We would like to take a moment to thank our boarding community for their patience and support as we continue to navigate the ever-changing COVID-19 landscape.

Over the last few weeks, boarders have largely handled the disappointment of cancelled leave and recreation trips with maturity, taking the changing plans in their stride. As a boarding family, the boys have worked together to support each other and find the fun!

Besides being restricted to within our campus grounds, the boarding school will continue to operate as usual throughout this lockdown period. It’s times like these that remind us how lucky we are to have such a wonderful outdoor space and a professional, dedicated boarding team available to look after and care for our students.

The ongoing support of our staff around the clock is a testament to their commitment to their roles and to your boys. We have a wonderful team who keep things ticking over and the boys safe and engaged!

To all of our families, those that made the decision to collect their sons before lockdown, and those that are not in a position to be able to do so, please don’t hesitate to reach out to myself or your sons Boarding Coordinator with any concerns that you may have. We understand this is a very difficult time and we want you to feel that your sons are very well looked after and supported throughout this period.

Going forward…

As mentioned, we are doing everything we can to keep things as normal as possible for our boarders during this lockdown. For the time being, residence groups are studying and dining together, following advice received from Queensland Health and QCEC.

All boys on-site participate in online learning each day, supervised and supported by our College Leadership Team and Middle Leaders. In the afternoon, we are encouraging lots of outdoor time for boys to get fresh air and get them moving, providing an important opportunity to down screen time.

Study continues in the evenings as usual. Term 3 is a big term academically and by keeping these routines in place, this lockdown will not divert boys from their goals to achieve.

Prior to lockdown, we were very fortunate to capture the 2021 boarding school photos. Please see below for a sneak peek behind the scenes. Memories such as these certainly are great to look back on in the years to come.

I extend my thoughts and prayers to our College community and beyond as we continue to navigate the COVID-19 landscape.

24 Powerful Life Lessons

I recently read an online article written by Lolly Daskal, President and CEO, Lead from Within. Daskal's programs galvanise her clients into achieving their best, helping them accelerate and deliver on their professional goals and business objectives. Daskal provided an insight into 24 powerful life lessons.

I share these with you below:

Make yourself necessary and you will always be needed. If you want to feel successful, learn to create, innovate or design something other people can use and need.
Your thoughts are like boomerangs. What you pass along to others is what will come back to you.
You are more defined by what comes out of your mouth than what goes in it. The way you speak and the things you say have power. Speech gives us the power to create or destroy.
The journey of your success will always begin with the small step of taking a chance. In business, in relationships, and in life, it all begins with a small step grounded in a desire to be better and do better.
Your education is never complete. Determine to live fully and continually learn. Prepare for what life has to teach by being open to the lessons in everything you do and experience.
Don't allow the voice of your fears to be louder than the other voices in your head. Make sure the voice of reason, the voice of belief, the voice of confidence are all strong enough to drown it out.
A good reputation is more valuable than money. Your reputation is built on the foundation of your character; it entails the words you speak and the actions you take. Take care of your character above all other things and your reputation will take care of itself.
You never really lose until you stop trying. The words I can't never accomplish anything. I'll try, on the other hand, can perform wonders. Until you try you don't know what you can do.
You get more by giving more. Success doesn't result from how much you get but from how much you give. If you want an abundant life, give as much as you can.
Rule your mind or it will rule you. When you rule your mind by controlling negativity and doubt, you rule your world. The choice is yours to make every day.
Great heroes are truly humble. Most of us underrate the importance of humility. It's an important skill because it keeps you teachable, regardless of how much you already know.
Defeat isn't bitter if you're smart enough not to swallow it. At one time or another we will all experience failure. In fact, the more we are willing to risk, the more we will fail. The trick is to think of failure not as the end but as part of the process.
Your thoughts are powerful, make them positive. To have a life that's more abundant and more successful, you must think in the limitless terms of abundance and success. Thinking is among the greatest powers we possess, and it's our choice to use it negatively or positively.
Forgiveness benefits two people--the giver and receiver. The bravest and the smartest thing you can do in a bad situation is to forgive and move on. Don't allow grudges and grievances to add to the weight you carry on the road to your own success.
The word impossible contains its opposite: "I'm possible." What impossible may be a matter of a limited point of view. Allow no limiting beliefs to restrict your outlook on life.
Preparation is a stepping stone to success. As the old saying goes, failing to prepare means preparing to fail. Success can be defined as being totally prepared.
You are constantly creating your own reality. Your reality is built out of your thoughts, so remember how much power you have. What you think you become, what you feel you attract, what you imagine you create.
You are in control of your own heaven or hell. You're the master of your own destiny. You may not always be able to control your circumstances and environment, but how you respond is always within your control.
Envy consumes itself. And if you give it a foothold in your life, it will take you with it.
You can become bitter or better as a result of your circumstances. Your attitude is always up to you. No matter the circumstance, remind yourself that you have a choice. It's up to you to get the results you want.
Those who seldom make mistakes seldom stumble upon new innovation. Mistakes are proof that you're trying, creating, exploring and discovering. Every success story, every fulfilled life needs mistakes. We may think of mistakes as meaning you've done something wrong, but in truth they mean you're doing something right.
It's in losing yourself that you find yourself. The greatest challenge in life is discovering who you are, and the second greatest is being happy with what you find.
When you're facing the right direction, all you need to do is keep walking. If you're lucky enough to know what you want, you can apply your passion and always love what you do. If you're still working to discover what you want, keep exploring. Either way, stay persistent and determined.
Be grateful every day, because that's the source of true power. The most important power lies in a grateful heart. Practice turning your thoughts toward appreciation and thanksgiving, because that is where you will find your gifts, strength and power.

