Mount Maunganui Primary School Timeline
The first recorded school at Mt. Maunganui was at Whareroa Marae, opening during 1872 with Mr Oldfield as the teacher, receiving a salary of 100 pounds. By 1906 there were still only four buildings at the Mount, the two Pilot Houses, a Bach belonging to Colonel G. Ward and Mr. Adam's summer cottage (which is still standing today). There were no roads, no fences, just scrub, fern and miles of sand. Later a settlement grew up around the Public Works Department near the present day wharf. It was near this area that the first official school was built and opened in February 1913.
On October 2nd 19 12 J. Farrell, architect for Auckland Education Board, advertised in the Bay of Plenty Times for tenders for a new school to be built at Mt. Maunganui.
On 31st January 1913 the members of Auckland Education Board travelled on the 'Jersey Lily' to inspect the new school buildings at the Mount. It had cost 145 pounds to build and consisted of one classroom with porch, together with shelter shed and toilets. The school opened for the first time in February of that year. Mr. George F Stephenson was appointed the sole teacher on February 6th 1913; it was a temporary appointment. The Tauranga District High School Committee administered the school. This arrangement lasted until 25 April 1917 when a new school district for Mt Maunganui was created.
It cost the Education Board 15 shillings to cart the furniture from the steamer to the school in 1913. By June the outside fences still hadn't been completed and the playground needed levelling. By August a caretaker still hadn't been found so Mr.Stephenson and the children were doing the cleaning. There were 43 pupils on the roll, with 23 of these being primers. Being practically a Public Works school, over its first year the roll fluctuated from 12 - 50.
Lance-Corporal G F Stephenson, killed in action on July 1914. Elder son of Mrs M Stephenson of Ramarama. He went with the Main Body to Gallipoli and afterwards to France. Prior to enlisting he was the teacher of the Mount Maunganui School, Tauranga.
- 1953 Nov - Roll 498. Older children taken to wharf for pile driving ceremony
- 1955 Roll 540 — another prefab added. Impact of Port development on school and welfare of the children of primary concern for committee. 4 1/2 acre purchased from the Munro subdivision for new school site — committee concerned not enough land.
- 1955 Sept - Ōmanu School opened. Mt Primary Roll 580. From the proposed boundaries, the number of students changing to Ōmanu will be: Std 4: 1, Std 3: 24, Std 2: 26, Std 1: 22, Primers: 62 10 New Entrants to start in T.3, F1 & 2 to continue at Mount Primary
- 1957 - Camp to Port Waikato. Click here to download a copy of Gary Higgins' Standard 2 diary of the camp Standard 4 visit to Mc. Naughton's farm. Click here to download a copy of the classwork from the visit
- 1958 - Form 1 camp to Waihī Beach. Click here to download a copy of Marion Mc. Naughton's record of the camp
- 1959 - Guide Rangi spoke at PTA meeting. Borough Council offered free water for school pool
- 1960 May - School closed -early due to tsunami risk from Chilean earthquake
- 1961 June - Secretary to make mention to press of
- 1963 50th school Jubilee. Mr Donald headteacher retires
- 1962 - Mr Cullen appointed Headteacher. Now 15 classrooms. Govenor General Viscount Cobham visited – school assembled Coronation Park. F1 & 2 attended camp at Port Waikato — travelled by train
- 1963 9 Feb - Queen and Duke of Edinburgh visited — Royal yacht Britannia moored at Tasman wharf - children assembled at Coronation Park
- 1963 8, 9 & 10 March: - School Golden Jubilee celebrated. PTA catered for 500+ for afternoon tea— no charge. According to records close on 5000 pupils had been enrolled since school opening — amazing for a school that began only 50 years ago
- 1963 April - Bus provided to take students to Manual Training at Mt Maunganui College
- 1963 July - 65 pounds from Jubilee Committee profits to be placed in the School Bonus A/C
- 1963 Dec - Roll 472 resulting in School being down -graded — losing 2 teachers — possibly due to Arataki School opening Feb
- 1967 - Milk in schools ended
- 1968 Sept -BOP Times: because of the growth of the Port of Tauranga, Mt Maunganui Primary School will probably be shifted to a new site. The school is now in the centre of a heavy industrial area creating a hazard for school children
- 1969 - Mount Primary Schools’ pageant commemorates Captain Cook. Programme divided into 4 parts — each school portraying an aspect
- 1970 - Roll 381 Mt. Maunganui Intermediate opens — Mt Maunganui Primary becomes a contributing school. The moving of the school to Orkney Rd site
- 1973 April - First of 5 pieces of Ruatoki Block arrives. October - Successful Music pageant at Mt Intermediate
- 1975 March – Committee concerned with falling roll — reasons due to recession and lack of employment? June - AT LAST the Ruatoki Block completely finished after 2 years 3 months!!! July - 15%—20% absence daily due to flu, mumps and measles
- 1976 May - Mr B Findlay commences as DP. The original school bell donated by Armstrong family is back in the old school at Historic Village.
