Villanova News

Dear Members of the Villanova College Family,
On Tuesday, our College community gathered in Goold Hall for the Opening Mass to celebrate the commencement of the 2021 school year.  Celebrating Mass together as a whole College was a very important sign of our unity as a faith community. The theme for the Mass focused on the Gospel reading where the boy, Samuel was called by God. Samuel’s response is a reminder to us to be open to the invitation from God to be his servant.

“Speak; your servant is listening.”  (1 Samuel 3:4-20)

Parent Information Evenings
It has been fantastic to welcome back families to our College and to have the opportunity to meet face to face with our teaching staff. Over the next few weeks Parent Information Evenings will be held for all year levels. It is pleasing to see so many parents passionate about the education of their son and joining with us in a very strong partnership to ensure these young men are supported, encouraged and challenged to be their very best.

I am looking forward to welcoming our parents to the new year at the upcoming evenings and I encourage all our parents to join with us as we outline the plans for 2021.

Camps
Imagine taking away 160 plus students and staff for two nights and three days. You leave behind your nice cosy bed knowing you will be on duty for 24/7 for these three days and you will need to deal with every eventuality from scrapped knees to being home sick. This is what our Year 5 staff are currently facing this week and they love it. Why? Because establishing strong relationships between our staff and students is the key to our success in the classroom.

This is why we conduct our camps so early in the school year- to provide opportunities for our staff to get to know the students they will be working with during the year.

Driving around the College
Over the last couple of days, I have received four emails from our neighbours and our own parents about the poor behaviour of drivers when trying to pick up and deposit students. The emails tell me that parents are more than happy to go on the wrong side of the road to avoid waiting in line as well as double parking and blocking access to a whole street. One neighbour even took a photo of the car and registration plate that was parked on a yellow line blocking their driveway and sent me the photo.  One mother who asked a parent to move and not double park was yelled at and intimidated by the other parent.

My highest priority will be the safety of our students. Parents who do not follow the guidelines set down for pick up and drop-offs, jeopardise the safety of our students. I have requested the Brisbane City Council and our local Police to undertake frequent patrols of the streets and loading zones surrounding the College. Please be aware that Seventh Avenue is not a drop-off zone due to the one-way nature of the street. 

Once again, I ask all our parents to be patient and understanding of the neighbourhood in which the College is located. There are tight streets surrounding the College and on each school day our pickups and drop offs significantly increases the traffic congestion. If we all show due consideration, we will be able to move through the streets with little fuss.

Music Camp
Over the weekend the music students from Loreto College joined with our music students for a series of workshops. Specialist clinicians worked with the students to develop their skills as performers and members of ensembles. I am grateful to our Director of Music, Mr Michael Jones and the Music staff for their support and guidance of the students. We look forward to many wonderful performances in the future.

Prayers
We keep in our prayers the Nepean-Hutchison family following the recent death of new Year 7 student Karmichel Nepean-Hutchison. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and classmates.

We also keep in our prayers the Loreto College community following the death of one of their 2020 Senior students last week. I have offered the thoughts and condolences of the Villanova College community.

May their souls 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. 

2021 BYOD START UP TASKS
On Saturday 30 January all Middle and Senior School families were sent an email regarding 2021 BYOD start up procedures. There was a list of short but important tasks to ensure student BYOD laptops were “education ready”. Tasks included deleting 2020 emails, setting up subject folders in OneDrive, closing 2020 Class Notebooks in the OneNote Desktop app, and removing/limiting access to game clients (Steam, Origin) and game chat apps (Discord, Twitch).

These tasks are published online at https://vnc4.sharepoint.com/sites/BYOD/SitePages/2021-Start-up-guide.aspx (requires student sign in)

Please ask your son to complete these tasks independently and under your supervision. This will ensure he is managing his own laptop and making sensible, educated decisions to use his device for the right reasons – limiting access to games and distracting technologies.

