Villa View: Issue 23/21

Dear Members of the Villanova College Family
What interesting times we are living in at the moment. Being back in lockdown and Learning@Home was not on my agenda for Semester Two, 2021. However, the safety of all members of our community is our highest priority and we will do what is necessary to assist our community to navigate this new wave of the pandemic.

Last year in the midst of the global pandemic Pope Francis had this to say.

“One of my hopes for this crisis we are living is that we come back to contact with reality. We need to move from the virtual to the real, from the abstract to the concrete, from adjective to the noun. There are so many real, ’flesh and blood’ brothers and sisters, people with names and faces, deprived in ways that we have not been able so see, listen to, or recognize because we have been so focused on ourselves.

The crisis has made visible the throwaway culture. The COVID health measures have exposed, for example, how many of our brothers and sisters do not have housing where social distancing is possible, not clean water to wash.”

I may grumble about not being able to travel further than 10 kilometres and having my freedom curtailed but in comparison to many in this world I am so lucky.

Learning@Home
I have been very impressed with our students and our teaching staff. On Tuesday this week we began Learning@Home using the Microsoft Teams platform. From all reports the students have been ready for each lesson and engaging with the work being set. Our teaching staff have bravely embraced the new technologies, and many are exploring new ways of engaging with students online. I am confident our teaching staff will learn many new strategies during this period of home learning that will become a key part of how they engage students in the future when we return to face to face teaching.

Our teaching staff will stay in contact with our families if we see students not attending classes and absent from the school day. I remind families to please communicate with the relevant Student Services Office to report your son’s absence from class if for any reason he is unable to attend.

For some students there may be ongoing technical issues. Please reach out to our IT staff using IT@vnc.qld.edu.au for assistance. In some cases, students have received loan laptops loaded with Microsoft Teams to allow them to continue their learning.

For all our students we are recommending getting outside and doing some exercise at the end of the school day. After many hours in front of screens it is important for everyone’s well-being to get up out of the chair and into sunshine, fresh air and to exercise.

Year 12 Assessment
The Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) has been made aware of the upcoming Internal Assessment items still to be completed by Year 12 students at Villanova College. At this point in time, we have communicated with the Year 12 students to expect their assessment block to commence once lockdown is lifted and the students return to school. The Teaching and Learning Office will continue to monitor the situation and will inform the Year 12 students once new information is at hand.

Prayers
We keep in our prayers and thoughts the Jovellanos family following the recent death of Theo (Senior 2015). Theo battled childhood cancer and in recent times suffered a number of strokes. We offer our condolences to Alan, Issandra and Theo’s brother Xavier (Senior 2011).

May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen

God bless

Mr Mark Stower, Principal

In keeping with the spirit of Reconciliation, Villanova College acknowledges the Yuggera and Turrbal peoples, as the Traditional Custodians of this land on which we stand.  We pay our respects to Elders, past, present and emerging.  This has always been, and always will be, a place of teaching and learning connected to country, culture and community. 

This week has seen the rapid adoption of Microsoft Teams as a communication and collaboration platform for all classes across the College. Thankfully, we were in a generally good position for this to take place. Students were introduced to Microsoft Teams as a digital class space at the start of this term after a semester-long induction to Microsoft Teams for our College teaching staff.

For the most part, this rapid transition to online learning has gone well. However, teachers and students were not familiar with Teams meetings – this has presented the steepest learning curve for the College community. It is pleasing to hear that most classes are now routinely using Teams meetings to check in, connect and learn remotely. As we complete our first (hopefully, final) week of Learning@Home there are some key takeaways and tips I wish to share with you.

There are many ways to access Teams! You don’t need to use your son’s BYOD laptop to join meetings, check work, complete work and communicate with others. You can use any of the following:

• A web browser on any computer anywhere: https://teams.microsoft.com
• Downloading the free Teams iOS app for iPhones and iPads
• Downloading the free Teams Google Play Store app for Android phones and tablets (e.g. Samsung).

In my experience, the iPad is a great alternative to the desktop. Students could use the iPad to connect to meetings whilst working on their BYOD laptop, or paper, etc. Multi-screen multi-tasking!

You don’t need a scanner to scan. Download the free OneDrive app and sign in to scan photos, documents and whiteboards directly to PDF. These files will be saved to OneDrive – cropped, refined/sharpened and filtered – ready to then attach to emails or place on OneNote pages.