Around the Grounds

La Valla Residence

There is never a dull moment in the life of a boarder at the moment! We were just getting into the swing of things with the boys showing particular focus and energy towards every activity offered to them in Term 3. We were lucky enough to participate in tutoring, some co-curricular and some sport before we were locked down. On the announcement of lockdown, the boys were treated to a takeaway lunch provided by one of our La Valla families. This was a definite highlight of the week and gave the boys an opportunity to share a meal together when things were a little confronting. We are constantly amazed by the resilience and strength that our boys have shown in the last few days. They know that they are safe with us in boarding and we will support them through home learning. Their spirits are high and they are enjoying some additions to the routine, such as exercise time with The Sedgwick’s! To counteract the screen time, we have arranged exercise sessions in both the morning and the afternoon, some optional and some compulsory. The boys are intrigued as to what 'Yoga with Mr Sedgwick' will look like! There is nothing more important than caring for our physical and mental health at these times, and this is at the core of all that we are doing in La Valla this week.

Montagne Residence

Just when you think the weeks can’t get busier and crazier, Week 4 is here and we are back in lockdown. The 8 boys left in residence have been kept busy building forts, having mini-competitions in table tennis and pool, and playing pickleball and basketball outside of school hours. They were surprised with doughnuts yesterday after dinner which went down a treat. A big congratulations to those on-site at the moment. They are showing resilience and are in great spirits. The learning in the Gym is going well and there have been minimal complaints! Thank you to all parents for the clear communication over this period.

The boys were looking schmick last week for the dorm photos. Shoes were polished, ties and socks were up and smiles were on. Hoping that it turns out well – we didn’t break the lens at least! The main focus of study this week was English, Religious Education and Design assignment tasks. They are all in the hands of the boys, so if boys are finding the at-home learning easy, then this is something that can also be touched on. Subjects selections were also a great success last week. Thank you to the parents who touched base for advice and for me to sign any paperwork as needed. We hope that online learning goes as positive as can be for all of our residence members and their families. Stay safe.

Hermitage Residence

The week began with so much promise and little did we know what lay ahead. This week could potentially go down as one of the most challenging weeks of the year. The start of the week saw the boys get stuck into study with a massive overall improvement in organization and engagement with homework. The boys are all learning the importance of good study habits, and split their study time working in groups with a team or individually on the other nights (Mondays & Wednesdays). It has been great to see a number of boys who have also made the commitment to extra tutoring with some individual tutors joining us.