If your son is unable to complete any of the tasks due to technical faults or other issues ensure he visits the IT Helpdesk staff under Cascia building either before school or at a break time. To alert us to significant issues please send an email to byod@vnc.qld.edu.au with detailed information.

Acceptable use of Computer Network agreement
By Friday 5 February it is expected that all students from Years 7-12 have read and signed pages 10, 11 and 12 of the 2021 College Diary (and that parents have co-signed these pages as well). This section of the College Diary covers the terms and conditions of acceptable use of our College network infrastructure. Failure to have these three pages signed by next week may result in loss of access to the wifi on campus. Students have been told, “no signed agreement, no access”. Please support your son as together we encourage mindful, respectful and appropriate use of our College IT network.

Data, Privacy and eSafety
On Monday teaching staff attended a Cybersafety presentation by Brian Hay, Executive Director of Cultural Cyber Security (https://www.culturalcybersecurity.com/brian-hay). Brian regularly presents on increasing complexity and frequency of cyber crime. For this bespoke session delivered to Villanova Staff, Brian’s key takeaway message was, “Often, it is not the technology that fails, it is the judgement of the user.” Brian explained how easily we share personal information and become vulnerable if we think the request is coming from a seemingly safe and trustworthy source. His presentation explored how to detect phishing emails (fake ‘calls to action’), the importance of changing passwords frequently, avoiding ‘one password for all’, organisational ransom scenarios and the benefit of using Password Managers (e.g. LastPass, Bitwarden). Teaching staff were engaged and challenged by the presentation. The College intends to organise a parent evening during Semester 1 to support Brian’s other key takeaway message, “Cyber safe practices begin at home”. I can highly recommend two websites with courses and resources to support parents and carers. Firstly, there is a parent section in the Office of the eSafety Commissioner website (https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents). Secondly, Internet Safe Education provides a detailed Online Cyber Safety course for Parents ($45 per course, depending on the age of your children) at https://internetsafeeducation.com/ in the Online Courses section. There are many free ebooks and resources in the Internet Safe Education site as well.

Student email – internal use only
As a final notice, student email addresses are for internal communication only. Whilst students may receive emails from outside sources it is College policy students are not permitted to send emails using their school email accounts. Students should not sign up to personal subscriptions and services using their school email address. Please contact elearning@vnc.qld.edu.au if you require any clarification.

THE READING MALE
Did you know that reading activates the region of the brain responsible for better understanding others and seeing the world from new perspectives? When we read about a situation or feeling, it is very nearly as if we are feeling it ourselves (Dovey, 2015; Paul, 2012; Orr, 2020, p. 12). Reading supports our social and emotional health. The Library’s Reading Program, rolled out last year, targets our Year 5, 6 and 7 students. We see each student once a week for a Library Reading lesson. During this lesson, we encourage peer recommendations; teach boys to find books they enjoy; challenge them to try books they thought they would never try; and teach them the benefits of reading for enjoyment. We need our whole school community to build a reading culture at our College. As a library, we alone cannot achieve this. We need your help. Over the year, we will communicate with you a few strategies to promote reading at home.

February is an exciting month for reading. Wednesday 3 February was World Read Aloud Day. Celebrate this day by reading a book to your children. When our sons were growing up, my husband would enthusiastically read Banjo Paterson’s, Man from Ironbark. He was animated, he gestured, and he acted out the story. Our sons are now in their 20s and they remember their dad’s reading of the poem, so much so that recently they wanted their dad to share the story again with their partners. Soon after our children learn to read for themselves, evidence suggests we stop reading aloud to them. Whether your child is in Year 5 or  Year 12, read aloud to them; choose a poem, read an article, read a book together. They may think it is strange at first, particularly if it has been a while, but you will  soon enjoy the experience, and the story time has the potential to lead to conversation. Not only will this prove to be an opportunity to connect with your child, but you are also modelling the love of reading.

