Villa View: Issue 19

Dear Members of the Villanova College Family
Planning for the construction of the new grandstand and player facilities at Villanova Park is continuing with urgency. An important aspect of the planning process has been to identify the issues that need addressing through the redevelopment of the site. Town planning and approvals are currently being undertaken. Traffic studies to determine possibilities for a new entrance are also being investigated.

The Master Plan developed following consultation with our community shows the following key concepts.

• Expanded parking options
• Removal of all buildings at the front of the site including relocation of canteen
• Seeking alternative entrances to the site
• Function room with catering facilities
• New grandstand and changerooms
• Toilet facilities for the lower fields
• Improved connectivity between top fields and bottom fields on the site

The first priority for the Villanova Park Project is to begin construction of the new grandstand and associated players facilities. With careful planning, I am hopeful this project will commence well before the end of the year.

YEAR 11 – 12 ASSESSMENT BLOCK

Assessment Block for students in Years 11 and 12 will commence on Tuesday 19 June through until Wednesday 27 June. Students have access to their Assessment Timetable via Student Café and families can view this Assessment Timetable via the Parental Portal. Our young men will need some support to ensure they are organised for this End of Semester Assessment Block. Prior planning and preparation will ensure students arrive on time knowing where exams will be held and having in their possession all the required equipment. Students need to be checking with their teachers over the coming days to ensure that they understand clearly the requirements for the upcoming assessment.

A great site for Top Ten Exam Tips is https://www.youthcentral.vic.gov.au/study-and-training/help-with-study/how-to-study-better/top-10-exam-tips.

AUGUSTINIAN SCHOOLS EXCHANGE

Our visitors from St Rita’s School, Chicago are on their way home following two weeks in Australia. I sincerely thank our host families who generously opened their homes and hearts to our visitors and welcomed them wholeheartedly into their families. In speaking to the students and visiting teacher, Mr Kevin Reed, all participants in the exchange thoroughly enjoyed the experience and gained new insights into life in an Australian school. Thank you to Mr Sean O’Neill, Mrs Danielle Galpin, Mr Peter Meecham and Mr Adrian Hellwig for their support of our visitors during their stay. 

PRAYERS

We keep in our thoughts and prayers the Abraham family, following the death of Mr Harry Abraham, Grandfather of Isaac (Year 12), Elijah (Year 10) and Jonah (Year 5).

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

You have made us for Yourself O Lord,

And our hearts are restless until they rest in You 

God bless

Mr Mark Stower, College Principal

On Monday, all College teachers were engaged in a “Meeting to Learn” professional development session after school.  A focus of this time was devoted to feedback.  How do we give feedback to others?  What factors make the best impact for feedback?  It was a valuable way for Junior, Middle and Senior School teachers to share their best practices and pick up on new opportunities.  At a time when assessment is coming home to all Junior School parents, this is the time to consider how aware our students are about their learning achievements at the end of Semester One.

Hattie and Timperley (2007) have been informing educators for years how important feedback and communication is with our students.  Relationships matter, and our boys need to know that teachers know who they are, what they love about life and what is a real challenge.  Having a connection between student and teacher means learning outcomes are much more likely to be reaching the potential of the learner.

What we are now understanding about feedback is that it’s given in about as many ways as there are teaching pedagogies.  This is convenient for a teacher who “knows what they know”, but not always best for the student trying to get from A to B with meaning.  Our feedback may need a little more focus on the ten and eleven-year-old mind and the need for specific, timely and directed feedback.

We need to make time for feedback and that cannot always be seen clearly in unit plans.  What works best for one student, is not going to be a perfect fit for the boy next to him in class.  Written feedback which has long been favoured to show accountability by teachers, has little impact on our students.  Where do they look straight away – the grade!  What’s the most important message, is it good enough or not?  So, the feedback we give needs to become less “fix it” and more “check this again”.  We need to build a mindset that wonders, makes second attempts and therefore actually processes information for themselves.  I already see evidence of this in the way Year 5s began trialling “colour coding” in the narrative drafts this term.  This was proposed by the “Write that Essay” team, who continue to give us valuable insight into improving boys’ writing, spelling, vocabulary and grammar/punctuation.  See a sample below.

Blue     Sentence length needs to be changed

Green  Doesn’t make sense

Pink     Error (spelling, punctuation, grammar, etc.)

Orange Try to use better language

Yellow  Check your tense/first person/third person

Feedback does need a balance of positive and constructive.  The positive motivates the learner to persevere and work productively.  A mixture of intrinsic motivation (this needs time to develop in young men) and extrinsic factors (always appealing to our lads), should be employed at home and school.  Constructive feedback can mean that boys need to show resilience and determination to make changes that see improved outcomes.  That final mark is worth every bit of effort.  When a student has done his absolute best, he can be proud.  Our sons deserve to be proud at the end of a semester – my hope is that every boy has achieved their best in some way this week.

Mr Stephen Rouhliadeff, Head of Junior School

Over 80,000 people poured into the MCG on Monday afternoon to watch the traditional Queen’s Birthday clash between Collingwood and Melbourne. Not only were they treated to a great game of footy, they also bore witness to a tremendous outpouring of support for the motor neurone disease (MND) cause.

The annual Big Freeze event is supported and organised by AFL legend Neale Daniher. Mr Daniher, a former Essendon player and Melbourne coach, was diagnosed with MND in 2013.

Preceding Monday’s game, ‘the Big Freeze’ charity event raised over six million dollars for MND research, a truly remarkable effort by all those involved.

For those who didn’t get to see it, the most special moments undoubtedly belonged to Daniher himself. He openly disclosed that 2018 would probably be the last year he would be able to ‘actively’ participate in the event because by next year the disease would most likely have taken speech, if not his life. Daniher’s display of courage, grit and generosity was truly inspirational and by it he put a face to the thousands of MND sufferers Australia-wide and their daily battles.

