Night at the Classics

Photos / Lize Deng

The classical concert was held at The Raye Freedman Arts Centre on Wednesday night.
A full and enthusiastic audience was wowed from the start by the Centennial and Gloriana choirs, and the momentum just kept going. 
Piano and violin trios and a professional level piano performance by Catherine Chen received loud applause from the audience.
This was followed by Moonstars, who played an original composition by student Zoe Burnett.
Following this, the MAGS Chamber and Symphony orchestras skillfully played their repertoire as they prepare to represent MAGS at the KBB Festival next month.
The audience gave unanimous praise for the programme, the musicians and the dedication and expertise of the Music staff – all boding well for a bright future for Music at MAGS.
You can see more photos here

Who's In Your Team?

There is exciting news for MAGS alumni with our Teams of the Century event coming up next month.
Join us for the 100th Anniversary Celebration of the Albertians Association when our Teams of the Century will be announced.

Date: Friday, August 9
Time: 6.30pm
Location: F.W. Gamble Hall

Scan the link to register and secure your spot today! Payment options available online or at the school main reception.
We are thrilled to have renowned sports commentator and Albertian Mark Watson as our MC for the evening. Get ready for an unforgettable event!
Don't miss this incredible opportunity to reconnect and reminisce as we announce the Teams of the Century. Who’s in your team?

Prefects Connect with Minister

Head Prefect Toby Forster and Deputy Head Prefect Isabella Boersen met Minister of Education Erica Stanford at AUT's Leaders Connect forum yesterday.
The forum was a valuable opportunity to hear from Ms Stanford and AUT Vice-Chancellor Professor Damon Salesa about education priorities and the long-term vision for the future of education in Aotearoa.
Our Prefects were able to ask questions of the minister, and it was an opportunity for them to meet other prefects and principals.
They were accompanied by Mr Drumm and Deputy Principal Mr Stradwick who heard from the minister about empowering teachers and educational professionals to do the best for our students and future leaders.

Buy Your Gala Evening Tickets Now

Make sure you are in quick to grab your tickets for the MAGS Art Show Gala Evening on Friday, August 2 starting at 6pm.
This event always sells out as it is a must-see, with the chance to be the first to buy amazing local art, and enjoy music and delicious food and wine as part of a great night out.
You can buy tickets here

Dancers Shine at YouDance

MAGS dancers were featured in the 2024 YouDance Auckland Youth Dance festival held at the Raye Freedman centre last Thursday, June 27.
MAGS had four pieces selected. The Year 13 group choreography by Ms French, Eye Spy, and three thought-provoking student pieces, two of which are scholarship entries by Breanna Crawford and Josh Waqanivalu, and a third collaborative choreography by students Eved Ah Soon, Elijah Poliko and Josh Waqanivalu that was a tribute to Albertian Sir Bryan Williams.
Director of Arts Co-curricular Ms Cesan said, "All students performed at their very best to a wonderful response from the audience and professional feedback."

Students Excel at Speech Competition

Ms Zhao and Ms Liu pictured above with Prisha Dhobale and Seia Boulton, while Samuel Coats speaks at the ICBC Cup below.

After several weeks’ practice, with the help of our Chinese language assistant Yiyan Zhao and Ms Liu, our students Seia Boulton (9 PEH), Prisha Dhobale (10 PLG) and Samuel Coats (13CNL) participated in the ICBC Cup Auckland Regional Speech Competition on Saturday, May 25.
Ms Liu said, "Seia, Prisha and Sam were very brave and confident, they delivered their speech in Chinese and then performed (sang/danced) as required." 
On June 22,  the group were invited to the ICBC Cup Prize Giving Ceremony. The students were awarded the following prizes:
Seia Boulton – Second Prize, Secondary Junior  Category
Prisha Dhobale –  Third Prize, Secondary Junior  Category
Samuel Coats  – Merit Prize, Secondary Senior  Category

Save the Date for Careers Expo

Save the date for the annual MAGS Careers Expo on Tuesday, July 30 from 4-7pm in MH Block.
Subject areas will be on display to help with 2025 option choices and there will be representatives from major tertiary providers and industry on site. 
Students in years 10-13 are strongly encouraged to attend with their families.

