Villa View: Issue 24

Dear Members of the Villanova College Family
Work will commence today to remedy the front stone wall on Sixth Avenue. Please be aware when dropping your son to school of this new construction area. Fencing will remain in place until the remediation work is completed. The work will not commence in the area until after 9.00am in the morning and will cease before 2.30pm.  I thank you for your understanding and patience.

College Academic Assembly

Tomorrow the College community will recognise the academic achievements of our students following the Semester One Assessment period. It is pleasing to see the number of students who strive to achieve excellence in their studies. A common characteristic of these high achieving students is an understanding that hard work during each and every week will pay dividends when it comes time for assessment. We applaud the Academic Award recipients and congratulate them on their achievements.

Year 10 Outdoor Education Camp

Year 10 students enjoyed the challenges of Emu Gully, Helidon over the past three days as they bravely faced the challenges of the activities. For our students and staff the infamous, “Mud Pit” is a very challenging activity that can only be conquered through determination and teamwork. The early feedback from the instructors and staff accompanying the students on the camp has been extremely positive.

Brisbane City Council have notified the College that, “Over the next school term, Council Officers will be attending school zones to ensure safe parking. Parking fines may be issued in cases where illegal parking is observed.”

It is timely to remind parents of the Loading Zones outside the College in Eighth Avenue and Fifth Avenue marked by the green and white striped street signs. These zones operate from 7.00am until 9.00am and in the afternoon from 2.00pm until 4.00pm.

Fifth Avenue Procedures

1. We have one staff member (wearing a Hi-Viz vest) who ensures ‘pick up’ is flowing and boys get into cars promptly.
2. Junior School students are only permitted to enter a car in the designated area – between the two telegraph poles.
3. Parents are issued with name placards that must be displayed on their sun visor to assist boys and staff members locating their car.
4. Parents can collect their child from 3 – 3.30pm. We encourage parents to arrive at 3.15pm – 3.20pm when the congestion has died down.

Please avoid the following:

1. Arriving from 2.30pm and parking in the loading zone to get ‘pole position’ for a 3.00pm pick up as this halts traffic until your child is collected.
2. Parking across the road and calling to your son to walk across (extremely dangerous) or trying to collect your son before the designated area, which causes congestion at the corner of Fifth and Sixth Avenues.

Eighth Avenue Procedures

Green and white striped poles designate the loading zone. Please note the area immediately outside the Eighth Avenue gate is not a loading zone.

1. Parents are asked not to queue excessively in the zone adjacent to the corner of Eighth and Fifth Avenues as this blocks all vehicles.
2. The main loading zone in Eighth Avenue stretches down the hill and it works efficiently if parents inform their sons they will pick them up down the hill rather than immediately outside College gates.

Congratulations to Mr Darren Thomas and his wife Amanda on the birth of their daughter Isabella early this week. Please keep in your prayers Fr Joe Walsh OSA who is undergoing further medical treatment.

You have made us for Yourself, O Lord

And our hearts are restless until they rest in You.

God bless

Mr Mark Stower, Principal

Last Sunday I jumped out of bed knowing that it was going to be a productive day with moving things into our newly renovated downstairs level of our house.  It started very well – the boys’ jumpers, shoes, books and desks – no problem at all.  Deciding to impress my wife, I thought I would bring the dryer off the upstairs deck and mount it to the new laundry wall.  If I knew right at that moment what the next four hours of my life would be like things would have taken a sharp turn I can assure you.  In total, there were three trips to Bunnings, a call to the father-in-law who happily helped until the car racing was on at 4pm and several sworn oaths to myself that tradies have my upmost respect and they should all be given tax free earnings.  It is safe to say I have not one helpful handyman bone in my body.  It is a certainty that problem solving can only get you so far despite the best of intentions.  It is indeed a fact that the dryer is still sitting on the laundry floor and I will do my best to get back to that situation next weekend.  Thank goodness my wife is just happy that one element of the washing is now indoors after spending the last four months managing her “camping” skills with our laundry.

