Villa View: Issue 24/21

Dear Members of the Villanova College Family
We welcome back students and staff following the conclusion of lockdown that occurred last week. What a difference the presence of students and staff make to the energy level of our College. There is vibrancy that comes from people busily moving across the campus rushing to lessons and enjoying break time.

I am really appreciative of the support of our community to handle the current restrictions in place in Queensland. I know it is not easy to have students and teachers wearing masks trying to communicate in the classroom.  Our staff are finding alternative ways to communicate effectively with students without having to remove their mask.

At the moment the following restrictions are in place in the 11 Local Government Areas (LGAs)

• No school assemblies or other large group activities
• Activities permitted are instrumental music, choirs, performances, sport and PE classes.
• Parents, carers and visitors are not allowed on school sites.

The students have done a great job in adapting to the wearing of masks. Our teachers are finding teaching in the classroom very different as the non-verbal facial expression is often a tool utilised by teachers to communicate with students. Teachers are reporting it is difficult to identify students and when teaching, which student is speaking and responding to questions. Hopefully we will see all these matters settle as we become used to teaching with masks.

I am hopeful that these restrictions will be lifted or eased after two weeks have passed. We need to all remember each of us plays our part in keeping our community safe.

Year 5 2023 Enrolment Interviews
It was wonderful to meet many new and existing families at the recent Year 5 2023 enrolment interviews. Our band of willing staff members undertook the challenge to complete the interviews despite the lockdown. With the use of technology, we were able to continue the enrolment interviews and meet students and families over the internet.

The enthusiasm of the young men to embrace all that Villanova College has to offer was great to hear and we look forward to welcoming these young men to our College.

Thank you to the many staff who conducted the interviews over the past two weeks, especially our Enrolments Officer, Ms Clare Bass.

QCMF
This year the Queensland Catholic Schools and Colleges Music Festival will be held in a virtual format. Schools have nominated their ensembles and choirs in various sections and have compiled videos of the performances that will be judged by experienced adjudicators and the feedback provided to the performers and school staff. The three categories of gold, silver and bronze awards will still be awarded for performances, as has been done in the past.

Students and families will be able to view the performances on the YouTube channel and the links will be made available to students and families this week.

I wish all our performers and musicians every success for the QCMF.

Prayers
We keep in our prayers Fr Peter Jones OSA – Prior Provincial and his family following the recent death of his sister, Catherine Ewing last week.

May her 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. 

Term 3 is the Premiership Quarter – and despite my West Coast Eagles taking some recent losses, I expect them to regroup, and get back out onto the field each week ready to perform.  Bruce McAvaney has taught me about how that half time break is the ultimate opportunity for coaches, physiotherapists, the captain, and teammates to focus.  Keep the head held high, look to playing your part the best you can, and seek to help the team achieve the win.  Losses are a part of playing the game – but putting on the yellow and blue gear means that my team takes the responsibility of playing for their community with pride and a sense of purpose.

It’s Week 5 and our Junior School Premiership Quarter is a combination of a few typical weeks, then Learning@Home and unfortunately our Brisbane Exhibition holiday, where the country comes to the city is postponed.  There’s much to be said for the agricultural side of our world, be it the local markets or farm-based produce that we seek to consume, conscious of how much we rely on the entire state of Queensland for the fruit, dairy, meat, nuts, and vegetables that bring us every comfort or enhance our celebrations with loved ones.  To any family with close ties to the Ekka, we keep your preparations and best intentions for the 2021 experience in our hearts.  Let’s not forget the true delights of the thrills and spills at sideshow alley, nor the infamous dagwood dogs, fairy floss and show bags.  Perhaps not now, but we have these things to look forward to in the future.

