Villa View: Issue 29/21

Dear Members of the Villanova College Family,
I am blessed to work in one of the most amazing buildings on the campus.  Constructed in 1886, ‘Langlands’ is the oldest building at Villanova College.  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 College in 1956. This picture has a fascinating history.  The following story is told by Fr Pat Codd OSA, who recently passed away in Ireland in 2019.  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 College, and I thank Fr Peter Wieneke OSA for bringing it back to life.

Over the past week, I have had numerous conversations with staff and student leaders regarding leadership and what it means.  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 student 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’.

My thoughts are with our current Year 11 and Year 12 students, who in a ‘pre-COVID’ world were to be heading across the seas with AFAS 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 usually 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 leave in Term 4.

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

God bless

Mr Steven Bremner, Acting Principal

In keeping with the spirit of Reconciliation, Villanova College acknowledges the Yuggera and Turrbal peoples, as the Traditional Custodians of this land on which we stand.  We pay our respects to Elders, past, present and emerging.  This has always been, and always will be, a place of teaching and learning connected to country, culture and community. 

Writing the Junior School article this week is done with great excitement.  There is much to celebrate!  Exams are finished – the boys have given their best.  AIC Basketball, Rugby League and Tennis seasons are completed with jerseys returning to the College Uniform Shop and racquets being put away until next time.

With our Focus of the Week “Keeping it Clean”, our attention is on the tidiness of our spaces inside classrooms and the playground, as well as neatness of our uniforms and respect we show each other.  The small things matter the most when we are weary.  Every smile, courtesy with turn taking and helping hand brings us together as a stronger community after all we have endured in Term 3.

Teachers have now completed the Mid-Semester feedback reports.  These are pastoral indications of how your son is working across subject areas.  No doubt, he will have his favourites and his behaviour and attitude with organisation, diligence and study habits will reflect this.  For me, it was always PE first, Geography second (this really was just me devouring the map of the world – nothing close to what the boys manage today) and Maths third.  That was my podium.  If I was active and outside with a ball in my hand, or daydreaming about travel, or feeling totally safe within the “it’s either right or wrong” world of numbers, then I was happy.  The marks may never have been super high, but if there was homework to be done, I know those three subjects had more of a chance than others.

Let’s remember we all have our own strengths and challenges.  The reports indicate the work ethic that your son is able to put together at this point in time and what’s interesting is how the feedback might shift across curriculum areas.  Few students can sustain the optimal “excellent” as this requires an incredible amount of energy directed into peer mentoring, questioning and focus on the details.  Boys by nature will default to meeting learning expectations and simultaneously chatting with friends – understandable.  Please take some time to go through the report with your son and get to know what he believes are his strengths, for this needs to be recognised.  The constructive feedback, well that just becomes the new goals for Term 4.  We keep our chins up and we move forward.

It’s bittersweet for me when AIC Basketball ends and I’m sure it’s the same for many with Rugby League and Tennis.  The trainings bring an energetic buzz around the Junior School with noisy debriefs as the students get changed.  They are excited and there’s massive anticipation for the weekend games.  Even with two rounds being cancelled, the students were very fortunate to play five other AIC Colleges and for Year 5 students this is the beginning of many years of victories and losses that create the memories and stories they will still retell (on a much bigger scale of course) as Old Boys after 2028.  There were also many Year 5 and Year 6 students who eagerly watched their Senior Mentors via the Live Links for the Firsts Games – an idea that I wholeheartedly believe should continue for it connects extended families all over Australia.  How brilliant that grandparents can watch their grandsons play sport, especially in their final year at Villanova College.  My sincere thanks to the Sports Department, and our Junior School coaches for all they have contributed this term.

How exciting to think that we might just get the chance to have a holiday that involves a little travel over the next two weeks?  At this stage, the COVID situation appears managed, so if we are very lucky then some trips could be happening across Queensland for our families.  If you have been brave enough to book accommodation – then we wish you sunshine and ocean temperatures warm enough to swim in.  May the camping sites stay dry, and the night sky be filled with stars.  If you have opted to stay at home, then enjoy the sleep ins, pyjama mornings (or days if you have teenagers) and the chance to have visitors.  Our prayers are with you all for a very safe September break as you travel, engage in fun and hopefully spend quality time with loved ones.

Mr Stephen Rouhliadeff, Head of Junior School

Adolescence brings with it development, and development means change.  The types of change we might see can be physical, emotional, or neurological. They don’t occur in any particular order, nor do they wait for one change to complete before starting the next. It is very messy, unpredictable, and often frustrating – for both the parent and the child. We also know that these formative years carry some risks and uncertainty as the boys seek to develop their own unique identity.

But how do adolescents develop their identity?

The Centre for Parent and Teen Communication, based in Philadelphia, USA, shares that, “young people’s identities are shaped by lots of factors — family, cultural and societal expectations, experiences with institutions like school and the media, and friends. Young people also take active steps and make choices that shape their identity. They select the environments and people they want to be around. They adjust their beliefs and behaviours based on feedback. And they reflect on all of this while working to figure out who they are.”

Next term our Year 9s will be exploring character and identity in their Personal Development lessons – a unit that will be launched with their annual Day of Reflection. They will hear life stories from various teachers who capture the moments, experiences and people who have shaped their identity.

