Enews - 15 March 2023

International Women's Day 

Embrace Equity was one of the themes for International Women’s Day and it made me question, in a century from now, if we will still be arguing for equity. Whilst such campaigns have been somewhat successful effecting cultural change through exposing and rooting out inequality, the reality is that there is still so much to do. Our boys are welcome, equal participants in this ongoing conversation and must address the everyday experience of women. My hope is that every boy will ask himself how it is that women still need a movement that demands that they are treated equitably. This is not an appeal for empathy and compassion, but a call to action for our students to become part of a change they want to see in the world.

With Thanks 

Last weekend heralded the final round of summer sport for most boys except for the rowing community who will be participating in the NSW State titles this weekend. We owe a deep debt to our generous staff, along with parents, current and past students who have assisted as coaches and managers in their support of the boys. Their involvement is of great value in building relationships with the students, in modelling good sportsmanship and in building community.

Our sports program is very much in context of a broad holistic education. We encourage boys to participate in sport of their choice to the best of their ability. Whilst there are many examples of excellence, with a number of boys representing their State and Nation, we also provide opportunities where boys can compete against opposition with a similar skill set.  We also ensure our boys take care to balance their commitments within the school in light of their academic and other demands. Sport is not our primary priority, and we seek to protect class time as much as possible and work closely with our elite athletes to achieve to the best of their academic ability. We want to maximise their sporting opportunities without sacrificing our core responsibility to education and formation.  Sport is viewed as part of our holistic education that values and encourages our boys to also be involved in the wider co-curricular program of drama, music, outdoor education, debating and service. The concept of the all-rounder is an important one in the origins of a Marist education.  

Building Update

The building works associated with Master Plan continue to progress well and we remain appreciative of the accommodation that all members of our community continue to provide during this time.  

Matthew Hutchison 
Headmaster 

Dear Junior School Families,

As we move into the second half of the term, we reflect on currently being in the season of Lent. Lent is a time of renewal and prayer, giving us the space to examine our own lives and how we can support others.

Last week, our Year 6 students participated in their Sacramental Reflection Day. Thank you to Mr Henry who led the day and to Vicar General Fr Richard Thompson who celebrated Mass in the afternoon. Our Year 6 students warmly welcomed the Senior Marist Youth Ministry Team to present to them about the Sacrament of Confirmation.

As their Act of Service, the Year 6 students donated non-perishable food items and personal health items to HOME in Queanbeyan. As many of you would know, Fr Peter Day, an Old Boy of Marist College Canberra initiated the idea and plans for HOME back in 2004. Fr Peter is now the live-in caretaker at HOME.

Should your family like to further support HOME, you are able to do so by attending their upcoming fundraising movie night at The Q on Friday 17 March at 6pm. Tickets can be purchased here. 

Servo Fidem

Kirsty Bell
Head of Junior School  

Grip Leadership Conference

Last week, Marist College Canberra Junior School Captains attended the GRIP Leadership Conference, an event designed to inspire and empower young leaders to make a positive difference in their school communities. The conference provided a valuable opportunity for the students to develop their leadership skills and learn from experienced mentors and industry professionals.

The conference began with an opening keynote address, where the students were encouraged to reflect on their own leadership potential and consider the impact they could have on their school community. They then attended a series of interactive workshops, covering topics such as effective communication, goal setting, and teamwork.

The students particularly enjoyed a session on "The Art of Storytelling," where they learned how to craft compelling narratives to engage and inspire their peers. They also participated in team-building activities, which focused on the importance of collaboration and problem-solving.

One of the most valuable aspects of the conference was the opportunity for the students to connect with other young leaders from different schools and backgrounds. They were able to share ideas, discuss challenges, and build relationships that will support them in their future leadership roles.

The students left the conference feeling inspired and equipped with new skills and strategies to apply in their roles as Junior School Captains. They were also motivated to take on new challenges and develop the skills and confidence they need to make a positive impact in their school community. 

Junior School Lenten Appeal

During weeks 5-8 the Junior School will be holding their 2023 Lenten Appeal. Boys are invited to come dressed in the theme of the day and to donate a gold coin for each Lenten appeal day.

