Villa View: Issue 02/20

What a busy place we have been over the past eight days. We have settled in the students, commenced classes, welcomed new students and families, held Swimming Carnivals for all three schools, celebrated Opening Mass, presented the Senior class of 2020 and Student Leaders, and conducted Parent Information Evenings for the Junior and Middle Schools. On top of all this activity, students in Years 5 – 8 are now getting ready for their annual outdoor camp program.

Somewhere in the midst of all this busyness, I hope there has been time for settling into the routine of schoolwork and homework. An important part of establishing the right routine is making sure the study area is a suitable location for your son to complete his work. I have included below a checklist for you to tick off with your son:

• Is there an uncluttered desk and suitable chair available for study?
• Is there suitable lighting?
• Is there good ventilation?
• Is my mobile phone placed away from me when I am working?
• Do I have quiet music playing in the background?
• Am I taking small breaks and stretching?
• Am I drinking enough water?
• Is my computer visible?

While not an exhaustive list I am sure parents get the idea. Students need to reduce the number of distractions via mobile phones, television and social media when committing to their studies. Having a suitable place to work without distractions is a great start to becoming a successful student.

Sleep, nutrition and exercise we are told are the key ingredients to a healthy life. For teenagers, adequate sleep is essential to their wellbeing and ability to function at school. Research has shown that for learning and memory retention to be efficient, most young people need 8 to 9 hours of sleep each night. This is best when matched to a regular bedtime and waking up time. Further the research tells us that if a student minimises screen time one hour before bedtime his sleep pattern will ensure a goodnight’s sleep.

OPENING MASS
On Tuesday the College community came together to celebrate Mass in Goold Hall to mark the commencement of the 2020 Academic Year. Fathers Peter Wieneke OSA and Saldie Resolado OSA concelebrated Mass. During the ceremony the student leaders and Senior students recited their pledges of office and received their badges. In taking their pledges the students offered their gifts and talents in the service of all in our community. We are grateful for their spoken commitment to serve our community.

FOUNDATION MANAGER
The College is currently advertising for the position of Foundation Manager. If you are interested or know of any person/s who may be interested in this role, please direct them to Seek.com and the College Website under employment for the position description and advertisement. Applications for the position will close on Monday 17 February.

AIC ECUMENICAL SERVICE
Representatives from the College attended the AIC Ecumenical Service at St Patrick’s College, Shorncliffe today as the eight AIC Colleges begin the AIC Sporting season for 2020. As part of the gathering, students and leaders of the Colleges worked together to develop the draft Strategic Plan for the AIC Association. We are looking forward to a great year of fine competition and good sportsmanship.

PRAYERS
As we begin the year, we are mindful of all members of our community; parents, staff and students who are in need of God’s loving embrace and compassion. We keep them all in our prayers.

Congratulations to Mr Matthew Wilson and his wife Linka on the birth of their first child, a son, Zane Peter Wilson.  We wish Matt, Linka and Zane all the best.

You have made us for Yourself O Lord
And our hearts are restless until they rest in You.

God bless
Mr Mark Stower, Principal

I had the opportunity to attend a breakfast workshop this week run by the South-East Brisbane Chamber of Commerce. I was drawn to attend for a couple of reasons. The first was the opportunity to network with people in the area; to share experiences, to see if there were opportunities for mutual benefit and to learn a little more of what is going on in the region. The second was to listen to a gentleman by the name of Dr Scott Bolland. Dr Bolland is a cognitive scientist who speaks in the field of flourishing in education. With their first week behind them, and the holiday break now just fond memories, it is important that not only teachers look to get the very best out of our students, obviously parents will want to do the same.

Dr Bolland raised the fact that when measuring success, accomplishment and performance were the most relied upon measures. Unfortunately, as a result, the true drivers of happiness and success are largely ignored. In overlooking happiness, we now have a society that is experiencing dramatic increases in depressions and unhappiness; depression is now 10 times more prevalent than it was 50 years ago and the number of young people who take their own lives is quite disturbing.

I thought it was important to listen Dr Bolland’s thoughts on how it is important that the young men at our College are content in their ‘own skins’. The message I received from the presentation was that we need to take every opportunity to find ways for our students to experience inspiration, motivation, challenge and pleasure in their studies. Students are already placed under enough pressure at school, so we need to find time to do this. If we can do this whilst they are at school, we stand a better chance of students succeeding when it matters; creating better leaders, being successful in their studies and workplaces after they leave school, improving relationships, being healthy more often and living longer.

I hope to be able to share some of Dr Bolland’s experiences throughout the year with staff, students and parents.

Study Planner
Returning students should still have their study planners from last year. It is a great time to employ a study plan for the term and get into routine once again. Holidays are a great time to forget a bit of routine, however, a student will thrive if they know what they are doing day-to-day and week-to-week, particularly when it comes to their curricular and co-curricular pursuits.

Diary
Please encourage your son’s diary use from early in the term. This is another opportunity for your son to be organised and maximise the teaching and learning that happens in his classes.

