Kia Ora, Fakaalofa lahi atu, Mālō e lelei, Talofa lava, Taloha ni, Ni sa bula, Kamonaso, Kia Orana, Ni Hao, Namaste, Ram-Ram, Salām, Sanibona, Magandang, Ola, Fakatalofa and warm greetings to all.

The candle of ‘Hope’ was lit yesterday on the advent wreath to mark the beginning of the first Sunday of Advent. Advent is the liturgical season of preparation for the Incarnation; the coming of our Lord to earth, in the four weeks preceding Christmas. Advent comes from the Latin word meaning "coming." Jesus is coming, and Advent is intended to be a season of preparation for His arrival. Our staff and ākonga/students were invited to reflect on what we do to prepare for Christmas and share the message of hope, faith, joy and love with one another - please ask your tamariki/children to share their thoughts as we journey through Advent together.

Tomorrow, we welcome our new Marcellin whānau enrolments for 2023 at the Orientation Evening and our Middle School will be finishing off their units of work in the last few days of lessons before the ‘Big Days’ of fun Education Outside of the Classroom begin next week.

We look forward to celebrating the personal excellences at our Middle School prizegiving next Rāmere/Friday 9 Hakihea/December and the Year 7 to 10 full progress reports will be emailed out soon after. I am currently reviewing our school’s communication strategy to ensure the most effective ways of communicating which builds wānanga (communication and problem solving) and whanaungatanga (respectful relationships). Please take a few minutes to complete the following survey to share your valuable contributions.

The final newsletter will be sent with the full progress report and will contain the important dates and information for the year ahead.

As we begin this journey of Advent together, may we be guided by our Gracious Mother Mary’s yes to all that God asks of us as we prepare the way for the coming of Christ.

Ngā mihi me te aroha nui,

Ms. Maria Prescott

Tumuaki/Principal

Our final whānau orientation for the year is tomorrow; Tuesday 29th November 2022 at 6:00pm in the La Valla Gym.

Please rsvp below if you would like to attend.

A friendly reminder this Wednesday 30th November, is a Teacher Only Day and all students are to remain at home.

This is a reminder that we are a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) school, and all ākonga/students (Years 7 to 13) need a digital device that is supplied by whānau/families to support the blended learning approaches and digital assessments in class. This will be required from day 1 of 2023.

We have worked with PB Tech to offer you some solutions but please feel free to purchase a Chromebook or laptop from any supplier. To view the PB Tech discounted prices, click on the link to access their website: https://www.pbtech.co.nz/education/byod/marcellin-college?qr=pb_byod

To access the Marcellin College BYOD special pricing, type MARCBYOD in the box 'Enter BYOD Coupon Code' near the top of the website.

We recommend that whānau purchase a protective sleeve or bag for your tamariki/child’s device. There are lockers available at school for ākonga to securely store their device if they are not using them e.g. during PE or at interval and lunchtime. More information about lockers is available at Student Services.

Kia ora koutou,

Please fill out the form below by Friday 2nd December, as to whether you are willing to support your tamariki/child(ren) in a Marcellin College Polyfest group for 2023. The Polyfest festival will be taking place 8th-11th March.

Please note that there are strict performer numbers, so there may be a need for auditions if there is lots of interest. Each group requires commitment and dedication to the process. Remember that anyone from any cultural/ethnic background can join. Rehearsals would begin mid January. Ākonga/students would need to commit to after school rehearsals twice a week from 3:30pm-5pm, and Saturday rehearsals for 3 or more hours from Week 2 onwards.

The criteria is:
-> 90-100% attendance
-> Good attitude
-> Correct uniform/gear for rehearsals
-> $20 registration fee
-> Attend a Polyfest fono on Monday 5th Dec at 6.30pm in the Library (ākonga & whānau)

A final decision will be made at the fono as to whether we have enough interest and whānau support to go ahead with Polyfest 2023.

Ngā mihi,

Miss Kylie Mayall

Tumuaki Tuatoru / Assistant Principal

The Marcellin College 2022 Yearbook is now available from the Student Service Centre for $20. It is crammed full of articles, student profiles, photos and more. Social media posts will eventually be lost yet a yearbook of memories is forever. Get yours today!