The point is, we cannot all be masters of every domain in life.  What is the simplest of tasks for one person is just the complete opposite for another.  It gives us the opportunity to be humble and learn from others.  Being impressed by friends and family who can step in and make sense of things for us is a real bonus in times of need.  Asking for help from professionals (and I mean the awesome fella at Bunnings who talked old school DIY so my father-in-law could teach me) is also paramount to making headway.  The reality is that in life, things are not always easy and that does not change no matter what age we are.

The playground is a place where not every interaction is always as simple and straightforward as we would like it to be.  Having the freedom to run, jump, chase, throw and catch balls or yell out in excitement is carried out in many different levels on a scale of 1 to 10.  First-born children tend to be more self-controlled, middle born children might love the spotlight a little more than others might and then third born lads can have the determination and courage that would make any parent proud.  Put these personalities together in a mix of about 250 outside and 60 inside using technology or board games and we have opportunities for growth and learning about human behaviour.  Intentions turn into perceptions and then decisions are made at a heightened state of excitement and anticipation.  Thank you to the boys who do take turns, show patience and tolerance of others and work on relationships across year levels, classes or social circles.

The classroom is also a place where there are subjects that align more to some boys’ natural abilities and interests than others do.  We see some boys shine and others work twice as hard to meet standard expectations.  Strengths and gifts lie in all areas of negotiating the curriculum, learning space and working collaboratively in timed sessions.  Tomorrow we celebrate the incredible achievements of boys who have achieved Academic Awards – obtaining all As and possibly one B+ across key learning areas.  We congratulate these fine young men for setting goals, working very hard in class and in free time to match the set criteria at a very high standard.  We now look to challenge others to try again for the next Academic Awards in Term 4.  Do not forget there is one class award for the Most Improved and this is certainly prestigious in recognising an individual who makes positive changes to move as many marks upwards on the grading scale as possible.  This is no easy feat (nor is mounting a dryer to the wall boys), so be prepared to make plans and change them – but most of all never give up.

I challenge every parent to think of what challenges them in life and share it with their sons.  Let’s model first-hand what we find challenging – and the things in life we need to constantly try harder at or continue to ask help for.  Being honest might just open some good conversation around the dinner table and remind the boys that adults struggle too.  How we handle life’s bumps really says a lot about who we are.  I invite Junior School boys to email me and share what challenges them at the present time.  Be specific gentlemen – pick something that you have tried consistently over time to master but are yet to make the progress you desire.  You just picture me trying to figure out how to connect a dryer to the wall for an entire Sunday afternoon (and fail) and that might just make you feel a little better about your challenge.

Mr Stephen Rouhliadeff, Head of Junior School

“Pay attention in class. Do homework. Ask your teachers more questions. Study more. Study harder. Behave yourself. Be more organised.”
What are the common messages we emphasise to our young people about improving their performance at school?

How often do we link these messages with implications for their future?

“You need to get a good education so you can get a good job one day!”

Whilst parents and teachers may have the common goal of nurturing and developing our young men in readiness for life beyond school, we need to be increasingly mindful of how the career landscape is likely to be significantly different for our young people than it is now, and was for us.

A recent report released by the Foundation for Young Australians suggests that our young people are likely to change their careers up to five times and have an average of 17 different jobs.

Over the next two weeks, our Year 7 students will commence a careers activity, the “Real Game” during their weekly PD (Personal Development) lessons. Whilst the unit will have some general information about certain jobs, the main emphasis is on the greater responsibilities that adults have to undertake when they enter the world of work, and importantly, the skills necessary to manage these responsibilities.

The Real Game allocates each Year 7 student with a randomly selected occupation and a nominal salary to go with it. With this information the boys will be required to negotiate things such as buying or renting a house, paying off a mortgage, budgeting for bills, paying tax, managing strict working hours and saving for certain leisure items or activities.

Whilst each year this is always an enjoyable unit for the Year 7 students, the core skills of the program have lifelong importance and are supported by the College’s Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) outcomes.   These include:

• understanding other points of view and perspectives
• developing processes and strategies for making decisions
• implementing problem-solving skills when making decisions
• working on negotiation skills
• reflecting on how current choices can affect the future

These competencies are relevant to all aspects of life, both at home and at work, and as adults, we need to foster environments where we can and teach and promote these skills to our young men.

