Villa View: Issue 35/20

Dear Members of Villanova College Family,
The Celebration of Excellence held on Wednesday evening was a truly wonderful event to recognise the academic achievements of the students from Years 5 to 9. Once again, the talented musicians and performers left the audience spellbound. My sincere congratulations to the award recipients presented during the evening. The hard work and diligence of the students is worthy of recognition and our applause as we all know that success in your studies is only achieved through hard work and persistence.

Thank you to many families and friends of the College who watched this event through the live stream. Unfortunately, due to restrictions currently in place we were unable to have all family and extended family members and staff present.

The Year 10 and Year 11 Celebration of Excellence evening will be held in the Hanrahan Theatre this evening from 7.00pm.  The link for the live streaming of the event is https://youtu.be/j1Tt1Dor86c

School Fees
Families received communication from the College regarding the School Fees for 2021. The College continues its commitment to all families as our state and country navigates the uncertain economic times. There are many avenues of support available to families and I want to assure parents and caregivers that we will work together to continue your son’s education at Villanova College.

I thank Mrs Agi Waloszek, Business Manager and her team as well as the Finance Advisory Committee and College Board for their work over many months to deliver a sustainable budget.

Parking and Driving around Villanova College
I often receive emails from our neighbours regarding parking of parents dropping off students especially in Dowar Street and Fifth and Eighth Avenues. In most cases they are extremely polite and point out to me their frustrations with cars blocking their driveway and preventing people who live in the residences from entering and leaving their properties. I always assure them that I regularly communicate with our families asking them to be considerate and mindful of our neighbours when dropping off and picking up at the College. Thank you for your support in this matter.

Please do not use Seventh Avenue for drop-off and pick up. It is a narrow street due to cars parking on both sides and student safety is being put at risk.

Building Works
Stage Two of the College Master Plan will see the classrooms for Years 7 and 8 receive a refurbishment over the next twelve months. The first phase of this building work has begun with the refurbishment of the O’Donnell building classrooms. These rooms will be flexible learning spaces with a dedicated launch pad for short direct instruction times and multiple breakout and group spaces to allow students to work in a variety of settings from individual to small and large groups.

The six classrooms in the O’Donnell building will be ready by Christmas and completed with all the technology required in today’s classrooms by the start of the 2021 school year.

The Grounds and Maintenance staff are creating a number of pleasant, shaded areas around the College to lift the quality of the seating spaces for students. The first area is almost completed, and students are very interested in the new designs.

Prayers
Please keep Mrs Ellen King (staff member) and her family in your prayers following the recent death of Ellen’s father-in-law last week.

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

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

God bless

Mr Mark Stower, Principal

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. 

When a student says that they have a bad memory, it usually means that actually they do not encode the information they are trying to remember into their memory in an effective way.

Memory is really a ‘process’ as opposed to a ‘thing’ in your head that you are born with.

Rather than ‘improving your memory’, you want to improve the process of memory creation to ensure memory retrieval goes smoothly! The reason why many students do not retain what they are learning is that the way they study only gets the information as far as their short term memory, and then before long it is forgotten instead of being encoded into long term memory.

The first stage for students in improving their retention of information is to try and find ways to make what they are learning INTERESTING to themselves, EMOTIONAL, ENJOYABLE and if they can’t do this then at least create the firm INTENTION to remember the information. It is all about their approach to what they are learning.

The next step in memory creation is the encoding process. To improve in this area, students need to improve:

– CONCENTRATION AND FOCUS (making notes about what they are learning, studying using techniques that suit their learning style, studying when they are most alert)

– ORGANISATION OF MATERIAL (making brain friendly notes: lists, highlighting, categories, grouping, graphics)

– MAKING ASSOCIATIONS AND LINKS between the new material and previously learned material.

Next stage in the memory process is facilitating the storage of memories. Students can improve the way memories are stored by ensuring they BREAK THEIR STUDY BLOCKS UP with at least a few minutes break every half hour (giving the brain a chance to encode and file that chunk of content) and CHUNK DOWN the information to be learnt into manageable chunks.  Getting enough SLEEP is also essential as fundamental memory processes take place during sleep. The other thing that is really important in this stage is REPETITION AND REGULAR REVIEW. Each time a review takes place the brain fires all the neurons connected to that memory and the more often that happens the stronger the connections between the neurons and the more intense and powerful the memory that is created.

