Villa View: Issue 27/19

St. Augustine viewed friendship and community as very close links. Both express the value of relationships and the ‘other’ as a place of encounter with God. Both demand a movement away from self and an honouring of the other. The role of friendship in his life shines through every phase of that life and he expresses eloquently his esteem for friendship with a deep fascination for that theme. “In all situations, in every place and time, one should have friends and seek them out” (De Ordine II, 8, 25). In fact, the aspects of friendship for St. Augustine are values needed in community, as well: agreement and accord, benevolence and mutual love.

Again, the friendship which draws human beings together in a tender bond is sweet to us because out of many minds it forges a unity (Conf. II, 5,10).

Last Saturday someone ran the line for our footy teams.  Someone served drinks in the canteen and made sure there was sugar for the coffee.  Someone stocked up the fridge not long after sunrise, and someone made sure there was gas for the barbecues.  Someone cooked, cut up and served steak burgers.  Last Saturday someone filled the team’s water bottles, and someone took care of the scoreboard and clock.

Someone brought the oranges, and someone washed the jerseys.  Someone ensured there were referees, and someone refereed.  Someone made visiting staff welcome.  Someone brought green and gold balloons, and someone made a banner to run through.  Someone soothed painful arms and iced suspect swellings.  Someone mowed and marked ovals and put out welcome signs.  Long after most had gone home, someone was there picking up strapping tape and taking down marquees.

Someone.  Every home, every business, every institution and every event have its share of someones, and the sense of community and friendship in that place depends on those humble, silent hard-working someones.  Someone puts up their hand.  Someone gets involved.  Someone does their little bit.  Once I asked my boarders at a previous school to sit a ‘School Knowledge Test’ in order to graduate.  The last question surprised them all: “What is the first name of the woman who cleans the dorm?”  A joke?  One student reflected that he had seen the cleaning woman several times – she was tall, light-coloured hair and in her 50s.  As to her name…?  Just before the test concluded, a student asked if the last question would count towards the result.  “Absolutely,” I stated.  “In your careers, you will meet many people.  All are significant.  All deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say hello.”  The cleaner’s name was Margaret.

Do you know the names of your someones?  Do you thank them?  Do you appreciate them?  Last week demonstrated what the Villanova community is about.  There were many events and people behind the scenes to make our community shine.  We are blessed to have these people with us…so from all of us, ‘thank you!’

All members of the College community are welcome to attend the Mass for Deceased Villanovans on Sunday 8 September in Goold Hall.  Mass will commence at 10am and conclude with light refreshments.

Mr Steven Bremner, Principal (Acting)

YEAR 12 QUEENSLAND CORE SKILLS (QCS) TESTS
As mentioned in last week’s Villa View, it is now official…our Year 12 cohort have navigated the last QCS tests. Their preparation throughout the year was excellent and this will hold them in good stead come the end of the year. Their attention will now turn to examinations over the coming two weeks and the remainder of their assessment in Term 4. Good luck to our Year 12 students.

NAPLAN
NAPLAN results for 2019 were released to schools last week. As schools have become accustomed to, there becomes an intense interest in NAPLAN performance once this occurs. For the two weeks, NAPLAN has captured the interest of many reading the newspapers whilst there has been an increase in news stories on the television highlighting student performance.

Discussions around which schools have performed better than others and how Queensland has performed in comparison to the other states have dominated many of the stories. Interestingly, it is the immediate analysis done by the media and government that is least insightful.

Villanova’s results in comparison to state and national means are shown below and we are pleased that our cohorts have achieved above these averages.

I thank all Villanova College staff for their dedication and hard work in educating our young men. NAPLAN is the result of months and years of work done in the classroom by a committed teaching staff.

Rather than simply look at the results of 2019, Villanova’s teachers will now use the data in conjunction with the data gathered in 2017 and 2015 to analyse student performance over the past two and four years. Student improvement is the College’s priority and we will now spend time looking at the improvement and adjust teaching and learning programs accordingly.

NAPLAN ONLINE
As mentioned two weeks ago, Villanova College will move NAPLAN testing online in 2020. Over the coming weeks, students will be prepared to undergo some preliminary testing of our IT system and to prepare themselves with the online test environment. This will involve:

• Year 5, Year 6 and Year 8 students participating in a ‘School Readiness Test’ at the beginning of Term 4.
• Students sitting a 45-minute writing test and a 45-minute ‘omnibus’, with both being completed on student devices.
• Prior to sitting these tests, students being required to install a ‘locked down’ browser in order for the tests to be conducted. This will be completed in class time.
• Students requiring a working set of headphones (must not be wireless) which they should bring to school in the first week of next term.

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

Mr John Christie, Dean of Teaching and Learning

eLEARNING NEWS

How healthy is your son’s laptop battery?
As we move towards the end of Term 3 it is important to take a moment and ask your son if his BYOD laptop is “keeping charge” throughout the school day. I have noticed an increasing number of chargers entering classrooms, indicating this may be a problem for some students. The evolution of digital content and integration of technology across the curriculum has seen a shift in “what modern classrooms look like”. In many classrooms, I see laptops occupying as much desk space as pen and paper – and as frequently. This increased use obviously leads to increased battery consumption. Add to this programs requiring higher CPU/display resources (such as Minecraft Education Edition, Premiere Pro, Photoshop Illustrator, etc) and the drain on battery consumption increases exponentially.

