Villa View – Issue 10, 15 June 2023

An enormous thank you to all families on our Giving Day project today.  Obviously, this is a new way to approach the annual building fund appeal and it is of course a very challenging process. As a Catholic College, and Principal, I am certainly not adept nor that comfortable asking for money when I understand the challenges so many are facing with fees and the general expenses life is currently presenting. The Giving Day was a way of asking people, in the lead up to tax time, to offer a small amount to assist the kick start of the new STEM and Sport Centre for the future of Villanova and generations to come.

We certainly understand that not all families, Old Boys and friends of the College can contribute financially at this time, but we are most grateful for those who could and did. We are equally grateful to the army of friends and families who give in other ways, through volunteering at Tuckshop, manning barbecues at canteens, coaching sports teams or being on committees and organising events. Each person gives as they can, and this is what makes our community so strong.

Semester One Reflections
As this Villa View marks the conclusion of Semester One, I would like to share some reflections on the semester and the goals and actions that we continue to work toward across the remainder of the 2023 academic year.

Student Satisfaction and Wellbeing
Across Term Two we have continued as part of the Wellbeing Program to monitor and gauge students self-assessment of their wellbeing and outlook.

The questions ask the boys to reflect on elements of College life such as attitude to attendance and learning, feelings and experience of relationships and bullying, peer to peer relationships and support, attitudes and feelings about teachers and their level of support and encouragement.  Our most recent survey had just under 800 responses and gave us some wonderful data to work on with our Academic and Pastoral Teams.

In summary the boys would say that they feel happy and safe at school with a genuine feeling of positivity, fun and friendship. Academically they are most definitely feeling challenged, but in that, confident of success and their ability to succeed. However, there are times when they do feel a little anxious about learning and doing well. When they arrive at school while they are overwhelmingly positive and ready, they do report that they are often tired (446 of 780). This is something for us to consider in shaping and strengthening the home/school relationship. That tiredness though doesn’t convert into negativity but may contribute to feelings of disorganisation and on occasion concern.

The boy’s reflection on the teaching staff and their level of care and commitment in both the classroom and the playground is that they care about them, challenge them and want to see them succeed. Of their peers the boys shared a feeling of respect, welcome, inclusion and of being valued and in terms of their treatment of one another it was respectful and fun.

While overwhelmingly positive we do ourselves a disservice if we simply accept these as ‘wonderful’ and don’t interrogate the dark side because, while very small in number, even one boy experiencing bullying, feeling negative about himself or his ability needs support and guidance around his self-confidence and relationships. As an example if I get 96% in a Maths exam, I am ecstatic, but if I am a surgeon and have a 96% survival rate then I have serious problems!

As such we did have across the various categories boys indicate actions or attitudes of concern like bullying behaviours (6 of 780), that at times physical play can cross the line to be hurtful (8 of 780), that some of our boys at times feel ‘dumb’ (64 of 780) and that some boys relate to others in a way through ‘putdowns or payouts’ (18 of 780). It is these small response rates that are actually the ones of most note and most action. As such our Heads of School, with the Director of Wellbeing and Pastoral Programs, will look a little deeper into the data, the surveys were ‘confidential but not anonymous’ so that we can both help if there are any individuals under considerable stress, small friendship groups of concern and then globally look again at our practices to see what may be need changing to further reduce and at a minimum maintain these at a low level.

I am more than happy to have further discussions with individual parents should you want a deeper discussion on our practices and vison in this area.

Teaching Reflections and Student Feedback
As a College our teachers are given the opportunity to be involved in student feedback on their teaching and classes through what is called the PIVOT survey. These occurs at three points in the year. The survey data goes directly to the teacher and allows them to consider student feelings and feedback as they prepare, plan and deliver their course. Approximately 85% of teaching staff take up the opportunity to garner student feedback through this process.

Across Semester One the aggregated data is excellent for individual teachers to shape their own professional learning and also for the College to shape learning. What we know from the data is that our teachers have in Semester One had a strong focus on improving classroom behaviour with our top area of celebration being that boys state, “I know how I am expected to behave in class” this was closely followed by “this teacher knows a great deal about the topics they are teaching the class” and finally “this teacher respects me for who I am”. These three sat at about 96% ‘strongly agree’ across 1600 responses.

A challenge for us moving forward is how as a College teaching team we give students ownership over their learning, their personal goals and the direction of their learning as this was where further conversation and development was highlighted. While the levels of agreeance by students was still high it is the area where scores were lower. As we move into Semester Two and then the House Pastoral support system of 2024, we may be able to find greater opportunity for students through these structures.

College Sport and Activities
Participation, Sportsmanship and Values
Across this semester we have had close to 100% involvement in students representing the Green and Gold.  In summary we witnessed:

• Rugby 28 teams         450 participants
• Football 28 teams         340 participants
• Cricket 24 teams         290 participants
• Volleyball 20 teams         200 participants
• AFL Nine teams      160 participants
• Chess 12 teams         60 participants
• Debating* Six teams         24 participants
• Swimming 90 regular participants
• Cross Country 145 regular participants
• Nine College activities = 1760 participants

This is of course in concert with the amazing work of our Music Department and the 300 boys under their tutelage.

The main focus of these activities is to continue to reinforce our College Values as expressed through our GREATS framework. I certainly found as I visited training sessions and games across the semester that this was largely an objective shared by coaches and fulfilled in our activities and their execution.

