Kia ora whānau,

A huge thank you to all the families who attended our learning conferences this week. We are at a really important time of year for student academic success, and our partnership is vital to ensuring our students make the most of the remainder of the year and reach their goals.

For our senior students heading into our derived grade examinations, now is a really good time to start settling into a study routine that will set them up for success in these exams and the NZQA exams later in the year. Doing a little bit of revision regularly is much more effective than trying to do a lot closer to the time. You can help your child by encouraging regular study, even in small chunks, and by removing distractions for them while they study.

A good way to think about it is that our brains are like small desks; they can only cope with a few pieces of information at a time before they get overloaded and stuff starts falling off the edge. Phone notifications, music with lyrics, noisy siblings and other distractions reduce focus and make it harder to move important learning into long-term memory. Keeping revision simple, regular, and distraction-free improves the effectiveness of study and can play a major part in retaining information and reducing stress before examinations. Everything you can do to support this will help your child.

Alongside examinations, it is a busy time for our co-curricular programmes too. There has been a lot of success recently in dance, music, and sports, with more to come as we head into further national competitions and tournaments. Please keep an eye on your child’s workload, and reach out if you feel they need any support or advice.

Ngā mihi nui,

Alastair Sinton
Principal

Music Bonanza

We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who attended our first Music Bonanza fundraiser! We've received so much positive feedback about the night and how much everyone enjoyed themselves.

We raised over $10,000 on the night which is a huge achievement for our fundraising team and those involved.

We would like to give a big shout-out to our sponsor, Engaging Solutions. They are a "Learning & Development Team for Hire" specialising in developing and facilitating training to create lasting change within your company. Be sure to check them out if you'd like to learn more!

We would also like to acknowledge to Oceanbeach Oxygen for donating a bunch of vouchers for our raffle!

Thank you the following people and businesses for their generous donations (in no particular order): Joel Shadbolt, Stan Bicknell, Clint Murphy Productions, Rachel Murphy Shitazu, Black Orchid Collective, Jim Critchley, Nicky Dance, Sauna Project, Buddhi Yoga, Synergy Vitality Spa, Kim Ligtvoet at The Altitude, Style Collective, Julian Clark, Weston Frizzell, Heidi Tidmarsh, and a big thanks to Dan Shea for donating his time to run our auctions!

A massive thank you to all the parent helpers and teachers/staff at MMC who worked in the leadup and on the night to keep everything running smoothly, we couldn't have done it without you!

Deffex (Charlie Gilmore, Kingi Mortell, Theo Holme), te reo Māori Punk Rock band made up entirely of Year 10 students, has been announced as a National Finalist in the 2026 Smokefree Tangata Beats competition.

It is incredibly rare for a band this young to break into the top 10 nationally. They are also the only band from Tauranga to make the Tangata Beats National Finals this year. They have worked incredibly hard and will be proudly representing Te Moana-a-Toitehuatahi and MMC on a national stage.

The National Finals are being held in Wellington on September 19th. Good luck to the boys!

Watch their national submission video here

Last weekend the Street Band and Jazz Combo travelled to perform at the Bay of Islands Jazz and Blues Festival held annually in Paihia. Over the weekend, they performed four times in various locations around Paihia and Kororāreka (Russell).

The Street Band also got to show off their skills on the street, busking to festival goers and locals, and making some extra coin. There was also time to view some of the historic locations in the area including the treaty grounds.

Overall, they had a great time and played some fantastic performances, representing MMC with mana and aroha!

Brett Sorrenson
Director of Sport

Kia ora koutou,

As we head closer to Winter Tournament Week it is great to see the behind the scenes work going into the preparation. The new calendar addition of the St Peter’s School, Cambridge was a highly valuable day of competition and we look forward to this becoming an annual event. Thank you to all who came to the evening with Dr. Stacy Sims and Loretta Hogg, this was a community event which will have ongoing benefit towards girls in sport and was a special night for Mount Maunganui College Sport.

Success continues for Mount Maunganui College Sport for 2026 as our surfing team have recently won the 2026 New Zealand Secondary Schools Championships at Manu Bay in Raglan. A special shoutout to Remy Sale for winning the U18 Boys, Sol Fritchley winning the U16 Boys and Haru Marsden second place in the U16 Boys division.

Winter Tournament Week kicks off from Monday 31 August and is a highlight on the calendar, for all students involved it will always be a core school sporting memory. To all individuals and groups heading away we wish you all the best, enjoy all aspects and represent Mount Maunganui College with pride.

