Villa View: Issue 13/21

Dear Members of the Villanova College Family,
The unconditional love of a mother is a powerful force. St Augustine of Hippo experienced the unconditional love of his mother, Monica throughout his early life. Augustine as a young child rebelled against the tight controls his mother placed upon him. “In Augustine’s description of his early life, Monica appears above all as a relentless figure: ‘She loved to have me with her, as is the way with mothers, but far more than most mothers.” (Brown, Augustine of Hippo)

Monica had a burning desire that her son, Augustine would receive a good education and to know God. She never gave up on this dream and worked relentlessly to ensure Augustine had every opportunity to receive a useful education and to come to the realisation that God was indeed calling him to higher ideals.

This Sunday on Mother’s Day, we give thanks to our mothers. We are grateful for their unconditional love for their children and the many sacrifices they make on a daily basis so that their children can have the life they desire for them.

Happy Mother’s Day to all our Villanova College mums. I hope you are spoilt on Sunday and your children say thank you.

Mobile Phones
The current smartphones have a far greater capacity than many of us realise. With a smartphone, our young people have access to a world outside our boundaries and it can be difficult to keep track of where our students may venture on their phones.

Recently we have become aware that students are receiving inappropriate materials via “air drop” on their phones. Normally you have to accept a picture or video from another phone to receive the item. However, in the cases we know about the identity of the sender is not disclosed and students will still accept the air drop from an unknown source.

It is time parents and caregivers take a moment over the weekend to remind their son about the expectations of proper use of smartphones. These are powerful tools in the hands of young people, and they need our guidance.

Thank You
Thank you for your support on Saturday at the AIC Sporting Competition. I am not aware of any incidents on the day and the students played their games in the right spirit and displayed good sportsmanship.

The conditions made the day more difficult with a lack of cover on the lower fields, but  despite the weather our spectators persisted with their support of their teammates.

We will continue to expect the highest standard of behaviour of all players and spectators involved in the AIC Sporting Competition. We look forward to welcoming our fellow AIC Colleges to Villanova Park during the 2021 season.

Week Four Check In
Week Four is always a great time to check in to see how our students have settled back into school life after the Easter break. With the group of Year 12 students I am mentoring as their Academic Coach we have concentrated on being organised and planning for the week ahead. One of the tasks the students must complete each week is their weekly timetable, showing me their commitments and how they will manage their time. Many students are leading very busy lives with sporting, cultural and work commitments during the week whilst being a full-time student with 30 hours of school time.

Our young people need assistance to be accountable for how they use their time. They need that adult voice to make sure they are being reasonable and not putting down unrealistic study times that will be hard to maintain.

Prayers
We keep in our prayers all the peoples of the world as they deal with the effects of COVID. We pray governments and leaders will realise in a pandemic, no one will be safe until all people are safe. We especially keep the people in India in our prayers.

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

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. 

It is fitting that the Focus of The Week this week in the Junior School emphasises how to practice gratitude. This Sunday 9 May, we will celebrate Mother’s Day, and how it is important that we take the time to truly appreciate the wonderful women who are Mothers, who are preparing to be Mothers, who are no longer with us, and to those who show a high level of care to others around them. Mums are often taken for granted, especially with Year 5 and Year 6 boys, but I am hopeful this weekend our fine young men can practice gratitude and put into words or actions how thankful they are for them.

I am confident that perhaps I was not the best at showing gratitude to my own Mum when I was in primary school. Even though I am sure she knew that behind every grunt, and one-word-answer, there were myriads of unspoken statements of love and thanks. My parents worked their hardest to provide my two brothers and myself with the perfect childhood.

My Mum, Kathryn, worked nights for many years, only to wake up the next morning and get us ready for school. I fell into a habit of making Mum her morning cup of tea, putting it next to her bed, and waking her up. It was a small gesture, possibly even the least I could do, but I enjoyed the bond that we were able to develop during the morning routine. Like most mothers, my Mum is the definition of self-less. In 2014, when I flew down to Sydney to watch the Rabbitohs in the grand final, I know Mum was back home in Brisbane cheering just as loudly as I was for the Bunnies to get up, just so I could have a good day. The same thing happened the following year when she barracked her hardest for the North Queensland Cowboys, so my brother Tom could fulfil one of his dreams of seeing his team win the grand final live. Mum has always backed our dreams, no matter how small, or insignificant they may have been.

My Mum always says that we are a lot alike, I think she is completely wrong. I do not even come close to having the same levels of patience, compassion, humility, or intelligence that she demonstrates on a daily basis – but she does give me the aspiration to strive for those qualities.

