Villa View: Issue 23/19

‘Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.’ Albert Einstein

As the semester ramps up, I often find myself reflecting on my own practise and that of the boys.  As is always the case, we have achieved so much, however, there is still so much untapped potential out there in our community.  My main issue in regard to achieving goals is procrastination…as I know it is with many other adults and teenagers!

We live our lives as though we are going to live for one thousand years when we are barely going to be here for one hundred!  Recent family health issues have shaped my focus and attention over recent months, allowing me to place a lot of life’s challenges in perspective.

Everyone has great intentions.  That’s an awesome start!  Translating intention into action is the dilemma most of us face.  We all know what we should be doing.  However, all we end up doing is shrugging our shoulders.  All the positive thinking in the world comes a distant second to positive doing.

So, what is the answer?  As with most parents, I gain inspiration from my children…they certainly have a unique view on the world.  Five-year-old’s go into action.  They rarely procrastinate or catastrophize what could go wrong.  They are prepared to get started and do it poorly until they can do it well. They are running out of time.  The fact that it will be dark soon spurs their focus and energy towards action before their life as they know it ends for another day.

We know that excellence in any endeavour is neither instant nor an accident.  Rarely do we get it right the first time.  If you want to achieve something, be prepared to do it poorly until you do it well.

My encouragement to the boys is to learn to attach your self-esteem, how good you feel about yourself, to the fact that you were prepared to risk action.  Gratification can then be instant.  Most adults, however, have learnt to attach their self-esteem to the result, and when the result is not good, they don’t feel good.  The thinking is: If I try this and the result is not good, I won’t feel good, so safer procrastinate and do nothing at all.

Get started, do it poorly for a while and remember that one per cent chance of success by trying is better than 100 per cent chance of failure by not trying at all!  The four and seven-year-olds inherently know that it may not work.  They have failed before too.  Their focus, though, is on doing it now, because now is all there is.  If they fail, they trust their problem-solving skills and their imagination to get them out of the situation.  The paradox for teenagers and adults is that they have crippled their imaginations and problem-solving skills because they haven’t tried anything new for a very long time.  “One day I’ll…”

As the boys reflect on their achievements over the past six months, ask these questions: So, when was the last time you did something for the very first time?  When were you last prepared to do it poorly until you could do it well?  When was the last time you trusted your problem-solving skills and your imagination to take you forward if, in trying something new, you failed?

The cynics of course, are busy using their imaginations to create awesome excuses to justify their procrastination.  “At least I’ll have something to do tomorrow!” they jibe.

The perfect time never comes.  A five-year-old goes into action and is generally happy to inconvenience themselves, and others!  Now I appreciate as an adult, that there are always others to consider.  The question does remain, however, how much of your life is on hold because you are waiting for the perfect moment to go into action?  It might be worth considering just what parts of your life are on hold while you wait for the perfect opportunity?

For boys in the Senior School, they either have two and half years, one and a half years or only six months left at Villanova.  This is not a lot of time and they should focus on:

• Whom do I need to call and reconnect with?
• What do I need to throw out?
• Where do I want to go?
• Which unhealthy relationship should I end?
• What work do I want to do?
• What person do I want to be?

Many already know how good it feels to go into action – to be in the game having a go and, despite failing at times, trust your imagination and your problem-solving skills to move forward.  You have done it many times before and that is you at your very best.

Mr Steven Bremner, Principal (Acting)

PARENTING IN THE DIGITAL AGE
Recently, the Office of the eSafety Commissioner released these statistics regarding “Parenting in the Digital Age”. This research focused on parents and the impacts of raising children in an online, 24/7 connected world. This world differs greatly to the world we were raised in, where social connection was possibly limited to number of fixed telephones throughout our family home. The research concluded:

• 94% of parents agree their child’s online safety is important
• regarding online safety, parents are most concerned about exposure to inappropriate content; unwanted contact from strangers; being bullied online;
• only 46% of parents feel confident dealing with online risks their kids might face
• only one third of parents actively seek out information on how to manage online safety
• 95% of parents agreed they need additional online safety information.

