Villa View: Issue 29/19

Next week I return to my usual office in Langlands, after spending the term serving the community as Acting Principal.  Over the fireplace in Langlands there hangs a painting of St Thomas of Villanova. Fr Peter Wieneke OSA remembers the picture hanging there in the 1960s and Fr Kevin Burman OSA says it was there when he came to Villanova in 1956. This picture has a fascinating history.  The following story is told by Fr Pat Codd OSA, who recently passed away in Ireland.  Pat taught at Villanova in the late 1950s, the 1960s and some of the 1970s.

Pat’s recollection reads as follows:

I’m always interested to hear how Villanova is going. I remember the struggle of the early days – watching the numbers to see if they would increase. All the assistance we got from our helpers and the parents. The spirit was brilliant, and I guess it’s still the same. You are lucky there to be so independent; here in Ireland we are very limited in what we can do because of our dependence on the government for funds.

I well remember that painting of St Thomas of Villanova. It was given to Villanova by the Blessed Sacrament Fathers of St Francis’ church in Melbourne when Villanova was opened at Whinstanes and named for St Thomas. It was brought from Italy by Archbishop Goold. As you know, Goold’s first church in Melbourne was St Francis. The painting was slightly damaged at the lower right-hand corner (when looking at it); there was a small tear in the canvas. There is a story told about a House Meeting of the Founding Fathers when, funds being scarce, a decision had to be made as to whether they should spend £5 on repairing the painting or taking the Priory dog, Drummer, to the vet to have an abscess on his bum treated. Drummer’s bum won out and Fr Louis Hanrahan fumed – “Talk about culture! You’re prepared to spend five quid to repair Drummer’s bum and leave a work of art, your Patron, in disrepair.”

Sometime after I became Prior in 1965, I asked Vincent Di Marco to have it repaired. He took it away and, as far as I remember, had a good job done on it. Joe Walsh should remember Vincent Di Marco. It was he who imported the statue of Our Mother of Good Counsel from Italy; Joe and the men (Parents) collected bottles to pay for it!

These stories create a wonderful narrative of the history of Villanova and I thank Fr Peter Wieneke OSA for passing it on.

Over the past week, I have had the pleasure to be involved in our Year 11 Leadership Retreat and conduct interviews with nominated leaders.  The best quote I heard from one student was, “to be the best me I can be.”

Ultimately, this is what leadership is all about.  If each of us spent the rest of our lives working to be ‘the best that I can be’ we would all have a truly beautiful and love filled world. To be the best that I can be is not easy and is the result of hundreds of daily choices.  I shared with the students some reflections and disappointments in my own education journey.  I remember fondly one retreat that I took part in.  The subtheme for the retreat was taken from Garth Brook’s song, The River: ‘Don’t sit upon the shoreline and say you’re satisfied, choose to chance the rapids and dare to dance the tide’.

To be truly human and to have truly lived means to have taken risks; the risk to leave the safety of the shoreline for the adventure of the rapids of life.  Many have used rivers and seas as coat hangers to hang their philosophy on.  Truly, we cannot discover new oceans until we have the courage to lose sight of the shore.  Truly, ships are never meant to remain tied up in a harbour, but fulfil their true significance only when on the high seas.  Truly, sailors are never at their best on the shoreline, but with the salt of adventure blowing in their faces.  Truly, a calm ocean never made a good sailor and truly, Jesus had one of his finest moments as he turned to the fear-filled sailors on a boat on the Sea of Galilee with a simple message: ‘Be not afraid, I am with you’.

Heading across the seas, we wish our AFAS exchange students and staff a happy and safe trip to the Philippines.  This trip epitomises the spirit of an Augustinian education and echoes St. Francis of Assisi’s words, “Go and preach the Gospel, and if required, use words.”  Our staff and students will engage with scholars who the College has supported and partake in programs to assist Augustinian and other communities build much needed infrastructure for education.

I wish all members of our community a happy and safe holiday break.  I thank you for your personal encouragement and support over Term 3, as we welcome back Mr Mark Stower from sabbatical leave in Term 4.

Mr Steven Bremner, Principal (Acting)

If your son seems to be exhausted at the moment, he is not alone. Everyone is exhausted; students, teachers and parents. The relief of the holiday break is the carrot that we all keep dangling for ourselves and we are almost there. Recapping over the highlights of the term, it isn’t any wonder people are tired, it has been jam-packed that’s for sure. The Junior School has been involved in so many events such as:

• AIC tennis
• AIC basketball
• AIC rugby league
• AIC athletics
• AIC debating
• AIC track and field
• QCMF
• Goldrush Excursion
• Year 5 Fathers’ Day Breakfast
• Year 6 Drama incursion
• Year 12 Mentor Visitors
• Fiver for a Farmer Day
• ICAS testing
• Chamber Ensemble Evening
• Junior School Strings Concert
• Wieneke Family Bursary
• Tournament of Minds
• Mass of St Augustine
• Leaders basketball competition
• Lego Masters
• RUOK? DAY
• Junior School House Points Pizza Party

This is simply a list of the formal events our Junior School has had on this term. There has also been many, many hours of training, learning, study and assessment to manage as well.

