Villa View: Issue 32/21

Dear Members of the Villanova College Community,
On Tuesday 2 November, the College will hold the 2021 Celebration of Excellence at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre. This evening is an opportunity for our community to come together to celebrate the academic achievements of our students and to enjoy the performances of our musicians and choir.

The Celebration of Excellence is a free event and tickets will be available soon. The venue will have the required COVID Plan in place and we will be asked to follow that plan. Further details of the requirements for attending the event will be sent to families in the very near future.

At Villanova College we take great joy in the academic achievements of our students, and we look forward to celebrating the wonderful efforts of so many students who have displayed great determination and persistence in their studies during 2021.

Families of award recipients will be notified by close of business Tuesday 26 October and will receive information regarding the process to book tickets for the evening.

We are very much looking forward to celebrating together the academic achievements of our students.

Senior Class 2021
Today marks the final day of classes for our Year 12 students. Tomorrow, their external exams will commence and will be conducted over the next four weeks concluding on Tuesday 16 November. We wish our Year 12 students every success for these final assessments, and I am confident these young men have been well prepared for the exams.

It is natural for our students to be a little anxious before the exams. Our staff have coached the young men to be rested and calm before the exams and to utilise positive self-talk. Our students understand the importance of the right mind set when sitting their final exams.

Villa Visions
Last Friday, our Creative Arts Department showcased the work of our students in the area of Visual and Media Arts. From Visual Arts to Multi-Media presentations, the creative work of our students was on display to a very appreciative audience.

As I walked around the displays, I was struck by the quality of the work, and it was clear to see the progression in artistic development as I moved through the age groups up to the Year 12 works. Our Creative Arts staff are to be congratulated for their guidance of our students. Thank you to the many family members who supported this event. I know our students were grateful to have you view their work.

Senior Musicians Celebration
The 2021 celebration for Year 12 musicians was also held on Friday and provided an opportunity to thank and farewell the Year 12 musicians who have contributed so much to the Villanova College Music program during their time at the College. For many of the students their music journey began in Year 5 and continued over the past eight years to culminate in Year 12 in 2021. I know for the Year 12 students Music has played an important role during their time at the College and they are most grateful to the Music staff for their work with them over the years.

AFL
Congratulations to our Junior AFL Team on their first place at the State Championship over the weekend. The team worked very hard during the carnival and were victorious in the final. Thank you to coaches, Mr Adam Fry, Mr Matt Conlan and Mr James Dent.

Prayers
We keep our Year 12 students and their families in our prayers over the coming weeks as they complete the last stage of their secondary schooling.

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

God bless

Mr Mark Stower, 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. 

Last Friday, Oliver Wright, 5 Red, stood proudly in Goold Hall, on behalf of the Year 5 cohort of 2021, to deliver a heartfelt farewell and thank you to our Seniors.  Live streamed, and in front of all staff and students of Villanova College, Oliver stood at the podium and made us so very proud.  He brought lightness to what is such an important year in education and reminded us of what is the most important thing of all – our relationships and connections, small or big, mean everything when it’s all said and done.  It was the Year 12s very last Assembly gathering as a whole College and the great efforts that it took to gather the memories, laughs and rehearse such a speech is one to certainly acknowledge.  I also wish to extend my thanks to Hardy Meredith, 5 Black, who stood proudly in the wings should he be needed, just as Top Gun’s Goose was for Maverick.  Both gentlemen went above and beyond in the week leading up to this seven-minute speech, rehearsing and sharing guidance between Mrs Nichole Rouhliadeff and Mr Brendan Kennedy.  It is only fitting that I share these words with you all, based on all Year 5 ideas and brainstorming to ensure our Year 12 students know how much their minutes mattered with us this year – and how we will always be here to welcome them any time they should need us in the future.

“Good morning to our big brothers of 2021.  Today I want to share how much you mean to the Year 5 cohort.  You all have just a few days left on Villanova College grounds, and the memories you leave with us are high impact and long-lasting.  Let’s face it, we will exaggerate all those stories greatly, and one day we will walk up to you at an Old Boys’ Event just to check your recall too.  What a moment this is – your six to eight years of experiences, all the highs and lows, you have become the Villanovan man who now takes the Augustinian heart and mind into the world.  May you dream big and have no regrets – now is the time to be brave – such as having a mullet that passes the shirt collar or spending the rest of your life wearing socks well below the knee, around the ankle, where they belong.  From our point of view, you can already eat lunch and walk at the same time – so being a hero really does start with the smallest things from where we stand.

On day one you met us at the College gates – those crisp white shirts projected halos that convinced our parents they had made the right decision.  You seemed so happy to be at school, like this was the best, and only place on earth where you wanted to be.  Your voices that boomed good morning were far deeper than Mr Peels can ever hope to be – so lucky for him that he has other talents like whip cracking and riding a horse. Your arms threw our body weight in books over your shoulder with ease.  We made you laugh because we seemed so small and easy to step on under our green floppy hats.  We followed your fancy Senior ties with shiny badges towards the St Thomas Learning Centre (well if we followed one particular Senior, then all we could see were his kneecaps) and found ourselves a breakfast box to digest to settle our nerves.  By the afternoon we were singing “V for Villanova” and learning chants in Goold Hall – amazed at your willingness to display spirit so proudly and loudly.  We promise to keep this spirit alive and well as part of your legacy.

