Primary School News
Mr Michael Connolly, Head of Primary School
Dear Primary Parents,
On Friday last week, the boys were invited to wear free dress to support FareShare who are a charity that provides healthy meals for those who are going without. The boys were requested to pay $2 on their monitor system or provide a bag of rice to assist FareShare with the work that they do in the community. The generosity of our Primary families was outstanding. By the end of the day, a huge pile of rice packets had grown in the Mission Office with the majority of that pile being attributed to the boys in the Primary School. It takes considerable effort to head to the shops to buy a bag of rice and send it to school, but from what I saw today, many, many of you took the time to do that to assist others in need. The lessons our boys are taught by these acts of generosity should never be underestimated.
I look forward to seeing all the boys at the Walkathon this Sunday. The Walkathon is one of the few events that are compulsory for all students to attend and it is a great community event that also acts as our major fundraiser for the year. The boys are reminded to wear comfortable clothes and suitable walking shoes. Those boys dressing up in costume are welcome to walk in the costume as well.
A quick reminder that the boys have a very short week next week with Monday and Tuesday being our only school attendance days next week. I wish you all a safe and happy Week 5 here in the Primary School.
Primary Pastoral Leader – Anthony Graham
Walkathon
It's fantastic to see the boys actively gathering donations for the walkathon! We've already handed out prizes to those who have reached significant milestones. Mrs. Kennedy and I will continue to hand out prizes twice a week. This coming Sunday, we will be walking the walkathon! Boys should meet on the bottom level of the Saint Marcellin Centre from 7:45am. There's no need to arrive early. Remember, the best-dressed Year 5 and Year 6 students will each win a $30 tuckshop voucher!
Gold Medal Moments
We are thrilled to report that we have had over 100 entries for students receiving a Gold Medal. It’s wonderful to see the boys focusing on their learning, doing the little things well, and doing the right thing because it is the right thing to do. Keep up the great work, boys! Remember, every small act of kindness and effort contributes to our vibrant school community. Let's continue to strive for excellence and support each other in our educational journey.
School Dance
Tickets are now on sale for our upcoming Marist Dance! The dance will be held from 5:00pm-6:30pm on Tuesday 13 August. Registration starts at 4:45pm in the Champagnat Centre. Here are some important details and FAQs about the event:
FAQs
- The dance is a fully supervised event with Marist staff on duty.
- The dance will include fun games, activities and dances for the students to learn. It's also a great opportunity for students to make new friends with girls from other schools.
- There will be a designated area for parents or caregivers to collect their children from. This information will be emailed through Humanatix (the company where tickets were purchased).
- If you are collecting students on behalf of someone else, please notify Primary Reception or myself via email prior to Tuesday evening.
- College rules and expectations apply to all students at the dance. Our aim is to have a fun, well-structured event for the students to enjoy and make new friends. Yes, some teachers will be joining the dance floor!
We look forward to seeing you at these exciting events and appreciate your continued support!
Naming School Items
While we have seen some improvement in the amount of lost property, we are still finding hats, jumpers, and sporting gear without names on them. This makes it difficult to return items to their rightful owners. Please take a moment to check your son’s belongings, including socks, to ensure everything is clearly named. This small step can save a lot of time and hassle for everyone involved.
Primary Learning Leader – Jen Little
Writing Support – Monday Mornings at 8:00am
Developing writing skills in primary children is crucial as it lays the foundation for effective communication, critical thinking, and creativity. Writing enables children to express their thoughts and ideas clearly, which is essential for academic success and future life skills. It also enhances their ability to organise information, improve vocabulary, and develop a deeper understanding of language. By nurturing these skills early on, we empower children to articulate their perspectives confidently, fostering a lifelong love for learning and personal expression.
Earlier in the term, a number of our Primary students named writing as their key goal for improvement this semester. To facilitate this, Mrs Rhonda Carson, will be working with boys on Monday mornings at 8:00am in room 702. Mrs Carson is a qualified NAPLAN marker for writing, and she is a valuable resource in the Primary School. Boys in attendance will be able to receive support with creating good ideas, building cohesion and using a variety of sentence styles to build confidence in this area. Boys wanting to improve their writing are highly encouraged to make the most of this opportunity through consistent attendance.
