Research and experience provide the evidence that a good school relies upon the quality of the teacher in the classroom and the quality of those support staff who do just that – support its mission of Marist education for boys. We are blessed to have many fine staff at the College, and they are looking forward to an extended rest over the semester break.
My hope for all our boys is that they completed the semester with the satisfaction that they gave their very best. We can ask no more of our boys than the commitment to strive for their own excellence.
As the students enjoy the semester break, please allow them to pay some special attention to you, their parents. It is important they give something of themselves back to you in terms of time and attentiveness and the little acts of ‘un-asked for’ kindness to show their way of saying ‘thank you’.
International Refugee Week
Reflection
The British Government has come under intense criticism for their harsh and cruel treatment of asylum seekers who cross the English Channel on small boats. The scheme involves refusing asylum in the United Kingdom and deporting them to Rwanda who have agreed to take them for substantial sums of money. The purported aim is to disrupt the highly profitable ‘business model’ of the people smugglers who organise the Channel crossing.
Australia has, for some time, adopted the same policy to those attempting to gain access to our shores through similar means. We still sub-contract our responsibilities to offshore lands for processing that, for many, takes years to complete. We know the huge challenges there are, internationally, in finding responses to this issue, responses that must match the desire to help with the limited resources on which there are so many calls. We pray for those who aim each day to just survive. We also pray for those who seek solutions to do so with compassion and regard for the dignity of each person.
The Gospels urge us to welcome the stranger; it tells us that in so doing, we open the doors to God and that in the faces of others, we see the face of Christ himself. As Christians, we cannot remain content and become desensitised by our treatment of the plight of the most marginalised and the vulnerable. Pope Francis describes such behaviour as a ‘globalisation of indifference’. He reminds us that it is our duty to replace indifference with compassion, ignorance with respect and suspicion with love.
Enrolments
This week, I will have the very difficult task of informing many, many families that their son’s application to the College has been unsuccessful. There will be many wonderful boys, and their families, who will sadly be denied the opportunity to experience the gift of our Marist community. Whilst we want to make sure our graduates make a difference in the world, we are first and foremost interested in who our boys are, rather than defining them by what they do.
We are in the formation business and our purpose, first and foremost, is to accompany the boys to embrace mystery and seek a deep relationship with Christ. An openness to this journey is our priority in decisions with enrolment. This is why Religious Education remains compulsory, why retreats are designed to ensure boys are alert to the spirit, and why our service immersions are designed to see the face of Christ in the least, the lost and the lonely.
Matthew Hutchison Headmaster
Faith Formation
The Fathering Project
Invitation
The College has partnered with The Fathering Project to provide additional support for our young people.
The aim is to bring together fathers and father-figures of our school and their children for a few events each year.
The group includes, but is not limited to fathers, stepfathers, grandfathers, uncles, older brothers (who are mature enough to take on this role), a trusted male family member or friend. As is so often the case (especially at our dads and kids events), mums are also very welcome to attend.
The Dad’s Group is a fun and social way to get to know each other, support the community and most importantly, spend some quality time with our sons and daughters. Siblings are welcome at these events as they are inclusive and not limited to students of the College.
The goal is to have one event per term. People are encouraged to register with the Marist Dad’s Group where you will learn more about our events and access a wide range of resources that provide ideas for engaging with your children.
Peter Hawes Assistant Head of School – Mission and Identity
‘For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them. (Mt 18:20)
We extend an invitation to all connected to the school, including our families, to re-join us for Friday Morning Mass this Friday, 24 June, in the Lindwall Pavilion. The Pavilion is located beside Lindwall Oval.
Mass begins promptly at 8.05am and ends at 8.35am (in time for class).
We hope Friday Morning Mass will continue until the end of the year. It is an opportunity for us to join as a community of believers, pray and celebrate together.
Leesa Callaughan Head of Liturgy
Students participating in ‘Ration Challenge'
Several members of our Marist Justice and Solidarity and Stewardship Service group are currently participating in a “Ration Challenge’.
