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Principal's Blog: Term 2 Week 9
Friday, 16 June 2023
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Kia ora whānau Last week we held our NCEA Information Evening. We had a fantastic turnout, and it was wonderful to have so many people there to discuss our innovative offering for Level 1 in 2024. We are committed to NCEA. We know our students respond incredibly well to our high-stakes, supportive learning environment, and we have a proven track record of maintaining highly successful academic outcomes and preparing our learners for inspiring futures. Marsden is currently designing a rigorous future-focused learning programme at Year 11 from 2024 that combines a traditional NCEA Level 1 offering with innovative courses. Our refreshed offering is based on the premise that ‘learning cannot be left to chance’ and ensuring that our students will be fully equipped for NCEA Level 2, NCEA Level 3 and the world of future education and work. At the presentation, we emphasised that the programme remains under development, and that we will keep caregivers and learners across further developments, including logistical implementation. We also reassured caregivers that our newer, innovative interdisciplinary options (Sustainability, Entrepreneurship, and Identity, Belonging and Expression) will be highly structured, and will come with specialist teacher expertise and support. We are very excited to be weaving these authentic, future-focused thematic courses into our sound traditional curriculum, and our students showed equal measures of excitement when they learned of the choice and autonomy that awaits them. To reiterate, the cornerstone of a Marsden education is our exceptional academic offering. Our innovative programmes are rigorous and grounded in sound foundational learning, and our smaller personalised learning environment and culture of care places the needs of our learners firmly at the centre of all that we do. Please don’t hesitate to contact Deputy Principal, Jenny Caldwell, should you wish to learn more. Next week, Head of Middle School Dianne Smith travels to Cleveland, Ohio to attend the International Coalition of Girls’ School Conference as a GARC (Global Action Research) fellow. Dianne’s action research project is based around the emergence of our middle school programme, Te Kākano, with her inquiry ‘engaging the power of many voices: leveraging girls’ collaborative spirit toward courageous and joyful learning’ at the heart of her contextualised learning journey. Dianne, a lifelong learner, is setting the example in being an agentic 21st century learner. Ka rawe Ms Smith! We have enjoyed hosting new students at our recent Experience Days, with the excitement of the newcomers adding a beautiful buzz about the place. Our final Experience Day will be held this coming Wednesday and is for newcomers to Year 9 in 2024. We have been thrilled with the over-subscription of our Experience Marsden days and remind folk that we are more than happy to arrange individual tours and days in class to prospective students at any year level, at any time. For the final two weeks of Term 2, longstanding staff member and Marsden champion, Jo Sherlock, infamous at Marsden Primary for her welcoming smile and willing can-do attitude, will be assisting with enrolment queries. Have a lovely weekend e te whānau. |