Sometimes, technology simply fails. But communication prevails. Students can (and should) email teachers to alert them to issues caused by loss of connection, faulty equipment etc. If there are issues with using Teams, first try the alternates above. Failing that, please create a BYOD support ticket via byod@vnc.qld.edu.au and clearly explain the issue in as much detail as possible. Our IT Helpdesk team will support you in resolving the issue.

Important links:

• BYOD home page: I have posted many short guides for students regarding the use of Teams to the homepage at the top.
• Teams Parent Guides: Follow this link to review the guide to help your son use Teams, or this link to help your son participate in Teams meetings.
• OneDrive app: Follow these links to Install on iOS devices, Install on Android devices, Scan documents with an iOS device or Scan documents with an Android device.
• Teams Accessibility: Follow this link to review a Microsoft guide regarding use of Immersive Reader, Dictation and other accessible tools available across the Teams platform.

Mr Jason Lane, eLearning Pedagogy Leader

Thank you for taking the time to read this week’s Junior School Newsletter article.

How are you?  How are you really?

I want to tell you how proud I am of your sons this week.  Truly in awe of them.  Dial back every high expectation for a moment and be grateful for the small things.  Some boys are still wearing their academic uniforms – even though the PE uniform is acceptable attire this week.  This shows pride and a sense of unity.  Students who are making the Pastoral check in by 8.30am – show a commitment to rolling out of bed, likely swinging past their only canteen option this week, which is your kitchen, no ID card required.  If they leave a plate at the sink or the milk/juice on the bench, remember they have eaten and are ready for the day.  Our students are managing an incredible amount of screen time.  Staying plugged in to a power point, finding space in your home, is not always the smoothest task as siblings can seek the “best” seat, room or spot in the sun on the veranda.  Managing multiple platforms – Teams, OneNote, Outlook for emails, Word, PowerPoint, Excel – is an outstanding accomplishment.  How quickly they click, flick between screens and do their best to access live communication, face to face chats with classmates and follow teaching and learning instructions.

The best part of my days this week – seeing photographs, Flipgrids and messages that show our students happy on the trampoline, leaving messages on footpaths in coloured chalk for neighbours and the presence of the family dogs during learning.  Younger siblings grabbing a quick cuddle from their big brothers – fantastic.  Look at our young men combining family life and Learning@Home.

You, the parents, guardians and helping hands are doing an incredible job this week.  I mean it.  Your best is perfect – and as the adults we need to be kind to ourselves in these circumstances.  Internet drops out, that’s ok.  Breathe and when you can reconnect, we will be here.  No textbooks at home?  That’s ok.  Use blank paper or an old schoolbook.  Create Word documents and use the drawing function.  Talk and listen.  Using a phone, your son can record his ideas verbally.  You are working from home?  Understandable.  You can’t supervise or micromanage your child/children like you might prefer to – that’s ok.  Schedule what you can.  Prioritise and we will always understand.  Need to step away from screens and take the kids into the backyard for that “serenity now” session?  Good on you.  Breathe the fresh air in deeply and let that sunshine send its Vitamin D to your soul.  Nothing better.  Need to queue up for a Covid test or leave learning to get vaccinated?  This is one of the most responsible things you can do – thank you.  We believe you are trying.  We are grateful for your efforts.  Trust your best judgement because we trust you.

The class teachers, the specialist staff, the Learning Enrichment Team, the Curriculum Area Leaders, Pastoral Area Leader, IT, Library staff, Mrs Mascadri and I are doing our very best for your sons and your families.  Many of us are in exactly the same situation as yourselves – working from home and having young children or teenagers working beside us.  The kitchen is the meeting spot at breaks where grabbing minutes around the microwave or toastie machine gives us the chance to check in.  Our pets get a few extra cuddles – they are the winners of us being around the house!  Leaving Team meetings mean we pick up other meetings online with teaching partners.  We try to remember to get up and move a little.  There are few breaks, especially when we must plan in detail for the next day to help students of essential workers on College grounds, students working independently and/or with support at home.  We cannot wait to be back on campus when Queensland Health allows us to.  Words of kindness that our community shares with staff this week are the gold medals of Teaching Olympics – your thoughtfulness and time taken to consider our efforts and attempts is most gratefully received.  I encourage you to share kindness whenever you can – it’s the ultimate antidote.

