Enews - 28 April 2021

The boys heard the story of Ted Larkin, a former student at St Joseph’s College Hunters Hill, an Australian sportsman, sports administrator, policeman, politician, much loved husband and father, who paid the ultimate sacrifice storming the beaches of Gallipoli at the head of his troops at dawn on 25 April. Joeys Old Boys raised money after the war to make a Ted Larkin Bursary for his sons, but his grieving widow declined it. No-one has ever recorded why she did so. Nonetheless, the Bursary was awarded to others over the years.

In hearing such stories, we are reminded that many exceptional men were lost during the Great War who are little known today and should be better remembered. It is a day on which to remember both our own soldiers and those whom they fought as alike they lie beneath the earth.

It is a day on which to remember both our own soldiers and those whom they fought as alike they lie beneath the earth. It is also a moment to reflect on all of the men and women who have served the nation: from the Boer War, World War I and II, Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq, through to peacekeeping missions, most recently in East Timor and Solomon Islands. It is also imperative that we do not ignore the needs of returned soldiers, especially those confronting the current scourge of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Lest we forget. 

Some years ago, a family in New Zealand was reprimanded by social workers for allowing their children to play unsupervised in a local playground. The family was told that the days of children playing in the park on their own have gone! Not surprisingly, such comments brought much debate.

The business of raising children can sometimes be as simple as running the numbers. Is it possible that a child could be abducted from a park? Yes. Is it likely? No. Is it more likely now than it was when we were children? No. Is it possible they could fall off something? Yes. Does gravity work the same way as it did when we were children? Yes. Do wounds heal and bones repair much the same as they always have? Again, yes. Some may argue we have created a generation of anxious parents and carers who are not prepared to take concerted risks. As parents, of course, we must give proper care, but over-protection, in my opinion, is not healthy for the child.

The College devotes itself not just to the task of preparing the boys for an examination. It devotes itself to preparing the boys for life, and life brings with it a requirement to operate in an environment that can be quite unforgiving. In many ways, the College acts as a bridge between the secure life of home and the hard edges of the real world. 

Not gaining selection in a sporting side, failing to be appointed to the lead role in the College play, or being told his efforts with his school work does not reflect his potential may be important lessons a boy must face in order for him to grow as an individual. For this reason, it is important that our boys also experience the discomfort of pit toilets, heavy back packs and running the risk of blisters caused by tripping up unforgiving slopes. It is important they encounter challenges such as going over the edge of a cliff on an abseiling rope or pitching a tent after dark in the rain. 

The Outdoor Education experience, in particular, creates an environment for the boys to reflect on their realistic understanding of themselves and others. The program can be invaluable in causing a student to develop the self-assurance to cope with hardship while providing opportunities to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of themselves and their classmates. We wish all our Year 10 boys the very best as they experience the beautiful outdoors on their camp in the Snowy National Park over the next week. 

Thank you to staff for their generous efforts with preparation and time for the Parent/Teacher/student interviews. Whilst wandering around the College and meeting with families, it was clear to me the experience was worthwhile. A parent’s interest and enthusiasm in these events will ultimately have a positive effect upon their son’s outcomes. 

• What comments were made about your work? Was there a common theme?
• What areas did your teacher identify as a weakness?
• What changes and strategies need to be made to improve on your performance?

I remind parents the College library is open to 5.00pm from Monday to Thursday. Current staff and past students are available to assist students during library opening hours. Furthermore, Maths, English and Science teachers provide academic support most afternoons at different College locations.  

As your family settles in to the new term and weekly homework routines, we encourage all families to be reading with and aloud to their Junior School boys a few times each week. Even if your son is a fluent and confident reader, reading with and to him will assist in his reading maturity and skill development as a reader. Educational research has shown that older children who are read to regularly encounter more words and learn how to recognise and pronounce them more efficiently.

As well as being a wonderful bonding experience for you and your son as he gets older, reading to your son allows you to share classic literature by modelling the reading of more complex texts that your son, on his own, may choose not to challenge himself with.

By reading with your son, you can also share novels that depict characters facing a variety of life’s challenges; which allows you a shared safe space to discuss more complex and topical matters with him.

We would love to celebrate our Marist parents/guardians reading together with our Junior School boys with a photo wall at school. If you have a photo of you and your son sharing time together reading, we would love to add it to our display. Please send your photo through to juniorschool@mcc.act.edu.au with the subject of ‘Junior School Reading Photo’.

Year 4 Grandparents’ Day – Monday 10 May 2021

We are pleased to announce we will be able to hold our Year 4 Grandparents’ Day this year. To assist with limiting the number of guests we have on site at one time, each Year 4 class will be allocated a ‘Grandparents Hour’ to celebrate with their special guests, sharing their school work and enjoying a morning or afternoon tea together. Invitations will be sent home this week with registrations closing by 5.00pm on Wednesday 5 May.

University of Canberra Pre-Service Teachers

The boys of 4W and 4K recently welcomed Miss Jade Browne and Miss Kate Ligteringen into their classrooms for the next two weeks. Miss Browne and Miss Ligteringen are both studying Primary Teaching at the University of Canberra and will spend time observing, assisting and teaching their respective classes as part of their pre-service training. We certainly hope they will find their time with us at Marist an enriching learning experience.

NAPLAN – Year 5

With NAPLAN beginning on Tuesday 11 May for our Year 5 boys, we encourage all families to keep the boys’ weeks as predictable as possible. Whilst the NAPLAN assessments do provide the school with a useful set of data, we want the boys to be relaxed and to view the NAPLAN assessments as another normal task they complete at school. In this manner, the boys will be sure to do their best and not feel anxiety around the assessment tasks. Further information has been emailed home to our Year 5 families.

