Villa View: Issue 06/21

Dear Members of the Villanova College Family,
I decided to make some sacrifices for the 2021 Lenten Season. Chocolate, ice blocks and alcohol are off the table for the six weeks of Lent. As I near the halfway mark my resolve has started to weaken and I begin to hear that little voice saying, “no one will know if you have one ice block or sneak a Kit Kat.” Well, I will know and that alone keeps me focused!

Pope Francis in his 2021 Lenten Message has this to say about Fasting.

“Fasting, experienced as a form of self-denial, helps those who undertake it in simplicity of heart to rediscover God’s gift and to recognize that, created in his image and likeness, we find our fulfilment in him. In embracing the experience of poverty, those who fast make themselves poor with the poor and accumulate the treasure of a love both received and shared. In this way, fasting helps us to love God and our neighbour, inasmuch as love, as Saint Thomas Aquinas teaches, is a movement outwards that focuses our attention on others and considers them as one with ourselves (cf. Fratelli Tutti, 93).”

May Mary, Mother of the Saviour, ever faithful at the foot of the cross and in the heart of the Church, sustain us with her loving presence. May the blessing of the risen Lord accompany all of us on our journey towards the light of Easter.

Pick-up and Drop-off Zones
I recently received a great suggestion from one of our parents that may help to ease congestion at the drop-off and pick-up zones around the College streets. The suggestion involves the following steps.

1. Parents park in streets away from the College and wait for a text from their son to say he is ready to be picked up.
2. Parents then drive to the pick-up zone and enters the queue. Their son will be ready and waiting and the movement of vehicles will be smoother.

The problem with the current way some cars are using the pick-up zone is the many drivers who park in the zone beyond the two minute limit waiting for their son to arrive. This causes the line to stop flowing and cars to bank up blocking all adjoining streets and intersections. I think it is worth trying this method.

In the morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up I ask all our drivers to please be vigilant. Students when entering and exiting the school grounds may rush out or be distracted and not be aware of the flow of traffic. We need to be mindful of the risks that exists as students move in and out of the College.

AIC Swimming Championships
Congratulations to our AIC Swimming squad on their performances at the recent championship. Many students achieved personal bests and our swimmers rose to the challenge on the day. Villanova College won the Year 6 Trophy, Primary Aggregate and Under 12 Trophy and the team placed fourth overall. Thank you to our co-ordinator, Mrs Juanita Jacobs and managers, Mrs Theresa Henry, Ms Kirstina Dawson and Mrs Terri Dillon. We also acknowledge the work of our coaches, Kerry Holland, Guilly Santos and Nic Elsey. Congratulations once again to all involved in the swimming season.

Year 12 Exams
This week our Year 12 students will be sitting their assessment tasks for their Internal Assessments -IA. These assessment tasks will take the form of written exams and assignments. We wish all the students every success in these important exams.

Week 9, commencing on Monday 22 March, will see the Years  9 – 11 assessment period held and our students should now be preparing for these assessment tasks and undertaking weekly revision to ensure they are revisiting work completed over the past weeks.

Local Schools Community Fund Grant
Villanova Colleges acknowledges the receipt of funding from the Australian Government, under the Local Schools Community Fund program. A grant of $10,000 has been received towards the air-conditioning of refurbished classrooms in the O’Donnell Building.

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

God bless

Mr Mark Stower, Principal

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

Book Fair at Book Week
We have been busy in the Tolle Lege Library this week with our Author-in-Residence Nick Earls. Next week, John Larkins joins us to present to Years 5, 6 and 8 students. The Villanova Book Fair is continuing until Tuesday 9 March. We have included here an order form for books which you can prepay. Books will be delivered to Tolle Lege Library for collection.

Mrs Robyn Heath, Library Assistant

Chinese New Year Celebrations
To celebrate the Chinese Year of the Ox, the international students opened a stall at lunchtime during the new year festival.  We also addressed the Assembly. Our aim was to share some of our culture with our Villanova community. The importance of the celebration and the Chinese zodiac were discussed at the Assembly.

At lunch time international boys held an interesting Chinese pop-up store and created some traditional activities such as “create your own Chinese name” and “write your own Chinese characters’.  Students also had the opportunity to purchase small bags of Chinese sweets and snacks.  All money raised was donated to AFAS.  It was a good opportunity to spread Chinese culture around the school and mobilize the enthusiasm of students to participate.  On behalf of the international students, we thank you and Villanova College for the opportunity to share.

Hardy Zhang, Year 11 student

There is a lot to be said about words, in any language, and the impact they have on our relationships in the world.  Words in print – media, literature and advertising surround us.  Technology helps in the speed in which we can access the headlines and research a subject.  Words that are spoken – these differ greatly depending on whom the conversation is with – family, friends, colleagues, strangers.  Words can also be sung, and these can be powerful in terms of bringing up memories and our emotions.  In whatever mode, words have the potential to uplift, empower and motivate us as human beings to be our best.  They can also hurt us (no matter how old we are, resilient we may seem, or what our role in society is) and we should be very mindful of the intentions behind words, and the possibility of how they might be received.