Happy Birthday to all our Junior School students this week celebrating the next year around the sun!  We remember you!  Please, if you are finding there is a great moment to share with me this week, send your moment to srouhliadeff@vnc.qld.edu.au – we would love to see the joy and moments that make us stronger than we ever knew we were.

Mr Stephen Rouhliadeff, Head of Junior School

Over the past 18 months, as the effects of the pandemic wax and wane, most schools, at some point, have had to move to various online learning platforms. Luckily for us here at Villanova, we have only had to move over to our Learning@Home platform a handful of times. Not only that, but thanks to the great work of our staff the feedback has been largely positive – even if it has been stressful for a lot of parents trying to manage school ‘attendance’ on top of everything else!

Others have not been so lucky and, across the country, and indeed the globe, there is now considerable data accumulating – all of which helps us to understand what effective online learning does and doesn’t look like. In other words, what works and what doesn’t.

Drawing from some of the ‘best practice’ applied in Melbourne schools (during 2020) and more recently in Sydney, we can implement a few simple strategies to ensure that our Learning@Home fits firmly in the ‘What Works’ category.

Good implementation of the following seems most crucial to success:

• Environment: as with all learning spaces and workspaces, productivity relies on environments that are conducive to effective learning. Spaces that are well-lit and well-ventilated and free from as many distractions as possible.
• Routine: adolescent boys thrive on routine and predictability; they create sense of safety and comfort for them. Despite the disruption to lives that lockdowns cause, it is important that the boys’ daily routines are well and consistently, established, e.g. getting out of bed on time, eating a nutritious breakfast, showering, getting dressed into school uniform and being ready for the first daily Teams check-in, all without rush and panic. This last may actually be easier to achieve in lockdown, no arguments as to who sits in the front seat, no separate drop offs, and – best of all – no fights with traffic!
• Engagement: when boys get the opportunity to discuss, collaborate and engage with their peers they deepen their learning and understanding. This is the beauty of effective classrooms. Whilst Teams will allow for some interaction with peers and teachers, in Learning@Home mode, parents get to play a significant role in helping the consolidation phase of education by discussing with their sons the learning that has taken place during the day.
• Wellbeing: Whilst many adolescent boys think the dream scenario is to be on their devices all day, the reality is different when they have to be on there to work. The other issue we realise that they face [even if they don’t] is that extended screen time can have a detrimental effect on mood, energy levels and general wellbeing. Ensuring the boys have adequate screen-free time and get out of their rooms and practice mindfulness activities is not only highly valuable but extremely important. Such activities can look different for each boy and each household, some will want to kick the footy, others will go for a walk/run, some may read, and others may have their own mindful activity that works for them. As parents, we need to ensure we can enable this to occur – away from screens……..

We know that Learning@Home will suit some boys, while others will struggle. Reaching out for support is important. If parents are concerned about how their son is travelling, I encourage you to reach out to your son’s teachers and relevant Pastoral Area Leader.

I am sure we all hope that the current lockdown ends this weekend, but we also need to prepare ourselves for it to continue, or, for us to go back to Learning@Home at some future date. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst and, most importantly, be particularly kind to yourself and all you interact with. We are all in this together and, hopefully, that is how we will come through it.

Stay safe!

Mr Greg O’Neill, Head of Middle School

As we continue to navigate through the challenges associated with the lockdown and transition to online learning@home, we pray that all in our community remain safe. It is a common sentiment that you judge the strength of a community in how it faces adversity and we have all been fortified by the power of our village which is Villanova College. As I shared with my Year 12 ACP class earlier this week we are and will always remain #strongertogether.

The Hero Code
There have been many inspirational stories of heroism witnessed throughout this pandemic, especially the courage and resilience demonstrated by the athletes at the Olympic Games who had prepared for competition a year earlier and needed to adapt and reshape their training programs with their coaches to be ready to compete on sport’s grandest stage in 2021.