So, in summary, the top three things to improve the process of creating powerful memories are:

1. i)  focus, positive attitude and intention to remember are essential (reading something half-heartedly while bored pretty much guarantees it won’t be retained)
2. ii) an active approach to learning where students  are ‘doing’ (making notes, testing themselves using a wide range of study techniques) rather than just ‘reading’

iii) repetition and constant review of the material over a period of time.

Year 12 External Examinations
Our Year 12 cohort are now half way through their external examinations. I have been thoroughly impressed by the way our young men have approached this important stage of their final year. Students have been leaving examination rooms at the conclusion of each paper feeling confident in their preparation and their performance. We hope that the hard work that they and their teachers have put in over the past two years pays off.

Year 9 to 11 Examinations
Examination schedules have now been published for Year 9 to 11 examinations. These are available in Student Café.

Mr John Christie, Dean of Teaching and Learning 

From November 6 – 13, Villanova College will celebrate NAIDOC Week – National Aboriginal and Islanders Day Observance Committee, and for further information I encourage you to explore https://www.naidoc.org.au/ at your leisure.  Indigenous Australian issues do go back to the invasion by early settlers in 1770, and in 2020 we are still finding that reconciliation requires education and   listening to the Indigenous people on the land we live.  Our Junior School boys need to show us, the adults, more effective and inclusive means of living as a community in the future.

It is important to recognise that a RAP – Reconciliation Action Plan – is currently being developed by a team of College staff and parents, led by Barbara Dewis.  Meeting out of school hours, this group is following the steps outlined in https://www.reconciliation.org.au/reconciliation-action-plans/ so that a formal framework to guide Villanova College’s reconciliation journey.  It helps us action steps towards internal measures – curriculum integration, visual symbols and signs around our grounds, the use of flags and acknowledgement of country, and the hands-on experiences for staff during pupil free days as well as students during term time.  A developed RAP will also see Villanovans engage in the community with Indigenous groups, organizations and celebrations.  We are being supported in this process by the Narragunnawali organisation – https://www.narragunnawali.org.au/ – and it’s an exciting experience and privilege as an educator and son of Russian and English immigrants, to be learning about the first peoples in a place I call home.

Tomorrow, Year 5 students will experience numerous activities from 1.30pm to 3pm, and next Friday the Year 6 cohort will have their turn.  Barbara Dewis and the Junior School staff will coordinate drawing, turtle making, Dhari head-dress, marngrook (indigenous football game), edor (Indigenous tiggy game), wana (Indigenous cricket/rounders game) and storytelling.  All activities build upon Geography, History and Well Being studies during class time, as well as integrating into Religious Education, Maths and Physical Education/Health Studies.  Many thanks to all for the preparations underway and we will be sure to share the photos in the weeks to come with the community.

The process of reconciling is significant to every person.  If we feel a relationship experiences conflict and harm – be it physical, social or emotional – then there are important steps to take so that the people involved can move forward.  Listening to both sides takes patience and resilience.  Voicing our truth takes courage and mindfulness.  Understanding another person’s point of view can be challenging, and as human beings we will always have our perspective, yet in a community we build and grow by acknowledging that there are two sides to every situation.

As the next three weeks of Term 4 pass us by, I encourage everyone to take a breath and continue to restore and rejuvenate the relationships around you.  Find the best in each other’s motives, intentions and be open to the common ground that exists – even if it takes time to see where it lies.  Asking for help, an appropriate time and means of sharing our feelings, as parents, teachers and students, can make all the difference with finishing the year off as our best selves.  This year has seen everyone challenged in ways we did not always anticipate and so all the more kindness is needed for the history we share, but also the background stories we may not yet know or understand.

