Primary School News

Dear Primary Parents,

Today at our Mid-Term Primary Assembly, I spoke to the boys about effort. I asked them to stop and reflect on the effort they are putting into every area of their schooling here in the Primary School. I am sure that there are many boys who strive for their best in everything they do, and we got the chance to acknowledge a small number of these boys today in our awards ceremony. For those students who may not push themselves to do their very best, whether that be in the classroom, in the cultural or sporting arenas, or even in their interactions with others, there exists an opportunity to lift their effort here and enjoy the improved outcomes that will come with an improved effort. 

At assembly I shared a story from my Saturday morning of watching sport on the Des Connor ovals. The story was all about effort. During one of the rugby matches, a very tight finish loomed for the MCA team. In the dying minutes, I watched one of our players use every ounce of grit, determination and effort to evade the opposition defenders and score the match-winning try. This player was successful in his goal because he wanted it badly enough and his effort carried him through. The celebrations of his teammates and supporters showed how much his effort was appreciated!

As we begin Week 6 together, I encourage every boy to push themselves to new heights and enjoy the fruits of their efforts. 

We congratulate our below Love of Work and Men of Courage award winners who were recognised at the Primary assembly. For those boys that did not receive an award, we encourage them to keep up their efforts for the end of term assembly. 

Love of Work

5 Blue: Lucas Puzey-Reitmayer

5 Gold: Harmon Sidhu

5 Maroon: Daniel Sadimenko

5 Red: Alexander Fasano

5 Silver: Fraser Mills

5 Violet: Callum Murphy

5 White: Hamish Donnelly

6 Blue: William Hutchison

6 Gold: Patrick Pringle

6 Red: Mitchell Belyea

6 Violet: Brody Corsini

6 White: Abel Storey

Men of Courage:

5 Blue: James Midgley

5 Gold: Charlie Taylor

5 Maroon: George Thomas

5 Red: Jamie Kliskey

5 Silver: William Smith

5 Violet: Ben Blinkhoff

5 White: Charlie Herbert

6 Blue: Toby Watherston

6 Gold: Finn Beaver

6 Red: Charlie Davis

6 Violet: Jack Willoughby

6 White: Jasper Moeller

New Building

We are about to begin a very exciting two weeks here in Primary as we prepare to move our boys and teachers into our new building. The boys are being very patient as they wait for the finishing touches to be applied to the rooms in readiness for our arrival. Even though most of the construction fences have come down, please do not access the service road leading up to the new building to drop off boys or collect them in the afternoons as the builders are still working on the roadway for another week. Parents are asked to continue to use the Moola Rd drop-off zone until informed otherwise.

Primary Pastoral Leader

Mr Anthony Graham 

Below is a prayer shared with the boys and staff, reflecting on Pentecost celebrated last Sunday and its connection to our primary school and the brand-new building.

Good morning, everyone. As we gather in our assembly today, we reflect on a special moment in our Christian faith that happened on last weekend, Pentecost Sunday. It is when the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples. This year, Pentecost also marks a new beginning for us as we move into our new school building which is called St. Marcellin Centre. Let us begin with the Sign of the Cross. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Pentecost was a time of transformation for the disciples, filled with the Holy Spirit, they found new courage and strength. This spirit of renewal and beginnings is especially meaningful to us today as we stand ready to enter our new building, a place where we will learn, grow, and thrive together. As we reflect on new beginnings, we remember St. Marcellin Champagnat, a man led by the Spirit to found the Marist Brothers, dedicated to educating young people. Like the disciples, he trusted in God’s plan and worked tirelessly to spread knowledge and faith.

St Marcellin Champagnat showed us the power of trust and dedication. Our new building is not just a structure; it is a promise of new opportunities, a place where we can follow in his footsteps, learning and growing in faith and knowledge.

Let us pray. God of wisdom, bless our new building, our teachers, and students. May this space be filled with the Holy Spirit, inspiring us to achieve greatness as St. Marcellin Champagnat did. Help us to build a community of faith, learning, and love. Lord hear us…

All: Lord, hear our prayer.

Just as the disciples overcame their fears and spread the word of God far and wide, let us step into our new building with brave hearts, eager to explore new horizons and cherish every moment of learning and companionship.

Let us pray. Loving Father, guide us with Your Spirit of courage and wisdom. As we move into our new school building, let us remember that every day is a new chance to grow closer to You and to each other. Lord hear us…

All: Lord, hear our prayer.

We ask for God’s blessing on our new journey in our new school building. May we, like the disciples at Pentecost, be inspired to use our talents for the good of all, contributing to our school community with joy and enthusiasm.

Let us pray. Eternal God, fill this new building with Your love and peace. May it be a home where we learn not only knowledge but also the values taught by Jesus Christ and St. Marcellin Champagnat. Empower us to be true witnesses of Your word. Lord hear us…

All: Lord, hear our prayer.