As we move into next week, I’ll be sharing part of Daniher’s story with the Year 7s in their Personal Development (PD) lessons. Over the past few weeks we’ve been exploring character strengths and the boys have been using the VIA Character survey developed by Pennsylvania State University to help discover where their own particular strengths lie.

This free survey can be taken by youths or adults [there is a different instrument for each] at: http://www.viacharacter.org/www/Character-Strengths-Survey and in the interest of flipped learning, this video is great intro the Character Strengths and why they’re important: https://youtu.be/kq-rOelLciE

Daniher epitomises the character strengths of grit, courage and bravery and what makes him inspirational is that he doesn’t just have these strengths, he uses them to empower others and to enlist them to join his fight against MND.

I have little doubt that most Villanova families are, or have been, touched by stories like Daniher’s. They may not be someone famous, but they are our loved ones who bravely fight/fought illness or disease. They are our heroes, not because they are/were unwell, they are heroes because they model for us the strengths of character and the virtues that lie within us all; often just waiting to be unlocked by circumstance.

As adults, we are the enablers. It is up to us to use our stories and our wisdom to ensure that our young people can ‘unlock’ their strengths.

Greg O’Neill, Head of Middle School

Examination Block Expectations
Next week all Senior School students will enter into end of semester examinations, with Year 11 and 12 students granted the privilege of being on examination block whereby they are only expected to be on campus for their exams. During Form Meeting this week, Year 11 and 12 students were once again reminded of the College’s expectations during this block. They are as follows:

1. Exam block is a privilege not to be abused;
2. Nothing changes regarding our high expectations of student conduct;
3. Students must be attired in full academic uniform at all times, for any reason (e.g. handing in an assignment);
4. Students must be appropriately groomed, especially clean shaven- students will be sent to Langlands to shave if necessary;
5. Students are to be present for their examination at least 10 minutes prior to its commencement with all necessary equipment;
6. If students are studying on campus, they may use the Tolle Lege Library for independent study or the SSC for collaborative study- Ms Neighbour will monitor student traffic in the library and may cap student numbers accordingly;
7. No food or drink is to be consumed inside the SSC during study;
8. Students must be respectful of the rest of the school who are still on their normal timetabled schedules;
9. Students are not permitted to be playing games (basketball etc..) unless it is during normal break times;
10. Students are only permitted to congregate at cafes/ restaurants if they are on their way home and are to be respectful of patrons and conscious of how they are representing the College.

Best wishes to all Senior School students during this examination period.

Year 10 Transition into Senior School Interviews
Throughout this term, Year 10 Pastoral Area Leader Mr Sean O’Neill and myself have had the pleasure of interviewing the Year 10 cohort, exploring their transition into the Senior School. The opportunity to spend 15 minutes with each student has been incredibly purposeful and rewarding for both Mr O’Neill and myself as we have explored the study routines and subject engagement of all Year 10 students as well as how they have connected with the career education and SET Plan process throughout this term’s formation program. One of the key messages we have been emphasising is the importance of effective study revision strategies, particularly as this cohort will be the first to embark on external exams at the conclusion of their Year 12 studies. If parents would like to discuss the progress of your Year 10 son, have no hesitation in contacting either Mr O’Neill or myself at the College.

Cocurricular Involvement
Last weekend marked the conclusion of the second trimester of the College’s sporting calendar. Congratulations to all Senior School students who contributed to the chess, football and rugby programs, particularly Senior School chess players who were a vital part of the chess team which took out the AIC Chess Aggregate for 2018, as well as players in First XI football and First XV rugby for their significant improvements this season.

Associated with the preparation of the first semester reporting process, staff are currently preparing for the data entry of student involvement in cocurricular activities and programs offered by the College. As I have stated previously, it is my expectation that all Senior School students will contribute to the cocurricular life of the College throughout the year, whether that be on the sporting fields, the stage or through various ministry and cultural endeavours.

The opportunity to attend an educational institution such as Villanova College and be able to engage in the richness of opportunities offered outside the classroom should be valued and embraced. I will be asking the Pastoral Area Leaders to peruse the cocurricular involvements of each Senior School student following the finalisation of semester one reports, and we will challenge those students who have not yet made a commitment to a College activity.

‘Life it is not just a series of calculations and a sum total of statistics, it’s about experience, it’s about participation, it is something more complex and more interesting than what is obvious.’- Daniel Libeskind

Mr Matt Levander, Head of Senior School

Building Resilience for Academic Success
Building resilience in adolescents is key to raising successful children. Anybody involved in a child’s upbringing is responsible for developing characteristics such as grit and determination. There is significant literature that has been published that examines how adults can assist young people in becoming resilient. Literature published through the University of Melbourne, titled Building Resilience in Young People and Children (Cahill et. al, 2012), points to five key areas in developing resilience and wellbeing. One of these key areas is the identification of an individual’s strengths.

As we move into the final weeks of the term, and examinations loom, there is a tendency for levels of nervousness to increase. It is of course very natural for this to occur; at reasonable levels, feeling this way is good for performance. However, given that many students see examinations as minimising what they do wrong rather than what they do right, there is a tendency to adopt what is referred to as a deficit model, and nervousness can become anxiety.

Rather than looking at how we can ‘fix’ our sons / students, choosing to focus on a strengths-based approach – identifying student’s abilities and positive qualities – is a far more constructive approach. This works proactively to build upon strengths and gives more opportunities to be successful whilst building a strong sense of self-worth. This then allows the student to attack areas that are not strength areas or need improving because their levels of resilience are higher. I would encourage parents, as they no doubt ride the examination rollercoaster with their son, to find positives to focus on in this last few weeks of term.