Over the past few weeks several Junior School staff members have been involved in Year 5 2023 enrolment interviews.  New families eagerly anticipate becoming a part of the Villanovan community and the privilege of meeting the parents, current Year 3 boys and their siblings is real.  Some families managed to meet staff on college grounds; however, after Brisbane’s lockdown began, many families met teachers via Zoom.  Even through a screen, it is crystal clear that there are many hopeful and eager families looking forward to learning more about our Augustinian community.  Bringing their sons the opportunity to establish themselves within a bigger family, one with many brothers, past and present.  Restorative Practices, where high support and expectations are used in conjunction with trust within relationships to repair the harm with others in times of conflict, is desirable.  The reputation of Villanova men as proud but humble, balanced across academic, co-curricular and service (volunteer roles) across the suburbs exists strongly.  The young students themselves are delightful.  Honest, carefree, and excited.  What a pleasure for us all to meet, by whatever means – thank you for your time and energy.

Co-curricular activities have what we hope is a shorter rather than longer “drinks break”.  Music classes, sport training and games are all hoping to slowly come back into the schedule within the next fortnight.  Health comes first.  In the meantime, we use those extra minutes for a little more sleep, homework, family fun or help around the house.  Wellbeing tasks last week saw Year 6 students share walks with their pets at the park, cooking up delights like apple cakes and pizza and building creations such as Lego and wall murals – our boys are still busy finding their passions in other places.

If we look to the next five weeks of Term 3 – what can you make of this Premiership Quarter?  It’s your game.  You help decide your hopes, plans and goals.  You have the support of family, teachers, classmates and a wider community to help you achieve.  Revisit your goals.  Remember the Semester One report card and Parent Teacher Conferences.  Find your baseline and check you are still heading in the right direction.  It’s not too late to reset yourself.  It’s never too late to ask for ideas on how to get what you want.  Are you brave enough to make changes, in a changing world, to find that your personal win is waiting for you?  We hope you are.  We want you to be.  Truth conquers – our Villanova motto – Vincit Veritas.  Let your light shine gentlemen.

Mr Stephen Rouhliadeff, Head of Junior School

Last week was DonateLife Week.  For those who haven’t yet considered organ donation, I’d encourage you to visit https://www.donatelife.gov.au to find more information about organ donation and to register for organ donation.

Why, you might ask? Well, my editorial this week is a little more personal and closer to home than usual.

As many of you are aware, my wife had a very successful, lifesaving, kidney transplant in September last year. Since then, in these COVID times, we as a family have had the challenge of adjusting our lifestyle, expectations and many other areas of our lives to the reality of living life as a family that has to be conscious that one of us is immune compromised. This is hard enough of itself but add a pandemic into the mix and the difficulty becomes doubled or even tripled. Of course, we realise that this is not just our reality but also the reality of many other families out there.

One thing all this has taught me is that I need to better appreciate some of the things that many people are able to take for granted.

Such as, the sacrifices Queenslanders have made in recent times (lockdowns, QR codes, compulsory mask wearing, etc.) that have been a line of defence for all of us against COVID. One thing you may not all realise is that it has provided a further line of security for immune compromised people.  So, thank you for that.

Our boys here at Villanova have had to endure wearing masks in their learning environment. I’ve been incredibly impressed with the mature way the boys have adapted to this new challenge. We’ve received numerous emails from members of the public, impressed with the way Villanova College boys have committed to wearing masks when in public too. I managed to join a few of the ‘Teams’ classes last week and was in awe of the way the boys were engaging with their teachers and continuing their learning. So, thank you for that.

Everyone has been inconvenienced, but nonetheless families have complied with lockdown directives last week. So, thank you for that.

All the frontline workers, especially those in our health care system, have been amazing. So, thank you for that.

Last, but certainly not least, we have Middle School families and teachers who are in home quarantine. I know that you too are all making various sacrifices to keep us all safe. So, thank you for that.

I find that we sometimes forget to be grateful for what others do for us, but not only that, we forget to tell them so – even by means of a simple thank you.

Be safe.