Study Skills
Just a reminder that Villanova College subscribes to the study skills website: www.studyskillshandbook.com.au.

Parents and students can access the site at the College and at home.  Please take some time this week to log in and have a look. Villanova College’s subscription details to www.studyskillshandbook.com.au are –

Username:          forvillanovaonly
Password:           129results

This is a website with units of work on different study skills topics, looking at how students can improve their results as well as other resources and planning templates to make dealing with schoolwork easer. At times throughout the year, your son may work through some of the activities during class, however, parents might like to encourage the use of the website as the need arises.

On the THINGS TO PRINT page at the top of the home page there are many useful handouts. Scroll to the bottom of the page to see an alphabetical list. One of these is the ‘Top Tips For Parents’ handout. Some examples of the types of tips on this handout are as follows:

• It is a great idea for students to set up a folder for each subject that stays at home, somewhere to file away past tests, assignments, completed topics and to keep everything together for that subject.
• Each night students should work on homework first, then assignments or test preparation. Following this, students need to look for other things they can do to enhance their understanding of their subjects, such as making study notes, doing extra questions or revising earlier topics.
• The best way to avoid distractions is to work in half hour blocks.
• One of the biggest mistakes students make is leaving their study notes until just before their examinations. One of the best habits students can get into is doing their study notes throughout the year; at the end of each topic is a good time to do this. Whenever students don’t have much homework, they should be disciplined enough to work on study notes. It would be important to put all this information in the study planner.

I wish all our young men at the College a successful year ahead in their studies.

Mr John Christie, Dean of Teaching and Learning

BYOD
In a BYOD environment it is imperative your son takes responsibility for the maintenance and upkeep of his own laptop. As we commence another academic year it is important all students’ BYOD laptops are education ready. Please assist your son in going through the following checklist of items.

Top 10 BYOD Checks for a New School Year

1. Delete games: BYOD laptops should not have games installed. The only exception is Minecraft: Education Edition as directed by your son’s classroom teacher.
2. Delete Discord and other chat clients: Discord is a voice, text and chat client for gamers that will interrupt your son’s study habits at home. This software is best left on other devices. To learn more about Discord – CLICK HERE.
3. Clear the Desktop. Start 2020 with a clean Desktop. No files should be visible on the desktop, unless temporary. Files should be stored in folders in an organised manner.
4. Use cloud storage for working files. Google Drive File Stream is the standard cloud storage solution for all Villanova students – it is simple to use, and all files are saved to the Google Drive cloud as they are created/edited. Some students may prefer to use OneDrive, even Dropbox, but for consistency Google Drive Files Stream is cross-platform and a very consistent option. From Week 1 Term 1, all files should be saved to these G:/ locations, etc. Never the Desktop, never Documents, never Downloads.
5. Tidy up 2019 folders and files. Now is the time to “archive” past work into folders and files. Use alphanumeric structures to keep archived files organised. There is often no need to retain past work so consider deleting or moving to USBs, etc.
6. Close 2019 Class Notebooks. Teachers will have closed 2019 Class Notebooks and removed students from these collaborative Notebooks (if no longer in use). Ask your son to open OneNote and close Class Notebooks to free up space, improve syncing and streamline searching.
7. Empty the Recycle Bin. Save space by completing this simple, important ritual.
8. Cull Inbox and Deleted Items. The number of emails in your son’s Outlook Inbox for Week 2, Term 1 should be single or double digits. It is essential he deletes past emails – whether read or not – and empties his Deleted Items folder as well. As an example, here is mine… I have a lot of Deleted Items to delete!
9. Install browser-based focus extensions. Distractions are everywhere, but they can be minimised. Help your son develop good browser habits by installing either: Cold Turkey and http://www.stayfocusd.com/ are reliable apps and services.
10. Insist on laptop labelling. For some reason, many laptops in Years 9 – 12 are unlabelled. Ironically, they are the most expensive. Ensure your son’s laptop is labelled – not engraved as this can instantly void warranties. The simplest solution is a Dymo label on the back of the monitor.

2020 Acceptable Use of College ICT Resources Agreements
During Week 2, all students will be required to agree to the College’s standard Acceptable Use of College ICT Resources. This will occur automatically when students access Villa Moodle. When students sign in, they will be directed to read the policy and agree to it. Pastoral Area Leaders and IT staff will monitor student agreements. Students who fail to acknowledge the policy by Friday of Week 3 will have their access to IT services reviewed and suspended until the policy has been acknowledged.

Similarly, parents are requested to acknowledge they have discussed this policy with their sons via an online form/agreement within the Villanova College Parent Lounge. Further details will be emailed to all families shortly.

Mr Jason Lane, eLearning Pedagogy Leader

I only ever went on a couple of camps in primary school.  They were both situated near Sorrento Beach in Perth and the thing I still remember loving most of all was the free time each afternoon.  I played beach cricket with my mates and life just couldn’t get any better.  It was the kind of freedom that suited me right through to my core.  Knowing there was no chance of having to read books, do homework or change my clothes on a regular basis was divine.  It was like a free pass for me.

