Villa View: Issue 01/22

Dear Parents, Carers and Friends of Villanova

This week we began our school academic year with the official commissioning of Seniors and College liturgy. While this is normally a whole of school eucharistic celebration we needed to make adjustments which saw our Year 5 and 12 students in Goold Hall and others in their pastoral rooms with staff. Additionally, we were unable to welcome the broader community of parents to celebrate with us which is both personally and communally disappointing.

On this occasion I was also officially installed as College Principal. As such in this week’s Villa View, I share with you my address to act as a formal introduction to who I am as a leader, educator and what my outlook and hope is for our community and the boys and families within.

Good Morning to our Board Chair, Mr Peter Geraghty, Augustinian Province Leader Fr Peter Jones, College Chaplain and former Rector Fr Peter Wieneke, Board Directors, Parents, Staff, Seniors and students of Villanova College

A moment such as today is a humbling experience. The opportunity to lead this community, in particular the boys we care for, guide, educate and form in the Augustinian tradition is truly an honour. In being the third lay Principal of the College, in this its 73^rd year, there is a need to ensure that at this juncture of history, where the number of active Augustinians in the Australian community dwindles, that a core outcome of my tenure is to ensure that the characteristics of an Augustinian education, and the identity of an Augustinian school stays strong. It is important that when people enter our College there is an unmistakable sense that we are a Catholic school in the Augustinian tradition. That through experiencing interactions and relationships with our staff and young men there is a clear characteristic that says, “this place is different, its special”.

As such, gentlemen of Villanova, in my commitment to you in taking on this role there is for you an inherent challenge when you put on the green and gold. To live the values in your actions everyday – particularly to our Seniors in this their final year.

Allow Humility to temper your successes. As you present yourself, your skills, talents and achievements to the world; do so in the name of service, in the name of the common good. In the hope that through your interactions, influence and relationships the community in which you interact is richer for what you have shared and offered.

Encourage in yourself a want and desire, a drive even, understand your thoughts, choices and actions. Take time to reflect on yourself and the world around you. To contemplate and question the world in which you live and the ‘why?’ of how we interact and behaviour with one another. Dare I say to be ‘interior’. In doing so allow love to grow in your hearts to open the door to understanding and building meaning in the world around you. In the simplest of terms through developing knowledge and wisdom grow character.  In the words of St Augustine “In order to discover the character of people we have only to observe what they love.”

Build and cherish community. In your learning collaborate, in your teaching collaborate. Build a shared story of learning, of understanding, of interdependence, of questioning and posing problems and cooperating to create solution. Let this in itself be a symbol of success. That the creation of meaningful and fulfilling relationships are a passage to happiness. A pathway to Christ and the kingdom. We are through Christ given many gifts and talents for us to develop, to show the world celebrate and grow. What for if not for community? In the St Thomas of Villanova Learning Centre, we can take again from Augustine’s teaching. “God provides the wind; Man must raise the sail”. In our community you are each challenged to develop your talents to benefit others. To become your best to encourage the best in those around you and to then grow toward wisdom together and toward relationship with God.

Each day in our studies and application we should never be satisfied that we are complete. That we are at the end of the learning journey. That as young people, and older people we are constantly on a journey of discovery. We understand that the search for truth is long, unending and difficult. It is indeed restless.

Riley, College leaders and Seniors as I said to you on Tuesday at the Senior Tie presentation, your white shirt and tie are merely symbols. Your actions this year give those symbols meaning. It is your choice as a cohort to ensure that the white shirt and senior tie mean respect, mean brotherhood, mean care for others, mean diligence, mean support, mean integrity, trust and honour. You give that meaning through your actions, and their consistency every day. Excellence is a daily companion not a lonely soldier!

To staff I hope to bring energy, renewal, and a different perspective. To challenge you and ask the questions why? To have you continue your own growth as a Catholic educator and the richness of that identity as you interact and share story with our boys. One of the great fortunes of being new to an organisation is to come with new perspectives, new ideas. Not always to change, or suggest that new ways are right ways, but to provide a window to look through and see new possibilities rather than a mirror that merely reflects back what we already know.

To parents I hope that I can bring to you community and partnership. To respect and grow the covenant that we share as we agree to bond together for the education; intellectual, physical spiritual and cultural of your boy. To help walk beside him on that journey to manhood. To be present with him, and you in the growth through adolescence. A Villanova education embraces the nature of the “village” – Villa Nova – new village. We are the village in which we provide support to you as you raise your child. That we is not only myself, pastoral leaders, staff, coaches, it encompasses the parent community itself and the students. We engage the wisdom and energy of the collective, combined with our faith and shape the sons of Villanova.

To our College board and the Augustinian province I thank you for this opportunity. For you I offer and grow myself and my talents in the hope that I lead the College in faithful respect of the past and with dedicated enthusiasm toward a future of outstanding possibility. I will in my role Dream, Dare and Do. Dream of what may be of our Future, Dare to move toward what might be rather than what is and to Do the work required every day, to ensure our boys growth, learning and success.

I walk forward from today with a commitment toward improvement, to uncovering more of myself and leadership, to consider further the possibilities for Villanova, its students, staff, and community. While I am honoured to begin in this role, I am not content. I am challenged to ensure that my search for truth remains strong and active and that I am committed to my own ongoing conversion and that of the College. To allow Augustine to conclude I would share . . .

“If you would attain to what you are not yet, you must always be displeased by what you are. For where you are pleased with yourself there you have remained. Keep adding, keep walking, keep advancing.”

As such that is my pledge of leadership, to keep adding, to keep walking, to keep advancing, for the community of boys, old boys, parents and staff because my heart is restless, and it will remain restless until it rests in Christ.

 I am sincerely looking forward to meeting you all and turning this pledge into tangible actions and the ever-growing story of Villanova.

The Villa View newsletter will be moving from a weekly to fortnightly publication. On weeks when the Villa View is not published, a sports bulletin will be made available through the same channels as the Villa View.

Principal, Mr Paul Begg

In keeping with the spirit of Reconciliation, Villanova College acknowledges the Yuggera and Turrbal peoples, as the Traditional Custodians of this land on which we stand.  We pay our respects to Elders, past, present and emerging.  This has always been, and always will be, a place of teaching and learning connected to country, culture and community. 