The old adage linking good education and good employment prospects remains true. The Real Game, however, offers the boys a glimpse of the realities of life after school, the challenges that can present themselves, and the skills that need to be developed to manage them.

For more information about the Real Game in Year 7, feel free to contact Mr Ben Lynam (Year 7 – Pastoral Area Leader) or myself at the College.

Mr Greg O’Neill, Head of Middle School

Year 10 Camp
Earlier this week, the Year 10 cohort engaged in their camping program for the year. The camp is facilitated by Emu Gully Adventure Education Group, whose mission it is to challenge, inspire and empower young people to develop their personal character. The philosophy at Emu Gully is that your success in life, will be based primarily on your character, that is; “the real you” and the way you handle the circumstances of life, whether they be good or bad.’ The ANZAC themed program of various teamwork and leadership activities certainly fostered the underpinning themes of mateship, courage, perseverance and sacrifice. When visiting the camp on Tuesday evening, I was very pleased to hear the reports of the instructors about our students stepping up to the various challenges.

This camping experience is a wonderful opportunity for our young men in Year 10 to move out of their comfort zones and to engage with members of their cohort in a collaborative and inclusive way. I would like to thank Year 10 Pastoral Area Leader Mr Sean O’Neill and the staff who attended the camp for their support of the students.

Augustinian Education Congress

Last week, I had the privilege of attending with three other colleagues, the Augustinian Education Congress at Villanova University. The theme of the congress was ‘A Passion for Education’ and this was evident by the storytelling of the participants who spoke of their ministry in Augustinian educational settings. I would like to share with you one significant take-away from this experience which particularly resonated with me pertaining to a distinct Augustinian pedagogy.

According to Fr Gary McCloskey, OSA. ‘in an Augustinian pedagogy, to learn how to become passionate about learning truth there should be communitarian approaches’. This speaks of the importance of our learning community and a culture of academics at Villanova College and the vitality of the relationships that exist between students and teachers, both inside and outside the classroom environment. When teachers and students work collaboratively to achieve an atmosphere where a shared love of the subject is the focus, the spirit of our motto Vincit Veritas (Truth Conquers) is fostered and sustained.

“The love of knowledge and truth should invite us to continue learning.” – Saint Augustine

Mr Matt Levander, Head of Senior School

“Happiness cannot be travelled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.”  Denis Waitley

Every occasion organised by the various Villanova College Ministry groups has a dedicated planning team that looks to maximise the best aspects of these events for everyone. However, time is needed to plan and execute what may be the difference between a happy student and a very happy student.   This week there has been major preparations taking place by the many ministry groups at the College

A few upcoming events include Vinnies finalising their members to attend the annual Sleep Out, AFAS organising initiatives and interactive student focused activities around the College and Rosies with their second Outreach of the term to be held tomorrow.

However, it does not stop there.  Middle School ministry students in YAYM are surging ahead with plans to visit Archbishop Duhig Nursing Home and to run a homemade film competition.

Fabrice Ragoo, Villanova College Ministry Captain

Feedback on Year 12 Retreat and Staff Weekend Retreat

Over one hundred Year 12 students provided responses to our survey on what they felt about the Year 12 Retreat and on how it can be improved. In summary, students gave the retreat an eight out of ten.

Students raised some good questions, for example, about the sponsored walk and whether for some at least, it was a little forced. Similarly, some students wish to see more use of the environment at Mt Tamborine or at least one more physical activity. The unvarnished comments of the students make for interesting reading and are a tribute to their capacity to open up and share the journey in the search for truth.

