MBAS Newsletter, Term 4, Week 10, 15th December 2023
MBAS Calendar
Kia Ora tātou – Greetings to you all
As we reach the end of this term, I am pleased to be able to reflect on what has been a very busy and productive year. I have appreciated how warmly I have been welcomed into the community and the support received in regards to the positive direction we are heading as a school.
Academic Excellence:
It was amazing to celebrate the successes of our Junior and Middle school through the Celebrations of Learning. It is something special to recognise those whose achievements have stood out but also to create future goals for students to aspire to.
Parent-Teacher Collaboration:
I feel like we are well on our way to rebuild our relationship with whanau that was severed under the pandemic. The turn out of parents to support on Camps, Sporting Events and our Celebrations of Learning and Assemblies has continued to grow. I welcome you all back on site and encourage you to continue to support your children when those opportunities present.
Looking Ahead:
As we turn our attention to 2024, there is a sense of excitement and anticipation. We have ambitious goals and exciting plans for the future of Mercury Bay Area School. Our commitment to providing a nurturing and challenging educational environment remains steadfast, and we are eager to explore new opportunities for growth and excellence.
In closing, I extend my sincere gratitude to our students, staff, parents, and the entire Mercury Bay Area School community for your hard work, dedication, and unwavering support throughout the year. May the holiday season bring joy, relaxation, and quality time with loved ones.
Warm regards,
Ross Dunn
Principal
Mercury Bay Area School
Urgent Homestay Required
We have a male student arriving in late January 2024, Yr 11 (16 in July) for 2 terms.
We are urgently seeking a homestay with no cats, other pets are ok.
If you would like more details or if you can host please get in touch with Marie ( international@mbas.ac.nz )
Thank You.
Middle Years Learning Celebrations
What an awesome way to finish the year celebrating the learning achievements of our children. It was a proud moment watching all the receipts being recognised for their hard work this year. Seeing one of our bands Haze perform was phenomenal. Congratulations to all our award recipients.
Room 33 - Jellyfish
What an amazing year of art we have had in Room 33! We have wrapped up our year with some jellyfish. Using lots of the techniques we have perfected over the year. Using glue to make our outline then using dye to blend and paint. We also experimented with salt to create a bubble effect for our background. Recycled bread bags have added extra stingers.
Y7/8 Wood Technology
In Y7/8 Wood technology, students have been designing and building their own Taonga box. Their design had to incorporate a lid and a design feature which made it unique to the person it was being made for. Here are some of the creations from THH1.
Y9 Waikawau Bay Camp
Last week the annual Y9 camp to Waikawau Bay took place. We went up on Tuesday and set up camp in light drizzle before the heavy rain set in. We were lucky to dodge the big squalls and only had to deal with minor discomfort. Students organised themselves into tent and cooking groups and experienced the trials and tribulations that comes with being responsible for their own shelter and meals, some had better outcomes than others but all learnt a lot along the way!
The main activities took place on Wednesday and Thursday where students took part in a range of activities. The students rotated through 8 activities including learning to surf, target shooting with an air rifle, and coasteering through to letting their creativity come out for photography and camp crafts. For these activities the emphasis was on teamwork and trying new things, where students were deliberately put into groups that would expand their social network and get them working with new people. All of the staff and parents were impressed with how relationships grew because of this, so much so that we had big games of bat down and volleyball happening with a broad range of students without any teacher input whenever there was free time. It was great to see a cohort come together and camp provided a perfect opportunity for this.
Of course there was a competitive element to the camp where groups were earning points based on KAURI values. These points were tallied at the end of each day and the winning team had their flag raised at the main tent. This year was special in that the same group kept coming out on top. This was none other than team 8 consisting of Bo, Tallulah, Lena, Reuben, Connor, Bianca R and Ben. Other competitions included masterchef, where on the last night a taster of each meal was presented to a panel of judges to see who could create the most impressive meal with their remaining ingredients. And the other major competition of the camp was the annual staff/parent vs students volleyball tournament with heaps of players on each team. Safe to say the staff and parents took it out again…!
Thanks a lot to all the students who took part and the parents that supported them, you were awesome and made it a camp to remember. Thanks also to the staff who came away with us and ran activities that pushed students to step outside their comfort zones. Lastly, thanks to the staff who stayed behind and looked after our classes and duties, we really appreciate it.
Metal & Manaaki Celebration
The Manaaki boys worked this term with Matt Darby and Mr Fletcher in Metal to design and make an epic smoker/BBQ.
The main cylinder was acquired by a former teacher Mr Cawley and the components were all made to measure and crafted specifically for it.
The boys were very proud of the finished product and got to celebrate it in operation on Monday with some of the teachers and instructors involved with the program. I hear Mr Relph has it booked in for Xmas day!
Zac Fredericksen summed up the boys appreciation with his comments ‘thanks for all your blood, sweat and tears’.
Y10 Wood Technology
These are the amazing outcomes the Y10 Wood students created throughout the year. They should all be really proud of what they created!
Apiculture Course
Several of our awesome senior students were back out at the hives this week working towards their Level 3 certificate in Apiculture. Dan our Pacific Coast Training Institute tutor is really enjoying working with this season's class. As you can see the bees are loving it too!
Plane Build Maiden Flight
On Sunday a good crowd gathered at the airfield to see the school's latest plane fly for the first time. The latest Vans RV-12 with the registration ZK-LCH took to the air, piloted by one of our mentors Tony Turner. The flight was a success and was conducted without any issues. This has been a 3 year project and is the plane that we built through all the covid lockdowns and shipping disruptions. A huge thanks to the school, our dedicated students, our committed mentors, the Evans family and of course Leigh and Linda Hopper for allowing us to build their new plane! It was great to see so many familiar faces and past students, some of whom are now close to being in their 30's! Our focus is now on the 6th plane as the kit is due to be delivered in January.
Photos Courtesy of Kate Beauchamp Photography
Community Notices
Kids Disco - Friday 15th Dec - 12 Years and Under
Christmas Craft
Mercury Bay Library Summer Holiday Programme
Mercury Bay Athletics Club
We are looking for senior athletes to join our club 10 years and up
Next term details:
Term dates - February 13th - March 12th - Tuesday 5.15pm
Carols in the Park
Super Smash Holiday Cricket
A fun filled day of cricket with your friends! Short and fast festival style games in teams!
Sign up now and come along to an action-packed holiday programme before Christmas. Whether you currently play or want to give it a go, this is the perfect opportunity for you.
Just $15 for the day, which includes a FREE Northern Brave T-Shirt too!
Each day will be 9am to 3pm.
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