Camps in 2020 are similar, however now as an adult I can see the detail in the planning months before the camp takes place. Policies and procedures mean that Junior School staff are vigilant in communicating to parents and student’s weeks in advance of stepping foot onto a bus. So why take the boys away in Term 1, Week 2?  Why are camps so beneficial?

One word – relationships.  In three days and two nights, your sons will build relationships through all kinds of experiences – travelling on a bus; finding the dorm; organising his gear around the double bunk; participating in rock climbing, mountain bike riding, pool time, beach time, paddle boarding in the river, mud challenges, camp fires and movie nights in the hall.  Mealtimes require decision making about hot/cold foods, who to sit with, turn taking for drinks and service at the counter, and setting/cleaning up with mates.  The questions are endless, but the problem-solving opportunities that build resilience are precious.  The confidence that comes from working things out and realizing that you can manage things in a new place, relying on new teachers and brothers is second to none.  It can’t be replicated in the classroom.

These experiences will lay the foundations for us all to have a “history” together.  By Week 3, teachers will have an insight to the students they are teaching – not based on a file or a sterile document, but rather from laughs, achievements in teams or across the table over breakfast, lunch or dinner.  Even the chance to help the boys settle off to sleep over two nights means there is a chance to reminisce over the day’s events, be excited about tomorrow, or share the comforts that might be missed from home.  This time together is golden.  It will mean so much when back at the College there might be challenges to overcome.  We can draw upon our relationships to encourage empathy, accountability and perseverance in learning and social/emotional situations.

Going on camp really is a privilege and I am grateful for your trust as parents with your sons.   To the staff who have left their families to care for the 158 boys – my heartfelt gratitude for your patience, time and attention over 55 hours.  To our Year 11 students who also willingly became the big brothers this week – cheers to you all.  You may not truly understand what it meant to our ten/eleven-year olds, but we know for certain that you have instilled value, self-worth and pride in our newest Villanovans that they will remember forever.

Visiting the Year 5 camp today was so inspiring.  Smiles are aplenty, and the chatter is loud and bubbly.  Thanks to the incredible organisation of Mrs Wilson and Ms Roberts, the staff are in fine spirits after their first night.  Boys have thoroughly enjoyed bacon, scrambled eggs, spaghetti, baked beans, hash browns for breakfast and they are eager for the activities that the second day brings.  There are high fives as I walk in – and excited tales about the lack of sleep, lining up for seconds at meals (very true – not a scrap of food left over), skipping the showers to play a little more cricket/touch footy/board games in free time (possibly true – thank goodness for deodorant) and how there are rumours the staff may have a stash of lollies in the first aid room (no comment).  The vibe around camp is infectious.  It is positive and spiritual.

Next week sees the Year 6 students on camp at Noosa.  Wiser after their Year 5 experience, I wish them all the very best in their packing and preparation.  This will certainly be a time to assimilate with old friends and new classmates – the prime chance to go beyond comfort zones and trial leadership roles around Noosa Northshore.

As always, the meticulous work of Mrs Maria Mascadri over the phone, email and face-to-face means our families and staff feel so thoroughly supported in the camps – thank you from all of us.

Mr Stephen Rouhliadeff, Head of Junior School

For the benefit of parents who were unable to attend the Middle School Parent Information Evenings, this week’s podcast covers information I presented.

Please click on the image to begin listening.

ANCIENT EGYPT INCURSION
Every year huge numbers of visitors travel to Egypt to look in awe at the pyramids at Giza and the royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings.  Ancient Egyptian civilisation is fascinating and the Year 7 boys were given an insight into this civilisation when participating in an incursion on Monday.

This incursion was an exciting workshop which included 25 different displays and links to the Year 7 study of Ancient Egypt within their History classes this Term.  The displays covered topics such as Pharaohs, Egyptian Gods and Goddesses, mummification, hieroglyphics, grooming, clothing and the afterlife.  A highlight for the boys was dressing up in the Egyptian clothing which reflected all levels of society.

Mr Greg O’Neill, Head of Middle School

MASS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
On Tuesday, we celebrated the annual Mass of the Holy Spirit, where we come together as a whole College community in prayer and solidarity ahead of another academic year. After communion, the Student Leadership Team was installed and the Seniors were commissioned as leaders of the student body, pledging to be of humble service whilst being inspired to fulfil the promise of their theme – ‘brothers in arms’.

College Captain Max McCaul imparted the following timely reflection on the late basketball icon Kobe Bryant and his attitude towards life:

 A great man once said, “Dedication sees dreams come true”. This man was known for his numerous game winning shots, his insane ability to score and his drive to win as shown by his 5 NBA championships. Hopefully you should recognise this man as the late great Kobe Bryant. He was known for his amazing basketball ability as well as his strong mentality, more famously known as the Mamba mentality. The Mamba mentality is simply trusting in hard work. When people who knew Kobe best were asked to describe him as a player there would be little to no focus on his ability but more on his hard work and passion towards the game of basketball.

