AUGUST 2020
Twenty Years
OF GIRLS AT MAGS REFLECTIONS ON A NEW ERA
SCHOLARS ASSEMBLY
Two Outstanding Scholars recognised
SENIOR LEADERSHIP CELEBRATION
New team takes the helm
IN MEMORIAM
Albertian Sir Peter Snell
Mount Albert Grammar School Alberton Avenue Mount Albert Auckland 1025 Ph 09 846 2044 www.mags.school.nz The Lion is the official magazine of Mount Albert Grammar School
12-13
Editorial and advertising inquiries to editor Graham Hepburn communications@mags.school.nz ph 09 846 2044, x 8236 Cover photo: Foundation Girl and Albertians Association Vice President Lisa Oakden is pictured with (from left) Head Girl Megan Williams (Year 13), Olivia Bennett (Y10), Breanna Waka (Y12), Jonelle Puletiuatoa (Y9) and Nishera Gnanendra (Y11). The group photo is in front of E Block, which was where girls were taught in 2000. Photo: Martin Sykes
21
Designed & printed by ICG
23 2
MOUNT ALBERT GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Contents 4-5
21
31
6-14
22-25
32-34
15-20
26-30
35
From the Headmaster School News Academic News
Community Performing Arts Sport
MAGS Foundation Corridors – Albertian News Key Dates
29 THE LION
3
The Foundation Girls of MAGS have their formal photo taken in front of the main building on February 10, 2000.
Albertians and current teachers at MAGS, from left, Claudia Goff (PE and Health) 2007-2011, Andrea Rieve (English) 2008-2011, Chris D’Souza (Science) 2007 – 2011.
Women’s rugby star Portia Woodman was named 2018 Albertian of the Year, the first female to receive that accolade.
October 15, 2014 was an historic day for Mount Albert Grammar School, when former Silver Fern Maria Folau became our first former girl student inducted into the Hall of Distinction.
4
MOUNT ALBERT GRAMMAR SCHOOL
FROM THE HEADMASTER
The Young
Women OF MAGS!
Welcome to the first edition of The Lion for 2020 – a year in which we celebrate 20 years of girls at Mount Albert Grammar School. From those 125 Year 9 students who first ventured onto our school grounds at the turn of the millennium, we have grown to a community that now welcomes almost 1400 girls through our gates each day. Our front cover shows current students alongside Albertian Lisa Oakden. Lisa was one of our first-day students and currently sits on the MAGS Board of Trustees as a representative of the Albertians’ Association. The pages that follow contain reflections from Lisa and other significant people who were part of that early journey with our girls. I am grateful both for their work in laying the original foundations for our girls along with their written contributions to this publication. The success of MAGS girls during this time has been phenomenal. Our young women shine through in every pillar of our school. Academic excellence has been complemented by the outstanding record in the sporting arena, artistic pursuits and in the service of others. Our girls have certainly taken MAGS to a position of preeminence as a coeducational school. As we reflect on the past 20 years, the word that comes to the fore is ‘courage’. The courage of the Headmaster at the time, Greg Taylor, and the Board of Trustees to lead a departure from a 78-year legacy of boys-only education in the Grammar tradition. And then there was the courage of those first girls (and their parents) who were prepared to walk into an ‘all-boys’ environment to establish a new chapter in the history of our school – laying a path for the thousands of girls who would follow. But, as has been pointed out to me, there was never really a wish to truly depart from our Grammar traditions. Rather, our girls and their parents expressed a distinct desire to become part of those traditions – one in which excellence remained a primary goal – one to be achieved through hard work and challenge – Per Angusta Ad Augusta! Across the past two decades, the response from our MAGS community has been one of affirmation and support. The school has never looked back! Sons and daughters have been able to enjoy the MAGS experience. Historical family associations with MAGS have
been further strengthened through the attendance of daughters, grand-daughters and great-grand-daughters of former students – all now able to stand alongside their male siblings proudly wearing the Lion Rampant! As we move towards our 100th year as a school, we can take great pride in where we have come to as a provider of co-educational learning. Opportunities continue to abound for our MAGS girls – just as they do for our MAGS boys. The integration of girls and boys at MAGS has lifted the whole student community to unparalleled levels of excellence. In a most uncertain year, it has been wonderful to witness the certainty MAGS now provides for our girls and their families. It is a success story we will continue to write into the future! Patrick Drumm
Girls attend class on their first day of school at MAGS on February 2, 2000.
THE LION
5
GREG TAYLOR
HEADMASTER 1988-2006 Girls at Mount Albert Grammar School: unthinkable when I was there as a student in the 1960s and certainly not on the radar when I was appointed as Headmaster in 1988. Yet now when I am asked about the most significant decision made during my time at Mount Albert Grammar, “the admission of young women to the school in 2000” must be the reply. Following on from a request by the Ministry of Education, as part of an Educational Development Initiative, to consider a coeducational secondary school in central Auckland, the Board of Trustees undertook a thorough round of research and consultation with all interested parties. Once the concept of separate boys’ and girls’ schools on the same site, allowing for combined classes where appropriate, had been developed, there was a remarkable consensus of opinion for change. For me, the most impressive outcome of the consultation was the number of girls who asserted that they wished to be part of the Mount Albert Grammar School ethos and tradition as it was. Change was naturally unavoidable and it manifested itself in a myriad of ways, from the higher pitch of student voices in the corridors to the ways in which some girls challenged the boys academically, others challenged them in their level of participation in sport, and some even challenged them in both. And there was a subtle, very important change: the macho edge of the School was slowly softened to create a gentler, more compassionate environment, so that now people speak fondly of the MAGS family. It was a delight to see young men and women mixing naturally in formal and informal settings. Looking back after 20 years, I have no doubt that the experiment, if indeed it was an experiment, proved a resounding success.
Girls perform with the Kapa Haka group in 2000.
6
MOUNT ALBERT GRAMMAR SCHOOL
In 1999, Minister of Education Nick Smith, BoT Chair Peter Thorp and Headmaster Greg Taylor gathered on the front steps with the letter from Mr Smith confirming that from 2000 Mount Albert Grammar School would become a co-educational school.
PETER THORP
THEN BOT CHAIR AND PRESENT MAGS FOUNDATION CHAIR As Board Chairperson at the time, I remember well the immediate impact of the arrival of the first girls at MAGS. The boys took them in as part of their MAGS family. They relished their early sporting success, particularly at netball. The tone of the School seemed to improve tangibly. The change to 78 years of boys-only heritage was as seamless as it was successful thanks to the skill of our excellent senior management, led by Greg Taylor as Headmaster, and thanks to the support of the whole MAGS community. The idea was a good one. Born of a long-identified demand for more schooling opportunities for girls in the Auckland Isthmus, and of the expressed wish of interested girls to preserve and be part of the heritage of MAGS, it was also the product of extensive investigation by Greg Taylor both here and overseas. He identified three options. Two were obvious – either to remain single-sex or become co-educational – but the third was not. That was to build a girls’ school alongside the boys’ school by successive Year 9 intakes and run the schools together or apart as was appropriate according to age or curriculum. Designed to achieve the best of both of the first options, and to preserve the MAGS heritage in which the girls were keen to participate, the merit of the idea was obvious from the whiteboard analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of each option undertaken at the Board meeting convened for the purpose. The decision made was neither controversial nor difficult. It was as obvious to the Board as no doubt it was to the wider MAGS community in providing its support. On behalf of the Board of the time, I am pleased to mark the milestone of 20 years since that decision by recording its gratitude for the successful implementation of this unique initiative by those who have been responsible since for the success story for both boys and girls that is the MAGS we all know and admire today.
TWENTY YEARS OF GIRLS
Lisa Oakden (centre) in the Cross Country in 2000.
End-of-year prizegiving in 2000.
LISA OAKDEN
FOUNDATION GIRL IN 2000 AND NOW ALBERTIANS ASSOCIATION VICE PRESIDENT Being one of the first girls to attend a school with so much history felt like something really special and gave us a lot of unique opportunities. I remember all of us girls on the front steps of the main building of the school for a photo and hoping that I wouldn’t trip over on my way up to the stage to shake hands with then Prime Minister Helen Clark to receive a badge commemorating girls attending the school. Exciting changes came to MAGS when girls arrived – I don’t think that drama was on the curriculum until we attended. I had so much fun performing in the production of Romeo and Juliet and loved how so many students came together for the Smokefree Stage Challenge competition. I will always cherish these memories and the connections I made. Change is never without its challenges, but looking back I think this built a lot of resilience and fortitude in MAGS girls, and I feel a lot of pride for what I and my school friends have accomplished. Coming back to the school now as an Albertian representative, it seems like the girls have always been there. It has been a hugely rewarding experience seeing MAGS evolve over the last 20 years.
