Boarding News

Dear Boarding Families,

Over the last week, we have been recognising the unique contribution our boarders make to our vibrant community. These boys come from many different areas of Australia and from around the world, bringing their own unique perspectives to Marist College Ashgrove. I maintain that having boarders is one of the very best points of difference for our school when it is compared to many others. 

I spoke with the boarders at Mass on Sunday night about how they are part of one of the most enduring traditions at Marist College Ashgrove. Boarders have been part of the school since the Marist Brothers established it in 1940. We have always been a boarding school - not just a school with a few boys who happen to be boarders. I know the boarders are proud of their custodian role at the College and they also realise the responsibility to maintain and uphold the many positive traditions of those young men who’ve boarded before them. Being the ‘engine room’ of the College is something that comes naturally to our boarders and they do such a fine job of generating school spirit and helping out in so many ways to ensure the school runs smoothly.

Our boarders are active in so many areas of school life, from co-curricular sport and community service to performing arts. We’re so proud that Dom Forbes is the 2024 School Captain and I’d like to publicly acknowledge all of our Year 12 boarders who are leading so effectively by example this year. Thank you to all our boarders and their families as well as the dedicated Boarding Staff for everything you bring to Marist College Ashgrove.

Please remember that we have our main function for the year on Saturday 1 June – the Boarding Family Function. This will be held adjacent to McMahon Oval at the College at the conclusion of the 1st XV Rugby game against St Laurence’s. This will be an informal occasion where parents and guardians can enjoy each other’s company over a drink on Super Saturday. I hope to see you there!

Boarding Recreation

Mr Blair Whitlock - Boarding Recreation Officer

Week 5 rec started with a boarders arvo feast before heading up the road to watch our Year 12 boarders play Stuartholme in a netball match. This event has become a tradition in recent years and raises money for the Do It for Dolly’s Day charity. The boys always enjoy heading up to Stuartholme School and a bit of friendly competition while they are there. Dolly’s Day gear, Yeti products and Broncos tickets were raffled off in an enjoyable evening that raised important funds for a great cause. We look forward to hosting this event at Marist next year.

Saturday was another home round of sports against St Peters Lutheran College. It was a beautiful day and our boys had many successful outings that finished with the 1st XI and 1st XV taking comfortable wins at the end of the day. The ice bath set up in the Br Terence courtyard has become increasingly popular throughout Term 2 sport and we had around twenty boys take the plunge with varying degrees of shock. The undisputed ice bath king has to be Year 8 boarder, Antwone, who sits in there completely unfazed as it’s “nothing compared to the Cherbourg Creek in winter”. A group of 20 boys headed over to St Peters Lutheran College on Saturday night for a gym-themed social with around five other boarding schools. It was great to catch up with so many other schools and the boys burnt off any remaining energy after a huge Saturday.

On Sunday morning the La Valla and Montagne boys headed out to the Enoggera Reservoir to walk the beautiful Aracauria Track before taking another chilly plunge in the reservoir. We are very lucky to have such a beautiful reservoir so close to Marist and the boys always enjoy their time there. The final activity of the weekend saw a small group head out to the Brisbane Entertainment Centre for the aptly named Monster Truck Mania. It was as advertised with trucks, fire, bikes and cars hooning around for a couple of hours before the boys headed back to Marist for Sunday Mass.