From the Head of College

Mr Michael Newman

Mary – the Marist Role-Model

As a Marist School, we are called after and challenged to live in the footsteps of Mary the mother of God. On the 23rd July 1816, St Marcellin Champagnat and Marist confreres gathered at Fourviere, a city district of Lyon in France to pledge and dedicate all their work “for the greater glory of God and the honour of Mary, the mother of Our Lord Jesus.” Today, Marist College Ashgrove celebrated the Feast of the Assumption (15th August). This is the most important solemnity to Mary the mother of God in the Church’s calendar. In 1950, Pope Pius XII declared that Mary was assumed, body and soul into heaven. By the special grace of God, Mary was raised up and entered God’s kingdom and in turn, setting our eyes to the promised path, we will follow when our earthly life is over. In celebrating this feast day, we recognise Mary, the role model we emulate and direction our College follows.

With Mary as our role model, what are those Marist qualities as seen through the Gospel stories that empower our actions today?

To ponder - On three occasions in the gospels, we can find the quote saying - “She pondered these things in her heart.” In other words, like Mary, we are challenged to reflect, pray, discern, slow down, reminisce, share and take time in silence throughout our lives to empower the nourishment of our soul.
To encounter others - Mary entered sincere and engaging relationships with others. Her most notable encounter is with her cousin Elizabeth.
To be understanding - Mary understood the plight of a parent – losing her child and in desperation eventually finding him again and searching for answers.
To be faith-filled - Mary shows a distinct and strong faith as shown through her words - “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my saviour”.
To be for the poor - Mary demonstrated a love of the poor and less fortunate as shown through her words – “he fills the starving with good things and sends the rich away empty”.
To be simply for God not my own adulation - Mary demonstrated a humble, modest and simple spirit as she declared that “All generations will call me blessed but only because of the great things the Lord has done for me”
To be empathetic - Mary knew what it is to suffer, as she stood at the foot of the cross of her son – so devastating
To say ‘Yes to God’s will – Mary generously said ‘yes’ to God when asked to be the mother of Jesus – having a spirit of generous generativity
To Bring Christ to Birth – Mary gave birth to Jesus, our saviour - bringing Christ to birth in our lives – finding Christ in our everyday and the ordinariness of our lives

God of the journey, may we as members of the Marist College Ashgrove family, be empowered to live the spirit of Mary in our hearts, souls and minds. Amen.

Captains, Vice Captains and Boarding Captains

One of the highlights of any given year is to interview the senior Year 11 boys who wish to undertake the role of Marist College Ashgrove College Captain, in this case for 2026. The quality of young men at Marist is deep and the opportunity to interview the boys about their views, hopes, leadership aspirations, dreams and aims moving forward is an honour. It is my pleasure to announce the newly elected leaders for 2026:

Marist College Ashgrove College Captain - James Johnston

Vice-Captain (Mission) – Liam Shay

Vice-Captain (Academic) – Benjamin Allpass

Vice-Captain (Cultural) – Oliver Bishop

Vice-Captain (Sport) – Archer Mellifont

Vice-Captain (Wellbeing) – Henry Robinson

Boarding Captains – Ewan Wood and Joseph Murphy

I wish all the boys the best of luck and our full support as they lead the student body together in 2026.

Walkathon and Link

Thank you to the Parents & Friends Association, staff and associates who made Sunday’s Walkathon event such a success. For those boys who were unable to attend, a ‘makeup walkathon’ will be held on Tuesday 12th August after school. At this point, it is important to assure that all final sponsorship donations have been entered for the boys. Final donations can be made via the following link - 2025 Walkathon Donation Page.

In appreciation to the Marist community for getting behind this important fundraising event – thank you. With the money raised, we hope to provide new seats, covering, change rooms and toilets to the Marist playing fields in the coming year.

Parent/ Teacher Interviews

The next round of Parent-Teacher Interviews is planned for Monday 18th August from 3.40-8pm. These 10-minute interviews are to be conducted online. They are an excellent opportunity to check the progress of your son and plan a proactive study path forward. If you are unable to attend the face-to-face interviews set down for 7th October, the commencement of term 4, these on-line interviews are a good option.

‘Bright Spark’ Mathematics Competition

Marist College Ashgrove welcomes nine neigbouring primary schools, next Tuesday 19th August, for the 2025 Bright Sparks Mathematics Competition. This competition is a chance for our boys to test their knowledge and skills against our neighbouring schools in the area of numeracy and its advanced application. We welcome to Marist the following schools: St Laurence's College, Stuartholme, St Rita's College, St Andrew's, Our Lady of Assumption, St Finbarr's, All Hallow's, Lourdes Hill and Loreto. My thanks are extended to Ms Jen Little, Mr Michael Connolly, Mrs Rhonda Carson, Mrs Sharon Davidson, Mrs Sue Going and our Services Team for organising and facilitating this exciting competition that will be held in the Cyprian Pavillion.