Susan Scott, author of “Fierce Conversations – Achieving Success at Work and in Life – One Conversation at a Time” (2017), is a book I have borrowed from our College Library because of professional and personal interest.  I have a job that requires me to choose my words carefully because people matter, over any professional expectation, student grade, assessment task, or interpersonal conflict.  I have a wife and two teenage sons (both in Senior School), and as a husband and father I have a responsibility to communicate with sensitivity and clarity, as an equal shareholder in our family unit.  I am a son with two parents in different states, and a friend to people all over the world, so how I communicate on the phone, via email/text, or social media matters when time zones and brief statements can matter a great deal.  Let us be clear, I am going to spend my whole life learning how to think and listen more and speak with greater care.  I am second born – a younger brother of two sons – and I recognise my classic textbook traits as, “Why First-Borns Rule the World and Last-Borns Want to Change It” by Michael Grose (2011) would suggest.

In the foreword, Scott (2017) states, “Our lives succeed or fail gradually, then suddenly, one conversation at a time.  While no single conversation is guaranteed to change the trajectory of a career, a business, a marriage, or a life, any single conversation can.  The conversation is the relationship.”  This makes me reflect greatly on the importance of belonging to human beings, to our parents and students of every conversation we share.  That is not to say we should take on the burden of every conversation having the importance of greatness, but we can consider just how great one conversation might be to one person in a day.  To see someone as the most incredible person, who matters greatly in just one moment and deserves our presence, attention, and care.  If we set a goal for making this a purpose each week – imagine the butterfly effect it would have in our community.

In the introduction, Scott (2017) asserts, “Our most valuable currency is not money…nor intelligence, attractiveness, fluency in acronyms or the ability to write code…” – it is emotional capital.  She references a 2002 Nobel Prize winner for economics, Daniel Kahneman, a psychology professor at Princeton, who proved, beyond doubt, that we behave emotionally first, rationally second.  Think about that.  Think about it some more because this is our culture.  It is not a generation, gender, racial or 21^st Century issue.  It is us as human beings.  Our connections are crucial.

So, I am learning how significant team conversations are – in the Junior School, in my family and with my friends.  I, along with you, need to work on clarity and working towards understanding the person in front of me.  Action and change, and being open to them, means that loyalty, teamwork and moving forward can be the best suggestion that goals can be achieved.  Clear pathways and responsibilities for us all – in work and school, and with family and friends.  Prioritising.  Each one is just as important as the other.

I am currently in the middle of Principle #3 – Be Here, Prepared to be Nowhere Else.  Being understood, Scott (2017) explains, is not the same as interpreted.  Doesn’t that resonate?  That to me is the difference between listening and hearing.  I know that as a Head of Junior School, a coach, a teacher, a husband, a father, a son, and a friend.  What can I do?  I can continue to work on knowing the difference between the two and how this may impact on the way people perceive and engage with me.  I hope that they can do the same in return.  We can encourage our sons to do the very same – to understand the bigger picture – that we play an important part, and it is vital we strive to do the best to help ourselves and others live the quality of life we all deserve.

This week consider one conversation at a time.  I really do believe that Scott (2017) has given me the goal I need as a professional and for my best self.  How about you?

Mr Stephen Rouhliadeff, Head of Junior School

I recently received an invitation to the relatively new social media platform ‘Clubhouse’. This app allows users to listen to, and engage with, live audio chat forums. Like a global talk-back radio station, with multiple channels, where people discuss, debate, and share views on a wide variety of topics, I found myself fascinated both by the concept and the content.

With a plethora of ‘rooms’ to listen to, I [naturally enough] chose a forum hosted by lead educators from all around the world, as they discussed the challenges that each faced in engaging young people in a 2021 context. Unlike a traditional podcast, these forums aren’t recordable, so I was madly scribbling notes as different people shared their perspectives.

Not surprisingly, the most common threats to effective learning were just as applicable in our context here at Villanova, and while the forum didn’t always provide a detailed response to these threats, it challenged those involved to consider some constantly evolving issues. Using these topics as a stimulus with colleagues here at work, I found they generated some lively conversations, as they might well do around your dinner tables (just in case you’re in need of some new table talk).

1. Where is the balance between preparing digital natives for a digital existence, and restricting access to technology? How do we truly measure the impact that mobile phones have on effective learning and life in general?
2. Did “learning at home” (which is, of course, on-going in many parts of the globe) work well, or just prove that we need real-relationships, social-emotional development, and support?
3. Does the “busy-ness” of life in 2021, mean that schools have to expect less from parents? Do parents no longer feel that they have the time to talk about schoolwork with their children? What will be the impact on our children if parents pull back from this role?
4. In a heavily crowded curriculum, often driven by the need to pass assessment tasks, can schools remain effective in their teaching of social emotional learning? How do teachers find space to work on relational pedagogy and promote social and/or religious values to their students?

All the best for the weekend and the week ahead.

Mr Greg O’Neill, Head of Middle School

Responsible Use of Social Media
Over the last two Friday Form meetings, our Year 10 students have been spoken to by Mr Brett Lee (not the cricketer), Director of Internet Safe Education. Brett worked as a Queensland Police Officer for 22 years, 16 of which as a Detective in the field of Child Exploitation. Over the course of the two presentations, Brett provided our young men with valuable insights regarding cyber-bullying, their digital footprint and both the responsible and legal use of social media. Our Year 10 parents were also offered the opportunity to engage in a webinar offered by Brett and I thank Year 10 Pastoral Area Leader Mr Sean O’Neill for organising this presentation.

In light of some matters that I have had to deal with over the last week in the social media space, it is a timely reminder to all Senior School students and parents about the College’s very clear Social Networking and Social Media Policy, outlined on page 12 of the Student Diary and on Student Café. I would strongly urge all parents to have a conversation with your son related to their responsibilities regarding the accounts they follow and the content they post and share to ensure that any material that has the potential to compromise the reputation of the College is removed and deleted.