Along with study, the boys are also enjoying their time in the weights room. Some boys have been written individual training programs and are waking up before school to make sure they get a gym session in. Over half of the dorm have been requesting early wake-ups to ensure they get their dose of 'iron' in!! Well done to all boys for committing to these healthy habits - both waking early and being physically active.

On Thursday evening last week, Dom Winkels attended the Cathedral Concert and Performance Choir event at St Stephen's Cathedral in the City. In addition to Dom, a large number of boys have signed up for the instrumental music program with the guitar being the instrument of choice at Hermitage Residence. I have really enjoyed seeing boys sit in an area and work on a song together, or get out their laptops to follow a YouTube tutorial. It certainly has been 'music to my ears!’

The weekend came and so did the lockdown. Eight boys remain in Hermitage Residence and even with the majority of our dorm departing before the lockdown commenced, we still managed a small liturgy in residence to pray for our community at this time.

Fourviere Residence

With the small COVID-19 scare of the previous week behind us (or so we thought), week three in Fourviere began as any other with boys anticipating getting on with a relatively normal set of proceedings. Tuesday and Thursday afternoon saw the Year 11 boys take part in their leadership day activities, while the 10’s continue to engage in set plan meetings with their parents and supporting College staff. Thursday morning also saw the boys gathering to pose for our annual boarding photos for the Blue and Gold. By the end of the week, we were back to uncertainty with the announcement of the snap lockdown, putting a stop to recreation and planned sporting activities for the weekend. It hasn’t dampened the spirits of the boys who have occupied themselves by building cubby forts in their areas, attending an outdoor liturgy and playing touch, tennis and basketball, and enjoying the coverage of the Olympics.

Br Terence Residence

Last week was a big week for Br Terence as we dove deeper into Term 3 and worked to sharpen our preparation for assessment.

The Year 11 boys participated in a Leadership Day, giving them an insight into the opportunities and responsibilities available for them in their senior year, 2022. For our Year 12 boarders, our attention has been on preparing for exams. That was until the lockdown was announced on Saturday morning and the landscape changed ever so slightly…!

This week, the boys that have remained on campus have done a great job transitioning to online learning and maintaining their focus.

Our senior boys continue to be a very important example to our younger dorms and it is great to see, in the majority, they continue to take the opportunities presented to them to set a high standard for our younger Marist boys to live up to.

Lockdown is not an ideal situation for our senior boys in their final year, but our boys in boarding have each other to lean on and that is proving really beneficial. Great job boys!

Recreation Report - Mr Blair Whitlock

Unfortunately, Week 3 was another wash-out with the latest COVID-19 outbreak scuppering rec plans and keeping us onsite. We fired up the BBQ on Friday night as the La Valla boys joined the Year 12’s for a feed. Jim Bradford and Will Dalgliesh were on cooking duties as the rest of the boys pulled the couches out and chatted around the firepits. The Friday night BBQ’s have become a regular part of the recreation schedule and are a great way for our younger boarders to spend time with the senior students.

Round 2 of AIC sport saw us playing against St Edmunds College. Only a few games were played in the morning before the lockdown was announced and the remainder of the round was postponed. A real shame for the boys who had driven out to Ipswich only to turn back around! The school facilities were busy with the boys making the most of the ovals, gym and weights room. Any extra energy from sport cancellations was certainly expended with games running most of the afternoon and into the evening.

Saturday and Sunday were busy days with many boys taking the opportunity to head home, while others kept busy around school. There was plenty more Touch Footy, Badminton, Weights sessions and Basketball as the boys stuck to their dorm groups, which have effectively become bubbles within the boarding community. While it’s been disappointing to go back into lockdown, the boys have taken it in their stride and adapted to the new routines very quickly.

Marist College Ashgrove Newsletter

A Catholic Boys' Day and Boarding School in the Marist Tradition

Term 3, Week 4 · 03 Aug 2021

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