Mission News

Prayers

• For the repose of the soul of Darrell Beveridge (OB 2002) 
• For James Henry’s (10S) grandfather who had a stroke last week and is in hospital.

May our loving God, with Mary and Champagnat, walk with all members of the Marist family. Amen

Reflection - Ending with Grace

Lord and Teacher, Bless all at this College as we seek to end our semester with the grace you so generously provide.

We give thanks for the students, all the staff, and all who have contributed to this semester of nurturing and growth.

We affirm all the positive moments, of insight, of the excitement of learning, of accomplishment, of creativity, of laughter, of a sense of community.

We recognise the times of struggle, of difficult work, of misunderstanding, even of failure-we give these to you for transformation, so they can become seeds that will find fertile soil.

As we head into our winter break, may we take with us the knowledge that You will keep us all in your embrace so we may rest and be restored and so we can continue in the ongoing discovery of your Love for all created. 

Amen 

From the Head of Mission 

In schools, there are a great many tasks to be completed and deadlines to be met in the last week of a semester. Students and teachers are tired from the term’s exertions. The cold weather adds to the challenge. As we juggle the demands of marking and teaching, reporting and meeting, it can be sometimes difficult to remember precisely what it is we work towards at a school such as Marist College. I took heart this week when I found a brief passage from Pope Francis which reminded me of what it is we have tried to achieve here this term. Our task this term, and every term since 1940, has been to help our boys find their potential through our staff sharing our gifts and skills and expertise with them. We strive always for a nice mix of modelling and challenging, each according to the need of the student. In a Catholic school this means creating the material and spiritual conditions for a student’s full development, or as the Pope puts it: 

“to give them a solid basis on which to build their lives; to guarantee their safety and their education to be everything they can be………to pass on lasting values that make life worth living…..to give them a transcendent horizon for their thirst for authentic happiness and their creativity for the good…..and to awaken in them their greatest potential as builders of their own destiny, sharing responsibility for the future of everyone.” 

In partnership with parents and guardians, forming the young person is an awesome and critical task. Little wonder we all look forward to a brief respite at this time of year.

Stationery Aid 

Run solely by volunteers, Stationery Aid collect, sort, clean and deliver donated stationery items to students in need. These items can be used or unused items. Started by one of our very own Marist families it is a great way to repurpose stationery items. 

The Stationery Aid collection bin can be found outside the Studies office.

Game Changers Noodle Drive 

Our Game Changers groups have commenced their community project. Our students in Years 7-11 are collecting noodle cups which will be donated to Rosies during this critical winter period. The groups are leading each stage of the project, from promotion to collection. The Noodle Drive will continue next term.