 For Kobe’s first ever practice with the Lakers, his coach found him training in the gym two hours before the actual start of the practice. Another trainer  recalls a time when Kobe refused to leave the gym until he made a total of 800 shots.

 This year I want everybody to have the same mentality and passion that Kobe possessed, whether it’s in sports, academics or everyday life. Put the extra hours in, start earlier and finish later and help others around you do the same. I want Villanova to not only be known for our achievements but also recognised for the effort and hard work we put into all areas of the College. I hope you are all excited as I am for the coming year and I look forward to seeing what we can all achieve in 2020.

I would like to congratulate Max and the entire Student Leadership Team for establishing their agenda for student wellbeing and promoting active engagement in College life. As a team, they will only be successful by building the capacity and buy-in of their peers and as such I ask the Senior School student body to support the Senior cohort in all their endeavours to make this a successful year.

PAUL DILLON DRUG AND ALCOHOL EDUCATION PARENT SEMINAR
On Monday 17 February, 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.

Through his own business, Drug and Alcohol Research and Training Australia (DARTA) Paul has been contracted by many agencies and organisations across the country to give regular updates on current drug trends within the community. He continues to work with many school communities across the country to ensure that they have access to good quality information and best practice drug education.

That night, Paul will present to parents who are interested in practical ways to keep their son safe from the dangers of drugs and alcohol. The presentation is entitled: Teenagers, alcohol and other drugs: What’s happening, what’s out there and how much influence do parents really have? There will be a close examination of the positive influence that parents can have on their child’s drinking behaviour, as well as the barriers that they may face during adolescence. It aims to empower parents with a positive message and assist them in having open and honest family discussions in this complex area. This talk for parents will take place at 6pm in Hanrahan Theatre. I strongly encourage parents of all Senior School students to attend.

CELEBRATING THE ARTS
Congratulations to two of our Year 12 students, Lachlan Galbraith (who also made it last year) and Jacob Keay who were successful in auditioning for places in the Queensland Theatre Youth Ensemble. The audition process is particularly competitive and stringent, so this is a wonderful achievement for our two thespians. You can see Jacob, Lachlan and our talented Senior School performers and musicians in the upcoming College Musical Mary Poppins. I encourage you to support this co-production with Loreto College.

AIC ECUMENICAL SERVICE AND COMMENCEMENT OF ROUND 1 OF AIC SPORT
Earlier today, a contingent of our Student Leadership Team attended the annual AIC Ecumenical Service which was hosted by St Patrick’s College. The theme of day was ‘In the Spirit of Fellowship’ and both the liturgy and the student workshops focused on how we as a College play our part in upholding the values of sportsmanship and brotherhood within our association. One of the challenges of the student forum was sharing how we as a College can continue to exhibit growth in these areas. Our students articulated these three areas:

1. Villanova students can grow in terms of formally welcoming other schools to our playing grounds;
2. Villanova students can grow in affording more respect for the referees/umpires and their decisions;
3. Villanova students can grow in keeping the playing grounds at our own and other AIC schools clean, making sure everything is cleaned up before packing up and leaving.

We all play a part – student, teachers and parents alike – in ensuring that we as a College community are acknowledged as strong competitors yet fair and respectful in our actions both on and off the court and field. As Head of Senior School, I am largely present at most sporting fixtures throughout the year and I expect the highest conduct by our students with respect to their appearance and how they engage with students from other colleges. Spectators who remain for the Firsts fixture will be required to be attired in full academic uniform. I wish all Senior School students representing the College this trimester a successful and enjoyable season.

“Sports are such a great teacher. I think of everything they’ve taught me: camaraderie, humility, how to resolve differences.” – Kobe Bryant

Mr Matt Levander, Head of Senior School

“Do it all again, but better,” is the motto for the 2020 Ministry teams. Whilst capturing a sense of fun and enthusiasm, the motto also points to the rising tide of enthusiasm for service at Villanova. Villa men are men of service.

Where will the “better” come from? One of the main aims of 2020 is to invite more boys into the Ministry teams. The main motive is simply that being involved in active service projects brings a palpable sense of teamwork, encounter, and satisfaction. On deeper reflection, the Ministry leaders say that they feel that it is an important complement to their studies to reach out to others, both within the community, and beyond.

ALL STUDENTS FROM YEARS 7 – 12 ARE WELCOME TO JOIN A MINISTRY GROUP:

YAYM is for Middle School students who meet every Wednesday at second break and enjoy a special relationship with Duhig Village Nursing Home.

For Senior School:

St Vincent de Paul (SVP) meet on Tuesday at second break. They collect hampers for local people who may need a hand up at Easter, and they enjoy a good partnership with Emmanuel City Mission (Homeless drop-in) and the Brisbane St Vincent de Paul Society.

AFAS (Australian Filipino Augustinian Solidarity) meet on Thursday at second break. They enjoy special relationships with three sister schools in the Philippines and will be busy preparing for Mission Day.

YCS meet on Friday at second break. YCS will make the Senior cohort’s “Brothers in Arms” motto a reality by reaching out to younger year levels to make the campus a safe and happy place.