While we weren’t perfect, I saw countless examples of growth, boys 100% committed to improving and getting better. I saw many moments of respect, but in this area more importantly in moments of failure by our boys, or coaches, that the failure was challenged, addressed, and responded to. That displays of poor sportsmanship did not go unchecked and unchallenged. When dealing with adolescents they are, by definition, growing and learning. As such the judgement of success is not always whether or not incidents arise but, in the quality, focus and intent of the response. I am pleased to say that I experienced this in effective and positive ways.

Closely paired with respect comes effort and accountability, in games, training and behavioural improvement. If I could highlight one thing across Semester One, it would be this. That I didn’t see a time when boys gave up or didn’t try. It seems the mark of a Villanovan is that they will always give you their best effort. This is something we should cherish and encourage further.

Finally, teamwork and service, whether evidenced in the war cry at the end of the game, the sets of eyes totally focussed on a coaches instruction, by boys thanking their coach with a handshake at the end of the game, carrying the ball bag to and from training or putting the nets up before volleyball and asking if they can help in the canteen or barbecue.  It was pleasing to see that so many of the young men realised the game wasn’t all about them. Let us continue this growth across 2023.

College Mission and Identity
I would like to thank our Mission Team for their work in organising our return to AFAS this December school holidays. Some twenty boys and five staff will travel to the Philippines to work in community and solidarity with our Augustinian scholars. Just under 50 boys were interviewed with those boys successful to be notified shortly. It would of course be wonderful to  take them all, but numbers are limited.

Community and Parent Engagement
As we move into Semester Two, I draw to your attention our engagement events and hope that you can both support us and further build your friendships and connection to Villanova.

• College Carnival July 22
• Gala Ball October 7
• Mother’s Derby Day November 4
• Parent Survey mid-Term 3

In closing, it was with great sadness we were given the news of the passing of a member of our Villanova community in the form of one of our fathers, Mr Michael Ramsay, father of Tate (Year 9). Mr Ramsay had assisted the College through volunteering as a Rugby Coach across the last four years and will be dearly missed by his fellow ‘Dad Coaches’ of Year 9 and the broader community. I share a brief prayer of blessing for the Ramsay family, and the broader community who knew and cherished Michael.

Lord of life and love
As we give thanks for times past,
Grant us the courage to embrace the present
And Grace to share the future
In memory of Michael Ramsay,
Kindle his flame to shine in the dark
And light the path ahead for the Ramsay family through their grief.
Show the way that leads to life
As we cherish the days gone by
And inspire us with the touch of love
That faith and hope live on.
Eternal rest grant upon him O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon him.

May he rest in peace.

Mr Paul Begg, 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.

Term 2 assessment is officially complete.  Let’s all exhale together.  There is no better feeling for students, after some busy weekends hitting the books as well as evenings spent revisiting main ideas on OneNote pages.  Parents, you will also appreciate the relief from combining co-curricular schedules and finding precious minutes to quiz sons about exam topics.  Junior School staff are still very busy with marking, moderating and, next week, entering the data into several platforms.  There will also be Professional Development meetings as well as Term 3 Curriculum Planning until Friday of Week 10 for our staff.

Moderation processes take a great deal of time and concentration.  The work submitted by students is first checked over by class core teachers.  Then, teaching partners moderate samples and establish A, B, C, D and E achievement bands.  This is done across fifty-eight pieces and during this time, there are conversations about the observations during the assessment process – use of time, mindset during the task and ability to focus in that time period.  At weekly Year Level Meetings, the Year 5 and Year 6 teams then bring the samples to cross check across the three learning spaces.

Discussions take place about expectations, teaching and learning experiences and consensus is reached between the grades, with the collaboration of the Head of Year Curriculum and Pedagogy Leaders – Melissa Liddy and Chloe Adams. The Learning Enrichment Team is also involved in mediation, ensuring that supportive measures are in place for students with specific needs and diagnoses.  After these meetings, teaching partners will refine their marking, and work on providing feedback to the students under the headings “What Went Well” and “Even Better If”.  Feedback during the learning phase is given the highest priority – including check in points that scaffold tasks into manageable pieces.  The feedback that is recorded on the Villanova Assessment Cover Sheets, sent home at the end of term, is also important.  It recognises what was completed well by your son – and this should be congratulated as part of your conversation at home.  There is always something to praise and each boy should be proud of managing at least one thing in every subject area.  There are also suggestions to remember in future tasks – and these are important to discuss, keeping a positive outlook to changes being a part of the learning process.  Even one change is a step in the right direction.  The aim is to always move forward, and some students might be on a steeper learning and achievement curve than others – but as long as it’s towards meeting expectations then be assured there are reasons to be proud and tell your son that he has done well.

There is something very comforting about the June/July holiday break.  The cooler weather means we crave the sleeping in (very few jump out of bed with the sun rising late), thoroughly enjoy the odd pyjama morning (that sometimes reaches the afternoon) and get the time to cook those recipes that fill the house with comfort by the early afternoon (I really do love the idea of dinner by 6pm instead of the late shifts we must run with work and sport timetables during the term).  The midday sun is one we can sit in with a great book, go for a Riverwalk (without getting heatstroke) or tackle the gardening in comfort (I continue to find great satisfaction in growing chilli and herbs from seeds – the pots are out of control up both sides of the house).  For families who are heading off camping, we wish you dry and sunny weather – may the campfires roar and soothe the souls.  Groups who head to the beach, we hope the waves are clear and good for surfing.  Interstate travellers, we wish you safe travels in the air and on roads.  May the health of all communities be stable.

