Villa View: Issue 02

Dear Members of the Villanova College Family,
Classes have commenced, students are engaged in their studies and teachers are leading learning in the classrooms. The 2018 academic year has well and truly started. Over the next few weeks there are a number of disruptions to the normal routine with camps, Parent Information Evenings and the commencement of sporting events. These activities enhance the education experience for students and are important for the whole development of each child.

Thank you to the large number of parents who have attended the Parent Information Evenings to date. Strong partnerships between the staff of the College and parents is an essential ingredient for success in educating our students. The presence of parents at College events provides an enormous boost to the staff who appreciate knowing they do not carry out this important work alone.

Opening School Year Mass

On Tuesday, the College community gathered to celebrate the Mass of the Holy Spirit.  College Chaplain Fr Peter Wieneke OSA and Fr Saldie Resolado OSA concelebrated the Mass. The theme for the Mass, “Christ, The Way, The Truth and The Light”, reflected the Gospel message that in knowing the way we are reliant on the teachings of the Gospel to guide us. As we begin the journey of a new school year, we keep Christ at the centre of our own compass.

Investiture of Senior Students

At the end of the Mass, senior students and student leaders were presented with their badges of office and recited their pledges. Our senior students have been called to be examples of our key values and to role model for younger students the characteristics of a “Villanova Man”. We wish all our senior students every success this year and we keep them in our prayers.

Media Consent

Parents are requested to notify the College if they do not wish their son’s image to be used in any College publications or marketing materials. Please send an email to the relevant Student Services Officer by Friday 9 February 2018.

Senior School – Mrs Joy Browning – jbrowning@vnc.qld.edu.au

Middle School – Mrs Vicki Lamb – vlamb@vnc.qld.edu.au

Junior School – Mrs Maria Mascadri – mmascadri@vnc.qld.edu.au

You have made us for yourself O Lord

And our hearts are restless until they rest in You

God bless

Mr Mark Stower, College Principal

Change is a big part of a new school year and small things such as how a class lines up outside a room, how the date is written inside a workbook and when it is appropriate to get changed for training are all acceptable changes.  A new room means physical differences such as where belongings go and which direction the desks face.  Some faces, names and personalities might bring new experiences.  Patience, time and positive energy are important to invest so friendships, perhaps even the making of a new best friend can happen.  It is more than fair to say that our boys, staff and parents are dealing with many changes at the start of a new school year.

People deal with change in different ways.  As adults, we can find changes the hardest to manage.  We know what we like, what we think works best and we thoroughly enjoy having choices when faced with challenges.  Our sons are the same, they like what they like, know what works best for them and would prefer options when faced with hurdles.  In our homes, most of us are working (on average) with around four to five people.  There are some rules that parents make for the sake of sanity, safety and time management.  Voices and opinions are heard around the dinner table and whilst some negotiation is possible, it is Mum and Dad who make the final decision.  We are blessed with families who are happy and function at their best within their own parameters.

A teacher has on average 25 to 28 voices to hear, personalities to celebrate, learning preferences to cater for and working styles to engage.  It can take a few weeks to establish class expectations and build a level of comfort and familiarity with routines.  Every teacher has the best intention – to lead the learning of young men whilst having as much fun as possible in a place that is safe.  Respect is a two-way street and knowing the likes and dislikes of every boy is often where staff begin building their relationships.  Teachers want the fun, the good-natured banter and rhythm of meaningful learning to begin as quickly as possible.

Our camps are perfect platforms for building relationships.  As parents, you trust our staff to care about your son beyond the classroom.  Their personalities after 3pm, during favourite activities, when challenged beyond comfort levels and over two night-time sleeps in dormitories will give us insight.

Insight for each boy as an individual, capable and willing to do more than he ever imagined after one week at Villanova College.  Meal times mean conversations that give us hindsight about what we accomplished that day.  The surprises in our own abilities and the consensus that we could witness the success of the group.  Friendships will form that otherwise may not have been given the same conditions on the playground.  Your son will connect with other staff members in activity groups – breaking down polite barriers whilst in mud pits, learning to ride a bike or catching a wave at the beach.  What a brilliant way to get to know the person who is in charge of your academic and co-curricular teams.