I have drawn special attention to the final three points of the study. These indicate the shared sense of helplessness that permeates the parent body when managing technology at home. However, help is at hand. The Office of the eSafety Commissioner website provides a detailed online safety guide for parents – go to: https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/online-safety-guide

In addition, you may have heard of Family Zone. Family Zone is cyber safety software which allows parents to set up mobile and desktop devices with monitoring software. Devices are linked to profiles for each of your children. Profiles can be customised to suit the specific needs of your child or set to defaults which are typical of the age of your child. This may sound like other parent monitoring solutions – Qustodio, OurPact and Circle with Disney come to mind – but the key difference with Family Zone is the “Cyber Experts” you can subscribe to. This is where parents can get the “additional online safety information” as indicated by the eSafety Commissioner’s research. “. In that sense, Family Zone gives you a both a cross-platform/multi-device monitoring dashboard and parent education to make informed decisions. As an Australian company based out of Western Australia, I have heard positive reviews about their over-the-phone support as well.

To learn more about Family Zone and their Cyber Expert subscriptions in particular – go here: https://www.familyzone.com/au/families/cyber-experts

In the coming weeks I will unpack some of the features and benefits of parent monitoring software. I will also attempt to share links and resources via the BYOD Facebook page. Please share and contribute if you have insights and experiences to share with the parent community.

Mr Jason Lane, eLearning Pedagogy Leader

EXCEPTIONAL LEARNERS

Victorious Villanova at the Churchie Maths Problem Solving Challenge
On Monday, four teams of Villanova students participated in the Annual Churchie Maths Problem Solving Challenge. These four teams consisted of a mixture of Year 7 and Year 8 students in teams ‘Junior A’ and ‘Junior B’, and a combination of Year 9 and Year 10 students in ‘Intermediate A’ and ‘Intermediate B’. In total, 250 students competed on the day, from 11 colleges around Brisbane.

All four teams performed very well in the Team Events and the Team Relays and need to be congratulated, and it was with much excitement that our Junior B team took out first place!

These higher order complex problems took our thinking to next level, even we supervisors. Here are two examples for you to solve. A Villanova College Tuckshop voucher will be awarded to the first student who emails me answers which are both correct! Deadline is 5.00 p.m. today. Students who attended the day are ineligible to participate.

Problem 1: What time and date is exactly one third through the present century?
Problem 2: Determine the radius (in metres, as a simplified, improper fraction in terms of π) of the wheels of a truck that make 4 revolutions per second when travelling at 60 km/hr.

Please email your answers to kunderhill@vnc.qld.edu.au before 5.00 p.m. today.

ICAS Assessments
By now you would have received information regarding registering your son/s for the ICAS assessments which will be completed in early September. Please be reminded that the Registrations close on 14 August 2019. Each assessment celebrates students’ accomplishments by providing opportunities for recognition. Every student will receive a certificate and an online result report. Top performers will be eligible for medals and are invited to attend special award ceremonies to have their academic excellence publicly recognised.

We encourage you to consider entering your son/s into ICAS this year.

As ICAS Assessments are now online, we will attempt to have the students sit this partly in school time and partly out of school time, so as to minimise the time lost from class. Learn more about ICAS: https://www.unswglobal.unsw.edu.au

Online parent payment:
To register your son in any of the following ICAS assessments, please visit https://www.unswglobal.unsw.edu.au

ICAS fees can now be paid online. Visit https://pay.unswglobal.com.au/ and enter the particular code below. As previously mentioned, registrations close on 14 August 2019.

CODES:
For Years 5-7 (06437055de)
For Years 8-12 (21a520e025)

Partnering with UNSW Global, we are proud to offer our students the ICAS Assessments and look forward to some fantastic results later in the year.

Mrs Kath Underhill, Exceptional Learners Program Lead

Throughout the week there have been enrolment interviews conducted at the College for prospective 2021 Year 5 and Year 7 students.  A number of boys who were interviewed already have siblings at the College, while others are potentially the first in their family to attend Villanova. Either way, the excitement and anticipation shared among all applicants was tangible, with a genuine desire to join the community here at Villanova College.

A reason that each interviewer was consistently given by families wanting a Villanova College education, centred around their experience of current students at Villanova. Whether it was a neighbour, a family friend or an observation of a Villanova boy in a public space, families applying to the College are thoroughly impressed by the quality of young men who attend Villanova. For teachers and parents, it is easy to point out the areas that need attention but hearing such positive feedback is a timely reminder that overwhelmingly, our students are decent, respectful, confident young men.

