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16 December 2022

Mass of Initiation

From the Principal

Meri Kirihimete,

The end of term has arrived, and the school is very quiet now following a well-attended Junior Prizegiving on Wednesday. It was lovely to have so many parents, caregivers, grandparents, and whānau at this celebration. Last year we had to live stream prizegiving and we are very glad not to have to repeat that again!

Instead, we could all be there to acknowledge success, progress and learning for our Year 9 and 10 students. Congratulations to all our juniors who have shown courage this year and been involved fully in school life.

There were special awards also – congratulations to Emma Mahoney from St Patrick’s Bryndwr, who won the Marian Foundation Scholarship. This was presented by Ms Carol Dean, a member of the Foundation. Bob and Barb Te Miha, our loved kaumatua and members of the Christchurch Justice and Peace Commission, presented an award to Year 10 Stella Jones. Stella wrote an excellent essay to win the junior section of their competition on the topic "Describe a time when an act of racism has been recognised in Aotearoa New Zealand. How can Catholic Social Teaching prevent future similar events?"

As I said at prizegiving - there is no rule that says only students get prizes, so it was lovely to see Mrs Rachel Parkin receive a very well-deserved award presented by Nicki Paterson of School Sport New Zealand. This acknowledged 25 years service to Netball in secondary schools, including coaching and administration and organisation. Mrs Parkin was nominated by Marilyn Milne of South Island Secondary School Netball. It was interesting for Mrs Parkin to be on the other side of a prizegiving and she now understands how the students feel! We are very proud of her.

Other staff were also on stage for their long service to Marian College. Mrs Sara Lake, Mr David Christison and Mrs Rachel Parkin have all now been at Marian for 20 years, which is our very good fortune. The biggest applause for the day, however, went to our treasured librarian Mrs Cushla Neilson. She beats the 20-year record easily as she has now worked at Marian for 35 years. Mrs Neilson is always very humble and does not like the spotlight, but generations of students and staff know just how important she is to Marian, and we were happy to celebrate this milestone with her.

Blessings to you all for a holy and safe Kirihimete and holiday.

With faith in our future,

Mary-Lou Davidson (Mrs)
Principal

Greet, Meet, and Reunite is an opportunity for the Marian College community, both past and present, to come together to celebrate the past, present, and future of Marian College as we get closer to moving into our new home on Lydia Street. We would love for you to join us! You can purchase the tickets on our website.

Special Character

Mass of Initiation

Congratulations to our students who received one or more of the following Sacraments: Baptism, First Holy Communion, and Confirmation. Our beautiful Mass of Initiation was celebrated and led by Bishop Michael Gielen with Fr Peter Costello concelebrating. Bishop Michael shared within his homily his encouragement of building and strengthening our relationship with Jesus by attending Mass on Sunday and praying. We would like to also acknowledge Alex Chia, who works at the Catholic Education Office, for his support, time, and kindness with the programme and Mass. To all the Godparents, Sponsors, and whānau who attended and celebrated, we recognise your continual constant spiritual guidance of the faith development of your child. We also would like to thank Mrs Sharon Gardner, our Pastoral Chaplain, Mrs Miranda Scott, our Teacher in Charge of Liturgical Music, and Whaea Myra Fidow, Director of Ministry, for your time, aroha and encouragement of our students in the programme and the Mass of Initiation. He puna wai e kore e mimiti ki a koutou katoa.

Advent Liturgy

The third week of Advent was acknowledged in our Junior Advent Liturgy. As we lit the two purple (hope and faith) and one rose (joy) candles of our Advent wreath, we stopped, reflected, and continued to prepare our hearts for the birth of Jesus.

As we come to the end of our school year we can place all the good and bad times at the feet of Jesus in the manger. Christmas is a time for whānau, presents, and shopping, and sometimes in the busyness of the season, we forget why we celebrate Christmas in the first place. Let us stop to prepare our hearts for Jesus - who was born in a manger - an unexpected place for a Messiah. But His arrival changed the world forever and is God’s greatest gift to us.

