From the Head of College

Mr Michael Newman

A Sincere Marist Welcome and Blessing to 2025

It is with much anticipation and excitement that we commence our new 2025 school year! We welcome all new students, families and staff. It has also been exciting to greet our returning Marist family members after a refreshing Christmas holiday. I trust that together, we will enter the year in positive collaboration to ensure our College Vision and Mission Statements come to fruition – ‘to love, learn, lead and serve, as good Christians and good citizens, making a positive difference to the world.”

Do remember that we are only a phone call or email away – community@marash.qld.edu.au or the relevant teacher (surnamefirstinitial@marash.qld.edu.au). Let’s keep up good habits of communication to positively enable the best possible outcome for your son’s education. Don’t forget to read the weekly newsletter and to gain more specific information on the Parent Orbit App which can be found on your APP store.

We enter this year under our college name of ‘Marist’ – a group gathered under the care, inspiration and guidance of Mary, our good mother. Mary is the woman who gave birth to Jesus, an occasion we remembered and celebrated over the holidays in the event of Christmas. As his mother, Mary was with Jesus when he undertook his first and final ministries. The first of Jesus’ ministries was when he provided wine at the wedding of Cana at his mother’s wish, and Mary was also with him during his final ministry, standing by her son with love at the foot of the cross as he died. In 2025 we pray to Mary, asking for her continued kind intercession to her son Jesus for each one of us and to stand with us in love throughout our school year.

Happy new school year everyone. Have a wonderful 2025!

Inaugural Mass, Investiture and Academic Awards

To pray in unity for the 2025 academic school year, all families have been invited to attend the Royal International Convention Centre this Friday 31 January for the Inaugural Mass celebrated by Fr Alatini Kolofo’ou. Our faith journey is at the heart of our college so let us join in prayer as Saint Marcellin Champagnat did, the founder of the Marist Brothers, to nurture and place a focus on our journey with Christ, as we commence the school year for the boys. The liturgy will include the investiture of our Year 12 students and Primary leaders along with the 2024 Academic Awards.

Staff and Campus Ready!

Our staff are ready for an exciting year, having completed professional development over the past eight days – Senior Leadership, Middle Leadership, new staff and all staff. I thank the Marist College Ashgrove staff for their professional efforts in preparing for the return of our students. Thanks also to staff who have laboured throughout the holiday break undertaking the following tasks and improvements for the boys - Champagnat Centre roof replaced, air conditioning of Chapel, old Primary Admin refurbished to become Head of House area, Br Geoffrey bathrooms replaced, Secondary internet link, Music computer lab replaced, interim financial audit, parent billing, payroll processed, new enrolments, staffing/interviews arranged, external venue hires, social media, boarding residence painted, McMahon Oval fence painted, boom gates replaced Admin/Primary, top cricket nets extension, electrical test and tag, pest control all areas, pressure cleaning outdoor areas, general repairs and maintenance, deep cleaning all areas, uninterruptible power supply installed, security operations centre activated, visitor sign-in platform upgrade, switch replacement, PA system improvements, fibre cabling Fourviere/Tower and two new refurbished Primary classes completed. Following the commencement of our new students and boarders on Monday and Tuesday - 26-27 January, our college is ready and waiting to welcome the return of all boys this Wednesday 29 January. Let the year begin!

Introduction to New Teaching Staff

We are well satisfied with our continuity of teaching staff who enable the knowledge, traditions and good processes at Marist College Ashgrove to flourish. In turn, we celebrate the annual changes to the teaching ranks which refresh and reinvigorate a college community with new ideas, experiences and energy. As we talk regularly about our Marist College family, we do this in the spirit of welcome to all our new teaching staff to the college. Welcome Ashley Hutchings – Curriculum Leader – Middle Years; Clara Marsh – French Teacher; Anthony Sharp – Primary Teacher; Simon O’Hara – Mathematic Teacher; Melanie Doherty – Mathematic and Science Teacher; Sally Conn – Support Teacher (Primary); Lisa Rosendahl Wyatt – Support Teacher (Secondary); David Jackman – Business Teacher; Leti Fetalaiga – Pastoral Leader Ignatius; Leigh Jackson – Assistant Head of College Learning and Teaching (Middle Years); Michael Morley – Primary Teacher (12-month contract); Tim Walker – Pastoral Leader Wellbeing; Nikolai Galvez-Santic – Mathematic and Science Teacher; Jye Davies – History Teacher and Samuel Hambleton – Mathematic Teacher. Welcome new teachers to the Marist College Ashgrove family and be assured of our full support and collaboration.

Wonderful Year 12 ATAR Results – Congratulations!