Rosies allows Year 11 and 12 students the chance to experience the Rosies Van Friday Evening Outreach to people who are homeless or wanting a chat and a cuppa. Training opportunities will be publicised soon.

ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP:
The next important goal for 2020 is to create an environmental group. This group will undertake practical actions, like clear up Norman Creek days, but also will offer analysis and advocacy to improve our systems and habits at the College. More information will follow. The aim is that any student who cares deeply about the environment – what Pope Francis calls “our common home” – will have an immediate outlet for action, reflection and advocacy through the environmental group.

FORMATION AND LEADERSHIP:
Three Ministry students, Isaak Collie (2020 Ministry Captain), Thanasi Keskinidis and Luke Palmer (both Year 11) have generously put their hand up to undertake the Ozanam Leadership Program. Run by the St Vincent de Paul Society, (founded by then 20-year-old Frederic Ozanam in 1831), this program brings together about 30 students from 10 different Catholic schools in order to develop their capacity for teamwork and servant leadership. It is a great opportunity for these students to meet like-minded peers and create a wider network.

Mr John Holroyd, Dean of Mission and Identity

At the conclusion of the 2019 school year, the Sports Office was very confident with the progression made with pre-season trial processes for the AFL, cricket, volleyball and swimming programs, to enable us to be in a good position leading into the 2020 season. It always strikes me that no matter how well we are prepared and organised leaving 2019, there is no escaping the usual ‘first week frenzy’ as we prepare for the trial matches and events scheduled the first week back. Given this, I was quite happy with how all coaches, players and parents did their bit to ensure the 2020 AIC Program got off to a strong start over the weekend. Many thanks to all!

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 Office communicates information to parents (and students) via Villa View, website, morning notices and the Villanova College App (this is a must to install on your phone). 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 makes 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 student’s 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 rehearsal. Please consult the respective Director of Sport/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, 2 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 Villanova teams are well prepared and organised. I thank the many people who have assisted the sports program so far by fulfilling the various roles needed for things to run smoothly.

Villanova heads into Round 1 of competition this weekend against St Edmund’s College (SEC) in cricket and volleyball and various schools in the 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 St Peter’s Lutheran College 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 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
Parents are asked to ensure that students are collected at the advertised finishing time of all training/practice sessions.  Collection of students promptly after training allows staff to fulfil family and other commitments.

ROUND 1 AIC FIXTURES
Friday 7 and Saturday 8 February – AIC Cricket and Volleyball v St. Edmund’s College (SEC), AIC AFL v St Edmund’s and Ashgrove (ASH).

Please refer to the College’s website to view all times and venues for this weekend’s fixtures v SEC/ASH. 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. 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 10 metres of the bat must also wear a helmet.

Training sessions have been finalized 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.

If you need to discuss any cricket matters, please be mindful that our coaches are mainly Old Boys, outside coaches or parents, most of whom are volunteering their services free of charge. When coaches are conducting training sessions, parents should only assist if you have been approached by the coach and asked to assist.

Many coaches need 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 so that not one person is burdened each week with the same duty.

With many Old Boys coaching, we are calling on parents to assist with managing the team. Managers will need to put together a roster for umpiring, scoring and any other general duties that can assist the coaches. This will free up the Old Boys time and enable them to concentrate on coaching.

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 students who were selected in the 8A, 9A and First XI cricket teams.

AIC VOLLEYBALL
Mr Todd Kropp, Volleyball Co-ordinator

Last Saturday was the last trial game for coaches to observe players before finalising teams. Villanova volleyball recorded 17 wins from 19 teams against a well-trained St Patrick’s College. A big thank you to all teams and coaches for their work during the trial round. 9A Captain, Nicholas Craig, had this to say after the 9A team won their match two sets to one.

The 9A Villanova team took on one of our rivals, St Patrick’s. Our goal for this game was to hit aggressive. The first set for us was good, we were achieving our goal and hitting quite aggressively and consistently, this is how we managed to take the first set however our communication was significantly lacking. That was our main goal in the second set, to communicate better. We achieved our goals as well as taking the second set to win us the game. In the third set we saw an opportunity to experiment new plays, serves and positions. In the end the third set went the way of SPC, but we were grateful for the experience of trying new skills.

At the conclusion of the trial game, we are busy preparing the final team lists for the season and these 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 each Saturday.  Information that can be viewed consists of training schedules, game times, playing venues and duty/linesman rosters. I encourage parents and players to use the website as a vehicle to be informed of occurrences in 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 a court duty – linesman. We ask parents to support the College by ensuring that your son is available and attend the designated court duty before or after his game. This information will be available on the college website each week and published on the Sports notice board.

Round 1 begins this week against St Edmund’s and the coaching team look forward to seeing how our teams fair. It is expected that every member of Villanova volleyball plays every point of every set until the referee whistles, we hope to be humble winners and gracious in defeat.

Players are asked to be in the correct uniform for the start of the volleyball season – no rugby or basketball shorts and no black socks.  Please check the College website for more information.