 The Value of Sleep
In last week’s Year 12 Formation Program lesson, the Seniors engaged in a workshop focused on the importance of good sleep as a fundamental component of positive health and overall wellbeing. The workshop commenced with Matt Walker’s insightful Ted Talk on Sleep. You can view the talk here: https://www.ted.com/talks/matt_walker_sleep_is_your_superpower#t-8607

The talk raises a number of important points pertaining to the impact on health, learning and memory which is associated with problems with sleep. Walker also offers two key takeaways regarding how to cultivate positive sleeping patterns: establishing regular sleep cycles – going to bed and waking up at the same time each night – as well as the optimal room temperature of 18 degrees required.

According to the Journal of Adolescent Health, 70 percent of adolescents are chronically sleep deprived on school nights, with Australian youth ranked the 3^rd worst globally. Of course, linked with this data is a significant rise in the uptake of technologies, especially smart devices and mobile phones. In speaking with the Year 12 students in my workshop, a number were not reaching the recommended eight hours per night which was quite alarming.

Two of the main contributing factors were part time job hours, with those on closing shifts working past 10.00pm as well as the use of technology (gaming and You Tube watching).

Cor Unum Spirit
I would like to congratulate the Cor Unum Spirit Committee for their efforts in promoting last Friday’s AFL fixture against St Laurence’s College at the Coorparoo AFL Club. Whilst the result did not go our way, the size and eclectic mix of the Villanova Army – combining students across the three schools – will long be remembered, especially the size of the tunnel. The overall crowd was perhaps the largest ever witnessed for an AIC fixture in recent memory such was the atmosphere at the ground. My hope is that the interest generated during Friday afternoons at the AFL can be transferred to Villa Park in Term 2 for the football and rugby season. Best wishes for all Senior School students in their fixtures against St Edmund’s College this weekend.

“Individual commitment to a group effort – that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.” – Vince Lombardi

Mr Matt Levander, Head of Senior School

Educating boys about consent
When leaving my previous school, an all girls Catholic school, I had a number of young women ask me to ensure that the conversations around consent, boundaries and healthy relationships would be something I would continue in an all boys context.  For years, whilst running reflection days and units on Relationship and Sexuality Education with girls, the question continued to raise itself ‘are we doing enough of this with our boys?’  As a mother of two adolescent boys, and entrusted with the role of Dean of Mission and Identity, I am hearing the questions here at Villa, about what we are doing in partnership with families in the area of Relationship and Sexuality Education with our boys. How are we helping them to understand boundaries, to fully understand consent?  There is much already happening, and there is I sense more work for us to do together.

In recent weeks the petition, begun by a former student of a Catholic school in Sydney, reveals distressing numbers of young women putting forward allegations of rape or sexual assault by their male peers. Certainly, in our families and in our school communities we must be reflecting on this and moving to decisive action that provides better education around consent and boundaries.  We need to be teaching our boys what consent looks and sounds like.  We need to be getting clear about what is appropriate and how to develop respectful relationships.  We need to be clear about the impact of alcohol and drugs and any form of peer pressure and the likely impact these have on clear capacity to make sensitive and respectful decisions.  We need to discuss the devastating impacts that crossing boundaries and inappropriate behaviour can have, and we need to provide clear understandings of the law.  Linked to all of this is our rich spiritual tradition that continually urges us to consider the dignity of every person, that is based in the understanding of the preciousness and sanctity of life, and that is built on loving relationships.  There is much for us to draw on here and to find ways to share with our boys.  We look forward to building the opportunities of working with families in this important work together in the formation of fine young men.

As we look towards the celebration of International Women’s Day on Monday 8 March, breaking open the theme “Let’s all choose to challenge” is a great one for discussion around the dinner table.  What is it we need to challenge to ensure the dignity of all people?

Ministries News
After a week of sign ups, our various student-led ministry groups have had full and energised meetings filled with students keen to be involved and to make a contribution.

YCS filled the room to standing room only and we have the capacity for students to head to both the Junior and Middle Schools to set up fun games and activities for the lunchtime that will help build belonging, friendship and a sense of community.  The students worked through the YCS model of ‘See, Judge and Act’ to plan their response.

The Green Team has a supported proposal to start a garden alongside the Priory that will grow seedlings for creeks, and other produce.  These students are also joining the Clean-up Australia Day Campaign and will be clearing rubbish in Norman Creek this Sunday.

Vinnies and YAYM are working on fun activities aiming to raise funds and build awareness.  In Term 1 our fundraising supports the efforts of Project Compassion.

Our AFAS group is working on ways to keep the partnership with the Philippines alive and thriving despite not being able to physically visit.

200 Years Young!  Celebrated 200 years of Catholic education in Australia
2021 marks the Bicentenary of Catholic Education in Australia.  Significant celebrations such as this provide us with a key moment in time to remember, celebrate, acknowledge the successes and to dream and vision for the future.  Catholic schools have been one of the Catholic Church’s principle contributions to Australia’s social and cultural infrastructure.  Catholic schools have educated a significant proportion of the nation’s young people, offering a distinctive vision and values, complementing the state systems, and enabling choice and diversity in education.  Today, there are 1,751 Catholic schools educating 768,000 students and employing 98,000 staff. Nearly 40 per cent of Catholic schools are located outside of metropolitan cities in regional, rural and remote communities.  Villanova College is part of this story.