The School Swimming Championships on February 15, 2000.
Lisa Oakden’s Form Class in 2000. Lisa is in the front row, second from left.
THE LION
7
YVETTE WILLIAMS
DIRECTOR OF GIRLS 2001 I started at Mount Albert Grammar as the second Director of Girls in April 2001. It was the second year of girls, with over 200 in years 9 and 10. We also had a few girls scattered in the senior years. I admired the fact that these girls had the confidence to come into a male-dominated environment. They were certainly in the minority and this showed in all aspects throughout the school. When the girls’ school, Mount Albert Grammar School for Girls, was established in 2000, the girls were housed in the newly built E Block. All classes were scheduled in this area, with movements limited around the wider campus. As our numbers expanded and the need for specialist rooms arose, we branched out of this space and were allowed to move around the full school campus. Of course, this bought new challenges and opportunities for the girls, not all of them positive. Mixing just over 200 girls with over 1000 boys had its challenges, as you could imagine and this was an area that we had to continually work on. One of the ideologies of the Girls’ School was that classes would be single sex. This was manageable for the larger core classes, but wasn’t feasible for small option courses. In order for the girls to have available the full spectrum of courses, we made the decision to have single sex classes where possible and allow co-ed classes to operate if need be. This saw co-ed classes happening
primarily in the option courses, particularly languages, music and technology. This freed up choice, further movement around the school and flexibility in timetables. The notion of a Girls’ School was starting to fade, a broader, firmer co-ed based new Mount Albert Grammar was beginning to unfold. Having been a boys’ school for so long, it was not surprising to learn that staff had very little idea of how to differentiate their teaching from what they had been doing for boys for so long. The single-sex classes enabled us to start unpacking pedagogy, look at what needed to happen within each classroom and redefine the learning for the group of students in front of them. Working with teachers to move their practice was a giant step forward, not only for teaching and learning, but also behavioural matters around the school. Girls, too, needed structure, expectations, stimulating lessons and boundaries to work within. Any school has its challenges with setting standards and maintaining these. We were no different. However, what we had in our favour was a group of girls who wanted to be at MAGS, they wanted to make their mark, do their best and participate fully in all aspects of the school. Over the course of my time as Director of Girls, we reshaped the pastoral care system. Deans working for and with the girls were firmly in place. We held separate girls’ assemblies to cater for their needs and address their concerns. These were of great importance in those early years, to help establish a sense of place, ownership and connection for us all. We trialled and then implemented
the initial points system to help monitor and track pastoral care. We established a base-line for expectations, behavioural and academic. We established the MAGS Way, bringing together fundamental beliefs and values to then build connections, ownership and pride in the school upon these. They were the foundation stones to change behaviour across the school. Many of these systems and procedures established collectively with staff still remain within the fundamentals of the school structure today. It is fair to say that the Foundation Girls definitely made their mark at MAGS. They were pioneers, they forged the way for girls who would follow. They tested, challenged and helped carve out the bases of what is still fundamentally in place at MAGS today; a school where students can be their true self, they can explore new areas and grow to do their very best, with the support of the wider school and encompassing the MAGS Way.
SIMONE CONNELL
FIRST DEAN OF GIRLS 2000, CURRENT SPECIALIST CLASSROOM TEACHER It is perhaps easy to underestimate from the distance of 20 years what an enormous amount of courage and an incredible leap of faith parents took in sending their girls along to MAGS on that first summer’s morning. The nervous excitement that almost always accompanies the first day of school as a Year 9 student was compounded by being the first ever female students to find a place in a school with a very long and very proud boys-only tradition. The energy they would bring to their five years at MAGS was palpable in the hall on the first morning as they awaited to be assigned to their first form class. They were proud to wear the Lion on their chest and they were eager to get on with becoming Albertians. Although it was no doubt incredibly daunting to be surrounded by 1100 boys, the girls rarely showed any nervousness or doubt about their place at MAGS. They hit the ground running and began to make what was to become a rich contribution to MAGS’ history. Their confidence saw them become fully immersed in all that MAGS had to offer across the board, and enterprising in demanding even more in sports, in arts and the curriculum. Their naïve confidence and their parents’ faith, I hope, was rewarded and reflected in the legacy these pioneering girls left behind. 8
MOUNT ALBERT GRAMMAR SCHOOL
DIRECTOR OF GIRLS FROM 2003 AND NETBALL ACADEMY DIRECTOR I started at Mount Albert Grammar School in October 2003 as the Director of Girls from Auckland Girls Grammar School. At the time, girls had been at the school from 2000 and that first cohort had reached Year 12. They were a strong group of girls that wanted to be recognised for what they had achieved in a school that had traditionally been an all boys school As the new Director, I wanted to raise the profile of girls and tasks included: • Looking at upgrading the girls uniform and sports gear to a smarter, more professional look. • Sandals that were not worn properly were
NATASHA PHYN
NEW TEACHER IN 2000 AND CURRENTLY HOD JUNIOR SOCIAL STUDIES I remember starting at MAGS in the year 2000. I was new to teaching, the school had a new E Block, and a 78-year tradition of having a boys grammar school had been broken, starting with four classes of Year 9 girls. It was an honour to be able to work at a school that had a unique approach to schooling in the 21st Century. This involved having the girls taught in a separate block and classes – it was exciting and innovative times. The girls seemed like little fish in a big blue sea. I even felt this way
Football and Netball - and had to make a decision between the two. Thankfully they choose Netball and we travelled for the first time to Timaru and NZSS. We upset teams at this tournament and finished the year fourth in NZ. We remained at this tournament for 16 years, winning six years and being in numerous finals, had many Auckland Championships and NZSS players – with Maria Tutaia our first Silver Fern. Many things changed over my time at Mount Albert Grammar from my first observations in 2003. The gender balance has improved but the profile of girls is much higher as they strive to make the most of their opportunities at this great school. The uniform is worn with pride and the traditions that are very much a part of the school continue to this day. Academics go hand in hand with sport, performing arts and culture. Mount Albert Grammar School will always hold a special place in my heart because of the amazing staff and students I had the pleasure of being involved with for a total of 13 years.
TWENTY YEARS OF GIRLS
TE AROHA KEENAN
confiscated in black rubbish bags and not returned. It was amazing how fast this improved how girls wore their sandals. • MAGS was one of the few schools where Academies for Football, Rugby and Netball had been set up and I was tasked with improving our netball teams. I saw it as an opportunity to raise the profile of girls through Netball but eventually through all sport. I was fortunate enough to secure an opportunity for Maria Tutaia (now Folau) to attend MAGS and 2004 became a momentous year where we attended grading at Auckland Netball to play in the Premier Secondary Grade 2004. If successful we would have moved up three grades. Players such as Melanie Wooders, Lavinia Vaitohi and Casey Boxall joined the Premier team that year with Maria. We secured a place in the Premier Grade and finished the season runners-up to AGGS. We then entered the Upper North Island Tournament petitioning to go into the A grade based on the calibre of players in our team. Once again successful, we played in the top grade and finished fourth, securing a spot to play at NZSS Tournament in Timaru. Many of our players played two sports -
as a new teacher so could only imagine what they must have felt. However, they managed to make an impression. They were bold and brave and wanted to make their mark in the history of the school as the Foundation Girls. They started well with sport and we had some great success with netball in the early years. Our very own Bernice Mene came to teach at MAGS in my second year and, while she was busy with her own netball, she made it to the Windmill Road Courts for some games and this boosted the morale of the girls no end. I have had the pleasure of running into many MAGS girls over the past 20 years – too many to mention. It has been a privilege to hear their journey and how many of them have given back to the community.
Natasha Phyn (purple top) at a staff function in 2000.
THE LION
9
Headmaster Patrick Drumm is flanked by Head Boy Eric Shen and Head Girl Megan Williams. Behind them are Deputy Head Prefects (from left) Finn Helm, Adithya Ashok, Ronette Va’ai, Niua Pomare-Khanna, Tayla Bamber and Bethany Fletcher.
Senior Leadership Assembly At the Senior Leadership Assembly on February 14, the school’s Prefects, Arts Leaders, Cultural Leaders and Sports Captains for 2020 were recognised and presented with badges. One hundred and fourteen leaders from across the school were recognised and challenged to bring out the best in their peers. Last year’s Head Boy Germain Hellriegel-White and Head Girl Takunda Muzondiwa handed over the korowai (donated by the Gallagher family) to new Head Boy Eric Shen and Head Girl Megan Williams.
