 Turning the Tide –
Reducing Screen Time? |
 Ma’u ha Uike Lea Faka-Tonga fiefia (Happy Tongan Language Week)
Concerns have been expressed this week from primary school teachers regarding the lack of coherent speaking and language skills they are seeing from many students beginning school for the first time.
A major cause of this developmental delay has been linked to the excessive screen time to which very young children are being exposed.
One Australian study found that this could result in the average 3-year-old missing out on 1100 adult words and 200 interactive conversations every day!
And these concerns carry through into the secondary environment with cell phone content designed to reward and encourage our young people to unwittingly switch tasks every few seconds. This half-attentive, task-switching state is the antithesis of the sustained, focussed approached required for success in a classroom setting. Attention is central to being able to think deeply and embed new knowledge.
This rewiring of the brain for distraction is catastrophic to the learning process. And that’s before we add the impact of screen content on the mental health of our young people!
All of the above reinforces the wisdom of the nationwide ban on cell phones in schools. It’s a small step in the right direction – providing students with a reprieve from the digital onslaught … from 9.00am – 3.00pm at least!
It’s created a noticeable shift in culture here at MAGS. Break times are noisy again as students engage with each other in conversation ... students talking to students! And last week a football broke a window (the first time for many years) as students return to being physically active during our breaks.
Broken windows aside, it is encouraging to see our MAGS young people connecting and building community in a way that simply isn’t possible with a cell phone in your hand.
It’s the positive story of 2024 to date. And here’s hoping this taste of digital liberation can spread beyond the school day!
Have a good weekend.
Patrick Drumm
Headmaster
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Click here for the Calendar
Friday, August 30
Daffodil Day
Monday, September 2 to Sunday, September 9
Winter Tournament Week
Photo Essays  Football Girls 1st XI v Baradene College, APC Cup Final
Click here  Football Girls Junior A v Baradene College, APC Cup Final
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Trials and Registrations
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Fixtures and Results
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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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Quiz Night Raises $4000-plus |
  The 2024 Academic Council Quiz was held in the F. W. Gamble Hall last Friday, August 16.
This year, just over $4000 was raised for the I Have A Dream Foundation, which supports children and their whanau to achieve positive educational and life outcomes.
Thirty three teams gathered for the challenge, and across eight rounds brains were tested in categories such as sport, literature and food.
At the end of the night, the teachers team, and as their team name suggests, “Reigning Champs”, were victorious, managing to beat the “Gibblets”, a team of 13GIB students into second. Third place went to the Year 12 “Freedom” team, who have the teachers in their sights for next year.
Prizes were also awarded to the 10th, 20th and second-to-last team (who received some trivia games to help them practise!) as well as the best dressed teams – 1st Place, The Wizard of Oz, 2nd Place, Willy Wonka and the Oompa Loompas – and Best Dressed Individuals – Princess Jasmine and the Fairy Warrior.
TIC MS Hobbs said, "The $4000 raised will support the local community and current and future MAGS families.
"This event would not have been possible without the incredible support of our sponsors, including Game On, Bed Bath n Beyond, Warehouse Stationery St Lukes, Manna Delights Sandringham, Taste of India Mt Eden, Donna Lim Orthodontics, Hambagu, Mt Albert Aquatic Centre, The Dance Studio, Infisure Limited, Mt Albert Bowling Club, PetProTech, Coasters from the MAGS Tech Department, Ray White Mt Albert, Daiso and VisaExperts."
You can see more photos from Quiz Night here  |
KBB Bronzes for Ensembles |
All three MAGS ensembles who competed at the KBB Music Festival last week came away with bronze medals.
The MAGS Camerata Chamber Orchestra, directed by Ms Fletcher; the MAGS Symphony Orchestra led by Ms Cooper; and the Owairaka Jazz Ensemble directed by Mr Watson, all won bronze and received great feedback from the judges.
Senior music students Catherine Chen, Jonathon You and Nora Pecher were selected to perform with the KBB Honours Orchestra, which featured talented musicians selected from competing orchestras across the Auckland region. |
Visiting Artist Photography Workshop |
 This week, MAGS was very lucky to have professional photographer and artist Spid Pye present to our Senior Photography classes and run a two-day workshop with a group of Year 13 students.
The students learned about portraiture photography and how to use natural and studio lighting in different ways to take creative portrait photos, as pictured. Spid also taught them how to best edit their photos using his own professional practice to demonstrate.
Here are some comments from the students:
Rose Leader – "It was great gaining insight into professional practice and extending my knowledge on technical skills."
