Villa View: Issue 04/19

The publication of the OP 1 – 5 percentages and the ‘League Table’ of top 50 schools published recently in The Courier-Mail raises the question of what makes a good school? I have noticed a number of letters to The Courier-Mail about this same question. As we all know the OP results do not tell the whole story of a child’s development. There are many factors that affect the development of a child.

What are the desired qualities of the young men who leave our College? In attempting to answer this question the Augustinian Education Commission, chaired by Fr Peter Wieneke OSA publish a document titled, “An Augustinian Graduate”. In this document the distinctive windows or lenses through which we examine the desired character of our graduates includes; humility, interiority, community, the restless search for truth and ongoing conversion.

At Villanova College, the lenses work together in a dynamic combination – much like yeast. The truth is searched for both by looking within and attending to the inner Teacher, and through listening to community. The whole process is underpinned by humility.

MMG EDUCATION SURVEY RESULTS:
This week I present the data from the Parent Survey conducted in 2018 by MMG Education. The topics this week include results for Pastoral Care programs and Sports. The percentages shown in the tables indicates overall satisfaction/agreement.

PASTORAL CARE PROGRAMS

SPORTING PROGRAMS

PRAYERS PLEASE
We keep in our prayers and thoughts Mr Peter Geraghty – Villanova College Board Chair and his family following the death of his father Vincent Geraghty last week.

May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace, Amen

God bless

Mr Mark Stower, Principal

Last Friday’s Scholars’ Assembly was a wonderful sense of occasion, as two distinct groups of young men were acknowledged for their academic efforts throughout 2018. We welcomed back 18 of our 21 OP 1 to 3 students from the 2018 cohort. Each of these young men were worthy recipients of such high academic accolades based on the grit, determination and hard work they demonstrated throughout their Year 12 studies. OP 1 recipient and College Dux, Trent Foster, spoke magnificently about his journey as a student through the Middle and Senior Schools, and his development from a ‘B’ student in Years 8 and 9 to the ‘A’ student who stood before his peers last October. I have included Trent’s speech below as part of his presentation to the College assembly.

“Good Morning staff, students and parents. It is a privilege to be standing here today as the recipient of College Dux of 2018. Those of you who knew me in my earlier schooling years may have seen me as an unlikely candidate to receive this award. You may be interested to know that for the majority of my schooling, I was an average achiever. There was no indication that I was going to excel at my schooling. In fact, I had never received an academic award prior to grade 11. This award certainly didn’t come easy. It took sheer hard work, dedication and commitment. 

Personally, there have been times in this journey where I have felt the burden and have been tempted to follow the luxurious, (taking) roads of cutting corners to make ends meet; there have been times where I have confronted the inevitable hardships of disappointment, struggle, and failure. Undoubtedly, this draws upon a key question: what exactly are we capable of? How can we as students ignite our full potential in achieving the goals and ambitions we desire?

It’s simple. Excellence requires grit – an intrinsic hunger; an unquenchable thirst for success; drive. The secret to true greatness lies within us all. Yet, we must search within ourselves to find that flare to discover what we could accomplish. Think about it: what sparks the light within you? Remember: plan your objectives; listen to your teachers; make yourself accountable for what you really want to achieve this year, and most importantly, don’t give in – even when all might seem too challenging to bear. Struggle and disappointment are only a solid foundation for the growth of human character and mindset – an indomitable spirit. If you fail, get back up and face it again.

I challenge you to place your mark on this new and unclaimed 2019. Forge your own footprint of legacy and conquer the illusion of the impossible. Give yourself the best possible opportunity this year to get to where you want to be. Shake the world with a fiery determination, trust yourself, and bravely venture into the unknown and never look back. Like me, you just might surprise yourself where passion takes you if you put your mind to it. In the words of the great American Poet Walt Whitman:

“Keep your face always toward the sunshine – and shadows will fall behind you”.

The second part of the assembly switched focus to current students at the College who excelled in their studies in Semester 2, 2018. Students were congratulated for achieving a minimum of all ‘A’s and no less than a one ‘B’ in their core subjects. For Year 5 to Year 9, these achievements would be in the subjects of Religious Education, English, Mathematics, Science and History / Geography. For students in Year 10 and Year 11, the achievement was attained across all of their subjects. We all recognise that some students take time each year to settle into the academic routine whilst others simply get better over time. The Semester 2 awards are to reward those students who excel in the second half of the year and who may or may not receive Semester 1 or Celebration of Excellence academic awards.