While these examples point the blame at software, it may be the hardware causing the issue. Batteries are not designed to last forever. Their ability to charge to full capacity diminishes over time. If your son’s BYOD laptop is two years old (purchased for 2018) then it probably needs a new battery at this stage. In some instances, a replacement battery may be included in your warranty and you just need to request it from the supplier.

I have placed resources to help with checking battery health and minimising battery consumption on Moodle at this address: Understanding your laptop battery (Note: your son will need to sign in to Moodle to see this resource.)

Your son can also follow some simple steps to increase battery life:

1. Restrict use out of the classroom. Get some sun instead! Students can be drawn to their laptop as a recess activity in the library and study spaces. This will obviously impact on the battery capacity later in the school day.
2. Enable “Energy Saver” mode in system settings and adjust down the display brightness. While this may make it difficult to see the screen most apps now have the option for “dark mode” allowing for white text on black.
3. Close apps that are not being actively used – this especially includes Google Chrome tabs. Every Chrome tab that is open is using battery energy, and Google Chrome is a known “battery predator”.
4. Consider using the native browser apps – Edge and Safari. Both browsers boast longer battery life due to operating system optimisations. In some testing instances, native browsers like Microsoft Edge in Windows 10 provided up to one hour of extra time.

There are a number of other battery-saving tips posted as infographics on the Moodle page linked above.

As an alternative to bringing chargers to school consider purchasing a charging bank. Presently the College is considering updating its BYOD information to recommend students have a charging bank in their laptop bag “in case of battery emergency”. This means your son is not reliant on finding power points to plug in chargers and chargers do not have to be brought to school.

If you do purchase a charging bank, ensure it has a high capacity and is compatible with your son’s specific BYOD laptop model. To that end if you have experience using charging banks – positive or negative – I would love to hear from you so we can consider this in our ongoing development of our College BYOD program resources.

Mr Jason Lane,  eLearning Pedagogy Leader

FROM THE EXCEPTIONAL LEARNERS CORNER 

Tournament of Minds
From developing a carousel for DNA extraction to inventing a new Language Feature to the Wizard of Aus interpretation……these were the challenges our wonderful Tournament of Minds Teams had to prepare for the Brisbane Regional Finals last Saturday.

Congratulations to all who competed, and in particular the Primary Language Literature team who won their division and progress through to the State Finals on 15 September at the University of Southern Queensland, Springfield.

ICAS
This week we begin our first ICAS Online Assessments, with almost 100 students completing one or more of the Assessments.  Tests will occur on the following days.

Friday 6 September Science Online 8.00 – 9.00 am   Senior Study Centre

Wednesday 11 September Writing Online 8.00 – 9.00 am

Friday 13 September Spelling Online 8.00 – 9.00 AND Digi Tech Online. 2.00 – 3.00 pm

Wednesday 18 September  English Online 8.00 – 9.00 am

Friday 20 September Maths Online 8.00 – 9.00 am

Students are reminded to bring along their fully charged laptop. Venue will be advised the day prior to testing.

PUZZLE for the Week. Email kunderhill@vnc.qld.edu.au  by 6.00 p.m. tonight. First correct answers wins a tuckshop voucher!

1. How many six-digit numbers containing only PRIME, NON-ZERO DIGITS are multiples of 6?
2. What word looks the same backwards and upside down?

Mrs Kath Underhill, Exceptional Learners Program Leader

Fathers’ Day is a day where special men are acknowledged for the impact they have on the people in their lives.  More and more people are recognising that people other than just fathers fulfil this privileged mantle in children’s lives; they could be uncles, grandfathers, stepdads or any other significant person. For families without father figures, there is added responsibility to satisfy multiple roles in supporting and nurturing young people.

Fathers’ Day in my house was quiet this year. Having a three-year-old (George) and a two-month-old (Ben), my sleep in until 6.00 am was lovely. There was added excitement when a parrot made its way into the house flapping around, desperately trying to escape. Our little dogs and George made chase, trying to catch it (for very different reasons), having the time of their lives. After a lot of commotion, I was able to finally catch and release it. George was delighted and made sure to tell anyone who crossed his path that there was a bird in our house which was “so cool.”

This little episode reminded me that sometimes little things can make a big difference. The same applies for life at Villanova; a win on the weekend, a great test result, being cheered for a great shot in handball, a warm welcome from Mrs Mascadri, getting a ‘gotcha’ from a teacher, or for older boys, nailing a huge dunk in basketball. These little affirmations remind us that we are on track and that things are all right. By the same token, a little blow can seem like it derails all our plans and that getting back up is too challenging. For our students it could be a friend ignoring them, not understanding a concept in class or forgetting their sports uniform.

I want to focus on the positive side of things because there are so many little boosters to be thankful for at the College. A spark of excitement for our rugby league players was being the first of any Villanova team to run through the tunnel of the new grandstand out at Villa Park. They felt so special and have reported that “all the fans cheering us through the tunnel was so good.”

