Ngā mihi nui kia koutou katoa.
Welcome to Mount Maunganui College for 2025.
I would like to extend a special welcome to our new families joining us, and I encourage you all to take opportunities over the next few months to get to know us better.
Unfortunately, I have to start this newsletter by acknowledging the passing of one of our team members over the break. Sioux Clarkson has been with the college since 1984 and has held many teaching, leadership, and administrative roles across the school, most recently as our Timetabler and Relief Coordinator. She significantly contributed to Mount Maunganui College, particularly through the performing arts programme. Sioux will be deeply missed by all who knew her.
If you have driven past the school recently, you will have noticed construction has begun on three new two-story teaching blocks. These buildings will provide 32 classrooms, including new science laboratories. This is a very exciting development and the most significant property investment in the history of the college. However, it also means we are facing an extended period of disruption to school access. If you plan on driving your children to school, please read the information below.
Preliminary NCEA achievement data has been released for 2024. Again, I am pleased to share that Mount Maunganui College continues to perform above national averages for all levels of the NCEA. I am particularly impressed with the NCEA Level One results, which have given valuable insights into the strength of our student's literacy and numeracy levels. This establishes a solid foundation for success at NCEA Level Two in Year 12 and University Entrance in Year 13, the two most important qualifications in the New Zealand system. Congratulations to all students who reached their academic goals in 2024.
It is my privilege to share with you the appointment of Khan Butler to our leadership team as our new Kaitiaki. Khan is connected to all elements of our school community and has held leadership roles within the school and across the Kahui Ako for over 5 years. Khan is a deeply committed Mount Maunganui College staff member with a drive for equity. I would also like to welcome the following new teachers to our school for 2025:
- Louise Broederlow - Acting Head of Department - Māori
- Kym O'Toole - English
- Chloe Mackie - Science
- Kate Harvey - Science
I would like to acknowledge our Parent Support Group for their work in pulling together the uniform sale on Wednesday. It is always a busy event, and the PSG do an awesome job. It is great to see perfectly good uniforms make their way back into circulation.
We are looking forward to another fantastic year at Mount Maunganui College. We are committed to serving our students, our families and our community. I encourage you to reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns as the year begins. A list of key contacts can be found here. Here’s to a few more sunny days before school starts back in earnest.
Alastair Sinton
Principal