First days of the College year are my absolute favourite, and this year was no exception.  I was totally excited for the joy that is the Year 5 cohort and grateful for the wisdom of the Year 6 students.  As soon as I had wished all the Junior School team “good luck” and complimented them on their spectacular learning spaces all set for learning, I practically ran  down to Eighth Avenue to join the Senior School students to greet the newest Villanovans.  The biggest blessing this year was the chance for Year 5 families to unpack all the boxes last Saturday and for the students to know which dynamic space was theirs – so the walk through the College gates was a little more on the thrilled side as opposed to slightly confused!  Our parents were incredibly thoughtful and remained outside the grounds, taking photos and waving madly to wish the boys well for the first day of 2022.

We gathered in the Agora (meeting place) and marvelled at the Year 6s who figured out very quickly they now sit along the top rows as leaders of the Junior School.  Our Year 5s were the perfect mix and match of grabbing a seat and figuring out later they were sitting amongst another class altogether!  It certainly takes a few practices to learn the new routines of gathering and moving around our incredible St Thomas Learning Centre.

We are loving the new Villanova College school bags!  They are more streamlined, with the perfectly placed name pocket that we can face outwards for ease of locating a boy’s belongings.  The phones are steadily being handed in to Mrs Mascadri, in the Junior School Office from 8am each day – signing these in is compulsory for Year 5 and 6 students.  Safe keeping is paramount as during the day it is the teaching team who can help your sons with any questions they might have.  Phone calls home are only for special occasions and boys must have permission to do so from staff.  The boys appear to be managing their masks quite well, and it’s lovely to see boys who bring a spare in their bags just in case.

The College Tuckshop is a very popular place already – and with Student ID cards still being printed, cash is ideal as payment for the first couple of weeks.  There is a 2022 menu available on the College website here as some food items change each day of the week.  Breakfasts are available as well and the bacon and egg burger with a hash brown is always very popular.  The Tuckshop will take reservations for breakfast items for boys who have before school training, so they don’t miss out – students just need to let the Tuckshop team know the day and order items to be kept aside.  At second break I can see that the slushies are a firm favourite, especially in the warm weather.

We are encouraging our Year 5 students to walk to the Tuckshop with a buddy – even our Year 6 students are being incredibly thoughtful and offering to take them as part of their buddy responsibilities.  Yesterday, we had a second break ice block buddy bonding time – the letters sent out to Year 5 students late in 2021 suddenly turned into real people who sat down and shared a little introduction time with their mates.  Each Friday for the next four weeks, our Sport lesson will be dedicated to buddy rotations to build relationships and offer the highest support for our Year 5 newbies.

The Junior School staff and Mrs Mascadri have been receiving a great deal of important information over the past week – we are very grateful for parents sharing any information, concerns or general helpful points that bring us to understanding the individual in front of us as a whole person.  It takes time to build connections but with your trust, we can be mindful of many things that could make the biggest difference to a 9 – 11-year-old.

Next Monday, Year 5 Junior School classes will host a Parent Information Evening, in their learning spaces starting at 6pm sharp. One parent per child will be permitted to attend the evening so numbers for large gatherings are limited. The idea is to share the routines, expectations and important information about learning procedures that will best help you support your son in 2022.  The Year 5 meetings should be finished no later than 7pm so that the Valentine’s Day celebrations can also still take place with loved ones.  If you cannot attend, rest assured that any handouts or information will be shared in another format.

Year 6 parent information will be delivered as a pre-recorded online session, which will be able to be accessed via a personal link email to parents, to enable them to access information at their leisure. If there are any concerns around your son and his start to the school year then our teachers will make themselves available via phone, email, or Teams if the need arises.

It is a clean slate for everyone – the theme of the College for 2022 is “Ongoing Conversion” which in Junior School words is all about growth and change for the better.  Let’s spend the next few weeks establishing our roots and ensuring our ground is watered, fertilised and the foundations are strong for the growth that lies ahead.

Mr Stephen Rouhliadeff, Head of Junior School

Following an extended break, our students returned to the campus this week and brought with them the nervous energy and excitement that is synonymous with middle schooling. The start to each year often presents new challenges for the boys as they navigate new classrooms and corridors, meet new teachers, make new social connections, and reconnect with old ones. The ‘social awkwardness’ of adolescent boys is real! And it can take a few weeks for the structure, routine, and predictability of schooling, to begin to offset any social challenges encountered and allow the boys to lower their guard and become more confident in both their learning and social environments.

With only one week complete, I find myself incredibly impressed with the manner and attitude the boys are already displaying, and I trust that momentum will only build from here.

Last Friday the College hosted a morning for our Year 7 students, designed to gently orientate them to their new life in Middle School. The morning proved to be a great success, culminating in our Year 7s offering their parents a guided tour of their new Year 7 classroom. I want to extend my warm thanks to the staff who helped make last Friday possible.

We would typically start each year by hosting Parent Information Evenings here at the College. This year continues to supply us with different challenges however and, with the health and safety of all families in mind, we have moved these events to an online format for 2022.

As previously published, links to these events will be sent to families on the following dates:

Year 7 – Tuesday 15 February

Year 8 – Tuesday 15 February

Year 9 – Wednesday 16 February

If you have concerns about how your son is settling into the new academic year, I encourage you to contact your relevant Pastoral Area Leader or your son’s core teachers as soon as possible.

Year 7: Sheridan Carey (scarey@vnc.qld.edu.au)

Year 8: Matthew McGrath (mmcgrath@vnc.qld.edu.au)

Year 9: Alex Sullivan (asullivan@vnc.qld.edu.au)

Mr Greg O’Neill, Head of Middle School

Welcome Back

After a week of online learning to commence the 2022 Academic Year, it was wonderful to see our young men back on campus this week and returning to face-to-face learning. Our Year 12 students started their Senior journey with the traditional Tie Ceremony and looked very dapper in their long-sleeved shirts and newly designed ties. The foundation of our community is built on the power of relationships and thus it was uplifting to see the way in which our students were energised from their interactions both with their peers and their teachers. I thank parents for their support in ensuring that our students returned with high standards of grooming and with the appropriate summer academic uniform.

Year 12 Commissioning Ceremony and Student Leadership Investiture

Yesterday, we celebrated as a College Community the Welcome and Commissioning Liturgy. A significant component underpinning this ritual was the commissioning our Student Leadership Team and Year 12 Seniors. In articulating the Senior Motto for the Class 2022- ‘In Ourselves the Future Lies’, College Captain Riley Richards said the following:

“Every new year brings new opportunities; new changes and we find ourselves at times relentlessly making the decision between the two choices. To remain closed in with what we have always done, or step outside our comfort zone…a choice to grow. To lack effort, or plan and persist… a choice to improve. To only watch others or be brave and step forward, a choice to fulfill. We have a community who backs us tirelessly to reach our fulfillment. We have teachers who strive for our improvement and our failures and successes are personal for them. We have families that nurture our growth. We have all this, but it is in ourselves, that the future lies. Decisions and choices to grow, improve and fulfill, or a decision and choice for complacency. Like you, I too have faced this decision many times. If I am to be honest, there have been times when if it were solely up to me, the wrong choice would have been made, that’s the thing about hindsight and that’s the thing about Villanova. You’re not alone. We have a shared responsibility to make the right choice, we share it with the bloke sitting next to you, sitting behind or in front of you, or the bloke who you don’t know his name. It’s not our names, or our achievements or how we look that binds us together here, it’s the privilege we all have to be a part of the Villanova brotherhood. A brotherhood that started long ago and will continue way past our time here.”