Relationships are imperative for best learning.  When we enjoy a friendship, the company of a colleague or we find something in common with another human being, we are better with our attention, our effort and our willingness to try.  Our sons will try harder and be more flexible if they can see their teacher climb a rock wall, score a try playing footy on the sand or fling themselves wildly down the Aqua-Park – landing with little dignity and grace yet having the biggest smile imaginable.

Changes can be unsettling, but they happen for a reason.  We grow when we do something differently.  We achieve our best when challenged and inspired.  We learn that the world around us has better things available, but we need to take the first step.  We need to trust that our educators make decisions based on evidence for the benefit of boys who deserve the finest education.  Thank goodness, I work at a College where change is all around.

Mr Stephen Rouhliadeff, Head of Junior School

During my presentation at Monday night’s Year 7 and Year 8 Parent Information Evening, I humbly offered five key pieces of advice to parents as they commence the trials and tribulations of the adolescent years.

These words of wisdom are certainly not my words, or my wisdom, but enacted as well as possible, they have served and supported our young men of Villa in the past, and will undoubtedly do so into the future.

For those who were unable to attend, here they are:

• Your relationship with your son trumps everything. The relationship that a parent has with their son during the teenage years is different to how it was and how it will be later. At the end of the day, these young men need to see and feel the support and advocacy from the most important people in their lives, their family, and in particular, their parents.
• Maintain communication with your son’s teacher/s. As your son continues to develop his academic, social and emotional abilities, it will be important that parents and teachers work collaboratively to best support him, inside and outside of the classroom.
• Encourage reading. Perhaps an obvious piece of advice, but the reality is that reading for pleasure can be an activity that gets ‘deprioritised’ by many young male adolescents. If you struggle getting them to read – give audiobooks a try, they’re available at all council libraries.
• Routine and getting the balance right. Despite their wilfulness and desire for more independence and freedom, middle school-aged boys actually thrive when good routines are put in place. With the busyness of their academic, extra-curricular and social lives, finding the right balance is challenging but oh so necessary if we want to avoid stress and achieve some level of success in the broad range of areas that seems to be our lives.
• Limits and clear expectations vs opportunity and access. I use the “opportunity and access” catchphrase quite a bit when working with teachers and parents. For a multitude of reasons, most notably the neurological re-wiring that is taking place, adolescent boys often struggle to say ‘NO’. Therefore, when access to something they should not be accessing arises, and it coincides with an unsupervised opportunity, many of our young men will struggle to exercise good judgement and quite probably do something that we would hope they would never do. This can occur in a range of environments, including school, after school, online, on weekends, etc. Whilst in some cases, this may well be unavoidable, parents play a critical role as a safety-net for their adolescent. This is achieved through enforcing reasonable limits and setting clear expectations, BUT it is crucial to do this within a negotiated and collaborative framework for any hope of real success.

Finally, best wishes to our Year 8 students who are heading off to camp next week. You can follow the action daily on our Instagram feed https://www.instagram.com/vnc_middle_school/ including stories capturing the action from the campsite.

Mr Greg O’Neill, Head of Middle School

This week certainly has been extremely busy, with several important events to mark the commencement of another exciting year at Villanova College. It is crucial that all Senior School students settle into positive and purposeful routines of study and are conscious of their engagement within the classroom environment to truly be leaders of their own learning.

I would strongly encourage all parents to discuss with their son the way in which he has started and if there are any significant concerns to make immediate contact with the classroom teacher. The importance of open and honest communication between students, parents and teachers is critical in ensuring that students maximise their learning potential within an environment of accountability and care.

