“The Tool Kit” …….. Not Planning is a PLAN to fail!
At Marsden we have the opportunity to build a great educational landscape.
During our executive meeting and our staff meeting we begun conversations around the National Partnerships: empowering locals schools project and how we might start to look differently at what and how learning should look like for our students. As you know we are only 1 of 30 high schools across the state that has been selected to be part of the trial. The preliminary brainstorming activities with staff have begun and as the project expands students and parents will be involved in major consultation. It is a time to think differently about how we best meet the educational needs of our young people. Stay tuned!
A proud partnership with our Aboriginal Community
It makes me very proud to announce we have signed a partnership with our Ryde Local Aboriginal Consultative group (Ryde AECG) this week. We meet each term and our goal is to increase the achievements of our aboriginal students and increase the awareness of our students of Aboriginal Australia. Marsden High School works hard to increase our support of our Aboriginal Australia. We have continued to support the Aboriginal homework centre, embedding an Aboriginal Language Course into Year 7 Term 3 and have established personal learning plans for all our Aboriginal Students.
Guests who inspire …. our Marsfest Celebrations!
It will be an exciting week when we welcome the State Minister for Minister for Citizenship and Communities, and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Victor Dominello for the opening of Marsfest 2012. Marsfest is both a celebration of our diversity, but also our sameness. We are all essentially citizens in a global community who strive toward a life of fulfillment.
Mr. Victor Dominello is the minister for Citizenship, communicates and Aboriginal Affairs in our State Government and builds for better policy around Multi-cultural Australia and our Indigenous people.
Marsden High school students it is your chance to ask the hard questions of our guest. I am looking forward to Marsfest and what will be a great celebration of our sameness and our diversity.
Marsden High will help build our young people for the future of tomorrow.
All Education Ministers in Australia agree in the Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians (2008) on the need for Australians to become Asia literate. In a major step towards achieving this, the new Australian Curriculum identifies ‘Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia’ as a priority across the curriculum and at all levels of schooling. Asia literacy requires young Australians to gain knowledge, skills and understandings of the histories, geographies, literatures, arts, cultures and languages of the diverse countries of Asia by the time they leave school. Marsden will be a leading light in building capacities in our students.
Crossroads is all about building a tool kit for those roads that we may cross.
I was very privileged to join the year 11 students on their crossroads camp to Jamberoo working with a young group of inspirational leaders from Optimum experience. Our team of teachers was also phenomenal in their support and encouragement of this fantastic camp. What I learnt and the students who participated learnt, is that our learning is built upon an ever growing tool box of skills. The year 11 students learnt about how important such tools as:
Leadership, Communication, Planning, Brainstorming, Team building and support etc are vital tools in our TOOL box to achievement. Congratulations to all the year 11 students who were so inspiring!
Extra Extra Curricular builds great qualities in students.
Congratulations to the young “Duke of ED’ students who ventured out into the wilderness to build their adventure skills. And thank you to the teachers who are inspirational in driving this unique experience Ms. Campbell and Mr. Lloyd. Their dedication is inspiring. Our best wishes go to Mr. Lloyd who is recovering well from some sickness. He will be back next term.
Our teachers are highly skilled professional people.
Marsden High School is a part of a learning Alliance with our partner primary schools. This Alliance is a valuable aspect in building learning continuums for our students in the west Ryde area. The learning of our teachers is shared by this community. Ms Tina Mo our Mandarin teacher is delievering language classes to West Ryde, Melrose Park and Ermington through an Asia Literacy grant which has been received with huge success. Ms. Aji Samuel our year 9 Advisor collaborated with the teachers of Melrose Park and delivered a technology course on the software package ONE NOTE which is a part of the Office Suite used by our students on their Netbook Computers. Congratulations to these great teachers.
Finally, a quote for the week
“Be Bold, and mighty forces will come to your aid”
From where I sit it was and is another fulfilling fortnight at Marsden High school.
- Duke of ED Trial expedition to the Basin was a huge success.
- Crossroads year 11 camp building student capacity was another success.
- Auditions for year 7 with the ABC 3 Show called Steampunks Science Show! Good luck!
- ICAS Science Competition Congratulations all Students!
- Rock Estedfodd students are hard at work with new Choreographer Lisa
- Raise Mentoring Program every Monday Congratulations to those students involved.
- Successful Principals tour and more planned for Term 3, tell your neighbours to visit your great school
- Professional Learning for our teachers in the TELL course: teaching English language Learners
- Max Potential student leadership mentoring program for year 11 students has kicked off, congratulations to these student leaders!
- Enjoy the Athletics Carnival this week!
- Finally.. Marsfest is this week. A huge congratulations to Ms. Thadani and the SRC for their vision and follow through to get this off the ground and going. Well done!
Ms Denise Lofts
Principal
Marsden High School
Education APPS for your phone or ipad that I recommend.
The App of the week is the School Enews ( we use this service to deliver our newsletters) http://www.schoolenews.com.au/index.cfm
The A TO Z of schools. A DEC website for our students and the App.
Ocean_Principal-Leading Beyond the Swell 
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