Villa View: Issue 27/20

Dear Members of the Villanova College Family,
This Friday we celebrate the Feast Day of St. Augustine. Born in the year 354 CE,  Augustine of Hippo was a man with a restless heart. He was a God-seeker, philosopher, convert, contemplative monk, prolific writer, busy Bishop and theologian. His quest was to make sense of himself and humanity before God.

Augustine had extensive experience of educating young people in his early years, having taught in a number of cities and it was during these experiences that he struggled with the wayward nature of youths. Augustine moved to Milan and came under the influence of the Bishop of Milan, Ambrose who had a profound effect on the young Augustine.

The restless heart of Augustine prompted a searching, a commitment to truth and love and an unrelenting desire to engage in the mystery of God. It is a journey of discovery we are all invited to take. And like most journeys it is one full of twists and turns, of stops and starts and sometimes even wrong directions.  The destination is our own self-discovery of “who am I” and in searching our inner self we find the mystery of God.

This Friday we will celebrate the life of St. Augustine and remember his contribution to our understanding of our Catholic faith and our human condition.

College Captain 2021
Following selection processes and voting by the Year 11 student body, I am pleased to announce that Louis Henderson has been elected to the position of College Captain (elect) 2021. Louis has accepted the position and he is honoured to be trusted with this important role. We congratulate Louis and I have assured him of our support during 2021.

Pupil-Free Day
Please be aware Friday 4 September will be a pupil-free day due to staff being involved in the quality assurance processes conducted by the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority.

COVID-19
Thank you to all our families for your understanding during these uncertain times. I am aware that many students and staff are remaining at home when displaying any symptoms and undertaking testing for the virus. Students and staff are then remaining at home until the test result is returned, and all symptoms cease. To date we have not had any positive results.

We continue to encourage all members of our community to maintain good personal hygiene and especially the practice of washing hands with soap and water regularly. In every classroom hand sanitiser is readily available and there are a number of hand sanitiser stations around the grounds.

The guidelines for sport on Saturday are very clear and I again thank our families for their adherence to these guidelines. We know these guidelines place restrictions on families being present at sport. However, the alternative in the case of an outbreak is far worse for all concerned and if we all follow these guidelines, we can maintain schooling, sport and some resemblance of normalcy.

Chickenpox Alert
Over the past few weeks, the College has had several confirmed cases of Chickenpox in the Junior and Senior Schools.

I encourage parents to access the following link to information provided by Queensland Health:
http://conditions.health.qld.gov.au/HealthCondition/condition/14/217/23/Chickenpox-Varicella

Chickenpox starts with cold-like symptoms such as a mild fever, headache, runny nose and cough. A day or two later a rash begins, starting as small pink blotches but rapidly progressing to itchy blisters which usually last three – four days before drying out and turning into scabs. Please note that the booster chickenpox vaccine is not included in the funded national schedule, so parents may believe their child is ‘fully vaccinated’, when in fact, they may not have had their booster.  Please consult your GP for further advice.

Given the current COVID-19 pandemic, if any of these symptoms are present, I would advise parents to seek immediate medical attention for their son/s.

I thank parents for remaining vigilant and supporting the Villanova College community by keeping their son/s at home until they have been deemed medically fit to return to the College.

Social Media Presentation
I dropped into the Year 10 Form meeting last week to listen to Mr Brett Lee speak about cyber-bullying and social media. You could have heard a pin drop the boys were so focussed on what was being presented.

Mr Lee, a former member of Queensland Police who spent 16 years in the Child Exploitation Unit, made a number of important points to the students on the following topics.

• Cyberbullying and the law
• Sexting and sexually explicit photographs
• Identity theft
• Digital reputation
• Using the internet effectively

Mr Lee has also written a book, “Screen Resolution: The book to enlighten and empower parents”.

I encourage parents of our Year 10 students to raise with their sons this important presentation and ask them what were the key messages and ‘takeaways’ from the talk.

Time to commence revision program
With exams just around the corner, it is now time for students in the Middle and Senior Schools to begin their revision of work covered over this term. As we move towards the final weeks of Term Three students will be completing assignments and preparing for upcoming exam block.