Small group sharing:

• They helped us form up memories that led us to think about what qualities make us work from our past
• A tad awkward
• Small groups worked well, better not knowing the people in the group too well
• Should open up more
• Mr Seipel was great with students
• Some people did not contribute as much
• Emotional but helpful
• The group discussions were a good way to share ideas with others. When working effectively, they were great

Listening to staff sharing:

• It is good to listen
• I have time to figure out what I want to do
• I am very fortunate
• Not acting is worse than acting and regretting
• To be nice to myself
• I have a lot to experience
• Learnt that I am more confident than I put myself out to be
• How lucky I am to be in this position
• The Retreat just got me thinking about life in general. I understand that I can do something even if there is setbacks along the way
• How lucky I am
• I should be more appreciative of what my parents have done for me
• Very grateful for the life I have been given
• That maybe I should be more open to others
• Grateful for the position I am in
• Try to become a more selfless person with a better out-look on life.
• I believe it has brought us closer [the cohort] together, which is nice

In a similar but smaller way, a group of nine staff travelled to Esk at the weekend to open up more deeply about their vocation to teach. The weekend also provided a chance simply to stop the clock on busy time and create a “sacred time” in which deeper self-exploration and better conversations could occur. Once again, the feedback is very positive. There is something to be said for going away from the pressure of work to really listen to those with who we share the campus.

Opportunities for developing young people in faith:

A steady trickle of feedback from students and families suggests that the Ignite Youth Masses can be a vibrant experience of shared faith. The next occurs at Somerville House on Sunday, 13 August from 5 pm to 9 pm.

Meanwhile the Youth and Vocation Expo will be held this Sunday, 6 August at St Stephen’s Cathedral Square, from 11 am to 3pm.

Mr John Holroyd, Vice Principal – Ministry, Mission and Evangelisation

It was another outstanding day of results in Round 2 of the AIC competition against St Laurence’s College last weekend. The atmosphere in Goold Hall during the 1st V basketball game was electric. Over 150 student spectators from Years 5 – 12 spurred our team on throughout the entire game. The live music provided much enthusiasm for our spectators and certainly lifted our team when the chips were down. Our 1st V won in the dying seconds of the game, 67 – 66, as the crowd went wild! A similar story occurred at St Laurence’s during the 7A match where Villanova snatched victory with a three pointer on the buzzer to win the game.

Not only were we successful in the 1st V basketball game, Villanova won 27 of the 30 basketball games played.  This includes 12 wins and 0 losses in the aggregate games. However, St Laurence’s did get the better of us in the tennis. Villanova won only five from the 17 games played. Our 1st IV tennis team did us proud again last week to win a closely fought game. Well done boys!

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

Tomorrow our College will gather to acknowledge those boys who will be representing Villanova at the AIC Cross Country Championships next Wednesday. It will be with great pleasure that we will announce our Open Team to the College as well as Team Co-Captains, Roarke Ronan and Conor Wadsworth. Many boys have prepared well and we wish them every success next week at the AIC Championships.

This year 27 students from both Senior and Middle Schools have the opportunity to attend the Cross Country Championships as spectators on the day. Students who are interested in attending must register their interest via a ‘sign-on sheet’ available at both Senior and Middle School Student Services Offices.  These boys will catch a bus after Period 3 and should return to the College at around 5.30pm.  We encourage as many students as possible to avail themselves of the opportunity to attend as supporters next Wednesday. It would be great to see as many students as possible support our runners.

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 have to 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 we are good enough to represent the College, we should represent the College.  Villanova 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. At the conclusion of 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.

In an effort to be the best we can be at this year’s AIC Cross Country Championship, a number of students were identified and asked to join the Cross Country squad. As mentioned previously in recent Villa View editions, we did ‘tap’ a number of boys on the shoulder and email parents asking that they support the College to ensure their son participates. Villanova has a very large number of capable athletes. Some need that gentle push from time to time to get them involved particularly in an event like cross-country. Many thanks to those parents who have backed the College and coaches in an effort to have our best represent Villanova on the day.

The AIC Track and Field (T&F) training program will commence in three weeks. The training schedules are posted on the web. We encourage all students from Years 5 – 12 to participate and work hard at track and field training in order to improve. The College is very much aware that many of our top track and field athletes will already be involved in tennis, basketball 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 aware that our Inter-House Track and Field Carnival will be held on Thursday 17 August at Villanova Park. More information about this carnival will be posted in the Villa View next week.

This weekend will start with the final cross-country meet at Runcorn, followed by a round of basketball and tennis fixtures against St Edmund’s on Saturday. Those travelling to Ipswich must ensure they allow enough travel time (and time to find the court) 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 St Edmund’s College, Friday 4 and Saturday 5 August – Times and Venues

All Year 5 and Year 6 basketball teams will have a BYE this Friday. 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 St Edmund’s College.

