Primary School News

Mr Liam Beatty, Head of Primary School

Dear Primary Families,

 

It was fantastic to welcome the boys back to school last week and, although it was a short week, in true MCA style we managed to make the most of it. Throughout the week the boys engaged in Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews, class photos, a cross-country carnival, an Anzac Liturgy, sport trainings, music lessons and of course commenced their new topics across all subject areas for the term ahead. 

 

As the weekend came, we had over 20 primary teams represent the College in rugby, football and chess. There was also a fantastic turnout of boys in uniform at the Anzac March on Monday morning in the rain.

 

Well done boys and families, it is weeks like this that make me very proud to be part of such a great community. 

 

This week will be another busy one for the boys. I wish the Year 6 cohort all the best for their day camp to Emu Gully which will focus on mateship and leadership. I also look forward to spending some time with our Year 5 parents at their function on Friday evening in The Tower courtyard. This Saturday will see the commencement of Round 1 of AIC Sport and we will be hosting St Laurence’s College for all Football and Rugby games from Year 5 – Year 12.

Anzac Day March

Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews

A reminder that the next round of Parent Teacher Interviews will take place online tomorrow, Wednesday 27 April. Please take the opportunity to check your scheduled time. If you are no longer able to make this interview, please contact your child’s teacher and Primary Reception. 

Primary Cross Country Carnival

Well done to all boys who participated in our cross-country carnival last week. Thanks to Mr John Lambourne (Head of Sport – Year 5-6) for all his organisation and all our staff who ensured the morning ran smoothly.

 

Masks for Assembly 

A reminder that all boys will require a mask for our weekly College assemblies in the gym. Boys are encouraged to keep a mask in their bag to use as required. 

Afternoon Study

A reminder that afternoon study continues to be available for Primary boys until 5:00pm Monday-Thursday. Boys are to meet Ms Brown at the Primary Library straight after school before walking over to the Senior Library. Boys will be required to sign out with Ms Brown as they leave the Senior Library.

Primary Learning Leader - Ms Jen Little

Welcome back from what I hope has been a restful holiday for all. Although we have been blessed with some very short school weeks due to public holidays and interviews, we have hit the ground running when it comes to teaching and learning.

 

Students have commenced their learning across all subjects this term and have settled into the routines of Marist with a steady confidence. The parent, teacher and student interviews from last week and those that will occur this week, will hopefully provide all parties with a future direction moving into this term. Students should have established goals for their learning based on the feedback they received from their teachers in Student Café and Parent Lounge. As I often say to students though, ‘a goal without a plan is merely a dream.’ Goals require hard work and vision. They are not something that can be achieved by chance. I have written about the ‘Iceberg Illusion’ in past newsletters but I believe the point is well made in the image to the side. For a goal to become a reality, much hard work must be in place behind the scenes. This hard work comes in the form of persistence, resilience, failure, sacrifice, disappointment, dedication and discipline. These are the challenges that make our successes worthwhile and they are the hallmarks of what we value at Marist College Ashgrove. 

 

NAPLAN Online

Amongst their studies across the core and specialist subjects, students in Year Five have continued their preparations for the upcoming NAPLAN testing in Week Four. NAPLAN is a point in time Literacy and Numeracy Test that all students in Years Three, Five, Seven and Nine undertake. Whilst it is not the only assessment for students, it does provide us with important feedback on how students are progressing across the four criteria of Writing, Reading, Conventions of Language and Numeracy. 

To develop their Literacy and Numeracy in general, as well as their competence in these areas, students have been engaged in the following: 

  • Daily stop, drop and write
  • Grammar and Punctuation Do Dailies
  • Targeted Literacy Activities including touch typing and guided reading
  • Practice Testing in all four areas
  • Practice writing with feedback and scoring from a qualified NAPLAN marker
  • Exposure to the Public Demonstration Site
  • School Readiness Testing

Whilst these have been valuable opportunities for our students, they do not replace quality teaching and learning programs within the classroom. To this end, I thank their teachers for all their work in ensuring that the teaching and learning within all classrooms is of the highest quality. For parents wishing to provide additional support for students in the lead up to this testing, please see the following website: https://www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/public-demonstration-site

 

For the duration of the testing period, students will be expected to ensure that their chrome books are fully charged. They will also require headphones for all tests with the exception of reading. Please see the timetable below for when the Year 5 students are sitting their NAPLAN exams. 

Tuesday 10 May

Wednesday  11 May

Thursday 12 May

Friday 13 May

Writing

Reading

Conventions of

Language

Numeracy

For more general information about NAPLAN, please visit the following site: https://nap.edu.au/docs/default-source/default-document-library/naplan-information-brochure-for-parents-and-carers.pdf

 

Primary Sport - Mr John Lambourne

Student Responsibilities to College Sport

I have received a number of parent enquiries regarding the College’s position in regards to representing the College versus club. The following is taken directly from the MCA Enrolment Agreement, and clearly states that the boys are expected to commit to College Sport ahead of any external sport providers;

 

…co-curricular participation is required as part of the life of the College and integral to the growth and development of each student. Participation by all, according to the relative abilities of each student is mandatory. If a student has the ability in a co-curricular activity that is offered at the College, he would be expected to contribute by representing the College. This representation takes precedence over fixtures offered by outside organisations.

 

I thank you for your support and assistance in this matter.

 

Term 2 Sport

 

Term 2 Training Schedules

 

Cross Country

Boys are to meet at the swimming pool 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. 

 

Sports Photographs

We are always on the lookout for photos and action shots to be used for the Blue and 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 the pick-up procedures if you are running late. Sport training sessions 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. 

 

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.

 

For further information please do not hesitate to contact me;

John Lambourneprimarysports@marash.qld.edu.au