Mercury Bay Area School eNewsletter

MBAS Calendar

Kia Ora tātou – Greetings to you all

Kia ora,

What a brilliant and busy term we close out today. Thank you all for your contributions to ensuring Mercury Bay Area School is such a great place for our students to learn and grow.

Events:
We are a busy school and have a multitude of events and activities of note from one week to another. This week alone has consisted of Cinema visits, Strike percussion workshops, Year 7 - 8 winter sports day, Waikato young leaders Day at Waikato university, Enviroschools Zero Waste workshop and that is to name a few. Some others of note are as follows.

Glass bottom boat:

Our Years 5 - 6 students have had a brilliant time with some marine studies followed by a trip on the glass bottom boat to see our amazing marine receive in the flesh. Our last trip was even lucky enough to be visited by a pod of dolphins who came in close enough to touch. A very special thanks to Mark and Hayley for making this possible.

Matariki

We celebrated a very special Matariki as a school last week. It was presented in a range of formats from Years 1- 8 with research projects, arts, activities and also shared kai in the form of soup in the primary years and a hāngī in the middle years.

Full school assembly

Our senior school leaders ran our full school assembly on Monday where we acknowledged a range of achievements across the full school. We had a presentation on the successful return of our students in the spirit of adventure. It looked like an amazing journey and our team represented us well.

We acknowledged the success and participation of our Year 7 and 8’s who returned from sports camp. This is another unique opportunity and it is amazing how many students take advantage of this.

A big thank you to Mercury Bay Twin Cinema who sponsor prizes for us to reward high attendance rates from years 1 - 13.

We also use this full school assembly as a platform to recognise Staff who have completed further study or are also doing great things in our school.

Parents/whanau are always welcome to attend.

Staffing Updates:
This term we welcome Josh Spurdle who has secured the Head of Faculty English position Years 9 - 13. He comes to us from way of Huntly where he was fulfilling the role there but having been a student of Mercury Bay Area School this is really more of a homecoming.

We welcome Laura Gill who was successfully appointed into a permanent position in our primary years. She is already in the school and has been doing a fantastic job. We are excited to have secured her in a more permanent capacity.

We farewell Rachel Carpenter this week as she leaves us for overseas shores. She has been a phenomenal classroom practitioner over the last 4 years and has done a very professional job supporting staff in the “Specialist classroom teacher” position. She will be missed by students and staff alike and we wish her all the best for her next adventures.

I would also like to acknowledge the range of staff that have relieved in either short or long term positions. Staffing in education is a challenging space and this has never been as true as in the last few years. We have staff away for a vast array of reasons and rely on relievers to take the lion's share of this. We are very fortunate that we have a great team to minimise the disruption as much as possible to our students' learning.

Property Developments:

Nga Iti Kahurangi Project (Improving Classrooms).

We currently have a project running at school that is supporting all of our teaching spaces to have quality lighting and acoustics. This will take different forms depending on the space. Your child may have informed you of a temporary classroom shift to accommodate this project. Upon the completion of the Lighting and Sound installations, some spaces will also receive new carpets at a later date.

Ministry Of Education Property Developments.

Next term will mark the start of a range of property developments over the school as we look to address weathertightness issues in some of our major buildings. This will be addressed in a range of ways. Some buildings will be reclad, others will be internally restructured to use our building footprints smarter. Other buildings' purpose will be redefined to accommodate necessary changes. It is exciting times and as plans become more concrete we will ensure we share this out to our school community.

Attendance:
I would firstly like to thank you all for the support we are receiving in regards to getting our students to school. We have had the highest attendance statistics this year than in the last five years and beyond.

To further support this and ensure you have a clear understanding of your child's attendance we will be sending a weekly update identifying our years 7 - 13 attendance for the week. If you can look and inform us if we have anything that needs amending or similarly have the discussion with your child regarding any anomalies that you identify. We are aiming for all our students to be here 90% of the time. We know that attendance equals achievement and we all want our students to have the best possible chance of success.

It will look something like the following:

Thank you to those parents who have reached out over the term to discuss a range of topics. You are always welcome to make time to meet with me. Please contact pa@mbas.ac.nz to book a time that will work for us both.

I hope everyone has a restful and refreshing term holiday and comes back ready for an exciting and productive second half of the year. .

Ngā mihi,
Ross Dunn
Principal/Tumuaki

Attendance Matters!

This table depicts attendance percentage rates for MBAS from the start of Term 1.