Mass of the Holy Spirit

On Tuesday, the College community celebrated the Mass of the Holy Spirit, which included the commissioning of the Senior cohort of 2018 and the installation of the Student Leadership Team. One of the highlights was the address by College Captain James King. I would like to share with you some of his speech:

“Finally, it is indeed an historic year with the College celebrating its 70th Anniversary. However, Villanova is nothing without you, the students of this great College. When you are performing in the QCMF at the Hanrahan Theatre, you are Villanova. When you are striding down the sideline at Villanova Park, you are Villanova. When you are completing the final multiple-choice test on the QCS, you are Villanova. Be proud to be a Villa man and humble to know that there is no other place you’d rather be.”

I would like to congratulate James and the entire Student Leadership Team for their proactive start and ambitious agenda for the year ahead. I ask the Senior School student body to support the team in their endeavours.

Parent Information Evenings

The first of the Senior School Parent Information Evenings was held this week with our Year 12 parents gathering to listen to a recurring message of the shared journey we walk together in the support of the young men in our care. A copy of the presentations will be made available on Parent Lounge so that you may reinforce the key messages shared by staff on the night.

AIC Ecumenical Service and Round 1 of Trimester One Sport

Earlier today, a contingent of our Student Leadership Team attended the annual AIC Ecumenical Service, which was hosted by St Laurence’s College. During the service, the underpinning spirit of sportsmanship and fair competition was certainly emphasised. The student representatives were also given the opportunity to contribute to the intended formulation of guidelines for spectators and College spirit committees. As Head of Senior School, I am largely present at most sporting fixtures throughout the year.  I expect the highest conduct by our students at all times with respect to their appearance and how they engage with students from other colleges.

With the commencement of the opening round of cricket and volleyball fixtures against St Patrick’s College this weekend, it is timely that we all remember that whilst having a competitive drive for success is important, the fundamental aim of our AIC sporting association is to foster the enjoyment that sport provides our young men – such is the quote I’ve selected for this week’s article.

“Just play, have fun, enjoy the game.” Michael Jordan

Mr Matt Levander, Head of Senior School

Year 12 Cohort, 2017
The start of the new school year is normally a time to reflect on the achievements of the previous year. There were a number of opportunities, such as the Celebration of Excellence evening and academic assemblies, to acclaim many students at Villanova College. It is only now, however, that we can celebrate the successes of the Year 12 cohort of 2017. A summary of last year’s cohort can be found below:

The College is looking forward to welcoming back at next week’s Scholar’s Assembly the following 2017 graduates:

These boys, in addition to many of the class of 2018, will be moving on to tertiary or further study in the coming two weeks or entering the workforce. Villanova College wishes all these men the best in their endeavours and know that they will do Villanova proud as Old Boys.

Start of the Year

I received an email from this year’s Academic Captain, Asier Goni, earlier in the week. The academic portfolio is an important position in the student leadership team given schools are ultimately judged on their performance in the classroom. Asier has a number of great ideas that he hopes will assist all students in achieving their best, many underpinned by a collaborative approach to students’ studies and has addressed the importance of starting the year well in a student’s own individual space.

Asier’s advice is below:

GETTING ORGANISED

• 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 do not miss any deadlines.
• Buy manila folders for each subject to keep at home with copies of assignment tasks, research notes and handouts in order to keep it all together.
• Do not 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 bits 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.

Villanova College Curriculum Office

The Curriculum Office looks a little different this year with a number of staff filling new roles.   Please contact the Curriculum Office (Mrs Casey Ouston – 3394 5521) if you would like to speak to any of the following staff:

• Mr Matt Lalor : QCE Coordinator (Years 11 and 12)
• Mr Jamie Seefeld : Director of Data Analytics
• Ms Dianne Martin : Pathways Program Leader
• Mr John Christie : Dean of Teaching and Learning

Mr John Christie, Dean of Teaching and Learning

Opening Mass
Staff, students and parents were packed into the opening Mass on Tuesday to create and witness a memorable occasion. Fr Peter Wieneke, College Chaplain, impressed upon us the theme of finding our way through life by coming back to the symbols and values which are our true guides. He pointed out that the College year at Villanova has started with the “Mass of the Holy Spirit” for 70 years. The College continues to humbly point to where community and balance can be found for young people in their search for truth.