Prayers Please
We keep in our prayers the Joseph family following the death of Hegel Joseph – Senior 2018. We keep his family and the Senior students of 2018 in our prayers and thoughts at this sad time.

May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen

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

God bless

Mr Mark Stower, Principal

ICAS Up and Running
Congratulations to those students who have tested themselves with the highly challenging ICAS Assessments.  So far, we have seen in excess of 60 assessments completed in the areas of Science, Digital Technologies and English. The final assessment (Mathematics) will be completed next Tuesday.

If you missed registering your son for the first round of ICAS: Due to COVID-19, the University of New South Wales has opened a second official sitting window (12 – 23 October 2020).

Further information can be found at www.unswglobal.unsw.edu.au. Please email me at kunderhill@vnc.qld.edu.edu.au if your son is  interested in sitting one or more in the next round.

Kath Underhill, Exceptional Learners Program Leader

This Friday, 28 August, is our Feast Day of St Augustine of Hippo.  Auggie to his mates.  St Augustine has an incredible story – like we all do – and I believe this is a great time to share it with people for the first time or remind us all just who our Augustinian foundations are based upon.

Born in 354 CE in Thagaste, a provincial Roman city in North Africa, he was a son to a proud Christian woman, Monica and a pagan father Patricius.  It was no secret to the community that Monica worried constantly about Augustine, who hung around with mates who found joy in all kinds of mischief.  The Pear Story is a favourite, where after playing sports one afternoon, Augustine and the boys came across a pear tree laden with ripe fruit.  By no means interested in the pears, they instead found a short-lived pleasure in tasting only a few but mostly throwing them to the local hogs.  It was an act of defiance, disobedience and a spontaneous moment of satisfaction to a young teenager.

Years later, Augustine had a child, became a teacher, then a priest and travelled between North Africa and Italy.  Still, his mother worried, praying and crying for Augustine to find his way, to see the light of having faith in God.  Augustine’s best childhood friend dies, and this changes something inside him.  The world was suddenly fragile, and life was precious, a gift.  Time was limited.  It was when his mother fell gravely ill that Augustine found his faith was very much alive within him.  His beliefs, though they had been diverted into many directions, were strong.  Life experiences became the great journey back to God.  It was only upon the passing of his mother that Augustine really appreciated that the search for truth, the ability to look honestly at oneself and the importance of community to every individual was what life was all about.

So how do we use Augustine’s life, during Mission Week 2020, in a way that is meaningful?

We remember that parents are people too.  Mums and Dads have jobs, roles and children that can bring emotions to the surface.  In 2020, parents have been asked to manage the impossible.  Year 5 parents have an introductory year that is unique and Year 6 parents know full well the differences they might be missing.  We have managed Learning@Home, jobs have shifted to cater for COVID-19 circumstances and restrictions, and still we find the positives and a new kind of normal.

We remind ourselves that boys will test boundaries.  So as a community we come together and we show the highest support and redirection when decisions lack consideration for others, belongings and the environment.  We will model understanding, then revisit expectations and share strategies to make improvements.  Our collective efforts between home and school are most often, the most effective means of helping our sons.  Together, we acknowledge the act, the harm and then we move forward towards our better selves.

We know that life happens around us – even to us.  We have some control, but also, we have choices in how we react to situations.  Positivity, humour, kindness and flexibility are paramount.  Being open minded and honest is helpful.

Being a 21st century learner is now in all our best interests.  Communication, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking.  This matters now, just as much as it did to Augustine in 354 CE.  You may never truly know the impact that you have today, tomorrow or in the future to a person that you make the effort to show your best self.  A smile, eye contact, a listening ear, your time, being present in a conversation or a random act of acknowledgement can be the one precious thing that gives an individual the most precious gift – hope.  Hope that families can work together for the best interest of the children.  Hope that our sons will find their way in life, over the hills and through the valleys.  Hope that life can be managed if we all stick together and combine our best selves so that surviving 2020 is as fun and joyous as it can be.  Life is very precious.  We are so fortunate in this place and space with people we can call colleagues, community and our church.  Our Augustinian heritage lives on – Auggie would be very amused!

Mr Stephen Rouhliadeff, Head of Junior School

In this week’s podcast, I am joined by Father Saldi as we discuss Mission Week at Villanova College.