Please grap a cuppa and read the Pastoral letter, from Australian bishops, 200 Years Young.  It is well worth reflecting upon the contribution of religious, clergy and lay people to the foundation of Catholic education, and the distinctive role Catholic schools play in educating and forming young people of faith and service in their communities.

Be ‘More PRAYERFUL’ in Lent
As lent continues with the theme of ‘Be more’ in order to build a more just world, this week we are invited to “be prayerful”. 

Pope Francis urges:

“A prayer that does not lead you to practical action for your brother – the poor, the sick, those in need of help, a brother in difficulty – is a sterile and incomplete prayer.  But in the same way… when time is not set aside for dialogue with Him in prayer, we risk serving ourselves and not God present in our needy brother and sister.”

Particularly in this time of lent, we are invited to pray.  Prayer is a genuine time for reflection and quiet.  A time to connect within ourselves and our family and community.  This lent is an opportunity to explore and understand our spirituality.  In light of our theme of Gratitude and Humility for 2021, our prayer might be a few minutes at the end of the day thinking back about what worked well for us, whom we are grateful for.  It might be taking time at the beginning of our day to set our intention for how we are going to be throughout the day.  It might be taking morning Pastoral prayer more seriously.  Or perhaps it might be a shared prayer before dinner in the evening.  Setting up a spot at home that you can return to for prayer can help in building this habit.

Reflection for the Lenten Season

Give up harsh words: use generous ones.
Give up unhappiness: take up gratitude.
Give up anger: take up gentleness and patience.
Give up pessimism: take up hope and optimism.
Give up worrying: take up trust in God.
Give up complaining: value what you have.
Give up stress: take up prayer.
Give up judging others: discover Jesus within them.
Give up sorrow and bitterness: fill you heart with joy.
Give up selfishness: take up compassion for others.
Give up being unforgiving: learn reconciliation.
Give up words: fill yourself with silence, and listen to others.

Anonymous, Latin America

Sunday Readings at Home
Please use this link to access this week’s readings and commentaries:

Ms Kate Garrone, Dean of Mission and Identity

Well done to the Villanova Swim Team!!!

Villanova College – AIC Primary (Year 5&6) Aggregate Champions
Villanova College – Year 6 AIC Age Champions
Villanova College – 12 Years AIC Age Champions

I must commend the entire AIC swim squad on their great performance at the annual AIC Swimming Championships held at Chandler Pool last Friday. I was very impressed with the efforts of our Years 5 and 6 team who for the second consecutive year have taken out the AIC Primary Aggregate Championship in great fashion. This is an outstanding achievement by our team. With regards to the 12 years-Opens team, in 2020 we narrowly overtook St Laurence’s for fourth position and were some distance behind Iona. This year we still gained fourth position overall; however, the Villa boys beat St Laurence’s by a significant margin and were only narrowly behind Iona fighting it out for third position.

This is an outstanding achievement from the entire team. On top of this, Villanova College secured the Year 6 and 12 Years Age Championship trophies.

The AIC Swimming Championship this year saw great performances from many schools across all year levels. Villa’s performance in the pool last Friday again drew many positive comments from other colleges and it was great to see the boys perform well on the big stage. Many thanks to all coaches, swim managers and to our Swimming Coordinator – Mrs Juanita Jacobs, for their efforts over the entire season to get our team ready for this event. Our team looked and performed like seasoned swimmers and they did us proud. Well done boys!  A more detailed Swimming Report is found below.

Term 2 Sign-on forms for rugby, football, cross country and chess were due last Friday. At this stage we have published the entire Year 5-12 sign-on lists within the relevant sport sections of the website. We ask parents to check these lists to ensure your son’s name appears. If your son’s name does not appear it means that he has not yet completed and submitted the online sign on registration yet.

By our estimation it seems that some online forms have not been completed by families yet. If students are keen to represent Villa in these sports and activities, I ask that they access the online registration link and register their interest as soon as possible. Although the registrations were due last Friday, we will keep the link open for a few more days. Coaching allocations are currently being finalised based on team numbers. Details are found below.

Well done to all those who competed in AFL, cricket and volleyball over the weekend. The College enjoyed much success. In such a tight competition our boys must aim up each week to post good results. With good results in the last two rounds, Villanova is in a great position to take out a good number of premierships and achieve a credible position for all aggregates. In fact, our aim is to win the cricket and AFL aggregate this year.

Please note some cricket photos will be taken again this weekend at Kianawah Park and all Year 5 and 6 AFL photos will be taken at Yeronga. Please consult the schedules found and on the web and ensure your son is dressed accordingly.

As we enter the back end of the AFL, cricket and volleyball season, I ask all to keep up the effort both at training and on game day. It is not uncommon for teams to lose some focus around this stage of the season. We have two rounds remaining – the boys are going well. Let us keep up the good work until the end.  Best wishes to all involved and enjoy!

Round 6 Fixtures – Friday 5^th & Saturday 6^th March, AIC AFL, Cricket and Volleyball v St Edmund’s College (in the main draw)
Please go to the College’s website to view all times and venues for this weekend’s fixtures. Simply scroll down on the College’s home page to the ‘Latest News’ section and click the ‘Weekly Fixtures’ section.

Please note – only one parent per player is permitted entry at the volleyball games both at Villanova and at St Edmund’s College. The First team may have two parents per player. Please consider this when travelling to Ipswich.