I have received further validation of our students over the last two Fridays when I have been assisting Acting Principal Steven Bremner with the Principal’s Tour. Parents have been impressed with the facilities and the future Junior School building, but most of all, it has been the way our boys conduct themselves in the classroom and how confidently they share their love for their College. Seeing your sons in action has given these families confidence that their son could be a valued member of our College community.  The prospective boys, most of whom are in Year 3 or younger, talk as if their coming here is already locked in, which is a heartening observation because we want boys here, who want to be here and want to contribute to the community.

After school pickup on Fifth Avenue is a significant afternoon event in the Junior School. Parents involved know this all too well with traffic backing up all the way to Old Cleveland Road and beyond. To assist with this running as smoothly as possible we ask boys and parents to only enter the car at the end of the pickup/drop off zone. A good landmark for boys to orient themselves is to enter in their car between the top two power poles. Please continue around the block if your son is not yet in the pickup zone because it does cause the traffic to build.  We would also ask that you remind your son to make his way to the pickup area as quickly as he can at the conclusion of the school day.

Please note that College staff are only on duty at the pickup area until 3.30 pm. Arriving later does put unfair pressure on staff as they have other commitments after this time.  Thank you for your assistance in ensuring all students and staff remain safe at Villanova College.

Mr Brendan Kennedy, Head of Junior School (Acting)

This term, in place of the Middle School editorial, we will be featuring a series of podcasts where we’ll discuss a range of issues relevant to our adolescent boys. Happy listening.

Episode 4: ‘Writing’ with Mr Shawn Creamer

Click on the image to begin listening.

To listen to previous episodes:

Episode 1: ‘Effective Feedback’ with Ms Kate Alexander and Ms Christianne Kemp

Episode 2: “The Adolescent Brain” with Mr Greg O’Neill

Episode 3: “Mindfulness” with Mr Alex Sullivan

Mr Greg O’Neill, Head of Middle School

CONVERSATIONS WITH YOUR SON: LEADERSHIP
One of the central focus areas within the Senior School is developing in our young men the skills and access to examples of strong leadership. As members of the Senior School, our students have a responsibility to model the values and virtues of the ‘Villa Man’ to their Middle and Junior School brethren. I am a firm believer that leadership skills can be taught, both in the classroom and through the formation program as well as at home. According to Tim Hawkes, the most important things to keep in mind when discussing leadership with your son are:

• A son must learn that he has responsibilities;
• Leadership is not just about the management of others; it is about the management of oneself;
• Sons need to recognise that they have a great deal of power- this power needs to be used wisely;
• Leadership can be encouraged in a son by giving heroic examples of great leadership;
• Allotting tasks to a son can help teach the acceptance of responsibility;
• Sons can be given certain freedoms, but, if they are, they must also bear the consequences of their actions.

SENIOR SCHOOL ASSEMBLY
Tomorrow, the Senior School will assemble for the first time this term to be entertained by our wonderfully talented musicians ahead of next week’s Queensland Catholic Schools and Colleges Musical Festival. I would like to thank Director of Music, Mr Michael Jones for organising the program of performances and wish all Senior School musicians every success throughout the festival- which is their ‘grand final’ to use the sporting vernacular.

In my remarks, I intend to reinforce the importance of our young men making contributions to our community in sharing their gifts and graces as well striving for excellence in all their endeavours. In addition, I will provide them with an update on the Senior School extension within the new Teaching and Learning Centre as part of Stage 1 in our exciting Master Plan.

THOUGHTFUL ADVICE
In digesting my latest serving of Brain Food from Farnham Street blog, I came across this pearl. In April of 1958, Hunter S. Thompson was 22 years old when he wrote this letter to his friend Hume Logan in response to a request for life advice. Thompson’s letter offers some of the most thoughtful and profound advice for young people in wrestling within questions of purpose, life direction and their path forward. Here is a poignant excerpt:

In every man, heredity and environment have combined to produce a creature of certain abilities and desires— including a deeply ingrained need to function in such a way that his life will be MEANINGFUL. A man has to BE something; he has to matter.

As I see it then, the formula runs something like this: a man must choose a path which will let his ABILITIES function at maximum efficiency toward the gratification of his DESIRES. In doing this, he is fulfilling a need (giving himself identity by functioning in a set pattern toward a set goal), he avoids frustrating his potential (choosing a path which puts no limit on his self-development), and he avoids the terror of seeing his goal wilt or lose its charm as he draws closer to it (rather than bending himself to meet the demands of that which he seeks, he has bent his goal to conform to his own abilities and desires).