Midnight Oil released a new album last week (yes, I do understand how those eight words make me sound very middle aged!) “The Makarrata Project” – the word “Makarrata” meaning “after the struggle”.  It is dedicated to the Reconciliation of Indigenous Peoples in Australia and the continued path forward in repairing relationships to build a community that is educated and inclusive.

“Walk with us” (https://www.midnightoil.com/the-makarrata-project-out-now/) – what a powerful phrase for all human beings.

Mr Stephen Rouhliadeff, Head of Junior School

Celebration of Excellence
Over the course of last night and this evening, we affirm the outstanding academic achievements of our Villanovan scholars across the three schools in our annual Celebration of Excellence. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, we were unable to host the evening at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre this year and as such, decided to hold the event at Hanrahan Theatre over two evenings. I look forward to affirming the students receiving our Awards – Dux of Grade and Proxime Accessit in next week’s Villa View.

This evening, 2021 Academic Captain Elect Ben Sciacca will address the community. This is an excerpt from his speech:

This year we, along with senior school students all over Queensland, have not only contended with the disruption and disappointment that COVID has bought, but also a level of uncertainty surrounding the new grading system, the ATAR.

We have learned that:

Our work in year 10 and 11 really matters. Hard work in these years will pay off and is necessary in order to achieve the results we want at the end of year 12. Unlike the OP system, under the ATAR system our assessment results in both years 11 and 12 count towards our final score, so we need to be achieving strong results in both years.

We have also learned that now, more than ever, in navigating this new system, our teachers are our best ally. They work tirelessly to support our learning and development and this year; they have done so whilst adapting to new learning delivery methods such as ‘learning from home’ and for the first time, the ATAR system. Our teachers are not only knowledgeable, but also approachable and incredibly generous with their time. They are critical to our academic success and we should embrace every opportunity to engage with them and benefit from their knowledge and guidance.

Last but not least, we have learned about the importance of our wider Villanova community and the role it plays in our academic achievement. A further benefit of the ATAR system is that as students, we are no longer competing with each other for rankings, allowing us to further embrace the brotherhood that the Villanova College environment fosters. By being collaborative, helping each other out and supporting each other, we will all benefit.

The senior years of learning are not a sprint, but rather a marathon. We will not win the race in the last 100 meters, but rather by pacing ourselves and persevering. Achieving our academic best requires us to take care of ourselves- balance study with cocurricular activities, monitor our mental wellbeing, use every resource available to us including other students, teachers and importantly the wider Villanova community.

Pillars of Wellbeing – Mindfulness
Through the course of this year, and especially in light of our collective experience learning remotely, the Senior School Pastoral Team have been looking at ways to overtly and intentionally highlight the importance of what we consider to be the four pillars of wellbeing- mindfulness, exercise, nutrition and sleep.

In last week’s Year 10 Formation Program, we conducted a workshop on Mindfulness- what it is and the benefits of practising it. I thought I would provide some orientation to the practice of mindfulness from the Smiling Mind program- the producers of the app and resources that we offered our students during the workshop.

Mindfulness is the idea of learning how to be fully present and engaged in the moment, aware of your thoughts and feelings without distraction or judgment. According to a meta-analysis of more than 70 studies comparing more than 6,000 school aged young people, those who practised mindfulness showed:

• Better emotion and behaviour regulation than 62% of those who didn’t practice mindfulness;
• Better academic performance than 66% of those who didn’t practice mindfulness;
• Lower depression and anxiety scores than 66% of those who didn’t practice mindfulness;
• Better social skills than 64% of those who didn’t practice mindfulness.

The website https://www.smilingmind.com.au/ contains a plethora of resources pertaining to mindfulness including links to the app which has a variety of programs and tools- it is amazing the value and benefit of engaging in mindfulness for 10 minutes a day.

“Act as a master of your life by putting your health, wellbeing and happiness first.” – Marianna Olszewski

Mr Matt Levander, Head of Senior School

Christmas Appeal
Goods for our Christmas Appeal have started to flow in, thanks to the generosity of Villanova families. I started the new week holding my office door open while a series of shopping bags full of treats and staple foods were delivered. The leverage of these gifts cannot be over-estimated. Not only do our neighbours, and the Rosies and Emmanuel City Mission patrons  feel included at the Christmas table but also you hear a great appreciation voiced directly to and for our students. It is very important for the culture of our College that we are outward-facing and seeking humbly to make a difference in and for our community.

