What's On - 8 February 2023

Senior School Swimming Carnivals

A reminder that the Senior School Swimming Carnivals will be held next Monday 13 February. 

All students are required to attend and house colours or PE uniform must be worn on the day. For more information, please refer to the letter that was sent out to families earlier this week.

Junior School Information Evening

On Monday 13 February at 6pm we will be holding our Junior School Information Evening. The night is an opportunity to meet your son's teacher and the parents of other boys in his class. We ask that at least one parent/guardian attend the evening for each student. Please note that this event is not for students/children, and we ask that families please make care arrangements for their children.

Junior School Lunch on the Lawn

On Friday 24 February the Junior School will be hosting our inaugural Lunch on the Lawn. We invite all parents to come and share a picnic lunch with their sons during our lunch time. Bring a picnic lunch, grab some take away, a hat and a picnic rug or chairs and enjoy a casual and fun opportunity to meet your sons' Marist friends, as well as the Junior School staff and other parents in our Junior School community. This event is for all (new and returning) Marist Junior School families. Drop in for 10 minutes or stay for the whole hour – we don’t mind. We would love to see as many families as possible.

Date: Friday 24 February
Time: 12.30pm on Lindwall Oval

Junior School Swimming Carnival

The annual Marist Junior School Swimming Carnival will be held at the Queanbeyan Swimming and Leisure Centre on Monday 20 February 2023 (Week 4). The boys will be transported to and from the pool by bus, leaving Marist at 8.50am and returning by 3pm.

On the day boys are encouraged to swim in the events they can complete. Boys are to wear their sport uniform, with House colour shirt and school hat. They should have a rash shirt and swimmers underneath. All boys will require a rash shirt for novelty events and sun safety throughout the day.

All boys are asked to wear a House colour swimming cap when in the pool. Swimming caps will be available for purchase for $3 each day before school during Weeks 2 and 3 at the Junior School (not the uniform shop).

Junior School Athletics Carnival 

The Junior School Athletics Carnival will be held on Lindwall Oval Friday 3 March, Week 5. More information to come. 

There are two exciting service opportunities coming up, especially for those who love books!

Lifeline Book Fair

The Lifeline Book Fair is on this weekend, from Friday 10 to Sunday 12 February. Lifeline are looking for volunteers for Saturday and/or Sunday. 

We strongly encourage any members of the College who are able to volunteer to do so! If you are under 18, please ensure that one of your parent's volunteers with you. The College won’t be organising a group to volunteer together. Tasks include assisting with incoming donations, tallying books and items, sorting books, and, on Sunday, helping to pack up. Please complete this form and send it, along with what time(s) you’re available, to Sara Boje.

Woden Seniors Book Fair

We are also looking for a small group of Year 11 or 12 students to assist at the Woden Seniors Book Fair. On Sunday 2 April from 4pm, Mr Lansdown-Weir and this group of about 10 students will help pack up the book fair. If you would like to be part of this team, please reach out to Mr Lansdown-Weir. 
 

Game Changers is starting for the year. Boys are always welcome to join throughout the year, but we’d love for them to be part of it from the beginning of the year. It’s a great opportunity to grow as part of a small group who want to explore the big picture, learn about their faith, and develop skills.

For more information, reach out to Mr Lansdown-Weir.

All groups meet in the Oratory (the building with the banner next to the Canteen) at lunch, except for Year 12 who meet in V8, the Inclusive Education room opposite the Oratory.

Nicholas Lansdown-Weir
Student Faith Formation Coordinator

This program is an opportunity for students and their families to deepen their Catholic faith through the reception of the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, First Holy Communion or Confirmation). It is open to students from Years 7 -12 who are considering one or all of these Sacraments. Sisters of these students are welcome to participate in the program and receive the sacraments as a family.

The actual design of the program will be partially dependent on the needs of the candidates, it will involve a mix of twilight sessions for the family and weekly sessions for the students. These will mostly be held here at school. Priests from the local parishes will also be involved in various sessions and families will need to connect with their parish. The Sacraments will be received within each student’s local parish in and around Pentecost on 28 May 2023.

