40 Mahurangi Matters December 3, 2014 localmatters.co.nz

Various cultural groups within the school provided entertainment on the night including the Senior School Band, and the Performing Arts Academy with a performance of ‘Aotearoa’ by Stan Walker.

The 2015 school year will start for our Year 13 students with their Peer Support training and Outdoor Education Camp to Great Barrier Island from 1-4 February 2015. Monday 2nd February is a Teacher Only Day. For students in Years 7, 11 and 12, school will resume on Wednesday 3rd February, and for all other students on Thursday 4th February. I would like to thank you for your support of the College again this year and to wish all families a refreshing, safe and joyful Christmas break.

David Macleod, Principal

| Mahurangimatters

NEWSLETTER

from the Principal

David Macleod

important dates

ISSUE 10: December 2014

MAHURANGI COLLEGE

Dear Parents and GuardiansTena Koutou Katoa

The Senior Prizegiving took place on Wednesday 5th November and was again a wonderful celebration of the academic successes of our students.

Congratulations to Jessica Tappin for gaining Dux and to Briella Martin for Proxime Accessit. The top 4 scholars at Level 2 this year were Lydia Henderson, Rory McKay, John Su and Jack Vasey. The top 4 scholars at Level 1 were Imogen Dumville, Chanetelle Maher, Brooke Nicholls and Sarah Wilson.

There were 31 special awards and 27 monetary Scholarships for Tertiary study presented, 13 of them worth $5,000 or more.

December 1-5• Yr 10 Activities week• Yr 9 Camp - Kauaeranga ValleyTuesday December 2• Yr 13 Graduation EveningWednesday December 3• NCEA Exams finish• Yr 10 Graduation Evening

Thursday December 4• Yr 10 Reports issued• Yr 7-8 Wenderholm Trip

Friday December 5• Yr 9 Camp returns - Reports issued•Final Sign out day for Senior Students

Monday December 8• Last Day of Term• Yr 7-8 Reports issued• Yr 7-8 Prize Giving Assembly

Tuesday December 9• Teacher Only Day

Rose Gannaway deciding which of her two monetary

Scholarships, from different Tertiary providers, to accept

Proxime Accessit: Briella Martin & Dux: Jessica Tappin

Mahurangi CollegeUniform Shop

Please phone the College on 425 8039 ext 739 (after hours 425 5629)

To make an appointment and minimise waiting time. If not available, leave a message and we will get back to you.

During Christmas Holidays, school uniform will be available from the Uniform Shop on

the following days:Monday 15 – Friday 19 December 2014

10.00am – 2.00pmpre-ordered uniform collection only

Monday 19 – Friday 23 January 2015 11.00am – 6.00pm

pre-ordered uniform collection only

Monday 26 – Friday 30 January 2015 11.00am – 6.00pm uniform sales

Monday 2 –Thursday 5 February 2015 11.00am – 6.00pm uniform sales

From 9 February 2015Normal Hours For All Uniform Sales

2015 Uniform Shop HoursMonday 1:00 - 4:00pmWednesday 1:00 - 6:00pm

Performing Arts Academy Students at Senior Prizegiving

Jazz Band performing ‘Everybody Dance’

41localmatters.co.nz December 3, 2014 Mahurangi Matters

Achiever of the Month: Steven Beechey

Mahurangimatters |

Proudly Supporting Mahurangi College WARKWORTH Corner Woodcocks Road & Mansel Drive, Phone 425 8119

•AcademicBlueforExcellenceinNCEALevel2•CulturalPrefect•SeniorChoir•SeniorBand

•StageChallenge

Presented by Andrea Jacka - Customer Services Supervisor, Mega Mitre 10

Jane Gifford CruiseHave you ever had a cruise down Mahurangi River on Jane Gifford? You should, I have.On the 11th of November all Year 8 classes from Mahurangi College took a walk into town to experience a cruise on the Jane Gifford and learn about her and the area’s historic properties. Teachers and students had even gone as far as dressing up in clothes of the 1850’s! Sitting on the chairs aboard Jane Gifford we watched the scenery glide by as a our guide, Mr Parker, told us interesting facts about Jane Gifford. It amazes me that Jane Gifford is the only rigged sailing scow in New Zealand now. There used to be around 130 patrolling New Zealand’s waters. She was initially used to cart shingle, animal stock and road metal from as far as Great Barrier and Little Barrier Island to as near as the cement works 2km down Mahurangi River. We also learnt about the area, that Warkworth was most famous for its boat building, our wharf and about local famous people such as Edward Morrison who established the first fruit farm in 1873. Red Bluff Orchard was a massive operation being one of the biggest fruit farms in 1914 with 250,000 fruit trees. Another big industry was our iconic cement works, that lovely place with deep water to swim in. It was created in 1882 by Nathaniel Wilson who was originally a shoemaker. He took interest in a piece of land with

lime in it, which is used to make cement, after a friend recommended a cement book to him. It become the first plant to produce Portland cement in the southern hemisphere. Now derelict and in ruins, it is still fascinating to have a look at.At school we are studying Turangawaewae, a topic, which includes people immigrating to New Zealand from all over Europe. The main focus is how people adapted to a strange forest clad land which they were told was farmable, and how much harder life was for them. The 108 year old Jane Gifford was a little experience, in very mild, pleasant conditions, of what it would have been like in the 1800’s to immigrate. Nevertheless, it was greatly enjoyed. Thanks to the volunteers who restored Jane Gifford.Elvira Trowbridge Yr 8 Mahurangi College

Year 8 Students aboard the Jane Gifford

It is important to keep up-to-date backups of your data. If your device is lost, damaged, or suffers hard drive failure, the only way to recover your data may be from your personal backup. Many external hard drives sold today come with automatic backup software to make it super easy. You may be able to use a Cloud backup solution such as iCloud. If you have any questions about creating your first backup, we can provide some support at the Mahu IT office.

BYOD Tip of the Month:

Book AmnestyDo you have any Mahurangi College Textbooks or Library books lurking in your house? A huge thank you to those who have returned overdue library books and class texts. We really need your help in getting back as many books as possible, so please have a look on book shelves at home to see if any Mahurangi College books are there. We are always happy to have them returned. They may be dropped into the College office. Large sums of money are spent on replacing lost books, which we would rather spend on new resources for the students’ education.

2015 COURSE CONFIRMATION FOR YEARS 12 & 13

StudentsinYears12and13areinvitedtoconsultwithappropriatestaffon

Wednesday 28 January, Thursday 29 JanuaryFriday 30 January & Monday 2 January

AppointmentsmustbemadethroughtheCollegeoffice4258039(extension701)andparentsaremostwelcometoattend.Studentsarerequiredtobringalongtheir

2014NCEAResultSheet

2015 STARTING DATESTuesday 3 February

Years7,11and12startat8.40amWednesday 4 February

Years7,8,9,10,11and12startat8.40am

2015 NEW ENROLMENTSNewenrolmentswillbeacceptedfrom

12.30pm -3.00pm on Thursday 29 January. Pleasephonetheschooloffice4258039extension700tomakeanappointment.

General Purpose Donation

A big THANK YOU to the many families

who have contributed to the school’s

finances by paying the General Purpose

Donation. Don’t forget that you can claim

a tax credit for this after the 31st March.

The General Purpose Donation is used

for additional resources for the student

body, such as library books, sports gear,

music and drama equipment.

KEEP UP-TO-DATE BACKUPS