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Principal's Blog: Term 4 Week 7
Friday, 17 November 2023
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Kia ora whānau As the end of the school year approaches, Christmas trees have popped up in reception areas and in the preschool, decorations have been hung, carols are beginning to be heard and there’s a feeling of anticipation in the air. As an Anglican school, we celebrate our special character, and this year we’re decorating two community Christmas trees, one at the airport in support of Cystic Fibrosis New Zealand, and the other at the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul. We have been creating our own decorations upon which we have offered up our prayers and intentions for Peace, Love, Hope and Joy in the world. We also look forward to giving this Christmas and hope to ‘Pack the Bus’ with necessities and treats for those less fortunate than ourselves. At Marsden we welcome and embrace all cultures and religions, with Preschool sharing in Diwali celebrations this week, and I know that next week there will be additional festivities surrounding the UAE National Day celebrations also. Enjoy! You will have received invitations to our end-of-year celebrations in your inboxes, with details also within this newsletter, and I warmly welcome caregivers to all and any events that you wish to attend, including our Primary Celebration and Toy Service, Middle School and Upper School Prize Givings and the much-anticipated and revered annual Marsden Carol Service at the Cathedral. Last year was my first Carol Service, and I was both astounded and moved at the beauty and reverence of this iconic celebration and look forward to attending once again with hopeful anticipation, a reminder of the reason for this festive season. This is also the season for preparedness for next year, and the anticipation was high on Wednesday when we hosted our 2024 Orientation Day. Primary school students spent the day in their next year’s classrooms and our 2024 Year 7 and Year 9 students converged in the Upper School for a day full of activities and learning. It was wonderful to host our new students, with current students extending warm and welcoming hospitality in being wonderful buddies. With enrolment numbers strong in both Year 7 and Year 9 for next year, I can confirm that we will be having three classes at each year level, which does mean that there are some limited spaces available for newcomers. We know that our current Marsden families are our greatest ambassadors, so please encourage friends who are considering a Marsden education for their child to be in touch with our enrolment registrar, who you can contact here, and be reminded of our Referral Scheme which enables us to demonstrate our gratefulness of your support of Marsden. In last week’s newsletter, we brought the news of Marsden athletes footing it with the best and scooping awards at the College Sport Wellington (CSW) annual sports awards ceremony. In late but exciting news, I am thrilled to announce that Macy Mahoney-Studd has since been named the CSW Water Polo Sportswoman of the Year, an accolade that is thoroughly well-deserved. Water Polo is going from strength to strength at Marsden, and Macy plays an essential role in encouraging and supporting younger athletes through coaching and mentorship alongside her own high-performance commitments. Congratulations Macy. Marsden is pleased to be hosting the Katherine Mansfield House & Garden annual fundraiser in our Auditorium on 28 November, with their Talking Books presenter, prolific cookbook writer and television celebrity, Annabel Langbein. Marsden celebrates alumna Katherine Mansfield, who attended our original school, Mary Anne Swainson’s Fitzherbert Terrace School in Thorndon. This year is particularly poignant as it is the 100th anniversary of the passing of one of New Zealand’s most talented authors, one we can proudly call our own. We welcome your attendance. Tickets can be purchased here. We look forward to a fun and festive season of shared celebrations and togetherness this Christmas. |