AIC Sports Review

The AIC Management Committee, consisting of the Principals/Headmasters of all member Colleges, have commissioned a review of the current competition as well as the overall future direction of the AIC Competition. Your input is crucial in shaping the future of the AIC and the impact it can have on current and future generations of students. We kindly request that you contribute to a brief survey by following this link: https://survey.its.uq.edu.au/Checkbox/aic.aspx

A team from the University of Queensland led by Professor Cliff Mallett and his associate, Dr Steven Rynne will conduct this review. Following the completion of the survey stage of the review, focus groups of key stakeholders will be held in each College to further examine the current competition and future direction.

AIC Cross Country

St Laurence’s College will host the final AIC Cross Country meet before the AIC Championships at Runcorn this Friday, 4 August. A bus will depart the College at 2.30pm for the Year 5 and Year 6 runners and should return at 4.45pm. A Year 7 – 12 bus will depart the College at 3.10pm and return at 5.45pm. All runners are required to attend.

Program of Events

Venue: St. Laurence’s College Playing Fields, Nathan Road, Runcorn

AIC Cross Country Championships

The AIC Cross Country Championships will run next Wednesday 9 August at Limestone Park. Buses will depart the College at 11.00am for all runners and 11.30am for all spectators. We envisage that all buses will return to the College by 5.30pm.

Cross Country Uniform

It is imperative that all Villanova runners look like a team, therefore we expect all runners to wear the following uniform on the day of the championships and to all meets.

• Villanova white running shorts
• Villanova athletics singlet
• Villanova squad shirt
• Villanova sports cap (green)
• Villanova sports jacket (not compulsory)

Note:  This uniform is the same as the AIC track and Field uniform and will remain the same for many years to come.  All items are available for purchase from the Villanova College Uniform Shop.

AIC Championship Schedule

Venue:  LIMESTONE PARK – Lion St, Ipswich

Date:  Wednesday August 9 2017

Events:

1.00pm – Year 5, 2km

1.15pm – Year 6, 3km

1.35pm – 12 Years, 3km

1.55pm – 13 Years, 3km

2.15p – 14 Years, 4km

2.45pm – 15 Years, 4km

3.15pm – 16 Years, 6km

3.45pm – Open, 6km

Presentation: 4.30pm – 4.45pm

Met East Track and Field Nominations

All athletes from 13 years – Opens who wish to nominate for the 2017 Met East Track and Field Championships are to complete the nomination form, which can be found outside the Sports Office. Please note that students must meet qualifying standards in order to be considered. These standards will not be advertised. ALL nominations close on Monday, 14 August.

Villanova Track and Field Carnival Years 5 – 12 – COMPULSORY!

All students from Years 5 – 12 are required to attend Villanova’s annual Inter-House Track and Field Carnival to be held at Villanova Park on Thursday, 17 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.

Track and Field – Championship Events and ‘Dash for Cash’

In an effort 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 – 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. This Friday all boys who nominate for the ‘dash for cash’ will be taken across to Easts Rugby League field in Period 6 to race. We will race off all boys in a number of heats in order to choose our best 10 sprinters in each age group. The finalists will then compete in the first event at the Villanova Inter-House Track and Field Carnival in front of the entire school for the ‘dash for cash’ final. The winner of each age group will be given a $50 voucher to Amart Sports with the remaining competitors in each age group to go in a draw to receive another $50 voucher.

At the end of the day, we want Villanova’s best athletes to compete against each other in order 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, the Junior Football Development Squad and 1st Football candidates for next year’s season must nominate or they will be excluded from these squads.

AIC Basketball – Mr Sean O’Neill, AIC Basketball Coordinator

Round Two versus Saint Laurence’s was always going to be a huge round not only because of  the great rivalry that exists but also because of how close the competition has always been between these two teams.  The day was made even better by the huge level of support by the crowd. The Spirit Committee worked hard with chants, competitions, prizes, and a live band to keep the atmosphere electric all day and the stage was an awesome sight with so many supporters.