I wish Riley, the Student Leadership Team and all Year 12 students every blessing as they embrace their leadership responsibilities and make a powerful and positive difference within the Villanova College community across 2022.

Parent Information Evenings

This week we completed the series of Parent Information Evenings across the Senior School. The purpose of these evenings is to reinforce the significance of the partnership that exists between the College and our families in ensuring that we provide the best possible support to the young men in our care. In my remarks, I made specific mention of the continual work of our Pastoral Care team in ensuring our Formation Programs continue to best support our aim in ‘developing fine young men.’ I intend to share further commentary on the model of Positive Masculinity I unpacked throughout the year.

For those who were unable to watch these presentations on the livestream, you can view the recording of each information evening at the following links:

Year 12 Parent Information Evening              https://youtu.be/lMAncB1Fkrs

Year 11 Parent Information Evening              https://youtu.be/lfRLT78Cve0

Year 10 Parent Information Evening              https://youtu.be/-j0F-Hbo5wM

I thank all Senior School parents for your ongoing support.

Paul Dillon Parent Information Evening

Next Monday, all Senior School students will have the opportunity to listen to renowned drug education expert Mr Paul Dillon during three separate sessions targeting each year level. The College has retained the services of Mr Dillon for a number of years, such is our strong commitment to regular drug and alcohol education for our young men.

On Monday night, Paul will present to parents on the topic: Vaping – ‘short and sweet’: What do parents need to know? The presentation aims to empower parents and assist them in having open and honest family discussions in this complex area. The presentation will be streamed online at 6pm through the following link: https://youtu.be/gAgKOjuxEAY

“Earn your leadership every day.” – Michael Jordan

Mr Matt Levander, Head of Senior School

I wish all families a warm welcome back to the College after a well-earned break. It has been great to see students back in classes, prepared to take on whatever challenges are presented to them. For our Senior students, last week saw classes commence online whilst this week it has been fantastic for all students from Years 5 to 12 to commence face-to-face classes. For two weeks, the College’s teachers have spent time together preparing for what could potentially be quite an unpredictable term and year. Parents / guardians and students should be confident, however, that our teachers will provide excellent learning experiences no matter what occurs across the school year.

Year 12 Cohort, 2021
Our Year 12 cohort of 2021 have again done themselves proud and given the College community reason to be proud of their achievements. The start of the new school year is normally a time to reflect on the achievements of the previous year; we now welcome all of our graduated cohort to celebrate their accomplishments at the Graduates’ Celebration and have continued our tradition of bringing back our high achievers to our Scholars’ Assembly. The later will be held this Friday, however, the College has postponed the Graduates’ Celebration until 10 March

A summary of last year’s cohort can be found below :

Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) Completion

Number of students receiving a QCE:  141 (100%)

ATAR Results

Average ATAR: 85.9

Percentage of students above ATAR 99.00: 9%

Percentage of students above ATAR 95.00: 22%

Percentage of students above ATAR 90.00: 43%

VET and Apprenticeship Completion

Number of students who completed one or more VET qualification: 44

Number of students who completed an SAT:  4

Year 12 Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences

Over the coming weeks, our newly graduated ‘Old Boys’ will move on to tertiary or further study. We wish them all the best with their further education. We also congratulate those students who have already commenced courses, who have commenced apprenticeships or have chosen to enter the workforce. The College wishes all these men the best in their endeavours and know that they will do Villanova proud.

Next Tuesday (15 February), Year 12 Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences will be held online via Microsoft Teams meetings. Bookings opened on Monday this week and close next Monday morning. This is a great opportunity for Year 12 parents / guardians and students to engage with teachers early in the year in order to discuss students’ progress and best way forward for the year. Conferences will run from 3.30 to 8.00pm. Parents / guardians should refer to the email sent earlier this week for further details.

Scholars’ Assembly
As mentioned above, our Scholars’ Assembly will be held this Friday. This assembly recognises the academic achievements of students from Semester 2 last year. For students in Years 5 to 9, an academic award is given if a student, in their core subjects, achieves a minimum of 4 A’s and a B in their semester results. For students in Year 10, 11 and 12, an academic award is given out if a student, in all of their subjects, achieves a minimum of all A’s and a B in their semester or unit results. Approximately 130 students will be congratulated this week.

This year the College will also recognise students who have demonstrated consistency across the school year; those students who receive Academic Awards in Semester 1 and 2 will be given an Academic Award badge as a way of acknowledging their determination and academic purpose.

Unfortunately, we will not be able to have the wider Villanova community join us this week. The College is following government guidelines with regard to large gatherings and as a result has made the decision to conduct this assembly online. Only award winners will be present for the occasion. Award winners (and parents / guardians) have been advised of their achievement. For those wishing to watch the assembly, the link to the livestream is available here and has been sent via the College app.

GETTING ORGANISED
I have had numerous conversations with our Year 12 graduates of 2021 over the last few months in discussing their results and plans for 2022. As always, I was curious as to what they believed were some key strategies they used to effectively approach their academics. Here are just a few:

• Make a calendar planner with dates of drafts / assessment and upcoming events. Colour-code each subject to keep track of them. Planners can be bought at Officeworks (or found online) and hung on bedroom walls or places of study. This is a great visual to make sure students don’t miss any deadlines.
• Buy folders for each subject to keep at home with copies of assignment tasks, research notes and handouts in order to keep it all together.
• Access teachers regularly.
• Work together.
• Don’t waste time: There are apps such as ‘Focus Keeper’, designed to help productivity, giving you a timer for work and then a short break time.

These are great pieces of advice, and I would encourage parents to engage in conversations with their sons about how they might manage their time well and plan for success.

