Villa View: Issue 04

Dear Members of the Villanova College Family
Blessed + Broken is the theme for the Lenten Season 2018 in the Archdiocese of Brisbane. We recognise that the Lenten journey is one of renewal as we take time to pray, share and live the Gospel in our lives.

Ash Wednesday celebrated yesterday saw our community gather together to begin our own Lenten journey with the mark of the cross in ash on our forehead. The ashes come from a previous Palm Sunday. The palms are burned, the ashes collected and then crushed into a fine, sooty powder. Fr Peter Wieneke OSA blessed the ashes before they were distributed to all in our community.  As the ashes are placed on the forehead we hear the words,

“Turn away from sin and believe in the Gospel”

Paul Dillon Presentation

Earlier this week Mr Paul Dillon from Drug and Alcohol Research and Training Australia presented to our families on the topic “Drugs, Alcohol, Sleepovers and Parties.”  His presentation was of great interest and he made a number of very important points during his presentation.

1. Most young people and adults do not engage in drug taking behaviour and drink alcohol responsibly.
2. The change in behaviour for young adolescents occurs around 14 and 15 when they will engage in risky behaviour.
3. A sleepover is code for “I do not want mum and dad to know what I am getting up to!” so be proactive and speak to the host.
4. Delay, delay, delay the time young people begin to consume alcohol – the research on the human brain indicates a young brain is damaged by regular consumption of alcohol.
5. Rather than always saying NO to parties – try placing restrictions such as “I will drop you and pick you up and you can stay for two hours.”

The DARTA website- darta.net.au has a wealth of resources for parents.

Building Works

Finally, after three years the rectification work on the Veritas and Fr Michael Morahan Building is completed.  All areas are now open and the staff and students have access to all stairs and thoroughfares around the campus.  We are very pleased to have this project completed.

Study, Homework and Assignments

How much homework and study should your son be doing? This is a difficult question to answer. The amount of prescribed homework set by the teaching staff will vary across the week depending on the subjects studied during the day. What most students need to build into their practice is a regular revision of the work covered during the day. This revision takes the form of making sure the notes taken in class make sense and that the student understands the concepts and ideas presented in the classroom.

It may be more helpful to set a weekly target for your son rather than a nightly amount. The Junior School students have regular set homework. The following weekly amounts may be a helpful guide.

Years 7 – 9  aiming for 6 to 10 hours per week.

Year 10 – aiming for 8- 12 hours per week

Years 11 and 12 – aiming for 10 – 15 hours per week

When the 30 hours of school time each week is added to the homework/study time it quickly adds to 40 hours plus for a senior student before adding in co-curricular activities and part-time work. If a senior student is spending in excess of 60 hours per week on study, co-curricular and other activities careful monitoring by the adults in his life will need to be in place.

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

Last night we held our Junior School Parent Information Evening. Thank you to the parents that gave this opportunity their priority – it is a crucial source of detail that will benefit your family in 2018. For the Year 5 parents, I would think that there were many questions answered and a welcome chance to meet your son’s teachers after nearly completing a full month at the College. For the Year 6 parents, I am certain that you would appreciate that your son is now moving onto a new phase of life as a Villanovan – as a leader, a conscious learner and wiser student. Every teacher brings incredible opportunities for leading your son in meaningful learning this year. 21st Century skills – creativity, innovation, critical thinking and problem solving – are alive and well within our pastoral care program and delivery of the Australian Curriculum.

Firstly, there will be the weekly timetable to put in a prominent place in your home. This enables your son to pack his stationery accordingly, organise the correct uniforms and check his homework tasks are prepared fully for the following day. It will take a few weeks to learn the new rhythm of specialist lessons and our Enrichment Cycle classes. Before and after school co-curricular sessions should be added to this schedule so that boys can work social time and study time into their week – providing balance and positive mental health in each young mind, body and soul.

Secondly, there will be new contact details to store in a safe place. Your son’s class teacher is crucial, as is his specialist teachers who can all be found in the Parent Lounge on the College Website using your allocated details. Also in Parent Lounge, are social contact details, as well as academic calendars that show assessment plans and due dates, as well as reporting information. I would strongly recommend getting the SkoolBag App on your phones as important reminders and updated information about training times, College events and weather implications are sent out regularly. Your son should also have his College ID Card now and so choices can be made about using FlexiSchools, also found on the College Website, to use at the College Canteen and for Uniform/Co-Curricular payments.

Thirdly, I would like to think that our class teachers have all the background information they need to best inspire, teach and encourage your son. Thank you to those parents who have been forthcoming with reports and details about behaviours at home. This helps staff understand your son as a “whole person” – and it can be the smallest differences we can make in our expectations that show the boys we respect their individual needs and interests. Our aim in the Junior School is to build meaningful relationships – it requires honesty and commitment to work together so your son can grow to his full potential, at his own pace.

