From the Head of College

The Heart of a Christian and Leader 

In the chapel of Our Lady and St Marcellin Champagnat at Marist College Ashgrove sits a large heart. This is a replica of the heart which sat on the altar of Catholic priest Marcellin Champagnat’s chapel at The Hermitage in southern France. Fundamental to St Marcellin Champagnat’s spirituality was a devotion to this very sacred heart of Jesus. When a Brother would leave the community to teach in another area, country or continent, St Marcellin would place his name inside this heart which sat on the altar of the chapel where the Brothers prayed. As a Christian leader, St Marcellin obviously deeply cared for his fellow Brothers. The community would then pray that the love of God would venture and embrace the Brother who was leaving in all his work and to keep him safe. This spirituality was quintessential to St Marcellin, as he prayed through Mary and encapsulated the basic Christian message – “Love one another, as I have loved you.” Today, in this same tradition, at special times and during social justice works, we place the names of our students and staff inside our college heart.  

This Sunday’s reading is known as “Good Shepherd Sunday” (John 10:1-10). Jesus reminds us to live life through his love. As the shepherd, Jesus is our gatekeeper. If we follow the gatekeeper’s way of loving others, we will have abundant life and have it to the full. This Sunday is also a reminder of being a good Christian leader.  As a Christian leader, the key is to have a good relationship with Jesus and his community, like the metaphor of the shepherd with his sheep. This is all based on love, with the shepherd knowing every individual sheep by name and never allowing one to be lost. Pope Leo XIV recently reiterated this fundamental message – “The mission of the disciples and the Church as a whole is to continue the mission of Christ in the Holy Spirit: a mission born of love, lived in love, and leading to love.” 

God of the journey, may all the young men and family members of Marist come to authentically live and embrace the condition to love, the quintessential component of any good Christian and leader. Amen.  

Boarding Conference 

The 2026 Marist Boarding Conference will be facilitated by Marist College Ashgrove this Thursday and Friday 30 April – 1 May. Marist Education has always had at its core the education and care of country children like those in Southern France where St Marcellin Champagnat first commenced his schools. Similarly, Marist College Ashgrove commenced as a boarding school to educate the country children and the local day children of Ashgrove. Boarding is a special part of the DNA of Marist College Ashgrove. We welcome staff and leadership from the following Marist colleges: 

• St Augustine’s College, Cairns 
• Sacred Heart College, Auckland NZ 
• St Gregory’s College, Campbelltown 
• St Joseph’s College, Hunters Hill 
• Sacred Heart College, Adelaide 
• Assumption College, Kilmore 
• Red Bend Catholic College, Forbes 

The Boarding Conference will commence with Mass in the Chapel of Our Lady and St Marcellin with the theme - “Practical Insights into a Boarding Education in the Marist Tradition”. This conference will provide all staff in attendance with a great opportunity to learn and share best practice in the care of boarding students. It promises to be a most worthwhile professional experience. My thanks are extended to our Assistant Head of College – Boarding, Mr Jim Noble for his organisation and facilitation of this Marist Boarding Conference. A warm welcome, visitors. 

Online Parent Teacher Interviews 

My thanks to all parents, teachers and students who will complete their academic conversations for Term 2 with online interviews. These online interviews will be held from 3:30pm-8:00pm this Wednesday 29 April. These conversations, along with last week’s face-to-face interviews, further conversations, academic interviews, emails and continuous feedback on the parent portal, allow all parents to keep abreast of their son’s academic progress and to seek a positive way forward for his progress. Marist College Ashgrove believes in these positive conversations, collaboration and interactions between teachers and parents regarding your son’s performance and looks forward to their continuation throughout the year.  

Year 5 Musical  

The Year 5 boys are making their performance debut at the college! They will be performing in the musical titled “Dig It”, which will be held on Thursday 30 April in the Draney Theatre. There will be two performances - 5:45pm (Group A- 5B, 5G, 5M, 5R) and 6:30pm (Group B- 5S, 5V, 5W).  Join inquisitive archaeologists, Taki, Tut, Talis and Tryn, and their fossil friend Bruce as they explore the wonders of ancient civilisations. Thanks to Alison Braidwood (main organiser) plus Jamie Kennedy, Catherine Wasserman, Janelle Lee Long, Megan Harmston, Christine Larsen and Year 5 class teachers for their instruction and support.    

For Tickets: Admission is free, but bookings are essential. Please use the following links: 5:45pm session: Booking link / 6:30pm session: Booking link.  