Our Liturgy also focused on our scripture quote "Love one another, as I have loved you", John 13:34, where each wā whānau presented their reflections on what this scripture quote meant for them. We were also blessed to listen to the beautiful voices of Seyara De Silva and Ashley Coroza, who sang 'Silent Night'.

Young Vinnies Christmas Drive - Presents for Children

During Advent, Young Vinnies and the rest of the school have been collecting gifts for children and teenagers who are less fortunate than ourselves, those who may not receive anything for Christmas this year. We all brought in presents unwrapped and put them under a Christmas tree to donate. The presents have now been delivered to the site where on Christmas Eve parents of the children and teenagers can go pick Christmas presents for their children that they think their children will like. This was a great way to give back and everyone at Marian put a lot of time and effort into making sure everyone in the community has an amazing Christmas this year.

Briar Rotherham, Young Vinnies

Thank you

Thank you to everyone who has supported the Special Character of Marian College for 2022. Special thanks to Mrs Myra Fidow, Mrs Sharon Gardner, Ms Miranda Scott, our Special Character leaders, and all the staff and students who have participated in Masses, Liturgies, events, activities, and the prayer life of the school.

Have a blessed Christmas and happy new year! See you again in 2023!

We are praying for...
We remember students, staff, and members of our Marian College community who are currently in hospital or unwell. We also remember students, staff, and their families who have lost loved ones recently, especially Izzabella Lawton (Year 10) - Grandfather. We are also praying for the Taylor family on the tragic loss of Megan Taylor, a much-loved past student of Marian College.

We remember in prayer all who have lost loved ones in 2022.

Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen

Important Information

Important Dates to Note

Christmas Office Hours:
Office closed: Wednesday 21 December 2022 to Friday 20 January 2023
Office open: Monday 23 January 2023, 8am-4pm

Term Dates 2023:
Term 1: Monday 30 January - Staff Only Day
- First full day for all students Friday 3 February
- Ends: Thursday 6 April

Term 2: Wednesday 26 April - Friday 30 June

Term 3: Monday 17 July - Friday 22 September

Term 4: Monday 9 October - Tuesday 12 December

Click here for Important Term 1 2023 Dates

NCEA Update

Students who have sat NCEA examinations will not receive physical answer books in the post as they have in the past. Marked examinations can be accessed through the NZQA Student login in late January 2023. Therefore it is important that all students have created an NZQA Student login account. For support with this please contact the NZQA call centre 0800 697 296, Monday-Friday (except Wednesday) 8am-5pm, Wednesdays 9am-5pm.

Reports

Term 4 Wā Whānau and Engagement Reports for Junior students have recently been emailed to parents/caregivers.

Te Kura Summer School

Registrations for Te Kura Summer School will be opening on 7 November 2022. Summer School courses are delivered online from December to February, so with access to a computer and the internet, ākonga can learn anywhere and anytime. More than 1500 ākonga take advantage of Summer School each year to complete their studies, enabling them to go on to further study, training, or employment.

He waka eke noa – we are all in this together.

School Stationery 2023
Stationery lists and instructions for 2023 will be emailed to parents and caregivers.

Blazer Braiding
Red braid for Year 12 and 13 blazers is only available from the school office:

Year 12 - Pocket $ .50c
Year 13 - Whole blazer $5.00

To arrange for sewing on the correct blazer braid please contact
Urban Threads, 347 Hills Road, 021 0240 7796.

Charges for sewing on of the braid are:

Year 12 - Pocket $15.00
Year 13 - Whole blazer $50.00

Click here for Portal and Report Information

Financial Matters

School accounts - We would appreciate your attention to any outstanding account items, in particular the compulsory Attendance Dues which we collect on behalf of Bishop Michael.

Year 13 Leavers - Parents are requested to check that your account has been paid. You can easily check your balance via the portal or contact Mrs Sharon Moody.