Despite the fatigue, we have a lot to celebrate and be thankful for. A daily reminder for me is when I enter the Junior School Office and I see the Junior School Gotcha Box; it is the fullest it has ever been. At assemblies we give house points for each Gotcha and we draw a few names out for a tuckshop voucher. This Friday will be the biggest draw yet. Mr Rouhliadeff won’t know, but I have raided his voucher draw and I’ve given the power to our Year 6 Leaders in their final act as Term 3 Leaders.

I have enjoyed my time as Acting Head of Junior School and would like to acknowledge the support I have received from everyone, especially Mrs Maria Mascadri, Mrs Nichole Rouhliadeff, Mrs Melissa Liddy, Mrs Leanne Addley and Mrs Joanne Bayley. I am looking forward to holidays and returning to my Junior School Pastoral role in Term 4.

For everyone blessed to have holidays, enjoy and have a safe break.

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 10 – “Generation Z” with Mr Greg O’Neill

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

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

Episode 9 – “Role Models” with Mr Alex Sullivan

Mr Greg O’Neill, Head of Middle School

TEN BRAIN FRIENDLY HABITS FOR HAPPINESS AND WELLBEING
We all want to form lasting habits that improve our health and wellbeing. So why does it feel so hard to break routines and establish new behaviours? According to researcher Sue Langley, new developments in neuroscience and positive psychology are revealing some of the ways habits are formed in the brain, what you can do to form healthy habits, and how you can make them stick.

Langley has outlined ten brain friendly practices to support wellbeing:

1. Keep your brain fuelled
2. Be intelligent with emotions
3. Look after your body
4. Find time to imagine
5. Get curious
6. Practice gratitude
7. Smile often
8. Strike a power pose
9. Cultivate kindness
10. Be mindful

To explore these habits, please follow the link to download the free eBook:

https://langleygroup.com.au/resources/

COR UNUM SPIRIT
Congratulations to the Year 11 students in the Cor Unum Committee who assisted the Year 12 students in the leadership of spirit for last week’s final round of AIC sport against St Laurence’s College. The atmosphere within Goold Hall for the basketball was electric and coupled with the presence of our new Music Pep Band, the Villa Army of spectators provided our players with wonderful support. They were rewarded with an outstanding performance by the First V basketball team who brought home the AIC Championship Cup, finishing undefeated for the season!

SEPTEMBER HOLIDAYS
I wish all Senior School students (and their families) a wonderful September holiday break. After such a dynamic and energy absorbing term, my prayer is that you feel that you can distance yourself (briefly) from thoughts of Villanova and that you take the time to truly unwind and rejuvenate yourselves so that you return re-energised in Term 4 to finish the year well.

I particularly hope that our Year 12 students heed the good counsel provided by their teachers and are ready to complete their final term of studies with commitment and character. The finish line, whilst now clearly in view, is still some metres away and there is still unfinished business to complete.

If Senior School students are considering holidaying at Stradbroke Island, I expect that our young men make responsible decisions regarding their conduct. I also extend my prayers and best wishes to the Senior School students representing the College on the AFAS exchange. I am certain that the experience will be transformational and cathartic.

“The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavour.”- Vince Lombardi

Mr Matt Levander, Head of Senior School

PLOGGING AND RECYCLING:
What is a prophecy? Rather than telling the future, it’s telling the community the truth they have been avoiding – in a dramatic and memorable way. This is what plogging (jogging while picking up litter) achieved for the Middle School on Tuesday. Six paired teams, held together by house colour ribbon – raced round the campus collecting rubbish. Ten minutes later we had two pairs of winners: Hunter Gifford and Alex Curley (Crane) and Joe Grigson and Luca Vlamos (Heavey). They collected large quantities of rubbish which normally the cleaners would have to pick up.

So where were the cleaners? Well on this day, Erica Brown and Amara Smith were sitting on soft chairs nibbling pizza, sipping Solo, and being fanned by palm fronds.

To conclude the plogging, we overturned two bins to see what was in them. Shockingly, there is a whole load of food waste, muffin wrappers, apple cores etc in the bin for refundable bottles and cans. One of the students commented, “It’s because we’re lazy.”  Then about six students stepped up to help put the right stuff in the right bins, including Year 7 students Lachlan Gillett and Matt Sondergeld.

Overall, it was an enjoyable and memorable activity. I would like to thank the YAYM students who helped to run it, and especially Hayden Verschuer (Year 8), whose idea it was. I hope it was a happier day for our cleaning team. Tomorrow we will have a photo display of Amara, Erica, Widman, Rebeca, Ruan, Diana and Victor, dressed in their home clothes and describing their dreams and aspirations.

