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Kia ora e te whānau o Mākoura College Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. Talofa lava, Mālō e leleī, Kia orana, Bula vinaka, Malo ni. What a term. As we come to the end of Term 2, 2026, I want to take a moment to celebrate just how much our kura has achieved — on the field, on the stage, in our classrooms, and in the way we have shown up for one another as a community. This has been a term of big moments, and our students, staff and whānau have met every one of them with real pride and manawanui.
Open Night — Doors Wide Open Our Open Night was a true celebration of everything Mākoura College stands for. Whānau and prospective students filled our hall and classrooms, our departments brought their subjects to life, and our school waiata and haka gave every visitor a real taste of the pride that runs through this place. It takes a whole kura to put on a night like that — and it showed. ERO On Site We welcomed the Education Review Office onto our kura this term, opening with a pōwhiri before a day of lesson observations and teacher hui. It was a real opportunity to show, with confidence, the direction Mākoura College is heading — and our kaiako stepped up with the professionalism and pride we have come to expect from this staff. Dame Sophie Pascoe & a Pōwhiri for New SLT We were honoured to welcome Dame Sophie Pascoe to Mākoura College as part of her Dare to Dream programme with Westpac, inspiring our students with her story of resilience and high performance. The visit was made even more special as it coincided with a pōwhiri welcoming new members to our Senior Leadership Team onto our kura — a proud moment shared by the whole school.  |
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Growing From Strength to Strength Our reputation as a kura on the rise keeps building. We are currently tracking a record number of enrolments for 2027 at this point in the year — the strongest start to an enrolment cycle we have seen. Word is getting out: Mākoura College really is the place to be. NCEA — Accelerating Excellence Our 2026 strategic intent is all about moving from rebuilding foundations to accelerating excellence, and our NCEA tracking data shows that shift is real. At this stage of the year, our ākonga are tracking ahead of where they were at the same point last year — building on results that are already sitting above 92% across Levels 1–3. Huge credit to our kaiako and our ākonga for that progress. |
Pasifika Fusion — Taking the Stage This Week This week, our Pasifika Fusion group took to the stage on Wednesday and Thursday — the culmination of months of dedication, late nights of practice in the hall, and real pride in culture and identity. From Samoan Language Week and Fiafia Night through to weeks of Pasifika and Haka group practice, our performers have poured themselves into their performances. Sport Snapshot — Term 2, 2026 Term 2 sport at Mākoura was something special. |
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Cross Country Resilience Our 16 Cross Country runners showed real resilience in a tough season — claiming 3 podium spots and 3 Regional placings, plus 1 podium finish and 1 National medal at the highest level. Representing Mākoura with pride at every level — that's Whaia te Tika in action. The Fuller Cup Stays Home Our 1st XV retained the Fuller Cup for the second consecutive year in our annual Taita 1st XV Rugby Exchange — a proud tradition and a great rivalry. |
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Exchanges & Connections We also enjoyed our Senior Sports Exchange against Queen Elizabeth College across rugby, netball, basketball and badminton — strong competition, great sportsmanship, and lasting connections. Exactly the spirit of Whaia te Aroha. Waka Ama World Champs Congratulations and good luck to our Waka Ama boys, currently in training as they prepare to represent their club and Aotearoa — at the Waka Ama World Championships in Singapore. A huge thank you to all our whānau and community who supported all of the fundraisers to help get the crew there. Kia kaha! |
A Growing Sporting Community Of our 348 students on the roll, 196 represented Mākoura College in sport this term — that's 56.3% of our kura playing, competing and representing with pride. Together as one, for our people, for our future. |
Culture, Connection & Community Term 2 has been rich with cultural celebration and connection across our kura:
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A New Chapter in Governance At the end of this term, we also mark a significant moment in Mākoura College's governance. For more than three years, Jodie Cook has served as our Commissioner, guiding and supporting our kura through a period of real growth and transformation. On behalf of our staff, students and whānau, I want to sincerely thank Jodie for her unwavering commitment, wise counsel and genuine care for Mākoura College since 2023. Under her governance, our roll has grown, our culture has strengthened, and we have built the strong foundations we now stand on. Ngā mihi nui, Jodie — we are deeply grateful for everything you have given to this kura. I am also proud to introduce our new Board of Trustees, who will take up the role of governing our kura into this next chapter:
This is an exciting milestone for Mākoura College, and I look forward to working alongside our new Board as we continue our journey of accelerating excellence. |
Living Our Values Everything we have celebrated this term is grounded in our values: Whaia te Tika — doing what is right, Whaia te Pono — pursuing truth and knowledge, and Whaia te Aroha — showing care and respect. This term, we have seen these values in action — in our classrooms, on the sports field, on stage, and in the way our students and staff support one another. A Final Word Mākoura College continues to grow as a place where students are supported, challenged and inspired to succeed. We are proud of the direction we are heading — and excited about what lies ahead. It truly is the place to be. As we head into the term break, I would like to wish all our students, staff and whānau a safe and restful holiday. Take the time to recharge, connect with loved ones, and return ready for another strong term. Kia Manawanui — be courageous, be compassionate, be resilient. Ngā mihi nui, Simon Fuller Tumuaki / Principal Mākoura College |
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