They will be backed up by a team of six deputies: Deputy Head Girls Tayla Bamber, Bethany Fletcher and Ronette Va’ai; and Deputy Head Boys Adithya Ashok, Finn Helm and Niua Pomare-Khanna.
Te Puna o Wairaka students perform a haka for Tayla Bamber and Niua Pomare-Khanna.
10
MOUNT ALBERT GRAMMAR SCHOOL
SCHOOL NEWS New Head Boy Eric Shen and Head Girl Megan Williams wear the korowai donated by the Gallagher family.
The 2020 Prefects.
The 2020 Arts Leaders.
THE LION
11
Scholars
ASSEMBLY Many of MAGS’ top scholars returned to school on February 17 to be recognised at the annual Scholars Assembly.
Mr Drumm with Outstanding Scholar Adam Bateman, who gained six Scholarships.
Thomas Brendolise was the top scholar in French nationwide and named an Outstanding Scholar.
12
MOUNT ALBERT GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Thomas Brendolise, who had the top mark in French nationwide, and Adam Bateman were both recognised as Outstanding Scholars following the 2019 NZ Scholarship exams. To be an Outstanding Scholar, students must achieve three Scholarships including at least two at Outstanding (O) level, or more than three Scholarships including at least one at Outstanding level in the same year to qualify for consideration. There were 58 winners of this award nationally in 2019 and these students gain $5000 per year for three years. Adam, last year’s Boys Dux, gained six Scholarships – in English, Biology (Outstanding), Chemistry, Physics, Statistics and Calculus; while Thomas had two Outstandings among his three Scholarships in English, French (O) and Biology (O). As a Top Subject Scholar, Thomas receives $2000 a year for three years towards tertiary studies.
Their names will be inscribed on the Honours Board along with the following students with three or more Scholarships: Jamila Chen – English, Biology, Calculus; Mitchell Shaw-Lewis – Physics, Statistics, Calculus (O); Tara Falconer – English, Design, Photography; Alexander Pullen – Physics, Earth & Space Science, Statistics and Calculus; Head Boy Eric Shen – English, Statistics, Technology (O); Stephen Stuart – Biology, Earth & Space Science, Statistics; Eva Williams – Dance, History, Health and Physical Education; and Vaibhav Nayyar – English, Statistics, Health and Physical Education. Jamila Chen followed in the footsteps of her sister Jessica to become the recipient of the June Gray Charitable Trust Tertiary Education Scholarship (worth $3000 per year for three years), which was presented to her by June Gray Trustee Noeleen Taylor.
SCHOOL NEWS Mathematics teacher Michael Walden with his students Vaibhav Nayyar, Alex Pullen and Eric Shen.
Tuiaki ‘Otulau and Lovely Pulotu were awarded Scholar Lion badges.
June Gray Scholarship recipient Jamila Chen, at centre, is pictured with June Gray Trustee Noeleen Taylor and Mr Drumm.
THE LION
13
JUNIOR SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVES At Assemblies in early March, Junior School representatives were announced and introduced to their peers. Junior Year Level representatives were named along with Environment Leaders, Class Representatives and Interform Competition Captains.
Year 9 Level Representatives (from left) Jonelle Puletiuatoa, Ryan Antia, Rosa Fox and Eved Ah Soon, with Junior School Deputy Principals Tom Murdoch and Sarah Hayes.
NEW STAFF During the Full Staff Administration Day at UNITEC on January 23, new staff introduced themselves to their peers as the School readied itself for the coming year.
Year 10 Level Representatives (from left) Louis Uri, Annalisse Petersen, Olivia Bennett and Jason Jacob, with Miss Hayes and Mr Murdoch.
Earlier in the day all staff were welcomed with a powhiri at the campus’s Te Noho Kotahitanga Marae, and took part in a Maori Movement class that addressed mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing across those three areas. This year there is also a focus on staff building connections and relationships with students, and inspiring them to pursue excellence and achieve their personal best.
New teaching staff pictured, from left to right, are, in the back row: Joshua Grace, Teacher Dance/Health; Robert Harrison, Teacher English; Neil Watson, Teacher Music; Alex Brown, Teacher Social Sciences/History. Third row: Nick Thomas Teacher Science/Physics; Jennah Collins, Teacher English; Jack Daly, Teacher Technology; Andrea Rodgers, Teacher Mathematics; James Naylor, Teacher Mathematics. Second row: Greg Stevens, HOD Classics; Blair Gilbert, HOF Commerce; Jessica Papesch, Teacher English; Nikita Kolose, Teacher PE & Health; Matthew Holder, Teacher Science/Physics. Front row: Samantha Dugdale, Teacher Science/Biology; Elise Carrel, Teacher Social Sciences; Libby Thomson, Teacher French; Hannah Cleverley, Teacher PE & Health. Absent: Eric Gruenewald, Teacher Social Sciences/ Geography; Danni Cole, Teacher English; Maika Hemara, Teacher PE & Health; Prabhleen Buxi, Teacher Food & Hospitality.
SCHOOL HOUSE
PREFECTS
At Assembly on March 13, the School House Prefects for 2020 were announced and congratulated on their roles. Pictured with Director of School House Daryl Cartwright are, at front, School House Head Prefect Quinton Nichols – flanked by his Deputy Prefects Ronan Guthrie-Hoven (left) and Theo Coker-Grey. Second row, from left, Ryutaro Yamagiwa, O’Deniel Tu’itupou-Arnold, Oliver Ingram, Christian Sosene, Woody Sabanhdit. Back row, from left, Taonga Stanish-Murphy, Jet Young, Dakota Stephens.
14
MOUNT ALBERT GRAMMAR SCHOOL
ACADEMIC NEWS
COMMERCE Forty three of our Year 11 Business Studies students took part in a threeday “Business Challenge” supported by Young Enterprise that concluded at the end of February. In this intensive learning environment our students were ask to design, in groups, a new product for market and present their plan on how they would produce, market and finance this product to a panel of six external judges who all had significant experience in business. Congratulations to e-fast for their idea on revolutionising running shoes.
With the help of staff, Year 11 Business Studies students undertook a three-day Business Challenge reviewed by a panel of six judges.
Year 10 Business students (pictured from left) Keira Mulgrew, Jaiden Patel and Amelia Laing won $500 in Money Jam.
You don’t have to be so sensitive!
HoF Commerce Blair Gilbert said, “All students thoroughly enjoyed the three-day experience and there was a significant amount of practical learning achieved. Special thanks go to Mr Avis for organising and helping out with this activity – without his support the event wouldn’t be possible.” In May, Year 10 Business students Keira Mulgrew, Jaiden Patel and Amelia Laing won $500 in Money Jam, an interactive contest designed to change how young New Zealanders think about managing their money. Teacher Steven Avis enrolled his class in the competition – run by government-funded agency Sorted in Schools – after seeing a sign advertising it outside MAGS. The trio picked up a $500 spot prize for their entry about making budget meals. The money will go into Business student resources.
gentle dentistry FOR YOUR WHOLE FAMILY
FREE DENTAL CARE FOR ADOLESCENCE
call us
09 6208066 • 377 Mt Albert Road or book online: thompsondental.co.nz/book-a-dentist-online
THE LION
15
Languages During the summer holidays, 24 pupils and three teachers left for five weeks in France. HOD Languages Helen Selaries said, “The kids loved it despite constant problems from the continuing serious strikes which mostly affected Paris and created changes to our programme. “The strikes meant we walked around Paris and averaged about 10km daily. Luckily our sister school Sainte-Croix de Neuilly is on the Number 1 Line, which is totally automated and therefore continued to run. We were able to get into the city centre and then walked to our destinations. The furthest was from the Place de la Concorde right up to Montmartre, on the only really rainy day. “After two weeks of school and visits, we all set off on two weeks holiday. The kids were, of course, with their host families and many of them went skiing in Mégève, into Spain, Italy and even to England. The best line was, “Guess what, I went to sleep in the car and woke up in Belgium!” We teachers headed off to visit friends and relatives but not without a huge hassle having to keep changing railway tickets because many trains were cancelled. Then to get to the train stations was a nightmare, with all taxis either stuck in traffic and uber drivers simply refusing to arrive, as getting cars anywhere was so difficult. “Then our last week loomed and we all met at the school to catch our coach to Tours. We had to cancel all train bookings because of the unreliability of the trains and indeed our first train trip was cancelled so we wouldn’t have got out of the city as a big group. The first bus trip was only three hours but both subsequent trips took 10 hours each and that was travelling practically non-stop on the motorway. These trips were exhausting and the final assault on our tired but happy kids was a stomach bug! “However, the kids were an absolute credit to their parents and school. They all just got on with it and were focussed on getting home and not jeopardising our ability to catch those planes home. “So to say it was an eventful trip is a slight understatement but the group was amazing in their positive attitude, their managing of tiring walks and bus rides, their forbearance of the unwelcome illness without ever complaining and their total enjoyment of all they did and saw.” The participants were: Year 13 2020: Max Simes-Foster, Alejandro Hernandez-Garzon, Bailey Bennett, Stella Buckland, Sarah Currie, Aimee Brough, Imogen Rudd, Niamh Brittenden, Hayley Gyde, Jessica Roscherr, Marissa Bhikharidas, Rose Young, Eloise Muir. Year 12 2020: Jack Eggleston, Cole Hickey, Olive Amanono, Maddie Kucija, Lilian McCann, Imogen King, Ella Vuetilovoni, Ruby Wilson, Abby Treloar, Holly Appleby, Sarah Samadian.