We are now in the season of Lent – symbolised with the colour purple in the Catholic Liturgical calendar. With Shrove Tuesday, the boys celebrated with pancakes in classrooms, and learnt about the historical tradition of emptying pantries of tempting goods for the 40 day fasting (Sundays not included). With the ritual of ashes on our foreheads, remembering the dust from where we came and will return, Ash Wednesday signalled the beginning of our Lenten pledges. We are encouraging the boys to do more, be more or go without – the choice is theirs. They will need support to make a commitment to simplifying their life or bettering the lives of others. Boys might make weekly pledges to keep their motivation and successful attempts in check. It would certainly help if they saw family members make pledges as well. My Lenten pledge is about going without for the 40 days and it’s the challenge of no potato chips (my favourite) and chocolate (always on hand thanks to Mrs Mascadri). This is going to be very hard for me as these two snacks give me a boost in-between meetings and coaching. Mrs Rouhliadeff is a little nervous about whether this promise is realistic, and both my sons laughed out loud immediately but all three have given me their support. There’s already lots of carrot/celery sticks, fruit bags packed and nuts on standby. Wish me luck lads – and I look forward to hearing what you are all doing for Lent, remembering the sacrifice of Jesus in the desert. His challenge the greatest of all.

Mr Stephen Rouhliadeff, Head of Junior School

Over the past two weeks our Year 7 and Year 8 students have been away from campus, enjoying their annual camps. Our Year 8 students travelled to Dicky Beach at the Sunshine Coast for their camp. Sleeping in tents, the boys were blessed with perfect beach weather. Activities included mountain biking, surf lessons, standup paddle-boarding, and beach games. The boys also participated in a surf awareness session which included the traditional flag races and beach runs. The annual touch footy match each afternoon was a highlight as always. 

The Year 7 camp was held at the Currimundi Sport and Recreation Centre, also at the Sunshine Coast. The 7s enjoyed the activities which included body boarding, high and low ropes, fishing and beach games. Many of the boys spent every minute  of their downtime enjoying a very competitive game of kanga cricket. 

The camps were an excellent opportunity for the boys to get to know their new classmates and teachers. 

As always, the boys were outstanding throughout the two weeks. Their support for each other was tremendous and their respect and compliance with all the instructors was exemplary. 

Of course, these camps can’t occur without the support of our incredible teaching  and support staff. On behalf of the boys and their families I extend a sincere thanks to these staff members. 

 Mr Greg O’Neill, Head of Middle School 

The series of Senior School Parent Information Evenings have now concluded, and I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all parents who were able to attend these presentations. A consistent thread that was reinforced by all presenters was the value of proactive communication- essentially, if you sense that there is a problem regarding your son’s engagement at school, please contact your son’s classroom teacher or Pastoral Area Leader so that we can address it immediately. In that way, the collaborative relationship between students, parents and staff is strengthened to ensure that your son maximises his overall experience at Villanova College.

During my presentations, I illuminated some key strategic intentions which underpin our action plan for student welfare and wellbeing within the Senior School. Last week, I touched on the re-visioning of the Independent Study Program as a key platform for academic mentoring and performance tracking. Our commitment to ensuring that our senior school students are working to their potential will be realised through this program and the energy of key stakeholders. I would like to affirm the work of the Pastoral Area Leaders for their work at the beginning of this year meeting with parents and students to formulate action plans for improved academic performance.

Another key focus area is re-affirming our philosophy of Restorative Practices as central to our approach to relational growth and social emotional development. Renown educational professor John Hattie has emphasised through his research meta-analyses that the strength of the teacher-student relationship is paramount to improving student achievement outcomes. Restorative practices are founded on the value of great relationships, however, it is a reality that certain student-teacher and student-student relationships can be fractured and damaged over the course of the year. Equipping our students and teachers with the strategies and skillsets to repair these relationships remains an ongoing focus within the senior school.

Over the course of the year, I will continue to update you on our strategic directions for the senior school moving forward. A reminder that the PPT slides for all Parent Information Evening presentations have been uploaded to the Parent Lounge for further reference and consideration.

Paul Dillon Drug Education Sessions

On Monday this week, each senior school cohort attended an educational presentation from Mr Paul Dillon pertaining to drugs and alcohol. It was particularly encouraging to hear Paul’s positive affirmation of our students regarding their engagement and focus throughout the day. I hope that your son came home with some interesting dinner conversation.

