From the Head of College

Mr Michael Newman

Fourviere

Today, the 23rd of July, we remember the pledge at Fourviere. On this day, we recall that on the 23rd July 1816, a group of Marist Priests, Brothers, Sisters and Lay people climbed the hill to the shrine of Our Lady of Fourviere and placed their promise to found the Society of Mary (‘Marist’). In essence, they pledged their work to Mary the Mother of God. All three Orders with the Laity were committed to the work of the Church and Christianity through the charism of Mary the mother of God.

Today, in this cathedral on the hill at Fourviere, you will find a plaque commemorating this event, and on the opposite side the plaque commemorating the Marist Brothers (FMS). Next to this are the sacred heart medals adorning the side walls, demonstrating the great faith and trust the people had in the love of God. Fourviere represents not only a commitment to do the work of Mary, but also a trust in God’s providence and love.

Marist College Ashgrove is a product of this event. From this humble pledge, Marist schools spread throughout France, Europe, the Pacific and Australia. In remembrance, the statue of Mary is the centerpiece of the circular lawn at the top of all entrances to the school. We proudly remember this story and continue with faith to pledge our work and efforts into the hands of Mary our Good Mother.

God of the journey, may we be true to the Marist charism with Mary the mother of God as our model, committed to living her values and enabling the Church to be reborn again through our efforts. Amen

The 2024 Optimus Breakfast

This morning, Marist College Ashgrove celebrated the academic success of our Year 12 students at the Optimus Breakfast. Students were awarded Gold Optimus Awards based on their outstanding academic achievements for Terms 1 and 2. The gathering included a breakfast with each boy's parents and an address by the Honourable Justice Mellifont. Justice Mellifont was appointed as a justice of the Supreme Court of Queensland on 4 October 2021 and was appointed president of the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal on 22 November 2021. Justice Mellifont spoke humbly to the boys, speaking of education as a privilege and reflecting on her personal journey with the important reminders to never give up, work hard, be at peace with yourself including your mistakes, to be kind, to listen and not to take yourself too seriously. We were very honoured to have Justice Mellifont present the Gold Optimus Awards for our Year 12 boys. Congratulations gentlemen and best wishes for the remainder of your study leading up to your external examinations. My thanks are extended to the Deputy Head of College - Learning and Teaching Miss Jennifer Smeed, Assistant Head of College - Learning and Teaching Mrs Roxanne Rosenberg and Mrs Alicia Lee for their organisation and leadership of this important event.

Guitar Summits

This Thursday evening 25th July at 6:00pm in the Draney Theatre, our students will be performing at the guitar summit. The ensembles participating include - Guitar Orchestra 1, Guitar Orchestra 2 and Guitar Ensemble 3. I offer my thanks to the following staff who have prepared and rehearsed with the boys, namely: Tony Vandermeer, Joseph Rabjohns, Enrico Le Mura, Steven Williamson, Catherine Wasserman and special guest – Dr Anthony Garcia. We look forward to these performances and many other concerts as the term progresses.

Year 12 Examination Block

There will be a short examination block for our Year 12 students on Monday 29 and Tuesday 30 July. This block will enable the boys to complete their Unit 3 assessments. We wish all boys the best of luck as they study and prepare for these assessments and we thank their professional teachers who have been instructing them. The boys will then move into the preparation phase for their external examinations.

Book Week

The Marist College Ashgrove Book Week will be held from the 22nd – 26th July. The theme of the 2024 book week is – ‘Reading is Magic!’ Activities being undertaken in Book Week include: Primary School – author visits, dress-up character parade and a book fair running all week; and in the Secondary School – activities during lunch breaks such as book quizzes and wizard bingo, a visit from manga specialist and a staff morning tea. I thank the following staff who have prepared these activities for the boys and staff, namely: Ms Rebecca Collyer, Mrs Mary Stirling, Mrs Claire-Louise Perrers, Mrs Jodie Vickery, Mrs Jo Howe, Mrs Lena Crowley, Ms Robyn Brown and Mrs Meaghan Round. Enjoy Book Week 2024!

Year 9 and Year 10 Parent Function

The Year 9 and 10 Parent Function will be held this Friday evening from 6:30pm at the Tower. This function is an opportunity for parents to gather and socialise with like-minded friends and acquaintances in a social environment. The evening will include drinks and savouries, a few small addresses and social time together. My thanks are extended to the generous P&F Committee who organise these functions for parents of different year levels throughout the year, namely: Mrs Donna Lynn, Mrs Paula Vetter, Mr Adam Bennett, Mrs Jane Wilcox and Mr Stephen Ball.

Year 9 Performance and Pathway Conversations

Our Year 9 boys are invited to a conversation with their parents about their academic studies, future subject choices and initial career aspirations over the next two weeks. I encourage all parents and boys to participate fully and look at ways to further enhance academic success and positive future pathways. My thanks are extended to the Mrs Jessica Turschwell, Mrs Roxanne Rosenberg, Ms Alicia Lee, Mrs Anne Kirkwood and Mrs Emma Hilton who have organised these interviews and we will facilitate these positive conversations.

Marist to Perform at Jumpers and Jazz

Best wishes to our Big Band 1 and Big Band 2 who will be performing at the annual Jumpers and Jazz Festival in Warwick this Sunday 28 July. To demonstrate the quality of our jazz bands, the boys will be the only school band performing on the main stage over the two weekends. We wish the boys well in their performances to be held between 10:00am-12 noon. We hope to see lots of families from the Darling Downs present to enjoy our boys’ concerts. If you are able to be present, please come forward and make yourself known to the boys and staff. My thanks are extended to Dr Andrew Butt and Ms Megan Harmston who have organised and will be accompanying the boys at this festival.

Social Netball and Volleyball at Mt St Michael’s College

Yesterday, our Year 12 Senior students made their way to Mt St Michael’s College to participate in the rematch of our Netball and Volleyball social challenge. This follows the social games played earlier in the year, providing a wonderful opportunity for our boys to spend some enjoyable time together with the Mt St Michael’s girls. My thanks to Phill Holding, Pastoral Leader – Senior School who coordinated these activities along with our Senior Student Leaders, their Mt St Michael’s counterparts and Mt St Michael’s staff.

Battle of the Bands

Over the weekend, our Year 11 student band, ‘The Waiting List’, achieved first place at the Villanova College Interschool Battle of the Bands. Congratulations to band members - Ambrose Gonzalez, Christian Weston-Kelly, Ben Gibson, Max Hammond and Addi Allen. My thanks are extended to Ms Megan Harmston for accompanying the boys to this event. Well done, gentlemen.

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