MAGS Defends Dance Title

MAGS, as reigning Blueprint champions, will again be competing in the event against 13 other schools.
The show starts at 6.30pm on Thursday, July 11 at the Dorothy Winstone Centre, AGGS .
Director of Arts Co-curricular Ms Cesan said, "This will be a great show. Please come and support our dancers." 
You can buy tickets here

Term Break: Rest and Reset

The term break offers students an excellent opportunity to rest and re-set.
It is wise to use this valuable time, to focus on wellbeing and recharging social, emotional, physical and intellectual batteries after so much use during term time!
When we slow down, some of us experience a decline in physical health and we may even get sick or show symptoms of fatigue. It is natural that the body communicates that it is tired, and important that we listen and look after ourselves.
Although it is tempting to sleep, it is also very important to maintain circadian rhythms. This means, for students, keeping body clocks ticking in a similar routine to a normal school week.
Students should try to strike a healthy balance between rest and recovery, as well as routine and regularity. It can be really hard to fall back into school routines, timetables and wake-up schedules if those habits are relaxed too far in the other direction!

Students can look after themselves by:
* Getting good sleep – try apps like insighttimer for relaxation and breathing tools
* Exercising when the opportunity arises – enjoy the outdoors, a walk, a favourite leisure activity
* Staying hydrated and eating well – this will build physical resilience for the term ahead
* Talking to someone about any worries that are keeping the mind busy
 
Students who are finding everyday life a struggle, or feeling flat, depressed or negative about things most of the time, should ask for help. They should talk to someone they trust, like a family member, a trusted adult, a counsellor, doctor, youth leader or coach.
Here are some numbers and websites for support if needed:
Youth line            0800376633     Or txt 234
WhatsUp.            08009428787    Or webchat www.whatsup.co.nz
Lifeline                 0800543354     Or txt 4357
Lowdown             0800111757       Or txt 1737  www.thelowdown.co.nz

FREE PARENTING RESOURCE

MAGS has a subscription with SchoolTV to provide a resource for our community.
School TV provides a range of topics with comprehensive videos from leading specialists and organisations. 
Topics covered include managing screen time, understanding adolescence, raising boys, raising girls, resilience, sleep, nutrition, exam jitters, bullying and mental health.
To access School TV, you can click here or access it through the MAGS Parent Portal.

Year 13s' Adventure Race

As a culmination of the development of group work in Outdoor Education over their past four years, the 13 Outdoor Education students competed in a three-day Adventure Race in the greater Auckland area.
The race saw four teams pitted against each other in group work activities ranging from a water transfer activity at MAGS, tramping in the Waitakere Ranges, climbing at Vertical Adventures, mountain biking at Woodhill MTB Park, and orienteering in Mahurangi Regional Park.
Each night the class stayed together at an Auckland Regional Council campsite.
Congratulations to Bella Boersen, Noah Curtis, Jack Kerr, Frankie Pengelly and Yathushan Sivanandan of Team Charlie for winning the race.
To see more trip photos, please visit the Outdoor Education Instagram page here

Mooting Team Undefeated

Last week, the mooting team consisting of Ryan Antia, Lachlan Paul, Eliza Rodger, and Stephanie Zhang, secured their fourth victory – thereby remaining unbeaten.
Along the way the team had commendable victories against experienced schools which brought high praise for the team from the ASLM Competition Managers, “It is a fantastic achievement for first time mooters to have achieved this position in a highly competitive competition." 
Team Captain Ryan Antia, who has been shortlisted for the ‘Best Mooter Award’,  said, “With most of the team members being in Year 11, we are hopeful that next year's MAGS team will perform just as well. We believe that this year’s achievement will be just a start to establishing a long tradition of excellence in Mooting at MAGS.” 

Learn More About Winning Photographs

Last week, we announced the winners of the Student Photography Competition such as Junior Winner Rudy Keane (Year 9) for 'Racing Through Childhood', pictured above.
The student blog The Roar has an article about some of the winners of the 'In Motion' competition and the techniques and thinking behind their photographs.
As Photography Leader and Roar Editor Lize Deng says, “Many of this year's finalists are not enrolled in a photography course but have nonetheless demonstrated immense enthusiasm and remarkable technical and compositional skill. 
"For instance, this year's senior category winner, Rose Leader (Year 13), is in her first year of taking Photography as a subject. In addition, second-place winner Hyuk Jang previously took Photography, but has opted to pursue other subjects in his final year."
Their work can be seen on display in the Visual Arts Gallery next to E4. 
You can read The Roar article about the photographs and see more of them here