Primary School News

Dear Primary Parents

The benefit of working together was on show for anyone who watched one of our primary teams play their first round of AIC sport on the weekend. What a great opportunity for our Year 6 boys to build on their previous year of sport, and for our Year 5 students, to proudly wear the Marist Ashgrove crest for the very first time. I hope everyone had a wonderful day and enjoyed the experience, regardless of the result. Our Head of Primary Sport, Mr Lambourne, and all coaches, across all sports, constantly reiterate with their teams, the importance of working together to achieve their goal. On the sporting field, their common goal should be to play their best and enjoy the experience. If they come away with a win, it will be celebrated but, just as importantly, a loss shouldn’t be something that ruins their Saturday.

The notion of everyone working together to achieve a common goal is everywhere in the Primary School this year. We constantly ask our boys to work as a ‘primary’ team to make our Primary School the best it can be. Far away from the sporting fields, our boys are witness to the benefits of everyone taking care of, not only the physical elements of our school, but also each person in it. At the end of every yard assembly, the boys are reminded to ‘have a great day and take care of each other’. Every boy in our Primary School has the responsibility to take this request and put it into action day to day here at Marist College.

Inaugural Mass

I would like to congratulate our Primary School Leaders on being officially recognised as our leaders at the Inaugural Mass. It was a very special occasion for the boys, and their parents who were present to pin their leadership badges on the boys as the whole College acknowledged the important roles they will play. We wish them every success for the year ahead and know that they are committed to making our Primary School the best place it can be. 

I would also like to thank our Year 5 students who did such a wonderful job of staying focused for the duration of the Mass and the academic awards presentation afterwards. I was very proud of the way they collected their medallions and remained composed in the heat that we experienced on Friday. We have high expectations of all our boys at all times, but particularly when they attend important celebrations like our Inaugural Mass. They did such a great job on Friday that they all received an icy cold treat on Monday for their efforts!  

Primary Chess

We received some exciting news for the primary boys this week. Our Chess Club is scheduled to start on Monday morning of Week 5 starting at 7:15am in the Primary Library. This is a great opportunity for any boy who is interested in learning the game of chess or, for others who wish to get better at chess by regularly playing other students.  Chess is an AIC sport in Term Two and these Monday morning sessions are a great opportunity for our boys to show their abilities and be considered for selection in our Junior Chess Team. The first Chess Club will take place on the morning of Monday 20 February in the Primary Library.

Year 5 and 6 Parent Information Evenings

A big thank you to all the parents who came along to our Information Evenings last Wednesday. The feedback from parents has been very positive with a lot of valuable information regarding the year ahead being shared by all our primary teachers. The social after the Year 5 sessions, hosted by the P&F, was well attended and the vibe was great amongst our newest parents. I would like to thank the P&F, our Services staff and our very enthusiastic boarders who helped out, for putting on such a great occasion for our Year 5 parents.

Year 5 Parent Social

All Year 5 parents are invited to attend the Year 5 Parent Social which will be held this Friday evening at the Tower Courtyard. It is sure to be a great night and an excellent way to get to know other members of our Year 5 parent cohort.

From the Primary Learning Leader - Jen Little

Student Monitoring and Goal Setting

Over the past week, I have been to all Year 6 classes to discuss the importance of beginning the year with good study and work habits. Students have been asked to use their Semester 1 Report Cards to calculate their own GPAs (Grade Point Averages). The calculation of their own GPA is a wonderful way to track an individual’s learning. Importantly, students have also reflected on which subjects have added to their GPA and those that have adversely impacted it. This process allowed them to create some important S.M.A.R.T goals moving forward. For our Year 5 students, this process has been completed with the guidance of their classroom teachers. I would encourage all parents to look at their child’s goals for this term. 

S.M.A.R.T goals need to be:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant and Timely

By the end of the week, all students in Primary are expected to have their goals recorded on Page 46 of their Student Diary. They will be required to use this as motivation to improve their learning for this term which will also be reflected on at the end of the term. 

Parents are strongly encouraged to assist their children with developing positive study habits moving forward. To this end, could I ask that students are removed from distractions when completing homework or study e.g. television, screens etc. Below are a list of recommended suggestions for improving your son’s work habits and general learning:

1. Get Organised – make a plan and stick to it
2. Don’t multitask – put the phones/devices away
3. Divide it up – divide your work into manageable chunks (<30mins)
4. Sleep – it improves your working memory
5. Set a schedule – allows you to study when you are more productive
6. Take notes – helps narrow your focus to study
7. Study – review material constantly
8. Manage your study space – minimise all distractions
9. Study group – collaborative learning can enhance your understanding
10. Ask questions – particularly when you don’t understand.

Homework Expectations in the Primary School

I trust that your sons have settled in well to the new school year. By now, classes should be building routines to set students up for success in their learning. Homework is one such routine that is important at Marist College Ashgrove. Over the years, much debate has ensued as to the usefulness of homework. At Marist, we believe that homework is important in the Senior Primary Years to help establish routines and independence in learning.