Term 3 begins on Monday 10 July.  After Semester 1 reports are released, details will be emailed through for online Parent Teacher Conferences in Week 2, setting Term 3 goals and discussing strategies for progress across curriculum, social-emotional and organisational areas.  We look forward to our boys’ returning, wearing their College ties as per Term 2.  Stationery supplies restocked, some new class workbooks, haircuts meeting College expectations and shiny shoes will be expected, along with the motivation to reach every potential, with our full support.

Mr Stephen Rouhliadeff, Head of Junior School

Last week saw the final assembly of the term, which was our opportunity to have just Middle School students attend. Whilst the chance to have these sub-school assemblies only comes up once a term, it is still a highlight for both students and staff to focus our attention on just what is occurring in our year levels. The GREATS focus for the week was on service and it provided a lovely backdrop to acknowledge those that had provided it throughout Semester 1 and a challenge to all on how they will be able to give back next term.

What most excited me was that the assembly was completely student-led. Other than my welcome to students at the beginning, every part was run by the students and for the students. Even better was that a lot of the script was also written by students. This was an excellent opportunity to showcase leadership and service. All up, we had 27 students at the podium addressing Middle School students across the various facets of College life.

We had a reflective prayer on the parable of the Mustard Seed, presented academic and sporting awards, listened to a wrap up of the Wellbeing Program in Semester 1 and many more items – all well delivered and received!

The assembly ended with one of our Year 9 students giving his speech on what service means to him and all of us at Villanova:

“In his writings, St. Augustine emphasized that we are all part of a larger community, and it is our duty to care for one another. He believed that true love is not self-seeking but rather self-giving, and it is through service that we express this love.

We have numerous opportunities to serve others. It can be as simple as offering a listening ear to a friend in distress, volunteering at Villa Park or Goold Hall on Saturday’s, giving of your time at QCMF or joining one of the many opportunities through our Ministry Team. It usually means having to give up a lunchtime, an afternoon or an hour after your game. Is that really so big of a deal? St. Augustine encourages us to look beyond our own interests and actively seek out ways to make a positive difference in the lives of others.”

There is no better call to action for how we can all serve this wonderful community than a spirited address and challenge that comes not from the top down but from within the student body itself.

This sort of opportunity didn’t occur in my time at the College, and seeing how well the boys did, I wish it had!

Mr Sean O’Neill, Head of Middle School

It is incredible how quickly we have arrived at the conclusion of another semester. Yet amongst the busyness of the first half of our 75th year, much has been achieved both inside classroom and within the richness of the co-curricular programs at the College. The intentional work within the Wellbeing space has been positive and will continue to harvest rich dividends when we focus our energy towards the holistic development and mental health of our young men. Similarly, a commitment to service and reaching out to those on the margins is central to our mission and identity and I look forward to seeing our Senior School students continuing to work with our partners, especially Emmanuel City Mission, Rosies and St Vincent de Paul. Our musicians continue to build impressive repertoires and are building towards the excitement of another QCMF next term. Whilst our Firsts sporting teams have not secured premierships across the first semester, they have faced the adversity of narrow defeat with courage and secured some valuable life lessons in the process.

At the commencement of the third term, various academic review and tracking processes will be conducted within the Senior School to engage students in further reflection upon their Semester One academic performance. Year 11 and 12 students will meet with their ACP Mentor to recalibrate their academic goals. For Year 10 students, the focus will be directed towards the completion of their SET Plan and the confirmation of subjects for Year 11 & 12. Interviews will be conducted by senior members of staff with all Year 10 students and parents.

Next semester will also channel the excitement of the ongoing journey towards our transition to a Vertical House system at the College in 2024. As part of the implementation plan, our students will know which House they have been placed in and our Year 11 students will work with their Head of House to build their leadership capacity for the importance of role modelling and serving the young members of the student body.

The upcoming holiday period should provide an opportunity to recharge and rest as well look inward and engage in an interiority search exploring areas for self-improvement- both academically and personally. Students should ask themselves the following questions:

• What have I enjoyed about my 2023 experience thus far?
• What have been the challenges which have been difficult to overcome?
• Have I worked to my full potential in the classroom and at home to maximise my academic results?
• Have I contributed to the richness of the Villanova community- whether that be through my involvement in culture, music, service or sport?
• Am I maximising the full value of my Villanova education?

I wish all Senior School students and their families every blessing for a wonderful holiday.

You Are Not Alone Fun Run and Festival
Building upon the focus illuminated by the Wellbeing Committee during our round of sporting fixtures against St Patrick’s College earlier in the term, next Saturday, 24 June, will see the second You Are Not Alone Fun Run being staged through the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens. The event includes a 5km fun run through the Gardens, over the Goodwill Bridge, through Kangaroo Point, and back. The festival will feature food trucks, live entertainment from Joel Adams and Love, Marco along with various other local stars. You Are Not Alone hopes to raise $50,000 in order to fund the introduction of their school-based programs, along with various other initiatives throughout the year. I wish Old Boys and YRNA directors Tom Price and Wilson Griffin every success for the event and I look forward to seeing a strong contingent of Villanova students join me next Saturday as we collectively support the important work being done in shining a light on youth mental health. You can purchase tickets at the following link:

https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1031932

Senior Formal
This Saturday, our Year 12 students will celebrate a significant rites of passage moment in their Villanova journey- their Senior Formal. I wish our young men every blessing as they enjoy the occasion with their parents (at the pre-function), partners and peers and I look forward to seeing the sartorial choices on display. I would like to thank Head of Year 12, Mr Blake McLauchlan for his work in preparing our students for the event.