YEAR 11 LEADERSHIP
Speaking of prophecy, six members of the 2019 Student leadership Team made a superb and incisive contribution to last week’s Year 11 Leadership Day. What was so impressive was the ability of these young men to articulate how they coped with difficulties and obstacles they had faced. At times, Matthew Rolls, Will Barwick, George Stokes and Nickolas Sofios explained how they had to reflect on their values and call upon the support of friends in order to achieve their legacy projects. It would have been music to their ears to hear how the current Year 11s are proud of the progress the Seniors have made, for example in restoring traditions like the War Cry, but also introducing new things like the sustainability and recycling drive.

Our keynote speaker was Mr Brendan Cox, CEO of Legacy Queensland. What shone out in his talk was the importance of aligning your own values with those of the organisation in order to pursue shared goals. Drawing upon his hard-won experience of overseas tours with the ADF, Brendan was able to show the boys how all good leaders make costly decisions which involve considerable reflection upon the values at stake, as well as the capacity to empathise with those affected by the decision.

Of equally positive value to the day was the Mass presided over by Fr Saldie Resolado, Campus Minister. Fr Saldie’s homily gave the students a new lens for seeing the potential in each other, and a roadmap for building change as “we.”

AFAS EXCHANGE:
As I write, 30 students and staff stand on the brink of what will be a life-changing experience in the Philippines. After two years of sharing the stories of our AFAS scholars and our three sister schools, two years of fund-raising and community-building, two years of learning about Filipino culture and values, the boys stand humbly ready to represent Villanova College, and to carry back 10,000 blessings (and 3000 red candles for next Mission Week).

Mr John Holroyd, Dean of Mission and Identity

Villanova College – AIC Champion Basketball School 2019

Villanova College – First V Basketball Premiership 2019

Villanova College – Top Performing School Overall (Basketball, Tennis and Rugby League)

 It’s official, Villanova has won the AIC Basketball aggregate by an extraordinary margin – a massive 17 points to second place. Villanova has now won the AIC Basketball Aggregate for a record fifth consecutive year. Our tennis boys did us proud and managed a third place in the AIC tennis aggregate and the rugby league boys placed fifth in the aggregate (ahead of St Laurence’s and St Edmund’s). This is a wonderful achievement for the College, and I believe we should all be very proud of ourselves and the efforts given over the entire season.

There are no official rankings in AIC, however, if there was, Villanova would be the top performing school when averaging out the performances across the three Trimester 3 AIC sports on offer, beating the likes of Ashgrove, Iona and SLC among all others. An achievement worth mentioning and again one which our community should know of and be proud.

On behalf of the College I would like to congratulate all coaches, managers, officials and the many others who supported Villanova’s tennis, rugby league and basketball programs in 2019.

Overall, Villanova won an astounding 14 combined aggregate and nonaggregate premierships in basketball. 23 out of our 30 basketball teams placed in the top three. I believe these results are a direct result of the hard work and dedication put in by all involved. Our teams were well organized. Our boys trained well and produced their best on game day for our College to produce these great results. Well done!

 Due to our good work over a long period of time, Villanova basketball teams competed well throughout the season and proved to be the most dominate basketball College in the AIC competition. In a tough competition Villanova managed to secure First place in the overall aggregate in 2019 way ahead of the opposition including taking out the coveted First V basketball premiership. A fantastic result for the College!

AIC Basketball Aggregate Placings

First:                      Villanova College – 79.5
Second:                St Patrick’s College – 63
Third:                    St Laurence’s College – 60

Our tennis boys also performed well throughout the season. Leading into the final round the 6B and Third tennis teams were fighting it out for a premiership/undefeated season. Unfortunately, both teams were beaten on the day. Although we had no premierships, the overall results meant we were able to achieve a credible Third position in the aggregate which was one better than our performance last year.

This year’s tennis competition was again fiercely contested. As mentioned all season, every win and loss is important in such a competitive competition. All players who attended all games and the regular training sessions should feel proud of their efforts knowing they produced their best for themselves and the College to gain third position in the overall aggregate.

AIC Tennis Aggregate Placings

First:                     St Peter’s College – 97.5
Second:                St Laurence’s College – 77.5
Third:                   Villanova College – 58

The rugby league boys faced a tough season. Most of whom had their first experience playing the game this season. All teams and players will come away with some great experiences which will put them in good stead next season. A fifth place overall in the aggregate is a solid result and platform for Villanova to build upon in 2020.

