MBAS Newsletter, Term 1, Week 8, 28th Mar 2025

MBAS Calendar

Kia Ora tātou – Greetings to you all

From the Senior Student Leaders

Leadership Camp

On the 13th and 14th of March, our Year 13 head and deputy leadership students went on an overnight camp at Wharekawa lodge, Opoutere. The purpose of this camp was to build connections with other student leaders from the Coromandel area and to expand our knowledge of leadership styles and skills. Our four student leaders, Head student Sienna Reader, Deputy Head student Mila Smith de Zeeuw, Deputy Head student Euan Stewart and Head student Cameron Lee, greatly enjoyed the experience and had key takeaways.

We were fortunate enough to have three amazing guest speakers who shared their personal experiences of being a leader and their ideas on how we can make the most of our time in this position. We learnt that to be a good leader, you must be a good person first. You must look after your four pillars: mind, body, heart and spirit. Without balance in these four areas, you are unable to be the best leader. One of the guest speakers was the local MP Scott Simpson, who imparted valuable knowledge that John Key told him, about how we are put into a position where there are so many opportunities available to us, and it is up to us to take advantage of these opportunities to learn and grow. Furthermore he allowed us an opportunity to voice our opinions and ask questions. There were many takeaways from this camp, including the importance of clearly communicating so the person receiving the information understands the message. We learnt about this through doing tasks where we were in groups and had to send each other messages nonverbally. We also learnt the value of teamwork and ensuring that we are supporting every team member to accomplish our desired goal. Throughout the entirety of the trip, we were able to explore new connections and friendships.

When talking to student leaders from across the Coromandel, we were able to learn about different things about their school, their values and ideas, and to try to find ways to implement some of them back into our kura for the following years. 

MBAS Student Leaders 

Attendance Matters!

Regular attendance builds discipline and responsibility, essential traits for success in any endeavour.

Attendance percentages end of Week 8, Term 1

Host Families Required

Homestay Families needed!
Want to make an impact? Want to promote the Kiwi way of life to the world? Want to make lifelong friends? Want to make a difference? Want to engage, empower and inspire an international student?

We were lucky to have one of our alumni, Freya, visit this month and share with us how much MBAS, her host family and Whitianga has impacted on her growth and which is now a fundamental part of who she is. You too could give an international student the life changing experience that Freya received. If you have capacity and would like to become a homestay family, or even just a little curious on what this means, please contact Rachel and Hewa - international@mbas.ac.nz - for further information.

Freya's Reflection
Kia ora!

My name is Freya, and in 2018/2019 I spent a year abroad in New Zealand as an exchange student from Germany. I was 17 years old at the time and therefore one of the older exchange students. During my time I attended Mercury Bay Area School in Whitianga.

Even though I was older than many other exchange students, it was still just as scary for me to move so far away, live with a host family and adjust to the language. I was never particularly confident in my English skills and I used to avoid unfamiliar situations, rarely stepping out of my comfort zone. New Zealand became my chance to try out new things far away from home and grow as a person. Mercury Bay Area School played a huge role in helping me with this. The variety of extracurricular activities, new sports, cooking classes, and crafts on offer was simply incredible.

I put my main focus on trying new sports and getting to know as much as possible of the New Zealand culture. One of my personal highlights was the Outdoor Education class. In this subject, students learn in a hands-on way how to stay safe and responsible when out in nature, whether it's rock climbing, kayaking, or mountain biking. Through various trips, I really got to meet the local students and bonded more and more with them. Some of these friendships have lasted to this day and have truly helped me to see things from a much wider perspective.

Ultimately, I learned to approach people more openly and try new things, even at the risk of not always getting it right the first time. I returned home with the biggest smile on my face, having become much more outgoing and confident. Now, I don’t hesitate to approach people and take chances – both skills that still benefit me today. I´ve changed my approach on new things and I´ve become more open minded to meeting strangers.

New Zealand has undoubtedly become a second home to me, with a second family and many friends. I'm already looking forward to spending another holiday here.

Freya

Kindo - Now Live for all School Payments

Senior Students Pathway Conversations

As we approach the latter weeks of Term 1, we would like to inform you about an important upcoming initiative for our Year 11-13 students. Over the next few weeks, students will be involved in academic and pathway mentoring conversations with their deans and members of our Senior Leadership team. These discussions are designed to support students in reflecting on their progress with NCEA and to explore their future career pathways.

The purpose of these pathway conversations is to check on students' academic progression, help them set meaningful goals, and ensure that they have a clear direction for the next steps in their learning journey. By identifying and discussing their aspirations, students will receive support from our staff to ensure they are on track to meet their goals.

