Primary School News

Last week was a timely reminder of the enthusiasm our boys possess, and are happy to display, when presented with opportunities to involve themselves here in the Primary School. 

Our Year 6 boys and parents filled the Champagnat Centre on Tuesday night, and the boys came away with some new study and revision strategies that can be put into place as they continue their learning journey. The boys are to be congratulated on their attendance and their focus during the presentation. At the Band and Strings Concert on Thursday evening, our Year 5 boys impressed all with the skills they have learnt in their music classes this year to date. All parents I have spoken with were amazed at the progress the boys have made during the first six months of their time with us here at Marist College Ashgrove.  

The highlight of the week was undoubtedly the Book Week Parade on Friday morning. It was magical to see so many boys so excited to wear their costumes in celebration of books and reading. I think we had the highest number of parents attend the parade that we have had in recent years, which added to the level of enthusiasm during the morning. 

At our Head of College Tours, I proudly tell prospective families that we work hard to celebrate the boys’ age in the Primary School and provide them opportunities to participate in age-appropriate activities throughout the year. Last week was a wonderful example of this blueprint in action.

Have a great Week 4.

Creative Industries Week – Student Opportunities

 We’re excited to share two fantastic creative opportunities happening as part of Creative Industries Week (Week 7) that Primary students can be involved in:

ASHCam – Photography Competition

Please see the attached flyer for details about ASHCam. This is a photography competition separate from the Tower Art Show. Photos will not be displayed at the art show, but winners will be announced at the end of Week 7. Prizes will be awarded to the Winner and Runner Up.

Tower Art Show – Uplift Project

 Students are invited to visit the Art Department Courtyard during Week 7 to create an A5 painting for the Uplift Project. These artworks will be displayed in the Tower Art Show and judged, with cash prizes awarded to the best painting in each age category. Please see attached flyer for more information.

Pastoral Leader - Anthony Graham

We’re now well into the term, and it’s been pleasing to see our Primary boys continuing to engage positively in all aspects of school life. They’ve been showing genuine focus in their learning, demonstrating pride in their classrooms, and making respectful and responsible choices both inside and outside the classroom. Many boys are stepping up as quiet leaders - setting the tone through their actions and modelling what it means to be a Marist boy.

A special mention goes to our Year 6 students, who last Friday helped run activities at St. Joseph’s Bardon for their Under 8s Day. The boys led a range of fun rotations for the younger students and represented the College with pride. It was a great community event and also gave our boys a small taste of what it’s like trying to teach energetic students on a Friday afternoon when all they want to do is play!

Walkathon – This Sunday!

A reminder that our annual College Walkathon takes place this Sunday, and is a compulsory event for all students. We kindly ask that boys arrive at the podium area of the Saint Marcellin Centre from 7:45am. There is no need to arrive earlier. Parents are asked to drop their sons off and then gather on the oval. Boys will be dismissed in small groups and can meet their families to begin walking together. This helps ensure safety and smooth traffic flow at the lower level of the SMC.

Donations for the Walkathon are not due until the week after the event, so there’s still plenty of time to raise funds. There are heaps of great prizes up for grabs, including lunches, pizza parties, stress balls, sporting balls, and even a raffle for State of Origin tickets for next year!

Sunday promises to be a wonderful celebration of our College community. Boys are encouraged to stay afterwards to enjoy Battle of the Bands and grab something to eat or drink from the food stalls.

If your child cannot attend, please email me. The catch-up Walkathon will be held on Tuesday 12 August from 3:30pm–4:45pm on the Flats.

Year 5 and 6 College Dance – Tuesday 12 August

Just a quick reminder that the much-anticipated Year 5 and 6 Dance will take place on Tuesday 12 August from 5:00pm–6:45pm in the Champagnat Centre. A full email with final details will be sent to families shortly.

The evening will include games, dancing, and plenty of fun. Students are to be dropped off from 4:45pm for registration, phone collection, and voucher pickup. Parents are asked to arrive for pick-up at 6:30pm, with doors opening at 6:40pm for safe collection. The dance is a mobile phone-free event, with secure storage for phones provided if necessary. EFTPOS and cash facilities will be available for any additional food or drinks.