Some of the common messages that will emerge concern the importance of:

• Resilience in overcoming adversity
• Developing empathy and tolerance
• Having meaningful relationships
• Life-long learning
• The need for good role-models

As educators and parents, these are the things we strive to make a part of our guidance and nurturing as our adolescents develop into young men. We want our students/children to have the skills that enable them to respond to hardship, misfortune or failure. We want them to understand how others feel and accept people for who they are. We want them to have safe, supportive relationships with their family, friends, and teachers. We want them to value their education. Finally, we want to surround them with people who can model appropriate behaviour and values.

My fear is that this final aspiration may in fact be the most challenging. In a tech-heavy, social media saturated environment where peer acceptance is often the be all and end all, our boys’ mates aren’t always the best of role-models. In fact, they can often (whether by intention or naivety) reinforce the opposite messages to those we want to get across.

When quizzed, our young people often nominate sporting or other celebrities as role-models, however, I think we need them to be to looking closer to home for their role models. Every parent (mum or dad) typically plays the most critical role. On a daily basis, they model behaviour, attitudes and values. I’m told that on the most recent Year 12 retreat, when the boys were asked about their role models, they often responded by naming one or other or both parents.  Going beyond this, we cannot underestimate the influence of every other family member, be it sibling, uncle, aunty, cousin, grandparent, etc.  – all are potential role-models.

As teachers, we do more than teach lessons. We model a love for learning, we model effective relationships, we model conflict resolution, and we model Christian values.

Ask yourself the question – just who are the ‘identity-shaping’ adult role-models in your son’s life and how aware of it are they?

Mr Greg O’Neill, Head of Middle School

September Holidays
This term, whilst ten weeks in length, has felt much longer, such has been its pace and intensity coupled with the mid-term period of learning@home. We all need a break! I wish all Senior School students and their families every blessing for a period of relaxation and rejuvenation.

There is an opportunity for Year 12 students to attend the College on the Wednesday, Thursday and/or Friday of the second week of the holidays, as a way of sustaining the momentum prior to the final three weeks of preparation for the external examination period.

Prior to this, it is important that all Year 12 students recharge to ensure they are ready to finish their Villanova journey with pride and distinction. A significant focus also shifts for our Year 11 cohort to step up in Term 4 and embrace a ‘white shirt mentality’ in the commencement of their Unit 3 studies and the opportunity to informally begin leading the student body- setting a solid foundation for the success of their Senior year in 2022.

Podcast of the Week
I return again this week to another thought-provoking podcast from The Art of Manliness series entitled ‘The Character Traits that Drive Optimal Performance’. During the episode, host Brett McKay explores the work of retired Navy SEAL Commander Rich Diviney who authored the book, ‘The Attributes- 25 Hidden Drivers of Optimal Performance’. Diviney outlines the difference between skills and attributes and how the latter can’t be taught but can be developed. He then talks about the difference between peak and optimal performance, before turning to the attributes which drive the latter. Another interesting aspect of the conversation revolved around the components of grit and the distinction between discipline and self-discipline. You can access the episode here:

https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/attributes-that-drive-optimal-performance/

Staying Grounded
I read an inspired insight last week about the virtue of groundedness by Brad Stulberg. He wrote, “groundedness does not eliminate passion, productivity, or all forms of striving and ambition. Instead, it is about ditching an omnipresent and frantic anxiety to begin living in alignment with your innermost values, pursuing your interests, and expressing your authentic self in the here and now. When you are grounded there is no need to look up or down. You are where you are, and you hold true strength and power from that position. Your success, and the way in which you pursue it, becomes more enduring and robust. You gain the confidence to opt out of the consumer-driven rat-race that leaves you feeling like you are never enough.” What sage wisdom and an expression of the interplay between our Augustinian values of interiority, humility and the restless search for truth. As stated in my column last week, you can be both humble yet hungry in achieving your goals. One of the main barriers in subscribing to this philosophy however is in the debilitating power of one’s ego.

I am currently reading the second in Ryan Holiday’s three book series entitled ‘Ego is the Enemy’ where he explores the inhibiting force of ego, especially in an era that glorifies social media, reality television and other forms of shameless self-promotion. As a final takeaway message for the term, I would like to share with you an excerpt from Holiday’s introductory chapter:

“If the ego is the voice that tells us we’re better than we really are, we can say ego inhibits true success by preventing a direct and honest connection to the world around us. We can’t work with other people if we’ve put up walls. We can’t improve the world if we don’t understand it or ourselves. We can’t take or receive feedback if we are incapable of or uninterested in hearing from outside sources. We can’t recognise opportunities- or create them- if instead of seeing what is in front of us, we live inside our own fantasy. Without an accurate accounting of our own abilities compared to others, what we have is not confidence but delusion. How are we supposed to reach, motivate or lead other people if we can’t relate to their needs- because we’ve lost touch with our own?’