University of Queensland Young Scholars’ Program
The University of Queensland’s Young Scholars Program (YSP) provides high-achieving secondary school students with a unique and inspiring opportunity to discover, learn and engage with UQ’s academic community. This program is also an opportunity for students to engage with other high achieving students across many learning disciplines and be mentored by university academic staff. It is open to students achieving academic excellence across a range of subjects and is not just STEM related.

The application processes opened on 28 May 2018 and all applications must be lodged with UQ by 10 August 2018.  A statement of support from the College is required as part of the online application and this can be coordinated with the assistance of the Curriculum Office.

Further information can be found at the following link:

https://young-scholars.uq.edu.au/

Should you require any further information, please contact the Curriculum Office on 3394 5521.

Tutoring Opportunities for Term 2

Staff Tutoring
Tutoring offered by staff commenced in Week 1 of the term. The list of opportunities can be accessed here.

Student Tutoring
The ‘Homework Hub’ is being led by a committed number of Year 10, 11 and 12 students aiming to provide assistance to students in the Junior and Middle Schools. Details are as follows:

When:              Tuesday and Thursday mornings (7.30 to 8.15am)

Where:             Tolle Lege Library

Aim:                 Junior School students – Homework assistance

Middle School students – Homework assistance, assignment help and examination preparation.

Students wishing to attend the ‘Homework Hub’ can sign on with their core teacher or simply attend on the mornings listed above. 

Mr John Christie, Dean of Teaching and Learning

Tournament of Minds
Tournament of Minds (TOM) is an exciting opportunity for students with a passion for learning and problem solving to demonstrate their skills and talents in an exciting, vibrant and public way. TOM offers teams of students the opportunity to solve authentic, open-ended challenges that foster creative, divergent thinking whilst developing collaborative enterprise, excellence and teamwork. The challenges that students are set are in the following disciplines – The Arts, Language Literature, Social Sciences and STEM.

If you think your son might be interested, students are invited to participate in a mini TOM ‘Creative Thinking’ workshop next Monday or Wednesday afternoon from 3.05 – 4.30pm.

More information can be found at www.tom.edu.au or students can simply come along and find out what TOM is all about! Students in Year 5 to Year 10 are encouraged to participate.

Please email Expressions of Interest to kunderhill@vnc.qld.edu.au stating full name, year level and preferred afternoon and more details will follow.  Students in Year 11 and Year 12 might like to assist training a team. 

Mrs Kath Underhill, Tournament of Minds Coordinator

Performing Arts News
Artists in Residence Program – Topology

I am excited to announce that the ARIA nominated, and award winning musical group Topology will be official artists in residence to the Villanova College Performing Arts. They will help facilitate students in writing original compositions through a series of workshops in class, and then the group will perform these student works in a daytime concert in the Hanrahan Theatre on Thursday 23 August, alongside the students.

The students had their first workshop with double bassist Dr Robert Davidson (who is also the Senior Lecturer for Composition at the University of Queensland) this last Tuesday, in which they explored motif writing and expansion using a variety of compositional devices. We look forward to hearing the premieres of the completed works in August and wish the students all the very best in this exciting venture.

Mrs Belinda Tucker, Acting Curriculum Area Leader – The Performing Arts

Mission Day Proceeds
Thank you to all for your generosity on Mission Day, the profits so far amount to approximately $11,900.  I also know that many boys suffered in silence with leftover tickets and I thank them for their support. The first $10,000 of the money raised provides the full high school education for the 16 “scholars” whom we support. On Mission Day, we displayed letters and videos of thanks from the scholars and their families. The gist of education is a gift of hope. The rest of the money will go to local projects, some of which the boys discern. In the last Exchange, in 2017, the students chose to leave money to help nine-year-old “Muscles” get back to school and to provide an operation for John to heal a cleft palate.

Kokoda Challenge
Under the humble leadership of Mr Brian Pascoe, the two Kokoda Challenge teams will be holding a Sausage sizzle tomorrow for $2 cash. The quality will be better than Bunnings, and all proceeds go to the Kokoda Foundation. The other benefit is that our students have a boys-to-men experience in working together to walk 48 km across rugged terrain, not only during daylight hours but also overnight. The Challenge allows them a direct experience of courage, mateship, sacrifice and endurance.

Year 12 Retreat                                                                                
The Year 12 students were privileged this morning to meet the founders of Milly’s House. Commemorating a vibrant young woman who endured a difficult mental health journey, Milly’s House provides safe, community housing for young people who otherwise would simply be discharged from hospital with pills. The students themselves nominated mental health as an area they wanted to learn more about on their Year 12 Retreat. Through this encounter with Milly’s mum, I think that our young men will really switch on to the way their humility and willingness to learn makes a big difference to organisations like Milly’s House. The other community outreach organisations that the students have chosen to learn more about and do a sponsored walk for are Rosie’s, The Big issue and Blind Eye Ministries.

All these organisations would affirm the vital importance for young people of taking time out of a busy year and making contact with the individual’s inner values and direction.

Mr John Holroyd, Dean of Mission & Identity

AFAS ELDERS UPDATE
The Augustinians in Cebu along with Fairtrade Philippines have modified their initial plans and use for the building AFAS Elders are assisting to construct and fund.

This building will now be mainly a community centre which will also be used as the main production area for mat weaving (done by hand). These mats are sold for P400-P700 (approx. $9.00 – $17.00).

For those wishing to assist the Elders reach their target of AUS $8000, you can contribute towards the cost of any construction materials (e.g. bags of cement/assorted nails etc), or transport costs required to get all materials to the island. 

Please see the building costings here

Donations may be transferred/deposited into the following account:

AFAS

BSB 064-786

Account Number 019232109

When making deposit/transfer, please put ‘AFAS ELDERS’ in the description as well as your name and what item you are donating:

e.g.     Smith      concrete

If you would like to remain anonymous, please put “anon”.