Watching my wife Chrissie adjust to life as a mother of a now 9-month-old has been life changing. I have been able to see first-hand the daily sacrifices that a mother makes to ensure the happiness of her baby. I am sure I am not the only father that is often left scratching their head wondering where my wife learnt everything she knows about being a caregiver. She is a personal chef, chauffeur, activities director and world-class organiser. She is also the only person I have ever met who can accurately translate the babble, cry, and gasp of a baby to work out exactly what she needs in that moment. Chrissie shows the skills of a mother with minimal sleep and without complaint. Little Georgia and I count our blessings every day that we have her by our side. Georgia likely will not appreciate everything her mum does for her until she is much older, similarly to how I now on reflection have a better understanding of everything my mum did for me.

I am sure our Eighth Avenue pick-up zone is full of one-sided conversation with parents asking their boys questions about their day, only for their son to say fine, stare out the window, or put their eyes on their devices. Just know that deep down they truly appreciate every sacrifice you make for them, even if they have a tough time articulating themselves. As Pastoral Area Leader of the Junior School, I am fortunate I get to work with all our boys, alongside our wonderful staff. I often pop into classrooms and made a special point of listening in on circle time conversations this week. To prove that our boys are capable of practicing gratitude, I wanted to share some highlights from the conversations. I did promise to maintain the various conditions of circle time that many classes have, one of which being confidentiality, so I have chosen not to name any individual students.

“She motivates me” – 5 Blue student

“She’s beautiful and kind” – 6 Green student

“She always makes me laugh, even when she forces me to wave goodbye to her in the car” – 5 Gold student

“She gives really great hugs” – 6 Red student

“She never gets as mad as Dad” – 5 White student

“Even when I’m rude or mean, she never judges me or gives up on me, she helps me learn and always has my back” – 6 Gold student

 Junior School boys, I know your mums, aunts, grandmothers, godmothers, and close family friends care about you more than you may ever realise. They do not want anything in return for the care they provide you, your love is more than enough. In the theme of practicing gratitude however, I ask you to consider what the special women in your life do for you. Are you grateful for every hug, kiss, and high five? How can you show your thanks and appreciation for every opportunity that has been given to you?

Happy Mother’s Day to every member of our Junior School community this Sunday. I hope you can spend time with loved ones and make memories that will be cherished in the future.

Mr Callum Hackett, Acting Pastoral Area Leader – Junior School

We have recently learnt that a large number of Middle School boys have been exposed to inappropriate and explicit material via their mobile phones. Each of the Middle School classes have been spoken to about this matter and I ask for your support and heightened awareness.

Here is what is known thus far:

• Some boys (including older students) have been using Snapchat to follow accounts that feature explicit pornographic videos, or videos that depict vulgar or demeaning sexual acts.
• Some of these clips have been downloaded or recorded.
• During afternoon bus trips (including both public transport and bus trips to Villanova Park for rugby/football training) these clips have been shared amongst students with iPhones via AirDrop.
• AirDropping such material has become a recent trend during these times. It has been done anonymously by the sender changing their phone’s name to “iPhone”, thus not identifying themselves. Boys have been either ignorantly or willingly accepting the videos (not always knowing what they are accepting).

I am extremely disappointed that our Middle School students have been exposed to this material. To date, our investigations have not uncovered the persons responsible, and I suspect further investigations will not enlighten us more due to the anonymity of airdropping

My advice to you as parents is as follows:

• Talk with your son about their knowledge of the current situation.
• Discuss with him appropriate use of his smart phone; including access to Snapchat and other social media platforms and the use of AirDrop.
• Instruct your son to never accept material via AirDrop unless the sender clearly identifies themselves and discloses what they are sending.
• Consider smart phone restrictions and monitoring software. Here are a few useful resources:
  o Use parental controls on your child’s iPhone, iPad and iPod touch
  o Internet Safe Education
  o eSafety Commissioner
• Encourage your son to speak with you if they ever come across inappropriate material online.

Speaking with adolescents about pornography can be a challenge for many parents, but they are conversations that need to occur, as they help our boys know our and expectations. For assistance with these conversations, the Raising Children website has some useful resources: Pornography: talking about it with teenagers 12-18 years.

I thank you for your ongoing support. Please contact your son’s Year Level Coordinator if you have any further questions regarding these matters.

Mr Greg O’Neill, Head of Middle School

The Value of Dedicated Focus
I read with interest an excerpt from a lecture given by William Deresiewicz entitled ‘Solitude and Leadership’ in respect to his comments about the importance of focus over multitasking. He stated the following:

Multitasking, in short, is not only not thinking, it impairs your ability to think. Thinking means concentrating on one thing long enough to develop an idea about it. Not learning other people’s ideas, or memorizing a body of information, however much those may sometimes be useful. Developing your own ideas. In short, thinking for yourself. You simply cannot do that in bursts of 20 seconds at a time, constantly interrupted by Facebook messages or Twitter tweets, or fiddling with your iPod, or watching something on YouTube.