Something that made a positive difference for me was the participation of our students in the celebration of the Mass of St Augustine last week. Our Year 6 Leaders presented the Gospel which made it more engaging and our 6 Blue class were on stage for the entire mass leading the school in singing. The singing throughout the sea of boys across the college was also exceptional and made the experience far richer. While technically not a little thing; plenty of rehearsals and planning went into making the mass happen, but these slight changes transformed the experience for me and many others.

To keep everyone updated on Tournament of Minds (TOM), our three Junior School teams competed at the regional finals on the weekend. The Arts and STEM finished an incredible third in their categories and our Language and Literature team took home first place in spectacular fashion. In two weeks, they will compete at State Finals at the University of Southern Queensland. These boys stood proudly at our Junior School briefing on Monday when we acknowledged their efforts and they haven’t stopped smiling yet. Thank you to Mrs Maria Mascadri, Ms Barbara Dewis, Mrs Leanne Addley and Ms Kath Underhill for facilitating these teams and a special mention to Kath for coordinating this great program at the College. Special thanks must also go to Mrs Felicity Lapish (Charlie Hegarty’s grandmother) and Max Clark (brother of Sam) for mentoring the boys.

At this time of the term the bad can seem to outweigh the good. A challenge as teachers and parents is to help the students focus on the things that make a positive difference, no matter how small. Drawing reference to good things that occur can lead to the boys looking for more positives in their day or week which can completely change their outlook.

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 8 – “STEM” with Mrs Kate Alexander and Mrs Shannon Lynam

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

Episode 6: ‘Social Emotional Learning’ with Mr Greg O’Neill

Episode 7 – “Social Emotional Learning (Part 2)” with Dr Ashleigh Wright and Mr Adrian Hellwig

Mr Greg O’Neill, Head of Middle School

YEAR 12 QCS TEST AND EXAM BLOCK
Congratulations to the Year 12 students who sat the Queensland Core Skills (QCS) Test this week. From my observations supervising, coupled with my conversations with students, the cohort performed to the best of their ability and utilised the strategies developed throughout the course of the preparatory program in their ACP lessons. Early indicators of cohort performance will be released just prior to graduation.

My thanks to Year 11 Pastoral Area Leader Mr Rolls and his band of Year 11 volunteers who prepared breakfast for the students both mornings and to Mr Rolls, Mr Leonard and their Year 10 Hospitality students who cooked lunch to sustain the students for the afternoon multiple choice sessions.

Now that the QCS Test is completed, our Year 12s must now shift their focus immediately to the September examination block which commences next Wednesday. These exams will determine the rank order (R6) which will be submitted (along with samples of student work) to the QCAA panels for review and confirmation.

All Year 12 students are encouraged to take full advantage of the tutorials and study resources offered by academic staff to ensure they are well prepared.

Year 11 students will experience their first examination block this term, so it is timely that I remind all Year 11 and 12 students and parents of the College’s expectations pertaining to student conduct during this period:

1. Exam block is a privilege not to be abused;
2. Nothing changes regarding our high expectations of student behaviour;
3. Students must be attired in full Academic Uniform at all times, for any reason (e.g. handing in an assignment);
4. Students must be appropriately groomed, especially clean shaven- students will be sent to Langlands to shave if necessary;
5. Students are to be present for their examination at least 10 minutes prior to its commencement with all necessary equipment – students will meet at the Veritas undercroft for all morning examinations at 8.45am;
6. No phones are permitted to be brought into the examination room and students must have their student ID cards positioned on their desk;
7. If students are studying on campus, they may use the Tolle Lege Library for independent study or the assigned rooms and SSC for collaborative study;
8. No food or drink is to be consumed inside classrooms during study;
9. Students must be respectful of the rest of the College who are still on their normal timetabled schedules;
10. Students are not permitted to be playing games (basketball etc.) unless it is during normal break times;
11. Students are only permitted to congregate at cafes/ restaurants if they are on their way home and are to be respectful of patrons and conscious of how they are representing the College.

Best wishes to all Senior School students during this important examination period.

STUDENT WELLBEING
Last week, I attended a Mental Health in Education Summit in Sydney. One of the fundamental contentions underpinning the focus of this summit was the intrinsic relationship that exists between student wellbeing and academic performance. Essentially, that students perform at their best when their wellbeing is optimised. According to data from the 2018 Mission Australia Youth Survey, mental health is now the number one national concern for young people in Australia (43%). This figure has risen from 14.9% in 2015.

At Villanova College, student wellbeing is one of our core priorities and is the lens we apply in our design of our student formation programs. A proactive and preventive approach in promoting positive mental health is always our aim, however, when cases of mental illness present, our pastoral care and counselling team are well experienced in providing our Senior School students with great support. If you have any concerns pertaining to the welfare or wellbeing of your son, please have no hesitation in reaching out to the College for assistance.

STUDENT LEADERSHIP
The Year 11 cohort are currently engaged in the process of preparing for their nominations for 2020 Student Leadership Team. Yesterday, the students participated in a workshop during their Form Meeting which unpacked aspects of the voting guide, explored examples of positive and negative culture and leadership within the grade and expressed their ambitions, goals and aspirations for their senior year. Next Wednesday, the Year 11 students will come off classes and experience their Leadership Day. I look forward to seeing the development of the senior vision and leadership platform outlined by our Year 11 students in the weeks ahead.