Unfortunately, AFAS is not a registered charity, so donations are not tax deductible, however if you require a receipt, please email thindmarsh@vnc.qld.edu.au.

Mr Tony Hindmarsh, AFAS Elders Coordinator

Queensland Catholic Schools and Colleges Music Festival 2018
This year’s Queensland Catholic Schools and Colleges Music Festival (QCMF) will be the largest on record.  In our 28th year, we will welcome over 15,000 students from 112 schools across Queensland and Australia.  Villanova College will become the musical centre of the Catholic Education world for four days from 16 – 19 August.

The performance schedules have been finalised and we are awaiting final confirmation from schools regarding session clashes.  These are to be resolved by 3pm this Friday afternoon.  Once this deadline has passed and concerns have been addressed, I will distribute the performance times for all Villanova ensembles across the weekend.

QCMF is more than an event that our community hosts, and it is more than a performance opportunity for our students in their ‘home venue.’  This festival is a celebration of music education and Catholic education; it is a celebration of community and it is a celebration of learning and growth.  I encourage you to come along and share in this celebration with our friends from around the country and share in the fantastic music produced by our students.  For more information regarding QCMF, please visit our website – www.qcmf.com.au.

Rehearsals and Lessons until End of Term
All lessons and rehearsals will continue as per usual through to the end of term.  As we are now in a rehearsal period leading up to QCMF, we expect members to be present at all sessions unless previously arranged with your Ensemble Director.  As per program policy, we do require all Seniors to attend during exam block – we expect that study arrangements can be made around the time gifted away from school during this period.

There are now only six rehearsals left before QCMF.  I ask on behalf of all Ensemble Directors that all appointments and activities be scheduled away from rehearsals where possible to ensure the best opportunity for all students to prepare effectively for this event.  This is essentially a summative assessment for our ensembles; rehearsals are the learning opportunities leading to that point.  We need to ensure our team is prepared as possible.

Reporting and Assessment
Assessment has been undertaken in our Junior School Instrumental Music Program over the past couple of weeks.  I would like to thank our students and staff for participating in this process so enthusiastically.  Information regarding this assessment will be communicated through our Semester 1 reporting.

Year 5 students will receive their Instrumental Music report through their Semester 1 academic transcript; Year 6 students will receive an Instrumental Music report through the Music Office as part of our regular Performance Music Program reporting procedure.  All information will be communicated by the end of term.

Entertainment Books
If you have purchased an Entertainment Book, these are available for collection from the Music Office.  Books and digital memberships are still available for purchase either online or through the Music Office.  Please contact Alison on 3394 5691 or email music@vnc.qld.edu.au for further information.

Date Claimers
As per tradition, we cast our eyes over the coming term.  Please note the following in your diaries:

Mr Michael Jones, Director of Music

2018 AIC Chess Aggregate Champions – Villanova College!
Well done to all chess players from Year 5 through to Year 12 who as a team took out the AIC Chess Aggregate title for 2018. This is a marvellous achievement and one which we have been aiming for over the past few years. I would like to congratulate our Chess Co-Ordinator – Mrs Sally England and her fellow Chess Manager – Mrs Mylan Warren, for all their hard work and preparation of the team. Like all sports, our chess program has an extensive pre-season program. Much time and effort has been put into this program to ensure our boys are well prepared for the season ahead. Our chess players are just as committed and serious about representing their College as any other sporting team. Any AIC aggregate is always hard to win which makes this achievement very significant. Again, well done to all players and coaches for an outstanding season.

Villanova finished the Trimester 2 season against Marist College Ashgrove on the weekend. In terms of our results across the season, Villanova performed well from Year 5 – Year 12 having four undefeated/premiership football teams, two undefeated/rugby premierships and one chess premiership as well as the AIC Chess Aggregate title. Interestingly, the overall number of premierships/undefeated teams are down from last year, however, our overall rankings in the AIC aggregates went up.

Overall, we gained fourth in the rugby and football aggregates and first in chess. Given our population, this is an outstanding result as the same three schools who ranked higher than Villanova (in rugby and football) have at least 400 – 700 more students. Furthermore, Villanova ranked higher than three other Colleges who again have bigger populations in these same sports. In simple terms, our boys are ‘punching above their weight’.

A list of all undefeated/premiership teams including their coaches is posted below. A sensational effort by all involved: 

AIC Football 

Premiership/Undefeated Teams

8A:            Coached by Anthony Kemp

8 White:  Coached by Jake Balzano and Joseph Intelisano

9 White:  Coached by Paul Mulligan and Richard Danen

10 C:        Coached by Yannick Norman and Luke Perkins

AIC Rugby 

Premiership/Undefeated Teams

7A:         Coached by Christopher Purcell and Phil Brown

6 Gold:  Coached by Rohan McCaul 

AIC Chess 

AIC Aggregate Chess Champion School – Villanova College

AIC Premiership/Undefeated Teams

Intermediate B – Managed by Mrs Sally England and Mrs Mylan Warren

There is little doubt that receiving awards and recognition as a premiership/undefeated team is always good. However, schools should not gauge the true success of their sports program on these awards alone. The student’s participation and enjoyment of sport should be at the forefront and be key indicators of success.

Having committed boys with the right attitude, as well as quality coaches and managers involved who can extract the very best from the boys individually and as part of a team is ideal. In most cases this season, this has occurred.

For the football season to run smoothly, the College relies on the good will of many within our community to fulfil the various roles needed.  When I look back at the season, I believe Villanova had much success because our community ‘pitched in’ to make the season work. To this end, I thank the players, canteen helpers and ground staff. A special mention is given to all the coaches and referees, who gave freely of themselves to provide the opportunity for our boys to play schoolboy football. Villanova did well this season and I am proud to be a member of a community whose participants are prepared to be involved and to have fun along the way.

I would like to acknowledge the great work done by our AIC Football Coordinator, Mr Anthony Kemp. Anthony has led the program well and is always keen to ensure our coaches, referees and players are supported. He is a great asset to the College and our program.

As one season finishes the next begins. Good luck to the many students who have participated in basketball and tennis trials this week. It is great to see many boys are keen to represent their College in these sports. It is extremely vital that those interested continue to attend all trials so that they give themselves every chance to be considered for selection.

We have tennis clinics this weekend. Please read below for further details. Good luck to all and enjoy!

AIC Cross Country – Mr Brett Morrissey, Cross Country Co-ordinator

As we enter the fifth week of training, the Villanova cross country squad has continued to impress coaches, as we prepare for the AIC Championships on Wednesday 8 August.  The numbers at training are better than ever, and as we approach exams the boys need to really organise themselves well, so these numbers don’t drop off.

Over the last week, the squad have completed a ‘hill’ session, a 3km time-trial session, and on Monday this week completed eight by 600m efforts.  Those that completed all three sessions should notice a marked improvement in their fitness!

Last Friday morning, we presented the next four ‘runners of the week’, who will each receive a $50 Rebel Sport voucher for their efforts.  The winners were:

Billy Turner (Year 12) who hasn’t missed a training session yet, and although Billy has been injured this week, he comes to training, in the cold mornings, to support the squad – true leadership qualities.

Cohen Stewart (Year 8) has been rewarded for the consistency and quality of his training.  A class runner and good sportsman.

Bailey Lander (Year 7) has been the most consistent of Under 12 runners, and we require several more Year 7 runners who are Under 12 to follow Bailey’s lead.

Finally, Josh Civitarese (Year 11) has been the most consistent Under 16 runner.  Josh has attended all sessions, and his improvement in the last two seasons has been remarkable.

Congratulations to all runners.  Keep up the good work!

AIC Rugby Report – Mr Blake McLauchlan, AIC Sport Coordinator

Congratulations to everyone involved in the Villanova Rugby program for 2018. It was fantastic to see how committed our boys were and the skill level improve as the season progressed. For all our boys, trials began in week 9 of Term One where 21 teams from Year 5 – Year 12 were selected and entered the AIC Competition.

Our First XV squad commenced their strength and conditioning training in Term Four last year. They participated in AIC trials against Iona, SLC and SPC. Over the Easter holidays they competed in the Ballymore Cup which was a three-day tournament against various schools around Queensland.   During the competition they proved that they were going to be competitive during the AIC season. Unfortunately, they just missed out on the grand final game in their division for the tournament. They then went on to play against Marcellin College from Victoria where they won convincingly. There was no doubt that the First XV squad were mentally and physically prepared for the 2018 AIC season.

Overall our First XV completed the season with four wins against SLC, SEC, Padua and St Peter’s and finished the season in fourth place. The most notable performances were the fixtures against SLC, Padua and St Peter’s. The Villanova Old Boys Round against SLC was a huge success and the First XV did not disappoint on such a big occasion after losing to them in the trials. The rounds against Padua and St Peter’s proved that the First XV could play with grit, hunger and determination. From the kick off, our boys were organised and structured with every carry. They managed to secure two big wins and stacked on an enormous amount of points against their oppositions. Thank you to all who supported our First XV throughout the season.

Unfortunately, once again Villanova rugby was plagued with injuries early in the season. Our Opens, 10A’s and 8A’s lost some valuable players which made the first few rounds of the AIC Competition difficult to take out. As always, the boys did their absolute best to stand up and persevere with solid results against SLC and St Edmund’s. Slowly boys began returning from injury as we approached the back end of the season. This brought some much-needed momentum that was displayed during the matches against Padua and St Peter’s.

Overall Villanova placed fourth in the aggregate in front of Padua and SPC. This is an improvement from last year’s fifth place.  Congratulations to the 7A team who shared the premiership in the aggregate competition. Others that also deserve a mention are the Second XV, 9C, 9B and 9A teams who completed their season in second place and to the 7B team who finished in third place.

Congratulations to our 6 Gold team who were the only undefeated team for 2018. It was fantastic to see teams win this year, who have been unsuccessful in previous seasons. There is no doubt that the Villanova Rugby Program is heading in the right direction.

There is a lot of work that goes into the selections, coaching and management of all 21 teams that represented the College this year and a huge thank you goes out to everyone involved, 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 parents, Jon Winsbury, Eddie Harris, Matthew Thornton, David Harris, Phil Brown, David Hollett, Justin Kerr and Rohan McCaul. A huge thank you to our Old Boys who came on board this year, Harrison Stanfield, Josh Mullins, Sam Harding, Kane Sheehy, Kosta Kelley-Reskic, Pat Thomas, Fletcher O’Neil, Ben Cree, Patrick Coffey and Scott Mains. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the staff members involved this year:  Steve Bremner, Mick Garske, Paul Olsen, Matt Levander, Brett Morrissey, Matthew Lalor, Stuart Rowland, Jack O’Hare, Matthew Smith, Alex Sullivan, Christopher Purcell, Callum Hackett, Brendan Kennedy and Cameron Wicks. It is fantastic to have so many staff members on board who contribute to establishing a rugby culture within the College.

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 Bruce Stuart, Peter Roberts, Jim Harris, Michael Moloney and Matthew Campbell. We are also very lucky to have students who volunteer to referee, and I thank George Greenhalgh, Will Lawrance and Frazer Moloney. Without the ongoing support and assistance from the many members of the Villanova College community, the 2018 season would not have been made possible.

Bring on 2019!

AIC Rugby Results v Ashgrove 

 AIC Football Report – Mr Anthony Kemp

It has been a privilege to witness the 2018 football season unfold at Villanova as the dedication and commitment from all involved in the program has continued to push football at Villanova in the right direction. It has been a season of many improvements across the board and is highly encouraging for the future. The 34 teams from Year 5 – Year 12 have proudly donned the ‘green and gold’ week in and week out since the trials which started back in Week 9 of Term One.

There was much anticipation around the First XI squad coming into the season and the boys were eager to once again put Villanova in the mix for the ultimate goal of the AIC premiership. The season kicked off for these boys last year in Term Four under the guidance and watchful eye of new coach Tom Carnarvas, assisted closely by new manager Terry Kambouris. The squad were put through their paces in the pre-season and tested in several trial matches. It was clear to see from early on that this could be a season that the First XI really push for the title.

The team were tested in many pre-season games against classy opposition in BBC, Nudgee and Kimberley College. From those three games the boys came away with wins against BBC and Nudgee and a loss against Kimberley College which only added to the excitement levels of the upcoming AIC season. During the Easter break the First XI boys took on the Old Boys in what is always a grudge match that neither side wants to lose, so it was fortunate for both sides that it ended respectively in a draw.

Overall our First XI finished the season with victories over SLC, SEC and Padua. They also managed to have two hard fought drawn matches against SPC and Ashgrove respectively. These outstanding results led to the boys finishing a very respectable fourth in their division amongst some great quality sides.

Unfortunately, there were a few close losses throughout the season that could have ultimately changed the overall outcome for the team. The 2018 season included many highlights for the First XI team. Most notably the first win of the season will no doubt live long in the memory as it not only came against our arch rivals in St Laurence’s in a tight 2 – 1 tussle.

Although the last game of the season against Ashgrove resulted in a 2 – 2 draw, the way the team were able to continue to fight when the chips were down highlighted just how far this team has come. After taking the lead early and dominating throughout the match the boys quickly found themselves on the wrong side of the score down 2 – 1. It would have been easy for the boys to drop their heads and think about what could have been. However, they decided to dig in and continue to press for the result they deserve. What happened next was one of the true highlights of the season. Deciding to take the situation into his own hands Nixon Smith unleashed a screamer from outside the box that wouldn’t be out of place in a World Cup highlight reel ensuring that the First XI finished the season on a high. Congratulations to all the boys on an outstanding season.

In the overall aggregate, Villanova placed a very respectable fourth, just behind Ashgrove who won the aggregate last year. Villanova has managed to maintain fourth spot in the overall aggregate but is slowly beginning to shorten the gap to the competition in front.

Congratulations to the 8A team who managed to finish the season as joint premiers with Ashgrove. They needed to beat Ashgrove in the last game of the season to finish as joint premiers and managed to do so in an extremely tight game. Other notable performances teams that deserve a mention for their efforts throughout the season include the 7A team who finished the season in second place and the 7B, 8B and 10B teams who all placed third in their respective divisions.

A special mention must be given to our 8 White, 9 White and 10C football teams who managed to finish the season undefeated which is no easy task, well done to the players and coaches from these teams. The level of success that Villanova has enjoyed this season certainly gives hope for further improvement next year and beyond which is truly exciting.

The successful year that Villanova has enjoyed this season is not just attributed to the players but also to the hard work and enthusiasm from a wide range of community members. It takes a lot of organisation on the behalf of coaches and managers to ensure that the players are ready and focused each week to take the field. We are extremely lucky as a College to have parents, old boys, staff members and external coaches who give up their time for the benefit and betterment of our football program.

I would like to acknowledge those parents who have dedicated themselves to Villanova football in 2018. Thank you to Terry Kambouris, Paul Mulligan, Richard Danen and Aldo Avolio. It is always great to see so many Old Boys return to give back to the College and we truly thank you for your time and efforts and hope to see you return next year. We have also been fortunate enough to have coaches join the Villanova coaching ranks for the first time as external coaches and we would like to thank Anthony Sarramea, Abrahim Yango and Rhyss Schofield. Many staff members also contributed to the football program this year and as always it is appreciated and big thank you goes to Matthew Wilson 6B, Georgia Mills-Geer 6 Gold, Kirstina Moss 5A, Kelson Lee 5C and Nichole Rouhliadeff 5 White. We have been fortunate enough to have the services of goalkeeper coach Anthony De Luca who has guided our boys in this specialist role and his efforts are truly appreciated. Finally, a big thank you must go to Football Director Michael Rooney for all his support and help throughout the entire season with assisting the coaches and players.

Needless to say, that the games wouldn’t be able to take place without the assistance of community members assisting with the whistle on the field. Thank you to those parents, students and extended members of the Villanova community that have assisted throughout the season with officiating the games. Thank you to Tony Papapavlou, Vassili Stammes, James Danen, Callum Davies, Tom Spillane, Joseph Intelisano and Jake Balzano. Also, a big thanks to the following students for their assistance: Hunter Gapes, Tom Knowles, Isaac Langford and Jaxson Paterson-Wright. The 2018 season would not have been possible without the ongoing support and assistance of these community members.

AIC Football Results v Ashgrove 

AIC Chess Report – Mrs Sally England, AIC Chess Co-ordinator 

The season ended with an exciting final night against Ashgrove, and by the end of the night the team had won the aggregate for 2018. The season has been so outstanding because of the high-quality play from each team. The Opens were represented by Alex Ilka, William Ilka, Nathan Whitby and Hudson Rogers who secured third place. Both Senior A and B teams also had placements of third and second to contribute to the overall position of the team. Senior A and B players were Tom Balshaw, Sam Stenson, Aiden Lee, Max Eberhardt, Alex Wang, Mitchell Droop, Mason Luu, Tom Stenson, Ethan Bell and Andrew Worthington. Congratulations must go to Sam Stenson who did not lose a game throughout the season, a fantastic effort.