Check out this clip for some helpful hints when blocking!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UForevjCu2Y

Goold Hall Canteen Round 1 v SEC (8 February) – 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 be maximum two occasions throughout the season). We are seeking interested persons to co-ordinate the canteen for home games for the Years 10 – 12 home rounds.  If you would like to assist, please don’t hesitate to contact Mr Todd Kropp, Email: tkropp@vnc.qld.edu.au

AIC AFL
Mr Adam Fry, AIC AFL Co-ordinator

 Firstly, I would like to thank all those parents and players for their efforts and participation 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 all coaches have managed to come up with squads for all year levels. As mentioned, these squads are not set in concrete and will continue to change throughout the season if we see fit.

This weekend marks our first official fixture 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 last week so please ensure this is also brought along to all games. A reminder training will be on for Opens Monday and Wednesday mornings, Year 7 and Year 8/9 squads on Tuesday from 3.30pm – 4.30/45pm at Coorparoo AFC and Year 6 teams will be training Thursday 3.30pm – 4.30 at Coorparoo AFC. A reminder that all players will be transported by school bus to Coorparoo AFC, however parents are required to collect their son promptly from training.

I encourage all players to arrive early and stay after their game if possible, to support your teammates on Friday and Saturday.  We look forward to seeing all players and spectators there this weekend to kick off 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 Interhouse swimming carnivals completed and the Friday evening meets beginning.  Congratulations to all the boys who represented their Houses at the Interhouse Carnival. I also wish to thank all the students and parents who have made the commitment to attend the training sessions and strongly encourage all boys to attend as many sessions as possible. With only three weeks of training left until the competition at Chandler, we need to be training regularly to be at our best.  The sign in sheets for the squad are kept at the front desk as the boys enter the pool.  The boys are asked to tick off as they enter so that we can monitor who has been training.  If the Jets swimmers, who are training before our squad could also sign on the way out, it will assist me with team selection.

The walk up the hill after training can be difficult for some of the younger boys who also must carry bags. Parents may prefer to make a stop at school on the way to swimming in the mornings and deliver the bags to the classroom or to the Goold Hall foyer where staff usually are available each morning.  The boys would then only need their swimming gear and their uniforms after training.

The first of our Friday morning breakfasts will begin this week.  Thank you to the team of parents who are helping prepare for the hordes of hungry swimmers.  The boys look forward to the breakfast very much and are most grateful to everyone.

AIC Swim Meet at St Peter’s Lutheran College – Friday 7 February
The Villanova swim squad will travel to St Peter’s tomorrow, 7 February. A bus will depart the College by 3.10pm and should return by 7.00pm. A full program of events is posted on the College’s website within the sports section under AIC Swimming.  The bus will be leaving St Peter’s about 6:30pm, so please ensure that you are waiting for the boys at the College when the bus arrives.  It is not fair to expect staff to wait around for another half hour or so after a long day for parents to collect their sons.

Lytton District Swimming
Boys who will be nominated to swim in the Lytton District swimming trials will be given the relevant information early next week from Mr Everding. The trials will be held at Moreton Bay College on Friday 14 February. Students who are nominated for this Meet must find their own way to and from Moreton Bay College. Due to the nature of this trial, only three – four per age group can be nominated from Villanova for each stroke and the College will nominate the boys. Parents are not permitted to nominate their sons for any Lytton trials. We are also looking for a parent to nominate to act as an official for the day as no staff from Villanova will be released to attend.

Met East Swimming
Please be aware that the abovementioned Met East trials will be held at Chandler on Tuesday 3 March. Students who turn 13 years or older in 2020 are nominated directly to the Met East trials 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. At present we have not received the official Met East Swim Nomination Forms, but we will advertise via Morning Notices when these become available. Please note a $22 fee will be payable by 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 5and 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/football is played on Saturday mornings 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.

• All Year 5 and Year 6 training will be at Langlands (rugby) or Whinstanes (football).
• Years 7 – 12 rugby (plus First/Second football) – Tuesday and Thursday afternoon at Villanova Park 4.00pm – 5.15pm approx.
• Years 7 – 12 Football (excluding First and Seconds) Monday and Wednesday afternoon at Villanova Park.

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

FOOTBALL – JUNIOR DEVELOPMENT SQUAD
Training will begin on Monday 10 February from 7.00 – 8.00am at Little Langlands for those boys invited into the program. At this stage the program will run for six consecutive Monday mornings until Monday 16 March. Players are asked to wear suitable football training gear including shin guards and boots to all sessions.

COMPOSITE SPORT
The following Composite Sport trial information is now available from the Sports Office.

Mr Craig Stariha, Director of Sport

COMBINED MUSIC CAMP 2020
Our combined music camp with Loreto College was another resounding success!  157 students travelled to Mapleton QCCC to rehearse with some of our state’s finest music educators.  Mr Bill Buchanan (Band), Dr Nicole Hamill (Strings), Dr Shaun Brown (Choir), and Mr Joel Woods (Guitars), led our students through nine hours of rehearsal across a 36-hour period, cramming almost a term’s worth of rehearsals into one weekend.

