Villa View: Issue 24/20

When I was growing up and in those early and middle teen years, I did not have access to the social media platforms and smart phones that today’s young people take for granted. If I had to ring a girl it was done at the house phone in the kitchen where everyone could hear, especially mum or I had to race down the street to the phone box hoping I had the change to make the call.

Technology today has brought a whole new world of opportunities to our society. We have ready access to information and news, and we can connect with people from across the world. Technology also brings with it a number of challenges that we all need to navigate.

There was a great advertisement some time ago that highlighted the perils of posting images and materials online. The advertisement pointed out that posting online publicly was the same as posting on a billboard down at Stones Corner. It is public and everyone can see it. I know the reaction of the public would be outrage if some of the material I have seen was posted on the billboard.

Posting material online is further complicated as teenagers will post material and say things online that they would never dream of saying face to face with a person. They assume the post is anonymous and they can hide behind a fake name or account. The normal social rules and common decency often goes out the door in this environment.

I spoke to a group of Year 11 students yesterday about the issue of social media and what is the most effective way to educate young people about safe use of social media platforms. I did not receive too many pearls of wisdom and the students were a little uncomfortable with the discussion.

Our Pastoral Area Leaders take time each year to address this topic and to provide strategies for students to stop and think before they hit the “send’ button. The following link will provide resources for families and I encourage you to click on the link and have a read-

https://raisingchildren.net.au/teens/entertainment-technology/digital-life/social-media

Finals of AIC Basketball and Tennis
This Friday and Saturday the finals of the AIC Basketball and Tennis fixtures will be held across a range of venues. I wish all our teams the very best for their games. Our First V Basketball Team has gone through the rounds undefeated and will be opposing strong opposition from St Edmund’s College, Ipswich. The game will be live streamed and will be an excellent match to watch.

Next week our sporting program turns to Cross-Country, Rugby and Football. There will be a large number of students across the College involved in sports over the next four weeks. The AIC Management Committee and Directors of Sport met this week to clarify the guidelines for the sporting venues, spectators, and safety requirements under stage three restrictions currently in place in Queensland. Further details will be available to families early next week.

Congratulations and thanks must be given to our Directors of Sports from the AIC Colleges who have worked tirelessly over many weeks to have sport back in action for our students.

Staff News
We congratulate Mr Callum Hackett and his wife Chrissie on the birth of a beautiful baby daughter, Georgia Rosemary Hackett.  We also congratulate Ms Christianne Kemp and her partner on the birth of a healthy son, Hudson Henry earlier this week.  All are well and extremely happy.  We welcome Georgia and Hudson to the Villanova College community.

Prayers Please
The Augustinians joyfully announce the ordination to the Diaconate of Br Tuấn Anh Lê OSA by Most Reverend Mark Coleridge, Archbishop of Brisbane, on Saturday 15 August in St James’ Parish Church, Coorparoo, Brisbane. Please keep Br Tuấn Anh in your thoughts and prayers over these coming days.

We keep in our prayers the people of Beirut following the devastating fire and explosion that has affected so many families.

You have made us for Yourself O Lord
And our hearts are restless until they rest in You.

God bless

Mr Mark Stower, Principal

Exceptional Learners News

A buzz around the College has been apparent over the last few weeks with many of our students participating in the Enrichment programs offered.

Australian Maths Trust: Last Friday 31 July, 68 Middle School students and 30 Senior School students participated in the Australian Maths Trust annual Maths Challenge. Results will be through in the next few weeks, and we wish these students all the very best for their achievements. You might like to test your problem-solving ability:

Consecutive numbers are written on five separate cards, one on each card.  If the sum of the smallest three numbers is 60, what is the sum of the largest three numbers?

Churchie Maths Challenge: Following on from this, on Monday 3 August, Villanova participated in the annual Churchie Maths Team Challenge, with three Junior teams (Years 7/8), two Intermediate teams (Years 9/10) and one Senior team (Year 11). The results have come through, and after competing against 38 other schools and colleges, one of our Junior teams and one of our Intermediate teams came fourth in their respective divisions, with our Senior team coming fifth in the Senior Division. The exciting result is that Villanova came third in the Champion School Event, which is an overall ranking of all teams competing.