Term Two brought a real understanding of Senior Mentorship to our learning spaces.  We would race to sit near you, and the lucky ones got to wear an Akubra or blazer for the next 20 minutes.  You spoke words that we will always regard as the fifth Gospel in our Junior School bible.  We played games that showed it doesn’t take an A in physics to be skilled at wriggling an Oreo from your forehead to your mouth in the fastest time, that general knowledge quizzes can be won without understanding cognitive verbs, and the random name spinning wheel can have consequences such as balancing a year 5 student whilst doing push ups.

Our mentors proved they can take risks with us, laugh with kindness, and how relationships mean everything.  You are our brothers for life.  When it came time to listen to your advice about revision, study and how important respect is as a Villa man then we listened because we trusted you.  You matter to us boys.  Walking onto the rugby and football fields beside you was exhilarating.  The sheer size of you all in your sports kit, with strapping tape decorating you like a Christmas tree, was unforgettable.  You might have been thinking about the game, opponents, and the strategies, whereas we were wondering just how much it hurts to rip that tape off the forests that grow on your legs and arms.

You seem indestructible as brothers, win or lose, and when the captain in bright orange headgear shows calm no matter what’s on the scoreboard, then we in the grandstands follow his lead with pride.  The Friday Spirit Rallies became something to look forward to – whether it was seeing the College Captain split his shorts with a lean too far forward, the chance to hold the Villa flag up high or the moment our spirit fingers would bring the bang of that drum to the Agora and the rest of Coorparoo.

Term Three demonstrated how important Ministry is – and our service leader with bouncy blonde curls has demonstrated this in all kinds of forms.  AFAS became our new favourite acronym, and we saw how the words in the bible transform through us into the real world.  We have brothers in the Philippines we have never met, yet we are bound tightly to them through the teachers, parents and students before us.  Your message of solidarity has been heard.

The Dare to Donate challenges opened our eyes to how Seniors and staff can have two very different sides – there is nothing you won’t wear or do for a laugh or donation to the right cause – such as the Head of Senior School making his U2 performance worthy of being on the next Masked Singer Australia.  The lunch breaks that you came down to play shoe cricket, touch football or handball are important because when we outrun, outplay and outwit a senior, that’s bragging rights for a very long time.  It is also going to be one of our life lessons that you can never quite be sure who is inside the Villa Wildcat costume – Mr Stower, you really did surprise us with your commitment to the cause.

There are valuable lessons you have taught us this year.  Shaving tips, being generous with deodorant use, that exam results matter, but not as much as how you make the person next to you feel that they belong.  We have also taught you important life lessons – you are never too old to play games, never too smart to listen to our version of the truth, and that being our big brothers will never end, despite the fact you  now need to leave us behind.

We have watched you so carefully during Assemblies, heard every word as we pass you at the Canteen and believed that you have all the answers to our billions of questions.  Even our Year 5 teachers who have cheered you on for all this time, will miss you greatly.  So, we promise you that we will remember what you have done for us, and we will pay it back when our time comes.  Thank you, Seniors of 2021, for taking care of us and helping us believe we are just as capable of doing our best like you have.  May God bless you and keep you safe.  Thank you.”

Mr Stephen Rouhliadeff, Head of Junior School

In 2017, Forbes Magazine published one of my favourite articles. It’s entitled: “Six Science-Based Reasons Why Laughter is the Best Medicine”.

Written by David DiSalvo, the article outlines the health benefits of injecting humour and laughter into our lives. As we navigate the always challenging task of raising adolescents, those health benefits are just so essential to well-being – both ours and our adolescents. The key thing for us as parents and teachers is that the research shows that often humour and laughter can be the great  diffuser when the mystery of adolescent behaviour gets just too much for us to cope with.

This isn’t just ‘folksie pop-psychology’, it is based on solid research. Six of DiSalvo’s main arguments to support his theory are:

• Laughter releases powerful endorphins that are the body’s natural feel-good chemicals.
• Laughing is often contagious and laughing together helps form social connections.
• Laughter engages neural pathways across multiple parts of the brain.
• Laughter improves the quality and depth of relationships.
• Laughter can boost serotonin production helping us to feel better resulting in the stabilise mood.
• Laughter can improve heart health with research showing that “laughter has an anti-inflammatory effect that protects blood vessels and heart muscles from the damaging effects of cardiovascular disease.”

In my educational career I am finding more and more that good relationships are at the core of success in working with adolescents. I am also finding that, when working with teens, the effectiveness of that work is enhanced with the involvement of humour and laughter. A well-developed sense of humour helps build self-efficacy and a more positive outlook on life.

Food for reflection: Are our homes and classrooms humour-rich environments? The science tells us that there are great benefits from the telling of jokes, the recalling of funny anecdotes, the watching of funny movies together, and the playing of fun games.

Not sure of the richness of the humour here [but as a dad I’m entitled to tell dad-jokes!], but it is possible to find humour even in regard to the core subjects:

• Science – If the Silver Surfer and Iron Man team up, they’d be alloys.
• Maths – Why should you worry about the math teacher holding graph paper? They’re definitely plotting something.
• Geography – What’s the best part about living in Switzerland? Not sure, but the flag is a big plus.
• English – What do you say when your thesaurus is stolen? Nothing, you’ll be lost for words!
• Religion – Who in the Bible had the greatest business plans? The prophets.

All the best for a ‘funny’ week ahead.

Mr Greg O’Neill, Head of Middle School

Last Friday we conducted the Year 12 Farewell Assembly and Guard of Honour, one of the significant rites of passage events in our College calendar. The student body and staff warmly affirmed the Senior class and the proverbial baton was passed to our Year 11 students, as the 2022 Student Leadership Executive were entrusted with our symbols of leadership as part of the Student Leadership Handover.

