From the Head of College

Spirit and Faith

St Marcellin Champagnat had a practice of kindly placing the names of Brothers in a heart when they left for ministry. He also signed off his letters with, ‘I leave you in the sacred hearts of Jesus and Mary.’ This practice was a great faith statement of Marcellin, and was in the loving spirit of Jesus and Mary who radiate care and protection. The practice of openable hearts was centuries old in the Catholic Church with the heart representing the sacred heart of Jesus – the unconditional love of our God for each one of us. This was a very popular devotion in Southern France, in the 19th century. The hearts often have the traditional AM symbol on them translated as ‘Auspice Maria’ which means under Mary’s patronage or protection. In this same sentiment, the first name given to Marist College Ashgrove was St Mary’s College (1940-1971) and its original motto (1940-1958) was “posturant me custodum” meaning “They have appointed me guardian” (Mary). Faith was at the centre of St Marcellin Champagnat’s life, and it is still at Marist College Ashgrove.

David Jackson KC, a Marist College Ashgrove old boy and highly respected former president of the Order of Malta, gifted barrister and former Federal Court Judge, passed away last week. The Catholic Leader heralded his achievements and faith this week. He was respected across the Catholic Church for his legal counsel to many Catholic bodies including the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference. Honoured with a Member for the Order of Australia for his services to the legal profession, the president of the Australian Bar Association - Peter Dunning said that Mr Jackson was a “pre-eminent silk of nearly half a century and the finest constitutional and High Court barrister of a generation, arguably since Federation.” Sydney barrister, Sophie York reflected on the faith-filled qualities that David Jackson espoused – “He was a formidable figure, but he also had a sweet gentleness to him. I believe faith gives you a certain humility and gratitude for your gifts, rather than a pomposity about your gifts and that was certainly the way David lived his life. He realised there were causes worth fighting for, including pro-life matters and so he did pro-bono work, but never sought any accolades for it.” Faith was at the centre of David Jackson’s life, a truly great graduand of the College.

This Sunday marked the end of the Easter season. It is the season that is fundamental to our faith – Christ’s resurrection and our promise of eternal reward with our loving God. The feast is one of faith in the resurrection and the spirit of God (Pentecost) which surrounds and encapsulates our very being each day. Jesus left us his spirit to maintain and strengthen our faith every day. The spirit enables our faith to remain as the centre of our lives, as was the case for St Marcelin Champagnat, David Jackson and in essence, at Marist Ashgrove. 

God of the journey, let your spirit guide and surround the lives of all members of the Marist family, filling us all with an empowering and inspiring faith. Amen. 

Feast of St Marcellin Champagnat

The 6th of June is the official feast day of St Marcelin Champagnat – the founder of the Marist Brothers – the Marist Brothers who commenced Marist College Ashgrove in 1940. We will celebrate this feast-day with a College Mass in the Champagnat Centre at 11:00am led by Fr Alatini Kolofo’ou SM. The Mass concludes with special awards where we acknowledge long-serving staff members and members of our college family for their Marist valued contributions. This will be followed by a traditional celebratory lunch supplied by the College for all boys. The afternoon will see fun activities organized in house groups followed by the Theatre Sports finals. We trust that all boys have a memorable Champagnat Day and truly value their heritage and tradition. Happy Champagnat Day!

Immersions

Marist College Ashgrove is proud to announce the reintroduction of immersion experiences post-Covid. The aim of an immersion is to be a ‘guest’ to others from another country. The places and people we visit are faced with societal and often financial challenges. We join with our sisters and brothers in the spirit of the Gospel – treating all people with dignity and respect. Applications are invited from students in Year 11 who wish to be considered for participation in a Marist Solidarity Immersion experience in 2023.

This year it is our hope that students will travel to the Santa Teresa Community in the Northern Territory from 15-23 September and to the La Valla Community in Cambodia from 24 November – 5 December. Applications close at the end of this week. My thanks are extended to Anna Nasr (Assistant Head of College, Mission) and Mena McLean (Campus Minister) for organising these opportunities for the boys.