College Captain, James King, launched the year of servant leadership by the Senior Cohort with a rousing vision of “Ubi Concordia, ibi Victoria!” (Where there is unity, there is victory). His memorable picture of teamwork as being like a squad in Fortnite (a Hunger Games style game which absorbed many boys in the summer) grabbed the attention of all the boys. Let’s hope they live out the challenge he offered: “We are Villanova,” and if we don’t make a great Villanova, who else will?

Ministry Opportunities

One way that students actively build a better Villanova is through their involvement in Ministries. Most of the Ministry groups have their first meetings this week, and there are official sign-ons in Week 4. If your son likes being part of a team that creates the best learning environment, please encourage him to get involved. On Friday, for example, our YCS leaders will meet the new Year 6 class reps to find out how to support the Year 6s in their vision for the Junior School in 2018.

The next community event will be Ash Wednesday, bringing with it the launch of campaigns for both Project Compassion (Junior and Middle School) and the St Vincent de Paul Society (Senior School).

Mr John Holroyd, Dean of Mission & Identity

AUSTRALIAN CATHOLIC YOUTH FESTIVAL REPORT

During the first week of the summer holidays I was lucky enough, along with Liam Hampson, Riley Pownall and Tom Balshaw, to attend the 2017 Australian Catholic Youth Festival held in Sydney. Under the careful guidance and watch of Fr. Peter Wieneke (College Chaplain) and Fr. Saldie Resolado (Assistant College Chaplain), four action-packed and enlightening days were spent meeting countless members of the Australian Catholic community, engaging in seminars and interactive activities and joining over 18,000 young boys and girls in celebrating the importance of youth in the Catholic Church. Proclaiming 2018 the “Year of Youth,” the festival ensured that the experience was not only an opportunity for learning, but also a chance to promote various avenues for young people to become more involved in the Catholic Church. At the same time, we were also given the opportunity to meet some of the current senior students at St Augustine’s College in Manly.

For some of us, this was the first interaction between students from our brother school, and for others it was a chance to rekindle friendships previously established during the sporting exchange held earlier in the year. The St Augustine’s staff and students were more than welcoming over the four days, ensuring our stay was comfortable as well as providing some familiar faces throughout the course of the festival. On behalf of all the boys and staff, I would like to thank St Augustine’s for their hospitality and support during our time in Sydney. I would like to also give a massive thank you to all those who made this experience possible; Mr Stower, Mr Holroyd and of course Fr. Peter and Fr. Saldie for their eagerness to grant us such a wonderful opportunity. I can safely say on behalf of all four boys who attended the festival it was an amazing experience that I am sure will be cherished and remembered for years to come.

Hunter Gapes, College Vice-Captain

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all students and families for the fantastic start to the year.  It is most edifying to hear the music beginning to fill the building again and 2018 is shaping up to another fantastic year!

Rehearsals and Lessons

All lessons and rehearsals have commenced.  The rehearsal schedule has been communicated home via email, Skoolbag and newsletter.  It has been included again for your information.  Rehearsals for all bands, strings ensembles, choir, guitar ensembles, and percussion ensembles have commenced.  Please stay tuned for the chamber, jazz and Irish groups.

We are finalising enrolments still.  If your son would like to learn an instrument but is not yet involved, please contact the Music Office on 3394 5691 so that we may begin his musical journey as soon as possible.

Year 5 Instrumental Music

Our Year 5 students arrived at the Augustine Centre for the first time this week and met our Instrumental Music team.  The students will have an opportunity to meet some of our senior musicians next Tuesday, as the older boys will be demonstrating instruments available for tuition in our Year 5 Instrumental Music Program.  Over the coming few weeks, Year 5 students will be participating in a process of instrument selection and testing.  Information will be sent home with the boys from class (we meet on Tuesday) and will be discussed briefly at the Year 5 information evening next week.

I am looking forward to having our new Junior School musicians join us in the program.

