National Champions Congratulated

Back row, from left: Taylor Dodds, Sienna McLeod, Macy Stone, Orla Whiting, Lulu Mackie, Sian Gwin, Lily Skinner. Front row: Lily Tolley, Lexi Hedington, Miller O’Neil, Summer Bundock, Gemma Fisher

Our national champion Junior Girls Futsal team was congratulated at Staff Briefing this morning after returning victorious from Wellington.
It is back-to-back wins for the Junior Girls after they won the national title last year. Two players from that side returned this year to play for the side coached by Victor Lim and managed by Hannah Brook.
In the final, the Girls got revenge on Hillcrest High, who had beaten them 4-1 in pool play, by coming away with the win 2-1 after the sides were level 1-1 at halftime. 

The girls' success was one of many highlights from Summer Tournament Week, including the Softball Premier Boys being runners-up at NZSS after a tight grand final that St Pat's SIlverstream won 2-0 in Lower Hutt today.
There were also some outstanding results in Waka Ama – with, as pictured right, LaRome Waihirere and Marnie Toloa gaining silver medals and Matahi Heta a bronze in their individual events. 
The Senior Girls Futsal team had some strong wins but a couple of narrow losses and a draw left them in sixth place at NZSS.
The Cricket Girls 1st XI started off their National Qualifying Tournament with two good wins but successive losses after that meant they ended up sixth.
The Senior Boys Water Polo team had a strong tournament in NISS Division 2, finishing fourth, while the Senior Girls, also playing in Division 2, finished 15th.
The Basketball 3x3 Premier Girls and Open Girls both finished third at their tournaments.

MAGS Returns to Polyfest

MAGS is returning to PolyFest to help celebrate the 50^th anniversary of this event. 
Six cultural groups from MAGS will be performing, with Tongan, Samoan and Kapa Haka groups also competing in their divisions.
The students and their tutors, supported by families and teachers in charge, have been working hard to perfect their performances and we hope that families will come and support the students at the Manukau Sports Bowl. 

For the performance schedules, click here and for tickets, click here

A History of MAGS at Polyfest

Hillary College (now the Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate) was the first venue for the festival now known as ASB Polyfest.
In 1976, the festival was known as the Auckland Secondary Schools’ Polynesian Festival and there were only four schools competing.
It is uncertain when Mount Albert Grammar first competed. There is a photograph of a Samoan group performing in the 1977 Albertian (as pictured above) but no caption or comment. The first mention of school participation is from 1982. The magazine of that year contains a report of a Tongan group competing at Henderson High School along with several photographs.
From 1982, the school competed regularly, entering a number of groups and joining with Marist Sisters’ College on occasion.
In 1994, the school hosted the festival, which was then called the Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival. MAGS entered teams in the Māori (combining with Avondale College), Cook Islands, Niuean, Samoan (pictured above right) and Tongan competitions.
The festival took place over three days towards the end of March and involved the whole school. The powhiri (as pictured below) was performed on what is now the Sir B.G. Williams Field and a haka was performed by all the students at the time.
In 1995, the festival was hosted by Mount Roskill Grammar School but by then it was realised that it had become too big for a single school to host, and since 1996 it has been held at the Manukau Sports Bowl.

– Greg Cave, Archivist

Career in Aviation Takes Off

Sion Kim started his career path in aviation by doing the Auckland Aero Club Gateway Aviation Program as a Gateway student in Year 12.
He spent five weeks at Auckland Aero Club, in Admore, where he gained 20 credits towards a nationally recognised qualification and completed a flight lesson towards his PPL (Private Pilot’s Licence).
While there, Sion was nominated by the Club to be considered for the Walsh Memorial Flying School Scholarship. After interviewing for this, he was successful and was told during the interview. He was awarded the scholarship funds and was also sponsored by Westhaven Rotary to help attend flying school in Matamata in January 2025.
Sion attended two weeks of camping and flying, completing two Solo flights while there.
During the Wings Parade and Awards Dinner, Sion was awarded the Bruce Donnelly scholarship with funds going towards helping Sion complete his Aeroscience qualifications.
Karen Caso, our Gateway Coordinator, said, "The Careers Department wishes Sion the very best with his future pathway into aviation."

Stunning Shakespeare Showcase 

On Monday evening, MAGS Drama hosted its third annual Shakespeare Showcase with 50 students performing extracts from plays.
This event fundraises for the students to compete in the Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Competition at EGGS.
HOD Drama Miss Hughes said, "We fully sold out, with friends, family, and fellow students coming through completely for our Drama students. We received so much positive feedback from the audience, namely for the variety of extracts – covering the three types of Shakespeare plays: comedies, tragedies, and histories.
"The night opened with a jaw-dropping solo from Casey Pahulu performing the titular character from Richard III and ended with a hilarious rendition by our Level 3 Accelerated students performing an extract from Much Ado About Nothing.