‘The first principle is that you must not fool yourself – and you are the easiest person to fool.’ – Richard Feynman

Mr Matt Levander, Head of Senior School

Living Gratefully and Walking Humbly
We have come to the end of Term 3 and the holidays await us.  Spring is certainly in the air, and with much of the east coast of Australia still enduring lockdowns, our hearts and prayers are with those enduring the hardship and challenge of isolating to keep safe.  For us,  there is also an acute sense that every day is a blessing.  Quite simply it is a blessing to be at school!  We are so fortunate to be physically together to learn, play sport, have discussions, gather together, move around freely, be off screens!  I do not say this flippantly. Having experienced Victoria’s long periods of lockdown last year and being in touch daily still with so many colleagues and friends who are living through counting up their days with the longest lockdown now in the world, I find myself in a state of deep gratitude and with a determination to treasure each day and to make it count.  How do we fully receive the gift of each day?  Where and to whom are we giving our time?  How does our freedom grant us an opportunity also to reach out to others in our community and beyond who are doing it tough?  Where is God and what is God doing in the midst of it all?  These are all the big questions that are part of our restless search for truth at this time!  St Augustine and the Augustinian spirituality holds this restless search for truth as a keyway into understanding ourselves, our world and our God more fully.

COVID has taught us that despite our best efforts we are not in control.  We do have to be prepared and take every measure we can, but the best laid plans at school and in our lives can require us to change, be flexible and pivot within moments of notice.  In my role of Mission and Identity I do wonder how this is impacting our young people?  What are we modelling to them about how we are to be together?  How are we teaching them about being grateful and able to respond in these times?  We do this of course in partnership with our parents and families.

Michael Leunig’s prayers so often aptly capture the human condition and our connection to the divine.  I’ve been praying to loosen my grip and to gently hold and feel eternity in the midst of our busy world.  I hope and pray over our break you can too!

Forming fine young men at Villanova College
In the midst of exams, students from YCS have been planning for a Mental Health Week that will begin in Week 1 of Term 4 and continue into Week 2.  Our students are leading in this space, making it clear that our as young people they need supports, spaces for discussion, opportunities to learn about well-being.

On Tuesday our final load of donations for Afghani refugees that had continued to flow into the College after our 24-hour call for assistance, were loaded up by Year 10 students and dropped off to the quarantining hotels, Multicultural Australia and Emmanuel City Mission.

Thank-you to all the families who gave so generously.  Your contributions have been very gratefully received.  Staff at the quarantine hotel from Queensland Health and the defence force had stories of how much our donations and the quality of what had been given had meant to families.

Worldwide Marriage Encounter

Worldwide Marriage Encounter invites couples, priests and religious to a Marriage Encounter Weekend to enrich and revitalise your Sacrament.  It gives you the opportunity to grow in your relationship with your spouse or your community.

Virtual weekend via Zoom, 22 October 2021 to 24 October 2021, commencing at 7pm on Friday – concluding at 4pm Sunday.  Contact Julie and Zyg Staszyc –  Email: sabookings@wwme.org.au

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

Ms Kate Garrone, Dean of Mission and Identity

Villanova College – First V Basketball Premiership 2021
Given the COVID shut down earlier in the term, the AIC Management Committee decided that school aggregates were not going to be awarded during this trimester of sport. As mentioned earlier in the term, premierships were still ‘up for grabs’!

If aggregates were awarded, Villanova would have secured the AIC Basketball aggregate for yet another year. Currently, Villanova holds the AIC Basketball aggregate and has done for the last five consecutive years. Unfortunately, due to COVID, the basketball aggregate has not been officially awarded or contested in the last two seasons as the complete season wasn’t played. If it was, by our calculations, we would have won those two years as well bringing the total to seven consecutive years.

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 program in 2021.

Overall, Villanova won an astounding 17 combined aggregate and non-aggregate premierships in basketball including the coveted First V basketball premiership. It is interesting to note that 25 out of our 31 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 organised. Our boys trained well and gave their best on game day for our College to produce these great results. Well done!

Our tennis boys performed well throughout the season. From the 17 teams, six placed in the top three. The 11A team was the only team who managed to win a premiership. 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 throughout the season.

The Rugby League program is heading in the right direction. Many of our players have only experienced playing rugby league whilst participating in the AIC competition. Given last year’s season was cancelled due to Covid, we were unable to build on the experiences the boys gained in the inaugural year of competition in 2019. That said, our teams performed well. From the seven teams entered, we won the Year 6 premiership and narrowly came second in the Year 10 division.

Congratulations go to all the premiership teams and coaches listed below.

AIC Basketball Premierships
First V Basketball – Coached by Jordan Mullan, Stephen Rouhliadeff and Sean O’Neill
Second V Basketball – Coached by Tyler McClusky
Third V Basketball – Coached by Emily Want
Fourth V Basketball – Coached by Lucas Boylan and Oscar McGown
11A Basketball – Coached by Sean O’Neill
10B Basketball – Coached by Travis Warren
10C Basketball – Coached by Zac Grinstead and Dan Loveday
10D Basketball – Coached by Tom Balshaw and Declan Edser
7B Basketball – Coached by Lachlan Nuttall
7C Basketball – Coached by Declan Ries and Joseph Mahoney
7D Basketball – Coached by John Holroyd
6B Basketball – Coached by Matt Wilson
6C Basketball – Coached by Barbara Dewis
6D Basketball – Coached by Melissa Liddy
5B Basketball – Coached by Nichole Rouhliadeff
5C Basketball – Coached by Callum Hackett
5D Basketball – Coached by Chloe Adams

AIC Tennis Premiership
11A Tennis – Managed by Julian Mascadri

AIC Rugby League Premiership
Year 6 – Coached by Bart Ritchie, Damien Lyons and Vaasa Afa.