Year 5 Red student Oliver Wright, showing confidence and poise well beyond his years, spoke glowingly of the impact our Year 12 students have had as outstanding role models, especially to our Junior School students. Oliver stated, “we have watched you so carefully during Assemblies, heard every word as we pass you at the Canteen and believed that you have all the answers to our billions of questions.  Even our Year 5 teachers who have cheered you on for all this time will miss you greatly.  So, we promise you that we will remember what you have done for us, and we will pay it back when our time comes.  Thank you, Seniors of 2021, for taking care of us and helping us believe we are just as capable of doing our best like you have.”

In his final address to the student body as College Captain, Louis Henderson powerfully expressed this year’s College theme of gratitude in thanking those in our community who have contributed to the journey of our Seniors and the formation of our Year 12 students into gentlemen. In particular, Louis expressed his thanks to our truly wonderful staff- “thank you to the senior school, and everyone involved in our growth and our journey. You have been more than just teachers. You have been mentors, role models, coaches, and our greatest supporters. It has been truly incredible to watch, as the boys have matured into fine young men, ready to face the outside world, and the part you have played in this is beyond anything you could imagine. We still have a few weeks to go, learning, studying, and when we finally leave this place, I’m sure the boys will find their own ways to show the incredible amount of gratitude we owe to all the staff here.”

Louis also imparted some sage wisdom to the student body about the fundamental power of relationships which underpin the strength of our community- “the most important thing that I’d like to pass onto you is that relationships are everything. In our ever-changing external environment, it’s impossible to thrive alone. Work hard, work for each other, and see yourself and those around you thrive; there is no greater feeling.”

Following the Student Leadership Team handover, 2022 College Captain Elect Riley Richards made his inaugural address and spoke graciously about the leadership legacy of this year’s Senior class. Riley stated, “2021 a year of gratitude for the continuation sport, a year of action for Ministry, a year of excellence in music, but above all, a year to be proud of Villanova College and our year 12’s. As 2021 draws to a close, it provides the annual opportunity for reflection and celebration. And so, reflecting on this year, I can confidently say that 2021 at Villanova is again, a year to remember. Without our enthusiastic and spirited Grade 12’s, led admirably by Louis Henderson and his leadership team, this year would never have reached the heights that it did.”

Riley also revealed a brief, yet exciting preview of the leadership vision for the Class of 2022. “We envisage that our togetherness, embracing our diversity and strong sense of brotherhood under the mighty three V’s will be inspirational to our fellow senior school brothers, be an exemplar to our middle school, and be infectious in our junior school ranks. Our initiatives and our every-day actions will cultivate a positive and supportive Villanova culture. Our legacy will be a culture of growth. Growth as individuals, growth as a brotherhood and growth as a respectful, inclusive Villanova community.”

Today our Year 12 students completed their final day of classes, culminating in a BBQ lunch with staff before the traditional Captains Run around the campus. Tomorrow sees the commencement of the External Examination Block and I wish all our Year 12 students every success in the completion of their final exams. I would like to thank all Year 12 teachers for their tutelage and support in preparing our students in the truest spirit of Augustinian solidarity.

“Don’t count the days, make the days count.” – Muhammad Ali

Mr Matt Levander, Head of Senior School

Celebrating our Ministry Leaders in 2021!
To volunteer your gifts and talents in an area you are passionate about, is quite simply one of the most rewarding and fulfilling things we can do with our time and energy!  When it is in the service of others it is simply awesome!

This week, time with our Year 12s, in their final week of classes has been filled with occasions to celebrate the contributions to our Ministry programs.  On Monday evening, Year 12s who have taken on a leadership role in our Student Ministry teams came together to celebrate what they have achieved and to look towards the future to what volunteering they might continue.  It was a fantastic evening with guests from Rosie’s, Vinnies, Emmanuel City Mission and the Jansen family joining us to celebrate and encourage our students to continue in the work they have begun here at Villanova. We can’t wait to see what unfolds for these students in the wider community!  We hope you enjoy some of their reflections:

James Reid – Ministry Captain
There was so much happening in Villa Ministry this year and as Ministry captain it was so enjoyable working together alongside so many passionate boys. Personally, I found that in my role I was predominantly just assisting with all the events and initiatives the boys were setting up throughout the year. Overall, it was a full-on year from all the ministries whether that be in the green team clean ups, the Vinnie’s sleep out or even in Mission Week. I would also like to wish all the boys the best of luck in Ministry next year.

Lachlan Friedman: YCS
YCS has allowed me as a senior to gain a true perspective of others in the Villa community. The YCS motto SEE, JUDGE, ACT I believe was advocated this year in a way that allowed the community to raise awareness for mental health. The half marathon that I ran with Ben Sciacca was a highlight for me this year. By raising awareness for mental health, we were able to bring the community together. The YCS connection with the Junior School was another special highlight for this year’s seniors.

Gabriel Gutierrez – SVDP
Being involved in Ministry this year has given me experiences that I won’t ever forget. Ranging from the SVDP youth camp, to delivering hampers to those in need in our community and going on Rosie’s Outreaches, it’s given me a perspective on our wider community that I wouldn’t have had without experiencing it for myself. Furthermore, it’s given me the skills to be able to talk to and interact with all different types of people and given me the opportunity to help those who truly need it.

Fiachra Richards – SVDP
Having the privilege this year to be involved in and represent Ministry as a leader is something I am thankful for. Ministry has given me many of my most important and memorable memories from this year and previous. My greatest memory from 2021 was my participation in the Rosie’s Outreach Program that ran through the winter. Being able to meet with real people, with real stories, and be able to see the effect of our work in real time, was powerful and humbling, and I can quite easily see myself joining Rosie’s or a similar program outside of school, thanks to my Villanova journey. All in all, Ministry at Villa has given me another opportunity to be part of college life and give back to the community.