Click the image to begin listening.

Mr Greg O’Neill, Head of Middle School

2021 College Captaincy
Earlier today, the College Captain for 2021 was announced firstly to the Year 11 cohort then to the staff and student body. It is with great pleasure that I congratulate Louis Henderson on his appointment.

The strength of the field of shortlisted candidates is testament to the outstanding depth of talent and leadership within the grade. I would like to affirm the shortlisted students – Francisco Adams, Ben Craig, Gus Godwin, Thanasi Keskinidis and Luke Palmer for their application and for sharing their vision and pride for their College in their candidacy speeches on Wednesday.

I would like to share with you an excerpt from Louis’ speech in which he outlined his hopes for the class of 2021: All in all, I would like the cohort of 2021 to be remembered as the cohort of “good blokes” – a group of mature, young men, who recognised that our school is more than just a place of learning, are tactful and supportive of each other, as well as determined and passionate in our goals and aspirations.

Next Wednesday, the remaining executive positions of College Vice Captain and Student Council President will be voted upon as well as the Portfolio Captains in the areas of Academics, Culture, Ministry, Music and Sport. I wish all remaining shortlisted candidates the very best through the voting processes.

Retaining Knowledge
The shifting educational landscape in Queensland towards the reintroduction of external examinations within the new QCE has resulted in a reconsideration of the ways in which students can best retain knowledge and understanding of content across an extended period of study. The process of cramming content a few nights before an examination can no longer hold up for our students- especially those Maths and Science scholars sitting an exam worth 50 percent of their study score and testing content across Units 3 and 4.

In reading the latest Farnham Street Blog- Accelerated Learning: Learn Faster and Remember More, the author offers the following commentary:

Rote memorization doesn’t work. Period. The key to effective learning is spaced repetition, a technique that works with the way your brain naturally retains information, not against it. Spaced repetition involves revising information at increasing intervals. This reflects and combats the fact that once you learn something you gradually forget it, with the forgetting happening fast at first, then levelling off. Using spaced repetition, you remind yourself of information often at first, then less often. Memory mastery comes from repeated exposure to new material. In order to learn something, you need to retrieve it from memory again and again. Retrieval makes information stick even better than re-exposing yourself to the original material.

I will share more about the process of spaced repetition next week.

Year 12 Loreto Social Afternoon
With the continuing uncertainty surrounding the year amidst the cloud of COVID-19, we have continued to maintain, where possible, as much of the Year 12 experience for our Seniors. As part of the Year 12 program, we look for opportunities to engage with our sister school Loreto College. Last Friday afternoon, we conducted the annual Villanova – Loreto Cup which this year involved some ball games on Whinstanes Oval followed by Volleyball and Netball games in Goold Hall. I am pleased to report that our Year 12 students retained the Cup winning the first two events before narrowly missing out on a Netball victory. I would like to thank Year 12 Pastoral Area Leader Mr Tony Rolls for organising the event.

Cor Unum Spirit
Last Saturday, our Football and Rugby community returned to the spiritual home of Villanova Park for fixtures against fierce rivals St Laurence’s College. Whilst there certainly was a different atmosphere evident around the fields with the COVID Safe restrictions, it was terrific seeing our young men back playing the sports they love. Many of the results in games played by Senior School students did not go our way and I know that there was great frustration and disappointment in the outcome of both the First XI and First XV teams.

Responding to adversity with class, dignity and a sense of perspective are the marks of a man of character. I spoke with the members of the Cor Unum Spirit Committee and the Year 11 and 12 cohorts this week regarding my expectations regarding how we spectate at sporting fixtures- showing respect for the opposition and ensuring that we remain positive and true to our values as a College. This weekend will see an equally fierce contest against Iona College and in engaging in these fixtures I hope that all Senior School students play with determination and courage and spectate with a healthy balance of pride and humility.