The evening parental seminar was entitled – ‘Teens, parties and alcohol: A practical guide to keeping your child safe’. There certainly were some clear take-away messages that Paul imparted throughout his presentation. For those parents who were unable to attend, this is the link to Paul Dillon’s website and presentation notes: http://darta.net.au/presentations/

Student Leadership

This week, the Student Leadership Team Executive presented Mr Stower and myself with a copy of their Action Plan for 2018. I would like to commend the team for their efforts and energy in preparing this document and for their vision for the year ahead. The challenge now is to mobilise and build the capacity of the student body so that their vision becomes actioned. I would like to share with you their major aspirational intentions:

• To build capacity within the Senior cohort to live out the vision of ‘Where there is Unity, there is Victory’;

• To create a student community which embraces the vision of ‘Three Schools, One College’ by re-introducing the House Cup;

• Promoting a more balanced recognition and support of all pillars of the College’s co-curricular program;

• To maximise student buy-in to sustain a culture of College pride which is fostered through the following focus areas:
1. Pride in the College uniform;
2. Pride in the College campus;
3. Pride in our College traditions and values.

I wish the Student Leadership Team every blessing as they endeavour to achieve their ambitions.

“Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and actions.”- Harold S Geneen

Mr Matt Levander, Head of Senior School

Over the past three weeks, the College has held a number of Parent Information Evenings. The purpose of these evenings is varied, dependent upon the sub-School and year level, but all messages are very targeted. The Year 7/8 night contained key points focused on a great start to a student’s middle schooling; from an academic perspective this involved highlighting routine and adjusting to a potential increase in work required. The Year 9 and 10 nights concentrated on providing parents with information about the new senior schooling system and the implications it will have on teaching and learning, and assessment. Another information night for Year 10 parents and their sons will be held in Term 2 to discuss the transition from Year 10 to Year 11, the new senior system and more specifically a student’s course of study through Years 11 and 12.

Although education in Queensland is straddling two systems, it is important that schools continue to do what is best for students in Year 11 and 12. Parents at both the Year 11 and 12 information nights would have left the evenings knowing that their sons will be well prepared for achieving highly within the current senior system, whether it be in striving for an OP or studying one of the alternative pathways on offer. Thank you to the many staff who contributed on these important evenings.

Tutoring

Villanova has always provided a number of opportunities for outside-of-classroom tutoring for students seeking additional assistance in their studies. Included below is a list of sessions available for a number of subjects.

Students are highly encouraged to attend these sessions.

In the next few weeks, details will be released regarding a student led tutoring program driven by the Student Leadership group.

Queensland Core Skills (QCS) Preparation

The Year 12 QCS preparation has commenced well with students engaging in two sessions a week. This preparation is crucial to the success of our students individually and as a cohort. Typically, these sessions will contain activities that are aimed at improving our students’ performance in extended writing (responding to stimulus), short responses items and multiple choice questions, and that test their knowledge of the Common Curriculum Elements (CCE’s). More information regarding the QCS test can be found by visiting https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/senior/qcs-test.

On Thursday, the students will work with an external group to hone their skills in extended writing. This is a great opportunity, and should also benefit the students’ writing in other subjects.

Mr John Christie, Dean of Teaching & Learning

Entering Lent
On Shrove – or pancake – Tuesday, YAYM created a sense of occasion by running a pancake sale in favour of Project Compassion. About 250 pancakes sold out in 24 minutes – about 1 bought every 4 seconds. This is impressive. Equally impressive was the teamwork and sense of fun created by the young men organising and serving. $202 has been raised so far for Project Compassion’s 2018 Appeal, “For a Just Future.”

All Middle and Junior School students should by now have received their little Project Compassion box from their teacher or RE teacher. The idea is that it’s placed in such a way as to catch our eye and challenge us to give up some frozen cokes or ice blocks. In this way, the small change we give all accumulates to make a big difference for young people in the developing world. Caritas supports energetic community leaders, through Project Compassion, to create and sustain better living conditions in parts of the world where basic needs are not always met. It is well worth looking at the stories on the Caritas website – we played Janaki’s story at our Ash Wednesday service. http://www.caritas.org.au/projectcompassion/weekly-stories/week-1-janaki

In a similar way, Middle School and Junior School students are urged and encouraged to sometimes give up little extras from the Tuck Shop, and instead place a gold coin in the class collection box. (There will be prizes for the most generous classes).

Senior School students are invited and challenged to bring non-perishable foods or hygiene items to contribute to the St Vincent de Paul hamper that their pastoral is creating for a local family in need. The key is to take personal action to make a difference. It is often the first and second person who donate who then create permission for everyone else in the pastoral to do the same.

Meeting with Loreto leaders

On Monday afternoon, nine Villanova Ministry leaders hosted a similar number of Year 12s from Loreto to share ideas about common initiatives. There is a strong desire in the students to dream big and plan events that will raise awareness and benefits for local outreach organisations. In this regards, a shared sports event, talent quest and blood drive have been put on the agenda for 2018. On top of that, there is a desire to learn more from each other about how it is that each College prepares for big occasions like Mission Day.

