Co-curricular - Junior Sport

It has been a refreshing change to be so busy this term for all the right reasons. Sport trials and team selections, starting the summer rounds of sport, representative sport selections and the start of training/trials for a sport tours. It is a nice change of pace from having to plan, re-plan and eventually cancel so much activity over the past few years. 

While we have hopefully put COVID behind us and steadily move forward, there have been some lasting hangovers. One that is evident to those who have been around the College for some years is how COVID impacted the spirit of the College. Over the past week, the Junior School boys have been involved in swimming trials for the upcoming Junior School House Swimming Carnival. While the swimming efforts were impressive, the one thing that really stood out was the number of boys trialing in order to gain extra points for their House. A true sign that the spirit of the College is once again being renewed.

While on the topic of swimming, the Junior School House Swimming will be held on Friday 3 March at Birrong Leisure and Aquatic Centre, Wellington Road, Birrong. Parents and carers are warmly invite to come and watch the boys swim and support their colour Houses on the day. Please be aware that their will be a small charge for parent/carer entry and that there is very little shade for parent spectators. Parents/carers will not be able to sit with their son in the grandstand during the carnival. Despite this, we hope to see many of you out there for part of the day. 

Boys will be bused from the College out to the pools on the day. All boys should be at the College by 8:15 AM for role marking and preparation for an 8:30 AM departure. Boys are to wear their sport uniform, consisting of their black crested shorts, colour House shirt, white socks, runners and black sport cap to school. Boys should also bring their goggles, towel, drink bottle and food for the day.

On the day, it is expected that all boys will compete for their House in 50m freestyle and breaststroke races. For those that may not be the strongest of swimmers, kickboards will be provided for races. Boys that attended trials will swim in championship races for freestyle and breaststroke and are eligible for backstroke and butterfly from their times recorded at the trials. 

At the conclusion of the carnival, boys may be collected from the pool as long as a note has been provided to their class teacher prior to the swimming carnival. All remaining boys will return to school on the buses in time for normal school dismissal.

A reminder for parents/carers whose sons train at Marie Bashir Public School during the week that you are encouraged to collect your sons from Albert Road at 4:45 PM. Any student not collected by 4:50 PM will be walked back to the College for collection at Kiss and Drop.

Finally, I would like to personally thank and acknowledge all the Junior School staff, parents and carers that helped out with the running of swimming trials over the past week. Standing out in the stifling heat, clicking a button or recording times is not how most people would describe a good time. However, that’s just what many have done, and it has made the swimming trial process efficient and effective. Thank you all for your time and effort, it is greatly appreciated.

This weekend we hit the midpoint of the Term 1 portion of the Summer sport season. Good luck to all teams playing this weekend.

John Locke

Junior School Coordinator of Co-curricular