From the Head of College

Mr Michael Newman

In the publication, ‘Water from the Rock’, Marist spirituality is described as consisting of the qualities of simplicity (humility, modesty), presence, family spirit, love of work and in the way of Mary. Br Michael Green fms has further extrapolated other related elements of Marist Spirituality. At the Marist National Assembly, held at Marist College Ashgrove over the holidays, delegates and long-time interested parties of Marist Education and ministries similarly reflected and made comment on the elements they deem as quintessential to Marist spirituality. Key to these qualities is the example of Mary, the mother of God (Marist). I share this reflection with you, from the delegates, for your discernment and recollection. Marist is:

People of encounter and relationship – positively moving forward together – listening – as modelled in the Gospel of “The Visitation”.
People embracing the message of love from the Gospels - ‘I leave you in the hearts of Jesus & Mary’ (St Marcellin Champagnat).
People who are Jesus-centred like St Marcellin.
People who bring Christ to birth in their lives – make Christ present – through the example of Mary.
People who live in joy and are alive with faith values at the core – ‘Eucharistic people’.
People who gather - belong to family – where all are welcome – accepted as you are – have no need to prove yourself – “I am enough” – find the best in people – forgive and move on – can challenge – share deeply.
People who have the betterment of young people as their focus – especially the soul / spiritual.
People of personal faith, leading to relational / belonging and ministry / service / action / empowerment.
People living in the way of Mary – practical work – working quietly (simple / humble / modestly) & pondering things in our heart, as Mary did.
People aware of those at the margins – the poor.
People who are active within the Catholic Church.
People who are vulnerable and humble, willing to say ‘YES” as Mary did – expressing generous generativity.

The delegates held the Gospel of the visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth as a key story in unpacking these Marist qualities. I share with you the words of Mary expressed to Elizabeth (“The Magnificat”) and the statue depicting this encounter between the two women which today lies in the picturesque village of Ein Karem, just west of Jerusalem.

And Mary said - “My soul magnifies the Lord,and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden.For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed;for he who is mighty has done great things for me,and holy is his name.And his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation.He has shown strength with his arm,he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts,he has put down the mighty from their thrones,and exalted those of low degree;He has filled the hungry with good things,And the rich he has sent empty away.He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy,as he spoke to our fathers,to Abraham and to his posterity forever.”

Luke 1:46-55

God of the journey may all members of the Marist College Ashgrove family aim to live and emulate the words and example of Mary, our role model and guide as Marists. Amen.

Year 12 Retreats

Best wishes to the Year 12 boys and staff who will be attending the 2025 Year 12 Retreat from Wednesday to Friday this week. This is always a highlight of the school year where the boys have some quality time with their peers and teachers, caring for their souls, reflecting on their time at the college, and contemplating their futures, relationships and families, all with their God. Mrs Anna Nasr - Assistant Head of College Mission, and her team - Mrs Jenna Harding, Mr Mikael Pitot and Mrs Clare Locke have worked tirelessly to organise these retreats for the boys. To our dedicated and selfless teaching staff who will accompany the boys throughout the three days away, you are appreciated - namely: Mr Scott Minogue, Mrs Liz Walsh, Mr Daniel Bull, Ms Kathryn Badini, Mrs Bonita Gerry, Mr Richard Graham, Ms Grace Ryan, Mrs Maddie Henry, Ms Sharon Davidson, Mrs Anna Nasr, Mr Jye Davies, Mr Adam Knight, Mr Steven Edwards, Ms Genevieve Long, Mr Charlie Taylor, Mr Mikael Pitot, Mr Isaac Roach, Mr James Trebbin, Mr John Lambourne, Ms Lucy Naughton, Mr James Lymer, Mr Patrick Denkes, Mr Christopher Daykin, Ms Sarah Palmer, Mrs Jenna Harding, Mr Andrew Gibbs, Mrs Clare Locke and Mr Stewart Moore. Enjoy gentlemen and we hope and pray that this retreat is a time of reflection, great fulfilment and nourishment for your lives ahead.

NAIDOC Week 2025

At Marist College Ashgrove, NAIDOC Week 2025 will be celebrated between the 14th- 18th July 2025 with a theme of "The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy." This theme celebrates not only the achievements of the past but the bright future ahead, empowered by the strength of our young leaders, the vision of our communities, and the legacy of our ancestors. NAIDOC week will be celebrated with a College Assembly and some cultural activities for the students. We are honoured to have the presence of Dr Clinton Schultz, a proud Gamilaroi man and leader in culturally responsive mental health. He will be speaking with our students on this year’s NAIDOC theme: “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy.” Dr Schultz is the Director of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Strategy at Black Dog Institute and the founder of Marumali Consultations. He is a passionate advocate for Indigenous-led wellbeing, and his insight and presence will be incredibly valuable for our boys. He is a true inspiration—someone who has dedicated himself to community, culture, and education.

