Villa View: Issue 25/19

I had never heard of Bobby Miles until just recently.  He was an ‘all American football jock’ at a large Texan school that lived for football.  The jocks were the heroes of the school and were given latitude regarding study assignments and time off and were paid for ‘yards gained’ in weekly Friday night games.  All of this was recorded in HG Bissinger’s book, ‘Friday Night Lights’, that records the rock-star status on the altar of State championships and that their worth was assessed on how they performed.  This performance was considered to be their contribution to the school community.  In one interview with Bissinger, Miles proudly recalled how he made $252 one Friday night for the 252 yards he gained during the night’s match.  Sadly, Bobby Miles’ story ends with a badly torn cruciate ligament.  With this went his hope for a college scholarship and a better life after high school.

As we celebrate our 71 years at Villanova College, it is good to recall that our ‘core business’ is simply where education is the formation of the whole person within a faith community.  Our core business is every person who goes to make up this community – the academic, the volunteer, the musician, the sportsperson, the freedom fighter, the struggler, the religious, the determined, the average, the agreeable, the available.  It is our core business to unleash the dreamer within each of these young men, to walk with them, to help them understand the power within them and to remind them that their God calls them to make a difference.

The context for what we do and our motivation for doing it is our belief in a personal God who loves each of us and calls us by name.  We must never be confused about our core business.  There are no ‘Friday nights here’ other than the efforts of ordinary young men to be the best they can.  If, by chance, our community attracts a fine sportsman, musician, academic or performer to join us, then we will celebrate his gifts and talents with him, but no more than those we do of any other student.  That’s core business to be proud of!

Over the past week, Villanova College hosted the Queensland Catholic Schools and Colleges Music Festival.  QCMF is a celebration of all things musical. Students thoroughly enjoyed the non-competitive nature of the event where emphasis was placed on enjoyment, participating and improving their performance. The knowledgeable adjudicators provided valuable feedback to all performers to assist ensembles and bands in their development. We hope all students found the experience of performing at the Festival to be both rewarding and educational.

In 2019, we celebrated 29 years of history that has seen the QCMF grow from a humble start in 1991 attracting a total of 12 schools and colleges delivering 43 ensembles. By contrast the 2019 Festival ran for four days across eight separate venues, welcoming over 100 schools and colleges from various locations from Cairns to Tasmania, bringing with them over 550 separate ensembles with a total of over approximately 15,000 student performances receiving comments from nationally recognised adjudicators.

I wish to acknowlege and thank the many volunteers, students, staff and parents of Villanova College who have generously given of their time to support this event, not only this year but during the past twenty-nine years. Special thanks to Mr Michael Jones – Director of Music, Mrs Sandra Magnus, Mrs Alison Schrauf, Mr Gordon Hughes, Mr Patrick Zietsch, Mr Vince Scuderi, Mr Ken Hartley – Chair, QCMF Planning Group and our hard-working Music staff. Well done to all involved in providing this unique opportunity for musicians to perform before an appreciative audience.

Thank you to the many sponsors and supporters of the QCMF. Many of our sponsors have been supporting the Festival over many years and I thank them for their continuing support and encouragement.

There is no greater role than to be a leader in a Catholic School.  Villanova College is proud to be associated with the QCMF and I am so proud of our staff and volunteers who have given of their own gifts and graces to enable this wonderful event to flourish. I certainly enjoyed listening to many wonderful and inspiring performances at the 2019 Queensland Catholic Schools and Colleges Music Festival. Well done!

Mr Steven Bremner, Principal (Acting)

The last month at the College has been one of the busiest in terms of Teaching and Learning. Term 3 is always run at a frenetic pace, however, the ante has certainly intensified.

SET PLANNING
Currently, our Year 10 students are being interviewed as part of their Senior Education and Training (SET) Plan process. Ensuring that students entering Year 11 have chosen their subjects correctly is vital to their academic success and helps them in determining their post-schooling pathway. Once this process is complete, Year 9 students will also engage in a SET Plan activity to determine their subjects for 2020. I thank the teachers involved, who have not only given of their experience and knowledge but have also given significant time outside of the normal school day. They all agree, though, that discussing subject selections and pathways post-school with our students is an enriching experience.

YEAR 8 AND YEAR 9 2020 SUBJECT INFORMATION EVENING
The Year 8 and Year 9 2020 Subject Information Evening will be held on Wednesday, August 28.  The timetable for the evening is:

• 6.00pm : Presentation for Year 7 into Year 8 in the Hanrahan Theatre
• 6.20pm : Year 7 students and parents move to Veritas for the Subject Expo
• 6.30pm : Presentation for Year 8 into Year 9 in the Hanrahan Theatre
• 6.50pm : Year 8 students and parents move to Veritas for the Subject Expo

I thank Middle School Curriculum Areas Leaders and subject teachers in advance for their work in preparing and holding this evening.

In order to choose subjects for 2020, Year 7 and Year 8 students will be sent a link after the evening by email. These subject selections are due by 3.00pm on Friday 6 September.