I find for myself that my first thought is never my best thought. My first thought is always someone else’s; it is always what I have already heard about the subject, always the conventional wisdom. It is only by concentrating, sticking to the question, being patient, letting all the parts of my mind come into play, that I arrive at an original idea. By giving my brain a chance to make associations, draw connections, take me by surprise. And often even that idea does not turn out to be very good. I need time to think about it, too, to make mistakes and recognize them, to make false starts and correct them, to outlast my impulses, to defeat my desire to declare the job done and move on to the next thing.

I spoke to my Year 10 students in their Formation Program workshops over the last two weeks about the importance of engaging in process over product; that when you invest in assessment processes, give yourself the time to focus on quality planning and drafting in an environment free of distraction, the end product will take care of itself. Unfortunately, this continues to be a challenge for our young men, and we collectively need to reinforce the vitality of time and organisational strategies in ensuring our students submit their best work.

 Pillars of Wellbeing – Exercise
As stated previously, the importance of cultivating the pillars of wellbeing is vital in maintaining both physical and mental health. Those pillars are mindfulness, exercise, nutrition, and sleep. According to latest research from the Washington University School of Medicine, the more muscle strength that men have, the less frequent they think of depressive thoughts. In speaking with students in my ACP class, I discuss the benefits of incorporating fitness and exercise into their weekly program and it is great seeing the number of students in the Senior School with gym memberships. Whilst we know that there is still a culture in society of men less likely to seek therapy, tackling depressive symptoms with the endorphins of exercise might be a first step.

Building Character and Cor Unum Spirit
Last Saturday’s commencement of football and rugby fixtures against Iona was an extraordinary day, especially with the heavens opening and rain sweeping across the fields of Villanova Park. Congratulations to the First XI Football team in their impressive victory in front of the many Old Boy supporters.

Unfortunately, the First XV experienced a heartbreaking loss, conceding a try after time had expired to lose an epic battle. As I reflected upon how members of the team would be coming to terms with their defeat, my mind immediately returned to Rudyard Kipling’s seminal poem ‘If’, and the lines which sit above the entrance to the centre court of Wimbledon – ‘If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two impostors just the same.’ Whilst we all like to win, it is only temporary. On the flipside, losing is momentary too. It is the courage to show grace in both situations and build character in life that counts.

I would like to congratulate the Cor Unum Spirit Committee for their work last Saturday and affirm the conduct of all Senior School spectators who stepped up and provided outstanding support to our players. Seeing the grandstand filled with our students in their academic uniform was brilliant – we have set the standard now to follow for the remainder of the season. Well done gentlemen!

“Character is formed in the stormy billows of the world.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Mr Matt Levander, Head of Senior School

The Heart of Being Mother – Living Gratefully and Walking Humbly!
One of my most treasured pictures was a photo my sister took minutes after the birth of my first son.  It is a close up of his hand reaching out to touch mine, and my husband’s hand wrapping around both of us.  Somehow, even all these years later it transports me back to the birthing suit and that miraculous moment of bringing another person into the world.

Before his arrival, I do not think I had fully comprehended that as I birthed him, I was becoming something new as well in the process.  A mother!

I know that from that moment, life has never been the same.

The way I see the world has been altered permanently and deeply.  It was as though every relationship around me shifted and altered in a profound way.  I saw further, I cared more, I knew deeper, I trusted more intuitively, I worried in a widened circle, my thoughts and concerns became more layered.  Most significantly mothering has been a journey into love and understanding the complexity of choosing to love.  It has also been a window for me into God’s love, and how big, wide, intimate and deep that love is.  I have returned again and again to Psalm 139 where God speaks across time to each of us, reassuring us that we are uniquely and wonderfully made.

For our mothers, I hope that this Mothers’ Day there is an opportunity to reflect upon:

• How the experience of mothering shaped, stretched and enriched you?
• What you are grateful for in the journey of motherhood?

We wish all our Mums a very happy Mothers’ Day!  We hope you are well celebrated on Sunday.

Mothering God,
We ask you to bless all our mothers.
We thank you for their lives and for everything they do for us.
We ask you to watch over them and keep them in your care.
We pray for all the mothers who have gone before us,
may their presence always live on in our life.
We also pray for all the motherly figures in our life who we admire and look up to.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Rosies – Friends on the Street
On Friday nights across Term 2, teams of Senior students and staff from Villanova are heading out for a night in town a little different from normal.

These teams are joining the Rosies street van and spending a few hours in Roma Street reaching out to the most abandoned, to be present with them, offering them the experience of community and belonging.