AIC Rugby League Placings

First:                     Iona College – 34
Second:                Marist College Ashgrove – 32.5
Third:                   Padua College – 30.5
Fourth:                 St Patrick’s College – 24.5
Fifth:                    Villanova College – 18.5

Congratulations to all the premiership teams listed below:

AIC Basketball Premierships

First V Basketball:           Coached by Jordan Mullan, Stephen Rouhliadeff and Sean O’Neill
Second V Basketball:      Coached by Jim Harris
Third V Basketball:         Coached by Jock Lucas and Jake Motley
11A Basketball:                 Coached by Pat Atkinson
9D Basketball:                  Coached by Tom Deguara and Brandon Isaak
8A Basketball:                  Coached by Matt McGrath
8B Basketball:                  Coached by Sam Korst
8C Basketball:                  Coached by Liam Hampson and Riley Pownall
8D Basketball:                  Coached by Michael Hughes and Henry Goodwin
7B Basketball:                   Coached by Christos Vasil and Tom Moses
7C Basketball:                   Coached by Bronte Pascoe and Brian Pascoe
6B Basketball:                   Coached by Adam Fry
6C Basketball:                   Coached by Matthew Wilson
6D Basketball:                  Coached by Melissa Liddy

To further develop Villanova’s sports program, the Sports Department has implemented many initiatives by forming some specialised squads to develop our student athletes. The Andrew Slack Squad, the Ben Mowen Squad, the Emerging Cricket Talent Squad, First Volleyball Squad, the Junior and Senior Football Development Programs and the Swim Squad are all part of these programs. Most of the information regarding these programs have been dispersed. I wish all those who are involved in these squads the very best.

I encourage all students from Year 5 – Year 12 to give track and field the highest priority next term. There are only two weeks of training to go in Term 4, before the AIC Track and Field Championships are held in Week 3. Please read below information regarding track and field including the first meet to be held in Week 1 next term.

I wish all students a safe and happy break. Please enjoy!

VILLANOVA SWIMMING
Mrs Juanita Jacobs, AIC Swimming Co-ordinator

The 2019-20 Villanova swimming season has once again kicked off. Many thanks to the 18 students who have started the season with the Villanova squad.  We hope to see the rest of the students at the pool as soon as possible, so we can really develop the skills and speed that is needed for a successful 2020 Championship.

If your son is interested in joining the swim squad, he can collect an information pack from the Sports Office or via the website.  We recognise that many swimmers train with their own coaches and clubs and may not be able to attend the additional swimming sessions for school.  Please let Mrs Jacobs know if this is the case, so we do have an indication of the boys who are in the pool training regularly.  This assists us for future planning of competition meets.

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 commenced on Tuesday 10 September for current Villanova students and will continue every Tuesday and Thursday morning until Thursday 3 October (the last week of the holidays).

Training will continue from Week 1, Term 4 2019 (Tuesday 8 October) for new students enrolled at Villanova in Years 5 and 7 in 2020 as well as all currently enrolled Villanova students as per the schedule below. These sessions will run up to and including Friday 20 December 2019.

We ask that students arrive at least 10 minutes before the allocated start time so that we are in the water commencing training on time.

The following Swimming Managers will be at Langlands training sessions from Week 1, Term 4 to take the roll and answer any questions you might have.

There will be a welcome breakfast for all swimmers on Friday 11 October at the Villanova College pool from 7am. THERE WILL BE NO TRAINING ON THIS DAY.  We look forward to meeting you all there and getting the swimming season underway.

AIC WATER POLO
Villanova will enter teams in the AIC Water Polo Competition in Term 4. Games will be played over a one-day tournament at Somerville House on Sunday October 27.

The draw is yet to be finalised. However, the age groups are likely to remain as a Year 7/8, Year 9/10 and Open Divisions. Only those who participated in AIC swimming this season or have signed up for next season may apply.

Mrs Jacobs will meet with all those who have signed on early next term to discuss training and give out further details.

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

The 2019 Villanova basketball season was again a huge success. The profile of the basketball program both within the school and within Queensland basketball circles continues to grow and our improvement each year is amazing. We had 30 teams participate across Year 5 – Year 12 and the number of boys trialling for each year level was again very high and the coaches continue to comment each year on the standard of the players continually improving.

We were able to again secure the aggregate trophy for 2019, meaning we are the Champion Basketball School for a fifth consecutive year. This is a truly amazing feat that all players and coaches should be very proud of. From those 30 teams that competed, we were able to secure 14 premierships. A further three teams placed second and two placed third. Of particular note was the Year 8 teams that secured premierships in the A’s, B’s, C’s and D’s and to the Open teams that had three firsts and a second.

The 2019 First V was another outstanding success story taking out the Premiership for the first time since 2013 and the first time Villanova has won it undefeated. It is a particularly hard feat to secure an undefeated premiership in First V as the level of competition across the schools is very high,  so the players and coaches deserve every accolade. It was a team performance whereby each week we had different players stand up and take responsibility for securing victory and all 13 players worked very hard over the preseason and during the season to ensure the success they had. Special mention must go to new head coach, Jordan Mullan who came on board this year and has made an immediate impact with the players and brand of basketball we played.

Part of the reason behind the success over the last five years has been the Wildcat, Sabres and Cubs High Performance Program that we run. This has allowed us to work with the best players in every grade to push them to perform at their best and take those skills back to their teams. Our First V and 11A teams used the preseason to compete at the Gold Coast Invitational where the Firsts came fifth and the 11A’s used it as valuable experience to help them prepare for the season where they came out as premiers.