Mr Greg O’Neill, Head of Middle School

It was great seeing our students return to school this week, albeit in their masks. Whilst learning@home provided an alternative way of engaging in the curriculum, the fundamental power and energy that comes from the connectedness of face-to-face learning was a welcome return. I would like to congratulate our Senior School students and our wonderful staff for their resilience and agility in adapting to the challenges of online learning and the way in which they have returned to school this week. Whilst the lockdown is over for now, the reintroduction of tighter restrictions, especially the mask mandate in schools and the suspension of the co-curricular program, has the potential to frustrate our young men. Collectively, we must focus on those things we can control and remain positive in the face of adversity.

Tokyo Olympics
The one positive of last week’s lockdown was the opportunity to spend more time on the couch watching the Olympics, especially with the favourable time zone. In the words of legendary sports broadcaster and one of my idols Bruce McAvaney, the Games were ‘special’ for many reasons- particularly the inspirational stories and moments which struck accord and resonated with billions worldwide. I would like to share with you two of my memorable moments and the takeaways for our young men:

1. Australian Boomers Basketball Team – going into the Tokyo Games without ever having won a medal, the Boomers investment in team culture proved instrumental in securing an historic Bronze medal. The leadership of coach Brian Goorjian and Captain Patty Mills inspired a team of NBA and NBL stars to unite in a common purpose and listening to Mills’ post-match interview after their win against Slovenia to secure Bronze reflected the old maxim ‘there is no i in team!’
2. Cedric Dubler’s Selflessness – going into the final event of the men’s decathlon (one of the greatest tests in all-round athleticism in all of sports), Australian Ash Moloney was on the verge of an historic medal. The 1500m, the blue-ribbon event in middle distance, saw Moloney needing to secure a particular time to hold third place, but he soon hit the wall. His teammate, Cedric Dubler, sacrificed his own ego and shifted his performance to support and cajole Moloney to break through his pain barrier to post the time needed for bronze. According to Sydney Morning Herald columnist Greg Baum, “Dubler by his selflessness established a surely unique and logically impossible niche in the annals. In an individual sport, he was the best team man.”

Both of these vignettes are fortified by the value of positive culture and selfless sacrifice- two pillars that underpin our vision of the formation of young men of fine character.

The Benefits of Exercise
Building upon my focus on the habits of wellbeing over the last few weeks – especially the GEM principles of gratitude, empathy and mindfulness – I wanted to further emphasise how important it is for our young men to be engaged in some forms of exercise as part of their weekly program. “We do not have bodies. We are bodies,” states cognitive scientist Guy Claxton. In the latest issue of Men’s Health magazine, there is an article on the benefits of exercise on a range of health indicators including weight, energy, heart health, immunity, and mental wellbeing. In a study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, those who trained for just two and a half hours each week had a 31 percent lower risk of depression than those who didn’t. Senior GP at Babylon Health, Mark Perera explains that ‘exercise triggers the release of numerous brain-cell mediators, including serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline, which light up the pleasure and reward centres of the brain’. For those students not engaged in the College’s sports program, it is important that they find opportunities for exercise- whether that be going for a walk or run or a workout at home or at the gym (when restrictions lift of course).

“Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being.” – Plato

Mr Matt Levander, Head of Senior School

Making dreams a reality
If we can consider for a moment the silver lining of lockdown last week, it would have to be how well timed it was with the Olympics.  Australia did so well!  On Saturday evening our family gathered around to watch history in the making as our high jumper, Nicola McDermott, broke the women’s Australian record and won the silver medal.

It was quite an intimate encounter to watch her as the filming took in all stages of the event.  As a psychologist I was completely enthralled.  I watched Nicola repeat a ritual with each jump.  When one jump finished, she would sit down with her journal and write.  She then moved into visualisation as she played the next jump over and over again in her mind. On several occasions she then went over and talked with her coach.  As she took her position for the jump, she visualised again, then clapped her hands over to head in a call for the Australian team to show their support and join her.  Then I interpreted the next thing was to pray.  She called on ‘the bigger’, you could actually see her pray.  When she made the jump that got her the silver medal her face shifted in these moments of prayer from strain to joy.  You could tell before she even did the jump that she had it!  She was going to succeed.  It was awesome to watch.