Families may choose to send a gold coin donation each week with their son, or they may choose to send in a larger donation on the first week, to cover the whole of the Lenten Appeal.

Money will be collected in classes, by our Junior School House Captains each Wednesday.

This year we will be dividing our funds raised between the Blue Marists in Aleppo and the AMS – Australian Marist Solidarity projects.

Craig McMahon
Head of Student Wellbeing – Junior School

We keep our Year 5 students in our Prayers, as they enter their NAPLAN assessment period over the next 2 weeks. We will aim to keep it as stress free as possible and ensure that the boys feel comfortable and supported. The dates for the four assessments are:

Wednesday 15 March – Period 1 and Period 2 – NAPLAN Writing

Friday 17 March – Period 1 and Period 2 – NAPLAN Reading

Monday 20 March – Period 1 and Period 2 – NAPLAN Language conventions

Wednesday 22 March – Period 1 and Period 2 – NAPLAN Numeracy

If any students are away for these sessions, we will be running catch up sessions next week on Thursday 23 and Friday 24 March.

Damien Webb
Head of Learning & Teaching – Junior School

Junior School Swimming Carnival

The annual Junior School Swimming Carnival was held at Queanbeyan Pool on Monday 20 February. We were blessed with a hot and sunny day with boys responding with wonderful energy, sportsmanship and enthusiasm. It was lovely to see a good number of family members in attendance to support the boys.

After leading the majority of the day, O’Donoghue was pipped literally at the wall in the final events by this years winning House, Hartigan. Congratulations to Dempsey and Chisholm who came third and fourth respectively. 

Junior Athletics Carnival 

Our annual Junior School Athletics Carnival was held on Friday 3 March on Lindwall Oval. We were again blessed with a hot and sunny day. A special thanks to our Facilities Staff for ensuring our grounds were looking magnificent and for their support with the carnival set up and pack up.

In a complete reversal to swimming, Chisholm was this year’s winning House, followed by Dempsey, Hartigan then O’Donoghue. 

The South Weston regional carnival will be held in Term 3 with more information regarding squad selections and carnival details closer to the event.

College Cross Country Carnival 4 - 12 will be held on Friday 19 May on and around the College grounds and local paths.

Ged Galvin
Junior School PE and Sport Teacher

Scholastic Book Club – Issue 2

Junior School students recently received Issue 2 of Scholastic Book Club. All orders must be submitted online by Friday 24 March.  Please note, we cannot accept cash at this time.

Thank you to everyone who has supported the Book Club so far this year. Through the Scholastic Rewards program, we have received multiple free books for the Junior section of the Library. 

Our 2023 Theme
‘Created and called – a revolution of love and tenderness’

Over recent weeks I have been writing short items on the individual words found in our theme. While it is to be understood in its unity, the theme does contain these five powerful concepts that can stand alone. This week the focus is the word ‘love’. A very short word that has multiple meanings and is used in many ways. Perhaps overused in popular culture!

One industrious fellow did a search of his playlist and came up with 1187 songs with ‘love’ in the title! Here is the link if you feel like a bit of nostalgia as some of the songs go back quite a while! Wikipedia recognises the oldest known love song is the love song of Shu-Sin who reigned in Ur, c. 1973–1964 BC. This was discovered in the library of Ashurbanipal in Mesopotamia. It's about both romantic and erotic love. Prior to the discovery of the love song of Shu-Sin, Solomon's Song of Songs from the Bible was considered the oldest love song.

In RE lessons, we often reach back to the Greeks to assist students to deepen their understanding of the concept of ‘love’. Here the philosophers identify four types of love:

Storge – love found in family relationships

Philia – love found in friendship

Eros – love experienced as passion and intimacy

Agape – selfless, unconditional love

While conceptualising ‘love’ in this way has value, these concepts are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Evidence of all four will be found in marriage for example.

When we come to the Gospels and the Great Commandment of Jesus, ‘love God; love one another’ the form agape is used. That is, Jesus teaches that God loves us unconditionally and we are asked to be conduits of this love to others. Not only have we been loved into being but, through Jesus, God expands this love, welcoming us into the Godhead itself! The great insight that Jesus brings into the world is that God is relationship – one God, three persons, Trinity. The love made manifest through the Trinity extends to us – we are drawn into this relationship.

