Primary School News

Dear Primary Parents,

Welcome back to Term 2 here at Marist College. I trust that you all found some time to stop and take a breath over the Easter break and hopefully, spend some time away from the busyness of work to be with family or friends. I was able to see a number of boys and families yesterday at the parent-teacher interviews and those that I met all looked refreshed and ready to go for Term 2. We have had one very obvious addition to our Primary School over the break and that is the bright yellow crane that dominates the skyline to the north of the Primary School. This is a great sign of progress for our new building, and will no doubt be a source of fascination for our boys over the next six months. 

I look forward to seeing all the Year 5 and 6 students this week and meeting many of you again through your son’s involvement in our co-curricular program this term. 

ANZAC Day March

All Primary boys are encouraged to attend the ANZAC Day March with our College community on the Tuesday 25 April. The boys have been asked to meet at St Finbarr’s School from 7:15am so that they can join in this important occasion. All boys are asked to wear their full Winter uniform with our Year 5 boys wearing their blazers as well. 

Labelling Shirts, Ties and Blazers

It is vital that all grey shirts, ties and blazers are clearly labelled with your son’s name. In the busyness of purchasing these items, it is easy to forget to write your son’s name on these new additions to the uniform this term. I would ask that you please check your son’s name is clearly written on each item of clothing that he brings to school. Year 5 boys will need to bring a labelled coat hanger so that they can hang their blazers each morning upon arrival at school.

Chess Trial Friday

All the best of luck to our Primary Chess Teams who are playing their final trial this Friday afternoon against St. Laurence’s College. This trial will be held at Marist College. Please check the College App for the latest information.

Debating and Public Speaking

All boys involved in the Debating and Public Speaking competitions this term will be required to attend three evenings at St. Laurence’s College to take part in the competition. The first of these evenings will be on May 2nd starting at 6pm. Mrs Brown will provide more details for the boys involved as the event gets closer.

Winter Uniform Points

Our Year 5 boys look very impressive in their blazers this week. The boys are asked to wear the blazer to and from school and to all formal occasions at the college. Any boy who cycles to school need not wear their blazer while they ride. It can be folded and placed in their bag for the journey and hung on a hanger once at school. I would also suggest that the Primary boys only wear the long trousers on days that are predicted to be cold all day. Quite a few of the boys wear the long pants from the start of the term but get hot during the day, once the temperature rises.  Finally, I can report that there are quite a few variations of the classic Windsor knot getting around the yard today which is to be expected!

Pastoral Leader - Primary School - Mr Anthony Graham

Welcome back to Term 2! I trust that you all had a great holiday and are feeling refreshed for a productive and positive term ahead. It has been great to hear stories from students about their holidays and all the wonderful things that they got up to during the Easter break. 

A few updates:

Year 5 Camp

On the last week of Term 1, 137 Year 5 students embarked on Tallebudgerra Recreational Centre for their Year 5 camp. The 3-day, action-packed experience, provides a pivotal component of our Year 5 induction program. The camp allowed students to experience learning in a different way, through hands-on activities, outdoor education, and real-life situations. They made new friends, worked in teams, and learned how to communicate effectively. A highlight for many of our boys was bodyboarding at the beach and participating in the high-ropes adventure course. Mrs Geraghty ensured that their rooms were kept in pristine condition and that their beds were made each morning! I hope that these skills were continued over the holiday break.

Year 6 Emu-Gully

On Friday 28 May, the Year 6 students will head to Emu-Gully Adventure for a day of activities focused on the theme of leadership that aligns with the Men of Courage program. The program challenges, inspires, and empowers every person attending to demonstrate character, by delivering quality adventure programs with stories, values, and shared experiences. It promises to be a fulfilling and challenging day for the Year 6 students and prepares them on their leadership journey. 

Uniform/Grooming

It has been great to see boys wearing their winter uniform and the Year 5s wearing their College blazers. Last term we had several items left in lost property. Can we please ensure that all pieces of clothing are clearly named to ensure we can return them to the correct students. A few updates regarding uniform: 

• Sports uniform is still worn on Friday’s. A reminder that white College socks are only to be worn on Friday, not the blue socks. 
• Formal and blue broad brim hats are to be kept in a respectable manner and not ripped or dirty. 
• Haircuts are to be neat and tidy. Haircuts are to be in line with the College expectations. I will be in contact with students who need to get a haircut. They have the weekend to have it cut. 