“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” – John F Kennedy

Mr Matt Levander, Head of Senior School

FATHER’S DAY
St Augustine was a devoted father to his son Adeodatus (a name which means given by God). The name of Augustine’s mistress, who bore him this son, is never revealed in his Confessions (Augustine’s most famous work – half autobiography and half self-examination). Augustine was heart-broken when his son, who seems to have been wonderfully intelligent and insightful, died in his late teens.

Augustine’s own father, Patricius, was a pagan who wanted his son to do well in the world and invested in Augustine’s education. However, the more abiding influence was his mother, St Monica, who never stopped praying for Augustine until he did indeed throw his considerable talents into promoting Christian community rather than his own career.

As you can see, Augustine had a very down-to-earth and sometimes challenging experience of family life before he became a priest. I think this is why he is such a good role model for a Catholic school; he knows that it is exactly in the restlessness of a teenager that the search for truth is also located. The students all know the call-and-response from the Confessions: You have made us for Yourself, O Lord – and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.

The week leading up to Father’s Day was once again marked by excitement around the Father’s Day stall, led by Ms Kath Underhill, Mrs Helen Palmer, Ms Ellen King, Mrs Jo Kieseker, and Mr Ben Stuart, and able supported by the students of YAYM. By Friday morning over $2,000 of stock had been sold – all gifts for Villanova fathers – and the profit will go to the Movember appeal, and the Adult Education program funded by AFAS in the Philippines. Our AFAS Exchange students will get to meet the class when they travel to Bacolod in September.

MASS FOR THE FEAST OF ST AUGUSTINE
The Mass last Friday for the Feast of St Augustine was a wonderful community gathering. With the 50-strong Cor Unum Choir joining the Liturgy Choir, and five Augustinian priests concelebrating, there was a lively sense of occasion. The energy was set by a strong rendition of Shine Jesus Shine, and warm thanks go to Messrs Jones and Roche-Kelly and Mrs Silk for preparing the community choir. It was great to see Year 12s singing alongside Year 6s and Year 9s. The Mass was particularly engaging and vibrant because of the quality of conviction modelled, for example by Fr Francis Belcina in his beautiful singing of the psalm. (Many people thought at first that it was a recording)

The Gospel was acted out by four Junior School students who made it clear that we all have a dramatic choice about where we store up treasure. Indeed, the students were expecting this theme as the Student Council had made a generous gift of a chocolate coin to each student as a reminder to seek wealth in God’s eyes.  The theme was further explored in an interview with two of the visiting priests, Fr Damien Everitt (Old Boy ‘91) and Fr Kieran O’Mahoney, visiting scholar from Ireland.

The final touch to emphasise the theme of what we choose to gather into barns was the gift of six hay bales by a farmer from Lowood.  We sincerely thank Victor for his generosity.

All those involved deserve congratulations, from the hard-working stage crew, through to all the boys and staff who put in extra rehearsal time to Fr Peter Wieneke (College Chaplain), who always pours so much into engaging young people and creating a sense of occasion.

QCS MASS, TUESDAY 3 SEPTEMBER
Does prayer help to drive out fear? I think you would say so in experiencing a lovely Mass in the Chapel on Tuesday dedicated to sending positive thoughts to the Senior Cohort of 2019. With three generations present, plus teaching as well as non-teaching staff, there was a sense that the whole community has the back of the Year 12s as they enter times of trial and challenge. At the end, we all prayed a special blessing over the Year 12s present. It wasn’t quite tongues of fire descending, but I reckon they walked out with an extra spring on their step.

Chapel Masses are celebrated every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 8am and different groups are invited to attend.  If we are to have successful College Masses, then that sense of belonging and purpose begins with the Chapel Masses. Our Chaplain (Fr Peter Wieneke) and Campus Minister (Fr Saldie Resolado) are second to none when it comes to making the boys feel welcome in that space. I would politely urge all students to take the plunge and come along to their Pastoral Mass. I do believe that prayer is a good way to quell fear and anxiety.  Of course, everybody is welcome to attend any Mass.

RECYCLING SUMMIT, THURSDAY 29 AUGUST
A number of stakeholders met last Thursday to attend to what has worked so far in our recycling campaign, and where to target next. The facts are that we now have 60 General Waste bins and 28 for bottles and cans on the campus. The main need now is to change the behaviour of students and staff – one person at a time – to actually make the effort to put the right thing in the right bin. Changing ingrained habits is not easy. But there are benefits: First and foremost, the creation of a campus and a shared learning space that we can be proud of. As Erika Brown, our Cleaning Manager, pointed out, if the campus can look tip top during QCMF, then we should be able to keep it cleaner during the week, and, let’s be honest (Vincit Veritas), the areas which are worst are where boys feel peer pressure most strongly.

On the positive side, we are now up to around 20% recycling efficiency. We empty the large General Waste bin – at a cost of $95 each time – four times a week when it used to be five. Why have we made this improvement? Two main reasons: first, the efforts of the Grounds and Maintenance team in introducing and overseeing a successful paper and cardboard recycling system; secondly the efforts of Erika and her Quayclean colleges to clean up the bins after food waste is put into the bottle and can bins. The part about this which is really embarrassing is that many of the team are from places in Brazil where to waste food is unheard of. Next meeting will focus on practical solutions, and the very practical conversion of human beings so that they become picker-uppers of mess rather than makers of mess.