On behalf of the College, I thank the Year 12 cohort for the contributions they have made. Last weekend marked the final round of AIC sport for these students. These boys have served as good role models for the younger boys. The level of commitment and pride shown by his cohort has been excellent.

Now that we are done and dusted with basketball, tennis and rugby league, I encourage all students from Year 5 – 12 to give Track and Field their highest priority. There are only three weeks of training to go, two of which are in the school holidays and one next term. The AIC Track and Field Championships are held in Week 1 next term. Please read below information regarding Track & Field.

Already we are planning sporting events for next term and beyond. Volleyball pre-season has commenced as well as the swim program and cricket programs. Early next term we will advertise the official sign-on for those wishing to play AIC Volleyball, Cricket, AFL and Swimming in term 1 2022. All trials for these sports will be conducted next term. Please keep a lookout for further information in the newsletter next term.

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

VILLANOVA SWIMMING
The 2021 – 22 Villanova swimming season has commenced.  Many thanks to the 35 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 2022 Championship.

If your son is interested in joining the swim squad, please go to the AIC Swimming section on the website to view the online registration form. 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 Langlands Park Memorial Pool, located at 5 Panitya Street, Stones Corner. All training sessions will be under the direction of Mr Felipe Barraza Rojas – Villanova Swim Coach (Year 9 – 12) and Ms Kerry Holland – Villanova Swim Coach (Year 5 – 8).

Training is open to all students who hope to become a member of Villanova’s 2022 Swim Team or for students wishing to increase their physical fitness.  Please note that these sessions are for students who are capable swimmers only, they are not ‘learn to swim’ sessions. Parents who are looking for ‘learn to swim’ sessions may wish to enrol their son/s in an alternate program run at Langlands Pool.

Villanova Swimming Training Schedule
(Commenced Tuesday 7 September for current Villanova students and commencing on Tuesday 5 October for students commencing at the College in 2022)

Training commenced on Tuesday 7 September for current Villanova students and will continue every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday morning as per the schedule above.

Training will continue from Week 1, Term 4 2021 (Tuesday 5 October) for new students enrolled at Villanova in Years 5 and 7 (and other year levels) in 2022 as well as all currently enrolled Villanova students as per the schedule above. These sessions will run up to and including Friday 17 December 2021.

May we please ask that students arrive at least 15 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.

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 24 October.

The draw is yet to be finalised. However, the age groups are likely to be – Year 7, Year 8/9 and Year 10/11 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 are interested early next term to discuss training and give out further details.

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

The final weekend against Padua was a tremendous success for the Villanova Basketball Program. With so many premierships up for grabs, it was fantastic for the teams to be able to showcase all that they had learnt throughout the season. The Junior School did a fantastic job of starting the momentum on Friday afternoon with seven wins and a draw and then continued Saturday with the 7’s, 10’s and Opens winning all their games as well. All up for the weekend we had 24 wins, six losses and a draw. That means we finish with 12 premierships across Year 7 – 12 and another six undefeated teams in Year 5 and Year 6.

Our First V entered the weekend up against the only other undefeated team in Padua. It was a high scoring affair that saw both teams play an attractive brand of basketball. Villa was able to stretch out to a ten-point lead, but Padua held on to that deficit for most of the game which certainly pushed our boys all the way to the end. This was a great achievement for this group to win an undefeated Premiership, after falling agonisingly close last year. With a high contingent of Year 12’s in the team, it was just reward for the effort and time they have put into the Villanova College Basketball Program over the many years. Congratulations!

I would also like to take a moment to thank all coaches for their efforts throughout the season. A program as successful as this can only run on the back of coaches who are willing to put in the time and effort to coach and mentor the players. I am very fortunate with the calibre of coaches that we have, and the boys should feel privileged to have them develop their individual and team skills.

Finally, basketball continues over the next month with our top teams entered into the Champion Basketball Schools QLD (CBSQ) competition. This week, our First V team travel to Carrara to play in the Championship Division of the competition which places us in the top 20 schools in the State out of the 72 schools competing. While the primary goal has always been to win AIC, the secondary goal of medalling at CBSQ has always been a priority for this year’s team. Then, in Week 2 of next term, the best of our combined Year 7 and Year 8 basketballers enters the Sophomore CBSQ and Year 9 and Year 10 enter the Junior CBSQ. Both teams have been placed in the Championship division as well so hopefully we will be able to report back with some more success for Villanova basketball again shortly. We wish all three teams all the very best.

Hire Basketball Singlets

We ask all players from Year 7 – 12 to return their basketball hire singlet to the Uniform Shop as soon as possible please. All Year 5 and Year 6 students are to either hand their singlet in to the Junior School Office or the Sports Office.

AIC Basketball Results v Padua College

AIC TENNIS
Mr Todd Kropp, AIC Tennis Co-ordinator

Congratulations go to all tennis players from Year 5 – 12 on a great season. The 2021 season saw an array of tennis talent coming from all AIC schools in various age groups making the competition across the board very competitive.