In short, he has not dedicated his life to reaching a pre-defined goal, but he has rather chosen a way of life he KNOWS he will enjoy. The goal is absolutely secondary: it is the functioning toward the goal which is important. And it seems almost ridiculous to say that a man MUST function in a pattern of his own choosing; for to let another man define your own goals is to give up one of the most meaningful aspects of life— the definitive act of will which makes a man an individual.

You can read the full letter here: https://fs.blog/2014/05/hunter-s-thompson-to-hume-logan/

“Throughout human history, in any great endeavour requiring the common effort of many nations and men and women everywhere, we have learned – it is only through seriousness of purpose and persistence that we ultimately carry the day.” – Ban Ki-Moon

Mr Matt Levander, Head of Senior School

CATHOLIC EDUCATION WEEK
(Many Voices. One Spirit)

Catholic Education Week aptly celebrated the rich diversity of Catholic schools in Queensland. At the forefront of our celebrations were the Junior School classes who shone in their visits to five local Catholic primary schools.

The highlight of Catholic Education Week in the Middle School was the sale of specially made “Nova Nation” wrist bands, with a considerable $542 being made for the Blind Eye Ministries – a drop-in centre for the homeless. Jack Stone (Year 9) came up with the idea of having the wrist bands made. Using money from our bottle and can recycling he organised the manufacture and delivery of the bands. We are now able to pay that initiative forward, which is somewhat like the parable in which a small seed bears significant fruit.

Three Year 9 students, Jack, Zac Child and Ben Fingland accompanied by three staff members , went in convoy to Blind Eye on Thursday to deliver a big cheque and boxes full of canned foods. We were given a heroes’ welcome. This “makes the difference between life and death,” said Centre Manager Eddie in his dramatic way. Certainly, it was humbling for the boys to receive a round of applause from the patrons, and to have many warm greetings from and conversations with people doing it tough at this time. Roby Curtis runs the centre with Eddie, and he described the extent of the difference it makes to provide practical support and thus create a “sanctuary.” It was also an opportunity for the boys to see the prize-winning photos (taken by homeless people) in the recent competition which Villanova helped to sponsor. The winning photo shows the brotherhood on the street; however, the most shocking ones show the poor conditions of some boarding houses and squats actually slept in by human beings. These photos will form the 2020 Blind Eye calendar.

This experience seemed to bring religious education to life. There were many good questions on the journey back to the College:

• Why are there far fewer women who are at the drop-in centre?
• Where does the money come from to keep the centre – run by Emmanuel Catholic community – going?
• What other practical help is needed?

There were some good follow-up decisions made.  We will make and sell another 200 wristbands, and invite Roby, Eddie and a particularly friendly patron called Michael to come and visit the College.

Pictured below are the staff and students who volunteered for a recent Rosies Outreach.

Mr John Holroyd, Dean of Mission and Identity

It was another outstanding day of tennis and basketball results against Padua College on the weekend. Unfortunately, the rugby league players had an extremely tough round. For those who play sport, we must accept that we will have our good days and bad days, we learn to take the wins and losses graciously. In this case we congratulate Padua on their rugby league results and encourage our own players to learn from the experience and come out fighting again this weekend.

As mentioned, our basketball was again very solid. Not only were we successful in the First V basketball game, Villanova won 23 of the 30 basketball games played against the opposition. This includes 10 wins and two losses in the aggregate games. Villanova also performed well in the tennis winning 11 from the 17 games played.

On behalf of the College, I thank the many spectators and players who did their bit to ensure the day went well. Big thanks are given to the parents who allowed their son/s to stay behind and support other teams. It does make a significant difference.

I am a big believer that many good lessons in life can be learnt whilst playing sport. Sometimes you work hard and get the results and sometimes you do not. Developing a sense of resilience when things do not go your way and being happy knowing that you did the necessary work are worthwhile values to instil in our student athletes. Throughout the year, the College has had some fantastic sporting achievements and sometimes we did not perform as well as we would have liked. If you enter the sports realm, you must be prepared to take the wins and losses.