Award winners from Semester 2, 2018 were:

Although I look forward to seeing some 130 students walk across stage to receive their awards, I have often wondered how we recognise the efforts of the student who doesn’t meet the academic award criteria but works tirelessly throughout the year. Unlike the benchmarks for the academic awards, an award of this type has always proved difficult to judge and award. However, this shouldn’t be seen as a barrier to conferring such praises but more of a challenge. With the input of the students and staff at the College, I hope at the beginning of next semester we can recognise students who demonstrate the grit, determination and hard work that Trent spoke about. Watch this space.

THE ‘NEW’ SENIOR ASSESSMENT AND TERTIARY ENTRANCE (SATE) SYSTEM 
Our Year 11 cohort have entered ‘unchartered territory’ this year as the first cohort to navigate through the new Senior Assessment and Tertiary Entrance (SATE) system. Over the past two weeks, I have had the opportunity to speak at all Middle and Senior School Parent Information Evenings. My presentations were focused on the teaching and learning at the College. At both the Year 10 and Year 11 evenings, I focused firmly on the new system and what its implications are for students as they navigate their senior years of schooling. Given the introduction of this new system, there is much information to be absorbed, and as such I thought it worthwhile to include a ‘SATE Highlight’ each week.

SATE HIGHLIGHT
In next week’s Villa View, I will start with unpacking the new system. What does the curriculum offer now? How does Year 11 and 12 differ in 2019/20 as opposed to previous years? However, this week is just a short message to reassure students and parents that the College has ‘started the year running’ in its implementation of the new system.

Many have spoken about Year 11 students in 2019 being the ‘guinea pigs’ for the new system. I have intentionally steered clear of this as the idea of the ‘guinea pig’ and rather use the word ‘pioneers’. The teachers at Villanova have work tirelessly in the months and years leading up to the new system’s implementation and are ready to lead our young men on a significant journey. Much planning has been completed as our students commence Unit 1. There will still be some ongoing planning of subsequent units of work and assessment, however, we are in a very good position to ensure that the implementation will be smooth.

STUDY SKILLS
Just a reminder that our school subscribes to the study skills website www.studyskillshandbook.com.au. Parents and students at the school can access the site at school and at home.  The College’s subscription details to www.studyskillshandbook.com.au are:

User name:        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 a little more stress-free. 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.

INDEPENDENT LEARNING
Some students take a long time to realise that there are actually two types of work in secondary school. We have many students that celebrate like they have a won a world championship when their teacher advises them that there is no homework. There is the obvious work, the work the teacher specifies and that is compulsory; homework, working on assignments, preparing for tests and assessments are just some of these. However, students who get good results in school take a larger measure of responsibility for their learning. This means that the nights where they do not have much compulsory work, they also do independent learning. These are the additional things done if no other schoolwork is prescribed that night and that improves one’s understanding of their subjects. It is what students who get good marks are doing.

Examples of independent learning include:

• Reading
• Reviewing what has been learned at school that week
• Extra practice on complex or more difficult questions
• Research on an area of interest
• Constructing a mind map about what has been learned during the term
• Making study notes on a topic
• Reading ahead in the textbook
• Improving study skills
• Doing work from a different textbook or study guide.

Some nights there will not be time to do any independent learning. Other nights, students will have no homework and will spend the whole time allocated to schoolwork for that night working on independent learning tasks. Teachers may even distribute guides that have suggestions of independent learning work for that subject. If students are unsure, there is always the opportunity to ask. This means in school you can never say ‘I have nothing to do’. This really just means ‘I have nothing compulsory to do at the moment!’.

One component of independent learning in high school is making your own study notes or summaries. You can learn more about how to make study notes in the unit ‘Summarising’ on www.studyskillshandbook.com.au

Mr John Christie, Dean of Teaching and Learning

The relationship between Villanova College staff and the parents of our students is paramount to learning.  Positive and open relationships matter.  High support for the academic, social and emotional needs of our boys must be consistent for growth and development to take place each year.  Parents have an infinite amount of insight into their son’s world – and they have a vast amount of time invested in them before coming to the Year 5 or Year 6 classroom.

