Congratulations Year 12

Dear Parents, Students, and Teachers

The final day of last term was a very special day for our Graduating Class of 2019. These young men have completed their formal schooling and now look forward to the commencement of their HSC this week. On behalf of the MCNS Community, we wish them the very best during this time.   Click here to view gallery

This group of students began their time at Marist on the same day that I commenced as principal. They have been a supportive and very positive year group to work with during this time. They have also grown, developed, and changed remarkably since those first days as Year 7s in 2014. I am not sure that I have changed as much!

On the final Thursday of Term 3, we held the College Walkathon and we are now in a position to give Br Peter Corr via the Marist Asia Pacific Solidarity the sum of $19,386 towards the building of the new Marist school in Timor Leste. Click here for further information.

During the recent holidays, the College took possession of a new 12 seater minibus. The funds for this bus have come from the work of the Parents and Friends Association over the last 12 months. We will retain our larger 20 seat Coaster bus which is useful for larger groups. This vehicle can be driven by any driver with a normal driver’s license and will be really useful for the trips involving smaller groups. We are very grateful to the P and F for their dedication over the years and for this particular outcome.

It is worth mentioning that over previous years the P and F have supplied funds to the school that has covered the cost of air conditioning the school. This took a number of years. There was mention last week in the Sydney Morning Herald of a study that showed there is a drop in the average test scores for students who are in hotter classrooms. We have been blessed over these years by good P and F groups who have had good leadership and determined committees.

During the holidays our Indigenous Immersion to Far North Queensland commenced and it will finish this week. We are fortunate to have the support of great teachers who have led and supported immersions to India, Cambodia and now to the Far North. This immersion is being led by Mr Gabriel Rulewski with the support of Mr Ralph Chandler.

Tony Duncan
Principal

Summer Uniform

Students have returned to school wearing their summer uniform. If your son is choosing to wear shorts during summer, his socks must be the correct size and fit i.e. reach the knee. The uniform shop is open every Wednesday if you need to update any pieces of uniform. There will be ongoing uniform checks throughout the Term to ensure students are dressed correctly.
Students are welcome to continue wearing their long trousers throughout the summer should they not want to wear shorts and long socks.

3pm Finish - Week 2

Students will finish classes at 3pm throughout Week 2 so the College can trial a traffic management plan with St Mary’s Primary school next door. Students will not miss any lesson time as we will shorten Tutor group in the morning to accommodate this change for the week.

Metropolitan Secondary Schools Chess Competition
During Term 2, our Intermediate Chess team made up of Arvend Karunagaran, Rowan Cargill, Liam Stanovic Spice, and Yutaro Yamada competed in the NSW Junior Chess League Metropolitan Friday night competition. The team impressively scored a total of 26 out of 28 games against other schools including Shore, St Aloysius, North Sydney Boys, St Ignatius, and Monte Saint Angelo. This total placed them first in their division and qualifiers for their semi-finals which was played against Manly Selective School. In a close finish, Marist won 2 out of 4 games. As Marist won the games on boards 1 and 2 in a tie break, they moved forward to the next round of semi-finals which was played against Knox Grammar. Rowan Cargill played extremely well & won his game on this day. We all enjoyed progressing this far into the competition and learnt a lot on the day as our opponents where excellent chess players.

One Day Tournament
Our Intermediate Chess team rose to the challenge in the semi-finals of the Sydney Academy of Chess Interschool Tournaments. Arvend Karunagaran placed 2nd in the tournament, Yuta Yamada placed third and Rowan Cargill placed 5th which qualified them as a school to move to the next level and compete in the finals. The team thanks Mr Dela Paz, Mrs Drivilas and Mr Duncan for giving us the wonderful opportunity to play in the tournament.

Terry Shaw Shield
It was a busy Sunday at North Sydney Boys School with teams from high schools all over the state competing in the Terry Shaw Shield, named after International Master Terrey Shaw (1946-1997), who was for many years one of Australia's leading players and a keen supporter of the NSWJCL. He represented Australia in nine consecutive Chess Olympiads, winning a gold medal at the 1972 Olympiad. Two teams from Marist admirably represented the school and particularly enjoyed the final two games were they faced some very difficult opponents.

Rowan Cargill
Year 10

“Qu'est-ce qu'un scientifique après tout? C'est un homme curieux qui regarde à travers un trou de serrure, le trou de serrure de la nature, essayant de savoir ce qui se passe”

(What is a scientist after all? It is a curious man looking through a keyhole, the keyhole of nature, trying to know what's going on.") - Jacques-Yves Cousteau

On Wednesday 17 September, pupils undertaking the Year 12 Chemistry course attended the Chemistry Kickstart Workshop run by the University of Sydney Chemistry department.

The workshop provided pupils with the opportunity to work and understand the function behind Chemical analysis equipment that revolutionised modern chemistry and is commonly used in the industry to produce medicine such as panadol.

The first station consisted of the Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS), an Australian invention that immensely improved chemical analysis techniques. We were then split into two different groups, conducting highly practical experiments such as Mohr’s titration, Gravimetric analysis, UV - visible spectrometry and calculating Equilibrium constant. My personal favourite was the Mohr’s titration, which allowed us to determine the exact concentration of a certain ion, a technique commonly used in the industry.

On behalf of the Year 12 chemistry class, I would like to thank the School of Chemistry from the University of Sydney for hosting such wonderful learning opportunity. Furthermore, I would like to thank Ms Perry for her supervision on the day, but more importantly for her continual support and insightful teaching throughout the year. We wish you good luck.

Chun Hei Jerry Chu
Year 12 Montagne 4

To assist Charlie in his quest to raise funds for Sydney Childrens Hospital please go to his Go Fund Me page to make a donation. Visit https://au.gofundme.com/f/Charliesbondipaddle

All my best wishes to Year 12 students as they start their HSC exams and embark on the next chapter of their lives. It has been a pleasure watching you all grow up into fine young men. Good luck!

Mrs Katherine Borkowksi
Front Office

Congrats on surviving thirteen years of school boys! You're now at the final sprint. Run it well, study hard and have the hope that I have for you - that you squeeze out of Life every drop of goodness, truth, and beauty that it has to offer. Your days are no longer determined by the school and your newfound freedom is being tested. Just remember, “if you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. If you don’t step forward, you’ll always be in the same place.” (Nora Roberts) 

Some of you will have TAFEs or universities or even jobs lined up, while others may not see the future so clearly. Whatever you're thinking, it might help to know that sometimes it's better to follow opportunities that come your way rather than your passion. Passion for something can grow when we commit ourselves to it and if we're not sure what we're passionate about, we might just need to live a little more and let experience show us. Know that you're all in my prayers. May God bless each and every one of you with a life full of love, deep purpose, and true joy.

Rachael Johnson

Congratulations to Zac Coleman, year 9 Salta 4 For a fantastic result in the East Coast of Australia solo championships on his saxophone.

On 26 September Julian Lee, Year 8 MacKillop 2, represented Marist College North Shore in the NSW All School Athletic Championship. Julian entered into two events, the Triple Jump and his pet event the 200 meters hurdle.

Congratulations Julian!