“Miss Purr?” The name might ring a bell. Marsden State High School has a story or two to tell beyond its academic achievements.
Marsden State High School opened its doors in 1987. It has since grown into one of Queensland’s largest schools. Over 3500 students attend Marsden. Despite its size, the school maintains a strong sense of community.
The school prides itself on offering diverse opportunities for students. Marsden State High School aims to provide a comprehensive education. Smaller schools might find this harder to achieve. Marsden aims for high academic, sporting, and vocational outcomes. The school has a good record of students entering universities.
Since 1987, Marsden State High School has been producing outstanding graduates. The school also fosters artistic, musical, and dramatic talent. Many state, national, and international sporting graduates have come from Marsden. Marsden has been pioneering industry qualifications since 1987 as well.
Consistently, over 97% of Year 12 students get offers from universities. Many students undertake school-based traineeships. Mr. Don Whitehouse was the founding principal. He opened the school in 1987. He helped develop a strong school culture with teachers, parents, and students. This culture still exists today.
Mr. Whitehouse served as principal for 20 years. He retired in June 2007. Mr. Alan Jones then took over. He served from July 2007 to 2014. Mr. Andrew Peach was principal from 2014 to 2022. Mr. Marcus Jones is the current principal since 2022.
Now, about that “Miss Purr” incident. A teacher at Marsden State High School was accused of behaving like a cat. Some parents claimed she identified as a cat. Allegedly, she asked students to call her “Miss Purr”. She was even said to have exhibited feline behaviors.
One Facebook commenter claimed the teacher “forces the children to call her Miss Purr and cat screeches and growls when they don’t listen.” Another parent said the teacher made her daughter “purr for a lolly.” A photo circulated of someone wearing cat ears and a “Purr” lanyard. One parent alleged the teacher “sits in class and licks her hands.”
Marsden State High School investigated. They found no evidence of inappropriate conduct. The teacher denied the claims. She said she asked students to call her Miss Purr because her initials were P.R.R. Despite the denial, the teacher no longer works at any Queensland school.
Marsden State High School stands by its commitment to high standards. It has a long history of providing quality education. The “Miss Purr” incident remains a bizarre chapter. It highlights the importance of professionalism in schools.