Mums and dads have all the experiences, the timeline of significant milestones and the insight of life outside the College gates.  You know the best stories and the essence of “who” your young man is.  Staff have the qualifications and genuine desire to educate your son in a respectful and responsible manner.  They have the professional development to provide an individual but holistic classroom experience for each student.  Together, we can achieve the very best for each Villanovan.

Like any relationship, communication is key.  Talking face to face, writing in the College diary and emailing are the three best forms of getting to know each other, nurturing the balance between home and school.  Unsure of something?  Check the diary, College website or the new Villanova App which is very informative.  Ask your son, as they have learnt so much in their short time back this year, and they just might surprise you.  Your son’s class teacher is always a trustworthy source of information and certainly the best when it comes to classroom inquiries.  Checking with parents who have sons in the same class is another great idea, especially parents with older children, as they can be invaluable resources

There are administrative documents that simply must be read, understood and given priority – for example, the College diary and weekly newsletter, Villa View.  Reading these and staying abreast of the expectations and College events can enhance the organisational side of life.  The weekly timetables for each class should be finalised by the end of this week.  Do you have a copy somewhere prominent such as the fridge?  Packing the school bag, the night before, doing homework in advance, putting the diary out each afternoon on the kitchen bench are routines that can be very helpful for you.  An easy morning routine at home can often mean a great start to the school day.  Likewise, every school teacher would aim to ensure that the end of day finishes promptly and on a high note so that the trip home is a happy one for all.  It can take a few weeks to find our “groove”, so patience and consistency is key.  We must be kind to ourselves – perfection is a myth – we just need to do our very best.

Last night, you had the opportunity to receive general Junior School Information in the Hanrahan Theatre and meet your son’s class teachers for specific outlines for 2019.  It is a lot to take in, understandably, but I am hoping that as College life is unfolding before you, it is all starting to make a little more sense.  Sometimes it is not until we “do” things that we really appreciate the information we have been given.

Connecting with your son’s class teacher is important.  Understanding their role is crucial.  We have a commitment to you as parents and we have a simultaneous responsibility to the Australian National Curriculum to meet standards.  What was your schooling experience like – positive or challenging?  It’s highly likely it was quite different to the education your boy is undertaking today.  Be ready for new terminology, strategies and expectations.  Be present during homework and study – watch how your son works – there’s a good chance he does things differently to you.  To help him, is to understand how he will best respond – and our teachers are going to be able to support you there.  An infamous response to “Is your homework done?” is “Yep”.  Try asking “Will you please show me your homework?” or “May I help you at all?” Check the College diary or One Note Class Books.  Stay informed and on the pulse of the 2019 classroom.

I know I have two sons who work so very differently at school.  Over the years, I have watched them sit with their mother or sometimes on their own, at the dining table (where we can see them) and complete homework or study tasks.  We are close by, ready for questions that we can’t always answer.  So, we too, must be in touch with their teachers, read the Villa View and keep our calendar synced with the Villanova App.  I know I couldn’t possibly see them reach their full potential without the support of this community – staff, coaches, friends and on occasion Google search.  It can be very busy for us term time, between work and home, but I do find reassurance in knowing that these are the very years we will soon miss once the boys are grown.

Mr Stephen Rouhliadeff, Head of Junior School

STUDENT LEADERSHIP TEAM
This week, the Student Leadership Team Executive presented Mr Stower and myself with a copy of their Action Plan for 2019. I would like to commend the team for their ambitions and focus for the year ahead. In order for the team to achieve their vision, they must embrace the challenge of mobilising the support of the student body and staff. I would like to share with you some of their major aspirational intentions:

Senior Theme: ‘Where Passion Lies, Success Follows’.

• Creating an environment and leading so that all students:
  • Feel involved in the College;
  • Feel proud and passionate to be a Villa man;
  • Enjoy their time at the College;
  • Have success (academically, sportingly or whatever success means to them);
  • Feel as though their voices are being heard when they raise questions or concerns.

I wish the Student Leadership Team every blessing for a successful year.

HABITS VERSUS GOALS
Over the course of the Christmas holidays, I was steered in the direction of a wonderful website entitled Farnam Street (FS) – https://fs.blog. Created by former intelligence officer, Shane Parrish, FS is ‘devoted to helping you develop an understanding of how the world really works, make better decisions, and live a better life.’ The blog addresses a plethora of engaging and thought-provoking topics including mental models, decision making, learning, reading, and the art of living.