Each week the night involves the following:

1. The team meets at the branch base at the designated time and over the course of an hour they catch up with each other to develop the sense of community and family that we take on to the street.
2. They prepare the van, share relevant information, and review recent street reports so they know what has been happening on the street.
3. The Team Leader conducts a simple reflection with the team and leads the Rosies prayer, then the team travels to the outreach location together in the Rosies van.
4. The team spends two hours on the street sharing friendship with a simple drink and a bite to eat.
5. After two hours the outreach is concluded, and the team travels back to base together in the Rosies van.
6. The team, unpacks, cleans up and has a debrief before leaving for home.

The night finishes with the Rosies Prayer which captures so well the experience of the night:

O Jesus,
Make our hearts so human,
That others may feel at home with us,
So like Yours,
That others may feel at home with you,
So forgetful of self
That we might simply become the place where You and they meet
In the power of Your Love and the joy of Your friendship.
Amen

Villanova Ministries in Term 2
As Term 2 gets fully under way our Ministry teams are in full swing.

YAYM (Young Augustinian Youth Ministry) have been busily running our Mothers’ Day stall raising funds for AFAS and Breast Cancer Research.

The Green team has transformed their meetings to make teams with projects based on volunteer interest so that more projects to make our school more sustainable can be achieved.

Vinnies are launching into their Winter appeal.  Donations from our families, including long-life milk will be gratefully received.

YCS are continuing to visit the Junior School to provide companionship and sport.  This term they are running a kick ball competition.

AFAS are keeping in touch with our partnering projects and schools in the Philippines, including sending video messages of congratulations to students on scholarships.  They are also seeking old shoes that are in good condition that will fill the remaining space in boxes of uniforms that will be heading to our partners.

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

Ms Kate Garrone, Dean of Mission and Identity

Round 1 of the AIC Chess, Rugby and Football season was played against Iona College over the weekend. In terms of results, some teams fared better than others. Some won by large margins and some were well beaten. In my eyes it was good to see that most games across the board from Year 5 -12 in both codes were competitive.

Given some of the issues we faced the week before in our trial round, I was particularly happy with how our boys entered the spirit of competition last weekend. The boys rose to the occasion and were great ambassadors of the College which contributed towards a trouble-free round of fixtures, as it should be.

Last Friday the College hosted an assembly to acknowledge those boys who are participating in the current AIC sports season. At present we have well over 1000 boys across the College who have signed on to play Rugby, Football or Chess during this term. This number is outstanding. It is great to see so many boys are connecting with the College and with their mates in this way. Well done boys!

At the assembly we were also able to present our First Chess, Rugby and Football teams to the College. These boys have worked tremendously hard during the pre-season and we wish them all the best for the rounds ahead.

The College assembly gives me the opportunity to address the boys, it is commonplace for me to continually challenge the boys to be the best they can be and for them to represent themselves and our College with a high sense of pride and to play and train with commitment. Overall, I could not help but be impressed with the teams over the weekend. The confidence, commitment and improvement shown by our players, particularly within our rugby and football programs, was very noticeable. I could not help but think that our rugby and football pre-season programs are making a significant difference.

Whilst we enjoy the boys being competitive and giving their all on the weekend, we must be mindful not to go overboard. First and foremost, we encourage boys to get involved and enjoy the experience of playing sport. This must be at the heart of why we play. At times, the intense physicality of these games, particularly the higher graded games can bring out the best and worst in people. Foul language, fighting, yelling and unsportsmanlike conduct has no place in the AIC sporting arena and certainly has no place at Villanova College. The support of our parents to reiterate this same message to the boys would be greatly appreciated.

As we head into Round 2 of AIC Rugby and Football fixtures, I ask everybody involved to give some serious consideration to the College’s expectations listed below. I hope to have the support of our entire community to ensure that these are being met throughout the season.

Expectations of Villanova Students

All players to run on the field in a tidy manner. Socks pulled up!

• We encourage all teams to chant the school war cry after the game (if victors)
• All team members of the previous game are to stay behind and form a ‘run on’ tunnel for the next team before departing the ground. No one leaves until this is done.
• As each boy wears the Villa uniform and is seen to be a representative of our fine College his conduct should be in keeping with the traditions and values we instil in our students. Inappropriate and unsportsmanlike behaviour on or off the field is not accepted.
• Adherence to the spectator uniform policy regarding the wearing of the academic uniform
• Be welcoming of our guests from other Colleges.
• We expect 100% effort and a strong will/passion from all players to do well for the College, the team and yourselves – School Pride!
• Commitment to the team and College throughout the entire season (making yourself available to play on long weekends, not pulling out etc.)
• Attend games at least 30 minutes before kick-off to prepare well, some coaches may require players to attend earlier.
• Get involved and enjoy the time spent with friends and coaches.
• Support the Villanova Sports Club by purchasing food from the Villanova Park canteens as the money raised helps to fund Villanova sport projects.

