Primary School News
Mr Liam Beatty, Head of Primary School
Dear Primary Families,
I trust you all enjoyed the third and final of our series of long weekends. Week 3 of Term 2 is very special, as it provides us with the opportunity to celebrate some of the most important people in our lives…our mums, ahead of their special day on Sunday.
On behalf of the staff, I hope Sunday gives you the chance to celebrate this special occasion with your families. I look forward to joining a number of our Primary mums at the Mother’s Day Breakfast on tomorrow morning.
Loving God,
We thank you for mothers – for all they mean or have meant, for the love they have shown and the care they have given.
We thank you for the qualities of mothers – their patience, their kindness, concern and understanding.
We thank you for the part they play in our lives, and we thank you for this day of celebrating them and the opportunity to say what we so often mean to say but so rarely do.
For mothers and motherhood, for children and families we bring you this day our grateful praise.
Amen
NAPLAN
As you would be aware, NAPLAN Testing commences next week; please see last week’s newsletter item from Ms Jen Little (Primary Learning Leader) for more information. Year 5 students and parents will be sent a reminder e-mail with the equipment they require ahead of Tuesday's first day of testing.
Emu Gully
There has certainly been a buzz around the school since our Year 6 students returned from their Emu Gully experiences last Friday. A big congratulations to all the boys for the way they engaged so enthusiastically in the physically and mentally challenging experiences of the day. I know that the boys did the College proud and I look forward to them putting their experience into practice as the leaders of the Primary School.
Walkathon Launch
At today's College Assembly, we officially launched the College Walkathon with a staff verse student ‘walk off’.
The College Walkathon is one of the biggest events on the College Calendar and will take place on Sunday 5 June. The Walkathon is a compulsory event for all our students and a great opportunity for us to all come together as a community. Your support in ensuring your son participates in this event is very much appreciated. All families are also welcome to join us and walk on the day.
Students should all now have their fundraiser cards which will prompt their sponsors to donate online. Traditionally, the Primary School has a reputation for being the highest fundraising group in the College and I look forward to that continuing this year. For some added motivation, we are offering incentives for students when they reach the fundraising benchmarks of $30.00 and $50.00.
Brisbane Writers Festival
This Thursday, we have a select group of students participating in an excursion to the Brisbane Writers Festival at the State Library of Queensland. My thanks to Mrs Meaghan Round (Teacher Librarian) for organising this opportunity for the boys.
Public Speaking and Debating
Best wishes to all the boys taking part in the first round of the Interschool Public Speaking and Debating Tournament at St Laurence’s College this evening. The boys have been preparing since last term, under the guidance of Mrs Kylie Tippins and Ms Robyn Brown.
Year 5 Parent Function
It was great to catch up with our Year 5 families at their parent function last Friday evening. This event could not have been possible without the generous support of the P&F, led by Mr Jim Gordon (President) and his tribe of parent helpers.
Primary Chess
Primary Chess Club will recommence next Monday, 9 May – 7:15am – 8:15am, in the Primary Library. All boys are welcome.
From the Primary Pastoral Leader – Michael Connolly
Emu Gully Excursion – Year 6
Our Year 6 boys and staff attended a day of problem-solving, mateship and mud at Emu Gully on Friday. The boys participated in five activities designed to take them out of their comfort zones. Many of the boys stepped up and helped others who struggled to take the big step necessary to conquer fears and anxieties in certain situations. In so many situations, boys were able to achieve their best because of the assistance and encouragement of those around them. Perhaps the greatest challenge from the Emu Gully experience is to take some of the lessons learned on the day and use them to make our Primary School an even better place to be.
Chill Out Room
This week we will be starting our Chill Out Room program. The Chill Out Room is supervised by a staff member and is a place where boys may go if they would like to spend time in a quiet environment away from the hustle and bustle of the playground. The boys are permitted to play board games, draw, play with construction materials etc during this time. We hope to see lots of boys using the Chill Out Room for the remainder of this term.
Before School Study
A reminder that Primary boys are encouraged to attend these sessions if they require extra time to complete tasks during the week. All students are welcome and will be assisted by the tutors from 8:00am – 8:30am each day.
From the Primary Library
Primary Sport - Mr John Lambourne
Student Responsibilities to College Sport
I have received a number of parent enquiries regarding the College’s position in regards to representing the College versus club. The following is taken directly from the MCA Enrolment Agreement and clearly states that the boys are expected to commit to College Sport ahead of any external sport providers;
…co-curricular participation is required as part of the life of the College and integral to the growth and development of each student. Participation by all, according to the relative abilities of each student is mandatory. If a student has the ability in a co-curricular activity that is offered at the College, he would be expected to contribute by representing the College. This representation takes precedence over fixtures offered by outside organisations.
I thank you for your support and assistance in this matter.
Term 2 Sport
Years 5-6 Results - Round 1 vs SLC
Term 2 Training Schedules
Years 5-6 Rugby Training Schedule 2022
Years 5-6 Football Training Schedule 2022
Cross Country
Boys are to meet at the swimming pool 6:30am for a 6:45am departure.
It is recommended that students complete two sessions per week. Students should attend one of the following:
- Monday and Wednesday
- Monday and Thursday
- Tuesday and Thursday
This structure allows students to have a rest day between sessions and to complete different types of training.
Sports Photographs
We are always on the lookout for photos and action shots to be used for the Blue and 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.
Pick-up Arrangements - “Plan B”
It is important that you are aware of the pick-up procedures if you are running late. Sport training sessions finish by 4:45pm. We ask that boys are picked up at this time or soon after. Any boy who is still at their training venue at 5:00pm will be directed to the Boarding Reception area so that he may be collected from there. In the case of bus arrivals, boys will be sent to Boarding Reception 15 minutes after the arrival time of the bus.
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.
For further information please do not hesitate to contact me; - John Lambourne, primarysports@marash.qld.edu.au