QUEENSLAND CORE SKILLS (QCS) TESTS
Our Year 12 students have navigated their studies admirably so far this year. They have produced some excellent results and worked extremely hard, evidenced by the large number who were presented with awards on Assembly earlier in the term. In amongst classes, examinations and assignments that they have completed this year, the majority of our Year 12 students have been preparing for the other significant component of their studies – the QCS tests. In order to receive an Overall Position (OP) score, Year 12 students are required to sit the QCS tests. These will be held on Tuesday 3 and Wednesday 4 September. I thank the many teachers who have been responsible in preparing our students for this important event and wish each of our Year 12 students sitting the QCS tests all the very best.

SENIOR ASSESSMENT AND TERTIARY ENTRANCE (SATE) SYSTEM
Our Year 11 students have navigated Unit 1 of the new SATE system very well, with the majority of students now studying Unit 2. There have certainly been a number of differences as compared to the system that our Year 12 students will complete this year, however, the hard work and diligence required to be successful has not disappeared. The College’s teachers continue to work with the Year 11 students in their journey.

One of the features of the new SATE system is the endorsement of assessment before use. In the past, schools have been able to administer assessment without any form of approval. The new system now has processes in place to approve assessment before students sit examinations or complete assignments. Last Friday, after months of hard work by our Senior School Curriculum Area Leaders and teachers, assessment for Unit 3 was submitted to the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA). Over 17,600 assessment tasks were submitted by schools across the state. The endorsement of these tasks will be completed this weekend.

NAPLAN ONLINE
In 2020, Villanova College will move NAPLAN testing online. The state and federal governments have been progressively moving NAPLAN testing to an online environment over the last couple of years. For Villanova to engage with online testing next year, a number of students will be involved in trials and system testing over the next few months in order to test our IT capacity. If this is successful, we will see our Year 5, Year 7 and Year 9 cohorts complete their NAPLAN tests online across a nine-day window in May 2020.

More information about the College’s move to NAPLAN online will be communicated in subsequent newsletters. In the meantime, if parents are wanting more information with regards to NAPLAN online, the following links are good sources of information:

• https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/p-10/naplan-online
• https://www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment

John Christie, Dean of Teaching and Learning

eLEARNING
Time online: how much is too much?

The amount of time young people spend online is indeed a modern parenting challenge. In fact, UQ recently released an article exploring data into the increase in screen time for young children here: https://www.uq.edu.au/news/article/2019/07/screen-time-no-child%E2%80%99s-play

New guidance from the World Health Organisation suggests recommended screen time for children depends on their age, however the kind of content your child consumes, and their learning needs are other important factors to consider. You can help ensure your child achieves a healthy balance in both their online and offline activities by referring to the parent support documentation on the Office of the eSafety Commissioner web site here:

https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/big-issues/time-online

https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/skills-advice/taming-technology

Parent monitoring apps and platforms
There are many options for parents regarding monitoring and regulation of family devices and laptops. Macbooks and Windows laptops come with the ability for Microsoft Family and Apple Parent Control account settings. These are valid, free options but I would not recommend them as the only parent monitoring solutions. It is worth adding one of the commercial options for greater flexibility, monitoring and regulation.

Three common commercial products are Family Zone, OurPact and Qustodio. Personally, I have used all three for different reasons over the past five years. Each product provides different types of monitoring, regulation and reporting. Family Zone provides a great platform for monitoring devices while supporting parent education with “Cyber Experts” and regular email newsletters (e.g. threats, trends, alerts).

Family Zone also allows you to purchase an additional home network box to create a safe, child-friendly internet zone within your home – even for guests. In that sense, Family Zone gives parents knowledge, confidence and a set of tools to provide a safe “space” for browsing and time online. OurPact is a smartphone solution, allowing parents to “block out” apps on iOS and Android devices outside of nominated sleep/study schedules.

OurPact allows you to define geozones to notify you when your child is home, at the bus stop, etc. This is similar to Apple’s “Find My Friends” but works across Android and iOS devices.  OurPact does not work on laptops and computers at this stage.

Then there is Qustodio – a long-standing industry leader in phone and laptop management. Qustodio provides monitoring which extends to the level of “Advanced Social Monitoring” and SMS monitoring (monitoring Facebook account activity, SMS messaging, etc). This service can be enabled or disabled depending on the account type and settings. Some may consider this Qustodio feature as intrusive but there are instances where this level of support and monitoring is in the best interests of the children. Follow the above links to each of the parent portal sites and decide on what level of service and supervision is best for your own family situation.

As a footnote, I would like to introduce Bark. Bark specifically deals with social media monitoring on phones – one of the key areas of concern for all parents. Personally, I have no direct experience using Bark, but its reviews are consistently high, illustrating how concerning social media monitoring is for parents. Bark also claims to be able to detect threats and potential online predators based on complex social media chat algorithms. To learn more about Bark read this review.