The 1st V game was amazing with a spirited come-from-behind victory in the final minute of the game. The emotion by players and supporters after the game showed just how much these games mean to the school community.

This weekend sees us up against St Edmund’s and should be another tough week.  I hope that we can replicate our efforts with another strong performance.

Basketball Results v St Laurence’s

AIC Tennis – Mrs Kath Underhill, AIC Tennis Coordinator

A tough day on the court was had last week against St Laurence’s. With a few players missing, big thanks must go to all of our students who stepped in to play for the green and gold. There is no doubt at all that the total number of games won on Saturday did not reflect the quality of play, as four teams finished on three sets all, but were unlucky to be down on total number of games. Huge congratulations to Year 5 students, Kiran JackPerez and Rory O’Shea who fought to the very end with great courage and gusto! When almost all had left the courts for home, these two battled on with their individual matches.  Oliver Simmons and Ryan Siebel in Year 5 also must be commended for staying behind and cheering on their mates. A very exciting result was also our mighty First IV, who came back from being down at one point to finish off winners on the day! We look forward to a successful round this Saturday against St Edmund’s!

Year 5A and 5B tennis teams

Tennis Results v St Laurence’s

Position Advertised – Villanova 1st XI Football Coach

Applications are invited for the position of 1st XI Football Coach at Villanova College. The successful applicant must meet the requirements as listed in the selection criteria found on the College’s web page under the employment section. Applications close on Friday, 18 August.

Representative Sport

Well done to Caden Griffiths who recently made the 11 – 12 years Chairman’s Rugby Union Team to compete in the Queensland State Championships in early August. A great achievement, well done and good luck Caden!

Congratulations to Zac Vedelago, Ethan Webber and Flynn Reynolds who competed at the 12 years State Football Championship in Hervey Bay last weekend as members of the Met East Team. The boys played eight games over four days to win the State Shield. A great effort, well done boys!

Mr Craig Stariha, Director of Sport

Queensland Catholic Schools and Colleges Music Festival
In two weeks, we will be welcoming over 13,000 students from across Queensland, Australia, and Oceania to the Queensland Catholic Schools and Colleges Music Festival.  There has been a fantastic response to our call for volunteers thus far and I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your assistance.  However, we still have opportunities available for you to come and join in the fun and festivities!

Our organising committee is seeking assistance with some key roles outlined below.  Aside from these, we would welcome anyone willing to sell or bake cakes, meet and greet our visitors at venues, or perhaps roll a snag on the BBQ.  You do not need musical experience to join in, just a community focused outlook.

Information regarding volunteering can be obtained by contacting our Volunteer Coordinator Janette Henderson (details above) or visiting https://www.qcmfvolunteering.com.

QCMF Vacant Volunteer Roles

The QCMF Planning Group is still looking for volunteers for the following key roles:

Coordinator/s Directors Lounge:  The volunteer/s undertaking this role would set up a comfortable lounge in which conductors, adjudicators and sponsors can relax and enjoy come light refreshments during the Festival.  Cooking is not required.  There is a document available detailing all that is involved.

Venue Secretary/ Co-Coordinator Veritas:  Friday and Saturday only (8:30am – 6:45pm Friday and 8:30 – 4:00pm Saturday).  Working with the coordinator assisting with the smooth running of this lovely venue.  There is a coordinator; however, two people are necessary for this role.

Stage Manager – St James Hall:  No training required.

Rehearsals and Lessons

All lessons and rehearsals are continuing as per schedule for Term 3.  We have two weeks until the QCMF – we look forward to seeing all ensemble members at rehearsals to assist with ensemble preparations.  The Term 3 rehearsal schedule has been included with this week’s Villa View.

Big Band Performing at Mt Carmel Fete – Sunday 6 August

The Big Band have been invited back to play at the Mt Carmel Fete this Sunday, 6 August.  The boys’ set commences at 1:30pm and concludes at 1:50pm.  We look forward to seeing many familiar faces in the crowd supporting the group.  Come along and bring the family; it is a pleasant afternoon and a great opportunity to support our broader community.