We understand that the busyness of family life can make completion of homework a challenge. Please note that the Primary School offer a before school study room from 8:00 am each morning. Students may use this room to complete homework activities independently should it be needed. So that we are transparent in our processes around homework, please see below the Marist Primary expectations for homework.

It is the expectation that all students in the Primary complete homework. Students with a learning need may have their homework adjusted and this will be at the discretion of the classroom teacher. 

In Primary, the emphasis is on independent learning and management of knowledge. Homework should comprise the following elements, each of which is of equal importance: 

• Weekly Literacy homework in the form of spelling, reading comprehension and language conventions
• Weekly Mathematics homework
• Nightly independent reading – 20 minutes
• Completion of any follow-up work set in a particular class that day
• Additional revision/ study for upcoming exams across all key learning areas

Should unforeseen issues arise at home, which prevent students from being able to complete homework tasks, parents are asked to advise classroom teachers by means of a note in the school diary or email. The average time spent on nightly homework in Years 5 and 6 should be between 40–60 minutes, inclusive of 20 minutes reading.

Consequences in Primary for Incomplete Homework

There is a ‘3 strike’ policy for homework breaches in Primary. This policy is in operation from the commencement of Year 6 and from Term 2 of Year 5. It is believed that Year 5 students require a little more support in Term 1 as part of their transition to Marist College Ashgrove.

• First infringement – student is given a ‘strike’ and asked to complete the work at home and submit the next school day. If the work is still incomplete the next day, students complete their work in the Primary Library during break time upon finishing their lunch.
• Second infringement – student is given a ‘second strike’ and asked to complete the work at home and submit the next school day. If the work is still incomplete the next day, students complete their work in the Primary Library during break time upon finishing their lunch. The ‘second strike’ is communicated (via email) to parents by the classroom teacher with the Primary Learning Leader copied into the email.
• Third infringement – student is given a ‘third strike’ and asked to complete the work at a Friday detention. Classroom teacher will refer the third strike to the Primary Learning Leader who will email the parents of the child, alerting them to the third strike and providing details about the Friday detention. The Head of Primary will be copied into this email to parents. The Primary Learning Leader will ensure that the student is placed on the detention list by completing the entry in Teacher Kiosk.

We thank you in advance for your support in this.

NAPLAN

Week 8 will see the commencement of NAPLAN online for our Years 5, 7 and 9 students. The order of testing will be as follows:

• Writing
• Reading
• Conventions of Language
• Numeracy

In the coming weeks, you will receive further information about the exact scheduling of these assessments.

Today, I met with all Year 5 students in the Draney Theatre to introduce the writing criteria for NAPLAN. Students will follow up this presentation by reviewing their feedback provided on their Orientation Day Writing Tasks to create goals for writing improvement. It is our hope that this will provide them with greater precision in improving their writing. Please note that next Friday 17 February, the Year 5 students will also engage in the NAPLAN practice tests in the form of a practice Writing Assessment and Omnibus. This will give them some confidence moving into the actual testing in March. 

I would like to also encourage students to build their keyboarding capacity this year. This will not just set them up for success in NAPLAN, but also in life. Some useful free websites for this include:

• Dance Mat Typing – All 12 Stages – Best Typing Training for Kids (dancemattypingguide.com) 
• Typing Club: edclub (typingclub.com) 
• Typing.com

NAPLAN is just one aspect of a school’s assessment and reporting process. It does not replace the ongoing assessment made by teachers about your son’s performance, but it can provide teachers with additional information about your son’s educational progress.   Schools have transitioned to computer-based assessment, which allows for more precise results and are more engaging for students.  The tests are tailored (or adaptive), where the test will present questions that are more or less difficult depending on your son’s responses.  Your son is not expected to study for NAPLAN, but as a College we will support your son by providing time to practice the type of questions and becoming familiar with the online testing platform and what tools are available to him.  We will also reassure your son to simply do his best. If you are interested in the type of questions used in NAPLAN, please visit the public demonstration site.  https://nap.edu.au/naplan/public-demonstration-site For further information about NAPLAN you can: 

• Contact me directly - littlej@marash.qld.edu.au
• Visit www.nap.edu.au
• Visit NAP - What's in the tests 

From the Pastoral Leader - Anthony Graham

Well done on a such a productive and positive start to the schooling year. The boys are engaged, focused, and are making excellent choices inside and outside the classrooms. On Saturday many of our Year 5 students represented the College in their first taste of AIC sport. Our Year 6 boys continued to connect to the College through their active participation across a variety of co-curricular activities. I had the pleasure of coaching and watching several of the AFL teams. Below are a few pictures. 

