Primary School News

Time to Reflect

As I write this penultimate newsletter article, it is fitting to take a moment to pause and reflect on the many blessings we have shared together throughout the year. With only two weeks remaining in the school year, a quick glimpse back at our College Calendar will remind us all of just how many events and happenings there have been in 2025. Gratitude reminds us to see the good in each day, to appreciate the people around us, and to give thanks for the opportunities we have been given.

This year has been filled with learning, growth, and countless moments of joy. We are thankful for our dedicated teachers, who give so much of themselves to nurture and guide our boys. We are grateful for our families, whose support and encouragement strengthen our community. And we are especially thankful for our boys, who bring energy, curiosity, and kindness into our school every day. These are qualities that have been well modelled to them and they take with them into next year.

We strive to live In the Way of Mary, with humility, gentleness, and a heart full of gratitude. Mary teaches us to notice the small blessings, to treasure relationships, and to respond with love. When we live with gratitude, we see challenges as opportunities, and we recognise that every success is shared by the people around us.

As we prepare to close the school year next week, let us carry with us a spirit of thankfulness. May we continue to celebrate the friendships we have made, the lessons we have learned, and the achievements we have accomplished together. Gratitude transforms ordinary moments into extraordinary ones, and it reminds us that being part of the Marist family is in itself a gift.

Have a wonderful Week 7.

Date Claimers

There are some date claimers below. Please take some time to take note of these important dates over the next two weeks. 

• Year 12 Graduation – Friday, 21 November 
• Laptops and Accessories Due Back – Tuesday, 25 November
• Year 6 Graduation Mass – Wednesday, 26 November
• Year 5 and 6 Fun Day – Thursday, 27 November 
• Final Day for Students – Friday, 28 November

Year 6 Spelling Bee

Last week, the Draney Theatre was a hive of activity and excitement as fourteen boys battled it out for the honour of being crowned the 2025 Marist Primary Spelling Bee Champion. There was plenty of cheering and support as the classes got behind their representatives to help them do their best. After six gruelling rounds, the final came down to just two boys with George Swan claiming the title and Remy Taylor finishing in 2nd place. Congratulations boys!

Thanks to all the boys and staff involved and a special mention to Mr Midgley who organised so much of the event.

Primary Pastoral Leader – Anthony Graham 

Year 7 Transition Experience – Preparing for 2026

Last week, our Year 6 students took part in their final transition experience as they prepare to enter Year 7 in 2026. When the boys first discovered their House allocations early in the term, many were understandably nervous about what lay ahead. Since then, through a series of structured and relationship-focused transition activities, we have watched their confidence grow and their sense of belonging deepen.

On Tuesday last week, the boys spent extended time with their new House communities and were warmly welcomed by our Year 11 leaders and Heads of House. It was wonderful to see them no longer standing on the outskirts, but fully engaged, supported, and part of their new groups. Staff and students alike commented on the positive energy and genuine connections formed.

This transition program has been a collaborative effort between our primary and secondary teams, with the shared goal of ensuring each boy feels supported, known, and ready for the next stage of his Marist journey. A sincere thank you to the Heads of House and student leaders for their preparation, enthusiasm, and the activities that helped bring the Houses to life.

Keeping Boys Engaged – A Fresh Approach to Lunchtimes

With Term 4 often bringing extra energy (and the occasional distraction!), we have introduced a range of alternative playbreak activities this week to help keep the boys positively engaged during lunchtime. From organised games to creative stations and structured spaces, these options have given students a chance to try something different, stay active in positive ways, and enjoy a purposeful break from the classroom.

It has been great to see students enthusiastically taking up these opportunities and reconnecting with peers through new experiences.

Year 5 Dance Collaboration with Mt St Michael’s College

This week, some of our Year 5 boys participated in a wonderful community experience with students from Mt St Michael’s College. As part of the MSM girls’ dance unit, they visited Marist to teach our boys a short routine, working together in small groups. It was a fantastic opportunity to build confidence, share creativity, and strengthen our connection with another local school. The boys represented Marist beautifully and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Online Safety Reminder – Group Chats & Messaging

As we move toward the end of Term 4, it’s a good time to remind families about the importance of monitoring your son’s online activity, particularly within group chats. We have spoken with the boys about this at school, but your support at home is incredibly valuable.

Group chats can grow very quickly, often adding boys from outside their immediate friendship circles — and sometimes even people your son doesn’t know. When this happens, inappropriate language, images, or links can appear without warning, and the boys may not have the maturity to manage or remove themselves from these situations.

