Welcome to the 2025 school year, and a special welcome to our new students and their whānau. 

 

Please see our 2025 term dates here. Note the attendance requirements for Year 7 students, all students new to Marsden in Years 8-13 and our Head Students’ Committee on Friday 24 January 2025. 

 

All Year 7-13 students are back to school from 8.25am-3.25pm on Monday 27 January 2025.

 

If your daughter is new to Marsden in 2025 she will have a student buddy for her first few weeks and we encourage her to ask questions. A good idea is for her to go through the school calendar for the upcoming week with her buddy, so her buddy can explain the events coming up.

 

All staff and students are here to help her settle in. Things may be different at Marsden than at her previous school but please assure her that she is not expected to know everything, she can observe and participate as best as she can to start with. For example, we don't expect her to know all the songs and actions straight away!

 

Welcome Week Timetable

 

Friday 24 January

• 8.30am - 3.25pm All Year 7 students
• 10.30am - 12.30pm All students new to Marsden in Years 8-13 
• 8.30am - 3.25pm Head Students' Committee

All students are to wear their uniform and are required to bring their laptops.

 

Monday 27 January

• Period 1 - Whole school Pōwhiri in Auditorium
• Period 2 - Form/Tutor time for ALL students and teachers
• Period 3 – Y7, 9, 10, 11 academic lessons, Y8 William Pike, Y12/13 NCEA processes
• Period 4 – Y7, 8, 9, 12, 13 academic lessons, Y10 Duke of Ed, Y11 NCEA processes
• Period 5 – Y7-13 academic lessons
• Period 6 – House activity  

 

Tuesday 28 January

• 8.25am – Form/Tutor Time 
• Period 1 – Google Drive, Hapara
• Periods 2-5 – Y7-13 academic lessons
• Period 6 – Y7-12 Dean’s activities, Y13 academic lessons

 

Wednesday 29 January

• 8.25am – Y7-12 Form/Tutor Time (Y13 at Leadership Camp all day)
• Periods 1-5 – Y7-12 academic lessons
• Period 6 – Tuakana-teina activities led by Y12

 

Thursday 30 January

• 8.25am – Y7-12 Form/Tutor Time (Y13 at Leadership Camp all day)
• Periods 1-6 – Y7-12 academic lessons

 

Friday 31 January 

• 8.25am – Form/Tutor Time
• Periods 1-3 – Y7-13 academic lessons
• Period 4 – Singing rehearsal
• Periods 5 and 6 - Give It A Go sports afternoon led by Y13 

 

Beginning of year events

 

Whole School Pōwhiri - Monday 27 January 2025

Parents/caregivers are warmly invited to our whole school Pōwhiri, 8.45-9.30am on Monday 27 January 2025 in the Marsden Auditorium. If you are attending, please RSVP to rsvp@marsden.school.nz with your name(s).

 

Year 13 Leadership Camp, 29-30 January 2025

Year 13 students will attend a leadership camp on Wednesday 29 and Thursday 30 January 2025. They will be staying the night at Victoria House, a university hall of residence on Wednesday night. All Year 13 parents/caregivers should have been sent an Operoo form to complete regarding this.

 

Information Sharing Evening (parents/caregivers with form teacher/tutor), Tuesday 4 February 2025

At the start of term, you will be invited to make a 10-minute appointment on Tuesday 4 February 2025 with your daughter’s form teacher/tutor. The purpose of this brief meeting is to share relevant information to ensure a successful start at Marsden for your daughter. Appointments will be available from 3pm to 5.30pm and 6pm to 8pm. 

 

The school day will finish at 2.30pm on Tuesday 4 February 2025. There will be supervision available between 2.30-3.30pm, if required, and buses will depart at the usual time. 

 

Māori and Pacific Fiafia, Monday 3 February 2025

Marsden's annual Māori and Pacific Fiafia will be held on Monday 3 February 2025 from 8.35am - 12.35pm. This initiative is a partnership between the school and our Māori and Pasifika parent community. 

 

Drawing from the process of whakawhanaungatanga, the Fiafia offers new and current Māori and Pasifika students the opportunity to create strong bonds and relationships ahead of the new academic year. Further details will follow in Term 1.

 

Year 13 Communion, Breakfast and Induction Service, Monday 10 February 2025

Year 13 students and their parents/caregivers are invited to share communion followed by breakfast and attendance at the induction service assembly from 7.30-9.30am on Monday 10 February 2025. Further details will be sent out in January.

 

 

Please refer to our Student Handbook below. We ask all students to read this. 

 

See you at school in 2025!



Stationery and Digital Devices (Years 7 -13)

Stationery lists for Years 7-13 for 2025 can be found here. You will find details about digital device requirements on the same page, and details of the specials that OfficeMax is offering Marsden families. Year 7-13 students, please bring your stationery to school when you start, it can be stored in your locker., 

Students from Year 7 upwards are required to bring their own digital devices for learning. We recommend a laptop or MacBook for Years 7-13, which must be capable of running the Adobe suite of programs. The iCentre has a range of devices that can be issued on a day-to-day basis. New students, please bring your device to school on your induction day so that we can organise logins for you. 