Villanova’s success across all areas comes about because all or most within our community make it a success. It does not just happen. If we strive to be the best, we all must take responsibility to ensure we do our part to make Villanova a great community. If a student is good enough to represent the College, he should represent the College. Villanova College would not be the great place it is if we did not have our best giving their best. There is little use possessing a gift or talent and not using it. After each round of sport or each championship event, I am satisfied and happy if I know our students and coaches gave their best throughout the season and have enjoyed themselves along the way. The result is secondary.

The AIC Track and Field (T&F) training program will commence the week after next. The training schedules will be posted on the web by the end of this week. We encourage all students from Year 5 – Year 12 to participate and work hard at T&F training to improve. The College is very much aware that many of our top T&F athletes will already be involved in tennis, basketball, rugby league or other co-curricular activities. Although we try to avoid timetabling clashes, we know that some training sessions will overlap. This is normal and does occur at all AIC schools. Keeping the lines of communication open between coaches and students is the key.

Please be mindful that our Inter-House Track and Field Carnival will be held next Thursday 15 August at Villanova Park. More information about the carnival is posted below.

This weekend we play Round 3 of basketball, rugby league and tennis fixtures against Iona College. All rugby league games will be played against Iona College but hosted by St Edmund’s College in Ipswich. Those travelling to Ipswich must ensure they allow enough travel time to be at their games at least 30 minutes beforehand. I wish everybody the best and please enjoy!

AIC TENNIS AND BASKETBALL ROUND 3 V IONA COLLEGE, FRIDAY 9 AND SATURDAY 10 AUGUST – TIMES AND VENUES
All Year 5 and Year 6 basketball games are played on Friday afternoons. All Year 7 – Year 12 basketball and Year 5 – Year 12 tennis and rugby league 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 TRACK AND FIELD TRAINING
AIC Track and Field (T&F) training will commence the week after Ekka week. A full season schedule will be posted on the Villanova website by the end of the week. At the conclusion of the Inter-house Carnival, the coaches will invite students from Year 5 – Year 12 to be a part of their squad. All track and field coaches will monitor student attendance at all training sessions. Students will be contacted by either their coach or a member of the Sports Office to explain any absenteeism. We encourage all students to contact their coach if they are unable to make training. Rolls will be taken each week to ensure that those who have been identified as our best athletes attend the sessions and follow through with their commitment as this not only builds character but also the College’s track and field program. Parental support on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

VILLANOVA TRACK AND FIELD CARNIVAL YEAR 5 – YEAR 12 – COMPULSORY!
All students from Year 5 – Year 12 are required to attend Villanova’s annual Track and Field Carnival  at Villanova Park next Thursday 15 August. All students are to attend school as per normal times wearing their PE uniform to and from school. Buses will then transport the boys to and from Villanova Park. We hope all parents support the College to ensure that all boys attend. Canteen facilities will be available at Villanova Park. We ask students to bring a small bag on the day for their belongings including a hat, sunscreen and water bottles (food etc.). The first events are due to start at 9.45am with the last event run at 2.00pm followed by presentations. All students will be rotated around 100m, hurdles (championship event only), bin ball, 200m, Javelin, 800m, Long Jump, Shot Put, High Jump (a select few in each age group only) and Tug-o-war events. Our aim is to have fun, promote track and field, give everybody a go, showcase our best athletes and identify those boys who should be in our AIC T&F squad.

Our track and field coaches will be posted on all Championship events in order for them to identify our best athletes and invite them into our T&F program, which will commence the week afterwards. We would expect all members of our rugby and football development programs as well as all ‘A’ team members of each of the sports we have on offer to excel and be at the forefront of the T&F program.

Inter-House Track and Field Carnival Canteen – Your assistance is required
We are hoping to run hot chips and a barbecue along with the normal canteen next Thursday at the Villanova College Inter-House Track and Field Carnival. If you are available to help out for an hour or so (in between your son’s event) can you please contact Robyn Gunning either by email rgunning@vnc.qld.edu.au or phone 0400 841 720. We are particularly keen on parents attending around 8am to assist with preparation.

Track and Field – Championship Events and ‘Dash for Cash’
To reinvigorate and improve our track and field program, the Sports Office has made some changes to our own Inter-House track and field program. This year students have the option of competing in each or all individual championship events rather than selecting a relatively small group of boys to do them all. Boys can nominate for these events via the sign-on forms found in the Foyer of Goold Hall. The championship events include the 100m, 200m, hurdles, 800m, long jump, shot put, javelin (Year 7 – Year 12 only) and high jump.

