Boarding News

Dear Boarding Parents,

Last weekend the Year 11 boarders travelled to the Bunya Mountains for the inaugural Year 11 Boarding Leadership Camp. This new initiative has been introduced to better prepare the boys for their Senior year and is set to become a fixture on the calendar each year. A great deal is expected of the boys when they reach year 12, especially in boarding, and the sessions at the camp were carefully planned to expose the boys to the qualities of effective leadership. I am grateful for the support of Brad Winchester and Blair Whitlock who joined me in providing this opportunity. There were three main aims of this camp:

1. For the Year 11 boarders to learn what positive leadership is and how to lead effectively
2. To build comradery and teamwork within this cohort as they prepare to lead, and
3. For the Year 11 boarders to develop a plan of what they aim to achieve next year

I want to acknowledge all the Year 11 boarders who were unfailingly positive in the way they participated in this experience. The plan they have put together is exciting and it certainly gives this group of young leaders a road map of what they need to do to ensure a successful 2024 in boarding.

Our Year 12 boarders continue with external examinations this week and the younger boys are making preparations for final assessments as the year draws to a close. Term 4 is always fast and the boys are being encouraged to get ahead with their study and also to access the various tutoring supports available to them. Please contact your son’s Boarding Leader if you are concerned that he might be struggling with exam preparations.

This coming Friday, I am travelling to Port Moresby with the Head of College to visit families of our current and past boarders. We are hosting a function for families on Friday 10th November and also a gathering for Marist Ashgrove Old Boys the next day. The College has a long history of educating boys from Papua New Guinea and I’m very much looking forward to engaging with all who have provided such loyal support to Marist Ashgrove over the years.

I hope to see many boarding parents and family members in the final two weeks of term before the boys head home for holidays. 

Boarding Recreation

Week 5 saw the first Year 11 Boarders Leadership Camp take place as the boys headed away to the Bunya Mountains for the weekend. It’s a beautiful setting at the Bunyas with a cooler climate and plenty of wildlife roaming around the national park.  It was a great to way to spend some time together as a cohort and formalise plans for next year and how the boys are going to achieve their goals as the 2024 senior boarders. We certainly made the most of our time away and there are plenty of exciting initiatives in the pipeline.

Meanwhile, at Marist it was a quiet weekend with many boys preparing for upcoming assessments and exams. The weekend consisted of a trip to Eat Street with several other boarding schools, a Chermside trip and making the most of the facilities at Marist. It’s hard to believe that we only have two weeks of rec left this year! It’s been a busy year on the rec front and I’m looking to several new projects starting in 2024 with planning well underway.