Enews - 27 April 2022

So, it is with a sense of small pride that myself and a number of staff recently attended a Mass of Thanksgiving at St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney to mark our sesquicentenary year. The celebration was a time to look back and give thanks for the contribution of the Brothers and countless women and men to Marcellin’s mission in educating and forming young people of faith and service in their communities. In partnership with parents, they have helped nurture and shape a more just, tolerant and cohesive society.

The Mass was also a time to accept and acknowledge terrible crimes of abuse committed against children in our care. This was acknowledged by Marist Brothers’ Provincial, Br Peter Carroll, reiterating the profound sorrow and regret to those harmed and he apologised unreservedly. 

The celebration was also a time to look to shaping the future with hope and excitement. We live in a very different time from our first schools and, as such, we continue to ask what does it mean to place Catholic before such terms as education, teacher, student or school? Maintaining our Catholic and Marist identity is far from inevitable; now more than ever, this must be deliberately chosen and crafted. Today, we continue Marcellin’s vision of placing Jesus Christ, who he was and what he taught, at the heart of a Catholic education; Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of all that we do at this College.

To mark our sesquicentenary celebration, each student received a badge to wear on their College blazers as a reminder of Jesus as an inspiring model for how to live one’s life well, caring for oneself, and for the common good of all. 

The Russian Invasion of Ukraine marks yet another crisis that is impacting those most vulnerable, forcing people to flee their homes, with an uncertain future ahead. In the face of all this suffering, we have also seen a global solidarity shown to those affected by the war. The basic tenets of hospitality and compassion are being given, honouring the dignity of each and every person.

The late Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who devoted his life to the causes of reconciliation and forgiveness, once said: ‘If you want peace, make sure everyone’s dignity is intact.’ Ukrainians deserve the dignity of sovereignty and peace. The people of Russia deserve the dignity of security. Finding a way for both will require grace (repeated over 150 times in the New Testament), understanding and healing; the bedrock of Catholic teaching.

If we’re to live up to our own time,

Then victory won’t lie in the blade,

But all the bridges we’ve made.

That is the promise to glade.

Amanda Gorman, Youth Poet Laureate

Wars are a failure within the human community to deal with our conflicts in a civilised, constructive and non-violent way. We do not ‘celebrate’ Anzac Day, we commemorate it, holding the memories of the 102,804 Australian and 29,101 New Zealand women and men who died in service for us. It is right and just, to remember, with our continued, deepest gratitude, those who gave their lives to fight an unjust aggression. We also pray for those hundreds and hundreds of thousands who came back wounded in mind, body and spirit. This year, with an unjust war raging in Ukraine, our prayers for peace and justice are more keenly felt than in previous years.

“They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them.”

Lest We Forget.

Date: Thursday 5 May 2022
Time: 8.30am to 9.30am
Venue: Mary Help of Christians Parish, 115 Hodgson Crescent, Pearce
 
Marist mothers, grandmothers and carers, past and present, and their sons are warmly invited to celebrate Mass at Mary Help of Christians Parish to acknowledge the special role you have in shaping the lives of your sons/grandsons.

Parking is available on the Church grounds and Murphy Crescent.

At the conclusion of Mass, we ask that you transport your son to the College. You are not required to sign him into the College if you have registered him as attending the Mothers’ Mass.

As places are limited in the Church, registration is essential.

Thank you to the many Year 6 boys who assisted during our annual College Open Evening. Speaking to the Year 6 student guides and assistants is often a highlight for our prospective families when they visit the College.

Enrolment applications for students wishing to be considered for Years 4, 5 or 6 at the College in 2023 are due in the coming weeks. Applications are submitted online and accessible through our College website.

I encourage any current Marist families wishing to secure a place for their next son for 2023 to ensure their application is lodged promptly, and to confirm with any family friends that are wanting to join our Marist community next year that they are aware of the current enrolment period at the College.

As we begin our Winter sports season, we encourage all families to discuss and plan for wet weather and training cancellations. 

Having a predetermined family ‘plan’ for wet weather days when school sports training is cancelled, sometimes at short notice, alleviates much worry and confusion for your son. Having your wet weather afternoon plan written in the back of your son’s College diary is also a handy hint, as our staff can ask to check the diary if your son becomes unsettled if their training is cancelled.

For example: Wet weather plan when school sports training is cancelled = catch the bus home. 

Servo Fidem – Together, we keep the Faith

Kirsty Bell

Congratulations to the first group of Junior School students to complete this year’s Chief Minister’s Reading Challenge. We love to see students embracing the challenge and reading with such enthusiasm.

