Marist College Ashgrove Newsletter

Learning and Teaching News

Ms Jennifer Smeed and Mrs Roxanne Rosenberg

Academic Care Team Contacts 

Ms Jen Smeed is taking leave and will return on Monday 6 November. Mrs Roxanne Rosenberg will assume the role of Deputy Head of College – Learning and Teaching, while Mrs Jessica Turschwell will step into the position of Assistant Head of College – Learning and Teaching (Middle School). We would also like to welcome Kathryn Badini to our team as she assists with the Middle Years academic care.

 

Please see the contact details of the members of the Academic Care Team below–

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about academics at the College.

Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews – Monday 3 and Thursday 12 October

Face-to-face interviews will be held on campus on Tuesday 3 October. During these interviews, parents, students, and teachers will discuss your son’s results so far this semester, including ways in which they are able to improve on their learning across Term 4. On Thursday 12 October, online interviews will take place.

 

If you have not been able to organise a meeting with your son’s teacher/s, please reach out via email for feedback. 

 

Students are encouraged to attend these interviews in full school uniform. 

Year 12 Masterclasses 

The Masterclass timetable begins this week, which is targeted revision in classes of each student’s choosing. Masterclasses will run from Week 1 – Week 3 in Term 4. 

 

The timetable provides students with two sessions per day, one starting at 9:00am (period 1) and the other at 12:20pm (period 4). Students are only required to attend these classes (not Pastoral Group) and can leave once their sessions have finished. If your son needs to remain at school for transport reasons, a study room will be made available. 

 

All students must log in via the QR code located on the door of each masterclass room. A roll will also be taken. Masterclasses are compulsory. Students need to be dressed in full school uniform and ensure they have all the required equipment for their subjects (e.g., calculators). 

 

If you have any questions about General subject Masterclasses, please contact Roxanne Rosenberg at rosenbergr@marash.qld.edu.au or Adam Knight at knighta@marash.qld.edu.au

 

For boys who are not enrolled in any General classes and therefore will not be required at General subject Masterclasses, the College is running Skills masterclasses across weeks 1-3 of Term 4. These classes are designed around the concept of life skills required after school. If you have any questions about Skills Masterclasses, please contact Mrs Robyn Gooley on gooleyr@marash.qld.edu.au

 

The External Exam block runs from Monday 23rd October to Tuesday 14th November 2023. The External Exam block schedule, as well as the required equipment lists are available on the Marist portal (via this link for parents and via this link for students), and on the QCAA website.

Year 9 2024 – Subject Selection

Students entering Year 9 in 2024 have now completed their elective selections. Thank you to all students and parents who completed this process promptly. If parents are yet to digitally sign the ‘select my subjects’ confirmation email, please do so as parent confirmation is a valuable part of our subject selection processes. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Middle School Academic Care Team.

Year 8, 2024 – Subject Selection

To align with our offering of subjects in Years 9 and 10, boys entering Year 8 will be completing a set course of study. The Year 8 2024 Subject Handbook has now been emailed to all boys and their parents. As outlined in the email, students will be rotating through a variety of subjects throughout the course of the year and therefore will not need to select elective subjects for Year 8, 2024. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Middle School Academic Care Team.

Academic Care Interviews

Throughout the course of the term, specific students will be invited to attend an academic care interview with a member of the Academic Care Team. These interviews are designed to discuss goals and strategies for continued improvement. These interviews are for students only and parents will only be required if there are significant concerns. Boys and their parents will be notified prior to the interview and a follow-up email will occur with feedback on what was discussed. We encourage all boys who have been selected to attend these valuable interviews.

 

Marist Reading Night – Term 4 Books for PNG Kids

After the success of our first Marist Reading Night, we are holding another night in Term 4. This will be open to all Year 7 and 8 families. There will be a slight change, however, and we will be running a book drive on the night. Some of our Year 8 students are going to spend the next four weeks collecting books and then we will sell them back to our avid readers for a few dollars. All proceeds will be donated to the Books for PNG kids program. If you have any books lying around that you no longer read, please drop them off at the Senior Library.

 

Let's get those books rolling in.

Griffith University Academic Boot Camps 

Griffith University Academic Bootcamps are courses designed to assist students to achieve their full academic potential. They aim to improve confidence and understanding in senior science and mathematics subject areas, reducing anxiety around assessment, and preparing students for future tertiary study. 

 

This year the boot camps will be run both in person and online across the September holidays for the following subjects – 

  • General Mathematics 
  • Mathematics Methods 
  • Physics 
  • Chemistry 
  • Biology 

For more information about these courses please visit Academic Bootcamps (griffith.edu.au)

Senior Library Hours

Our senior library is open from 7:30am every morning until 5:00pm Monday-Thursday. It closes at 3:30pm on Fridays. 

           

Your son is encouraged to head to the library before and/or after school to complete his homework or study, free from the distractions at home.

Year 12 Night Study Sessions

Year 12 Night Study held on Wednesday will not be starting until Week 2.  There is no Night Study in Week 1. The Night Study Sessions are for Year 12 students who wish to work in collaboration with their peers for external exam preparation. 

 

When: Starting Week 2, every Wednesday from 5:00pm-8:00pm, concluding at the end of external exams

Where: Senior Library

Who: 2023 Year 12’s only 

Requirements:

  • Current ID card is to be presented on arrival
  • All students must sign in and out of the library
  • All standard library rules are to be followed (including no eating)
  • Normal student behaviour expectations apply; if these cannot be met, students will be prohibited from returning to future sessions
  • Students are free to wear full College uniform or plain clothes
  • Students are free to arrive and leave as they see fit. Supervision is only provided in the library between 5:00pm-8:00pm.
  • Students are to be in the library only. This is not a time for sport or social gatherings.

A librarian will be on duty from 5:00pm-8:00pm to assist if required; however, these are not tutoring sessions. 

 

A quiet designated study space will also be available during the day in the Library

for Year 12s – starting from this week onward until the end of external exams. 

Accessing Student Results 

Student results and feedback for assessment items can be accessed by parents on Parent Lounge. The 1 minute clip below shows how you can access student results by subject or for every subject in one document –

Alternatively, please follow the steps below which highlight how to access your son’s results and feedback.  

 

1. Open parent portal and click on “Parent Lounge”

 

2. On the left-hand tab select “Curricular Activities Due” and select “view all activities” on the top right-hand side of page.

 

This will take you to a screen that lists of your son/s assessment to complete or has been completed. 

 

3. Click on a subject to view feedback. 

 

4. Once you click on the subject you will be able to find the following information: 

  1. Task sheet for assessment – this will outline what your son needs to do to complete the task successfully 
  2. Draft due dates and due dates
  3. Criteria sheet
  4. Feedback 
  5. Result