Music Support Group

Our 2018 Music Support Group, led by new President David McCann, will be meeting for the first time this year on Monday 5 February.  The meeting is convened in the Music Classroom on level 1 of the Augustine Centre, commencing at 7:30pm.  Please enter via the Music Office foyer and use the lift to the lowest floor.  I highly recommend you come along and join this very motivated group; it is a wonderful opportunity to support your sons and their musical community over their time at Villanova.

Sporting clashes with Rehearsals

Our students are always very involved in many activities and we are very happy to negotiate time to ensure we can meet most commitments.  In discussion with the Sports Office, we have come to the following arrangement:

• Students in ‘A’ teams (two training sessions per week) will rotate rehearsal with one training session every fortnight; i.e. rehearsal and training one week, two training sessions the next.
• Students in ‘B’ teams (two training sessions per week) will attend one training session and rehearsal every week
• Students in all other teams (one training session per week) are to rotate training and rehearsal every fortnight; i.e. rehearsal one week, training the next.

Should you have any concerns, please contact me through the Music Office and I will be more than happy to discuss this further.  Please ensure your son contacts his Ensemble Director so that they are aware of the scheduling arrangement to assist in maintaining accurate attendance records.

Date Claimers

As per tradition, we cast our eyes over the coming term.  Please note the following in your diaries:

Mr Michael Jones, Director of Music / Artistic Director of QCMF

At the conclusion of the 2017 school year, the Sports Office was very confident with the progression made concerning our pre-season trial process for the cricket, volleyball and swimming programs to ensure we would be in a strong position leading into the 2018 season. It always strikes me that no matter how well we are prepared and organised leaving 2017, there is no escaping the usual ‘first week frenzy’ as we prepare for the trial matches and events scheduled the first week back.

Now that we have reached Week 2 of the school year, all training programs across all sports and year levels are set for the season ahead. These schedules along with the coaching contact details, team lists and by-laws are found on the College’s web site.

The Sports Department communicates information to parents (and students) via the College’s newsletter (Villa View), website, morning notices and the Skoolbag App. Regular access to the College’s website is essential. Please be advised that we aim to post the weekly draws on the website by Wednesday of each week. All team lists for each team sport should be posted by Thursday if not earlier.

As part of the ongoing and far-reaching learning process at Villanova, we do require our students to take responsibility. When a student commits himself to a team, the College expects that he make every effort to attend all training sessions and games throughout the season within reason. It is not the responsibility of a student to pick and choose which sessions they would like to attend. If a training schedule conflicts with any other Villanova co-curricular commitment we will be more than happy to negotiate an alternative schedule, however, your son must communicate this to the College via the Sports Department.

As a general rule, both the Director of Sport and Director of Music have agreed on the following when there is a clash between sport training and music rehearsals. Please consult the respective Director of Sport or Music to arrange the specific alternate schedule:

• Students in ‘A’ teams (two training sessions per week) will rotate rehearsal with one training session every fortnight; i.e. rehearsal and training one week, two training sessions the next.
• Students in ‘B’ teams (two training sessions per week) will attend one training session and rehearsal every week
• Students in all other teams (one training session per week) are to rotate training and rehearsal every fortnight; i.e. rehearsal one week, training the next.

I must congratulate the many coaches and players who represented the College last weekend in cricket, swimming, AFL and volleyball trials. In order to move the ‘sporting elephant’ we need many hands-on deck to ensure that all teams representing Villanova College are well prepared and organised. I thank the many people who have assisted so far by fulfilling the various roles needed for things to run smoothly.

Villanova heads into Round 1 of competition this weekend against St Pat’s (SPC) in cricket and volleyball and St Laurence’s in AFL. I ask all players to be focused and ready for battle as we look to commence the season well. Our swim squad will travel to Ashgrove via buses organised by the College this Friday evening for the first official AIC swim meet of the season.

As always, to gain good results we must put a substantial effort into our training. I ask all coaches and players to focus on what they need to do at each training session each week so that improvement can be made. The next challenge is to put this into action on game day. The fact is we need to train hard and play hard every week to gain positive results. Pride in the jersey, leaving nothing in the tank and giving our best to our College and to our mates is what we want, no matter the result.  Good luck to all this weekend and enjoy. Go Villa!