On the Sunday afternoon, camp concluded with our regular camp concert in Hanrahan Theatre at Villanova College.  The students shared the music they had been preparing to a capacity house and acquitted themselves marvellously.  Our finale, a choral and orchestral arrangement of Australian folk song, elicited a standing ovation from the audience – it was a great experience for our students and a fine indicator of what lies in store for both Music Departments in 2020.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many parents from both Villanova and Loreto who gave up their weekend to join 157 teenagers on the Sunshine Coast Hinterland.  Thanks must also go to the Loreto and Villanova music support groups who organised the BBQ to feed our campers upon return to Villanova on Sunday afternoon.  Finally, I would like to thank the tutors, teachers, and support staff from both schools who assisted in ensuring this camp was the success it became – your time and effort is most appreciated!

REHEARSALS AND LESSONS
All lessons and rehearsals have commenced.  Please refer to the rehearsal schedule included with this week’s newsletter for clarification of times.

ATTENDANCE ROLLS AT REHEARSALS
To assist us with our duty of care before school, all ensemble directors will be marking attendance at the start and conclusion of each rehearsal.  Parents of students who are marked as absent without an explanation will receive an auto-email from the music department seeking clarification.  Whilst we acknowledge that student services and music office may be notified of your child’s absence, an ensemble director is not privy to that information before school unless they are contacted directly.  In the interests of ensuring we are all aware of student whereabouts, we will send the auto-email in the morning to ensure our supervision responsibilities are acquitted.

Please include your son’s ensemble director in any absentee contact so that we may ensure all records are accurate and up-to-date.

YEAR 5 INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PROGRAM
This Tuesday, our music team had the opportunity to meet and induct our Year 5 students into the music department here at Villanova College.  The students have been introduced to the One-Note practice diaries we will be using; please ask your son to show you this online space.  We will be using One-Note as our main storage space for information regarding lesson content and home work requirements for instrumental music.  Parents are most welcome to use this space as a place to leave messages for your son’s instrumental teacher as well.

All loan agreements for instruments have been distributed to students this week.  Please ensure these make their way out of your son’s bag into your hands for signing.  We cannot release an instrument to your son until the loan agreement has been returned.

We understand that in some cases your son may not have been allocated his first-choice instrument.  In speaking with the students yesterday, I assured them that our teachers have done their utmost to ensure we placed them on an instrument that they would have the most success, with the requisite practice completed.  I am really looking forward to hearing these groups play at our concerts later in the year.

MUSIC SUPPORT GROUP
Our wonderful Music Support Group will be convening for the first time in 2020 on the evening of Monday 10 February at 7.30pm.  This motivated group of parents meet once a month to share news of the department and assist with the planning of fundraising activities throughout the year.  All parents are most welcome to attend – we look forward to seeing you there!

DATE CLAIMERS
As is tradition, we look forward to the fantastic events we have planned in the near future:

Thank you all for your continued support of Villanova Music.

Mr Michael Jones, Director of Music

TENORI IN CONCERT 
The countdown is on to see three of Australia’s finest tenors right here at Villanova on Saturday 15 February. Accompanied by a four piece band with the Brisbane city skyline as the backdrop, this event supports the Australian Filipino Augustinian Solidarity (AFAS) Elders Project. Details and ticketing link can viewed by clicking here.

MARY POPPINS – TICKET SALES OPEN TUESDAY
Rehearsals are in full swing for this years combined Loreto and Villanova musical, Mary Poppins. We are very excited by the quality of the students dancing, singing, acting and playing and can’t wait to share this spectacular show with you in the last week of February.

Tickets for Mary Poppins will go on sale on Tuesday 11 February at 6.00pm. Don’t delay – purchase your tickets early so you don’t miss out! Performances are: Thursday 27 February and Friday 28 February at 7pm, Saturday 29 February at 2.00pm and 7.30pm. Please use the following link for all of your purchases: http://bit.ly/MaryPoppins2020

VILLANOVA COLLEGE COCKTAIL BALL
Save the date – Saturday 25 July!

2020 P&F MEETINGS AND EVENTS
Throughout 2020, the P&F has invited a number of speakers to address parents on a range of topics relevant to boys’ learning and development and to help parents navigate some of the College’s IT platforms, like Parent Lounge. The first meeting is on Monday 10 February  (6.00pm in Tolle Lege Library) where Mr Craig Smith, Villanova’s ICT Manager will walk us through Parent Lounge and the App – this will be particularly helpful for our new parents.

The full calendar year of meeting dates and speaker topics is available by clicking here. We also have listed some of the P&F’s 2020 events which all parents are encouraged to support and attend.

We look forward to seeing many more parents engaged in the activities of the P&F in support of Villanova and their boys.

Vass Cayas, P&F President

VILLANOVA INTERNATIONAL CARNIVAL
Mark Saturday 21 March in your diaries as we countdown to a new-look Villanova Carnival. All your favourites are back, with the addition of exciting new rides, entertainment and food stalls.