Teaching and Learning Office
The Teaching and Learning Office is a place where students can visit to discuss their academic program, progress or to enquire about careers and pathways. Please contact the Teaching and Learning Office manager (Mrs Kerryn Graham – 3394 5521) if you would like to speak to the following staff with regards to your son’s academic endeavours :

• Mr John Christie : Dean of Teaching and Learning
• Mr Kirk Astill : Director of Studies
• Ms Liana Baillie : Director of Data Analytics and Student Performance
• Mrs Julie Duffy : Head of Careers and Pathways

“In order to discover the character of a community

we have only to observe what they love.”

– Augustine, The City of God, 19,24

The beginning of 2022 has seen best laid plans again being put to the side, however, we deal with a new reality of what is. Finally, after weeks of operating with a physically empty school, our community is back together and engaging in learning together, and it is so good!  Each day we are still conscious of those unwell and isolating, and when we are together there has been such delight in being together. There is a genuine affection as boys connect with their classmates and teachers. Certainly, as Augustine so aptly suggested: “In order to discover the character of a community we have only to observe what they love.”  – Augustine, The City of God, 19, 24.

Yesterday morning, we found a way to come together as a community to officially welcome our new students, staff and parents; and through ritual and prayer to commission our new Principal, Mr Paul Begg; alongside the student leadership team of 2022 and all our seniors for 2022.  Through our words and symbols there were commitments made to one another.  Our Year 12s have chosen the motto ‘In Ourselves the Future Lies’ and they together recognised and accepted the duties and responsibilities of leading the school.  Inspired by Saint Augustine they pledged:

• To open our hearts to the truth of God that inspires us to be men of service.
• To be role models where our actions mirror our words.
• To work collaboratively with our peers and teachers to ensure we all reach our full potential and strive to be our true selves.

In Pastoral classrooms, after watching the live stream staff and students also made their own individual pledges for how they will be together in 2022. These promises are based in our values as an Augustinian school.  Our College values of humility, interiority, community and restless search for truth will be evident in our interactions with each other. We also strive to support a culture of ongoing conversion that enables all of us to grow better all the time.

In the weeks and months ahead, we ask for God’s blessing on our Villanova Community:

May the God of Abraham and our ancestors,

The God of Sarah and Monica

The God of Augustine and Thomas of Villanova

Be with us as we grow.

And may the blessing of Almighty God

The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit

Descend upon us and remain with us forever, Amen.

Together, let us go forward with confidence and a joint commitment to work together to create a flourishing learning community here at Villanova College.

Amen

AFAS Elders David De Vito Concert

The AFAS Elders David De Vito concert has now been rescheduled to Saturday 5 March 2022 from 5pm – 10.30pm. 

Join us on the lawns of Villanova College’s Senior School Terraces with the city skyline as the backdrop, raising funds for the (AFAS) Australian Filipino Augustinian Solidarity, Elders Project.

As seen on Australia’s Got Talent, David will be joined by guest artists Tabatha Ashmore and Nadyne Thorne and supported by Luke Dickens of Australian Idol fame.

Please see the flyer for booking details: Villanova College – David De Vito in Concert Tickets, Villanova College, COORPAROO | TryBooking Australia

Inspiring Conversations about the Big Issues of Life and Faith

From 9 March 2022, St James Parish Coorparoo is running its third, free Alpha Program.

This hugely successful Program has been enjoyed by over 26 million people in over 100 countries worldwide. In Australia, Alpha is growing every year with almost 70,000 people taking part in 2020.

Alpha is a series of interactive sessions which engage people from all walks of life and inspire conversations about the big issues of life and faith.

At St James Parish Coorparoo, participants come together each Wednesday evening over 10 weeks to share a hot meal and a drink, watch a short video, and then sit in small groups to have safe and honest conversations. It really is this simple!

Most importantly, the Alpha Program provides an opportunity to relax and meet others who may be in similar situations, looking for meaning and perhaps a new perspective in life.

All Villanova College staff and parents are invited to participate in Alpha. Click here for information. For more information, or to register, visit the Alpha Australia website at www.alpha.org.au and select ‘Try Alpha’. Type ‘Coorparoo’ in the ‘Find the Right Alpha for me’ and then select ‘St James Parish’.

Alternatively, email the St James Parish Coorparoo at: osastjames@bne.catholic.net.au. To organise a confidential discussion, you can also contact Sean Hodgson at: seanhodgson3@outlook.com.

Ms Kate Garrone, Dean of Mission and Identity

It is with great pleasure that I welcome all families to Villanova College for what I hope will be an exciting year of sport ahead. Our aim is to maintain and further develop Villanova’s sports program from Years 5-12 and to ensure that our students are given the opportunity to participate and enjoy all the benefits which playing sport can provide. Villanova is a place which offers many opportunities for its students to become involved in a wide variety of areas including sport, music, culture etc. My advice to all students is to ‘get involved’ in the life of the College. Enjoy the challenges and friendships you encounter on the way and be proud to represent your College by the way you conduct yourself on and off the sports field.

At Villanova College, it is considered a privilege to don the green and gold. I encourage all students to show pride in the uniform each week by training hard and playing even harder. Best wishes go to us all in 2022, let us all do our bit for the year to be a fun and enjoyable one!

Listed below are the members of the College’s Sports Office. Students and parents are asked to contact any of the personnel below if you have a query or question of a sporting nature.

Mr Craig Stariha  –  Director of Sport, Phone 3394 5611

Mr Anthony Kemp – AIC Sport Coordinator, Phone 3394 5584

Mr Chris Everding – AIC Sport Coordinator, Phone 3394 5505

Mr Todd Kropp – Sports Administration Assistant, Phone 3394 5621

With regard to sports information, it is imperative that all students and their families regularly access the College’s website. Simply go to www.vnc.qld.edu.au ,from the home page scroll down to the ‘Latest News’ section. Within this section select the ‘Locker Room’ icon https://www.vnc.qld.edu.au/locker-room/locker-room-july-18/  which has all the latest sports information for that week. Links from the ‘Locker Room’ will also take you to the ‘Weekly Fixture’ section which outlines the times and venues for all games for that week. Links from the ‘Locker Room’ will also take you to sections pertaining to each individual sport (for example AIC Cricket, AIC AFL, AIC Volleyball, AIC Swimming etc.) which will have further details pertaining to that sport. This information includes coaches contact details, training schedules and much more. The website is updated regularly and should be checked regularly by all players and families throughout the entire year.

Team Lists – due to privacy regulations we no longer post the weekly team lists on the website. All team or squad lists for each sport are now posted in a password protected section, that is, within the Parent Lounge and Student Café portals. Simply log in as normal to these portals. Select the ‘Links’ tab from the top tool bar. From the drop-down menu, select the ‘Team Lists & Weekly Schedule’ tab to view the documents. These documents will be updated weekly.