To register for the program and for any further enquiries please contact Head of Liturgy Leesa Callaughan.

Leesa Callaughan
Head of Liturgy

The parents/carers of children wishing to make their First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion this year at Sacred Heart Church in Pearce are reminded that classes commence on Wednesday 8 February at 6:30pm. If your child is in Year 4 or above and wishes to make their First Reconciliation and/or First Holy Communion this year but is not yet enrolled, please click here for further information, including enrolment information. 

Marist Blue Community, Aleppo – Earthquake Appeal

We are all shocked and saddened by the destruction and loss of life resulting from the recent earthquake in Türkiye and Syria.

Since 2012, the Marist Blue Community has provided support and aid to many families in Aleppo, Syria. The community is made up of Catholics and Muslims, mostly young people, and has consistently provided aid to many people throughout the tragic war. Fortunately, their Centre wasn’t damaged and so they have been continuing to support victims.

On behalf of the Marist Blue community, we are seeking your help.

Donations can be made through the Marist International Solidarity Foundation website. 

The General Director of FMSI, Andrea Rossi, has provided some information about the assistance being prioritised. He wrote:

“Examples of the types of intervention that can be supported include: 

1. Water supply, construction and/or repair of sanitation facilities, provision of health services, medicines
2. Construction of emergency shelters and initiation of emergency food programmes
3. Distribution of emergency non-food items (such as: tents, tarpaulins, blankets, mosquito nets, buckets, jerry cans, cooking utensils)
4. Protection and support activities for the local population, refugees or displaced persons.

100% of the funds will go to humanitarian aid."

You can learn more about the Marist Blue Community here.

Thank you in advance for your generosity.

Peter Hawes
Assistant Head of School - Mission and Identity

In Week 4, Year 7 are looking forward to taking part in their Induction Week!

The objective of this week is for the students to get to know each other, form new friendship groups within their house and to feel a sense of belonging within the College that will be a strong foundation for the rest of their schooling. In addition, we want the boys to gain confidence in camp craft, so that they will make the most out of the College’s subsequent camp programs.

For the days that the Year 7 students are at the College, they should come to school wearing their House PE kits and should bring morning tea/lunch as usual for the regular school timings.

Please note that any changes to return times from camp will be communicated via notices on The Parent Portal - MyMarist. 

Students will undertake the following activities:

Year 7 Parents and Carers Information Evening will be held on Monday 27 February from 6:00pm - 7:00pm in the Senior Hall. 

Following on from the Year Seven Induction Week, MCC would like to share with parents key points from the Study Skills Workshop:

1. What learning is
2. Study skills and time management tips
3. Wellbeing for academic success 

For maximum benefit please bring your son and his laptop. We hope that you can join us!

Please RSVP here by Friday 24 February.

Naomi Whitehead
Y7/8 Coordinator

As you may be aware 2023 NAPLAN will be held from Tuesday 14 March to Monday 27 March for all students enrolled in Years 5, 7 and 9. We request that parents take note of this change and review current commitments for the 2023 test window and adjust calendars where possible. Please find the all the Parent Information for NAPLAN 2023 here. 

More information including your son’s NAPLAN Timetable will be emailed closer to the testing date. If you have any enquires in regard to NAPLAN 2023 please contact Head of Student Progress.

Grant Barclay
Head of Student Progress

On Tuesday 14 of February, there will be an information session on the Duke of Edinburgh Program for interested boys and their families.

The Duke of Edinburgh Award encourages people aged 14 to 24 to set goals and develop skills and physical fitness, volunteer, and complete adventurous journeys.

The presentation will be from 6:00pm to 7:30pm in the Senior Hall.

The presentation will be by Caroline Bowman from Outward Bound, who runs the Award for Marist. Caroline will talk about the award and answer any questions boys and their family might have. Boys must be either in Year 9 or 14 years and older to participate.

