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Ngā mihi nui kia koutou katoa, In spite of the challenging circumstances of last year, Mount Maunganui College has continued to significantly outperform both national and decile NCEA averages. Congratulations to all students who met their educational goals in 2021 and thank you to teachers and families for doing tremendous work supporting our rangatahi.  |
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Furthermore, both boys and girls have once again achieved well above national averages and Māori student achievement continues to be a source of pride, constantly sitting significantly higher than national averages across all measures. This month we have recognised those students who were endorsed with Excellence in 2021 with our annual Excellence breakfast. Due to restrictions, we had to split into two groups with NCEA Level One and NCEA Level Two happening a week apart and I would like to acknowledge and thank those students who achieve at the highest level and the families that support them. On Friday we held a non-uniform day in support of three students heading to the United States of America for the Vex Robotics World Championships. Luca Ririnui, Ryan Kayser and Sam Orsler won the national title in February qualifying them for the next step. Sam, Ryan and Luca have been at the leading edge of this competition for a couple of years now and have missed out on opportunities to compete overseas due to Covid-19. We are sincerely hopeful the boys will get their chance this year! Once again our talented thespians have dominated the Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Regionals winning the 15 minute and the 5 minute categories and Libby Frazer took out the Outstanding Performer Award. We will have a huge contingent heading to the Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington later this year to challenge for the national titles. Please read the full report from Wayne Flannagan below. Well done to all students who were able to get involved in the modified Summer Tournament Week. Some top-quality performances by both teams and individuals. For a comprehensive wrap up read the report from Director of Sport, Dan Meade here. Many of you will have noticed some property changes around the school recently. Five new classrooms are now complete and being well used by our commerce department. Our swimming pool changing sheds have only some minor elements to complete before being operational next term. Our hospitality students are also now enjoying two remodelled classrooms as part of our redevelopment cycle. Further developments are currently in the planning phase and I will keep you updated with property improvements moving forward. The rescheduling of our school interviews this term has created a slightly disjointed start to Term Two that I would like you to be aware of. We acknowledge the number of truncated weeks to begin the term creates some logistical challenges for families but these interviews are key to ensuring positive outcomes for our students. I would also like to give you an early indication of some changes we have made to Term Three. Looking at the calendar we have combined a Ministry Accord day with our annual mid-term break to create an extended long weekend in September. For more information please click here. Finally, thank you for your support this term. We are still currently in Red Level which means masks continue to be worn indoors and some restrictions remain on indoor gatherings. I will let you know if there is any significant change over the term break.
Noho ora mai Alastair Sinton |
MEET SOME OF OUR 2022 STUDENT LEADERS |
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Grace Akroyd - Executive Leader My name is Grace Akroyd, and I am one of two student leaders from the Executive Council in 2022. I come from a very sport-focussed family, heavily involved in the Netball and Surf Life Saving community. I am the youngest of three daughters, so I was fortunate enough to spend most of my childhood watching from the sidelines, preparing myself for when I was finally old enough to get involved and give it a go. So, when I am not at school, you will most likely find me on the netball court, playing as Goal Shoot or umpiring; or I'll be swimming, competing and lifeguarding at the beach. Mount Maunganui College has a very diverse group of students, and I think it is so cool to walk around and see different groups of my peers smiling and doing things they are passionate about. In 2022, as a student leader, I hope to continue to connect with our community (staff, students and families) at MMC and create a warm and welcoming environment for all of our school. As my role holds events for our senior school group, I hope to create memorable events for our year 13 students to reflect on their last year at MMC as they branch out into their future pursuits.