It left me with much to ponder.  We were so taken with her ritual that we were madly googling her in our house.  Nicola is studying Biochemistry.  She described a conversion experience as a 17-year-old where God’s presence in her life was like moving from black and white to seeing in colour.  Nicola has a ministry called Everlasting Crowns that is forming a network of believers rising up to not only have faith but perform in peace. They are beginning a movement in sport of what it looks like to be set free.  This made me wonder even more – did Nicola’s ritual at the Olympics somehow witness what we talk about at Villanova with our values of ongoing conversion and humility?  St Augustine, certainly spoke about needing to reflect, to read, to form community on the journey of being one in heart and mind.

• How do you do this in your life?
• How do we instil this in our boys here at Villanova?

This week our Year 12 students are completing their exams.  We have all had to pivot to online learning and then adjust to being back at school but with significant restrictions.  There are a number of questions to consider: What are the messages we tell ourselves?  What do we focus on?  How do we rally support from those around us to know we are not alone?  When do we pray and open ourselves to God present with us, right here and now?  How can that shift the strain to joy?

Unless humility precedes,
accompanies,
and follows
whatever we do,
we will find that
we have done
little good to
rejoice in. Pride
will bereft us of
everything.”

St. Augustine, Letter 188, 22.

“Humility induces us
to presume on our own
strength and to trust in
God.” Humility allows
us to listen to others
and to see the truth
in them. According
to Augustine, the
only way to reach
an “abiding, active
knowledge of the truth
is through humility.”

Pellegrino, M. (1996) Spiritual Journey: Augustine’s Reflections on the Christian Life.

Update of Mission Day
Lockdown and ongoing restrictions are seriously impacting our Mission Day and our Ministry teams and Student Council are working together to create some COVID safe ways our community can celebrate this day and still have the capacity to raise funds for our partners in the Philippines.  There will be further communication about this in the coming days.

Forming fine young men at Villanova College
In the midst of lockdown last week, we had a virtual sleepout scheduled for our students.  One of our Year 7 students, Harvey Anderson, was really keen to still participate and so had his very own virtual sleepout at home.  Following are some of his reflections on the evening.  We certainly hope to run this experience again when restrictions lift, and students can gather at one another’s homes to share this experience.  Harvey and his family are to be commended for his commitment.

“Hello, my name is Harvey Anderson, and I am sleeping out in a cardboard shelter to see what homelessness feels like for a night.

I watched a movie called “The Pursuit of Happiness”.  It was a very heart-warming movie about a man called Chris who was struggling in life with a divorce and money wise. He was pushed into homelessness and had to fight his way out.

For my food tonight I had to eat a meal that was $2 and under because this is what the homeless live on for 1 day. This is transport, food, and water. I had beef noodles and my mum had spaghetti and toast.

The shelter was made out of cardboard and lots of tape. Some challenges that we faced were the temperature, the room and the hardness of what we slept on. It was very hard to get to sleep but when we did it was better.”

The Green Team ministers continue to make a difference in the Villanova campus through projects that promote ecological sustainability. There’s the Containers for Change program that challenges everyone to collect their containers with a 10 cent refund for every eligible container returned.  Since the beginning of Term 3, the collection has already reached $568.30. This amount will go to selected charity and bursary. Thanks to our Years 5, Year 6 and Year 10 students for leading the initiative.  (Should you wish to help our initiative please drop your collected containers to the nearest depot and use our Villanova scheme I.D.10463346.)

For  more efficient waste management on the campus, the Green Team have also installed during the snap lockdown, a top cover for the yellow bins (see picture).  With the poster outside the bin to indicate what items to dunk in, this top cover will help everyone to properly do the right thing with their waste.  Together we will make our campus sustainable.