Keith and Dawn Wieneke Music Bursary 2017

The Keith and Dawn Wieneke Music Bursary will be convened during Term 3 this year.  The Bursary is an annual solo competition open to all instrumentalists and vocalists enrolled in music lessons or ensembles at Villanova College.  Students who enter are required to prepare and present a short solo program for the heats stage.  Five students each from Junior, Middle, and Senior school will be selected to perform in the Bursary Finals for an external adjudicator.  There are cash prizes for each section:  Junior and Middle School section winners receive $250; Senior School winner receives $500.

Entries are now open for the Bursary.  An entry form has been included with this week’s newsletter; these are also available from the Music Office and your child’s instrumental/vocal teacher.  Entries close on Monday, 14 August and heats will be conducted during school hours from 23 – 25 August.  The finals are scheduled for the evening of Monday, 4 September.

I look forward to hearing you all play and witness our musical development over the past 12 months.

Keith and Dawn Wieneke Music Bursary Application Form

Pre-QCMF Concerts

This year we have reintroduced the pre-QCMF concerts as an opportunity for our students to have a final ‘hit-out’ before the Festival.  As per our calendar of events, the pre-QCMF concerts are scheduled for Tuesday 8 and Thursday 10 August, commencing at 6pm.  All students will be required to participate in this event.

The concerts are relatively informal, however, during each performance the doors to the venue will be closed so that our students can perform their entire program for an audience.

The Music Support Group are seeking assistance with the serving of refreshments and the monitoring of doors prior to each performance.  Any enquiries in this regard may be forwarded to Maria O’Leary (moleary@squirrel.com.au) our Music Support Group Secretary.

Please refer to the Pre QCMF Concert schedule which outlines the program for the evening.  The times are a guide based on performance requirements for the QCMF.  I expect that we will finish much earlier than the arithmetic suggests.

Villanova Performance Times at QCMF

All of our Villanova ensembles will be performing across the weekend.  The scheduling for the entire Festival has been confirmed so I am pleased to be able to share the Villanova College performance times.Please refer to the performance time document: QCMF performance times.

Performance uniforms will remain the same as our debut concerts in Term 2.  All students are required to meet their ensemble director one hour before their scheduled performance time on level 1 of the Augustine Centre.

Date Claimers

We now look ahead to August with our currently scheduled events.  Please ensure these are marked in your diaries.

Mr Michael Jones, Director of Music

Teaching inside Minecraft: Teacher Immersion Day
Late last term, a group of Middle and Senior School students acted as mentors in a Microsoft Event held at the College. Titled “Teaching inside Minecraft”, the day-long workshop introduced teachers of varying backgrounds to the concept of Minecraft as a learning tool in an engaging 21^st century curriculum. Microsoft Education Australia led the day and Villanova had the opportunity to share its journey into Augmented Reality with the delegates. Attendees were impressed with the creative use of Minecraft within the Year 7 curriculum during Semester 1. Most impressive, however, were our team of student Minecraft Mentors who worked one-on-one with the delegates patiently guiding the teachers through an immersive tutorial world. The students, pictured, demonstrated patience and gave excellent instruction – all delegates remarked on how well our students represented the College on the day and the boys left a lasting impression on the group. Our exploration of Minecraft as a teaching tool continues this semester – it is not without its challenges (or doubters!) however we must remain open to new experiences if we wish to continually evolve digital pedagogy within the College.

Does your son use Student Café?

In recent weeks, I have been working with Middle School students using organisational tools to improve and support study habits. I have been surprised by how few students are aware of – or using – Student Café. Student Café sits as a permanent link at the top of the Moodle homepage at https://moodle.vnc.qld.edu.au – students sign in with their student number and College password. Within Student Café your son can:

• Change the layout, tile sizes and position of the dashboard elements (default page after sign-in);
• View and print current timetable (including rooms and teacher names);
• View current assessment tasks and print assessment task sheets;
• Plan ahead by previewing upcoming assignments;
• Email class teachers (without having to check the Contacts Directory for email address);
• Print daily, weekly and monthly “due date” planners;
• Read daily notices;
• Review past academic results (including Semester and mid-Semester reports);
• Maintain a personal ‘e-diary’ (integrated with assessment due dates).