Noah Johnston (Year 4)

Evander Jose (Year 4)

Ryan Burgemeister (Year 5)

Paul Mandic (Year 5)

Orlando Pabian (Year 5)

Darcy Pattison (Year 5)

Robert Stephenson (Year 6)

Karen Collins
Head of Library and Information Services

Your Enrichment and Learning Support Case Manager can work with you to introduce some of these techniques to your son if you would like the extra support.

Some ideas are:

• Use a big whiteboard for each term – have all the dates that things are due and a visual of where tests and in class tasks are coming up to help him be prepared
• Have colour-coded timetable, books and planner – if every book for maths is blue, the assessment dates and homework is written on a big whiteboard in blue and every class coloured blue on his timetable. This will help him to keep track of what is due and when he has to do something
• Keep a home learning log – this helps him to see that he needs to work a little bit on every subject every night to stay on top of it all, and will also be able to demonstrate direct results of the effort he puts in with success at school
• Encourage him to use the Year 13 tutors on Tuesday and Thursday at lunch times
• Encourage him to use the tutors and/or to discuss joining Student Support Program (SSP) after school in the Library with his House Dean. SSP runs on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons
• Check his diary and ask about where homework and tasks for each day are written down or recorded
• Sit down with your son on a Sunday evening and look at the week ahead – use the calendar and tasks on CANVAS to do this planning. Write things on the whiteboard that are important and talk about how to be best prepared for each class for the week ahead
• Encourage a growth mindset – as part of his 20 minutes of reading each night, read books together about how to have a positive growth mindset, how it’s good to fail and how to build resilience – the idea of “I can’t do it… yet.” 
• Stick to a routine and help to make study and homework a habit 
• Actively teach your son about learned helplessness. Let him know that to grow as an independent and successful man, he needs to work hard for himself and start building initiative.  

We are always happy to support you as we work together to create fine young men.

Executive Functions

The executive system and its related functions are conceptualised as a set of cognitive processes that control and manage other cognitive processes.   Simply put – the subconscious and conscious thoughts that control actions and behaviour. Enrichment and Learning Support can offer executive function screening to help to tailor support for any skills or areas which may need development. Some of our PitStop Sessions focus on building executive function skills as well.

For any further information or questions, please contact ELS. 

Some helpful websites:

(Disclaimer: The College has no affiliation with these websites, they are simply ones that we have found provide useful information).

https://www.additudemag.com
https://www.positivepartnerships.com.au
https://brightandquirky.com
https://www.understood.org
https://www.smartkidswithld.org
https://biglifejournal.com

Jen Croker
Head of Enrichment and Learning Support 

Applications are being accepted from current families who may be considering enrolling any sons not already at the College into Years 4 – 12.

A reminder that applications for Years 4, 5, 6 and 7 need to be received no later than this Friday, 27 May 2022 to be considered for enrolment starting in 2023.

Please note: the College will be contacting families in Term Two if a family interview is requested by the Headmaster. 

We encourage current families to let any friends who may be interested in enrolment know that they can apply online.

Important reminder for Year 6 and Year 10 families

A reminder that families with sons currently in Years 6 and 10 at the College do not need to re-enrol their son into Year 7 or Year 11.

Our expectation is that once a student is enrolled at the College, their enrolment will continue until the completion of their studies in Year 12.

Thank you to everyone who supported the Marist College Canberra Foundation Golf Day on Monday 4 April. It was a day of fantastic golf with great company, to raise awareness and funds for the Foundation’s Br Mark May Bursary Fund. A big thank you to the attendees who gave so generously on the day.

Congratulations to the winning team on the day, HD Logistics, and to best dressed team Vikings Group. The full list of winners and photos from the day can be found here. 

A special thank you to the major event sponsor Gillespie Advisory, drinks cart sponsor Vikings Group and to our hole sponsors: 360 Degree Fire, Access Metal Recycling, Construction Control, Hawker Roofing, HD Logistics, Huon, Keane Consulting, Morgans Group, Shaw Building Group, Shaw and Partners, and Shoulder2Hand.

Thanks also to GOLFSelect for once again assisting the College with this event. 

Sarah Gavel
Director of Advancement

If your son is a competitive skier or snowboarder and would like to represent the College at the ACT and Regional NSW Snowsports Interschools Competition at Perisher from Monday 18 July – Friday 22 July, please let me know by Wednesday 1 June.

There are various disciplines boys can compete in and events are suitable for intermediate to advanced skiers and snowboarders from both the Junior and Senior School.

Please note: the College will look after the administration and payment of entries and all other competition matters, however there will be no staff present at the event. As such, all responsibility/ duty of care lies with parents/carers. This includes transport to and from the event, accommodation, and on-snow costs and responsibilities.

For further information, please contact Jason Duff.

Jason Duff
Snowsports Coordinator