YCS – Young Christian Students

YCS is a ministry with a humbly proud history at Villanova. Essentially, it is a group of older students who look at how they can make life better for fellow students on this campus. Typically, they visit the Junior School students once a week. Last Friday, there were great games between Seniors and Juniors in handball, basketball, and soccer. The YCS committee are also very conscious that some students may struggle with anxiety at different times during the year and are listening out for how to provide practical support in such cases.

Ministry Sign-ons

As a direct follow on to the challenge set out at our Ash Wednesday service, there will be signs ons for all the Ministry groups next week. This can take place either at the meetings – or on the special “open day” in the Library on Tuesday 20^th February. The meetings are:

• YAYM (Young Augustinians – Middle School) & SVDP (St Vincent de Paul) – Wednesday 2^nd break
• Rosies training (Year 11 and 12) in V7 until 4 pm after school
• AFAS (Filipino Solidarity) – Thursday 2^nd break; YCS – Friday 2^nd break.

Mr John Holroyd, Dean of Mission & Identity

Marriage Encounter Weekend

 3 to 5 August 2018 : Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekend – relationship enrichment for married couples at Santa Teresa Spirituality Centre, Ormiston QLD (on Brisbane’s bayside) 

For bookings/details contact:  Maria and David Murphy, ph (07) 3342 1456, dandmmurphy@optusnet.com.au    Information website:  www.wwme.org.au

Watch our video – https://youtu.be/-EXg5wPahFc

Year 5 Instrumental Music

Our instrument testing process commenced on Tuesday and will conclude next Tuesday with all Year 5 students.  Through this process, students will be given opportunity to hold and attempt to produce a sound on all instruments offered through our Year 5 instrumental music program.  As communicated to the students and via information forwarded home with the boys, we will do our best to allocate them an instrument that will best suit them and afford them success with the required effort.  I am looking forward to having our students with instruments in hand from week 6 onward, busily preparing for our Jump Start Day at the end of term.

Year 6 Instrumental Music

All lessons and ensembles have commenced for Year 6 students.  Please remember that Year 6 Band and String Ensemble meet every Wednesday morning before school.  We have also done our best to ensure all Year 6 lessons are contained to Wednesday to assist with the transportation of instruments and equipment for lessons and rehearsal.

Should you wish to have your son involved in instrumental music in 2018 and have not yet signed him up for lessons, please feel free to contact the Music Department at 3394 5691 or music@vnc.qld.edu.au for information regarding enrolment and the performance music program.

Senior Musicians and Music Leaders

Our Senior Musicians and Music Leaders will be recognised at the College Assembly this Friday morning, Friday 16^th February.  All families are invited to attend: the assembly commences at 10:30am in Goold Hall – family members are welcome to sit on the Mezzanine level, accessible by the Fire Escape nearest the canteen at the back of the hall.

We will be taking the opportunity to recognise the following students:

Music Captain                                    Alexander Dang

Music Vice-Captain                          Sam Chamberlain

Brass Captain                                     Joseph Roberts

Guitar Captain                                   Jack Challinor

Production Captain                          Liam Hartley

Percussion Captain                           Jack Daly

Strings Captain                                  Daniel Shearer

Vocal Captain                                     Nicholas Halstead

Woodwind Captain                            Xander Caulfield

Senior Musicians:

Sam Atkinson                                       Nick Bland                                              Orin Boyter

Leo Clarke                                             Kyle Cleland                                            Alexander Conias

Nicholas Eadie                                     Declan Edser                                           Trent Foster

Cael McWilliam                                    Joshua Mitchell                                     Mackenzie Osborne

Sebastian Phelan                                  Tom Salpietro                                         Mark Stuart

Nelson Thorpe                                       Brendan Wallis

On behalf of the music team, I would like to commend these students for their commitment to Music at Villanova and share how much we are looking forward to working with them toward the betterment of music for all students at our College.

Entertainment Books

Every year, our Music Support Group undertake the Entertainment Book drive as a major fundraising event for students involved in the music program at Villanova College.  In 2018, it gives me great pleasure to say that the Villanova College Music Support Group produced the highest sales in the state.  This is down to the fantastic support we receive from our community, and the tireless work of Mrs Schrauf in the Music Office.  On behalf of all in Music at Villanova, thank you!  We raised in excess of $4,300 across last year’s drive.

Our Entertainment Book drive will be convened again this year.  Presale envelopes will be delivered to all students in ensembles from Year 6-12 at the beginning of March.  Books will be handed to all Year 5 students at the College at the start of the Book Drive – around the 19^th of March.  Details will be forwarded home once these have been confirmed with Entertainment Books.

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

‘Footloose’ Update

 The time has come for tickets to go on sale. You will be able to purchase tickets to the production on Friday 16^th February from 9am using the following link https://www.trybooking.com/TZMU

We are all very excited to be putting this production on for the community and hope that you will be able to join us. Tickets will sell fast, so don’t hesitate. Shows are scheduled for March 7^th, 8^th, 9^th and 10^th starting at 7pm in the Hanrahan Theatre.