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

Ms Kate Garrone, Dean of Mission and Identity

The recent COVID developments has seen the cancellation of all AIC sporting fixtures up until Sunday 22 August. On this day the Chief Health Officer (CHO) will reassess and report the next phase of restrictions. This week was set as a BYE round for all AIC schools anyway, however, next weekend we were due to recommence Round 4 of tennis, basketball and rugby league fixtures. Round 4 has now been cancelled as well.

The best we can hope for is a relaxation of restrictions to be announcement on Sunday 22 August to enable AIC sport to recommence on Saturday 28 August, which will be Round 5 fixtures.

In the meantime, it has been permissible for schools to recommence training until this time. At Villanova we have recommenced rugby league training as per the original training schedule found within the rugby league season schedule document posted in the AIC Rugby League section on the website –  https://www.vnc.qld.edu.au/student-life/co-curricular/sport/aic-rugby-league/

The College has altered the basketball and tennis training schedules to meet the requirements set by the Queensland government. I ask all families to look at these alternative training schedule found in the AIC Tennis – https://www.vnc.qld.edu.au/student-life/co-curricular/sport/aic-tennis/ and AIC Basketball –  https://www.vnc.qld.edu.au/student-life/co-curricular/sport/aic-basketball/ sections of the website and ensure that your son attends his allocated training sessions.

These schedules will be in place for this week and next. Hopefully, with a favourable announcement by the CHO, we will resume normal training the week after next. Please continue to look out for messages place via the College App (and website) regarding any changes to the training schedules moving forward.

This week the eight AIC Directors of Sport met to discuss what will happen with the AIC sports season moving forward. Issues surrounding aggregates, premierships, missed games etc were all discussed. After this meeting a recommendation was then made by this group and was given to the eight AIC Principals (AIC management committee) to make the final call. It is too early for me to report on the outcome and decisions made. Once the AIC Management Committee come to a decision, further correspondence will be given to all AIC College communities regarding how the remainder of the season will look.

In the meantime, we ask all our boys to continue training so that when games return, we will be able to hit the ground running.

Based on the results from this week’s Inter-house Track & Field Carnival, many boys have been selected to join the AIC Track & Field Squad which commences training from next week at Villanova Park. Middle distance will train back here at the College. The Year 5 – 12 squad is now posted in the ‘Student Café’ and ‘Parent Lounge’ portals.

A full season schedule is now posted on the Villanova College website which includes a complete training schedule, list of coaches, list of all AIC meets and much more. 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. Please see further details below.

It was great to see the boys back at school this week. It was also good to see that we were able to open training across the College as well. Let’s hope for a good outcome in the weeks to come so that we can return to playing games on a Saturday. In the meantime, I urge all boys to keep training and to look after themselves!

AIC TRACK AND FIELD SEASON PROGRAM 
Commitment, Dedication and Effort – The ‘Villanova Way’

In preparation for the AIC Track and Field Championships, training will commence the week beginning Monday 16 August. Training sessions will be held every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon throughout the entire season leading up to the AIC Track and Field Championships which are held in Week 1 of Term 4, Friday 8 and Saturday 9 October.

This year we intend on training our entire AIC Track and Field squad from Year 5 – 12 in all disciplines/events on the same two afternoons each week, excluding the middle-distance athletes. The entire squad will be transported by bus to and from Villanova Park to use our newly constructed Track & Field facility. The boys will train from 3.45pm to 5.15pm. The bus will then return all athletes back to the College for collection by approx. 5.40pm. Please find listed below a complete list of our 2021 Track and Field coaches.

Villanova Training Schedule
Includes all students from Year 5 – 12 in all disciplines excluding middle distance:

When: Tuesday and Thursday afternoons
Where: Villanova Park
Time: Bus departs Villanova at 3.10pm and returns at 5.40pm

 Middle distance athletes will train at Little Langlands (Year 5 and Year 6) or Coorparoo AFC (Year 7 -12) on the days listed below.