AIC 25 Years

As President of the AIC for 2023, Marist College Ashgrove is proud to be hosting the 25-year Anniversary Cocktail event for Associate Independent Colleges (AIC) on Thursday evening 1 June at the Tower. The first year of competition for AIC was in 1999. The headmasters at that time of the now AIC colleges were looking for something else that met the sporting needs of their students. TAS had grown to an association of 16 schools and had a tier type competition structure. The original AIC sporting calendar was: swimming, cricket, volleyball, rugby union, football, cross country, tennis, basketball and, track and field. Chess was introduced as an official sport in 2004. The annual Golf Day was introduced in 2004, while water polo became a social sport in 2006. Australian Rules was introduced for the primary boys in 2017 and then the secondary in 2019. Rugby League was introduced in 2019. In the last 10 years the association has grown by over 5000 students. (2010 figures = 7383 to 2023 = 12154) The AIC now has the largest participation of boys compared to any other school sports competition in Queensland.

This 25 Year Anniversary event will include an interview panel of past players from various colleges, a video reflecting on these years, a description of these years and the previous TAS competition and celebrating the successes of past student athletes. Each school has nominated past old boys who have made up the top 25 past players from both the AIC and the TAS Competitions. I list these acknowledged players below for your information -

25 Years AIC                                    

Harris Andrews (Australian Rules, Padua College) 

Dane Bird-Smith (Athletics, St Peters Lutheran College) 

Charlie Cameron (Australian Rules, Marist College Ashgrove) 

Jack Cartwright (Swimming, St Peters Lutheran College) 

Cooper Cronk (Rugby League, St Laurence’s College) 

Pietro Figlioli (Water Polo, Marist College Ashgrove)

Daniel Fox (Swimming, Iona College) 

Nick Frisby (Rugby Union, Marist College Ashgrove) 

Andrew Grant (Volleyball, Marist College Ashgrove) 

Tim Howard (Hockey, Iona College) 

Sam Johnson (Rugby Union, St Edmund’s College) 

Damon Kelly (Weightlifting, St Laurence’s College) 

Luke McLean (Rugby Union, St Laurence’s College) 

Drew Mitchell (Rugby Union, St Patrick’s College) 

Ben Mowen (Rugby Union, Villanova College) 

Tom O’Toole (Rugby Union, Padua College)

Simon Patmore OAM (Athletics, Snowboard Cross, St Patrick’s College)

David Shillington (Rugby League, Padua College)

Grant Sorenson (Volleyball, St Edmund’s College) 

Moses Sorovi (Rugby Union, St Peters Lutheran College)

James Stannard (Rugby Union, St Edmund’s College)

Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (Rugby League, Iona College)

Christian Welch (Rugby League, Villanova College) 

Brendan Whitecross (Australian Rules, St Patrick’s College) 

Michael Zullo (Football, Villanova College) 

25 Years TAS

Andrew Slack (Rugby Union, Villanova College)

Chris Simpson (Cricket, Villanova College)

Brad Meyers (Rugby League, Villanova College) 

Noel Kelly (Rugby League, St Edmund’s College)

Paul McLean (Rugby Union, St Edmund’s College)

Jeff McLean (Rugby Union, St Edmund’s College)

Bill Tyquin (Rugby Union, St Laurence's College)

Dan Crowley (Rugby Union, St Laurence's College)

Ken Fletcher (Tennis, St Laurence's College)

Brendan Creevey (Cricket, St Patrick’s College)

Michael Crocker (Rugby League, St Patrick’s College)

D Brennan (Commonwealth Games Boxer, St Patrick’s College) 

Paul Vautin (Rugby League, Padua College)

Peter Nowill (Athletics, Padua College)

Joel Howley (Water Skiing, Padua College)

John Eales (Rugby Union, Marist College Ashgrove)

Michael Bohl (Olympic Swimming Coach, Marist College Ashgrove)

Matthew Hayden (Australian Cricketer, Marist College Ashgrove)

Damien Marsh (Athletics, St Peters Lutheran College)

Rod Hauser (Rugby Union, St Peters Lutheran College)

Mark Harris (Rugby League, St Peters Lutheran College)

Graeme Quinn (Rugby League, (Iona College)

Chris Hill (Triathlon, Iona College)

Ashley Callus (Swimming, Iona College)

Congratulations AIC on 25 years!

