Villanova College
Villa View – Issue 17, 20th October 2023
Villa View – Issue 17, 20th October 2023
It has been a full and challenging few weeks since our last Villa View. Just two days after Villanova worked in partnership with the new Brisbane Holocaust Museum and brought together eight Catholic schools in a Justice Forum: Learning from the Past…. Standing Up In 2023! the terror of Hamas unfolded in Southern parts of Israel near the Gaza Strip which is now becoming a war zone. There is loss, tragedy and grief for all. There is a growing sense of how volatile the whole area is. What does standing up mean in this context? How do we build peace in a time like this? Certainly our prayers for peaceful resolution are needed here in what is an incredibly complex situation.
In Australia our referendum to change our constitution to provide our First Nations people a voice to parliament did not pass. In our area we voted ‘yes’ and as we look at this and the results across our country there are many questions that we need to be asking, and most importantly at this time we need to be companioning First Nations people in our own lives that we know to ensure them that we are listening to them, that we love and care for them. At Villanova, we deeply appreciate our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, staff and families. What is clear is that our journey of reconciliation as a nation is far from over.
Into the mix of all of this there is so much that is good that is going on for our students at Villanova. Students have been serving breakfast at Emmanuel City mission; there have been groups out with Rosies providing friendship and a cuppa to those on the street; 26 students and staff are on the countdown for our immersion program to the Philippines with AFAS; our bees have been making honey that needs to be collected; Vinnies are preparing for the Christmas hamper appeal; YAYM has run a sausage sizzle to fund breakfasts for the homeless; and Harry Masson graduated the Ozanam Leadership Program through Vinnies. This is the rich tapestry that is our life! In our quieter moments of the week I invite you to pray with me Joan Chittister’s prayer for conscience and courage that I included in our last newsletter, and which is still so relevant.
Loving God,
lead us beyond ourselves
to care and protect,
to nourish and shape,
to challenge and energize
both the life and the world
You have given us.
God of light and God of darkness,
God of conscience and God of courage
lead us through times
of spiritual confusion and public uncertainty.
Lead us beyond fear, apathy and defensiveness
to new hope in You and to hearts full of faith.
Give us the conscience it takes
to comprehend what we’re facing,
to see what we’re looking at
and to say what we see
so that others, hearing us,
may also brave the pressure that comes
with being out of public step.
Give us the courage we need
to confront those things
that compromise our consciences
or threaten our integrity.
Give us, most of all,
the courage to follow those before us
who challenged wrong and changed it,
whatever the cost to themselves.
Prayer for Conscience and Courage by Joan Chittister
‘To lose yourself in the service of others!’
Celebrating the work of our Ministry Captains in 2023
As our Year 12 students complete their final weeks of school, we gathered for our annual dinner to celebrate the work that our Ministry Captains have led in gathering students together to make a difference in our community at Villa and beyond. Our Ministries are all student led and the projects and works that are done through them flow from the ideas, interest and passion of our students. It is a simple model, and it works.
This year each week there are five ministry groups in action in the school coming together to think about how to create engagement and belonging in our College community; caring for our environment, our bees, Norman creek; raising awareness for people who are struggling and needing the support of others; raising money and gathering together hampers for those in need; developing our Global VILLAge through building Augustinian connections through AFAS.
We were joined last Thursday by guest speakers from Emmanuel City Mission, Rosies, Fight for Balance and Habitat Brisbane. All spoke about how they aim to make a difference in the lives of others. All shared about their connection with students from Villanova college. Rob Jansen spoke about the act of planting a seedling for a tree that will grow and hopefully thrive for 200 to 300 years. This is an act of hope. It is about doing something small now to make a lasting difference in the future. A great insight into what is at the heart of serving others.
Our Ministry Captains Isaac Solomon and Joaquin Wieczorek spoke with the group gathered about the impact that Ministry has had upon them. Joaquin focused on the power of losing yourself in the service of others and how indeed that leads to the development of community and a finding of oneself. Isaac, on behalf of the boys gave a special vote of thanks to Ms Nicole Jervis for her positive influence and the way that she encourages, supports and enables our students in taking action. She is an inspiration to the Ministry students, and he expressed the gratitude he feels as a graduating student. He also wished her well as she takes 2024 off as she focuses on mothering and the growth of her own family. We will miss her and look forward to her return.
