Samuel Marsden Collegiate School

Last night’s 2026 Showcase Concert was a wonderful celebration of the talent, creativity, and dedication that define Marsden Music and Performing Arts.

From orchestra and choirs to kapa haka, handbells, guitar group and rock band, the evening showcased the breadth of musical opportunities available at Marsden and the outstanding achievements of our students.

Congratulations to all performers, and thank you to the 2026 Heads of Music, our music staff, tutors, accompanists, and families for making the evening such a memorable one.

Last week 12 Marsden swimmers participated in the College Sport Regional Swimming Championships and Relays. The team came an impressive 2nd overall, missing the top spot by just 7 points, with a further 40-point gap back to 3rd place. The highlight of the day was taking the win of the prestigious Flying Squadron Relay, an event that brings together eight swimmers from Years 9 to 13 and is always one of the most anticipated races of the meet.

There were outstanding individual performances across the board, including Rebecca (Year 10) winning the U15 Individual Medley and Alyssa (Year 11) claiming three first-place finishes.
While swimming is often seen as an individual sport, what stood out most was the atmosphere around the team. Every race had a cheering squad behind it and every result was celebrated. A fantastic effort from all 12 swimmers.

📸: Izzy Gollan

On 10 & 11 June, Marsden proudly hosted the second annual Winter Sports Exchange, welcoming students from Selwyn House School (Christchurch), Scots College, and QMC for two days of netball, hockey, and football.

Wellington put on two crisp but beautiful winter days, providing the perfect backdrop for a fantastic event. Marsden competed on both days, facing QMC and Selwyn on day one, and Scots College and Selwyn on day two and all students embraced every opportunity to connect, challenge themselves, and celebrate the values of fair play, sportsmanship, and respect.

Thank you to all players, staff, officials, and supporters who helped make the exchange such a success.

Four Marsden rugby players joined forces with players from Scots, WGC and Newlands to form the U15 Manawa Tahi team. Many of the team were new to rugby, having completed the Contact Ready programme for girls aged 12-17 with the WRFU in the preseason, before putting their new skills to the test in the U15 rugby grade.

The team built quickly over the short six-week season supported by experienced coaches Sua Makisi and Andrew McGrath, making it through to the CSW Division 2 final unbeaten.

Leading 17-12 at halftime, they eventually went down 38-34 in a tight match with St Marys.

Some of the team will go on to trial for the U16 representative team later in June. We look forward to welcoming new and returning players in the 2027 season!

Last Thursday, Marsden's premier choir Altissime and all-comers choir Ad Summa performed at The Big Sing Regional Competition at the Michael Fowler Centre.

Ad Summa presented A Million Dreams, Purea Nei, and I'm a Believer — all arranged by Year 13 student Lilja. Altissime's programme featured Jubilate Deo by Gyöngyösi Levente, David Hamilton's moving work Mihi, and Ergen Deda by Peter Lyondev.

The day concluded with a Gala Concert celebrating choral excellence from across the region. As part of the event, Year 13 students Jessica, Lilja, Akshara, and Abi proudly led the New Zealand Sign Language interpretation of the National Anthem.

Congratulations to all of our performers, and a special thank you to choir leaders Jessica, Lilja, Devon, and Jen, along with Mrs Campbell and Shawn Condon, for their leadership and support.

Celebrating Community & Leadership!

Last Wednesday, our Kura Kai student leaders, Jessica, Ava and Lara had the absolute privilege of visiting the Mayor’s office for the Absolutely Positively Wellington Student Award celebration hosted by the Hon. Andrew Little. They were joined by their parents and Deputy Principal Jenny Caldwell.

It was an awesome opportunity to celebrate all the hard work the team has put in over the 4 past few years. Beyond celebrating our own achievements, it was incredibly inspiring to hear from 21 other students across Wellington and learn about the amazing initiatives they are driving in their own communities.

We are so proud to see our students recognised for their dedication. Looking at the passion of our younger students, we know the future of Kura Kai is in great hands here at Marsden!

Our Year 11 Level 1 PE class recently took on Johnston's Hill and part of the Skyline Track as part of their external achievement standard focused on Hauora | Wellbeing.

Despite the wild and windy conditions, students showed great resilience and enthusiasm throughout the walk. It was fantastic to see everyone embracing the challenge, supporting one another, and enjoying the benefits of being active in the great outdoors.

We are delighted to celebrate a significant milestone in our Duke of Edinburgh’s Hillary Award programme.

Yasmin and Phoebe (Year 13) have both completed their Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Hillary Award. To achieve Gold before the end of their final year is a testament to their dedication and the strength of the programme within our school.

We also congratulate Asha Todd (Class of 2025), who was formally recognised for completing her Gold Award at the recent ceremony at Government House. Principal Paula Wells was pleased to attend the ceremony in support of Asha.

Our thanks also go to Jane Hazelton for her dedication and leadership as Duke of Edinburgh’s Hillary Award Coordinator, supporting students throughout their Award journey.

Congratulations to Yasmin, Phoebe, and Asha on this outstanding achievement.

🎶 Primary Music Soirée 🎶

Last week our primary students delighted whānau and friends with an evening of orchestra, strings, piano, voice, and choir performances in the Auditorium.

The concert celebrated the hard work and progress students are making through our Private Music Tuition programme.

Congratulations to all performers, and thank you to our families and itinerant music teachers for their support.

✨ Matariki Learning Experience ✨

Last Friday, our Māori and Pasifika students had the opportunity to visit Space Place at Carter Observatory to deepen their understanding of Matariki, the Māori lunar calendar, and traditional navigation systems.

It was a fantastic day of learning, cultural connection, and exploration. Experiences like these help broaden our knowledge, celebrate Māori and Pasifika perspectives, and strengthen the connections within our group.

Ngā mihi to everyone who helped make this valuable learning experience possible.