Primary School News
Mr Gareth Kolkenbeck-Ruh - Assistant Head of College - Primary School (Acting)
Acting Head of Primary – Gareth Kolkenbeck-Ruh
A Positive Start to Term 3
It has been a wonderful start to Term 3, with so much already happening across our Primary School community.
A sincere thank you to our parents, staff and, in particular, Mr Matt Green (Program Leader: Primary Sport) for the tremendous work that went into planning and delivering our Primary Athletics Carnival. The day was a fantastic celebration of participation, sportsmanship and House spirit. Congratulations to Blue House, who were crowned our 2026 Athletics Champions!
A special thank you also goes to Mrs Jen Little for her outstanding work in organising and hosting the Bright Sparks Competition last Friday. It was a fantastic event that welcomed students from ten schools, and we were delighted to see our Marist team emerge as the overall winners. Congratulations to all of the boys who represented the College so proudly.
This week also marks the opening of our College musical, School of Rock. We encourage all members of our community to come along and support our talented students, as well as the dedicated Music and Drama staff, who have invested countless hours into what promises to be a fantastic production.
As we continue our positive start to the term, I would like to remind families of two important expectations. Please ensure boys are wearing their formal hats and blazers to and from school each day, and that laptops are fully charged at home every night so students are ready for a productive day of learning.
Thank you for your continued support, and I look forward to another exciting week ahead.
MCA Book Week Celebrations 2026
In Week 4, beginning 3rd August, we will be celebrating Book Week with the boys. It is a wonderful way for us to share our love of literature. Our theme for this year is “Symphony of Stories”. We are thrilled to announce our author visit for this year is Tristan Bancks. His visit is an excellent opportunity for the boys to glean some insight into the process of story writing and to enjoy engaging talks and discussions. We are especially excited to announce that the boys will be able to pre-order his sequel “Raised by Wolves”. Information regarding this will be communicated to the boys during their library lessons. They will be able to have their copies signed by Tristan after his presentation.
“Where the Wild Things Are” will have a wonderful display of their latest books for sale, including Tristans’ books. The boys will have the opportunity to peruse the books, and compile their wish lists, which they will bring home to discuss the prospect to purchase with you. Our library receives a percentage of the purchases to buy new books for our library, which is marvellous. Fiona Stagger, the owner of the book shop, will also be conducting a book chat with interested boys during lunch break on Tuesday.
The highlight for our week is our annual Book Week costume parade. Please do not feel it necessary to purchase expensive pre-made costumes, as we encourage the boys to design and create their own favourite book character. You are most welcome to stay and enjoy the parade which will take place at 8:30am on Friday in the primary under croft.
In the library we shall have many theme-based activities for the boys to participate in and enjoy. We have been very busy creating lots of lovely things for the boys’ enjoyment. There will be quizzes, puzzles, games, and loads of fun. We shall be hosting an up late session in our library for parents on Wednesday to visit our bookfair and enjoy the ambience. The library shall remain open until 6:00pm. There will be a Father and Son Evening with Tristan presenting in the Draney Theatre. More information will be forthcoming.
We are looking very forward to celebrating this wonderful literary festival with your boys with the aim of stimulating and exciting them in the marvellous world of books.
Primary Library Staff
Primary Learning Leader – Jen Little
The holiday period was an opportunity for students to reflect on their efforts throughout Semester One and determine whether their effort fell above or below the bar. By now, you would have all had the opportunity to read your child’s report card. This is a snapshot of how students have performed across every subject undertaken. Hopefully, you will have discussed goals for improvement over this semester.
Over the course of the next fortnight, students will be determining their goals for this term. They will also create their own Academic Profiles and calculate their GPA (Grade Point Average). As I often say to students though, ‘a goal without a plan is merely a dream.’ Goals require hard work and vision. They are not something that can be achieved by chance. The illustration of the Iceberg Illusion to the right is a great visual that captures what needs to happen below the surface for a goal to reach reality. Student GPA’s are their own personal warning sign about their learning. Whilst this is an excellent message for students, it is not the only message of the Titanic disaster.
The great irony of Titanic was that it was supposed to be the ‘unsinkable’ ship that failed on its maiden voyage. The Ocean Liner is an early example of preoccupation with perfectionism. Indeed, the whole intent of Titanic was to epitomise the most perfect model of a luxury passenger liner that was possible by the standards of 1912. Tragically, the belief in its perfection and invincibility would create a false sense of security which led to its fatal demise. There were two particular individuals who contributed to this significantly. One was the chairman and managing director of the White Star Line, Joseph Bruce Ismay. The other was the ship’s captain and British Naval Officer, Edward Smith.