 

Performing Arts Programme



Marsden offers a wide range of performing arts activities and there are many opportunities for your daughter to get involved. Playing and enjoying music at Marsden opens the door to a lifelong appreciation of the performing arts. We have choirs, orchestras, a rock band, ensembles and handbell ringing, as well as the academic Music curriculum which includes our fun and innovative Year 7 Band programme. Specialist teachers are available during the school day for students to have private tuition in the instrument of their choice. 

There are opportunities to perform in the school production, Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival, to debate, dance, join Kapa Haka or take Speech and Drama lessons from our specialist tutors.

 

Please find further co-curricular details and registration forms here. 

 

The Performing Arts Handbook contains information on the range of activities at Marsden. To sign up for activities, click here.

 

If you have any questions, please email our Director of Performing Arts, Sarah Wilson at sarah.wilson@marsden.school.nz or phone (04) 476 8707 Ext 844.



Private music lessons

Private music lessons are available for students in Years 3-13. Please see here for details and the registration form. Registrations are due by Friday 24 January 2025 if requiring lessons in Term 1.

Performance Diploma in Speech and Drama

Your daughter can leave school with a Performance Diploma in Speech and Drama. She can start her journey at Years 7, 8 or 9. Speech and Drama classes are also available for students in Years 3-6. Classes are available at lunchtime or after school. There are no Speech and Drama classes in Term 4. For registration details and further information please visit our Speech and Drama page.

 

Sport

Sports Programme

At Marsden, we believe that sport teaches students about sportsmanship, teamwork, courage and healthy physical activity. Sport plays an important part in the lives of most Marsden students. With an 80% participation rate, Marsden offers students the opportunity to participate just for fun or in pursuit of excellence. We encourage all students to take up a sport in 2025. Whether competing in a team or as an individual, there’s something for everyone.

 

Director of Sport & Active Recreation Rosie Kirkpatrick and Sport & Active Recreation Coordinator Jessica Gill organise all registrations, teams and sporting opportunities for our students. Rosie looks after sports for students in Years 9-13. Jess looks after sports for students in Years 1-8.  



Marsden Sports Website

The Marsden sports website is the best place to find all information about sport at Marsden. This site is dedicated to Marsden sport draws, registration information, news, results, details of the Swifts Talent Centre, our Physiotherapy Clinic and more. Please refer to it throughout the year: www.marsdensport.school.nz/

 

Sports Registrations

Registrations for summer sport (Term 1) in 2025 opened on Friday 6 December 2024 and close on Sunday 2 February 2025. A list of all sports available at Marsden can be found on the Marsden sports website. You can click on each sport for information about important dates, uniform, and cost. On each sports page, there is also information about trials. Please note that trials or pre-season practices for some summer sports will be happening in the holidays, so check dates carefully. You are then able to register for each sport via a link on the right-hand side of the individual sports page. 

Registrations for winter sport (Terms 2 and 3) in 2025 opened on Friday 6 December 2024 and close on Sunday 23 February 2025. There will be opportunities for students and parents to find out more about our winter sports programme at the beginning of the school year. Our ‘Give It A Go’ afternoon, 1.35-3.25pm on Friday 31 January will provide students with an opportunity to experience the various sports on offer at Marsden.

 

Once your daughter has been placed into a team for the 2025 season, all draws for sports can be found here on the Marsden sports website.

 

Please do not hesitate to reach out to Rosie Kirkpatrick (rosie.kirkpatrick@marsden.school.nz) or Jessica Gill (jessica.gill@marsden.school.nz) if you have any questions about sport at Marsden.

 

Years 7–13 Athletic Sports, Newtown Park, Friday 14 March 2025 (Week 4)

Our first sports event of the year is Athletics, which will be held at Newtown Park on Friday 14 March 2025. This is a fun day filled with lots of school spirit. It is a House competition that allows everyone to compete both on the track and in a range of field events.

 

Students are to wear their House t-shirts and PE shorts or track suits. Sports shoes are a must. Students make their own way to Newtown Park for an 8.25am roll call and will be dismissed from the park at approximately 2.45pm. There is a bus available to take students back to Karori and regular school buses leave Marsden at 3.30pm. You will receive an email to reserve a seat on the returning bus. The day’s activities include the March Past, a sausage sizzle and the highlight is form class and House relays to complete the day. A programme will be included in the weekly Marsden Newsletter and will be emailed to you and will be available on the Marsden App. Parents are encouraged to come along and support their daughters on this exciting and action-packed day.

 

Subject selection - new students Years 9-13

If you have recently enrolled (December 2024 – January 2025) and have not yet completed a subject selection form, please complete your subject completion form and email it to Enrolment Registrar Leigh McCathie (leigh.mccathie@marsden.school.nz).

 

You can find copies of our Year Programmes and Curriculum Overview for 2025 under the Academic sections in Our Schools here.

 

Houses

Marsden has six Houses in the Upper School (Years 7-13): 

• Baber - green
• Hadfield Beere - purple
• Jellicoe - yellow
• Johnson - orange
• Richmond - blue
• Swainson Riddiford - red



Houses are allocated to students on enrolment. If a student has a family member who has previously attended Marsden, she will be allocated to the same House. Houses will otherwise be allocated to keep group numbers within each House even. Houses in the Upper School consist of students Years 7-13, with senior students looking after the younger girls. The girls quickly make friends within their House groups.