Kia Ora, My Name is Eden Nicklin-Foster and I am one of the two student leaders for the Executive Council this year. As my dad lives in England, I have had incredible travel opportunities which has given me a love for travelling and adventure, where experiencing new cultures is a possibility. More home-based I am part of the No. 16 squadron air cadets unit in Tauranga where I have gained knowledge and skills that I never thought I would or could. I have learned the meaning behind the four core values; comradeship, commitment, courage and integrity. Moving into and through MMC has truly been an experience I will hold with me forever as you meet such a diverse group of people and have support when you need it. Mount Maunganui College really focuses on helping you exceed the expectations you have for yourself and building your confidence in your abilities. As student leaders in 2022, similar to the last couple of years, Covid-19 has made our roles a lot harder. But as my role is more focused on the senior students and holding events for us, my aim for this year is to make 2022 memorable for current year 13’s and give the future groups of year 13’s something to ponder on and look forward to; even amongst the current chaos.
Hi I’m Kate one of the arts leaders this year. I enjoy being involved in the performing arts as I am a keen dancer and particularly love jazz and contemporary. I also have a passion for sewing and am excited by wearable arts, costumes and fashion. What I love most about Mount Maunganui College is all the opportunities on offer. Everyone is kind and encouraging so there’s nothing to lose in trying something new. As a student leader I hope to work to keep up MMCs school spirit and inspire students to get involved.
Kia ora, my name is Benjamin Lindsey and I’m one of the Sports Leaders for 2022. A few of the things I enjoy are, playing volleyball, going to the gym, and being with my friends and family. I like to challenge myself to achieve as highly as possible in everything I do. This includes my academics where I’m taking a philosophy paper with UC. One of the things I love about Mount Maunganui College is how accepting and supportive everyone is, this makes it a comfortable environment to learn in that I really enjoy being a part of. I’ve made heaps of strong connections here at MMC which I’m extremely grateful for and I’m excited to see what the rest of 2022 entails. As one of the sports leaders for this year, I look forward to meeting new people and developing my leadership skills while giving back to the community.
Kia ora, I’m Neve Ganley, one of the Community leaders for 2022. I’m really looking forward to the events that we will be running later in the year such as the 40 hour Famine and the Blood Drive. We are aiming to not only raise money for worthy causes but get you involved in our community based events. I have really enjoyed my first 4 years at Mount Maunganui College and am grateful for the support and assistance the school and my teachers have offered me. I highly recommend getting involved with any opportunity you can because your time at college will go so fast!
Kia ora my name is Will Fraser and I’m one of the schools community leaders. During my time at Mount Maunganui College I have been involved in activities such as volleyball, evolocity and the school chess club. As a student leader for 2022, my goal is to see as many students get involved in and around the school as possible. One of my favourite things about MMC is all the opportunities that are on offer. With such a wide range of events from sporting to academic there is something for everyone. Look out for our community events this year, especially the annual headshave. I highly recommend each one of you getting involved and I look forward to meeting some of you out there.
Kia ora, I’m Charla and I lead along side Maiya the Cultural Council for 2022. My favourite thing about Mount Maunganui College is the teachers. Creating strong relationships with my teachers is vital for me as I look up to them for guidance with my school work and morals. I hope to one day become a teacher so having great roles models with high impact teaching methods is my favourite thing about this college. I am an extrovert, nerd and passionate about creating safe spaces for queer students at MMC. I hope to create awesome murals and hopefully a queer quiz night later in the year to give students a safe, fun way to celebrate who they are. A couple of places you will find me out of school is enjoying a morning sunrise coffee, paddle boarding in Pilot Bay and waitressing in fine dining to fund those coffees! A quote I go by is ‘Being yourself is never the wrong thing to do’. |
