From the Acting Head of College

Mr Charles Brauer

Our ‘Posture’

How would you describe the 'posture' of our Marist Family?

In another way, what is it that we proudly stand for? How do we encounter and respond each other and our world?

I found this metaphor of 'posture' a refreshing perspective when listening to Marist Brother Professor David Hall at yesterday's gathering of Marist Schools Australia principals. Br David used the idea of 'posture' to describe the challenge of being in community with others.

The image we convey to others through our actions and behaviours matters. This image is how we personify our values and beliefs. Not unlike those dinner table reminders by our parents to 'sit-up , don’t slouch', a healthy communal 'posture' fosters healthy encounters where we value and believe in sharing with others a sense of presence, purpose and commitment.

Sometimes, good 'posture' can become tiring, sometimes we need reminding and sometimes we need to rest. And just like the postural muscles of our spine and core, 'posture' can strengthen with dedication and practice. Furthermore, a healthy 'posture' can become autonomous - doing it without realising it. Our culture. How proud our parents would be!

Prof. Br David Hall's 'posture' metaphor is perfectly timed. Tomorrow we will celebrate what we proudly stand for - encouraging and acknowledging the efforts and achievements of our students.

Tomorrow's Scholars' Assembly will see us take intentional time with warmly welcoming back to the College the 2023 Seniors who achieved an ATAR of greater than 98.00. It will be wonderful to have these 22 young men and their parents return to the College for their efforts and achievements to be recognised by our Marist Family. We are so very proud of these young men who personify one essential 'posture' of our Marist Family, academic achievement.

Stand-out academic achievements of our 2023 Seniors include; Harrison Barrett and Oliver Lee received 100% in Literature, Luke Carr received 100% in English, Kyle Bedford achieved 100% in Music Extension, Jude Knapp received 98% for Business, each achieving the highest marks in Queensland for their respective subjects.

We are also extremely proud of the ten young men who achieved an ATAR above 99, placing them in the highest 1% of all students in Queensland. An incredible achievement. An additional 12 students achieved above 98 – together that is 14% of our 2023 seniors who are in the top 2% of the state. 42% of Marist boys achieving an ATAR result over 90 placing them in the top 10% of students in Queensland

Furthermore, 100% of students achieved their Queensland Certificate of Education and 100% of students receiving a tertiary education offer, with 83% of students receiving their top preference. Of significance is the academic scholarships which have been awarded to our Seniors of 2023. To date, these total in excess of $263,500. Whilst we celebrate the 'posture' of academic achievement tomorrow, we also celebrate another vital 'posture' of our Marist Family - caring generosity.

Our Lenten Fundraiser of last week was a wonderful example of our actions and behaviours demonstrating what we stand for. Families generously gave to our Lenten Fundraiser and our students generously responded. Our combined efforts will see our long-standing commitment to Australian Marist Solidarity (AMS) strengthened. The $8,000 raised last week will fund the provision of education for vulnerable young people, the building of safe learning facilities and resilience and readiness programs for young people in our Asia-Pacific region. Our staff and students will have the opportunity later this year to visit the AMS supported communities in Timor-Leste and Cambodia. A sincere thank you for your 'posture' of caring generosity.

A full and whole Marist education extends into fostering and supporting the safety and well-being of our young men, whilst on-site and whilst away from the College. This important aspect of education remains close to our hearts. To continue our commitment in this area, our Year 11 and Year 12 students will participate in the RACQ Docudrama program this week. This road safety education program educates young drivers and passengers about the "Fatal Five" risk factors - drink and drug driving, fatigue, not wearing a seatbelt, speeding and distraction, which are the leading causes of incidents and accidents on our roads. Students will be educated around the proactive strategies to use if, and when, they find themselves in a potentially dangerous driving situation. We encourage you to ask your son what they learnt in the Docudrama program and continue this conversation regarding the positive choices they can make as a driver or passenger.

As our Seniors spend most of Saturday readying themselves for the evening's Formal, we will be reminded of the 'posture' of hospitality - making another feel welcome and at home. The evening will see plenty of colour, plenty of laughs and plenty of dancing, all wonderful gifts of hospitality. We wish our Years 12s and their invited guest a memorable, fun and safe occasion.

Finally, I would like to commend our Year 12 Geography students on the 'posture' of Love of Work. Our students were commended by the staff of the Numinbah Valley Environmental Education Centre on the manner by which they engaged with their field study. Most significantly, was the commendation received regarding their 'friendly and respectful interactions with students from the other visiting school onsite'. Congratulations to these students and to Ms Badini and Mr Denkes for the leadership of this key learning experience.

Our Lenten journey is a week long, continuing to invite us to centre ourselves on the simple and the important. As we continue our Lenten journey, may we appreciate the importance of our actions with others - our presence, our 'posture'

2024 Non-Government Schools Census Collection Notice

The Australian Government Department of Education is set to conduct the 2024 Non-Government Schools Census collection, an essential initiative aimed at gathering comprehensive data about schools, their staff, and students.

The following document provides a detailed overview of the Census collection process, the use and disclosure of personal information, and the roles and responsibilities of the involved parties.

The school will provide all data to the Australian Government Department of Education.

Privacy Collection Notice for Parents Address Collection 2024.pdf

May our loving God with Mary our good mother and St Marcellin Champagnat walk with all members of the Marist College Ashgrove Family.