Surely this is the most humbling, powerful insight to dwell upon during the Lenten season.

Peter Hawes
Assistant head of School – Mission and Identity  

A reminder that all Year 11 students go on Retreat in Week 8.

Further information will be communicated via email. The House combinations and venues are below:

Marist College Canberra's annual Way of the Cross will be taking place at the College at 10.30am on Good Friday 7 April. Please join us to commemorate the mysteries of the Crucifixion, when Jesus gave Himself up for us. This is always a beautiful opportunity for reflection and prayer in the context of our community.

On Thursday 9 March, staff member and local association coordinator, Gus Masters, led a group through a series of reflective exercises beginning with the Gospel account of the Transfiguration. Gus drew out themes such as the links with Moses, the role of Peter and the symbolism of the tents. A key insight was that the Transfiguration was an experience of communion for the apostles. The same communion into which we are invited.

Following this was a conversation about the nature of the Association and a re-imagining of how this local group, views both itself and its role. How can we reach out to other members of the Marist community in the ACT?

The experience was prayerful, insightful, and humbling.

Peter Hawes
Assistant Head of School - Mission

International Women’s Day - International Survey of Catholic Women (ISCW)

In the recent Marist Schools Australia newsletter, Director, Dr Frank Malloy, drew attention to the recently published report of the International Survey of Catholic Women. This is considered to be the largest ever survey of Catholic women in history with 17,200 respondents from 104 countries and in 8 languages - English, Spanish, German, Italian, French, Polish, Mandarin, and Portuguese. The survey was available from 8 March 2022 – 26 April 2022.

Professor Tina Beattie and Australian researchers Tracey McEwan, Kathleen Phillips and Miriam Pepper conducted the survey.

The report, entitled Catholic Women Speak, is to be presented to the Vatican as a submission towards the Synod on Synodality, 2023 -24.

The following points are from the Executive summary:

The overall aim of the ISCW was to gather feedback for the Synod on the experiences and insights of Catholic women from around the world. Topics included Catholic identity, significant issues of concern and views on church reform, and the impact of COVID-19 on women’s faith and practice.

The ISCW is a significant and unique resource for the Synod in its aim to listen to diverse voices to better discern what it means to “journey together” as the People of God in a Church of many cultures.

An important insight to be drawn from the survey is that Catholic women do not constitute a homogenous group but reflect the many different cultural and communal contexts within which their faith is experienced and practiced.

The first major finding of the ISCW is that even when women have considerable struggles with Catholic institutions and structures, their Catholic identity is very important to them.

A second major finding is that most Catholic women welcome reform in the Catholic Church.

A third major finding is that respondents identified the sexual, physical, and emotional abuse of women, children, and other vulnerable people as a dominant issue.

A final major finding is that Catholic women are deeply concerned about transparency and accountability in church leadership and governance.

The full report can be accessed at: Catholic Women Speak

Of interest might be the interview with study author, Dr Kathleen McPhillips on Radio National, Religion and Ethics Report.

Peter Hawes
Assistant Head of School – Mission and Identity

Marist College Canberra presents the Big Brothers Production for 2023:

"LONG TAN" by Verity Laughton is a play based on one of the most significant Australian battles of the Vietnam War, where 105 Australian and three New Zealand soldiers fought against 2,500 Viet Cong and North Vietnamese troops in a mud-filled rubber plantation in South Vietnam.

The battle resulted in 18 Australian deaths and over 245 communist Vietnamese casualties. The play was created through interviews with surviving Australian soldiers, Vietnamese contributors, and family and friends of those who died.

It is both a work about a contentious time and an iconic battle, as well as being a meditation on the fractures in collective memory and the consequences of extreme demands on human beings in military conflict.

Tickets

$20 Adults
$15 Concessions, Non-Marist Students
$5 Marist Students
$50 Family of four

Tickets can be purchased here. 

WARNING: This production includes mature themes, simulated and stylised violence, adult language and loud noises. It is not suitable for young people under the age of 14.

Expressions of Interest

In Semester 2, 2023 there will be a Little Brothers Production. We are aiming to perform late Term 3 so we are keen to receive expressions of interest from boys in Years 4 - 8. This way we hope to give out scripts for students to learn lines with the most amount of time possible.