16
MOUNT ALBERT GRAMMAR SCHOOL
YEAR 11 LION NEW ZEALAND
In December 2019, 24 Year 11 Outdoor Education students were lucky enough to be given the opportunity to climb aboard the Lion New Zealand yacht and sail around the Hauraki Gulf for four days. This was a change from the usual Steinlager2 boat, which was out of the water due to maintenance. The four crew members during this trip were awesome. They welcomed students and staff on board and began to share their valuable and vast knowledge of sailing, Sir Peter Blake and the rich sailing history in New Zealand. During their time away, each student was able to heavily extend their knowledge of sailing, by observing and by getting very involved with the yacht. Helping with the sails, taking turns on the grinders and even helming and navigating.
ACADEMIC NEWS
OUTDOOR EDUCATION
YEAR 13 WHANGANUI RIVER JOURNEY In March, the Year 13 Outdoor Education class travelled south to canoe the Whanganui River. This trip provided students with a real life event to focus on safety management issues and strategies. Within this unit, each student was required to complete a Risk Assessment and Management Strategies (RAMS) form from which they could monitor their identified risks while on the trip and implement the strategies that they had devised. With very little rainfall, the river was low but clear. The students enjoyed the extra responsibility of organising everything including the timings, their equipment and their menu.
YEAR 10 STREAM PLANTING In late May, the Year 10 Outdoor Education classes planted trees on the ASB MAGS Farm in a cross-curricular lesson as part of their Environmental Care unit. The area along the stream is being revegetated with native plants as part of an ongoing effort to clean up the waterway and boost its biodiversity.
YEAR 11 MOUNTAINBIKING In early June, Year 11 Outdoor Education students went mountainbiking at Woodhill Mountain Bike Park. Students were able to develop an understanding of how the body functions, specific to mountain biking, to assist them with their upcoming biomechanics assessment and identify safe behaviours in an outdoor environment. Over three days, the students were able to ride on various beginner and intermediate tracks with some groups riding 19km in total. At the end, the students headed back to the carpark with red faces, sore legs and a few bruises but big smiles on their faces. THE LION
17
THE GIRLS To celebrate 20 years of Girls at MAGS, females
18
MOUNT ALBERT GRAMMAR SCHOOL
OF MAGS from all year levels gathered in the Caradus Quad.
THE LION
19
PASIFIKA INITIATIVES At the first Pasifika Assembly of the year on February 14, students were introduced to the Pasifika Prefects for 2020. The guest speaker at the assembly was actor and comedian Tofiga Fepulea’i, one of The Laughing Samoans. He had the audience in stitches of laughter as he told stories and cracked jokes about his Samoan heritage, his parents and his school days. But he also had a serious message to students about believing in themselves, surrounding themselves with good friends and making the most of their school days and the teachers who were there to help them. He said he was a beneficiary of his parents’ enormous faith, passion and willpower – qualities that Pasifika students should draw upon to make their mark in the world. Because of COVID-19 Alert Level 2 restrictions, vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa/Samoan Language Week was a quieter affair this year. Throughout the week, in late May, students were encouraged to use Samoan greetings and phrases. May 29 was Cultural Dress Day and brought lots of colour to the school.
20
MOUNT ALBERT GRAMMAR SCHOOL
The Pasifika Prefects are, boys, from left: Sila Esekielu, Tuiaki ‘Otulau, Iosefa Ulugia-Pua, Sataan Tawera and Quinton Nichols. Girls, from left, are: Ronette Va’ai, Milan Stevenson , Kailah Johnson, Ruby Maoate and Latonya Lole.
COMMUNITY
Relay for
LIFE MUFTI DAY
Mufti Day on March 6 raised $3934 towards Relay for Life, which was postponed because of the COVID-19 lockdown and is now expected to take place on October 17, at Bruce Pulman Park, Takanini. By publication time, the MAGS team had raised about $62,000, and is aiming to raise more than $100,000 – and maintain its status as the top fundraising school for the charity. All the money raised goes to the Cancer Society, which provides free nursing, psychology, accommodation, transport and other key services to people in our community affected by cancer.
Photos: Isla Thompson
Duke of Edinburgh Award In early February, seven Year 13 girls flew down to Nelson to begin their four-day Duke of Edinburgh Gold journey through the Nelson Lakes region. Duke of Ed Coordinator Andy Belson said the group had planned the trip in December and were determined to make it happen. They booked flights, accommodation, huts, shuttles and the routes to be walked, making it a first trip to the Lakes for Caitlin Mitchell, Claudia Woods, Jydee Leonard, Ayleigh Loomes, Norah Anderson, Eleanor Cullen and Mackenzie Brabant. Mr Belson said, “After arriving and spending the night in a not-so-luxurious backpackers, we set off for St Arnaud to begin the journey. A good walk into Speargrass Hut in fine weather was a good start. The following day was again fine and we climbed the Speargrass Track to Mt Angelus Hut for amazing views at the top. The weather changed in the afternoon but this did not stop a swim in the freezing Angelus Lake! The third day was a long, steep downhill on the Cascade Track, ending at Coldwater Hut on Lake Rotoiti. The final day saw the group walk out along the Lakehead Track to St Arnaud. “They were well-prepared, organised, showed good leadership and a had a great sense of humour, especially when beating me constantly at cards! They have worked hard to complete this section and now will carry on to complete the rest of this prestigious award. The girls were an absolute credit to the school and to themselves and I would like to thank them for organising this awesome journey.”
THE LION
21
Arts Challenge The winners of the first MAGS Art Challenge were announced in June, with Dasha Leonhartsberger winning her year level (Year 12) and being named overall winner for her work (pictured). Director Arts Co-curricular Jacqui Cesan said, “The theme was colour, and we had some amazing entries across all Arts strands. “All entrants were presented with a certificate acknowledging their contribution to the Arts, and winners were presented with their prizes at formal assembly.” The other year level winners were: Year 9 – Cindy Zhou for her video; Year 10 – Jacob Cameron for his video; Year 11 – Maddy Walker, Lucy Taylor, Ella Sutton and Sofija Milic for their video; Year 13 – Norah Anderson for her poem.
THE ELECTION Towards the end of March, before the nation prepared to go into lockdown, Level 2 Drama students performed a full dress rehearsal of The Election, a satirical political comedy about the state of democracy set during an American high school student election. Two different casts performed without an audience but were filmed for assessment.