One post that caught my eye recently was named: Habits v Goals: A Look at the Benefits of a Systematic Approach to Life. According to Parish, there is a difference between habits and goals, each requiring different forms of actions. For example, if you want to spend more time with our families, you could plan to spend seven hours a week with them (goal), or you could choose to eat dinner with them each night (habit). Influential author and master of habits, Stephen Covey, defines habit as ‘the intersection of knowledge (what to do), skill (how to do it) and desire (want to do it).”

The purpose of a well-crafted set of habits is to ensure that we reach our goals with incremental steps- akin to the Kaizen method that I have mentioned in a past editorial.  The full article can be accessed here: https://fs.blog/2017/06/habits-vs-goals/

‘Quality is not an act, it is a habit’ – Aristotle

Mr Matt Levander, Head of Senior School

“We do not always believe that God can be that concrete and commonplace, that close and real, and much less that he can become so present and work through somebody like a neighbour, a friend or a relative.  We do not always believe that the Lord can invite us to work and soil our hands with him in his Kingdom in that simple and blunt a way”.  (Pope Francis homily – World Youth Day)

Good things happen in the lives of young people when they are given the opportunity to make a difference to the world around them. Religious Education in class can seem strange or distant from the world that students inhabit. But that is only when we remain passive consumers. As soon as the challenge put so directly by the Pope is accepted, then the College Mission Statement comes alive, rather than being words on a website.

BOTTLE AND CAN COLLECTION
The most striking and far-reaching example is the students’ determination to change habits across the three schools, by putting in place a bottle and can recycling scheme. Bins have now been placed in each of the three schools, at the Student Services Offices. I challenge each student to make a difference, by trying to put his bottle or can in the right bin. Where will the money go?

1. The Student Council are listening to suggestions. The first money raised will support the purchase of College mascot teddies and a third wild cat suit. More ideas are welcome.
2. Some money raised will be put to the common good – again as directed by the student voice.

RESPONSE TO FLOODING IN NORTH QUEENSLAND
We have all witnessed the devastating floods experienced by our neighbours in North and Western Queensland, whether that be farmers distraught at the loss of their cattle, or families sifting through the muddy remains of their homes.

The St Vincent de Paul Society at the College has organised a Villanova College response. TOMORROW, all students are invited to wear green and gold sports gear as well as a wide-brimmed hat – in honour of the farmers. We asked participating students to bring a gold coin and all proceeds will go to North Queensland flood relief, via the Vinnies Appeal.

PLENARY COUNCIL 2020 – THE STUDENT VOICE
“What do you think God is asking of us in Australia at this time?” This is the question being asked of ordinary Australians as the Church approaches its special meeting in 2020. I am interested in what the students would say in response to this key question and will be gathering their ideas to put forward to the Plenary Council during the course of next week. Any student is welcome to email me directly: jholroyd@vnc.qld.edu.au

MINISTRY SIGN-ON
All Middle and Senior school boys are warmly welcome to join a Ministry group in 2019. The sign-ons will occur in the Tolle Lege Library next Monday and Tuesday (25 and 26 February). Students are also welcome to simply come along to meetings to see if they like them. The reward usually relates to doing good and meaningful work, while having your voice heard.

ROSIES
The first outreach by a Villanova group occurred last Friday. Here is the email I received from the Rosies volunteer who co-ordinated that outreach. It is a great story!

“On Friday 8 February, my team hosted a group of Year 12 Villanova boys with Ms Amanda Waterson [staff member]. I wanted to email about the way the boys conducted themselves on this outreach. 

These boys approached the outreach with such maturity and wholeheartedness, and in a way that I have never seen before in my time with Rosies. Villanova students never fail to amaze myself and other Rosies volunteers with the way they engage with patrons and the Rosies ethos. This particular outreach, Villanova students were extremely friendly with patrons, were very well spoken, and offered help and assistance well beyond [the expected]

Each outreach, a patron named Ruby – who is wheelchair bound – wheels herself from Roma Street Parkland to the transit centre. However, on this particular outreach, Louis Caltabiano, Matt Rolls, Reece Jansen, Ben McGregor and Will Barwick [all Year 12 students], offered to push her the entire way. This ‘random act of kindness’ went a long way and did not go unnoticed among Rosies volunteers and patrons. No student has quite made a heartening gesture such as this during my time with Rosies.”

