MBAS Newsletter, Term 2, Week 8, 21st June 2024
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MBAS Calendar
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Kia Ora tātou – Greetings to you all
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Trophy Returns
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Uniform Shop
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Casio Royale School Ball 2024: A Night to Remember
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Primary - Visiting Author
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M8 - Hangi Collage
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M10 - Buddy Class
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Hundertwasser Art in Hei 2
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Totara Springs Sports Camp
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MBAS Business Market Day
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Waimate Annual Netball Tournament 2024
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Senior A Netball Fundraiser for UNISS
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Sports Results
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MBAS 2024 Production
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TCDC - Student Thank You
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Apiculture Course starting Term 3
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Career Corner
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Tertiary Tidbits
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Mark Wright's In and Out of Character Workshop
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Cyber Safety Message - Roblox
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Community Notices
MBAS Calendar
Kia Ora tātou – Greetings to you all
Senior Years Update
Here's what's been happening in the arts at the school lately:
**Rockquest** First off, congratulations to all the students who participated in the Smokefree Rockquest in Tauranga this term! A special shoutout to Francie Lidgard for taking 1st place in the solo/duo division—what an incredible achievement! Good luck to TheBand.com and Prisoners of War as you get ready for the regional final on June 21st.
**School Production** Mark your calendars for June 29th and 30th! Our school play, "The Secret Case of Sherlock Holmes," directed by Sam Ribet, will be performed in the school hall at 6 pm. Doors open at 5:30 pm, and tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students/children. This production is set to be a fantastic show, so come support our talented students and enjoy an evening of mystery and drama.
Trophy Returns
Uniform Shop
Winter wool blend jerseys (cold machine or hand wash) - free to school students - plenty stock sizes 10, 12, Large, XL, XXL; low stock sizes 14, 16, S, M.
House colours - best range of sizes this year - $5 each.
Canterbury pants/shorts - now have a limited range of sizes in stock - $10 each.
Polar fleece jackets/Showerproof jackets - good range of sizes - $5 each.
Hoodies/Softshell jackets/Skirts - very limited stock - donations required please.
Lots of Navy polos, White polos, Skorts and Shorts in stock, and a range of Primary polo sizes - $5 each.
Uniform donations to the office please, and clippy hangers for shorts, skorts and skirts. Thank you.
Opening hours - card or cash
Mondays 2.30 - 3.30pm
Wednesdays 8.30 - 9.30am
Casio Royale School Ball 2024: A Night to Remember
Last Saturday, our Year 12 and 13 students had an unforgettable evening at the annual school ball, held at the Whitianga Town Hall. The theme, "Casio Royale," was beautifully brought to life with elegant decorations, incredible lighting, giant dice, poker and roulette tables.
The students arrived dressed to the nines in a variety of vehicles, most of which seemed to be classic V8’s. Although the military Hummer took the prize for the best ride bringing in Mila and her crew.
The dance floor was packed for the entire 4 hours as the DJ played a mix of classic dance hits and current favourites, keeping everyone on their feet. It was heartening to see the students enjoying themselves, dancing, and making memories that will last a lifetime.
For those that weren't dancing or having a break there were some fun casino games to play. Thanks to the staff who ran these Sean, Pete, Logan and Mark. The photo booth was a real hit with students which allowed them to all take home some photos on the night.
The night included delicious catering thanks to Clair Bainbridge and her team of parents, followed by speeches and awards. Congratulations to Brynn George and Kate Rogerson for Prince and Princess of the Ball; Cutest couple Kiki Souza and Marlon Ross; best vibe Kalissa Moisa; best dressed went to Kizzy Samson and Josh Bruce; Caden Swindlehurst and Tinca Samson for being crowned the Ball King and Queen!
A massive thank you to all the staff, students, and volunteers who made this event possible. A massive thanks to the student Ball committee for their dedication and hard work in planning and decorating the venue. Special Friday night set-up crew including Leanne Quest, Amanda and Graeme Pepper, Sean Butler, Jamie and Holly Hutt. Thanks to the other staff that attended and helped in various ways. Thank you to Natelle Lidgard for taking the professional photos. Thank you to the Hot Water Beach Surf Life Saving Club who provided security and first aid. Ngā mihi nui for the students and legendary math teacher, Logan Philips, turning up Sunday morning to do the massive cleanup.