Teacher Supervision after Training

 It is College policy that the supervision of students by attending staff ceases 15 minutes after the completion of the advertised finishing time of the training/practice session.

 Round 1 AIC Fixtures – Saturday 3rd February, AIC Cricket and Volleyball v St. Patrick’s College (SPC), AIC AFL v St Laurence’s College (SLC).

Please refer to the College’s website to view all times and venues for this weekend’s fixtures v SPC/SLC. Simply scroll down on the College’s home page to the ‘Latest News’ section and click the ‘Weekly Fixtures’ section.

AIC Cricket

 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 College. 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.

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 since the trials last weekend.   Please note 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 respectful of this if you need to discuss any cricket matters with them. When coaches are conducting training sessions, parents should only assist if they have been asked to do so by the coach.

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

 Cricket – Villanova Park Canteen

Parents of boys playing on the Andrew Slack Oval are asked to assist in 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 First XI cricket teams.

AIC Volleyball – Ms Barbara Dewis, Volleyball Co-ordinator

 Last Saturday was the last trial game for coaches to observe players before finalising teams.  In most games played, the results were very encouraging with some teams having a win on the day. All team lists will be updated and placed on the College website – please check from Wednesday afternoon each week.  The College website is the first place to visit for information regarding when and where your son will be playing on Saturday.  Information consists of training schedules, game times and playing venues. I encourage parents and players to use the website as a vehicle to be informed of all information pertaining to Villanova volleyball.

In order to host home games, we do require a huge amount of help. From time to time, each player will be asked to perform particular court duties. We ask parents to support the College by ensuring that your son is available and attends the designated court duties before or after his game.

Due to the number of home games, I please ask parents to make themselves available to assist in the canteen. At the trial game last Saturday, bacon and egg wraps were prepared and ready to be served to those who arrived early.  Thank you to Jeremy Meredith, Robyn and Paul Gunning and Jackie Harding for their assistance with the firing up of the BBQ and the cooking and preparation of food.  I am sure those who enjoyed a bacon and egg wrap were very appreciative of your time.

Round 1 begins this week against St Pat’s. All players will need to be prepared for the unexpected by chasing the ball, no matter what. With a new volleyball season about to begin the player motto is: Be Engaged in What is Happening (on the court).

Goold Hall Canteen – Volleyball Parents

The Villanova 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 30 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 only be on two occasions throughout the season).

We are currently seeking interested persons to coordinate the canteen for home games for either the Year 7 – 9 or Year 10 – 12 home rounds.  If you would like to take on this role, please do not hesitate to contact Mr Anthony Kemp in the Sports Office, Email: akemp@vnc.qld.edu.au

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

 I would like to thank all those parents and players for their efforts and participation on Saturday at our recent trials, it certainly made for a great start to our season and demonstrated to us as coaches that we have many talented players to work with this year. From the weekend, Matt Conlan and I have managed to come up with two squads for both the Year 5 and Year 6 players. As mentioned, these squads are not set in concrete and will continue to change throughout the season as we see fit.

This weekend marks our first official fixture and we will need to be prepared and ready to go come Saturday. Below are our game times and I ask all players to be at Yeronga at least 20 minutes prior to the first bounce so we can have an efficient and productive warmup.  All players are required to wear the Villanova rugby shorts and socks and ensure they each have a mouth guard ready to play.

Jerseys were distributed to the boys last weekend so please ensure these are brought along on Saturday. A reminder that training will be held for both year levels on Tuesday and Thursday from 3:30pm – 4:30pm at the Coorparoo Football Club.  Please note that only the Year 6 teams will be training today as Year 5 students are away on camp.

I encourage all players to arrive at the games early and stay behind if possible to support your teammates.  We look forward to seeing all players and spectators this Saturday to commence what is  sure to be an excellent and exciting season.