Keegan Bell and Harry White – Green Team
This year, the Green Team focused on developing positive attitudes around the school – particularly in the Junior areas – in relation to environmental sustainability and efficiency. This was exercised through afternoon activities in the garden (as collaborations with afterschool students), a Containers For Change program, and multiple clean-up events. It was wonderful to see people’s engagement and interest in our initiatives, and we hope that it benefits the school community from a long-term standpoint.

As we farewell our Year 12s this Blessing of St Augustine captures our prayer of blessing to:

May the Lord Jesus Christ give you
A heart to love Him,
A will to choose Him,
An understanding to know Him,
A spirit which may always be united to Him
And may the God of Love and Mercy love you for ever.

Amen

Sunday readings at home
Please use this link to access this week’s readings and commentaries:

Ms Kate Garrone, Dean of Mission and Identity

Early in the Year our 6A AFL team won their division of the AIC AFL competition. As a result, AFL Qld progressed our team to play in the finals of the annual AFLQ School Cups tournament. This tournament was held at Maroochydore last weekend and attracted the best AFL school teams from around the state.

The competition began in Term 1 with 151 teams registering for the competition and playing a knockout style tournament until the best schools were left to play in the final’s tournament held over the weekend. Our team played four games on Friday, winning three, but doing enough to progress into the Grand final on Saturday.

Our boys played a stellar grand final game. They played with grit, pride and determination and eventually won their game against Marymount Primary 49-27 to be crowned State Champions. To be considered the best primary school AFL team in Qld is quite a feat. A list of the team is found below.

AFLQ Schools Cup – Primary State Champion Team

• Byron Dent
• Hamish Massey
• Toby Pearson
• Miller Reinmuth
• Mitch Vedelago
• Ethan Haywood
• Ewan Ebrington
• Flynn Spooner
• Hamish Ford
• Jacob Short
• Isaac Hyam
• Lewis Nunn
• Steven Woodgate
• Lachy Sheridan
• Kiedis Lyons
• Harrison Rizio
• Lawson Greenwood
• Jay Pearson
• Ben Landers (Captain)

I would like to acknowledge the coaches Adam Fry, Matt Conlan and James Dent for all their hard work in preparing the boys and for giving them the opportunity to succeed at the highest level. Well done.

The annual ‘Championship Basketball School of Queensland’ (CBSQ) tournament offers schools in Queensland the opportunity to enter teams into a competition so they may compete for the title of the best basketball school team in Queensland. This year our Basketball Coordinator Mr O’Neill and First V Assistant Coach – Mr Rouhliadeff entered three Division 1 teams into this annual competition. These teams included a senior team (made up of our first players), a junior team (made up of our 10 players) and a sophomore team (made up of Year7/8 players). The best basketball schools come together from around the state as far as north as Cairns, to test themselves and to battle it out for the three titles on offer.

Our senior team competed mid-September in the Division 1 competition. They came away with a ninth place overall. The Sophomore and Junior teams competed over the weekend. The Junior team played well and managed to secure a ninth place overall. The Sophomore team were our best performers overall. They played extremely well and advanced into the grand final on Sunday. Unfortunately, they narrowly lost the grand final game 57-49 to become the ‘Division 1 Runners-Up Champions’ in the state. This is the second best schoolboy team in Queensland, a great achievement.

Overall, from the hundreds of teams entered. Villanova’s three basketball teams were ranked inside the top 10 throughout the state. This is a remarkable achievement to see our college up among the best basketball colleges, not only in AIC, but in Queensland. On behalf of the College, I thank Mr O’Neill and Mr Rouhliadeff for organising these boys as well as our coaches – First V coach – Jordan Mullan and Old Boy Sam Korst for giving up their time to coach the boys.

Since 1969 the Australian Schools’ Rugby Union has selected Australian Schoolboy teams to play other nations both in Australia and overseas. The title of Australian Schoolboy is synonymous with players of high rugby skill and outstanding personal character. In its long history there have been many outstanding players across the country who have been honoured to join the list of an Australian Rugby Schoolboy.

From our research it has been interesting to note that Villanova over its 73-year-old history has produced five Australian schoolboys up until 2021. These include

• James Klassen 2010
• David Lewis 1997
• Scott Mains 2011
• Ben Mowen 2002
• Ashley Riley 1997

As the Australian Schools’ Rugby Union Championships could not be held this year. The Australian Schools representative team selection was based on the players performance at school, Association level and State matches played in 2021.

Unfortunately, this year’s Australian School boy team cannot play test match Rugby in 2021 due to Covid. However, these players as selected members of an Australian representative team will be recorded in the rich history and will be awarded a test jersey and certificate in recognition of this special achievement.

Earlier this year it was with extreme pleasure that Villanova College was informed by the selection committee that two of our players were selected into this years’ Australia A, Australian Schools’ Rugby Union team. This is a fantastic achievement. At the College assembly held on Monday we were able to acknowledge these boys and present their Australian A schoolboy jersey in front of the College.

Well done to Gus Godwin who was named in the squad of 23 and to Tom Twaddell named lock forward – No 5, in this year’s 2021 Australia A Rugby Schoolboy team.

