Welcome to Marsden

Welcome to Marsden High School “Learning for Life”

What makes Marsden  High Special.. what would make this your school of choice.

High school is the time when kids learn to think critically, analyze pros and cons, explore, identify their passions, learn to work independently, learn how to advocate for themselves, and develop relationships with their teachers. Learn to self-regulate and build life long patterns of who they are and who they will become.  A great school builds on this with a myriad of experiences. Marsden high delivers a quality education where students go well beyond their best!

We offer an atmosphere and opportunity for outstanding levels of engagement in learning and life!

Lets look at the myriad of Journeys a typical Year 7 Marsden high Student could venture upon.

Learning and Marsden High school.

Firstly, we take learning seriously, Marsden is more that the buildings and the facilities, it’s about the classroom activities and what learning looks like.  at Marsden we truly are preparing our students to learn for life.. we are life long learners!

Science labs and teachers that are outstanding, last week, I observed year 7 busily learning  about what its like to “work as a scientist”, and there was bunsen burners, test tubes and engagement.  In year 7  Geography, from the Greek language ‘geographia’ – ‘geo’ (earth) and ‘graphia’ (writing), involves the study of the Earth’s human societies and their environments, primarily from a contemporary perspective. In PD Health and PE, we learn about ‘Better health”, enjoy gymnastics and tabloid sports. With excellent spaces for activities, we are equally blessed with some outstanding PE teachers.

Moving from the classroom.. what would interest our new Year 7 students.

We Care about our students..

Friendship and socialization is a significant part of the high school experience. We Pay attention to how our  students act together. Ask our students, they are comfortable with one other, our  students mixing well and we do not EXCLUDE.. we are inclusive!

We do proactive activities to bind our students in positive opportunities to enjoy their friends..for example..

Year 7 Camp.. off at the end of the term for an adventure of fun activities, time to make new friends and learn new ways to improve success at high school.

Peer Support, peer mentoring and our SRC are great ways to meet the older students and for us to meet our new year 7 students. We are lucky to enjoy a successful LEARNING ALLIANCE with the primary schools and our SRC students have already visited West Ryde to speak at assembly. Our student leaders are exceptional.

Outside the Classroom, we prepare our students for LIFE….

We have an immense opportunity to be involved in our MUSIC Ensemble Program. Ms. Idrus will tell you all about the opportunities that exist to be part of a fabulous Musical culture.

If music isn’t what you’re looking for, maybe its VOLUNTEERING…We were involved in the Wrap with love Volunteering program, where students and staff created knitted blankets for people in need, we participate in the Red Cross-Blood bank donations organised by the SRC. Excellence= our Students and generosity to our community.

The upcoming holidays our work studies students are off to QLD to assist with fencing and building for the QLD Flood Victims.. We are very proud of the significant contribution our students make to our community, Local and Global!

Queensland  Floods  Trip……. I have told the students to take great care of our lovely teachers who are giving up part of their holidays  to get this venture going.

What if you are a ‘Great Debater’…..we have got the Mock Trial  ( who just last week beat Epping Boys into the next round of the competition) and great Debating Competitions. I know you all know how to argue, learn to be the best and be rewarded.

We are outstanding at supporting our students to succeed, we have a Tutoring program in partnership with Macquarie University. Our year 11 & 12 students are tutored  in all types of subjects by our university mentors . The results from this program speak for themself, with outstanding results and place at University earned by our students as a result of the HSC marks earned.

Excellence in Academics..we are leading the way..

Acceleration into Stage 6

If it is excellence in Academic you are after…  Currently we have an entire class of year 10 students accelerated in IT undertaking a in the Vocational Education training course in Information technology. The students are gifted and we envisage the entire class receiving band 6 results for the HSC next year. they have been the shakers and movers in the clever  configuration of the PE departments Wii machine for learning. Innovation is what these gifted students are doing.

If it is SPORTS you like..the look no further than our immense grounds.. we have an integrated sport model and participate in all Knock out CHS sports.. Soccer match last Friday saw us…. winners?

Just look at our  GROUNDS that are expansive,  volley ball courts, basketball facilities, netball, undercover cola and inside space for gymnastics, dance and Drama.

If it is TECHNOLOGY and Connected learning is more what ‘rows your boat” .. we have numerous interactive whiteboards, with particular emphasis on year 7 home rooms. This is focusing on the continuation of what has existed in most primary schools, as we know our year 6 students are very clever innovators or technology.  In all state schools you would be aware that year 9 receive the lenova learning devices ( laptops ) our students are no exception and they are leaping ahead in their learning, as are our teachers.

If its great teachers you want .. we have exceptional teachers,  a great number are HSC, SC, ESSA and Naplan markers, who return to our classrooms with outstanding expert understanding of what good learning looks like, and how we can best meet the needs of our students to meet national standards in all tests.

If it is Culture and language.. we have an outstanding “English as Second language” teaching staff, along with our Foreign Language teachers, We deliver, Japanese, Korean, Chinese and our school always scores highly in language at the HSC level.

If you thought you were now tooo busy.. we have oodles of other  very special initiatives that are happening. This year Mr, Hannah our Technology teacher is taking a group of year 9-11 students to the Space Camp in  Houston USA in september,

And we also have the annual Ski Trip, which is a great time away for all students, it is planned for August..

If it is STUDENT LEADERSHIP you are interested in than our  SRC is exceptional.. they have already organised the flood appeal, a record-breaking LINE DANCE in the middle of the QUadrangle, an Student led Assembly and attended  and represented Marsden High school at the State Equity conference.

Finally our community believes in the success of our wonderful school and we have 2 long-standing Scholarship=

1 from Kim Williams CEO of Foxtel on behalf of his parents and The Pinnacle scholarship from John Tuckerman. These great ambassadors of our school trust the quality of the education that Marsden delivers.

And finally when your journey ends at Marsden high.. you will be pointing your compass in the right direction, because 60 % of our students  get an offer of placement to university, a further 25 % move onto TAFE. Our school is well above state average for post school successful destinations and we can proudly say.. we prepare our students for the journey ..”learning for life”, we prepare our sailors for the journey of life.

As Principal of Marsden High school, I invite your to join our journey… next year…or beyond..