Year 9 and 10 Reports and Term 3 Timetables

Year 9 and 10 disposition and curriculum grade reports will be emailed to parents and caregivers on Friday 27th of June. These reflect the students academic level of achievement and indications on their competencies in meeting the Middle Years vision of "thinking for ourselves through thinking with others".

Next Term student timetables will change in respect to option choices, literacy and numeracy selections and Academies. Students can access their timetables through the KAMAR portal https:mbas.school.kiwi and using their school username and password. If they click on the attendance icon they can access their next term classes. Paper copies of the timetable will be given to students on Day 1 next Term.

CAA Literacy Reading Results Now Available

Students in Y10-12 who sat the recent NCEA Literacy and Numeracy CAA exams can view their Literacy-Reading results by logging into Kamar and clicking on 'Details' and results, OR, by logging into their NZQA account and viewing results.

Results for the Literacy-Writing and the Numeracy CAAs will be available from 14 July.

Trophy Returns

Glitz & Glam Masquerade Ball

This year’s ball was nothing short of amazing. With the Glitz & Glam Masquerade theme, the hall was completely transformed. Twinkle lights, elegant draping, and hand-crafted masks turned our town hall into a picture-perfect night. From the moment the music started, the room was buzzing, with the dance floor packed, food stations busy, and entertainment making every corner feel lively. The photo booth was a hit, capturing candid laughs, and the DJ kept the energy up all night. A huge thank‑you goes to the Ball Committee, teachers, and parent volunteers whose careful planning and hard work behind the scenes made the evening run smoothly and safely. Im sure it was a night that will be looked back upon.

Room 19 - Matariki Study

Fun day movie watching on Thursday. We watched Moana 2 which weaved into our inquiry unit through Matariki and navigation. There was lots of talk about Moana’s waka the sail and two hulls.

We also got in some fun math using the 10s frame and learning 1 less and 1 more.

M3 - Matariki Flax Work

Last week Whaea Hira taught us about tikanga Harakeke, how to harvest flax correctly and sustainably. We then followed our plans to make our Waka hourua. We have connected our learning of the early Waka to our Matariki and Journeys work- we know that the early voyagers used the stars to navigate their Waka across oceans.

These are our Matariki stars. We are learning to blend colours and to use long brush strokes. Wow!

Waikato Young Leaders Day – Inspiring the Leaders of Tomorrow

Eleven of our Year 9 students made the early morning trip to Waikato University to take part in the Waikato Institute for Leadership and Sport Studies’ Waikato Young Leaders Day.

The event focused on helping students develop the confidence and skills needed to demonstrate leadership in both school and the wider community. They took part in team-building activities and leadership workshops, and had the opportunity to hear from a range of inspiring guest speakers who shared their personal leadership journeys – including both their challenges and achievements.

Our students returned with fresh insights, practical skills, and a renewed understanding of what it means to be a leader. We're excited to see how they apply this experience in the years ahead.

Y7-8 Winter Sports Tournament

During term 2 all year 7 and 8 classes focused on learning the skills and rules to play the 6 codes of Horohopu, Indoor Hockey, European Handball, Ripper Rugby, Netball and Basketball.

Each class split into two teams and the 12 teams played the 6 codes in a Winter Sports Tournament on Wednesday the 25th of June.

Mr Davy and Leisa McCleery organised student volunteers from the secondary school to referee and umpire the games.They were wonderful role models on the day.

The year 7 and 8 staff managed the teams, supported the umpires in their roles and cheered the teams on.

Congratulations to all of the students who participated, tried hard, encouraged others and a special thank you to those who offered to play for other teams.

Robyn Fotheringham

Our Year 7 and 8 ākonga spent the day enjoying an activity of their choice with their peers from different classes. We had students working on a new upgraded Māori garden, keeping active with keemu Māori (Māori games), creating unique tapa designs, exploring te ao kori (the world of movement), tapping into their scriptwriting and acting talents with whakaari (drama), and preparing a delicious hangi and kapa haka performance for us all to enjoy. What a wonderful way to bring our ākonga together and celebrate Matariki!

Y7&8 MCA students challenged with constructing the tallest tower that supports a small weight. The students are restricted to 10 pieces of paper and 1m of tape.

Y9 Wood Technology

Over the past two terms, students in Y9 Wood Technology have been designing and constructing a table of their own design. Here are some of the amazing outcomes!

Over the past two terms in Y10 Wood Technology, students have been designing and constructing a piece of indoor furniture of their own choice. Here are some of their amazing creations.