For five days, the students are only eating what a Syrian refugee does in order to raise money and awareness for those displaced by conflict or disaster.
Each student has been provided with a small rations box from Act for Peace, an international charity organisation that started the Challenge in 2014.
Tom Guinane Marist Justice and Solidarity and Stewardship Coordinator
More information and registration details for the following two events will be included in an upcoming Enews.
Marist Mothers Twilight Retreat – Care for the Caregiver
Wednesday 10 August 2022
5.30pm to 7.30pm, Oratory
Please note: the change of date from Thursday 11 August 2022.
Assumption Mass
Monday 15 August 2022
3.30pm, Senior Hall
All welcome to attend.
Festival of Family Life
Invitation
All are welcome to attend a 'Festival of Family Life' this Sunday, 26 June, at St Christopher’s Cathedral and St Christopher’s Pastoral Centre, Manuka.
This free event will celebrate the World Meeting of Families 2022 and Pope Francis’ theme: Family Love: a Vocation and a Path to Holiness.
The schedule for the Festival is as follows:
11.00am - Mass with the Archbishop
12 noon - Free Luncheon and 'Family Expo'
1.00pm - all ages activities and workshops: from toddlers playgroup to reflections for seniors and everyone in between
As we move quickly towards the end of Term 2 for our boys, I would like to take this opportunity to thank our Junior School staff and our families for all of your support this year. Our wonderful College is highly regarded for its community spirit and it is you, our Marist families and staff members, who ensure this is evident each week to everyone who comes to watch our Marist boys on the sporting fields. Thank you to our many parents and teachers who volunteer as sports team managers, coaches, and first aid officers each week. Your dedication to our fine school does not go unnoticed.
Term 2 concludes this Friday afternoon for all students; we wish all our families a safe mid-year break. Next week, our teachers will be participating in professional learning at the College, ensuring we are familiar with the updated Australian Curriculum that has recently been released, updating our First Aid qualifications, and participating in a variety of Faith Formation opportunities.
We look forward to welcoming our boys back to school for Term 3 on Monday 18 July.
Parent/Teacher interviews – Week 1 Term 3
Thank you to the many families who have already booked their Parent/Teacher interview for the beginning of Term 3. We ask that all Junior School families take the opportunity to book in as soon as possible for their Parent/Teacher meeting through our Parent Portal.
The objectives of our Junior School Parent/Teacher interviews are to:
learn more about your son’s academic, emotional, and social development
meet and get to know your child’s teacher – interviews will be in person and help your child’s teachers understand more about your child
make plans with the teacher about how you can both support your son in the coming semester to achieve their goals on reflection of their Semester One Report
build a relationship with your son’s teacher and give you an opportunity to raise any concerns you may have with your child’s teacher if you haven’t done so already.
Junior School Faith Formation Folios
All Junior School boys are asked to log in to Canvas this week and to complete their Faith Formation tasks with the help of their parents.
Mr Weir, our Student Faith Formation Coordinator, has organised Junior School House pages in Canvas to assist the Junior School boys with the submission of their Semester One Faith Formation Folio tasks.
Students are asked to follow the instructions on their House Page with parental assistance and guidance.
Head of Junior School Certificates
Congratulations to Orlando Pabian, Kalindu Karunaratne and Gianni Spinelli who received their Head of Junior School Certificate last week for their fine efforts this year.
Servo Fidem
Kirsty Bell Head of Junior School
Year 5 Music Immersion Program
Important information
In a recent edition of Enews, we introduced you to information about the Year 5 students’ exciting journey into the Music Immersion Program.
Our Year 5 Music Immersion Program is a critical component in our mission to foster Strong Minds and Gentle Hearts. No other school in Canberra offers such a comprehensively inclusive and deep program such as this.
What is the Year 5 Music Immersion Program?