Photo above – Tom Twaddell and Gus Godwin

I must commend Mr Todd Kropp, AIC Volleyball Co-ordinator, Mr Adam Fry, AIC AFL Co-ordinator and Mr Sean O’Neill, AIC Basketball Co-ordinator, for their organisation of our boys in the respective Volleyball and AFL Schools Cup Competitions and CBSQ (Basketball) competitions. Basketball and AFL were held last weekend and Volleyball will be held this weekend. Villanova’s involvement in competitions such as these helps the development of our programs as our teams are exposed to a high level of competition from many schools across the state. This exposure galvanizes our teams which we believe will pay dividends as we lead into the respective AIC seasons. We can never underestimate that value of building a strong positive sports culture with our boys. The friendships and camaraderie formed among players and the parent groups within these teams was also very evident. Well done to all involved. Further reports of these competitions are found below.

Although the due date for sign-ons for those wishing to play AIC Cricket, Volleyball, AFL and Swimming was last Friday, the link remains open for those who have not registered. This link will remain open until next Friday 29 Oct –https://form.jotform.com/VillanovaSport/aic-term-1-2022-sport-sign-on . Please be aware that trials for the abovementioned sports will commence in Week 5, that is, the week beginning Monday 1 November. Please read all trial information below which includes all specific times and dates across this year and next.

As always, I encourage everybody to get involved and enjoy!

Experienced Football Coaches Required
The Villanova College Sports Department is currently looking for experienced/highly qualified coaches to be involved in the College’s football program. We are seeking coaches who will work with our ‘A’ level sides. Coaching positions will be paid. If you are interested or know of someone who might be interested, please get in contact with Football Co-Ordinator – Anthony Kemp, akemp@vnc.qld.edu.au

AFL Schools Cup Report – Mr Adam Fry, AIC AFL Coordinator
The past weekend saw our Villanova Schools Cup team head up to Maroochydore for a two-day carnival competing for the best primary team in the state. Our boys had a tough schedule in the heat on Friday playing four games, winning three and dropping only the one by a single goal. After our games throughout the day, the team qualified for the Preliminary final on Friday night against an undefeated Whitfield College from Cairns.

The boys were unbelievable with how they hunted the football and played with great teamwork to outwork their much bigger opponents. This result qualified the team for the Grand Final against Marymount on Saturday. After losing to Marymount on Friday, the Villanova boys were hungry to make a mends and bounce back to claim the cup.

The boys began the game very strongly having plenty of scoring opportunities in the first quarter, however unfortunately only converting one goal from seven shots on goal. The second quarter was an arm wrestle with both teams kicking multiple goals. By the end of the third quarter the Villanova boys were unfortunately down by a goal. With a great speech from the captain Ben Landers the boys came out leaving nothing in the tank to come away 22-point victors. Mitchy Vedelago was outstanding all day and was a deserving winner of the best on ground medal, and Kiedis Lyons and Hamish Massey also were big parts of a fantastic win.

Overall, the whole team were incredible examples of what it means to be Villanovan. They continued to play with great spirit and mateship and did the College extremely proud. It was also a fantastic reward for the Villanovan AFL program who continue to go from strength to strength each year. Congratulations to all players, coaches and families involved in such a successful weekend.  We cannot wait for the 2022 AFL season to begin.

Basketball Report – Mr Sean O’Neil, AIC Basketball Coordinator
The annual Champion Basketball Schools Queensland Junior and Sophomore event was held last weekend over 160 schools from all over Queensland competing in five divisions. Both our Junior (Year 9 and Year 10) and Sophomore (Year 7 and Year 8) competed in the Championship Division, placing them in the top 20 schools in the state. This is testimony to the strength of our basketball program. Our Junior team was in a very tough pool and ended up finishing outside the top two which relegated us into the ninth to sixteenth pool. In some very close games, we were able to win through in all our finals and were placed ninth overall. This is a fantastic effort, and the boys should be very proud of their efforts. Special mention must go to Mason Honeyman, who averaged the second highest points for the tournament, most three-pointers made and most free-throws made.

Our sophomore team was also in a difficult pool but succeeded in coming away undefeated in the pool games. A tough win over Toowoomba Grammar School in the semi-final then pitted us back up against Trinity College in the gold medal match, who we had beaten by three points in the pool games. The game was electric with both teams playing an exciting brand of basketball and the crowd was very supportive of both teams. With the score never extending beyond five points by either side, it was a nail biter to the end. Unfortunately, a late run by Trinity College saw us come up short with a tight loss that devastated the boys. However, they should be very proud of their efforts and the College is immensely proud to be second in Queensland. Again, special mention must go to Mitch Honeyman for ranking fifth in most points scored and first for most three-pointers.

This wouldn’t be possible without the wonderful coaching of Jordan Mullan who took the Junior team and Sam Korst who had the Sophomores. These two gentlemen sacrificed a lot of time in both the lead up and during the tournament to ensure our players were able to play at their best and we thank them for all their efforts.

Finally, with all three CBSQ tournaments now complete, we were able to be placed in the top ten for all three teams. That puts us as one of the best schools in QLD and while we are pleased with the result, we must continue to build on that and improve next year.

Villanova Swimming – Mrs Juanita Jacobs – AIC Swimming/Water Polo Co-ordinator
We have now well and truly begun the Villanova swim season. If your son is interested in joining the squad, there is still time. Please check the Locker Room section of the website for documents and further details on training times.

Swimming Registration Link – https://form.jotform.com/VillanovaSport/aic-swimming-registration—202122-

AIC Water Polo
The AIC Water Polo tournament will be played this Sunday, October 24 at Somerville House. There are three teams Year 7, Years 8/9 and Years 10/11.

The Year 7 and Years 8/9 teams will begin competition at 8am and finish by 11am.  Players are asked to meet the coaches and Mrs Jacobs at 7:30am on the pool deck.