• Year 5 and Year 6 – Monday and Wednesday afternoon at Little Langlands 3.15 – 4.45pm. Coach – Mr Tom Lonergan
• Year 7 – 12 – Monday and Wednesday mornings 6.30 – 7.30 am at Coorparoo AFC, 33 Birubi Street, Coorparoo (the oval behind Coorparoo SHS – marked with an athletics track). Students to find their own way to the venue, boys will be bused back to Villanova at the completion of training – Coach – Mr Brian Pascoe

Villanova College Track and Field Coaching Staff – 2021

• Sprints (400m) and Hurdles – Mr Chris Everding, Mr Matt Levander, Mr Ben Valentine and Mr Michael Garske (plus external qualified coach – Bill McKenny)
• Middle Distance (800m/1500m and 3000m) – Mr Brian Pascoe and Mr Tom Lonergan
• High Jump – Mr Craig Stariha (plus external qualified coach, Karolina Rosloniec)
• Long Jump and Triple Jump – Mrs Terri Dillon, Mrs Margaret Carabetta (plus external qualified coaches, Yevgeniy Tkachenko and Julian Konle)
• Shot Put – Mr Anthony Kemp and Ms Barbara Dewis
• Discus – Mr Paul Schiavo (plus external qualified coach, Michael Criticos)
• Javelin – Mr Tony Rolls (plus external qualified coach, Neil Janse)

If for any reason a student is unable to attend his allocated training session, he must contact his coach and notify them as a matter of courtesy. The Track and Field coaching staff comprises experienced members of staff from Villanova, as well as several external professionally qualified coaches.

I encourage all students who are keen to represent Villanova College in Track and Field this season to take advantage of all training sessions offered.  Following the annual Inter-House Track and Field Carnival, an official train-on squad will be announced. We are hopeful all boys listed will accept the offer and train weekly with the squad.

We do understand that many of our athletes will have other co-curricular commitments including AIC Rugby League, AIC Tennis or AIC Basketball. The Sports Office at Villanova College is keen to negotiate an individual training schedule with these students for them to participate and represent the College in Track and Field.  This is important to our program as it ensures our best athletes are representing Villanova on the day of the Championships.

All Track and Field athletes are required to purchase the items below from the College Uniform Shop and wear them to all AIC Track and Field meets as well as on the day of the Championships. Please note, these items are not for loan or hire, each student must purchase their own items.

We recommend that the Year 5 students hold off buying any clothing until their place in the squad is confirmed by their coach. In the meantime, these boys can wear their PE uniform until further notice.

Villanova College Track and Field Uniform

• Villanova squad shirt (same shirt worn by the AIC swimmers/cross country runners/tennis players)
• Villanova athletic singlet (used for Cross and Country and Track and Field)
• Villanova athletic shorts (white)
• Villanova sports cap (green)
• Villanova sports jacket (not compulsory but recommended)

AIC Track and Field Training Dates and Venues – 2021

AIC Track and Field Meets – 2021

Year 5 – 12 Track & Field Training Timetable – 2021

Please assist the coaches by ensuring your son is available to attend all meets.  A bus will transport all athletes to and from these meets. A complete event schedule for these meets will be posted on the College’s website in the weeks leading up to the event.

Assistance with timekeeping and officiating at the Thursday night carnivals would be greatly appreciated. Please contact a member of the Sports Office or the coaches if you can help at any of the lead-up carnivals.

I look forward to an enjoyable and successful season. If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact the Director of Sport on 3394 5611 or cstariha@vnc.qld.edu.au particularly if your son has other co-curricular commitments and a negotiated training schedule needs to be organised.

Commitment, dedication and effort are needed by all to produce strong results on the days of the AIC Championship. I thank you in advance for your support and wish the boys all the best in their preparations for the AIC Track and Field season.

