Kia ora whānau,

Winter Tournament week wrapped up with phenomenal individual results and team achievements. Director of Sport, Brett Sorrenson, and I got out to watch some of the action. We were extremely impressed by the grit and determination our athletes showed, as well as their commitment to fair play. Brett and his team have a full rundown later in the newsletter, so take the time to read about some impressive sporting results.

It is a very busy time of the year for assessment across the school, with Common Assessment Activities and Derived Grade Examinations in full swing. These are critical assessment opportunities for many Year 10s and all senior students. As I mentioned in my last newsletter, families can make a huge difference for their children by supporting them with a study time and insisting on maintaining good attendance. Once these assessments are over, check in with your children about their progress and contact their teachers if you have any concerns.

The results of our community strategic planning survey are published below. Thank you to everyone who took the time to contribute to this process. We find your feedback extremely helpful as we continue to develop and strengthen this wonderful school. We now have the task of pulling together a strategic plan for 2027 to 2028 that supports the Ministry of Education priorities while also reflecting Mount Maunganui College’s unique culture.

Finally, at Mount Maunganui College, we are committed to supporting our students to do the easy things well. As we head into the end of term, we would love your continued support in encouraging your children to wear the correct uniform, get to school on time, and make the most of their time in class.

As always, reach out if you have any concerns or questions about your child’s progress.

Here’s to the change of seasons.

Ngā mihi nui,

Alastair Sinton
Principal

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Congratulations ….

ANZCCART New Zealand Secondary Student Essay Competition
Nellie Burns was awarded second place in the ANZCCART New Zealand Secondary Student Essay Competition. Click here to read Nellie's essay.

ANZCCART hopes to inspire students to think critically about the role animal research plays in today’s society and to engage with the difficulties that surround animal use. Building on the NCEA assessment tasks for NCEA Achieveent Standards (Biology 2.2, and 3.2), which integrates biological knowledge to develop an informed response to a socio-scientific issue, the ANZCCART New Zealand Secondary School Essay Competition is an opportunity to showcase student work developed in these modules.

The University of Otago Junior Mathematics Competition - Second Part
The competition is a paper-based problem-solving event for students in Years 9 to 12 run by the University of Otago. Students had 50 minutes to answer five questions. Strong emphasis is placed on their ability to write down good mathematical explanations for their answers. Each question is worth 20 marks.

Year 9 Distinction

Finn Hoogstraten
Arlo Shallard

Year 9 Merit

Charlie Burgess
Tane Cole
Paige Ferguson
Ari Gho
Dave Kim
Te Rerewai Meihana
Kobey Munro
Michaela Wilson

Year 10 Merit

Louis Morlet
Emily O'Driscoll
Lucy Ranger
Cruze Sidney

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Congratulations to Zahra Panapa and Conor Toner on being named national finalists in the Play It Strange National Songwriting Competition! Founded in 2003 by former Split Enz bassist Mike Chunn, Play It Strange runs national songwriting competitions and mentorship programs for secondary school students. As part of their prize, Zahra and Conor will spend a day recording their song in a professional recording studio, with the track set for release by Play It Strange later this year. Stay tuned for further details on the release!

Brett Sorrenson
Director of Sport

Kia ora koutou,

It has been great to see teams in action throughout Winter Tournament Week from the top to the bottom of the North Island. Congratulations to all those who have competed and represented Mount Maunganui College so well and a massive appreciation shoutout to all those who have been volunteering their time to coach and manage.

A special mention to our Climbing team winning Top Climbing School in New Zealand and our First XI Hockey Girls who have won the Mid-North Intercity Secondary Schools Competition for the first time before finishing in 15th place in the Federation Cup - their best result to date. The First XI Boys Football team also had their best result in recent years with a silver medal at the Malcolm Cowie Tournament in Wellington.

Congratulations to all those awarded the Te Ihorei a Rongi Award at the recent Pō Whakamanawa awards.

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 and is open until the end of Term 3 – whether you regularly do physical activity, or not, so we welcome every student to participate.
Link: Voice of Rangatahi

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 Head Girl and 1st XI Girls Footballer Ava Jurisich.

Name: Ava Jurisich
Year: 13

About me and why I started playing:
As a kid I tried almost every sport and signed myself up for everything, sometimes without my parents even knowing, because I was determined to find my thing. When I was eight, I decided I wanted to play football for the club over the back fence at my house. From my first season, I knew there was something about football that I loved. In my second season when goalkeeping became a thing, no one else wanted to do it and I wasn’t the strongest player on the team so I was thrown in at the deep end. I never expected to become a goalkeeper, let alone stay one, but I quickly grew to love it. But for the first years, I found goalkeeping really tough and mentally draining and I was also incredibly hard on myself when I made mistakes. Over time, I learnt how important it is to have a supportive team around you and that having people who back you and trust you makes a huge difference in a position where it can sometimes feel like so much responsibility is on you. I wouldn’t change a thing about my journey as a goalkeeper because every challenge has helped me become more resilient and learn to trust myself.