The collection will continue through to the end of Week 6. Senior and Junior School students are collecting for particular households within a two-kilometre radius of the College. Middle School students are asked to donate to the boxes provided for the patrons of Rosies and Emmanuel City Mission.

A young Old Boy, Kushal Sami (2011), has come on board to support the Appeal with Christmas puddings. It turns out that Kushal works with two groups of friends/ colleagues every year to support people who are homeless at Christmas. He also runs an operation delivering stationery packs to children in Sri Lanka and India. Therefore, we are going to run a stationery appeal this year, inviting students to donate left over pens, paper, etc so that we can make stationery packs to send to children who really need this boost at the start of the school year.

Asked about his motivations, Kushal notes that he and his work colleagues enjoy the creativity and unity that comes from making a practical contribution to the wider community. This way of thinking brings to life an important dimension of the Villa Man. More will follow regarding the exact make-up of the stationery packs.

New Leaders Stepping Up
The Ministry leaders meeting this Monday saw eight Year 11 students working together with four Middle School students to coordinate and organise the Winter Appeal. The strategy meetings enable the students to take ownership of the week ahead, initiating the cycle of “See – Judge – Act.” New students are always welcome to join the Ministry groups: they are a great way to make a positive difference to the culture of the College.

Please click here for Sunday’s Readings.

Mr John Holroyd, Dean of Mission and Identity

The official trials for the up-coming AIC AFL, cricket and volleyball season have commenced this week. I thank the many families who were able to complete and submit their sign-on forms to the Sports Office on time. This certainly assists our office with the huge task of organising and selecting teams for the respective seasons ahead.

I ask all concerned to carefully read the section below regarding the trial schedule planned for the up-coming weeks. It is extremely important to have those students who have been asked to attend the trials this weekend to be present.

Those who are unable to attend the trials will be considered, however, they will most likely be selected in a lower graded team. Please understand that it is impossible to appraise a student’s ability and select him in a team when they are not present. Students who are unable to make trials due to their selection in representative teams must see Mr Stariha so as this information can be passed to the coaches involved. I thank the parents who have communicated this already to me.

Given the hot conditions it is imperative that all boys wear a hat, apply sunscreen and bring at least one to two water bottles full of water.

I wish everyone all the best over the trial period. Our aim will be to publish all teams/squads in AFL, cricket and volleyball by the end of next week.

Year 7 – 12 Trial Information – Volleyball, Cricket and AFL (Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November)
After the cricket, AFL and volleyball trials held during Week 5, Term 4 (2 – 5 November), the College has organised further trial games to take place on the weekend of Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November. It is important for all interested students to attend these trials as we hope to finalize teams and squads after this weekend. All times and venues are found below.

Please note – We ask all parents to ‘drop and go’ this weekend. Parents are asked not to attend any of the trials held this weekend please.

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 2021. Therefore, the Year 7 trials are for students entering Year 7 in 2021, etc.

VOLLEYBALL TRIALS – SATURDAY 7 NOVEMBER 2020
Please note that all students who have signed up for volleyball trials will be expected to attend further trials on Saturday 7 November in Goold Hall at Villanova College. After these volleyball trials all coaches will then select their volleyball teams/squads. These squads will be posted on the web by Sunday 8 November, 6pm. If a boy fails to make a volleyball team/squad, they are welcome to join a cricket team, if this is the case please contact the Sports Office to advise via email on  sportsoffice@vnc.qld.edu.au or telephone 3394 5621. Please be advised that due to COVID-19, all cricket players must supply and use their own gear next season.  Unfortunately, this will be an added cost to parents.

Volleyball team list and information – https://www.vnc.qld.edu.au/student-life/co-curricular/sport/aic-volleyball/

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.

Note – Year 7 teams will play outdoors. Please bring a hat and sunscreen.