Cricket and AFL Photo Schedule – Saturday 6 March 2021
The following team photos will be taken this weekend for Cricket and Volleyball. The boys will need to be at the photos 10 minutes before their scheduled time, dressed in their full sports attire. Any latecomers will miss out on being in the photo.

Cricket Photos – Saturday 6^th March, Kianawah Park (Wynnum Rd end of Field 9)

 AFL Photos – Saturday 6^th March – Yeronga AFL Grounds

AIC SWIMMING REPORT
Mrs Juanita Jacobs, AIC Swimming Co-ordinator

The 2021 Villanova swimming team continued to build upon previous success and secure the Junior Aggregate trophy and fourth place in the 12 – Opens, senior competition.  While the Junior team has shown a lot of success over recent years, we are now slowly increasing our points tally in the Senior team and moving closer and closer to third place.

This year, Villanova placed second in the Year 5 age group and first in the Year 6 age group, thus winning the Year 5 and 6 Aggregate against a more competitive Ashgrove.  Villanova and Ashgrove were definitely the two schools with the most talent in the water and were the standout teams in this competition. Brody Clelland, Oliver Longland, Will Price, Toby Hodson, Ethan Haywood, Luis Stagg, Tyler Schafer, Caleb Johnston and Ben Landers were dominant in the pool and instrumental to the success of the team.  The depth of the squad continues to show promise for the future.

Villanova also secured first place in the 12 years age group, third the 13s age group, sixth in the 14s, and then a consistent fifth place for the 15s to Opens.  The older age groups continue to be dominated by St Peter’s Lutheran College and Ashgrove.  As the depth of our team continues to increase, and move through to the senior age groups, we hope that we will become more competitive against some extraordinarily talented swimmers.

Many of our swimmers had an exhausting programme.  Thomas de Brito swam up an age group to compete in the 200m freestyle but then turned around to swim the Div 1 50m butterfly as well as the Div 1 breaststroke, freestyle, backstroke and the two relays.  Thomas was an outstanding representative for the College.

Caden Clelland, Jack Hewitt and Jordan Tunnah took on the bulk of the load for the Senior School.  Henry Barras swam a personal best for his 400m freestyle.  These boys continue to compete at State competitions and are aiming for national times.  We wish them well.

Tyler Clelland, Charlie Kerr, Darcy Kerr, Thomas de Brito and Thomas Longland were the dominant swimmers in the Middle School, and were well supported by Wade Wildin Powell, Charley Hegarty, Wyatt Clelland and Isaac Bowen.  Each of these boys represented the school with pride and continue to improve their times.  It is because of this dedication to their swimming that so many of the Villanova squad continue to perform well at representative meets and they bring their talent and spirit of determination to the AIC Championships.

The Villanova swim squad continues to grow in numbers and depth.  While this provides additional competition for the AIC team, it also means that unfortunately many boys will miss out on representing the school at the AIC Championships.  We acknowledge all their hard work at training, and their support of the team, and encourage them to continue to train and to work hard.  There are many swimmers in the older age groups who will be representing their school for the first time in 2021.  Perseverance and training will bring the results.  I know that there are many swimmers who have swum personal bests last week at AIC and gave their absolute best in the pool. Congratulations to each and every swimmer, reserve and spectator for your hard work, dedication and team spirit.  You should be proud of your efforts.

On behalf of the College, I would like to acknowledge the hours of work dedicated to the squad by the coaches Kerry Holland, Guilly Santos and Nic Elsey.   Their passion for swimming and experience has enabled us to continue to grow the squad and become more and more successful each year. We are also grateful to Felipe for his assistance on Friday night.  Thank you also to the team managers Mrs Terri Dillon, Mrs Therese Henry and Ms Kirstina Dawson for their assistance on Friday evenings.

AIC CRICKET
Villanova had another solid performance over the weekend against SLC. Overall Villanova came away with 18 wins and 10 losses and secured a 9-3 win/loss in the aggregate games. There were some tight competitive games on Saturday, particularly in the 9A and 9B matches where our teams had their chances to bowl SLC out but could not get the last few wickets needed to secure a victory.

The First XI had, as it turned out, an easy victory. SLC batted first and were cruising at 2-50 before Villa bowled them out for 70 runs. Villa cruised to victory losing three wickets along the way and the match was finished by lunch.

Off the back of many outstanding results over the last two rounds, all teams from Year 5-12 can be confident of themselves and their team’s ability going into this weekend’s round against St. Edmund’s College. It appears that Villa have just jumped into first place in the race for the aggregate after being nine points behind Ashgrove. Every result matters, every ball matters, every shot matters; everything that all players do this weekend matters. I encourage every boy to do their bit this weekend. I am backing the boys in green and gold all the way. Best wishes to all!

Photos – The 1^st XI and their younger Villa supporters celebrate the great victory after their game on the weekend.

AIC Cricket Results v St Laurence’s College

 Villanova Team of the Week – Round 5

AIC VOLLEYBALL
Mr Todd Kropp, AIC Volleyball Co-ordinator

In round 5 of AIC, Villa volleyball teams took on a well drilled St Laurence’s College outfit. Whilst it was a tough day at the office for some teams, I am proud of the effort and sportsmanship showed on game day. It is a big focus of our program that we are humble winners and gracious in defeat.