Villanova families are strongly encouraged to download the College’s App from the App store. Simply search – Villanova College App (free download) and follow the prompts. Messages and alerts are often sent via this app. Messages regarding the cancellation of matches or training, special reminders etc are often sent. The website and app are our two major avenues for imparting information. Please check and use them regularly for all information pertaining to sport.

Already all AIC Volleyball, AFL and Cricket team lists, training schedules, weekly game schedules, coaches’ details and much more have been added to the website/parent lounge portals for all to see. Likewise, all information pertaining to the AIC swim season has been posted. Please take the time to navigate through the site as I believe most of your questions and queries will be answered in this section.

Due to Covid and the delayed start to the year, our sports program and associated events and trials have had to change. We lost our internal Year 5 trials as well as the Year 6-12 trial Round against St Laurence’s on the weekend of Sat 29 January. Round 1 of the AIC season has now been officially abandoned, Round 1 was then replaced with a ‘Trial Round’ last weekend to enable schools to sort out their teams. Due to the Year 5 orientation morning, our Year 5 students did not participate in this ‘Trial Round’. Further trials for the Year 5 boys will be conducted at training during this week for those teams to be sorted for this weekend. This weekend will now be known as ‘Round 2’ as ‘Round 1’ was abandoned.

I sincerely thank our community for their patience and understanding as we navigated through the past four weeks of sporting events. Many events were postponed, cancelled or modified from our original plans.

Furthermore, please be advised that the AIC Management Committee, consisting of all the AIC Principals, have made the decision that no premierships or aggregates will be awarded this term. Only the 1^st teams in AFL, Cricket and Volleyball will contest premierships.

We are predicting that many teams will be under manned throughout the term on a week-to-week basis due to Covid. It could be that players at the last moment may be asked to play a second game, to move to another team or to fill in for the opposing team. It may be that parents could be asked to quickly fill in for coaches or officials who are absent due to Covid. As this is new territory for us all, we are asking all students and their families to be flexible and help if you can.

The aim for this term is for our boys to get out there and play games. If Covid effects teams and schools are left short of players. Let’s get them out there and sort a game, this is the message that all of our coaches will be given. As no premierships and aggregates are awarded, it should not matter if teams are not as they normally are.

This weekend will mark the first official round of the season where students from Year 5 – 12 will represent the College in swimming, AFL, cricket and volleyball. I encourage all boys and their coaches to come out firing. The great work put in during our pre-season programs with the various training and trial games organised (albeit some were cancelled) will certainly stand us in good stead for the season ahead. Good luck to all involved and please enjoy!

Please read further details below and access the website to view all times and venues for each sporting activity.

Round 2 AIC Fixtures – Friday 11 and Saturday 12 February, AIC Swimming, AFL, Cricket and Volleyball 

Please refer to the College’s website to view all times and venues for this weekend’s fixtures. Simply scroll down on the College’s home page and click on the ‘Locker Room’ tile. From the ‘Locker Room’ page click the ‘Weekly Fixture’ section to view the pdf doc which lists all game times and venues for each week. Links from the ‘Locker Room’ will take you to the AIC Cricket, Swimming, AFL and Volleyball sections which will have all training schedules and coaches’ details amongst other information.

COVID SPECTATOR RESTRICTIONS – Round 2 v St Peter’s Lutheran College (in main draw), Friday 11 and Saturday 12 February

Swimming, Cricket and AFL Spectator Restrictions

• Use Covid check in and socially distance

Volleyball Spectator Restrictions

• Villanova – Volleyball Venue (Goold Hall)– Only one parent per player for all games from Year 7- 9. Use Covid check in, wear a mask and socially distance. No student spectators.
• St Peter’s Lutheran College – Volleyball Venue (SPLC Gym)– Two parents per player for all games and only 20 student spectators per College at the 1st game only (all wearing masks)

AIC Cricket – Mr Chris Everding, AIC Cricket Coordinator

Finally, we’ll be underway this Saturday with most cricket matches against St. Peter’s Lutheran College. There will be a number of supplementary games taking place, so all sides can have a game this weekend. Due to the disrupted trial schedule, coaches are aware to look out for players performing well and deserve movement into another team. I ask parents to bear with us during this process and know that we will be looking at many facets of your son’s involvement prior to these decisions being made.

Unfortunately, only the firsts match was classed as a Round 1 game and they narrowly went down to Iona College. After posting a healthy total of 8/210, Iona chipped away to pass our score with 5/211 taking out the win.  The boys have trained well this week and are ready for the challenge from St. Peter’s.

I would like to take this opportunity to remind players and parents that cricketers need to wear the appropriate uniform to all AIC games. The uniform consists of the Villanova cricket shirt, Villanova hat or cap and white pants for all players. It is not acceptable for any player to wear any club cricket shirt or hat when representing Villanova. All players are to have their own box protector. It is compulsory for all players to wear a helmet whilst batting and keeping up to the stumps. Any fielder who is within 10m of the bat must also wear a helmet.

Training sessions have been finalised and all players are expected to attend all sessions. If for some reason a student is unable to attend training, we ask parents to email the coaches directly (not the Sports Office). The training schedule and coaches contact details are posted on the College’s website.

It is important that all players check their team lists, as there has been player movement in all year levels. Boys have been moved around since the trials last weekend and there are still opportunities for players to be moved around throughout the season.

Please be mindful that our coaches are mainly Old Boys, outside coaches or parents. Most of whom are volunteering their services free of charge. Please be mindful of this, if you need to discuss any cricket matters with them. When coaches are conducting training sessions, parents should only assist if you have been approached by the coach to help out.

Many coaches need assistance from parents during the season with umpiring and scoring duties. We ask parents to offer their services so as there is an even distribution of duties so that one person is not burdened each week with the same duty.

With many Old Boys coaching, we are calling on parents to help out with managing the team. Managers will need to put together a contact list, roster for umpiring, scoring and any other general duties that can assist the coaches. This will free up the Old Boys and let them concentrate on coaching, rather than having to do jobs that others should be doing to help out. If you are able to take on this role, please contact Mr Chris Everding at the Sports Office or discuss with this with the coaches this Saturday.

Cricket Covid-19 restrictions – Unlimited spectators but must socially distance.

Villanova Cricket Uniform

All players from Years 5 – 12 are to wear whites.

• White pants
• Villanova Cricket Shirt (new 2022 shirt is now available, old-styled shirt still acceptable)
• Sports shoes
• Villanova green sports cap or broad brimmed hat

Under no circumstances are players permitted to wear club shirts or club hats.