Further Volleyball Training and Trial Games
Once boys are selected in a volleyball squad, further training will continue in Goold Hall over the next two weeks. The specific time of the training session will be the exact same time and day as the trial session held this week. There will only be one training per week for each age group for the next two weeks as well as two trial games against Iona and St Laurence’s as listed below:

Date Claimers

• Saturday 14 November – Volleyball trials v Iona, times and venues TBA
• Saturday 21 November – Volleyball trials v SLC, times and venues TBA

AFL TRIALS – SATURDAY 7 NOVEMBER 2020
Please note that all students who have signed up for AFL trials will be expected to attend further trials on Saturday 7 November at Coorparoo JAFC, Birubi St, Coorparoo (Giffin Park). After these trials, all coaches will then select their AFL teams/squads. These squads will be posted on the web by Monday 9 November at 3pm. If a boy fails to make an AFL team/squad, they are welcome to join a cricket team, if this is the case please contact the Sports Office to advise, either by email  sportsoffice@vnc.qld.edu.au or telephone 3394 5621.

AFL team list and information – https://www.vnc.qld.edu.au/student-life/co-curricular/sport/aic-afl/

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

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

CRICKET TRIALS – SUNDAY 8 NOVEMBER 2020
Please note the trial games for cricket on Sunday 8 November are for selected teams/students only. NOT ALL BOYS WILL BE REQUIRED. We ask all students to check the College’s website for the team/squad lists for this weekend. This information will be posted by 3pm on Thursday 5 November. The web address is as below:

– https://www.vnc.qld.edu.au/student-life/co-curricular/sport/aic-cricket/

Those who are not required to play on Sunday will still make a team in 2021. The remaining players will be dispersed into the lower grade teams. These teams will be equal in ability and will be called a coloured team.

Venue: Villanova Park, Manly Road, Tingalpa
Uniform: Villanova cricket whites or any suitable sports clothing

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

Year 7 – 12 Villanova Cricket Selection Process
This article aims to clarify the selection process for all members of the Villanova community to understand how players are graded and how teams are selected.

The purpose of the Villanova cricket selection trials is to provide each student with an equal opportunity to display their batting and bowling skills over a 90-minute net session. External coaches are used to grade the players for teams to be selected.

The initial trials will take place at the Little Langlands cricket nets. At the conclusion of the trials, up to four teams from each age group from Year 7 – 10 only, will be chosen to play each other at an internal cricket trial game held on Sunday 8 November at Villanova Park. The best 22/24 players will play in an internal A/B trial; the next best 22/24 players will play each other in a C/Gold trial.

At the conclusion of the game we hope to choose the A, B and C teams. Note – This will only involve 2021 teams from Year 7, Year 8, Year 9 and Year 10 students. Students who are not selected to attend these trials will automatically make a ‘coloured cricket team’. All coloured teams are of equal ability and those who make a coloured team will not be required to play a game at Villanova Park on Sunday. Students who attend the trial game on Sunday and do not make an A, B or C team will be automatically placed in a ‘coloured team’.

Some students may not be able to make the Sunday trial game due to other cricket commitments. Please understand that selection into any club representative team/s does not guarantee a player’s selection into a Villanova team. Cricketers who are unavailable to play on the Sunday due to representative club cricket commitments will be considered for team selection, however, only their grading at the initial net session will be used.

Selection guidelines are as follows:

