The 2024 school year got off to a fantastic start on January 31, with Year 9 students welcomed on their first day with a pōhiri for them and our new staff in the F.W. Gamble Hall.
Matua Peter Walters oversaw proceedings before Year 9s were handed over to their Mentor Teachers and began their orientation with the help of our Peer Support Leaders.
Mr Drumm welcomed the new students and their whanau, sitting on the mezzanine floor. He spoke about the long history of MAGS and how that came with a tradition of high standards and a pursuit of excellence. With that in mind, MAGS was always looking to the future and it was up to our newest students to create their futures at MAGS, with all it had to offer.
Those sentiments were echoed by Albertian Chris Lowrey (2000-2004) who has returned to MAGS as a Year 9 parent.
Mr Lowrey, pictured right, said, “This school has given me many fond memories and experiences. It has given me the chance to make life-long friendships, taught me life-long lessons, the value of discipline and working hard, values that have served me well in my own journey.”
He said to the Year 9 students, “Today is momentous in that it marks the beginning of a new chapter in your educational journey, the next stage in your development as young people.
“And as parents and families we wish you well with love and support but where you go on this journey is inevitably up to you.
“This School has the best resources, staff, opportunities and support to help you get to where you want to go but ultimately the paddle, so to speak, is in your hands now. And you will need to pull yourselves through, with effort and hard work to get to the places you want to go. Which, as you will quickly learn, is signified by the school motto: ‘Through Hardship to Glory’.
Daniel Menzies, who has returned to MAGS as our HOF Mathematics, spoke on behalf of the new staff and told them that they had joined one of the best and most supportive schools in the country that offered great opportunities for staff and students alike.