22
MOUNT ALBERT GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Photos by: Chloe Innes and Ruby Twist
PERFORMING ARTS
SHEILAH
WINN
Shakespeare Festival
MAGS’ Drama students have enjoyed great success in the Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival with three submissions that were filmed rather than performed live due to the lockdown. HoD Drama Gerald Urquhart said, “Despite the disruption and challenges, the students performed well and came together as a group. This was in large part due to the leadership from the directors and student leaders Ruby Taylor Sinclair and Cade Stevens. We also had two assistant directors – Yasmin Lakeman and Rose Leader.” At the Auckland Central round of the festival, Lara Chou was given direct entry into the National Shakespeare Schools Production holiday workshop for her portrayal of Lady MacBeth in a scene directed by Ophelia Sykes and Sarah Norman. David Laxon’s interpretation of Romeo and Juliet was accepted into the National Festival. David was also recognised for Most Original Concept. He reinterpreted the classic tale of forbidden love with gender being the primary reason the young lovers are kept apart. Year 9 student Ryan Antia was acknowledged for his growing performance skills by being awarded Most Promising Actor for his portrayal of Le Beau in a scene from As You Like It that was directed by HoD Drama Gerald Urquhart. At the national festival, Year 10 student Ruby Giblin won “The Bit Part Player Who Best Supports the Other Players Award” for her portrayal of the Nurse in the Romeo and Juliet scene. Photos: Faolan Okan
Totara Health Building, New Lynn
www.turnerlim.co.nz
09 827 1478 THE LION
23
ALBERTIANS IN
THE ARTS BALA MURALI SHINGADE
Bala Murali attended MAGS from 2009-2013 and was a Prefect in his final year, leading the Ball & Leavers’ Committee. After leaving MAGS, Bala Murali went on to complete a BA (hons) and MA from the University of Auckland, majoring in Screen Production. In 2019, Bala Murali received the Geoff Evans Prize for Excellence in Screen Production for his MA thesis film, Brown Boy Lies, a coming-of-age short film featuring a young Indian New Zealander as the lead character. Also during his Masters year, Bala Murali was selected for the Looking China Project, an international programme that selects young filmmakers from around the world, takes them to various parts of China and commissions them to create a 10-minute documentary in 10 days. Since finishing his MA in 2018, Bala Murali has been working in film and theatre as a writer, director, producer and actor. In 2019, Bala Murali was commissioned and funded by the Outlook for Someday to write and direct 800 Lunches, one of the six short films of the Someday Stories of 2019. 800 Lunches tells the story of a young boy’s experiences of racism and alienation, through his relationship with his mother’s food. For the scenes set at the character’s high school, Bala Murali returned to MAGS, with the assistance of his old Media Studies teacher, Simon Allen, and featuring a number of MAGS Media Studies students as extras. Later in 2019, Bala Murali’s next short film project, Perianayaki, was selected for funding through the New Zealand Film Commission and Script To Screen’s prestigious and competitive Fresh Shorts funding program. Perianayaki, written and produced by Shreya Gejji, will be directed by Bala Murali and tells the story of a middle-aged Sri Lankan refugee who struggles to understand or be understood by those around her in Auckland. Bala Murali also started working as an actor in 2018, through Prayas Theatre Company. Since then, he has performed in multiple plays with the Company and other groups. Recent acting highlights include A Fine Balance, a collaboration between Prayas Theatre Company and Auckland Theatre Company, and First World Problems 2.0, an anthology show by Agaram Productions. Recent credits as a writer include What Have You Become?, Bala Murali’s first full length play, which was selected for Fresh Off The Page 2019, Proudly Asian Theatre’s series of live play readings. He also contributed as a writer to First World Problems and First World Problems 2.0. Bala Murali has also worked in production roles, beginning with a 24
MOUNT ALBERT GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Production Internship at Indian Ink Theatre Company, with whom he has been working on and off since 2017 in various roles. Bala Murali has also worked as an assistant producer at Satellites Auckland, assisting in the production of Kollywood Extra, an interactive, immersive art event in which a fake film crew took over Sandringham reserve for a day. Most recently as a producer, he was the community co-ordinator on My Heart Goes Thadak Thadak, Silo Theatre’s extravagant play at the end of 2019 written and directed by Ahi Karunaharan.
ADAM NAUGHTON
A talented musician, actor and dancer, Adam attended MAGS from 2007-11 and was involved in multiple extra-curricular groups and activities in Dance, Drama and Music during his time at MAGS. He was an Arts Prefect and Arts Lion recipient. Adam was recognised with major awards in Music, Dance and Drama at the 2011 Arts Dinner, and named 2011 Dux Artium. Although he was offered opportunities to pursue either Music or Drama, Adam chose to go into the UNITEC dance programme and completed a BPASA majoring in contemporary dance where he learnt from some of Aotearoa’s most established choreographers and teachers. In 2016, Adam participated in the Atlas program at the ImpulsTanz Festival in Vienna, and in 2017 he joined Footnote New Zealand Dance company as a full-time dancer. At Footnote he has performed in six major productions, six national tours as well as a tour of the Guangdong province (China), World of Wearable Arts Show (2015 & 2018), and worked with two New Zealand choreographers based in Switzerland and Berlin. Adam left Footnote at the end of 2019 and has returned to Auckland where he has started working with Dance Plant Collective on two upcoming productions. In the future, Adam is looking at studying a Masters degree in dance/performance and establishing a performance practice. He believes that being involved in all three types of the performing arts has helped to shape him as a dancer and performer. He says it was really valuable and interesting getting to play drums and cello in music groups, act in theatre productions and dance with peers. He is grateful for the excellent teachers and tutors who encouraged him to pursue his interests and to make a career out of them. Adam believes the arts are an important part of school life because they give students the opportunity to play with ideas, create and engage with peers and teachers to make something that can be shared with the school and the wider community.
PERFORMING ARTS
ALBERTIANS IN TEMPO DANCE FESTIVAL
and music accompaniment to accentuate the dance of the paintbrush so that each paint stroke was no longer random, but intricately choreographed.”
Two of our talented Albertian artists have had their work featured in the Tempo Dance festival programme, which has been featured as an online-only platform owing to COVID-19. 2016 Arts Dux Issie Cassidy and 2017 Arts Dux Oli Mathiesen are both forging careers for themselves in the Arts community, and it is a testament to their talent and body of work that such young artists have been featured in the festival.
OLI MATHIESEN
ALBE NT
G R AM
OL O
RT
M OU
Issie graduated with a degree in Contemporary Dance from Unitec in 2019. However, alongside her dance studies she continued to cultivate her passion for painting and has exhibited her work in the MAGS Art Show from 2017-2019. Issie’s work EMBODIED was a series that aimed to capture the expressive power of dance through the seemingly static art from of painting. The series took place over four days and allowed viewers to take a closer look into the creation process through videos and images taken during the project. Issie’s brother Jack, also an Albertian, composed and performed the music for the piece. Issie said, “I like to view painting as a sort of choreography, the paintbrush moves paint across a surface to form shapes and lines, just as a dancer forms shapes and lines with their body. In the videos I used filming, editing
M
ISSIE CASSIDY
Oli is in his final year of the UNITEC dance degree, and is also a talented videographer and editor. He also continues to work in the fine arts sector with photography held in the Wallace Arts Trust. Oli was involved in two separate TEMPO productions. The first, Still Solo, is a self-portrait photo exhibition featuring two series, Liminalist and Venetian. The works strive to create a sense of movement in a still format, exploring how light and shadow can create a choreography against the body. The works explore ideas of how the body can exist in a liminal state as well as featuring the human form as the subject of performance. These series are an excerpt from Oli’s body of work, in which he continues to find how dance informs his photographic practice. As well as his own show, Oli was the videographer and editor for Ladybug – a short dance film imagined and created in moments stolen in and around the third year of dance study of the two choreographers, Miriam Eskilden and Veronica Chengen. This work and Oli’s editing skill has received resounding praise from the Arts community, which, interestingly, also had involvement of another Albertian, Andrew Cesan, aka ‘Lapse’, who composed part of the soundtrack.
THE LION
25
AR SCH
ATHLETICS Senior Girls Athletics Champion Latonya Lole.
Intermediate Girls Athletics Champion Zayyaan Smith (centre).
MAGS Athletics Day at Mt Smart Stadium on February 13 was a huge success with great participation and four records broken. Zayyaan Smith broke three school records: Intermediate Girls Long Jump (5.77m), 100m (12.16s) and 200m (25.04s); while Yoko Tsukushi set a record for the Senior Girls 3kg Shot Put with a throw of 11.95m.
CENTRAL WEST ZONE CHAMPIONSHIPS On March 10, more than 40 MAGS athletes competed at the Central West Zone Athletics Championships at Mt Smart Stadium. Zayyaan Smith surpassed the record she set at the school athletics day with a time of 12.12s in the Intermediate Girls 100m Final. Luke Clements broke a 34-year-old record by nearly five seconds in the Intermediate Boys 3000m race with a time of 9:18.89.
Senior Boys Athletics Champion Sila Esekielu.