A final thank you must go out to all of the coaches who helped with teams this year. We have a fantastic mix of external coaches, staff and old boys who work so hard to try and increase the basketball knowledge and skill of all the players. The success of the program lies in part with the effort from all of them.

We now move our attention to 2020 and to how we can continue to push this program forward.

Hire Basketball Singlets
We ask all players from Year 5 – Year 12 to return their basketball hire singlet to the Uniform Shop as soon as possible please.

AIC Basketball Results v St Laurence’s College

AIC TENNIS
Mr Craig Stariha, AIC Tennis Co-ordinator

Congratulations go to all the tennis players from Year 5 – Year 12 on a great season. The 2019 season saw an array of tennis talent coming from all AIC schools in various age groups making the competition across the board very competitive.

Villanova had an outstanding season achieving third place overall in the AIC tennis aggregate, this is a fantastic result! Well done to first place winners St Peter’s and second placed St Laurence’s. All those who took to the court should feel immensely proud of their efforts which when combined, contributed towards this great result.

As always good results don’t come easily. Our pre-season commenced way back in late March with 15 of our best players in the College invited into the Senior Tennis Development Program whereby these top players would train every Wednesday evening for 12 consecutive weeks leading into the tennis season. During Term 2, another 32 players in Year 6 – Year 9 were invited into the Junior Tennis Aces Program, training every Friday afternoon throughout Term 2 also in the effort to hone their skills ready for the AIC tennis season.

From the 17 teams submitted into the AIC Tennis Competition we were unable to secure a premiership nor have an undefeated team. Coming into Round 7 against St Laurence’s both the Third IV and 6B team needed to win their final game to take out a premiership/undefeated season honour. Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be as both teams lost their matches.

Our best performing teams were the Third IV, 11A, 11B and 7B teams who were placed second on the ladder and from the Juniors our 6B team lost only one game through the season. Overall our First IV team came fifth securing three wins and four losses over the season. The best performance no doubt was against Ashgrove where our boys took out the day and retained the Errol Davis trophy for the second consecutive year.

I must thank all coaches and managers including Alex Joye, Barbara Dewis, Michael Mascadri, Ben Stuart, Matt Pertnikovs, Julian Mascadri, Nicholas Halstead, Shayle Korander-Matheson and Maria Mascadri for all their time and effort given throughout the entire season. A great group of people who did a fantastic job looking at their teams.

Finally, I thank the players for their commitment given. Well done on a great season and I certainly do look forward to hitting the courts again in 2020!

Special Squad Training – Offer to all Villanova Players
Villanova’s Head Tennis Coach – Alex Joye and Morningside Tennis Centre are offering further training sessions to all Villanova students from Year 5 – Year 12. Please read the information letter (click here) for further information.

Those who wish to continue training are asked to email Alex alexj.tennisgear@gmail.com . He will then make up groups by age and ability level to train on a Saturday morning. Payment options can be made at the centre or online.

Villanova Tennis Championships – Date Claimer Saturday 12 October
Please be aware that we will run the annual Villanova Tennis Championships at Morningside Tennis Centre on Saturday 12 October. After the tournament we will award the Middle School (Year 7 – Year 9) and Senior School (Year 10 – Year 12) Tennis Champion. The Junior School (Year 5 and Year 6) Champion has now been decided.

We encourage all players from Year 7 – Year 12 to nominate themselves into this tournament. All those interested must register their interest and nomination via the online link – https://www.classhub.com.au/provider/tennisgear/2019/3?programId=130

Further information regarding the Championship is found by clicking here and in the AIC Tennis section of the website. Please be aware – only those who played AIC tennis or were listed as reserves may nominate. We encourage all AIC tennis players to nominate.

 AIC Tennis Results v St Laurence’s College

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

2019 marked the introduction of rugby league into the AIC calendar. It was fantastic to feel the anticipation and excitement building around rugby league making its mark on the sporting calendar for the first time. In the inaugural AIC Competition, we had over 140 players don the Green and Gold for what was an interesting introductory season. The eagerness and determination to do well and compete amongst some of the big AIC rugby league schools was evident immediately at the trials in Term Two.

Overall Villanova completed the season in fifth place in front of St Edmund’s College and St Laurence’s College. This is a very pleasing result in the first year of competition. Congratulations to our Year 8 team who finished the season in third place.

As was expected, some boys are still learning the basics of rugby league but there were many positives to take out of the inaugural 2019 season. There is no doubt that many of our boys display a real talent for the game. It has been pleasing to hear that the inaugural season has motivated many boys to play club rugby league in 2020 and beyond.