I started going to proper goalkeeping training when I was 11 and continued until I was 16, and over those years I developed a real love for the position. I've found that goalkeeping can often be an overlooked and under-recognised position because it is so specialised, but that is also what makes it so special. There are fewer people who choose to play it, so I’ve had opportunities I might not have otherwise had. I’ve been invited to New Zealand trials and camps and have played in finals for both my school and club while wearing my gloves. However, my favourite part of goalkeeping isn’t always the adrenaline rush of saving the ball. It’s honestly being able to watch my team play every game and see how far we’ve come together. I love being able to support them from the back and celebrate every little win with them even if they don't see me. I’m so proud of my entire team and everything we’ve achieved together. It’s funny to think that the position I was only put into because nobody else wanted it has become such a big part of who I am and given me some of my favourite experiences.

I also played futsal for a few years, where my team was lucky enough to travel down to Wellington and win the Junior Futsal Nationals, making us the top team in the country for our age group. That team was made up of girls who I still play with now and who have become really important to me. Winning Sports Team of the Year that year made the experience even more special.

Aspirations:
This last tournament has marked the end of my fourth year playing goalkeeper for the 1st XI at Mount Maunganui College, and it’s going to feel very strange hanging up my boots. I don’t know exactly what football will look like for me over the next few years. However, I might pick it up at university, either socially or competitively, but I know it will always hold a really special place in my heart. I’d love to stay involved with Mount Maunganui College football when I’m home from uni, maybe by offering more goalkeeping coaching. Being able to give back to something that has given me so much would mean a lot to me. I’ve loved having the opportunity to help younger players develop their skills, and there’s something really rewarding about watching someone else start to love a position that I’ve become so passionate about.

What do you enjoy about Mount Maunganui Sport:
I’ve been lucky enough to represent Mount Maunganui College in a range of codes, including volleyball, futsal, cricket, netball and my main sport, football. I’ve experienced both the competitive and social sides of sport, from representing the school in tournaments to getting involved in more relaxed teams where the focus is simply on having fun and being part of something. I like that both are valued at Mount Maunganui College, as it means there is a way for everyone to get involved, whether you’re really competitive or just want to try something new. I also love how easy it is to get involved in sport at Mount Maunganui College and how supportive and helpful everyone in the sports office is. There is always someone willing to help you find a team or give something new a go, which makes it easier to try new things outside of your comfort zone and just get stuck in.

I’ve also really enjoyed the tuakana-teina side of sport. I’ve been coached by older Mount Maunganui College students and have also had the opportunity to coach younger students myself in goalkeeping workshops. Being able to learn from others and then pass those skills on has been one of my favourite parts of being involved in sport, and has helped me build relationships across different year levels.

What’s been happening?

Basketball
Mount Maunganui College Premier Boys and Girls have taken out the 2026 AA School Zone 2 Boys Competition in style with both teams dominating the tournament. A special mention to the Premier Boys for winning this competition for the third year in a row. Both teams now head to the AA National Tournament which takes place in Palmerston North from 28 September to 3 October.

Prior to the success at the Regional level Mount Maunganui College teams took out four gold medals and one silver medal in the Tauranga City Basketball Wednesday Night Competition.

Silver - Junior Premier Girls 53 - Aquinas College 54
Gold - Junior A Boys 69 - Matamata College 44
Gold - Junior Premier Boys 97 - Tauranga Boys College 75
Gold - Senior Premier Girls 82 - Te Koutu 72
Gold - Senior Premier Boys 97 - Tauranga Boys College 55

Hockey
Our Mount Maunganui College 1st XI Hockey Girls made history during winter tournament week by earning a spot in Tier One Federation Cup and finishing 15th Place overall in New Zealand. This success followed history locally only one week prior as for the first time in history the Mount Maunganui College 1st XI Girls won the Mid-North Intercity Secondary Schools Competition. This completes a very successful 2026 for the Mount Maunganui College 1st XI Girls team and we look forward to what is next for them.

Congratulations to the following students who have been selected in Tauranga Hockey U16 teams for upcoming tournaments:

Paul Wilken
Gaby Gomez
Charly Cave
Beatrice Helps
Emma King
Lexy Neale
Indie Owens Gooddall
Ellie Walls
Josh Ramshaw
Florence Helps
Frankie Hennah
Neave Symes
Ellie Renwick

Equestrian
Sian Morrow, Kaila Southward-George and Chloe Berkett each competed in four disciplines among 500 other riders from schools across the North Island at the NISS Equestrian Cup. The girls all competed in different classes, though some were the same level.