Y10 Hospitality

The Year 10 Hospitality class have been developing a new burger. This covers creating their own flavoured burger pattie, then choosing the sauces, cheeses, salads for the bun.

Henry Newton, from Salt, came to judge their creations on Wednesday. This is the winning burger created by Paiggon Kereopa and Tamsin Reichardt.

12OED - Coromandel Coastal Walkway

Last week, our 12OED class had an amazing time exploring the stunning Coromandel Coastal Walkway, trekking from Stony Bay to Fletchers Bay and back. We were lucky to enjoy beautiful weather throughout the journey, which made the breathtaking views even more rewarding. The students rose to the challenge of the long hikes, building resilience and teamwork along the way. Our focus was on trip preparation, navigation skills, and understanding how to plan for changing weather conditions. A huge thank you to Hugh Fairweather for his invaluable support and guidance—your help made this trip a great success!

Sean Butler

Y13 Materials Technology

In the Year 13 Materials Technology class, Johan has been working closely with Mr and Mrs Hutt to design and build them an outdoor fireplace. Yesterday, on Johan's final day in class before he heads back to Germany, he completed the fireplace and gave it a test run with Mr Hutt watching. We were all very impressed at how well the fireplace performed, especially the way it drew air in and maintained an efficient fire. Johan was very proud of his fireplace as this was the first time he had ever attempted a task such as this.

Farewell to our International Students

While everyone is looking forward to a well deserved term break, for a number of our international students this brings an end to their time at MBAS. What an awesome group of students they have been. We remain in awe of their resilience and the courage to leave everything and everyone they know to travel to the other end of the world, to immerse themselves in our community as a means to further develop as global citizens. Of course, we could not have successfully accommodated the students without our dedicated homestay families. Thank you all for opening your homes, and hearts to our students. On Thursday we had one final opportunity to gather as a group for our Farewell Breakfast. It was great to see the smiles and hear the laughter as memories were shared. We wish each and every student heading home safe travels and all the best in where ever their next journey takes them.

Plane Build Weekly Log 25.06.2025

Plane Build Log 25th June 2025 - Wing Construction, Mid Fuselage. Open the photos below to see the full log.

Keeping tamariki engaged during the school holidays

School Holiday Ideas

Spending time with children during school holidays is not only valued by children themselves but is also statistically linked to better emotional, social, and academic outcomes. Increased parental presence during these breaks helps offset the potential negative effects of the loss of school structure and provides essential support, connection, and opportunities for growth. It can be hard to think of activities especially during the winter months. Below are some ideas!

Home Camping: Set up a lounge camp with fairy lights and card games.
Pancake Party: Get the kids involved in making breakfast pancakes.
Nerf Challenge: Create a target game with points and challenges.
Pizza Making: Let them make and decorate their own pizzas.
Mindfulness: Try yoga, mindfulness colouring, or listen to story podcasts.
Creative Projects: Build forts, sew crafts, or tackle a Lego challenge.
Virtual Adventures: Explore online coding or science programmes.
Photo Projects: Create a family photo album online.
Masterchef Challenge: Let them plan and cook a family meal.
Quiz Night: Host a Trivial Pursuit or Kahoot quiz.
Fancy Dinners: Plan themed dinners with music and entertainment.
Skill Building: Learn new crafts, cooking, or sewing via online tutorials.
Virtual Tours: Explore our local museum! The team there has some fascinating visuals and information on Mercury Bay's History.

Sports Results

Rugby

1st XV Boys
Paeroa 31 - MBAS 0
Players of the Day
Tyron Cummings
Ty Willigers
Oscar McGregor

U15 Boys
MBAS 41 - Te Aroha 19
Best Back- Levi French-Hill
Best Forward - Lucian Weir
Player of the Day - Kaeden Willis
Waihi picked - Liam Clothier

Girls 1st XV
MBAS 35 - Te Aroha 12
Players of the Day Taylor, Laura and Dimple

Netball

Yr 5&6
MBAS Squad Goals (12) vs MBAS Team Go (2)
TRS Thunder (17) vs TRS Taniwha (4)
WS The Fireballs (10) vs Cor Kutai (3)

Yr 7&8
WS The Networks (4) vs Coro Stingaz (32)
TRS Shoot'n' Stars (20) vs TRS Court Crushers (33)
MBAS Tsunami (13) vs WS The Flames (13)
MBAS Coastal Comets (11) vs Marlins (14)