Junior School Maths Olympians: Not leaving out our Junior School students, I am happy to report that our Years 5 and 6 mathematicians are about to complete their fourth out of five Mathematics Olympiads for the year. We are also about to enter our Tournament of Minds season for the year, and already have three teams ready to launch!

Tournament of Minds: Any student who would like to participate this year in ToM, please see or email me at kunderhill@vnc.qld.edu.au.  It’s a much simpler process this year, as you can be in a team with students from only your year level, and the challenge is not presented at a Regional Tournament but is submitted via a video upload.  Would be great to have you participate!

ICAS: If you missed the deadline to register your son/s for any of the ICAS challenges, please email me directly. More information can be found at https://shop.unswglobal.com.au/pages/pps. The ICAS Assessments series is designed to assess your students’ ability to apply classroom learning in new contexts, using higher order thinking and problem-solving skills. These online challenges will take place between Monday 17 August and Friday 4 September. Once registered, more information will be communicated to you. This year ICAS will be offered in Digital Technologies, English, Mathematics and Science

I would like to congratulate all students who have participated in any of the above, and for having the courage to step up to the Challenge!

Ms Kath Underhill, Program Leader Senior School Learning Enrichment/Program Leader Exceptional Learners

The Year 5 students of 2022 are currently having their enrolment interviews at Villanova College.  Current families are excitedly touring our St Thomas Learning Centre and eagerly anticipating the experiences that await their younger sons.  New families are walking through our Collaborative Spaces and in awe of the opportunities that could be in store for their eldest boy.  It is such an invigorating experience to meet each family.  To return to the days of Year 3 and hear firsthand what’s the best thing about school – the sport, the Maths, the Reading, the Science, the Tuckshop (“what do you mean there is Villanova Tuckshop EVERY morning and at BOTH lunch breaks Mr Rouhliadeff?” – cue eyes WIDE OPEN).

These young men have nothing but hope and their best collared shirt on, imagining a life surrounded by big brothers and teachers who are experts with boys’ education.  It reminds me just how specialised we are here in the Junior School – high expectations for the heart, mind and soul yet we embrace the noise, questions and provide the elbow room in learning.

I am deeply appreciative of the flexibility of our class teachers, support and specialist staff, and the Junior School students.  There are College Enrolment Interviews on weekends that require rooms to be set up, and there are weekdays where we have families walking through all our curriculum lessons with a front row window to the reality of Week 4 learning.  It is inclusive, positive and different every time I pass through a door.  Teachers are in full swing – instructions are succinct, and the focus is on the boys’ learning time – groupwork, sharing of team roles, self-regulation, flexibility and organisation being key pedagogical frameworks embedded within curriculum areas.  The boys don’t blink, they don’t notice us walking through.  They are busy, engaged and motivated to achieve learning outcomes set out clearly at the start of their lesson.  It has only been four weeks and yet we appear to have found so much confidence already thanks to incredible planning and reflection.

Our Co-curricular Program is about to have the sun set on AIC Basketball, Cross Country and Tennis, and already AIC Football and AIC Rugby have begun the trial sessions.  Year 5 and 6 debating is in full preparation with practices taking place during lunch breaks and after school.  The Junior School is alive with activities, including Maths Enrichment classes via invitation each week, and our Term 3 Athletics Carnival beckons next Thursday (I cannot wait – this will be the best fun day ever – all Junior School boys must attend – our College spirit, our College community, our College values come to fruition at Villanova Park).  Breathe in and breathe out gentlemen.  Let’s live large through the opportunities we have, Victorians would give anything to be Queenslanders now.  Put on the Gold and Green whenever you can because 2020 is teaching us to make the most of it – and I certainly plan to, right beside every boy who shows up.  Be that Villanovan who shows up, be the one who gives their best and smiles because you had the chance that others wish they had.