Every Year 5 student will immerse themselves in learning a concert band instrument as part of the College’s comprehensive classroom music program.
Students will have a weekly lesson which focuses on the development of interpersonal skills and musicianship. This academic program involves music-making through singing, playing, listening, improvising and composing.
They will commence learning a concert band instrument for the first time together in small groups. Later, they will come together in whole-class activities. The program is taught by our outstanding Marist teachers.
Is the Music Immersion Program a co-curricular activity?
Studying music and performing in ensembles is a core part of our normal weekly curriculum, and not a co-curricular activity.
The College recognises that a comprehensive music education provides outstanding opportunities for young people, and that it is vital in the development of strong minds and gentle hearts in our boys.
After a few months of the Music Immersion Program, students may choose to join the Junior Premiers Band to extend themselves further through performances, festivals, competitions and tours.
How will this work?
Students have one lesson per week which is in addition to their Performing Arts lesson.
All students will learn a concert band instrument in a weekly music class while having the exclusive opportunity to deepen their knowledge about teamwork, focus and cooperation.
Marist classes consist of students who have learnt an instrument together with students who have never learnt an instrument before.
This inclusive environment is a key aspect of the program. The focus is on working together, achieving our best and pushing through new barriers.
How much does this cost?
Just like any other curricular class at Marist, there is no cost for this program. Instruments are provided at no charge.
How do we look after the instruments?
Students are taught in class how to handle, care for and transport their instruments during their classes.
Families are responsible for the safety of, damage to, or loss of an instrument while it is on loan by their child, even when it is at school.
There are storage spaces in Year 5 classrooms and within the Performing Arts Department to keep the instruments safely stored.
When will this commence and do I have to do anything?
Weekly classes will commence in Week 1 of Semester Two and they will continue until the end of the year.
There are no application forms to be completed as all students will be guided through the process by their teachers during class time.
You will receive a letter indicating the instrument assigned to your son together with a form seeking your agreement to safeguard the instrument while it is in your care.
Jarrod Schindler Head of Performing Arts
Curriculum
Enrichment and Learning Support News
Can you help ELS?
We are looking for donations of Lego – any brick is welcome! If you have some unwanted bricks lying around, ELS will use them. They can be dropped at the Front Office and labelled “ELS”.
We are also looking for parent/ grandparent volunteers to listen to reading next semester. All COVID safety guidelines will apply, and you will need a Working with Vulnerable People (WVVP) card.
Jen Croker Head of Enrichment and Learning Support
Wellbeing
Choosing to be Kind at Marist
Reminder
During a recent whole school assembly, I spoke with the boys about choosing kindness, with the idea that we carry with us at Marist not just the capacity to be kind but the choice to be kind.
In exploring the notion of choosing kindness, there are three forms of kindness that the boys are encouraged to be aware of.
Kindness to self
One of the ways the boys can demonstrate this is how they wear their uniform. This includes making sure their shirts are tucked in, ties are done up correctly and they are wearing the correct jumper, instead of a hoodie. I also spoke with the boys about being present instead of passive. This inattentiveness is evident through the increase of boys wearing one earphone. I reminded the boys that despite their aspirations, wearing one earphone can make them look like an apprentice security guard.
Kindness to our shared space
Trent Cotchin captained the Richmond Tigers for nine years and led his team to three AFL Grand Final wins, the first was in 2017 after 37 years. At the end of the grand final victory, he was the last to leave the MCG and his final act was picking up rubbish from under chairs in the change rooms. The reason for this is because he looked around the change rooms at the rubbish and thought, ‘That’s not good enough,’ so he decided to clean it up.
Similarly to Trent Crotchin, All Blacks players Dan Carter and Richie McGaw have both been instrumental players in the All Blacks and are recognised as the two most successful rugby players of our generation, yet after most games, they are renowned for picking up brooms and sweeping dressing rooms clean.