If you do install software with restrictions on your son’s BYOD laptops, please ensure they do not restrict his ability to access his computer during school hours. For example, if you limit your son to two hours of laptop use per day this may mean he is unable to use his laptop for the duration of the school day. Further, if you decide to limit access to sites such as YouTube and Vimeo this may also prevent your son from engaging in lessons with online content. It is entirely your choice but please be aware of any impacts on access to curriculum whilst at the College.

Mr Jason Lane, eLearning Pedagogy Leader

THE SCENE PROJECT – YEAR 10 DRAMA
Last Friday, Year 10 Drama students took part in the final performance for the Queensland Theatre Company’s (QTC) initiative called The Scene Project.  In Term 2, students had been working on their adaptation of the commissioned script called The Shot written by playwright, Angela Betzien.  The story is set on a plane, destination unknown where a photojournalist is travelling to accept a prestigious award.  Whilst in flight, the photojournalist is haunted by the subjects of these photos and he/she finally begins to understand the impact that these images have had on their subjects.

Students who took part in this project were Keegan Bell, Joseph Donovan, Declan Dunleavy, Eoin Hartley, Callum Lane, Liam Linnett, Elliot Poulsen, Joe Sukkar, Frazer Maloney, Dominic Rolls, Harrison Egart, Tim Papagiannis, Nicholas Green and Matthew Thompson. They had the opportunity to participate in workshops run by professional actors from Queensland Theatre Company.  This support will be invaluable, especially when we began to devise our own adaptation of the script.

On the day, Frazer Maloney played the main role of PJ and stand-out powerful performances by Dominic Rolls and Harrison Egart were highly commended by the staff at QTC.  Performing in front of a live audience, especially that of your own peers can be daunting but our team lifted the performance intensity to new heights and received a lot of positive feedback especially from the girls in the audience.

This has been an amazing opportunity and I am very excited that we were offered the chance to take part this year. I am also enormously proud of the students’ commitment to this project and of their representation of Villanova College.

Miss Sallyanne Freney, Creative Arts CAL

REGROUPING
The first Bledisloe Cup of 2019 in Perth two weeks ago was the win the Wallabies desperately needed; it was the win Australian sport desperately needed. There was a noticeable buzz around the Junior School on the following Monday and leading into the Ekka week, anticipation started to build as a glimpse of a Bledisloe win was on the horizon.

Unfortunately, Australia was decimated at Eden Park on the weekend by a fired up All Blacks side. The statistics paint an even graver story; our last win at Eden Park was in 1986 and Saturday’s 36-0 flogging was our biggest losing margin at the venue.

For me, this is a of story of two team’s ability to regroup. After their loss to Australia in Perth, New Zealand came back stronger and more fired up. This ability to regroup and the culture within their team often earn the All Blacks the title of Greatest Sporting Team in the World across many publications. Australia is now in a position where they urgently need to regroup if we are to stand a chance of having any success at the world cup in Tokyo in a month’s time.

While it’s a bit of a jump, I think the Ekka week can have a similar effect on our Junior School students. After a disrupted week with QCMF, the Inter-House Athletics Carnival, a public holiday and for some, a bonus holiday mid-term, this week can seem to be a crashing back down to reality moment. Our boys really do need to regroup if they are going to build upon their Semester 1 results and continue to work towards their Term 3 goals.

For boys who feel like many Wallabies’ fans, it seems like it’s just too hard to make any headway. Our focus of the week at school addresses this:

Growth Mindset – Positive thinking, short term goals, ask for help, reward yourself.

Our boys need to return to their goals for Semester 2 and revisit teacher-feedback of their work. To make this action more effective for students, we are moving into a school-wide feedback/feedforward approach to continue assessment reporting. So that boys can avoid making the same errors over and over (like our Wallabies), they will be able to refer to assessment pieces and the positive comments (feedback) and the areas to build upon (feedforward). This information will be available on student and parent portals for ongoing access.

Teachers and students are also using the feedback/feedforward approach in class in the form of What Worked Well? (WWW) and Even Better IF! (EBI). Along with their teachers, our students are using this approach to their own work, as well as others during group work activities.

If positive thinking and revisiting goals isn’t working for your son, it’s important that he actively seeks help from his teachers. There is nothing worse to hear as a teacher than “It has been an issue since Term 1.” Just like friendship issues and wellbeing issues, academic issues such as, struggling with a concept or subject need to be addressed as they arise. Sitting back and hoping it will go away or magically fix itself, just adds more stress. Thankfully, our teachers are always willing to provide extra help and catch boys up. For this to occur however, the boys do need to be proactive and ask.

Mr Brendan Kennedy, Head of Junior School (Acting)

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

Episode 6 – ‘Social Emotional Learning’ (SEL).
Villanova’s SEL Framework can be viewed here.

Click on the image to begin listening.

