Deputy Head of College News

One lap down and plenty to go. Not that I’m in the business of counting away the days, but I have taken stock of the point in time at which we find ourselves as a community. We’ve been through a cycle of regular occurrences and readying ourselves for the second half of the term, lap two.

It’s about this time of Term 1 our families are into their routines for the year, our teachers are deep in their units of work with their classes, assessment is on the horizon and some may already be considering holiday plans! These are all natural rhythms of family and school life. So too is the tension which can arise at this point in time between the hopes we have for the year and the inhibiting habits which can creep in.

Within households the hopes of doing more study, injecting more balance into daily life, reading more or writing more may well be going along swimmingly. Alternatively, these hopes may also becoming clouded with some limiting habits such as procrastinating, self-doubt or uncertainty. Again, all natural responses. Enter Lent.

As Michael Newman has mentioned, the essence of the season of Lent is to peel back all that is insignificant to focus on what truly matters. When peeling back some of life’s comforts we can become more sensitive to the essential elements of our humanity – family, friendships, relationships. ‘Lap one’ of Term 1 has provided our Marist Family with many examples of relationships alive within our community. 

Our Old Boys’ Association have met and discerned and elected a new executive and are already busy celebrating the wonderful work of Old Boys in the community. Our Parents and Friends Association had a strong representation at the recent Annual General Meeting where the executive batons were passed on with great humility. Plans for social occasions, the Walkathon, the Marist Family Support Program, Boarder Support activities, to name a few, are well underway. Our Foundation Board have gathered to discern a path forward with supporting our bursary program and master plan. All this in the first four weeks. Lap one.

Ash Wednesday is the start line for our second lap of the term or another opportunity to reinvigorate what we find special, what we hope for and who we aspire to be. We’ll be asked to “turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel”, or put another way, turn towards what really matters. For our Marist Family, you matter, your son matters, our staff matters, our friends matter. Let’s have a go at finding those who matter in our lives as we set out on a second lap. 

Student Free Day and Staff Spirituality Day

A reminder Monday 27 February is a calendared Student Free Day to enable staff to participate in Catholic formation and for our boarding community to enjoy the Boarder Free Weekend. 

The ongoing personal and professional formation of our staff is central to fostering our authenticity as a faith and learning community. Most importantly, this formation enlivens the vocation of our staff with providing an enriching educational experience for our students.

On Monday, Fr Richard Leonard, a notable Jesuit Priest, currently Parish Priest of North Sydney will present to staff. Fr Richard is an author, film critic, and some-time contributor to the UK Catholic magazine, The Tablet. He is above all though, a very engaging and lively speaker who will both encourage and challenge us to ‘walk the talk’ of our faith in a real and true manner. 

App Calendar

A reminder to parents and guardians to please refer to the College App Calendar for the most up to date event information. The App Calendar is updated weekly with any changes or additions as they occur. Access is via the Calendar tile on the College App or via the College website via the following link Calendar - Marist College Ashgrove (marash.qld.edu.au).