This has been an uncertain year for many families and we remind you that there is assistance in paying Attendance Dues, please know that there is the Bishop’s fund available to assist you if you are having financial difficulties. If you would like an application, please contact Sharon Moody – sharonm@mariancollege.school.nz to have one sent to you. This information remains with the College and is held in the strictest confidence.

You have the option of paying your account via automatic payment available and suggest the following: $79.70 weekly payment, $159.40 fortnightly payment, or $345.40 per month.

As we reach the end of the school financial year, we are very grateful for those families who have regularly paid the school's compulsory costs and contributions in difficult financial times. This allows us to provide important opportunities for our students in their learning, Special Character, and extra-curricular activities. We welcome the opportunity to discuss any financial concerns from our families, or to establish an online payment option. Please contact Mrs Sharon Moody, Finance Officer, school office to arrange an appointment.

Mary-Lou Davidson, Principal

Click here to view past videos and photos of the Lydia St build

From the Guidance Counsellor

Kia ora Koutou,

It has been such a pleasure meeting and working with so many of you at Marian College throughout 2022. It has been a privilege to provide a counselling service to you all and it’s wonderful that many of you have found it useful to talk when things have been tricky or needed extra support to work through a difficult situation in your life. Remember, I am always here for you and I’m happy to talk with you confidentially in 2023.

Over the summer holidays, if you or someone you care about, needs support and assistance, the numbers below might be useful. Please reach out and speak to a trained mental health professional via the following well-being and support services.

I do hope that the Christmas season is full of love, peace, and joy!

Meri Kirihimete me te Hape Nū Ia!

Mrs Carolyn Thomas, School Guidance Counsellor

If it is an emergency or you, or someone you know, is at immediate risk call 111

Congratulations

Junior Prizegiving

Congratulations to all prize winners at our Junior Prizegiving. It was a lovely celebration to recognise our junior students for their Special Character, sporting, academic and cultural achievements and to say thank you to students for your support this year. Click here to view the full Junior Prizegiving list.

Luyando Mwandila - Year 10 Dean's Award for being a caring and supportive student

Neila Penrose/Molly Maynard - Year 10 Grace Award

Billie Sheed - Year 9 Dean's Award for being a caring and supportive student

Briar Rotherham - Year 9 Grace Award

Congratulations to Mrs Rachel Parkin who was presented a New Zealand Secondary School Sport Service Award at Junior Prizegiving.

Left to right: Nicki Paterson (NZSS Sport), Rachel Parkin, Marilyn Milne

Marian Foundation Scholarship

Congratulations to Emma Mahoney of St Patrick's Bryndwr who has won the 2023 Marian Foundation Scholarship for Marian College. Awarded to the top academic student of the incoming Year 9 students, Emma was the top-ranked student from over 30 schools.

Winner of the Catholic Diocese of Christchurch Commission for Justice and Peace essay
Year 9-10: Stella Jones

Congratulations to Stella Jones who was presented with this award by Barb and Bob Te Miha, at the Junior Prizegiving.

The Prime Minister's
Vocational Excellence Award

The Prime Minister’s Vocational Excellence Award was launched in 2019. $2,000 is awarded to the top student in each school. It is aimed at raising the status of vocational study and recognising the achievements of students excelling in vocational education. Monique Salkeld of Year 13 demonstrated excellence in vocational studies in 2022 and was presented this prize at our end-of-year senior prizegiving. Congratulations Monique!

National Secondary School Athletics Competition

Congratulations to Mya Phillips who won the Senior Girls Javelin. Her final throw is the one that takes her from 6th to 1st! Click here for the live feed of her throw. Her winning throw is at -1:45:17. Mya was also sixth in the Discus in very wet conditions. Awesome effort Mya!

Congratulations to Isla Martin-McKenzie who finished sixth in the pole vault.

