Deputy Principal

SONY Foundation Camp 

After a four-year hiatus, Mount Alvernia College and Marist College Ashgrove will co-host the SONY Foundation Camp from Saturday 14 - Tuesday 17 September 2024. This camp is a four-day residential camp for young people (aged 8 – 15 years) who are differently abled. It will be held at Marist College Ashgrove. Such a camp requires much planning and support. At this stage, we need student volunteers, donations and campers.

Student Volunteers: Students in Years 11 and 12 have been invited to register their interest in volunteering for the SONY Foundation Camp this year. The link to the registration form is accessible to students in Years 11 and 12 via News on MyMtA. Students can register their interest for one or more of the following roles:

• COMPANION: One-on-one or shared care of a child, for the duration of the camp. This role requires a high degree of responsibility. The nature of the camp is such that the continuous presence of all companions is required from 7.30am on Saturday 14 September until 4.30pm Tuesday 17 September. It is not possible to make exceptions.
• FACILITIES: Assisting with activities, transport, setup, catering and support of companions and staff.
• VIDEO/PHOTOGRAPHY: AV capable students who capture a visual record of the camp. Images and footage are used to produce a keep-sake for the invited campers and in promoting the camp to current and future students and families.

To be selected as a SONY Foundation Camp volunteer, students must be available for all training sessions as this is considered essential for the safety and well-being of the children in our care: 9.00am - 4.00pm on Sunday 8 September and 4.00pm - 6.00pm on Friday 13 September. Selection for the roles of Companion, Facilities or Video/Photography are made on the basis of a written application and an interview with College staff.

All student volunteers (companions, facilities, video/photography) will be required to purchase a camp polo shirt, priced between $30-$40.

Donations: We are seeking donations of toiletries and medical supplies, activities for the campers and pamper pack items for the parents of campers. If you can assist, visit Sony Foundation Camp 2024 - Marist College Ashgrove and use the checklist to indicate the items you are able to donate. These include:  

Toiletries and medical supplies: nappies, wipes, gloves, nappy bags, hand sanitiser, sunscreen, disinfectant spray, disinfectant, tissues, batteries, medicine cups, syringes, saline, Band-aids, Panadol, Nurofen, Ventolin, Solugel, Claratyne, Bepanthen cream, Sudocrem, etc.

Pamper Pack items for parents: wine, gourmet food, chocolates, biscuits, gift cards, movie vouchers, pamper products, jewellery, etc.

Activity Donations: rides, jumping castle, face painting, animal farm, ice cream van, popcorn machine, art supplies, magician, dress up characters, bubble machine, golf carts, etc.

Campers: The SONY Foundation Camp at Marist College Ashgrove will provide accommodation for twenty differently abled children (boys and girls) 8 – 15 years of age. If you have a child who would benefit from this camp or know a family whose child would like to attend, please visit Sony Foundation Camp 2024 - Marist College Ashgrove for more information and to access the Camper Application Form. If you have any questions please email sony@marash.qld.edu.au. Please note: Due to high demand for places, children can attend the camp only once.

National Sorry Day and Reconciliation Week

Over the past week, our College community commemorated Sorry Day and National Reconciliation Week.

The College was represented by staff and students at both the Kalinga Park Sorry Day Ceremony on Friday 24 May and the Teralba Park Sorry Day Ceremony on Sunday 26 May. Both ceremonies sensitively recognised the Stolen Generations and the increasing awareness of this part of our nation’s history.

Yesterday, we hosted our annual Reconciliation Week Assembly. This time last year the College launched its Reconciliation Action Plan. It is our formal commitment to national Reconciliation and documents how our school strengthens relationships, respect and opportunities in the classroom, around the school and with the community. So far, the College has achieved 31 of 54 deliverables and completed 7 of its 21 actions. While we still have some work to do, these achievements highlight the College’s ongoing commitment to Reconciliation.