Students who do not wish to participate in the championship events will compete in the non-championship program.

All boys will be given the opportunity to compete in a ‘dash for cash’ race. We are looking for our 10 best runners in each age group to nominate themselves for this event. The finalists will then compete in the first event at the Villanova Inter-House Track and Field Carnival in front of the entire College – the ‘dash for cash’ final. The winner of each age group will be given a $50 voucher to Rebel Sport.

At the end of the day, we want Villanova’s best athletes to compete against each other for the College to identify our best athletes to join our AIC Track and Field Program. It would be reasonable to expect that all ‘A’ team members in all sports, nominate for at least one Championship event. Ben Mowen, Andrew Slack, Junior Football Development Squad and First football candidates for next year’s season must nominate or they will be excluded from the squads.

AIC BASKETBALL
Mr Sean O’Neill, AIC Basketball Coordinator

Basketball continued in Round 2 on the weekend with another tough match up against Padua College. Overall, we had a pleasing weekend with 23 wins and seven losses. In saying that, nine of those games were decided by five points or under so it was a very close round. Special mention must go to the Year 8 teams who had all four teams winning by margins of over 35 points with the A’s winning by 83. It shows excellent discipline to continue to play at the top level and compete on every play. Aggregate saw us win 10 – 2 for the day which will keep us towards the top of the table in our race for five champion schools in a row.

The First V had a pleasing win 61 – 47 in a hard-fought game that saw both teams take the lead at different times. It was frustrating that our players never played at their best throughout the game but sometimes you have to grind out a win and that is what they did. Special mention to Harry Rouhliadeff who top scored with 19 points and Lucas Boylan who amassed eight offensive boards and 14 points.

This week sees up come up against our arch-rival’s Iona College. This has always been up a tough contest and Iona always rise to the challenge when they play us. We must keep our discipline, play our structures and listen to our coaches. If we play our way, we will come out on top. Good luck this week!

Goold Hall Canteen – AIC Basketball

We are asking parents to once again help by volunteering their time to assist in the canteen. It is usual that we need the most help within the first hour with food preparation and coffee sales.

Although at times the canteen may look like they have enough helpers, please come and offer your time as some of those volunteers may need to get to their son’s games. So please come along and help, meet some new friends and catch-up on what is going on around the College. Please see the roster below.

Basketball Results v Padua College

 AIC TENNIS
Mr Craig Stariha, AIC Tennis Co-ordinator

It was great to travel around all venues over the weekend to see our boys enjoying the game of tennis against the boys from Padua College. Overall, we had 11 wins and six losses which amounted to eight wins and five losses in the aggregate games.

May I please ask all players to make sure they follow through with their commitment and attend all games. It has been frustrating to fill positions in teams at late notice due to family outings, work commitments and the like. I am hoping that in the older age groups particularly, the teams are now settled, and the boys involved will attend their allocated matches each week.  I thank those boys who have kindly ‘filled the gap’ over the last two rounds.

This week we play Iona in the local derby. Please be aware that all Year 9-open fixtures are played away across two venues, that is, the Iona tennis courts on at the Iona campus and the Wynnum Tennis Centre. All Year 5 – Year 8 players will play at home at Morningside Tennis Centre again this week.

Tennis Training – all training will go ahead as per normal next week for all age groups excluding those teams who train on Wednesday. Due to the Ekka holiday all training next Wednesday is cancelled. For those training on Thursday morning, please be aware that the bus will take all players directly to Villanova Park after training for the Inter-House Track and Field Carnival. All players are able to purchase breakfast from the canteen at Villanova Park with card or cash (boys cannot use their student card or charge goods to their student number).

Tennis Results v Padua College

AIC RUGBY LEAGUE
Mr Blake McLauchlan, AIC Rugby League Co-ordinator

Unfortunately, we completed Round 2 against Padua with seven losses. It was always going to be a difficult task taking on a league school such as Padua in the first year of rugby league, but we believe that across the board our boys are taking positive steps towards learning the fundamentals of the game. At times throughout the day, our boys were on top but simple errors coupled with fatigue allowed Padua to capitalise and get the win.

Unfortunately, the First XIII had their first taste of defeat for the inaugural AIC season. The boys showed a glimpse of class towards the end of the first half putting on a quick six points just before the half time break. Padua were then able to quickly capitalise on a few opportunities handed to them with two quick tries at the start of the second half, completely changing the momentum of the match. There were some tough lessons to be learnt for our boys and I am sure they are looking to make amends this weekend.

Round 3 will be just as difficult this weekend, as we take on Iona at Ipswich. I challenge our boys to bring a positive mindset to the game and back themselves this weekend. Iona College are known for producing some quality rugby league players, so I urge all players to play fairly but aggressively. Stand up and meet the challenge front on and embrace the battle.

I would like to remind all players to please allow enough time to ensure you arrive at Ipswich at least 30 minutes before your scheduled kick off time, unless you have been told to arrive earlier by your coach.

Parents are reminded that they are not to approach a coach, referee or any member of the opposing school. If there any issues or concerns that parents may have regarding rugby league, they should be directed to the Rugby League Coordinator or Director of Sport.

The Year 7 boys were lucky enough to train alongside Villanova Old Boy and Melbourne Storm player Christian Welch last Thursday. Christian graduated from Villanova in 2011. He has made 78 appearances for the Melbourne Storm and made his State of Origen debut for Queensland this year in game 3. The boys certainly appreciated his presence at training, and we thank our Year 7 coaches Sam Harding and Cooper Sauvage for introducing him to the boys.

I wish all teams the best of luck for Round 3 against Iona College. Train hard, be aggressive, play within the spirit of the game and as always, chase the win.

Rugby League Results v Padua College

ZONE CRICKET
Notes for zone cricket will be handed out to students when the online registration format becomes active. A reminder that teams will only be submitted into this local cricket competition if parents cover all the necessary roles needed to field a team each week.

REPRESENTATIVE SPORT
Well done to Gray O’Neill and Gus Sullivan who were members of the 11 – 12 years Met East Rugby Union team which competed at the State Rugby Championships in Townsville. The Met East team won the carnival and Gray was awarded ‘player of the match’ in the finals. Fellow Year 7 student, Adam Bieirs, competed as part of the Chairman’s XV Team. A great achievement!

Congratulations to Harvey Anderson who made the Met East Track and Field team for the 100m and 4x100m relay. Harvey will now compete in the State Championships next week on August 15 and 16.  Congratulations and best wishes Harvey!

Mr Craig Stariha, Director of Sport

QCMF IS HERE!  15 – 18 August 2019
We are now only seven sleeps away from the 29th Queensland Catholic Schools and Colleges Music Festival.  Over 15,000 students will be joining us from across this great nation and we are really looking forward to hosting them!  To learn a little more about our Festival and to get the ‘festival vibe’ happening, please take the time to view a short video expressing the role QCMF plays in our broader Catholic Community:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dpyc_rpUJkk

SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY
Please take the time to visit, sign-up, and join us for a couple of hours over the weekend.  The site for volunteering is located at www.qcmfvolunteering.com.au.  If you have any queries regarding volunteering at QCMF, please contact our organising group via qcmf@vnc.qld.edu.au.

All volunteers will receive a festival pass providing free admission to the entire event.  Festival passes may be collected with your name badge at any time during QCMF from the venue you are volunteering at.

REMINDER – Friday 16 August is NOT a regular school day
Please remember that Friday is not a regular school day and as such, staff supervision will not be organised as per normal.  Students will be under Music staff supervision during their arrival and departure times for performances.  Students will also be supervised by our adult volunteers during any period that they have registered to volunteer during QCMF.  If your son has not registered to volunteer, we cannot accept his offer of assistance.  Students who are not under parental supervision outside of these times will have their parents contacted so that they can be collected and taken home.

We appreciate this is a busy time and a change to routine.  We are also mindful of our responsibilities around duty of care to our students and to the many thousands of other students and visitors who will be with us across this time.  I really appreciate your assistance in this regard.

VILLANOVA COLLEGE PERFORMANCE TIMES – QCMF
The Villanova performance times for QCMF have been distributed to families earlier this week.  Please ensure you received these via email.  For our community’s information, the times are available by clicking here.

We hope that you will come and support the Green and Gold and share in some of the fine music our students have been preparing over the past few months.  I look forward to seeing you all around campus or down at St James’ over the weekend.

HOMEBAKE DONATIONS QCMF 2019
Calling all Villanova Bakers…….

Homebake is always very popular at QCMF for kids, parents and staff. To make sure that our QCMF Café continues to be a success we are asking each family at Villanova for their help in providing donations of baked goods to support this event.   We ask that each family provide just one batch of goodies; savoury or sweet, over the course of the Festival.