“When you win, say nothing. When you lose, say less.” – Paul Brown

Mr Matt Levander, Head of Senior School

Mission Week News
“Villanova College is a Catholic School for boys where education is the formation of the whole person within a faith community.  Our staff, parents and students both past and present contribute their gifts and talents towards the development of young men of Gospel values who seek the common good… ” (College Mission Statement)

All great organisations have a great mission. Think of the United Nations, with its wonderful articles of belief outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. I particularly like the insight articulated in Article 29.1, namely that “Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of their personality is possible.” As at Villanova College, the community deserves allegiance when and because it is committed to develop the whole person. This does not mean that a school can pay special attention to the intelligent or the sporty. What is means is that every child is seen and valued. That is a great mission. Further, it is on that basis that each student is challenged to become a Villa Man of Gospel values who will promote the common good.

Mission Week is the week where we bring our mission into sharp focus, aiming to ensure that each boy, at whatever his stage of development, experiences the warmth of the faith community whilst also hearing the call to make the world a better place. Or, as Pope Francis puts the mission, to leave “this beautiful planet better for our having been here.”

How is this mission brought to life for each student this week?

AFAS on Tour
Taking centre-stage in Mission Week is the AFAS roadshow. With Fr Saldie at the helm, a mini Filipino community has been created, consisting of a Sari Sari (all purpose) stall, a fishing boat, and a jeepney (a kind of no-windows taxi-bus). Visiting each of the Junior, Middle, and Senior Schools in turn, the “Filipino World” provides education about the culture of our sister schools, as well as the opportunity for the boys to buy sweet treats – all profit to AFAS. The energy and enthusiasm of the forty or so AFAS students is to be commended in building and presenting Filipino World. A particular thank you is due to Mrs Theresa Henry and her students in Certificate III Business for hosting the Sari Sari stall.

Families are also warmly encouraged to be a part of a living faith community by praying the red candle prayer during this week. (These have been distributed to the boys).

YAYM on Tour
In support of their elder “brothers,’ the Middle School ministry boys are selling Ekka-style “show-bags” in the characteristic red AFAS bags. There are two prices – $2 and $5. The $2 bag contains: tombola gifts including chips and lollies, wrapped chocolates, prayer card, and iced “face” biscuit. The $5 bag also has either a Villanova handball, or a water bottle. Once again, all proceeds go to AFAS.

Making the iced biscuits was an example of YAYM at their best. A happy production line was created, with boys eager to be involved in happy capitalism, i.e. channelling entrepreneurial spirit to build a better community – and serve our Filipino sister schools who really need the help at this time.

Emmanuel City Photo Display on Tour
We are humbly proud each year to sponsor one page in the unique Emmanuel City Mission Calendar. This wonderful drop-in shelter – which has stayed open in rain and shine – gives 50 disposable cameras to people currently homeless to depict life on the street. The results are powerful. What shocked me was the squalor of boarding house accommodation. Emmanuel City are lending us the photos to display to the boys this week. (We, of course, were able to raise nearly $2,500 for Emmanuel City in our winter appeal).

Forming the Ministry Leaders
There is a remarkable energy and conviction in the Ministry students of 2020. Even and especially in adversity, they only seem to become more united, resilient, creative, and vibrant. The College Mission comes into life when students themselves help to lead and drive it. It was therefore a timely encouragement for our Ministry leaders to share a Teams meeting with their Lourdes Hill counterparts on Monday, discussing shared initiatives on RUOK Day, supporting Vinnies, and making a greener Brisbane.

Retreats, Masses and Leadership Days
Through either brilliant planning or a happy accident, Mission Week aligns with a series of special days of reflection and incursions. Year 8 will hear from a refugee speaker, as the students continue their unfolding relationship with the Romero Centre – linking to a practical study of the challenges refugee families experience when re-settling in Brisbane (RE classes). Year 9 had their Retreat on Monday in which Michael Fitzpatrick creates a context within which the boys can re-frame their story. So many boys look back fondly on Year 9; it is a year in which many students work out with whom they walk.

Year 10 have a “Real Talk” incursion on Friday, and Year 11 enjoyed their Leadership Day last week. Appropriately, the special guests Quentin Masson and Brendan Cox focussed the students upon the Australian Defence Force’s way of seeing leadership: exerting influence in order to conduct the ethical pursuit of missions. The gripping nature of the stories shared by Brendan and Quentin – stories in which leadership is tested in the crucible of fire – will linger in the memories of the boys for a long time, alongside the genuine humility of our guests.