These are just some of the College’s expectations.

Achieving favourable results should not form the only reason why we participate in sport. Having said this most people who play sport are keen to be victors. There is no shame in anyone wanting to do well, in fact, it is encouraged. However, the way we go about it is important. Humble in victory and gracious in defeat and always in a positive sportsmanlike manner is our preference.

I hope our boys and coaches have a strong drive to do well this season. I hope that all teams can further develop pride in themselves and in their school by the way they conduct themselves whatever the result. I hope we all experience the desire to work hard and be determined to keep up the efforts throughout the entire season, particularly if the chips are down. I wish everybody all the best throughout the season and most of all – I hope we all enjoy it!

Round 2 will be played against St Peter’s Lutheran College this weekend. As we have many more teams than the opposition College it does mean most of our teams do not match up and will be playing in the supplementary competition against others schools this weekend. Please ensure you check the weekly schedule carefully and turn up to your venue at least 30 minutes prior to kick off. We have teams here, there and everywhere this weekend.

I challenge all Villanova men to stand up and be counted this weekend to produce our very best on the paddock. Good luck to all!

Mega-Raffle
The Villanova Sports Club is again running a Mega-raffle in 2021. First prize is $10 000 and only 200 tickets will be sold at $100 each. You could buy one ticket on your own or perhaps you could form a syndicate with friends. Over the next two rounds the mega-raffle tickets will be on sale at the Villanova Park canteen. All proceeds will benefit Villanova sport.

Villanova Park Training – Parent Pick Up
I ask parents to ensure that they pick up their son/s by the allocated finish time at Villanova Park after training. All boys are to be collected by 5.00/30pm (depending on the coach) please.

Publication of Weekly Team Lists
Due to privacy issues, the posting of sporting team lists on the website will no longer occur from this point onwards.

Students and their families can now access the team lists through an online link. This link will be emailed to all families each week and will not be published on the website for all to see. Please click this link to open a folder to view the Round 2 AIC Rugby, Football and Chess team lists for this weekend.

All other information regarding sport, including general messages, training schedules, weekly fixtures, coaches contacts, by-laws etc can still be accessed through the normal channels, that is, via the ‘Locker Room’ page on the website. Please be advised that this will be a short-term solution. The College is currently working on a better way to provide this information in the future.

AIC Chess, Rugby and Football Fixtures, Friday 7 and Saturday 8 May – Times and Venues
All times and venues for this weekend’s fixtures against St Peter’s Lutheran College are available on the College’s website. Please be advised that many teams have a supp game against other Colleges. Please check the schedule carefully.

AIC Trimester 3 – Rugby League, Tennis (managers), Basketball Coaches Needed!
Currently the College is seeking coaches and managers of the abovementioned sports for the up-coming AIC Trimester 3 program. Trials will begin during the last week of this term. The season will be conducted during Term 3 as per the College calendar.

If you are keen to assist the College by taking on a role of coach or manager, please email the respective people below:

• Basketball Coach – Email Mr Sean O’Neill: soneill@vnc.qld.edu.au
• Tennis Manager – Email Mr Todd Kropp: tkropp@vnc.qld.edu.au
• Rugby League Coach – Email Mr Blake McLauchlan: bmclauchlan@vnc.qld.edu.au

Trimester 3 Sign-Ons – Rugby League, Tennis, Basketball and Track & Field
The Sports Office plans to release the Trimester 3 Sign-On Forms for those wishing to play AIC Rugby League, Tennis, Basketball and Track & Field early next week. All those wishing to play must complete an online sign-on form. The link to this form will be posted on the web next week.

Please Note:

Basketball

• Year 5 and Year 6 Basketball will now be played on Friday afternoon. Year 5 and Year 6 students can play basketball on Friday as well as either Tennis or Rugby League on Saturday
• Year 7 – 12 students will play basketball on Saturday and cannot play Tennis or Rugby League as they are played at the same time.
• There will be approximately four teams per year level.

Tennis

• Year 5 – 12 students will play tennis on Saturday mornings. These students cannot play Rugby League or Year 7 – 12 Basketball as they are played at the same time.
• There will be two teams per year level.