One such Villanovan who would love to show up is our 6 Red classmate Nicholas Cherry.  At the moment, he enjoys lunch in the sun, by a window in a hospital in Melbourne.  Having had recent surgeries on his heart, Nicholas has managed some corridor walks to start his physical rehabilitation as he regains strength after spending the best part of six weeks laying down in recovery.  His Villa mates think of him always, and his spot in the St Thomas Learning Centre is waiting for his return.  Our Junior School Staff pray for his well-being, health and return back to Villanova when the timing is right.  So we think about Nicholas’ situation and we find strength in his determination – we realise that running a 100m race is a privilege, that a long jump over a sandpit means we have wings and a shot put is our grunt from the guts for glory.  Every single Junior School student can put on their Sports Uniform and get on the bus for Nicholas Cherry.  Every single staff member will time, measure and cheer for Nicholas Cherry.  We wish you well Nick and wish you a safe return back to us when you are ready.

Late last week, Junior School staff and students were excited about the news of Mr Callum Hackett and his wife Chrissie becoming proud parents to a beautiful daughter, Georgia Rosemary.  All are healthy and very happy!

Mr Stephen Rouhliadeff, Head of Junior School

Thinking for Oneself
One of the attributes that we as an institution of learning wish to equip our students with throughout their educational journey is the ability to think for themselves. In reading the latest post on the Farnam Street Blog, author Shane Parrish shares the following:

When I was young, I thought other people could give me wisdom. Now that I’m older, I know this isn’t true. Wisdom is earned, not given. When other people give us the answer, it belongs to them and not us. While we might achieve the outcome we desire, it comes from dependence, not insight. Instead of thinking for ourselves, we are dependent on the insight of others.

Earning insight requires going below the surface. Most of us want to shy away from the details and complexity. It takes a while. It’s boring. It’s mental work.

Yet it is only by jumping into the complexity that we can really discover simplicity for ourselves. Thinking is something you have to do by yourself.

There are important takeaways in these sentiments for Senior School students, particularly with respect to independent learning and disciplined and effective study. As our Year 12 students are experiencing with their first round of mock examinations this week, strong performances are cultivated from a purposeful investment in ongoing revision to determine for themselves the knowledge and skills they know and the areas requiring attention. Going below the surface as Parrish puts it involves an intrinsic drive of going above, of wider reading and thirsting for knowledge in a relentless search for truth. Too much reliance on others (teachers and fellow peers) and not enough self-engagement in purposeful study can result in that dependency which stunts academic growth and development.

Student Teacher Relationships
As an Augustinian College, the primacy of relationships in the fostering of community is one of our core beliefs and of course one of the most fundamental relationships is that which exists between teacher and student. In unpacking this dynamic with students, there is often a belief that the strength of the relationship is built upon ‘mutual respect’; that students will respect teachers when they are ‘first’ respected in return. I want to draw a few points from this belief. Firstly, students must enter the relationship with a fundamental philosophy of teachers being afforded respect. That is just good manners and manners maketh men! Students can demonstrate their respect for their teacher by being punctual to class, prepared to learn and by their positive attitude and way in which they communicate with their peers and to their teacher. This is where respect is cultivated and earned. When our wonderful Senior School teaching staff witness these behaviours, the bond and partnership between teacher and student is fortified and mutual respect flourishes.

‘The best teachers tell you where to look but don’t tell you what to see.’ – Alexandra K Trenfor

Mr Matt Levander, Head of Senior School

Catholic Education Week
Whilst Catholic Education Week, marking 175 years of Catholic Education in Queensland – did not officially happen last week, we went ahead with a bespoke program under the theme, A Spirited Today. I am sure St Mary McKillop would have recognised Villanova College as a Catholic school, orientated towards building community and service of others.

The Green Team – Planting Trees
The Green Team ran a raffle with the chocolate tree prize won by Oliver Davey (Year 8). Entry to the raffle was to help buy some saplings which will be planted in the finger gully near Majestic Park later this year. So, the students are directly creating a greener Coorparoo.

