Week 7

13 March 2026

Dear Parents/Carers

As we move deeper into the first term of 2026, our school is buzzing with the energy of young men eager to learn and grow. During Lent our focus shifts toward the interior, the development of the heart and the conscience and we reflect on the spiritual significance of Lent.

The Season of Lent: A Time for Connection

We are almost half way into the sacred season of Lent. In a world that often demands “perfection”, constantly curated through screens and social media, Lent focuses on what we can do for others rather than our self-gratification.

Lent is not merely a period of “giving things up.” It is a 40-day journey of preparation that calls us to:

  • Prayer: Strengthening our personal relationship with God.
  • Fasting: Creating space in our lives by removing distractions.
  • Almsgiving: Reaching out in service to the needs of those less fortunate than ourselves.

For our boys, Lent is an invitation to be authentic. It is a time to leave behind our self-centred thoughts and move to be other-person centred.

Navigating the New Digital Frontier: Under-16 Social Media Laws

As many of you are aware, significant legislative changes came into effect in late 2025 regarding social media use in Australia. Children under 16 are now restricted from holding accounts on major platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and X.

What this means for our families:

  • Platform Responsibility: The legal onus is on social media companies to prevent under-16s from accessing their services. They face heavy penalties for non-compliance.
  • Parental Role: While parents are not legally penalised if a child bypasses these systems, we have a moral and “duty of care” obligation to mentor our sons. The law is designed to give young people more time to develop the emotional maturity and digital literacy required for these complex environments.
  • The “Level Playing Field”: This law helps remove the “social FOMO” (fear of missing out). When the whole cohort is in the same boat, it becomes easier for you as parents to set firm boundaries at home.

We encourage you to visit the eSafety Commissioner’s website for resources on how to transition your sons away from restricted platforms toward safer, educational, or interest-based digital spaces.

Parents must also consider that Marist College Eastwood has no control over Social Media Platforms and does not have the ability to shut down pages that are created and posts made by individuals or groups. So whilst we encourage you to inform us of any concerns you or your son/s may be experiencing so we can support them, but for the most part, the school is unable to control the outcome or have any impact on changing what has occurred online.

The Year 12 Retreat: Nurturing “Good Christians and Good Citizens”

Next week our Year 12 cohort attend their Senior Retreat. While many school camps focus on teamwork or physical challenges, the Senior Retreat is different. It is a cornerstone of our formation program, designed to help our Year 12 students grow into men of faith and integrity.

The retreat provides a rare “circuit breaker” from the pressures of the HSC. Over three days of reflection, the boys explore:

  1. Self-Knowledge: Understanding their own strengths and vulnerabilities.
  2. Brotherhood: Moving past surface-level friendships to support one another deeply.
  3. Spiritual Foundation: Contemplating their role in the world through the lens of the Gospel.

Watching young men share their stories and pray together is a powerful reminder of our mission. We don’t just want them to graduate with a high ATAR; we want them to leave these gates as “Good Christians and Good Citizens“, compassionate, resilient and grounded in faith.

Message from Fr Pawel – Parish Priest at St Kevin’s

I kindly remind families that the church’s disabled parking spaces are reserved only for those with an official disabled parking permit. The church driveway is also not to be used for drop‑off, pick‑up, or parking at any time. Please use neighbouring streets or the school car lines for drop‑off and collection. Recently, the driveway has been blocked during pick‑up, creating an unsafe situation for children and drivers.

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping this area safe and accessible.

Respice Finem

Mr David Sullivan
Principal 

 

Early Dismissal – 31 March 2026

13 March 2026

 

Dear Parents/Carers

Early Dismissal – 31 March 2026

On Tuesday, 31 March 2026 all students will be dismissed early to accommodate Year 12 Parent Teacher Conferences. All students will be dismissed at 12.15pm.

Research clearly indicates the importance of collaboration and strong working relationships between schools and parents for improved student outcomes. This strong parent engagement leads to improved wellbeing and academic student outcomes and at the College we value and prioritise the opportunity for parents and teachers to meet and discuss the growth and development of students.

Supervised study will be available for students who require it until 2.50pm in the Learning Centre. If your son will be staying at school for supervised study, we do ask you to complete the attached form by Friday, 27 March so that staffing and rooming arrangements can be made.

Please note that Homework Club & Math Club will not be running on this day and the Learning Centre will not be available after school.

The school canteen will not be available for lunch for students staying at school.

Students have been informed they are to go directly home and to be conscious of their behaviour and movement on public transport considering the differing dismissal time from the normal. This is a great opportunity for students to complete individual study tasks or prepare for any upcoming assessments.

