Boarding News

Dear Boarding Parents,

I hope you are happy with the start your son has made to this final term of 2023. In just a few short weeks he will be finishing exams and looking forward to a long-awaited summer holiday. We are working closely with all the boarders to ensure they finish the year with commitment and purpose.

This week on Tuesday night we have a special function for the Year 12 boarders where they invite a number of key staff members for dinner in the Dining Room. This dinner has been a fixture on the school calendar for a number of years and the boys are keen to say a few words of thanks to those staff who’ve helped them on their journey through school. This promises to be a great night and the first of a number of end of year events for our Seniors.

We also have the Year 11 Social on Thursday night which our Year 11 boarders are attending. The boys have been sorting out a suit to wear for this special occasion and I’ve no doubt they will present themselves particularly well. We also look forward to hosting a pre-function at Marist for the boarders, their partners and families late on Thursday afternoon. 

A key focus area in boarding this year has been the development of leadership opportunities for the boys and new initiatives in boarding have complemented existing leadership programs and roles in the day school. One such initiative is a new leadership camp which has been planned for all the Year 11 boarders on the weekend of 3–5 November at the Bunya Mountains. Taking the boys away will provide a great setting for key staff to work with them on developing a better understanding of how to lead effectively, as well as allowing the boys to set their goals and action plans for 2024. The Year 11 boarders are looking forward to this new experience and we hope this camp will become an annual activity.

Next weekend is looking typically busy for the boarders with many involved in the AIC Touch Football Carnival. There is also going to be a large contingent of boarders rising very early on Saturday morning to participate in the 42 for 42 at Suncorp Stadium. This is our second year getting behind this great event which raises awareness of those Australian servicemen and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the Afghanistan conflict. It is particularly special to be able to support the family of Old Boy and boarder, Ricky Milosevic (1985 – 1989) who lost his life in Afghanistan. The boys will do us proud, no doubt.

Boarding Recreation - Mr Blair Whitlock

We stayed onsite on Friday and made the most of the College facilities. The afternoon kicked off with a boarders arvo feast before Touch Footy and BBQ dinner by the oval. An hour of games in the gym and a night swim rounded off the evening. A group of boarders were also down at the Queensland Cricketers Club for the Term 2 and 3 Premier Sports Award Dinner. It was great to see so many boarders involved with premier sport and well done to Harry Thomson and Leon Karena for their respective awards in Rugby Union and Rugby League.

The La Valla and Montagne boys assembled on McMahon Oval for a Spikeball World Cup. Spikeball’s a great little game that we’ve played more and more over the last few terms. After six rounds a dominant pairing of Peter Chan and Sania Elisala took the chocs over a close second of Mr Pat Noble and Caleb Kofe. It’s certainly got warmer over the last couple of weeks and an hour on the oval led nicely into our visit to Aqua Warrior up at Redcliffe. Two hours of wipeouts and a BBQ were a great way to make the most of the beautiful weather. It was nice to catch up with some of the Stuartholme boarders who came along too. On Saturday night the Year 12 boarders headed out to the Driving Range by the airport before a feed at Grill’d Ascot. With their time together at Ashgrove coming to an end it was great to head out for an activity as a group before exams study takes over. 

It was a bright and early start for 25 Years 11 and 12 boarders who headed out to Mt Cotton for a Defensive Driving Course. It was a really productive course that the boys got a lot out of. The instructors only had positive things to say about the boys' attention to detail, enthusiasm and ability to take on feedback which was great to hear. Well done to those boys involved. Meanwhile, the Years 6-9 boarders headed over to St Margaret’s for some games and a swim in the afternoon. It’s always nice to catch up with the St Margaret’s boarders and great to see many friendships being formed. The final activity of the weekend was a game of League Tag for the La Valla and Montagne boarders down at Purtell Park in Bardon. Another busy weekend in the books!