Bystander mentality

Over the next 2 weeks, I am talking to the boys about the importance of being courageous and not being a bystander. Being a bystander means watching a situation unfold without taking any action to intervene or help. The importance of not being a bystander lies in the fact that it is our moral responsibility as human beings to help others when we can. We want to encourage boys at Marist College Ashgrove to speak up when they know something is not okay or show courage by support friends that need their help. It takes courage to stand up for what is right, but the rewards are immeasurable: the satisfaction of knowing that we have made a difference and helped someone in need. At Marist, we want to create an environment where all students are loved and valued and empowering students to be agents of changes can support this.

Primary Sport - Mr John Lambourne – Head of Sport (Primary)

Achievements

Congratulations to Tom Cross (6R) and Oliver Crowley (6V) who have been selected to represent Met North (10–12 years) AFL at the State Championships, to be held 8–11 June.

Marist College Sporting Expectations

At Marist we often talk about being 100% Marist 100% of the time. This means that we represent our school with pride, no matter the situation. The boys are constantly reminded of the importance of representing our college with pride on the sporting field. Win, lose or draw they should do it well. In the competitive environment of schoolboy sport this can sometimes be challenging. However, at Marist we are known by the very high standard of which we hold ourselves to. The three violets of humility, simplicity and modesty provide us with a constant reminder of the people we should be. The image below, developed by the AIC schools, also provides a reminder of the expectations for all parents and spectators. 

Primary Swimming Carnival

Congratulations to the Gold Team, back-to-back Primary Swimming Carnival Champions 2022/2023.

Spectacular weather was provided for our Primary Swimming Carnival. Participation and enjoyment were the focus of the day, with all the boys getting involved and doing their best to earn points for their respective colour teams. Gold was the champion, but credit must go to all of the primary boys for the way in which they gave their all throughout the day.

Special thanks to all the Primary staff, for without their assistance a day like this is not possible. Thank you also to parents for encouraging each of your boys to approach the day in the right spirit.

Special mention to the boys who were chosen as Colour Captains for the swimming carnival.

Also, to Will Hutchinson (6B) who was crowned Primary King of the Pool for winning the all-comers 50m freestyle race.

Primary Cross Country Carnival

The Primary Cross Country Carnival will take place Friday, 21 April. Parents are welcome to attend.

Hats, sunscreen and water bottles are extremely important, and the boys are expected to take some responsibility to ensure they stay sun safe and hydrated.

Each boy is expected to participate to the best of their ability.

All events will start and finish on McMahon Oval, in front of the John Eales Grandstand.

Cross Country Training

These sessions are open to all boys; boys attending for fitness training and boys wishing to qualify for the AIC Cross Country Team. There is no obligation to attend AIC meets in.

Monday – Thursday mornings.

Boys meet at the swimming pool from 6:30am for a 6:45am departure.

It is recommended that students complete two sessions per week. Students should attend one of the following:

• Monday and Wednesday
• Monday and Thursday
• Tuesday and Thursday

This structure allows students to have a rest day between sessions and to complete different types of training.

Rugby and Football

• All matches are played Saturday mornings, training will be one afternoon and one-morning session each week.
• Boys require; Jersey, shorts, and socks - available from the College Clothing Shop
  Boys also require; Rugby: Boots and mouthguard and Football: Boots and shin pads

College App

Please ensure that you download the College App to your smartphone. This app will be used weekly to inform you of sporting fixtures, cancellations, and bus arrival information.

Sports Photographs

We are always on the lookout for photos and action shots to be used for the Blue & Gold, other College publications, season or end-of-year wrap-ups etc. Please follow this link and add your photos - Marist College Ashgrove Primary Sports Photos.

Pick-up Arrangements - “Plan B”

It is important that you are aware of your son’s pick-up procedure if sports training is cancelled or if you are running late.

As soon as a decision is made to cancel a sporting fixture or training, a message is placed on the College app.

If training is cancelled boys can remain in the primary school or walk to an arranged pick-up-point when the time arrives.

Sport training sessions finish normally finish by 4:45pm. We ask that boys are picked up at this time, or soon after. Any boy who is still at their training venue at 5:00pm will be directed to the Boarding Reception area so that he may be collected from there.

In the case of bus arrivals, boys will be sent to Boarding Reception 15 minutes after the arrival time of the bus.