Mr John Holroyd, Dean of Mission and Identity

In order for Villanova College’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 Villanova 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 they are coaching.  This move would go some way to resolve the perception that some may have in our community regarding ‘biased team selections’ and ‘favouritism’. An on-going goal for the College is to 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, where possible, we try to take some of the selection issues out of their hands initially, however, ultimately the coach does have a say in selections, as this is 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 may 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 Villanova sports program in order for our students to enjoy all the benefits of sport. Our scorers, umpires, referees, canteen helpers, parents who cook and serve at our weekly breakfast held for the swimmers, members of the Villanova 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 Villanova 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 Year 5 – Year 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 Year 5 – Year 12 as well as other key dates. Once again, we need 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 Villanova in AIC rugby, football, cross country and chess from Year 5 – Year 12 has been distributed this week to all students during Pastoral. This form is available through the website and further details are available below.

Round 3 this weekend will see Villanova facing Iona College. Let’s keep up the great work ethic and please remember to enjoy the challenges and time spent with mates along the way.

Round 3 Fixtures – Friday 22 and Saturday 23 February, AIC Cricket and Volleyball v Iona, AIC AFL v Iona/SPC

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

AIC CRICKET
Villanova had a good day achieving 22 wins and nine losses overall against strong opposition. In the aggregate games we won the day with nine wins and two losses.

It is pleasing to report that the First XI team are playing well as a team. They again had a solid win against the opposition over the weekend. After winning the toss and going into bat, Padua had us down 3/11 then 5/28. Our middle to lower order batsmen showed some grit and determination to pull us out of a hole to eventually post a solid score of 191. Our bowling attack then performed extremely well to dismiss Padua for 109. A sensational gutsy win!

In our quest for the aggregate we ask all players to come prepared this weekend against Iona. The urgency in the field as well as good concentration with the bat is essential to ensure we are switched on and ready to give our best. Best wishes boys!

AIC VOLLEYBALL – Ms Barbara Dewis, Volleyball Co-ordinator
Volleyball is certainly a game of ‘ups and downs’ and Villanova experienced this on Saturday against Padua. We congratulate the following victorious teams:  8B, 8C, 9A and 10A.

The results for Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9 were close, however, not enough to give Villanova the points for the round. During most games players were chasing balls off court as well as flexing their bodies to ensure they got the ball back over the net to have a chance at winning the point.  It was a tough day, but teams will need to regroup and focus for this week’s games against Iona.

Training should be a time for all players to focus on what is required in their game to bring back that winning feeling.  I am sure that coaches will endeavour to work players hard at training to refocus on the basics of volleyball – serving (is paramount), passing (ready to pass to setter), setting (set for hitter) and hitting (hit hard into blockers at the net). A lesson that could be learnt from games against Padua is that a service game can win matches. Players will need to rectify their receiving of the ball off a serve, to be able to give their team any chance of winning the point.

When all players stay ‘strong in heart and mind’ on their way to supporting and encouraging each other, the winning feeling may come sooner than you think.

AIC SWIMMING – Mrs Juanita Jacobs, Swimming Co-ordinator
Friday night at Iona was our third meet for the season and it is pleasing to see some of our newer swimmers showing significant improvement in their times.  Many of the younger boys may not have swum competitively before and are enjoying the challenge.  It is always pleasing to see them get excited about the drop in their times.  While we were well represented by the younger year levels, it would be appreciated by the coaches and managers for the older age groups to consider their schedules and ensure that attending some of the swimming meets becomes a priority as we approach the end of the season.  There is only three weeks of training left before the AIC Championships, and for us to perform to our potential on the day, we need squad members to be training and competing as much as possible.

In saying that, the competition meet this week will be held at Chandler THIS EVENING.   As it does not clash with any AIC fixtures for sport, it is expected that all swimmers attend, as a compulsory expectation of squad membership.  While some of the Year 7 swimmers will be on camp, all other squad members are expected to attend.  The bus will leave from the front of the College at 3.10 pm. Parents are asked to collect their son/s from the venue at 7.00pm.

I must finalise my squad list for attendance at the carnival.  To be named in the squad, it is the expectation that boys have attended training, and the preparation meets.  All boys who meet this requirement will be named in the squad, receive a Villanova Wildcat swim cap, and be part of the team on the day of the AIC Championships.  There are only three opportunities left for boys to attend preparation meets.