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Dan Meade Students cannot be asked for their vaccination status to participate in school sport Sport NZ have recently updated their guidelines for schools. “All children and young people, regardless of their vaccination status, can participate in school-organised teams and groups, or as an individual representing the school in a competition or event. This applies whether on or off the school site, and to registered schools only.” See this link for the full update. This also means that vaccination passes are not required for Mount Maunganui College students to attend Mount Maunganui College Sports Academies - come to the sports office for more information. Off-field Sports Uniforms A reminder that off-field sports uniforms are available online for purchase by clicking on this link https://pureathletic.co.nz under the ‘Schools and Clubs’ tab. The goal is to have all students playing sports at Mount Maunganui College arriving and leaving in approved sports uniforms. A great place to start is the hoodie with a long or short sleeve tee (speak to your coach to clarify which one they prefer you to have). Please note, all first team players will be provided with ‘off-field’ kit for the season. NZ Secondary School Sport Calendar New Zealand Secondary School Sport have produced this document outlining the status of the various events on their calendar. High Achievers Kaia Berridge was named as a reserve in the New Zealand U17 Men’s Basketball Team. He heads away to a camp in Auckland to train with New Zealand’s best in the coming weeks. Salem Broughton and Teghan Ngatai were named in the New Zealand U18 Basketball Squad, heading to the National Selection Camp at the end of this month. We wish all our basketballers the best of luck at camp. Kylen Scholmann recently headed over to the Australian Youth Beach Volleyball Championships, held in Coolangatta. He and his partner from Rangitoto College finished 7th amongst the best high school teams from all states across Australia. What’s been happening? Summer Tournament Week NZSS Triathlon Congratulations to Finnley Oliver on gaining a silver medal in the U16 National Triathlon Secondary School Championships, amazing effort! Lulu Johnson also had a great result gaining 5th in the U19 division. Maadi Cup Great effort from our two Under 18 rowers last week in Twizel for the Maadi Cup. They finished 7th in the Under 18 double sculls A final. They both then went on to row the Under 18 single with Mia Finlayson finishing 2nd in the B final and Maddison Shanks coming 4th in the A final. Central North Island Sailing Championships Four Mount Maunganui College students combined with Katikati College and competed at the Central North Island Sailing Championships in Taupo. After a tough first day they dropped into the ‘Silver Fleet’ which is essentially the second division. In this division they won 9 out of 10 races and brought home the silver fleet trophy. Great result for these young sailors. NZSS Open Water Swim Champs The New Zealand Secondary School Open Water Swim Championships recently doubled up as the Aquaknights Zonal Championships and was held at Mount Maunganui Main Beach. The Mount Maunganui College Team performed exceptionally well, bringing home both the Zonal Trophy and the New Zealand Secondary School Trophy. Zonal Results 500m Cole Frazer (14-15 age) - 3rd 1250m Ryleigh McEwan (12-13 age) - 3rd 2.8km Talitha McEwan (16-19 age) - 1st 500m Cole Frazer (14-15 age) - 3rd 1250m Ryleigh McEwan (12-13 age) - 3rd 2.8km Talitha McEwan (16-19 age) - 2nd
The girls travelled to the Division Two North Island Secondary School Champs held in Hamilton during Summer Tournament Week. In a rematch of last year’s final, the girls came up against Auckland Diocesan. Despite a huge effort from the team the girls finished one point behind and won the silver medal. Katie Parkinson brought home the award for tournament MVP. The girls also came third in the Tauranga competition, beating Tauranga Girls College 11-1 in their final game. Boys Waterpolo A young boys waterpolo team competed in the Division Two North Island Secondary School Championships held here in Mount Maunganui. The boys had a great tournament and came 6th, gaining some great experience as a young side playing against older boys. The boys managed to win their league in the Tauranga Competition in a nail biting 8-7 game against Aquinas College. A big thanks must go to Highmark Homes and Ryan Hunt for their generous support of the boys waterpolo programme. Bring on Nationals in late April for both teams. School Swimming Sports School swimming sports was held on Thursday 31 March, organised by Mr Terry Cochrane. The day was a great success with some great battles in the pool. Junior Girls Results Junior Boys Results Intermediate Boys Senior Girls Senior Boys
Girls Cricket We recently hosted the Venus Cup Regional Qualifying Tournament. Aquinas College, Tauranga Girls, Otumoetai and our own team battled it out for the opportunity to go through to the Northern Districts Venus Cup Qualifier. Our girls beat Aquinas by 23 runs, but lost to both Otumoetai and Tauranga Girls by one run in a couple of thrilling games, meaning we unfortunately don’t head through to the next round. Great to see girls cricket in Tauranga in such a strong position.