Please see below for our key dates for 2023. If you have any queries please email office@marcellin.school.nz

Kia ora koutou whānau,

Please visit the link below to see the school policies and the current policy under review for this term are:

Safety on and off school grounds

1. Health, Safety, and Welfare Policy
2. Alcohol/Drugs and Other Harmful Substances
3. Digital Technology and Cyber Safety
4. School Swimming Pool/Swimming off site

All reviewers

1. Visit the website https://marcellin.schooldocs.co.nz/1893.htm
2. Enter the username (marcellin) and password (seekthebest).
3. Follow the link to the relevant policy as listed.
4. Read the policy.
5. Click the Policy Review button at the top right-hand corner of the page.
6. Select the reviewer type.
7. Enter your name (optional).
8. Submit your ratings and comments.

If you don't have internet access, school office staff can provide you with printed copies of the policy and a review form.

Please email office@marcellin.school.nz if you would like to have a hard copy provided and posted to you.

Final reports for Yr 7-10 ākonga will be emailed home on Rāhina/Monday 12 o Hakihea/December. These reports are a summary of all learning in 2022, including all tasters and option classes.

This Tuesday 29th November at lunchtime, outside the Technology Deck, our Year 10 Technology ākonga will be selling some of the awesome stuff in the picture below.

Please bring small cash only.

With external exams, it is important to remember to take care of yourself. Rest, healthy food and exercise are all highly recommended to help you through this important time. Planning your time to include these three important aspects will enhance revision outcomes.

Checkout https://www.thelowdown.co.nz/article/studystress and https://www.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/ncea-exams-and-portfolios/external/managing-exam-pressure/ for more useful information. And remember, your kaiako and kaiārahi are always here to help

Advent is the time in which we celebrate new beginnings. It is the season in which we start the liturgical year and prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus, our Savior. It is a time to reflect on the year but also to prepare our hearts and homes to once again celebrate the birth of our Messiah. The first purple candle we light is the candle of Hope. Hope in God, hope that we have redeemed because of God’s steadfast love for us. This is a time for us to gather with our whānau and reflect on the different ways to journey together in the Advent season. These could include praying together, Get or make an Advent wreath, bless your Advent wreath, set up a nativity scene, bless your nativity scene, make a Jesse tree, keep an Advent calendar, look ahead to the feasts and celebrations of Advent, serve others through giving your time and action whether it is volunteering at your local charity. Whatever we decide to do, let us do so with God at the forefront of our hearts and mind- serving others and waiting in hopeful anticipation. Let us pray together that through this Advent season your family will be more prepared to receive Jesus when he comes again.

God of Love, Your son, Jesus, is your greatest gift to us. He is a sign of your love. Help us walk in that love during the weeks of Advent, As we wait and prepare for his coming. We pray in the name of Jesus, our Savior. Amen.

The Year 9 and 10 camps were a huge success and it was great to see both kaiako and ākonga challenging themselves to complete a broad range of activities. Ākonga at both levels participated well in team building games and activities and supported one another so warmly when activities were difficult. Prayer and reflection times were special opportunities to gather together to share in God’s presence, to discuss growth in confidence and leadership skills, to acknowledge those things that each person did well and to affirm one another.

We are deeply grateful to the staff who took time away from their own whānau to support this opportunity for our ākonga and who worked tirelessly to ensure ākonga were safe and happy throughout the camps. Soecial thanks to Mrs Bridgette Brooks and Mr Richard Brown who cooked for a couple of days beforehand at school, shopped for essentials during the weekend before the camps so that food was fresh and then remained in the kitchen, working to keep everyone fed for the duration of both camps.

We are also grateful to whānau who saw the value in this opportunity for the young people in their care and who supported us by entrusting us with the care of the Year 9 and 10 ākonga.

IF YOUR CHILD IS DOING SOMETHING FANTASTIC OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL TIME, WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT IT AND SHARE IT WITH THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY - EMAIL YOUR STORIES (AND PHOTOGRAPHS) TO: office@marcellin.school.nz