Juniors (Year 5  and Year 6) 800 metre Track Squad
Training for boys in this squad commences on Monday 16 August (3.15 – 4.45pm) at Little Langlands. Very few boys have confirmed their invitation.

Please assemble outside Goold Hall entry to move down to the corner of Eighth Avenue and Main Avenue to meet Mr Lonergan.

Villanova Runners Club
Whites Hill Reserve, Boundary Rd, Camp Hill

Open to all students/parents/siblings/friends etc.

This activity is an initiative of the AIC Juniors Cross Country & Track Coach, Mr Tom Lonergan. It is an opportunity for all aspiring AIC runners/sportsmen to complete an extra training session each week. Parents, siblings and friends of the athletes are also invited to participate in the training. One of the training activities will be a Tabata session. Tabata is an anaerobic activity which complements fitness for running. Another component of this session is a Bush Run which utilizes the many trails in the Whites Hill Reserve. We meet at the gate of the Cricket complex. Further information about this program can be gained by contacting Mr Lonergan email: lonert24@gmail.com

Villanova Runners Club will be offered every Sunday (4 – 5pm) from Sunday 21 July through to Sunday 13 October. (Subject to Lock-down)

TERM 4 ZONE CRICKET
Zone cricket letters and COVID information is now available to students from Years 5 – 12 for Term 4 cricket. Year 5 boys will play in the EDJCA comp, while Year 6 – 12 will be placed in the divisional BEARS competition. The online registration format is now active. Players will only be listed in teams when the ‘Three steps to Registration’ have been completed. 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. Managers and game-day coaches are the priority. Please consider taking on one of these roles.

REPRESENTATIVE SPORT
Well done to Zac Henry who received silver in the Queensland Karate Titles in June and has been selected to represent Queensland at the National Karate Titles in September in Melbourne. A great achievement Zac!

Congratulations to the following students who were selected to represent Queensland at the upcoming Australian Youth Volleyball Championships in Bendigo:

• Hudson Bishop (Year 8)
• Lachlan Gillett (Year 9)
• Nicholas Craig (Year 10)
• Thomas Boxall (Year 11)
• Cooper Stevens (Year 11)

There were also several boys selected in training squads and shadow roles. We know the experience our boys will gain from involvement in this programme will be of great benefit to AIC Volleyball.

Mr Craig Stariha, Director of Sport

QCMF 2021
The 2021 QCMF is now off and running in its virtual format.  The recordings have been beamed out to the ether, safely from their space in YouTube.  Links to these performances will be distributed to all participant students and their families.  We hope that you have an opportunity to jump online and view some of the fantastic music that has been produced by ensembles from across our state, country, and the Pacific.

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 the Festival concludes.  I would like to recognise and thank our Music Administration team and amazing team of technical volunteers for their fantastic efforts to make this happen!

We encourage you all to take a moment and view your performances during 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 Week 6
Until further notice, the Instrumental Music Department will continue with remote teaching through Teams.  We will send through any changes as a broadcast via email and Villanova College App before the end of School on Friday.  Should we continue with remote teaching, 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.  Can you please ensure your son ‘accepts’ this meeting so that a calendar entry is created, and an auto-reminder is generated?

Students need to attend these lessons on campus in the Augustine Centre. Please ensure your son is aware that he needs to bring his instrument, music, and laptop to these lessons.  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.

I continue to receive 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.  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 government to keep our community safe.

As soon as restrictions post lockdown 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

SUPPORTERS GEAR – VNC FACE MASK
Don’t miss out on the newest addition to the Supporters Gear range – the VNC face mask  – now available from the Tuckshop (or Goold Hall Canteen when back operating).

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 16  – FRIDAY 20 AUGUST)
All volunteers rostered on this week will be contacted directly by the Library.

TUCKSHOP ROSTER (MONDAY 16  – FRIDAY 20 AUGUST)
All volunteers rostered on this week will be contacted directly by the Tuckshop.