Primary School News

Spirituality Day

Yesterday, our staff were invited to a day of reflection and renewal as we explored this year’s Marist theme, Pilgrims of Hope... Look Beyond.

The day was a powerful reminder that we are all on a journey and that hope is a huge part of preparing for any journey we undertake, whether that be a physical or a spiritual journey. As we were reminded today though, one does not have to travel at all, to embark on a pilgrimage! A pilgrimage of the mind can be a very rewarding experience too. There is a difference between hope and optimism and, whilst we would like all members of our community to be optimistic, our hopes sit at a deeper level than optimism. We have many hopes and dreams for our boys here in the Primary School. Similarly, I am sure every parent has hopes for their sons as they start the 2025 school year in our community. I have had many conversations with parents who have expressed that the start to the year, for many reasons, has been a positive experience for their boy and, this is what they had hoped for. This is certainly something we all hope for and something that we will continue to work on with boys and families to make a reality as we work our way through Term 1.

Can Drive

A huge thank you to all families who were able to donate cans to the Can Drive this year. The cans are being tallied and collected on Tuesday morning and the results of the donations will be published soon afterwards. These cans will be sold at upcoming college events and will raise much-needed funds for Marist Solidarity. St Joseph’s College in the Solomon Islands will be able to carry out significant improvements due to the generosity of our Marist Ashgrove families. Thank you.

NAPLAN

We wish our Year 5 boys all the best for their NAPLAN assessments next week. The boys have done the preparation for these assessments, so we look forward to them putting their best foot forward over Wednesday, Thursday and Friday next week. Parents of Year 5 boys, please ensure your son has a working set of headphones and a fully charged laptop each day during our NAPLAN week.

Fishing Club

Fishing Club met for the first time on Thursday last week. Our Marist Primary School Fishing Club will meet in the 6 Red classroom at Break 1 on Thursday, Day 4 each fortnight. I hope the boys who came last week are practising their knots for next week! Everyone is welcome. No experience is necessary.

Pastoral Leader - Anthony Graham

Navigating Friendships with Friendology

Over the past two weeks, our Years 5 and 6 students have continued their Friendology journey, learning valuable strategies to help them build and maintain positive friendships. This week, our focus has been on Friendship Fires—helping students recognise the difference between healthy and unhealthy friendships and how friendship dynamics, both in-person and online, can impact their wellbeing. Through engaging discussions, students explored how body language, group dynamics, and digital interactions shape their social experiences.

In addition to identifying Friendship Fires, students are also learning a step-by-step approach to resolving conflict with a friend. They are developing practical skills to navigate tricky situations, handle a friend’s negative reaction, and respond appropriately when conflict arises online. These lessons empower students with the tools to foster respectful and resilient friendships, ensuring they feel confident and supported in their social interactions.

As we continue with Friendology, we look forward to seeing our students apply these strategies in their daily interactions, creating a stronger and more connected school community.

Year 6 Retreat 

On Monday 10 March, our Year 6 students will take part in a leadership retreat facilitated by Character Builders, a well-regarded organisation specialising in social and emotional development programs. The retreat is designed to build resilience, teamwork, and confidence, with students participating in interactive challenges such as Domino Theory, Beat the Clock, and the Amazing Race, all of which encourage problem-solving, effective communication and perseverance.

A key focus of the day will be S.E.R.V.E Leadership, where students will reflect on how they can step up as leaders within the College community. The program will conclude with Conversation Circles and "Big Ups", fostering positive peer connections and reinforcing the importance of encouragement and public recognition.

This invaluable experience will provide our Year 6 students with the skills and mindset needed to grow as leaders of character, integrity, and service. We look forward to seeing them embrace the challenge!

Acting Primary Learning Leader – Catherine Barnett 

NAPLAN- Week 7 (Next week)

All details regarding NAPLAN for our Year 5 students has been sent out to all parents and reminders also placed in last week’s newsletter.  Please see below for final reminders:

What Students Need to Bring:

• A fully charged laptop
• Charger (for IT support)
• Wired headphones/earphones- Bluetooth headphones are NOT ALLOWED
• A pencil
• A water bottle

Attendance and Catch-up Tests

It is important that your son is present at school during the testing window. If he is absent due to illness, catch-up tests will be provided, and he will need to complete them upon his return to the College.

Withdrawal from the NAPLAN testing

We understand that there may be circumstances where you prefer your son not to participate in NAPLAN. If this is the case, please contact Catherine Barnett (Acting Primary Learning Leader) at barnettc@marash.qld.edu.au to discuss the withdrawal process. An alternative program will be made available to your son while the other students complete the testing.

Assessment Reminders

Heading into Week 6, things are certainly getting busy in the learning area for all Year 5 and 6 boys. All assessment calendars were emailed out in Week 3, however, please see below for a reminder. If for any reason your son is away for assessment, please let his teacher know and an alternate time will be arranged on their return to school

Year 5 Assessment Calendar

Year 6 Assessment Calendar

Year 5 and 6 Numeracy and Literacy Cup

A big congratulations to the following classes on their Week 5 Literacy and Numeracy Cup averages.

YEAR 5 Literacy Cup class averages

1st – 5 Red 65.18 %

2nd- 5 Violet and 5 White 64.10%

YEAR 6 Numeracy Cup class averages

1st – 6 Gold 83.44 %

2nd – 6 Violet 80.00 %

YEAR 6 Literacy Cup class averages

1st – 6 White 63.35 %

2nd – 6 Gold 62.31%

Primary Sport

Mr John Lambourne – Head of Sport (Primary)

Achievements

AIC Swimming Championships

Congratulations to the following boys who were selected to represent Marist College at the AIC Swimming Championships, this is the culmination of a lot of training for all of our swimmers and we wish them the best of luck.

2025 AIC Swimming Championships Squad

Congratulations William Pringle (5S) who recently travelled to New Zealand to compete in the New Zealand Open Drone Racing Competition in Lincoln, about 20 minutes south of Christchurch.

William, known in the drone racing community as Willman and is a dedicated member of the FPV Rebels Drone Racing Club in Fitzgibbon, Brisbane. His passion for drone racing has grown through training with the club and practising on the VelociDrone simulator.

The competition spanned three days where Will had the incredible opportunity to race against some of the world’s best pilots, he finished 30th overall.

Term 1 AIC Sport

Cricket

AFL

Swimming

Marist Primary Swim Squad

Training sessions continue for the remainder of Term 1. These sessions are open to all boys.

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

• Goggles
• Kickboard
• Short Flippers 
• Mesh Bag

Year 5 and 6 MCA Swim Squad Training Timetable Term 1

For further details please contact: swim@marash.qld.edu.au

Term 2 AIC Sport

Rugby Ready Program | Year 5-12

Marist College is delivering a 4-week Rugby Ready Program across all age groups leading into the rugby union trials. The Rugby Ready Program involves a host of measures such as physical preparation, skill development, correct and safe techniques preparing the players for contact, enforcement of game laws, and management of safety issues such as the Scrum Passport and the “MAYDAY” call.

NOTE – you are not required to sign on for the Rugby Ready Program. Whilst there are a number of reasons for providing such a program, a key driver is wanting to deliver to all students a safe, challenging and enjoyable rugby union program. In order to develop the Marist College rugby players, we must give them the skills to approach the game with confidence and minimise the chance of injury. Please see the documents on the Marist app for all information including the program content, schedule and dress code. 

NOTE – if you have a commitment to a Term 1 sport, that is your priority.

Sports Photographs

We are always on the look-out for photos and action shots to be used for the Blue and 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.

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 5:00pm 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.

Primary Sport Photos