• There will be no more than seven students at each cricket net (usually only five)
• A Villanova staff member (in this case the Director of Sport or an AIC Sport Co-ordinator) will conduct the entire session and coordinate times for the duration of the session
• There will be externally sourced and qualified cricket coaches located at each cricket net
• Each student will get the opportunity to bat for 10 minutes
• Each student will get the opportunity to bowl a minimum of 30 deliveries
• The external cricket selectors will assess and personally rank each student based on performance displayed at the cricket net session in both batting and bowling. Each student will be given a tentative ranking in batting and bowling of either an A, B, C or D
• In addition to the physical fundamental skill set that each player displays, Head Coach Nathan Dufty and fellow qualified coaches will be monitoring how each student interacts and conducts themselves in the presence of fellow players on a social level i.e. is the student supportive of other team members? Is he a good “team player”? Does the student show leadership capabilities? Does the student lack confidence? etc.
• Based on the initial tentative rankings, the Head Coach Nathan Dufty will liaise with the Villanova College Director of Sport and both will select a combined A/B cricket squad and a combined C cricket squad.
• Once these tentative squads are agreed upon and selected, those selected will play an internal trial game at Villanova Park on Sunday 8 November. This will provide an opportunity for each student to display their skill set in a game situation.
• Upon completion of the internal trial game the students as a collective will be divided into final team rankings of A, B, C or a coloured team in order to represent Villanova College in the season ahead. Note that current representative players who are unable to make the trial game will be considered. Their ranking from the initial net session will be used.
• Further trials have been organised against Churchie and St Patrick’s College before Round 1. More information regarding these trials will be given at a later stage. The College reserves the right to change the make-up of all teams depending upon attitude, performance and attendance. Therefore, teams can and will change before Round 1.
• Students entering Year 5 must have attended cricket trials held on Orientation Day
• Students entering Year 6 will have their cricket trials conducted by Villanova staff members after school during Week 3 Term 4.

PLEASE NOTE – All parents are to support this process and not engage in any undesirable conversations that may contribute towards a negative experience for all involved including the coach, other parents and players.

The aim of schoolboy sport is to ensure all students are engaged in sport and enjoy the experience of competition with their mates.

FURTHER AFL, VOLLEYBALL and CRICKET TRIALS 2021 – Year 5 – 12 teams

Date Claimer – Further cricket, volleyball and AFL trials will be played against St Patrick’s College (or internal trials) on Saturday 23 January 2021, times and venues TBA. Please keep this date free.

In 2021 AIC Round 1 cricket, AFL and volleyball will be played in Week 1, Term 1 (not in Week 2 as has been the case in previous years). Therefore, we have organised trials on the Saturday before the boys commence the 2021 school year. Please keep Saturday 23 January free.

Churchie ‘A’ Team Cricket Trials
Date Claimer – Our 6A, 8A, 9A, 10A; Third XI, Second XI and First XI will have their annual cricket trial against Churchie on Friday 22 January 2021. Times and venues are still to be confirmed.  Please keep this date free.

We may also have an internal 7A v 7B cricket game on that day too.

First and Second XI Cricket Trial Match v Iona
Villanova will play a trial match against Iona on the date listed below. Mr Nathan Dufty will select the two teams to play in the week leading up to the game and will notify those involved at the Emerging Cricket Talent training sessions. Players are to provide their own lunch. These teams are now posted on the web.

Saturday 14 November v Iona at Villanova Park

• First XI 9.30 am start – 50 overs
• Second XI 1pm start – 35 overs

FIRST AND SECOND XI FOOTBALL TRIALS
The College will commence the First XI and Second XI football program next week on Thursday 12 November at Villanova Park from 3.45 – 5.30pm. The second session will be held on 26 November as per below.

Trial session dates:

• Thursday 12 November
• Thursday 26 November

Currently we have a list of students who we require to attend the trials posted on the website under the AIC Football section. Any student who is not listed and would like the opportunity to trial is welcome to attend. Boys are to find their own way to the trial venue.

 2021 COACHES/MANAGERS AND OFFICIALS NEEDED – OUR BOYS NEED YOUR HELP!
The Villanova College Sports Department is currently seeking coaches, managers and officials for the Year 5 – 12 AIC sports program in 2021.  In particular, we require the assistance of staff, parents, old boys and friends of the College to take on the many duties needed to ensure that every student has the opportunity to participate and enjoy all the benefits that playing sport  provides as well as ensuring the ongoing growth and development of our sports program across all areas.

Villanova’s success in sport is dependent upon many factors, one being the generosity of members within our community to give of their time and efforts in order to serve our students by taking on specific roles. These roles include coach, manager, referee, umpire, scorer etc. If you can help in any way, could you please complete the online nomination form below.

All forms received will be compiled into a database. Before each season commences a member of the Sports Office will contact those who have expressed an interest to assist. A final confirmation of commitment will be sought, and further details will be given.

