Primary School News

Never Giving Up

When I arrived at the Primary School on Monday morning, there was definitely a sense of excitement in the air and a certain buzz about the place. I figured that it may have been due to the fact that the boys were starting the final week of the term and looking forward to Thursday afternoon. I soon found out, though that much of the excited conversation centred around the Brisbane Broncos' last-gasp win on Sunday night. Many of our boys were glued to their televisions to watch that amazing finish and I reminded them at assembly that we could all learn a lesson from that match about never giving up and trying our best right up until the end.  

In the final moments of the game, the Brisbane team reminded us all of something powerful: never giving up is always worth it. With the crowd and the odds stacked against them, and with time running out, the Broncos dug deep, held their nerve, and found a way to win. It wasn’t just a sporting triumph, it was a lesson in resilience, belief, and determination.

In the Primary School, we see these same qualities in our boys every day. Whether it’s pushing through a challenging maths problem, bouncing back after a tough result, or showing kindness when it’s not easy, our students are learning that perseverance is a strength and that true success often comes when we refuse to quit.

As we move toward the end of Term 3, we encourage all our Year 5 and 6 boys to finish strongly. The final week is a chance for every boy to show what he is capable of. Not just in results, but in attitude. Keep showing up. Keep trying. Keep believing.

Because just like the Broncos, sometimes the most extraordinary victories happen in the final moments, those moments when we choose not to give up.

I would like to wish every member of our Primary community a well-deserved break and I look forward to seeing many of you throughout Term 4 at one of the many events planned during this busy finish to the school year.

Awards Assembly

Here are some highlights from our recent Awards Assembly, celebrating the achievements of our students.

Primary Pastoral Leader – Anthony Graham 

As we near the end of term, there are a few important updates and reminders for our Primary families.

Lost Property

Our lost property collection is steadily growing! The most common items we’re seeing are jumpers, but we also have lunchboxes, hats, and even the odd shoe. If items are named, we make every effort to return them to their owners. However, a large amount of what we’ve collected is unmarked. If your son is missing anything, please encourage him to check the lost property area and collect what belongs to him. It would be wonderful to see these items make their way back home before the break.

Lunchtime Activities

To keep the boys engaged and positive right through to the final bell, we are offering some fun lunchtime activities with a point of difference. The boys have already been made aware, and we look forward to seeing them embrace these opportunities as a great way to finish the term on a high note. These activities not only bring variety to the week but also create opportunities for the boys to mix with others and try something new.

Community Mass

This Wednesday, our Year 5 students will celebrate their Community Mass. Parents and families are warmly invited to join us as we come together in prayer and reflection. It promises to be a special occasion, offering a moment to pause, give thanks, and finish the term in a prayerful and uplifting way. Celebrations like this are an important reminder of the values that bring us together as a Marist community.

St Rita’s Visit

Also on Wednesday, we are delighted to welcome students from St Rita’s College as part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen connections between our two schools. Accompanied by our Year 5 boys, the St Rita’s students will explore the Year 6 Science Fair and take part in team-building challenges. These opportunities continue to foster meaningful relationships and provide rich learning experiences for our students. It is wonderful to see our boys developing confidence and respect as they engage with their peers from beyond our College.

Primary Learning Leader – Jen Little

Primary Assessment – Progressive Reporting

By now, results and feedback for most pieces of Term 3 Primary Assessment should be available on both Student Café and via the Parent Orbit Ap. Teachers have given up significant time to not only grade these assessments, but to provide specific feedback on ways students can improve. It is highly encouraged that parents and students spend time going through this feedback and developing goals to advance learning ahead of our final term. 

Parent/ Teacher/ Student Interviews

In-person Parent/Teacher/Student interviews for Years 5 to 11 will be held on Tuesday 7 October, between 11:00am and 5:00pm.

For both Primary and Secondary school interviews, only one timeslot per teacher, per student may be booked by parents or guardians.

Please note: If you attended an online interview on Monday 18 August, you are not eligible to book an in-person interview. This is to ensure all families have the opportunity to participate in a Semester 2 interview.

Students are encouraged to attend the interviews and must wear full academic uniform if present.

Booking instructions were sent to all parents and carers via email on Thursday 4 September, and interviews can be booked through the Parent Orbit App.

Debating

Last Thursday, the Primary Debaters competed in the second round of the Queensland Debating Union Competition. They debated the topic “That we should reduce the amount of school holidays.” The boys put their critical thinking and persuasive speaking skills to use, competing against some worthy opponents and producing substantial arguments. Ultimately 3 of our 4 teams managed to achieve victory. Our next debate is on the topic, “That all inner-city students should have to do an exchange with a rural school.”

Congratulations to the following students:

Special thanks are extended to our debating parents for all their support and to Charlie Davis who filled in as Timekeeper in the absence of one of our team members. 

Literacy and Numeracy Trophy Winners

Literacy and Numeracy continue to be a focus in the Primary. Congratulations to the following classes for their success last week.