Father-Son Camp

The Father-Son Camp is a voluntary opportunity for dads to bond further with their sons in a scenic, adventurous setting. The 2023 camp provides a variety of accommodation options and activities. This camp will occur during the Ekka Long Weekend Wednesday 16 to Friday 18 August at Mt Barney Lodge. For more detailed information check the link below:

Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/father-and-son-camp-2023

My thanks are extended to Mr Craig Milligan Pastoral Leader – Middle School with the Parents and Friends Association for organising this opportunity for the boys.

Respectful Relationships and Consent

On Monday 5 June, Year 10 will have an all-day presentation seminar (Your Choice) on Respectful Relationships and Consent. This presentation will support the work covered in the ASH program with Year 10 this term. 

In a world where teens seem to be more connected than ever before, so many are struggling to find real and meaningful relationships. This presentation will explore the importance of authentic and respectful relationships. Topics covered will include: healthy and unhealthy relationships, sexual decision making, pornography, consent and sexual ethics, gaining clarity around important terms such as sexual assault and sexual harassment, understanding how to connect in a meaningful way with friends and family, and feeling empowered to make decisions that are right for them despite the pressure they may face from peers. My thanks are extended to Mr Peter Serone (Head of Students) for organising this important presentation day for the boys. 

Primary School Wellbeing Week

This week, the Primary School celebrates Wellbeing Week. This is the perfect period of the term to stop, reflect, and pay particular attention to personal mental wellbeing. To do this, the following activities have been planned: MONDAY – YOGA: The boys will be introduced to the gentle benefits of yoga; TUESDAY – YOU ARE AWESOME: The boys will have an opportunity to select from a variety of worksheets to complete. They will need to engage in some self-reflection and dive deeply into who they are as people; WEDNESDAY – MINDFUL COLOURING: A wonderful selection of colouring sheets will be available for the boys to enjoy. We shall have essential oils diffusing and some relaxing music for them to enjoy; THURSDAY – GRATITUDE DAY: We will have a discussion with the boys about gratitude and how happiness is a superpower; FRIDAY – MEDITATION: The boys will be introduced to the gentle art of meditation and learn the benefits of how it can help them in moments of stress. Enjoy boys and staff!

Year 11 Academic Reports and Year 12 Academic Interviews

All Year 11 Academic Reports will be released to parents this Friday afternoon, 2nd June.  I thank all our dedicated academic staff who are busy marking and completing these reports as we speak.

Staff continue to undertake Year 12 Academic Interviews this week as we discuss and plan together - staff, parents, and students - a positive academic pathway forward. This is an important time in the academic calendar for our senior boys and we wish them well and our full support and encouragement.   My thanks are extended to our Staff Academic Care Team for completing these Year 12 Academic Interviews.

Vaping

The College will continue to support Queensland Government laws which clearly state that it is illegal for retail stores to sell vapes. Vapes are illegal without a prescription. Marist College Ashgrove continues to remind the boys that the use of vapes is illegal and not condoned. Boys who are caught using vapes at Marist will be disciplined accordingly. The College will continue to educate the boys on the harmful effects of vaping, smoking, drugs and alcohol. We look forward to continued presentations from guest speakers throughout the year on this topic, including Paul Dillon from Drug and Alcohol Research and Training (DARTA).

Rosies

Last evening, Monday 29 May, four Year 12 Marist students, Leo Copeman-Hill, Gabe Dennison, Patrick Hooper, and Sam Reid attended a ROSIES Street Outreach visit. This is an opportunity for the boys to be guests to the people of our streets, to share a coffee, a snack, and a conversation.

In a delightful surprise, Ashgrove Old Boy (2010), John Gallo (pictured far right), was part of the ROSIES team for the evening. John continues to regularly volunteer at ROSIES. It was wonderful for our current students to see and engage with John, the ROSIES team, and our patrons for the evening.