These interviews will take place during the final weeks of this Term and at the beginning of next Term. We encourage students to take the time to login to our online careers platform, Careers Central, prior to these meetings. On Careers Central, students can input their skills and interests, explore potential career options, and begin to think about how their academic choices align with their career aspirations.

Parents are also invited to explore Careers Central through the portal, where you can view your child’s goal setting and progress. Caregivers can access the portal through logging in to https://www.careercentral.school.nz/ where you can login as a ‘caregiver’ using your email address.

We look forward to these meaningful conversations with students and supporting them as they work towards their academic and career goals. Should you have any questions or require further information, please feel free to reach out.

Room 22 - Maths

When maths is fun! We have been learning about time/sequencing this week. Today we followed a sequence and made fruit caterpillars.

M10 and Room 33

M10 and their tuakana, Ruma 33 did some art together. This time M10 were the tuakana, showing Ruma 33 how to mix colours. We finished off by watching a reading of The Dot by Peter H Reynolds. Lots of kōrerō and mahi taking.

Y7-8 Triathlon

Thank you to the year 7 and 8 staff for running a terrific Triathlon for all of the year 7 and 8 students on Tuesday 25th March. The weather turned it on for us. Special recognition to the students who felt the fear and did it anyway. Congratulations to the place-getters and you should all be very proud of yourselves. 

Robyn Fotheringham

Prev

Showing images 1 - 8 of 15

Next

Y12 Biology Shell Fish Distribution Trip

To collect data for our assessment on the rocky shore, students worked in small groups to conduct a systematic survey of shellfish populations using quadrats and transects. We placed 30cm² quadrats at regular intervals along a transect line running from the high-tide zone to the low-tide zone, ensuring a fair representation of different tidal levels. Within each quadrat, students recorded the species and number of shellfish, noting environmental factors such as** wave exposure, and presence of predators. To ensure accuracy, we used identification guides and standardized measuring techniques. Data was recorded in notebooks and later compiled into spreadsheets for analysis, allowing students to compare shellfish distribution across different tidal zones and discuss potential ecological influences.

Y13 OED - Surf Trip

Our recent Year 13 Outdoor Education surf trip to Opoutere was an incredible experience, using surfing as a context to explore safety management in the outdoors. Over three days, students put their learning into practice, assessing risks, managing hazards, and refining their decision-making in a real-world setting.

Although the surf conditions weren’t perfect, we made the most of the opportunities presented, with plenty of time in the water to develop our skills and put safety strategies into action. The sunny weather added to the experience, making for an enjoyable and productive few days on the coast.

A huge thank you to Darrell at Dive Zone for generously lending us a van, ensuring all students could get to and from Opoutere safely. Your support was greatly appreciated!

Prev

Showing images 1 - 8 of 14

Next

Seaweek Poster Competition Winner

Isla Dundass - Winner in The Department of Conservation's Seaweek Poster competition. 

Isla has won the overall prize - a trip on Ocean Leopard Tours to experience Te Whanganui-o-Hei Marine Reserve and beyond! The prize is for her and an adult. 

We loved the creativity she put into her entry, especially naming all her favourite marine species. 

DOC

TVRU Rippa Rugby - Te Aroha

Finally we got 3 teams to Te Aroha for the qualifying tournament for Rippa Rugby.  Our year 5/6 team won 3 games and lost one.  One 7/8 team had a couple of wins and a couple of losses and the 7/8 Comets team qualified 2nd to go onto Finals day in Ngatea on the 9th April.

WaiBop Athletics Results

Two of our speedsters represented Mercury Bay Area School on Wednesday at the WaiBop Secondary School Athletics Champs in Hamilton at Porritt Stadium.  Thanks to their Parents for getting them to the event.  Well done girls, we are very proud of your efforts.

Alison Brunton 
2nd Senior girls 400m
4th Senior girls 200m
7th Senior girls 800m

Neela Sacault
6th Junior girl 400m
4th Junior girl 200m

Thames Valley Show Jumping

Congratulations to the MBAS Equestrian Team who placed 2nd at the TVSS Show Jumping in Ngatea on Wednesday.

Lexi Ford coming away with a 1st and a 5th place, Ella Simpson a 3rd and 5th place and Tahlia Osbourne a 3rd place and two 2nd places!

Big thank you to Hauraki Plains College and Thames Pony Club for hosting this annual event.

TVP Swimming

Our squad swimmers competed last Friday at the Thames Valley Swimming Champs.

