Boarding News

Dear Boarding Parents,

Last weekend I had the privilege to travel to Port Moresby with Mr Newman to visit our PNG families and Old Boys. Marist College Ashgrove is well known in Port Moresby and throughout PNG, as a result of the many boys who’ve attended our school as boarders over the years. This strong link was evident throughout our trip, with many PNG people we met indicating they had a link to the College. We were made to feel so welcome throughout our stay and it was lovely to attend a couple of functions with parents, grandparents, and Old Boys whilst we were there. Thanks to all of our PNG friends for their hospitality and we look forward to visiting again in the coming years.

Our Year 6 – 11 boarders are currently in the middle of exams and no doubt looking forward to a fantastic summer holiday afterwards. The boys have been reminded that if they are thinking of departing before the end of term then they must follow the school process. For boys asking to leave more than three days before the last day of term, they must collect an early departure form from Boarding Reception and have all of their teachers sign the form to indicate their approval for the early departure. This is to ensure that all assessment has been completed prior to boys heading away for holidays.

As we near the end of the school year I’d like to publicly acknowledge the Year 12 boarders for the many positive ways they contributed to the school in 2023. They have led and provided positive role modelling in all areas of College life and have lived the Marist values of simplicity, presence, love of work, family spirit and in the way of Mary. I’ve really enjoyed the time spent with this group of boys. Individually and collectively, they have maintained the positive traditions of Marist College Ashgrove and I wish them well as they prepare to embark on their future beyond school. I look forward to celebrating with these boys and their families at our function for the Year 12 boarders this Thursday night.

Sunday Night Mass

Boarding Recreation

Friday saw the last Boarders Arvo Feast of the year take place after school. We are very fortunate to have a group of over 100 day school parents that contribute towards these throughout the year. A special thanks goes to Tanya Roberts and Nicole Maye (both mums of Year 8 boys) who organise the parents into groups and are there to help every second Friday with the arvo feasts.

On Friday afternoon we headed down to the grandstand to support the Marist 1st XI Cricketers as they took on Lauries in a special 42-ball match in memory of Old Boys, Grant Kirby and Stjepan Milosevic, who lost their lives in Afghanistan. It was a special event organized alongside the 42 for 42 (https://www.42for42.org.au ) organisation and it was great to see some attacking cricket heading into the new season.

The La Valla and Montagne boys headed out to the Enoggera Reservoir on Saturday morning for a 5km bushwalk around the Araucaria Track before a swim and some Lake Rugby! There were turtles, birds, goannas and all sorts of wildlife which made it an interesting walk. After a full morning in nature without any technology, the boys remarked about how relaxed they felt afterwards. Go figure! Later in the afternoon, a group jumped on the bus as we headed out to Shorncliffe for a fish and some fish and chips. It’s beautiful out at Shorncliffe in the afternoon and we even managed to catch a Puffer and some baby Bream! A group of the Year 7s was also adamant that they saw a Dugong cruise by the pier although the jury’s still out on that one.

The final activities for the weekend was a social with St Margarets and one last game of League Tag down at Bardon. The girls arrived around 12 and we ran around the oval for an hour or so before having a BBQ lunch and heading down to the pool for a swim. It was nice to catch up with the Margarets boarders one last time before the end of the year. Our first two games of League Tag had somehow both ended in 8-8 draws so it was all up for grabs in the final match. It was somehow 9-9 going into the final play with Peter Chan sealing the win with an acrobatic try by the corner post. The undisputed MVP of League Tag was the untaggable Darius Creek who scored a double hat-trick to keep his team in the mix.