We are also privileged to have Derek Sandy, a respected Elder from the Yerongpan Clan of the Yuggera people, who will deliver a Welcome to Country and perform a didgeridoo solo, honouring the living culture and traditions of the local custodians of the land on which our college stands. This will be a powerful and meaningful moment for our community as we celebrate the strength, vision, and legacy of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and recognise our present and past indigenous students at Marist.

2025 Marist College Ashgrove Ski Trip 2025

Over the Term 2 holidays, forty Year 11 and 12 students took part in the College’s first Ski Trip in many years and the first ever to New Zealand. Arriving in Queenstown on the 28 June, our boys were greeted by incredible conditions including blue skies and fresh snow at Coronet Peak. The first three days were spent on the slopes, with students quickly building their skills and confidence. While there were a few accidents along the way, the boys showed great perseverance and had a fantastic time.

The midweek ‘down’ day still included plenty of adrenaline, starting with the Shotover Jet boat ride through the narrow canyons of the Shotover River at speeds up to 90 km/h. This was followed by a scenic gondola ride, luge racing and a buffet dinner overlooking Queenstown which I believe was a highlight of the trip. The final two days were spent at The Remarkables, with fresh legs and more fresh snow helping the boys finish the week with gusto.

A special thank you is extended to Mr Phill Holding, Mr Adam Earnshaw, Mr Blair Whitlock, Mr Matt Millward and Mrs Maddie Henry who accompanied and cared for the boys throughout the trip. Marist College Ashgrove is excited to offer a similar ski trip bi-annually.

June/July 2025 - Timor-Leste Immersion 2025

Immersion is a journey of the heart—an opportunity for personal growth and connection. As guests to a new cultural setting, 11 students and 2 staff undertook an Immersion to Timor-Leste during the holidays which they approached with humility and openness. The boys on return spoke about the warmth and joy of the Timorese people and especially the smiles of the children, even though they had little and lived simple lives. The Immersion involved the boys visiting schools in the Baucau district. They were greeted with traditional dancing and warm hospitality and witnessed the new buildings which Marist College Ashgrove had contributed towards through Australian Marist Solidarity. This experience will never be forgotten, and I believe the boys hearts and minds have been changed as they meet their sisters and brothers into the future. A special thank you to Ms Kathryn Badini and Mr Jye Davies who accompanied the boys and to Mrs Clare Locke and Mrs Anna Nasr (Assistant Head of College - Misson) for their organisation and preparation of this special opportunity for the boys.

Tennis Camp 2025

During the school holidays the Marist Tennis Club held a holiday camp for 20 boys and a senior camp for our First IV Tennis Team. Our courts looked resplendent with the new surrounding Marist banners and the boys trained hard, developing their skills of serving, groundstrokes and volleys while working on their game fitness, prior to the commencement of the AIC Sporting Competition. Thank you to Mr Andrew Ward (First IV Coach), Mr Liam Webb (Old Boy 2022) and Mr Jack Thorpe (Old Boy 2022) for their preparation and coaching of the boys. All teams are now picked ahead of the first trial game versus Padua College on Saturday. We now look forward to the AIC Season ahead.

Basketball Camp 2025

In the last week of the holidays, Ms Samantha Davids (Convenor) and Mr James Lymer (1st Coach) prepared and facilitated the Marist College Ashgrove Basketball Camp for 2025. This camp is a preparation for the 2025 AIC season. Highlights included an address and coaching by NBL Illawarra Hawks player Zac Triplett, coaching from Brisbane Caps High Performance coach and old boy Mike Hefferan, drills, gameplay, new moves, and a coach vs student game. Week 1 commences on Saturday with a trial against Padua. Team rosters have been posted, and the game schedule will be released by Thursday afternoon for Primary and Friday for Secondary. Best wishes for a successful AIC Basketball season for 2025.

Primary Term 3 Events

We look forward to another productive and successful term in Years 5 & 6 at the college. This Term Marist Primary will be hosting several important events where we welcome to the College our neighbouring schools. These events are:

Study Skills Night
Bright Sparks Invitational Mathematics Challenge
Year 5/6 Dance
Brisbane Schools Tournament of Minds Finals
Two Rounds of QDU Debating

My thanks are extended to our professional and energetic team of Year 5 & 6 teachers led by the Assistant Head of College – Primary, Mr Michael Connolly. Enjoy Term 3 students and all the opportunities on offer.

