Primary School News

Dear Parents,

I hope everyone enjoyed the weekend and you managed to find some time to reflect on the significance of Anzac Day. I would like to thank and congratulate the boys who marched with our community on Friday at our Anzac Day march. I am sure it was an effort to get out of bed and attend in the weather, the boys who did this certainly did us proud with their behaviour and reverence shown throughout the march and the ceremony. A number of parents spoke with me on Saturday and remarked that the Marist boys who attended were a credit to the college with their behaviour and discipline during both the march and the ceremony. Thank you to the boys and the families who made the morning possible. 

At this time of term, as winter sports loom large on everyone’s radar the boys are encouraged to remember our Marist Values and to be humble in all they do. To go about their work quietly, trying to always think of others. There will be teams finalised over the next few days in various sports and all boys are encouraged to act humbly and think of others during this time. Mr Lambourne also spoke to the boys about the reasons we play sport here at the college. It is to participate; to represent the college and it is a wonderful opportunity to make connections with other students in the cohort. He also spoke about the need to focus on being a good teammate and being there for one another, in all ways.

I trust that the parent teacher interviews will be a positive experience for all parents and that the boys have some goals to aim for during the term ahead.

I wish everyone an enjoyable Week 2 in the Primary School.

Acting Head of Primary – Gareth Kolkenbeckruh

Primary Pastoral Leader – Anthony Graham

A special mention to our Primary boys who represented the College so well at the Anzac Day March and Service. In challenging conditions - wind, sun and rain - we had over 80 boys attend, marching and participating in the service with respect and pride.

It was particularly pleasing to hear from members of the wider community who commented on the boys’ behaviour and presentation. These moments are a powerful reminder of the importance of honouring those who have served, and our boys should be very proud of the way they represented both themselves and the College.

Celebrating Opportunities

We also look forward to celebrating our Year 5 Musical this Thursday, which promises to be another fantastic opportunity for our boys to showcase their talents. Events such as these highlight the breadth of experiences available at Marist and the confidence our students continue to build through participation.

Settling Back into Routine

The start of a new term is always a time of reset, and while many boys have returned to routine quickly, it can take some time for others to fully adjust. Establishing strong habits early in the term sets the foundation for success both in and out of the classroom.

A few simple ways to support this at home:

• Consistent routines – regular bedtimes and morning routines help boys arrive settled and ready to learn 
• Preparation the night before – organising uniforms, bags and equipment reduces stress in the morning 
• Clear expectations – reinforcing effort, organisation and positive behaviour helps boys stay focused 

• Open conversations – checking in regularly about how your son is feeling can help identify any concerns early 

   

If your son is finding the transition back to school more challenging than expected, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Working together, we can ensure every boy feels supported and set up for a positive and successful term.

We look forward to another great term ahead.

Primary Learning Leader – Jen Little

The Importance of Reading

Given the relative newness of the term, I thought it would be timely to engage you with some interesting statistics on the importance of reading. Ideally, students should spend about 20 minutes reading each day as part of their routine homework. While some boys are passionate readers who can't put a book down, others find it a continuous challenge. For those in the latter group, it's highly recommended to incorporate reading into their daily routine, as it helps establish valuable lifelong habits. Over time, these routines can become second nature and even enjoyable.

Given the information below, I cannot stress enough the importance of nightly reading for our Primary students. Please reach out if you require any assistance with finding suitable reading materials for your sons. The library staff will be a wonderful asset for you. 

According to wordsrated.com:

• 15 minutes of daily reading can make people feel 69% more accomplished, 55% more relaxed and 33% happier.
• 30 minutes of reading can lower heart rate, blood pressure and reduce feelings of distress. 
• Compared to non-readers, regular readers have on average been found to have around a 50% increase in both vocabulary and fact-based knowledge. Students who read for 20 minutes daily are exposed to around 1.8 million words annually.
• On standardised tests, they are more likely to score in the 90th percentile. 
• Children whose parents read to them frequently are 3 times more likely to be frequent readers themselves.
• Achieving good grades at the age of 16 can be increased by 90% from just 10 minutes of reading each day. 

According to postpress.com.au

• Bill Gates, the principal founder of Microsoft, reads 50 books a year – almost a book a week.
• When asked how he learned to build rockets, future-thinker and technology entrepreneur Elon Musk said, “I read books.”
• Mark Zuckerberg, creator of Facebook, has made it his mission to read a book every two weeks. 

At Marist College Ashgrove Primary School, we encourage a love of and commitment to reading by:

• Teaching the Fly and Hunt process in formal library lessons and in class
• ASH Reader Challenge
• Attendance at Brisbane Writer’s Festival for nominated students
• Incorporating guided and shared reading into our literacy program
• Incorporating Novel Studies in English
• Organising and engaging in Book Week Celebrations that include author visits
• Opening the school library before school and at both breaks
• Marist Reading Nights

Morning Study

Please note an updated time for our supervised Morning Study arrangements. Morning Study will operate in the Primary CLE from 7:40am–8:10am, Monday to Friday. This space provides a quiet environment for students to complete homework and/ or study. 

Morning Study is open to all students; however, the level of support offered will vary depending on the number of students attending on any given day. Students who wish to enhance their learning through a regular weekly study routine, particularly by using resources from their OneNote, will find this an ideal venue.

Primary Sport

Mr John Lambourne – Head of Sport (Primary)

AIC Sport Draws and Team Selections

Marist College has the largest participation in all AIC schools and has the greatest number of teams in each year level of the AIC competition.

In most instances each college will nominate A, B and C teams and these teams will play in their graded draws, there may also be occasions when teams match up in a D draw. Colour teams play in a supplementary draw which means that to secure games for as many boys as possible and to ensure some level of fairness in the competition, coaches and coordinators try to balance the colour teams. If a boy moves between colour teams, he is not being “dropped” merely coaches are trying to keep the teams in balance.

While I understand that this is quite complicated, and every boy wants to be selected in the best team, coaches and coordinators do all that they can to ensure that all boys get a game and that boys are picked in teams commensurate with their ability.

I appreciate your support in respecting coaches and team selections.

Marist Primary Colour Cross Country Carnival

Friday, 1 May – McMahon Oval

All Year 5&6 boys are expected to attend in their College Sports Uniform

Boys are expected to participate to the best of their ability.

Parents are welcome to attend.

If your son will be attending school and is unable to participate due to illness or injury, please notify Primary Reception primaryreception@marash.qld.edu.au.

All other absences are to be logged on the Parent Orbit app / Parent Portal following normal procedures.

Hats, sunscreen and water bottles are extremely important, teachers will have sunscreen available for boys to reapply, and the boys are expected to take responsibility to ensure they stay sun safe and hydrated.

All events will start and finish on McMahon Oval, in front of the John Eales Grandstand.

Cross Country Age Championship Nomination

Boys wishing to compete in the Age Championship events will compete in their age division; 10 Years (born 2016), 11 Years (born 2015) and 12 Years (born 2014).

Age Championship events are used as qualification events for selection to attend West District Cross Country.

Cross Country Age Championship Nomination

Term 2 AIC Sport

Rugby

Football

Sports Training and Clashes

With the 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

College App

Please ensure that you download the college Parent Orbit App to your smart phone. 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 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.