Each day of the meets, and especially after training, I accumulate lost property.  At present I have a size 16 academic uniform shirt and multiple pairs of swimming goggles.  I encourage boys to look after their gear and that of others.  On busy training mornings, flippers and pool buoys are also lost.   The boys should be returning their equipment directly to their kit bags when finished.  At this stage of the season, all boys should have a bag with a pool buoy, flippers and kickboard so that they are not borrowing from Jets or other boys.  In the near future, the spare bins of gear at Langlands will be removed in preparation for their redevelopment and will no longer be available to the boys for use.

Many of our swimmers have experienced success at competitions over the last weekend. Villanova was well represented at the Lytton District Trials with the following boys making it through to the Met East competition on March 5:  Zac Moir, Darcy Kerr, Harvey Thompson, Will Colquhoun, Isaac Bowen, Oliver Jacobs, Wade Wildin Powell, Will Rogers, Charley Hegarty, Gray O’Neill and Daniel Walding.

At the RMHC Queensland sprints, Tyler Clelland, William Vig and Andrew Vick each made the finals for their events. Congratulations to all the swimmers who competed.

Finally, you will notice that the photo below is an image shared by Brisbane Jets, showing Harry Vig receiving his bronze medal for the MC 50m butterfly event at the Victorian Open championships and World Para Series.  Harry was in Melbourne to receive his international classification for international events, and then swam in his first international meet, representing Australia and reaching four finals out of his eight events.  He was placed third and received the bronze medal in the 50m fly, fifth place in the 400m freestyle, fourth place in the 50m backstroke and was placed tenth in the 50m free.  On behalf of the College we wish Harry well in all his future endeavours and offer him our congratulations on his hard earned but well-deserved success.

Swim Meet
Date:  Thursday, February 21
Venue:  Chandler Pool
Time:  Warm-up – 4.00pm; Start 4.30pm – 7.00pm

Please keep in mind we only have two 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 these carnivals for any reason please contact myself or the relevant Swim Manager.

AIC AFL – Mr Adam Fry, AIC AFL Co-ordinator
Well it was a mixed weekend for Villanova AFL last weekend. The Junior boys had an outstanding win against some quality opposition to keep their streak alive. Unfortunately, in the Senior games some of the final scores did not go our way.  It was another wonderful performance from our Open boys who are beginning to look like a well drilled football side.

We have some big games this weekend with our Senior teams up against some strong teams from Iona, while our Juniors are against St Pat’s. Thank you to all parents for their continual support shown each weekend it is truly appreciated. Just a reminder that if your son cannot attend a training or game to continue to let us coaches know. I encourage everyone and anyone who is available to get down both Friday and Saturday to support your fellow teammates. It would be great to create a strong cheer contingent each week as the next few weeks are sure to be tough fixtures. I hope everyone has a great week on the track and we look forward to seeing you all out at Yeronga this weekend.

AIC RUGBY AND 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 25 March.

Training days for each age group are listed below:

• All Year 7 – Year 12 rugby and First/Second XI football teams will train on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons at Villanova Park (approx. 3.50pm – 5.00/30pm)
• All Year 7 – Year 12 football teams will train on Monday and Wednesday afternoons at Villanova Park (approx. 3.50pm – 5.00/30pm) excluding the First and Second XI
• All Year 5 and Year 6 teams will train at Langlands or Whinstanes, specific days and times to be confirmed

AIC Rugby and Football Trial Games – Date Claimers

• Monday 25 – 28 March (rugby and football training begins at Villanova Park for all Year 7 – Year 12 teams)
• Saturday 30 March AIC rugby and football against SLC
• Saturday 27 April AIC rugby and football against SPC (full school trial)

Rugby and 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 2019 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

AIC RUGBY, FOOTBALL AND CHESS SIGN-ONS
Please be advised that all boys from Year 5 – Year 12 will be given the opportunity to sign-on for the up-coming Villanova rugby, football and 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 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 and B teams from Year 5 – Year 12 with two training sessions weekly, C teams and lower may only have one or perhaps two sessions depending on the coach. Year 5 and Year 6 teams will train at various times before and after school at Little Langlands and Whinstanes.  All games are played on Saturdays as per the College calendar. Please refer 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 the 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 has commenced in T10 during first break and some second breaks. The practice/coaching sessions have changed this year with NO BEFORE school sessions.  Most school sessions will be at morning tea and some at second break for designated levels. Two afternoon sessions from 3.15pm – 6.00pm will be run before the end of the semester and dates will be announced soon.