One of the standout performances came from Yoko Tsukushi, who won the Senior Girls 3kg Shot Put and broke the school record with a throw of 12.48. She eclipsed her own Senior Girls school record of 11.95m that she had set at the school athletics day. That record was broken twice at the meet. Sylvia Brunt threw 12.09m only for Yoko to throw 12.48m minutes later. Other top performers were Zayyaan Smith: 1st Intermediate Girls 100m, Intermediate Girls 200m and Intermediate Girls Long Jump; Luke Clements: 1st Intermediate Boys 1500m and Intermediate Boys 3000m, 2nd Intermediate Boys 800m; Eve Allen: 1st Junior Girls High Jump, 2nd Junior Girls 100m, 3rd Junior Girls 200m and Junior Girls Shot Put; Anika Todd: 1st Junior Girls Javelin, 2nd Junior Girls High Jump. And there were wins for MAGS in the Senior Girls 4x100m Relay and the Intermediate Boys 4x100m Relay.
At front (from left): Luke Clements (Open 800 and 1500m Champion, Open Distance Champion and Joint Intermediate Boys Champion) Latonya Lole (Sprint Champion and Senior Girls Champion), Sila Esekielu (Joint Senior Boys Shot and Discus Champion, Open Field Events Champion, Senior Boys Champion), Zayyaan Smith (Recordbreaker Intermediate Girls Long Jump, 100m and 200m; Intermediate Girls Champion) Yoko Tsukushi (Record-breaker Senior Girls Shot Put), Second row: Brooke Dougal (Joint Junior Girls Throws Champion), Kokoro Onedero (Junior Boys Champion), Eve Allen (Joint Junior Girls Throws Champion, Junior Girls Champion). Back row: Maihi Wilcox (obscured – Junior Boys Throws Champion), Liston Tupou (Joint Senior Boys Shot and Discus Champion), Ben Skelton (Intermediate Boys Shot and Discus Champion, Joint Intermediate Boys Champion), Shay Russek (Open 400m Champion), Lyle Jones (Open Sprint Champion), Anika Todd (Joint Junior Girls Throws Champion).
26
MOUNT ALBERT GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Joint Intermediate Boys Athletics Champion Ben Skelton.
SPORT
CRICKET MAGS’ Cricket Boys 1st XI Captain Adithya Ashok (pictured right) has been named Auckland Cricket’s Secondary School Boys Players Player in their Cricketer of the Year Awards for 2019/20. The Boys 1st XI finished third in Premier Grade but Adi said they could have done better if they had taken their chances. Adi was also part of the NZ team that finished fourth at the 2020 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in South Africa earlier in the year. For what is thought to be the first time ever, the Cricket Girls 1st XI beat St Kentigern College’s 1st XI – and did it in convincing fashion on March 4. MAGS made 161-1 (Eikham Singh 42, Shivani Unka 46 not out) and then rolled St Kents for 48, with Isabella Cain taking five wickets for nine runs and Natalie Brook taking three wickets for five runs. The Girls 1st XI finished fourth in Premier Grade.
ORIENTEERING
Of the six disciplines in the Western Zone Sprint Series, MAGS students came out top in all but one. The series consisted of five races at different schools, with outright divisional winners Luca Eastwood, Ayleigh Loomes, Callum Wishart, Molly McGowan and Oscar Vink. Special mentions go to Callum Wishart, who won all five races in a tough Intermediate Boys category, and Molly McGowan (four wins) in the Intermediate Girls. There were top three places for Aidan Skinner, Seth Dean, Tom Aish, Justin Brendolise, Felix McElwee, Hugh Skinner, Jydee Leonard, Eva Wadsworth, Sofia Skinner, Ella Somerville and Eden Graves. There was a record 74 students who took part in the events, with an excellent 28 achieving a Top 3 finish in at least one race.
THE LION
27
SOFTBALL
Both the Premier Girls and Premier Boys Softball teams won their respective AKSS titles in March. The Premier Girls played One Tree Hill College in the final and won 18-1. In Boys Softball, undefeated MAGS Premier 1 won the Auckland title by default over MAGS Premier 2 after the competition was called off due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
ROWING
At the North Island club rowing championships in January MagsRow, competing for West End Rowing club, won the Gold medal in the Intermediate Coxed Four. The crew of Cam MacGillivray, Nicholas Bryan, Dylan Cottingham, Samuel Cooper and cox Ben Campbell also narrowly missed out on further medals, finishing fourth in the U16 Coxed Four and Double Sculls events. Fifty seven MAGS students raced at Head of the Harbour regatta on February 15, finishing the day with three gold (Boys U16 Single, BU16 Double, BU18 Novice Four), four silver (BU16 Four, BU18 Novice Eight, BU15 Four, Girls U15 Double) and one bronze medals (GU16 Eight). While Maadi Cup was cancelled due to COVID-19, the rowers were fortunate to participate in North Island Secondary Schools before the lockdown. In a competition that attracted 1854 athletes from 99 clubs, MAGS made 10 A Finals, 6 B Finals, and 1 C Final. Two A Finals were converted to Silver medals, in the Girls U15 Coxed Four and the Boys U16 Coxed Four. Also notable, was that MAGS made the A Final of every age group Eight. 28
MOUNT ALBERT GRAMMAR SCHOOL
The Premier 1 side had beaten Green Bay High 15-3 to advance to the final while the Premier 2’s game against One Tree Hill College was a washout, and they advanced to the final because of their superior points tally. In other news, outfielder Mikayla Cross (pictured below) was named in the New Zealand Junior White Sox team to compete in the WBSC U18 Women’s Softball World Cup in Lima, Peru. The competition was due to be held in August but has been postponed.
SPORT
SWIMMING Twelve school records were broken at the MAGS Swimming Sports Championships held on February 20 at the Mt Albert Aquatic Centre. Brearna Crawford was on form as usual, breaking records in all of her seven events entered in the Senior Girls division. Brearna now holds a total of 20 records throughout her time at MAGS. Quin Walden set three records, including the Intermediate Boys 100m IM record in which two other swimmers also went under the old time. Edie Ancell and Bowen Crawford also broke a record each, Bowen improving on his own record in the Intermediate Boys 100m Breastroke. MAGS sent a team of 21 swimmers to compete at the Central East Zone swimming championships. The team had some great results with 10 top three placings in the individual events and 10 top three placings in the relay events.
INTERMEDIATE GIRLS
SENIOR GIRLS
INTERMEDIATE BOYS
OPEN GIRLS
Amber George: 1st 50m Back Edie Ancell: 1st 50m Free Anna McGowen: 3rd 50m Back 1st 4x50m Free Relay; 3rd 4x50m Medley Relay
Quin Walden: 1st 50m Back Yuki Uchida: 2nd 50m Fly Bowen Crawford: 3rd 50m Breast 2nd 4x50m Medley Relay; 3rd 4x50m Free Relay
Brearna Crawford: 1st 50m Fly, 1st 50m Breast, 1st 50m Free, 2nd 50m Back 1st 4x50m Free Relay; 2nd 4x50m Medley Relay
1st 4x50m Fly Relay, 1st 4x50m Back Relay
OPEN BOYS
2nd 4x50m Fly Relay; 2nd 4x50m Back Relay
Proud service provider of Mount Albert Grammar School Sportsfields since 2003 As New Zealand’s leading contractor of turf, parks and facilities management we maintain, create and manage parks, landscapes and sports surfaces that inspire communities across the Aotearoa landscape. Kiwi owned and operated we’ve been serving your communities since 1992.
www.rs.kiwi.nz | 64 Porana Road, Hillcrest, Auckland | 09 443 5011 or 0800 265 000 THE LION
29
TRIATHLON/AQUATHON The College Sport Aquathon Championships took place on February 25 at Saint Kentigern College, with MAGS fielding 12 competitors. Six students raced as individuals and MAGS had three teams of two racers. In the Intermediate Boys Team section, MAGS took out first place (Michael Champan/Luke Clements) and second place (Callum Wishart/Oliver Fox). The students that competed gained the following places: Junior Boys – Tamaho Perry 12th, Luke Sanders 18th, Samuel Ryan 27th. Intermediate Girls – Bella Houghton 8th, Anna McGowan 12th. Intermediate Boys Teams – Michael Chapman/Luke Clements 1st, Callum Wishart/Oliver Fox 2nd. Senior Boys – Ward Hope 9th. Senior Boys Teams – Justin Hemara/ Vadim Kok 4th. On March 12, the Auckland Secondary School Triathlon Championships were held at the Point England Reserve. MAGS had 16 competitors at the event – five teams and one individual. The Junior Boys team of Tamaho Perry, Samuel Ryan and Luke Sanders came first. The Intermediate Mixed team of Bella Houghton, Bianca Power and Ollie Pervan came second. The Senior Boys team of Michael Chapman, Luke Clements and Tyrone Stubbs came first to repeat their efforts of 2019 when they won the Intermediate Boys event. Ward Hope was the sole Mount Albert Grammar student who competed as an individual. He finished a creditable 6th in a highly competitive Senior Boys category.