If you are time poor or don’t fancy yourself as a baker then we would also love to receive donations of bought goodies such as biscuits, cakes and slices.

If you are a family who needs to cater for food allergies and are willing to donate, we are asking that you donate something that is suitable as we always have many requests for gluten free and dairy free options.

Please find attached to this email a “Description of Goods” ticket which we encourage you to print off, complete and attach to your goods when you drop them off.

Donations can be dropped to the Villanova Tuckshop at the following times:

Wednesday 14 August:                                  9 – 10.30am and 4 – 5.30pm
Thursday 15 August:                                     9 – 10.30am and 3 – 5.30pm
Friday 16 August:                                           All Day
Saturday 17 August:                                      All Day
Sunday 19 August:                                         8 – 10am

I encourage you to support this event and our Cafe at this year’s QCMF.   If you have any questions, please contact the stall convenor:

Anjali Henders  (anjkatherine@hotmail.com)

Need Inspiration:

https://www.kidspot.com.au/kitchen/galleries/30-impressive-last-minute-cake-stall-recipes/u55a251d?page=24

https://www.stayathomemum.com.au/recipes/80-best-selling-foods-you-can-sell-at-fetes-and-fairs/

ENTERTAINMENT BOOKS 2019
If you have purchased books through the drive, please collect your books from the Music Office.  If you require clarification around collection of your Entertainment Books, please contact Mrs Schrauf in the Music Office on 3394 5691.

Entertainment Books can still be purchased through our Villanova Music Support Group portal (link below) or through the Music Office.

Thank you all very much for your continued support of this initiative.  We look forward to being one of Entertainments biggest contributors again!

DATE CLAIMERS
As is tradition, we look forward to the fantastic events we have planned in the near future:

Thank you all for your continued support of Villanova Music.

Mr Michael Jones, Director of Music

P&F MEETING
The next P&F meeting will be held on Monday 12 August at 6.00pm in Tolle Lege Library. All welcome to attend.

TUCKSHOP
To view our current tuckshop menu:
Tuckshop Menu Price List – 2019

TUCKSHOP ROSTER

Monday 12 August
Narelle Rieck
Julie Stokes
Sally Caltabiano
Maria Woodger
Sylvia Wright
Mary Brady
Stephanie Sullivan
Susanne Smyth
Katrina Hermiston

Tuesday 13 August
Donna Perkins
Melissa Davidson
Lisa Forsyth
Nicole Webb
Leanne McMahon
Sonia Ballen
Susan White
Tricia Allen

Wednesday 14 August
EKKA Holiday

Thursday 15 August
Athletics Carnival Villanova Park
Maria McGarry
Juanita Ryan
Kath Eberhardt
Pauline White
Bernadette Papagiannis
Kelly Stassi
Jane Lawson
Chrissy Bonfiglio
Leesa Francis

Friday 16 August
QCMF – Pupil Free Day

LIBRARY ROSTER

Tuesday 14 August
Cristina Palacios

MUSCLE UP FOR MND
Villanova College invites all families and friends to ‘Muscle Up for MND’ this Sunday 11 August at the world-famous Gabba in support of the MND and Me Foundation and people impacted by the cruel disease that is Motor Neurone Disease.

We’re asking students to wear their PE uniform to show our VNC spirit. When registering look for ‘Villanova College’ when prompted to join a team. Register at: https://evenico-mndm-2019.azurewebsites.net/events/3/muscle-up-for-mnd-2019

***Please note that parents need to attend with their son/s as this is a family event and there will be no formal staff supervision of students.

LORETO COLLEGE DANCE
Years 7 – 10 students are invited to the Loreto College Dance on Friday 23 August from 7.00pm – 10.00pm. Entry is $15.00 (ID required).

MORETON BAY COLLEGE DANCE
MBC is holding a dance for Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 on Saturday 10 August from 7pm – 10pm. The dance will be held in Oriel Handley Hall.  Admission cost is $10 + current ID.

ST THOMAS’ CAMP HILL CELEBRATES 90 YEARS
Calling all past St Thomas families. St Thomas would like to welcome back past students and parents to two events to celebrate this significant anniversary.

90th Anniversary Celebration: Friday 6 September, 6.00pm
90th Anniversary Community Mass: Sunday 8 September, 9.00am