Casting Call for Director's Showcase

The Drama Department is on the hunt for performers for its biggest performance evening of the year – the Director’s Showcase.
This is open to all students, and the Drama Department is looking for 45-50 students who want the chance to perform.
Any interested students should email HOD Drama Miss Hughes at [email protected]

Winter Sports Uniforms Available Now

The Lions' Den uniform shop has winter sports uniforms available now.
The shop staff advise that there is no need to wait until you have been put in a team as you are going to need the uniform regardless. It is best to come in now to avoid queues – and some sizes may sell out. 
You can see the Lions' Den hours here

Lumino the Dentists at MAGS in Term 2

The Lumino the Dentists Mobile Unit is scheduled to come to Mount Albert Grammar School in 2025 in Term 2, April 28 through to June 13. 
The Lumino the Dentists School Smiles Programme is fully funded by the Ministry of Health. It offers free dental examinations, oral health education, x-rays and a professional dental clean for students in Year 9 to Year 13, up until their 18th birthday. 
Treatments including white fillings, sealants and extractions of baby teeth are also provided on the school grounds as required. For other treatment not completed on board the unit, students will be referred to their local practice or orthodontic specialist. 
Please see the information sheet here, and for any queries contact Tracey Kirkland, Multisite Practice Manager, on 027 700 9972

Albertian Helps All Whites Qualify for World Cup

Michael Boxall, as Football  Boys 1st XI Captain in 2006, is pictured holding the shield for winning the Auckland Premier League, along with then-headmaster Dale Burden, at left, and 1st XI Coach Kevin Fallon.

On Monday night at Eden Park, the All Whites defeated New Caledonia 3-0 and thus qualified for the 2026 World Cup.
The first goal was scored by Michael Boxall, who was playing his 56^th game for the national team and had never scored before.
Michael attended the school from 2002 to 2006 and was Head Prefect in his final year.
He played for the 1st XI Boys Football team for three years and was captain in his final year. Since leaving school he has carved out a successful career as a professional footballer.
Michael’s family has a very close connection to the school. His father Murray attended from 1965 to 1970 and in his final year was a prefect and a member of the Rugby 1st XV.
Casey, Michael’s sister, was a foundation member of the girls’ school in 2000, and also a member of the Girls’ 1st XI Football team in 2003 and 2004. Nikko, the third member of the Boxall family, attended the school from 2006 to 2010 and is also a professional football player. Nikko was part of the 2009 1st XI that was Auckland and New Zealand champions. Nikko has played six games for the national side.
Another Albertian in the All Whites squad is Sarpreet Singh, who attended the school from 2013 to 2015 before joining the Wellington Phoenix academy.
– Greg Cave, Archivist

In 2006, the Football Boys 1st XI also won the Knockout Cup and were runners-up at the national championships.

Year 8 Info Evenings in Term 2

Mount Albert Grammar School will be holding two information evenings in Term 2 for prospective Year 9 students in 2026.
These evenings are primarily aimed at in-zone Year 8 parents and guardians, and their sons/daughters, and will be held in the F.W. Gamble Hall on Wednesday, May 7 and Tuesday, May 13, from 7pm-8pm.
To manage numbers, feeder schools have been assigned an evening to attend but if that date does not work there is no problem attending the other evening, and there is no need to RSVP.
May 7: Kowhai Intermediate School, Pasadena Intermediate School, Ponsonby Intermediate School, Wesley Intermediate School.
May 13: Auckland Normal Intermediate School, Balmoral Intermediate School.
Attendees will get: 
• A visual presentation about Mount Albert Grammar School for Year 9 students in 2026.
• Information about our enrolment procedure for the 2026 intake.
• The opportunity to find out about the academic, sporting, arts and cultural opportunities at MAGS.

Sports Update

Touch Teams on Form

2025 Girls Premier Touch Team
Fifteen talented girls, including seven Year 9s, were coached by Auckland provincial coach Pete Samuels to create a dynamic and competitive squad.
The girls started off their season by winning two promotion/relegation games against formidable opponents Rangitoto College and Mahurangi College to gain entry to the Premier grade.
Assistant Director of Rugby Ms Wright-Akeli said, "The team displayed incredible skill, resilience and teamwork despite no training."
The season would see the girls playing two games each Monday. With standout performances from both seasoned players and rising talents, the team had some impressive wins to secure a spot in the semi-finals. The girls went down to Rangitoto and AGSS to end up 4^th place overall in the Central Zone competition.
Ms Wright-Akeli said, "Congratulations to the entire team on an outstanding first season, and thank you to our supporters and whānau.
"A big thank-you to Coach Pete Samuels and Manager Tangata Arama for your continued hard work with the girls."

Mixed Premier Touch Team
Our Premier Mixed Touch team has won the Auckland Premier Touch title after a strong 9-6 semifinal win over Waitakere and a hard-fought final against Mahurangi, securing victory by one try.
This finished a very successful campaign as they went unbeaten.
Assistant Director of Rugby Ms Wright-Akeli said, "It was a huge effort from our three girls, who played both games without subbing, showing incredible endurance and commitment. Captain Dylan led by example, making an impact on both attack and defence. The winning moment came when Hiro scored the decisive try off a great pass from Braydon.
"An outstanding team performance and a well-deserved championship for MAGS."

Archers on Target

The final results are in for the Archery season, and MAGS enjoyed some great results.
 
Teams
Recurve: Div 1 (Premier division): Silver for MAGS White.
Barebow: Div 1 (Premier division): Silver for MAGS Gold, Div 2: Gold for MAGS Red, Div 3: Gold for MAGS Grey (first time in the archery competition)
Individual
(Medals for first three, awards up to the levels given):
Recurve Top 15: Ilaria Melchiori: 4th, Phoebe Newcombe: 6th, Peter Yeh: 7th=, Oscar Holmes:15th
Barebow Top 5: Alex Whittet (Year 10): 5th
Compound Top 3 only – Simon Atkinson (Year 10): Bronze

TIC Jan Lees said, "The two Year 10s in particular have been working so hard and very much deserve these awards. There is no age division, so they have beaten Year 12s and 13s to get these results."