The Open team will begin playing from 12 noon until 3pm at the latest.  Open players are asked to meet by 11:30. Any players in the Years 8/9 team who wish to play in the Open matches, must first play in their own division.  As you will see in the draw, it is not possible for the Year 7 players to also play in the Year 8/9 division team.

Only one parent per student is permitted to attend the tournament due to COVID restrictions.  There is limited parking underneath the pool, but some street parking is possible.  Please be considerate of the residents in the streets and alert to parking signage.  There will be a canteen available with limited provisions for snacks and drinks only.

Each team will need to provide two people for table duty in the morning session as per the draws given below.  If you can assist, please let Mrs Jacobs know.   It will be very much appreciated by the teams.

The aim of the event is to enjoy water polo within the spirit of AIC.

Players must wear the Villanova swim togs and the Villanova PE uniform to and from all games and be present at least 30min before the first game.

AIC 2021 Water Polo Draw

Year 7: Field 1 Somerville House

Year 8/9: Field 2 Somerville House

Open: Field 1 Somerville House

2022 Villanova Cricket, AFL, Swimming and Volleyball Sign On and Trials
Boys wishing to represent Villanova in the abovementioned sports must complete the online sign-on form and attend all trials commencing this term. Please read all information below.

AIC Sports on Offer Term 1 – 2022

• AIC Cricket – Open to all Year 5-12 students. All cricket is played on Saturday
• AIC Volleyball – Open to all Year 7-12 students. All volleyball is played on Saturday
• AIC AFL – Open to all Year 5 -12 students. All Year 5-10 teams will play on Saturday. The Year 11-12 (Open) team will play on Friday afternoon
• AIC Swimming – Open to all, this does not conflict with the other sports

Note – All Cricket, Volleyball and Year 5 – 10 AFL is played on Saturday. Therefore, students may trial for only one of these sports.

Year 11-12 AFL is played on Friday afternoon. Only Year 11-12 AFL players can trial for AFL and Cricket or Volleyball as they are played on different days.

Any boy may register for Swimming on top of the other sports played in Term 1.

AIC Sport Online Sign-on Link
Please click on the link below to register your son to trial for a sport. Registrations were due last Friday 15 October.

https://form.jotform.com/VillanovaSport/aic-term-1-2022-sport-sign-on

Villanova College will conduct AIC Cricket, AIC AFL and Volleyball trials for all teams from Years 7 – 12 on the dates listed below. These trials are open to all students who are enrolled at Villanova College in 2022.  Please note that all students compete in their year level and not in their age groups.

All students, including those students who will join Villanova in 2022, must attend these trials to be considered for team selection in 2022. Students entering Year 7 in 2022 can only participate in cricket, AFL or volleyball. Students are required to wear any appropriate sporting attire to these trials. Sporting equipment will be supplied by the College. Students wishing to trial simply attend the venue 15 minutes before the advertised start time.

Commitment:  All teams will have one or two training sessions either before or after school each week during Term 1.  All cricket and volleyball as well as all Year 5, Year 6, Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9/10 AFL games will be played on Saturday during Term 1 as per the College Calendar. Training times for all teams will be advised once finalised.

Year 7 -12 (2022) Cricket/AFL and Volleyball Trial Schedule

Trials conducted Term 4 – 2021

PLEASE NOTE: Trials are for those boys who are entering that year in 2022, e.g., Year 7 trials are for those boys who are entering Year 7 in 2022.

• Little Langlands – Langlands Park, Main Avenue, Coorparoo (next to Easts Leagues Club)
• Goold Hall – located on the Villanova College Campus, access via Eighth Avenue, Coorparoo
• Coorparoo JAFC – Giffin Park, Birubi Street, Coorparoo

Further trials will be held on the following weekend dates after the initial trials are held above. Students will be advised of their team and subsequent playing time and venue after their trial session scheduled above. Please keep these weekends free.

FURTHER AFL, CRICKET and VOLLEYBALL TRIAL DATES – Year 7-12 Teams
After the cricket, AFL and volleyball trials held during Week 5, Term 4 (that is, 1 – 5 November), the College has organised further trial games to take place on the weekend of Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 November. It is important that all interested students attend these trials as we hope to finalise teams and squads after this weekend. All times and venues will be given to all players during the trials played earlier in the week. Some of these are listed below.

Those who do not make an AFL or volleyball team have the option of joining a cricket team. NOTE – The trials pertain to the year level the student enters in 2022. Therefore, the Year 7 trials are for students entering Year 7 in 2022.

All students wishing to trial for an AIC cricket, AIC AFL or AIC volleyball team must complete an ‘On-line Sign -on Form’ due last Friday 15 October. Link below.

https://form.jotform.com/VillanovaSport/aic-term-1-2022-sport-sign-on

Further Cricket Trials – Year 7-12 Teams
Most (not all) teams from Years 7-12, Sunday 7 November 2021 at Villanova Park – Specific times and fields TBA

Please note the trial games for cricket will be played on Sunday 7 November at Villanova Park. These trials are for selected teams/students only. NOT ALL BOYS WILL BE REQUIRED. After the trials held earlier in the week, we will advise those who are required to attend further trials on Sunday 7 November.  More information about team lists will be given at a later stage.