With only two rounds to go in the AIC season, I am proud to announce and congratulate the following teams on holding onto their undefeated streak: 11B, 11C and 10C. Also, a special mention to our 10B team who are sitting atop of the 10B ladder and our First VI who sit in second place and eagerly await results from other AIC matches.

This weekend the Cats do battle with St Edmund’s College in what will no doubt be another tough encounter. Round 6 sees our Year 10-12 teams playing at home and the Year  7-9 teams travelling to SEC. A friendly reminder that matches hosted at Villa will begin at quarter past the hour for each timeslot.

A reminder for all our players, when things get tough, for example a deciding set, I encourage players to trust their process and stick to the style that got them to this position. Embrace the challenge and focus on the positive outcome and not the negative error.

Can I please remind students in Year 10-12 teams to check the duty/linesman roster on the noticeboard and on the Villanova Sport webpage.

AIC Volleyball Results v St Laurence’s College

AIC AFL
Mr Adam Fry, AIC AFL Co-ordinator

What a weekend of Villanova AFL. Friday night at Coorparoo truly displayed how far AFL at Villa has come over the last few years. With over a thousand strong crowd, the boys playing and the spectators supporting could not have exhibited a stronger sense of Green and Gold pride than what they did on Friday. It was terrific to see the support in such a tough, well skilled game of football. Unfortunately, we did not come away with the chocolates, but the strength of the Year 10 and 11 boys illustrates what the future holds for Villanova AFL.

Around the grounds, the rest of the College achieved some outstanding results with all Junior teams having fantastic victories and the undefeated Year 7 boys having their toughest test thus far, but still coming out on top. With only two rounds to go, Villanova AFL is vying for top spot in the aggregate. We must continue to put in the work and effort both on the training track and more importantly on a weekend. We have our first opportunity as a College to win the AFL across the AIC competition, so don’t stop playing until that final whistle.

This week our Opens have a well-deserved bye and the rest of the College have a variety of opposition to play against. It would be a fantastic feel to have some of our Seniors come along to the Juniors on Saturday morning to support our young and upcoming AFL stars.

Please ensure over the remaining weeks that you thank your coaches for all their hard work at training and on game day to get you prepared each week. Keep up the hard work and make sure we finish the season on a high.

AIC AFL Results v St Laurence’s College

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 15 March.

Training times and venues for all Year 5-12 rugby and football teams are listed below. All Year 5 and 6 teams will train at Little Langlands or Whinstanes. Year 7-12 teams will train at Villa Park. The College will provide bus transportation to Villa Park for all teams. Parents are required to collect their son from Villa Park after training. There will be no return bus service from Villa Park.

Please see the divisions below. Note in each division the players will be graded from A, B, C etc. Opens will be graded from 1^st, 2nds, 3rds etc.

Football – Year 5, Year 6, Year 7, Year 8, Year 9, Year 10 & Opens
Rugby – Year 5, Year 6, Year 7, Year 8, Year 9, Year 10, Opens

AIC Rugby & Football Trial Games – Date Claimers 

• Mon 15 – 19 March: (Rugby and Football training/trials begins at Villa Park for all Year 7-12 teams, Year 5 and 6 teams will trial at Little Langlands/Whinstanes)
• Sat 20 March: Internal AIC Rugby & Football Trials at Villa Park (1^st, 2nds and 10A rugby and football v Iona only, all other teams will trial internally at Villa Park)
• Sat 27 March: AIC Rugby & Football trial v SLC (full school trial – Year 5-12)
• Sat 24 April: AIC Rugby & Football trial v SPC (full school trial- Year 5-12)
• Sat 1 May: Round 1 – Sat 12th June Round 7 as per College Calendar

AIC Rugby & Football Training/Trial Schedule
The below schedules will be applied all season. NOTE – some Year 5 and 6 training times could change depending on the coach’s availability, however, we will endeavour to keep to the schedule below.

Rugby Training

• Year 7, Year 8, Year9, Year 10, Year 11 and Opens at Villa Park: 3.45-5.00pm, Tuesday and Thursday afternoons
• Year5 at Little Langlands: Tuesday afternoon 3.15pm-4.30pm and Thursday mornings 6.45-8.00am
• Year6 at Little Langlands: Tuesday mornings 6.45am-8.00am and Thursday afternoons 3.15pm-4.30pm

 Football Training

• Year 7, Year 8, Year 9, Year 10, 3rds, 4ths & 5ths at Villa Park: 45-5.00pm, Monday and Wednesday afternoons
• 1st and 2nds at Villa Park: 3.45-5.15pm Tuesday and Thursday afternoons
• Year 5 at Little Langlands: Monday afternoon 3.15pm-4.30pm and Wednesday mornings 6.45-8.00am
• Year 6 at Little Langlands: Monday mornings 6.45am-8.00am and Wednesday afternoons 3.15pm-4.30pm

 Villanova Rugby and Football Uniforms – 2021
ALL students from Years 5-12 in both rugby and football must purchase the Villanova rugby and football uniform in readiness for the up-coming season. This includes shorts, jersey and socks. The Uniform Shop will have all rugby and football gear available for purchase.

IMPORTANT – all boys who sign up for rugby and football WILL make a team, therefore, parents can purchase these items of clothing.