We are desperately seeking conveners.  Please put your hand up and come and help us raise money for the school. Many hands make light work.

• Marketing & Communications Co-ordinator
• Entertainment Co-ordinator – MC
• The Hub Teen entertainment Co-ordinator
• Rides Installation Site Foreman
• Japanese Stall Convener or a new International food stall of your choice
• Waste Management Co-ordinator (managing the contractor)
• Volunteer Roster Co-ordinator

If you can assist, please email me on jamie@brubecks.com.au
Jamie Whitlock, Carnival Convener

Year Level Parent Representatives
Our wonderful Villanova College community is looking for new Parent Class Representatives for 2020. The College and P&F encourages the rotation of parents in these roles to bring fresh ideas and renewed enthusiasm. The Parent Class Representative helps our families build strong connections to the College community through:

• representing the opinion of their year level
• organising social functions
• posting messages on year level Facebook pages
• seeking parent helpers at College functions (usually once per year)

All Parent Representatives will be supported by the Villanova P&F Association, the Parent Class Representative network and our wonderful Villanova College staff.

If you are interested in taking on the role of Parent Representative for your son’s class, please email Allison Gamer via scottandal@hotmail.com or text/call on 0437 184 704.

WE’RE ENROLLING – YEAR 7, 2022
Applications are open for Year 7, 2022. If you know a family with a current Year 5 student (not already attending Villanova) who may be interested in joining the Villanova community, please direct them to our website for further information.

APOLOGY – STATIONERY SUPPLY
The College has been working with Winc to rectify issues relating to the supply of 2020 stationery items to some families. Please click here for the response from Winc to parents. The College apologises for any inconvenience caused.

LIKE TO VOLUNTEER ABROAD?
The 2020 AFAS Elders Exchange will once again assist a village on Kintarcan Island in the Phillippines from November 28 – December 12. If any parents or Old Boys are interested in attending and would like more information,  please contact Tony Hindmarsh at – thindmarsh@vnc.qld.edu.au or attend the information evening on Thursday 13 February in the Staff Centre commencing at 6:30pm​

TOLLE LEGE LIBRARY VOLUNTEERS
The Tolle Lege Library at Villanova College is currently seeking volunteers to assist in 2020. We are a busy library and there is always something to do.  Even if you can only spare an hour or two, we would welcome your assistance.

If you are interested in volunteering, please email library@vnc.qld.edu.au.

LIBRARY ROSTER

Tuesday 11 February
Cristina Palacios

Friday 14 February
Madhu Kalaimannan

TUCKSHOP VOLUNTEERS
The Tuckshop is requiring additional volunteers to feed our army of Villanova men. Volunteers are rostered on one day every four weeks, generally from 8.30am to 2.00pm but for those of you who would prefer an earlier start and/or finish, you can be rostered on the breakfast shift from 7.00am.

If you are interested in volunteering, please call the Tuckshop on 3394 5592 or email Dot Blair – tuckshop@vnc.qld.edu.au

TUCKSHOP MENU AND PRICE LIST
Please click here for our 2020 menu and price list.

TUCKSHOP ROSTER

Monday 10 February
Lauren Audet
Gina Avolio
Anna Stines
Marnie Dalrymple
Melissa Young
Heidi Price
Gladess Karam
Victoria Zdraveski

Tuesday 11 February
Gerda Odonnell
Allison Holt
Sherry James
Mary-Anne Peralta
Ellen Greer
Therese Staley
Ann O’Brien
Belinda Taylor
Robyn Dickie
Keryn Prove

Wednesday 12 February
Karen Blue
Katrina Theil
Connie Collins
Deb Griffiths
Anastasia Bailey
Angie Browne
Zoe Rohloff
Kobi O’Toole

Thursday 13 February
Michelle Boxall
Bernadette Perrier
Louise Wilson
Lisa Kelly
Anita Lazzarin
Belinda McPherson
Flora Di Stasi
Michelle Thomson
Annetta Cayas
Jenny Kwok

Friday 14 February
Tracy Pereira-Trevethan
Nikki Reid
Caroline Caffery
Gregoria Makras
Sally Grigson
Nakeeta Sturgess
Natasha Dredge
Allan Greig
Kelly Rigby

BUS PASSES – TRANSDEV
Parents of students catching Transdev services (and travelling on Partial Payment or Safety Net School Bus Passes) are advised of the following:

Transdev has identified an issue affecting the printing of Partial Payment and some Safety Net School Bus Passes.

Regrettably, fare information printed on some of these cards is wrong and the fare displayed on the card does not correlate with the fare displayed on our Driver’s ticket machines. Where there is a discrepancy between fare prices our drivers have been instructed to allow students on without payment.

The error only impacts students travelling on Partial Payment or Safety Net School Bus Passes which this year are coloured Orange. New cards have been printed and are being distributed to all respective schools from today, for reissue to students.

Students should destroy the old cards or or return them directly to Trandsev Queensland either by post or to our Reception at 10 Smith Street, Capalaba.

Further information is available by clicking here.