Over the last week, I have been reading ‘The Hero Code- Lessons on How to Achieve More Than You Ever Thought Possible’ by Admiral William H Raven. Within the Year 11 Formation Program, we have shown Raven’s inspirational 2014 University of Texas Commencement Address, commonly referred to as Make Your Bed. You can find the speech here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxBQLFLei70

In ‘The Hero Code’ the Admiral looks at the virtues and values possessed by the heroes in our world. His code resonated deeply with me and Raven offers a profound and poignant vision of what the world could be if we all collectively practiced the prescribed virtues that make ordinary people capable of extraordinary things. This book shows how we can all persevere to rise above our failures, use humour as a source of strength and inspire trust through integrity, as well as offering practical advice on rising to the occasion and becoming our best selves. This is the Hero Code:

1. I will always strive to be Courageous; to take one step forward as I confront my fears.
2. I will work to be Humble; to recognise the limits of my intellect, my understanding and my power.
3. I will learn to Sacrifice by giving a little of my time, my talent, and my treasure to those in need.
4. I will be a person of Integrity; every decision I make and every action I take will be moral, legal and ethical.
5. I will be kind and Compassionate to at least one person every single day and expect nothing in return.
6. I will never give up on matters that are important to me, my family, my country, or my faith. I will Persevere.
7. Whatever job I am given, whatever Duty I am bound by, I will do it to the best of my ability.
8. I will use my unique talents to inspire others and give them Hope that tomorrow will be a better day.
9. I will use Humour to comfort others, and never be afraid to laugh at myself.
10. No matter how great or small the offence against me, I will try to Forgive. I will be the victor, not the victim.

The Resilience Project – Mindfulness
One of the key focus areas of the Senior School Pastoral Team this week in supporting our young men during learning@home has been maintaining the wellbeing and positive mental health of our students. In morning Pastoral briefings, Form Meetings and during ACP lessons, we have emphasised that our students need to engage in other activities away from their screens, especially exercise.

One other habit of wellbeing we have promoted this week is the third GEM principle from The Resilience Project- Mindfulness. Engaging in this practice helps you be ‘present’ in the moment and can often create a feeling of calm, by slowing down and concentrating on one thing at a time. The most common method of mindfulness is the practice of meditation which has been clinically shown to have both positive physical and mental health benefits including improving sleep, relieving stress and increasing ability to focus and concentrate. Within the Senior School Formation program during learning@home, we have encouraged our students to utilise the Smiling Mind app which provides a number of guided meditations focusing on such aspects as breathing and flow.

I encourage all parents to have conversations with our young men about how they are managing their wellbeing during this current lockdown period.

“When we get too caught up in the busyness of the world, we lose connection with one another – and ourselves.” –  Jack Kornfield

Mr Matt Levander, Head of Senior School

Living Gratefully and Walking Humbly!
Lockdown number four in Brisbane for 2021.  This time we’ve had to make the swift change to online learning and stay at home orders, and with most cases affecting school communities there is definitely a different feeling about this lockdown.  Our need to pivot quickly and the sense of how quickly things need to change is becoming somewhat normal.  Indeed, students in my classes have commented that you really don’t know what is going to happen in a day!  Our week has certainly looked different from what we would have imagined last Thursday.  In our school calendar the list of events affected just this week is long.  Year 9  students were to have their Reflection Day on Monday, our Year 10s were to be on camp and the Year 11 cohort were looking forward to their Leadership Day.  These are significant events, yet we need to pivot.  I wonder what this has invited for your family, for you?

Pope Francis released an uplifting and practical book in December 2020 called ‘Let us Dream: The path to a better future” which reviewers describe as an epiphany, a call to arms, and a pleasure to read as it is Pope Francis at his most personal, profound and passionate.  Pope France urges us not to let the pain of this time be in vain.  He explores what this crisis can teach us about how to handle upheaval of any kind in our own lives and the world at large by revealing how three crises in his own life changed him dramatically for the better.  Maybe this book is a worthy lockdown read!

This Sunday is the feast day of Australia’s first official saint, Mary MacKillop.  Mary was certainly a woman who faced uncertainty and found her way through hardships having to hold truth and speak out against injustice even when her own integrity and judgement was called into question.  She was excommunicated by the church because she discovered children were being abused by a priest and went public.  Yet she held the space of truth and called forth justice.

I invite you to sit with some of Mary’s own words and let them speak to your life:

Believe in the whisperings of God to your own heart.  (1868)
Never see a need without doing something about it.  (1871)
Be full of forgiveness, hope and love. (1873)
Try at least to excuse what you cannot understand and bear in mind that you have only to answer for your own faults. (1877)
Let us show love in our actions, bearing with one another, forgiving and forgetting.  (1890)
Seek first the poorest and most neglected parts of God’s vineyard … (1900)

And finally, to her Sisters:
​‘Whatever troubles may be before you, accept them cheerfully, remembering whom you are trying to follow.     Do not be afraid. Love one another, bear with one another, and let charity guide you in all your life’. (1909)

A great dinnertime conversation would be exploring our learnings from COVID.  This prayer might guide you this week.

