MAGS Blog!

Board Show and Market Evening The annual MAGS Art Board Show and Business Market Evening took place on Tuesday 21st May, from 4.30pm to 6.30pm, and as always drew crowds. E block corridor and classrooms were crowded as members of the MAGS community admired the boards that senior visual art students had created. Senior students taking either photography, painting or graphic design each had a board displaying multiple pieces of their work with a common theme that they have been working on since the beginning of the year. The overall standard of work was excellent, receiving many compliments. The board show was a great opportunity for students to show off their work to parents and peers, and receive valuable feedback. But there was more than just art to be had. The evening was a chance for Year 11 business students to test their skills  as they dished out delicious food to the hungry crowd. The wonderful items on offer included nachos, burgers, hot dogs, premade baking mixes,...

Youth Week 2019 DIY stress balls were the theme at MAGS last week, with many events taking place as part of Youth Week. The purpose of Youth Week was to promote well-being in the MAGS community, and this was done through a number of engaging events throughout the week. Year 12 health students did their job finely at one of the events, the Health Expo. The health students had, in groups, identified a health issue at MAGS, researched the issue and ways to prevent it, then presented about it with a booth at the expo held on Tuesday 21st, Wednesday 22nd and Thursday 23rd during lunch time, in the hall. Some of the booths had presentations on body image, drug and alcohol use, nutrition, and depression. However, the most popular theme was stress, a very fitting topic to address at this time of year with year 11 practice exams looming. The expo was attended by hundreds of students who were able to get some handy tips on how to maintain positive well-being, and also pick up some g...

As most year 11s will know, exam week is looming and we are feeling the pressure. Being our first year of NCEA, many of us are unaware of how exams work and how to study, so it is important that we are aware of what we are doing in each subject and start studying early. It is also important to be aware of things that you may need to memorise, such as quotes, equations, or formulas. Starting to memorise things early increases the likelihood that you will remember it. Here are some great ways to study: Make a study timetable -  This will ensure that the workload is evened out across a longer period of time rather than squished into a last-minute late-night session! e.g. Monday afternoons for English, Tuesday afternoons for Maths etc. Maybe allocate more time towards subjects you aren't as confident in.  Using Quizlets/flashcards for key terms/definitions or making a Kahoot! to do with friends. Study groups -  Studying with friends can be very distracting, but you...

Get your dose of stress relief with these handy social stress strategies :) Smile and laugh on the daily Hang out with friends who make you laugh, keep a collection of your favorite photos or even just watch a funny film! Laughing and smiling is a super easy way to relieve stress- studies even suggest that it can be more effective than distraction! Laughing with others relieves tension by relaxing your muscles, and calming the bodies stress responses. Long term effects of laughter also included improved immune health and mood. Spend time with family, friends and pets Connect with others and make socialising a priority- you won’t regret it. Relationships are important and a perfect way to reduce stress. By connecting with others you will feel a sense of belonging and improved self worth. Having a large support network and spending time with others also reduce stress through the the production of the natural stress reliever: oxycontin. Having a pet also achieves this alo...

The 40 Hours Famine is back again this year, and now is the time to sign up! The 40 Hour Famine New Zealand is an annual fundraiser event, first held in 1975. It is organised by World Vision, a humanitarian aid organisation which works in 97 countries and that supplies emergency relief, education, health care and economic development to those in need. This year the 40 Hour Famine is in support of the South Sudanese children refugees. Money raised goes towards providing these children with clean water, food, healthcare, education and emotional support. From the relative safety of our first world country it is hard to imagine the terrible events that these children - who are our age and just like us - have experienced. During the 40 Hour Famine you can experience a small part of what the refugee children of South Sudan have by giving up something (it could be food, technology, speaking, etc.) for 40 hours. Alternatively, you could decide to do something for 40 hours - 40 hours of bic...