VOLLEYBALL The Senior Boys and Senior Girls Volleyball teams competed at the AKSS Champs at Pulman Park in March. The Boys began with a loss (after winning the first set) against Mahurangi College and a 2-1 win against Ormiston. This set them up for a must-win final pool match against top-of-the-table Rosmini College. The Boys went down 2-0, placing them third in the pool. On Day 2, they won against St Peters 2-0 in under 25 minutes,
30
MOUNT ALBERT GRAMMAR SCHOOL
securing a placing of 11th overall in Division 2. The Girls also started strongly, going in with lots of confidence as they won their first game against Botany Downs 2-1. Unfortunately, they lost their next two games 1-2 vs Macleans College and Saint Kentigern College after being match point and a set up in both games. The Girls ended up placing 10th overall.
MAGS FOUNDATION
ASB MAGS FARM The first half of the year has been busy. We had five new dairy cows donated from Kirkham Group in Waikato, with each being a different breed. These were timely arrivals as the grass was out of control. This grass surplus quickly turned into a deficit as the farm experienced one of the driest summers on record. Luckily, the six bales of silage purchased for winter were on hand and another six were donated to help us through to where we are currently, with a more respectable grass cover. COVID-19 allowed essential agricultural contractors to drill new grass into our tired Kikuyu pastures. Some neighbours have commented that they have never seen a seed drill on the farm, which was only made possible by cutting a fence here and there to make it into the paddocks. This new pasture will allow for more feed over winter and spring, which is when we are hoping to raise calves to be sold on to other farms. Upon school reopening, the farm has had more students than ever experiencing its uniqueness. The Year 10 Outdoor Education students spent a few periods planting out our wetland. This area was unsuccessfully planted by Auckland Regional Council many moons ago and has been on our radar to be planted for a year or two. We ended up with over 700 plants in the ground and a
great new habitat for birds and fish. Students may not yet understand the magnitude of what they are doing, but a native-lined stream providing a corridor for rare fish and birds in the middle of Auckland city, on a working model farm, is something else. Lately, we saw one of the more significant events in the farm’s recent history. Stream works to restore the spring fed stream have finally been completed. This includes the installation of a new culvert donated by Hynds Pipes, and removal of silt build-up. While we are conscious that the stream does not currently resemble a majestic oasis, once planted and when next year comes along, this will be something to be really proud of. The first community planting day was once again supported by Watercare, who are funding the bulk of the planting. Fencing of the stream will be undertaken using recycled plastic fence posts known as Future Posts. On top of our native tree and stream work, the farm ticks along as per usual. In the second half of the year we have grafting of gold kiwifruit, lambing, more calves and warmer temperatures to look forward to. Peter Brice Farm Project Manager
THE LION
31
FROM THE
Archives ROBERT OGILVIE BUCHANAN MA(HONS)
RO Buchanan had been asked by JG Brown to write an account of his experiences as an original staff member, for publication in Mount Albert Grammar School: Golden Jubilee 1922-1971. He stated that he found it sobering to recollect that the school that he helped to get going was approaching its half-century. He and Bob Hardy were the only two nonAucklanders on the staff. The boys were late in coming because of a local epidemic. A digest of his reminiscences follows: “I arrived from Dunedin in time for the scheduled opening of the school which, on my first view of it struck me as less than inspiring. A rough, gorse-covered hillside reaching up to an unsightly quarry on the top of Mount Albert, with a stark raw new building dumped down close to the road. There was however space, which the Auckland Grammar School most conspiculously lacked and a vivid enough imagination could picture a mellowed building adjoined by ample well designed
sports grounds in a somewhat distant future.” The image below left is of the summer and winter fields of 1960, revealing welldesigned sports grounds of RO Buchanan’s somewhat distant future. “... I met the head F.W. Gamble who to fill in my spare time gave me some small jobs to do and one not so small, to concoct a timetable for the school ... This exercise, incidentally, gave me a first glimpse that I had of that outstanding headmaster. He had put himself down to take Forms 5D and 4D for Latin and on my expressing amazement at such a choice by a headmaster, replied ‘Any fool can teach an A form; it takes a teacher to teach a D form’. True indeed, but no other head in my experience ever gave himself that kind of task.”
“The school opened with some 280 boys (no sixth form) and a staff of eleven [plus the Headmaster]. I thought then and I still think, that it was a very strong staff. Perhaps no single member of it, other than the Head and possibly J.H. Harvey, could be called brilliant, but certainly not a weak link in it. The intimacy, too, of a small school enabled the staff, individually and collectively to make and cement a relationship with the boys that is not possible in large schools. So Mount Albert in those early days was a very 32
MOUNT ALBERT GRAMMAR SCHOOL
good school indeed. Its record suggests that it remained a very good school, although inevitably it must have become a very different kind of school. In particular as the pioneering period passes away, the balance must have making traditions to having traditions.” He mentioned that in his first year he was Form Master of 4B in Room A1 [now Deputy Principals’ offices] from that 1922 class he named Norman Jenkin, and two All Blacks of later year, Ron Bush and Vic Butler, as well as ‘Jock’ Barnes, who in latter years was to be a thorn in the flesh of authority as a militant leader of the waterside workers union, and was already showing something of the potential of a rebel. Kinnear and Kirkpatrick also distinguished themselves in later life ... not bad for a 4B form!” ... In the second year Gamble persuaded him, against his initial reluctance, to teach a new subject: Geography. (In 1922 he had taught History with some English). He found Modern Commercial Geography by Marion Newbiggin and it took his fancy. So much so that he noted: “The school doubtless put some imprint on all who pass through it whether as pupils or staff and for some the influence on the lives was decisive. For none however, could it have been greater than it was for me. It changed my academic interest from Economics to Geography, from New Zealand to England, from Auckland to London.” He left in August 1925 in time to enrol in a BSc(Econ) at the University of London. Because of his MA he had to do only two years. He got a second first class honours degree, with Geography as his specialist subject. He moved up the ladder at the London School of Economics and while a Reader in Economics his career was interrupted by war, for a second time, where he was in the RAF for six years, with responsibility for map supplies to the allied Air Forces operating anywhere from New York to Singapore. RO Buchanan returned to university work
detail fade and die, but the general memory of a strong and vigorous and agreeable community life, and with it the lasting gratitude for what it did for this particular member of it.” Before Buchanan appeared at Mount Albert Grammar School in 1922 he had served in the Great War. That service interrupted his university studies. He became a 2nd Lieutenant, Infantry Reinforcements and served in France from 2 May 1917 to 4 June 1918, when he was wounded by exploding ordnance which left a shrapnel wound inside his right thigh. It became infected. He could have lost his leg or died. After being hospitalised in England he returned to France and served until the Armistice. He had been promoted to Lieutenant, finally declared unfit for three months and embarked for New Zealand a week before Christmas Day 1918. He returned to university studies. As was mentioned earlier, he interrupted his professional life to serve in WWII and in
School followed by an outstanding academic career, Robert Ogilvie Buchanan died on 10 July 1980. RO Buchanan’s daughter, Mrs Janet Oates, visited from her home in Camberley, Surrey, England in 2000. The photograph of her shows her by her father’s name on a panel in the hall. She later sent a copy of his work on The Pastoral Industries of New Zealand.
Obituary R. OGILVIE BUCHANAN 1894-1980 “R.O.B.’ as he was widely termed had a most remarkable career. He was born on 12 September 1894 at Maheno, Otago, in the South Island, New Zealand. His father, a seafarer, and his mother who were of Scottish origin; had been among the pioneers in the settlement of the province. His boyhood was spent in Tapanui, in West Otago; he had long journeys to school sometimes by horse, but often on foot. It says much for his determination as well as his ability that he qualified for study as an under-graduate in the University of Otago reading history and economies. War service with the 2nd Otago Regiment in the Middle East and on the Western Front (where he was wounded) interrupted his Bachelor’s degree studies which were completed in 1919, and in 1921 he gained an MA with honours in economics. There followed an appointment as a schoolmaster at Mount Albert Grammar School, Auckland, to teach history. With encouragement from a progressive headmaster he introduced geography, then a new subject in New Zealand. Desire to learn more of this subject brought him, in 1925, as a mature student, to the London School of Economics to read for B.Sc.Econ. degree. After two years’ study he emerged with a brilliant first ...” “One war was not enough for Buchanan. In 1939 he volunteered again for service with the R.A.F. balloon barrage and, as a corporal, was in charge of sites in the London area. Happily, his professional skills were recognised and he was the first R.A.F. officer to serve with Air Ministry as officer in charge of a maps service designed to meet the special needs of the R.A.F., and he finished the war as a Squadron Leader.” After humble beginnings, work interrupted by two world wars, his first real employment as a teacher at Mount Albert Grammar
the RAF for the duration. To be an Infantry Lieutenant in WWI and a Squadron Leader in WWII is an extraordinary state of affairs. That he was both brave and competent is a measure of the man. His WWI CO, Lieut. Colonel J McCrae, said of him, as a response to a request for comments about him: “... Lieut. Buchanan was a keen and in every way an excellent officer. As a platoon Commander he possessed those qualities of leadership which won for himself the loyalty and esteem of every man in his platoon. He did exceptional good work during the battle of Messines. He bore an excellent character and was highly esteemed by his brother officers.” What follows is several extracts from an obituary for him by a fellow geographer. It includes some details of his childhood. An Obituary for Buchanan appears in the Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers Vol 8 No 1 pp 112-114 by M.J. Wise. Two extracts follow.