The College is indebted to those who were able to assist throughout 2020. We now invite those who would like to assist in 2021 to become involved for the benefit of our students and the College. You will no doubt find it rewarding and no experience is necessary. Please click on the link below if you are able to assist – https://form.jotform.com/VillanovaSport/coachofficialnomination 

EXPERIENCED FOOTBALL COACHES REQUIRED
The Villanova College Sports Department is currently looking for experienced/highly qualified coaches to be involved in the football program starting later in Term 4 and continuing into next year. 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

SWIMMING/VOLLEYBALL AND CRICKET CLINICS – 2021
Please find below some date claimers regarding to the up-coming swimming, volleyball and cricket clinics, which are open to all students from Year 5 – 12 in 2021. These are great opportunities for our student athletes to develop their skills before the 2021 AIC sport season commences.

Cricket Clinic – 19, 20 and 21 January at Villanova Park (flyer found on website within AIC Cricket section)
Swim Clinic – 18 January at Langlands Park Pool
Volleyball Clinic – 18 and 19 January at Goold Hall

VILLANOVA COLLEGE SWIMMING – LANGLANDS PARK POOL
Please find below the dates which training will cease over the upcoming vacation period at Langlands Park Pool. We certainly hope all our swimmers will continue their training throughout the Christmas holiday period:

Last day – Friday 18 December 2020
Start back – Monday 4 January 2021

RUGBY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
Andrew Slack (Villanova Old Boy and ex-Wallaby Captain) has reached out to the College and has advised the coaches that he is keen to be involved in the 2020/21 Andrew Slack Squad. Whilst Andrew knows he cannot attend every session, he would like to be involved on a regular basis and develop a relationship with the boys and in particular work with the backs in a mentoring role, with a focus on developing our match management skills and vision in counter attack. Andrew’s contribution will be significant for the growth of our young players who will draw on Andrew’s experience and take their games to another level.

When Andrew addressed the Andrew Slack Squad at their very first training session at Villanova Park last Sunday he talked about how the years he spent playing schoolboy for Villanova First XV were in many ways his most memorable – a big call from someone who holds many records for the Reds and the Wallabies, including being a Grand Slam winning captain for the Wallabies in 1984 (and being the last Wallabies Captain to win at Eden Park in 1986).

Naturally, the boys are very excited to have both Andrew Slack and Benny Mowen around the rugby squads (as are the coaches).

Pictured above – The 2020/21 Andrew Slack squad at their first training session at Villanova Park last Sunday with the coaches – Paul Davey and Craig Kassulke, Manager – Steven Bremner and Andrew Slack himself.

REPRESENTATIVE SPORT

• Patrick (Year 7) and Liam (Year 5) Holmes competed at the U12 Queensland Hockey State Championships for Met East last week in Ipswich. Met East won the championship – the first time in 25 years. Both boys played extremely well. Great effort boys.

• Well done to Mitch Honeyman and Josh Rheinberger who competed in the 10 – 12 years State Basketball Championships for the Met East team and won the gold medal on the weekend. A fantastic result, congratulations boys!

Several Villanova students competed at the Gold Coast Mountain Biking event held last Friday at Nerang. This was a school’s event with over 150 registered riders.  The tracks were designed to test multiple skills of mountain biking over three unique courses over five hours. The rider’s best times from the three courses were combined and we had some great results.

We secured 88 points which put the boys in fourth place overall.  A great effort by all involved:

Year 11 – 12 boys, 19 riders
Thomas Halligan – 6
Tim Chapman – 9
Mason Prowse – 10

Year 9 – 10 boys, 42 riders
Josh Vincent –  1
Louis Anderson – 3
James Pugh – 11
Rory Whittaker – 12
Jed Kemp – 32

Year 7 – 8 boys, 70 riders
Neo Pace – 15
Nate Matulick – 26
Mikka Whittaker – 28
Angus Meredith –  39
Sean Kelly – 32

Mr Craig Stariha, Director of Sport

Winners of the Wieneke Bursary 2020
Last Friday evening, 30 October, the finalists for this year’s Wieneke Bursary performed for our gathered audience, and our esteemed adjudicator Mr Paul Kucharski.  The evening promised some fantastic performances and the music shared by our students certainly did not disappoint.

