Gifted Education Program News

Academic Co-curricular Activities

Model UN – JCC – Wednesday 20 October – Week 3

Last chance for the Year 12 boys to participate in a MUN. Students from Year 7-12 are welcome.

Contact Joe Lewis for details  23lewisj@marash.qld.edu.au

Science Club – Tuesday 26 October – Week 4

Annual Egg Drop Competition

Registrations are necessary –

email Zac Apelt 22apelta@marash.qld.edu.au

or Ms Stevens stevensm@marash.qld.edu.au

Origins of Remembrance Day Writing Competition – Year 6 students only

Handwrite a 150 – 250 word essay about the Origins of Remembrance Day and you could win $50, $100 or $150 if your entry is considered to be one of the three best submissions. 

Entries are due on Friday 5 November.

Tournament of Minds International Finalists

Congratulations to our Tournament of Minds Secondary Social Sciences Team for their efforts in the TOM 2021 International Final. Their solution to the challenge was exceptional and their commitment to the preparation was outstanding. They certainly deserved to be in the final and could easily have placed in the top two.

Back Row: Joshua Vogler, Andy Surtees, Timothy Bennett, Harry Van Winden

Front Row: P-J Catalano, Ben Hartfiel, Eamonn Frawley

CyberTAIPAN Teams

Our cybersecurity teams competed in Round 2 of the national competition on Sunday 17 October. In a gruelling 6-hour session, the teams solved many challenges, puzzles and inconsistencies in the images in their efforts to qualify for the National Final on Saturday 30 October. Our two senior teams finished in 4th and 7th places for Round 2 and should qualify for the final. Our junior team is still learning but finished in a very respectable 59th from the 212 teams competing. 

• Year 11/12 team: Michael Gormley 12R, Aiden Ortiz 12R, Will Jennings 12R, Michael Nolan 11I, Liam Morris 11E
• Year 8/11 team: Luke Nisbett, Will Johnson, Dylan Soll, Zac Apelt, Ben Hartfiel
• Year 9 team: Remy Versace 9, Matthew Nisbett 9, Harrison Dyer 9D, Alex Apelt 9D, Max Bathersby 9R, Harry Lee 9D

Laracy Public Speaking Competition 

Since 2014, students from St Margaret Mary’s College, Townsville and Marist College Ashgrove have participated in a virtual public speaking competition. Six students – ideally one student from each year level - speak, for five minutes, on a subject of their choice. We were very fortunate to have the competition adjudicated by Dr Michael Axelsen, who is a member of Rostrum and lecturer at UQ, and former SMMC student and Laracy participant, Miss Portia Neumann. 

Last night, our team of six consisted of James Allpass 9G, Joseph Lewis 10F, Isaac Lynn 10G, Sam Allpass 11G, Leo Barbieri-Yates 12S and Daniel Lynn 12G. With limited preparation, the boys gave entertaining and thought-provoking speeches on a variety of topics. I am delighted to announce that we have once again wrested the trophy, The Laracy Plate, from SMMC and it will be making its way back to Ashgrove for 2022. 

L to R: Dr Axelsen, Sam Allpass, Leo Barbieri-Yates, Isaac Lynn, Daniel Lynn, Joseph Lewis, James Allpass, Miss Portia Neumann, Mrs Bernie Ketter

Congratulations to all who participated and special thanks to Mrs Bernie Ketter who is the driving force behind this competition.