We strongly encourage parents to:

• regularly check your son’s phone and messaging apps
• talk to him about who he is communicating with
• remind him never to share or forward inappropriate content

• encourage him to leave any group chat that makes him feel uncomfortable

   

Working together helps us keep our boys safe online and supports them in developing responsible, healthy digital habits.

Looking Ahead – A Big Week to Come!

Next week is shaping up to be a very exciting one in the primary school:

• Marcellin Stage Performance (Monday P1–P2)
  • Our very own “Marist’s Got Talent”! Buddy classes are buzzing with anticipation and the boys are eager to take the stage.
• Primary Fun Day (Thursday)
  • Year 6 students will enjoy a well-earned day at Wet’n’Wild, while our Year 5 boys take part in a range of fun activities on campus. Always a highlight of Term 4!
• Final Primary Assembly (Friday)

  • We conclude the year together with our last yard assembly, where we will announce the inaugural winners of the Marcellin Cup.

     

There is no doubt it’s a busy and joy-filled time of year. We look forward to celebrating the achievements, growth, and spirit of our boys as we head into the final stretch of Term 4.

Primary Learning Leader – Jen Little

QDU Debating

The 2025 Primary QDU Debating season concluded last week, marking the first time Marist College Ashgrove has had the honour of hosting the competition. The Primary School proved to be an exceptional venue—truly something special. A heartfelt thank you goes to Mrs Robyn Brown for her outstanding coordination of Primary Debating at Marist and for her tremendous efforts in hosting this year’s event. This season has been a fantastic journey for the 17 Primary boys who participated, gaining valuable skills and experiences along the way. The topics debated this season were as follows:

• Round 1 - That all children’s media should have a happy ending.
• Round 2 - That we should reduce the amount of school holidays
• Round 3 - That all inner-city students should have to do an exchange with a rural school.

• Round 4 - That you should have to pass all your subjects before being allowed to do an extra-curricular.

   

Please see below for details from each year level.

Year 5:

Congratulations to our following competitors in Year 5:

Team 1 – Will Baker, Charlie Davis, Andre Dua, Henry Krinke and Arthur Sheahan

Team 2 – Colin Cooper, Preston Gallagher-Beck, Roman Kaminski and Ryan Noronha

Overall, the Year 5 students had a very successful season, winning 6 of their 8 debates. More importantly, the boys grew in confidence with each debate and were an absolute credit to MCA. Special thanks are extended to the students themselves for their incredible enthusiasm and willingness to listen and to their parents for the support given at home. 

Year 6: 

Congratulations to our following competitors in Year 6:

Team 1 – George Coulter, Charlie Mackay, Jovi Zanre and Matt Hendrick

Team 2 – Ben Jeffries, Ruben Vos, Oscar Wilton and Cory Murphy

I would like to congratulate the year 6 boys on a terrific debating season. I have noted the boys’ remarkable progress over the season as they grew in confidence, improved their public speaking and learnt to think critically with their rebuttals under pressure. They all spoke with passion and conviction and should be very proud of their efforts.

Literacy and Numeracy Trophy Winners

Literacy and Numeracy continue to be a focus in the Primary. Congratulations to the following classes for their success over the last fortnight:

Week 5

Week 6

Last week we wrapped up our Literacy and Numeracy Competition and this week we will celebrate the winners with a Pizza Party. There are two prizes for each competition based on overall winner and progress. The criteria is below:

1. Overall winner – calculated by adding each class term average to determine who is highest.
2. Progress winner – measured by calculating each class semester average and comparing the difference to determine the highest. 

Overall results are as follows: 

• Year 5 Literacy Overall Winner – 5 Maroon
• Year 5 Literacy Progress Winner – 5 Blue
• Year 5 Numeracy Overall Winner – 5 Gold
• Year 5 Numeracy Progress Winner – 5 Red
• Year 6 Literacy Overall Winner – 6 Silver
• Year 6 Literacy Progress Winner – 6 Silver
• Year 6 Numeracy Overall Winner – 6 Gold

• Year 6 Numeracy Overall Winner – 6 Gold

   

Pizza parties have been organised for Year 5 this Wednesday and Year 6 this Thursday at 11:00am. 