Days such as these allow boys to do crucial “inner work.” This is the time spent doing an interiority search so that you know what your core values are and can stick by them. If you can do that, then you can become the Villa Man.

Mass of St Augustine – Friday 28 August
The week ends tomorrow with the Feast of St Augustine. St Augustine made as his foundational principle the creation of a faith community where all members are “cor unum:’ one in mind and heart on the way to God. To this end, Years 11 and 12 will celebrate a socially distanced Mass alongside their Year 5 and 6 brothers in Period 1. Meanwhile, the Middle School will come together to share Mass in Period 3.

Why does this coming together matter? I think the best example was seen on the Quadrangle on a chilly Monday morning, when many young Old Boys from the class of 2018 gathered to share mass in honour of their brother and friend, Hegal Joseph, who passed away in his sleep last week. The masses at school become like a homing signal. Five of the cohort delivered beautiful prayers of solidarity and condolence, written from the heart.

Father’s Day Stall 2020
While COVID-19 denied us the joy of having our annual Mothers’ Day Stall, the Fathers’ Day Stall will be on next week! Fantastic gifts, beautifully wrapped and priced between $5 and $20 will be available for purchase. A warm welcome to their first fundraiser, the Mini Vinnies students will run the Junior School stall at first break on Tuesday to Friday. The Middle School Ministry group YAYM will run the Middle/Senior School stall at second break on each of these days. More details will follow in the Morning Notices.

As usual, proceeds from the Stall will go to supporting Men’s Mental Health research and “Movember” alongside funding the adult education program at our sister college, St Augustine School, in the Philippines.

Ordination
The Augustinian community recently celebrated the ordination to the Diaconate of Br Tuấn Anh Lê OSA by Most Reverend Mark Coleridge, Archbishop of Brisbane, on Saturday 15 August in St James’ Parish Church.  His ordination can be viewed via the following link.

Please find below the links to Sunday Mass readings:

Sunday Reading

Family Prayer

Mr John Holroyd, Dean of Mission and Identity

Last weekend marked the first round of the AIC Chess, Rugby and Football season. It was a close and competitive round overall across the board against St Laurence’s with the results being shared relatively evenly between the two Colleges from Years 5 – 12.

For AIC sport to continue the AIC Association, through each of the eight AIC Colleges, had to ensure COVID-safe plans are in place at each of the sporting venues. The restrictions put in place have been agreed upon by the AIC Management Committee. All Colleges and their associated communities have the responsibility to adhere to the restrictions and procedures put in place.

If individuals from school communities within AIC choose not to listen or obey the restrictions put in place, it puts in jeopardy the safe running of the AIC Rugby and Football season which may result in the shutdown of the season completely. To date, the College has advertised these restrictions extensively via this newsletter, App messages as well as postings on the College’s webpage.

May I remind everybody that ONLY TWO PARENTS PER PLAYER are permitted to attend the games on the weekend. Other relatives, siblings, friends, girlfriends and Old Boys are not to attend the venue. In some cases, on the weekend, parents brought their children from the Years 5 – 8 venue to spectate games at the Years 9 – 12 venue. Some parents allowed their son/s to remain behind after their game to spectate other games and have other parents take their son/s home.

It is essential that only TWO parents per player attend only (with no substitutes/replacements). After each game we ask that all parents, players, coaches and officials associated with that game to leave the premises immediately. This ensures each College meets their COVID safe obligations and we meet the regulations as set by the AIC Management Committee and the government.

Adhering to these protocols reduces the need for Villanova College staff to address these concerns with individuals on the weekend as well.

Track and Field is now in the second week of training. Many students from Year 5 – 12 have been invited into the squad based on performances at last year’s Track and Field season as well as those performances given by our Year 5 and Year 6 boys at the Junior School Track and Field Trial day held a couple of weeks back. During this time of year, we realise that many boys will have a lot on their plate with regards to their studies, Rugby Union, Football and perhaps other co-curricular commitments.

Villanova needs the support of the parent body to back the coaches and Sports Office to ensure that those who are invited into the Track and Field Squad do attend and train. We cannot have a situation where Villanova’s best are not prepared to be involved and represent the College when asked.