Unfortunately, due to COVID, AIC aggregates were not awarded for the 2021 season to any Term 3 AIC sport. Villanova did have an outstanding season on the court with much success to celebrate, whether that be on the scoreboard, or with the racquet. All those who took to the court should feel immensely proud of their efforts.

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. Towards the end of Term 2 we began preparing for the AIC Season with trials and training beginning for the remainder of the Villanova tennis players.

From the 17 teams submitted into the AIC Tennis competition we were able to secure a premiership for our 11A team, this is a fantastic achievement for these boys and the College having won this premiership outright. I would also like to make special mention to our 8B and 11B team on finishing in second place, with our 7A team being pushed out to third place by a talented Padua in the final round of fixtures by only two games!

Overall, our First IV came fourth securing three wins and three losses over the season. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate and thank departing First IV Captain Joe Timms for not only his performance on court but for being a true advocate for Villanova College tennis by supporting our Year 5 and Year 6 teams as they navigated through their season. I would also like to congratulate and thank James Reid for his contribution to Villanova tennis over many years as he departs as the graduating class of 2021. James was always a pleasure to watch on the court whether it be showing off his technical ability or grit and determination to never give up on a rally. We also keep careful watch on current First IV players, Sam Simmons and Adam Zanatta, as they will continue with the First IV program in 2022.

It was a great season for our Junior School tennis players having recorded several wins on the court during the season. It was refreshing to see the boys come out each week and show their passion for the game. I would like to acknowledge Year 5 student, Caeden Ford and Year 6 student, Sam Cotter on being named the Year Level Champion for their respective year levels. Well done boys!

In closing this report, I must thank all coaches and managers including Bo Tran, Barbara Dewis, Connor Wadsworth, Michael Mascadri, Julian Mascadri, Nick Halstead, Justin Musumeci, 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 after their teams. A special thank you to Robyn, Gareth and the entire team at TennisGear Morningside for their assistance in getting our program on the court.

Finally, I thank the players for their commitment given and a special mention to our departing year 12 players for their commitment to the tennis community over many years. Well done on a great season and I certainly do look forward to hitting the courts again in 2022!

AIC Tennis Results v Padua College

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

 2021 marked the second year of rugby league in AIC. It was fantastic to feel the anticipation and excitement building around rugby league after the 2020 season was cancelled due to COVID. This year we had over 140 players don the Green and Gold for what was an interesting 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.

This year we had enormous numbers register for the trials across all year levels which made the selection process very challenging for our coaches. The trial against SPC proved that we were going to be competitive in the 2021 season with six wins and only one loss.

Unfortunately, COVID managed to strike again, resulting in some rounds being cancelled. This made collating aggregate points very difficult, resulting in AIC making the decision to not award overall aggregate placings for this year. Individual team placings were still recognised. Special mention must go to our Year 6 team for their undefeated season. There is an enormous amount of talent in Year 6, and we look forward to watching them continue to improve and remain engaged in rugby league. Congratulations also to our Year 10 team for completing their season in second place with only one loss.

As was expected, some boys are still learning the basics of rugby league but there were many positives to take out of the 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 season has motivated many boys to play club rugby league in the future.

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 Padua, SPC, SLC and SEC. The Round 6 fixture versus St Edmund’s was an impressive performance from our First XIII. The boys managed to secure a draw 24 – 24 after being down 24 – 6 at half time. There were some tough mental and physical lessons to be learnt for our open players for the 2021 season, but I admired their commitment and dedication to representing the college in rugby league. 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 second season, we were excited to have many experienced coaches on board developing and getting the best out of our players. Mr Mark Gliddon is the current Development Officer for the Easts Tigers Rugby League Club and helped with the development of our players and all coaches. We thank Mark for helping and supporting our coaches and players for this season.

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, parents and external coaches to give our boys a run on the paddock every Saturday. Thank you to Mr Cooper Sauvage, Mr Ben Francis, Mr Shane Walker, Mr Brad Ryan, Mr Andrew Ebrington, Mr Brayden Torpy, Mr Steve Livingstone and Mr Jon Green. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank College staff members, Mr Tom Peele, Mr Bart Ritchie and Mr Mannie Navarro. A huge thank you also to our Year 11 students, Lachlan Smythe and Harry Moore for performing linesmen duties throughout the season.

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 assisting teams with other duties. Without the ongoing support and assistance from the many members of the Villanova College community, the 2021 rugby league season would not have been made possible.

Bring on 2022!

Rugby League Hire Jerseys
We ask all players from Year 7 – 12 to return their rugby league hire jersey to the Uniform Shop as soon as possible please.  All Year 5 and Year 6 students are to either hand their jersey in to the Junior School Office or the Sports Office.

AIC Rugby League Results v Padua College

AIC TRACK & FIELD
With the basketball, tennis and rugby league seasons over, we hope our better athletes can attend the remaining training sessions. Please note we will hold some holiday training sessions as listed below. All athletes are asked to find their own way to and from the session during the holidays.