CORRIDORS
in late 1945 and “... was invited into the Chair of Geography “ at the London School of Economics. “My main teaching and research efforts have been in Economic Geography. Published works include: The Pastoral Industries of New Zealand, An Economic Geography of the British Empire (with R.C. Estall), Industrial Activity and Economic Geography.” He wrote many research articles in learned journals and was involved in a series of works: “Bell’s Economic Geographies, General Editor: Professor R.O. Buchanan.” (George Bell and Sons was a London publishing house from 18391986). He had held office in a number of learned societies. Buchanan retired from his Professorship in 1961. He was elected an Honorary Fellow of the London School of Economics. He concluded his account in Golden Jubilee with: “Mount Albert Grammar, then and in particular F.W. Gamble, gave my whole life a decided turn, memories of
And also the text of a eulogy by Sir Douglas Logan at his funeral service. He said of him: “We shall miss him, that sturdy figure, the countryman’s easy gait, the firm voice – and the Digger hat ... for the key note of Buchanan’s life was service to others, not with the coldness of charity but with warmth and generosity – in short, service with a smile. Brian Murphy Archivist
THE LION
33
In Memoriam Photos: NZ Olympic Committee Albertian Sir Peter George Snell was this country’s greatest Olympic athlete, winning three gold medals including a remarkable 800m-1500m double at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Sir Peter was voted New Zealand Athlete of the Century in 2000. Before that, in 1990, he was the inaugural inductee to the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame. As well as his Olympic gold medals, he won two Empire Games golds, set numerous world records, and was knighted in 2007. A statue of him was erected at Whanganui, where he broke the world mile record in 1962, running on grass. Sir Peter, who died last December aged 80 at his home in Dallas, was part of the finest era in New Zealand athletics, overseen by master coach Arthur Lydiard. He came to MAGS as a boarder in fifth form in 1955 from Te Aroha District High School, and was Victor Ludorum in 1957. He was also a Prefect and School House Prefect in 1957, played 1st XV Rugby 1956-1957, First XI Cricket 1956-1957, was Senior tennis champion 1956-1957. And Senior athletic champion in 1957. He was also the Inter-school 880-yards champion and record-holder in 1957. One of his contemporaries at School House and fellow athlete Michael Macky remembers him well. Michael recalls, “In the 1950s I was at School House with Snell (in those days we were only known by our surnames). He was remarkably talented and represented the school in every sport; during the summer, the 1st XI as well as tennis, and in the winter, the 1st XV and hockey as the schedules allowed.
34
MOUNT ALBERT GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Sir Peter Snell Tennis was his first love. “I was a runner trained by Arthur Lydiard and I bullied Snell as much as I could to join me in my evening runs. As a natural athlete it was easy for him, except that he found it boring and not that enjoyable. “It was after we had left school that I took him to meet Lydiard. He reluctantly consented; I think he knew the outcome. He caved in and the rest is history. “We all know about the successful training methods of Lydiard; the Sunday morning runs through the Waitakere hills. It was all about building a base. I was given another mid-week run – shorter but faster, to build on the Sunday run. This was in addition to the regular work-out. “It started at Mt Albert along New North Road to Avondale, up Blockhouse Bay Road to Hillsborough Road, then to Dominion Road all the way to Mt Eden and back down New North Road to Mt Albert. “One warm evening when conditions were great for running, after convincing him to join me, Snell and I set off. As usual we chatted as we ran and were both feeling good. When we turned off at Avondale we scarcely slowed as we climbed the hill and didn’t slow for recovery. “Unintentionally we had gradually increased our speed and by the time we reached Dominion Road the chatting had stopped; we had reached our aerobic balance. As we made our way along Dominion Road, it was on. I went ahead but couldn’t break him – he went ahead and couldn’t break me. When we turned on to New North Road we were flying and reached
home in no time; finishing together we stopped our watches. “Long after he had retired, we were chatting one day and he said, ‘Do you remember that great run of ours? I ran it many times when Lydiard had it on my schedule, but I never managed to run it as fast as we did that evening’.” Following his success in 1964, Sir Peter went on a world tour then retired form athletics the next year. After his retirement Sir Peter worked for some years as the Rothmans Foundation’s director of coaching. He longed to achieve a name for himself away from the track so immersed himself in academia, studying at the University of California from 1974-77 and gaining a Bachelor of Science degree. He went on to graduate studies at Washington State University, and, after gaining a PhD in exercise physiology there, moved to Dallas, which would become his home, for a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. In the following years he was busy doing research, presenting papers and making speeches about exercise physiology. In 1997, he was inducted into the MAGS Hall of Distinction for Services to Athletics. Sir Peter also took up orienteering and won his category, men aged 65 and older, in the 2003 United States Orienteering Championship. He also started playing competitive table tennis, competing in Texas state and US championship events as well as the 2017 World Masters Games, when he returned to Auckland.
KEY DATES 2020 TERM 3 20 July Monday Start of Term 3 22-23 July Wednesday - Thursday Three-way Conferences 29-30 July Wednesday - Thursday Level 1 Drama Production Winter Sports Photos 4 August Tuesday Future Pathways Expo 13-14 August Thursday - Friday Dance Concert 31 August - 6 September Winter Tournament Week 8-9 September Tuesday - Wednesday Year 13 Drama Production 23 September Wednesday Arts Lions Assembly 24 September Thursday Last Day of classes for students 25 September Friday School Ball Staff Only Day End of Term 3
TERM 4 12 October Monday Start of Term 4 15 October Thursday Media Studies Film Night 17 October Saturday Relay for Life
21 October Wednesday Sports Dinner 26 October Monday Labour Day 28 October Wednesday Board Show and Market Evening 30 October Friday Pasifika Dinner 6 November Friday Arts Dinner 10 November Tuesday Senior Prizegiving 16 November Monday NCEA Exams commence 19 November Thursday Staff Only day 24 November Tuesday Junior Bytes Concert 1-2 December Tuesday - Wednesday Junior School Interform Competition 8 December Tuesday Junior Prizegivings 9 December Wednesday NCEA Exams end 11 December Friday End of Term 4
2021 PUBLIC HOLIDAYS 1 February Monday Auckland Anniversary Day 6 February Saturday Waitangi Day 2 April Friday Good Friday 5 April Monday Easter Monday 25 April Sunday Anzac Day 27 April Monday Anzac Day holiday observed 7 June Monday Queen’s Birthday 25 October Monday Labour Day
2021 TERM DATES 26 January Tuesday Senior Leadership Team meeting New Staff Induction 27 January Tuesday Senior Staff Administration Senior Re-Enrolment (10.30am-3pm) 28-29 January Thursday - Friday Full Staff Administration
Wednesday 3 February (Full school in) to Friday 16 April 15 April Thursday Last day of classes for Term 1 16 April Friday Staff Only Administration Day End of Term 1 Term 2 Monday 3 May to Friday 9 July 8 July Thursday Last day of classes for Term 2 9 July Friday Staff Only Administration Day End of Term 2 Term 3 Monday 26 July to Friday 1 October 1 October Friday Staff Only Day End of Term 3 Term 4 Monday 18 October to Friday 10 December 8 December Wednesday Junior Prizegivings Last day of classes for Term 4 9 December Thursday Staff Only Administration Day 10 December Friday Staff Only Administration Day End of Term 4
Term 1 Tuesday 2 February (Year 9 only start)
Please refer to our website www.mags.school.nz for the full Calendar, including all sporting events.
THE LION
35
36
MOUNT ALBERT GRAMMAR SCHOOL