The team from Finger Gullies helped to promote the raffle, and the culminating event of a great week was to see about 15 staff members and Senior School students preparing the ground for the new trees by transporting mulch. The stretch of land reaching up the hill from Majestic Park is a hidden gem of inner city woodland. It is good to know that we will be contributing our own stand of trees to open a Coorparoo suburb onto native tree and bird-life. We are very grateful to past parents Rob and Naomi Jansen for their generous support, passion, and know-how.

YCS and the RUOK Space
There was a vibrant atmosphere in the Junior School the whole week, with one high point being the free barbecue on Friday, with DJ services provided by Joseph Cross (Year 11), Sean Kearns (Year 12), and generous support from staff members Mrs Tucker and Mr Scuderi.

The RUOK Space was officially opened on Wednesday. Ministry Captain, Isaak Collie, is now embarking on the process of obtaining an approved Yuggera translation of “Are you okay?” so that an inclusive display can be created.

AFAS and SVP
The other two ministries ran enhanced programs during the week, with a pop-up Sari Sari (all purpose) Filipino stall and tinikling (a traditional Philippine folk dance), and a Zoom meeting for SVP with Anthony Forshaw the Vinnies Youth Engagement Officer.

Both groups came together with YAYM to sell chocolate with $304 being raised for the work of the Romero Centre in supporting local families of refugee background.

The P and F have made a wonderful contribution to Ministry fund-raising through donating carnival chocolate. All in all, this chocolate raised not only the $304 for The Romero Centre, but also $2460 for Emmanuel City. This amount keeps the drop-in centre open for 2.5 days, serving some of the most vulnerable people in Brisbane.

Overall, it was a happy week as community is best created when the focus is on service of others. One of our Villanova legends, Mr Charlie Fisher, always used to say that a Villa man is “other-centred.”

Mr John Holroyd, Dean of Mission and Identity

Last weekend marked the last round of the pool matches for the Year 7 -12 AIC Basketball and Tennis season. Earlier this week all the pool rankings were released to the coaches. During the ‘Finals Round’ this weekend, the same ranked schools in each of the two pools will play each other.

The 1 v 1 games indicate that the top ranked teams in each of the pools will play off for the grand final for first and second place. The 2 v 2 games indicate the second ranked schools in each pool will play off for third and fourth place and so on. Please understand the ‘finals round’ applies to every age group and every division from Year 7 – 12 as all 1 v 1, 2 v2 , 3 v 3 and 4 v 4 games will compete for spots on the ladder.

The Year 5 and Year 6 teams are not involved in the finals round. They will simply play another round of basketball and tennis against another school, which in our case will be against St Laurence’s College.

In order to successfully schedule the finals round, each school within AIC will host an age group. As all Villanova teams are ranked differently it will be the case that Villanova teams will play ‘here, there and everywhere’ around Brisbane and Ipswich this Saturday. It is imperative that all families carefully check the schedule found within the ‘Weekly Fixture’ section of the website for all times and venues. Again, most teams will play their games outside the normal time slots. Players must arrive 15 minutes before their allocated time to check in and warm up before the game.

Over the past two weeks all rugby and football age groups have had one trial session at Little Langlands either before or after school. Given we must sort teams for a trial game against St Patrick’s College next Friday 14 August. The Sports Office wanted to have at least one trial before we commenced the ‘official trial week’ next week. Next week all age groups will have a further two trial/training sessions. Therefore, all age groups will have three trial/training sessions before our trial round against St Patricks College.

Please read below all the information pertaining to the trials. All Year 5 and Year 6 teams will trial/train at Little Langlands and all Year 7 – 12 teams will trial/train at Villanova Park. Bus transportation will be provided for those teams training at Villanova Park, departing after school in front of the College. There will be no return bus service. All parents are required to collect their son/s promptly from Villanova Park after training.