Once we receive your expression of interest, we will narrow down the play choice and let students know the result. We would like to produce a drama and a play that will challenge your acting abilities! 

Please fill out this form to register your interest in the production. 

Jocelyn Roberts
Performing Arts Assistant

College Open Day

The College Open Day will be held on Friday 5 April over two sessions between 4.30pm to 7.00pm. This is a great opportunity for families to meet our teaching staff, speak with our Co-curricular club coordinators, learn about the importance of service within our community, and meet current students to hear about their personal Marist journey. 

As spaces are limited, please encourage any friends or family to register as soon as possible. 

Open Day - Session 1 - 5 April 2024 4.30pm

Open Day - Session 2 - 5 April 2024 5:30pm

On Wednesday 8 March, the College Captains and House Captains were invited to attend a morning at the War Memorial with Director, Mr Matt Anderson. 

During the visit we were taken on a tour that began at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Matt Anderson discussed the significance of the tomb which is inscribed “Known unto God” and at the foot, “He is all of them and he is one of us.” The Captains were encouraged to reflect on the selfless actions of those that that fought in wars and served for Australia.

Surrounding the tomb is the Hall of Memory which includes fifteen qualities displayed by Australians in war. The qualities are divided into three different categories, including personal, social and fighting qualities of youth and enterprise. The Captains were encouraged to choose a quality that resonated with their own values and leadership qualities.

Some of the these included: 

When looking at the stained-glass windows, I saw many qualities exemplified by the Australian soldiers during the war. However, one struck me more than the others, and that was Curiosity, prescribed in a bold red font. Above the red text, an infantryman was wearing a trench mortar battery uniform and wore a smile of pride and acknowledgment of his country. He represents the best of us in our never-ending pursuit of knowledge, led by a curiosity about the unknown. Curiosity is a staple value of all great leaders as it opens up a new world of possibilities that otherwise would have remained in the dark. It keeps the mind active and creates a space for innovation and creativity, two things I value highly in life. - Samarvir Singh

Matt Anderson shared with the captains the importance of leadership and faith throughout our tour around the Australian War Memorial. One of the highlights of our visit was time spent in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Mr Anderson spoke to us about the different qualities listed in the tomb - such as loyalty, audacity, chivalry and endurance.  He encouraged each of us to consider which quality seems most important for us personally at this time and to take that away with us to further contemplate what it means and how we might apply it in our own lives. The attribute that spoke to me the most was comradeship. Marist embodies to me the attributes of comradeship - fellowship and good cheer working together towards a common goal. If we focus on comradeship, a stronger community with respectful relationships will develop. - Joseph Hartwell

A quality from the Hall of Memory that resonated with me was the window displaying the Redcross nurse of devotion. I chose this one because I can apply this to my leadership skills today through my position of Captaincy in my house. I am able to devote myself to my house, doing everything to better the house I share with many other boys. - Patrick Robinson

On behalf of the Captains, I would like to thank Matt Anderson for the opportunity to spend time in the War Memorial and reflect on the qualities of leadership. It was a valuable and meaningful experience.

Sarah Mahar 
Assistant Head of School - Wellbeing and Engagement

The Captains recently addressed their Houses on the Respectful Relationships initiative, with a particular focus on making good choices and considering their values. The presentation encouraged each member of the community to ‘be a better you, to create better others’ and echoed the purpose of the Respectful Relationships Project. The results of the College wide survey in 2022 demonstrated a diverse understanding of what a 'Respectful Relationship' is. The Captains concluded with an encouragement to get involved in House Group conversations about Respectful Relationships and to offer input on the definition. 

During yesterday’s staff meeting our College Captain Michael Paragalli, Vice-Captain Callan Williams and Service Captain Jake D’Souza addressed the staff in a Q&A session . During this time the boys provided an opportunity to hear a ‘student voice’ around respectful relationships.

The boys shared an insight into the following questions:

• Why is the Respectful Relationships Project important?
• Why is student involvement important?
• What do the adults need to know, so that we can work well together?
• As a Marist graduate, how would you like to be perceived by the community.

The boys provided honest and considered responses to each of the questions and were also able to add some insight to comments from staff.

