it. What do you enjoy about Mount Maunganui Sport: Honestly, it's hard to ever complain when you are given the opportunity to represent your school whilst playing the sports you love. For me, the most special part of sport at Mount Maunganui College is the people around you. I have been offered so many unique opportunities throughout my time at college that have allowed me to build relationships that will stick with long beyond college. Playing sports against and alongside your mates, as well as having friends and family supporting you on the sideline is a part of my week that I always look forward to. There's no doubt that I'll miss it, but I'll also walk away from it feeling really grateful for everything it gave me.  |
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What’s been happening?
Basketball - New Zealand Selection Cole Hopoi and Josh Kelly will be back representing New Zealand in August as they have been named in the New Zealand U18 Tall Blacks to compete at the FIBA Asia Cup in Ahmedabad, India. Issy Gillard and Riley McClenaghan will be representing New Zealand together in October as they have been named in the New Zealand Under 18 FIBA Asia Cup Squad to compete in Malaysia from the 4th-10th of October. Ministock Success Alex Wood has completed a successful speedway season. 2025/26 has seen him take home 13 trophies and 5 sashes. A highlight in the back end of the season was that he finished 2nd Place in the BOP Champs.
At the Baypark Speedway Prizegiving, Alex picked up the following: - 1st Place - Season points
- Top Junior Boy
- Best presented car and team
A standout season for Alex, and we can't wait to see what is next for him on the track.  |
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Golf Mount Maunganui College had 10 teams compete at the recent Secondary Schools Social Golf Event at the Whakatāne Golf Course. It was a great day out for all involved with plenty of fun on the course. With another 4 teams on the waitlist it’s an exciting time for golf at Mount Maunganui College.
Underwater Hockey The Mount Maunganui College Junior Underwater Hockey team recently competed at Secondary Schools Northern Regionals in Auckland. This was their first year of competing as a complete novice team and the two days saw them play 8 games. They took out the Bronze Medal in the Junior Open Division and qualified for the National Secondary Schools Underwater Hockey Championship to be held in Rotorua in September. A special mention to Mr Keegan Whitney, as he was awarded the Fair Play Coach award out of all the coaches in the tournament, and Amelia McEwan was named MVP. Mount Maunganui College Junior Open Team: Charlie McCartney, Rylee Jury, Kobey Munro, Amelia McEwan, Rupert Hammond, Neave Symes. Coaches: Keegan Whitney and Riley McEwan.
Exciting time in the water for Mount Maunganui College and this group have an exciting future ahead with Underwater Hockey.  |
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Cross Country Ellie Renwick has recently competed at the Waikato Bay of Plenty and New Zealand Secondary Schools Cross Country Championships, bringing home some outstanding results. At the WBOPSS Championships, she lined up against the best runners from the Waikato, Bay of Plenty, and Auckland on an incredibly tough course—tackling big hills, stream crossings, and plenty of mud to secure 5th place. Ellie then headed to Upper Hutt for the NZSS Cross Country Championships. Competing in a massive field, she placed 14th individually in the Junior Girls division. To top off the weekend, she was selected for the Waikato Bay of Plenty 4 x 2km Junior Girls relay team the following day, where they put on a stellar performance to come away with the Gold Medal.  |
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BOPSS Rock Climbing Championships The Mount Maunganui Climbing team took out the BOPSS Climbing Championships as the Top School and Fastest School. The climbing team competed well throughout the day collectively and had great results from all climbers. Individual highlights: Junior Girls: - Marley de Jong - 2nd Place - Lucy Ranger - 3rd Place - Luca Craven-Murphy - 4th Place - Milly Greene - 6th Place - Poppy Kingston-Smith - 8th Place - Niamh Dunn - 9th Place - Billie Cullum - 15th Place Senior Girls: - Mila Piatek - 1st Place - Cara Hicks - 3rd Place - Autumn Parchomchuk - 5th Place - Gwyneth Parchomchuk - 8th Place - Emma Wallace - 9th Place Junior Boys: - Ari Ross - 6th Place Senior Boys: - Rio Piatek - 2nd Place - Finlay Blair - 12th Place - Liam Chamberlain - 22nd Place  |
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What’s coming up? North Island Cyclo Cross - Saturday 18 July - Hamilton NISS Indoor Bowls Pairs Cup - Saturday 25 July - Hamilton NZSS Swimming Championships - Thursday 30 July - Sunday 2 August - Auckland Eagles Secondary Schools Golf Tournament - Monday 3 August - Te Puke Golf Club Get2Go Challenge - Monday 3 August - Rotorua NZ Schools Surf Champs - Tuesday 4 and Wednesday 5 August - Raglan BOPSS Junior Basketball Championships - Friday 7 August - Mercury Arena St Peter’s School, Cambridge Exchange - Tuesday 11 August - St Peter’s School, Cambridge BOPSS Senior Basketball Championships - Saturday 15 August - Haumaru Sport and Recreation Centre
Mount Maunganui College Sport Sponsorship At Mount Maunganui College Sport, we believe that investing in young people is investing in the future of our community. Our sports programme provides an environment for our students to grow, connect, and become their best selves. We are currently supported by a number of incredible community businesses and would love more to jump on board as official Mount Maunganui College Sport Sponsors. If you or your business would be interested to discuss further, please visit our Sponsorship Handbook and get in touch to discuss how we can champion our community together.
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
Wellbeing Opportunity Mount Maunganui College Sport partners 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)
Strength and conditioning The Mount Maunganui College Strength and Conditioning Programme continues to run before and after school. 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. We have two membership options - a rest of year (Term 3 and 4) membership which costs $140 and term options which are $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 3 and Rest of Year options are available now.
Physio Mount Maunganui College partners with Body in Motion. All Mount Maunganui College students have free access to an onsite physio during the week. Please ring 07 927 3330 to make a booking.
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
------------------------------------------------------------------------ Social Media Please follow us on; Facebook: Mount Maunganui College Sport Instagram: Mount Maunganui College Sport  |
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______________________________________________________________ STAFF CARPARKThe car park off Maunganui Road by the swimming pool is an allocated staff parking area and entry through the barrier arm requires a swipe card. Some concerns have been raised about cars following staff through the barrier arm, which has caused minor accidents in some cases. Students can be dropped off safely on the surrounding streets. Thank you for your understanding.  |
______________________________________________________________ STUDENT SIGNING IN / OUT PROCEDURETo 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.  |
______________________________________________________________ ATTENDANCEYou 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.  |
______________________________________________________________ CONTACT DETAILSA reminder to caregivers to check that your contact details are up to date and correct. If you have moved or changed contact numbers, please click here to update your details.  |
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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: - 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 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. HONOURS BOARD LINK  |
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______________________________________________________________ KEY DATES 2026 Term Dates (click to view) June 2026 21 Structuring a Senior Course 25 Engagement Reports Issued
July 2026 1 Talent Quest 3 Last Day Term 2 10 Matariki (School Holidays) 20 First Day Term 3 30 Career Pathways Evening 31 Music Bonanza
August 2026 4 Talent Quest 5 Grade Only Report 5 Open Afternoon 6 Canvas Careers Expo (Year 12) 11 St Peter's Exchange 13 Learning Conferences – 4pm – 7pm 14 Learning Conferences (School Closed) 19 Pō Whakamānawa 20 Engagement Reports Issued 20-21 Team Photos 31 Winter Tournament Week
September 2026 7-9 Literacy and Numeracy CAAs 10-17 Derived Grade Exams 18 Teacher Only Day (School Closed) 23 Engagement Reports Issued 25 Last Day Term 3  |
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