Rugby League

• Students can only play AIC Rugby League if they have played AIC Rugby Union or AIC Football. Rugby League coaches will be present at some of the rugby union rounds to look at players as part of the selection process. This will not determine the teams as some may be playing AIC Football, but it will give the coaches a guide as to the quality of players we have as the majority will be playing rugby.
• There will only be one team per year level in Rugby League. The teams will be – Year 5, Year 6, Year 7, Year 8, Year 9, Year 10, First Rugby League (combined Year 11 and Year 12 team), probably around 20 players per age group.
• Rugby League Players cannot play Year 7 – 12 Basketball or Tennis.

Track & Field

• Students can participate in any other sport as well as Track & Field. Track & Field training will commence halfway through Term 3.

Track & Field Pre-season Throws Training – Discus/Javelin and Shot Put
Get a jump on the AIC Track & Field by training with Michael Criticos. Michael is a Villanova Old Boy, class of 2012, with an extensive background in Track & Field events. Michael is a qualified HPE teacher and a current accredited Level 1 throws coach. Michael gained his degree at the University of Memphis where he also represented the University’s Track & Field team on scholarship.

Michael and the Sports Office will be offering training for discus (7, 14 and 21 May) javelin (28 May, 4 and 11 June) and shotput (18, 16 July and 23 July). Discus and Javelin will be on offer to Year 7 – 12 students only and Shot Put will be available for all students. All registrations will be done via an online form. This link is found below. A separate registration form will be released for each throws event.

Training will run on Friday afternoon from 3.15pm – 4.30 pm at Little Langlands.

Please note – if you register, that means we expect you to commit to all the discus training dates. Places will be limited, if numbers exceed our cap, the Sports Office will contact the students successful.

Registration Link – https://form.jotform.com/VillanovaSport/track–field-pre-season—discus-tr

AIC GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS
The annual AIC Golf Championships will be held at Indooroopilly Golf Club next Monday 10 May. Mr. Stariha has met with the team this week and has emailed all details to the parents involved. Mr Stariha will drive the bus leaving at 5.40am on Monday. Boys are to meet in front of Goold Hall. The boys should return to the College for normal pick up at 3pm. Parents are most welcome to collect their son from the venue after the tournament. Best wishes go to all!

AIC CROSS COUNTRY REPORT
Mr Brian Pascoe, AIC Cross Country Coordinator

Congratulations to Kyan Simpson and Charley Hegarty who both recorded excellent performances at last week’s Composite District Cross-Country Trials. Kyan and Charley both qualified for team and will contest the Metropolitan East Regional Trials next month, good luck boys.

In Cross-Country more so than in most other sports ‘consistency is king’. I would like to acknowledge the training efforts of Alex Jenkins, Michael Anderson and Joaquin Wieczorek who are yet to miss a training session this season, although all three boys have quite a busy schedule.

‘Running rewards consistency and resilience. So does life. Keep showing up.’ Des Linden

As such, Michael and Joaquin are setting the pace at training and Alex is in career best form with his running. Well done boys keep on setting the pace and tone for the Running Wildcats.

It is now a month to the AIC Cross-Country Championships, time to really commit to training with the Villa’s Running Wildcats.

Year 5 and Year 6 Cross Country Report
Mr Tom Lonergan, Cross Country Coach

As of Wednesday, we only have four weeks left to prepare for the AIC Championship. Fortunately, many of the squad members took advantage of the holiday training and the special public holiday training sessions. As I look over the roll, I see that 38 Year 5 and 20 Year 6 boys have done some training. There are a number who have not yet honoured their nomination to run Cross Country. Another thing I have noticed with the Cross-Country boys is the extraordinary involvement they have in the Villanova Sport offerings. Added to this is their commitment to Cultural pursuits and community sport. Where do they get the time?

Seventeen boys (seven x Year 6 and 10 x Year 5) will have their first inter school competition event of the season, the Lytton Trial, which is being held tomorrow at Villanova Park. (results in next week’s Villa View.) Those successful will move onto the Met East Trial and ultimately to the Qld Age Championship. Villanova has boys capable of making it all the way. There are also AIC Trials on Wed. 19th and 26th May. These trials are after school and Bus transport will be provided. All Cross-Country squad members are required to attend these trials. Selection of the 12-man AIC team will be based upon results of these trials, the trial held on 19th April and performance and attitude at Training. There is a phrase often directed to very busy people, it goes like this: “If you want something done – give it to a busy person” That, I believe, best describes the Junior Cross-Country runners! Remember: Cross Country runners have Big Hearts!

AIC RUGBY
Mr Chris Everding, AIC Rugby Co-ordinator

Even though Villanova was on the wrong end of some rugby games on the weekend, we are very proud of the way the boys dug deep, had a good go at Iona and fought hard right to fulltime whistle. Many sides showed gritty determination in their defence and attacked the opposition with aggression but fell short by a few points. This was very evident in the 9A, 10A and First XV matches with all three games being played in wet and trying conditions. Overall, Villanova had a total of nine wins, one draw and 18 losses.