In order for Villanova’s sports program to run effectively we rely on many people within our community to assist. These people include our students, staff, parents, old boys, friends of Villa and outside bodies.

Ideally it would be favourable to appoint staff members to coach all teams. Or perhaps appoint coaches who are ‘independent’ and have no connection at all to the players in that year level. An on-going goal for the College is provide opportunities for its students to participate and enjoy the experience of playing sport. It is pleasing to see our students are making the most of these opportunities to participate as testified by the large number of teams Villanova produces in the AIC competition throughout the year.

There is a common problem which all schools and clubs face with regards to coaching – if there isn’t enough staff to take on all teams or if there aren’t enough outside independent coaches available, who coaches? The reality is our College relies on all community members to assist with coaching, referring and officiating in order for our boys to participate. This includes the involvement of parents. Parents coaching at a club or school level can at times raise concern from others. The concerns are generally issues surrounding biased team selections, favouritism and a lack of positive re-enforcement given to players.

At the commencement of each season the Sports Office calls upon those within our community to fulfil the various roles needed for the up-coming sports season, including coaches. We try as much as possible to appoint coaches to best fit the needs of the College based on those who have offered their services, experience and the mannerism of the applicant. The coaches are briefed by the College and we try as much as possible to take some of the selection issues out of their hands initially, however, ultimately the coach does have a say in selections. It is part of what a coach does.

As is the case in all AIC Colleges, the old boy contingent makes up a considerable part of the coaching cohort. The old boys are enthusiastic and have a deep sense of loyalty towards their College. We are certainly grateful for their efforts as we depend on their generosity, otherwise our students would not be playing. We ask you to support the coaches and help lift their coaching aspirations and a willingness to give back to the College. Again it might be a timely reminder to speak to your son about their behaviour at training because at times some students can take advantage of the fact that a teacher is not taking the side. If players choose to misbehave, we may have to forfeit their place in the team.

I take this opportunity early in the season to thank all coaches and managers of our cricket, AFL, swimming and volleyball teams, for making a substantial contribution to the Villa sports program in order for our students to enjoy all the benefits of sport. Our scorers, umpires, refs, canteen helpers, parents who cook and serve at our weekly breakfast held for the swimmers, members of the Villa Sports Club and many others also deserve our thanks as we all go about our duties to give of ourselves in order to help others. As the Villa sports program is about people we should be mindful that we are mostly dealing with volunteers who freely give of their time and I would encourage us all to support these people and be extremely thankful to them for what they do.

Even though we are only part way through trimester 1, the Sports Office is currently looking to cement plans for the up-coming AIC Chess, Cross Country, Rugby and Football season for all students from Years 5-12. Please scroll down on this page or visit the College’s website to view the training days, times and venues for all Rugby and Football teams from Years 5-12 as well as other key dates. Again, we are in need of parents and old boys to fulfil the many coaching and refereeing roles. If you are able to assist, please contact Mr Blake McLauchlan or Mr Anthony Kemp using the details listed below.

A ‘Sport Sign on Form’ for those interested in representing Villa in AIC Rugby, Football, Cross Country and Chess from Years 5-12 has been distributed this week to all students during pastoral. This form is available through the website. Again, please find below further details.

Round 3 this weekend will see Villanova facing St Edmund’s College. May I please ask those who are travelling to Ipswich to ensure you leave enough travel time so that your coach has adequate time to prepare his team for the game ahead. Let’s keep up the great work ethic and please remember to enjoy the challenges and time spent with your mates along the way.

Round 3 Fixtures – Saturday 17^th February, AIC Cricket and Volleyball v SEC, AIC AFL v Padua.

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

AIC Cricket

Villa had a good day achieving 18 wins, 16 losses and 1 draw overall against good opposition. In the aggregate games we won the day with 7 wins and 5 losses.

It is pleasing to report that the 1^st XI are playing well as a team taking out a solid win on opposition turf over the weekend. SLC batted and scored a very reasonable 169 total. The Villa boys had some work to do but at the end of the day the boys managed to knuckle down and gain the 170 runs needed with 8 wickets in hand and around 10 overs spare. Well done to all players on a sensational team win!

As mentioned above, we play St Eddies this weekend. Those travelling to Ipswich are asked to ensure they plan enough travel time to get to the team warm up on time. It is important to our aggregate aspirations that all teams continue to do well this weekend, secure the win if possible and not take the opposition lightly. Best wishes boys!

Cricket Team Photos – Round 3, Saturday 17^th February 2018

Please be aware that some cricket photos will be taken this weekend before the scheduled cricket games played at Villa Park. We ask all players to arrive 10 minutes before the scheduled photo time listed below dressed in their full and correct cricket uniform. The photos will be taken near the large score board.