It was a tough seven weeks for our First XIII team. For many of our First XIII players, rugby league was a new experience; however, the team proved that they could score points against quality rugby league sides such as Ashgrove, Iona and Padua. The Round 1 fixture against St Edmund’s was an impressive performance from our First XIII. The boys managed to secure their first victory by 24 points. Unfortunately, we then went on to play the top three rugby league schools back to back. This made scoring points difficult. There were some tough mental and physical lessons to be learnt for our open players in their first year of competition. It is reassuring to know that many of our Year 11 boys will be back next year with more experience and a better understanding of the game.

For our inaugural season, we were excited to have many experienced coaches on board developing and getting the best out of our boys. Mr Terry Matterson is the current development officer for the East Tigers Rugby League Club and helped with the development of our players and all coaches. Terry played for many years with the Brisbane Broncos and at one point was the leading point scorer at the club. Terry was selected to play State of Origin in 1989 and has also had an extensive coaching career. We thank Terry for helping with supporting our coaches and players for the introductory season.

The College was also very lucky to have Mr Jon Buchanan on board as the head coach for our First XIII. Jon is a prominent name among Queensland rugby league and was the head coach for the Wynnum Manly Seagulls before moving over to his current club, the South Logan Magpies for the Queensland Intrust Super Cup Competition. Jon has also been the head coach for the Queensland residents side for the past three years. We were extremely lucky to have him on board with our Open boys for 2019 and thank him for all his hard work in getting the best out of our players in their first year of rugby league.

There is a lot of work that goes into the selections, coaching and management of the seven teams that represented the College this year and a huge thank you goes out to everyone involved. We continue to rely on the generosity from old boys and external coaches to give our boys a run on the paddock every Saturday. Thank you to Nathan Booth, Brad Ryan, Peter Fitzgerald, Steve Livingstone,  Damien Pratt and Sinave Faitala. A huge thank you to our Old Boys, Cooper Sauvage and Sam Harding who came on board this year. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank College staff member, Callum Hackett who took on managerial duties for our Junior School teams.

Finally, I would also like to extend a massive thank you to all parents and members of the Villanova community who offered to help with running water and performing linesmen duties. Without the ongoing support and assistance from the many members of the Villanova College community, the inaugural 2019 season would not have been made possible.

Bring on 2020!

AIC Rugby League Results v St Laurence’s College

AIC TRACK AND FIELD – TRAINING & MEET IN TERM 4

Three weeks of training to go before the AIC Championships!

Villanova’s track and field program will continue next term with training held every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon together with two AIC Track and Field Meets as listed below. Please note training will commence the first Tuesday afternoon back in Term 4 as per the schedule below.

We require all boys to fully commit to the Track and Field program in Term 4, as there are only three weeks of training before the AIC Championships, which are held in Week 3.

Buses will transport boys to and from each training sessions as per normal returning at approx. 5.40pm. Buses will also transport students to and from the AIC Meets.

Date Claimers

Tuesday 8 October:                                         Training at QSAC 3.45-5.15pm
Thursday 10 October:                                     Training at QSAC 3.45-5.15pm
Friday 11 October:                                           AIC Track and Field Meet at UQ
Tuesday 15 October:                                       Training at QSAC 3.45-5.15pm
Thursday 17 October:                                     AIC Track and Field Meet at UQ
Tuesday 22 October:                                       Training at QSAC 3.45-5.15pm
Thursday 24 and Friday 25 October:         AIC Track and Field Championships at UQ

AIC Track and Field – Invitational Meet, Friday 11 October at UQ
Please see details below for the fourth AIC Track and Field Meet held on Friday of Week 1, Term 4.

Date:                                               Friday 11 October
Venue:                                            UQ
Year 5 and Year 6 students:      bus departs Villanova at 2pm, return approx. 5:30pm
Year 7 to Open students:           bus depart Villanova at 3:10pm, return approx. 8:15pm

Parents are welcome to pick up their son from the venue.

SPORTING AWARDS

Villanova College Sportsman of the Year Award and the Father Tom Mescall OSA Award for Excellence in Sport.
The College has commenced the process of selecting the Villanova College Sportsman of the Year Award as well as the Father Tom Mescall OSA Award for Excellence in Sport. Mr Stariha has spoken to all Year 12 students late last week to run through the process of selection and the selection criteria.

Students wishing to nominate for either award must see Mr Stariha to complete a ‘Sporting Involvement Form’. This form will also be available on the web within the ‘Locker Room’ section.

Villanova College Sportsman of the Year Description

The Paul Finnimore Memorial Shield for Sportsman of the Year is awarded to a Year 12 student who has made an outstanding contribution to the College’s sporting program. The student will have represented the College in a minimum of three sports during their senior year displaying not only outstanding sporting ability but also exemplary sportsmanship and conduct.  Of these three sports there must be a combination of both individual and team sports. The recipient of the Sportsman of the Year Award would not be in contention for the Father Tom Mescall OSA Award.

Criteria

• Success in sport representing Villanova in the AIC Competition as well as any other representative honours
• Breadth of participation representing Villanova in at least three sports in the AIC competition including both team and individual sports
• Sportsmanlike attitude both on and off the field at training and on game day

Note –  the last criterion of which takes precedence over the other two.