Although a draft team has been published, we intend on finalising the team on the first day back next term after we consider the performances given over the holiday training sessions. A meeting with all squad members will be held on Wednesday 6 October to announce the final team and give out all information. For the time being the first draft of the AIC Track & Field team is now posted in the Parent Lounge and Student Café portals in the same section where all team lists are found

Key Dates

Holiday Training (boys find their own way to and from Villanova Park, no buses will be supplied)

• Tuesday 21 September – Training at Villanova Park (8.00 – 9.30am)
• Tuesday 28 September – Training at Villanova Park (8.00 – 9.30am)

Term 4 Training (final week leading into Track & Field Championships)

•  Tuesday 5 October – Training at Villanova Park (3.45 – 5.15pm)
• Wednesday 6 October – Training at Villanova Park (3.45 – 5.15pm)

Year 5 and Year 6 800m Holiday Training

• Monday 20 September at Whites Hill 8.30 – 10.00am
• Wednesday 22 September at Whites Hill 8.30 – 10.00am
• Friday 24 September at Whites Hill 8.30 – 10.00am.
• Monday 27 September at Villanova Park 8.30 – 10.00am
• Wednesday 29 September at Whites Hill 8.30 – 10.00am
• Friday 1 October at Whites Hill 8.30 – 10.00am
• Monday 4 October at Whites Hill 8.30 – 10.00am

Year 5 and Year 6 800m Term 4 Training

•  Wednesday 6 October at Little Langlands 3.15 – 4.30pm

AIC Track & Field Championships 

• Day 1 – Friday 8 October
• Day 2 – Saturday 9 October

AIC Track & Field Championships – Information
Villanova’s 2021 AIC Track and Field Team is very much looking forward to competing at the annual AIC Track and Field Championships which will be held on Friday 8 and Saturday 9 October at the Queensland Sport and Athletic Centre (QSAC). This is the very first week back next term.

The team’s preparation has been encouraging and we are looking forward to a successful carnival. Unfortunately, not everyone who has trained will get the chance to compete on Friday and Saturday. However, we believe that all those who have trained are important members of the 2021 AIC Track and Field Team, therefore all squad members who have trained throughout the season are invited to attend the carnival with the competing team as a spectator/reserve.

The first draft of Villanova’s Track & Field team has now been selected and is now published in the Parent Lounge and Student Café portals (the same place where all team lists are found). Villanova’s final team will be chosen by Wednesday 6 October. As a result of holiday training, the draft team list could change.

Please find below some information regarding the event schedule and other important information including buses times, uniform requirements etc.  Due to COVID restrictions only two parents per student athlete are permitted to attend the carnival. It is required that all student athletes on both days arrive at the College and use the bus service provided to the venue. This ensures that our coaching staff know that all athletes are present and accounted for. Students may go home with parents at the end of the day.

Click here for the full event schedule.

AIC Track and Field Championships

Day 1:
Friday 8 October:  1.15pm – 5.00pm
Main Stadium – QSAC, Kessels Road, Nathan

Transport: Bus departs Villanova College from Sixth Avenue at midday and will return to the College by 5.30pm

Day 2:
Saturday 9 October:  8.30am – 2.00pm
Main Stadium – QSAC, Kessels Road, Nathan

Team Photo:  All athletes are to assemble/meet in the quadrangle at Villanova College at 6.45am for a team photo

Transport: Bus departs Villanova College from Sixth Avenue at 7.15am and will return to the College by 2.45pm.

All members of the team must arrive at the College by 6.45am on Saturday ready for a 7.15am departure on the team bus. All athletes are to meet on the quadrangle for a team photo before boarding the bus. Boys are to ensure they have eaten beforehand and have all the necessary food, drink and equipment for the day.  The first event on the program for Day 2 begins at 8.45am (Open 3000m).

Uniform:
All athletes are required to wear the full Villanova College athletic uniform. Boys who are not competing may wear their team shirt and green PE shorts.

Competing athletes must wear the following:

• Villanova athletics singlet
• Villanova white athletic shorts
• Villanova team shirt (COMPULSORY)
• Villanova sports cap (green)

The boys will need to bring the following:

• Hat/sunscreen/wet weather gear (if required)
• Water bottle/s
• Food (fruit, sandwiches)
• Lunch will not be provided on Saturday 9 October – A canteen will be available with food (it is recommended to bring your own food)
• Please avoid junk food such as chips and milk drinks
• Other sportswear i.e. spikes

The team bus will return to the College at the completion of the presentations on Day 2 by approximately 2.45pm.

Our congratulations to Louis Henderson who has been selected as Team Captain for 2021. Louis has led by example with his commitment to Villanova’s athletics program over many years.

Thank you for supporting your son during the track and field season this year.  I am sure all boys will give their best on the days of the Championships, and we look forward to an enjoyable and successful couple of days.

QUEENSLAND SCHOOLS AFL CUP – YEAR 6
Given our Year 6 AFL team won the AIC Premiership this year, AFLQ have granted this team a pathway directly into the finals of the AFL Schools Cup held next term. The AFL Gala Day will be held at Maroochydore on the 15 and 16 October. At this stage no more details have been given by AFLQ.

When we learn more, we will pass these details on. At present Mr Fry has contacted the Year 6 team and asked parents to confirm whether their son is available to play on this weekend or otherwise. If boys are unavailable, we will ask other boys to fill the places. It will be the responsibility of the parents to transport their son to and from the game on both days. This maybe a chance for families to make a weekend of it on the Sunshine Coast!