All other teams will have their photos taken at another time during the season.

Team & Photo Time                                              Game Time

• 9 Gold 7:15am                                                  8:00am
• 9 A 7:20am                                                       8:15am
• 9 B 7:30am                                                       8:15am
• 7 B 7:40am                                                       8:15am
• 4^TH XI 10:50am                                              11:30am
• 5^th XI 11:00am                                                11:30am
• 8 A 12:10pm                                                    1:00pm
• 7 A 12:20pm                                                   1:00pm
• 8 B 12:30pm                                                   1:00pm

AIC Cricket Results v SLC

New Cricket Grips & Helmet Badges

Villanova’s Sports Club will soon be selling new cricket grips and helmet badges packaged together for $25 via flexi-schools.

AIC Volleyball – AIC Volleyball – Ms Barbara Dewis, Volleyball Co-ordinator

Volleyball has certainly proven to players and supporters that it is a game of ‘highs and lows’ – most teams experienced that last week against SLC – 19 games and 4 wins.  When a comparison is made to elite sporting clubs it is fair to say that all clubs experience a ‘rebuilding’ phase and I feel that Villa Volleyball is at that point.  Although, Villa suffered a heavy loss, games were closely contested with two or three points being the difference. Well done to those teams who had a win over SLC.  From here on coaches of all teams will need to extract a higher level of intensity at training and in games.

Last weekend 9A’s were given the opportunity to display their skills on the show court.  From Villa and SLC’s point of view it allowed both teams to add depth to their overall game.  Parents and spectators agreed that it showcased the teams and were grateful that the players were given that opportunity. All are welcome to view 9A’s again this weekend as Villa takes on SEC.

When all players stay ‘strong in mind and heart’ on their way to supporting and encouraging each other on and off the court; the winning feeling may come sooner than you think.  So this weekend let Villa Volleyball unite and return with good results and remember – Carn the Cats!

AIC Volleyball Results v SLC

AIC Swimming – Mrs Juanita Jacobs, Swimming Co-ordinator 

The Villanova boys performed well at the Iona meet on Friday night.  For some of the younger students this followed a day of competition at the Lytton Districts trials.  Well done to all the swimmers who challenged themselves at these meets to improve their times.

This Friday evening we will be participating in the Jets club night because of redevelopments at the SPLC pool.  We ask that all the Jets swimmers to nominate for their events through the usual club processes and to compete in the club races.  Non – club swimmers will swim Villa heats, and be timed separately.

The Jets club evening begins at 6pm, so all swimmers are asked to be at the pool by 5:45pm. We will meet on the stands near the gym.  The format of the evening may be a little different to what the boys have become used to, but I ask for patience and that all boys listen carefully as the races are called.  Best behaviour, manners and consideration for others is always expected from each and every Villanovan sportsman.  The meet should conclude as close as possible to 8pm.  Please be on time to collect the boys.

Events for this meet will begin with the 100m Freestyle and then move through the 50m events.

A BBQ will be available for the boys to be able to purchase food and drinks on the evening.

Reminder – The Friday morning brekkies are going well with good numbers in attendance. May I please ask those who have not paid the $20 for the breakfasts to settle their account please.

Swim Meet

Date – Friday, February 16th – Jets Swim Club Meet

Venue – Langlands Pool

Time – Warm-up – 6.00pm; Start 6.15pm – 8.00pm

Please keep in mind we only have three meets left for boys to post a good time.  These times are used to determine the team who will swim at the AIC Swimming Championships held at Chandler. The competition is tight in many of the year levels, so it is important the boys are training hard and as often as possible.

Note – If you are not able to attend the Friday carnival for any reason please contact myself or the relevant swim manager.

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

I hope everyone had a fantastic week off and managed to enjoy some time near the pool or inside the air-con. Straight back into our next fixture will see us up against Padua College back at the early time of 8am for both the Year 5 and 6 B teams, followed by both the A teams at 9:15 am. Just a reminder that it is a requirement of all players to arrive 20 minutes before the game in order to warm up appropriately and get positions sorted for the game. Thank you also to all parents for your support at both training and games it is very much appreciated. Training will continue at our usual time on a Tuesday and Thursday afternoon so if your son cannot make a session please let one of the coaches know. I look forward to seeing you all out there on Saturday for what shapes to be a great fixture for Villa AFL.

Round 3

AIC Rugby & Football Training/Trials

 The first training/trial session will occur the very first week after Round 7 of Cricket, AFL and Volleyball. That is, the week beginning Monday 19^th March.

Note – All Year 5&6 students will do some skill and drill sessions within their Friday sport times commencing on the 9^th March. All players will need boots, mouthguards and any suitable jersey (this does not have to be a Villa Jersey). The staff will notify the boys when they will be doing contact drills and need extra protective gear.