We also want to extend our gratitude to the parents and caregivers for their continuous support. Your involvement and encouragement mean the world to us and our students.
Lastly, a big shout-out to our Year 12 and 13 students for their fantastic behaviour and for making this night one to remember. You all looked stunning and represented our school with pride.
Ngā manaakitanga,
Mr Hutt & Mrs Hutt
Primary - Visiting Author
This week we had a visit from author Jennifer Somervell. She read a couple of her books to us, Curly Cat and The New Old Truck. She has lots of stories from her childhood. We met the Curly Cat puppet and we were shared into some of her top writing tips. We learned how to take a true story to a published story. Very exciting to meet the person whose books we have been reading for a while now! Our local Paper Plus store has them booked if you are interested in purchasing them. A couple of us showed Jennifer our sketches of some of her characters at the end, she was very impressed.
M8 - Hangi Collage
M8 learned about the process of putting down a hangi. They learned that it is the steam from the hot rocks and wet cloths that cook the food. We made a collage of a hangi pit that included all the food groups and even included some hessian for food sacks.
M10 - Buddy Class
M10 loves reading and bonding with our tuakana akomanga (buddy class)Ruma 34. Sometimes they visit our akomanga and sometimes we visit them.
Hundertwasser Art in Hei 2
Hei 2 learned about Austrian visual artist, architect and ecological activist, Friedensreich Hundertwasser, who settled in Northland in the 1970s. We then had a go at creating our own Hundertwasser-inspired landscapes using the same unruly lines and vivid colours he was renowned for. We finished our pieces with a combination of black pen, pastels and watercolour paint. If you’re ever passing though Whangārei, be sure to check out the Hundertwasser Art Centre!
Totara Springs Sports Camp
Nestled at the foot of the Kaimai ranges in Matamata Totara Springs Sports Camp was truly a remarkable sporting experience for 32 of Mercury Bay's year 7/8 students who attended last week. In total 420 students from Schools all around attended and stayed at this incredible facility. Other Schools attending were Aquinas, Te Rapa, Bethlehem College x 2 teams, St Patricks, St Josephs, Hamilton Christian School and Mercury Bay Area School. The culmination of months of training all came together as the students embarked on the week long sport camp. A massive undertaking not only in admin but coaching time by the two incredible Y7/8 Teachers - Miss Teresa Shepherd (EOTC Queen) and her colleague Matua Marcus Oxenham.
A big thank you to the supportive teachers in the Y7/8 Cohort for your help coaching through lunchtimes - Milly Thompson for Netball, Robyn Fotheringham for Volleyball and Paul Maskery for Rugby.
Mercury Bay Students were absolutely fantastic displaying all the KAURI values for the week long event. The students were supported in the week by camp Mum's/Coaches - Amber Boyd, Jess McDonald, Leisa McCleery and Jody Bower. With Candice Van de Ven helping out for a couple of days.
This year the students were kept extremely busy with sporting events from 9am till 9pm most nights.
Indaria Bainbridge-Davies and Charli Thackray worked with the students and choreographed for the chant that all schools put on Thursday Evening. This year with some amazing teachers our group was runner up in the Chant.
We took home the cup for Human Foosball - Team - Neela Saccault, Paige Morgan, Lucy Thackray, Alfie Harris, Louis Edwards, Riley Shepherd. Totara Tag Cup - Team - Grace Edwards, Willow McKeown, Boh Boyd, Madison Morgan, Neela Saccault, Riley Shepherd, Coco Shepherd, Ngahuia Holmes, Sharna Procter and Indie Humphris.
We were runner up in Archery with Alfie Harris and Lucy Thackray. Neela Saccault finished 1st in the girls part of the Cross Country teams event.
Once again the support from our community was phenomenal with our sponsors who kitted the students out in sports shirts and jackets. Thanks to Rekha Percival for her time and effort in ordering and organising the uniforms.
Kerry and Sara Stanley - New World Whitianga
Amber and Travis Boyd - Tree Man Trav
Denise and Scott Harris - Choice Driver Training
Kylie and Josh Shepherd - NZ Move it
Rekha and Damian Percival - Percival Construction
Sarah and Andrew Richardson - Matarangi Plumbers
We look forward to the Sports camp being an annual event for our Year 7/8.