Boarding News

Assistant Head of College – Boarding, Mr Jim Noble and his wife Libby, kindly undertook some ‘home visits’ in the first week of the school holidays. They visited 17 current boarding families and four prospective boarders with their families. They travelled over 1,740km driving to Murgon, Gayndah, Theodore, Moura, Springsure, Emerald, Alpha and Rockhampton. The journey included a formal function in Rockhampton where we met up with the boys and their families attending the Confraternity Shield and several present, past and prospective Rockhampton-region boarding families. Jim and his wife Libby expressed their gratitude at being welcomed into many of our boarding family homes.

Holiday Undertakings

My thanks are extended to our generous and professional staff who continued working over the holiday for the boys and prepared for the upcoming Semester. Along with the Ski Trip, Confraternity Shield and Basketball and Tennis Camps, our staff were busy preparing the college for a busy Semester Two ahead. We thank our generous and professional staff for completing the following tasks:

Annual Report Published
TASS Semester roll over
Firewall and Server Updates
Payroll end of financial year
FBT annual return
End of quarter financial reporting
External hire of Theatre, Boarding, Classrooms
Deep clean all areas
Outdoor areas pressure washed
IT Maintenance & Testing
Hosting Marist National Assembly – dorms, venue facilities, dinner and meals
Re-tiling of Admin building entrance
Cyclone repairs
Arborist tree pruning
Ridley lockers relocated
Fire hydrants serviced
Ovals resown
Fence repairs
General repairs and maintenance
Viriliter Age Publication & Posts
Venue Hire – Draney Theatre
Catering – Brothers
New Staff – hiring and on-boarding

Semester 2 Events

I trust after a restful and reinvigorating holiday your son is keen to commence Semester 2. The college Calendar outlines all events and dates along with any changes as mentioned in the weekly newsletter. We look forward to the following events for Semester 2 for the boys and all families:

NAIDOC Week: 15-18 July
Year 12 Retreat: 16-18 July
Paul Dillion: 24 July
Long Lunch: 26 July
Warwick Jumpers and Jazz: 27 July
Year 5 Band and String Concert: 31 July
Book Week: 28 July to 1 August
Year 12 Exam Block: 1 to 8 August
Walkathon / Battle of Bands: 10 August
EKKA Holiday: 13 August
Year 5-12 P/T Interviews Online: 18 August
Year 9 Exams: 1 to 5 September
Year 5 2026 Parent Information Evening: 2 September
Father’s Day Breakfast: 4 September
Year 5 2026 Parent Information Night: 2 September
Father's Day Breakfast: 4 September
Confirmation Day: Year 5 & 7 Orientation – 5 September
Year 9 Camp & Exams: 7, 8, 10 & 11 – 8-12 –17 (Year 11) September
Tower Art Show: 12-14 September
Grandparents Day / Soiree: 18 September
Sony Camp / AIC Track and Field: Holidays
Year 5-11 P/T Interviews: 7 October
AIC Track and Field Championships: 9 October
Marist College Awards Night: 13 October
MSA Annual Mass and Dinner: 25 October
ATAR Exams : 27 October / 14 November
Year 12 Graduation Day: 21 November & Year 6 Graduation Day: 26 November
Year 7-11 Exams: 19-26 November
Marist Ashgrove hosts Marist Cricket Carnival: 30 November– 5 December

We are excited and ready for a full and energetic Semester 2 ahead.

Confraternity Shield 2025

The Confraternity Shield rugby league carnival was held in Rockhampton during the first week of the holidays, with Marist College Ashgrove proudly competing in the top division. A special congratulations to Liam Rice on his outstanding achievement of being selected in the 2025 QISSRL Merit Team. Our First XIII team advanced to the semi-finals of the Bob Lindner Shield after some hard-fought games, unfortunately losing in the semi-final. My sincere thanks to coaching staff Mr Dallas Williams, Mr Ryan Apps, Mr Brad Winchester, Mr Mal Grealy, and Mr Lachlan Gough for their dedication and support in guiding the boys throughout the carnival.

Marist College Ashgrove is looking forward to hosting the Confraternity Shield in 2026 where we are excited to be to hosting schools from across Queensland to our campus.

Non-Government Schools Census Collection 2025

The Australian Government Department of Education has asked me to advise all staff, parents, guardians and students that it will be collecting relevant information about Marist College Ashgrove, its staff and student body as part of the non-government schools census collection (‘The Census’). For further information, please refer to the following PDF.

2025 Non-government schools census privacy collection notice.pdf

May our loving God with Mary our good mother and St Marcellin Champagnat walk with all members of the Marist College Ashgrove Family.