Congratulations also to the following classes who topped their best score for the term: 

Literacy – 5 Violet – 80%, 87.2% 6 Gold – 85.07%

Numeracy – 5 Red – 90%, 5 Silver – 87.2%, 6 Maroon – 77.92%

Primary Debating – Marist College Ashgrove/Stuartholme/Indooroopilly State School/Kenmore South State School - Mrs Robyn Brown 

On Thursday, the Year 6 debating teams debated the topic “That we should reduce the amount of school holidays”. Both teams provided substantial arguments for this topic with the affirmative team winning the debate against Indooroopilly State School. The negative team were defeated by their opponents, Kenmore South State School.

Both teams provided some convincing and challenging points to the argument and their ability to listen intently to the opposition and respond with strong rebuttals was evident. 

Congratulations to both teams - such a great effort from all our debaters.

Tournament of Minds – Mrs Robyn Brown and Dan Prince 

 On Saturday, six of our primary boys had the privilege of spending the day at QUT at the Tournament of Minds State Finals. It was a full day with the boys arriving at 8am and not departing until 4.30pm. They were given their challenge and had 3 hours to come up with their solution, which was communicated through their performance. They created their props and costumes from a very limited bag of materials and worked within the strict boundaries that competition implements. 

It was a marvelous experience for the boys. They had the opportunity to watch the performances from the other competing schools from both a primary and secondary level.

Well done boys!

Moses Yeung, Darcy Muir-McCarey, Ben Moran, Harry Davies, Iggy Tognini, Nate Baldwin

Primary Sport

Mr John Lambourne – Head of Sport (Primary)

Achievements

Marist Primary Tennis

What an incredible season it has been for Marist Primary Tennis!

Congratulations to all our boys on completing an undefeated season across every team – a truly outstanding achievement.

The results speak for themselves:

• 6A – 53 wins, 3 losses
• 6B – 45 wins, 3 losses
• 5A – 49 wins, 7 losses
• 5B – 41 wins, 7 losses

Such consistency and dominance are a credit to the boys’ hard work, determination, and commitment to their tennis. Week after week, they represented the College with pride and sportsmanship, making this one of the most memorable seasons to date.

A heartfelt thank you to our dedicated coaches for their guidance and encouragement, and to our supportive parents for being there every step of the way. Together, we celebrate not just the victories, but the growth, teamwork, and enjoyment of the season.

Congratulations, boys – an outstanding season of Marist Tennis! 

Term 3 AIC Sport

Basketball

Rugby League

AIC Track & Field

AIC Championships – Thursday, 9 & Friday, 10 October – QSAC.

Please be aware that track and field training continues over the holiday break.

WHEN: Monday and Wednesday

WHERE: McMahon Oval

WHAT: Sprints and distance

TIME: 7:30-8:45am

Holiday Meets

WHEN: Thursday, 25 September / Thursday, 2 October

WHERE: UQ Athletics Precinct

For those students wishing to catch the bus, the schedule is -Depart Marist: 7:15amDepart Venue to return to MCA: 11:45am

Term 4 Swimming

Marist Primary Swim Squad training sessions will recommence Term 4 Week 2 and will continue throughout Term 4. These sessions are open to all boys, boys wishing to qualify for the AIC Swimming Team, and boys attending for fitness training; there is no obligation to attend AIC meets in Term 1 2026.

Year 5 (2026): Training starts on Wednesday, 15 October, and will continue Wednesday, 22 October and Wednesday, 29 October and then Monday and Wednesday afternoons, from Monday, 2 November for the remainder of Term 4.

Year 6 (2025): Training begins on Wednesday, 15 October, with sessions on Wednesday (PM) and Friday (AM).

Marist Primary Swim Squad Training Timetable Term 4 2025

Boys attending these sessions will need to bring the following equipment.

• Goggles
• Kickboard
• Pull Buoy
• Short Flippers 
• Mesh Bag

Sports Training and Clashes

With a myriad of opportunities on offer for the students, clashes are unavoidable but never a problem if communicated.

Families are reminded that cocurricular activities should not impede on any student’s academic performance.

If sports training clashes with music or morning tutoring it is asked that boys alternate from week to week.

Sports Photographs

We are always on the look-out for photos and action shots to be used for the Blue & Gold, other College publications, season or end-of-year wrap-ups etc. Please follow this link and add your photos. 

Marist College Ashgrove Primary Sports Photos

Parent Orbit App

Please ensure that you download the Parent Orbit app to your smart phone. This app will be used to inform you of sporting fixtures, cancellations and bus arrival information.

Late Pick Up After Sports Training

“PLAN B”

It is important that both parent and student are aware of the pick-up procedure if afternoon sports training is cancelled or if parents are running late for pick-up. As soon as a decision is made to cancel a sporting fixture or training, a message is placed on the Parent Orbit app. If training is cancelled, boys can remain in the primary school or walk to an arranged pick-up point when the time arrives.

Afternoon sports training sessions are scheduled to finish by 4:45pm. We ask that boys are picked up at this time. Any boy who is still at their training venue at 5pm will be directed to the After Hours Boarding Reception area / College Health Centre so that he may be collected from there. After Hours Boarding Reception can be contacted on 07 3858 4619.

In the case of bus arrivals from external sporting venues, boys will be sent to After Hours Boarding Reception 15 minutes after the bus arrives back at the College. Parents are asked to collect their sons from this location.