- 1977 - Gov General, Sir Dennis Blundell Inspected original Mount Maunganui school building when opening the Tga Historical Village. A group of our pupils attended the ‘classes’ for the day!!! April – Amphitheatre Construction begins —over 250 donated man hours labour; Materials cost: $1800.73
- 1979 April - School attended matinee ‘Storm Boy"
- 1980 Feb - An attempt by 2 boys to set building alight under the boys’ cloak bay. August - The three tiered adventure tower completed by Rotary and Jaycees — funded by Lions.
- 1981 - ‘Claude the Copper Eating Caterpillar‘ coin trail raised $125 for Telethon
- 1983 Dec - Mr Wilson Headteacher retires after 17 yrs
- 1984- Mr Mills appointed Principal. Mrs V Neilson retires after 21 years at MMPS. October - More than 40 bags of rubbish collected in a 2 km Beach clean—up
- 1987 - Opening roll 227! First computer purchased Std 4 overnight camp at Sapphire Springs
- 1988 - School 75 Jubilee activities; swimming sports held in Pilot Bay, dress—up day. Crunch meeting Jubilee— yes or no? Registrations low. Mrs L Davies retires after a long association with MMPS since 1958
- 1989 - School Council replaced by Board of Trustees (BOT)
- 1990 - Self Governing Schools — BOT the employing body. Tomo Kono Japanese Culture Ambassador here for 9 months. Parent Support Group formed
- 1991 - Farmyard in school grounds for 3 nights. Employment Contracts Bill —Teachers strike for 1 day. Whole school train trip through Kaimai tunnel to Morrinsville. Japanese week prior to Tomo Leaving. Parent Project Group fundraising, tree planting, organising discos, introduction of special lunches
- 1992 -Mr A Mills Principal retires Term 2 — Mr M Shennen new Principal Term 3. Fire lit under cloak bay in A Block — neighbour saved the school. The highly embarrassed lad who locked himself in the car with the keys, because his mother appeared in the classroom adorned in her vivid— lycra gym—bunny outfit .
- 1993 - Taha Māori lessons —Kaiawhina Sue Angel begins. Jump Rope for Heart programme
- 1994 - Lunch hour change 12.30 — 1.30 First Std3/4 camp at Aongatete
- 1995 - 2 day Teachers strike. First Whareroa Marae visit (Std3/4)
- 1996 - 4 term year begins. Miss L Howat awarded Queen’s Service Medal for dedication to Gymnastics. Mr B Findlay—received National Excellence in Teaching Award
- 1997 - New class labels Y1 .Y2,Y3,Y4,Y5.Y6. Two new Junior classrooms. New Junior Adventure playground built. First Y5/6 3 day camp at Waihī. Rm11 Hall, Rm 10 resource room, Rm 9 remodelled
- 1998 - New extended library opened
- 1999 - Variety Club Bash. Whole school visits Whareroa Marae. $21.000 raised by Parent Fundraisers. First Junior School musical: The Sunflower That Went Flop
- 2000 - Kapa Haka group performed ‘The Legend of Mauao’. Middle Syndicates first musical: Round the World in 80 Minutes
- 2001 - Kapa Haka first time at festival. Clare Collins, English exchange teacher Y5 & 6. Admin Block shifted huge trucks stuck in mud!
- 2002 - Mr B Findlay Acting Principal for 3 terms. Falling roll/ Gas boiler heater installed/ Shifted into new offices and staffroom. Senior Syndicate first musical: Wilbur and the Web