A Few Reminders

Sporting gear: All sporting clothing and gear needs to be appropriately labelled – including water bottles and socks. Sporting bags are to go on the front port racks outside reception, or behind the classrooms if they are in 6V; 5W; or 5V. Posters are above the port racks to assist boys in how to neatly store them in the racks.

Uniforms: Students have until Friday to ensure they have a formal hat. The wide brim blue hat needs to be clean and not ripped. Boys may need to sew the brim of their hat to ensure it meets the College expectations or purchase another one if it is too damaged.

Sticks and Stones Year 5

On Thursday 16 February Brainstorm Productions will be presenting their student wellbeing performance ‘Sticks and Stones’ for Year 5. ‘Sticks and Stones’ is a live educational theatre performance that promotes resilience, cyber safety and positive connections. 

When things go wrong in Toby’s life, or he feels frightened or threatened, he gets all churned up inside. His body tells him to fight, even YouTube and video games tell him to fight. He bullies other kids and is really unhappy. When Toby meets Joe, he starts to take responsibility for his actions. He learns to stop, breathe, put his hands in his pockets, walk away, count to ten, seek help and talk about his feelings. He becomes assertive and cooperates with other kids to create a circus routine with acrobatics, unicycling and juggling.

‘Sticks and Stones’ is part of our student wellbeing curriculum and has been developed by teachers and psychologists. This exciting live theatre experience provides students with practical social and emotional skills, and encourages students to build positive connections at school and online.

Brainstorm Productions is one of Australia’s most experienced and respected theatre in education companies, performing to over 260,000 students every year. They offer a range of programs to help schools nurture healthy and harmonious environments, addressing issues such as mental health, online safety, bullying and resilience, and are endorsed by the eSafety Commissioner as a Trusted eSafety Provider. Learn more about Brainstorm Productions by visiting their website (brainstormproductions.edu.au), or following them on Instagram (@brainstormproductions_) or Facebook.

From the Head of Sport (Primary) - Mr John Lambourne

AIC Sport Draws

There has been a lot of confusion around team selections and how AIC sport draws work.

Marist College has the largest participation in all AIC schools and has the greatest number of teams in each year level of the AIC competition.

In most instances each College will nominate A, B and C teams and these teams will play in their graded draws, there may also be occasions when teams match up in a D draw. Colour teams play in a supplementary draw which means that to secure games for as many boys as possible and to ensure some level of fairness in the competition, coaches and coordinators try to balance the colour teams. If a boy moves between colour teams he is not being “dropped” merely coaches are trying to keep the teams in balance.

While I understand that this is quite complicated, and every boy wants to be selected in the best team, coaches and coordinators do all that they can to ensure that all boys get a game and that boys are picked in teams commensurate with their ability.

I appreciate your support in respecting coaches and team selections.

Marist College Sporting Expectations

At Marist we often talk about being 100% Marist 100% of the time. This means that we represent our school with pride, no matter the situation. The boys are constantly reminded of the importance of representing our College with pride on the sporting field. Win, lose or draw they should do it well. In the competitive environment of schoolboy sport this can sometimes be challenging. However, at Marist we are known by the very high standard of which we hold ourselves to. The three violets of humility, simplicity and modesty provide us with a constant reminder of the people we should be. The image below, developed by the AIC schools, also provides a reminder of the expectations for all parents and spectators. 

Term 1 AIC Sport

Coach contact details will be placed on the College app this week, when contacting your son’s coach please ensure that you include the head of primary sport in your communication.

Boys with training conflicts are reminded to communicate with their coaches when they will be absent from training.

Cricket

AIC Sport Photo Days

The first AIC Sport photo day is scheduled for this Saturday for those cricketers playing here at the College, only those teams playing at the College will be scheduled for photographs. Rest assured that teams playing away will have their team photos scheduled the following week.

AFL

SWIMMING

MCA Primary Swim Squad training sessions continue Monday and Wednesday afternoons throughout Term 1, 3:30pm – 4:30pm. These sessions are open to all boys; boys attending for fitness training and boys wishing to qualify for the AIC Swimming Team. There is no obligation to attend AIC meets in Term 1 2022. 

Boys attending these sessions will need to bring the following equipment.

• Goggles
• Kickboard
• Short Flippers 
• Mesh Bag

Year 5 and 6 MCA Swim Squad Training Timetable Term 1

For further details please contact: swim@marash.qld.edu.au

AIC Swim Meet #3

Friday 10 February – Marist College

AIC Swim meets are open to all students who wish to qualify for the AIC Swimming Championships, to be held, Week 7. AIC Swim meets are run as time trials/selection meets.

*** Times are approximate

AIC Championships, Tuesday 14 March

Sports Photographs

We are always on the lookout for photos and action shots to be used for the Blue and Gold, other College publications, season or end-of-year wrap-ups etc. Please follow this link and add your photos - Marist College Ashgrove Primary Sports Photos

College App

Please ensure that you download the College App to your smartphone. This app will be used weekly to inform you of sporting fixtures, cancellations and bus arrival information.