On behalf of the College we wish our AIC Cross Country team all the best. They will compete at the annual AIC Cross Country Championships next Wednesday 12 August at Curlew Park. All information regarding the day as well as the complete team list (including runners and reserves) has been published in the AIC Cross Country section on the web. These boys have been training extremely hard, many of whom have balanced their cross-country training with other co-curricular activities as well as their studies. Best wishes team, the entire College is behind you 100%!

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 and F) training program will commence the week after next. The AIC Track and Field season schedule is now published in the AIC Track and Field section. Please read below some details regarding the season. Please note that the annual Interhouse Track and Field competition is cancelled this year. However, the Year 5 and Year 6 boys will travel out to Villanova Park next Thursday for some track and field trials. We ask that parents not attend this event please, as this day is merely for us to trial the boys and select those who we believe should join our Track and Field program. Our Year 7 – 12 students will have automatic entry into the Track and Field squad. The Year 5 and Year 6 students will be invited to join as a result of performances at the Track and Field Trial Day next Thursday.

If selected, we encourage all students from Years 5 – 12 to participate and work hard at Track and Field training to improve. The College is very much aware that many of our top Track and Field athletes will already be involved in rugby, football and 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.

I wish everybody the very best this weekend. Please ensure you attend your games on time so that you are fully prepared for the game ahead. Please enjoy!

First V Basketball Livestreaming
All First V AIC Basketball games will be livestreamed this Friday 7 August. Times and links are found below. Be sure to watch the Villanova v St Edmund’s First V Basketball Grand Final match which is livestreamed at 7.45pm. Go well men!

Court 2
Padua V St Peters – 4.45pm start
https://vimeo.com/444521448
Court 1
Ashgrove V St Patricks – 4.45pm start
Iona V St Laurence’s – 6.15pm start
St Edmund’s V Villanova – 7.45pm start
https://vimeo.com/event/207391

AIC Tennis and Basketball FINALS ROUND – Friday 7 and Saturday 8 August – Times and Venues
All Year 5 and Year 6 basketball games are played on Friday afternoons. All Year 7 – 12 basketball and Year 5-12 tennis are played on Saturday.  Please go to the College’s website to view all times and venues for this weekend’s ‘final round’ of fixtures.

AIC Track and Field Training
AIC Track and Field (T and F) training will commence the week after next, that is the week beginning Monday 17 August. A full season schedule is posted on the web. This includes all coaches, training times and venues, AIC meets dates and much more. As we will not have an Interhouse Track and Field Carnival to help us choose our Year 7 – 12 Track and Field Squad, we have decided to use the results from last year to choose our squad (plus anyone else who is interested to join). As mentioned earlier, the Year 5 and Year 6 boys will be chosen from the Junior School Track and Field Trial Day held next Thursday 13 August.

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 Junior School – Track and Field Trial Day
Next Thursday 13 August, the Junior School will have a Track and Field trial day at Villanova Park. The aim of the day is to identify athletes who we believe would be contenders to represent Villanova at the AIC Track and Field Championships which will be held in early October. The boys will all race over 100m, 200m and 800m, as well as trial for Long Jump, High Jump and Shot Put. Staff will advise students if they will be required for Track and Field training which begins on Wednesday afternoon 19^th August. Students selected will receive a letter outlining the season ahead and the schedule for training and Meets. Unfortunately, due to the short nature of the season this year, with COVID-19 having a huge impact on all AIC sports, we will only train up a smaller squad.

Details for the day are

• Students will come to school in their sports uniform
• They are to bring a small bag with morning tea and drinks/ water bottles. There will be NO canteen facilities at Villanova Park.
• Students will board buses after morning Pastoral at 8.50am.
• The buses will return at 1.30pm and the students will go to lunch as normal and Period 6. Dismissal will be at the normal time of 3pm.
• Parents are NOT permitted to attend the trials due to COVID restrictions.

AIC CHESS
Chess is well under way with trials occurring last Wednesday night for the boys who could attend. Practice will continue during the week on selected days for each of the three levels.

Senior students will practice on Monday and Friday in T10, Intermediate teams will practice on Tuesday and Thursday in T10.