Best wishes Year 5 students 2026. 

AIC Sporting Competition Commences 

The AIC Competition for Term 2 sports commence this weekend, 2nd – 3rd May. On Friday evenings the College will be involved in home and away games in Chess. Each Saturday, the College will play fixtures in Football and Rugby Union. Our first round will be versus Iona College. Term 2 will also have Cross Country training, preparation and the AIC Cross Country Championships to be held on Wednesday 3rd June at Curlew Park, Shorncliffe. All fixtures can be found each week on the Parent Portal for which your son is enrolled to play. My thanks are extended to all coaches and the convenors of the Term 2 sports, namely: Mr Richard Graham and Mr Chris Daykin in Rugby Union; Mr Blair Whitlock and Mr Willem Baines in Football; Mr Tim Humphry in Chess; and Mr Matt Millward and Mr Thomas Prole in Cross Country.  

Good luck to all boys for a successful AIC season ahead with good sportsmanship and spectator conduct.

Tuckshop – Saturday Sport 

Each age groups in Football and Rugby have been allotted, once a term, to serve in the tuck-shops and coffee van. Below are the corresponding dates and year levels. We are grateful to all families for your generosity here. To choose a timeslot, please go to the following links:  Grandstand: https://signup.com/go/JMcvxzr,Flats: https://signup.com/go/ZbTWnHqand Coffee Van: https://signup.com/go/uyDPmFU 

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

Upcoming Events

Tuesday 28 April

• Pastoral Class Photo Day
• Boarder Flu Vaccinations – Tower Function Room
• Tutoring - Specialist Maths, Maths Methods, Chemistry, Physics Middle Years Maths/Science
• Study Hall – Senior Library
• Primary Morning Study – Primary Learning Support Room
• House Meetings
• Timor-Leste Immersion Info Evening

Wednesday 29 April

• Year 10 Subject Change Deadline
• Tutoring - English/Literature Extension Economics French Chemistry Study of Religion
• Community Mass - College Chapel (all welcome)
• Primary Morning Study - Primary Learning Support Room
• College Assembly
• Mission Captains Meeting (Mission Office)
• Tutoring - Specialist Maths, Math Methods, Physics, Middle Years Maths
• Parent Teacher Student Interviews - Online

Thursday 30 April

• Marist Boarding Conference - starts
• Study Hall - Senior Library
• Primary Morning Study - Primary Learning Support Room
• Primary Morning Assembly
• Environment Group - Break 1B
• Tutoring – English, Economics, Chemistry, Study of Religion, Middle Years Maths/Science/English
• Marist Debating Team – Year 8 2026
• Year 5 Musical

Friday 1 May

• Year 5-12 Cross Country Championships
• Primary Morning Study - Primary Learning Support Room
• College Mass - Break 1
• AIC Chess Round 1 v Iona College

Saturday 2 May

• AIC Round 1 v Iona College

Sunday 3 May

• Boarders’ Mass (Chapel) - 6:00pm

Monday 4 May

• Student Monitoring Week - starts
• Tutoring - Specialist Maths, Maths Methods, Chemistry, Physics Middle Years Maths/Science
• Study Hall – Senior Library
• Primary Morning Study – Primary Learning Support Room
• House Meetings
• Old Boys Association Meeting

Tuesday 5 May

• Tutoring - English/Literature Extension Economics French Chemistry Study of Religion
• Community Mass - College Chapel (all welcome)
• Primary Morning Study – Primary Learning Support Room
• College Assembly
• Tutoring - Specialist Maths, Math Methods, Physics, Middle Years Maths
• Mother’s Day Evening Mass

Wednesday 6 May

• Year 11 Geography Excursion
• Mother’s Day Breakfast
• Study Hall – Senior Library
• Primary Morning Study – Primary Learning Support Room
• Primary Morning Assembly
• Environment Group - Break 1B
• Tutoring - English, Economics, Chemistry, Study of Religion, Middle Years Maths/ Science/English
• Boarder Parent Network Meeting

Thursday 7 May

• MYM Marist Connect Night
• Mother’s Day Breakfast
• Primary Morning Study – Primary Learning Support Room
• AIC Chess v St Peter’s Lutheran College

Friday 8 May

• Boarder Free Weekend
• AIC Round 2 v St Peter’s Lutheran College

Saturday 9 May

• Mother’s Day
• Boarder Free Weekend
• National Boarding Week - starts

Sunday 10 May

• Boarders’ Mass (Chapel) - 6:00pm