All students are welcome to play on Monday at first break:

• Year 5 – Year 6 students will play at first break on Thursday and Friday
• Year 7 – Year 9 students will play at first and second break on Tuesday
• Year 10 – 12 students will play and first and second break on Wednesday

If students wish to know more, please see Mrs England (email: sengland@vnc.qld.edu.au).

Note – boys can participate in chess and rugby, chess and football and chess and cross country.

Mr Craig Stariha, Director of Sport

ATTENDANCE 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 the relevant 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.  I understand this may cause a little frustration; however, I would like to ensure you all that we take our responsibility for the care of your child very seriously.

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 – JUMP START DAY
The most important musical day of the year is almost upon us!  Year 5 Jump Start Day is scheduled for next Tuesday 26 February.  Our Year 5 musicians will be bringing their music, instruments, and enthusiasm down to the Augustine Centre for a day of learning about the joys of ensemble music making.  I am really looking forward to hearing all of our fantastic new musicians playing together – it is going to be a really exciting day!

Parents are invited to our Jump Start Day Concert commencing at 5pm on Tuesday 26 February.  The concert will be convened in the Hanrahan Theatre and it is always a great opportunity for our students to demonstrate the wonderful music they have been learning over the day.  I look forward to meeting all of our Year 5 families again at this incredible music event.

IRISH ENSEMBLE AUDITION MATERIALS
Irish Ensemble audition materials have been distributed electronically to all Year 7 – Year 12 musicians.  ‘Hard copies’ of the material have also been placed outside the Music Office, available for collection.

Mr Alex Perlinski (2015) Old Boy and past Music Captain will be returning to Villanova College to lead both of our Irish Ensembles.  Alex was an integral member of these groups through his student experience here at Villanova and I look forward to him sharing his love of this music with our young musicians.  Our students will learn much from Alex, and I hope they are looking forward to it as much as I am!

Auditions for this group will take place on Friday 1 March.  Details will be emailed to those who have responded to the opportunity to participate.  If you would still like to participate, please ensure you contact the Music Office or Mr Jones directly.

TOUR ENSEMBLE REHEARSALS
Our Sydney tour team is now meeting to rehearse every Tuesday fortnight after school.  Our next session will be held on Tuesday 5 March commencing at 3.15pm on stage in the Hanrahan Theatre.  This rehearsal will conclude at 4.45pm.

If your son is participating in this tour, he will be required to attend these sessions.  Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact Mr Jones through the Music Office on 3394 5691.

MUSIC SUPPORT GROUP
Our dedicated Music Support Group Executive have already met for the year to shape the agenda of this fantastic organisation.  The Villanova College Music Support Group have supported music, music activities, and musicians at Villanova College for many years.  It is a wonderful group to join in order to meet like-minded parents and broaden your community network within the College.

The Music Support Group will meet for the first time on Monday 4 March in the Music classroom on level 1 of the Augustine Centre.  Meetings commence at 7.30pm and are a pleasure to attend.    We look forward to new members and welcome anyone with an interest in Villanova College and Villanova Music.

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

Mr Michael Jones, Director of Music

TUCKSHOP
As there have been a number of small price increases in some food items this year, we ask all parents to ensure their son’s daily Tuckshop limit is adequate.
To view our current tuckshop menu: Tuckshop Menu Price List – 2019

Roster
Monday 25 February
Narelle Rieck
Julie Stokes
Jane Green
Sally Caltabiano
Maria Woodger
Sylvia Wright
Mary Brady
Susanne Smyth
Sam Stafford
Katrina Hermiston

Tuesday 26 February
Donna Perkins
Melissa Davidson
Lisa Forsyth
Nicole Webb
Leanne McMahon
Sonia Ballen
Susan White
Tricia Allen
Keri Campbell

Wednesday 27 February
Tina McCaul
Peta Gomersall
Kathy McCaul
Maria Corones
Lena Bazzo
Lisa Gorry
Denise Smith
Eleni Diakos