Villanova College Sportsman of the Year Selection Process

1. The co-curricular data is collected in TASS throughout the year and is entered in by the Co-Curricular Departments – Sport, Ministry and Music.
2. Students who have participated in three or more sports during the calendar year will be asked to complete a Sporting Involvement Form (see attached). Students who nominate have the responsibility of including all their sporting achievements on the form.
3. The Director of Sport collates the Sporting Involvement Forms and presents a short list and recommendation of the Sportsman of the Year to the Head of Senior, Middle and Junior School, Deputy and Year 12 Co-ordinator.
4. This group discusses the nominations and makes a recommendation to the CLT/ Principal for final approval.

Father Tom Mescall OSA Award for Excellence in Sport – Award Description

The Father Tom Mescall OSA Award for Excellence in Sport is presented to a Year 12 student in recognition of their sporting excellence. This award may or may not be awarded each year and may be awarded to more than one student in any given year. The Father Tom Mescall OSA Award is a way to recognise those students who have succeeded at a First level (or Division 1 Level) in a variety of sports at Villanova as well as reaching a very high representative level in any given sport.

ZONE CRICKET
Teams for the Term 4 Zone Cricket Competition have been finalised and all boys are asked to check the web page for the lists. All parents are asked to contact their son’s team manager to pass on contact details and to sign up for umpiring and scoring.

We are still in need of some assistant coaches and managers of teams. The assistant coaches only need to be at the matches and run the boys on game days. All coaching will be done by qualified coaches during the week.

Training will begin the first week back and each year level will train at the same time every week. Please note that due to the Public Holiday on Monday 7 October, ALL Year 5 teams will train on  Friday morning 11 October. They will then train on Monday 14.

The draw for the EDJCA and BEARS has not been finalised and will be distributed to all managers as soon as they are ready. Matches begin on Saturday 12 October and will conclude on the 7 December.

All boys are required to wear cricket whites during matches. Villanova cricket shirts are available from the Villanova College Uniform Shop. Pants can be purchased at any store that stocks cricket pants.

Mr Craig Stariha, Director of Sport

THANK YOU FOR A GREAT TERM
Thank you to all students and parents for your hard work and support over Term 3.  I trust that you will all enjoy a break away from early mornings and late finishes.  Have a safe holiday – we look forward to seeing you all back, ready to go from Week 1, Term 4.

Year 5 ensembles will be running on the first day of school, Tuesday 8 October.

AUDITION MATERIALS – BAND AND STRINGS 2020
Ensemble lists will be distributed tomorrow, Friday 20 September.  Information on enrolments for 2020 have been delayed due to budget planning.  We envisage this information will be sent home during the first week of Term 4.

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

Thank you all for your continued support of Villanova Music.

Mr Michael Jones, Director of Music

OLD BOYS’ GOLF DAY – THE CHARLIE FISHER CUP 
Old Boys and current parents are warmly invited to register for the Charlie Fisher Cup on Sunday 13 October at Gainsborough Greens Golf Club. Further details are available by clicking here. To register:
https://www.trybooking.com/BCBPK

MOTHERS OF VILLANOVA OLD BOYS AFTERNOON
The Mothers of Villanova Old Boys afternoon on Saturday 12 October is fast approaching. Held on the Senior Terraces, it’s a great opportunity to stay connected with Villanova mothers. Further details are available by clicking here.  To purchase tickets: https://www.trybooking.com/BCCWR

2019 BOOK WEEK
Villanova’s 2019 Book Week will kick off on Monday 14 October and culminate on Saturday, 19 October. During this time, the ground floor of the Tolle Lege Library will be converted into a Book Shop to which our whole community is invited. We have asked Dymocks and The Book Warehouse to supply us with their latest good reads, Christmas gift ideas and books for the whole family. The Tolle Lege Library and Book Shop will be open from 7.30am each day and close at 4.30pm each afternoon.

As part of our Book Week celebrations, we are thrilled to welcome John Larkin to Villanova College as our Junior and Middle School author-in-residence. John’s books for young adults include his latest release The Pause (winner of the Queensland Literary Awards Griffith University Young Adult Book Award 2015), as well as Shadow Girl (winner of the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards Prize for Writing for Young Adults 2012). John will be running class workshops with each Junior and Middle School class during the week. He will closely work with the boys and no doubt inspire them to write for enjoyment!

Our celebrations will end with our Writers Festival. The festival will run from 3.30pm -8.00pm Friday evening and 9.00am until 3.00pm on Saturday.  John will run the entire festival and this will be a great opportunity for students across the entire school to work closely with an accomplished author.

John will step them through the writing process and mentor them throughout the weekend on the completion of a piece of creative writing. The cost of the weekend will be $30. Student will be provided with afternoon tea and dinner on Friday as well as morning tea and lunch on Saturday. They will also receive their own writing journal for their work.