Alena McGill – "It was really good learning more about Lightroom and creative camera techniques and lighting for portraiture."  |
 The Small Gallery in the Greg Taylor Building has hosted Cellular Constructs, an installation by Oli Neary for the past week.
The installation is composed of bioluminescent flora that glow under ultraviolet light, with a complementary series of texts along the wall.
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Huge Prizes in Puna Raffle
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Te Puna o Wairaka has organised an amazing raffle to help them fundraise to upgrade Kapa Haka Kākahu (outfits).
There are seven prize packs up for grabs, all worth over $1000. The prize packs have been donated and can be viewed on Instagram @tpowkakahu.
Key details:
Puna will be selling a maximum of 250 tickets for $50 each. There will be seven draws and all tickets will be eligible for each draw.
A NZ Police officer will witness the draw on August 30, 2024.
All payments need to be made to the school by August 28; that is the closing date for entry.
If you would like a ticket, please email [email protected]
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Creating Good Study Habits |
  This time of the year often means that students are completing their final internal assessments whilst looking towards preparation for external exams.
Encouraging students to manage their time well, helping them to stay physically and mentally well and supporting them in creating healthy study habits will be vital over the next few months.
Here you can access a special report and video from Dr Emma Woodward via SchoolTV, our free resource for parents.
It provides some excellent information and evidence on the importance of sleep, nutrition, exercise, hydration and positive interactions with others. Dr Woodward also gives her top five healthy study tips.
"Research suggests that one in six students experience heightened academic stress due to high workloads. Therefore we must first ensure the building blocks of wellbeing, as nothing is more important than their physical and mental health."
– Dr Emma Woodward
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  In recent years, senior students have marked the end of their schooling by signing each others’ school shirts.
Recently, Mr Cave, our archivist, came across what may be the ancestor of this tradition.
On the back page of a copy of the 1931 Albertian, a large number of students from Form 6B had signed their names and next to them most of the staff had also put their signatures.
Many of the teachers had a long association with the school and in addition they have awards attached to their names that are presented each year at prizegiving.
We have the Coldham prize for languages, the Calder History prize, the Towers prizes for Mathematics and the Wilmott cup for quality of effort, to name just a few. The form master was William Caradus, who became the school’s second Headmaster in 1946.
 V.C. (Vic) Butler was a foundation pupil of the school and also the school’s first All Black. He served overseas during World War II, rising to the rank of Major and in 1953 he was appointed as first Headmaster of Mount Roskill Grammar School.
Form 6B was known as the “lower sixth” as distinct from 6A, which was the “upper sixth”.
Only a handful of this group returned to school in 1932, partly because of the depression but also because 6A was primarily for students intending to attend university.
One who did return was J.C.N.B. Clark (fifth name from the bottom), who died in North Africa in 1942. He was wounded attempting to rescue a wounded comrade and did not recover from his wounds.
Prior to the war he had been active in drama in Auckland and he wrote poetry even while serving in the desert.
In 1945 his parents presented a cup which is still awarded annually for excellence in drama performance. |
Get Your Tickets for Teams of the Century
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 Our Teams of the Century event takes place on Friday, September 27.
Get ready for an unforgettable event! Don't miss this incredible opportunity to reconnect with classmates and reminisce.
Join us for the 100th Anniversary Celebration of the Albertians Association when our Teams of the Century will be announced.
Date: Friday, September 27
Time: 6.30pm
Location: F.W. Gamble Hall
Use this link to register and secure your spot today! Payment options available online or come in and pay at the school main reception.
We are thrilled to have renowned sports commentator and Albertian Mark Watson as our MC for the evening.
*All general enquiries to MAGS Reception – [email protected]
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Tongan Language Week (Uike Kātoanga’i ‘o e lea faka-Tonga) was rounded off with a game of Turbo Touch then a Tongan performance in Gym 2 today.
The 2024 theme for Tonga Language Week is 'E tu'uloa 'a e lea faka-Tongá 'o ka lea'aki 'i 'api, siasí (lotú), mo e nofo-'a-kāingá - The Tongan Language will be sustainable when used at home, church and in the wider community.
You can also see some Tongan Language videos created by students here  |
2025 Enrolment Applications
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In-zone Applications for 2025
To assist with planning for 2025, please submit your in-zone application as soon as possible, preferably before Friday, 30 August 2024.
Out-of-Zone Applications for 2025
It is likely Mount Albert Grammar School will be at full capacity in 2025.
