Y8 Maunga Whānau Museum Trip

On March 12th, students in 8M1 and 8M2 went to the Auckland War Memorial Museum.
This trip connected to their context “Discovering Tāmaki Makaurua” in which students have been looking at the volcanic history of Auckland. They participated in interactive learning, such as the volcanic eruption house, as well as an informative talk from one of the museum’s educators. It was a great adventure!

Year 7 Wai Whānau Camp

Today, our Wai and Ngahere Whānau Year 7 Camps travelled out to Camp Adair.

These photos show Year 7s and Year 10 leaders from Wai Whānau enjoying activities on Day 1, which included raft building, the confidence course, orienteering, and the mud slide!

More photos and updates will be shared as the week progresses.

A Health and Safety Bulletin

𝟏. 𝐃𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥.

Firstly thanks to the majority of parents whose children walk to school or drop and pick up their children safely and on time.

I would like to remind everyone that drop off/pick up times are very busy with over 1500 young people at risk of dangerous driving. This includes motorists stopping on the yellow lines or in the bus stop outside the school or allowing students to get into or out of cars while they are on the road. These are scenes witnessed daily and while the police may do a random blitz, it is up to our community to maintain a safe culture which is respectful of our road laws.

Some helpful advice:
The map below shows areas where it takes a maximum of 15 minutes to walk safely to and from school. Based on recent data, this covers the majority of students who are enrolled at MHJC.
However, if you wish to drop your child/ren, remember a little exercise is good for young people so don’t make things too easy for them – leave a little earlier so they can still get to school by 8:15am. Please check the map to see where you might drop or pick up your child/ren to avoid congestion at the gate.
A very useful pick up and drop zone is the car park behind the shops on Jeffs Road.
We ask our parents as well as our students to show pono/integrity – do the right thing and follow road rules to make our community safe!

𝟐. 𝐄-𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬

There have been a rising number of e-scooters being used by students and we are concerned about the safety of students who ride to school without helmets and at speeds which would cause significant injury should there be an accident.
If your child is riding an e-scooter please remind them of the need to ride safely and with consideration for pedestrians, including wearing a helmet.

Talanoa Ako Workshops

Failoa Famili Trust is bringing our families five free Talanoa Ako Workshops. These workshops are designed to foster positive relationships between school and home and to help parents better understand and connect with our school systems.
This is a parent program.

The sessions will run on Tuesdays. Each week covers a different topic related to your child’s schooling. Schedule is below.

When:
𝐒𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝟏 – 10/03/26 – Introduction to Talanoa Ako / Subject Choice & Goal Setting
𝐒𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝟐 – 17/03/26 – NCEA / Career & Vocational Pathways
𝐒𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝟑 – 24/03/26 – Literacy & Numeracy
𝐒𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝟒 – 31/03/26 – Parent and Community Choice / Wellbeing / Financial Support
𝐒𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝟓 – 21/04/26 – Study Skills & Time Management / School Reporting & Parent Interviews

Time: 6 – 8.30pm
Venue: Mission Heights Junior College – Coast Whānau
Dinner is provided.

Please email Abbi Faircloth to secure a spot. afaircloth@mhjc.school.nz

Whānau Evening

A reminder to our community about our Whānau Evening tomorrow – Thursday 5th March from 3-5pm.

Please come and meet your ākonga’s teachers and see their learning spaces. There will also be an NCEA information session from 3pm in the theatre for Year 10 whānau.

We look forward to welcoming you into our school!

Ngahere Whānau – Y8 Goat Island

This term in Ngahere Whānau, the Year 8 students have been exploring kaitiakitanga and what it means to be guardians of our environment. As part of their learning, students visited Goat Island Marine Reserve, where they experienced marine conservation firsthand. They observed a wide variety of fish and sea life in their natural habitat and gained a deeper understanding of the importance of protecting our oceans.

Students challenged themselves throughout the day, demonstrating resilience, curiosity, and respect for the environment. It was a fantastic learning experience and a day they will not forget. 🤿🐠🐟🌊

NCEA me te Whānau Session

A reminder to our community that this Thursday 5th March is our Whānau Evening.

As a part of our Whānau Evening, there will also be a NCEA me te Whānau session in the Theatre from 3pm. This event is for ākonga and whānau (specifically Year 10s) to learn about NCEA and gaining tips and tricks from NZQA on how you can support ākonga (students) to succeed in school.

Come along to the NCEA me te Whānau session (1 hour) before heading up to whānau for the school’s Meet and Greet event and/or to the Māori + Pasifika hui in the staffroom.

Date: Thursday 5th March
Time: 3pm
Venue: Mission Heights Junior College Theatre

Maunga Whānau Splash Day Out

Te Whānau Maunga kicked off the year with a perfect day out at the Parnell Baths during Week 3 . With the sun shining bright, our ākonga and kaiako came together to enjoy the water activities in the famous saltwater pools. The trip was all about building our whānau spirit, and making connections and strengthening whanaungatanga – our Term 1 contexts. We made some fantastic memories at this historic Auckland landmark. Here’s to a great year ahead for Maunga Whānau!

The home of Mission Heights Junior College, Auckland, New Zealand