With so many important features, Student Café is one of the “must haves” all students should be using on a regular basis. I would encourage you to log in with your son and discuss its potential benefits for his organisational skills, especially in the busyness of Term 3 and beyond.

Mr Jason Lane, Elearning Pedagogy Leader

SAN SISTO DANCE – 11 AUGUST

MORETON BAY COLLEGE DANCE – 5 AUGUST

Moreton Bay College Dance will be held Saturday 5 August for Years 7 to 10 from 7pm to 10pm.  Entry is $10 and current ID card must be presented on entry.  The dance will be held in Oriel Handley Hall at Moreton Bay College.

LORETO COLLEGE DANCE – 4 AUGUST

Loreto College will be holding its annual School Dance on Friday, 4 August from 7.00 pm to 10.00 pm for Years 7 to 10.   The theme for the dance is “Around the World…..”.  Entry is $15.00 and current school ID must be presented on entry.

Library Roster

Monday, 7th August

Marnie Dalrymple (after Tuckshop)

Tuesday, 8th August

Cristina Palacios

Wednesday, 9th August

Melanie Higgins

Thursday, 10th August

Melanie Pickering, Maritsa Malanos, Susanna Greaves

Tuckshop Roster

Monday, 7th August

Shanne Harding, Anne Schenk, Kelly Roberts, Megan Stuart, Lauren Audet, Gina Avolio, Anna Stines, Belinda McPherson, Marnie Dalrymple, Melissa Young

Tuesday, 8th August

Gerda Odonnell, Lisa Gilhooley, Marina Ryan, Kate Harrison, KLissa Reardon, Annette Siebel, Therese Staley, Sherry James, Mary-Anne Peralta

Wednesday, 9th August

Andrea Verner, Maree Challinor, Jenny Salpietro, Lily Fontana, Karen Blue, Fiona Jenkins, Katrina Theil, Connie Collins, Rebecca Shirdon

Thursday, 10th August

Michelle Boxall, Debbie Griffiths, Bernadette Perrier, Julie Frail, Taryn Byrne, Monique Winn, Louise Wilson

Friday, 11th August

Nicole Coffey, Sara Kays, Cathy Hampson, Therese Curran, Veronica Kennedy, Tracy Pereira-Trevethan, Nikki Reid, Caroline Caffery, Gregoria Makras, Sally Grigson, Lia Weston, Chelsea Akehurst, Natasha Chan, Toni Ware

Stay up to date with the College events please proceed to the event calendar.

“If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or tools) to write, simple as that.” –Stephen King

Author-in-Residence 2017 – Nick Earls

It is that fabulous time of year again when we celebrate all that is wonderful about books and

reading.  Book Week will be held from 21 – 25 August and during this week, we welcome Nick Earls as our Author-in-Residence.

Nick Earls is the author of twenty-six books for adults, teenagers and children. Two of his novels have been adapted into feature films and five into stage plays. His books have won awards in Australia, the UK and the US, including a Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Award and a New South Wales Premier’s Award. His recent work includes the Word Hunters time-travel adventure series and, for adults, the award-winning novella series Wisdom Tree.

Nick will be working closely with each Year Six and Year Eight class, inspiring them with ways to start writing.

Writers Festival

Nick will also be heading our Writers Festival, commencing after school on Friday 25 August and continuing again on Saturday, where he will work with our students on completing a short piece of writing.  Nick will workshop with the students stepping them through the writing process.  Students from Years Five to Twelve are welcome to sign up for the Festival.  The cost will be $30, which will cover a writer’s pack, afternoon tea, dinner on the Friday and morning tea and lunch on the Saturday.  Students can collect a Registration Form from the Tolle Lege library and submit it back to the library by Tuesday, 22 August.

Book Fair

Throughout Book Week (August 21 – 25), the Tolle Lege library will be turned into a Bookstore with books supplied by Dymocks and The Book Warehouse.  Books will be stocked to appeal to all students, staff members and parents, with prices starting at around $5. Students may also like to buy a Father’s Day gift.  EFTPOS will also be available for adults.  The store will be open from 7.30 each morning through to 4.30 Monday – Thursday, and until 3.30 on Friday.

Mrs Antonietta Neighbour, Director of Research Services