Rush House

I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the newly appointed Rush House Leaders, who will officially commence in their roles next term. It is important for me to make mention of the high quality of candidates who nominated for a position, and I thank all Year 11 students who entered into this process. Beyond those who will receive an official leadership badge, we definitely have a strong group of Rush Senior leaders moving into 2027. Congratulations to the following students, who were announced and congratulated by the current Rush leaders in House Meeting in Week 8.

Musical – School of Rock

Early in the term, we were treated to a showcase of talent, dedication and teamwork in the form of the College musical, School of Rock. It is not lost on me how many hours went into rehearsal, outside of school hours, to put on such a high-quality performance. Congratulations to the Rush students who were involved – Cooper Matthews, Oliver Bishop and Vincent Butten. 

Slattery 6s

Thanks to the boys who represented Rush in Slattery 6s. The Year 7/8 team and 11/12 team got knocked out in the Semi-Final, and the Year 9/10 team won their competition. Overall, we tied second place in this House Cup event. Thanks to Dan Londema and George Haling for their assistance with coaching.

Year 8 Pastoral Day

For their Pastoral Day this term, Year 8 went to Mt Coot-Tha to hike the Kokoda track, learn about the history and the actions of some of the brave soldiers, and participate in team building activities. The day presented challenges and obstacles, but it was pleasing to see many examples of the young men of Rush working together and supporting one another. I did enjoy spending time with this cohort, and I can tell that they are continuing to understand their place and role within this larger community. 

Walkathon

It was good to see strong Rush representation at the Walkathon this year. Thank you for your support of not only an enjoyable community event, but the main P&F fundraiser for the College. It was also good to see Joey Kuruku take out a prize for Best Dressed in his (Rush red-coloured) Elmo costume.

Battle of the Bands

Running alongside Walkathon was the annual Battle of the Bands. It was great to see some Rush talent take to the stage, and also be part of the band that came away with the trophy. 

Luminous Lantern Parade

Held in South Bank, and led by Multicultural Australia, this event brings thousands of people together to share culture, stories and community pride, marking the beginning of Queensland Multicultural Month. Families newly arrived in Australia walk beside long-standing Queenslanders. Each year, thousands of people gather along the river at South Bank to walk together through the parklands carrying lanterns that reflect their culture, their stories and their hopes for the future. Schools, along with community organisations and sporting clubs, march proudly with their banners – Marist Ashgrove was once again involved this year. Thanks to the boys who represented us at this event.

Head of College Awards

Congratulations to the following students on your Head of College awards.

Year 7: Joseph Cairns, Noah Cairns, Spencer Davis-Dodd, Jack James, Angus Lippett, Emerson Maxwell, Leo Scuderi and Patrick Thirgood

Year 8: Danny Carey, George Cass, Jai Cranswick, Dominic Guinea and Fred Little.

Year 9: Julian Bishop, Jimmy Corbett, Louis Fornazaric, Isaac Gervais, Alex Holding and Hunter Kayra

Year 10: Archie Breitkreuz, Caleb Fuller, Aarav Patel and Lucas Weigl

Year 11: Lachlan Chandler, Bryce Franklin, Jonah Horgan and Murphy Lunney

Year 12: Joe Murphy, Sean O'Riordan, Connor Parsons, Heath Parsons, Daniel Thirgood and Charlie Wilcox

Academic Awards

Congratulations to the following Rush students on your academic awards.

Year 7

Perry Ballinger – Gold

Ben Crerar – Gold

Isaac Forde – Bronze

Jack James – Gold

Joe Kahler – Bronze

Harry Kirkman – Gold

Charlie Maclean – Gold

Leo Scuderi – Silver

Oscar Symonds – Bronze

Patrick Thirgood – Gold

Year 8

Callem Bambling – Silver

Danny Carey – Gold

Nate Chataway – Bronze

Jai Cranswick – Gold

Dom Guinea – Gold

Ben Marrington – Gold

Year 9

Alex Holding – Bronze

Hunter Kayra – Bronze

Harvey Pye – Gold

Adhu Sudheesh – Bronze

Year 10

Jack Davis – Silver

Caleb Fuller – Silver

George Henderson – Silver

Roma Park – Silver

Aarav Patel – Gold

Will Webster – Bronze

Lucas Weigl - Silver

Ridley Masterminds

The second last House Cup event was Ridley Masterminds. Congratulations to the Rush team who put their brains together and won the competition. We are already at the top of the ladder, and this result has extended our lead and put us in a good position to take out the overall House Cup for 2026, which is announced next term. The final event is Harold Like a Version where we are tasked with covering a song from the Triple J Hottest 100. This is due by the end of Week 10 this term – good luck to Cooper Matthews, Oli Bishop, Dan Thirgood and Jack Webster who are compiling the submission for Rush. 

Year 9 Camp

Last week, the Year 9 Cohort had their camp at Noosa North Shore, where they participated in a combination of: canoeing, survival skills, hiking, leadership challenges, raft building, mountain biking. Students slept in tents, and prepared and cooked their own food. There were many challenging aspects to this camp, with an unexpected one being managing ‘down time’ without access to technology. It did rain all of the last morning until we left the site, so pack up in these conditions was another challenge. The Rush Year 9s engaged well with the spirit of the camp, and I’m sure they enjoyed a comfortable sleep when they returned back home after four days away.

Leaders 2026

I would just like to end this communication by saying thank you to the Rush Leaders for 2026, who wrap up their leadership at the end of this term – Dan Thirgood (Academic), Joe Murphy (Mission), Dan Londema (Sport), Benji Blaszczyk (Wellbeing), Cooper Matthews (Culture) and Oli Bishop (College VC- Culture). They have been an exceptional group of leaders to work with, with many in Rush Rampage in agreement, and I appreciate their support of me and the House over the year. Thanks gents.

I hope that everyone has an enjoyable break. Please take the chance to rest and recharge, and I look forward to working with the Rush House family again in (what always feels like such a quick moving) Term 4. God bless.