As a staff we appreciated the valuable opportunity the Captains provided in sharing an insight into student voices around respectful relationships.

Sarah Mahar
Assistant Head of School - Wellbeing and Engagement

We are delighted to announce that the Mothers and Grandmothers Afternoon Tea will be held this year on Wednesday 29 March. 

We are looking forward to welcoming Marist mothers, grandmothers and other important women in our students' lives to this special community event. 

This event has now reached capacity, you can still click here if you would like to register your interest and be added to our waitlist. 

As we begin to head into the colder months, the College is looking for students from both the Junior and Senior schools to represent Marist at the ACT Southern NSW Snowsports Championships from Tuesday 18 to Friday 21 July. Disciplines include:

• Alpine GS
• Board GS
• Ski X
• Boarder X
• Ski and Snowboard Slopestyle
• Moguls
• Cross-Country

Please note that this is NOT a College run trip and as such, all accommodation and transport costs are the responsibility of Parents/Carers. If you would like further information about this event, please contact Jason Duff.

Jason Duff
Snowsports Coordinator

ACT Junior Champs and ACT Head of the Lake Wrap-up

The final local rowing event for the season was held on the first weekend in March, a double header consisting of the ACT Junior Championships on Saturday and the Head of the Lake Regatta on Sunday. Fantastic conditions all weekend and the presence of schools from Sydney and Newcastle meant that the crowds were ‘standing room only’ on the banks at Weston Park. A different format than the standard regattas where the boys competed in heats to qualify for finals ensured plenty of racing for all. 

A massive thankyou to all who attended and assisted over the weekend, especially our year group coaches and assistants. It was great to see the amount of support for the boys from family and friends as well as the College staff who attended, many having their first experience at a rowing regatta.

In the Saturday Championship Regatta we had boys representing in finals for the majority of events entered. Marist Rowing are the ACT Champions in 3 events; the U15 double of Cooper Clark and Jesse Ellwood, the U19 single of Jesse Rosin and the U19 double of Darcy James and Jesse Rosin.

Finalist:
U15 double - 1st C Clark, J Ellwood
U 15 quad - finalist
U16 single - 2nd H Braithwaite
U16 quad - 2nd  R.Carter, J.Skene, J.Hall, M.Wadie, Cox: L.Carter
U17 single - finalist
U17 double - finalist
U 17 quad - finalist
U19 single - 1st J Rosin, 2nd D James
U19 double - 1st D James, J Rosin

For Sunday's Head of the Lake Regatta, racing switched from age based to school year based. The day started with a clean sweep of the 3 divisions of the School Boy single with Firsts in Div 1 to Jesse Rosin, Div2 to Darcy James and Div 3 to Charlie Carter.

The day finished on a high with our School Boy 4 retaining the trophy with a come from behind win over Canberra Grammar with a margin of 0.04sec.

 

Finalists:

Yr 8 quad - 2nd H.Kohl, B.Maher, C.Clark, J.Ellwood, Cox: P.Weber
Yr 9 quad - finalists
Yr 10 quad - 2nd H.Braithwaite, R.Dale, R.Elliott, G.Hayes, Cox: P.Weber
Schoolboy Single -  Div1 1st J Rosin, Div2 1st Darcy James, Div3 1st C Carter
Schoolboy 4 - 1st C.Carter, A.Bennie, J.Rosin, D.James, Cox: L.Thomas

A big weekend of racing is perfect preparation for our last event of the season, the Rowing NSW Schoolboy Head of the River regatta at the Sydney International Regatta Centre on March 19.

For full results please click here.

Danny Rosin
Marist College Canberra Rowing Club 

Congratulations to all teams who competed in grand finals this week.

Stage 2 Saturday Gold, Stage 2 Sunday Blue Marist Navy and Stage 2 Sunday Gold Marist Royal finished runners-up.

The First XI-Colts Stage 1 Graded Marist Blue, Stage 2 Saturday Blue and Stage 3 Sunday Gold Marist Blue were premiers. Sebastian Raap in Stage 3 Sunday Gold Marist Blue contributed to his team’s grand final victory with 5/12.

The Club’s Presentation Night will be on Tuesday 28 March at 6pm in the Senior Hall.