Please understand that if a student is unwilling to involve himself when asked to join the Track and Field squad, he will not be considered, or his name will be withdrawn from any Development Squad including Ben Mowen, Andrew Slack, Cubs, Sabre, Wildcats, Cricket Emerging Talent and Junior and Senior Football future squads. Membership in these squads will always remain a privilege not a right for our students. The selection is very much a reward for not only their ability given to the respective sport in question but also for their willingness to give of themselves to the College when asked. As always, the Sports Office is willing to negotiate alternative/specialised training schedules for those who do have a lot on their plate. Students must contact the coach or Sports Office to sort through a schedule which is workable. Students who continue to hide or promise the world to their coaches and not turn up simply let the College down.

I make no apologies for setting the bar high for Villanova College students. In our AIC sports competition, premierships and school aggregates are up for grabs and I would hope that our boys are keen and eager to contest them. Considering the turbulent year, I believe our boys have been well prepared and organised throughout this term of sport. As a result, Villanova has done well to produce some great results so far over the term. There is no pressure on any student or any team to win. The only expectation we have is that our boys give 100% at training and on game day and that they conduct themselves as Christian men both on and off the court/field each week. Maintaining and building school pride and a positive culture is important to us, I ask all students to continue do their part this term of sport for Villanova to perform at its best.

Livestreaming – to account for the limited crowds who can attend the game this weekend, both the First rugby and football games will be livestreamed. Please find the links below to all games.

It was noted that the camera and microphone used to livestream the games last weekend at Villanova Park (on the scaffolding set up behind the crowd) did pick up crowd commentary. Comments raised about players and referee performance on field may have to be considered by certain members of the crowd in future. This applies to all crowds across AIC including our passionate Villanova supporters.

Rd 2 St Peters V St Laurence’s – https://youtu.be/q-EitDaG2oo (Football 1.15pm, Rugby 3.15pm)
Rd 2 St Edmunds V Padua – https://vimeo.com/event/246479 (Football 12.20pm, Rugby 2.15pm)
Rd 2 St Patricks V Ashgrove – https://vimeo.com/event/246484 (Football 1.20pm, Rugby 3.15pm)
Rd 2 Iona V Villanova – https://vimeo.com/event/246486 (Football 1.30pm, Rugby 3.15pm)

Best wishes to all AIC teams this week as we take on Iona College in Round 2 of fixtures. They will be ready for battle and so will we.

AIC Chess, Rugby and Football Round 2 v Iona College, Friday 28 and Saturday 29 August – Times and Venues

All AIC Chess games are played on Friday afternoons and all AIC Rugby and Football games are played on Saturday.  Please refer to the College’s website to view all times and venues for this weekend’s fixtures against Iona College in the ‘Weekly Fixture’ section.

AIC TRACK AND FIELD
Thank you to the many boys and their parents for supporting the Track and Field program so far by attending the various training sessions held over the past two weeks. We are very fortunate to have many high-level coaches in place this year plus many others on board including 13 College staff members to ensure we give our boys the best coaching possible.

The first AIC Track and Field meet for the season will be held next Thursday 3 September at the State Athletic Facility (SAF, Nathan), the second meet will be held on the following Thursday 10 September at the University of Queensland (UQ, St Lucia). Those students who have Rugby Union training on these nights are asked to attend the AIC Track and Field meet as the priority. The full program including times as well as the bus departure and arrival times will be posted in the AIC Track and Field section of the website. Students who are listed in the AIC Track and Field Squad are expected to attend all training sessions and meets. If for any reason students are unable to attend, they are to contact their coach directly.

AIC RUGBY
Mr Chris Everding, AIC Rugby Co-ordinator

Last Saturday Villanova opened the 2020 rugby season with matches against St. Laurence’s College. The day began early out at Runcorn with the Year 5 to 8 teams. Our Year 5 students were playing a fixture match for Villanova for the first time and they were very excited to get the season underway. All four teams had excellent wins with the B and C teams both putting 50 points on the opposition and conceding none. The 5As took a little while to get going and seemed to be spooked by SLC early on but they raced away after finding their groove for a 31-7 victory. The Year 6 boys also performed well and won all their four matches. The 6A team lost their only game to SLC last year and were determined to play well. They not only defeated their rivals 31-15 but gave a very vocal rendition of the War Cry, which blasted its way across the fields at Runcorn.