Please contact the Sports Office if you have any queries or concerns – sportsoffice@vnc.qld.edu.au Phone: 3394 5621

Date: Sunday 7 November 2021
Venue 1: Villanova Park, Manly Road, Tingalpa
Venue 2: Kianawah Park, Wynnum Road, Tingalpa
Uniform: Villanova cricket whites or any suitable sports clothing

Further Volleyball Trials – Year 7-12 Teams
All teams from Years 7–12, Saturday 6 November 2021 at Villanova College, Goold Hall

Please note that all students who have signed up for Volleyball trials will be expected to attend further trials held on Saturday 6 November in Goold Hall at Villanova College. After the Volleyball trials held on Saturday 6 November all coaches will then select their volleyball teams/squads. If a boy fails to make a volleyball team/squad, they are welcome to join a cricket team. More information about team lists will be given at a later stage.

Please contact the Sports Office if you have any quires or concerns – sportsoffice@vnc.qld.edu.au Phone: 3394 5621

Date:  Saturday 6 November 2021
Venue: Court 1 – Goold Hall, Nearest Main Entrance; Court 2 – Goold Hall, Near Stage
Uniform: Sports PE uniform or any suitable sports clothing

* All players need to be at their respective venues 15 minutes prior to the commencement of their game.

Other Volleyball Trial Matches Organised (Only for those boys who are selected after Saturday 6 November)
Note – some training sessions will be organised before the games below – TBC

• Saturday 13 November, Trial match v Iona College – Times and venues TBA
• Saturday 20 November, Trial match v St Laurence’s College – Times and venues TBA

Further AFL Trials – Year 7-12 Teams
All teams from Years 7 – 12, Saturday 6 November 2021

Please note that all students who have signed up for AFL trials will be expected to attend further trials held on Saturday 6 November at Coorparoo JAFC, Birubi St, Coorparoo (Giffin Park). After the AFL trials held on Saturday 6 November all coaches will then select their AFL teams/squads. If a boy fails to make an AFL team/squad, they are welcome to join a cricket team. More information about team lists will be given at a later stage.

Please contact the Sports Office if you have any queries or concerns – sportsoffice@vnc.qld.edu.au Phone: 3394 5621

Date: Saturday 6 November
Venue: Coorparoo JAFC, Birubi St Coorparoo, Giffin Park
Uniform: Any suitable sports clothing to play AFL including boots and mouthguards. Bibs will be supplied

* All players need to be at their respective venues 30mins prior to the commencement of their game.

Other AFL Trial Matches Organised (Only for those boys who are selected after Saturday 6 November)
Note – some training sessions may be organised before the games below – TBC

• Friday 12 November, Open trial match v Iona College – Times and venues TBA
• Saturday 13 November, Year 6, 7, 8, 9/10 trial match v Iona – Times and venues TBA
• Friday 19 November, Open trial match v St Laurence’s College – Times and venues TBA
• Saturday 20 November, Year 8 and Year 9/10 trial match v St Laurence’s College – Times and     venues TBA

FURTHER AFL, VOLLEYBALL and CRICKET TRIALS – 2022
Please keep this date free.

DATE CLAIMER – Further Cricket, Volleyball and AFL will be played v St Laurence’s College on Saturday 29 January, times and venues TBA.

Cricket and AFL Trials – Year 6 Students (2022)
Due to the stormy weather, we were unable to conduct the cricket and AFL trials on Monday afternoon of this week. However, we were able to conduct the second trial yesterday afternoon, Wednesday 20 October.

Please be advised that we intend to make up the lost session from this week and reschedule it to next Monday 25 October after school at Little Langlands from 3.15-4.40pm for both cricket and AFL. Again, these trials are for current Year 5 boys moving into Year 6 in 2022.

2022 Villanova Coaches, Managers & Officials Needed!
The Sports Office is currently looking at staffing for the 2022 sports season. If you can assist in any of these roles, we ask that you complete the online ‘2022 Coaches, Managers & Officials Nomination Form’. The link is found on the website or simply click here – https://form.jotform.com/VillanovaSport/coachofficialnomination

Villanova relies on the assistance of the parents, old boys and friends to help fulfil these roles. We encourage you to help if you can – your boys, our students are counting on us.

AIC Touch Competition
St. Laurence’s College will be hosting an AIC touch football competition this Saturday at Runcorn. Villanova will be entering two Year 6 teams and one Year 7 team into the competition. A selection trial was conducted for the Year 7s on Tuesday morning and a squad of 13 players was selected. The two Year 6 teams were selected on their performances in a touch football unit, completed last term in HPE.

Thanks to Mr Matt Pearson, Mr Grant Hine and Mr Nathan Spooner for taking on a manager’s role for the Year 6 teams and to Mrs Nicola Anderson, who will manage the Year 7 team.

Good luck to the three sides this weekend as they battle it out with other AIC Colleges in what is the first such competition in AIC. If there is a lot of support for touch football, then this may become a regular fixture in the AIC sport calendar.

Volleyball Schools Cup
This weekend our Villanova First VI Volleyball squad will compete in Volleyball QLD’s Senior Schools Cup tournament. We have entered two teams in the Year 11 age group with one of our teams looking to defend the Year 10 Honours Championship won in 2020. We wish these players all the best as they compete against some of the best volleyball schools in the State.

If you wish to follow our boys as they progress through the tournament, live results and other information can be found at the link below.

https://www.vq.org.au/competitions/senior-schools-cup/

Zone Cricket
Villanova cricket sides have completed two rounds of the pre-Christmas season and there have been some great individual performances by many of our players. Boys getting involved in Term 4 cricket can only improve their game and give themselves a better opportunity of developing their own game or progressing up the ranks. This weekend we move into the first of the two-day games and the boys have the opportunity to bat longer and make big scores and bowl more overs. Good luck to all our players this Saturday.