It has been such a privilege to work with our Ministry Captains in 2023. They have led their peers well. They have been outward focused and generous with their time and energy. They have had a heap of fun, doing their bit to make our world a better place! We wish them and all our seniors who have been involved in ministry all the best for their futures. We hope we will continue to see their good works out in the world and that they will continue to lose themselves and find themselves in the service of others.
Date Claimers for Term 4
AFAS Immersion 2024: Invitation for current Year 9 and 10 students and parents to attend an information session
Students in Year 9 and 10 are invited to apply for the AFAS immersion to the Philippines which will be held in the September holidays of 2024. We are holding an information session for interested parents and students to attend on Thursday 2 November from 7.30-8.30pm in the St Thomas of Villanova Auditorium.
Final assembly for our Year 12 students
Today our Friday assembly was dedicated to our Year 12 students. It was their final full College assembly at Villanova College. It is our opportunity to recognise the unique contribution they, as a cohort, have brought in their time at the College. For the beautiful ceremony, we were joined by many parents of our Year 12s. If you missed the assembly, you can still view it online here: https://www.youtube.com/live/PoWtte05HWY?si=EJ5llnJX27jlbwsJ
Mass for All Saints – 9.30am on Friday 3 November
Our Term 4 College Mass focuses on people across Christian history who have followed the call of the gospel to love others. They are our saints, and we draw on their lives as inspiration for our own. This mass is also a time when our community calls our Year 11 students into the role of leading our school community. It is marked by a movement into white shirts. An outward sign of the role each senior student plays in taking responsibility for how they learn, engage and create community and culture in our College. We will be blessing those too who will take on specific student leadership roles. Many of our Year 11 parents will be joining us for this mass, and certainly we will extend the welcome through a shared link on Social media.
Pastoral Masses
Our College chapel has been filling with students and parents as the junior school students celebrate their class masses. With all that is happening in our lives and in our world locally and globally creating spaces to stop and pray is part of our DNA here at Villanova College. It builds community and it links us with the Christian tradition which can guide us in the challenges and hardships alongside the joys in our lives. Whilst these masses have a roster, there is always room for more students, staff and families to attend. Parents are welcome to attend when their son’s mass is on, and we love it when grandparents come to. Masses are held in our chapel and start at 8am and are finished by 8.30am.
Please ensure that your son is present when his pastoral or team is gathering.
Term 4
| Tuesday 24 October | 5 White |
| Wednesday 25 October | 5 Blue |
| Thursday 26 October | 5 Gold |
| Tuesday 31 October | Open for all – Feast of All Saints |
| Wednesday 1 November | Open for all – Feast of Holy Souls |
| Thursday 2 November | Incoming student leaders 2024 |
| Tuesday 7 November | Eucharistic Ministers |
| Wednesday 8 November | 9PC3 (rescheduled from T2) |
Mrs Kate Garrone, Dean of Mission and Identity
Director of Sport Address
As we approach the end of one year and begin planning for the next, it is important to acknowledge the role our coaches play in the development and growth of our young men.
Across fourteen AIC Sports in 2023 the College has employed over 200 coaches. This includes all sectors of our community from staff, Old Boys, parents, students and external professionals.
Coaching at Villanova College is a volunteer role; meaning it is a way to give back to the school without the expectation or need for reward. In essence, our coaches model our Augustinian values of Humility and Community through their offering of charity and teaching.
On behalf of Villanova College, I would like to extend a thank you to all our wonderful coaches, managers and coordinators, who thanklessly give up their time to afford our boys opportunities to learn and thrive through sport.
Important dates – Term 4
Term 1 Sport registrations have now closed as we approach selection trials in AFL, Cricket and Volleyball. Please see important dates below for Term 4:
- From Week 2 – AIC Swimming training has commenced on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday mornings at Langlands Pool
- Week 4 – AIC Cricket selection trials commence (all year levels)
- Visit the Locker Room page for the full Week 4 Cricket Selection Trial Schedule.
- Week 5 – AIC AFL and Volleyball selection trials commence (all year levels)
- Visit the Locker Room page for the full Week 5 and 6 AFL Selection Trial Schedule. Also on the Locker Room is the full calendar of events for AFL in season 2023/2024.
- The Volleyball Selection Trial Schedule for Week 5 will be available soon.
- Week 6 – Pre-season games vs Iona College
- Week 7 – Pre-season games vs St Laurence’s College
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.