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

Our preparation schedule is now under way with squads training each morning at Langlands Pool, the Inter-house swimming carnivals completed and the Friday evening meets beginning.  I thank all the students and parents who have made the commitment to attend the training sessions and encourage all boys to attend as many sessions as possible. With only four weeks left until the competition at Chandler, we need to be training regularly to be at our best.

The walk up the hill after training can be difficult for some of the younger boys who also have to carry bags.  Can I suggest that parents make a stop at the College on the way to swimming and deliver the bags outside the classroom or to the Goold Hall foyer where staff are available each morning.  The boys would then only need their swimming gear and their uniforms for after training.  Year 5 boys who have been on camp this week are not expected to attend the Friday carnival at Ashgrove, but are welcome to do so if they feel they have the energy.

AIC Swimming Breakfasts

After the compulsory Friday morning swim training sessions, the College (with parental assistance) will provide a cooked BBQ breakfast for all squad members from Year 5 – 12. We ask all squad members to return their ‘swim brekky forms’ ASAP so that we are able to sufficiently cater for all.  If parents are able to assist with the preparation, we ask you to indicate this on the ‘brekky form’ as well. These forms are located on the website or at the Sports Office.

 AIC Swim Meet at Marist College, Ashgrove – Friday 2 February

The Villanova Swim Squad will travel to Marist College, Ashgrove this Friday 2 February. A bus will depart the College by 3.15pm and should return by 7.00pm – 7.30pm. A full program of events is posted on the College’s website within the sports section under AIC Swimming.

Lytton District Swimming

Boys who have been nominated to swim in the Lytton District Swimming Trials have been given the relevant information.  The trials will be held at Moreton Bay College on Friday 9 February. Students who have nominated for this event must find their own way to and from the event. Due to the nature of this trial, only three or four boys per age group can be nominated from Villanova for each stroke. We are also looking for a parent to nominate to act as an official for the day as no staff from Villanova will attend.

Met East Swimming

The Met East Trials will be held at Chandler on Tuesday 27 February. Students who turn 13 years or older in 2018 are nominated directly based on qualifying times. Students turning 12 years or younger must attend the Lytton Trials in order to gain entry. Any student who wishes to participate must see Mr Stariha for all the necessary forms. Please note a $20 fee will be charged to each swimmer who wishes to nominate.

AIC Rugby and Football

With many clubs now having their sign-on days, please be aware that information regarding AIC rugby and football will be sent home in a couple of weeks, particularly to the Year 5 and Year 6 students. It is important to note that:

• Boys should make themselves available to play school rugby/football. The AIC pre-season/trials commences at the end of Term 1 and throughout Term 2. The season consists of two trial games and seven rounds as per the College calendar. Please be aware that College commitments take precedence over club commitments as per College policy.
• School rugby and football is played on Saturday between 7.30am and 3pm as per the College Calendar. All A and B teams will have two training sessions each week. C teams and lower may only train once a week.
• All Year 5 and Year 6 training will be at Little Langlands (rugby) or Whinstanes (football).
• Year 7 – 12 rugby (plus Firsts and Seconds football) – Tuesday and Thursday afternoon at Villanova Park 4.00pm – 5.15pm approx.
• Year 7 – 12 football (excluding Firsts and Seconds) Monday and Wednesday afternoon at Villanova Park.

Allowing your son to participate in AIC rugby or football, helps to promote school spirit, camaraderie and a sense of personal achievement in representing his College.

Mr Craig Stariha, Director of Sport

College Musical, Parents & Friends, Uniform Shop, Tuckshop, Library

College Musical – ‘Footloose’

 Rehearsals are well underway for our combined Villanova and Loreto College production of Footloose. Staff and students are enjoying the challenge and excitement of preparing the show for what we know will be a sell-out audience.

A reminder to all students involved in the production to regularly check your emails for updates on rehearsals, costume information and any other information that may arise throughout the week. It is your responsibility to know what is going on.

The countdown is on to our performances in week 7 of this term, March 7-10. Tickets will be going on sale soon so please stay tuned to the newsletter and the school facebook page, for information about where to buy tickets. You will need to be quick as history shows that tickets sell fast.