 Cricket – Villanova Park Canteen

Parents of boys playing on the Andrew Slack Oval are asked to man the canteen during their son’s game each Saturday.  Information regarding this was emailed to all parents of those students who were selected in the 8A, 9A and 1^st XI cricket teams earlier in the week.

Pictured below – The 1^st XI cricket team after their presentation on the weekend.

Wet Weather Procedure

In the event of rainy weather, a notification will be placed over the College’s App. An alert will only be given if games are cancelled due to wet weather.

On training days:

• If it is raining in the morning, training will be cancelled. Cancellations are generally posted with a message alert via the College’s App early in the morning. It is recommended that you contact the coach if you are unsure. The coaches’ details can be found on the College’s website.
• If afternoon training is to be cancelled due to rain evolving during the day, then an alert will be posted via the Villa App by 1.00pm as well as giving an announcement to the students over the College’s PA system. If training is cancelled during the session, boys at Langlands will be taken to the undercover carpark at Easts Rugby League Club and can be collected from there.

AIC Volleyball – Volleyball Co-ordinator – Mr Todd Kropp

The AIC Volleyball program has commenced again for 2022 after an unusual start to the school year. I will start off by thanking our coaches and students for who gave up their holidays to attend training clinics and trial matches, we know this will be of great benefit for the season. Villanova will have 20 teams participating in the AIC Volleyball competition.

The Villanova teams have been hard at work this past weekend with a full set of trial matches against Iona College. This was a great opportunity to solidify skills learned throughout the clinics and during preseason. Whilst it was a tough start to the season for our Junior teams who are still finding their way on the court, it was pleasing to see our Senior teams find success both on the court and the scoreboard, including our First VI who took the win 3-1 in a tough encounter. The First VI game was certainly entertaining to watch, and it was a great start to the season as our boys pursue the 2022 First VI Premiership, the only Premiership on offer for volleyball in 2022. Our First team face a tough challenge again this week coming up against a well-structured SPLC team, but our boys have prepared well and are eager to test our skills against another tough opponent.

Just a few reminders ahead of this weekend’s match;

• Please check the weekly fixture carefully as we have a few teams travelling to different venues.
• Our Year 7 – 9 teams playing at home will have court duty requirements. The roster will be available on parent lounge.
• All boys should now have their playing top so please help ensure our college is well represented by having the boys in full Villanova volleyball uniform including the new sport sock.

Villanova Volleyball Uniform

• New 2022 Villanova volleyball Shirt (for hire from the Uniform Shop)
• Green PE shorts only (no basketball, football or rugby shorts allowed)
• New 2022 Villa socks only and sports shoes

Good luck to all teams this week!

Pictured below – The 1^st volleyball team after their presentation on the weekend.

Goold Hall Canteen – Volleyball Parents

The Villanova College Sports Club requests the assistance of all volleyball parents to help serve in the canteen during our home games. Parents are asked to assist in the canteen when their son arrives 20 minutes prior to the start time of their game time for warm up or when their son has been rostered on for court duty (this should be maximum two occasions throughout the season). We are seeking interested parents to assist in the canteen for home games. Please do not hesitate to contact Mr Todd Kropp, Email: tkropp@vnc.qld.edu.au should you have any questions.

AIC AFL – Mr Adam Fry, AIC AFL Co-ordinator

 Welcome back to the 2022 AFL season. What a way to begin our year with such strong performances in our trial games last week against Iona College. It was fantastic to see all players put in such a dominating performance. It is certainly exciting to see the AFL talent Villanova has this coming season. From the weekend the Firsts began their season in a strong way, having a commanding win against rivals Iona. The boys were terrific in the windy conditions lead by Captain Michael Gordon and young forward Oscar Tanks. They have certainly set up their season to bring home the illusive First AFL premiership.

This weekend marks our first official fixture for Year 5 – 10, and we will really need to be switched on and ready to go come Friday and Saturday. I ask all players to be at your designated venue at least 30 minutes prior to the first bounce so we can have an efficient and productive warmup. Some coaches may have requested earlier so check with them their start time.  All players are required to wear the Villanova rugby shorts and socks and ensure they each have a mouthguard ready to play. Jerseys have been given to the boys this week so please ensure this is brought along to all games. The Opens are the only team playing on Fridays and it would be fantastic to see as much Green and Gold at Coorparoo as possible to support the team. Please ensure you continue to follow the Covid safe guidelines wherever you may play this weekend.

A reminder training will be on for Opens and Year 9/10s Monday and Wednesday mornings, Year 7 and Year 8 squads on Thursday from 3.30pm – 4.30pm at Coorparoo AFC and Year 5/6 teams will be training Tuesday 3.30pm – 4.30 at Coorparoo AFC. A reminder that all players will be transported by school bus to Coorparoo AFC, but parents are required to pick their son up from training on time at the conclusion of training (4.30pm).

Please also be aware that all team lists for the weekend’s fixtures will be posted on Parent Lounge on a Wednesday and fixtures and training schedules on the College Website.

Good luck to all teams this weekend, I encourage all players to get there early and stay behind to support your teammates on Friday and Saturday.  We look forward to seeing all players and spectators this weekend to kick off what is sure to be an excellent and successful season.

Pictured below – The 1^st AFL team after their win against Iona

Football – Junior Development Squad

Training will begin on Monday 14 February from 6.45-8.00am at Langlands (until Whinstanes is fully repaired) for those boys invited into the program. Invitation to the Junior Development Squad has been based on player performance during last year’s AIC season. Please check Student Café or Parent Lounge for the squad list. At this stage the program will run for five consecutive Monday mornings until Monday 14 March. Players are asked to wear suitable football training gear including shin guards and boots to all sessions.

Football – Senior Development Squad/ 1^st and 2^nd

The trials for the Senior Development Squad have commenced, albeit interrupted by weather. Please see 1^st/2^nd Football season schedule which is on the College website in the AIC Football section for all dates and times of trials and training. Please be aware that all boys will be required to find their own transport out to training and trials unless notified otherwise. If we could ask that all boys be picked up at the conclusion of training on time. The coaches will be adjusting the squad over the next few weeks.

Please note that there is a trial next week against Nudgee College and details of the fixture will be posted in Weekly Fixtures section on the College website.

AIC Swimming Report – Mrs Juanita Jacobs AIC Swimming Co-ordinator

By this stage all squad members should be aware of the swimming program and the subsequent information which is posted on the web under the ‘AIC Swimming’ section.  With only four weeks left until the AIC Championships on Tuesday 8 March, we must have as many swimmers in the water as often as possible to ensure that we are ready for the competition.