Please note the training days have changed from last year!!!

•  All Year 7-12 Rugby & 1^st /2^nd XI Football teams will train Tuesday and Thursday afternoon at Villa Park (approx. 3.50pm- 5.00/30pm)
• All Year 7-12 Football teams will train Monday and Wednesday afternoon at Villa Park (approx. 3.50pm- 5.00/30pm) excluding the 1^st and 2^nd
• All Year 5&6 teams will train at Langland’s or Whinstanes, specific days and times TBA.

AIC Rugby & Football Trial Games – Date Claimers

 – Mon 19^th – 22^nd March (Rugby and Football training begins at Villa Park for all Year 7-12 teams)

– Sat 24^th March AIC Rugby & Football v SLC (full school trial)

– Wed 28^th March, 1stXV trial v Iona & 1stXI trial v SPLC (after school)

– Sat 21^st April AIC Rugby & Football v SPC (full school trial)

Rugby & Football – Coaches/Referees

As the winter football season is fast approaching, the Sports Office is asking all parents and old boys who indicated last year they wish to assist in these two sports in 2018 to confirm that they still wish to do so. If you have an interest in refereeing or coaching, please contact:

 Year 5-12 Football – Anthony Kemp email: akemp@vnc.qld.edu.au

Year 5-12 Rugby – Blake McLauchlan email: bmclauchlan@vnc.qld.edu.au

 Rugby Clinic

Please find further information regarding the C2K Rugby Academy  Clinic.

AIC Rugby, Football & Chess Sign-Ons

Please be advised that all boys from Years 5-12 will be given the opportunity to sign-on for the up-coming Villa Rugby, Football & Chess season. We expect that when a boy commits to a team that he follows that commitment through until the end of season.  Both parents and players are to sign off on the ‘Sign on Form’ indicating they are aware of the College’s policies and expectations with regards to school sport. The College’s Selection Guidelines and Code of Conduct are found overleaf on the sign–on form. Please note that school sport is given priority over club sport as written in the College diary. The sign on-forms have been distributed during pastoral as well as being up-loaded on the web page.

We hope to provide all A&B teams from Years 5-12 with two training sessions weekly, C teams and lower may only have one or perhaps 2 sessions depending on the coach. Year 5&6 teams will train at various times before and after school at Little Langland’s and Whinstanes.  All games are played on Saturdays as per College Calendar. Please go to the Colleges’ website under AIC Rugby and AIC Football to view further details including training times.

AIC Chess – Mrs Sally England, Chess Co-ordinator

The AIC Chess competition runs in conjunction with the AIC Rugby and Football season during term 2, however, Chess will be played on Friday evenings as per College calendar beginning with two trial matches. In an effort to give our students the necessary skills and training the College has opened up a Chess Club to all interested players which commenced this week in T10 during first break. For this term the before school sessions will be open to all players while teams are being chosen. These sessions commence next week in week 5 and will also be conducted inT10.

–              Year 5-12 students 7.30-8.30am Wednesday morning

–              Year 5-12 students 7.30-8.30am Friday morning

The chess sessions will be conducted by an experienced outside coach as well as a number of Villanova College staff members. Please note that every break 1, T 10 will be open for boys to have a chess game during morning tea. You do not have to want to be in the competition to join the morning tea group. If students wish to know more please see Mrs England (email: sengland@vnc.qld.edu.au).

Note – Boys can do chess and rugby, football and cross country

Ben Mowen Visit – Mr Michael Garske

Last Wednesday afternoon, members of the 2018 Ben Mowen Rugby Development Squad had the special privilege of meeting Ben at Easts Rugby Union Club. Ben was back in town as a member of the French provincial team Pau, which contested the Brisbane Global Rugby Tens at Suncorp Stadium. It was a warm welcome home to Tigerland for the former Easts Tiger and Villanova Old Boy as he mingled with team mates – including former World Cup winning All Black, Conrad Smith – friends, family, well-wishers and the Villa boys.

The former Wallabies captain sat down with the Mowen Squad members in the Tigerland grandstand and spoke eloquently as he related his fond memories of his time at Villanova, including the pride and passion he felt when representing the green and gold jersey of the College. An exemplary role model and leader, Ben also gave the boys an insight into the hard work and sacrifices – on and off the field – that shaped his career as a professional rugby player. He also emphasised to the boys the value of setting goals and the importance of perseverance and self-belief when committing to achieving life-long dreams.

Special mention goes to Dante Santos (Yr 10) and Lachie Reardon (Yr 9). Ben presented them with signed Pau supporter shirts in recognition of the dedication, pride and passion they have shown towards their training with the Mowen Squad during the pre-season.

Ben with the Mowen Squad members.

