Boarding News

Last Sunday evening at the Boarders’ Mass, one of our boarder mothers, Flick Philp (mother of George in Year 12), joined us and spoke to the boys. Flick provided a reflection after the readings which was based around the ‘Desiderata’, a poem written by Max Ehrmann in 1927. It offers timeless wisdom and guidance on living a fulfilling life, emphasising virtues such as peace, kindness and self-acceptance. We are grateful to Flick for making the time to attend our Boarders’ Mass. All the boys and staff appreciated her presentation.

At the same Mass, we also farewelled Mrs Belinda Kerwin who has been my PA and the day time face of Boarding Reception at Marist for the last couple of years. Belinda is finishing up to spend time with her family as they face a most difficult health challenge. I can honestly say that Belinda is one of the most loyal, kind and positive people I have ever known. Her love for our boarders was obvious and she never missed an opportunity to help someone out, or brighten someone’s day. The boys and the staff in boarding will miss Belinda’s presence and it was fitting that she was acknowledged with heartfelt applause in front of our entire boarding community.

This coming Friday is a student-free day and our boys are excited to know that this creates a long weekend for them. However, Friday is a most significant day at the school with the Year 5 and 7 boys for 2026 involved in a day of orientation to Marist College Ashgrove. In boarding we will have our new Year 7 boarders for next year coming in for a long weekend sleepover experience. This group of boys are coming from far and wide, including Papua New Guinea, Augathella, Hong Kong, Springsure and Yamba. The opportunity to make new friends, learn about their future school and also enjoy the sport and recreation over the long weekend, promises to be a great experience for the boys.

The end of term exam block (Years 7-11) and the Year 12 trial exam schedule has been published by the Academic Care Office. I’m hearing this has certainly been a topic of discussion amongst the boys and possibly between boys and their families. Our focus in boarding is to work with the boys to get them to focus on their preparation for the exams. Plenty of support is available and we hope every boy makes the most of this. With reference to the question of departing early before the end of the term, any student who is requesting to finish school early must get an ‘early departure form’ and have all of his teachers sign this form to confirm he will have completed all assessment.

Boarding Recreation

Mr Blair Whitlock

The weekend kicked off with the Staff vs Students Football match on Cameron Oval as the boys looked to even things up after a narrow loss in the Volleyball earlier in the year. An enthusiastic student team was hopeful of a positive start, however the circle ball did prove challenging for many of the rugby players on the field as the staff took an early 3-0 lead. There were signs of a fightback as the students rallied back to 5-3 at half-time with Tyson Newcombe and Troydan Ross leading the charge. Ultimately, pressure builds diamonds, and the staff’s composure and experience reigned supreme in the 2nd half as the match finished with a convincing 11-4 scoreline. It’s a big week for the Staff vs Students premiership as the staff look to wrap up the 2025 trophy on Thursday night as we take to the basketball court. Player to watch – Mr Brad Winchester (2024 MVP). Later that evening the bus headed out to Eat Street for some Friday night sweet treats. It’s a favourite activity for many of the boys and the purchase of the night was Tom Martin and Dougie Creek’s head-sized fairy floss!

It was a great day for sport on Saturday as we took on St Edmunds College. The junior games were at home with the Year 9-12s playing out at Ipswich. The Hive headed out to support the Rugby League side who put in a strong performance to take an 18-4 victory. After a long, hot day we headed back to Marist for a relaxed evening in the dorms with pizzas, footy and a run around in the gym for those that still had some energy!

It was another cracking day on Sunday as we headed up the coast for a beach day at Mooloolaba. The boys enjoyed a few hours in the water and even got to hold a few pet snakes! We hit the road at around 2:30pm and it’s always a quiet trip back to Brisbane on a Sunday afternoon.