RUOK POP-UP STALLS
A number of Year 11 students have decided to run RUOK awareness and fund-raising stalls to coincide with QCS. The aim is to show that we are a campus which encourages honest conversations, and where students want to reach out to support others. Events have included: sausage sizzle, free cup-cakes, guess the lollies in the jar and sale of wristbands.

YELLOW RIBBON DAY – THE CANCER COUNCIL
Finally, I would like to congratulate Charlie Berridge (Year 7) who took the initiative to dye his hair and offer yellow ribbons on Daffodil Day to raise funds and awareness for the Cancer Council two weeks ago. As well as collecting gold coins on the day, he set up a Go Fund Me page and has now raised over $820. The desire and motivation came from personal stories within his family. This is a very good example of SEE-JUDGE-ACT at work.

Mr John Holroyd, Dean of Mission and Identity

Overall, Villanova had a solid round of results against Ashgrove over the weekend.

The aggregate in basketball was given yet another big boost last weekend as we had 10 wins from the 12 aggregate games played. It is interesting to note that from the 30 Villanova basketball teams we have in competition, 18 teams are currently on top of the table or are still in premiership contention. Our tennis players are performing very well this year with some solid results  Ashgrove winning eight from the 17 games played. Unfortunately, the results in rugby league were not as favourable with Villanova only securing two wins on the day.

In our quest to contest the aggregates and premierships, all teams must continue to contribute and give their best each week. St Patrick’s should not be taken lightly. As always, I ask the boys to give it a ‘good crack’ this weekend. Turn up on time, get your head in the game, give 100%, support your mates and enjoy! Only two rounds remain this year.

The AIC track and field training program has begun. It is pleasing to report that the coaches have been impressed with the attendance from our younger boys at training so far this season. The attendance of those from Year 10 – Year 12 could be better although we do understand the need to place studies as the priority particularly with the Year 12 students.  Although we know there are many things happening within our sports program at the moment, we ask those boys who have been selected in the Track and Field squad to regularly attend training each week. The training schedule is posted on the web under the AIC track and field section. The second AIC meet for the season is held this Friday 6 September at QSAC. Those students who are involved with Year 5 and Year 6 AIC basketball are excused.

As detailed below, the Villanova swim program will commence next week for those boys who are currently in Year 5 – Year 11. This program is open to anybody who wishes to become part of next year’s AIC swim squad or for those who simply want to improve their fitness.  Please read below for further details. I strongly encourage your son to get involved. In order to further develop Villanova sport, we must accept that a good work ethic and attendance to regular training (among other things) is a must. It is a fact that we must do the hard work pre-season in order to obtain good results in competition.

I wish us all the very best this weekend in basketball and tennis fixtures against St Patrick’s College. Please enjoy!

AIC TENNIS AND BASKETBALL ROUND 6 AGAINST ST PATRICK’S COLLEGE: FRIDAY 6 AND SATURDAY 7 SEPTEMBER – 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 Patrick’s College.

 TENNIS AND BASKETBALL PHOTO SCHEDULE

Photos will be taken for all teams playing at the home venue this weekend. 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.

AIC TENNIS
Mr Craig Stariha, AIC Tennis Co-ordinator

Well done to all players on a sensational round of results v Ashgrove. Overall, we had eight wins and nine losses. It was great to see our First IV tennis team win their game to retain the Errol Davis Trophy. The Errol Davis Trophy is an annual competition contested by the First IV tennis teams of Villanova and Ashgrove each year. Errol Davis is an old boy of the College who later in life lived on the northside of town and sent his sons to Ashgrove. A foot in both camps. The first game over the weekend came down to the wire with all the pressure placed on Harry Wilson to win his game to take out the trophy which he eventually did in great style. Well done!

This weekend we play St Patrick’s in Round 6. Please be aware of the multiple venues this weekend and be sure to turn up to the correct one well ahead of time. A reminder that all Year 5 – Year 8 teams playing at Morningside Tennis Centre will have their team photos taken before their game. The complete schedule for photos and game times and venues are found on the web. Best wishes to all!

AIC Tennis Results v Ashgrove

Villanova College Open First IV Tennis Team winning the Errol Davis Memorial Trophy against Marist College Ashgrove

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

The round against Ashgrove was always going to be tough with a number of teams vying for premierships and the day played out as such. A lot of games were very close throughout and showed the skill level of both schools well. We ended the day with a triumphant 25 wins, one draw and four losses. To be competing against such a tough opposition and amass those results is a credit to the players and the work they are doing with the coaches each week. The First V continued their winning streak with a comfortable win. They shot out of the gates well and dominated the first quarter and then held the lead for the remainder of the game. This takes the team to a seven-game winning streak. Most importantly now is the ability to refocus on the next game and start the process all over again. Every player in every team needs to leave their ego at the door and play team-first basketball and the results will take care of themselves. This is especially needed against St Patrick’s College who have come runner up in the aggregate race for the last two years and again this year are competing well.