There were 3 main problems:
- They prioritised early completion and speed above doing the job as it needed to be done.
- They deprioritised important information and failed to react to the feedback received from multiple ships who’d warned of the need for caution.
They arrogantly assumed it was perfect and were incapable of admitting vulnerability. This led the ship to be under-prepared, carrying only 20 lifeboats which could only hold a third of the ship’s capacity.
In many ways the story of the Titanic is relevant to the boys in terms of their own learning journey. At times, speed and completion take priority over care and quality. At times, boys are reluctant to listen to and apply feedback, sometimes assuming they know better.
As we commence a new term, we are looking forward to working with them on building better foundations to set them up for success.
To this end, I would like to take this time to remind you of the many additional opportunities and resources that are being made available to the boys at Marist that remain under-utilised at the College:
- Supervised Morning Study – offered each morning to the boys from 7:40 – 8:10.
- A Multitude of One Note Resources made available to the students by their classroom teachers. These include videos and revision activities.
- Library Guides that offer the students additional reading on each of their core subject areas.
After school study and homework in the Senior Library on Mondays to Thursdays.
This term, I would like to challenge the Primary students to listen to their own warning signs and encourage them not to become complacent in their own learning. Feedback from their teachers is vital; what is more vital though, is that they take this feedback on board and use every resource available to maximise their learning. We look forward to working with your sons throughout the term.
GPA Progress
At the time of writing, most classes should have reviewed their learning data from Semester One and be in the process of establishing goals to help facilitate future progress. Congratulations to the following Year 6 students who demonstrated outstanding progress in their GPA compared to their Previous Semester Report:
| +2.78 | Jimmy Scalongne |
| +2.44 | John Guinea |
| +2.11 | Max Hammon |
| +2 | Leo Mylne |
| +1.89 | Ben Barron |
| +1.88 | Dylan McKenzie |
| +1.78 | Ethan Saunders and George Limbrick |
| +1.77 | Eli Jennings |
| +1.55 | Harry Flemming and Tobin Kennedy |
| +1.44 | Ben Travers and Austin Given |
| +1.34 | Alistair McDonald and Sam Fernan |
| +1.33 | Harry Ryan and George Gray |
| +1.23 | Clayton Thompson and Raffaele Ferguson |
| +1.22 | Sidney Rokonayalewa and Fraser Sweeney |
| +1.11 | Will Moule, Winston Nolan, Adrian Daftar and Harvey Corones |
Overview of Learning Areas in Term 3
In the interests of maintaining a strong partnership between home and school, please find below a brief overview of what students in Primary will be studying this term. For a more detailed weekly overview, please refer to Subject Overviews in One Note.
As parents, you form an important partnership with the staff of the College. Taking a keen interest in what children are learning and discussing this at home cannot be underestimated. To this end, below provides some scope regarding what students are learning in their core classes this term. For more specific detail on the content and skills covered in class, please refer to the Class One Notes that are available to all students. This also includes the term overview for each core subject.
Subject | Year 5 | Year 6 |
English | This term, students will refine their skills in note taking and summarising, culminating in the writing of an information report. This unit will integrate with Science. | This term, students will hone their skills in narrative writing. They will build their capacity to utilise a greater variety of sentence styles and story beginnings and a more sophisticated use of vocabulary. |
Maths | Students will explore the following topics this term:
| Students will explore the following topics this term:
|
HASS | Students will continue to explore primary and secondary sources as they learn about the Australian landscape and the impact of our First Nations People and explorers. They will pose inquiry questions to guide their research about a chosen explorer and their contribution to Australia using Cornell Note Taking Templates. | Students will explore the geographical location of Asia on a world map. They will learn and apply mapping conventions and be introduced to the concepts of geographical diversity around the world. They will pose inquiry questions to guide their research using Cornell Note Taking Templates. |
Science | Students will learn about animal adaptations that assist in survival. They will complete scientifically labelled diagrams and explain how the structural and behavioural adaptations of their chosen animal are fundamental to its ability to sustain life. | Students will learn about circuits and symbols and represent these using diagrams. They will learn about insulators and conductors. They will be introduced to renewable energy types and create a prototype of an object using renewable energy for our Science Fair. |
Religion | Students will learn about the importance of prayer. They will explore different types of prayers and ritual. Prayer types covered will include:
| Students will learn about the Holy Spirit. Topics covered will include:
|
Bright Sparks: Ryan Noronha, Ben Cipriano, Luca Mian and Harvey Craig
The 2026 Bright Sparks tournament happened on the 17th of July, 2026; this is an article written by the Marist College students who won the tournament: Ben Cipriano, Ryan Noronha, Harvey Craig, and Luca Mian represented our school at this annual event, giving Marist the back-to-back title.