Should the Mount Albert Grammar School Board of Trustees be in a position to approve any Year 9 out-of-zone enrolments, for 2025, these applications must be received before Wednesday, 4 September 2024, for a ballot on Wednesday, 11 September 2024.
All 2025 enrolments are processed online via our school website. Please click here
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 On Wednesday, the head of competitions at Auckland Schools Legal Mooting competition (ASLM), Richard Alley, and their top judge, Sarah Scott, ran a mooting workshop for the students at MAGS.
The captain for the Senior Division Mooting team at MAGS, Ryan Antia, pictured right with the pair, said, “After the success of our mooting team by remaining unbeaten in our maiden year of participating in the ASLM competition, we wanted to encourage more students to get involved in the wonderful world of mooting. Taking part in the ASLM Competition holds many benefits, from improving public speaking and negotiation skills to logical thinking. The competition provides a great opportunity for the participants to moot at the top law firms in the country.”
At the workshop, the participants learned about the key roles in prosecution and defense from Opening/Closing Barrister to Cross Examiner. Additionally, Richard also spoke at the Year 11 Headmaster's Assembly, encouraging students at MAGS to retain the Kilian & Associates Best Mooter trophy next year which was awarded this year to Ryan.
Those interested in entering the ASLM Competition next year, can join the ASLM Google Classroom at: sxyqm32 and follow @aslm.nz |
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Our Football Girls 1st XI completed a brilliant season, winning the APC Cup on Wednesday and were joined by the Girls Junior A team, who also won their APC Final.
The Girls 1st XI won the Grammar Cup earlier in the year then went on to win the Auckland league before their APC Cup victory.
The Juniors played first on Wednesday, beating Baradene 1-0, and then the 1st XI played the same school, winning 2-1 in extra time courtesy of two goals from Emily Lyon after the sides were level 0-0 at fulltime.
Girls 1st XI Coach Ms Inwood said, "For the first time in years, both of our teams won their final. It's a great result for our girls football programme and promising for our 1st XI girls heading to Nationals and also for the future of girls football here at MAGS." |
 Congratulations to Year 13 students Olivia Tattersfield and Max Jarvie, who are representing New Zealand at the U19 World Rowing Championships in St Catharine's, Canada, with Olivia racing in the quad event and Max in the eight event.
To be competitive in the sport of rowing is a success in itself, with school teams across the country training up to 14 times a week. Training includes 4.30am wake-ups, long erg (rowing machine) pieces, strength development, and cardio-based conditioning multiple times a week.
Max and Olivia started their rowing journey in Year 9, and have been developing their fitness and rowing technique through these rigorous training schedules for the last five years.
Olivia began rowing in her hometown of Whangārei and represented Huanui College before coming to MAGS in 2022. From there, Olivia improved quickly and immersed herself with the squad – quickly becoming a highly valued team member. Her success only built from there. After a bronze medal in the Girls U17 2- at the National Rowing Secondary Schools 2023, a silver medal in the Girls U18 2- and a gold medal in the Girls U17 1x at the National Rowing Secondary Schools 2024, Olivia came home with not only the pride of the MAGSROW community, but a trial for the U19 NZ team.
Max, on the other hand, started his rowing career right here at MAGS.
From the beginning, Max was considered an admirable member of the squad, earning his seat in top crews since Year 9.
After gaining a bronze medal in the Boys U17 2- at the National Rowing Secondary Schools 2023, a bronze medal in the Boys U18 4+, and a silver medal in the Boys U18 2- at the National Rowing Secondary Schools 2024, Max also secured a trial for the U19 NZ team.
After a week of trialling in Cambridge, years of hard work had culminated into a successful place for the two of them.
Both of these athletes are now competing at the highest level of international rowing for the U19 age category, which is a true testament to not only their exceptionally high-level of talent and skill, but also their dedicated, hard-working and strong mindsets which have put them in the position to wear the fern for this prestigious regatta.
Although medals and success may stand out to the majority, it is also integral to appreciate these two athletes as role models. Both share the characteristic of achieving high but also being exceptional leaders, both enhancing the culture of their individual squads and demonstrating integrity through ever training.
They have a big love and passion for the sport. We extend our congratulations to Max Jarvie and Olivia Tattersfield for their accomplishments and wish them all the best for racing during the next few days.
– by team-mate Lily Curnow
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Netball Premiers Claim Club Title |
  Our Netbals Girls Premiers, pictured above, won the Senior A club final 60-56 last Saturday against a very tough and experienced TSC club team.
It was another come-from-behind-win in the last five minutes to take the game.
The last time MAGS won the Senior A Championship Rose Bowl was in 2007, when Te Aroha Keenan coached the team to success.