We have had three ROSIES visits this year and are grateful to this organisation for the opportunity they provide our boys. We have visits planned for Term 3 as well.

Below is a photo of John and the Marist Ashgrove boys.

2023 Non-Government Schools Census Collection Notice

The Australian Government Department of Education is set to conduct the 2023 Non-Government Schools Census collection, an essential initiative aimed at gathering comprehensive data about schools, their staff, and students. 

The following document provides a detailed overview of the Census collection process, the use and disclosure of personal information, and the roles and responsibilities of the involved parties.

The school will provide all data to the Australian Government Department of Education.

May our loving God with Mary our good mother and St Marcellin Champagnat walk with all members of the Marist College Ashgrove Family.

Upcoming Events

Tuesday 30 May

• National Reconciliation Week - continues
• Creative Industries Week - continues
• Primary Wellbeing Week - continues
• Year 12 Academic Interviews - continue
• Reconciliation – Chapel (Fr Alatini Kolofo’ou)
• Co-Curricular Photos (Music) - before school
• Primary Morning Assembly
• House Meetings Years 5-12
• College  Assembly
• Songwriting Workshop with Kieran Stevenson - Music Centre
• Bunraku Puppetry Workshop - Experimental Theatre
• Live Paint Session with Sarah Scully - Main Yard
• St Vincent de Paul Meeting – Mission Office
• Co-Curricular Photos (Cross Country) - Break 1
• College Assembly
• Years 10 and 11 Subject Selection Evening

Wednesday 31 May

• Cross Country Championships (Curlew Park)
• Mass in Chapel – all welcome
• GreenAsh
• Junior School Ukulele Workshop - Years 5 and 6
• Film Showing – Current Student Work with Pierce Hardy

Thursday 1 June

• Co-Curricular Photos (Music) - before school
• Year 11 Construction Immersion
• Staff Car Wash – Cert III Business Students
• GreenAsh
• SVdP Sausage Sizzle – Main Yard
• Study Hall – Senior Library
• Primary Morning Assembly
• Mafia Improvisation Role Play Game with Rebecca Taylor - Experimental Theatre
• Battle of the Bands – Winner Performance and Sausage Sizzle - Draney Theatre Forecourt
• Year 10 and 11 Game Changers Meeting
• Year 8 Game Changers Meeting
• Cathedral Concert at St Brigid’s Church Red Hill
• 25-year Anniversary Cocktail event for Associate Independent Colleges (AIC)

Friday 2 June

• Gothic Fiction Masterclass – Resource Centre
• French Excursion
• Year 11 PE Excursion to Victoria Park
• Year 12 Rec Studies Excursion to Urban Climb West End
• House Leader Meetings
• ASHCam Winners Announced
• Year 11 Academic Reports Released to Parents
• Round 6 Chess v SLC (A)

Saturday 3 June

• Mabo Day
• Round 6 Rugby v SLC (Runcorn)
• Round 6 Football v SLC (Runcorn)

Sunday 4 June

• Trinity Sunday
• Boarders’ Mass (Chapel) - 6:00pm

Monday 5 June

• FarmFest Boarding Visit - commences
• ICPA Conference Julia Creek
• Year 10 Seminar (Your Choice) on Respectful Relationships and Consent
• Primary Morning Assembly
• Student Leader Forum Meeting - Room 401

Tuesday 6 June

• Mass and Celebration for the Feast of St Marcellin Champagnat
• Reconciliation – Chapel (Fr Alatini Kolofo’ou)
• Study Hall – Senior Library
• House Meetings Years 5-12
• Theatre Sports Finals – Champagnat Centre
• Old Boys’ Association Meeting

Wednesday 7 June

• Year 11 Subject Change Deadline
• GreenAsh
• Mass in Chapel - all welcome
• College Assembly
• VET Industry Evening

Thursday 8 June

• Year 11 Construction Immersion
• Year 11 Geography Excursion
• GreenAsh
• SVdP Sausage Sizzle – Main Yard
• Study Hall – Senior Library
• Primary Morning Assembly
• Pastoral Group Paper Recycling
• Environment Group Meeting – Room 206
• MCA Guitar Summit – Draney Theatre