To listen to previous episodes:

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

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

Episode 3: “Mindfulness” with Mr Alex Sullivan

Episode 4: ‘Writing’ with Mr Shawn Creamer

Episode 5: “Humour” with Mr Alex Sullivan, Mr Ben Lynam, Mr Shawn Creamer and Mrs Julie Colbert

Mr Greg O’Neill, Head of Middle School

CONVERSATIONS WITH YOUR SON: RESILIENCE
As we move past the halfway point of the third term, the upcoming period of learning and teaching is pivotal, especially for our Year 12 students who understand the extent of the assessment load at this time of year, prior to their September block exams and the calculation of provisional levels of achievement, which will be taken to panels for review early in the fourth term.

Understandably, the level of stress and tension of students often increases with these significant workload expectations, however, the response to these feelings will determine the impact. Resilience, grit and perseverance are often born through proactive responses to pressure whereby students acknowledge their feelings of vulnerability and seek the guidance, support and counsel of trusted family members, friends and teachers. Often, stress can be reduced by talking through problems and solving them by adopting time and organisational management strategies or through engaging in such practices as mindfulness.

According to Professor Angela Duckworth, author of ‘Grit- Why Passion and resilience are the secrets to success’, “when you keep searching for ways to change your situation for the better, you stand a chance of finding them. When you stop searching, assuming they can’t be found, you guarantee they won.”

In the final unpacking of Dr Tim Hawkes insightful book on parent-teenage conversations, he asserts that helping our young men develop coping skills in times of stress is of paramount importance:

• Boys must recognise that bad stuff occurs, unfairness is rife, and disappointment happens- how they cope with these situations is what can define them;
• We must be able to cope with imperfection in ourselves and in others;
• The inclination for parents to protect their son is a good thing, but over protection can be a corrosive influence;
• Everyone will fail at some things- therefore we all need to learn coping skills;
• In order to cope with life’s setbacks, a boy must learn the virtue of persistence as little of value is achieved without effort.

YEAR 10 SET PLAN INTERVIEWS
Over the last fortnight, senior members of staff have conducted the Senior Education and Training (SET) Plan interviews with Year 10 students and their parents. In speaking with my colleagues, we have been impressed with the engagement and ownership of this importance process by our Year 10s. As outlined by the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA), completing the SET Plan allows students to:

• structure their learning around their abilities, interests and ambitions;
• think about their education, training and career options after Year 12
• set and achieve learning goals in Years 11 and 12, and beyond;
• include flexible and coordinated pathway options in their course of senior study;
• communicate with your parents/carers or teachers/careers counsellors about their post-school plans.

YEAR 10 CAMP
Earlier this week, our Year 10 cohort embarked upon their camp experience at Helidon Spa at the foot of the Toowoomba Range. Facilitated by Emu Gully Adventure Education Group, our young men were challenged to venture out of their comfort zones by sleeping in tents and preparing their own meals – character forming and resilience building. I would like to thank Year 10 Pastoral Area Leader, Mr Sean O’Neill for his organisation of the camp and express my gratitude to the staff who attended the camp and supported our students.

TERTIARY WEEK
We have branded next week in the Senior School, ‘Tertiary Week’, in which we have invited universities and a vocational pathways provider to present to our Year 12 students during lunch time (1.40 – 2.10pm) in the Senior Study Centre.

In addition, we have continued the tradition of conducting a QTAC Information Evening for both Year 12 students and parents in which a representative of QTAC will outline the process of lodging the application and providing the best possible guidance to students to ensure they are in a position to receive a tertiary offer next year.

The program for Tertiary Week is as follows:

Monday 26 August
Lunch:  Australian Catholic University (ACU)
Evening: QTAC Information Evening (Hanrahan Theatre, 6.30pm)

Tuesday 27 August
Lunch:  University of Queensland (UQ)

Wednesday 28 August
Lunch:  Queensland University of Technology (QUT)

Thursday 29 August
Lunch: Griffith University

Friday 30 August
Lunch:  School Community Industry Placement Service (SCIPS)

I would like to thank Year 12 Pastoral Area Leader Mr Peter Meecham and Pathways Program Leader Mrs Dianne Martin for organising the presentations and I strongly recommend that all Year 12 students take full advantage of the Tertiary Week program.

“Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.” – Marie Curie

Mr Matt Levander, Head of Senior School

QCMF MASS – A CELEBRATION OF CATHOLIC EDUCATION
“Hope has two beautiful daughters; their names are Anger and Courage. Anger at the way things are, and Courage to see that they do not remain as they are.” (St Augustine)

This was the key text used by Fr Peter Wieneke (College Chaplain) in his fiery homily at the QCMF Mass last Sunday. Fiery because he was talking about the good fire – the fire that so many young people possess – which is a register of pain at the injustice in the world. It is this same passion which must then be directed towards making change – even at the risk of causing division and discomfort. These same qualities – a passion for social justice and a willingness to challenge the status quo – are still the hallmarks of our own septuagenarian Chaplain.

