 Getting Our Culture Right |
 Tēnā koutou, e te whānau o Mount Albert Grammar School.
Much of our focus during this first school term has been around laying the foundations for success in the year ahead.
‘Sweating the small stuff’ in addressing the behaviours and attitudes of our students has been a big part of this.
As our students know, we have been relentless around correct grooming and wearing of our MAGS uniform. Punctuality and attendance is being tightly monitored, with students facing consequences when standards fall short.
Investing time (and money) across the school in managing these and other behaviours can sometimes polarise parts of our community.
But we know that in getting these smaller ‘precursors to learning’ sorted before students enter the classroom, our teachers can focus solely on the big picture – the learning and achievement of our young people.
It was disturbing to read the report released today from ERO detailing concerns around worsening student behaviour in New Zealand schools over recent years. It is impossible to learn when there is chaos in the classroom!
It has been a perfect storm for creating this situation. Open-plan classrooms, experimental pedagogies, a loose and ill-defined curriculum, a constantly shifting assessment system ... it has been convenient to blame Covid but the pandemic only exacerbated issues many schools were already facing.
Building a successful school culture starts with getting the small things right. Creating buy-in and belonging is the result.
Don’t expect us to drop our standards anytime soon – our young people are too valuable to do that.
Have a good Easter break.
Patrick Drumm
Headmaster
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Click here for the Calendar
Tuesday, April 2
School closed
Thursday, April 4 and
Friday, April 5
Unity Concert, Dorothy Winstone Centre, AGGS, 7pm
 Monday, April 8
Cross Country (Girls)
Tuesday, April 9
Cross Country (Boys and Seniors)
Thursday, April 11
Last day of classes for Term 1
Friday, April 12
Staff Only Administration Day
End of Term 1
Photo Essays
 AKSS Athletics
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Trials and Registrations
Click here
Fixtures and Results
Click here
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Our Lion Fund programme aims to provide financial support to allow every MAGS student to access the breadth of opportunities we offer at our school.
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 Last weekend, the school kapa – Te Kapa Haka o Te Puna o Wairaka – set out to perform at the annual ASB Polyfest at the Manukau Sports Bowl in Division 1.
Initially, they were scheduled to perform on Saturday at 8.35am, which meant a 3am wake-up time.
However, due to unforeseen circumstances, their bus, which was due to pick them up from Te Noho Kotahitanga Marae at Unitec at 6am, didn’t show up.
Fortunately, the organisers of the event were extremely helpful and rescheduled the kapa to perform at 12.05pm, delaying the lunch break by half an hour.
HOF Māori Waimirirangi Paul said, "Adding another spanner to the works was the torrential rain that poured down at the event, delaying the performance even further by another 20 or so minutes!
"In the end, the kapa was able to make it to the stage safely and performed a spectacular bracket, garnering much applause from whānau and supporters alike in the audience.
"The kapa placed 8th overall (out of 14 kapa haka), 4th overall for Mita o te reo (the command of te reo Māori throughout the bracket), placed 2nd for male kākahu (costuming), 3rd for female kākahu and won the ‘Ngākau nui ki te kaupapa’ trophy for commitment to the event.
Ms Paul added, "We are extremely proud of our kapa for representing our school in an exemplary manner, despite the ups and downs!"  |
  On Wednesday, MAGS Drama showcased their opening night of a special production of Bird-Dog, a play written by Albertian Emily Gough and HOD Carmela Hughes.
The comedy play is centred around the aftermath of a mysterious murder in Matakana, where the people of the town are collectively losing brain cells trying to deal with an event that simply doesn’t happen where they come from.
Once again selling out the season, Year 11 students delighted the audience, with their comedic performance skills bringing this play to life. |
Junior Leaders Recognised |
 Our Junior Year Level representatives were announced this week.
Our Year 9 Level Representatives, are, pictured above, Max Roebeck, Te Awanuiarangi Mackwood, Isla Ng Shiu and Saffron Spiller, with Junior School Deputy Principals Mr Powell and Miss Hayes.
Year 10 Level Representatives, pictured below, are Danni Papali'i, Indi Peterson, Jacob Ng and Kawiti Albert Campbell.  |
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 WEEK 10
Thursday, April 4 and Friday, April 5 – 2024 Unity Concert at Dorothy Winstone Centre, AGGS, 7pm.
Friday, April 5 – Evening performance, time TBC, Sheilah Winn Shakespeare groups at Avondale College.
WEEK 11
Monday, April 8 – Shakespeare Showcase, 4pm.
Any specific enquiries can be made to Director of Arts Jacqui Cesan – [email protected] |
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Particle physicist Dr Nicola Gaston, PhD, visited our school to deliver a presentation on the role of women in science and her research in particle physics.