Mr Fry, Mr Conlan and Mr Dent will take the team and are keen to run to training sessions next term on Thursday afternoon in Week 1 and Week 2, most likely at Coorparoo JAFC, times and dates to be confirmed.  More details will be given regarding this entire event when information is released by AFLQ. This may come in at the end of this week.

CRICKET CAMP – September Holidays at Villanova Park
A ‘Holiday Cricket Camp’ will be run over the up-coming September school holiday break. The camp is run by 10KSports at Villanova Park on the 29 and 30 September. Please click here for information and payment details.

ZONE CRICKET
Teams for the Term 4 Cricket Zone Competition are in the process of been finalised and an App message will appear over the holidays asking families to check the web page for the lists. When the lists come out, could all parents please contact their son’s team manager to pass on contact details and to sign up for umpiring and scoring. The first match will be on the 9 October, which is the first Saturday back and everyone needs to be aware of times and venues, so it is crucial that you contact your team manager.

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 4 October, ALL Year 5 teams will train on Thursday morning 7 October. They will then train on Monday 11 October.

The draw for the EDJCA and BEARS has not been finalised and will be distributed to all managers as soon as it becomes available.  Matches begin on Saturday 9 October and will conclude on Saturday December 4.

Mr Craig Stariha, Director of Sport

Music Leadership Nominations for 2022
Information has been distributed to all Year 10 and Year 11 students seeking nominations for student leadership positions within the Music program for next year.  Students are required to submit a completed nomination form, along with their written response to selection criteria outlined on the nomination document.  These submissions were required before 3pm today, September 16.  Students nominated for leadership roles will be required to present to members of our community during Week 1 of Term 4 with the election, for members of the music community, to be convened shortly after.

Junior School Concert – Tuesday 14 September
On behalf of the Music Department, I would like to congratulate and thank all students and staff involved in the preparation and participation in the Junior School Concert on Tuesday afternoon this week.  This was the first opportunity our Junior School musicians had a chance to share their music with their families in live concert – they did an incredible job!  The feedback received from family and friends in attendance was amazing and the buzz created as the students departed the building was very exciting.

We look forward to further opportunities for the students to perform in Term 4!

Gala Concerts in Term 4
As restrictions have eased and our building remains active, we look forward to actually being able to perform for an audience early next term.  Information regarding the events have been distributed to participant students.  If you have any questions or queries regarding these, please do not hesitate to contact the Music Office.

The events will run as per our calendar and date claimers at the end of this section.  We are requiring all families to procure tickets through Trybooking so that we meet our Allocated Seating Requirement for the event.  Information regarding restrictions for the event will be communicated over the next fortnight as the environment changes.

You may purchase your tickets here:

Bands Gala Concert
Wednesday 6 October, 5:50pm – https://www.trybooking.com/BUEJE

Choir and Guitar Gala
Thursday 7 October, 5:00pm – https://www.trybooking.com/BUEJF

Strings Gala Concert
Thursday 7 October, 6:30pm – https://www.trybooking.com/BUDWC

Ensemble Membership 2022
We have been awaiting some final audition submissions before finalising our bands and string orchestras for 2022.  As soon as this information is completed, we will be posting these groups for the community.  Thank you all for your patience as we negotiate this final hurdles.

Entertainment Publications Memberships
 Entertainment memberships are one of the Music Support Groups main fund-raisers.  Just click on the link attached in the flyer to purchase a membership and obtain ongoing special deals throughout the year.

Villanova Camp Chairs and Wildcat Coolers
Our fantastic Music Support Group have organised an innovative fundraiser for Villanova College.  You may have heard the buzz about our Villanova Camp Chairs and Wildcat Coolers…  the MUST HAVE items for the beach/cricket/park/fishing/BBQ/etc. this Summer! (flyer attached).

Villanova Branded Camp Chairs – $35; Wildcat Coolers – $30

All items can be purchased via trybooking through the following link:  https://www.trybooking.com/BMEML

All profits go to the Music Support Group.

Opportunity to Participate
The Music community at Villanova welcomes all students interested in participating in ensemble or instrument/vocal tuition.  If your son would like to take lessons on an instrument this year, please contact the Music Office on 3394 5691 or via email at music@vnc.qld.edu.au for further information.

Date Claimers
We can now look ahead to what the new term brings!  Further information will be distributed shortly to participant families:

Thank you all for your ongoing support of Music at Villanova College.

Mr Michael Jones, Director of Music

MUSICAL UPDATE
Preparations are well underway for the bi-annual Villanova College and Loreto College musical in 2022. We are very excited to be putting on Disney’s High School Musical. The production team from Villa have been working hard behind the scenes preparing the vision and direction, sourcing costumes, learning the songs and doing a mountain of paperwork to have everything ready to go for our first rehearsal in week 4 of Term 4. All boys who are currently in Years 8-11 are eligible to audition for the show. We need stage performers, dancers, musicians and crew. This is your final reminder to fill in the audition form that was emailed home a few weeks ago.

