Primary School News

Dear Primary School Parents,

A huge congratulations to all the award winners from our recent Marist College Ashgrove Awards Night. It was wonderful to see boys from across all areas of the College being recognised, whether in sporting, cultural, academic or pastoral achievements. The night was a celebration of the diverse talents and hard work within our community. Let this be a reminder to all students to continue striving for their personal best. Whether you’re excelling in your studies, on the field or in leadership, remember that the journey toward your full potential requires perseverance and dedication. Keep pushing forward!

Loud Shirt Day – Raising Awareness for Children with Hearing Loss

We are proud to share that one of our students, Gun Cooter, is once again taking part in Loud Shirt Day this Friday, 18th October. Loud Shirt Day is a wonderful initiative that raises awareness and funds for children who are deaf, helping them learn to listen and speak through the incredible work done by Hear & Say.

Gun has been attending Hear & Say for speech therapy for the past six years, and this Friday, he will be wearing his loudest shirt and joining his family to spread awareness about hearing loss.

We encourage all families to get involved and support this cause by visiting the donation link below. Together, we can make a difference!

https://fundraise.hearandsay.org.au/s/269/269/e

Reminder - Head Lice

Over the past few weeks, there have been a few cases of head lice reported. Please be vigilant and ensure that if your child has lice, they are treated promptly to help prevent further spread.

Day for Daniel – Friday 18 October

On Friday 18 October, we will observe Day for Daniel, a significant day that promotes child safety awareness. It will be a free dress day, and we ask all students to wear an item of red clothing in exchange for a $2.00 or $5.00 donation. The funds raised will go toward supporting child safety programs. Additionally, the boys will be attending a presentation by Madeleine West on the importance of being Safe on Social, offering valuable insights into navigating the online world responsibly.

Parent Information Session – Safe on Social

On Thursday 17 October, Kirra Pendergast will be conducting an online parent information session on Safe on Social from 7:30pm–8:30 pm. We encourage parents to attend this informative session on supporting your child's online safety. The Zoom link for the session is: Zoom Link.

Acting Primary Pastoral Leader – Mr Richard Coles

As part of the journey towards the end of their primary school years, our Year 6 students this Tuesday will be participating in a special retreat. This retreat offers a unique opportunity for the students to step away from their daily routines and reflect on their time in primary school. It will be a day dedicated to prayer, reflection and giving thanks for the friendships, experiences and growth they’ve encountered throughout their primary years.

The retreat will focus on three key themes: prayer, where students will deepen their connection with God; reflection, allowing them to look back on their school journey and the lessons they’ve learned; and gratitude, encouraging them to give thanks for the people and opportunities that have shaped their primary school experience. Through various activities, guided reflections and moments of quiet, students will have the chance to spiritually prepare for the exciting transition into their next chapter.

We are excited for our Year 6 students to participate in this meaningful day and look forward to the growth and insights they will take away from this experience.

Year 6 QDU Debating – Ms Robyn Brown

The boys debated brilliantly in their third round of debates at St Peter’s Lutheran College last week. All three teams were undefeated.

The topic for the debate was “That playing outside is better than playing inside”.  

The teams demonstrated exceptional research skills in building their arguments, which were further enhanced by their attentive listening and strong rebuttals.

6.1 debated the negative against Indooroopilly State School  and were successful against their opponents. Max King, Harry McConnell, Joe Campion, Cormac Gannon.

6.2 debated the negative against SJC Bardon and were successful against their opponents. Lincoln Bartlett, Andre Bennett, Roman Krutil, Will Minahan.

6.3 debated the negative against Indooroopilly S.S and were successful against their opponents. Barney Armstrong, Sebastian Kaminski, Ben Mulholland, Harris Ritchie.

Congratulations to all three teams!  

Primary Drama – Ms Louise Marshall

The Marist Drama boys have been hard at work rehearsing for their end-of-year concerts. The two Year 5 groups will present the play ‘Channel Z News’ with an assortment of TV-inspired skits and poems. 

Year 6 will present the Harry Potter inspired spoof, ‘Larry Snuggleduff and the Hufflepuff’. Both year levels will be showcasing not only their acting but also their dancing and fighting skills! Tickets are $5 and all are welcome to come and attend. 

The link to book tickets is as follows:

https://events.humanitix.com/2024-marist-primary-drama-end-of-year-concerts

Concert Times 

Monday 28 October 2024

Year 5 (First Group) - 4:30pm to 5:30pm 

Year 5 (Second Group) - 6:45pm to 7:45pm 

Wednesday 30 October 2024

Year 6 - 6:30pm to 7:30pm

Primary School Sport

Mr John Lambourne (Head of Sport – Primary)

Achievements

Congratulations to Hugo Lockhart (6R) and Nathan Wright (6B) who have both qualified to attend the School Sport Australia National Track and Field Championships to be held in Sydney in November.

Queensland School Sport State Athletics Championships

• Nathan Wright - Silver 12 Years Tetrathlon – 2nd 100m, 6th 800m, 1st Long Jump and 5th Shot Put
• Hugo Lockhart - Bronze 11 Years High Jump -1.45m

Term 4 Swimming

Marist Primary Swim Squad training sessions continue throughout Term 4. These sessions are open to all boys, boys wishing to qualify for the AIC Swimming Team, and boys attending for fitness training; there is no obligation to attend AIC meets in Term 1 2025.

Year 5 (2025): Training starts on Wednesday 9 October, and will continue Monday and Wednesday afternoons throughout Term 4.

Year 6 (2025): Training begins on Tuesday 8 October, with sessions on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.

Marist Primary Swim Squad Training Timetable Term 4 2024

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

• Goggles
• Kickboard
• Pull Buoy
• Short Flippers
• Mesh Bag

Term 1 2025 AIC Team Sport Sign-on

The Term 1 team sports on offer are AFL, Cricket and Volleyball – Please note Volleyball is only offered for Year 7 - 12 students.

All students who wish to play Term 1 team sports are asked to sign up via the Student Café. Once your son/s have signed up parents or caregivers MUST approve the signup and edit or update any medical details. Please find below the attached guide for signing up for Extra-Curricular activities.

This is for current students only.

Students starting at the College in 2025 will receive information regarding Term 1 sport sign-on shortly.

Trials for Year 6 2025 teams will begin in Week 5.

Marist Rugby | Scrum Ready Program

Year 5-10 rugby union front row forwards. Any students who play in the front row are invited to the Scrum Ready Program. The sessions begin tomorrow and will be run by Mr Doug Perrers and Mr James Trebbin.

The aim of the training sessions is to educate students on key strengthening exercises, correct technique and the ability to maintain a safe, strong and stable body position. 

WHEN: Wednesday 16 October – Wednesday 13 November

TIME: 3:30pm-4:45pm

WHERE: Des Connor Park, Field 5

DRESS: MCA sports shirt, Marist sports shorts, blue, white or Marist rugby socks.

OTHER GEAR: Rugby boots and a drink bottle

The five weeks will consist of:

1. Core and body strengthening exercises
2. Solo with no opposition – on knees
3. Solo with no opposition – on feet
4. Solo against a machine/tackle bag
5. 1 v 1 / 3 v 3 body shape. 

Students should complete the program with knowledge that will allow them to continue their own training across the remainder of Term 4 and into the school holidays.

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.