Years 5/6 and 7/8 Dance

Tonight, Tuesday 12th August, our Mission Team with the assistance of our senior boys, will be hosting the annual Years 5 & 6 and Years 7 & 8 dances, to be held at 5pm and 7.30pm respectively in the Champagnat Centre. We welcome Loreto College, Stuartholme, Mt St Michael’s, St Rita’s & All Hallows who will be in attendance. All money raised will go directly to Australian Marist Solidarity (AMS) with this year’s focus being St Joseph’s College Tenaru in the Solomon Islands, which was established in the late 1940’s by the Marist Brothers. Thanks to our Mission Team, all staff and the senior boys for their organisation and supervision of these dances.

National Week of Action – Bullying. No Way! 11th – 15th August 2025

As part of the National Week of Action: Bullying. No Way! our school joins thousands of communities across Australia in taking a stand against bullying. This year’s theme, “Be bold. Be kind. Speak up” encourages students, staff, and families to foster inclusion, respect, and belonging — ensuring that our school remains a safe and welcoming place for all. All boys will be reminded of the comprehensive bullying policy implemented through every year at Marist and the importance of respect and dignity for all. Together, let’s continue to build a school culture where everyone belongs.

Father & Son Day Camp

The annual Father & Son Day Camp is being held on Thursday 14th August at Kangaroo Point and facilitated by Riverlife Adventure & Event Centre. It’s a special opportunity for fathers (or significant male influences) and their sons to share in a day of adventure, connection, and meaningful time together. Participants will enjoy exciting activities including abseiling and kayaking, followed by a gourmet buffet BBQ lunch. Throughout the day, fathers will be given space to connect deeply with their sons in a relaxed and engaging environment. We look forward to welcoming our fathers and their sons to share in a day of adventure and bonding together.

Ekka Break

The annual EKKA break is to be held at Marist College Ashgrove from Wednesday 13th – Sunday 17th August. This extra two-day holiday (Thursday & Friday) comes as a result of two extra days of school at the end of term 2 – Monday & Tuesday 23rd & 24th June. The Ekka break is traditionally designed to support our boarding families who are down for the EKKA. Boarding families are reminded that they are due to return to the boarding school by 8pm Sunday 17th August. Enjoy the EKKA break everyone. Year 12 students are strongly encouraged to continue with their important study during this time. Boarding parents are also invited to watch the City vs Country Rugby league game prior to departure on the Tuesday afternoon after school.

Marist Brothers Jubilee Mass and Lunch

On Sunday 17th August, invited guests will gather to celebrate the Marist Brothers Jubilee Mass and Lunch, honouring the rich legacy of the Marist Brothers and their enduring contribution to Catholic education in Australia. At this lunch we recognise the selfless gift of so many brothers to Marist Education and particularly here at Marist College Ashgrove. Particularly, we recognise Br Rodger Burke (OB 1953) – 70 years and Br Bernard McGrath (OB 1962) - 60 years a Marist Brother in 2025. Congratulations Brother Jubilarians.

Queensland Catholic Colleges Music Festival (QCMF)

Marist College Ashgrove is proud to once again participate in the Queensland Catholic Colleges Music Festival (QCMF)—one of the largest and most prestigious school music festivals in Australia from Thursday 14th August to Sunday 17th August.

Held at Villanova College, the festival brings together over 15,000 students from more than 100 Catholic schools to celebrate the joy of music and community.

Across four days, our talented Marist ensembles will showcase their musical excellence and dedication:

Chamber Strings – Friday 15th August, 7:37pm
Chamber Choir – Saturday 16th August, 1:00pm
Big Band 1 – Saturday 16th August, 5:54pm
Symphony Orchestra – Sunday 17th August, 10:05am
Wind Orchestra 1 – Sunday 17th August, 1:50pm

We encourage all families and friends to attend and support our students as they perform with passion and pride. A heartfelt thank you to Dr Andrew Butt - Program Leader Co-curricular Arts, and all ensemble directors, accompanists, and support staff for their tireless work in preparing our students for this exciting event. Goodluck gentlemen.

Celebrating National Science Week at Marist

This week, Marist College came alive with curiosity and creativity as we celebrated National Science Week! Students across all year levels engaged in a range of exciting activities designed to spark scientific thinking and inspire a love of discovery. From hands-on experiments and interactive workshops to guest speakers and science-themed challenges, the week highlighted the importance of science in our everyday lives and future careers. A special thank you to Mrs Wendy McDonald (Curriculum Leader – Science and Engineering) and our dedicated Science faculty and student leaders who helped bring the week to life. Their enthusiasm and innovation made this celebration both educational and fun for all involved. Stay curious, Marist!

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