Junior players will practice on Monday and Wednesday with a room yet to be determined. The boys are expected to play on those days to both finalise the teams and to practice for the upcoming season. There will be three games starting on Friday 21 August at home, Friday 28 August at Iona College and the boys will be transported by bus there and back unless you wish to pick up your son from Iona. Reserves will not attend on that night.

The final week has been changed to Thursday night 3 September due to the Pupil Free day on the Friday. This is also a home game. If we make the final, this will be played the following Friday, 11 September, with a venue to be decided.

Should you have any questions, please contact:

Senior and Middle School: Sally England or Mylan Warren
Junior School:  Jack Lamb or Nicholas Verity

AIC RUGBY AND FOOTBALL TRIALS
The Rugby and Football trials continue next week. We ask all boys from Year 5 – 12 to ensure that they are aware of the trial schedule posted below. All boys must make sure that they have the correct gear for their sessions (boots, water bottle, shorts, socks etc). Boys playing rugby will need to have their mouth guard and a suitable shirt/jersey that they can train in. Football players will need to bring shin pads for their training.

All Year 5 and Year 6 age groups will trial at Little Langlands. All Year 7 – 12 age groups will trial at Villanova Park.

 Rugby Trial Schedule – Year 5 – 12

Football Trial Schedule – Year 5-12

Please note that there will be a bus departing from the front of the College directly after school at 3:05pm sharp for training sessions at Villanova Park. There is no return bus service from Villanova Park. Parents are asked to collect their son from training at 5:00/15pm. Due to current COVID restrictions ALL parents are to remain in their vehicles.

AIC Rugby and Football Trials v St Patricks – Friday 14 August
A full schedule of games to be played v St Patrick’s College next Friday 14 August will be posted on the web tomorrow via the ‘Weekly Fixture’ section. All boys who are keen to make a rugby or football team across the College must attend these trials. Given we have advertised this date well in advance, we are hoping families will attend the trials before enjoying the long weekend.

 Details regarding spectators will be released by the AIC Management Committee next week, however, it is highly likely that the arrangement will allow a maximum of 2 parents for every player to attend the game from Year 5 – 12. No other spectators will be permitted. More details regarding spectators will be released next week.

AIC CROSS COUNTRY
The annual AIC Cross Country Championships will be held next Wednesday 12 August at Curlew Park, Sandgate.

A bus will transport all runners and all reserves to and from Curlew Park on the day of the Championships.  Students may attend school wearing their cross-country uniform. All runners and reserves are to arrive at the College by 7.30am and meet in the quadrangle for a team photo taken at 7.40am sharp. It is a requirement that all runners and reserves wear the full and correct Cross-Country uniform for the photos.

Due to COVID restrictions the AIC Cross Country Championships will be conducted in two parts. The first part of the day will be the Year 5, Year 6, 12 years and 13 years events followed by presentations. These boys will be bussed back to the College after their presentations.

The second part of the day will be the 14 years, 15 years, 16 years and Opens events followed by their presentations. These boys will also be bussed back to the College at the conclusion of the day. Please see the event schedule below.

VENUE:  Curlew Park – Curlew St, Sandgate
DATE:  Wednesday August 12, 2020

Given the schedule above, all runners will be bussed to the Championships in two different groups at different times as per timetable below.

Group 1 – Year 5, Year 6, 12 Years and 13 Years

• Bus departs Villanova – 8.15am
• Arrives at Curlew Park – 9.00am
• Bus departs Curlew Park – 11.45am
• Bus returns to Villanova – 1.00pm (Return for Period 5)

Group 2 – 14 Years, 15 Years, 16 Years and Opens

• Bus departs Villanova – 10.45am (After Period 2)
• Arrives at Curlew Park – 11.30am
• Bus departs Curlew Park – 3.00pm
• Bus returns to Villanova – 3.45pm

A complete team list which includes runners and reserves is now posted within the AIC Cross Country section of the website. We wish the entire squad the very best!

AIC CROSS COUNTRY
Mr Brian Pascoe, AIC Cross Country Co-ordinator

The annual AIC Championships are now only one week away, and our runners can’t wait to race.  The squad has training tomorrow morning, with a Callum Davies Magic session next Monday.