MBAS Business Market Day
Check out some of the awesome businesses that will be selling their wares below
Waimate Annual Netball Tournament 2024
4 Teams from Mercury Bay attended the annual Waimata Netball tournament. Over 30 teams from Schools all over the Thames Valley and Bay of Plenty descended on Waihi for a fun day of netball for a great tournament experience.
Thanks to all the Parents who assisted with transport and managed the teams on the day and to the Parents who helped out with ref duties and a special mention to MBAS student Bianca Mason for giving her time to help out with referee duties.
Unfortunatley we did not get pics of all teams so teams pictured are the Year 5/6 team and Year 7/8 team 1.
Players pictured: Year 5/6 - Paige Thackray, Frankie Hamilton, Hazel Whitford, Amanie Tupaea, Laurie Van der Ven, Penny Stockton, Chloe Cleaver Leddy, Jett Cassidy, Charlotte Hayward
Year 7/8 Team 1 - Lulu Kelly, Sophea Mason, Shyla Gill, Paige Morgan, Jayde Goble, Erica McLutchie, Coco Shepherd
Senior A Netball Fundraiser for UNISS
Tuesday 25th June - Lunchtime
Sausages $3
On sale near netball courts - cash & eftpos available
Sports Results
Football
Mercury Bay Junior Boys beat Rototuna 5-1.
Goals to Noah Palmer, Joel Iggulden (2) and Curtis Treherne (2)
Netball
Senior A 9 v Tairua 49
Basketball
HPC 98 v MB B 19
Player of match Oasis Tansey
HPC 37 v MB JB 33
Player of match Isaac Bahr
HPC snr 39 v MB A 90
Player’s of match Ngaru Hinds & Ridge Rameka
Rugby
Youth Grade MB 65 v HPC 12
Girls 1st XV 10 v HPC 76
Boys 1st XV 5 v HPC 15
POD - Brynn George & Cole Hardy
MBAS 2024 Production
TCDC - Student Thank You
New basketball hoop and backboard for the local skate park.
TCDC has recently experienced several episodes of vandalism around our district and the cost, is in the tens of thousands of dollars. Toilets and playgrounds have been vandalized, senseless acts, costing ratepayers money. This money would be better spent on creating better facilities for our youth in the parks and open spaces.
Please keep an eye out for this kind of behaviour and remind your peers that it is not acceptable if you do see this happening.
TCDC with the generous help of Peninsula Engineering, Hayden and Lissa has offered to install the new backboard free of charge.
Apiculture Course starting Term 3
Career Corner
https://roadmap.civilcontractors.co.nz/
This is an interactive link to Civil Contractors New Zealand, that showcases the different opportunities in the civil construction industry and inspire school leavers and other career seekers to explore them. It is fun and easy to use.
The digital CCNZ Careers Roadmap allows people to discover more than 50 different civil construction careers and understand what each involves, the skills or certifications they might need in work in the role, and future career opportunities the role can lead to.
https://virtualworkexperiences.com/
Virtual Work Experiences (VWE) covering 112 careers that provides fun exploratory activities for the student and goes a long way to providing answers to finding, affirming, and developing a student’s career choice.
There are short 2-3 minute videos, it’s a fun space to play around in and have a go at some careers and certificates of achievement can be downloaded.
https://www.girlbossedge.com/technology
Applications are now OPEN for the FREE GirlBoss Edge: Tech for Good, our 10-day online accelerator designed for young women aged 15- 21 with a passion for Technology, Business, Engineering, Innovation, or Social Impact. No prior experience or knowledge is required.
No matter what career you're passionate about, GirlBoss Edge: Tech for Good is perfect for you. Whether you want to build your confidence, make a difference in technology, engineering, business, innovation and more, or just want to make 199 new friends, we've got you covered!
Tertiary Tidbits
With scholarship season starting (and many scholarships are now OPEN) here’s some information and tools to help:
Careers NZ
How to apply for Scholarships
There are a lot of small scholarships advertised here that go unclaimed every year: Primary Industries Scholarship website https://scholarships.hata.nz/
Other Useful Sites
Tips/Advice Applying For Scholarships
Essential Tips When Applying For Scholarships
Mark Wright's In and Out of Character Workshop
Mark Wright's In and Out of Character Workshop: A Journey in Character Development
Join us for an exhilarating workshop led by Mark Wright, a stage, television, and film actor, renowned for his captivating performances. This is an exclusive opportunity for members of our community to delve deep into the art of character development under the guidance of a seasoned professional.