Parents & Friends

The Villanova College Parents and Friends Association meet on the second Monday of each month, with some exceptions for school events and holidays.   Scheduled meeting dates for 2018 can be found in the College calendar and on the Skoolbag App Events.

Our first meeting for 2018 will be held this Monday, 5 February at 6:00 pm in the Tolle Lege Library.  Immediately following this meeting will be a meeting of the International Carnival Planning Committee at 7:00pm.

All parents, carers and community members are invited to attend either or both meetings.  This is a great way to stay informed with what is happening at Villanova College and be involved in your son’s education.

If you have any questions, please contact us at villapandf@vnc.qld.edu.au

Robyn Wills, Villanova P&F Secretary

Uniform Shop

The Villanova College New Uniform Shop is open on selected school days during each school term. Any additional hours will be advertised in the Villa View.

Trading hours are as follows:

Monday                       7.45 am – 10 am

Tuesday                       CLOSED

Wednesday                 CLOSED

Thursday                     7.45 am – 10 am

Friday                           7.45 am – 10 am

Online orders can only be collected between 11.30 am – 12 noon and are to be collected by students during their first meal break, as orders will not be processed before this time.

The Villanova College Second Hand Uniform Shop is open each Thursday during the school term between 7.45 am – 9.15 am.

The Uniform Shop’s Refund & Returns Policy is available on our website.

Tuckshop

2018 Tuckshop Menu & Price List

Tuckshop Roster

MONDAY 5^TH FEBRUARY

TUESDAY 6^TH FEBRUARY

WEDNESDAY 7^TH FEBRUARY

THURSDAY 8^TH FEBRUARY

FRIDAY 9^TH FEBRUARY

Library Roster

Monday – Sharon Vecchi

Tuesday – Susanna Greaves & Cristina Palacios

2018 AFAS Elders Exchange – Kinatarcan Island

OPEN TO ALL:- Staff, Old boys (including 2018 graduates) and parents

Planning is underway for the 2018 AFAS Elders Exchange to Kinatarcan Island and flight reservations will need to be made by end of next week.

This exchange differs from the AFAS Exchange in that it is open to staff, parents and Villa Old Boys (Elders)-no school age students are able to participate. The group goes to Kinatarcan Island and undertakes a building/construction project which is totally funded by Villa Old Boys. In 2016, the group constructed the drying hut (hot house) for the use of drying the moringa leaf for all the island community.

Whilst the actual project for this year has yet to be determined, it is hoped that the planned Augustinian Alternative Learning School -ALS -(similar to a TAFE) will have commenced construction. If this is the case, we will donate towards and assist with the construction of a certain part of the school.

If the ALS hasn’t commenced construction, we will be guided by Fr Aladdin (who is in charge of what the Augustinians are doing on Kinatarcan) as to where we can assist.

PROPOSED SCHEDULE:-

DEPART                                   Saturday December 1

ARRIVE CEBU                         Sunday December 2

DEPART for Kinatarcin          Monday December 3

RETURN from Kinatarcin     Wednesday December 12

DEPART Cebu                         Friday December 14

ARRIVE Brisbane                   Saturday December 15

(whilst most days are work days, Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 are lay days. Each day there will be interaction with the local community, the weekend will have a lot more interaction.)

COST $2500- includes all transport, accommodation and food costs

*ACCOMMODATION:-

CEBU                                       Fortuna Hotel

KINATARCAN                       Dorminatory style

 If you are interested in attending or would like more information, please email Tony Hindmarsh at – thindmarsh@vnc.qld.edu.au by Friday, February 2.

 NB: Deposit of $500.00 due Friday February 9

2nd instalment of $1000.00 due Friday May 11

Final instalment of $1000.00 due Friday August 31

**Please note that if for some reason you have to pull out after you have paid some money, you will get a full refund if the airline tickets haven’t been paid for in full (mid September). Once tickets have been paid for, you will need to claim it through our Travel Insurance organised through the College.

Southside Eagles Football Club