Yours sincerely

 

Ms Melinda Alvarez

Assistant Principal

 

A Call to Our Parent Community

13 February 2026

Dear Parents/Carers

A Call to Our Parent Community

On Tuesday 28 April 2026 we will be hosting our second Careers Night for students in Years 10-12. While we have a fantastic lineup of alumni and industry partners returning to the College, we know that some of the greatest expertise resides right here within our own parent body.

If you are passionate about your profession and would be open to sitting at an “Industry Hub” for two hours to share your insights with our students, we would be honoured to have you. All professions and skills are welcomed but we are particularly looking to expand our representation in Architecture, Paramedicine, Psychology, Physiotherapy, Hospitality, Aviation and the Creative Arts.

If you would like to join our panel of advisors for the evening, please register your interest here: https://forms.gle/zaCuUAGASHEVXZp37 

Thank you for your continued support in helping our young men find their sense of purpose and direction. We look forward to seeing you there.

Warm regards

Mr. Benjamin Nguyen
Careers Adviser

Year 8 – Enrichment Term 1

13 February 2026

 

Dear Parents/Carers

This year in Enrichment, our Year 8 students are focusing on strengthening their written communication skills. Developing clear, confident writing is an essential life skill that supports success across schooling, future study and the workplace. Throughout this term, students are learning to plan, draft, edit and refine their writing with increasing independence and confidence.

As part of this learning sequence, students are working towards producing a piece aligned with the Whitlam Institute’s *What Matters?* writing competition. This national competition invites young people to write a 400–600 word piece about an issue that matters deeply to them. It encourages thoughtful expression, civic awareness and authentic student voice.

Students have now completed the planning stage for their response and are currently working on developing their drafts. This stage of the process is an excellent opportunity for them to experiment with ideas, refine their thinking and practise meaningful revision. We encourage you to speak with your son about his draft, the ideas he is exploring and the choices he is making as a writer. These conversations can make a significant difference to students’ confidence and engagement.

Participation in the competition is entirely optional. Students are not obliged to enter; however, if they are proud of their final piece and wish to share their ideas more widely, we would warmly encourage them to consider submitting their work. Entry is free. A permission note is included in your child’s Enrichment booklet should you wish to provide consent for the school to submit their writing on their behalf. However as the work is entirely their own, students may also choose to enter independently if they prefer.

Thank you for your ongoing support of your child’s learning. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Kind regards

 

Emily Mattick
Leader of Learning Enrichment & Leader of Wellbeing – Year 11

 

Years 10, 11 & 12 – 2026 Careers Night – “Your Futures, Unfiltered”

13 February 2026

 

Dear Parents/Carers

Subject: Invitation: “Your Futures, Unfiltered” – Careers Night 2026

At Marist College Eastwood, we believe that the best career advice doesn’t just come from a textbook – it comes from the real-world experiences of those who have walked the path before.

We are excited to invite you and your sons in Years 10, 11 and 12 to our upcoming Careers Night: “Your Futures, Unfiltered.”

This evening is designed to pull back the curtain on the professional world. We have curated an incredible panel of over 40 advisors – ranging from Surgeons, Lawyers and Politicians to Carpenters, Engineers and Tech Innovators – who are ready to share the honest realities, challenges and rewards of their respective fields. University representatives will be there too.

Event Details:

  • Date: Tuesday 28 April 2026
  • Time: 6:00pm – 8:00pm
  • Location: Montagne Centre (entry via Gate 5 on Terry Road)
  • Who should attend: All students in Years 10, 11 and 12 and their parents/carers
  • RSVP: Please confirm your attendance here

This is a unique opportunity for your son to move beyond “what” he wants to be and start discovering “how” to get there through meaningful face-to-face networking.

Warm regards

Mr. Benjamin Nguyen
Careers Adviser 

CSDA Debating Competition

13 March 2026

Dear Parents/Carers

The CSDA Debating Competition is quickly approaching, and we would encourage all students to consider participating.

Debating is a fantastic activity that teaches students much more than just how to argue a point. It helps students learn how to think deeply, articulate clearly and speak confidently. Along the way, they learn to listen carefully, see different sides of an issue and think on their feet.

The Competition begins in Term 2 and runs on Wednesdays for 6 weeks, with successful teams advancing to the Finals.  Please note that all competing students must be available after school on Wednesdays and will be required to travel to other schools for the away rounds.

If your son is interested in becoming an MCE Debater or Volunteer, please complete the Expression of Interest Google Form by 3:00pm on Monday 16 March. 