The Year 7 teams found the opposition tougher and won one of three, with a grinding win to the 7B team while the only loss in Year 8 was the 8A team.  The other Year 8 results were close but well-deserved wins.

All Year 9 to Open matches at Villanova Park were all tough and even though Villanova only registered three wins across the afternoon, there were three matches that were lost by two points or less. The First XV was one of those teams and had numerous opportunities to close out the match against a determined and gritty SLC team but ended up falling short by two points for a 10 – 8 loss. Hopefully the boys have been able to regroup at training this week in preparation for another local southside derby against Iona College at Iona. The Years 5 – 8 teams will have their only fixtures for the season at Villanova Park.

Parents are reminded that the following COVID restrictions are NON-NEGOTIABLE at ALL AIC venues.   Unfortunately, last weekend at Villanova Park, many families did not adhere to these guidelines and this was upsetting to the many families that did:

• Only two parent spectators per player- extra supporters will be asked to leave the venue
• No dogs
• All spectators must register using the EVA checklist
• Use hand sanitizer that is available around the ground
• Read the Villanova and Iona guidelines prior to attending the venues. These are available on the Locker Room.

 AIC Rugby Results v St Laurence’s College

AIC FOOTBALL
Mr Anthony Kemp, AIC Football Co-ordinator

The first round of the football AIC season was played last weekend against cross town rivals St Laurence’s and as always it was a close and tough encounter. Overall, we came away with 11 wins, 13 losses and eight draws with many of those losses being decided by one goal. Villanova had many strong performances across the board and the boys can be proud of their efforts.

The First XI boys started their season off with a tight 0-0 draw against SLC. Our boys looked to be the stronger side in patches of the game with opportunities on goal proving difficult to come by. It was great to see the Villanova First XI work hard and defend as a unit denying St Laurence’s any opportunities of their own to score. Hopefully, they can continue to display defensive efforts like this throughout the season and create those valuable scoring opportunities.

This weekend does not get any easier as we move to Round 2 of the season which will see us face another close rival in Iona College. All teams will need to ensure that they are ready and prepared to push for the win this weekend. Please note that our Year 5 – 8 teams will be playing at Villanova Park and our Year 9 – 12 teams will be playing at Iona this week.

A reminder to all players and parents that this AIC Football season we are under the instructions of ‘Get in, Play and Get Out’ at all venues. Could we please ask that this is followed strictly as well as signing in at venues and only having two parents/guardians per player attend the matches whilst adhering to social distancing. It is important to understand that following these guidelines allow the continuation of the season.

The First XI game will be livestreamed each week which is fantastic as that allows us to still be able to support the boys. Their game will start at 1.30pm. Please use the link provided in the sports section of the Villa View.

Good luck to all teams this week!

AIC Football Results v St Laurence’s College

AIC CHESS
Mrs Sally England, AIC Chess Co-ordinator

Last Friday night we played our first of three games in the chess season. It was a mixed night with two wins to Junior and Senior B and a draw to the Intermediate A. There were some close games in the losses, so all teams are still capable of taking part of the finals. This year there will be no aggregate awarded, but each team will have the possibility of becoming the premier team for that group.

This week, Round 2 will be played away at Iona and a bus will take the boys to and from the College. It is hard to estimate the return time but possibly sometime between 5.30 and 6.00. Again, please converse with your sons about pick-up. The bus will return to the main entrance of the College in Sixth Avenue. All students are to wear their academic uniform not sports uniform, so Juniors are reminded to bring their academic uniform so they can change immediately after school as the bus will leave as soon as possible. Again, food will not be provided so please make sure the boys have extra food if needed.

Next week the final round will be played at Villanova College on the Thursday due to the Pupil Free Day, on Friday 4 September.  The finals will be played at St Laurence’s on 11 September, and  every school will attend. Further information will be available as it comes to hand.

Good luck to all the boys for Friday night.

AIC Chess Results v St Laurence’s College

Zone Cricket
It has taken a while to sift through the regulations and make sure we are adhering to the guidelines set down by the Government and by Cricket Australia. At this stage cricket will go ahead next term for EDJCA and BEARS cricket and the online registration forms can be found in the Locker Room in the AIC cricket section along with the cricket letter for Year 5 – 12. These forms need to be completed by next Friday 4 September. Teams may also be required to play in the afternoon on Saturdays.