Tom McLachlan
Teacher

Are you looking for an opportunity to develop your critical thinking and argumentative skills? Want to improve your public speaking and presentation abilities? Or maybe you're just looking for a way to meet and interact with like-minded individuals? If so, then the Marist Debate Club is the perfect place for you!

By joining the Debate Club, you'll have the opportunity to participate in engaging and thought-provoking debates on a wide range of topics. This will not only help you to improve your critical thinking and argument skills, but it will also provide you with a chance to engage in meaningful conversations and learn more about different perspectives on important issues.

In addition to participating in debates, as a member of the Debate Club, you'll also have the opportunity to attend training sessions on various topics such as effective research techniques, public speaking, and argumentative strategies. These workshops are designed to help you build the skills you need to become a more effective debater and communicator.

If you're looking for a way to challenge yourself and improve your skills, then the Marist Debate Club is the perfect place for you! We welcome students of all skill levels and backgrounds to join, and we look forward to having you as part of our team. So, don't wait any longer, join us today and be a part of a community of individuals who are passionate about the issues being debated.

There will be three divisions that Marist will be participating in for the first competition season (Term 1 and 2). These are:

Junior Premier (Years 6 – 8) – Monday evening rounds
Senior Premier (Years 9 – 10) - Wednesday evening rounds
Advanced Premier (Years 11-12) – Thursday evening rounds

If you are interested in joining or want to learn more about our upcoming events and activities, please feel free to reach out to Mr Dwyer in the English staffroom or by email.

Gerard Dwyer 
Teacher

We invite Senior School families to join us for a House Picnic to celebrate the commencement of the 2023 school year at Marist College.

Date: Thursday 16 February 
Time: 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Location: Oval 1 - Marist College Canberra 

This will be an opportunity to meet with your House Dean, House Group Leaders and other parents in your son’s House.

Please BYO food, drinks and picnic blanket and RSVP here.

Over the break we have been working to develop a new College Portal for Parents, Students and Staff. 

This new portal is called MyMarist and it has now been launched. MyMarist will provide you with information, resources, news and notices for your day to day experience at Marist College Canberra. You will find ways to connect with the student learning management system (Canvas) and the College Calendar and you will have access to all College policies as well as Library and IT resources. 

To access MyMarist please click here and for a brief breakdown of the key features click here.

If you have any questions about the Portal, please contact the College ICT Service Desk.

We ask all families to ensure that if parking on a street neighbouring Marist College to do so in a manner that ensures the safety of students and will not impact the smooth flow of traffic. We also ask that all road signage be followed, and parents and carers interact with residents on these streets in a respectful, cooperative manner.

In 2023 we have a lot of events being offered to all students to support them in making positive and appropriate career decisions. Some of these include, but are not limited to:

Tuesday 21 February: ‘Pathways Information Evening’ for students in Years 11 and 12, and their parents, who are not planning on going directly to University after College.

Monday 22 May: ‘Career Information Night’ for students in Years 9-12 and their parents to engage with a wide range of providers and discuss study and work.

Various dates: several information nights will be held for students in Years 11 and 12, and their parents, to guide them through the University application process. 

A new initiative being introduced at the College this year is “What do you want to be?” - Day 3. 

Every Day 3 on the timetable there will be a different guest speaker or organisation attending the College at lunchtime to talk to our boys about career pathways and study options. These will take place in W19 and are open to all students across the College who may be interested in the presentation. No registration necessary – just bring your lunch straight to W19 and engage with a different person each fortnight!

The timetable of these presentations will be circulated to students to allow them to know in advance who is attending. Our Term 1 timetable already provides the opportunities for boys to come and chat with representatives from a wide range of organisations to learn more about what they may want to be in their future.

I look forward to having the boys engage with this great opportunity and feel empowered to make career choices based on the knowledge of the options available to them.

Please see the schedule for Term One below:

“…young people who had participated in [career] guidance activities at school can commonly expect:

• Lower levels of youth unemployment
• Higher wages
• Greater job satisfaction

Young adults who had first-hand contact with the world of work while in Secondary School are more employable later on. They compete more effectively for available job opportunities.” (OECD, 2022)

Leigh Southwell 
Careers Adviser

On Thursday 2 February, a number of Marist Basketball volunteers represented the College at the UC Capitals Women's National Basketball League game. We would like to give a big thank you to all of the Marist Basketball representatives who participated and volunteered on the day.

