Kia ora whānau,

What an amazing couple of weeks it has been. It's a privilege to be the principal of this incredible school.

We have completed our Arts, Sport and Academic awards ceremonies this term, and I could not be prouder of our students, staff and community. It is not uncommon for secondary schools to be strong in one or two important areas, but to have students representing our college across all of those areas on the global stage is something quite special. The depth of talent across our school really hits home at this time of the year, and I am lucky enough to see each success up close and personal. It really is a humbling experience.

We have compiled a list below of all the major award winners, and I share my heartfelt congratulations with them all.

What often gets overlooked at this time of the year, however, is that our awards can only extend to those at the very pinnacle. They don’t always capture the incredible depth of talent and healthy competition that raises the standard across the entire school. Hundreds of students work hard and put everything they have into being the best they can. Very few do it for the awards; they do it for the love of it, and I want to express my absolute respect and gratitude to every single Mount Maunganui College student who gives their best and makes the most of the opportunities we have here.

As we continue to celebrate our successes, we also focus keenly on the NZQA examinations that commenced this week. Please support and encourage your child to make the most of the time they have available to prepare for these assessments. If you have any questions or concerns, touch base with our staff and get clarity as soon as possible.

Ngā mihi nui,

Alastair Sinton
Principal

Brett Sorrenson
Director of Sport

Kia ora koutou,

On Wednesday, 28 October, we celebrated a special year of achievement. From setting New Zealand records and crowning a World Champion to creating memories, 2026 was defined by outstanding local, regional, national and international success.

We celebrated achievements across 33 different sporting codes - from our Year 9s right through to our Year 13s. To our community - we appreciate you and we thank you for your ongoing support and influence this year. 2026 has been a special year and we couldn’t be prouder of where we live and who we fully are.

A thank you to Harvey Newsom and Olivia Verryt for their influential leadership at Mount Maunganui College for 2026 as the two Sports Leaders. Two outstanding young people who have both had impressive years on and off the court, and in and out of the water. Harvey and Liv have been standout role models who have shown what student leadership truly is. Congratulations on delivering this year's Sports Awards and your ongoing contribution to sport.

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 student and 1st XV Most Dedicated Player award winner Zach McLean.

Name: Zach McLean
Year: 13
Sport: Rugby

Tell us about yourself:
I’m a Year 13 student at Mount Maunganui College who loves rugby, hard work and spending time with my mates. I really enjoy pushing myself and being part of a team that shares the same goals.

Why did you start playing sport:
I started playing because I loved the sport and playing with my mates. When I first came to Mount Maunganui College, watching the First XV boys train and seeing their camaraderie, relationships and work ethic inspired me to want to be part of something similar.

Aspirations:
My aspiration is to keep playing rugby alongside my mates for as long as possible while building a successful career in the trades. I want to continue challenging myself, working hard and improving both on and off the field.

What do you enjoy about Mount Maunganui Sport:
I love the opportunities, friendships and experiences that Mount sport has given me. The extra training, especially the early mornings with Angelo and the boys, have been some of my favourite memories. I genuinely enjoy hard work because it gives me purpose, and there is nothing better than pushing yourself alongside your mates and seeing everyone improve together. Rugby has taught me a lot about commitment, resilience and the value of hard work, which I hope to carry into my future.

What’s been happening?

Sports Awards
Congratulations to all students and your outstanding achievements, we appreciate each and everyone of you. A special thank you to special guests Finn Butcher and Olive Watherston for their time and key messages. We are proud of the year we have had and to every person who has influenced sport positively here at school this year in some way we thank you.

Sports Awards Special Award Winners
Contribution to Sports in the Community: Maddie Tod
Contribution to Sport in the School: Waimea Moss
Volunteer of the Year: Joseph Broughton
Most Outstanding Junior Sports Achievement of the Year: Emily O’Driscoll
Junior Sports Boy of the Year: Kobey Munro
Junior Sports Girls of the Year: Amelia McEwan
Most Outstanding Male Sports Achievement of the Year: Cole Hopoi
Most Outstanding Female Sports Achievement of the Year: Mila Piatek
Sports Team of the Year: Basketball Premier Boys and Basketball Premier Girls
Bayleys Senior Sports Boy of the Year: Cole Hopoi
Bayleys Senior Sports Girl of the Year: Charis Broughton

Sports Awards Special Award Winners List - Sports Awards 2026 Winners

Pool Rescue
Congratulations to Olivia Verryt, Ryleigh McEwan, Sophie Scott and Amelia McEwan who have been selected in the 2026/27 Pool Rescue Performance Squad.

NZSS indoor bowls
Congratulations to Phoenyx Brown who placed 3rd equal at the NZSS indoor bowls recently.

