From the Head of College

Mr Michael Newman

The Fire of Faith to Action

On Saturday morning at the bright and early hour of 3:00am, our Year 11 and 12 boarding students rose and then departed the College for Suncorp Stadium with our Head of Boarding - Mr Jim Noble, to engage in an honourable and faith-filled purpose. Old Boy, Ricky Milosevic (MCA Senior 1989), a boarder from Quilpie, was killed in the Afghanistan conflict so our boys walked for Ricky and his family, and the 40 other Australians who lost their lives in the war in Afghanistan. This is a fundraiser that was explained to the boys at Sunday’s boarding Mass by current parent and fellow serving veteran - Mr Sean Mulqueen. The fundraiser is named “42 for 42” and was founded by ex-army veterans whose aim is to help struggling veterans and their families by building a memorial dedicated to those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice. The 42 stands for the 41 Australian veterans who were killed in Afghanistan, with the extra number (that makes up 42) representing the veterans we continue to lose to suicide, ongoing injuries and poor mental health as a result of their war experiences. The walk is thus 42 hours long and is shared amongst individuals or groups who take turns to walk one hour for each veteran, so our boys walked for one hour around Suncorp Stadium seeing in the dawn. Money raised from the walk will go towards the war memorial garden so that the many brave Australians who lost their lives in this war, on return, or who continue to struggle, will never be forgotten.

Sunday’s readings (2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14; 2 Thessalonians 2:16-3:5; Luke 20:27-38) remind us that faith and action go together. With faith we are empowered to stand up and live what is right, just and Christian. As Pope Francis (16 August 2022) reminds us, faith is not something which pacifies life and makes it easier, but rather faith calls individuals to action. Faith is not a “lullaby” that lulls us to sleep. True faith is a fire, a living flame to keep us wakeful and active even at night!

I commend each of our boys and their Head of Boarding - Mr Jim Noble, for modelling to the Marist College Ashgrove family the importance of making faith real and active in support of this wonderful cause including our very own Old Boy, Ricky Milosevic. Well done, gentlemen.

God of the journey, may we make our faith real, alive and active for others. Amen.

Remembrance Day

On Friday - the 11th day of the 11th month - we remember the armistice agreement that ended World War One on November 11th, 1918, at 11:00am. It is traditional on this day for all Australians to have a period of one-minute silence at 11:00am to remember those who died or suffered for Australia’s cause in all wars and armed conflicts including: World War 1, World War 2, Korean, Vietnam, Gulf, Iraq, Afghanistan and various peacekeeping missions. Marist College Ashgrove will remember this Friday at 11:00am with all classes stopping for prayer, a video and one minute of silence. My thanks are extended to our Head of Mission - Mr Luke McMahon and Deputy Head of College - Mr Bruce McPhee, for organising this commemoration for the boys.

End of Year – Final Exam Block

With assignment due dates looming, we are about to enter the end of year exam period. All boys are encouraged to revise and study diligently in these final days before the commencement of their examinations. Our Years 10 and 11 students commence their exams on Tuesday 15th November, with the Years 8 and 9 students on Wednesday 16th November and the Year 7 boys on Thursday 17th November. All Primary boys will be continuing their final assessments and tests over the coming two weeks in their classes. My best wishes are extended to all boys during this important time of academic study. My thanks go to our professional teachers who are preparing and marking all assessments and final exams over the next 3 weeks.

Marist Mothers Christmas Lunch

The annual Mother’s Christmas Lunch will be held at the Greek Club in West End on Friday 11th November from 11:30am. This is always a much-anticipated event and a wonderful social occasion for all mothers. it is hoped that the larger venue of the Greek Club will be more inclusive of those who wish to attend. This year, funds raised from this lunch will go toward the refurbishment of our tuckshop. A little tired and old, a refurbishment of the tuckshop will be most beneficial to all boys and no doubt, busy families! Boys really need nutritional and wholesome food to ensure they are growing and learning best. We are hoping that the Mother’s Christmas Lunch will be an event that reconnects all mothers in attendance and develops further friendships, along with raising some much-needed funds to make the tuckshop refurbishment a reality. Enjoy!

Year 5 Concert

The annual Year 5 concert will be held this Thursday, 10th November at 6:00pm in the Draney Theatre. Come along and hear our future stars with the Year 5 Choir, Strings and Band performing for the final time this year. This is where it all starts for our boys in music at the College. My thanks are extended to all our generous and professional staff involved: Megan Harmston, Catherine Wasserman, Janelle Lee Long, Andrew Butt, Melanie Stewart, Carmen Hooper, Samuel Vincent, Alex Hides, Vanessa Mitchell and Darian Johns. Best wishes, gentlemen.

Formal Hats

Formal hat fitting will be undertaken for all boys this week. We thank Noone who are going to much trouble ensuring these new formal hats are well-fitted, in good quality and distributed before the commencement of 2023, for all boys, in every year group. An order form and the schedule for hat fittings was sent to every parent, via email from the Deputy Head of College - Mr Bruce McPhee, this week. For more details on any uniform item available, pricing and sizes, please refer to the website – www.noone.com.au/school/marist-college-ashgrove/shop.

Primary Building Commences

We are pleased to announce that the new primary building has commenced construction. The land is being cleared and fences are placed in position as we speak. This is a very exciting time for the college with the official commencement of our Masterplan for the Future. We look forward to this construction and the Cyprian Pavilion renovation as the first two elements of the plan take place. We wish Stokes-Wheeler Builders and Hotston Phorm Architects the best of luck. We are well planned and expect very minimal impact on the college as a whole, and that there will be no impact on the boys’ learning with this new construction. A great addition to Marist College Ashgrove.

Year 7 Immunisations

This Thursday, 10th November, the Year 7 boys complete their vaccination immunisation program. Parents who consented to the program received an email on Monday advising a second dose was being administered. Students will be receiving their second dose of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). Parent consent was given in Term 1 and the first dose was administered in March 2022.

Immunisations will take place during Periods 1, 2 or 3 in the Draney Foyer. Students will present in class groups. My Thanks are extended to Peter Serone (Head of Students), Kelly Byrnes, Sharon Ortiz, Jack Johnson and health centre nurses for organising and facilitating this service for all the boys.

Marist Extend

Last Thursday night an information session was held for parents interested in the Marist Extend (Year 7 – 2023) program. This exciting new initiative will help Year 7 boarders and day-boys form great friendships and day-boys to benefit from the routine and support available in the evenings as part of boarding. I attach a link to the application form: https://forms.office.com/r/g7bhDM6FKp.

For more information, please contact Jim Noble at this email address - noblej@marash.qld.edu.au or by going to the MCA website.

Australian Representative

Zack Newsham (Year 12) recently represented Australia at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships held in Chiang Mai Thailand over the weekend. As part of the Australian team, Zack was able to attend the opening ceremony which he described as a once in a lifetime experience. Zack was the youngest member of the Australian Team and the older team members gave him plenty of advice and encouragement. In hot and humid conditions, on a technical course, Zack finished in 29th position for the Junior Male Up/Down World Mountain Running Championships and was the first Australian across the line. He has left the event feeling inspired with a drive to make the next championships in Austria in 2023. Zack also sat several maths exams under external supervision in Chiang Mai showing incredible commitment to his sport and academics. Well done to Zack for representing Australia and also to his coach John Purcell from Ashgrove Rangers who provided Zack with the support and pathway for this opportunity. Congratulations, Zack.