February 14 is well known as Valentine’s day. However, did you know it is also International Book Giving Day? Instead of buying your partner roses or chocolates, consider buying them a book. A book is a thoughtful gift; it also communicates to your child that books are indeed a gift. Evidence suggests that books are often given to daughters but not to sons. Buy your son a book for International Book Giving Day or borrow a book for him from the local library. We have more helpful advice and ideas on our Library site: icentre.vnc.qld.edu.au/read or you can call the Library on 3394 5531.

“When I think about how I understand my role as citizen … and the most important set of understandings that I bring to that position of citizen, the most important stuff I’ve learned I think I’ve learned from novels. It has to do with empathy. It has to do with being comfortable with the notion that the world is complicated and full of greys, but there’s still truth there to be found, and that you have to strive for that and work for that. And the notion that it is possible to connect with some[one] else even though they are very different from you” (Obama, 2015).

Mrs Antonietta Neighbour, Director of Library and Information Services

References

Dovey, C. (2015, June 9). Can reading make you happier? [Cultural Comment]. The New Yorker.Retrieved from https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/can-reading-make-you-happier

Orr, W. (2020). Reading the other: Empathy through fiction. Magpies, 35(2), pp. 12-14.

Paul, A. (2012, March 17). Opinion | The Neuroscience of Your Brain on Fiction – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Obama, B., & Robinson, M. (2015). President Obama & Marilynne Robinson: A Conversation in Iowa | by President Barack Obama | The New York Review of Books (nybooks.com)

Relationships matter a great deal.  When they are built on trust, empathy and experiences, people are happy.  With happiness comes the ability to be open minded, take risks and push past any hurdle we might face.  The tough moments in life are survived best when we can lean on others and allow people to help us when we might be confused, worried or just plain old stuck.  Family, friends, and school relationships can make us our very best selves.

There are many reasons why our College camps are important milestones for students and staff.  Our Year 5 students, only five days into Villanovan life, are now in Mudjimba for an experience of a lifetime.  For a decade the bus trip, activities, mealtimes, and dormitories have provided the ultimate platform for establishing a relationship between teachers and students. This was formed by experiences where fun, success and challenge, teamwork and leadership were the only requirements.  It is the focus on the person that makes all the difference.  “Who” we are working with is vital to being successful in a classroom.  The “what”, “where”, “why” and “when” come after we truly understand the individual.

Currently on the Year 5 camp, I could not be more in awe of these young men.  I met the cohort after their bus trip and while unpacking in their dormitories.  Walking into the campsite I am being greeted with screams of delight – almost like they cannot believe their luck to have three school days in such a special place.  I see the group names on the walls, boys moving between dormitories and activities with mates (old and new), teachers already loving the stories about activity highlights with boys not just in their class, but across the year level.

This is a time and place for relationships.  It is very clearly worth the time and energy to plan it at the start of the year.  I am being inundated with “the best” moments – in the mud pit, climbing the rock wall, riding the mountain bikes, boogie boarding and games at the beach, making tornados in the pool – the boys’ faces are lit up like fireworks.  It is the kind of energy you would love to bottle to send home to every mum and dad.  May I just gently warn any Year 5 parent that emptying your son’s camp bag directly into the washing machine is perhaps the best way to sort their gear!  There is a high chance that there might be a random item in your son’s bag, so please just send it in to the Junior School on Monday and we can hopefully locate the owner.

Year 5 teachers, Learning Enrichment Staff and Music Staff will take all these camp stories back to the classroom in Week 3 (once they have caught up on some sleep of course).  The highs and lows mean that your sons will know that we are right here beside them no matter what.  Succeeding?  We will be your biggest cheer squad.  Struggling?  We will stand behind, beside and find resources and strategies to work out any issue.  Wondering if your son is “seen”?  Indeed, he is – not just by his class teachers, but by staff who will get to know him further in co-curricular, enrichment and specialist lessons.