Marist Basketball will also be hosting a coaching session run by UC Capitals player, Britt Smart, on 22 February at 5:30pm in Marcellin Hall. Anyone who is interested in learning about coaching is welcome to join us. For more information, please contact Marist Basketball.

Rebecca Casey 
VP Marist Basketball Club 

 

There will be a Marist College Canberra College football tour of Spain in September 2024. This tour will be open to current Year 9, 10 and 11 students who play for the Marist Canberra Football Club in both 2023 and 2024. 

Information Sessions:

Students: Thursday 9 February (Lunchtime in the Theatrette)
Parents: Monday 13 February (6:00pm-7:00pm in the Theatrette)

Well done to the following boys who represented the ACT and attended the National Indoor Hockey Championships in Brisbane over the holidays.

The U13 boys who placed 7th:

• Noah Batch (Year 8)
• Xavier Batch (Year 7)
• Reilly Fitzgerald (Year 6)
• Nate Hamilton (Year 6)

The U15 boys who placed 6th: 

• Conall Fitzgerald (Year 9)
• Aidan Harding (Year 9)

Marist Winter Sporting Clubs will have online registration processes opening during February, so please check the club websites prior to registration for more information. Parents need to ensure that their child/children are registered by the closing date of the registration period to ensure participation in that sport.

Please use the College Sports email for any clarification regarding the Sporting Clubs or College Sport.

Links to our individual sporting club websites can be found here. 

When considering registering there are some points all students must be aware of:

1. Students currently representing the College in Cricket or Rowing - you must continue to honour that training and playing commitment even if there may be an overlap with the pre-season training of your chosen winter sport. Your first priority is to your summer team. In doing this you will not be disadvantaged in your winter sport selections.
2. When choosing a winter sport remember that you are expected to attend all training sessions and all games during the season, in doing so you are supporting your coach and your team mates.
3. College Sporting teams play in an age based competition. All boys are registered to play in their appropriate age level. The College endeavours to ensure that we maximise the participation levels during competition which may require the movement of students up an age group. The College and the clubs work together to ensure if this needs to happen, it is managed appropriately. 

PREMIER LEAGUE (FOOTBALL) EXEMPTION FORMS 

Students who are considering playing for a local Premier League Football Club need to complete the exemption form. More information can be found on the Marist Football Club website.

Paul Mead 
Head of Sport                

The ACT School Sport has changed the process for applying and participating in Sporting Trials.

Anyone interested in trialling for the various regional sports, now need to log onto the ACT Sports 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, a formal written letter is required, addresses to the College 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 ACT Schools Sport. Secondly, we will also be able to acknowledge his achievement in the College Newsletter.

Paul Mead
Head of Sport 

The boys were back on the water for the CGS regatta on Saturday 21 January showcasing the training done over the Christmas period, a fantastic way to start the new year. Not so fantastic, was the ANU regatta last Saturday with Mother Nature blowing an absolute gale leading to the cancelation of racing by mid-morning. Results for both regattas can be found here.

Well done to the Senior and Year 10 boys who made the trek up to sunny Penrith on 28 January for the Rowing NSW Small Boats Regatta. Whilst not a MCCRC supported event, we did still have representatives rowing for Marist, Canberra Rowing Club and the ACT Academy of Sport.

Good luck to those travelling back up to Penrith this weekend for the Rowing NSW Championships. Our next local regatta is the Radford Regatta on Saturday 18 February. 

Danny Rosin
Marist Rowing Club

Weekend Highlights:

• Akshay Joseph, First XI-Colts, scored a stunning unbeaten double century (203 not out) against Daramalan on Sunday.
• Josh Nuss, Colts Div 2-Marist Navy, took 5/15 against Daramalan.

Weekend Results: