Villa View: Issue 22/20

I know many families are missing contact with other families and members of staff that were a normal part of school life in the past. It was often on the sidelines of a Saturday during the sporting fixtures that you would see parents and staff catching up for a quick chat and to say hello. The community building opportunities simply have not been available this year and the many activities normally held have been missed by our families.  I know I am missing the opportunity to meet families on the sidelines and around the sporting and cultural events.

We are taking a very cautious approach as school activities open once again. Thank you for your co-operation with the current restrictions on sport spectators. I appreciate it is difficult for parents not to be on the sidelines, cheering on their son.  However, we all understand the need to be vigilant against this virus that can so easily be spread from person to person.

Parent-Teacher Conferences
The use of video-conferencing format for Parent-Teacher Conferences went well yesterday and I thank the many families who took advantage of the opportunity to discuss their son’s academic progress. Our teaching staff were also pleased with the format and many staff commented to me that they were thanked by parents for the work they are doing and the efforts they have made during this challenging year. The thanks received from our parents certainly buoyed our staff and gave them a real boost.

The video-conferencing platform allowed the students to be present and it was pleasing to know many students also sat down to receive feedback. As we move through these first weeks of the new semester it is important our students are listening to the feedback and taking the appropriate actions to ensure they are addressing any issues with their studies.

Sporting Events
It was great to see the students back in the “Green and Gold” representing the College in basketball and tennis. Our results over the weekend in basketball were outstanding. The tennis players gave their all in the matches against very talented and polished teams from St Peters Lutheran College.

This year the AIC Competition has adopted the concept of fellowship as a key characteristic of the AIC Competition. Fellowship emerges from our common interest in developing good men. On the sporting courts and fields, young men have the opportunity to test themselves and discover their strengths and challenges. They learn to win and to lose gracefully. They learn how to be part of a team.

Prayers
Last weekend we received the sad news one of the Year 11 students from St Augustine’s College, Sydney was killed in a vehicle accident. We offer our prayers and condolences to their Principal, Mr Jonathan Byrne, the family of the Year 11 student and the whole community of St Augustine’s College.

We also keep in our prayers the Iona College community following the tragic death of one of their Year 10 students this week.

May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in Peace. Amen

God bless

Mr Mark Stower, Principal

ICAS is back for 2020
Parents of Year 5 – 10 students

The ICAS Assessments series is designed to assess students’ ability to apply classroom learning in new contexts, using higher order thinking and problem-solving skills.

This year Villanova invites students to participate in the 2020 online challenges. These will take place between Monday 17 August and Friday 4 September. Once registered, more information will be communicated to you.

This year ICAS will be offered in:

• Digital Technologies
• English
• Mathematics
• Science

You may register your son at https://shop.unswglobal.com.au/pages/pps.

The Villanova Account is 01415102 and the School Access code is GVO572

If you have any further enquiries, please feel free to email Mrs Kath Underhill (Program Leader Exceptional Learners) at kunderhill@vnc.qld.edu.au

The partnership between teachers and parents is a vital part to supporting a young student.  Working together, sharing short-term and long-term goals and being aware of their social-emotional needs requires trust, honesty, and a growth mindset.  Our sons are making their way in a world full of changes – it’s very different to the one we knew when we were eleven and twelve years old.  Our Villanovans will achieve their best when we commit to recognising and celebrating strengths, as well as giving high support and clear strategies to manage the challenges they face.

Being on the same page about who your son is can be a delicate process.  The boy you know and love once he jumps inside the car or walks through the door has had your unconditional support for over a decade.  You will have the background knowledge, stories and memories that gives you a lifetime of understanding about the way he thinks, speaks, acts and reacts.  Teachers can see many versions of this young man – boys can be themselves, however once amid 26 classmates his world changes.  Depending on his peer relationships, he might employ more passive or assertive means to be heard, have his turn, get attention or please/impress others.  He might put his best foot forward all day, knowing what earns him praise, or wanting to meet the expectations and then be quite worn out after the seven – nine-hour school day.  If parents and teachers share their stories and observations, then a fuller picture of the boy is created.  Understanding who a person is gives us perspective.  Perspective leads to patience and strategies that build trust and rapport.  Trust and rapport build a culture of respect, and this in turn fosters best learning.

Sharing goals means the boys have a clear path between home and school.  They can focus on simple measures and make changes that have a positive impact.  Perfection doesn’t exist – so our best effort is what we expect.  We are realistic with goals and your son must be interested in the goal or it has little chance of success.  There must be a chance he will achieve it.  Goals should be about the individual (self-regulation – e.g. organisation), social needs (connections – e.g. friends), collaboration (working with others – e.g. turn taking), academic (pick one subject – e.g. Science study), or wellbeing (sense of self – e.g. confidence and resilience).  It is not just about the result – but how your son will achieve the goal?  It will take time, effort, and rewards to change habits or commit to new practices.  Parents and teachers can work together to show the boys just how effective small steps can be to finding success.

Our mindset about our son’s education is an important part of his success. Quite often we remember only too clearly our experiences from the 1970s to 1990s.  These school days are now between 30 and 50 years ago!  What we hold on to tends to be the most positive, but sometimes also the most negative.  We have the highest hopes, but also the greatest of fears.  However, the boys are making their own life stories.  They have the choices and support we could never imagine.  They learn from mistakes just as they relish the things they do exceptionally well.  If parents and teachers have a growth mindset and if we are open to the boys’ potential to surprise us, surpass our expectations, and use their time in the Junior School to steadily build a foundation of skills and knowledge, then there’s every chance they will.  If we communicate our own struggles and successes, then we normalise the rollercoaster that is life.  If we admit our short comings, then we model humility.  If we show persistence, then the boys see we are still learning too.  These boys have their whole lifetime ahead of them to figure out what they can, and we are privileged to be a small part of this.

People and relationships matter most in life.  We find comfort in people who accept us, build us up, but also, we become our best selves when we are challenged to take calculated risks.  Balance is important between feeling safe and trying harder.  I sincerely hope that this week’s Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences find balance for our families, but most importantly our students.  They are the most important part of our future.

Mr Stephen Rouhliadeff, Head of Junior School

St Thomas of Villanova Learning Centre
In the many hours devoted to the planning and design phase of the St Thomas of Villanova Learning Centre, you always hope that you will be able to realise your vision and ensure that the time invested in the project bears fruit. I was incredibly proud last Friday when some of my colleagues who were conducting tours of the campus for prospective families commented on how positively our guests affirmed the new and dynamic learning spaces. Two highlights for me since the commencement of this term have been:

1. The way in which the Year 12 students have embraced the privilege of their own kitchenette facility and have shown great maturity and responsibility in keeping this space clean.
2. The conducting of lectures in our new auditorium by our wonderful Senior School teachers across the English, Mathematics and Religion departments. Our teachers have embraced this pedagogical approach and the auditorium will be an asset for our Seniors in preparation for their upcoming mock and external examinations.

Patrick Cox gives the new Senior kitchenette the thumbs up.

I look forward to continuing to share good news stories associated with our new Senior School level within the St Thomas of Villanova Learning Centre.

Holiday Reading
Over the course of the holidays, I always like to get my teeth into some quality reading. Last break, I returned to the genre of self-help and motivation and commenced reading ‘Tribe of Mentor’s by Tim Ferriss. The premise for the book was in Ferriss interviewing over 100 eclectic mentors and through short profiles, he shares their secrets for success, happiness and meaning. Through his interviewing process, he asked each mentor some of the following questions which I found quite thought provoking. They are:

1. What are the one to three books that have greatly influenced your life?
2. What purchase of $100 or less has most positively impacted your life?
3. How has failure or apparent failure, set you up for later success?
4. If you could have a gigantic billboard anywhere with anything on it- metaphorically speaking, getting a message out to millions- what would it say and why?
5. What is one of the best or worthwhile investments you’ve ever made?
6. What is an unusual habit or absurd thing that you love?
7. In the last five years, what new belief, behaviour or habit has most improved your life?
8. What advice would you give to a smart, driven college student about to enter the real world? What advice should they ignore?
9. When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do? What questions do you ask yourself?

I would like to share two poignant responses to the question on the billboard message by Dr Brene Brown and Peter Guber as my quotes of the week:

Brown – ‘Courage over comfort.’ Just a simple reminder that there’s nothing comfortable over being courageous. Everyone wants to be brave, but no one wants to be vulnerable.

Guber – ‘Don’t let the weight of fear weigh down the joy of curiosity’.

Mr Matt Levander, Head of Senior School

Year 8 Visit to the Romero Centre – Service Learning
Year 8 students are about to embark on an RE unit about childhood poverty, and in particular, the experience of refugee families in Brisbane today. To this end, six Year 8 students went to find out about the work of the Romero Centre on Tuesday. The visit went very well, and I am sure that the Year 8 ambassadors will communicate their insights to their classmates. Fr Saldie, our Campus Minister, writes: “Lachlan (Ebrington), Dan (Nolan), Sam (Fewtrell), Cooper (James), Charlie (Berridge) and Ronan (Flaherty) were all ears to Mr Mongistu and Ms Sarah in learning what the centre is about and how many refugees and asylum seekers have been assisted. We heard true to life stories of struggles and triumphs of people experiencing poverty, homelessness and human rights issues. The educational trip was priceless. It was an eye opener even on my part.” Thanks are also due to Mr Matt McGrath, Year 8 Pastoral Area Leader, for accompanying the boys.

Ultimately, the aim is for Year  8 students to think about the question – asked in Matthew’s Gospel – “When did you see me hungry?” All Year 8 students can relate to what it feels like to be hungry! What they are asked to do is to learn about and understand that some children in Brisbane are currently going hungry. And then each class is asked to provide a practical response – e.g. in support of the Romero Centre. One idea we have for practical response is to engage the students in sandwich making in partnership with Eat Up – an organisation which delivers the sandwiches to young people needing a packed lunch. Through this process, the students will learn about Catholic Social teachings, for example the idea that each person is made in the image of God and has an unquenchable dignity.

Catholic Education Week: A Spirited Today
Next week (Week 3) was to have been Catholic Education Week with the theme “A Spirited Tomorrow.” We have decided to go ahead and mark the week in small ways under the related theme “A Spirited Today” because nothing can match the unbeatable spirit and adaptability of our Ministry students.

There will be a display of Ministry activities in the Tolle Lege Library and special meetings all week. Students who wish to join for the second Semester or simply to “taste and see” what happens in the Villanova ministries are warmly invited to come along.

Some special extra events include:

• Traditional Junior School activities such as display of the wonderful banners, and Gifts of the Holy Spirit Competition
• Opening of the “brotherhood” space in the new Junior School precinct to celebrate the work of YCS in creating friendships between Senior School and Junior School students. (Wednesday lunchtime)
• The last pop-up chocolate shop, with chocolate bars kindly donated by the P and F. Proceeds will go to the Romero Centre.
• Guest DJs in the Junior School play area.
• Pause at 2.56 pm each day for shared prayer.

Ministry Leaders Meeting
One of the absolute highlights of my week is the Ministry Leaders meeting on Monday lunchtimes. A bit like the morning briefings in the iconic Hill Street Blues, the meetings bring together about eight students who set the agenda and priorities for the week ahead. The occasions are full of creativity and humour. As an adult, you get the privileged experience of building the culture of the College from the student eye view.

Each ministry takes its turn in the limelight, and the other groups align in support of one another. This week the focus has moved to YCS and the opening of the new “RUOK” space. This follows the success of the St Vincent de Paul winter appeal, and will give way to AFAS taking the lead with a re-imagined version of Mission Day.

A sign of vibrant leadership is the number of students who are drawn in: we had – for example – a record 45 students in the official YCS photo on Monday.

Mr John Holroyd, Dean of Mission and Identity

Last week marked Round 1 of the AIC basketball and tennis season against St Peters Lutheran College. Currently, Villanova is noted as being the best AIC basketball school after winning the AIC basketball aggregate for the last five consecutive seasons. St Peters is noted as being the best AIC tennis school, winning the AIC Tennis aggregate for the last eight consecutive seasons. Given the prowess of both Colleges in their respective sports it was not too surprising that the results went the way they did. Villanova won all basketball games and St Peters won all tennis games.

Most of my day was spent at the Morningside Tennis Centre where I was able to spectate many of the Year 5 – Year 8 games. I must say the score line in many of the games did not really reflect our boys’ performances. Although beaten in the tennis, our boys put up a good fight, had many good rallies and certainly made the opposition work for their points. I was also impressed with the attitude of these boys who managed to take the positives out of their own performances and seemed to enjoy playing sport again after a long down time period.

There were several very tight games in basketball too. It was pleasing to witness and hear that the boys in green and gold showed good composure and belief to win all the tight games ensuring Villanova were undefeated across all basketball games over the round.

It would not be uncommon for teams to change slightly after last weekend in readiness for Round 2 against Iona. In fact, we encourage our coaches to constantly monitor players from all teams and change teams weekly based on player performance, attendance and attitude at training and on game day. Rewarding players for consistent effort is an important part of our sports program.

Once again, I strongly remind students about following through when a commitment is given. Villanova is a place where many opportunities are on offer across many different areas. The College is very mindful not to overburden students. I have mentioned on more than one occasion recently that the Sports Office is committed and has the flexibility to negotiate training schedules where a student has made other co-curricular commitments.

The College endeavours to provide the best possible coaching across the sports program. In fact, we have many very well qualified coaches in place so that our students and the program continue to improve. It would be disappointing to source quality coaches and not have students attend the sessions without apology. Please urge your son to follow through with the commitment given or have him come to the Sports Office to talk through any issues. We are here to help.

I must also remind all students of the College’s expectations when it comes to uniform standards. We have advertised the uniform requirements in the newsletter and website for several weeks now. The current uniform requirements are also listed in the respective AIC Basketball and Tennis sections on the website within the ‘Season Schedule’ documents. In particularly, I would like to remind all players to adhere to these standards as there were the odd alternatives worn by players last weekend. We are hoping the standard will be improved this weekend. Parental support in this matter is essential and will be much appreciated.

This weekend Villanova will face Iona College. As usual, we will expect a high level of competition from our rivals. This weekend we will only cater for approx. 15 student spectators for the first basketball game. Others who are keen to support will have to avail themselves of the livestreaming service.

I continue to urge all cross-country runners to keep up their training over the next couple of weeks leading up to the AIC Cross Country Championships, which will be held at Curlew Park in Week 5, that is, Wednesday 12 August. A complete Cross Country Championship schedule will be posted towards the end of next week. We hope to select and announce the team by Tuesday 4 August. The Junior boys (Year 5 and Year 6) have planned two Saturday training runs in order to assist the coaches to select their teams. Please read further information below.

The up-coming rugby and football season is not far away. In order to give the coaches and players more opportunity with team selections, the Sports Office has planned to commence rugby and football trials for the Year 7 – Open teams next week. Each age group will have only one training session either before or after school at Little Langlands. The Year 5 and Year 6 boys will commence the week after next.

The plan is that all age groups will have one session under their belt before we hit the official trial week held on the week beginning Monday 10 August where all age groups will have two sessions during that week. Therefore, all age groups would have at least three sessions before we trial against St Patricks College on Friday 14 August. Please read further information below as well as the ‘Season Schedule’ documents posted in the respective AIC Rugby Union and AIC Football section on the website for more details.

As always, we would expect our boys to give 100% on the court/playing field. A reminder too that we must conduct ourselves in the correct manner whether it be during the game or as a spectator (if you are lucky).

AIC will livestream all first basketball, first football and first rugby games each weekend. Each week we will provide the link to all parents via the Villa View, College social media accounts and the College App. This week’s match can be viewed via the following link: https://youtu.be/YV6zejPLQc8 I wish everybody involved with basketball and tennis all the best this weekend. Please enjoy!

AIC TENNIS AND BASKETBALL ROUND 2 V IONA COLLEGE
Friday 24 and Saturday 25 July – Times and Venues

All Year 5 and Year 6 basketball games are played on Friday afternoons. All Year 7 – 12 basketball and Year 5 – 12 tennis games are played on Saturday.  Please refer to the College’s website to view all times and venues for this weekend’s fixtures against Iona College.

AIC RUGBY AND FOOTBALL TRIALS

Year 5 and Year 6 Trials
Boys in Year 5 and Year 6 will have the opportunity to attend three trial sessions. All trials will be conducted at Little Langlands. There will be an initial trial held for each year level during the week commencing Monday 3 August followed by a ‘trial week’ which will commence on the week beginning Monday 10 August. Within this trial week the boys will have two trial sessions as well as a trial game against St Patrick’s College on Friday 14 August. More information is available in the ‘Season Schedule’ document which is posted in the ‘Locker Room’ on the website.

Year 7 – Open Trials
Boys trialling for teams from Year 7 to the Opens will have three trial sessions. There will be an initial trial held for each year level during the week commencing Monday 27 July (please see below). The first trial will be held at Little Langlands. The remaining two trials will be conducted at Villanova Park for all age groups on the week beginning Monday 10 August. Within this trial week, all age groups will have two trial sessions as well as a trial game against St Patrick’s College on Friday 14 August. More information is available in the ‘Season Schedule’ document which is posted in the ‘Locker Room’ on the website.

AIC Football Trials
Year 7 – Opens, Monday 27 – Friday 31 July

Boys are asked to arrive at 6.20am so that the sessions can start on time. All players must have their own water bottle, boots and shin pads.

AIC Rugby Trials
Year 7- Opens, Monday 27 – Friday 31 July

Boys are asked to arrive at 3.10pm so that the sessions can start on time. All players must have their own water bottle, boots and shin pads, jersey and mouthguards for these trials.

AIC BASKETBALL
Mr Sean O’Neill, AIC Basketball Co-ordinator

It has been a chaotic start to the basketball season with such a small lead in time to the first game. A huge congratulations must go to all players and coaches on being able to select teams, begin training and execute so well in the first game of the season.

Round 1 was a very successful weekend with all 27 teams having wins. This was a very strong effort and good to see several teams winning with such a small margin meaning they held their composure well in the final minutes of games.

The First V has a resounding 89 – 30 victory and was just reward for time and effort this group has put in over the last five weeks. They have been meticulous in their preparation. They worked on individual skill work at home during restrictions, they completed small skills-based sessions with coaches once some restrictions were lifted and then have spent the last few weeks in the full group environment really harnessing their skills and team execution. Two keys to their success on Saturday was their hunger in defence and their willingness to make the extra pass to teammates. Hopefully, everyone was able to log on the live stream to watch.

This Saturday sees a strong rivalry game against a much-improved Iona College. This will certainly be a test for all teams. Winning the three pool games is a considerable challenge but is the only chance of ensuring a berth in the grand final which should be every team’s goal.

AIC Basketball Results v St Peters Lutheran College

AIC TENNIS
Mr Todd Kropp, AIC Tennis Co-ordinator

When the announcement that AIC Sport would return was made during Term 2, there was much  excitement that the boys were able to participate in AIC tennis. The 2020 AIC tennis season will certainly be different to that of previous years with three Pool matches and a Final match to wrap up the season.

We began the season by hitting the ground running with our one trial session held on Saturday 11 July and the successful players hitting the training court from Tuesday. It was most pleasing to see many new players attending who did not play last year, some even in the senior age group who had never played before, illustrating that there is always time to become involved, support the College, have fun and learn new skills.

It was certainly going to be a tough task coming up against the, arguably, AIC tennis leaders in St Peters for our round one pool match. Unfortunately, the VNC tennis teams lost all age groups in Round one. I am pleased to say that the scores were not necessarily a true reflection of the matches played with several sets even going to a tiebreaker. Whilst I did not get to see all matches, the ones I did see saw our teams display some great rallies but occasionally let down by our service game. It was also great to see some of our players getting over to support other Villanova players in between fixtures, especially as 8A player, Josh Wennerbom, went to a set tiebreaker late in the second session.

First IV
It was a wonderful day for tennis, and with the boys raring to go, all performed well.  It was a great initiation for Sam Simmons who was welcomed into the First IV with open arms.  Although, each game was a hard-fought battle, SPLC were too strong.  The boys are to be congratulated for their performances, particularly given the calibre of the opposition. ~ Ms Barbara Dewis

From behind the baseline
Each week we will make some special mentions of any Villanova boys displaying great sportsmanship or skills on the court.

Congratulations to all Year 5 and Year 6 boys for competing in their first round representing the Green and Gold for 2020.

A special mention must go to Sam Cotter (5A) for his composed and calm nature during his singles match and to Mackenzie Millard (5B) for his great mentorship in doubles.  Darcy McGuckin (6A) for not giving up during a very tough match against a very strong opponent and to Cooper McCormack (6B) for his outstanding play in his singles match that lasted for over 45 minutes. ~ Mrs Maria Mascadri

There are several benefits to playing the top teams early as it forces our teams to lift their playing standard early in the competition. We hope the standard set by our teams can be increased as we return to the courts for training this week ahead of our round two clash with Iona.

Be sure to check out the ‘Weekly Fixtures’ page for all match information. Best of luck to all teams!

AIC Tennis Results v St Peters Lutheran College

AIC CROSS COUNTRY
Mr Brian Pascoe

The cross country holiday training finished with a 3 km time trial with many runners recording excellent times.

We had the first sub 11-minute runners for the time trial who in finishing order were Jake Dimmick, Mitch Rieck, Josh Smith and Michael Anderson – excellent run boys.

The following boys improved their 3-km time trial time by at least 30 seconds Patrick Grigson, Josh Smith, Kyan Simpson, James Reid, Mr Jordan Roache, Mitch Millard, Will Rogers, Caleb Rogers, Alex Jenkins and Sam Mar Fan. Well done boys, the training is paying off!

Welcome to the ‘Running Wildcats’ Joaquin Wieczorek. Joaquin started at the College on the first Tuesday of Term 3, and on Wednesday morning he was introduced to hill sprints on Seventh Avenue. What a great start to your time at Villanova Joaquin, bravely completing a tough hill set.

Term 3 cross country training will be held on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings, meeting at Goold Hall by 6.45 am. Each session will be completed by 7.45 am so we are back at the College with plenty of time to change and eat breakfast.

The next 3 km time trial is scheduled for Monday 27 July.

All cross country training will continue as per times below. Please be aware that runners do not need to register to run anymore as restrictions allow up to 100 boys to train so all are welcome.

Year 5 and Year 6 Squad
Training will be held each Monday and Wednesday afternoon from 3.15pm – 4.30pm. Boys are to meet Miss Roberts at the Junior School area after school and she will walk them down to training. Parents are to collect their son/s from Little Langlands after training.

Year 5 and Year 6 AIC Cross Country Trials – Whites Hills Reserve 8.30 – 9.30 am
On Saturday 25 July and Saturday 1 August, the Juniors will be able to gain racing experience by attending trial runs at Whites Hill Reserve, Boundary Road, Camp Hill. This is important as the boys will not have an opportunity to run any races prior to the AIC Championship. (n.b. these trials will be important in selecting the team for the AIC Championship).

An invitation is extended to others who would like to run in these trials and give the boys the opportunity to race against a variety of standards. We will assemble at the north-east corner of the touch football grounds. Plenty of car parking along this road which is between the children’s playground and the touch football fields.

Year 7 – Year 12 Squad – Training will be held on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings from 6.45am. All students are to meet at the front of Goold Hall at 6.45am sharp (not at Little Langlands). Late comers must remain at the College.

AIC Cross Country Championships
The AIC Cross Country Championships will take place at Curlew Park on Wednesday 12 August. 12 competitors per age group will be selected to compete. This year there will be no ‘lead up’ meets. The coaches will select those who will compete by Week 4 this term. At present no parents are permitted to attend the championships, except one parent per Year 12 student competing maybe present. More information regarding the championships will be given in the coming weeks.

Villanova Runners Club (VRC)
Sunday afternoon 4 – 5 pm at Whites Hill Recreation Grounds, Boundary Road, Camp Hill (meet at Cricket Oval Number 3). Open to all students/parents/siblings/friends etc.

This activity is an initiative of the AIC Juniors Cross Country Coach – Mr Tom Lonergan. It is an opportunity for all aspiring AIC cross country runners to complete an extra training session each week. Parents and siblings of the athletes are invited to participate in the training. One of the training activities will be a Tabata session. Tabata is an anaerobic activity which complements fitness for running. Further information about this program can be gained by contacting Mr Lonergan email: lonert24@gmail.com

Villanova Runners Club will be offered every Sunday (4 – 5 pm) until Sunday 18 October. N.B. There will not be VRC on Sunday 9 August 2020.

AIC TRACK AND FIELD
AIC track and field training will commence for all age groups from Years 5 – 12 the week beginning Monday 17 August. All training will be held at Villanova Park on Wednesday afternoons from 3.45 -5.15pm at our new track and field facility. All athletes will be transported by bus to and from Villanova Park. A full season schedule will be available on the College website by the end of next week.

REPRESENTATIVE SPORT
Well done to Thomas Winn, Henry Wright and Jordan McGarry who all made the Met East Golf Team and will attend the Queensland Golf School State Championship in Cairns in early September. Congratulations and best wishes boys!

 Mr Craig Stariha, Director of Sport

Ensemble lessons and rehearsals Term 3
All lessons and rehearsals have commenced.  Please ensure you have received a copy of this term’s timetable from your son’s tutor/teacher.  If this has not arrived via email, please contact the Music Office:  music@vnc.qld.edu.au or 3394 5691.

The Term 3 Rehearsal Schedule is available for your revision.

Year 5 Ensemble Rehearsals
We will return to our 7:30am Year 5 band and string sessions next Tuesday morning.  Please ensure your son arrives beforehand to allow time for setting up and preparing for the first note to occur at 7:30am.

To allow for social distancing and maintaining a safe environment, we have reduced the size and increased the number of Year 5 groups.  These are rehearsing in separate locations across the Augustine Centre and O’Donnell wing.  Information regarding the location of your son’s rehearsal venue will be emailed home before the weekend.

Co-Curricular Music Photo Day
Thank you to everyone’s efforts across the Co-Curricular Music Photo day.  It was great to see the ensembles in uniform and on stage for the first time in 2020!  I would like to thank the JS for accommodating our interruption and Mr Rouhliadeff for his assistance in supervising our JS musicians in between photos.

The images from this year’s ensembles will be appearing in the College yearbook – keep an eye out for your edition toward the end of the year.

Performance Uniform Requirements
This year has been extremely quiet in terms of performance opportunities for our students.  However, as we move into a post-pandemic period, we are looking forward to more opportunities to share our music with the broader community.  We will have at least one performance in Week 8 next term, with others scheduled for Term 4.  Students will be required to wear performance uniform for these activities.

To assist with preparations for these events in September, we would like to clarify performance uniform requirements with families.  As it has been some time between performances, I would also like to ask our ‘veteran’ performers to check their uniforms; you may have grown between events!  Best we are prepared now before the hectic nature of school life returns.

May I ask now that all students review their performance uniform situation after our College photo shoot.  There are a number of students who will require a resize and please note that all students require black business socks.  I wasn’t pleased with the number of multi-coloured, logoed, sport socks that were appearing underneath trousers in the photo shoot.  Please head to Kmart and grab a cheap pair of plain black socks in preparation for September.

Performance uniform information is outlined below:

All Year 5 musicians are required to wear:

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

The following table outlines uniform requirements for the remainder of our ensembles:

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

Music Support Group
Our Villanova College Music Support Group will be meeting on Monday 10 August, at 7:30pm in the Chapter Room – the meeting room to the side of Hanrahan Theatre foyer.  We hope that you are able to join us to learn a little more about the activities and events planned for Villanova Music across the remainder of the year.

Key dates for Term 3
Key dates for Term 3 were distributed via email during the final week of the holidays.  May I ask that you note the following dates in your diaries as ‘set’ for the coming term:

Entertainment Memberships
Entertainment Publications are no longer selling books, just digital memberships from 2020 onwards.  If you would like to take advantage of this opportunity, please access our membership portal through the links below.  There are a number of great offers available focussing on supporting local and small businesses through this challenging period.

Thank you all for your continued support of Villanova Music.  We are glad to continue to be of service to you and your son as we navigate this challenging time together.

Mr Michael Jones, Director of Music

Year 10 Meningococcal ACWY Vaccination
Next Thursday, 30 July, the Brisbane City Council Immunisation Team will be at the College to administer the above vaccination.  All Year 10 students, whose parents have signed and returned the consent form, will be vaccinated during Periods 1 or 2.   Please ensure your son eats an adequate breakfast before attending the session that morning.

If you have not returned the form and wish for your son to take part in this program, forms can be downloaded here  and returned to the Senior School Student Services Office before next Thursday.

2020 Non-Government Schools Census Collection Notice
Please click here for details of the 2020 Non-Government Schools Census.

Tuckshop Roster (Monday 27 July – Friday 31 July)
All volunteers rostered on this week will be contacted directly by the Tuckshop.