Solemn Blessing (Mary of the Cross)
​Through the example of Saint Mary of the Cross,
may we learn to recognise God’s will for us
and trust in his providence.
Amen.

May her life of service awaken in us
a deep respect for the poor
and a strong will for justice.
Amen.

May we share in her courage,
see with the eyes of Christian love,
and learn from her holy deeds.
Amen.

And may the blessing of almighty God,
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
come down on us and remain with us for ever.
Amen.

(Adapted from the Solemn Blessing for Mary of the Cross, Roman Missal p. 971)

Forming fine young men at Villanova
A rule of St Augustine is often summarised as ‘one in heart and mind’.  This sentiment is about community, and it is also about the journey of personal integration.  COVID-19 has thrown up many challenges for us to consider both personally and collectively.

Very recently, one of our Year 11 students, Gabriel Palacios, wrote an article for Australian Catholics, reflecting on the impact of COVID-19.  His work has been highly commended in the Senior Section of the Australian Catholics Young Voices Award.

We congratulate Gabriel on this achievement and invite you to read his article: ‘COVID-19: Health Crisis or Wake-up Call?’

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

Ms Kate Garrone, Dean of Mission and Identity

A very interesting set of circumstances took place on the weekend. As a result of the Queensland government’s decision to enforce a lock down at 4.oopm on Saturday, the AIC Management Committee (consisting of all eight AIC principals) took the decision to abandon all games from 11.00am onwards. Given the Covid outbreak around Indooroopilly and the proximity of St Peters in this area, I think a wise decision was made, particularly as we played this school over the weekend.

The boys who were waiting to play the next game in Goold Hall were very disappointed when I personally told them of the news of the cancellations. This would no doubt have been the case across all venues. I know some were eagerly waiting their chance to play First basketball as they did get the call up for the game on Saturday.

As we are all unsure about when this lock down will cease, the flow on effect means that we are unsure when sports will return. We know we are not playing this weekend. Next week is set down as a BYE due to the Ekka (which has now been cancelled). I suppose this BYE has come at an opportune time. The best we can hope for is a return to sport in Week 6 this term, which would be our Round 4 against St Patrick’s College.

As I write this article, the AIC Association has not come to any decision regarding what happens to the missed games and results over the weekend. How this will affect premierships and aggregates is not known at this stage. The major focus has been to concentrate on the ‘Learning@Home’ scenario for the time being and rightly so.

The AIC Management Committee has a meeting scheduled this week. The matters mentioned above will be discussed. I have no doubt that there will be some differences of opinion from the eight schools on how we proceed but at the end of the day a decision will be made at some stage and all schools will abide by the final decision made. For the time being, let us hold tight. Once decisions are made, I will certainly communicate these to our community via this publication.

In the meantime, I encourage all boys to get out of the house and do some physical exercise. A 30-minute walk, ride or jog around the block will do you good.

I thank the many parents who ensured students did the right thing and supported the College last Thursday by attending and participating in the annual Track & Field Carnival. We do not expect every boy to be a ‘track & field’ star. We provided a program on the day which catered for those who simply wished to participate and for those who are more competitive. It was pleasing to see most students attended school on this day, but a significant number did not. I am dumbfounded to think some parents allowed their boys to stay at home to avoid physical activity. Not only are we promoting physical activity on these days, but it is also serves as an opportunity for our college to come together as a community outside of the classroom to ‘have a go’ and ‘enjoy’ the time spent with mates and staff in a different setting. This goes a long way to bolster a sense of community and of general sense of wellbeing. Again, we are not expecting to see everybody to be the best athlete, but it would have been great to see everybody get out and have a go. Please read below a report on the day, including a list of winners for the ‘fast and furious’ and the ‘Year Level Champions’.

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 Villa a great community. If we are good enough to represent our school, we should represent our school. Our school 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 – 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 keep an eye out on the Year 5 and Year 6 Track & Field squad which will be posted tomorrow. Please accept the challenge if you have been identified as one of best athletes to train for the upcoming AIC Track & Field Championships. It really is an honour to represent Villanova at any sporting event.