As we reflect, our real win wasn’t winning the tournament. It was getting to experience a great academic opportunity that gave us a great challenge. We met many people competing against us from various schools including St Laurence’s, Mt St Michael’s, Stuartholme and many more. The challenges were something that we wouldn’t forget, for they weren’t as simple as a ‘walk in the park.’ The struggles when a hard question knocked on the door were struggles that we worked through as a team. From the Number and Algebra Round at the beginning of the day to the STEM challenge, our friendly foes rose to the challenge, knowing that every point could decide between first and last. No matter what, our smiles shined through the whole day, and with confidence in our teammates, anything seemed possible. In the end, this day was a huge success for everyone involved, and it was a day that we won’t forget. Please insert photo here.
Program Leader: Primary Sport – Matt Green
Primary School Athletics Carnival
Congratulations to the following Age Champions from our Primary School Athletics carnival last Thursday.
U10 - Arlow Swenson
U11 - Cooper Kadri
U12 - Geordie Egerton
Champion House – Blue House
A big thank you to the staff and our Year 10 Student helpers who made the day such a success.
Term 3 AIC Sport
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. Nominations for these sports have now closed.
Boys may also choose to participate in track and field; boys of all abilities are welcome to attend track training sessions. Please see below for further details relating to track and field.
Rugby League - Round 1 Draw
Term 3 Sports Draws
https://www.marash.qld.edu.au/weekly-sports-draws/
Basketball – Maximum 36 boys / grade
Uniform: Marist Basketball singlet, Marist Sport shorts & blue Marist Sport socks
Fixtures Friday evening.
Training twice / week.
Tennis – Maximum 8 boys / grade
Uniform: Marist Tennis polo, Marist Tennis shorts & white Marist Sport socks
Fixtures Saturday morning – please be aware that there may be Friday evening fixtures in 2026
Training twice / week.
Rugby League – Maximum 30 boys Year 5 and 34 boys Year 6
Uniform: Marist rugby league jersey, Marist rugby shorts & Marist team sport socks
Fixtures Saturday morning.
Training twice / week.
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 27
- Wednesday, September 2
- Thursday, September 10
- Wednesday, September 16
AIC Championships – Thursday, 8 & Friday, 9 October – QSAC
Uniform: Marist Athletics singlet, Marist Sport shorts & white Marist 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.
Track & Field
Sunday Sessions
Sunday sessions are an excellent introduction to Marist Track & Field. We have some exceptional coaches leading these sessions and creating an environment of learning and enjoyment.
Some benefits include:
1. Improvement in technique and speed.
2. Technical development for throws.
3. Improved repeat speed / conditioning.
WHEN: Sunday afternoons
WHERE: Hayden Oval
TIME: 3:15-4:45pm
DRESS: Marist Sport shirt, Marist Sports shorts, Marist Sport white or blue socks.
Western District Track and Field Trials
Nominations have been made and notes shared with Families for the upcoming Western District Trials being held in Week 4 Thursday 6th & Friday 7th August at St Joseph’s College, Nudgee. Entries in these events have been determined by times and distances from our Primary Athletics Carnival and Track and Field Mini Meet 1. Please ensure permission forms are completed and returned to Scott Reaper- Program Leader- Sport.
Sports Training and Clashes
With a myriad of opportunities on offer for the students, clashes are unavoidable but never a problem if communicated.
Families are reminded that cocurricular activities should not impede on any student’s academic performance.
If sports training clashes with music or morning tutoring it is asked that boys alternate from week to week.
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
Parent Orbit App
Please ensure that you download the Parent Orbit app to your smart phone. This app will be used 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 Parent Orbit 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 5:00pm. We ask that boys are picked up at this time. Any boy who is still at their training venue at 5:15pm 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.