Thursday 28 February
Maria McGarry
Zsuzsa Henderson
Juanita Ryan
Kath Eberhardt
Pauline White
Bernadette Papagiannis
Kelly Stassi
Jane Lawson
Chrissy Bonfiglio

Friday 1 March
Caroline Agnew
Louise Pertnikovs
Pauline Vasta
Adriana Sofios
Gerry Ternel
Maria Nicolaou
Kim Creevey
Naomi Jansen
Jelena Duskovic
Olivia Becar
Rita D’Amore
Kathy Lerato

LIBRARY ROSTER
Monday 25 February
Cec McGuckin

Tuesday 26 February
Cristina Palacios
Lusia Snell

Wednesday 27 February
Madhu Kalaimannan
Denise Smith
Donna Leahy

Thursday 28 February
Sue Mulligan
Maryanne Bingham

2019 STUDENT RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS COLLECTION – Notice to Parents
Over the coming weeks, Villanova College will supply information to the Australian Government Department of Education and Training that is required as part of the Student Residential Address and Other Information Collection. To comply with this collection, we must advise our parents and provide them with links to FAQs 2019 Information Collection and 2019 Collection Notice.

If you have any further questions regarding this collection, please contact the Villanova College Compliance Officer, Mrs Kath Hackett via email at khackett@vnc.qld.edu.au.

VILLANOVA INTERNATIONAL CARNIVAL – JUST OVER FOUR WEEKS AWAY
This week’s edition of the Villanova Carnival newsletter contains some great suggestions on how you can get involved to support the P&F’s major fundraiser for 2019. From volunteering to donating and sponsoring, there are many ways to help out our fantastic Committee who are working hard to deliver the best Carnival ever. Click here to read Issue 2.

VILLANOVA HOUSE SYSTEM:  James  Dominic Murray – Bishop of Cooktown
This is the third story in the Villanova House system.

James Dominic Murray was born in Ireland in 1847 and in 1883 was sent from Ireland to the Vicariate of North Queensland.  He served as parish priest at Herberton from 1884 until 1887, then established a parish at Croydon.   James served at Cooktown until 1890, then transferred to Echuca in Northern Victoria  to the Augustinian parish there.

In 1898 James Murray returned to far North Queensland appointed as Bishop.  Cooktown was almost a ghost town after thousands of miners fled the gold mines.  James moved the centre of the Vicariate to the small parish of Cairns.  Only two centres had Catholic schools run by religious Sisters.  This was his challenge and over the next 16 years he was able to provide four new schools staffed and administered by the Sisters of Good Samaritan and the Sisters of Mercy.

Father Murray is remembered as being gregarious, outgoing and an extrovert, often making house visits which was most unusual for a Bishop.  In 1911 over five months he attempted to visit every known Catholic family in the Vicariate.

James Dominic Murray died in 1914 and is acknowledged for developing and reinforcing the Catholic presence in far North Queensland, and making a significant contribution in preparing it for elevation into a diocese.

Here at Villanova College we acknowledge his contribution to education in Queensland and his dedication to the Augustinian faith through Murray House.

2019 AFAS EXCHANGE
A reminder to all participants in the AFAS Exchange to the Philippines during the September holidays that the second instalment of $700 is due tomorrow, February 22 through Flexischools. If your son is interested in participating in the Exchange and hasn’t signed up as yet, please contact me at thindmarsh@vnc.qld.edu.au or 0418 800 605.
Tony Hindmarsh

CLEAN UP AUSTRALIA DAY 2019

Members of the Villanova Community are invited to attend one of the many Clean Up Australia Day sites around Brisbane on Sunday 3 March 2019.   This event is regarded as Australia’s largest annual environmental event. To find and join a Clean Up site, click here.

Attendance is particularly welcomed at the closest site to Villanova College, Moorhen Flats, next to Norman Creek. Please note that a teacher will be in attendance at this site.

Time:  8am (suggested duration 1 – 1 ½ hrs), Sunday 3 March 2019.
Location:  Moorhen Flats picnic area, 106 Deshon Street, Woolloongabba
Bring:  hat, sun cream, water, gloves, enclosed shoes and insect repellent

Junior and Middle School students must be accompanied by an adult. 

If you wish to attend, please advise Mr Col Grant via email cgrant@vnc.qld.edu.au and you will receive a permission form to be signed and returned prior to the event.