AIC Basketball Results v Ashgrove

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

The Round 5 fixtures against Ashgrove were always going to be a tough round and several games showed how strong an opposition they are. We finished the weekend with two wins and five losses. Congratulations to our Year 6 and Year 8 teams for taking out the win against a quality opposition. With only St Patrick’s and St Laurence’s remaining, it is fantastic to see that so many teams are remaining positive in finishing the season strong. I urge all boys to continue to remain focussed and train hard over the next two weeks to take out the win. Our First XIII had a disappointing loss on a day when the new grandstand was full of cheering supporters. While Ashgrove produced a strong effort, it was disappointing to see our boys lose possession because of basic handling errors and not committing to the tackle. They will no doubt be wanting to redeem themselves this weekend against SPC.

For Round 6 we come up against St Patrick’s College. All teams will be playing at Padua College playing fields. Please check the draw posted on the website for the time and the field that teams have been allocated to. Please allow enough travel time to ensure you arrive at the venue at least 30 minutes before your scheduled kick off time, unless you have been told to arrive earlier by your coach.

I wish all teams the best of luck for this weekend at Banyo.

AIC Rugby League Results v Ashgrove

AIC TRACK & FIELD MEET – QSAC, FRIDAY 6 SEPTEMBER
The second AIC Track and Field Meet for the season will be held this Friday 6 September at QSAC. 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 week’s meet is below.

Please refer to the College’s website to view a full list of students required to attend the weekly training sessions for Track and Field. It may be the case over the coming weeks that we will further reduce this squad in order to ensure we can supply a high level of coaching at a favourable staff/coach ratio. Students whose names do not appear on the list are not required for training.

Schedule of Track Events for Friday 6 September,  QSAC

Schedule of Field Events for Friday 6 September,  QSAC

VOLLEYBALL – OPEN SQUAD TRIALS
Volleyball trials will commence and continue every Wednesday afternoon from 5.00 – 6.30pm until the end of term. Training will then increase to two sessions per week next term.

VILLANOVA SWIMMING
Please be advised that the Villanova swim program will commence next week for those students who are currently in Year 5 – Year 11 (that is, our 2019 AIC swimmers). All new students to the College in 2020 are invited to commence their training Week 1, Term 4 as per days and times listed below.

The cost of these sessions will be a one-off fee of $150 per student for the season leading up to Week 1 of the school year in 2020. This program is heavily subsidised by the College and I am sure all would agree, it is very good value. We are hoping that students who currently swim with Jets or any other club are also able to join our program, if not just to build a sense of culture and spirit amongst our squad.

All students who are interested need to complete a swimming rego/payment form which is available from the Sports Office and is found on the College website later this week or early next week. We encourage as many boys as possible to participate. Our success in 2020 in dependent upon the work put in this year!

All training sessions will be held at the Villanova College Pool (please enter off Eighth Avenue to access the pool) until the new Langlands Park Memorial Pool complex is complete. All training will then revert to Langlands Park Memorial Pool on Monday 28 October. Langlands Park Memorial Pool is located at 5 Panitya Street, Stones Corner. All training sessions will be under the direction of Mr Gilly Santos – Villanova Swim Coach (Year 9 – Year 12) and Ms Kerry Holland – Villanova Swim Coach (Year 5 – Year 8).

Training is open to all students who hope to become a member of Villanova’s 2020 Swim Team or for students wishing to increase their physical fitness.  Please note that these sessions are for students who are capable swimmers, they are not ‘learn to swim’ sessions. Parents who are looking for ‘learn to swim’ sessions may wish to enroll their son/s in an alternate program run at Langlands Park Memorial Pool.

Below is the initial training schedule as from Tuesday 10 September 2019 – Thursday 3 October 2019

The training schedule commencing Tuesday 8 October 2019 and onwards is below:

As from Week 1 Term 4 the training schedule listed below will be in place until the conclusion of the Villanova swim season in 2020. All Villanova students will compete in the AIC competition from Year 5 -Year 12. Training sessions will now be split, that is, Year 5 – Year 8 sessions and Year 9 – Year 12 sessions (year level based on which year the student will enter in 2020).

Fees: A flat fee of $150 will be charged per student for all training sessions up until the start of the 2020 school year. This includes all sessions over the summer holiday period. Students are then entitled to attend as many training sessions as possible throughout this period. Altogether, those who join the program could have access up to 50 training sessions throughout this period at a cost of only $150 (this is $3 per session by highly skilled and qualified swim coaches). The more sessions you attend the more value for money you receive. This represents outstanding value.

Kerry Holland has asked all members of the Jets Swim Club to participate at least one of the Villanova squad sessions each week and the Friday morning session.  These additional sessions will help build team spirit and provide further skills training for Met East squads, and relay practice.

Please Note: For current students, all payments are to be made through Parent Lounge – Tours & Excursions.   Parents with boys commencing in 2020 can pay via Trybooking  https://www.trybooking.com/BFGPB

Flipper/Pool Buoy and Bag: All students are required to purchase their own flippers and pool buoy for training. Langland’s Pool will supply your son with a training pack at a cost of $70. An order form is attached to the registration form found on the web. This form must be lodged with Langlands Park Pool (not Villanova College) to receive your training gear at a discounted price.

Special Welcome Breakfast: A breakfast will be held for all squad members on Friday 11 October at the Villanova College Pool (not Langlands Park Memorial Pool). This breakfast will replace the training session scheduled that day. All squad members are invited to join including the students entering the College in Year 5 and Year 7 in 2020. It is simply a meet and greet breakfast which all coaches and managers will attend. Breakfast will commence at 7.00am.