“Fashions fade, style is eternal.” – Yves Saint Laurent

Mr Matt Levander, Head of Senior School

As Term 2 closes, we reach the halfway mark of 2023.  It has been another action packed term for Faith and Mission at Villanova College with the highlights including Mission Week; the relaunch and great support of our AFAS Immersion Program leading to the decision to run two immersion programs across 2023 and 2024; clean ups of Norman Creek and Planting in Finger Gully by our Green Team; a very successful Mothers’ Day Stall by YAYM; Year 8 Twilight Retreat with Loreto and St Laurence’s; Rosies teams heading out on Friday nights; and weekly Thursday morning breakfasts at Emmanuel City Mission.  Our Year 9s have all been collecting Containers for Change, aiming to improve our recycling at home and here at the College.  Additionally our whole Year 10 cohort is currently engaging in their 10 hours of Community Service, making a great contribution in practical ways to improve the life of others.  Congratulations to all the students involved and an enormous thank-you to our staff who facilitate and support these experiences happening for our students.  Certainly through so many people being involved, Villanova makes a big contribution locally and in the Philippines.

The winter weather has been providing beautiful clear days that will hopefully be perfect for some holiday time to relax with family and friends.  I hope it will be a nourishing and relaxing time.  These down times give us the energy to then relook at our goals and direction and to return ready for more learning in Semester 2.  In our morning prayers over recent weeks we’ve had a focus on practical suggestions of how Villa students can be ‘a light for the world.’  Having celebrated now the time of Pentecost in our faith tradition, and believing that we are Easter people, we are encouraged to bring and be people of light.  Hopefully, this list might have some simple ideas the boys, or our Villanova College families.

Choose another of the 20 Very Simple Ways to Be a Villa Man and ‘Be the Light’!

1. Responding to a stranger with a smile
2. Giving a gift
3. Helping someone out
4. Making a food item for someone sick or grieving, or just struggling in life
5. Walking your neighbour’s dog
6. Letting someone go before you in the canteen line.
7. Sending a card to someone who you just met or maybe lost contact with
8. Saying hello to people you see during the day, whether you know them or not
9. Checking in with a person who lost a loved one throughout the whole year, especially major holidays and anniversaries.
10. Saying “Thanks!” to your Mum and Dad
11. Praying for your enemies or people who annoy you
12. Surprising your best friend with an appreciation letter
13. Planting flowers or cleaning up a someone’s yard
14. When someone says or does something that touches you, let them know. Tell them how they have encouraged you or helped you.
15. Try to have real conversations with people, not just small talk or talk that isn’t uplifting i.e. complaining, gossiping, etc.
16. Sending a thank you note to a person who made a difference in your life
17. Forgiving someone who wronged you and letting them know you forgive them
18. Volunteering your time with an organisation that needs your gifting
19. Hold the door for someone and smile and say hello.
20. Giving up your seat for someone whether on the bus, train or in class.

May the Gifts of the Holy Spirit
bring fire to the earth
so that the presence of God
may be seen
in a new light,
in new places,
in new ways.

May our own hearts
burst into flame
so that no obstacle,
no matter how great,
ever obstructs the message of the God within each of us.

May we come to trust
the Word of God in our heart,
to speak it with courage,
to follow it faithfully
and to fan it to flame in others.

Amen.

Friends of Saint Augustine
On the last week of the holidays, Friends of Saint Augustine are holding their congress at Villanova College and our Villanova parents and past students are most welcome to join us.

Friends of Saint Augustine is a lay movement following the spirituality of St Augustine that is attached to Augustinian parishes around the world.  They are inviting interested people to a unique opportunity to listen, explore and share the joy of walking together in “one heart and one mind.”

https://www.osa.org.au/province-updates/the-augustinian-magazine/amici-friends-of-st-augustine/amici-may-2023/

Mrs Kate Garrone, Dean of Mission and Identity

It is hard to believe we are already at the end of Term 2! It’s been another busy but productive term at Villa and each week has seen so many activities and opportunities undertaken by our boys. With so much going on, it’s easy to brush over all the things they have achieved in nine weeks, but rest assured, they have achieved so much, and we are really proud of them.

A big thank you to each and every parent for helping your son be organised, get to school wearing a uniform, get to their commitments before and after school and still have time to help with homework.

The next three weeks are a great opportunity for the boys to relax, recharge and unplug from all things school – including screen (but if it’s anything like my household, this is harder than assembling an Ikea flatpack.)

The Wellbeing Program ‘Be Your Best Self’ has now been up and running for a semester and the boys have engaged with a variety of topics to improve their mental and physical wellbeing. Some topics covered this term have been;

Year 5 Relationships:  Students learned about the importance of developing good study habits, maintaining positive relationships, and participating in extracurricular activities to develop new skills and interests.

Year 6 Positive Emotion: Students explored the power of positivity through engaging activities and teamwork exercises.

Year 7 Resilience: Students learned about the concept of resilience and recognised the impact it can have on our mental health, along with identifying skills that build resilience and help foster a resilience mindset.

Year 8 Resilience – Practical Activities:  Students were given a range of physical, hands-on activities to help them understand the concept of resilience in a fun and practical way.

Year 9: Growth vs Fixed Mindset: Students understand that learning happens through failure, effort and hard work, and that a growth mindset is the key to this process and to making progress.

Year 10: Meaning of Life: Students have been on a journey of self-reflection and connection in Wellbeing this term where they have explored the profound question of the Meaning of Life.

Year 11: Character Strengths: Research shows we are more likely to engage in life if we are aware of what our individual character strengths are. After students identify this, they are given a range of activities as to how to best use them.

