We Need Your Help – Sports Canteen

With rugby union, football, cross country and rugby league being played this term, Marist College Ashgrove has one of its busiest terms during Term 2. It is fantastic to see the majority of boys engaging in these sports as we know that healthy boys are far more likely to be “happy” (socially, mentally, academically) boys. Couple this with opportunities in music, visual art and drama, and academic co-curricular opportunities no boy at MCA could say that there isn’t something outside the classroom curriculum that they couldn’t get involved in.

With involvement in co-curricular comes the need for our community to pitch in and lend a hand when it comes to helping out in the canteens around the College on a Saturday. I would ask all parents to keep an eye on the College App for the call for help. It is always easier to volunteer with a friend, so I encourage you to perhaps organise those Saturdays when you may be able to offer an hour before your son’s match to help out with your buddy. That way, when the call for help comes you will be able to jump in straight away.

We Need Your Help – Tuckshop

Speaking of helping out and food, our tuckshop is once again in need of volunteers throughout the term to help feed our hungry boys.

If you are able to help out on a weekly basis, or even just once or twice, can you please click on the following link and offer your services?

All help is greatly appreciated – we are so very lucky as a College to have parents and guardians who are willing to give of their time to support the boys and to help the P&F in running these activities, which then bring money back into the College.

Walkathon

The annual MCA P&F Walkathon is happening again this year on Sunday 5 June. Please lock this date in your calendar – whilst it is a compulsory event for the boys, it is also a fun family event, culminating in the Battle of the Bands, which is always entertaining to watch.

This year the Tower Art Show coincides with the Walkathon, so you are invited to either walk and view the show, or even better, send your son off to walk and take the time to view the show in peace and quiet.

More information will follow regarding fundraising and opportunities to volunteer to help out on the day.

Important College Information

Supervision of Students Before School

The College’s formal yard supervision of students commences at 8:15am every school day.

Those boys who are attending sports training or other planned activities will be supervised by the adult(s) in charge. From 7:30am, boys are welcome at either of the libraries or the Centre for Learning Enrichment for tutoring and other assistance.

While there are always adults around the school from 7:00am in a coaching or tutoring capacity, Marist College Ashgrove does not provide formal supervision of students not attending sport training, music rehearsal or tutoring prior to 8:15am. Parents are responsible for their sons prior to this time.

Day Long Absences

If your son is going to be absent for a day due to illness or any other unexpected reason, please notify the College in writing via the Parent Lounge on the College App or Parent Portal.

Under Queensland Health guidelines, we are now required to provide increased data on student absences. The use of the parent lounge will allow you to provide more detail of your son’s absence. Many families whose children attended BCE primary schools will already be familiar with a similar system.

As students return to the College and with the increased prevalence of COVID-19 in the general community, the College has the responsibility to keep families regularly updated on COVID-19 being managed within the school community. This communication will occur through the College newsletter.

The current student absentee phone line will still be supported in the short term but will be phased out as we move to the online platform.

Parent Lounge - Add Attendance Notification

An SMS alert will be sent to parents/guardians of students recorded as an unexplained absence.

Please ensure you contact your son’s Head of House regarding any daily absences or longer that you are aware of ahead of time.

Early Departures

Year 5-6: If a student needs to leave the school during the day, they must sign out at the Primary School Reception - a parent/guardian is required to accompany them.

Year 7-12: If a student needs to leave the school during the day, he must have a note in his diary from a parent/guardian requesting permission to leave at a certain time. This note is to be signed by their Head of House before school or during morning administration (and presented to Tower Reception before signing out to leave the College grounds.)

Day students are not permitted to go home for lunch.

Students Arriving Late - Years 7-12

Students must sign in at the Tower Reception BEFORE going to their scheduled classroom.

An automated text message will be sent throughout the day to parents/guardians advising of their son’s late arrival to school.

Students Arriving Late - Years 5-6

Students must sign in at the Primary Reception with their parent/guardian BEFORE going to their classroom.

An automated text message will be sent throughout the day to parents/guardians advising of their son’s late arrival at school.

Drop-off and Pick-up

Please remember when dropping off or picking up students that road rules exist for the protection of everyone including your boys. Police and other authorities will be enforcing traffic regulations.