Please be aware before you sign on that there are several changes to the usual format of Zone cricket this year:

• It is a stipulation from Cricket Australia, that no equipment, such as helmet, pads, gloves protectors can be shared and that all players who register must have ALL their own cricket gear for the pre-Christmas season. Kits will not be given out for team use. We understand that this may unfortunately sway against your decision not to play in Term 4. There is an opportunity to purchase discounted equipment through 10K sports. A flyer is attached to the letter in the Locker Room.
• Teams may be required to play in the afternoon on Saturdays.
• Some State Schools are hired for Term 4 cricket and the directives from those schools are that parents are NOT permitted on the school grounds. This may have an impact on whether or not you will be allowed to spectate on match days. A decision regarding this, will be a case by case scenario.
• There can be no sharing of food as there has been in the past.
• Toilet facilities may not be available at State School fields and boys are not to use any other play equipment in the area.
• All players and parents must be aware of COVID plans for every venue the boys play at. Drop off points, pick up points, entry and exit paths must all be followed to allow matches to continue.
• For Year 5 teams, it is important that parents take on specific duties before teams will be allowed to play. Parents will need to coach, score, manage and umpire. Please indicate if you are willing to assist with any of these responsibilities.

Mr Craig Stariha, Director of Sport

Auditions are approaching…
As per our Music Department calendar, audition submissions are due next week for all Middle and Senior School musicians.  Students will have received this information via email and through their instrumental music teacher.  Please note – this audition process is NOT a prerequisite for participation.  You cannot fail this audition.  This is an annual assessment tool we use to gauge the development of the program overall and guide decisions around the number and type of ensembles we require each year.

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

Gala Concert – Week 8
We have limited the number of attendees for these performances; as such, this will be a ticketed event.  Tickets have been limited to one ticket per family each round – these tickets admit one person only; this person must be an immediate family member of the student performing.

Information regarding the entrance and departure to site, and registration requirements will be communicated shortly.  This information will come via the email registered for the ticket.

Change of Enrolment Forms
To adjust enrolment without penalty for Term 4, 2020, we require all change of enrolment forms to be submitted to the Music Office in person or via email (music@vnc.qld.edu.au) by 3pm on Friday 4 September, 2020.  If you require a form, please contact Alison in the Music Office.

Changes made after this date may incur a term fee charge for Instrumental Music.

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

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

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

Performance uniform information is outlined below:

All Year 5 musicians are required to wear:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mr Michael Jones, Director of Music

*Value displayed is an example of potential savings within the Membership only and is subject to available offers at any one time. The redemption examples show how a Member could redeem the cost of the Single City Membership in one day.

^The additional $10 and $20 per Membership sale during the current promotional period 12am 14 August 2020 – 11:59pm 13 September 2020 AEST will be paid to the relevant Entertainment fundraising group as per the standard payment terms within the corresponding quarter.

*All member offers are subject to terms and conditions. Check individual offers on the Entertainment Membership App or www.entertainment.com.au for more information. For all dining offers, it is optional for participating businesses to accept your Entertainment Memberships on all official Australian and New Zealand public holidays, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Valentine’s Day. © 2020 Entertainment Publications of Australia Pty Ltd.

Don’t forget to order your school photos
All orders MUST be in before Wednesday 9 September to avoid the late fee of $9.

Monday 31 August – Year 5 to Year 10 class groups, individual photos and all sibling orders.
Thursday 3 September – Year 12 cohort and individual photos and Year 11 class groups and individual photos.

Year 12 Cohort are to be at Goold Hall, ready to be photographed, at 7:00am sharp.
Year 11 students are to be at Goold Hall, ready to be photographed, at 8:40am sharp.

Please wear full winter academic uniform, including tie, long trousers and blazers.  Be aware of the College’s Hair and Grooming policy.

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

Click here for ordering instructions.

Tuckshop Roster (Monday 31 August – Thursday 3 September)
All volunteers rostered on this week will be contacted directly by the Tuckshop.