All students who submit an Expression of Interest for debating will be invited to try out for our teams. Team places are limited, with two teams for each year group (up to 4 students per team) entering the Competition. Try out information will be communicated directly to students next week.

If you have any questions regarding the competition or the commitment involved, please feel free to email me at a.gatenbymoore@syd.catholic.edu.au.

Thank you for your ongoing support!

Kind regards,

Miss Alyssa Gatenby-Moore
Debating & Public Speaking Coordinator

 

Secondary Schools Friday Chess Competition

13 March 2026

Dear Parents/Carers

Secondary Schools Friday Chess Competition

The 2026 Secondary Schools Chess Competition is an inter-school competition played during Term 2.  Your son is invited to represent the College by joining a team. The competition operates Friday afternoons after school during Term 2 beginning on Friday 1 May (Week 2).  Finals are played on Fridays in Term 3.  There are three separate grades: Junior (7 and 8), Intermediate (9 and 10) and Senior (11 and 12).  Boys will be in teams of four players and will play one game only each week.  About half the matches are played at MCE with the remainder away at other schools.

Games are due to begin at 4.00pm although they may start as late as 5.00pm.  Games can take from 20 minutes to up to 2 hours depending upon the ability of the players although they generally go no more than 40 minutes.  Note that boys may return to school late after away games.  This could be as late at 6.30pm if traffic is heavy.

Direct adult supervision of the boys is needed for all away Year 7 and Year 8 matches.  We need a parent (Unfortunately only parents are permissible) to drive your son’s team (4 students including your son) to the away venue, be present during the games and drive the boys back to school.  Each parent would hopefully need only to be available once or twice for the season.

If adult supervision of Year 9, 10, 11 or 12 boys cannot be arranged for away games they will be allowed to travel unescorted on public transport.  Students will require their own Child/Youth Opal card with an adequate balance to pay for any public transport costs.  The College will provide maps, timetables and directions if required.

If you would like your son to participate in the Interschool Chess Competition then complete the Google form available at the link here by Wednesday 18 March. Further details and the draw will be made available in the first week of Term 2. 

Yours sincerely

 

Mrs Melinda Alvarez                                                              Mr David Foong
Assistant Principal                                                               Chess Coordinator

 

Final Reminder – Year 7 2028 Enrolments Closing Soon

13 March 2028

 

Dear Parents/Carers,

Final Reminder: Year 7 2028 Enrolments Closing Soon

This is a final reminder that enrolments for Year 7 2028 at Marist College Eastwood will close on Friday 27 March 2026.

If you have not yet started your online application, please visit the link below to apply now:

Enrol Now – Marist College Eastwood

To assist you, the application portal includes detailed Instructions and FAQs. Should you require any further assistance or have questions regarding the process, please contact the Enrolment Office as soon as possible – enrolments@maristeastwood.catholic.edu.au

We look forward to receiving your application.

Kind regards

 

Mrs Varteny Khoudesian

Enrolment Secretary

West Ryde Easter Celebrations

Good Morning,

City of Ryde’s Easter event – West Ryde Easter Celebrations is scheduled for Saturday 28 March 2026 at ANZAC Park.

https://www.ryde.nsw.gov.au/Events/West-Ryde-Easter-Celebrations

Also to note that our competitions are now open with some great prizes to be won: https://www.ryde.nsw.gov.au/Events/West-Ryde-Easter-Celebrations/Competitions

  • Easter Bonnet Competition
  • Colouring-In Competition
  • Singing Competition

Please reach out if you have any questions.

Kind Regards
City of Ryde Events

City of Ryde Events
E  CityofRydeEvents@ryde.nsw.gov.au
W  www.ryde.nsw.gov.au

 

Reminder – Parent Focus Groups

4 March 2026

 

Dear Parents/Carers,

Parent Focus Groups

Developing Strong Minds and Gentle Hearts

I hope this letter finds you and your family well and your son/s are enjoying the school year to date. As we continue through the school year, I am reaching out to seek your valuable feedback and insights about our school community.

As mentioned in my communication at the beginning of the year, my first priority is to know our students, staff, and parent community. I believe that by listening to your stories and understanding what makes Marist College Eastwood special, we can honour our history and the values that set us apart while identifying opportunities for growth.

Your perspective as parents is invaluable. You see aspects of our school’s impact that may not be immediately visible within our classrooms, and your insights will help shape our path forward.

We currently provide our parents with a forum in which to support and provide feedback via the Parent Community Group (via once per term meetings). I would encourage you to attend our Term 2 meeting if you are interested.