The squad have their final time trial this Friday morning which will be followed by a barbecue breakfast.

Several positions are on the line, particularly in the very strong Under 15, 16 and Open age groups. Once again, the coaches would like to congratulate all runners who have trained so hard this year, but it will be so difficult for us to have to select 12 runners in these age groups to represent Villanova on Championship day.

Please ensure you attend the final sessions and finish the season positively.

We congratulate the following boys who have been selected as Captains for their age groups:

• U12 Patrick Holmes, U13 Mitchel Millard, U14 Kyan Simpson, U15 Cohen Stewart, U16 Jacob Dimmick and Open Josh Smith
• Middle School Cross-Country Captain – Mitchell Rieck
• Senior School Cross-Country Captain – Jaxon Paterson-Wright

Congratulations to Villanova’s Cross Country Captain for the 2020 AIC Championships,  Oliver Rae.

Cross country running does not reward the lucky but those who show commitment and perseverance. Well done to the boys who through their hard work have earned a place with Villa’s ‘Running Wildcats’.

I am hoping all runners in the squad enjoy their final warm-up meet this week and look after themselves in the coming days to ensure that they are in peak condition for the AIC Championships next Wednesday, 12 August.

Keep working hard gentlemen! 

Villanova Runners Club
Please note: There will be no VRC this Sunday 9 August due to the upcoming AIC Cross Country Championships.

VRC will continue on 16 August and be held every week until the end of the AIC Track and Field competition.

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

The final pool game of the 2020 season was a strong showing for Villanova and certainly helped our play for maximum gold medal games. St Patrick’s are a strong basketball school with massive participation numbers, so we needed to bring our best basketball. We ended the weekend with 24 wins and seven losses which is very impressive. This has ensured that we enter the finals weekend in a good spot with 14 teams in the gold medal game and another five in the bronze medal game out of the 23 teams possible. This is a fantastic effort and a credit to the players and coaches. Our goal before the season began was to put ourselves in a position to win a medal and we have achieved that. Please ensure all players are aware of their time and venue this weekend.

The First V had another strong game on the weekend. St Patrick’s were also undefeated, so the team was very focussed on executing their skills. Despite the score always being in our favour, they continually challenged us with good pressure defence and some excellent outside shooting. Special mention must go to Harry Rouhliadeff for his 28 points and Declan Ries for 10 assists. The First V  will now play St Edmund’s on Friday night at 7.45pm for the premiership. Hopefully, everyone will be tuning in to the live stream to watch an excellent game of basketball.

Finally, with this being the final game of the season, please ensure all players take the time to thank their coaches for the work they put in. We are very blessed to have some wonderful coaches who put in so much time, effort and energy into our program and they deserve our thanks.

Basketball Results v St Patrick’s College

AIC TENNIS
Mr Todd Kropp, AIC Tennis Co-ordinator

It was another great round of AIC Tennis as our teams took to the court for the final pool round against St Patrick’s College.

It proved to be a tough day on the court for our teams, but we are proud of the display by the Villanova boys. The VNC tennis teams finished with four wins, 11 losses and a draw. It is important to note that four of those losses were tied in sets and classed as losses after games count back so it was truly a competitive day on the courts.

From the Junior School
Well done to all boys as there were some close matches against St Patrick’s.

A special mention to:

• Thomas Berkman (5A) who played great tennis in a tough match against a boy who is ranked in the top 20 for his age in Qld – incredible play Tom!
• James Park (5B) who remained in high spirits no matter what the score was.
• Marcel Colette (6A) for his one-hour fight in a nail-biting tie break and Daniel Wilson (6B) for his determination in his singles match right until the end.

~ Mrs Maria Mascadri

This week we enter the finals round for tennis and basketball. We will take on the same placed team in the opposite pool with an entire year level to be played at a different venue. Please check the ‘Weekly Fixtures’ page on the College website for specific match times and venues.

Best of luck to all our teams for the final round of AIC tennis for 2020!