Year 12: Power of Mind: A range of topics that centre around the power of mind including self-control, resisting temptation and the importance of having a growth mindset.

We are looking forward to doing more things planned with the boys next term that relate to their wellbeing, but in the interim I hope you enjoy the break and spend some quality time with your sons. If you have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, there are a number of avenues that are offered at Villanova to help. Being proactive as opposed to reactive with these issues is key so I encourage you to contact your child’s Head of Year or classroom teacher if you have concerns.

Wishing you all a happy and safe holiday and I look forward to seeing your sons and hearing their stories when they return in Term 3.

Mrs Sheridan Carey, Director of Student Wellbeing and Pastoral Programming

On Saturday 13 June 2023, Villanova College hosted Season 2 of the FUSE Cup Minecraft Esports Queensland Cup, where schools from across south-east Queensland competed in a Minecraft Edu PVP (player versus player) tournament. Our students not only participated in the competition, but also helped to organise and run the event. They showed exemplary conduct and were once again great ambassadors for our College and more broadly esports. Special mention goes to Ming Yang and Eli La Porte of Year 8 for their informative and engaging commentary or “shoutcasting” throughout the event.

Congratulations to Kelvin Grove State Secondary College and St Peters Lutheran College for consistently winning their 10 and 15-minute matches to meet in the grand final. Both teams displayed impressive skills and collaborative strategies in their gameplay, with Kelvin Grove State Secondary College winning convincingly in the end. Both teams have now qualified for the Queensland grand final, which will be held in October this year. We wish them all the best and look forward to seeing them in action again against one of our own Villanova College teams.

We also thank The FUSE Cup and Minecraft Education Global Mentor, Nathan Richards, for driving and supporting this unique esports experience for students. Nathan in particular brought a high level of expertise to the event, projecting live feeds of player action from fixed and roving cameras – it looked like Sky Sports at times!

We now look forward to Season 3 of the FUSE Cup Minecraft Esports Queensland Cup, to be held in Term 3.

Mr Jason Lane, Esports Coordinator

Director of Sport Address
Congratulations to all boys who participated in Term 2 Sports; Chess, Cross-Country, Football and Rugby. Across eight weeks of competition, over 1000 Villanova students were engaged in Sport. This is a fantastic number and credit must go to our staff, coaches and volunteers for making this possible.

Well done to our Premiership winning teams in Rugby – 9A, 9B, 7A, 7B, 7C, 6A, 6C, 5C & 5D. Further details will be provided in the Rugby section below.

A special thank you to our Term 2 Coordinators and Head Coaches. The work you all do to ensure a positive experience for all students involved is immeasurable. Thank you for your time, care, friendship and professionalism.

As we look forward to Term 3 and commence selection trials in Basketball, Rugby League and Tennis, it is important to reiterate messages around our College Selection Policy.

Selection trials are often difficult to navigate for students and families, as there are a number of moving parts and criteria considered prior to selecting AIC teams. In Basketball, Rugby League and Tennis we are limited by the number of teams we can nominate for the AIC competition. Therefore, unfortunately, some students will miss selection. It is hoped these students understand and accept the process and look forward positively to other sports and interests, whether that be at school or external. Some of these students may look to participate in Track & Field which will commence after our interhouse carnival on Thursday 17 August.

Below is a summary of the teams we can nominate in 2023:

• Basketball:
  • Open 1sts, 2nds, 3rds, 4ths
  • 11A, 11B, 11C
  • 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D
  • 9A, 9B, 9C, 9D
  • 8A, 8B, 8C, 8D
  • 7A, 7B, 7C, 7D
  • 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D
  • 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D

• Rugby League:
  • Open 1sts and 2nds
  • 10A
  • 9A
  • 8A
  • 7A
  • 6A, 6B
  • 5A, 5B

• Tennis:
  • Open 1sts, 2nds, 3rds
  • 10A, 10B
  • 9A, 9B
  • 8A, 8B
  • 7A, 7B
  • 6A, 6B
  • 5A, 5B

Finally, best of luck to our Rugby League First XIII who will be competing at the Confraternity Carnival from Sunday 25 to Friday 30 June. This of course commences with the match versus St Laurence’s College at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday 25^th June. The match will start at midday and serve as the curtain raiser for the Broncos versus Titans NRL game.

On behalf of the Villa Sports Office I wish everyone a safe, restful and enjoyable break.

Round 7 – Final Results

Chess Final results.

Football Final results.

Rugby Union Final results.

Please click on the links below for updated Term 2 results.

Communications
Families are reminded to access all Sport information via the Villanova College website and the Villanova College App. The Locker Room tab provides updated information regarding training schedules and current AIC/trial draws.

The AIC Draw 2023 can also be accessed here. A note that in some cases, draws may not match the AIC draw. Families are encouraged to always check The Locker Room for accurate draws. Weekly Team Lists will be posted regularly to the Parent Lounge and Student Cafe Portals.

Community Events
Saturday 22 July – Villanova Carnival | 4-10pm | Villanova College

Training Schedules
Please see below the trials schedule for Term 3 Sports – Basketball, Rugby League and Tennis. The trial schedule is for Week 9, Term 2. Also included are holiday clinics – these will not serve as selection trials. This schedule is also available on the website Locker Room page.

Term 3 Trial Schedule – Week 9 Term 2 and Holidays.

Please see below the The Term 3 training schedule for Basketball, Rugby League and Tennis. This schedule is in draft form and may have further changes as we approach Week 1, Term 3.

Term 3 Training Schedule.

