Boarding News

Welcome to a new year at Marist College Ashgrove Boarding. This year the Boarding Bugle will be included within a College newsletter. This is a great move, allowing families to receive all College information in one convenient package. And for boarding, this is a wonderful opportunity for us to showcase to our day school families, the great things happening in our boarding community.

We welcomed our returning boarding families to the College on Tuesday 26 January and for the first time hosted an afternoon tea for families. This was a new initiative, an idea from one of our Year 11 boarding families and was received really well by everyone! This will be held on the boarders return day each term. We look forward to our families gathering together in the cool, to enjoy a cuppa and an opportunity to get to know each other, before the long trip home.

There is always a special energy in the boarding school at the beginning of the year. Reconnecting with friends, the arrival of new students, a different residence and the opportunity to start afresh all contribute to an overwhelming sense of positivity and willingness to give things a go. As the day-to-day rhythm and routine sets in, learning how to function productively within the structure of boarding life is key to sustaining this attitude.

Structure can help boys manage their time, keep them out of trouble, assist them to work out what they enjoy, develop self-discipline and reduce anxiety. In essence, structure facilitates progression. In terms of the boarding school, structure is represented in the before, afterschool & nightly routines, the regularity of meal and bedtimes, study support, activity & sport options, free time and weekly community events.

So, how do our boys prosper in this structured environment?

Without discounting the challenges that some boys do face either personally, socially or family-related, put simply, the following advice is key to success and made easier to do by the structure boarding provides:

‘One does what he has to do, before what he wants to do.’

A TEAM LAUNCH, ACADEMIC SKILLS & TUTORING

I am excited to announce a new tutoring partnership that we have developed with A Team Tuition for 2021. A Team Tuition works with many of the Boarding schools across Australia and comes highly recommended from the Australian Boarding Schools Association. Their philosophy of student success very much sits within our framework of wanting every individual to achieve his personal best. Please watch this space for updates throughout the Semester.

Further to our tutoring program, Academic Skill lessons recommence this week in the library. Academic Skills is a scaffolded program which ultimately aims to help teach boarders how to study. We are fortunate to have this program implemented and driven by our Head of Library Services Mrs Mary Stirling and Teacher Librarian Mrs Lena Crowley.

Boarders Recreation

A big welcome to our new boarders and boarding families. Whether it’s your first time with a child in boarding school or your fifth, we know it is always a difficult time to say goodbye. Rest assured our recreation program at MCA is built to keep your boy active and engaged, whether they enjoy sports, art or music – we always have something for everyone!

This term we have several great activities on the weekends in addition to our weekly club program starting next week. Our activities this term will include beach trips, pool parties with fellow boarding schools, trips to water parks, Broncos games, and ice skating just to name a few! In addition, we will have our clubs for boys not signed up for extra-curricular activities in or outside the College. Our club programs are set to include activities such as cooking, music, mountain biking, art and golf.

To celebrate the end of Week 1, our boarders from Br Geoffery residences (Years 6 – 9) hosted the ladies of Stuartholme College for a Saturday evening BBQ and night swim. The evening proved to be a good opportunity for the boarders from each College to reacquaint themselves upon returning from holidays. The senior boarders of Br Terence residence did a splendid job of manning the BBQs and ensured the young boarders had plenty to eat before venturing down to the pool. On arrival down at the pool, it was evident that both school groups were eager to have a dip and enjoy the facilities. The pool activities would best be described as a co-educational bait ball of mackerel swimming close by one another in order to protect themselves from the stray rugby ball being thrown around in the pool! An eventful evening saw friendships blossom into the exchanging of social media contacts. We thank the ladies of Stuartholme College for their visit and look forward to returning the favour in the coming weeks. 

On Sunday almost 100 of our boarding boys spent the day at Wet’n’Wild with almost every other Brisbane boarding school. This is a big day on the boarding school calendar, the boys had a wonderful time!

All boys wore sun shirts and slapped on some sunscreen before running off for the day, and boy did they run off fast. It was a hot day, and water slides everywhere – the only question was where to start! While the boys got to making new friends and racing down 50m long water slides, our supervisors got to feeding growing boys! Wet’n’Wild is always a huge favourite of the year and I’m glad the boys managed to have as much fun as they did in their first week back at school! 

It’s set to be a fun term and year ahead for our Marist boarders, and I’m looking forward to it as always!