As well as acknowledging overall class results for Literacy and Numeracy, Marist College Primary have also issued a number of individual certificates to students who have achieved individual success. These awards have been issued each term and are as follows:

• Gold Awards – awarded to students who have demonstrated excellence with at least a 90% average in their term’s competition
• Consistency Awards – awarded to students who have received 70% or more every week

• Progress Awards – awarded to students who have received 10 percentage points or more higher than their previous term’s work

   

Primary ICAS

This week we received the ICAS certificates for writing and Mathematics. Participation certificates will be presented to students over the coming days by their class teacher. Students who received a Merit, Credit or Distinction will be presented with their award at our weekly Primary assemblies. Special congratulations are extended to the following students who received a Distinction:

Mathematics: Elijah Bartlett, Carter Gladwin and Ryan Noronha

Writing: Cameron Browne and Remy Taylor

Primary Sport

Mr John Lambourne - Head of Sport – Primary

Over the term, we have had the pleasure of welcoming our incoming Year 5 2026 students to our “Come and Try Marist Sport” program. It has been a wonderful opportunity for the boys to experience a range of college sports, meet new classmates, and enjoy being part of our Marist community.

Our Primary Swim Squad saw outstanding interest, with more than 60 boys joining sessions on Monday and Wednesday afternoons. These sessions will continue through to the week before Christmas and will resume in the first week of the new year.

Come and Try Tennis also attracted strong numbers, with over 60 boys participating in a four-week program held on Friday mornings.

Come and Try Cricket welcomed 40 students, while Come and Try AFL brought 50 boys together to develop and showcase their skills on McMahon and Hayden Ovals.

Come and Try Rugby provided a fantastic opportunity for the Year 5 and Year 6 students of 2026 to connect with our Open squads, with an impressive 90 boys in attendance.

The Come and Try season concludes this Friday with our final session – Come and Try Football.

These sessions were not trials, but rather a chance for the boys to try something new, experience Marist Sport in a supportive environment, and enjoy the encouragement of many families and siblings on the sidelines.

I extend my sincere thanks to our Marist Sport Coordinators for their efforts in making these events possible, and also to the senior students who generously gave their time to support and connect with the future of Marist College Ashgrove.

AIC Sport Term 1 2026

All players who wish to play Marist Sport must register via Parent Lounge / Student Café.Parents need to approve this through Parent Lounge.

It is vitally important that all players sign up. Only those that have signed up for each sport will receive trial and training information for that sport. Team nominations and coach recruitment also needs to be done before trials begin.

Boys who have not signed up during the registration period will not be guaranteed an opportunity to participate.

Signing Up

Sign in to Parent Lounge / Student Café.; select Extra Curricular; select Sign-up Available; choose the sport and complete any additional fields as required.

Parent Approval

Sign in to Parent Lounge; select Extra Curricular; click Sign-up Now; select Approve Sign-Up and check and update medical details; click Accept; choose Update; click Submit to School.

To view the details your son has signed up for at Student Details à Extra Curricular.

Term 4 Swimming

Marist Primary Swim Squad training sessions will recommence Wednesday, 15 October and will continue throughout Term 4. These sessions are open to all boys, boys wishing to qualify for the AIC Swimming Team, and boys attending for fitness training; there is no obligation to attend AIC meets in Term 1 2026.

Year 5 (2026): Training starts on Wednesday, 15 October, and will continue Wednesday, 22 October and Wednesday, 29 October and then Monday and Wednesday afternoons, from Monday, 2 November for the remainder of Term 4.

Year 6 (2026): Training begins on Wednesday, 15 October, with sessions on Wednesday (PM) and Friday (AM).

Marist Primary Swim Squad Training Timetable Term 4 2025

Boys attending these sessions will need to bring the following equipment.

• Goggles
• Kickboard
• Pull Buoy
• Short Flippers 
• Mesh Bag

Marist Community Notice | Use of College Name and Uniform

There has been a recent increase in the use of the Marist name and sporting apparel in non-sanctioned competitions, such as club or social events. Please note that only teams and competitions formally approved by the College are permitted to use the Marist name, uniform, or branding. This requirement ensures appropriate supervision, insurance coverage, student safety, and adherence to College standards. 

Any group wishing to participate in external events must seek prior approval in writing from the Head of Sport. The College will review the suitability of such events and, where appropriate, coordinate official entries to maintain quality, consistency, and compliance with our codes of conduct. We appreciate the enthusiasm of our community in supporting student opportunities and ask that all follow the correct process to protect the integrity and reputation of Marist College.

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