The First XV match was again a close score line between the two Colleges and Iona pegged back an eight-point deficit with 10 minutes to go, to come away with a win in the dying seconds. The boys should be proud of their efforts, as it was a very good game, but we are sure the feeling at the end of the match was hard to swallow. Moving forward, they have a challenge against St. Peter’s this Saturday away at Indooroopilly but are taking the many positives out of last week to ensure they are prepared for the match.

This week we come up against a number of Colleges for Round Two and this will be a home round for our junior boys. We ask all players to stay around and support the other teams in their year level or head over and watch the firsts. Just a reminder to all boys to please arrive 30 minutes before your scheduled kick off time to allow for sufficient time to prepare and warm up for your game.

Being part of a team is important for many of our students, whether that be in their classes, the workplace, or a sporting club. We have many players involved in either Rugby or Football this year and they should all be making the effort to stay behind or arrive early and support other teams in your year level and support all players who wear the Green and Gold. Team unity is a goal that we strive for but there were a number of teams on the weekend that were short of reserves as players from the previous game just left. Some teams had to finish their matches because they simply had no players to put on the field. Every player is to check with their year level coaches and bench for the next team.

Best wishes to all teams!

Round 1 Rugby Results v Iona College

Team of the week Round 1

AIC FOOTBALL
Mr Anthony Kemp, AIC Sport Co-ordinator

Round 1 against Iona was always going to be a tough way to start the AIC football season. Our Villanova sides stood up to the test and performed very well in the first round of the season. At the end of the day, we had a total of 14 wins, three draws and 14 losses. It certainly was great to see football back on again at Villa Park and being well supported by our community.

The First XI came away with a dominant four to two win against Iona. Not only did the First XI have to compete with the opposition but also the conditions as the rain began pouring down at kick-off and lasting most of the match. Villanova opened the scoring with a goal to Ben Hermiston after some dominant play by our boys to start the match. Iona wrestled back some of the momentum to equalise and make it one – one. Unfortunately, we left our guard down and Iona scored another quick goal to go two – one ahead. It was great to see from this point on that our boys did not put their heads down but instead continued to play their brand of football and look for opportunities. Ben Hermiston once again put the ball in the back of the net to level the score at two – two.  Our next goal came through Caelan Campbell to take us to a three – two lead which was then sealed off by a hat-trick goal from Ben Hermiston. This was a strong start from the First XI side who are looking to push for the top spot this year. It does not get any easier this week as they prepare to take on St Peters who we have had some close games within recent years.

We will be taking on St Peters this weekend in Round 2 fixtures. I ask all parents and players to check the draw carefully this week for game times and venues. Our Year 5 – 8 teams will be playing at Villanova Park and our Year 9 – Opens teams will be playing away.

I would like to remind all players about the importance of training to the best of their ability and ensuring that what is practised at training filters into the game. There were a number of close games last weekend and if players continue to put in the hard work, hopefully we can turn some of those close results into wins for Villanova! In addition, please ensure that if you are absent from training that you contact your coach prior to training so that the coaches can plan effectively and get the most out of training sessions.

Good luck to all of the players and coaches this week in your matches against St Peters.

Round 1 Football Results v Iona

Villanova Park Canteen Schedule
The Sports Club requests the assistance of parents to help serve or cook at our canteens on the weekend. As players should arrive at least 30 minutes before their game for warm up we propose parents could work in the canteen during this time. After the warmup period working in the canteen parents could then see their son’s game. If we all pitched in it would make the task less demanding for others and helps build the community spirit. Please help if you can.

AIC CHESS
Mr Jack Lamb and Mr Nic Verity, AIC Chess Co-ordinators

Whilst not an overall win for Villanova, round one versus Iona College produced some outstanding results, nonetheless. Strong performances include the Senior A and Junior teams, with the Seniors narrowly missing out on a draw by one point overall. Special mention to Samuel Carroll who achieved back-to-back scholar’s mates and Thomas McDougall who continues his undefeated run from the trial rounds. We are playing away versus St Peter’s on Friday and will meet outside the STEM lab where morning training sessions are held. See you all there.

 Round 1 Chess Results v SPC

REPRESENTATIVE SPORT
Congratulations to Flynn Spooner, Hugh Stanbury, Tom Longland and Charlie Farmer, who were selected in the Met East No. 1, U12 Rugby Union Team and to Ryker Smith and Eddie Lawrance, selected in the Met East No. 2 team. They will compete in the State Rugby Union Trials in July. This is a great result for the boys as there has not been this number of boys representing the College at Met East level in Rugby before.