Round 1: Saturday 9th October – 1 Day (25 over game)

 Round 2: Saturday 16th October – 1 Day (25 over game)

Representative Sport
Gray O’Neill, who was selected in the BJRU U/14 Rugby Union Representative team competed in the Rugby Union State Championships in Toowoomba over the holidays. Gray’s team won the U/14 Championship. Gray was also selected in the Queensland City team. Well done Gray on this magnificent achievement!

Pictured below – Gray O’Neill in the red head gear in the back row

Mr Craig Stariha, Director of Sport

Music Awards Evening and Senior Farewell
Last Friday 15 October, the Villanova College Music Department farewelled our Senior Musicians and recognised award recipients across the program, from Junior through to Senior Schools.  It was a great evening of music and celebration, affording our Year 12 students an opportunity to reflect on their musical journey at the College and perform for one last time on stage in Hanrahan Theatre as a Villanova student.

We would like to take a moment to congratulate our award winners, recognised at this special function:

Attendees were thoroughly entertained across the evening by performances from Symphonic Band, Sinfonia String Orchestra, Guitar Ensemble 1, Supernovans, Percussion Ensemble, Big Band, and Irish Ensemble.  In what we expect to become an annual tradition, all Year 12 Musicians combined together for one final performance, sharing a rousing performance of ‘Hooked on a Feeling’ – a ‘tour standard’ we have used to great effect for audience participation.  It was a great evening and a wonderful opportunity for us to send our Year 12 musicians off on a ‘high note,’ and sharing with them our thanks for the contribution they have made to our community.

Thanks must go to Mr Rolls and the awesome catering team who provided mocktails and canapes for our Senior Musicians and their families prior to our event.  I would also like to thank our Music Support Group for their wonderful decorating of the Senior banquet tables.  Thanks must also go to our Music staff for their time with our musicians at this important, milestone event.  Finally, thanks to Mr Miller and his crew for their tireless efforts over the past two weeks in ensuring the quality of our events remain at such a high standard.

Con-Artists Big Band Workshop
The Queensland Conservatorium of Music Big Band, aka ‘The Con-Artists,’ were invited by Mr Carl Harvoe – Head of Brass – to come to Villanova to provide our Jazz and Big Band students a great opportunity to listen to high quality big band music being performed.  Mrs Silk’s and Mr Harvoe’s ensembles, along with Mr Osborne’s Jazz Combos, were provided a treat with some fantastic arrangements shared with our students.  We were also given a special opportunity to hear Mr Harvoe play with the group, sitting in for a student who was unable to join us.

Four of our students performed with the Con-Artists:  Liam Galbraith (5), Dominic Martin (10), Tom Wilde (10) and Thomas Kielenniva (11); with Liam and Tom soloing over the changes in Moondance.  The students did an amazing job, particularly Liam who, at 10 years old, amazed the ‘big kids’ from the Con with the quality of his improvisation.  All in attendance had a great opportunity to mingle and speak on stage with our students also ‘jamming’ with the Conservatorium students across the afternoon.

Many thanks to Mr Harvoe and Mrs Silk for organising the event.  Thanks also to Mr Miller for providing production assistance.  We would also like to thank Dr Steve Newcombe and the Con-Artists for sharing their time and music – we look forward to many more opportunities in the future!

Wieneke Family Music Prize
Capping of a busy fortnight in the Music Department, the finals for this year’s Wieneke Family Music Prize was convened in Hanrahan Theatre on Wednesday evening.  Our finalists from Junior, Middle and Senior School performed their works for an enthusiastic audience.  The standard of performance was incredibly high across the age groups and our guest adjudicator, Mr David Law, found it extremely difficult to select our prize winners.  He did ask me to share with our community that our students are fine musicians and we should be very proud of the manner in which they communicate their musicianship – it is of a high level.

From over 30 entrants, five finalists were selected from each ‘school.’  Congratulations to our finalists below:

After much deliberation, Mr Law selected the following prize winners from each school:

Senior School
First Prize                    Eoin Hartley
Second Prize               Thomas Kielenniva

Middle School
First Prize                    Charlie Hodgson-Day
Second Prize               Ronan Flaherty

Junior School
First Prize                    Damian Ellis
Second Prize               Christopher Scoglio

Each of these gentlemen will receive a generous cash prize to be used toward their music education.  We are grateful for the time each of our finalists put in to participate in this year’s event and we congratulate each and every participant in the Wieneke Music Prize for 2021.

2022 Ensembles for Band and String
Our 2022 Ensembles have commenced rehearsal.  Ensemble lists were distributed at the end last term – please find attached a copy of this term’s rehearsal schedule.  We are all looking forward to preparing our new groups for a great calendar of events in 2022.

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/barbecue/etc. this Summer!

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

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

Purchases can be collected from the Music Office and all profits go to the Music Support Group.

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

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 Term 4 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

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

STUDENTS WITH A DISABILITY TRAVEL REBATE
Semester 2 2021

• Does your child have a verified disability that requires transport assistance to and from school?
• Has your school’s learning support teacher assessed your child’s travel capability rating as ‘semi-independent’ or more dependent?

Visit our website to see if you qualify for financial assistance to help with the cost of transport and apply at www.schooltransport.com.au by 31 October 2021.

LIBRARY ROSTER (MONDAY 25 OCTOBER – FRIDAY 29 OCTOBER)
All volunteers rostered on this week will be contacted directly by the Library.

TUCKSHOP ROSTER (MONDAY 25 OCTOBER – FRIDAY 29 OCTOBER)
All volunteers rostered on this week will be contacted directly by the Tuckshop.