Although we have no sport for the foreseeable future, please try and do some physical activity as mentioned above. I wish all Villanova men from Year 5 – 12 the best throughout this lockdown. Look after yourself boys!

Inter-House Track & Field Carnival
Last Thursday, the entire College participated in the annual Villanova Inter-House Track & Field Carnival. We were very fortunate to experience great weather conditions and to enjoy our sporting grounds in excellent condition. All students from Year 5 – 12 participated in many events as part of the program. The whole school gathered at the commencement of the day to run the finals of the ‘fast and furious’ finals. Please find a list of all ‘fast and furious’ winners below:

Year 5: Charles Warr
Year 6: Archie Dickinson
Year 7: Max Rakitovszky
Year 8: Max Jones
Year 9: Lachlan Ebrington
Year 10: Hugo Harrison
Year 11: Max Gosling
Year 12: Jay Schlecht

It was a great day for all involved, as it provided an opportunity for our College to showcase our best athletes but also to give everybody a chance to be involved and to enjoy each other’s company in the true Augustinian spirit. Once again, I thank the many parents who supported the College by ensuring that their son was present on the day.

 At the conclusion of the day, House points were awarded as follows.

Well done to the many students who competed in the championship events at the carnival. The points were collated for each discipline based on places and the following boys were awarded our Inter-House Track and Field Year Level Champions on the day.  Great effort boys, well done!

Year 5: James Chapman
Year 6: Archie Dickinson
Year 7: Harvey Anderson
Year 8: Max Jones
Year 9: Lachlan Ebrington
Year 10: Liam Gyetvay
Year 11: Jorge Makras
Year 12: Louis Henderson

AIC Track & 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 – 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 & Field program. Parental support on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

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

Round 2 of the basketball season was a much tougher round than expected against the improving St Peters. While we only got 21 of the 31 games completed, we were able to secure 17 wins, two losses and two draws. Of note was the clean sweep of wins across Year 5, Year 6 and Year 7. As communicated by the Director of Sport, we will now wait and see what the coming days and weeks bring to assess where the remainder of the season will take us. Take care and ensure whilst learning at home that you are dribbling a ball and shooting hoops in the backyard.

Basketball Results v St Peters Lutheran College (Incomplete round due to lock down)

AIC TENNIS
Mr Todd Kropp, AIC Tennis Co-ordinator

It was certainly going to be a tough task coming up against,  arguably the AIC tennis leaders in St. Peters for our second round of AIC sport. Unfortunately, the round was cut short due to the lock down being put into effect for Brisbane. I would like to thank our tennis community for their patience and cooperation with the changes made on Saturday.

It is pleasing 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 didn’t 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 Villa players in between fixtures.

Our Year 5 and Year 6 players are very important to the Villanova tennis program, so we caught up with AIC Tennis Manager, Mrs Mascadri, to see how they are going:

It was exactly what we were expecting and trained for this week as we faced St Peters.

There were no surprises as the competition was tough. Long deuces, long sets, which unfortunately did not reflect the final scores as the 5B, 6A and 6B teams went down. However, the mighty 5A team gave St Peters a run for their money taking the victory and winning strongly

Mrs Mascadri – Year 5 and Year 6 Tennis Manager

The First IV had another tough round against SPLC. Coach Bo and Ms Dewis were happy with the intensity brought by our team however we did fall short in the scorebook. Whilst some scores haven’t been pretty, we know their commitment and hard work will soon payoff.

With the lockdown in effect, we will not take to the court this week or weekend. Whilst I know this is frustrating, it is important to follow guidelines. Keep an eye on the Locker Room page for all the details on returning to AIC Sport after the lockdown.

Tennis Results v St Peters Lutheran College (Incomplete round due to lock down)

RUGBY LEAGUE – bye round

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

Representative Sport
Congratulations go to Wade Wildin Powell, Benny Lawrance and Charlie Hegarty who have all been selected in the Under 14 Qld Water Polo Team to compete in Hobart in late September. Wade and Charlie won gold at the Brisbane Water Polo Grand Finals (BWPI) for Under 13 playing for Mantas 13A. All three boys also won silver at the Brisbane Water Polo Grand Finals (BWPI) for Under 14 playing for Mantas 14A. A fantastic achievement by all involved.  Well done and best wishes boys!

Well done to Lachlan Gillett who competed for Queensland at the Beach Volleyball National Championships during the Easter holidays.  Lachlan has now been selected for the Queensland Indoor Volleyball Team who will be competing at the National Titles in Bendigo over the September school holidays. A great effort Lachlan!