Where: Mercury Bay Area School Drama Room, South Highway, Whitianga
When: Sunday, July 7th, from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM
Cost: $35 per person
Don't Miss Out!
Brief Outline of Course:
Mark's workshop will centre on the intricate craft of character development, focusing on finding, building, and fully embodying your character. Participants will have the chance to explore and refine their acting skills through the lens of character study.
During the workshop, students will be tasked with learning a short monologue from a play of their choice, whether classical or contemporary, from Shakespeare to Roger Hall. Whether it's a piece they've previously performed or a new challenge, all are welcome to participate.
This is an invaluable opportunity for aspiring actors to hone their craft and learn from one of the industry's finest. Spaces are limited, to reserve your spot please download the registration from below and follow instructions to register now for an unforgettable journey into the world of character acting with Mark Wright!
See you there!
Cyber Safety Message - Roblox
I’m going to cut straight to the chase - the information below about Roblox is hard to read. As a parent or educator it will be confronting but it’s also necessary to approach this topic with eyes wide open.
At Safe on Social we’ve always been proud to deliver the latest trends and topics and have always had our ear to the ground because we work closely with students every single day. The information below is the kind of information your kids aren’t talking about or that you won’t find other providers sharing. We don’t push academic research that’s already outdated, we offer news, insights and truth straight from kids, just like yours.
This story below is raw and directly shared directly from Kxx, age 16yrs who is one of our Youth Advisors. They open and honestly share about their personal experience with Roblox, predators and grooming tactics, sharing their lived experience.
“It’s common knowledge amongst my friends that Roblox predators are sadly a common thing. There's communities of people who make groups that are disguised as virtual clothing stores. They intentionally choose this disguise because it attracts little girls. When the little girl joins one of these groups she immediately gets bombarded with friend requests from predators. If she accepts them she will get spammed with messages from predators trying to initiate erotic roleplay sessions, introducing them to weird fetishes or in some cases inviting them to play content games.
These people are not only paedophiles, they are also horrifying porn addicts - or what I like to refer to as "late stage porn addicts. They are so addicted that they find great pleasure now in trying to spread their habits to other people. And who are their easiest victims?
Children.
Children have poor impulse control, and underdeveloped brains that lack the governance to prevent themselves from developing addictions the way most adults do. These predators know this and they take advantage of this.
There's even an acronym for this, it's called ‘EPI’ which means "early porn introduction".
I’ve been playing Roblox since I was 7 and this is honestly the single greatest threat to Roblox users I've ever seen. As a kid I have been sadly groomed/manipulated by older people on the platform. Here are 3 areas that I’d like to warn parents about:
Parties
MeepCity parties were a huge controversy a few years back because people would make inappropriate parties that users could easily enter. After the feature got released in 2017, the feature became a controversy however many users still make inappropriate parties with ‘bars’ and ‘beds’ that can be used for inappropriate actions, and it also bypasses filters with their avatars on.
Roblox VC (voice chat)
In my opinion, Roblox VC is possibly one of the most unsafe things in Roblox, allowing anyone to access it as long as they verify their account is 17+, (which is easier to get around than you think).
Parental Controls
Yes, parental controls do exist on Roblox however, and they will not help if the creator of one of the games on Roblox uses the tag "for all ages".That means kids can join without it having a warning saying they can't play because they're underage. The benefit of using parental control is that the parent has to set up a code so that the child cannot change any settings without the set parental control code. This is a set in the right direction but I believe what could work even better would be that parents/caregivers should put appropriate screen time on Roblox so that they don't get addicted. And that they should regularly check their kids Roblox friend list and the groups they are joining
Join Safe On Social and The Online Safety Agency founder, Kirra Pendergast as we discuss ways to keep your kids safe on Roblox.
Tickets are by donation ($5 minimum) and on sale now.
Ticket holders will receive access to a recording and some helpful "cheat sheet" resources.
Community Notices
Mercury Bay Boars Rugby League Registrations
Get Creative for Matariki - win a prize pack!
MB Annual Model Show
Matariki at the Museum
Here is the link to our facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/
Girls In Football Fun Day
Location: Whangamata School
Date: Tuesday 16th July 2024
Age Group: 9 to 13 years old
Time: 10am to 2pm
Cost: FREE
Registration Form
https://www.sporty.co.nz/viewform/296888