With a background in chemistry, physics, Japanese and French, Dr Gaston represents the diverse nature of scientific inquiry.
Her research focuses on understanding atom behaviour and the dynamics of liquid metals like mercury. Dr Gaston's interest in atomic manipulation began in 1989 and continues as she explores the structures of various atoms through simulations and equations.
Beyond her scientific work, Dr Gaston advocates for gender equality in STEM fields through her book Why Science is Sexist, which addresses biases and barriers women face in scientific communities. Drawing from personal experiences and research, she promotes inclusivity and representation to overcome unconscious bias.
Reflecting on her journey, Dr Gaston emphasises, "Science is not confined to individual interests but is a collective endeavour shaped by societal perspectives." Her resilience and determination have earned her international recognition.
As Dr Gaston shares her insights with our school, her message urges us to challenge biases, embrace diversity, and create an inclusive scientific community.
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Debating Team at Regionals |
 Our Premier debating team competed in the prestigious Auckland Regionals Tournament last weekend, hosted by Bankside Chambers at St Cuthbert's College.
The team consisted of Year 13 students Ryan Antia (pictured above) and Nishka Arora and Year 11 students Stephanie Zhang and Sona McCormack.
Over the past three years, the team has notched up several wins, emerging victorious in all of their regional debates, and progressing to the quarter and semifinals each year.
The regional competition focused on challenging motions relating both to New Zealand and its position globally, for example ‘This House would restrict the rights of Australian citizens in NZ (e.g. through removing access to welfare and student loans, deporting criminals).’
Debating Leaders Ryan and Nishka said, “This competition was a really great challenge and learning experience, with teams having to prepare to speak on socioeconomic issues on a broad scale with only 30 minutes as a planning period.”
Awards for the competition will be announced in the following week. |
Changes to train services and fares |
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As part of track and drainage improvements on the Western Line, all trains will depart from Platform 2 in both directions at Baldwin Ave Station starting next Tuesday, April 2, until Wednesday, April 24.
Trains will not run over Easter – from Friday, March 29 until Monday, April 1.
Fare changes
Free travel for 5- to 12-year-olds and half-price travel for 13- to 24-year-olds on AT bus, train and ferry services will end on April 30, 2024, in line with the Government’s decision to withdraw funding for these concessions.
This means that from Wednesday, May 1:
5- to 12-year-olds will no longer travel for free on weekdays and will instead pay a child concession (at least 40% off adult fares). They will continue to travel for free on weekends. The child concession will apply to anyone aged 5 to 15, who has a registered AT HOP card with their correct date of birth.
13- to 15-year-olds will stop receiving the half-price child fares discount and instead switch to paying full child fares (at least 40% off an adult fare during weekdays) but still have free travel on weekends. The child concession will apply to anyone aged 5 to 15, who has a registered AT HOP card with their correct date of birth.
16- to 19-year-olds with a secondary student concession will stop receiving the half-price secondary fares discount and instead switch to paying full secondary fares (at least 40% off an adult fare). Students aged 16-19 should apply for the secondary student concession to ensure they are paying the cheapest fare possible.
More information about the discounts and what you may need to do next can be found here
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Amazing Maadi Cup Results |
  Podium finishes for four top crews have made the 2024 Maadi Regatta the most successful for MAGS since the school’s rowing programme was re-established.
Olivia Tattersfield, pictured right, won gold in the Girls U17 Single Sculls at Maadi, becoming the first female rower to win gold for MAGS. The win also comes with a new single scull boat from skiff-builders Laszlo and Aon, the overall event sponsor, which will go to the school and provide a valuable training and race tool for future MAGS rowers.
Olivia also won silver with Lily Curnow in the Girls U18 Coxless Pair Oars event, with an impressive row that saw them hold off tough competition from other North and South Island crews and complete the course in a time of 7:45.32.
The MAGSROW senior boys crew of Max Jarvie and Luke Sanders, pictured top, also won silver in the Boys U18 Coxless Pair Oars in a time of 7:05.16. Fraser MacGillivray and Ethan Green also qualified for the A Final of this event but missed out on a podium finish.
Showing their strength as a top crew, Max, Ethan, Luke and Fraser came together in the Boys U18 Coxed Four event – with cox Hamish Toogood – to win bronze.
Another major achievement from this year’s Maadi Regatta is that both senior crews qualified for the A Final of the premiere events – with the Girls U18 Coxed Eight vying for the Levin Jubilee Cup and the Boys U18 Coxed Eight vying to take home the Maadi Cup.
For one school to have a crew in each of the premiere events is extremely rare, and this is the second time MAGS crews have achieved this, after it was first achieved in 2022.
This year’s Maadi results for MAGSROW also bode well for the future with Emma Curnow and Lilah Martin qualifying for the A Final of the Girls U17 Coxless Pair Oars event and the other U17 and U16 crews making it through multiple heats and repechage events against fierce competition.
