Deputy Head of College News

Tired Students on the Road – bikes and pedestrians

As we head into the final week of term, our boys (and let’s face it, us as adults too) are quite tired and therefore not always fully aware of what they are doing at all times when on or near the road. I would ask all parents and guardians to be particularly vigilant when driving around the College this week to ensure you are giving the correct amount of distance to anyone on a bicycle (1m when passing a bicycle rider in a 60km/h or less speed zone) and to be on the lookout for boys who may not be fully attentive before stepping out on the road.

We will remind the boys at this end to take care on and near the road as well. Hopefully, between all parties, we will keep our boys safe heading into the September holidays.

Term 4 Uniform

As we head into Term 4, please remember that boys will be returning to their summer uniforms. 

Please take the time to ensure your son’s uniform fits. Some boys do grow over the winter months and find that their summer shirts are hard to keep tucked in if they are a little too small. Please check the App for Uniform Shop hours should you need to purchase any new items before the start of the school term.

Please also make sure your son’s hair is cut appropriately before the commencement of Term 4. Boys should not be returning to school and saying to their Pastoral Leaders or Pastoral Group Teachers that they are getting a haircut on the first weekend of term. Again, we ask for your cooperation in helping us maintain high standards and a strong sense of pride in the uniform.

These same expectations also apply for our Year 12 students. All boys should be appropriately attired and groomed right up to their day of graduation. Year 12 students traditionally continue to wear their blue shirts and ties (with shorts if they wish during Term 4) until the end of the school year. This tradition will continue this year and we ask boys to ensure they have their ties secured appropriately and that they are wearing socks that go up to their knees. 

Graduation Expectations

We are looking forward to sharing our wonderful graduation with the boys again this year. As always, should any Year 12 students make decisions that oppose school rules, they will be placing their participation at graduation farewells, ceremonies, celebrations and dinners in jeopardy. Please remind your sons of this and feel free to discuss with them the same philosophy that we share with them – that the end of school in no way means that the values and respect we have been working together to instil in them over the past year will be ignored, simply because the boys will be graduating, or sharing final days of classes. In fact, it should be quite the opposite. As young men heading into the world, we would expect that they show more maturity, respect, and level-headedness as they prepare to move beyond the gates of MCA. 

Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews

The Parent/Teacher/Student Interview booking system will close for Year 5 to 11 parents and guardians at 7:00pm on Wednesday 15 September. Bookings can be made through Parent Portal using the ‘Book a Parent or SET plan Interview’ tile. Please refer to earlier communication from Madeleine Tong for more detailed booking instructions.  

Year 5 to 11 interviews will be held in person on Tuesday 5 October and Year 5 and 6 online interviews will be held on Monday 11 October. Please be advised that if COVID-19 restrictions change and the College is unable to hold in-person interviews on Tuesday 5 October, all interviews will be held via Microsoft Teams. The College will communicate any changes with families closer to the date.

If you are unable to make a booking with a teacher/teachers however would still like to receive feedback on your son’s progress, please complete the MCA PTS Interview Request Form via the link below.

MCA PTS Interview Request Form

The information on this form will be forwarded to teachers who will then make contact with parents and guardians regarding an opportunity to provide feedback.

Please do not hesitate to contact Madeleine Tong (tongm@marash.qld.edu.au) for Year 7 to 11 enquiries or Deb Maddox (maddoxd@marash.qld.edu.au) for Year 5 and 6 enquiries.