It was wonderful to see various schools, from far and wide, coming together for Mass at 7.30 am. The same spirit that rippled through Goold Hall was evinced on the main stage later that day, with students from St Brendan’s and other places bringing with them a willingness to make QCMF a real celebration of the wider community of Catholic schools in Queensland.

Even among the lively choices of choral repertoire at QCMF – from Sean Mendes to the Commitments – it is still so good to hear choirs from age five to 18 singing songs which speak of wonder, humility, community, and praise, such as John Rutter’s For the Beauty of the Earth, and David Haas’s You are Mine. This is a sign of hope, that the well of passions from which success is drawn is deeply renewed.

I would like to thank the Liturgy Band, Ministry Captain (Reece Jansen) and Eucharistic Minister, Will Stevens, for making a big effort to make this community celebration possible.

INVITATION TO ST AUGUSTINE MASS
Friday 30 August in Goold Hall at 10.30 am

All family members are warmly invited to join the next community Mass, which celebrates the importance of St Augustine to the College’s spirit and identity. Two guests will help celebrate the Mass, Fr Damien Everitt (Old Boy) and Fr Francis Belcina OSA, parish priest of St James.

YAYM FATHER’S DAY STALL
Under the enthusiastic leadership of Ms Kath Underhill, YAYM will host a stall selling Father’s Day gifts from Tuesday, 27 August – next week. The attractively and imaginatively packaged gifts range in price from $5 to $20. All profit will be shared between men’s health charities and the adult education program run by our sister school the College of St Augustine in Bacolod (Philippines). This program allows young adults to gain the school leaver’s certificate which is crucial to job prospects in the Philippines. Our students have the privilege in September of meeting the adults who can undertake this course because of the generosity of Villanova families.

LOURDES HILL CONFERENCE ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING, TUESDAY 20 AUGUST
A group of eight students and two staff were fortunate to attend an informative and thought-provoking conference at the lovely 100-year-old Duhig Hall (Lourdes Hill) on Tuesday evening. Keynote speaker, Fr Ray Jose Sanchez, spoke about various ways in which slavery is occurring in Australia today – or that Australian consumers benefit from slavery. He grabbed the students’ attention by describing cases in local schools of arranged marriages or of students of refugee background trying to cope with ways in which their innocence was snatched away in their home country.

Another highlight of the event was the way in which the students from six different Catholic schools were so eager to learn, and also to share their own ideas and responses. Fr Ray ended by quoting Helen Keller’s insight that each one person is able to do something, and even if that thing seems small – e.g. choosing fairly priced chocolate – we must not neglect to do that thing. What struck me also was that there is an immediate momentum created by events like this, where the generous-hearted commitment to social justice which flourishes in separate Catholic schools is brought together to create a wider front.

As a sidelight, we saw how well Lourdes Hill have their bins organised, in batteries of four – general, paper, bottles/cans, and organic. We came away feeling that the conference we would like to host would be about sustainability, as we would like to bring the best ideas together from the many Catholic schools who are making a considered and persevering response.

YELLOW RIBBON DAY, FRIDAY 23 AUGUST (TOMORROW)
Middle School students are warmly encouraged to support Year 7 student Charlie Berridge tomorrow in his awareness and fund-raising initiative for the Cancer Council. For personal reasons, Charlie has sought permission to dye his hair yellow for the day as a tribute to the work of the Cancer Council. As a practical support, boys may wish to spend a gold coin purchasing a yellow ribbon to wear. All proceeds will go to the Cancer Council.

Mr John Holroyd, Dean of Mission and Identity

I am sure it was a welcome change to wake up last Saturday morning and not think about heading off to a schoolboy sporting event. I hope you all had time to recharge the batteries because from this weekend – it’s on again!

This week we have officially commenced our AIC track and field training program. As mentioned previously all interested and invited track and field athletes from Year 5 – Year 12 will be transported by bus out to the QSAC or SAF venues for training (middle distance boys will train back at the College). We encourage all our best athletes to get involved and to regularly attend each Tuesday and Thursday afternoon training session planned throughout the season. More information can be found below.

Well done to all basketball and tennis players on a great weekend of results against Iona College. All up we won 26 of the 30 basketball games and 10 of the 17 tennis games played. Not only have I enjoyed the high level of sportsmanship displayed from our boys each week. It has been a pleasure to see our boys playing hard and digging deep each week. Both in tennis and basketball we have managed to secure many wins from many close games played over the last three weeks, some of which have been last second baskets or matches won in tennis on a count back to sets. The last two rounds have been difficult in rugby league. The fact that our boys are participating with a will do the best they can for themselves, their teammates and the College with a sense of self-belief and confidence is fantastic. Well done to all players!

Currently we are ranking well in both the tennis and basketball. We have a BYE round in rugby league this weekend before we face another tough round in Ashgrove next week, the run home for league will then be a little more favourable. As usual, I challenge the boys to give their best again this week as we face St Peter’s in Round 4 of the AIC Competition. Best wishes and enjoy!