The All Blacks players and Trent Crotchin did not act this way because someone was watching or because they were asked to. Their actions are based on the All Blacks philosophy that is instrumental in their culture - “We always want to make sure that the place we go to, we leave it in as good if not better shape than we arrived".
Hopefully, from these two examples that were presented, the boys become more aware of picking up rubbish and taking more care of both their home and school environments.
Kindness to others
The third area that was discussed in the assembly was the importance of being kind to others. This is based on an initiative that we launched at the beginning of the term, the B.O.G – the Best on Ground for the week. This entails a teacher or student nominating someone they believe has been a B.O.G. due to their positive actions and interactions within the school. The chosen nominee receives a lunch voucher for the canteen.
The responses to this initiative have been overwhelming, with an abundance of nominations coming in each week.
“Every lesson, (name) takes the time to thank me at the end and there are a group of Year 9 boys that always make an effort to say hello in the corridor.”
“I saw something today that I figured deserved a nomination. (Name) was walking through the quad and stopped to pick up basically every piece of rubbish in the quad. No one else was around and I only saw it from behind a window. No one asked (name) and as far as he was aware, no one saw. This was a random act of kindness to the whole school community in a sense. I don’t know (name) particularly well but he is a good bloke and definitely deserving of best on ground next term.”
“I just saw (name) and (name) do a wonderful act of service for the Marist community. This happened today in the common room. They saw a massive mess from one of the year groups and said, 'We didn’t make this mess but we are the ones who are going to fix it'. This is the people that they are and why they should be the best in ground.”
I recently flipped this idea and asked the boys to nominate a staff member who they believed deserved to be shouted lunch. I had a large number of emails acknowledging and showing appreciation for various staff members:
“My vote goes to (name) because she is always going above and beyond to help anyone that asks. She also makes sure to be a friendly face and to say hi to boys in the corridors.”
“I would highly recommend (name) because he is always there for us, he helps us to understand things better and personally, I think that he is an exceptional role-model.”
While this concept entails small acts of kindness around our community, I hope that amongst our boys it continues to have traction. It has been affirming to read and share the comments the boys have written about their peers and our staff. It is evident from this, that in increasing our awareness of kindness, the boys are making more of a concerted effort to choose kindness.
Sarah Mahar Head of Student Wellbeing – Senior School (Acting)
Community
Year 12 Jersey Reminder
The online page for Year 12 students to be able to order their Year 12 Jerseys is live.
Year 12 students will need to attend Mrs Mahar’s office in the Student Hub to ensure they have the correct size prior to ordering.
Please note: the final date for purchase is this Friday, 24 June.
Marist Hockey Club was well represented in the Canberra Regional Hockey Program held at the Hockey Centre in Lyneham over the June long weekend, with boys selected in the Under 11, Under 13 and Under 15 teams.
The Regional Carnival gave the boys an opportunity to extend themselves on the field with some tough opposition and proved to be a wonderful learning experience for all those involved. The boys had a great time participating in their matches.
Congratulations to the following boys who were part of the Canberra Regional Hockey program over the June long weekend:
Under 11 - Riley Fitzgerald, Thomas McKay, William Taylor, Aengus Storrie, Nate Hamilton
Under 13 - Noah Batch, Xavier Batch, Reuben Coll
Under 15 - Aidan Harding, Harry McKay, Cooper Towns, Conall Fitzgerald, Eli Coll, Jack Volker, Riley Loiterton, Ethan Warner, Jared Greagg.
Bronwyn Westacott Hockey Coordinator
Congratulations
To:
Lachlan Campbell (Year 11) who has been selected in the ACT Schoolboys Under 18 Soccer team which is playing in August.
Finn Ellwood (Year 9) who has been selected in the ACT School Sport AFL team to play in Albury in July.
Conall Fitzgerald (Year 8) who was selected to represent the ACT in the NSW Hockey Under 15 State Championships in June.
Invitation to Marist Rugby Club's 30th year Dinner
