Boarding News

Last Thursday night, our Year 12 boarders had a special dinner in the Cyprian Pavilion with their families to celebrate their journey as boarders at the College. This coincided with the last night in the boarding house for this senior cohort. It was an emotional night, fuelled by the bonds formed from living together since these boys first arrived several years ago from all parts of Australia and overseas. The boys have shared the highs and the lows, but their unity and mateship was very evident at this special time, as was their pride in the school. We wish the Year 12 boarders of 2025 well in all their future endeavours.

We also celebrated our last Mass as a boarding community on Sunday night. Participating in the ritual of this weekly service is integral to our faith as a Marist School and we are very grateful to Fr Alatini for saying Mass each Sunday. For this last Boarders’ Mass of 2025, we invited all the Stuartholme boarders to Marist and we enjoyed an outdoor service, followed by a shared BBQ dinner.

As we reach the end of a busy year, I’d like to acknowledge and thank our boarding staff. In particular our Boarding Leaders, Ty Casey, David Finch, Shane Ward, Pierce Hardy and Jake Platen. Their commitment to the role and to the boys is outstanding. Additionally, the Senior Supervisors and Boarding Supervisors have all helped in the team effort of caring for the boys. I also extend my thanks to Jane O’Shea and the Health Centre team, our Boarding Recreation Officer Blair Whitlock, Nathan Ayre and the catering team and to Jason and Kim who look after the boarders’ laundry. Special thanks also to Belinda Kewin, Rachel Rainbird, Kerie-Ann Abel, Angela Dahl and Erin Livingstone who have assisted the smooth running of our boarding program in 2025.

I would also like to extend my thanks to the parents and guardians of our boarders for their trust in the school to provide a home away from home for their sons. Boarding is a very special part of Marist College Ashgrove and I thank our families for their unique contribution to our community. I wish all families a happy and safe holiday period and all the blessings of the Christmas season.