The Intermediate teams also had a fantastic season with the Intermediate B team winning the Premiership with the loss of only one game. This team consisted of Alex Hulme, Tom Winn, Patrick Bryant, Connor Whitby, Sam Carroll and Peter Samios. The Intermediate A Team also had a great year, placing third in the season.  This team was – Tom Hoctor, Harry Blaser, Daniel Waugh, Christian Dang and Connor Whitby.

The Junior teams also managed to be placed third and second. Team A was –  Harry Bryant, Joe Hoctor, Fionn Rossi and Max Blaser. Team B players were Oliver Wills, Jack Neate, Adam Kielenniva, Seb Wilson, Mattias Cotroneo and Liam little.  Congratulations to Oliver who did not lose a game throughout the season – a wonderful effort.

This year C teams continued to be part of our competition to try to promote more participation. While Villanova had full teams, it was not a universal participation, so only a few schools fielded C teams. We congratulate all the boys in the C teams who participated in our coaching, practices, championships and games where possible. These teams will continue to be part of the College Chess Team always striving to gain a position in AIC. The Intermediate team was Xavier Simondson, Blake Waugh, Lachlan Sturgess, Bailey Landers and Liam Linnett. Finally, we have our large band of enthusiastic juniors – Oscar Comino, Nicholas Humphries, Lewis McMahon, Hudson Donovan and Eli Dunstan. It is also great to see the continuation of family groups participating, with two of each of these families – Ilka, Whitby, Blaser, Hoctor, Stenson and the Bryant brothers.

It has been a wonderful season with many people to thank: Mr Stariha and Mrs Schofield who were always in the background helping in any way they could; the parents who brought the boys to and from the practice and competition every week and Mrs Blair who provided the team with food and drink when we played at home, especially for the hot dogs this year. We also must thank our two old boys Theo Samios and Danny Chung, who helped each week with the Juniors, and gave the boys and Mrs Warren invaluable support.  I would also like to thank Mrs Warren for working with the juniors during the week and helping them prepare on Friday evenings.  A special thank you must go to Mr Levander for allowing us to use the Senior Centre for our games and organising the Senior Spirit Committee to give us a rousing welcome into the competition against St Laurence’s.  It was certainly inspiring!

While a victory can’t be achieved without all the people involved, most importantly the results would not have been achieved without you, the players, coming and playing for two terms to reach your potential. It has been a great achievement to place so consistently and have an overall aggregate win. Congratulations to the whole team for your persistence and dedication throughout the semester. We look forward to doing it all again next year!

Please Remember there is no more coaching on Wednesday or Friday morning, but the championships continue during Morning Tea, or just come to play chess with friends. Tomorrow’s College Assembly will acknowledge the efforts of the team and individual players and there will also be an Awards Evening tomorrow with some fun games to finish off the season. The night will finish at 6.30pm.

Congratulations and well done for 2018!

AIC Chess Results v Ashgrove 

 AIC Tennis 

The complete schedule of the entire AIC tennis season including trials, clinics, training times and games etc. is posted on the College’s Website under Sport/AIC Tennis.

It is very important that all boys who wish to play tennis attend all remaining trials next week and the clinic this weekend for the managers/coaches to select teams. Tennis trials will continue next week as per schedule below. The Team Managers should notify players of their selection after the trials. There may be some cases where the managers require more time to sort through some players. If this is the case, these players will be invited back next term to the allocated training schedule for that age group for many sessions until the manager is able to decide. 

Week 2 Trial Schedule

 Week 3 Trial Schedule

The official training program will commence on the first day of next term, Wednesday 18 July. All players are required to attend both training sessions each week. The College will provide transportation back to school after the morning sessions held at Morningside Tennis Centre. All other transport to and from Morningside Tennis Centre will be the responsibility of the parents. 

AIC Tennis Clinics

Only those boys who are trialling for teams must attend the AIC Tennis Clinics. These clinics will be held on Saturday 16 June at the Morningside Tennis Centre. The times for each of these clinics are found below.

• 7.00 – 8.30am                 Year 5 and Year 6 (four courts, four coaches)
• 8.45 – 10.15am              Year 7 and Year 8 (four courts, four coaches)
• 10.30 – midday             Year 9 and Year 10 (four courts, four coaches)
• 12.15 – 1.45pm              Year 11 and Opens (four courts, court coaches)

Villanova School Tennis Championship

This championship will take place next Saturday 23 June at the Morningside Tennis Centre. All details regarding the online registration details has been advertised in the last two Villa View’s as well as being placed on the web.

There seems to be some issues with the online registration system. If you were unable to register, we ask that you use the links below. Hopefully this proves to be a little less complicated. It would be pleasing to see all our tennis players enter the championship.

Junior School Championship (Year 5 and Year 6)

https://www.classhub.com.au/secure/registration?providerAlias=tennisgear&classId=13CBD3CB-D603-4010-A798-C9E830BE114E

Middle School Championship (Years 7 – 9)

https://www.classhub.com.au/secure/registration?providerAlias=tennisgear&classId=4EAD179E-9A4F-4658-AE98-1C8E58DBE3EB

Open School Championship (Years 10 – 12)

https://www.classhub.com.au/secure/registration?providerAlias=tennisgear&classId=0D38F90D-8D78-4CCF-86DC-4B816C51778D

AIC Basketball

The complete schedule of the entire AIC basketball season including trials, clinics, training times and games etc. is posted on the College’s web page under Sport/AIC Basketball.

Week 1 of basketball trials will conclude at the end of this week. The second and final week of trials will be held next week followed by a Basketball Clinic organised next Saturday 23 June for all members of the A and B squads only. After these trials, all teams will be announced, and students will then be asked to collect a Villanova basketball singlet for hire from the Villanova College Uniform Shop during the last week of this term. More details regarding the hire singlets will be given in next week’s edition of the Villa View.