AIC TENNIS AND BASKETBALL ROUND 4
v St Peter’s Lutheran College, Friday 23 and Saturday 24 August – Times and Venues

All Year 5 and Year 6 basketball games are played on Friday afternoons. All Year 7 – Year 12 basketball and Year 5 – Year 12 tennis and rugby league games are played on Saturday.  Please refer to the College’s website to view all times and venues for this weekend’s fixtures against St Peter’s Lutheran College.

BASKETBALL AND TENNIS TEAM PHOTOS
Photos will be taken for those teams who will play at the home venue this weekend for basketball and tennis only. All players are asked to wear the full and correct uniform as indicated in past newsletters and which is stated in the ‘Season Schedule’ found in the respective AIC Basketball and Tennis sections.

The photo schedule is found on the website. Teams who aren’t listed this weekend will be listed next weekend when they play at home.

INTER-HOUSE TRACK AND FIELD CARNIVAL
Last Thursday, the entire College participated in the annual Villanova Inter-House Track and Field Carnival. We were very fortunate to experience great weather conditions and to enjoy our sporting grounds in excellent condition. All students from Year 5 – Year 12 participated in many track and field events as part of the program. The whole College gathered at the commencement of the day to run the finals of the ‘dash for cash’ finals. It was a great day for all involved, as it provided an opportunity for our College to show case our best athletes but also to give everybody a chance to be involved and to enjoy each other’s company in the true Augustinian spirit. I thank the many parents who supported the College by ensuring that their son was present on the day.

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

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

Year 5:    Thomas Longland
Year 6:    Neo Pace
Year 7:    Charlie Kerr
Year 8:    Thomas Rieck
Year 9:    Jorge Makras and Joseph Wilson
Year 10:  Gus Godwin
Year 11:  Hamish Muir
Year 12:  Peter Klaassen

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

Training commenced this week in preparation for the AIC Track and Field Championships.  Training sessions will be held every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon throughout the entire season leading up to the AIC Track and Field Championships due to be held in Week 3 of Term 4, Thursday 24 and Friday 25 October.

This year we intend on training our entire AIC Track and Field squad from Year 5 – Year 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 QSAC (Queensland Sport and Athletic Centre) or SAF (State Athletic Facility) which are both located next to each other at Nathan (formerly named the QEII stadium). 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 2019 Track and Field coaches.

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

When – Tuesday and Thursday afternoon
Where – SAF or QSAC
Time – Bus departs Villanova at 3.10pm and returns at 5.40pm

Middle distance athletes will train on the days and at the venues listed below:

• Year 5 and Year 6 – Monday and Wednesday afternoon at Little Langlands 3.15 – 4.30pm. 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 transported by bus back to Villanova at the completion of training – Coach – Mr Brian Pascoe

 Villanova College Track and Field Coaching Staff – 2019

• Sprints and Hurdles – Mr Chris Everding, Mr Matt Levander, Mr Ben Valentine and Mr Michael Garske (plus external qualified coach – Mr Bill McKenny)
• Middle Distance (800m/1500m and 3000m) – Mr Brian Pascoe and Mr Tom Lonergan
• High Jump – Mr Craig Stariha (plus external qualified coach, Mr Stephen Karger)
• Long Jump and Triple Jump – Ms Michelle Smith-Rowan, Mrs Terri Dillon, Mrs Nichole Rouhliadeff and Ms Liana Baillie
• Shot Put – Mr Blake McLauchlan and Ms Barbara Dewis
• Discus – Mr Paul Schiavo (plus external qualified coach, Mr Matthew Denny – Represented Australia at Rio Olympics in Discus and the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in Discus/Hammer)
• Javelin – Mr Tony Rolls (plus external qualified coach, Mr Ben Thomson – Olympic and Commonwealth Games Throw coach)

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 are comprised of 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 Inter-House Track and Field Carnival an official train-on squad for the AIC lead-up carnivals will be announced and all Track and Field training will then be compulsory.

We do understand that many of our athletes will have other co-curricular commitments including AIC tennis, rugby league and 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 Villanova 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.

 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 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 – 2019

AIC Track and Field Meets – 2019

Middle Distance Training Schedule

• Year 5 and Year 6 – Monday and Wednesday afternoon at Little Langlands 3.15 – 4.30pm. Coach – Mr Tom Lonergan
• Year 7 – Year 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 transported by bus back to Villanova at the completion of training – Coach – Mr Brian Pascoe

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 week’s leading up to the event.

Assistance with timekeeping and officiating at the Friday 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 me on ph. 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 organized.

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.