Our first swim meet of the season will be held this Friday evening at Iona. Details found below. All boys who have been attending training for Villanova or their own clubs are to attend the meet.  Each swimmer will swim 50 m freestyle, breaststroke, butterfly and backstroke.  There are no nominations required, swimmers will marshal when the events are called and record their times with the staff.

Each student is required to purchase and wear the following swim uniform, which is non-negotiable and is to be worn to all AIC Swim Meets. We ask parents to support the College to ensure that their son is dressed in the correct uniform. High uniform standards are important as it reflects the pride, we have in ourselves and Villanova College. All items are available from the College Uniform Shop.

• Villanova togs, Villanova racers or any plain black togs are acceptable, no other colours are permissible
• NEW 2022 – Villanova squad shirt
• Villanova green PE shorts
• NEW 2022 – Villanova sports socks
• Villanova swim cap (this will be given out free of charge to all squad members)

Please note – Year 5 and 6 squad members will meet Mrs Liddy in the Junior School area at the end of the day, and then make their way together to the front of the school.  This is our first meet and therefore our first opportunity to record times for the season.  It is expected that all swimmers will attend and will swim all events.

AIC Swim Meet at Iona College – Friday 11 February

The Villanova swim squad will travel to Iona College tomorrow.  Buses will depart the College at 3.10pm. All squad members are expected to attend. Please note that a return bus service will not be available. We ask all parents to collect their sons from the Iona pool by 5.30pm. A full program of events is posted on the College’s website within the sports section under AIC Swimming. Parents are welcome to attend.

Lytton District Swimming Trials Cancelled

The Lytton District swimming trials have been cancelled this year and boys are to nominate their strokes to the Sports Office. Their times will be compared to the qualifying times and parents will be notified if students are successful to attend the Met East trials.

Representative Sport

Well done to Noah King in Year 9 who has been selected to represent Australia in the Under 14 Boys Futsal team. The team will be travelling to the UK in November for two weeks where they will play against England, Scotland, and Wales.

Noah represented Queensland in the National tournament over the holidays and was subsequently selected in the Australian team. A great achievement Noah!

We also congratulate Year 8 student Reuben Wagels on his recent success on the tennis court. Reuben recently competed in the Mal Anderson Championships and took home the Championship in the doubles and was the runner up for singles. Congratulations Reuben, we look forward to following your success and seeing you in the green and gold on the tennis court in term 3!

(Reuben collecting his trophy)

(Reuben (R) and his partner (L) collecting the Doubles Championships)

Villanova Old Boy Success – One of our graduating students from last year, Harry Rouhliadeff, was called to bench for the Brisbane Bullets on the weekend against the Cairns Taipans. Harry was our 1^st V premiership winning Co-captain last year. As a Year 12 student he was invited to train with the Bullets and now he has been advanced to the bench.

Harry has been offered a full scholarship to attend the University of Hawaii later in the year. It is so good to see our graduating students doing well and chasing their dreams. Harry is another step closer to his ultimate dream. Congratulations Harry! We are behind you 110%!

Composite Sport Trials

Please find below a list of composite trial and nomination dates. All the necessary information regarding these trials can be collected from the Sports Office.

Mr Craig Stariha, Director of Sport

Welcome
Over the turn of year, we welcome two new great music educators to our team.  Mrs Kristen Duncan – Head of Strings, and Mr Nicholas Cavallaro – Head of Woodwind, have accepted these important leadership positions within our program.  They have assimilated into our program nicely over the past couple of weeks and they are looking forward to actually meeting you all in person over the coming week.  I am sure you will make them feel most welcome.

Farewell
At the end of 2021, we had the opportunity to farewell Ms Raquel Bastos (Somerville House) and Mrs Emma Jimenez (EQ – Sunshine Coast).  We wish them all the best with their next steps on their professional journey and thank them for the work they have done in establishing the curriculum design of our program.

Over the summer period, Mr Ken Koido procured a permanent contract with Education Queensland.  Ms Chloe Williamson has returned to her professional performance role with local orchestras.  Mr Ryan Humphrey has moved to Melbourne to continue his performance studies at the Australian National Academy of Music.  We thank all of these fine teachers for their work with our program and wish them the best of luck across the coming year.

Lessons and Rehearsals
All instrumental music lessons commenced from Monday 7 February.  Teachers are in communication with students and families regarding timetables and lesson requirements.  Please check your email inboxes – should you have any issues, please don’t hesitate to contact the music office for clarification – music@vnc.qld.edu.au P:  3394 5691

All rehearsals commenced on Tuesday 8 February.  A rehearsal schedule has been included this week for your information.  Your son should have received an email via Optimo providing a series of dates for his term of rehearsals.  Please ensure these are entered into his diary and the family calendar.  Changes to this schedule will be communicated via ensemble directors or the music office via email.  If there is no communication re changes, maintain the status quo!

Mrs Duncan has determined that larger ensembles would benefit the students at this time.  As such, we have combined Consort and Camerata into Camerata String Orchestra.  She will be in touch outlining the philosophy and purpose behind this change with our string department.  Please note, there will be some movement of students from Camerata to Sinfonia with this change.

Loan Agreements
Year 5 students and older students loaning a College instrument should receive a loan agreement this week for the item they will have in their care.  Please ensure these agreements are returned as soon as possible – we cannot release an instrument from the College without a signed agreement.

Health and Safety
We are returning to regular activities with the appropriate hygiene measures in place.  As per College policy, we ask students that are unwell to remain home, and masks will be required to be worn as we move through the building.  To reconnect you all with our hygiene procedures, this information was distributed via email reminding us all of how we will work in a COVID environment.

Villanova Camp Chairs and Wildcat Coolers
Our fantastic Music Support Group have organised an innovative fundraiser for Villanova College.  You may have heard the buzz about our Villanova Camp Chairs and Wildcat Coolers…  the MUST HAVE items for the beach/cricket/park/fishing/barbecue/etc. this Summer! See flyer for more information.

Villanova Branded Camp Chairs – $35; Wildcat Coolers – $30

All items can be purchased via TryBooking through the following link:  https://www.trybooking.com/BMEML

Purchases can be collected from the Music Office and all profits will go to the Music Support Group.

Thank you all for your ongoing support of Music at Villanova College.

Mr. Michael Jones, Director of Music

It has been a busy start to the year with two Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) best practices hosted online over the past fortnight. The purpose of these online sessions was to provide advice and best practice for parents to support their sons using and/or setting up BYOD laptops for the academic year. Over 100 attendees joined our first webinar on 27 January, however there were some reported outages preventing all attendees from joining our second webinar on 3 February. The second webinar was fully recorded and is available for viewing on YouTube at the address below. We have added chapter links throughout the recording for your convenience:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyNxi88_WmA

Webinar topics covered during the recording include:

0:00 Introduction

3:10 OneNote best practices

9:20 Become a OneNote Pro!