Winter Sports Basketball Congratulations to those named in our Junior and Senior Premier Programmes. For all of our teams the Tauranga City Basketball weekly league will commence next term with Mount College teams participating across three evenings; Wednesday, Fridays and Saturdays. We this year have 15 teams participating across a variety of grades. Football Mount Maunganui College will this year field eight Football teams as the football programme continues to grow. Competition kicks off in early Term two. Hockey Hockey is set to have a record number of teams this year as the code continues to grow at Mount Maunganui College. We will have five 11-a-side girls teams, three 11-a-side boys teams and at least one 6-a-side team. The premiere competition kicks off in Term 2 Week 1 with all other grades following a week later. Teams will be announced no later than Wednesday 13 April. Netball Netball trials are in full swing with both Year 9 and 10s done and senior trials starting next week. Thank you to all those who have attended so far. It has been awesome to see our students turning up eager and full of enthusiasm. Trials for our senior students start this Monday at Trustpower Arena 3.45pm - 5.30pm. Please contact the Sports Office if you have been unable to attend the junior trials or need further information regarding Netball. Rugby Our Under 18 girls 7s team travelled to Paengaroa for a BOP friendly tournament. The girls won four out of five games coming together better with each game, setting up for an exciting BOP 10s tournament being held at Blake Park on Thursday 14 April. Our Under 16 and 1st XV boys head away to Taupo for their first preseason game today (Friday 8 April), best of luck to those boys. Numbers within the rugby programme are at a record level and we can this year field a 2nd XV for the first time in a very long time. Promising signs for the Rugby programme.
What’s coming up? Mount Maunganui College Sports Academy Sports Academy ‘taster’ sessions will be held in the school gym starting next term for those students keen on seeing what the Academy is all about and how it can help them with their own sporting performance. The sessions will be free and held on a Monday and Wednesday. Ultimate Frisbee We head off to Waipuna to defend our BOPSS Ultimate frisbee title on Monday. Best of luck to these players. Skate Team Mr Sinton heads away with a keen skate group next Tuesday to grow the skate programme here at school as we build towards the Drop Deep Skate Competition later in the year. Social Media The Sports Department has updated their Social Media pages. Please follow us on.
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SHEILAH WINN SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL |
Mount Maunganui College Clean sweep at the BOP SGCNZ Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival Mount Maunganui College gained 1st place in the 15-minute adult directed scene combining Te Reo Maori with Shakespeare's words in a powerful rendition of 'Henry V'. MMC also came 1st in the 5-minute student directed scene with a performance from 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. Libby Frazer, the student director, also won the Outstanding Performer award. The teams earned the right to represent the Bay of Plenty at the Nationals in Wellington over Queen's birthday weekend. |
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CONGRATULATIONS TO |
ALEX THOMPSON The Duke of Edinburgh Award is an internationally recognised program with participants all over the world. Completing all three levels - Bronze, Silver, and Gold - is an impressive time commitment. Each level involves 4 key sections - Service, Skill, Physical Recreation, and Adventurous Journey. The Gold level alone takes 18 months to complete. Alex Thompson started her journey with this award in Year 9 and has now, in Year 13, completed her Gold Award. Throughout her Bronze, Silver, and Gold awards, Alex was able to use her love of surfing, participating in surf lifesaving, officiating, and volunteering at the local surf club for the award's different sections. She learned new skills and has explored the motu in her expeditions. As a part of the Gold Award, Alex took part in the Spirit of Adventure program. It is a massive achievement to complete the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award. Ka pai tō mahi, Alex! |
BENJAMIN LINDSEY Benjamin has been offered a place at the Chemistry Olympiad training camp to be held during the April holidays. Both Benjamin and Jack Oliver completed an exam in October last year to get into the training group. They then completed online learning modules over the summer and did another exam on 17 March. |