Middle Distance training at Coorparoo AFC on Monday morning in amongst the heavy fog (photograph above)

AIC Track and Field Meet – University of Queensland, Thursday 29 August
The first AIC Track and Field Meet for the season will be held next Thursday, 29 August at the University of Queensland. This meet will be for all students from Year 5 – Year 12 and we would expect all boys to attend. Bus transportation will be provided. Year 5 and Year 6 students will depart Villanova by bus at 2.00pm and return by bus at 5.30pm. Year 7 – Year 12 students will depart by bus at 3.15pm and return to the College at 8.15pm. Parents are welcome to collect their son from the venue. The full program for this meet is below:

SCHEDULE OF TRACK EVENTS THURSDAY AUGUST 29 at UQ

SCHEDULE OF FIELD EVENTS THURSDAY AUGUST 29 at UQ

Villanova Runners Club (VRC) – Mr Tom Lonergan
VRC will not be held this Sunday 25 August as Mr Lonergan is away. The Sunday sessions will continue from Sunday 1 September until Sunday 13 October including Sundays in the school holidays. We meet at Whites Hill Recreation Reserve (Cricket Ovals) 4 – 5 pm.

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

What a fantastic round of basketball against Iona. In the lead up to one of Villanova’s best rivalries, both schools were in a good position and were challenging for premierships across many teams and the weekend did not disappoint. We ended the weekend with 26 wins and four losses. While it looks like an easy round, many teams had to fight from behind to claim victories.

Special mention must go to the First V who were coming up against the only other undefeated team in the competition. Many have claimed this was one of the greatest games of AIC basketball they have ever seen. There was fast ball movement, great outside shooting from both teams and some fierce body work inside.  A see-sawing affair saw Villanova up early but ended up being down by eight points early in the fourth quarter. It took a steely determination and will to win and saw us take the lead in the final minute and gallantly hold on. It was a huge day for the Villanova First V program.

With the bye last weekend, we had the opportunity to heal any aches and pains and prepare for the final four rounds.

AIC Basketball Results v Iona College

 AIC TENNIS
Mr Craig Stariha, AIC Tennis Co-ordinator

Well done to all teams on a solid round of results against Iona. The next two rounds against St Peters and Ashgrove will prove to be our toughest. In true Villanova spirit I challenge all players to continue to give their all each week despite the results.

A reminder too that it is essential for players to attend training each week. If for some reason you are not able to attend, please contact your managers as a matter of courtesy too.

AIC Tennis Results v Iona College

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

 Iona proved to be a tough opponent in the most recent round of AIC rugby league. Overall Villanova had one win and six losses. Whilst we may not have won the day, there is no doubt that we challenged Iona across some year levels and fought hard. Well done to our Year 5 boys who were victorious against such a quality rugby league outfit in Iona.

Unfortunately, the First XIII had another loss for the season. It would be fair to say that the Villanova First XIII looked to be the better side in patches of the second half but were just unable to capitalise on rare chances in the opposition half. Iona were able to take their chances and opened the scoring up through some tired defenders around the ruck. Iona then stretched the lead, taking advantage of a few simple errors before Villanova managed to take advantage of a lazy Iona defensive line to score two tries. Impressively, the boys never gave up until the final whistle. It was clear to see in their body language at the end of the game that they believed in themselves and their abilities as a rugby league side. The boys have proven that they can score points against quality rugby league sides, so I urge the First XIII boys to build on this belief over the final three rounds. I have no doubt that the boys will have a cracking few weeks at training and come out firing for Round 5 at Villanova Park!

As we reach the halfway point for the season, please note that our next fixture will be Round 5 at Villanova Park on Saturday 31 August. Having the bye round gives our teams an opportunity to regroup and improve on the fundamentals of rugby league at training as well as allow our injured players to rest and recover.

I remind all players the importance of training to the best of their ability to ensure that what is practised at training filters into the game. There have been some close games so far this season and if players continue to put in the hard work, hopefully we can turn some of these close results into wins for Villa! In addition, please ensure that if you are absent from training that you contact your coach prior to training so that the coaches can plan effectively and get the most out of the training sessions.

The game of rugby league is certainly played and watched with plenty of passion, which is evident in every round of AIC fixtures. I would like to take this opportunity to remind all players, coaches and spectators that rugby league would not be possible without the inclusion of referees who take on the sometimes-tough task of officiating games each week. Please ensure that at all times respect is shown towards the referees and officials.

Best of luck to all teams for our home Round 5 clash!

Rugby League Results v Iona College

RUGBY CLINIC
C2K Rugby Academy is offering position specific skill sessions over three dates conducted by past players (many former Wallabies and Reds). Click here for further details.

Mr Craig Stariha, Director of Sport

THANK YOU!
QCMF 2019 was another resounding success for all participants.  The feedback we have received from visiting schools and teachers has been amazing and we appreciate the kind words they have shared.  Villanova has once again successfully hosted our broad Catholic community in a stellar fashion and given our community much to celebrate.

This success would not have been possible without the support of our Villanova community and the army of almost 600 volunteers that was raised to make this all happen.  Whilst there is a core group of people who have worked tirelessly on this event for almost 12 months, this event succeeds on the support we receive from our volunteer community.  Thank you!

I would also like to take a moment to recognise the leadership of Villanova College for their continued vision and support of this important event in the life of Catholic Education in Australia.  I would also like to thank the Parish and School of St James’ Coorparoo for their continued support of QCMF.