Congratulations

Well done to Reilly Fitzgerald (Year 4) who recently participated in showjumping at the ‘Snowy Mountains Equestrian School – Interschools Competition’.

NAPLAN 2021 equipment list

Students are reminded to bring the following items to every test session:

• Pen or pencil for planning
• Headphones/earphones – no Bluetooth headphones
• A book to read
• No electronic devices (Phones, smart watches, ipads must be left in lockers).

NAPLAN tests skills in literacy and numeracy that are developed over time through the school curriculum. The results of the tests provide information for students, parents and teachers that can be used to improve student achievement. During the test period, catch-up tests will be available for individual students who are absent on test days. These students may undertake catch-up tests on the days in the test week after the scheduled test, up to and including Friday 28 May 2021.

Later in the year, parents and carers will receive their child’s personal NAPLAN report. The report will describe their child’s particular skills in reading, writing, language conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy. The report will also show how their child performed in relation to national minimum standards. These describe the minimum acceptable standards for students across Australia.

Click here to view an online demonstration site. This site allows students and parents/carers to familiarise themselves with the student test experience and functionality. In regular classes, students will be participating in practice opportunities for the questioning and style of the NAPLAN assessment. This level of familiarisation is worthwhile to help students understand and be comfortable with the format of the test. Students may also complete practice tests at home.

Click here for more information.

Grant Barclay
Head of Student Progress

Marist mothers and grandmothers, past and present, and their sons are warmly welcome to celebrate Mass on Thursday 6 May 2021. Registration is essential for both you and your son/s. Click here to register. 

A reminder to please do not park in the bus bays at the front of the school as the morning buses will be arriving.

Jesus once said to his disciples, "Come by yourselves to an out of the way place and rest a little."

As busy mothers, it is wonderful to have the chance to gather, to enjoy a cup of tea, and to nurture and deepen your faith. This year’s Mothers’ Retreat, to be held on Wednesday 5 May 2021, will be led by the Mission Team and Andrea Dean as guest facilitator. There will be time to breathe the Spirit of Life and think about God as well as meet other Marist Mothers (past and present).

Andrea Dean has been involved in leadership, facilitation and teaching through the Catholic Education: Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn, the Australian Catholic University, and the University of Canberra. In 2004, she received a Churchill Fellowship and visited the USA to investigate programs in teacher formation.

After two years as Director of the Office for the Participation of Women and Office for Lay Pastoral Ministry within the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Andrea is once again working as a consultant. She holds qualifications in education, theology, coaching, spiritual direction, and ministry. Andrea is the president of WATAC (Women and the Australian Church).

Click here to book. 

This Sunday, 2 May 2021, at 9.00am

Sister Joan Chittister, one of the Catholic world’s most influential religious and social leaders, will address a national Convocation of Catholics via Zoom from the USA.

The address topic is ‘A vision for Catholicism in Australia: Renewal directions, priorities, hopes and aspirations’. Practical proposals and visionary ideas around the themes of synodality, subsidiarity, inclusivity, transparency and accountability will be discussed.  

Sister Joan has advocated for 50 years on behalf of peace, human rights, women’s issues, and church renewal. She has a history of speaking truth to power often challenging the Church in relation to renewal. As keynote speaker at the first of three convocations hosted by the Australian Catholic Coalition for Church Reform (ACCCR), Sister Joan will be reaching a large national audience.

The Chittister Convocation will inspire Catholics who are insisting that the Catholic Church, through the Plenary Council process, address greater inclusion for all, especially women and minority groups. The Plenary Council is an opportunity for much-needed change to the Catholic Church’s leadership. 

Lay Catholics are encouraged to participate in the Convocations’ aspirations as it will speak to the deep desires among Australian Catholics for fresh vision and a new direction.

The President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge, supports the Convocation and will give an official greeting to the participants. He acknowledged in a recent interview that reform is needed in the Church because ‘the current mode of leadership is unsustainable’.

The Convocation will be convened by the Australasian Catholic Coalition for Church Reform (ACCCR), a collaboration of 19 member groups across Australia demanding Church reform. Registration is free and open to all. 

Events cater for both skiers and snowboarders and are suitable for those who are at an intermediate level and above.

The College will not be running a trip for this competition. It will be the responsibility of parents/carers to arrange transport and accommodation for this event. If this is your son’s first experience with Interschools Competitions, they may just want to compete in one event which would mean one day of racing only. All races at Interschools are time trials only. You do not race against competitors at the same time; just the clock!

Marist will arrange for the entries of all its competitors which will be subsidised by the Marist Snowsports Club. Boys will also receive a Marist Snowsports Jacket for use over the winter. In addition, there will also be a waxing clinic run at the College in the lead-up to the event.

Please note: If boys perform well at the ACT/Southern NSW Snowsports Championships, they will be invited to Nationals. Any boys who are invited to go Nationals and take up the offer will receive further subsidies from the Club.

Should your son wish to compete at Interschools, please let Jason Duff know by Tuesday 1 June at the latest.

Jason Duff
Snowsports Coordinator

Anyone interested in trialling for the various regional sports needs to log onto the School Sport ACT website and register for the sport that your child wishes to trial. It is the responsibility of parents to monitor the website for any upcoming sporting events, if your child is interested in competing in the regional competitions.

Please also note: if your child is successful in being selected for an ACT team to participate in a national or regional tournament, you need to write a formal letter to the Deputy Headmaster or Head of Junior School to seek permission for absence from school during this period. Once the College has received such a request, it can then be formally approved for your son’s participation in this activity with School Sport ACT. Secondly, we will also be able to acknowledge his achievement in the College newsletter. 

Paul Mead
Head of Sport