For those who wish to take advantage of this opportunity, please complete the forms found on the web and return them to the Junior School Office (Junior School students) or the Sports Office (Middle and Senior School students).  Late comers will be accepted; however, they will be required to pay the full fee.  Students entering Villanova College in 2020, particularly our new Year 5 and Year 7 students are asked to either email the form through to the Sports Office email sportsoffice@vnc.qld.edu.au  or post to: Director of Sport, Villanova College, PO Box 1166, COORPAROO DC 4151.

If you have any further queries please contact the Villanova College Swim Coordinator, Mrs Juanita Jacobs via email jjacobs@vnc.qld.edu.au.  Alternatively, please contact the Sports Office on 3394 5621.

ANDREW SLACK AND BEN MOWEN SQUADS
Information packages regarding the abovementioned squads will be posted and emailed to all members next week. Please ensure all paperwork and payment is made by the due dates.

SENIOR FOOTBALL DEVELOPMENT SQUAD
A full invite list of the abovementioned squad is now posted within the AIC Football section on the website. More information regarding the commencement of the program will be given early next term to those involved. Training/trials will begin around mid-Term 4.

VILLANOVA JUNIOR FOOTBALL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
In addition to the existing First Football Training Program, the College has introduced a Junior Football Development Program, which seeks to identify and offer an intensive pre-season skills program to a select group of players from our current Year 6, Year 7 and Year 8 cohorts. It is envisaged that the pathway through to the First XI level will be through the Junior Development Program and the First Football Training Program.

The College has engaged Mr Michael Rooney to take on the role as the Director of Football Skills and Development. This role encompasses the development of both our coaches and players.

During the 2019 AIC football season, Michael identified and selected a group of players from the Year 6, Year 7 and Year 8 cohorts to enter this program in 2020. His objective was to identify players who displayed the appropriate level of skill, attitude and potential to someday play First XI football.

This select group of players will train together on a weekly basis under the supervision of a number of very experienced and qualified coaches including Michael Rooney. These coaches will aim to increase the players’ ball skills, game speed and vision along with game structure to create and develop a pathway of quality players, which will feed into the First XI Football Program. These sessions will strive to challenge and improve all aspects of a player’s development.

Training will begin in Week 2 Term 1 2020 and will continue throughout the term next year up until the commencement of the AIC football season. An information note regarding this program will be sent out early next term to all invitees. Please visit the College’s website under AIC football to view those who are invited to be a part of this squad in 2020. Note – this squad is not open to all and many will miss out.

Please be mindful that we expect all members of the squad to participate in Villanova’s track and field program as a requirement. If the boys performed well during our carnival, they then must join the track and field squad if asked and train as per schedule found on the website, if not their invitation to join the football squad will be withdrawn. No exceptions.

Given the current situation with club football and the ridiculous amount of training sessions young players are required to attend, we have noted a reluctance from certain clubs and coaches to encourage players to participate in other sports. Some impose possible withdrawal of players from their program who look to try other sports and or involve themselves with school sport. It may be the case that some players will not have the time to squeeze in an extra session for school. This is fine as the College would not want to place further burden on these students with a possible fourth training session in one week. Therefore, some players may not take up our invitation to join this program.

A student’s participation or non-participation in this program will in no way effect their positioning into any team during our AIC season. This program merely seeks to offer an opportunity for our best players to improve their skills which in turn would increase their probability of gaining selection into a higher graded team. It is also about culture building as well.

Mr Craig Stariha, Director of Sport

MAINTAIN ROUTINE
Just a quick note that all ensembles will continue rehearsal through until the end of term.  Please ensure your son is available for all sessions.  If he is unable to attend due to illness, please make sure that a message is sent to the Ensemble Director and or the Music Office beforehand.  The College absentee line also has a music option – feel free to leave a voice message there should you be unable to send an email easily in the morning (i.e. in transit to work or other drop-offs).

AUDITION MATERIALS – BAND AND STRINGS 2020
Please remember – auditions for 2020 are due Sunday 8 September.  Students and parents have received this information via email and there are physical copies available outside the Music Office.  We have received a number of recordings and I would like to thank all of our students.  Please note that we cannot release ensemble lists for next year until all auditions have been submitted.  It would be great to have this finalised as advertised for next week.

JUNIOR STRING FESTIVAL – BGGS – 2-3 SEPTEMBER
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ms Raquel Bastos, Ms Christine Byrne and Mr Ken Koido for leading our excursion to the Junior String Festival at BGGS this past Monday and Tuesday afternoon.  I had the wonderful opportunity to observe some of the rehearsals on both afternoons and attended the concert that concluded the event.  The performance was fantastic, and I would like to commend both our students and our staff for their musicianship and enthusiasm.

In speaking with the students who attended, I was regularly given extremely positive feedback regarding their experience.  The parents who attended were also very proud of their boys and extremely happy with the concert performance.  I was very glad to be a member of the Villanova Music community yet again.

Congratulations must go to our Junior and Middle School string musicians and our teaching staff in the string program led by Raquel Bastos.  Thank you all for being fine ambassadors for the College.

ENTERTAINMENT BOOK 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

Thank you all for your continued support of Villanova Music.