Let us close our prayer by reciting the Lord’s Prayer together. 

Camp Reminder for Year 5 Students

Just a quick note to remind Year 5 students and their families about the upcoming camp. Students in 5 Blue, 5 Gold, 5 Red and 5 White will be departing on Monday 27 May. Parents are asked to drop their child off at the bus stop from 7:30am. Any later than 7:50am, parents are asked to use the Moola Road drop-off and walk down to the bus stop. Boys will stay at the bus stop and Hayden Oval and will not go back up to the classroom prior to departure. Please ensure all belongings are clearly labelled and that you pack appropriately for the activities planned. Should you have any questions regarding the camp, feel free to reach out to the respective class teacher or Mr Graham for more information. Let's get ready for an exciting and educational experience outdoors!

Public Speaking

Mrs Kylie Tippins

Once again, our Year 5 public speakers impressed the audience with a wide variety of speeches to inform and entertain us. With topics ranging from why homework is not necessary, to exploring our underwater world, poverty in Kenya, to why Marist College needs a pet dog, our boys represented the College well, showing evidence of their preparation and practice. Congratulations to our speaker of the night - Charlie.

Round Robin Debating – MCA/SLC/ATC/PC - Mrs Robyn Brown

Both debating teams did exceptionally well last Tuesday evening.

They came away victorious and very proud! The teams were well prepared, listened intently to their opposition and formed strong rebuttals, which was instrumental in their success. The topic of their debate was “That all families should own a pet.” The boys debated against ATC. Congratulations boys!

Team 1 

The team consists of Joe Campion, Cormac Gannon, Harry McConnell and Barney Armstrong. Speaker of the night was awarded to Cormac Gannon.

Team 2 

The team consists of Will Minahan, Jono Lutkic, Lincoln Bartlett and Dom Guinea. Speaker of the night was awarded to Dom Guinea.

Primary Sport

Mr John Lambourne – Head of Sport (Primary)

Term 2 AIC Sport

Rugby Union

Football

Cross Country

Training – Monday, Wednesday and Friday

Venue: McMahon Oval

Time: Training starts at 7:00am sharp. Students are to arrive at 6:45am and sign into the session with their student ID card.

AIC Cross Country Meet #3

Venue: St Laurence’s College, SLC Playing Fields, Runcorn

Time: Year 5 @ 4:15pm; Year 6 @ 4:25pm

A bus will take the runners to the meet, departing at 2:55pm, the bus will return at 5:45pm (approx.). Parents are asked to inform Mr Lambourne if they are collecting their sons from the meet.

Boys are to dress in their MCA training shirt, MCA sports shorts and MCA sport socks, boys are to wear an MCA athletics singlet while competing.

Boys will need to bring:

• Water bottle
• College hat
• Sunscreen
• Afternoon tea

Chess

Chess Coaching – All boys are welcome

Monday – Primary Library – 7:15am – 8:20am

Tuesday – Room 103 – 3:20pm – 4:45pm

Marist Primary AIC Chess team is divided into three separate teams, Junior A, Junior B and Junior C, along with reserves. The competition for the places in the Primary Chess teams is quite tough, with almost double the number of boys at chess compared to the number of spots available in the team.

To give as boys as possible the opportunity to compete, the Junior C team will be rotated each week, allowing for all boys that want to compete in AIC Chess an opportunity to represent Marist. The Junior A and Junior B team will remain for the top 8 players. It is important to note, however, that reserves are always needed as it is highly likely that there will be at least one player which may have unavailability each week and as a result reserves are encouraged to always show up in case they are needed.

Marist Primary AIC Chess

Round 4 vs. St Patricks’s @ SPC

Round 4 vs. St Peter’s Lutheran College

Seb Kaminski 6R

Yet another round of AIC chess has passed this term, which also means new results. As St Peter’s doesn’t have a C team, our own C team unfortunately missed out on playing their two matches. The results were: Junior A - Lost, and Junior B - Drew. Though we didn’t win in Primary, we still played to our best abilities on Friday night, (at the Draney Theatre) and we did reasonably well considering we were facing some tough opponents. With the conclusion of the first match over, both schools met, and ate some snacks to gain more energy, and to keep a sharp mind for the following game. Once the second match was over, we congratulated our opponents and went home. (Remember, chess practice/club is open to anyone who wishes to make a team or to just play chess and have fun. Chess is on Monday, in the Primary Library, 7:15am-8:20am, and Tuesday, Room 103, 3:20pm-4:45pm.)

Sports Photographs

We are always on the lookout 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.

College App

Please ensure that you download the College App to your smartphone. This app will be used weekly 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 College 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 5:00pm 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.