Rush News

I would like to start by taking the opportunity to thank Rush’s most recent Old Boys, in their absence, for their impact on the House and College as Seniors this year. In my speech at House Farewells, I thanked the Seniors of 2024 for their engagement, presence and leadership in Pastoral Groups, and their kindness, support and good humour over the journey. They have definitely left their mark on Rush House, and provided an example worth emulating. They will be missed, and we all wish them well with their lives beyond Marist College Ashgrove. 

Rush House Leaders 2025

With the departure of the 2024 Rush leaders, the process of appointing new leaders was finalised at the start of Term 4. I would like to thank all Year 11 students who applied for leadership, and it was no surprise to me that there were so many strong applications. I am confident that this cohort will be able to work together to lead Rush next year, in their own ways and with their own style, and support the students who have been appointed to ‘official’ leadership positions. I am proud to announce the following students who will lead Rush into 2025. 

Awards Night

Awards Night provided an opportunity to celebrate the success achieved by students in all areas of the College. Congratulations to all award winners - I was very proud to see Rush represented across the categories and in the performances on the evening. I would like to take the opportunity to highlight a few achievements, as I am aware that much preparation and hard work was required to achieve success for these students. 

Year 11 Social

On October 17 (Week 3 of Term 4) the Year 11s had their Social, held at Victoria Park Golf Club. The boys looked sharp, were respectful and appeared to enjoy themselves – evident by the exhausted and sweaty faces after leaving the dance floor at the end of the night. This event served as good preparation for their Senior Formal, which will take place early next year. 

Day for Daniel

Rush House has had a long affiliation with the Daniel Morcombe Foundation, and on October 18th, we held Day for Daniel. In addition to raising funds via a free dress day and market stalls (thanks to Year 9 and 11 Business classes), we provided some student presentations on safety, maintaining our commitment to the charity’s themes of ‘Wear Red, Educate, and Donate’ and ‘Keeping Kids Safe’. Madeleine West, from Safe on Socials, delivered a presentation to Years 5, 6, 8 and 10. Also, Matt Forrester, from the QLD Police, spoke with Years 7 and 9, and these year levels also received a presentation about the internal structures around online safety at Marist. The support around this day was very much appreciated, and we were able to raise $4,400 for the Daniel Morcombe Foundation.

Rush House Community Mass

Community Mass is held each Wednesday morning in the College chapel, and once a semester, Rush House has a special invitation to attend. In Week 6 this term, we gathered together as a community to celebrate Mass, and I would like to thank those who attended. As it is ‘community’ Mass, it is open to parents/guardians too, so you are more than welcome to attend when we receive the invitation again next year – it should be on the calendar and I will send communication a couple of weeks prior.

House Cup

The House Cup for 2024, which ended in Term 3, saw Rush place fourth overall, which is an improvement on the last couple of years. Term 4 saw the commencement of a new competition, and so far, we have already had four events that contributed towards the 2025 House Cup. The Rush Rampage is currently sitting third on the ladder (one point behind second place), which puts us in a strong position for when we pick up the competition again next year. 

I would like to thank all the boys who have been involved in the events that have taken place so far: 

Ignatius Chess. This was a knockout competition, where one student from each year level represented their House. In this event, we finished equal third. 

Gilroy Ash Dash. Each year level needed to submit a team of four, who ran a course throughout the College and ended up on Main Oval, where as a team, they needed to carry a hay bale around a flag and across the finishing line. We finished equal second in this event.

Ephrem Rock Climb. This event saw one student nominate to rock climb, with the sole aim of reaching the top the quickest. George Philp (Year 11) was the representative for Rush House and did an amazing job, finishing third.

Academic Care Team – Spelling Bee. This took place during Break 1, and Houses received points for participation, as well as the result of numerous spelling-style games. There were many students who showed up for Rush, and we finished in second place.

Minogue Cup – Basketball Competition

Mr Brad Winchester (Rush GYM1 PG Teacher) created what he has called the ‘Minogue Cup’, which is a Basketball competition between the Pastoral Groups. This has been well-received by staff and students and has worked to create some healthy rivalry between the eight Rush classes (as well as bonding Pastoral Groups together). Rush 108 Pastoral Group ended up victorious, beating 105 by one point – well done! Mr Winchester also had a bit of fun creating some promotional posters for the competition.

Year 7

As the year draws to a close, I wanted to make mention of the current Year 7s, who have finished their first year of secondary school. This is an important milestone, and I am very proud of how they have approached this transition. This Rush cohort has a wonderful mix of personalities, and I have seen them engage with, and support, one another throughout the year. When I asked the Year 7s to sum up their year, this is what some of them said:

“I had good teachers and camp was pretty fun. I enjoyed hanging out with my mates at break and on the footy field.” Jimmy Corbett.

“Year 7 was a good, interesting year. I learnt a lot, for example, study is really important and don't leave it until the last minute. I also made lots of new friends.” Joe Schulz.

“Year 7 has been great. There have been so many new things to do, so many new people to meet and so many new things to learn. I very much enjoyed playing basketball with my friends this year and having lots of fun at breaks. I am excited to meet all the new Year 7s and wish them the best, as well as my peers and the new seniors.” Elliott McGregor.

“This year was different, in a good way. Different sporting opportunities, different academic opportunities, and different friends. Throughout this year I have taken away that it is not as scary in a big school if you are just kind and happy- kindness is key.” Alex Holding.

“In my time in Grade 7 I realised that it wasn't so bad to be in a big school and being smaller compared to all the older kids. This made me realise that you can make friends from all year levels and Pastoral Group is a great example. At first I was a bit hesitant in my PG however you just need to open up and get to know new people- this is how I learnt to make new friends.” Harvey Pye.

“It's hard to sum up a full year's worth of school. It was a new experience that opened doors for me in every way. I've made new friends and met new teachers. It has taught me lessons, how to be mature, how to be kind, spending time with my friends and settling myself in.” Louis Fornazaric.

Departing Students

There are four students who will be leaving the College at the end of the year, and I would like to wish them, and their families, well for the future. Thank you for your contributions to Rush (and Marist) in your time at the College. All the best gents.

Left to right (photo below):

• Beau Watson (Year 10 – Rush GYM3)
• Ben Kahler (Year 9 – Rush 107)
• Zain Qasim (Year 9 – Rush 105)
• James Kennedy (Year 9 – Rush 107)

I would like to thank the Pastoral Group teachers in Rush, who are a constant support for the boys, meeting and engaging with them each morning before classes start for the day. I feel very lucky with the team I have in Rush, as they all show care, kindness and compassion when working alongside the Rush gents. Thank you, Lisa Dekkers (105), Peter Gaiter (106), Alicia Frances (107), Elizabeth Kenny (108), Brad Winchester (GYM1), Kate Moore (GYM2), Melanie Taylor (GYM3) and Steven Edwards (GYM4).

I would also like to thank the Rush community for your support this year, irrespective of how often we have needed to communicate. I hope that everyone has a safe, happy and healthy Christmas period with family and friends, and an opportunity to rest and recharge before the new year. I look forward to working with Rush House again in 2025.