Chess
Round 7……A Challenging Final Round

Our final round for the 2023 Chess season took us all the way over to St Peters at Indooroopilly.  Knowing this would be a tough round, Team Villa remained calm and focused to give it their very best. Congratulations to our Open IV, who have improved incredibly over the term. This was your team’s week to shine, and you did! A nail-biting, high-level round one drew the crowds to witness captain Daniel, Jack and Sebastian’s wins to put the Wildcats ahead. Ollie took on the challenge in Round 2, and despite a second-round draw, our First IV claimed the round’s win over a powerful St Peters.  Well done!

Seniors, Intermediates and Juniors played well and enjoyed the challenges of the afternoon, beginning with needing to walk almost the Kokoda Track from the bus to the venue!

Outstanding in the Intermediates was Jackson Waldie, who has hardly dropped a game all season or missed a training session and played like a true champion last Friday!

As our Juniors continue to show they will be a future “force to be reckoned with,” the highlight of the afternoon had to be Henry Dolphin’s Round 2 match.  Facing an opponent who had not lost a match the entire chess season, Henry approached this challenge in his typical confident manner. Round one saw the “unbeatable” St Peter’s lad win, but this would not deter our Henry, who gave it all he had to take our Round 2!  While the win itself was incredible, the true delight was the incredible applause and encouragement Henry received from his chess peers, from Year 5 all the way through to captain Daniel.

It is this spirit that has made the Chess season one of great enjoyment for all concerned.  I would like to thank our wonderfully dedicated coaches Maria Mascadri, Leah Belson, Liam Pereira and Edwin Choi for your support and time given to the teams. While we are not taking out any premierships in 2023, there are definite signs of promise for 2024.

We would like to see the Chess Club continue running in Term 3, so students stay tuned for updates. Remember parents have your sons register and play on the online chess club. This will improve their play skills and their ranking. https://www.chess.com/club/villanova-college/join/8118b7 Also, be sure to check out the Gardiner Chess Website for future competitions.

Finally many thanks to Shaun, Todd and Nathan in the Sports Office for your guidance and assistance in setting up this season. I truly believe that seeds of greatness have been sown for the future of Chess at Villanova……so I encourage you to watch this space!

Ms Kath Underhill, Chess Coordinator

Villanova Football
The AIC Football season concluded last Saturday with most of our teams playing against St. Peter’s Lutheran College. Our Villanova teams finished the day overall with 13 wins, 11 losses and four draws. It was a strong finish to the season for our program which is a great way to end the season. I was present at Villa Park last Saturday to watch our Junior teams play and it was very satisfying to see the significant improvement across all our teams.

The Villanova Football season saw us finish the season sixth in the aggregate. I had a lot of our fantastic coaches contact me after their respective matches on the weekend commenting on how much they’ve enjoyed the season, although we’ve probably not had the best season overall “result wise” and not performed to our high standards that have been set in previous seasons, It’s still satisfying in knowing that we have a good base to work with moving forward and a dedicated coaching team that have a strong passion for our Football program. As Football coordinator, I know that with these ingredients plus some new and exciting additional programs that we’re implementing for next season, Villanova Football will continue to be a force in the AIC Football in future years which is very exciting for the College.

As with all sports at Villanova College, we are so very grateful for the assistance we receive.   We continue to rely on the generosity of parents, Old Boys, and external coaches so we can give our boys the chance to play every Saturday.

I thank all our volunteers for the time they have given to the Football program.   I also want to say a massive thank you to all our fantastic coaches who showed great commitment across the entire season. There is a lot of work that went into the selection process, coaching and management of the 28 teams that represented the College this year and I thank you all most sincerely.

A huge thank you to our parent coaches, for what has been a successful season. I would like to thank:  Mr Peter Frederiksen, Mr Daniel Gordon, Mr David Arancibia, Mr Gavin Neale, Mr David Savage and Mr Regan Dent. A huge thank you to our Old Boys who came on board this year:  Mr Hudson Rogers, Mr Jonathon Hazidavis, Mr Dominic Ghikas, Mr Maxwell Wheatley, Mr Aston Gapes, Mr Harry Moore, Mr William Ilka, Mr Ethan Hill, Mr Andrew Stamatiou, Mr Logan Jones, Mr Riley Dent, Mr Tim Hazlewood and Mr Michael Mascadri. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the fantastic staff members who coached a team:  Ms Amanda Waterson, Mrs Nichole Rouhliadeff and Ms Bridgette Watson.

Finally, I would also like to thank all our external coaches and some current Villanova students who gave up their time to take a team for the season:  Mr Tom Carnavas, Mr Anthony Eldridge, Mr Jordan Good, Mr Johnny Javier Olivares, Mr Alex Accini, Luke Waterson, Gabriel Spina,  Seb Gutierrez and Thomas Burgess.

I would like to give a special mention to our outgoing First XI Football coach Mr Tom Carnavas, Tom has been coaching the First XI team now for many seasons and the College cannot thank him enough for his commitment and dedication over a long period of time. He was able to get a much-deserved First XI Premiership in 2022 and it’s great that he can take that very memorable achievement with him. We thank him for the countless hours spent in shaping the Villanova Football program into a much stronger position and we wish Tom and his family all the very best in his future endeavours.

Lastly, I would like to thank our fantastic ground staff Clyde, Jason and Gary for having the great facilities at Villa Park in pristine condition every weekend. The amount of positive feedback that we receive about the wonderful grounds, especially from opposition spectators, is a credit to them all.

Once again, thank you all for a wonderful Football season.  I look forward to seeing the Villanova Football program continue to grow in future years.