Golf
Mount Maunganui College and Takapuna Grammar School enjoyed two fantastic days of competitive golf at Tauranga Golf Course in what we plan will become a regular fixture between the two schools. Day One featured alternate-shot foursomes match play, a format that required plenty of teamwork, strategy and composure. With some excellent golf played by both schools, the opening day finished evenly poised at 2–2. Day Two saw players compete in singles match play. Despite some closely contested matches and opportunities for Mount Maunganui College to gain the upper hand, Takapuna Grammar School ultimately came away with a 5–3 victory on the day, securing the overall win. The exchange was played in fantastic weather and provided a valuable opportunity for students to compete, develop their skills and build connections through golf. A huge thank you to Sam Kendall (Mount Maunganui College Alumni) from Golf New Zealand for his excellent organisation of the event. We look forward to building on the success of this exchange and look forward to it becoming a regular fixture on the sporting calendars of both schools.

Underwater Hockey
Congratulations to our Mount Maunganui College Junior Underwater Hockey Team, who recently competed at the Mid Northern Novice Competition in Rotorua. The team of Charlie McCartney, Lucia Loftus, Rylee Jury, Neave Symes, Amelia McEwan, Kobey Munro and Eli O’Fee headed to Rotorua, along with coach Mr Keegan Whitney and three Tauranga Underwater Hockey teammates to compete against other junior teams from Taupo and Hamilton. The team won their games 6-0, 9-0, 7-0 and then 4-1 in the finals to win the comp.

Sam Hallinan
The big year for Sam Hallinan continues with some recent standout results.
- Bay Open Tournament in Tauranga – Gold in Senior Male black belt under 80kg, and Gold in Senior Male under 80kg red/blackbelt exhibition match.
- Taekwondo NZ national championships Wellington – Gold in Senior Male black belt under 80kg.
This places Sam in a solid position to represent NZ in the Pacific Games being held in Tahiti next year.

Volleyball
The last 3 weekends have seen 60+ teams compete at Junior BOP Volleyball Champs and Mount Maunganui College had 5 teams entered. Going into the final round of play, we were proud to see our Junior Prem Boys and Junior Prem Girls make the Top 8 in the Bay. Mount Maunganui College Prem Girls had an electric semifinal v our East Coast cousins, Trident High School, winning 25-17 and 25-22. To then go on and up their performance further, with a convincing win in the final vs old foes, Western Heights High School; 25-13 and 25-18. Well done to Mr Haenga (coach), Miss Spencer (manager) and the girls for their big two-year build; we wish them all the best going off to North Islands Champs next week as Number 1 seed.

Our Prem Boys finished a credible 7th out of 30 teams, showing impressive growth given it was every player's first season and a number of players in the team being only Year 9.

A special mention to our 9A girls team who beat Whakatāne Prem on the last day, to finish 9th in the Bay; the highest placing of any Year 9 team and an impressive showing in a Year 10-dominated competition of 33 teams.

Lastly, a huge ngā mihi to our student coaches Connor Gibson, Coebin Green, Abbie Murrell and
Sasha Whitrow, for giving our Junior B boys and 10B girls the opportunity to play. You have been so generous to give your time to training, weekly league games and Bay Champs. Giving back is a huge part of our programme's kaupapa; arohanui.

Nutrition Workshop Opportunity
Mount Maunganui College Sport along with Medina Athletic Systems is proud to partner with Seed Nutrition for a workshop designed to follow up on our Term 3 evening with Dr. Stacy Sims and Loretta Hogg. Sarah joins us following a recommendation from Loretta.

What: Fuelling Active Teens - Seed Nutrition
When: Wednesday 18 November, 6:30pm-7:30pm
Where: Mount Maunganui College
Who: Students and Parents
Register: Seed Nutrition Workshop - Register Here

Register and come along for an evening with Seed Nutrition. Donation entry, pay what you like with all proceeds going to Mount Maunganui College Sport.

What’s coming up?
North Island Junior Secondary Schools Championships - Tuesday November 17 - Friday 20 November
North Island Junior Beach Volleyball North Island Championships - Saturday 21 November
BOPSS Junior Tennis Championships - Friday 27 November
Condors Rugby 7’s Festival - Thursday 3 December - Friday 4 December
NZSS Touch Championships - Thursday 10 December - Sunday 13 December
NZSS Athletics & Road Race Championships - Friday 11 December - Sunday 13 December

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)

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/

Congratulations …

STAFF CARPARK

STUDENT SIGNING IN / OUT PROCEDURE

ATTENDANCE

CONTACT DETAILS

UNIFORM

SCHOOL BUS SERVICE

STUDENT ID PHOTOS

HONOURS BOARDS

ALUMNI

KEY DATES