Mr Michael Jones, Director of Music

AUDITION INFORMATION FOR MARY POPPINS
All students in Year 8 – Year 11 will have received an email with audition information included.  Students interested in auditioning should download the attachment, read it carefully and discuss their potential involvement with their parents. Please find a copy here.

If you have any questions, please email Mrs Justine Silk jsilk@vnc.qld.edu.au

YEAR 12 DRAMA PRODUCTION – FRIDAY 13 SEPTEMBER
Do you have weekend job?  Well these boys do and everything goes wrong.

In Week 2 the Year 12 Drama class met with the playwright, Nathan Sibley and the visiting artist Nevin Howell for the first reading of the play – and we knew then we were going to have fun. After reading the play the students negotiated roles and began their script analysis.  This forms the basis of their characterisation and delivery.  After character exploration the boys began blocking – all student devised –  with regular visits from Nevin, the feedback has been great.

Last week the boys completed their film shoot, to ensure a trailer and the cinematic elements of the performance can be edited to support the play.  The boys had to scout out the best locations around the school and they have been collecting supermarket paraphernalia for months.

The next milestone was the first rehearsal in the Hanrahan Theatre, where we completed a voice workshop and did a run through in the space.  For the rest of the week the students will make sure all their lines are learnt.

Tech week will keep us busy with weekend and evening rehearsals.

Make sure you don’t miss this performance on Friday 13 September at 7.00pm in the Hanrahan Theatre.  Please remember to bring along your gold coin donation.

P&F TRIVIA NIGHT – 19 OCTOBER
Start organising your table of 10 for the Villanova College P&F Trivia Night on Saturday 19 October from 6.30pm in Goold Hall. BYO food and drinks – $25 per head. To book your tickets: https://www.trybooking.com/BFDGZ

2019 DERBY DAY FOR LADIES
Tickets are now on sale for the 6th Annual Derby Day for Ladies at Blackbird Bar and Grill on Saturday 2 November from 1.00pm – 4.00pm. Click the image for further information and the ticketing link.

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

TUCKSHOP ROSTER

Monday 9 September
Narelle Rieck
Julie Stokes
Jane Green
Sally Caltabiano
Sylvia Wright
Mary Brady
Stephanie Sullivan
Susanne Smyth
Katrina Hermiston

 Tuesday 10 September
Donna Perkins
Melissa Davidson
Lisa Forsyth
Nicole Webb
Leanne McMahon
Sonia Ballen
Susan White
Tricia Allen

Wednesday 11 September
Tina McCaul
Peta Gomersall
Kathy McCaul
Maria Corones
Lena Bazzo
Lisa Gorry
Denise Smith
Fiona Jenkins

Thursday 12 September
Maria McGarry
Zsuzsa Henderson
Juanita Ryan
Kath Eberhardt
Pauline White
Bernadette Papagiannis
Kelly Stassi
Jane Lawson
Chrissy Bonfiglio
Leesa Francis

Friday 13 September
Caroline  Agnew
Louise Pertnikovs
Jacki Wilson
Pauline Vasta
Adriana Sofios
Gerry Ternel
Maria Nicolaou
Kim Creevey
Naomi Jansen
Jelena Duskovic
Rita D’Amore
Kathy Lerato

LIBRARY ROSTER

Tuesday 10 September
Cristina Palacios
Donna Leahy
Susanna Greaves

VILLANOVA CADET UNIT
The Cadet Unit was formed at Whinstanes in 1952 with 48 cadets. The unit flourished with the move to Coorparoo and an increase in student enrolments. Fr O’Donnell, Rector 1948-1958, saw it as a means to encourage good disciplinary training and personal development.  He believed that Cadets promoted the right attitude towards authority, a sense of responsibility, an appreciation of fundamental freedoms and a spirit of patriotism.

By 1956 there were over a hundred members in the Unit under the leadership of Fr Rod Cameron, Fr Bernie Connolly and Fr Paul Dempsey.

The Cadet Unit was so popular that by 1975 more than 200 Villanovans shared the weekly activities and the annual camp.  Old Boy, Jason Trevethan (1983) and current parent has donated a full Cadet Uniform to Archives – boots, belt, uniform and beret with badge.  He has fond memories of the Unit and the skills that were taught: map reading, bush survival, and teamwork.  Other highlights he recalls were the weekend camps, going out to Belmont Rifle Range and best of all was the week long camp at Greenbank Army Base run by the Australian Regular Army during the June/July holidays.  There, our Cadets enjoyed rides in Army helicopters, being transported in armoured personal carriers, shooting M16 rifles with live ammunition and war games.  Jason also remembers the minus zero temperatures at Greenbank around the camp fire, then waking up to frozen water bottles and socks if they were left outside the tent!

Unfortunately, in 1982 the Commonwealth Government decided to stop funding Army Cadets across Australia, and the Villanova Cadet Unit was disbanded.

VILLANOVA MIDDLE SCHOOL DANCE
The Middle School Dance will be held on Friday October 11 at Carindale PCYC from 6.00pm – 9.00pm.  Cost of entry will be $15 and invited schools will be required to provide student ID.

BRISBANE JETS SWIMMING CLUB SIGN ON DAY
Sign on day will be held on Saturday 7 September from 7.00am – 9.30am at the Villanova College Pool. Further information here.