Speaking to the crews at the end of the regatta, Director of Rowing James O’Sullivan and coaches Hasan Pathan, Alex Brown and Germain Hellriegel-White all spoke about the incredible dedication the rowers had shown to their training and told the departing U18 rowers who have now completed their final season with MAGS to consider everything they had gained from their time rowing.
Mr O’Sullivan said, “Ultimately, it’s not about the medals and the podiums. It is about the relationships you have made, the strength you’ve gained and everything you have learned along the way and all of those things will stay with you for the rest of your lives.”
MAGSROW would also like to say a huge thanks to their supporters and sponsors, including Cassidy Construction, who has provided a stunning new supporters tent, Abe’s Bagels who provided new covers for the boat trailer and sustenance during the week, and the generous donors who contributed to the Centenary Eight boat that the top girls crew rowed.
While Maadi marks the end of the rowing season for most of the crew, six rowers and one cox will be continuing after qualifying for rowing trials. Olivia Tattersfield, Lily Curnow, Max Jarvie and Luke Sanders have been invited to the 2024 U19 trials being held at Lake Karapiro from 18-24 April.
Emma Curnow, Lilah Martin and cox Guy Pinfold have been invited to attend the U18 North vs South trials being held at Lake Karapiro from 18-20 April.
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Medal Haul at AKSS Athletics |
  On Tuesday, the Auckland Secondary School Athletics Championships took place at Mount Smart Stadium with 28 students representing the school, through qualifying at the zone meet three weeks ago.
Eight students and two relay teams came away with medals in their events.
Students who medalled were:
Maddie Earley: 1st Intermediate Girls Long Jump
Anika Todd: 2nd Senior Girls Javelin
Ty Gonzales: 3rd Intermediate Boys Long Jump, 3rd Intermediate Boys 300m Hurdles
Ryan Shen: 3rd Senior Boys Long Jump
Ella Kerrigan: 2nd Junior Girls 100m
Kendra Scally-Tui: 1st Intermediate Girls 200m
4 x 100m Intermediate Girls Relay (Zara Bint, Kendra Scally-Tui, Jessica Freeman, and Maddie Earley): 1st
Jy Gonzales: 1st Junior Boys 300m Hurdles
Sam Carryer: 2nd Senior Boys 2000m Steeplechase
4 x 400m Open Boys Relay (Ty Gonzales, Sam Carryer, Ryan Shen, and Benjie Fairclough): 2nd
Several students had busy days competing in multiple events and performing well.
Maddie Earley showed her talents, winning the Intermediate Girls Long Jump, finishing 5th in the Triple Jump and the 200m. Ty Gonzales won two bronze medals – in the Intermediate Boys 300m Hurdles and Long Jump – and was 4th in the 100m Hurdles. Jy Gonzales narrowly missed out on a second medal in the hurdles with a 4th place in the Junior Boys 80m Hurdles.
Ella Kerrigan won the Junior Girls 100m semi-final with a time of 12.72. In the final, she narrowly missed out on first place by 0.04 with a time of 12.86.
Kendra Scally-Tui enhanced her reputation of being one of the best teenage sprinters in New Zealand by winning the Intermediate Girls 200m final with a time of 24.60 and beating 2nd place by 0.88 seconds.
The Intermediate Girls 4 x100m Relay team was in good form again, with an impressive run and improving on their time from the zone meet by 1.22 seconds. They won the final with a time of 50.61, beating Saint Kentigern College by 0.28 seconds. A special mention also goes to our 4 x 400m Open Boys Relay team that came 2nd in the last event of the day. Three of the boys had competed in other events and one runner was called in at the last hour to compete.
Assistant Director of Sport Carlin Crossan said, "Thanks to all the parents who assisted with transport and supporting the students throughout the day. A big thanks to Mr Dempster and Mrs Revell, who assisted with officiating with track marshalling and long jump respectively. Also, thanks to Anika Todd, Ryan Shen, Braxton Tavalu and Zenith Leilua, who helped out with the long jump."
You can see a photo essay from the meet here
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 MAGS Fencers returned some great results in the Auckland Age Group competition.
In the Boys U17, there was gold for Elijah Yarr and silver for Thomas Pham. In the Girls U17, Shubhi Roy took silver and Emi Mason the bronze. In the Boys U15, Thomas Pham claimed another silver.
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 The MAGS Curling squad are looking for more students to join their ranks.
Teams play in mixed competitions on a Thursday at Paradice Ice Rink in Avondale in Terms 2 and 3. All equipment and coaching is provided - all you need is some warm clothes!
There will be two “have-a-go” sessions on May 2 and 9. Please contact Ms Donna Hobbs – [email protected] – if you would like more detail or would like to sign up.
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