Mission News

Prayers

Loving God, we thank you for the time of rest, help us to bring our attention and keep our focus on the challenges and opportunities we face this term. May our spirits remain high and our sense of connection and community strong. Guide us, we pray, today and every day. Amen. 

Sony Foundation Camp Recap 

While the majority were starting their holidays, approx. 60 MCA students, 35 MT A students + Marist staff and medical volunteers were preparing for the arrival of 20 campers for the annual Sony Foundation Camp! A weekend of FUN, EXCITEMENT & JOY was had by all with activities such as Bubble workshop, Reptile show, Pool play, Art Activities, Disco, Vehicle Show, Ten Pin Bowling, Movie Night, Cricket, Magic Show and lots of delicious food and rides in the golf carts. 

Our students did a phenomenal job caring for our campers over 3 very HOT Brisbane Spring days! They were faced with the challenges and reality of looking after a child with a disability. As carers they experienced the loss of freedom and having to put their campers needs first. This was especially difficult for 2 companions whose camper decided he wasn’t interested in leaving his room all weekend, whilst the camper was happy just hanging in the room, the students had to manage their expectations of what their Sony experience would be and pivot to care to the needs of their camper. They handled this wonderfully and to hear them getting excited about their camper finally leaving his room for a walk outside the dorm (although not for long) and him happily brushing his teeth was a huge win!  Their joy in that moment was infectious! 

It was wonderful working with Mt Alvernia again this year, Mr Bobby Bracken (Deputy Principal - Faith and Mission) provided incredible support in the leadup to camp and was an energetic addition to the staff crew over the camp weekend! Best wishes to Bobby, his wife and daughter Rosie as they eagerly await the birth of their 2nd daughter in the coming days. Thanks also goes to past Mt A student Dominque Van Zyl for volunteering for the 3 days. 

Please enjoy our camp video and images taken by the amazing student media volunteers!

We are so proud of our Marist students, they all took their roles very seriously and are a credit to themselves, their families and our school! The future is bright with these wonderful young men – who knows, maybe some will go into disability care after this experience! 

Companions: Hamish Ansell, Theo Calder, Connor Campbell, Jack Cannon, Harry Cootes, Josh Davis, Luke Dwyer, Harry Eccleston, Bay Hall, Addison Harman, Aiden Honke, Joshua Jones, Saiman KC, Aidan Mansul, Thomas Masel, Addie Mills, Joseph Niere, Loughlan Patterson, Ike Rowland and William Stigter.

Evening Companions: Jesse Brunning, Vincent Butten, Lachlan Chandler, Sid Dilli, Archie Engstrom, Jakub Falcnik, Cooper Heather, Jonah Horgan, Mitchell Kerr, Jack Liddell, Murphy Lunney, Lachlan McAndrew, Henry Miller, Harrison Monaghan, Shehan Tenison and Matthew Terwin.

Activity Helpers: Archie Anderson, Thomas Bedggood, Lachlan Christe, Max Fleischfresser, Bryce Franklin, Thomas Freshney, Carter Gibson, Harry Grayson, Blake Guest, Jack Hearley, Harrison Hind, Thomas Lynn, Oliver Macready, Harry McAuliffe, Xavier Peatey, Seth Pritchard, Jimmy Starrenburg, Thomas Stute and Isaac Wintzloff.

Media Crew: Thomas Ghidella, Rafa Gonsalves, Joshua Simonetti, Artie Sweedman and Jack Williams.

Medical Volunteers: 

Sony Camp cannot run without our medical support! A huge shout our MCA Sony Camp Nurse Coordinators Jane O’Shea and Michelle Flanagan for their work in the lead up to camp and for managing all our medical volunteers and assisting the students in their role as carer over the camp dates! A huge THANK YOU to all our medical volunteers: 

MCA Nurses: Jane O'Shea, Michelle Flanagan, Deborah McDermott, Angela McInnes, Bobbi Mee, Jenni Broad, Madeleine Bole and Yvonne Reynolds.

Medical Volunteers (made up of MCA and Mt A parents, community members and nursing students): Fiona Forbes, Clare Flanagan, Stew Campbell, Elizabeth Dwyer, Catherine Swanson, Lisa Mewburn, Ricardo Barbosa, Rhiannon Forbes, Mia Stridh, Kirra Allen, Bailey Brogan and Nikki Sutton.

Camp Physio 

We are extremely lucky to have past MCA parent and SES Volunteer Lou Bennett attend the camp over the 3 days and support our students and staff in their roles! Thanks so much Lou & GO LIONS! 

Staff Volunteers: Aaron Manson, Adam Knight, Belinda Kerwin, Ben Mead, Bethany Halpin, Christine Larsen, Clare Locke, Daniel Bull, Elizabeth Valer, Genevieve Long, Grace Ryan, Jen McNamara, Jenna Harding, Jim Midgely, Jim Noble, Kathryn Badini, Kerri McKinless, Kirsty Payne, Lachlan Vink, Lee-Anne Smith, Lucy Naughton, Nardine Soliman, Rachel Russo, Rebecca Taylor, Sally Conn, Sharon Davidson, Sharon Hockaday, Sophie Tuffley, Stacey Finch and Tess Calder.

Our incredible team of staff volunteers, nothing was too much trouble, sleeves were rolled up and jobs were done before we even thought of asking! A special thanks to Christine Larsen, Rebecca Taylor, Sharon Davidson and Aaron Manson for their work with the media students, hours spent printing and sorting photos ensuring each camper went home with a photo book of their weekend! Thanks also to the children of our staff who attended and helped with the activities and playing with our campers I also wanted to thank past Marist staff and students who returned to help with the camp – Mikael Pitot, Alicia Lee, Natalie Sones and Luke Rabie! 

Sponsor Thank You’s 

Golf Car Parts & Repairs – your golf carts were amazing and helped us get the campers & their exhausted companions around our beautiful campus with ease! 

Loulabelle Productions – Thanks to Louise Marshall, her son William (Year 10) and her Mother for their assistance with set backdrops and the incredible costumes for our disco! 

Dominos Pizza The Gap – for feeding our hungry students and staff on set up night!! 

Qld Cricket – Thanks to MCA Parent Jeanette Davidson for bringing out her team for an awesome all abilities cricket activity on Monday morning for our campers!

Brookes Party Hire: For the fabulous Balloon Garland that decorated the Tower Staircase and outside Br Terence Dorm!