Congratulations graduands of 2024 on achieving the following overall outstanding results in your ATAR and Vocational and Education undertakings. I congratulate all the boys on this achievement after much hard work and effort over their schooling. I acknowledge also our professional and extremely competent teaching staff. Thank you for continuing to improve the educational outcomes of the boys over the past number of years – your efforts are truly appreciated.

Below is a snapshot of some of the highlights to be noted – well done, boys.

Term 1 Sport

Trials for AIC Cricket, Volleyball, Swimming and AFL are commencing this week. This follows sporting camps for our senior and some junior students last week. The first formal trial will be this Saturday versus Villanova and St Edmund’s College on Friday evening 31st January and Saturday 1st February. Round 1 of the AIC Competition will commence on Friday and Saturday 7-8 February (Week 2) vs Iona College. The first AIC Swim Meet will be Friday 7 February. Good luck gentlemen.

AIC T20 Cricket Winners

Congratulations to our Open Cricket team who were victorious last week in the T20 AIC Cricket Competition. After being undefeated in the pool games versus SLC, SEC and Padua, and defeating Padua again in the semifinal, Marist College Ashgrove defeated Villanova in the final. Well done boys and to their coach Mr Michael Abbott. This followed a very enjoyable 50th Marist Cricket Carnival held at St Joseph’s College Hunter’s Hill during the holidays. Well done to Joey Lanner who was player of the final round at the Marist Cricket Carnival after taking a brilliant five wickets vs St Gregory’s College Campbelltown.

Year 5 Annual Camp

The Year 5 Annual Orientation Camp will be held from Monday 3 - Wednesday 5 February at the Tallebudgera Outdoor and Environmental Education Centre. This is an exciting opportunity for the boys to become familiar with Marist, and its teachers and to meet and make new friends. Always a highlight for the Year 5 boys, I take this opportunity to thank their professional and generous staff who will be accompanying them – Anthony Graham, Catherine Barnett, John Lambourne, Sebastian Pelly, Michael Jones, James Trebbin, Prue Maclean, Matthew Wilson and Jorge Ruiz. Enjoy gentleman.

Primary and Year 7 Information Nights

This Thursday 30 January all Year 5 parents are invited to a Welcome and Information Night concluding in the undercroft area of the new St Marcellin Centre with drinks and nibbles. The Year 6 parents will also be invited to an Information Night outlining the proceedings for the year. My thanks are extended to Mr Michael Connolly (Assistant Head of College – Primary) and all Year 5 and 6 teachers who will be leading this night. The Year 7 Information Night will be held on Monday 3 February. My thanks are extended to Phill Holding and Gareth Kolkenbeck-Ruh who will facilitate this evening. I look forward to meeting and speaking with parents, new and existing.

NAPLAN Readiness Testing

A wonderful gift we can offer all our boys is to be truly literate and numerate throughout life. One way of measuring and therefore planning for the improvement of each student’s literacy and numeracy is through the NAPLAN exams, analysis of results and future planning of teaching and learning. The 2025 NAPLAN tests will be held between Weeks 7 and 8 (12 March – 24 March). To prepare, become familiar and feel comfortable with the tests, all Years 7 and 9 students will be undergoing a practice NAPLAN on Tuesday 4 February. The Year 5 students will be participating in their practices on Friday, February 7 and Friday, 14 February. My thanks are extended to all our teachers for their preparation and diligent explicit teaching of the boys’ literacy and numeracy.

School Fees

We wish to remind all families that important communication regarding the setup of your 2025 fee account has been issued via email and through an app notification.

Families are offered two payment options:

(1) Upfront payment, which must be received by the 28 February 2025, or

(2) A payment schedule, which must be set up in Parent Lounge by 31 January 2025.

Your prompt attention to this matter is greatly appreciated, as it ensures the smooth administration of fee accounts for the year ahead. Thank you for your cooperation.

Congratulations!

Each year, Brisbane high schools are invited to nominate one Year 10 student to represent their school at the Lord Mayor's Youth Advisory Council (LMYAC). LMYAC delegates act as representatives of their school and community and are a voice for raising issues or sharing ideas that affect young people.

In 2024, Marist College Ashgrove nominated Jack Purcell to represent the college. Throughout the year, Jack was committed to positively contributing to this program. Some of the achievements of the LMYAC included:

Directly engaged and provided suggestions to the Lord Mayor and Councillors
Worked with local Councillors to plan and deliver a series of youth events in the local Ward
Developed a deeper understanding of our city by participating in community events
Contributed ideas for Brisbane’s future
Explored personal passions and key leadership skills

The program has been a valuable learning experience for Jack, and we congratulate him for his contribution and dedication to the program during 2024.