Mr Nathan Dufty, Football Coordinator

First XI
The First XI football team finished a commendable equal fourth just one point behind St Peters. The boys had a great start to the season with two convincing wins at Villa Park. Despite a few inconsistent results through the middle we still maintained a position in the top three right up until our last game. The boys showed a lot of character through a season of unfortunate injuries, suspensions and sickness. Our last game against St Peters would determine which one of us would take third spot.

Unfortunately, we had a few injuries in key areas, but the boys arrived ready for the battle and started the game with some positive football. We were attacking so well and creating some excellent chances. Bobby capitalised on a defensive mistake to finish with a great low shot in the corner. We were controlling the half, but St Peters were always looking dangerous with their set pieces especially throw-ins. St Peters scored to make it 1-1 at halftime.

St Peters stepped up the pressure in the second half and we conceded early from another set piece. We hit back early with a poacher’s goal from Mitchell Voss. It was locked at 2-2 with 20 minutes to go. Again St Peters stepped up and despite our efforts we conceded another 2 goals to go down 4-2. It was a very entertaining game and epitomised the spirit of school football. I was very proud of the way the boys finished the season.

I take this opportunity to announce that I am finishing as Head Coach after six enjoyable years coaching the First XI football team. I thank every person who has had a positive input into my Football journey and especially thanks to Villanova College for giving me an opportunity to coach. I genuinely hope I’ve left a positive influence on most if not all the boys I’ve coached and have helped in their journey to becoming upstanding young men.

Mr Tom Carnavas, First XI Head Coach

Rugby
Round 7 concluded last Saturday with the main fixtures against St. Peter’s Lutheran College. Villa finished the day with five wins from six games against SPLC and came away with 14 wins and seven losses overall, as many sides were in the supplementary draw or played internal games. It was a strong finish to the season, where Villa competed well throughout the season across all grades.

Villanova Rugby has had one of its most successful seasons since the AIC began, finishing the season third in the aggregate, which is our first podium finish since 2002. Many of our Junior teams went through undefeated as did some of our non-aggregate teams in Middle School, highlighting the strength of our Junior groups. Some teams fell agonisingly short of an undefeated season, but the most important aspect of the season was the overall improvement of the entire program, the delivery of the program and the willingness of the coaches and players to buy into the program and give their best each week.

Congratulations to our aggregate premiership winning teams:

9A coached by Mr Ben Francis and Mr Tim McIlwain

9B coached by Mr Sandy Taylor and Mr Justin Kerr

7A coached by Mr Josh Stanbury and Mr Damien Colbert

7B coached by Mr Anthony Caruso

Congratulations to our undefeated non aggregate teams:

7C coached by Mr Mark McCullum

6A coached by Mr Bart Ritchie and Mr Declan Ries

6C coached by Mr Hershelle Classen

5C coached by Mr Shaun Mahon and Mr Paul Economidis

5D coached by Mrs Sheridan Carey, Xavier Wincote, Ewan McCosker, Sam Binney and Matthew Linnell.

The 5D team was taken on by Mrs Sheridan Carey and she assembled a few Year 10 boys to assist her take the boys. Xavier, Sam, Matthew and Ewan, were just fantastic. They not only were extremely reliable but also managed the team well. Sometimes young men give too much freedom to the players, and they can get a little loose, but this was not the case and the boys handled everything that was thrown at them. They were organised, on time and warmed the boys up well before games. Congratulations to the four of them and to Mrs Carey for getting them in the programme. I hope this leads to many other Senior students taking on these types of roles in the future.

We would like to thank Mr Ben Mowen for his guidance and leadership of our coaching group. The preparation he put in to have our coaches ready for the season, highlights his passion for rugby and for Villanova and his desire to see the College perform well. Unfortunately, Ben is moving on and taking a coaching position with the ACT Brumbies next year and we wish him well, but I’m sure he will watch the AIC Rugby season with interest next year, knowing we have some very talented Rugby groups coming through.

Mr Steve Bremner, the First XV Team Manager, is also stepping back after taking the team since 2011. Steve has made sure everything has run smoothly and having a man of his stature in the College as the First XV Manager, makes our job in the Sports Office so much easier. Steve has a huge passion for Rugby and took on the role after coaching at Villa for two years. Since then, he has been ‘the man behind the scenes’ and always made sure everything was in its right place and knew what was going on.

Our First XV coaches, Mr Eddie Harris, Mr Jon Winsbury and Mr Matt Levander have also had a lot to do in the running and delivery of the program and their input was well received by all of the coaches. We are trying to develop a ‘Villa’ style of play, and a use of common language, so that when a player moves from team to team or year level to year level, they take this with them, allowing for a smoother transition. Their passion for rugby and for Villanova is second to none and they have a huge investment in seeing the boys perform well during the season.

Training for the First XV group began back in Term 3 last year in the gym, and as such, our players were always going to finish off 70 minutes of football better than any opposition. It’s an incredibly long lead into the season but all three men were there, inspiring and motivating the boys to be the ‘best’ they could be.

Marco Mastrorocco, our Strength and Conditioning guru was absolutely sensational in getting both the Andrew Slack and Ben Mowen squads fit and strong in the off season. You could see the difference when the boys took to the field as the scrums were solid, defence was brutal, and their endurance lasted much longer.

The Firsts finished tied with Ashgrove for Third, having won four games and losing three. In the four wins, Villa dominated those games but two losses against Padua and SLC could have gone either way. Poor ball handling and execution had Villa chasing the opposition, which put too much pressure on the boys.