We look forward to a memorable evening and thank you in advance for supporting this event!

Primary Learning Leader – Jen Little

The Critical Role of School Attendance in Learning Progress

Regular attendance at school is fundamental to a student’s academic success and ongoing learning progress. While it’s important that students stay home when they are unwell—both to recover properly and to prevent the spread of illness—consistent attendance and punctuality are essential for maintaining momentum in learning. 

In Australia, research consistently highlights the link between school attendance and educational outcomes. The Australian Department of Education’s National School Reform Agreement notes that attendance is a strong predictor of student achievement, especially in literacy and numeracy.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reports that around 10% of Australian students are chronically absent, missing 10% or more of school days in a year. This level of absenteeism is associated with poorer academic performance, lower engagement, and increased risk of early school leaving. To put it in perspective, a student who misses just two days of school every month over the year will have missed approximately 18 days—nearly a full month of classroom learning. The Queensland Department of Education points out that this lost time can create gaps in understanding, making it challenging for students to catch up without additional support.

Whilst this is alarming, we also need to consider the impact of lateness on a child’s education. Lateness not only affects the individual student but also disrupts the learning environment for the entire class. When a student arrives late, teachers often need to pause lessons or repeat instructions, which can interrupt the flow of teaching and divert attention from other students. According to data from the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL), this disruption can reduce overall classroom productivity and impact peer learning.

Even arriving 10 minutes late daily can result in over 30 hours of lost learning time across a school year for the late student alone. Added to that, the disruption caused by late arrivals can affect classmates’ concentration and engagement, further compounding lost instructional time.

Below are some practical suggestions to assist in supporting regular school attendance:

1. Establish consistent routines – create a predictable daily schedule for mornings and evenings. Regular bedtimes, waking up early and a calm morning routine can help children arrive at school and ready to learn.
2. Promote the importance of attendance – talk with your child about why school attendance matters for their learning and future goals. Encouraging a positive attitude towards school helps build motivation and engagement. 
3. Encourage resilience and problem solving – help your child develop resilience by teaching them to manage challenges like a tough homework task or a disagreement with friends, rather than using these as reasons to avoid school. Building emotional strength supports consistent attendance. 
4. Support healthy habits – encourage good hygiene, balanced nutrition and physical activity to keep your child healthy. When children get sick, emphasise that rest and recovery are important – make sure they understand that resting means taking it easy, not playing energetically, so they can return to school feeling well. 
5. Communicate with the school – keep open communication with teachers and school staff about any issues affecting attendance. Early intervention and collaboration can help address barriers like transport, anxiety, or learning difficulties before they become bigger problems. 

Ultimately, consistent attendance and punctuality are key drivers of student success in Australia’s education system. By attending school regularly and on time, students unlock the full benefits of classroom learning and set themselves up for a brighter academic future.

Year 6 Study Skills Session

Thanks to those parents and students who attended the Study Skills Session on the evening. Some of the practical study strategies we spoke about are as follows:

Strategies to improve focus and attention:

• The Pomodoro Technique – this consists of short bursts of timed study with 5 minute breaks in between. The idea is to build this to 25-minute study bursts. However, students in Year 6 could begin with 15 minutes at a time. 

Strategies to Aid Recognition/Recall

• Mnemonics – this can be a fun way for students to remember certain concepts like difficult spelling words, number of days in a month etc. Mnemonics can include acronyms, jingles or catchy sayings and rhymes. 
• Flashcards – children can make their own flashcards and turn them into games. This is a great way of learning. Canva has a wealth of templates for flashcards for students and is available to them on the Student Portal. 

Strategies to Build Understanding

• Use of Graphic Organisers – there are many different types of graphic organisers. Templates are available also in Canva which is available to all students.
• Summarising – Being able to summarise and find the main idea behind a concept is a great way to synthesize and clarify learning.
• Self-Assessment – students do not need to wait for teachers to set revision. They can do this on their own. A real hint for this strategy is to listen carefully to what teachers talk about in class. Usually, if they focus on something, it is an indication this will form part of the assessment.

Below are some photos of our Study Night in action. 

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.