Primary School News

Dear Primary Parents,

What a wonderful week last week was for the college, but our Primary boys in particular. It was a bumper week with our True Colours day and Market Stalls days running throughout the week, as well as a STEM Challenge Day on Friday that saw some of our boys travel to Park Ridge to enjoy the activities. By far, the most important day of the week though was Thursday which was the day we celebrated Champagnat Day. Thursday was a day full of Champagnat spirit and our boys were left in no doubt that they are a part of something bigger than what they see here at Marist College Ashgrove. It was wonderful to see the boys participate in, and celebrate being Marist during our Champagnat Day Mass. The singing and the sense of occasion by the boys was the best I have seen in recent years. Hopefully, you have all seen the commemorative badge that your son was presented with to celebrate twenty-five years of Saint Marcellin being canonized. After the Mass our new building was officially opened and blessed as the Saint Marcellin Centre. Our boys were so excited to show their new spaces to the wider community.

Today, the spirit of Champagnat continued to touch us all as we presented our annual Champagnat Awards in the Draney Theatre. These awards acknowledge twelve boys who make every effort to live out the qualities of Saint Marcellin here in the Primary School. It is always a difficult decision for our teachers to make so the recipients should all be very proud of their efforts. I would like to thank our own Br. Adrian Story for being with us to present these special awards. 

The twelve recipients for 2024 are:

5 Blue: Chandler Forrest

5 Gold: Will Jackson

5 Maroon: Flynn Boucaut

5 Red: Maverick Hardiker

5 Silver: Charlie Mackay

5 Violet: William McLaren

5 White: Bailey Scholz

6 Blue: Jake Byrne

6 Gold: Sam Martin

6 Red: Dominic Guinea

6 Violet: Patrick Hambleton

6 White: Harry Maher

Primary Learning Leader – Jen Little

STEM Challenge Day:

Last Friday, a group of Years 5 and 6 students were selected by their classroom teachers to participate in the STEM Challenge Day at Park Ridge High School. This was a fabulous day for all where students were given opportunities to work collaboratively to explore various STEM concepts. Sample activities included bridge building, making towers, creating carnivals and making windmills. It was a fantastic day for all. 

Literacy and Numeracy Trophies: 

Students have continued to work hard in their literacy and numeracy endeavours. Congratulations to the following classes who won the competition in Week 7:

Please note that due to the completion of exams, Week 8 results have not been finalised at this stage. 

Progressive Reporting:

Over the course of the term, teachers have released grades and feedback for students and parents regarding assessments completed to date. This is released approximately 10 school days after assessments have been completed to provide time for teachers to mark, grade and moderate. It is important that students are actively invested in checking their grades and feedback to inform future progress. Next term, I will work with students on calculating their GPA. This is their way of tracking their progress regarding their own learning. Please see the instructions below for accessing these results:

Semester 1 Reports: 

At the conclusion of the semester, parents can expect to see their son’s Semester 1 Report Card. Please note that this is further feedback to parents regarding how your son is working in class. Parents can expect to see the following information:

• Final subject grades of individual students for the semester, including a snapshot of the cohort data
• Learning behaviour results 
• Pastoral behaviour results
• General comment about student 

This is important information for parents, and it is highly encouraged that you have a conversation with your sons about their learning, including the establishing of goals for Semester Two. The discussion you have with your sons will help inform directions for the immediate future.

Primary School Sport

Mr John Lambourne - Head of Sport (Primary)

What’s On This Week:

Term 3 AIC Sport

The Term 3 sports on offer are Basketball, Rugby League and Tennis.

Please note that numbers are limited in each of these sports and that boys are only able to participate in one Term 3 AIC team sport.

Trial details will be published on the College App.

Boys may also choose to participate in track & field, boys of all abilities are welcome to attend track training sessions.

Basketball – Maximum 40 boys / grade

Uniform: MCA Basketball singlet, MCA Sport shorts & Blue MCA Sport socks

Fixtures Friday evening. Training twice / week.

Basketball Trials

Year 5

Thursday – Multipurpose Courts – 6:45 – 8:00am

Friday – Multipurpose Courts – 3:30 – 5:00pm

Year 6

Wednesday – Multipurpose Courts – 6:45 – 8:00am

Friday – Champagnat Centre – 3:30 – 5:00pm

Tennis – Maximum 8 boys / grade

Uniform: MCA Tennis polo, MCA Tennis shorts & white MCA Sport socks

Fixtures Saturday morning – please be aware that there may be Friday evening fixtures in 2024. Training twice / week.

Tennis Trials

Year 5

Thursday – 7:15 – 8:15am

Year 6

Tuesday – 7:15 – 8:15am

Rugby League – Maximum 30 boys Year 5 and 34 boys Year 6

Uniform: MCA rugby league jersey – please be aware that boys playing rugby league in 2024 will be required to purchase a Marist College Rugby League jersey, MCA rugby shorts & MCA team sport socks. Fixtures Saturday morning. Training twice / week.

Rugby League Trials

Year 5 

Tuesday / Thursday – Hayden Oval – 3:30 – 4:45pm

Saturday – Des Connor Park, Flat 8 – 8:00 – 9:00am 

Year 6 

Tuesday – Hayden Oval – 3:30 – 4:45pm

Thursday – Hayden Oval – 7:15 – 8:00am

Saturday – Des Connor Park, Flat 6 – 8:00 – 9:00am

Track & Field

There are 4 AIC T&F meets scheduled at the end of Term 3.

These meets are conducted as time trials for boys wishing to qualify for AIC Championships.

• Thursday, August 22
• Wednesday, August 28
• Thursday, September 5
• Wednesday, September 11

AIC Championships – Thursday, 3 & Friday, 4 October – QSAC.

Uniform: MCA Athletics singlet, MCA Sport shorts & white MCA Sport socks

Track and Field training begins in Term 3, T&F training is twice a week.

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.

Primary Athletics Carnival

Primary Athletics Carnival will take place Monday, 17 June – McMahon and Hayden Ovals. All Year 5&6 boys are expected to attend in their College Sports Uniform.

Parents are welcome to attend.

As with the Primary Swimming Carnival, events will be participation/novelty based. Team meetings will be held in Week 9 for the boys to select team captains.

Boys may wish to change into coloured outfits, which they can do before Pastoral Group, they may also bring mascots and wear zinc in their team colour if they wish.

Hats, sunscreen and water bottles are extremely important on a day like this, and boys are expected to take some responsibility to ensure they stay sun safe and hydrated.

Each boy is expected to participate in all the novelty events to the best of their ability.

The College tuckshop will be unavailable for the Primary boys.

Primary Athletics Age Championships

Nominations will close Friday 9am for boys wishing to compete for Track and Field Age Champion.Boys will compete in their age division; 10 Years (2014), 11 Years (2013) and 12 Years (2012).

Age Championship events are used as qualification events for selection to attend North West District Track in Field in Term 3.

Depending on the number of boys who nominate for each event boys may be required to qualify to participate in Age Championship events.

Term 2 AIC Sport

Rugby Union

Football

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.