Sports Awards 2026 Applications Open
Applications for Mount Maunganui College Sports Awards 2026 are now open and will close Friday 11 September. Please ensure all Sports Award Application forms are complete to be considered for a Principal, Crimson or Special Trophy Awards. All nominations are to be submitted via this link: Sports Awards Application

Voice of Rangatahi
Sport Bay of Plenty is running a survey which will help us understand how you experience physical activity (sport, PE, recreation and play) here at Mount Maunganui College. We want you to have great experiences when being active at school. By taking part in this survey, you will have your voice heard and help us make decisions which benefit you moving forward. The survey is for everybody – whether you regularly do physical activity, or not, so we welcome every student to participate. Students will have the opportunity to take part in the survey from next week and we encourage all to take part and tell us what you think.

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 12 student Kai Atkins.

Name: Kai Atkins
Year: 12
Sport: Rugby Union
Tell us about yourself: Kia ora, Ko Hikurangi te maunga, Ko Waiapu te awa, Ko Ngāti Porou te iwi, Ko Horouta te waka, Ko Tairāwhiti te marae, Ko Kai Atkins ahau. I am Kai Atkins, and I proudly represent Mount Maunganui College in the 1st XV. I would describe myself as competitive, fair, and always willing to challenge myself and those around me to be the best we can be. At the same time, I value being supportive, respectful, while always encouraging others.
Why did you start playing sport: My love of rugby started with my dad Ray who has played, coached and supported rugby at many levels. I was fortunate to have him as my coach until I started at Mount College. This gave me the opportunity to learn the game from someone I looked up to while making some great memories along the way. I started learning the game at the age of three playing little rippers out of Rongotai Rugby Club in Wellington, before playing all my early school rugby for Mount Maunganui Sports Club, from the age of five to 13, before progressing through to Mount Maunganui College Rugby, where I captained the U14s and U16s. At representative level, it started when I played for the Tai Mitchell East team in both years at Mount Intermediate, followed by the WBOP U16 team in 2025 and again in 2026, where I was privileged to be named captain. I am proud to represent Mount Maunganui College as a member of the 1st XV, continuing to develop as a player while also taking on a leadership role by leading the team haka at each game.
Aspirations: My aspirations extend beyond simply improving as a rugby player but to challenge myself at higher levels, I want to succeed in life by being a good person and I want to continue growing as a leader, supporting the people around me and carrying the values that playing rugby has taught me. Ultimately, I want to work hard, make the most of my opportunities and leave a positive impact both on and off the field.
What do you enjoy about Mount Maunganui Sport: What I enjoy most about Mount Maunganui College Sport is the environment that has been created around all athletes. There is strong support, and a real belonging and sense of pride, I feel fortunate to be surrounded by coaches, teachers and teammates who genuinely want to see not only me, but the school succeed. The coaching staff have challenged me to develop not only my skills as an athlete, but also my leadership, discipline and confidence. At the same time, the teaching faculty understand the commitment required to balance sport and education and have supported me throughout that journey. This culture encourages you to push yourself, take pride in representing the school and support those around you. For me, that combination of opportunity, support and strong relationships is what makes Mount Maunganui College Sport such a special part of my journey as an athlete.

What’s been happening?

New Zealand Surfing Champions
Congratulations to the Mount Maunganui College Surfing team who won the 2026 Secondary Schools Championships at Manu Bay in Raglan.
Team members:
Sav Dawes
Izzy Evans
Remy Sale
Zen Mouldey
Sol Fritchley
Charlie Hartstone
Noah Ramsbottom
Haru Marsden
Emerson Fullerton
Top individual results:
- Remy Sale: 1st U18 Boys
- Sol Fritchley: 1st U16 Boys, Best manoeuvre, Highest scoring wave
- Haru Marsden: 2nd U16 boys, Best race car
A talented surfing group and an epic event.

NZSS Swimming Championships
Recently Mount Maunganui College had a team of 12 swimmers competing over four days in Auckland at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Swimming Championships, battling it out against 810 swimmers from all over New Zealand.
Mount Maunganui College team consisted of: Ryleigh McEwan, Paige Aitchison, Sophie Braithwaite, Addy Lichtwark, Charlie McCartney, Kenz Jury, Rylee Jury, Amelia McEwan, Sophie Scott, Tobin Callahan, Bryan Li’Wagener and Charlie Richardson.
Overview:
12 Mount Maunganui College swimmers.
4 days, 6 sessions, countless kilometres swum.
10 medals (2 Gold, 4 Silver, 4 Bronze).
Around 50 individual PBs, plus plenty of relay PB splits
Several heartbreaking 4th places.
14th placing for our school with 380 points (out of 126 schools).
One awesome team that supported each other from start to finish.
Individual highlight:
- Amelia McEwan – Gold in 200m Freestyle & 200m Individual Medley, Silver in 400m Freestyle & 100m Individual Medley. Bronze in 200m Butterfly, 50m Backstroke & 100m Butterfly. As well as winning the U16 SKINS event – a very exciting race where points for the schools are doubled.
- Kenz Jury – Silver in 200m Breaststroke
- Girls 2 x 50m Freestyle Relay Silver for Sophie Scott & Amelia McEwan
- Mixed 4 x 50m Freestyle Relay got a bronze – Ryleigh McEwan, Amelia McEwan, Sophie Scott & Tobin Callahan.
- Sophie Scott - 3rd in the 16&O SKINS event

A shoutout to team managers Andrea Braithwaite and Veronika McEwan who helped support them, getting them down to their races on time, guiding the processes of warming up, racing, eating, drinking, resting and repeating. An exciting time for Mount Maunganui College swimming with a 50 metre pool due for completion in the new year.