Please remind boys that if, for any reason, they are not picked up after school, they should go to the Health Centre and wait for a parent to arrive. The staff there are able to look after the boys and make every effort to contact parents.

Child Protection Officers

As part of our faith basis, duty of care obligations and legislative requirements, Marist College Ashgrove is committed to providing a safe environment to all students and to uphold their best interests and wellbeing.

With this in mind, the College has five Child Protection Officers whom staff, parents and students can report any instances of considered inappropriate behaviour by staff, parents or other students. Should you or your son want to report any kind of inappropriate behaviour, you may do so either in person or via one of the email addresses below.

Bruce McPhee - Deputy Head of College - mcpheeb@marash.qld.edu.au
Peter Serone - Head of Students - seronep@marash.qld.edu.au
Liam Beatty - Head of Primary - beattyl@marash.qld.edu.au
Jennifer Smeed - Head of Senior School Curriculum - smeedj@marash.qld.edu.au
Jim Noble - Head of Boarding - noblej@marash.qld.edu.au

If you or your son would like to speak to a counsellor about any kind of concerning behaviour or general personal safety or mental health matters, we also have the Reach Out Portal Tile on both the Parent and Student Portals. This will take you to a form you may complete that is received by the College Counsellors who will follow up accordingly.

Have Your Family Circumstances Changed?

To ensure you are receiving communications from the College, please log into Parent Lounge to check and update your Address Details. These details can be found under the Parent Address menu.

As part of this process, we ask that you please check, update or add an Alternate Emergency Contact for your family. This person will be contacted should you be unavailable in case of an emergency.

Where there has been a family separation and parents now reside at different addresses, please be aware we can effectively manage separate contact details on our system without compromising communication regarding your son. In the case of separated families, it would be ideal to have an Emergency Contact listed for each parent.

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if you need help navigating any changes (including new family court orders or conditional communication) through the Parent Portal. Our Data Management Office, Katherine Hoffmann is available to support you in this area. Email: hoffmannk@marash.qld.edu.au or Phone: 07 3858 4508.

2022 Fees and Notice Required for Withdrawal from the College

I would like to remind parents of the College’s Fee Policy and the requirement to set up a payment schedule in Parent Lounge if the account is not paid in full by the noted due date. Please ensure that you organise and set up your payment schedule before 28 February.

I would also like to take the opportunity to remind parents of the College’s student withdrawal procedure to ensure the continued planned financial commitments of the College are managed:

When a student is to be withdrawn from the College, or if an enrolment is to be cancelled by the parents, they are required to give the Head of College one term’s notice, in writing, before the withdrawal or cancellation date. However, if withdrawal is to be effective at the end of the College year, written notice must be given by the end of Term 3. Parents / guardians who do not give such a period of notice will be liable to pay the College an amount equal to one term’s fees in lieu of such notice.

In anticipation of your co-operation, thank you.

Media and Communications Agreement

Please note that as per your signed enrolment agreement, unless communicated in writing to the College, you consent to the use of your son’s image, in photographic and video format, and his name in the publications of College related material. If we do not hear from you, we will assume that your preferences remain unchanged.

External Tutoring on College Grounds

If you are interested in arranging for an External Private Tutor (e.g. an Old Boy) to tutor your son on College Grounds, such as in the Library or within the Boarding precinct, you will need to seek permission from the Head of College, Mr Michael Newman by emailing him the details to marist@marash.qld.edu.au. Please include the name of your son, his homeroom and the name/contact details of the Tutor you are enlisting to tutor your son.

As you may appreciate, we require all persons engaging in private tutoring on campus to hold a Blue Card, have double vaccination, as well as to abide by the College’s Private Tutoring Guidelines. You will then be emailed a form that needs to be signed and returned and the HR department will make contact with the Tutor regarding their Blue Card.

Please note that until the Tutor provides proof of their Blue Card to the College, and is linked to the College, they are unable to tutor on the College grounds. If you have any further enquiries please contact Head of Staff Services, Julie Ward at wardj@marash.qld.edu.au.

Lost Property

Any items of lost property that are found are handed in at the Student Administration Office or Primary Reception. Please make sure any items brought to school are clearly labelled.

Champagnat Trust Sports Lunch