Left to right: Isla Martin-McKenzie, Mya Phillips

Water Polo

Congratulations to our Junior Water Polo Team who were placed seventh in the South Island Secondary Schools Junior Water Polo Tournament recently. The players learned so much and gained valuable experience. Thanks to Grace van den Heever and Ruaridh MacIsaac for their commitment and dedication to coaching our team and to Vanessa MacIsaac and Heather Hurring for managing our team.

Junior Speech Competition
Congratulations to our Junior Speech Competition winners:

First place - Seyara De Silva
Runner up - Arwen McColl

Congratulations to Lauren Sheere for her incredible performances in the New Zealand Age Group Trampoline Team at the World Championships in Bulgaria recently. Lauren finished 13th out of 64 competitors representing New Zealand at her first official junior World Cup! Well done Lauren - we are very proud of you! Click here to view her performance via Instagram.

School Life

Leavers' Ball 2022

Our final Year 13 event for the year was our Leavers' Ball held at Addington Raceway. As usual, the students looked stunning as they were presented to Bishop Michael Gielen. It was a fantastic night with students, parents, and staff dancing, eating, and sharing memories.

Year 9 Activities Day

Activities included ice skating, 10-pin bowling, surfing, paddle boarding, and a slight change in plans as a result of the weather, to a movie, and some baking. A huge thanks to Ms Fiona Clayton and the staff that attended.

Year 10 Activities Day

In spite of the wind, our Year 10 students had a fantastic Education Outside The Classroom day at the park/beach and experienced the He Puna Taimoana Hot Pools. This was a lovely way to celebrate the end of a challenging year with a chance to get outside the classroom and share some fun with peers and staff. A huge thanks to our Year 10 cohort for having such amazing attitudes over the activity days. The second day involved the very busy trip to Ferrymead with a chance to experience schooling in the past.

Year 10 Social Studies Trip to Ferrymead

Middle School Ethics Olympiad

Recently, Marian College competed in the Middle School Ethics Olympiad for the first time. Our team members, Seyara De Silva, Jayde Liang, Aimee Octaviano and Samantha Dolera had been preparing for this event with the support of two senior coaches, Jasmine Rosengrave and Amelia Meates.

The competition was online and required our team to contribute to a discussion about a number of ethical situations. They had four 'matches' throughout the day with other schools from around the South Island and were scored on the clarity of their arguments and the contribution they made to the overall discussion. Whilst Marian didn't gain a place in the competition, our team is to be commended for their courage in trying something new and their commitment throughout the year to prepare themselves for this very challenging event.

A Taonga for the Music Department

As part of her Level 3 painting portfolio Year 13 Art student Lydia Iosefo created a beautiful pair of painted guitars to gift to the Marian College Music Department. Her portfolio explored the Dawn Raids as a significant historical event in Aotearoa's history and retold this through her grandmother's eyes.

As part of her painting investigation, she considered how oratory traditions are strong amongst Pasifika people and how their sharing of knowledge across generations often occurs through preparing and eating food, singing, and dancing. These guitars are a symbol of cultural inclusivity and the power that sharing experiences and stories across cultures can have. It is a taonga that we should treasure.

Fa'afetai Lydia, thank you for your beautiful work and for this amazing gift. All the best for your future artistic endeavors, you are destined for great things!

Mrs Kalina Harmer-Campbell
Teacher in Charge of Visual Art

Sport Thank You

A big thank you to all the students, parents, and caregivers who have supported Marian College Sport for 2022. We are so proud of all those who have represented the school with pride demonstrating the 'Seaward' way. A big thank you to Mrs Bronwyn Bennie who has worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make sport run so smoothly for Marian College. Lastly, to the wonderful staff who coach and supervise teams throughout the year, we greatly appreciate your time and effort.

We look forward to seeing the students getting involved again in 2023 having fun and doing what they enjoy.

A great way to end the year in Deans 4 Wā Whānau!

From the Principal

Special Character

Important Information

Congratulations

School Life

In the Community