Our Year 10 Education for Sustainability students recently spent the day cockle monitoring in the Whangateau Harbour. We have been contributing to this long-term research project since 2010, working with the Whanagateau Harbour Care Group and Auckland Council.
The cockle beds have been closed since 2010, following a die-off event in 2009. When the data is analysed it will be interesting to see if the beds are recovering or not. According to the Ministry of Primary Industries, it seems unlikely that they will reopen within the foreseeable future.
The school year has now finished, and we can reflect with pride on another very enjoyable year at Mahurangi College. This time last week we held our Year 10 Graduation awards evening, after which our Year 10s enjoyed a day at various venues around our area, celebrating their successful year. Our Year 9 students finished on Friday, and on Monday our juniors celebrated their achievements and their last day. I always enjoy Term 4, during which we have many events and celebration evenings to recognise student achievement and success. I would encourage you to visit our school website to view some of the outstanding accomplishments of our students this year. Some special moments for me include the whole of Year 13 standing on mass to applaud Christian Poland on being awarded Dux for 2018; 86 students gaining Sporting Blues for
regional or national representation; 30 students gaining Cultural Blues for outstanding achievements in the visual or performing arts; and Coco Bone reading her powerful poem on identity at our Cultural Blues evening. In recent weeks, three of our senior students gained awards at the Auckland Secondary Schools’ Sports Awards for their accomplishments in Underwater Hockey. Congratulations to Mackenzie Buick for winning Player of the Year, and to Rowan and Sam who made the top six in the Auckland region (below left). Our Level 3 Design Technology students were among the 42 qualifying schools competing in the EVolocity finals held in Christchurch last month. Congratulations to Daniel, Jackson and Jordan whose team took out two national awards (below right). All three boys are going to Canterbury University next year to study Engineering. Thank you to all those
in our community who supported our teams by providng both knowledge and sponsorship. Our Year 7 and 8 students also took out the top two places in the Silverdale EPro8 (Engineering, Problem Solving and Innovation) Challenge. Competing against other intermediate Rodney schools, each team was given equipment and two and half hours to solve a practical problem. Our boy’s team placed first and our girls second - both teams qualifying for the regional finals. Last week, 255 students, parents and staff headed off to Waitawheta Valley in the Karangahake Gorge for our annual Year 9 camp. Each year our Year 9s have the opportunity to participate in a wide range of challenging outdoor activities in this stunning environment, including an overnight hike in the Kaimai ranges, bushcraft, raft building and abseiling. These activities help build confidence, courage and resilience in our young people, and
Issue 08 2018
MAHUHUKITERANGI CHALLENGING. EXCELLING. BELONGING. OUR PLACE
promote a healthy appreciation of our beautiful outdoor environment here in Aotearoa. Our new Year 13s will begin their school year with a week long camp and tramp on Great Barrier Island. While on camp they will also receive leadership and mentoring experience in order for them to be able to support our new junior students, as part of our student wellbeing programmes at Mahurangi College. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank our community and school families for your tremendous ongoing support of our place and our people. It is a wonderful privilege to be entrusted with your child’s education. I’d also like to wish the very best to our school leavers and their families; we look forward to staying connected over the years ahead. We wish you joy and peace this Christmas and all the best for a refreshing holiday break. David Macleod PRINCIPAL
MAHURANGI.SCHOOL.NZ