See the attached fliers for more information about our 2019 Book Week and registration for the Writers Festival.

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.

Archives staff are currently working on College sporting teams between 1948 and 1958. We would appreciate hearing from any families with information about Rugby teams during these years.  In particular, we’re interested in photos, memories and memorabilia either as a loan or a donation to the Archives.

Archives is staffed Monday and Wednesday during Term time and we can be contacted at Staff-Archives@vnc.qld.edu.au or on 33945609.

TUCKSHOP
Tuckshop Price Increases: please note that from the beginning of Term 4 the price of sushi, hot dogs and finger buns will increase due to a rise  in wholesale prices.

The new prices will be:
Sushi                    $3.50
Hot Dogs             $3.00
Finger Buns        $1.50

Tuckshop Menu Price List – 2019

TUCKSHOP ROSTER

Monday 7 October
Queen’s Birthday Public Holiday

Tuesday 8 October
Donna Perkins
Melissa Davidson
Lisa Forsyth
Nicole Webb
Leanne McMahon
Sonia Ballen
Susan White
Tricia Allen

Wednesday 9 October
Tina McCaul
Peta Gomersall
Kathy McCaul
Maria Corones
Lena Bazzo
Lisa Gorry
Denise Smith
Fiona Jenkins

Thursday 10 October
Maria McGarry
Zsuzsa Henderson
Juanita Ryan
Kath Eberhardt
Pauline White
Bernadette Papagiannis
Kelly Stassi
Jane Lawson
Chrissy Bonfiglio
Leesa Francis

Friday 11 October
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

INTER-SCHOOL SPORT: THE ASSOCIATED SCHOOLS AND ASSOCIATED INDEPENDENT COLLEGES

In 1950 the Metropolitan Secondary School Sports Association (MSSSA) was founded as a boys’ sporting association.  This association was the forerunner to “The Associated Schools” (TAS) and included Villanova, Marist College Ashgrove, St Peter’s Lutheran College, Marist Brothers Rosalie, St Columbans Christian Brothers College, Industrial State High, Commercial State High and Wynnum State High.  Cavendish Road State High joined in 1952.   Two other schools joined in 1953 and 1954, St Laurence’s Christian Brothers College and St Patrick’s Christian Brothers College, Shorncliffe.

In 1955 all State High Schools withdrew and the MSSSA was disbanded.  In the following year, The Associated Schools (TAS) was formed with Villanova and the other independent schools from MSSSA being the founding members.

Fr Brian Mahoney OSA continued his supportive role in the running of TAS in this early period.  Villanova parent Mr Jack Roche was secretary from 1965 until 1970.

At the 1956 Speech Night, Fr Ben O’Donnell (Rector 1948 – 1958) took the opportunity to reflect on the role of sport in the life of Christians.  “The body should not be subjected to inhuman strain by physically ruinous exertions, or use made of dangerously harmful agents, such as strong stimulants in order to win at any cost”.  His address continued with some ideals for Villanovans: “the spirit of self-renunciation in order that the interests of the team may be furthered, fidelity to obligations undertaken, modesty in victory, serenity in adverse fortune, and patience towards spectators who are not always moderate.” The growth of the individual was clearly the underlying reason for the College involvement in inter-school sport.

In 1998 the Associated Independent Colleges (AIC) was formed with the first year of competition in 1999.  All AIC members were previously part of TAS and in 2014 primary students from Grades 5 to 7 were included as members.  The AIC schools are currently Iona College, Marist Brothers Ashgrove, Padua College, St Edmund’s College, St Laurence’s College, St Patrick’s College, St Peters Lutheran College and Villanova College.

There are now 14 sports officially contested within the AIC: AFL, basketball, chess, cricket, cross country, football, golf, rugby league, rugby union, swimming, tennis, track and field,  volleyball and water polo.

For further details, contact: Staff-Archives@vnc.qld.edu.au

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.

VILLANOVA JUNIOR SCHOOL DISCO
The Junior School Disco will be held on Friday 11 October from 6.30pm – 8.30pm in Goold Hall. Further details are available by clicking here.

LIVE WIRED AT LORETO COLLEGE
Loreto College extends an invitation to Villanova College families to join them for the 10th Annual Live Wired Music Festival on Sunday 20 October from 3.00pm – 7.00pm. Villanova College bands will be contributing to the line-up in what will be a great afternoon of jazz, soul and rock.

Further details by clicking the image.

EMPLOYABILITY AND THE FUTURE OF WORK. FREE LECTURE – THURSDAY 17 OCTOBER
Lourdes Hill College invites parents and students to a lecture by Prof Peter McIlveen (USQ), a leading researcher and international expert in psychology, employability and career education on Thursday 17 October from 6.30pm. Prof Peter McIlveen will be discussing the Psychology of Employability and the History of the Future of Work, a topic especially relevant to our Senior School students.

This is a free lecture but please book online via the link below.
http://citel.com.au/event/citel-community-lecture-2-twilight-series/