Mission Heights Junior College

The 2026 MHJC Speech Competition showcased some outstanding speakers, with the following students taking top honours in their categories:

Junior Category Y7-8 Winner: Ryan Foong
Senior Year 9 Winner: Danny Chen
Senior Year 10 Winner: Bella Graham

Ryan went on to represent our school at the Rehu Tai Speech Competition, confidently sharing his thought-provoking views on Deforestation.
Danny and Bella proudly took part in the Eastern Zone Speech Competition. Danny engaged the audience with his thought-provoking speech, Would Society Survive Without the Internet?, while Bella captivated the audience with her powerful speech, Is Love Just a Feeling or a Connection?, exploring the deeper meaning of love and human connection in Aotearoa.
Congratulations to Ryan, Danny, and Bella for their outstanding efforts and achievements. We are incredibly proud of their growing confidence, dedication, and the powerful messages they shared!

Spelling s-u-c-c-e-s-s! 🗣️

Tanveer, Shivika and Anjali spelled their way to the semi-final for the 2026 Aotearoa New Zealand Spelling Bee, sponsored by the Wright Family Foundation! 📚️🐝

Among the top 350 spellers nationwide to advance to this stage, this is an incredible achievement and reflects the talent and dedication of our rangatahi. 🙌

Congratulations, Anjali, Shivika and Tanveer, on your exceptional result — we wish you all the best as you prepare for the Auckland Semi-Final in September! 👑

Cultural Dress-up Day!

Next Wednesday 26th August is our Cultural Dress-up Day for 2026! More details will follow shortly, but students and staff can prepare their cultural dress or passion wear.

We look forward to celebrating our vast cultural diversity!

A message to our community about two upcoming dates . . .

Teacher Only Day - Friday 21st August 2026
Please note school will be closed to students on Friday 21st August 2026 for a Teacher Only Day.

Student Led Conferences - Thursday 3rd September 2026
A reminder that school will be closed on Thursday 3rd September as Student Led Conferences are being held, therefore students are not expected to be at school. They should attend for their appointment time only.

To make an appointment:
Go to www.schoolinterviews.co.nz/code
Enter the event code: 8tdhv
Select your child's Learning Advisor
For more information, please refer to the email that has been sent home.

Thank you for your continued support.

Earlier this week was our annual Lip Sync competition! Each whānau entered two teams - one junior and one senior - to compete for this inter-whānau title.

To the student leaders in each whānau that took on responsibility for organising, choreographing, and making each performance happen - thank you! It is always a highlight to see these performances.

Well done to Coast Juniors and Forest Seniors for placing 1st in their respective categories.

A huge congratulations to Coast Whānau who are the overall winners of Lip Sync 2026! 🤩🏆🎤

A message for our Mission Heights Junior College Whānau . . .

Please find attached an important letter from our Board Presiding Member regarding an update about our Principal Mr Morrison.

We ask that you please take a moment to read the letter for full details. It has also been emailed home to our community.

We are so proud of our Year 7 and 8 Netballs SEZ Teams who both won the South Eastern Zone (SEZ) competition on Friday. The students were outstanding and showed incredible MHJC school values.

A huge thank you to our student umpires who supported not only our school but other teams too.

Well done! An immensely impressive day!

On Thursday 6th of August, a group of Year 10s participated in the Inter-School Quiz Competition hosted by the Pakūranga Rotary Club for senior schools in the Howick Local Board. Our students demonstrated their local, national and worldwide knowledge through teamwork, communication and problem solving skills. Well done to the boys for their contribution and support for each other!

Students Experience Democracy in Action!

Nineteen Year 9 students from Ngahere/Forest Whānau travelled to Wellington last week as part of their 'Our Voice, Our Choice, Our Future!' learning context, enjoying an inspiring day exploring New Zealand's democracy and history.

A highlight of the trip was a visit to Parliament, where students watched the House of Representatives in session and gained a first-hand understanding of how New Zealand's laws are debated and decisions are made. Students also had the opportunity to meet the Hon. Rima Nakhle, National MP for Takanini, who shared insights into her role as a Member of Parliament and answered students' questions.

The group also visited Te Papa Tongarewa, New Zealand's national museum, where they explored interactive exhibitions showcasing New Zealand's history, culture, science, and identity.

The experience brought classroom learning to action, helping students deepen their understanding of democracy, civic participation, and the importance of having a voice in shaping New Zealand's future.

A notice for our community . . .

Health Alert - Scabies

There are currently many cases of scabies in communities across New Zealand. Scabies is a contagious skin condition caused by tiny mites. It usually appears as a very itchy rash with small red bumps or thin, wavy lines, often between the fingers, around the wrists, under the arms or around the waist. Itching is often worse at night.

Scabies will not go away without treatment. Please speak to a pharmacist or healthcare provider if you think your child may have it. Everyone living in the household should be treated at the same time, even if they do not have symptoms, and treatment usually needs to be repeated after seven days. Clothing, towels and bedding should also be washed as directed.

Children with scabies must stay home and can return to school 24 hours after their first treatment.

More information is available from Health New Zealand – Scabies.

www.healthnz.govt.nz