Dante Santos (L) and Lachie Reardon (R)

Representative Sport

• Congratulations go to Mason Prowse and Tom Feenstra on making the 12-14yrs Met East Baseball team. These boys will compete at the State Championship held at Redcliffe in April. Well done boys!
• Congratulations go to Angelo Natale, Franco Natale and Thomas de Loryn on making the U18 Met East Baseball team. These boys will compete at the State Championships held at Sheldon in March. Best Wishes!
• Well done to Timothy Hazlewood on making the 15-19yrs Met East Cricket Team. Tim will compete in the State Championship held at Toowoomba in March. Best Wishes

eLearning Update, Uniform Shop, Tuckshop, Library

eLearning update

Year 5 BYOD readiness checks

Throughout last week, students in Year 5 completed “checklists” to ensure their BYOD laptops were education-ready. This involved checks including: Google Chrome set to default browser and signed in with College email address; Outlook email program sending and receiving emails; Google Drive File Stream installed, running and syncing files; Office 2016 apps (Word, OneNote, etc) installed. At this point most Year 5 students are now ready to use their laptops with all connections and software successfully installed. Students waiting on laptop deliveries are of course still affected and should contact myself or the BYOD email address to discuss alternatives.

 Year 7/10 BYOD readiness checks

Due to camp some students in Year 7 are yet to finalise checks regarding installation of BYOD software, etc. These will be finalised next week. Students in year 10 have been responsible for working through a modified checklist in their Form Meeting program.

Beware the anti-virus trial!

All BYOD laptops (both Mac and PC) require anti-virus software. Parents have the option to install their own anti-virus software, however, the College owns a BYOD license for Sophos Endpoint Protection  – one of the most sophisticated and robust anti-virus apps available. Some students (with new Lenovo’s in particular) have McAfee trial software installed, which will expire shortly. If you click the system tray you will identify this software as a red triangular icon that is shaped like a breast pocket or shield. It is best to remove this software and replace with Sophos, free of charge.

 The College has placed a convenient “software removal tool” for McAfee on the BYOD Software page of Moodle at: https://moodle.vnc.qld.edu.au/mod/resource/view.php?id=21866

Instructions to install Sophos are also on Moodle at: https://moodle.vnc.qld.edu.au/mod/page/view.php?id=24311

 Confirmation of BYOD Parent Support evening

I am pleased to confirm the College will be hosting a parent support evening on Monday 19 March. This evening will feature a presentation by Task Force ARGOS and have a number of how-to presentations to support parents with managing BYOD laptops and understanding security settings and apps to encourage safe browsing and reasonable “screen time”. I will provide more details next week.

 IT Helpdesk

Please continue to use the BYOD email address and IT Helpdesk for any queries related to BYOD laptops at the College. Refer to the BYOD webpage for further information at https://www.vnc.qld.edu.au/student-life/our-technology/byod/

Uniform Shop

Please find the ‘Items to be sold‘ form for families wishing to sell second hand items through the Uniform Shop.

Tuckshop

MONDAY 19TH FEBRUARY
Narelle Rieck
Julie Stokes
Jenni Boxall
Jane Green
Sally Caltabiano
Maria Woodger
Sylvia Wright
Mary Brady
Stephanie Sullivan

TUESDAY 20TH FEBRUARY
Donna Perkins
Melissa Davidson
Lisa Forsyth
Nicole Webb
Leanne McMahon
Sonia Ballen
Susan White
Tricia Allen
Cristina Watson
Donna Fingland

WEDNESDAY 21ST FEBRUARY
Tina McCaul
Peta Gomersall
Kathy McCaul
Maria Corones
Lena Bazzo
Lisa Gorry
Denise Smith
Allison Mackie

THURSDAY 22ND FEBRUARY
Paula Lisignoli
Maria McGarry
Zsuzsa Henderson
Juanita Ryan
Kath Eberhardt
Pauline White
Bernadette Papagiannis
Kelly Stassi
Louisa Coote
Chrissy Bonfiglio

FRIDAY 23RD FEBRUARY
Caroline Agnew
Louise Pertnikovs
Jacki Wilson
Pauline Vasta
Adriana Sofios
Gerry Ternel
Leanne Bryant
Maria Nicolaou
Kim Creevey
Naomi Jansen
Natalie Basili
Jelena Duskovic
Olivia Becar
Rita D’Amore

Library

Monday
Beth Reid
Tuesday
Cristina Palacios
Wednesday
Jaclyn O’Shea
Denise Smith (After Tuckshop)
Thursday
Maritsa Malanos
Melanie Pickering
Kelly Stasis (After Tuckshop)
Friday
Gina Avolio

Villanova International Carnival

Calendar of Events

Stay up to date with the College events please proceed to the event calendar.

Citytrain Service Changes – 2018 Commonwealth Games

Some families may be impacted by the Citytrain network timetable changes during the period Friday 30 March to Friday 20 April.  Further details.