However, to provide an additional forum and as a way of further introducing Melinda Alvarez (Assistant Principal) and myself to the school, we will be offering parents the opportunity to meet on the following occasions in the College Learning Centre in Term 1 to help us better understand the views of our Parent community. The sessions are scheduled as follows:

  • Wednesday 25 March (9.00am-10.00am)
  • Thursday 26 March (9.00am-10.00am)
  • Tuesday 31 March (8.00am-9.00am)

To be part of one of these focus groups, please provide your details in this Google Form. Once you have registered for a session further details will be provided. Spaces for each session are limited.

The focus of our conversations will include:

  • What aspects of Marist College Eastwood do you value most?
  • Where do you see opportunities for improvement?
  • How can we better support your child’s educational journey?
  • As a parent, what do you want to know more about to support your son?

I look forward to meeting many of you at upcoming school events. Working together, I am confident we can build an even stronger Marist College Eastwood culture that ensures all students become the best version of themselves.

Yours sincerely,

Mr David Sullivan
Principal

Reminder – Harmony Week

6 March 2026

Dear Parents/Carers,

We are pleased to inform you that our students will be participating in Harmony Week, a national celebration that recognises Australia’s cultural diversity and promotes inclusiveness, respect, and a sense of belonging for everyone.

Harmony Week will take place at the College in Week 9 – 23-27 March, and throughout the week students will engage in a range of activities in Homeroom designed to celebrate the many cultures and backgrounds within our school community. The message we want our students to understand is that everyone belongs. It’s important to recognise that sometimes behaviour intended as ‘banter’ can still hurt others. When this happens, the intention doesn’t matter — what matters is how the words or actions are received.

As part of our Harmony Week celebrations, we invite students to wear mufti clothing along with a sport jersey that reflects their cultural heritage, or they may choose to wear a touch of orange on Friday, 27 March. Orange is the official colour of Harmony Week and represents communication, meaningful conversations, and mutual respect. As always with mufti day events, students are to wear fully closed shoes, no slides/thongs/crocs are to be worn.

In addition to wearing mufti, we are encouraging students to bring a gold coin donation for Project Compassion. Donations will be collected during Flag Raising.

We encourage families to talk with their children about the importance of inclusivity, kindness, and celebrating differences. Your support helps us build a school environment where every student feels valued and included.

Thank you for your continued support.

Kind regards

 

Linda Codamo
Director of Wellbeing

 

Reminder – Year 7 – Year 7 Camp

6 March 2026

 

Dear Parents/Carers

 

During Week 1 of Term 2, Year 7 will be attending an outdoor adventure camp at Sydney Academy of Sport, Narrabeen. School camp is compulsory for all students to attend and the benefits of participation are considered very valuable. The purpose of the camp is to provide an opportunity for students to:

  • Participate in challenging outdoor activities, which would not normally be available, such as canoeing, archery, raft building and low ropes.
  • Cooperate with teachers and peers outside the classroom environment.
  • Develop independence by being away from home but still in a safe environment.

The camp will take place from Monday 20 April to Wednesday 22 April (Term 2, Week 1). The centre offers great facilities in a wonderful setting. The program is well organised and very professionally and safely executed.

 

Details of the camp are as follows:

Departure Monday 20 April. Assemble in Flag raising lines in Champagnat Court at 8:30am. Travel to Camp by bus.
Return Wednesday 22 April by 2.50pm.
Accommodation Dorms (6-10 students to a room) with amenities.
Meals All meals are provided. Please advise of special dietary requirements in the Compass Permission and the online registration for the Camp.

No nut products are to be brought to Camp. Students are also discouraged from bringing special treats.
Camp Activities All activities are supervised by fully qualified Camp instructors as well as MCE staff. Before each activity, students will be briefed by the Camp instructor and will have the opportunity to participate in the activity.
Online Registration form Please complete the online registration form for Sydney Academy Sport, via this link. You are required to register and then login and complete the form. This is due by Friday 20 March.

Students will not be permitted to attend Camp if this form is incomplete.
Compass Permission Note To provide permission for Camp, please complete and submit the event permission note on Compass. This includes fully completing all questions required. The Compass Permission Note is due by Friday 20 March. Students will not be permitted to attend Camp if this form is incomplete. This will be sent out next week
Contact During Camp If you need to contact your son, please call the College on 9858 1644 or the Sydney Academy of Sport Narrabeen office on 9454 0222
Rules All school rules apply on Camp. This includes the use of Mobile Phones.