Villanova Rugby Uniform

• Villanova Rugby Jersey
• Villanova Rugby Shorts
• Villanova Rugby/Football socks
• Mouthguards compulsory (not stocked in the Uniform Shop)
• Head gear optional (not stocked in the Uniform Shop)

Villanova Football Uniform

• Villanova Football Jersey
• Villanova Football Shorts (not the PE shorts/ not the Basketball shorts)
• Villanova Rugby/Football socks
• Shin guards compulsory (not stocked in the Uniform Shop)

Please Note

• Football players must wear the Villanova football shorts not the Villanova basketball shorts, which do look similar
• The Canterbury rugby and football socks are the same.
• What to wear at training? – It is acceptable for both the rugby and football players to wear any coloured/club or other old clothes to training. Boys are not encouraged to wear their Villanova playing uniform to training but may do so if they wish. We certainly would not recommend rugby players to wear their PE uniform or any shirt that will get ripped and torn.

Rugby and Football – Coaches/Referees
As the winter football season is fast approaching, the Sports Department is asking all parents and old boys who indicated last year they wished to assist in these two sports in 2021 to confirm that they still wish to do so. If you have an interest in refereeing or coaching, please contact:

Yr 5-12 Football – Anthony Kemp email: akemp@vnc.qld.edu.au
Yr 5-12 Rugby – Chris Everding email: ceverding@vnc.qld.edu.au

AIC Rugby, Football, Cross Country & Chess Sign-ons – Now Overdue!!
Please be advised that all boys from Years 5-12 have been given the opportunity to sign-on for the up-coming Villanova Rugby, Football, Cross Country and Chess season. These forms were due last Friday 26 February. If your son has failed to complete an online form, please have him complete the online registration ASAP please. A link to this form is found below.

Online Registration Form Link – https://form.jotform.com/VillanovaSport/aic-term-2-sport-sign-on

We ask that all parents to complete this online registration alongside their son. Information regarding the student’s ID number, email address, parent’s email address, DOB and sport selection is required.

AIC CROSS COUNTRY
The Cross Country program is split into two squads – the Year 5 and 6 squad and the Year 7-Opens squad. Both squads will be trained separately by different coaches and managers. The AIC Cross Country Championships will take place on Wednesday 2 June, that is, Term 2 Week 7.

We are aware that many boys will have lots of different activities going on. We encourage our best runners to represent Villa on the day of the championships. It may be the case that a student may not be able to attend all training sessions due to other commitments. If this is the case, we simply need students to communicate this to the coaches and managers involved. We are open to negotiating alternative training schedules with those who have lots on.

Year 5 and 6 Squad
The Year 5 and 6 training squad will officially begin on Monday 29^th March, that is, the tenth week of Term 1. Training will be held each Monday and Wednesday afternoon from 3.15pm – 4.30pm. Boys are to meet Miss Roberts outside Goold Hall after school and she will walk the boys down to training at Little Langlands. Boys who cannot train both afternoons are encouraged to attend the non-compulsory training session on Sunday afternoons.

Junior (Year 5 and 6) Cross Country Dates

• Trial – Fri 19 March at Little Langlands
• Term 1 Training at Little Langlands – Mon 29 and Wed 31 March
• Holiday Training – Mon, Wed and Friday at Whites Hill Reserve, 8.30am – 10.00am: (April 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16 and 19)
• Term 2 – Training recommences at Little Langlands on Wed 21 April
• Sunday Training commences on Sun 11 April
• Enquiries: Tom Lonergan (Coach) – 3349 0767 or lonert24@gmail.com

Junior School Cross Country Run – 19 March
The Junior School will have a cross country run around Langlands Park on Friday 19 March from 2.15pm to 2.50pm. This run is to identify any boys who may be potential cross country runners for our squad and will double as a trial for Lytton District selection. These boys will be selected by our cross country coach, Tom Lonergan early next term depending on training attendance, commitment and ability. ALL AFL players are reminded that they need to attend training for at least one session per week.

Year 7-12 Squad
The Year 7-12 training squad will officially begin on Monday 15 March, that is, the eighth week of Term 1. Training will be held on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday mornings from 6.45am. All students are to meet at the front of Goold Hall at 6.45am sharp (not at Little Langlands). Late comers must stay at the College.

IMPORTANT – all Cross Country runners should be participating in 2-3 training sessions per week, unless they are involved in another sport, in which case they should be completing at least one cross country session per week to be prepared sufficiently for the AIC Championship.

COMPOSITE SPORT
Please find below a list of composite trial and nomination dates. Paperwork for these trials is now available in the Sports Office.

REPRESENTATIVE SPORT
Congratulations go to Thomas Winn and Jordy McGarry who were recently selected to represent Met East at the Queensland State Golf Championship held in late March.  Well done and best wishes boys!

Mr Craig Stariha, Director of Sport

Year 5 Debut Workshop and Concert – Tuesday 9 March
Next Tuesday we are very excited to be able to share our Year 5 Debut Concert for all of our Year 5 students.  The day will include a workshop from lessons 4-6 where our students will work with our Instrumental Music team to develop their awareness of how we work together in the ensemble team.  We then share our hard work with our family and friends through a brief concert commencing at 3.45pm in Hanrahan Theatre.  Information regarding ticketing and COVID-safe planning for this event will be distributed shortly.

All students will be required to wear College uniform (grey shirt, no tie) for this activity.

Debut Concerts coming…
This year the Debut Concerts will be on the 16, 17 and 18 March.  All concerts will commence at 6.00pm and will conclude by 7.30pm.  Each of these events will be convened in Hanrahan Theatre.

The line-up for our concerts are outlined as follows.  Please note, this is NOT a performance order.