The winners and second place getters for this year’s competition are communicated below:

Congratulations again to all finalists – you should be extremely proud of your efforts.

I would like to extend my thanks to the families who have supported their sons through their musical journey to this point.  I would also like to recognise the efforts of our staff who work with the students to develop such high levels of performance we have witnessed across the entire heat and final process.  Finally, thank you to Mr Scuderi and the tech crew for their assistance on the evening, ensuring the event ran to plan and schedule.

We will share a link to video footage of the evening shortly with our community.  Looking forward to being able to share that with you soon.

Celebration of Excellence
Congratulations to all of our performers who have so far provided music for our Celebration of Excellence in Hanrahan Theatre.  Your performances have been fantastic and have been very well received by our College community – well done.

Congratulations to all of our award recipients as well.  It is pleasing to see such a large number of performance uniforms stroll across stage to receive recognition for academic pursuits too.  It was great to see all but one of the major awards last night (Year 5 – 9) were given to Musicians.  Well done gentlemen!  We look forward to what tonight will bring!

Christmas Extravaganza
Christmas is coming!  Villanova Music will be celebrating Christmas in November with our annual Gala concert on Thursday 12 November, commencing at 6pm.  We will be holding our event in Goold Hall, with the music also simulcast to the Middle School Quadrangle via Big Screen.  Information regarding ticketing, registration, and merchandise sales will be distributed shortly.

You will need your picnic rug or camp chair, or you could purchase a Villanova College Camp Chair as part of your admission fee!  You could also purchase a Wildcat cooler seat full of goodies to munch and drink during the concert.

All ticket, merchandise, and refreshment sales are being conducted through Trybooking, accessible by this link:  https://www.trybooking.com/BMJUC. 

Please note:  All tickets, food, beverages, merchandise will be presold – nothing will be available for purchase on the night.  All ticket sales close on Sunday evening. 

Key information has been emailed home – please ensure you have received it so that you and your son are aware of arrival and uniform requirements.

Music Support Group AGM
Our wonderful Music Support Group will be holding their Annual General Meeting on Monday 9 November, commencing at 7.30pm.  They are looking for parents interested to learn a little more about our music program and support the students in their activities.  Please come along next Monday in the Chapter Room at the front of the Augustine Centre; we look forward to seeing you there.

Key dates for Term 4
Key dates for Term 4 are outlined below.

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

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

Mr Michael Jones, Director of Music

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

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

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

Tuckshop Roster (Monday 9 November – Friday 13 November)
All volunteers rostered on this week will be contacted directly by the Tuckshop.

Mount Walker
The 60 hectare property at Mount Walker near Rosewood, was donated to the College by Mr Ashley Daley in 1979.  A dedication ceremony was attended by over 300 people on March 18, 1979 and Villanova College had an outdoor education site for its students.

Large scale works, such as grading and surfacing the access road, levelling sites for later buildings and constructing two dams were carried out by a parent working for Caterpillar – at no cost to the College! In the early 1980s many parents helped on weekend working bees to get the site ready for students.  In the mid 1990s further improvements were made and new fencing erected around the campsite.

Primary school and Year 8 camps were held annually at Mt Walker until the mid 1990s.  The boys worked through a program which aimed to develop teamwork, resourcefulness and bush skills.  Camp activities ranged from climbing the mountain, to visiting the Mt Walker cemetery where the first white settlers in the region are buried.  Local farmers and graziers allowed the students to visit their dairy and cattle farms to observe daily life and learn more about country living.

Those who attended the Mt Walker camps may still remember the long walks down to the neighbouring dairy farms, the guided tour of the old machinery shed, fresh milk from the farmer, bush walks through spear grass, the taste of freshly baked damper from the dutch-oven, the night time concerts, star gazing and stories around the camp fire.

While Mt Walker remains in the hands of the Augustinians, the College has not used the site as an outdoor education facility for many years.