Mobile phones are not to be used or visible on Camp. It is strongly advised that students do not bring devices including mobile phones.

The College accepts no responsibility for the loss of items, especially valuable items that are brought to camp.

Please also note that a Nurse from Kemp Recruitment has been appointed and will administer any medication students require.

Parents are reminded that the camp is a compulsory part of your son’s education. If your son is unable to attend camp, please contact your son’s Leader of Wellbeing Mr Stephen Flew as soon as possible. We are all looking forward to a wonderful camp experience. Thank you for entrusting your son to our care.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Ms Linda Codamo                                                      Mr Stephen Flew

Director of Wellbeing                                               Leader of Wellbeing – Year 7

Reminder – Year 10 – Year 10 Vaccinations – 18 March 2026

20 February 2026 

Dear Parents/Carers

Year 10 Vaccinations

NSW Health will offer the following vaccinations to Year 10 students at our College.

–         Meningococcal ACWY on 18 March 2026

If your child is in Year 10 you can provide online consent for their routine school vaccinations. Vaccination will only be provided at school if consent has been received. 

How to provide consent:

1. To complete online consent for your child’s school vaccinations, visit: https://engage.health.nsw.gov.au/engage and login using your ServiceNSW details. This is the same account you may already use to renew your driver’s licence. Refer to Service NSW to create an account if you don’t already have one.

2. Update or confirm your personal details in ServiceNSW as required.

3. Complete the School Vaccination Consent Form for your child. 

Read a step-by-step guide on how to provide consent online. Translated guides are available in Arabic, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Vietnamese.

If you or your child do not have a Medicare card or access, consent can still be provided by requesting a paper-based consent form. Please contact the office if you require a paper form.

The benefits of providing consent online:

• Easily update your child’s details
• Receive SMS and/or email notifications when vaccinations are given
• Faster upload of vaccination records to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR).

For more information on routine school vaccinations, please visit www.health.nsw.gov.au/schoolvaccination .

If you require information in your language, please visit www.health.nsw.gov.au/immunisation/Pages/school_vaccination_language.aspx

Kind regards


Ms Melinda Alvarez
Assistant Principal

 

Reminder – Year 12 – 2026 Parent/Teacher and Student Conferences

Letter from the Director of Learning & Teaching

6 March 2026

 

Dear Year 12 Parents/Carers

 

Year 12 Parent/Teacher and Student Conferences

 

The Parent/Teacher and Student Conferences on Tuesday 31 March from 1:15pm-7:00pm will provide you the opportunity to discuss your son’s progress.  Parents can support their son through an honest conversation about his learning and ensure that specific strategies from their son’s teachers are applied in the home environment.

 

These Parent/Teacher and Student Conferences will be the last formal opportunity to meet with your son’s teachers to discuss his learning progress and they will be taking place face-to-face in the Montagne Centre.

 

An important part of learning at Marist College Eastwood is feedback that will inform students on how well they are progressing with their learning goals and the steps needed to improve.  Often this will afford an opportunity for affirmation of your son’s efforts so far. Optimal learning performances will be achieved by students who:

 

  • Reflect critically on their learning goals and lead the discussion on strategies to enhance their learning.
  • Seek feedback from their teachers on ways to improve their achievement in all future tasks.
  • Attend all scheduled classes and engage with the classwork in every lesson.
  • Complete all assigned class work and homework and seek feedback on the quality of the work.
  • Ensure that time is spent each day on exercise and relaxation, or stress-reducing activities.

All Parent/Teacher Conferences will be booked via Compass.  The Compass portal will be open to make bookings for interviews on Monday 23 March at 8.30am and closes Monday 30 March at 8.00am.  To book interviews please login to Compass, select the Community tab (2 heads) and then select Conferences.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Ms Melissa Williams

Director of Learning & Teaching

 

Uniforms

2nd Hand Uniform Shop – Next open: Thursday, 26 March (Week 9) from 1.30pm-3.00pm. Cash & EFTPOS accepted.

Please note:

  • As the school has changed uniform suppliers, uniform sizing has changed and is no longer consistent with previous sizes
  • We strongly encourage parents to bring their own measurements when purchasing from the second-hand uniform shop
  • The second-hand uniform shop is not responsible for sizing issues, and all sales are final — no refunds or exchanges are available

Donations to the Second Hand Uniform Shop can be dropped off to the College Front Reception during normal school hours. Year 12’s your blazers would be very much appreciated after you graduate.

For more information, please refer to Compass > Community tab (2 heads) > School Documentation > Parent Information and Forms > Uniform Price List & Second Hand Uniform Shop Information