There is a lot of work that went into the selections, coaching and management of the 28 teams that represented the College this year and a huge thank you goes out to our coaches, for what has been a successful season. We continue to rely on the generosity from parents, Old Boys and external coaches to give our boys a run on the paddock every Saturday. I would like to thank our parents: Mr Jason Harris, Mr David Grigson, Mr David Hollett, Mr David Harris, Mr Ryan Hunter, Mr Andrew Ryan, Mr Ben Francis, Mr Tim McIlwain, Mr Sandy Taylor, Mr Justin Kerr, Mr Nathan Spooner, Mr Vaasa Afa, Mr Damien Lyons, Mr Ron Almera, Mr Josh Stanbury, Mr Damien Colbert, Mr Anthony Caruso, Mr Mark McCullum, Mr Troy Watson, Mr Peter Green, Mr Troy Speedy, Mr Tim Fraser, Mr Shane Williamson, Mr Shane Harrison, Mr Dan Hourigan, Mr David Meredith, Mr Shaun Mahon, Mr Paul Economidas, Mr Billy Marrion and Mr James McKenzie.

A huge thank you to our Old Boys who came on board this year:  Mr Jamie Mullins, Mr Shaun Hourigan, Mr Joel O’Reilly, Mr Jack Daly, Mr Alessandro Porecca, Mr Domenic Franco and Mr Declan Ries. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the staff members who coached a team. Thank you to Mr Terry Gaffney, Mr Pat O’Halloran, Mr Mick Garske, Mr Matt Levander, Mr Mannie Navarro, Mr Kirk Astill, Mr Alex Russell, Mr Hershelle Classen, Mr Tom Peel, Mr Chris Paterson and Mr Bart Ritchie. It is fantastic to have so many staff members contributing to establish a positive Rugby culture within the College, and to have confidence that any issues that arise at training or on game day will be quickly sorted out.

Finally, I would also like to extend a massive thank you to all our members of the Villanova community who offer to help with refereeing and officiating for each of our home games. Thank you to Mr Rhys Patterson, Mr Paul Woodward, Mr Ben Henry, Mr Matthew Campbell, Mr Sandy Taylor, Mr Troy Watson, Mr Jamie Kernot and Mr Dave Capra. We were also very lucky to have students who signed on to referee, this year Harvey Barrie and Eli Capra joined the referee ranks, and we look forward to them gaining more experience and becoming more involved next season.

Without the ongoing support and assistance from the many members of the Villanova College community, the 2023 season would not have run so smoothly, and we thank you all most sincerely.

The Final Rugby Aggregate Points table for 2023 is below. Schools are awarded points from eight to one depending on their finishing position and an overall score allocated to each school.

Mr Chris Everding, Rugby Coordinator

Dogs at AIC Sporting Venues
A reminder to all parents that due to Health and Safety requirements, all AIC Sporting venues are dog free venues including Villa Park. Please do not bring your dog/s.

Strength & Conditioning
S&C sessions will recommence in Week 1, Term 3. The new schedule and sign up for Term 3 S&C sessions will be available on the Locker Room page soon.

Exciting news for Villanova College students: Speed & Agility Training sessions will be available from Term 3, 2023. More information to come very soon!

Rugby League
Save the date – Villanova College vs St Laurence’s College, Confraternity Rugby League game, 12noon Sunday 25 June, curtain-raiser to the Broncos vs Titans game at Suncorp Stadium.

External Achievements
Congratulations to Jed Normington (Year 6) who was recently selected in the Queensland U12 AFL team. Jed will be attending the National Championships in August. Well done, Jed.

Mr Shaun McLean, Director of Sport

Thank you and well done – one semester down, one to come…
I would like to thank all families involved in the Music program here at Villa for their engagement over this semester.  We have had quite an active term and I appreciate the time and effort our students have put in and the support they receive from their families to make this happen.

We are embarking on our ‘premiership’ term in Term 3.  Our community will be hosting almost 15,000 students (25,000 visitors in all) over four days from 17 – 20 August, as we have our friends and colleagues descend on Villanova College for the Queensland Catholic Schools and Colleges Music Festival.  It is a great event and one that is enjoyed and remembered by so many.

This event is our opportunity to live our charism of community.  We require assistance from all members of our community – families, students, teachers – to ensure the festival runs smoothly.  We will be reaching out to everyone very soon regarding our performance times and requesting support through volunteering over the event.

I look forward to joining with all our QCMF family – both new and ‘old’ members – as we make this year’s festival one of the best on record.

Old Boys’ Round – Villa Park
Just a quick message of congratulations and thanks to the team supporting our Drumline and The Shamps at Old Boys’ on the first weekend of June.  Both ensembles did a great job representing our Music Department in front of the broader community – we look forward to sharing in more opportunities as these programs develop.

Many thanks to Mrs Mountford, Mr Campbell, Mr Miller, Mr Hartley and the AV crew, along with the students and parents than made themselves available to support this endeavour.  Well done and congratulations!

Middle School Workshop – Week 1 Term 3
Our Middle School workshop afternoon will be convened on the Thursday afternoon of Week 1, next term.  Students in Camerata SO, Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, and Guitar Ensemble 2 (TBC) will participate in an extra rehearsal then be transported to Garden City for ten pin bowling.  Information will come to families over the next week.  There will be no cost for this event.

Key Dates Term 3
As we look ahead across the coming months, please ensure we pencil the following dates into your diary:

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/barbecue

Villanova Branded Camp Chairs – $35; Wildcat Coolers – $30
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.

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

Mr Michael Jones, Director of Music