Our Premier 2 team, pictured right, won their semifinal this week against a very strong, fit, fast and structured St Cuthberts.
Director of Netball Kathy Henry said, "It was a great and competitive semifinal game from all our girls who have backed each other, never gave up and attributed the win to their captain, Year 13 Kiara Waka, who is out for the rest of the season with a fractured wrist."
Tomorrow, at 9.30am, the Premiers play Westlake Girls for fifth place, while at 11.30am the Premier 2 team play Howick Premier 2 in their final. |
 The 2024 School League wrapped up with a thrilling day of finals last Sunday in Henderson, where 24 schools competed fiercely for the championship titles.
In an electrifying turn of events, both the boys' and girls' finals featured all-MAGS showdowns. The MAGS boys, who were seeded 3rd and 4th after the initial seeding rounds, both pulled off narrow 15-13 victories over their higher-seeded Kristin School opponents in the semi-finals.
In the boys' final, Nico Meyer, showcasing his experience, secured a solid 15-11 victory against his schoolmate Thomas Pham.
For the second year in a row, Thomas earned the silver medal. Both Nico and Thomas faced intense challenges earlier in the day, each prevailing in nail-biting one-hit victories. Nico edged out the national U15 Champion 9-8 in his semi-final, while Thomas clinched a 15-14 win in the last 16 round.
Not to be outdone, the MAGS girls delivered a spectacular performance as well. Emi Mason claimed the gold after defeating her fellow Commonwealth team-mate Shubhi Roy.
Shubhi showed great resilience, battling through the knockout stages against a trio of competitors from St Cuthbert's.
With time running out in her semi-final against her higher seeded opponent and NZ U17 Champion, Shubhi dispatched the last St Cuthbert opponent to win by a single hit in a nail-biting match.
Emi, who entered the knockout stage as the top seed, demonstrated her dominance throughout the day, finishing undefeated with a commanding display against all opponents.
Coach Kyle Macdonald said, "Special recognition goes to coach Matthew Valkenburg, a former MAGS student, for his invaluable coaching and guidance."
He added, "This event was a fantastic warm-up for the MAGS fencers as they prepare for the upcoming NZ Secondary School Nationals. MAGS will be hosting this event for the second time ever, at the end of Tournament Week." |
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 The final round of this year’s Auckland College Climbing Series was held at Boulder Co., the home bouldering gym for MAGS' core squad members.
In the junior division, novice Brennan Scouller continued to improve his skills by completing a set of 2 grade walls, whilst Thomas Roberts again broke his personal best with a score of 25, which gave him 16th place. For our top performer, Ronin Ng, it was an anxious wait to see if his score of 28 would be good enough for the final, and while he was disappointed when he missed the cut off on countback, it bodes well for his appearance at the Schools National Tournament at the Mount during tournament week.
In the senior division, Anna Swan again turned in a solid performance with her score of 25 being just two points short of a finals placing and Riley Hobbs, our top scorer with 32, again finished as the highest placed Year 11 student in the senior boys grade just six points short of some of Aotearoa’s top young climbers.
This was the biggest ever competition with nearly 300 students taking part, including 100 senior boys, and with results across all four rounds tallied the final season placings were also announced.
In the Junior Boys grade, Brennan has enjoyed his first season and finished a respectable 51st which he can improve upon next year, Thomas was 18th and Ronin 12th. Both are ready for their step up to seniors next year.
Anna finished 19th in the Senior Girls division and whilst Riley just missed out on a place in the top 20 in the Senior Boys grade, his efforts were acknowledged when he was announced as runner-up for Most Improved Senior Climber, an award he also won last year as a junior. His next challenge will be the Aotearoa Bouldering Nationals in October.
The whole squad is also looking forward to cheering on coach Mr Hemera when he represents New Zealand at the World Obstacle Championships later this month.
The climbers are keen to welcome more novice students to their ranks – if you have been watching the Olympics and think you would like to have a go at climbing, students practise on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the school wall.
If you would like more information, please contact Mr Hemera [email protected] |
 Today, the Football Boys 1st XI play Westlake Boys at North Harbour at 6.00pm.
Tomorrow, the Netball Premiers have a fifth/sixth playoff against Westlake Girls at 9.30am at Auckland Netball.
On Wednesday, the Hockey Boys face Mount Roskill in a 3rd/4th playoff. Time and venue to be confirmed.
On Thursday, the Hockey Girls are up against Rangitoto in a 7th/8th playoff. Time and Venue to be confirmed.
For updated fixtures and results, click here
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