Literacy and Numeracy Cup Results
Year 5:
Literacy – 5 Maroon – 81.1%
Numeracy – 5 Violet – 92.6%
Year 6:
Literacy – 6 White – 73.0%
Numeracy – 6 Gold – 75.37%
Primary Sport
Mr John Lambourne – Head of Sport (Primary)
What’s On This Week
Friday, 9 August
- AIC Basketball Round 4 vs. St Peter’s Lutheran College
Year 5 @ Marist – 5C & 5D have a bye
Year 6 @ SPLC – 6C & 6D have a bye
Saturday, 3 August
- AIC Tennis Round 4 vs. St Peter’s Lutheran College @ SPLC
- AIC Rugby League Round 4 vs. Ambrose Treacy College @ ATC – 6B & 5B have a bye
Monday, 5 August
- No Primary Basketball training EKKA Break
Tuesday, 6 August
- No Primary Basketball training EKKA Break
*Please see the College app for further details
Achievements
Congratulations to Finn Beaver (6G), Miller Exintaris (5B), Aidan Field (6V), Max King (6W), Fred Little (6B) Hugo Lockhart (6R), Mason Loli (5R), Lucas Nightingale (5S), Daniel Sadimenko (5M), William Smith (5S), Patrick Thirgood (5B) and Lachlan Widt (6V) who have been selected to represent North West District Track & Field at the upcoming Met North trials.
North West District Track and Field – Top Three Place Getters
12 Years
Finn Beaver – 1st 1500m, 1st 800m
Max King – 2nd 100m, 1st Long Jump, 3rd High Jump, 1st Shot Put, 3rd Discus
Fred Little – 3rd 1500m, 3rd 800m
11 Years
Miller Exintaris – 3rd 100m
Spencer Hoddy – 3rd Shot Put
Hugo Lockhart – 1st High Jump
Mason Loli – 2nd Shot Put, 2nd Discus
William Smith – 3rd 200m, 2nd Discus
10 YearsPatrick Thirgood – 1st 100m, 1st 200m,
Congratulations to Daniel Sadimenko (5M) who recently represented Queensland at the Australian School Sport Swimming Championships. Daniel has spent countless hours “chasing the black line” and his efforts and sacrifices made leading up to Nationals were repaid with some incredible results and personal bests.
1st 11 Years 200m Freestyle Relay
4th 11 Years 200m Medley Relay
4th 11 Years 100m Backstroke
5th 11 Years 50m Freestyle
Congratulations to Patrick Thirgood (5B) who played in Brisbane’s top Under 12 hockey team, winning the Coulter Shield in the grand final, 2-0, vs. Gold Coast. Patrick was one of only 2 ten year olds in the team.
Term 3 AIC Sport
Basketball
Rugby League
Tennis
Harrison Fowler (6W)
6A
A tough day out at Wynnum Tennis Centre. The boys fought hard with Patrick Pringle and Harry Fowler fighting going down in a 4-2 loss. Sam Martin and Hardy Marks fighting hard in their reverse doubles to go down 4-0. Looking forward to flipping the scores next week.
6B
Rhys Adams and Sam Brown won in a breaker to get the boys off to a great start and backed up winning 4-0. Gorge Padilla and Keagan Mason fell short in a tie breaker. Great job to George and Will O’Rourke for winning their singles 6-0. Good job 6Bs on the 6-2 win.
Track and Field
There are 4 AIC T&F meets scheduled at the end of Term 3.
- Thursday, 22 August
- Wednesday, 28 August
- Thursday, 5 September
- Wednesday, 11 September 17
AIC Championships – Thursday, 3 and Friday, 4 October – QSAC.
Track and Field Training
Sprints and Middle Distance
Monday and Wednesday – McMahon Oval – 3:30pm – 4:45pm
Long Jump and Hurdles
Tuesday – Athletics Precinct – 6:45am – 8:00am
Shot Put
Boys wishing to train for shot put are please asked to see Mr Lambourne
Boys wishing to be considered for AIC selection should also be aware that there will be training and meets conducted over the Term 3 holidays.
Sports Training and Clashes
With the myriad of opportunities on offer for the students’ clashes are unavoidable but never a problem if communicated.
Families are reminded that co-curricular activities should not impact on students’ academic performance.
If sports training clashes with music or morning tutoring it is asked that boys alternate from week to week.
Sports Photographs
We are always on the lookout for photos and action shots to be used for the Blue & 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.
Late Pick Up After Sports Training
“PLAN B”
It is important that both parent and student are aware of the pick-up procedure if afternoon sports training is cancelled or if parents are running late for pick-up. As soon as a decision is made to cancel a sporting fixture or training, a message is placed on the College app. If training is cancelled, boys can remain in the primary school or walk to an arranged pick-up point when the time arrives.
Afternoon sports training sessions are scheduled to finish by 4:45pm. We ask that boys are picked up at this time. Any boy who is still at their training venue at 5:00pm will be directed to the After Hours Boarding Reception area / College Health Centre so that he may be collected from there. After Hours Boarding Reception can be contacted on 07 3858 4619.
In the case of bus arrivals from external sporting venues, boys will be sent to After Hours Boarding Reception 15 minutes after the bus arrives back at the College. Parents are asked to collect their sons from this location.