Sian’s Results in her Class(es)

Class 001- section 2 Competitive Trail Riding Horse - 26th/34
Dressage level Horse 2B - 22nd/27 58.750
Dressage level Horse 2C - 10th/27 65.714
Arena Eventing Horse at 80 cm - 14th/42
Showjumping Horse 70-80cm accumulator - 12th/66
Showjumping Horse 70-80cm 2 Phase - 12th/66

Kaila’s Results

Class 001 - section 1 Competitive Trail Riding - 22nd/52
Dressage Pony level 0C - section 3 15th/31 61.053
Dressage Pony level 0D - section 3 18th/31 59.091
Arena Eventing pony at 65cm - section 1- 21st/34
Showjumping pony at 60-70cm - 2 Phase - 16th/33
Showjumping pony at 60 - 70cm Accumulator - 13th/33

Chloe’s Results

Dressage level 0C - NCB - 5th/16 61.842
Dressage level 0D - NCB - 3rd/17 63.864
Arena eventing horse 65cm - ELIM
Showjumping horse 65cm - ELIM
Showhunter horse 60cm - NCB - 2nd/4

Football
Mount Maunganui College 1st XI Girls finished the 2026 Girls Premier Tournament in Taupo as winners of the Bowl Final. The one loss in pool play showed the true brutality of tournament play meaning they could only come away with 17th as their best placing. Mount Maunganui College 1st XI Boys finished the Malcolm Cowie Tournament in 2nd Place following a successful week of football in Wellington. The 1st XI Boys had a standout week across the board and is the best result for the Boys 1st XI Football team in recent years. A special mention to Jimi Skipage who was the winner of the Malcolm Cowie Tournament Golden Boot. Rounding out the football results were the Mount Maunganui College Junior A Boys who finished in 16th Place at the Hillsdene Junior Tournament.

Rugby
Mount Maunganui College U14 Rugby Boys won the Chris Grinter Cup for 2026 and a massive congratulations to the following students who have been selected in the BOP U16 Girls Squad.

Marika Te Whata
Jeanne Fromont
Aja Te Wheoro

Swimming
Mount Maunganui College Year 9 swimmers Paige Aitchison and Charlie McCartney, achieved some outstanding results at the South Australian Short Course Championships in Adelaide. Charlie had an exceptional meet, winning gold in the 13-year-old girls’ 50m breaststroke in 35.87 seconds. She also claimed silver in the 100m breaststroke with a time of 1:17.53 and silver in the 200m breaststroke in 2:47.96. Paige finished the meet strongly, earning a bronze medal in the 14-year-old girls’ 1500m freestyle. She also placed fourth in the 800m freestyle and produced an impressive series of personal-best times, including a 10.12-second PB in the 400m individual medley. Both girls competed across a demanding programme of events and achieved numerous personal bests throughout the three-day meet. They represented Mount Maunganui College and New Zealand with pride and we are extremely proud of their performances.

Wrestling
Kurei Harawira and Keoni Netzler competed well at the recent NZSS National Wrestling Championships at Rutherford College. Keoni had two tough matches and fought really well. Kurei got a bronze medal in the 92kg Division and continued his standout year.

Skateboarding
Mount Maunganui College sent a strong team to Auckland to compete in the NZSS Skateboarding Championships and had a successful two days of competition.

Individual Highlights:

Junior Division - Rico Falconer (4th Place)
Senior Division - Zuma Falconer (5th Place)

What’s coming up?

NISS Skiing and Snowboarding Championships - Monday 21 September - Wednesday 23 September
NZSS Basketball AA National Champs - Monday 28 September - Saturday 3 October
NZSS Clay Target Championships - Saturday 26 September - Monday 28 September
NZSS Artistic Swimming Champs - Saturday 26 September - Wednesday 30 September
NZ Scholastic Surfing Championships - Monday 28 September - Friday 2 October
NZSS Mountain Biking Championships - Sunday 4 October - Friday 9 October

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 the Term 4 membership open which costs $80.

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.

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)

September 2026
10-17    Derived Grade Exams
18         Teacher Only Day (School Closed)
24         Engagement Reports Issued
24         Head Shave
25         Last Day Term 3

October 2026
12         First Day Term 4
20         Arts Awards
22         Year 11 RYDA Programme
26         Labour Day (School Closed)
28         Sports Awards
31         Pasifika Festival in the Bay

November 2026
5          Senior Prizegiving
9          Teacher Only Day (School Closed)
10         NZQA Exams Start
10-11    Year 12 Leadership Camp
30         Year 13 Graduation

December 2026
4          NZQA Exams Finish
4          Year 9 / Year 10 Dean's Prizegiving
7-9        Year 10 Camps
7-9        Year 9 Activities
10         Junior Prizegiving
11         Teacher Only Day (School Closed)

Congratulations ….

SNAPSHOT COMMUNITY FEEDBACK

STAFF CARPARK

STUDENT SIGNING IN / OUT PROCEDURE

ATTENDANCE

CONTACT DETAILS

UNIFORM

SCHOOL BUS SERVICE

STUDENT ID PHOTOS

HONOURS BOARDS

ALUMNI

KEY DATES