Tuesday 16 March

• Symphonic Band
• Sinfonia String Orchestra
• Concert Band
• Percussion Ensemble
• Chamber Brass
• Brass Band

Wednesday 17 March

• Junior School Wind Band
• Junior School String Orchestra
• Consort String Orchestra
• Camerata String Orchestra
• Big Band
• Jazz Band
• Amadeus Chamber Ensemble

Thursday 18 March

• Irish Ensemble 1
• Supernovans
• Guitar Ensemble 1
• Guitar Ensemble 2
• Wind Ensemble
• Choir

Uniform requirements for Concerts: 16-18 March
The following table outlines uniform requirements for our ensembles:

Any Year 5 musicians who are performing in the concerts from the 16 – 18 March are required to wear:

• grey shorts;
• formal white shirt (available from uniform shop);
• long school socks;
• school tie;
• black leather belt; and,
• polished black school shoes

All uniform items can be sourced through the Uniform shop or external clothing retailers. For further information regarding uniforms for ensembles at Villanova College, please contact the Music Office on 3394 5691 or music@vnc.qld.edu.au

Rehearsals and Lessons Are Continuing…
All rehearsals and lessons are running as per routine throughout this camp period.  If your son is at school, we look forward to seeing him at his allotted session. If you have not received the appropriate information or are confused as to your son’s attendance requirements, please do not hesitate to contact the Music Office via email – music@vnc.qld.edu.au – or via phone on 3394 5691.

The Term 1 rehearsal schedule is attached.  Please ensure your son is aware of the time and location of his sessions.

Entertainment Publications Memberships
Entertainment memberships are one of the Music Support Groups main fund-raisers.  Just click on the link attached in the flyer to purchase a membership and obtain ongoing special deals throughout the year.

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

• Villanova Branded Camp Chairs – $31
• Wildcat Coolers – $26

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

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

Date Claimers
And now we look ahead to what the term has in store…

Opportunity to Participate
The Music community at Villanova welcomes all students interested in participating in ensemble or instrument/vocal tuition.  If your son would like to take lessons on an instrument this year, please contact the Music Office on 3394 5691 or via email at music@vnc.qld.edu.au for further information.

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

Mr Michael Jones, Director of Music

entbook.com.au/22002q9

SECOND HAND UNIFORM SHOP – NEW HOURS
From next week, the Second Hand Uniform Shop hours will change to align with the Uniform Shop and will now open on Wednesdays from 8.00am to 9.30am.  It will no longer be open on Thursday mornings.

SPORTS CANTEEN CONVENOR POSITION (READVERTISED – 30 HOURS/WEEK)
This position (revised to 30 hours per week) may suit someone in the Villanova community. Click here for the Role Description. Applications close Monday 15 March, 2021. 

PARENTS AND FRIENDS ASSOCIATION AGM – this coming Monday!
The Villanova College Parents and Friends (P&F) Association warmly invites all new and current families to our Annual General Meeting on Monday 8 March at 6.00pm in the Tolle Lege Library.

The P&F is run by a team of parents who aim to support the College in providing a rich learning environment for all our students. We are responsible for managing the College community’s parent engagement, social and fundraising events, which have become synonymous with the welcoming atmosphere of our Villanova College community.

Your attendance does not require you to nominate for any executive role, although some executive roles will be open for nominations at this AGM. The P&F presents a great opportunity for you to engage in the College community in a capacity as small or as involved as suits your life, work and family commitments.

We hope to see many new and familiar faces at our AGM, or at any future P&F meetings, which are held on the second Monday of most months from 6.00pm in the Tolle Lege Library.

Vass Cayas, Villanova College P&F President

STUDENT RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS AND OTHER INFORMATION COLLECTION NOTICE
The Student Residential Address and Other Information Collection is an annual data collection performed by the Australian Government.  Approved authorities are required under the Australian Education Regulation to complete this collection.

To ensure Villanova College provides accurate details, parents are requested to login to Parent Lounge to ensure that their details are correct. Further information about the Collection can be found here.

VILLA WILDCAT TOWELS
Due to popular demand we have re-opened the TryBooking site to order your personalised Villa Wildcat towel. Orders will close at 3.00pm on Tuesday 9 March.

They will be delivered to school before the end of Term 1. On arrival, they will be distributed to your nominated son (if not advised differently). If you wish to collect it directly from me, please advise via email.

https://www.trybooking.com/BMEML

Thank you for your support on behalf of the Villa Sports Club.
Robyn Gunning, Email: rgunning@vnc.qld.edu.au

TUCKSHOP ROSTER (MONDAY 8 – FRIDAY 12 MARCH)
All volunteers rostered on this week will be contacted directly by the Tuckshop.

Our sincere apologies to new students affected by the Flexischools issue with student cards. We continue to work with Flexischools while they resolve the problem. In the interim, could all boys new to the College please continue to use cash for Tuckshop purchases until the problem has been rectified. Thank you.

LIBRARY ROSTER (MONDAY 8 – FRIDAY 12 MARCH)
All volunteers rostered on this week will be contacted directly by the Library.

SAVE THE DATE – THE VILLA SPORTS LUNCH IS BACK!
Start organising your tables! The Greek Club will host a great afternoon on Friday 28 May featuring guest panellists, raffles and the hilarious comedian, Jimeoin. The committee has secured a great line-up of sports stars as guest panellists (watch this space). Booking details will be released shortly. The Sports Lunch is presented by the Villanova Sports Club and raises funds for College sporting programs and facilities.