Congratulations to Thomas de Brito who swam at the recent Qld School Sport State Championships and as a result was selected to be a member of the Queensland School Sport 13 – 19 Years Swimming Merit Team. Due to COVID 19 the state teams will not compete at any higher competition this year. However, they still choose a merit team if the nationals were to continue.

In any case, a great achievement. Well done, Thomas!

Well done to Nick Craig and his volleyball playing partner Ethan van Wiel (from BGS) who won silver at the Under 16 boys Australian Youth Beach Volleyball Championships held at Coolangatta from 26-29 April 2021.  They lost to a team from NSW in a very close game two to one.  A great achievement by both boys. Well done Nick!

Best wishes to Tom Feenstra who will be competing at the Australian Baseball Senior League championship in Lismore shortly. Tom plays for Brisbane Metro Baseball at a regional level and his team were the tournament winners at the State Titles in April which means they are now the Queensland team selected to participate in the upcoming National Championship. We wish Tom and his team the very best at the nationals.

Pictured Below – Tom Feenstra in action with the bat and ball.

Mr Craig Stariha, Director of Sport

Augustine Centre Update
As of this week, the College has employed a hygienist as a project manager for the remediation of the Augustine Centre.  We have had the final contractors through the centre and expect the quotes for the work to be submitted to the College Board for consideration late this week.  I am looking forward to being able to communicate information regarding the commencement of works next week.  Thank you all for your ongoing patience as we negotiate this challenging period.

Lessons and Rehearsals – attendance and effort
Whilst our program continues, somewhat dispersed around the College, we continue to work diligently towards our calendar of performances later this year.  We have a series of events coming up toward the end of term that we will be communicating shortly, and all ensembles are preparing for their QCMF recordings early in Term 3.

Regular lesson and ensemble attendance is vital as these are the two contact periods students have each week.  Preparation and punctuality are key elements of participation; we need all team members present and prepared to ensure we maximise our time together.  These behaviours are a responsibility not only to the self, but also to the whole ensemble – we demonstrate respect to our colleagues through our behaviour and effort.

Entertainment Publications Memberships
Entertainment memberships are one of the Music Support Groups main fundraisers.  Just click on the image below 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 or barbecue.

• Villanova Branded Camp Chairs – $35
• Wildcat Coolers – $30

Purchases can be collected from the Music Office and all profits will go to the Music Support Group. All items can be purchased via Trybooking through the following link:  https://www.trybooking.com/BMEML

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.

Michael Jones, Director of Music

Click here to purchase: https://www.entertainment.com.au/orderbooks/22002q9

SCHOOL PHOTOS
Silver Rose Photography will be taking class groups, individual and sibling photos on the following days:

Thursday 20 May: Year 12 cohort and individual photos and Year 11 class groups and individual photos

Year 12 cohort are to be at Goold Hall, ready to be photographed at 7.00am sharp.
Year 11 students are to be at Goold Hall, ready to be photographed at 8.40am sharp.

Please wear full winter academic uniform, including tie, long trousers and blazer.

Monday 24 May: Year 5 to Year 10 class groups and individual photos and all sibling orders

Please wear full winter academic uniform, including tie (and long trousers and blazer for all Year 10 students).

Sibling packages MUST be ordered before Thursday May 20. All class group and individual orders MUST be in before Monday June 7 to avoid a late fee of $9.  Please note that Silver Rose never place student images online to view before purchase due to security reasons. If you are not happy with the image provided, Silver Rose will refund upon return of the photos.

Please click here for ordering instructions.

LIBRARY ROSTER (TUESDAY 10 MAY  – FRIDAY 14 MAY)
All volunteers rostered on this week will be contacted directly by the Library.

TUCKSHOP ROSTER (TUESDAY 10 MAY  – FRIDAY 14 MAY)
All volunteers rostered on this week will be contacted directly by the Tuckshop.

FLEXISCHOOL ISSUE WITH STUDENT CARDS
After contacting Flexischools regarding issues students have been having with their cards for Tuckshop purchases, we ask the parents of boys affected to re-confirm that your son’s card is linked to your Flexischool account.

To do this, log in using either the App or Website, select Students and then edit your son’s details to add his student number in the Student Card number field. Remember to save after editing. How do I link a student card? https://community.flexischools.com.au/s/article/How-do-I-link-a-student-card

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITY TRAVEL REBATE – Semester 1, 2021

• Does your child have a verified disability that requires transport assistance to and from school?
• Has your school’s learning support teacher assessed your child’s travel capability rating as ‘semi-independent’ or more dependent?

Visit our website to see if you qualify for financial assistance to help with the cost of transport and apply at www.schooltransport.com.au by May 2021. Late applications cannot be accepted after 31 May 2021.