Samuel Marsden Collegiate School

On Monday and Tuesday, six Marsden teams took on the annual Mathswell Competition, competing against schools from across the Wellington region in multi-choice and problem-solving challenges. We’re proud of all our teams for representing Marsden with such enthusiasm and pride!

🏆 A special congratulations to our Year 9 team, who placed 3rd in their competition - an outstanding achievement against strong regional competition. Our Year 7/8 team also had a fantastic result, finishing 2nd in the Plate division. 👏

Well done to everyone who took part! 📸 Our Year 9 team: Emma, Anika, Ella, Minne, Lillian and Toscane.

🏆 Getting Tournament Week ready!

Last weekend our six Winter Tournament teams came together for an evening of pizza, preparation and a little Dress to Impress fun! ✨

Students heard from experts on mindset, team culture, nutrition, fueling and recovery, with plenty of practical advice to help them perform at their best throughout Tournament Week.

It was a great evening of learning, connection and team building. Now the countdown is on!

Huge thanks to our coaches, managers, parents and players for making it such a positive night.

🥾🌿 Year 11 PE takes to the trails!

Last Thursday, our Year 11 PE students tackled a challenging 15km tramp as part of their Achievement Standard exploring Hauora and how movement can influence our wellbeing.
From Johnston’s Hill through Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush and along part of the Skyline Walkway, students showed fantastic resilience while enjoying the opportunity to connect with nature and each other.

A great day of movement, challenge and wellbeing! 💚

❄️ What a weekend at Senior Winter Pent!

We loved welcoming Woodford House, Iona College, St Matthew’s Collegiate and Nga Tawa to Marsden for two action-packed days of competition, connection and seriously chilly conditions!

Our teams had an outstanding tournament:
🏐 Netball – 1st, unbeaten!
⚽ Football – 2nd
🏑 Hockey – 3rd

These results saw Marsden finish 2nd overall – our best result since rejoining the tournament three years ago! 🎉

It was also a privilege to host Pent this year, with plenty of opportunities for students from all five schools to connect beyond the competition.

A huge thank you to all the players, coaches, managers, supporters and visiting schools who made it such a memorable weekend. 💙 Bring on next year!

On Saturday, our Year 1/2 students took part in the first of two Wellington West Netball Festival days.

After weeks of lunchtime sessions with our fantastic senior student coaches, Maddi and Millie, it was wonderful to see the students put their passing, catching, shooting and teamwork skills into practice against other local schools.

A huge thank you to Maddi and Millie for their enthusiasm and encouragement, and well done to our Year 1/2 netballers! 🏐

Last Sunday, Marsden students joined the Wellington community at Wellington Cathedral of St Paul for a special service remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

As part of their Religious Education learning, students in Years 6–11 explored the events of 1945 and the peace movement, creating 457 origami cranes as symbols of peace and healing. They joined an incredible 1,513 cranes made by students from schools across Wellington.

Marsden students also contributed to the service through music, dance and readings, with Chaplain Sarah King taking part in the interfaith prayers.

A moving opportunity to remember the past, stand together for peace, and look to the future with hope. 🕊️

🌟 Student Success 🌟

A huge congratulations to Ash (Year 11), who has been selected for the New Zealand 17&U Women’s Water Polo team competing at the 2026 Australian National State Water Polo Championships next month!

The tournament is a fantastic development opportunity, giving Ash the chance to compete against Australia’s top age-group talent and gain valuable international experience.

🇯🇵 Until next time, Toin Gakuen!

It’s been another wonderful two weeks of learning, exploring Wellington, sharing cultures and making new friendships — with a little surprise snow along the way! ❄️

A huge thank you to our amazing host families, staff and everyone who helped make this exchange possible.

Safe travels, Toin!