Congratulations to Mason Honeyman who has been selected in the Met East U/15 Basketball Team who were due to compete in the State Titles this week.

Mr Craig Stariha, Director of Sport

QCMF 2021
Due to the online pivot made for QCMF this year, we will be continuing our plans to run the festival at the scheduled time – with a difference.  QCMF 2021 will be the largest, student music festival convened online in the world – convened completely remotely!  We will not have audiences, performers, adjudicators, even volunteers onsite; this will be the quietest Coorparoo and Villanova will have been over a festival weekend for some time (with a festival running of course).

All families will receive links to the section of their son’s performance.  This link will give you access to this video for both viewing at time of broadcast, and at a later more convenient time.  Sections will be scheduled to broadcast and remain online up until December 2021.

Our adjudicators will be viewing student performances from the comfort of their own homes.  We have worked to ensure they will have the required materials ready for them to provide feedback on ensemble performances from across Australia and New Zealand.  We will be communicating adjudications and results to ensembles in the fortnight after Festival concludes.  I would like to recognise and thank our Music Admin team for their fantastic efforts to make this happen!

We encourage you all to take a moment and view your performances during the Festival next week.  Whilst we are unable to gather again for another festival, we are able to virtually celebrate music in Catholic Schools and recognise the talent and efforts of our fantastic students and their ensemble directors.

Instrumental Music Lessons Online
As per correspondence delivered to families early this week, the Instrumental Music Department has moved to teaching all private and group instruction online via Microsoft Teams.  Your son’s instrumental music teacher will be sending a meeting request through to your son’s College email address, advising of his lesson time.  Please ensure your son ‘accepts’ this meeting so that a calendar entry is created and an auto-reminder is generated.

As these lessons commence almost immediately upon entering the meeting, can we please ask the students to ensure they have all materials required ready prior to entering the session.  We also remind students to be mindful of where their camera is positioned, ensuring that their camera angle doesn’t afford any obtrusion into their household.

I am receiving many positive reports from our staff regarding student engagement with our remote teaching.  We thank you for your continued support of your son’s music education and appreciate the time and effort that is going in to making these online lessons effective.

All Events, Rehearsals, and Workshops Postponed
As per our communications home this week, all events, rehearsals, and workshops have been postponed indefinitely.  This includes our scheduled Chamber Ensemble evening for next week. 

I acknowledge that it is disappointing to be removing activities from our calendar at short notice due to lockdown.  However, as we are all aware, we need to be cognisant of direction given to us from the government to keep our community safe.

As soon as restrictions post-lock-down are made clear, we will revise our calendar of events and communicate this home as soon as possible.

Thank you all for your patience as we navigate this interesting time.

Villanova Camp Chairs and Wildcat Coolers
Our fantastic Music Support Group have organised an innovative fundraiser for Villanova College.  You may have heard the buzz about our Villanova Camp Chairs and Wildcat Coolers…  the MUST HAVE items for the beach/cricket/park/fishing/BBQ/etc. this Summer! (flyer attached).

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

All items can be purchased via trybooking through the following link:  https://www.trybooking.com/BMEML

All profits go to the Music Support Group.

Entertainment Publications Memberships
Entertainment memberships are one of the Music Support Groups main fund-raisers.  Just click on this link to purchase a membership and obtain ongoing special deals throughout the year.

Opportunity to Participate
The Music community at Villanova welcomes all students interested in participating in ensemble or instrument/vocal tuition.  If your son would like to take lessons on an instrument this year, please contact the Music Office on 3394 5691 or via email at music@vnc.qld.edu.au for further information.

Date Claimers
All events and rehearsals are postponed until further notice.  As soon as possible, information regarding a revised calendar will be communicated to families and the community.

Thank you all for your ongoing support of Music at Villanova College.

Mr Michael Jones, Director of Music

COMMONWEALTH SCHOOL DATA COLLLECTION NOTICE
Please click here for information regarding the collection of certain information about your child’s school, its staff and student body by the Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment.

LIBRARY ROSTER (MONDAY 9  – FRIDAY 13 AUGUST)
To be advised dependent on lockdown announcement.

TUCKSHOP ROSTER (MONDAY 9  – FRIDAY 13 AUGUST)
To be advised dependent on lockdown announcement.