Primary School News

Dear Primary Parents,

As we move through an exciting term, it is with great pleasure that we reflect on the enriching experiences our students have recently participated in, as well as look forward to upcoming events.

Year 5 Camp at Tallebudgera

Our first group of Year 5 campers embarked on their journey to Tallebudgera Outdoor Recreation Centre this past Monday. The focus of their adventure is on building resilience, fostering teamwork, and cultivating courage. Reports are coming in that they are having an amazing time, fully immersed in activities designed to challenge them and help them grow both personally and as a team. The experiences at Tallebudgera are not only about having fun but also about learning valuable life skills in a supportive environment.

As we continue to celebrate these wonderful experiences, we must also prepare for the second group of Year 5 campers scheduled for Week 7. For parents and guardians, if you have not yet submitted the necessary medical or consent forms, please ensure to do so as soon as possible to facilitate a smooth and safe camp experience for your child. 

Anzac Day March Reflection

Last Thursday, our primary contingent proudly participated in the Anzac Day march, an important day of remembrance. It was heartening to see over 100 of our primary boys volunteer their time to commemorate this significant occasion. Their involvement speaks volumes about their respect and understanding of the sacrifices made by our servicemen and women. It is essential for our young students to connect with our national history, and we commend them for their solemn participation in this national event.

Primary Sport

Mr John Lambourne – Head of Sport (Primary)

Term 2 AIC Sport

Communicating with Coaches

A reminder to all parents that communication with coaches is through Head of Sport - Primary and the year level co-ordinator of the sport, details below.

Head of Sport – Primary – John Lambourne lambournej@marash.qld.edu.au

Football

Year 6 – Matthew Jones jonesm@marash.qld.edu.au

Year 5 – Christopher Sim simc@marash.qld.edu.au

Rugby

Year 6 – John Lambourne lambournej@marash.qld.edu.au

Year 5 – Anthony Graham grahama@marash.qld.edu.au

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.

Chess

Charles Scarcella – Primary Chess Coach

Chess Coaching – All boys are welcome

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

Tuesday – Room 103 – 3:20 – 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 many 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 who 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 1 vs. Villanova College

Coach – Charles Scarcella

This week saw the boys facing Villanova for the first round of the AIC chess season. It was a tough competition, with the Junior A team losing in an extremely close competition and the Junior B team achieving a hard-fought draw. 

I look forward to continuing working with the boys for the rest of the season as we prepare for this coming game on Friday, and please remember all boys will get a game at some point so don't get discouraged if they haven't yet made a team.

Seb Kaminski 6R

With the first round of AIC chess having come to a close, we are now preparing for the next.

On Friday, after school hours, many of our primary boys held their heads high as they sat down facing the opposing Villanova boys, readying for their matches. We put up a fight against our skilled opponents with both wins and losses. If we won, we would stay humble and congratulate our opponent on a good battle, and if we lost, we would congratulate the opposition on their win. 

Once all our first matches had concluded, we gathered, as friends and foes, to share a meal together, as well as to wish each other well on our next games.

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.