AIC Draw 2024 – Draft only
Please find attached the “draft” AIC Draw for 2024. Please note this is only a draft version and changes may occur prior to the commencement of Term 1, 2024.
Return of Basketball and Rugby League Hire Jerseys
Final reminder. All students who played Basketball and Rugby League in Term 3, 2023 are required to return their hire jersey to the Uniform Shop. This was required by Monday 16 October but has now been extended to Thursday 19 October. Failure to return jerseys will incur a fee of $110.
AIC Touch Football Invitational – Saturday 21 October at SLC Playing Fields, Runcorn
Villanova College will enter four teams into the AIC Touch Football invitational this coming weekend. Our teams will consist of 1 x Primary (Year 5 and Year 6), 2 x Year 7/8, and 1 x Year 10/11. Further information regarding the carnival can be found below:
Date: Saturday 21 October
Venue: St Laurence’s College Playing Fields, 18 Nathan Road, Runcorn.
Time: Draw posted on the Locker Room page. Approx 8am first game – 12.30pm.
Uniform: Villa HPE shorts, sport socks and playing shirt provided by the Sports Office
Students are reminded to please bring lunch as this will not be provided.
A special thank you to Ms Want, Mr Classen, Mr Russell and Year 12 students Caden and Connor for coaching our teams this weekend.
Mr Todd Kropp, AIC Touch Coordinator
AIC Water Polo – Sunday 22 October at Marist College Ashgrove
Thank you to all the swimmers who have nominated for the 2023 Water Polo competition. If you received an email from Mr McLean this week, then you are part of the squad for the competition this Sunday.
The games will be held at Marist College Ashgrove pool (112 Glenlyon Drive, Ashgrove) this Sunday 22 October. The draw can be found via the link below.
There is an opportunity for the Year 7 team only to have a practice session on Thursday afternoon at the Villa pool (session is from 3:15-4:15pm – at the Villa pool, not Langlands).
- Year 7 students need to arrive at Marist College pool by 7:30am (finish by 11:20am).
- Year 8 and 9 students should arrive at 7:30am (finish by 11am).
- Year 10 and 11 players should arrive by 11:30am (finish by 2:30pm).
All teams will be supervised and coached by our Water Polo Coordinator Mrs Jacobs and our external coach.
Boys are to wear Villa sports attire to and from the venue – HPE shorts and HPE shirt or Villa Sports shirt, etc. All players must be in togs or skins for matches (no board shorts).
Boys are encouraged to bring a wide brimmed hat, sunscreen, water and food. There is also a canteen available.
We are required to have parents assist on the bench as per the schedule. If you are available to help, please let Mrs Jacobs know on arrival. We appreciate your assistance.
AIC Water Polo Tournament Draw – 22/10/22
Mrs Juanita Jacobs, Water Polo Coordinator
Term 1 Sport Registrations
Term 1 Sport registrations are now closed. Students are encouraged to visit the Sports Office if there are any changes to what was submitted online.
Training Schedules
Please see link below with the Term 4, 2023 training schedule. This schedule commenced in Week 2, Term 4 (from Monday 9 October). This training schedule is only for Weeks 2-4, Term 4.
Villa Sport – Term 4, 2023 – Training schedule
Following Cricket selection trials in Week 4, an updated training schedule will then be posted from Weeks 5-8.
For all updated information regarding training and selection trials schedules, please visit the Locker Room page of the Villanova College website.
AIC Cricket 2024 – Selection Trials Commence Next Week
Cricket trials will be conducted next week at Langlands for all students wishing to trial for a team in 2024. All students who trial will be placed in a team. Players can bring their own gear to the trials, but the college will have cricket kits available for use. This is the first stage of the trials, and the boys will be graded on their batting and bowling by independent selectors. Following the net session next week, phase two will be conducted on Sunday 29 October at Villanova Park, where the boys will be asked to trial against other Villanova students to compare apples with apples. Students will then be placed into trial teams for games to be played in the new year.
** Please note – all year levels below are 2024 year levels. For example, if your son is currently in Year 6 (2023), he will attend the Year 7 (2024) trials on Tuesday afternoon 24 October.
