Primary School News

Dear Primary Parents, 

We finish our term with a very busy week here in the Primary School. We congratulate all the boys who received recognition or awards today at our End of Term Assembly in the Draney Theatre. These boys have been recognised for their great work, or their great attitude to work over the last ten weeks. Importantly, for the boys who did not receive awards this term, there are many more occasions where we will recognise additional boys during the next three terms so keep up the great effort boys. We wish our Year 5 boys all the best as they put the finishing touches on their musical which we will all get a chance to see on Wednesday evening, across two blockbuster shows in the Draney Theatre. In addition to these events, we still have sporting trials and excursions to fit in before we finish with a whole school liturgy on Thursday afternoon.

A reminder that we start next term with Parent/Teacher Interviews on Monday 15 April. We look forward to seeing all boys attend these interviews in their formal Winter uniform. Advance notice that all boys will need to bring in a coat hanger on Tuesday 16 April with their name clearly marked on it so that they can hang their blazer during the day. I hope you all get the chance over the Easter period to stop, slow the pace of life down a little, and enjoy some time with family and loved ones. I wish you all a safe, happy and Holy Easter.

Primary Pastoral Leader – Anthony Graham 

As we wrap up an eventful Term 1, I want to extend our heartfelt appreciation for your unwavering support and understanding. We recognise the bustling nature of this term, and we're immensely proud of how our boys have navigated through it all. From settling into new routines to embracing academic challenges and extracurricular activities, they've shown remarkable resilience and adaptability.

While many of our boys have found their stride, we understand that some may still be in the process of finding their feet, and that's absolutely okay. If you have any concerns about your child's adjustment or progress, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. We're here to support both you and your child every step of the way.

As we look forward to Term 2, here are a few important reminders:

• Uniform and Grooming: Boys are required to arrive on Tuesday first day back wearing their full academic uniform. This break presents an excellent opportunity for ensuring compliance with our uniform standards, including haircuts. Please remember that haircuts should adhere to college guidelines, with a minimum length of blade 3 and no noticeable changes in length. Additionally, hair should not extend past the eyes or onto the collar.
• Extended Leave: If you're planning to take three or more consecutive days of leave during the upcoming term, kindly submit a leave form. We ask for at least two weeks' notice to ensure appropriate adjustments can be made for missed work. Leave forms can be found on Parent Lounge or by emailing Erin at Primary Reception. 
• Plan B for Co-curricular Activities: Term 2 is slated to be a bustling period for co-curricular activities, particularly rugby and soccer. With this in mind, we encourage you to use the holiday break to revise your Plan B, or even Plan C, in anticipation of wet weather or cancelled training sessions.

Lastly, we're thrilled to announce the launch of MaristChef 2024! Please refer to the flyer below for details and encourage your sons to participate by submitting their culinary creations via the Stile page. More information regarding this exciting initiative will be forthcoming.

I hope you and your family enjoy a lovely and restful holiday break. Thank you once again for your ongoing support and partnership in nurturing our students' growth and development.

Primary Learning Leader – Jen Little

Excursions

It was disappointing to see the cancellation of our Parliament House excursions this week. Thankfully, our Year 5 Gold, Blue, Maroon and Red students were able to continue with their day to Belivah where they had the opportunity to experience what life was like during the Gold Rush. Students learned how people in the past shopped for their food and other important belongings. They made damper, searched for gold and learnt the art of ‘haggling’. Overall, it was a wonderful day. We wish our 5 Silver, Violet and White classes all the best for their outing on Thursday. 

Parent Teacher Interviews

Parent Teacher Interviews will take place in Term 2 on the following dates:

• Monday 15 April (Student Free Day) - In person on-site in the Gym
• Wednesday 24 April – Online through Microsoft Teams

Interviews in Primary will be 15 minutes in duration. Students are encouraged to attend these interviews. If so, they must be dressed in winter academic uniform. 

Release of Assessment Feedback Data

This Thursday afternoon, all assessment results and feedback will be made available to parents and students through Parent Lounge and Student Cafe. Included in this release, will be an indication of how students have performed in terms of their learning behaviours: organisation, engagement and behaviour. Students are encouraged to reflect on their achievements this term and think about ways to enhance their effort and grades moving forward. A gentle reminder that the Morning Study opportunity is a great way for them to put this into practice. 

Please see below instructions on accessing this feedback and results. 

Accessing Student Feedback

On Thursday 28 March, you will be able to access your son’s results and task-specific feedback for his subjects this term. To access these results please follow the directions outlined here. 

Primary School Sport

Mr John Lambourne - Head of Sport (Primary)

Marist Primary Cross Country and Swimming Extravaganza

The Primary Swimming Carnival has been rescheduled to Friday 19 April to coincide with the Primary Cross Country Carnival for what will be a Term 2 carnival Extravaganza!!

All Years 5-6 boys are expected to attend in their College Sports Uniform. Parents are welcome to attend.

Cross Country

Each boy is expected to participate to the best of their ability.

All events will start and finish on McMahon Oval, in front of the John Eales Grandstand.

Swimming Carnival

Each boy is expected to swim 50m freestyle and 50m breaststroke.

The remainder of the day will be made up with participation and novelty-based games.

Hats, sunscreen and water bottles are extremely important, and the boys are expected to take some responsibility to ensure they stay sun safe and hydrated.

Term 2 AIC Sport

Following on from last weekend’s first round of rugby and football trials a reminder to students and their families that this was the first week of training and trials. There is another two weeks of training and trials before teams are selected for AIC Round 1.

Selection remains fluid and is based upon the following criteria –

• Ability and skill level
• Attitude
• Attendance at training/competition
• Team composition

ALL boys wishing to play AIC Rugby and AIC Football will be placed in a team commensurate with their ability.

Rugby Union

Easter Rugby Camp

Sunday 14 April

Cross Country

Training – Monday, Wednesday & Friday

Venue: McMahon Oval (new starting venue for 2024)

Time: Training starts at 7:00am sharp. Students are to arrive at 6:45am and sign into the session with their student ID card.

Sports Photographs

We are always on the look-out 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 smart phone. 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 5pm 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.