Our four Whānau, or schools within a school are central to everything we do at MHJC. They operate as physically independent learning communities of approximately 200 students and 12 staff,  led by two experienced senior leaders. This model promotes collaborative teaching and learning, close monitoring, tracking and support of students and healthy participation in community activities. Students are allocated to a Whānau on entry to the school and will almost always remain a part of that community. Staff may be moved between Whānau where timetabling needs dictate.

Each of our Whanau represent the physical features and beauty of  New Zealand/Aotearoa – Coast (Takutai), Forest (Ngahere), Water (Wai) and Mountains (Maunga). These are represented in our logo by the 4 coloured koru, gold, green, blue and white.

Teachers usually teach classes within one Whānau and will be aligned with a Whānau for activities, competitions and events. Students and staff both enter into the spirit of the Whānau community which provides a strong sense of fun, pride and belonging. Leadership and other opportunities are seamlessly provided within the Whānau as is the four year transition of students from primary to senior secondary school.

At Mission Heights Junior College, students have five 60 minute sessions from Monday to Friday.

Each student at Mission Heights Junior College has a Learning Advisor. This teacher, usually from their whanau, meets with each student individually to assess their progress and set goals based on evidence of their learning.

Our school timetable includes a daily extension and enrichment ‘DEEP’ learning session; Discovery, Essentials, Enrichment and Passions.

Students, with their advisor, create a personalised DEEP programme according to their needs, interests and passions. Our DEEP session also allows for;

• Enrichment in new curriculum areas or in areas of existing strength
• Preparation for academic competitions
• Sessions for students who are finding an aspect of the curriculum challenging
• Opportunities to extend and enrich able students
• An induction to MHJC life for students arriving during the course of the year

Where students are identified as having a specific need in numeracy, literacy or ESOL, they are directed to an Essential DEEP option to address this need.

Click here to see the current DEEP options which are offered at Mission Heights Junior College.

Introduction

Teachers within each Whānau collaborate as Professional Learning Communities to provide authentic outcomes for our students.

Learning is integrated so students can see connections between learning areas, is relevant and focuses on the “how and why” as well as the “what”.

This means our students are taught how to learn and how to apply what they have learnt as well as understand the core knowledge and skills required for further study.

A special focus is made to promote creativity, collaboration, curiosity and effective communication. Teachers will work with students to develop engaging contexts for learning which relate to contemporary issues making learning even more meaningful and exciting for our students.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals provide a valuable resource for the development of contexts and enhancing the notion of “think global, act local”.

Years 7 and 8

In Years 7 and 8 all students study English, Mathematics, Science, Global Studies, Physical Education and Health, Art, Performing Arts, Technology, Digital Literacy, Written Literacy, and Spanish.

Years 9 and 10

Our Year 9 and 10 students are our senior students and therefore assume leadership roles as they continue with a challenging academic programme. In addition to the continued study of English, Mathematics, Science, Global Studies, Physical Education and Health, Year 9 and 10 students have the opportunity to select two specialist subjects to study in greater depth.

You can find more information about the Year 9 and 10 options that are available by watching our YouTube videos on our option subjects that are offered at MHJC;

Year 9 and 10 Option Subjects Videos

Ideally students will choose options that they expect to continue with for the two years and then on into Year 11 at senior college, however there is an opportunity to change options at the end of  Year 9 should students believe they are not in an option appropriate to their needs.

Options available to Year 9 and 10 students include:
Music, Art, Drama, Media Studies, Digital Technology, Design and Visual Communication, Outdoor Education, Food Technology, Hospitality, Enterprise and Business Studies, Te Reo Māori, Mandarin and Spanish.

In Year 10, most students have the opportunity to complete NCEA assessments which are integrated into their core English, Mathematics, Physical Education & Health, Science and Global Studies assessments.

Students in all year levels further personalise their learning programme through their DEEP subject selections. Find more out about the DEEP programme here

Digital Learning

Mission Heights Junior College students use a range of online digital learning platforms to complement their in-class work;

• Maths Buddy – Maths Buddy gives students the freedom to study without stress in their own time, at their own pace. It allows students to catch up on lessons they missed or concepts they have not fully understood. Every student has access to the entire Year 1 to 13 curriculum so students can revise and reinforce concepts they have learned earlier.
• Reading Plus – Reading Plus helps students to become better readers by developing the skills they need to read proficiently and become independent learners. Using Reading Plus regularly improves student comprehension and reading speed.
• Education Perfect- every learning area is provided within the Education Perfect platform allowing teachers and students to progress through the curriculum remotely and at a differentiated pace and level.

We also make extensive use of the Google G-Suite for Education platform to allow for excellent collaboration between students and teachers.

Every year each Whanau holds a 3 day long camp for all Year 7 students. Some Year 10 students are given the opportunity to attend camp as leaders. School camps are an important part of the New Zealand Curriculum. At these camps students enjoy a wide range of outdoor activities, together with the challenge and adventure that accompany these.

History

Mission Heights Junior College is a large multicultural state school located in East Auckland. We cater for Years 7 to 10 with an enrolment of almost 900 students and 60 staff. The school opened in 2009 on a site that had been bought from Sir William Manchester.

Originally this land belonged to Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki with whom we have strong links. We value and work to maintain a strong connection with Ngāi Tai and ensure that we are responsible guardians of the land.

Our vision is to “grow greatness through innovative, constantly evolving personalised learning”

We value:

Pono/integrity which relates to how we manage ourselves – we encourage students to be reliable, responsible and trustworthy;

Awhinatanga/compassion or how we relate to others – we encourage students to be kind, compassionate and celebrate our unique cultural identities;

Whakamana/empowerment through learning – which includes prioritising how we learn using the Great Ako learning model, being digitally capable and responsible, and developing creativity and problem solving skills.

Our mission

At Mission Heights Junior College we recognise that every child is a valued and valuable individual and that within each child is a unique “grain of greatness” which it is our mission to grow.

We work hard to create a learning environment which provides opportunities for students to become confident, active participants within a respectful and supportive learning community where every student feels safe and valued.

In addition to meeting the requirements of the New Zealand Curriculum and the National Education Guidelines, our learning programmes challenge students in both the essential learning areas and in individualised learning programmes, which extend and enrich students according to their individual identified needs.

A feature of our school is our intent to present learning in engaging, relevant and authentic contexts. We are keen to involve the community and real community issues in school life. Our school has also been designed and constructed to an “environmentally sustainable design” and caring for our environment is a key aspect of our school culture.

Integral to learning at Mission Heights Junior College is the use of sustained innovative approaches within authentic, engaging and relevant learning contexts in our digitally intensive environment.

Authentic learning involves students researching, designing, planning, and creating solutions to real-life problems and teachers actively supporting and scaffolding engaging learning opportunities. Authentic learning allows students to explore real world topics, ideas, questions and curiosities, which ultimately helps them to become active in their learning and facilitate change. Technology plays a pivotal role in supporting authentic practice in our classrooms.

Learners have access to information, experts in their field of study and the power to present their work in engaging, effective ways. Learning that is authentic challenges us to rethink current assessment practices – particularly in regard to the key competencies, which are integral to authentic learning.