Year 6 – 12 (2024) Cricket Trial Schedule – Trials conducted Week 4, Term 4 – 2023
| Monday 23 October | Tuesday 24 October | Wednesday 25 October | Thursday 26 October | |
| 6:30am – 8.00am | Cricket
Year 9 (2024) at Little Langlands
|
Cricket
Year 11 and 12 (Opens – 2024) at Little Langlands
|
Cricket
Year 10 (2024) at Little Langlands
|
Reserve session in case of rain |
| 3.30pm – 5.00pm | Cricket
Year 6 (2024) at Little Langlands |
Cricket
Year 7 (2024) at Little Langlands |
Cricket
Year 8 (2024) at Little Langlands |
Reserve session in case of rain |
Cricket Trials – Selected players only from Year 7 – 10 (2024), Sunday 29 October 2023 at Villanova Park
Please note the trial games for cricket will be played on Sunday 29 October at Villanova Park. These trials are for selected teams/students only from Year 7-10. Depending on whether player numbers increase or decrease during the trials next week, some games may be added or cancelled.
Date: Sunday 29 October 2023
Venue: Villanova Park, Manly Road, Tingalpa
Uniform: Villa cricket whites or any suitable sports clothing
* All players need to be at their respective venues 30mins prior to the commencement of their game.
Years 7 to 10
Venue: Villanova Park, Manly Road, Tingalpa
| Time | Andrew Slack | Fr John Seary | Villa Park No 3 | Villa Park No 4 |
| 8.15am – 12.30 pm | Year 10 A/B (2024)
35 Overs |
Year 9 A/B (2024)
35 Overs |
Year 7 A/B (2024)
30 Overs |
Year 7C/Gold (2024)
30 Overs |
| 12.45pm – 5.15pm | Year 8 A/B (2024)
30 Overs |
Year 8 C/D (2024)
30 Overs |
AFL Queensland Primary Schools Cup – State Champions
Our Junior School (Year 6) AFL team showcased grit, pride, tenacity and unwavering determination throughout the recent tournament, ultimately clinching the 2023 AFL Queensland Primary Schools Cup.
The battleground was the Maroochydore Multi-Sports Complex, where schools from across Queensland converged for the competition. The tournament posed a gruelling challenge, requiring the team to play a demanding schedule of 6 x 20-minute games in hot, windy conditions on Friday.
In an epic showdown against St Vincent’s Primary School in the semi-final, Villa turned the tables from their pool match, emerging victorious 2-4-16 to 1-0-6. Throughout the competition, the boys played for one another, demonstrated excellent football IQ and self-belief. Ultimately, these strategies propelled them to success, enabling them to triumph over All Saints Anglican Primary School in the Grand Final with an impressive score of 7-5-47 to 4-3-27.
At the conclusion of the Grand Final, all players were presented with individual medallions and Tom Ford was also presented with the medallion for Best on Ground. All players represented Villanova with distinction and thoroughly deserve the success they’ve achieved.
Congratulations to all students involved (listed below) and our amazing coach and Villanova staff member Mr Conlan.
Zone Cricket
In case of bad weather, parents are to contact their team manager directly. Notices for zone cricket will not be placed on the College App.
Training times for Zone Cricket from weeks 4-9 at Little Langlands are below:
| Session Time | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | |
|
6.30am-8am |
Year 5, 6 and 7 | Year 8, 9, 10 and 11 | Make up session for rain |
Mr Nathan Dufty, Zone Cricket Coordinator
External Achievements
Our Captain of Track and Field, Hugo Harrison (Year 12) continues to go from strength to strength following his 100m and 200m victories at the AIC Championships. Hugo finished a remarkable first in the 200m at the State Schoolboy Championships and second in the 100m. Hugo will now represent Queensland at the National Titles in April. Well done Hugo!
College Captain Mitchell Rieck (Year 12) recently competed at the annual Bridge to Brisbane 10km race. Mitchell performed outstandingly finishing second in the Under 18 years category and 25th overall, with a lightning-fast time of 33 mins and 56 secs. Congratulations Mitchell!
Leo Gellweiler and Harrison Borg (Year 5) represented their basketball associations at the recent Basketball Queensland State Championships. Following their success as teammates in the Villanova 5A team, Leo and Harrison found themselves on opposite sides of the court during the tournament; but they still found time to catch up for a friendly photo. Well done boys!
Mr Shaun McLean, Director of Sport
Address
24 Sixth Avenue, Coorparoo, Brisbane, QLD 4151 Australia
Villanova College is an independent Catholic School for boys under the care of the Augustinian Order. Striving for excellence in boys’ education as an Augustinian community one in mind and heart on the way towards God.