Golf
Three Mount Maunganui College Golf teams enjoyed a quality great day out on Monday 3rd August at the Te Puke Golf Club for the Bay of Plenty Eagles Secondary School Tournament.
Individual highlight:
- Tyler Ashton shot 71 and won the Gross Competition.
Teams highlight:
- Mount Maunganui College Team Three consisting of Luca Gray, Jai Downie and Mitch Hill finished 3rd Place in the Teams Stableford Competition.
It was great to see a good contingent of players across different levels representing Mount Maunganui College on the golf course once again.

Surf Lifesaving
Amelia and Ryleigh McEwan did their club and coach proud recently competing at the Australian Pool Rescue Surf Lifesaving Championships in Adelaide. Amelia came away with two golds and two more top 10 placings and Ryleigh had two 4th places - outstanding achievement for the McEwan siblings.
Highlights:
- Amelia came away with two golds (200m Obstacles & 50m Manikin Carry) and two more top 10 placings (50m Swim w Fins, 100m Manikin Tow)
- Ryleigh had two 4th places (200m Obstacles & 200m Super Lifesaver)

Taekwondo
Sam Hallinan recently won a gold medal in the 2026 WTNZ Taekwondo New Zealand Open, competing in the Senior blackbelt under 80kg division. The final was best of three rounds, score was 12 – 5 to Sam in the first round, and 13 – 1 to Sam in the second round. Two more tournaments are remaining this year, the second of which is the qualifying tournament to attend the Pacific Games in Tahiti next year.

Wrestling
Kurei Harawira has shown an outstanding commitment to wrestling, achieving numerous wins across different wrestling disciplines while consistently demonstrating the dedication, discipline and determination required to compete at the highest level. His commitment extends well beyond competition, training up to 10 times a week through wrestling, strength, and conditioning sessions. In April of 2026, he was selected into the Youth Development Squad and represented his country with great pride at the Oceania Wrestling Championships in Apia, Samoa, winning three Gold medals, further building valuable international experience. His ambition is clear: to continue developing as an athlete with the goal of one day earning selection to the Olympic team.

This week, Kurei has taken another major step forward in his wrestling journey, being selected into the New Zealand Wrestling Team. The squad will take part in training camps around the country while management assesses which international events they will enter and where the team may travel to compete around the world. His selection is a tremendous achievement and recognition of the years of hard work, sacrifice, and commitment he has put into his sport. For a young athlete from Mount Maunganui, his achievements and determination are something to be incredibly proud of, and he is proving that with dedication, resilience and a clear goal, the pathway to representing New Zealand at the highest level is within reach.

St Peter’s School, Cambridge Exchange
Mount Maunganui College vs St Peter’s School, Cambridge has begun and the scene has been set for this exchange for years to come. An awesome day in the Waikato against quality opposition and good match ups throughout the day across the codes. Great to see plenty of talent on show from both schools and a day with plenty of positives and learnings. It was great to be hosted by St Peter’s School and we appreciate everyone involved bringing this to life.

What’s coming up?
BOPSS Skiing and Snowboarding - Friday 21 August - Whakapapa, Mt Ruapehu
BOPSS Golf Teams Event - Tuesday 25 August - Springfield Golf Club, Rotorua
Winter Tournament Week - Monday 31 August - Friday 4 September

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

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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 be modified in length (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)
2027 Term Dates (click to view)

August 2026
19         Pō Whakamānawa
20         Engagement Reports Issued
20-21    Team Photos – click here to view schedule / timetable
24-28    Spirit Week
31         Winter Tournament Week

September 2026
7          CAA Literacy Reading Assessment
8          CAA Numeracy Assessment
9          CAA Literacy Writing Assessment
10-17    Derived Grade Exams
18         Teacher Only Day (School Closed)
23         Engagement Reports Issued
25         Last Day Term 3

October 2026
12         First Day Term 4
21         Arts Awards
22         Year 11 RYDA Programme
26         Labour Day (School Closed)
28         Sports Awards

Music Bonanza

Deffex making history in Tangata Beats

Bay of Islands Jazz and Blues Festival Trip

STAFF CARPARK

STUDENT SIGNING IN / OUT PROCEDURE

ATTENDANCE

CONTACT DETAILS

UNIFORM

SCHOOL BUS SERVICE

STUDENT ID PHOTOS

HONOURS BOARDS

ALUMNI

KIWIRAIL SAFETY MESSAGE