This year, Yarraka Bayles delivered the Reconciliation Week Address. Yarraka is a proud First Nations woman from the Wonnarua and Bundjalung nations of New South Wales on her mother’s side, and the Birri Gubba and Gungalu nations of Queensland on her father’s side. She was born on Gadigal country in Sydney and grew up in Redfern in the 1980s. Yarraka moved to Brisbane (Meanjin) in the early 1990s where she now resides with her children and grandchildren. Yarraka spoke about her childhood, her Aboriginal identity, her experience of racism and the importance of Reconciliation. It is my hope that her words stirred some curiosity in our students so that they consider what it might be like to walk in the shoes of another, and in their empathy, consider how they are called to live more kindly, more compassionately and more justly. There is a great need for Reconciliation in this nation and all of us are called to do our bit in achieving it.

I would like to extend my thanks to Jahneya Douglas, Dakota Walker, Pyper Cozzi-Delaney and Heidi Siem for leading us in our Acknowledgement of Country and to Jahneya Douglas, Mr Eamon Webb and Ms Daniella Curcuruto for their beautiful performance of Ngarra Burra Ferra, a song in Yorta Yorta language, adapted from an African American spiritual “Turn Back Pharaoh's Army.”

Did you know? Galang nguruindhau (pronounced Ga-lung ngoo-rroo-win-dha-woo) means “Hello” in the Turrbal dialect.

Dialogues @ School Event

On Thursday 6 June, the College will host its second Dialogues @ School event. This program aims to simulate better discussions about a range of issues in order to enhance the quality of public discourse, policy and outcomes. Such an event contributes to the College’s Graduate Vision by engaging students to be curious about global challenges, ethical issues and equitable solutions.

All students in Year 11 and Year 12 are required to attend the Dialogue. Students are to arrive at the San Damiano Centre no later than 8.30am for roll marking. The Dialogue will commence at 8.40am and run during the scheduled assembly time. It will conclude at 9.45am.

The topic for this Dialogues @ School series is “Could AI improve education for all?” It will focus on the impacts of artificial intelligence on teaching and learning and student outcomes, including those for students from diverse backgrounds. Students will participate in the Dialogue through a facilitated Q&A. Through their participation, it is hoped that students will think wider and deeper about AI and come to some agreement about what needs to be done individually and collectively to ensure positive outcomes for all.

The event will be moderated by Mr Ali Kadri, CEO of the Islamic College of Brisbane. Mr Kadri has had a successful career as an entrepreneur and has served on the board of various government and non-governmental organisations. In July, Mr Kadri will be a keynote speaker at the Independent Schools Queensland Education in AI Conference. As an advocate for using technology to enhance educational outcomes, Mr Kadri is committed to exploring how AI can be harnessed to support teaching and learning, especially for in culturally and linguistically diverse contexts. Our event will be documented and shared with Brisbane Dialogues. It will contribute to a report that will be presented to Parliament later in the year. We look forward to hosting this event with our students.

Laudato si’ Week Sustainability Expo

To celebrate Laudato si’ Week (19-26 May), our Year 8 students showcased the environmental issues and sustainability actions they researched and planned as part of their Reflection Day. The students engaged a wide range of topics including climate change, biodiversity, chickens, bees, energy, waste and fast fashion. I commend all the students on the stellar effort they gave to this task and their willingness to speak to the staff and students who attended the Expo about their project.

Sprout Squad Project

At Break 1 on Thursday 23 May, the Sprout Squad joined Sr Catherine White and Mrs Alison Stone from Franciscan Schools Australia to make seed bombs in preparation for the Franciscan Schools Australia staff conference in August. Seed bombs are balls of organic matter that contain a collection of herb and/or flower seeds. I extend my thanks to the members of the Sprout Squad who came along to get their hands dirty, literally!

Colour Week

To continue our focus on environmental sustainability and all things green, the College Captains hosted Colour Week. Students participated in a wide range of activities from viewing The Lorax, planting seeds, participating in environmental trivia, dancing the break away at the No Lights Dance Party, contributing plastic bottle lids to our sustainable artwork and taking part in Green Day. The proceeds of today’s bake sale and sausage sizzle will support the amazing work of the Australian Conservation Foundation.

I extend my thanks the College Captains for their planning and facilitation of all of these activities, to Sienna and Alyx Jakovich for coordinating the Sprout Squad activity, to the Student Representative Council for their baking, and to the members of the Rock Band for providing the top shelf entertainment in Francis Court. Thank you also to all members of staff who supported the activities across the week or supervised, especially Ms Liz Sims, Mr David Pratt, Mrs Liz Feltrin and the Maintenance Team.