C Grade
HME (29) vs Marlins College (50)
Coro Ferns (34) vs MBAS Blue Magic (9)

B Grade
CAS Senior A (38) vs Placies Tradie Ladies (17)
MBAS Senior A (45) vs Tairua White (18)
Marlins Womans (39) vs MBAS Stars (22)

Sports Fixtures

Sport - Joshua Thompson

Joshua Thompson - Waikato Secondary School Swimming Champs

Joshua Thompson travelled to Hamilton last week to compete in the Waikato Secondary School Swimming Champs. Joshua entered into 50m & 100m Freestyle and 50m Butterfly and came away with three PB's for his efforts. Well done Joshua - training has proved difficult as Joshua was last in the pool in term 1 so he is pretty happy with his efforts.

School Fun Run’s Crazy Colour Day - 20th August

https://app.schoolfundraising.co.nz/admin/video_resources

We will be holding the School Fun Run’s Crazy Colour Day as a major fundraising event this year on 20th August. We’re doing it to raise much needed money for new court surfaces and or seating in the Gym.

About the Day
The Crazy Colour Day is all about Fun! It will be a huge colourful mess and is undoubtably one of the most exciting days on our school’s calendar, with everyone’s participation the aim, so please make sure they attend of the day and cheer the other kids on!

How Does My Child Fundraise?
Firstly, go to schoolfunrun.co.nz and create a student profile page. Everything to do with your fundraising revolves around this page.

Students who raise just $10 will be able to choose a prize! The more they raise, the better their reward – don’t forget to check these out in the sponsorship form! We have educated students on the dangers of door knocking without adult supervision, and we encourage you to reiterate this at home. The great thing about online fundraising is that you can share the link to your child’s profile with friends and family via email, SMS and Social media.

Online Fundraising
The easiest way to help your child raise money is through online fundraising, where students raise an average of $120. On top of raising more money, it’s also safer and easier than doorknocking and you don’t have to worry about handling money! To start fundraising online, go to your student profile page at schoolfunrun.co.nz and share your online fundraising link.

Getting Involved
Not only can you support the school and students with your sponsorship – but you can join in on the fun! We would love to welcome parents and family members to attend the Crazy Colour Day. If you would like to volunteer on the day, please contact me on the details below. I can’t wait to see you at our event!

Ordering Prizes – ALL PRIZES MUST BE ORDERED ONLINE
Please contact your school’s coordinator if this isn’t possible.

Prizes MUST be ordered between the 20th August and 5th September. Simply visit schoolfunrun.co.nz to create / log into your Profile Page between these dates. Then click on the ‘CLAIM YOUR PRIZE’ button and follow the prompts. If you have any questions, please contact the School Fun-Run team on 0800 377 170 and they will gladly assist!

Thank you, good luck and happy fundraising!

Upcoming Apiculture Course

Tertiary Tidbits

Careers Corner

Discover Tahatū Career Navigator

Find out more about yourself and get career ideas. Discover your interests and skills?

Tūhura aronga me ngā pūkenga

https://tahatu.govt.nz/get-inspired/interest-quiz

What the video, do the quiz, find pathway ideas.

ENJOY!

Calling All Future Changemakers! The Girl Empowerment Conference

The Girl Empowerment Conference 2025 is happening on 19–20 July at AUT City Campus — and yr9-13 female high school students are invited!

This FREE two-day event, run by youth, for youth, empowers young women passionate about business, leadership, STEM, and social impact.

Spaces are limited – register now!

Register here: https://p5kkfmte98m.typeform.com/to/uGJ6uomp

Event info: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13In76JEjidXjtSvqbvR5MEdXzvsLNUsn/view?usp=sharing

Nurses Notes

Vaping Number 5 - Final tips about giving up Vaping

Don't let Nic take over your life ! Please come and see me or email if you would like a copy of the tips on giving up vaping.

Community Notices

U12 Girls Soccer

Holiday Winter Reading Challenge Competition/Holiday Programme

Mercury Bay Library

Looking for short films for our Film Festival

Mercury Twin Cinemas are looking for short films for the "Shorts" progamme at our 2nd CoroCine Festival this coming August. If you have something you'd like to share, please email Anne-Maree at am@mercurytwincinemas.com. OR if you are a student and you want to talk about an idea, pop over to Hei 8 and see Mrs McDougall.

Oscar Explorers - After School Care

MBAS Newsletter, Term 2, Week 9, 27th June 2025