Boarding News

Late last term the Year 11 boarders were invited to apply for the two Boarding Captain positions to lead our boarding community into next year. Eleven boys applied and went through an extensive process which included a written application, a speech in front of all the boarders, voting from the boarders and the staff, and an interview with Mr Mathison and myself. I’d like to congratulate these boys for putting themselves forward and engaging wholeheartedly in the process. I am confident that each learnt a great deal from the experience whether their application was successful or unsuccessful. Special congratulations to Hunter James and Henry McAuliffe who will be our Boarding Captains in 2023. I’m sure they will give their very best and will do a fantastic job. 

The school is committed to providing opportunities for all boys to develop leadership skills; not just those who secure positions of leadership. All boys will be required to lead at some point in their life. This could be in their occupation, in their community or in their family. With this in mind, I am introducing a new initiative for the Year 12 boarders next year where every boy will be given the opportunity to develop his leadership skills. 

• The boarders in Year 12 next year will be allocated as a Senior Mentor to one of the junior boarding houses – either La Valla, Montagne, or Hermitage Residences. 
• A roster will be created for the Senior Mentors requiring each to be ‘on duty’ in their allocated boarding house on given dates (approximately once every two weeks).
• Senior Mentors will work to assist the staff member who is looking after that boarding house on each given day.
• Their role broadly is to encourage the younger boys to follow the boarding routine, to give their best in all activities and to behave well. 
• An effective Senior Mentor will be a great role model for the younger boys and may also be a source of support to the younger boys if they are struggling at school. 

I think this new initiative has the potential to benefit all parties. The younger boys will look up to their Senior Mentors, the Year 12 boys will develop as leaders, and the boarding staff have additional support in guiding the younger boys. I look forward to working with the Year 12 boarders of next year to introduce and develop this new initiative. 

Last weekend we had seven boys join our boarding community for an organised ‘sleepover experience’. Many current boarders would remember being part of this the year before they started at Marist. It was a great weekend with plenty of activities to engage all the boys including our 2023 new boarders. Thanks especially to the staff in La Valla and Montagne Residences for assisting with this opportunity and also to our Recreation Officer, Blair Whitlock for putting on his usual great lineup of activities for the boys to enjoy. The boys all finished the weekend having met lots of new friends and a better understanding of how life in Marist boarding works.

This term is quickly flying by and I look forward to seeing many families at the end-of-year events as they come around.

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation ‘One Walk’

On Saturday 15 October, a group of around 20 current and past Marist Mums joined Karen O’Connor (James O’Connor – Year 12 Gilroy Boarder) and friends for the annual Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation ‘One Walk’ event to raise awareness and valuable funds for Type 1 Diabetes research. Karen is passionate about finding a cure for Type 1 Diabetes after her son Tom, a 2020 MCA Graduate was diagnosed as a teenager. It was an 8-hour trek of 32km along beautiful Rainbow Beach, up to the lighthouse, down again for some soft sand walking and more hills through the bush to get back home. We were all inspired to ignore our sore legs and blisters as we tried to reach the finish line, reminded that one day of suffering is nothing compared to the demands of living with Type 1 Diabetes. It was a very special day highlighting the support our wonderful Marist community shows for one another.

If anyone would like to make a donation to make Type 1 Type None! please click the link to Karen’s fundraising page - Jellybaby Ladies. Fundraising Link - https://walk.JDRF.org.au/s/15853/24357. For more information head to www.jdrf.org.au.

Boarding Recreation - Mr Blair Whitlock

The weekend kicked off with a BBQ and Pool party as we welcomed Stuartholme to Marist for the evening. The boys always enjoy a Friday night pool party and it was great to see many familiar faces from Stuartholme. As the weather warms up we’ll certainly be making the most of the pool over the weekends. Thanks to Rebecca Jorquera for helping a group of Year 10 boarders cook up a feast for roughly 150 people!

The La Valla boys headed out to Wynnum on Saturday morning for a fish on the jetty before a fish and chips lunch in the park. A stiff breeze made the conditions tricky but Mr Grace led by example with an impressive Whiting. The boys also enjoyed a swim in the wading pool before heading back to Marist for the afternoon. Meanwhile, roughly 40 boys headed out to the Airport DFO for a bargain hunt which produced some interesting purchases. They’d been hounding us for a DFO trip all year and I finally gave in to the pressure! Saturday night saw a swim and a few games of basketball/volleyball before heading back to the dorms for a pizza. 

On Sunday morning we set up Slip n Slide Baseball which is basically a mix of cricket and baseball with the batsmen sliding into each base. The early game saw a big Year 6/7 vs Year 8 derby take place on Hayden Oval. While the young fellas put forward a spirited performance it was ultimately the 8s who took the choccies. The main event of the day was a 20-run thriller with the Year 9s edging out the Year 10s (11-9) in the final moments. While the Year 10s complained of umpiring bias they had no one to blame but themselves after some catastrophic fielding blunders. We headed down to the pool to cool off before some games in the gym to round out the weekend’s recreation. Another busy weekend in the books!