10:34 Microsoft Teams best practices

17:18 Desktop, Downloads, and file/folder best practices

23:05 Check your Default apps

26:15 Give your PC a fresh start – Reset your PC

28:45 Anti-virus recommendations and reminders

31:40 Villanova wi-fi blocked sites and hotspotting

35:25 Discord, Origin, Steam and other game clients

37:28 VNC Student Connect – New website and self-help resource for students

From 39:45, I move into the guided walkthrough for setting up a refreshed/reset or new laptop (after you have signed into your new/refreshed laptop). I mention a bit.ly link and the direct link to view the playlist is at: https://bit.ly/34gIBOF

Follow this link to view the slide deck presented over the course of the webinar. https://www.vnc.qld.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/2022-BYOD-Webinar-presentation-deck.pdf

If you have any questions regarding BYOD setups specific to your situation, please direct them to byod@vnc.qld.edu.au and if you have comments or feedback from the webinar please contact me at: jlane@vnc.qld.edu.au

Despite some connection issues in the second event, the format of the webinars seems to be advantageous as it allows for more of our community to join online without physical attendance. As such, it is our intention to offer additional webinars regarding BYOD setups and support, online safety and other ICT-related matters throughout the course of this year. I will advertise these webinars in later editions of the Villa View.

Mr. Jason Lane, Elearning Pedagogy Leader

Book Weeks
We celebrate reading, books and literacy every day at Villanova. However, for two weeks each year we work closely with Australian authors who make this their living. Mandy Ord and Sofie Laguna will teach our Year 5 – 9 students as our 2022 authors-in-residence.

Mandy Ord will teach each Year 7 and 9 English class from 28 February to 4 March. Further to these sessions, Mandy will also run our Writers Festival afternoons. Students can attend the Festival in the Tolle Lege at Villanova College, either on Tuesday 1 March or Thursday 3 March. All students are welcome to attend. The Registration Form is available here. Commencing at 3.15 with afternoon tea, students will spend three hours with Mandy workshopping and completing a piece of writing. Mandy’s talent as a comics artist and illustrator will add another layer of interest for students joining the festival. This graphic component to their writing will appeal to many of our students. You can read more about Mandy here: Mandy Ord

Sofie Laguna will work with the Year 5 and 6 students along with our Year 8 students. She will run short sessions with our Year 5 and 6 students but has proposed extended workshops with our Year 8s. Sofie will share the experience she has as an award-winning Australian author; these workshops will be invaluable. You can read more about Sofie here: Sofie Laguna – Australian Author

Books@Stones, will once again be converting part of our library into a bookstore. Michael and Karen, the owners, are past Villanova parents. They are incredibly generous, and we are very much looking forward to once again hosting them across the week, Tuesday 1 March through to Tuesday 8 March (EFT-POS will be available). During this time, students can browse the bookstore collection, buy books and even order books from Michael, who will be at the school during our breaks.

Please contact the Tolle Lege Library on 3394 5531 if you would like any further information on the visiting authors, the festival or our bookstore.

Ms. Antonietta Neighbour, Director of Library and Information Services

UNIFORM SHOP

The Villanova College Uniform Shop have all sizes of cricket shirts and new sports caps in stock. Uniform shop opening hours are available here:  https://www.vnc.qld.edu.au/our-community/uniform-shop/

SPORTS CLUB

This is the last opportunity to order a personalised towel in time for the AIC Swimming Champs on 3 March. Orders close Tuesday, 15 February. No late orders will be accepted.  The next order cycle will be in Term 3.  The ‘Wildcat’ towel is available all year around. For information click here

FINANCE

As FACTS Management has now been introduced, school fee payments through BPay will no longer be an available payment option.  Please log into https://factsmgt.com.au/ or phone FACTS on 1300 322 871 to arrange the payment of school fees.

STUDENT INFORMATION UPDATE
The Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment (the department) would like to
notify you that a request has been made for your child’s school to provide residential address and other
information as required under the Australian Education Regulation 2013.
The school is required to provide the department with the following information about each student at the
school:
• Names and residential addresses of student’s parent(s) and/or guardian(s)
• Student residential address (excluding student names)
• Whether the student is a primary or secondary student (education level)
• Whether the student is boarding or a day student (boarding status)

For further Information please refer (insert link)

UPCOMING EVENTS

Change of Date for AFAS Elders David De Vito Concert
The AFAS Elders David De Vito concert has now been rescheduled to Saturday 5 March 2022 from 5pm – 10.30pm.
Villanova College and Greg Cooley Wines Clare Valley present powerhouse tenor David De Vito in concert.  As seen on Australia’s Got Talent, David will be joined by guest artists Tabatha Ashmore and Nadyne Thorne and supported by Luke Dickens of Australian Idol fame.

Join us on the lawns of Villanova College’s Senior School Terraces with the city skyline as the backdrop, raising funds for the (AFAS) Australian Filipino Augustinian Solidarity, Elders Project.

Tickets and information available here: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing?eid=824008&

High School Musical
We are so excited that in less than two weeks the cast, orchestra and crew of Disney’s High School Musical will be taking to the stage in the Hanrahan Theatre.

To get to this point has been a complex journey juggling COVID and all its challenges,  however, we have pushed through every hurdle. With the support of the Villanova and Loreto leadership teams, the fabulous Creative Arts staff and the amazing cast, orchestra and crew, we now have the green light to present the show to our community on February 23, 24, 25 and 26.

Our students have worked tirelessly over the last four months learning lines, songs, music and dance moves and now in the final stages of polishing and perfecting their work to put on what we hope to be one of the highlights for both Villanova and Loreto in 2022.

A show like this needs an audience to support, cheer and laugh through the love story, the conflicts, the pressure to succeed and the daily trials of being a high school student and we hope to see many of you at one of our shows.

Tickets will be going on sale tomorrow (11 February) at 9am. We will share the TryBooking link via our social media platforms and cannot wait to see you in the audience. Please note that we are operating under strict COVID protocols and as such we require all patrons 16 years and older to be fully vaccinated. We are also operating at a reduced seating capacity so get in quickly to buy your tickets before they are all sold.

“We are all in this together” and we are “counting on you” to show us your support and cheer wildly as you watch the show come to life on stage.

Ms. Justine Silk, Musical Producer