We had some fabulous results from the following swimmers -

1st 9yr 25m Breastroke - Amelia Jones
4th 9yr 25m Breastroke - Jake Cleaver Leddy
3rd 10yr 25m Breastroke - Dominic McKenzie
14th 12yr 25m Breaststroke - Annabel Warwick
4th 12yr 25m Breaststroke - Rueben Percival
3rd 10yr & Under 100 Breaststroke - Armani Tupaea

1st 9yr 25m Freestyle - Amelia Jones
4th 12yr 25m Freestyle - Lucy Thomas
1st 12yr 25m Freestyle - Reef Havard
4th 9yr 50m Freestyle - Isla Shepherd
4th 9yr 50m Freestyle - Chase Whitford
1st 10yr 50m Freestyle - Armani Tupaea
3rd 10yr 50m Freestyle - Dylan Castle
4th 11yr 50m Freestyle - Riley Shepherd
2nd 10 & Under 100m Freestyle - Dyan Castle

3rd 9yr 50m Breaststroke - Isla Shepherd
3rd 9yr 50m Breaststroke - Chase Whitford
2nd 10yr 50m Breaststroke - Armani Tupaea
4th 11 yr 50m Breaststoke - Coco Shepherd

1st 10 & Under 25m Butterfly - Chase Whitford

1st 9yr 25m Backstroke - Isla Shepherd
3rd 12yr 25m Backstroke - Kees French-Hill
3rd 10 & Under 100 Backstroke - Dylan Castle
4th 9yr 50m Backstroke - Amelia Jones
2nd 9yr 50m Backstroke - Chase Whitford
1st 9yr 50m Backstroke - Piata Morgan-Joyce
2nd 9yr 50m Backstroke - Armani Tupaea
1st 10yr 50m Backstroke - Dylan Castle

Tertiary Tidbits

University In-Person Visits

Week 10 sees the liaison from Waikato University here to talk with any Year 12 and Year 13 students thinking about Waikato. They will be here Tuesday 8th April 10am-11am, venue is Puahape.

Yr13 Tertiary presentation

Sharon Porteous gave an overview earlier this week which included information about Studylink (what they help with and how to apply (using RealMe), a bit about fees free as well as how to be prepared for applying for Scholarships. This was shared with all the year 13 cohort, so if you were unable to attend and wanted the information, please check your emails.

Careers Corner

https://tahatu.govt.nz/

The new careers website is coming! 

It is currently being launched and will replace www.careers.govt.nz - 

With over 800+ careers ideas and 4000+ qualifications, this is your go to for help with your ideas/interests and where they can lead you, it covers everything you need to know about finding and applying for work, about school subjects and NCEA, where and how to study and train as well as all the things in between.

Check it out now and see where it can take you.

Nurses Notes

School Health Service – Registered Nurse Clinic

Nurse available Monday to Thursday

For appointment just pop into the Rangimarie Centre

Or email nurse@mbas.ac.nz or text to 0273273945 for an appointment time.

Look forward to seeing you if you have any health needs or questions.

Community Notices

Waikids Children's Free Ear Clinic - Whitianga

SPCA Adoption Day and Fundraiser

For all events see https://kids.spcaeducation.org.nz/

Whitianga Lions Family Picnic Day

Thames School of Mines - Holiday Programme

Womans Rugby Workshop Y9 Upwards

MBAS Netball 2025 Courses and Events

• Sunday 30th March - Year 7 & 8 Tournament at MBNC Netball courts
• Saturday 12th April - Umpire training -Theory and Practical.
• Sunday 13th April -  Umpire training - Theory and Practical.
• Tuesday 22nd April - Year 7 & 8 PDP
• Wednesday 23rd April -  Year 7 & 8 PDP
• Saturday 26th April - U14 & U16 Reps Trials
• Sunday 27th April - Intro to Coaching Course. Ideal for younger coaches up to year 10.
• Wednesday 30th April - FIRST GAME OF NETBALL FOR THE SEASON
• Sunday 25th May - Intro to Coaching Course. Ideal for adults & coaches over year 10.
• Monday 12th May - Interschool Netball Tournament Years 3-6 (not MBNC run).
• Wednesday 30th July - Last game for Years 1-6
• Sunday 3rd August - Years 3-4 End of Season Festival

Mercury Bay Day Camp 15 -17th April 2025

Now we are in need of registered Teen Leaders aged 14 - 17 yrs. These awesome young people receive leadership training on Monday 14th April, and then get to practically outwork the learning and teamwork over the days of Camp. We adults and the Campers love the Teen Leaders, for their energy, fun and care. Super citizens!! Best Team Cup and $$$ Leadership Sponsorship up for challenge for those who shine the brightest. 

We are also in need of registered Adult Helpers - we are grateful for 1, 2 or the ultimate 3 days of Camp. We appreciate each one as they join our pop up community on a hill and shine.

There is no charge for Teens and Adults. 

All info can be found at http://www.daycamp.co.nz 

Whitianga Run Fest - MBAS Students Run Free

Football Registrations 2025

Mercury Bay Library Stem Lab

April Holiday Programme - Hockey

Skool Loop - One Stop School Information App