Week 2 Trial Schedule

GOOLD HALL

 CLEM JONES – CARINA

 AIC Basketball Clinics

Only those boys who have gained initial selection in the A or B squad in each year level must attend the AIC Basketball Clinic next Saturday 23 June in Goold Hall.

7.00am – 8.30am Year 7

8.45am – 10.15am Year 8

10.30am – 12.00 midday Year 9

12.15pm – 1.45pm Year 10

Year 5 and 6 Basketball

The trials for Year 5 and 6 Basketball will continue this Friday and next. All teams will be finalised by next Friday and all successful players should know which team they are in and when their training sessions are on for term 3. This training schedule is found in the ‘AIC Basketball Season Schedule’ found on the College’s website. Training will commence for all teams the first week back after holidays. Please note that basketball shorts will need to be purchased by Friday July 20 which is a trial round against Ashgrove for the Year 5 and Year 6 teams. All the hire singlets will be handed out to boys next term prior to the trial. The hire cost of the singlets will appear on your Term 3 school fees. If there are any parents of successful students who can manage their son’s basketball team, could you please contact the sports office. Teams will need to organise transport to and from away venues and carpooling is the best option. Scorers will also be required for the season.

Representative Sport

Well done to Luke Barton and Peter Klaassen who represented the Metropolitan East Football Team at the Qld Schoolboy Football Championships last weekend. As a result, Peter has been selected into the Queensland Schoolboys Football Team for the National Championships in Shepparton, Victoria from August 25 – 31. This is an excellent achievement. Well done Peter and good luck at the National Champs!

Well done to Mitchell Rieck, Ryan Siebel and Jacob Dimmick (pictured) who all made the Met East Cross Country team that will compete at the State Championships to be held at Buderim mid-July. Great effort boys, best wishes!

Hugo Harrison recently completed the Ballina to Byron 37km charity coastal walk. Hugo was the youngest competitor in the event and completed the 37km in eight hours and eight minutes. Money raised for the charity walk went to the ‘Westpac Life Saver Helicopter Rescue’. Congratulations to Hugo and to his mum, Emma-Jane, who completed the course with him.

Mr Craig Stariha, Director of Sport

Sports Club $10,000 Mega Raffle 2018
On behalf of the Villa Sports Club we would like to thank everyone who supported our $10,000 mega raffle this year. The support we receive every year is amazing and much appreciated. Our lucky winners this year were a syndicate of ten Year 10 mums. We would also like to thank all our ticket sellers & everyone else who helped out behind the scenes.

Robyn Gunning, Villanova Canteen

Tuckshop & Library Roster

Tuckshop Roster

MONDAY 18 JUNE

 TUESDAY 19 JUNE

 WEDNESDAY 20 JUNE

 THURSDAY 21 JUNE

FRIDAY 22 JUNE

Library Roster

Monday 18 June

Beth Reid

Tuesday 19 June

Anastasia Bailey

Thursday 21 June

Melanie Pickering

Friday 22 June

Jane Whipps

Villanova Ball Raffle
The Villanova College 70th Anniversary Ball Raffle has begun!

Grab your Villanova College 70th Anniversary Ball Raffle Ticket for your chance to win a Term’s Tuition Free.

The Villanova College 70th Anniversary Ball is supporting an important fundraising initiative of the Parents and Friends Association – the upgrade of the Tolle Lege Library.

By purchasing a ticket in the raffle, you are supporting this important fundraising initiative for the school community.

Tickets are priced at $20 each, 3 tickets for $50, 7 tickets for $100

1st Prize – Villanova College, Coorparoo
Tuition and School Levies for Term 4 2018 for 1 student only, excluding Building Maintenance Levy.
Valued at $2,364

2nd Prize – A Night In The City
Moda Restaurant – Edward Street
Javier’s Table Experience at Moda Restaurant
for four people plus One night’s accommodation for four people at The Stamford Plaza, Brisbane.
Valued at $1,250

Terms and Conditions apply.

For full details and to purchase tickets go to: https://www.rafflelink.com.au/villapf2018

Langlands House – History:  The Connah Family
 
Thomas William CONNAH purchased Langlands House as his family home in 1886.

He was born on November 2, 1843 in Birkenhead, England.  After training as a bookkeeper and accountant in his father’s office, Thomas came to Brisbane in 1866 working for Bright Bros and Co, then joining the public service as an Audit Office Clerk in 1873.  After a series of positions in the public service he was appointed as Auditor – General in November 1907.

On 9 March 1871 Connah married Emma Barton Heywood, who had come from England for the wedding.  Together they had three sons and two daughters.  Their home at Langlands demonstrated a way of life, taste and custom of the late 19th century.  It was built for a wealthy Brisbane businessman, who wanted to escape out of the inner city suburbs to a rural landscape.  There was a tennis court and flower gardens, pasture land and crops.  Servants were part of the lifestyle as were a horse and buggy to reach the ferry terminal or tram stop to visit the city, call on friends and attend church.

Langlands aimed to impress with its chimneys, acroterions, decorative frieze, imported cast iron lace, wide verandahs, lattice fence enclosures and gardens.  The roof, as viewed from the front elevation, is hipped and originally clad in slate.  Brisbane homes of the late 1800’s often had chimneys, and one was essential for the detached kitchen.  Only the wealthy had them for all the family bedrooms and formal rooms, as typified by Langlands.

Every room had two openings allowing ingress and egress to the interior or exterior of the house.  The front windows were full length, double-sash, while the side verandah openings were French doors that all opened onto the wide verandah allowing good ventilation.  All interior and exterior doors and openings were surmounted by fan lights.

Thomas Connah died of a heart attack in his office on 2 November 1915 and was buried in the South Brisbane cemetery.  His widow negotiated the sale of Langlands with the Roman Catholic Church, and on 16 April, 1916 sold it for £4,600.

The Connah family on the  steps of Langlands House.

Heather Kelsall, College Archivist