We are now only 358 sleeps away from our 30th Anniversary!  Hope to see you there!

REHEARSALS RETURN TO ‘NORMAL’
Now that we’ve had our ‘week off’ after QCMF, all rehearsals will revert to normal the week commencing 26 August.  We look forward to seeing all our musicians back at it, preparing for our final concerts and performance opportunities in Term 4.

AUDITION MATERIALS – BAND AND STRINGS 2020
Audition Materials for Band and String students have been distributed via email.  Please check your inboxes for this information.

This year, we will be conducting auditions via Flipgrid.  Students will be required to upload their videos by the end of the first week in September.  Ensemble allocations will be communicated home before the end of term.  We will be communicating home regarding the new rehearsal schedule well before the end of this term.  Please remain vigilant for the communication of this information.

JUNIOR STRING FESTIVAL – BGGS – 2-3 SEPTEMBER
This year, members of our Junior School String Orchestra and Consort String Orchestra will be participating in the Junior String Festival at Brisbane Girls’ Grammar School.  Students will be travelling to BGGS after school each day and will need to be collected by parents upon the conclusion of each session.  There is a concert for families commencing at 6pm on Tuesday 3 September.

Information will be communicated home via Gig-sheet shortly.  Please communicate with the Music Office if you have not received this after your son’s next rehearsal.

MUSIC SUPPORT GROUP MEETING – QCMF WRAP-UP
Our final Music Support Group meeting for Term 3 will be convened on Monday 2 September.  At this meeting we will be having a ‘debrief’ on the QCMF just passed.  This will be an informal gathering – we strongly encourage you to come along!

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

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

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

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

Thank you all for your continued support of Villanova Music.

Mr Michael Jones, Director of Music

GROUP PHOTOS
Silver Rose Photography will be taking the following group photos on Thursday August 29:

Sons of Old Boys: 8:15am to 8:45am
Grandsons of Old Boys:  8:45am to 9:15am
Debating Teams: 9:15am to 9:45am
Ministry Groups: 9:45am to 10:15am
(AFAS, Rosies, Student Council, St Vincent de Paul, YAYM, YCS and  Eucharistic Ministers)

Please meet at the front steps of Langlands, dressed in winter academic uniform, five minutes prior to your scheduled photo time.

Be aware of the College’s Hair and Grooming policy: Boys are expected to have their hair clean, brushed/combed and of a length that is neat and tidy at all times. Teased or untidy hair and outlandish styles are not acceptable. Faces must be clean shaven. Side burns must not extend past the ears.

TOP UP TIME?
With assignments and drafts due soon, it may be timely to top up your son’s PaperCut (printing) account.

Parents can do this via the Flexischools website. After logging in:

a. Click Online Ordering (for the account that needs more credit).
b. Click Make a Payment in the Photocopying and Printing section.
c. Select an amount and process the payment.

Click here for information on how to use Flexischools.

BOOK CLUB INVITATION
Loreto College warmly invites Villanova College parents to an evening with Simon Cleary, author of The War Artist on Thursday 5 September (6.00pm for 6.30pm) at Loreto College.  Do you not need to have read the book – simply come for the discussion. For further details and to RSVP, click on the image.

CHEER ON OUR THEATRESPORTS TEAM
Our Villanova Junior Theatresports team will compete in the semi finals of the Youth Theatresports Competition on Tuesday 27 August. The team would love your support.

Further details are available by clicking on the flyer below.

ACARA PRIVACY NOTICE
Please see the attached regarding information required to determine the Index of Community Socio-educational Advantage (ICSEA) for schools.

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

TUCKSHOP ROSTER

Monday 26 August
Alicia Maunsell
Kyle-Ann Walsh
Heather Martin
Leah Coogans
Mary Sclavos
Sylvia Vaitsas
Carmel Scaini
Lisa Gifford
Michelle Dixon 

Tuesday 27 August
Kate Hartley
Jo Phillips
Lisa Meredith
Jilane Anderson
Deanne Perrier
Nicole Binney
Victoria Lenton
Nicky Rosso

Wednesday 28 August
Lisa Prendergast
Lisa Moroney
Clare Godwin
Paivi McIntosh
Jean Egan
Peta Diedrichs
Eleni Diakos
Maree Martin
Loretta Jordan-Vieira

Thursday 29 August
Wendy Wallis
Tracey Wells
Diana McGregor
Maria Horton
Kerry Lapish
Naomi Greenwood
Lan Tran

Friday 30 August
Lesley Stevens
Amanda Robinson-Ilka
Melissa Paterson
Bridget Manning
Merissa Ryan
Barbara Dardengo
Amanda Knight
Melody Phillips
Jane Short
Lucinda Timms

LIBRARY ROSTER

Monday 26 August
Luisa Snell

Tuesday 27 August
Cristina Palacios

Wednesday 28 August
Donna Leahy

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