Tennis Results v Padua College

Mr Craig Stariha, Director of Sport

Auditions are approaching
As per our Music Department calendar, auditions for all Middle School and Senior School ensembles are approaching.  Please note – this audition process is NOT a prerequisite for participation.  You cannot fail this audition.  This is an annual assessment tool we use to gauge the development of the program overall and guide decisions around the number and type of ensembles we require each year.

We aim to develop balanced ensembles that contribute to the ideal learning environment for an effective music education.  Students will be positioned in ensembles that best reflect their current ability and reflect the capability of our program overall.  These positions and placements are made with careful consideration of each student’s developmental stage and skill level; we want the ensemble experience to be empowering, not destructive.

Music Support Group
Our Villanova College Music Support Group will be meeting on Monday 10 August, at 7.30pm in the Chapter Room – the meeting room to the side of Hanrahan Theatre foyer.  We hope that you are able to join us to learn a little more about the activities and events planned for Villanova Music across the remainder of the year.

Year 5 Ensemble Rehearsals
Year 5 Ensemble Rehearsals continue next Tuesday morning.  Please ensure your son arrives beforehand to allow time for setting up and preparing for the first note to occur at 7:30am.

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

Gala Concert – Week 8
Our ensembles are preparing for the Gala Concert we currently have scheduled for Thursday 3 September.  At this point in time under current restrictions, this event will be proceeding with guidelines put in place to manage social distancing.  Information around attendance for this event will be communicated as soon as our plan has been approved.

We thank you for your patience with this as we navigate this challenging terrain.

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

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

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

Performance uniform information is outlined below:

All Year 5 musicians are required to wear:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mr Michael Jones, Director of Music

School Photos
Silver Rose Photography will be taking class groups, individual and sibling photos on the following days:

• Monday 31 August: Year 5 to Year 10 class groups, individual photos and all sibling orders
• Thursday 3 September: Year 12 cohort and individual photos and Year 11 class groups and individual photos
  (Year 12 Cohort are to be at Goold Hall, ready to be photographed, at 7:00am sharp.)

Sibling packages MUST be ordered before Wednesday 26 August (the sibling package will not be available to purchase as of Wednesday 2 September via Silver Rose website).

All class group and individual orders MUST be in before Monday 7 September to avoid the late fee of $9.

Please note that Silver Rose never place student images online to view before purchase due to security reasons. If you are not happy with the image provided, Silver Rose will refund upon return of the photos.

Please see attached for ordering instructions.

Helping Hands – Dr Joe’s Science Workshops
Term 3 has so many exciting new clubs here at Helping Hands Villanova. We have programmed for a total of five clubs for each day of the week. We offer an activity for each club once per week and they are documented in our scrap book for parents and teachers to see. Our new clubs are Lego, Sports, Animation Studio and Circuit Scribe. The staff and children are very excited to make a start on the new activities!

Join us for Dr Joe’s Extravagant Science Workshop over the next five weeks. We have a whole program of exciting experiments that will make you wonder if it’s even possible. Please see the attached flyer for further information.

At Helping Hands, we offer care for Before School, After School during term time and Vacation Care during the school holidays. Enrolling with Helping Hands is super easy, just head to our website www.helpinghandsnetwork.com.au and click “register”.

Notice of Special General Meeting of the Villanova College Parents and Friends Association
The P and F Executive of the Villanova College Parents and Friends Association invites all ordinary members (parents and friends) to attend a Special General Meeting, at 6.45pm on Monday 10 August 2020.

The purpose of this meeting is to discuss and agree on a new AGM date for the P and F Executive. This Special General Meeting will be held immediately after the next monthly P and F Executive Meeting (commencing at 6.00pm), in the Tolle Lege Library.

We hope to see as many members of the College Parents and Friends Association in attendance.

Jacki Kerr, Secretary, Villanova P and F Executive

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

Tuckshop Roster (Monday 10 August – Thursday 14 August)
All volunteers rostered on this week will be contacted directly by the Tuckshop.