A huge thanks to the production team for their efforts so far and as a community, we wish you all the best as you embark on the journey of bringing the vision to life. The production team consists of Mrs Sophie Kenny – Director, Mr Michael Jones – Music Director, Mrs Belinda Tucker and Mr Neil Roche-Kelly – Vocal Directors, Ms Janet Murfin – Costumes and Sets/Props, Mr Matt Levander – Stage Manager and Mrs Justine Silk and Ms Sallyanne Freney – Producers. The show will be presented in the last week of February so keep an eye out for ticket sales early Term 1, 2022.

Mrs Justine Silk, Musical Producer

FUSE CUP ESPORTS UPDATE
Last Friday, our Year 9/10 esports team comprising James Naylor (Captain), Patrick Campbell, Flynn Curtis and Will Godwin represented Villanova College at the Brisbane High School FUSE Cup Esports event playing Super Smash Bros Ultimate at St John’s Anglican College, Forest Lake.

All students faced tough opposition in their round robin heats, with special mention to Flynn Curtis who missed qualification for the finals by the very narrowest of margins. It was pleasing to see two of our four competitors, James Naylor and Will Godwin, proceed to the final series after winning the majority of battles in their heat pools. After intermission, both boys continued their success to qualify for the super smash Semi Finals on the day! Unfortunately, both James and Will were beaten by the eventual esports champions – interestingly, all four winners were part of the same super team from Kelvin Grove State College.

Congratulations to both James and Will for coming home with the runners-up silverware! Special mention must go to James Naylor for his constant encouragement and support of his teammates throughout the day. His efforts were noticed by tournament organisers and other teachers – he was a fine example of a sports captain leading from behind, not to mention his own success on the day.

Villanova College has developed a high profile in the esports community this year, not only for our consistent success – winning or coming runners-up in all six tournaments in 2021 – but also for the way our students support each other and demonstrate the highest levels of sportsmanlike conduct whether they win or lose.

It is hoped we can continue our success in Term 4 as we enter the state finals mid-October on the Gold Coast! Best of luck to our state finalists – all from Year 7 – Jack Fidge, Connor Chaseling and Grant Crawford.

Mr Jason Lane, eLearning Pedagogy Leader

JOIN THE INTERNATIONAL CARNIVAL ORGANISING TEAM
The P&F would love to hear from parents willing to join the Villanova International Carnival Organising team for the 2022 Carnival. While the convener role has previously been taken on by one volunteer, the P&F recognises that the role is more than one volunteer can manage and will adopt a team model for the organisation of future carnivals. If you are interested, or would like to know more, please contact P&F President, Vass Cayas at Vass.Cayas@turntown.com

OLD BOYS’ RAFFLE SUPPORTING THE TERRY HENDLE BURSARY
The Old Boys’ Association multi-draw raffle has over $30,000 in prizes up for grabs including a massive 70 inch Smart TV and $400 Harvey Norman voucher, an Outdoor Box to Day 3 of the Brisbane Ashes Test and more!!  Tickets start at $10 and are available via  https://www.trybooking.com/BRHLO

The raffle is the Old Boys’ main fundraiser for the Terry Hendle Bursary which assists families experiencing financial hardship to access a Villanova College education. Prizes have been donated by Old Boys and businesses in the Villanova community. Date drawn – 22 October. Thank you for your support – click here for the full list of prizes.

BUILDING MENTALLY HEALTHY KIDS – ONLINE SEMINAR
Catholic School Parents Queensland invite Catholic School Parents to attend a free online evening webinar with Andrew Fuller, a Clinical Psychologist, Family Therapist, Author, Speaker and Creator of ‘Learning Strengths’.

This webinar is to support our children’s learning and wellbeing. Topics suitable for all ages Prep to Year 12 and will include Resilience, Friendship and relationship skills, Neurochemistry and parenting, Parenting tricky kids, Creating happy kids, Building self-esteem and dealing with set backs.

Date: Thursday 2 October, 7.00pm – 8.00pm
Registration: https://www.eventcreate.com/e/andrewfuller7oct

For enquiries, contact Catholic School Parents Queensland – info@cspq.catholic.edu.au

SUPPORTERS GEAR
A range of Villa Supporters Gear is available – including new personalised quick-dry Wildcat towels – order now for a great Christmas gift. VNC Face Masks are now back in stock. The full range is available via the online store.

YEAR 11 MOTHERS’ WEEKEND – SOCIAL SCHEDULE
The social program for the Year 11 Mothers’ Weekend has been released. Please refer to the Year 11 Parents’ Facebook group for details – including how to pre-pay for Saturday evening’s dinner.

YEAR 5/6 PARENT END OF YEAR FUNCTION
Tickets for the Year 5 and 6 Parent End of Year function are now open:

Date: Saturday 6 November, 2021
Time: 6.00pm
Venue: Martini Bar, Story Bridge Hotel
Cost: $45.00 (includes drink on arrival, canapes and noodle box)
Bookings: click here

LIBRARY ROSTER (TUESDAY 5 OCTOBER – FRIDAY 8  OCTOBER)
All volunteers rostered on this week will be contacted directly by the Library.

TUCKSHOP ROSTER (TUESDAY 5 OCTOBER – FRIDAY 8  OCTOBER)
All volunteers rostered on this week will be contacted directly by the Tuckshop.

Price Increase:
Please note: Due to a price increase from our supplier, from the beginning of Term 4 all sushi will be $4.00 and Japanese Curry will be $10.00.