Mr Callum Hackett, Acting Junior School Pastoral Area Leader, supports a Focus of the Week in the Junior School which is directly related to a Developmental Relationships Framework.  It is very important that young boys learn explicitly about social and emotional relationships.  “Express Care” is our Week 2 theme, and this means that as staff we need to explore how students know and understand that we “care” – do the boys feel “known” and “valued”?  Our staff aim to know the boys for their passions, loves, likes, and dislikes.  The whole individual.  Not just the hours of the weekday, but what do the students do out of school – clubs, free time and with families.  Conversations mean a great deal.  No agenda.  Just checking in on that cricket game, AFL result, swim meet PB, movie, book, dinner or family party.  What matters to our young men is what matters to us as professionals.

My heartfelt thanks to Junior School staff, parents and students for the enthusiasm and trust put into relationships in these first precious weeks.  We are building a foundation that means everything to the one reason we are all here – the boys who breathe the green and gold.

Mr Stephen Rouhliadeff, Head of Junior School

It was with great sadness that we received the news of Karmichel’s death this week. We extend our deepest sympathies to the family on behalf of the Villa community. 

It is important during these times of shock and sadness that we take care of ourselves and each other. We all process these feelings differently, so as parents and teachers we need to be attuned to the different ways that grief can manifest itself. Please be mindful that grief reactions can sometimes present at a later time, so continue to monitor your son for some time.

As Mark Stower mentioned in his letter to our community, there are support services available for those who need it. I would encourage parents with concerns about their son’s wellbeing to reach out to his Year Level Coordinator or class teacher. 

Finally, thank you for the messages of support that have been sent to the College, to the Year 7 teaching team, and to myself over these last few days. They have been much appreciated, and have been a reminder of the wonderful community we have at Villa, in both the good times and challenging. 

Mr Greg O’Neill, Head of Middle School

Year 12 Commissioning Ceremony
Last Friday, we celebrated as a College Community the Rite of Beginning to commence the 2021 Academic Year. A significant component of the Opening Assembly was commissioning our Student Leadership Team and Year 12 Seniors. Year 12 Student Benjamin Liddy led his peers in reciting the Senior Pledge for 2021:

We, the Seniors of 2021, recognise and accept the duties and responsibilities to which we are called.

Inspired by Saint Augustine, we pledge ourselves:

• To open our hearts to the Truth of God that inspires us to be men of service.
• To be role models where our actions mirror our words.
• To work collaboratively with our peers and teachers to ensure we all reach our full potential and strive to be our true selves.

When we reach the conclusion of our Senior year, may we proudly look back at the legacy we have left at Villanova College.

We, the Seniors of 2021, with one heart and one mind, will live out our motto to be ‘humble in confidence, courageous in character’.

And with God’s help, and that of our patron, Saint Thomas of Villanova, we shall endeavour to fulfil these pledges and live up to the confidence that the Villanova community has placed in us.

College Captain Louis Henderson eloquently addressed the assembly and explored his meaning of courage:

The second half of our pledge was to remain “courageous in character”. Which raises the question. What is courage? True courage is the ability to be vulnerable. To have the confidence to ask your mate “R u ok?” Courage is also the ability to say you are not okay – to ask for help when you need it and offer help when those you love need it most. Our youngest brothers reside just below our Senior precinct, we hope to teach them the ropes, our Augustinian values, and the importance of listening to your teachers every once in a while. But I seem to think that us Seniors have a bit to learn from them too.

Building upon the firm foundation established at this assembly, the Year 12 students led, at Friday lunchtime, one of the most powerful spirit rallies witnessed in recent memory igniting the Cor Unum flame for the year ahead. I wish all Year 12 students every blessing as they embrace their leadership responsibilities and make a powerful and positive difference within the Villanova College community across 2021.

Parent Information Evenings
We commence the series of Parent Information Evenings in the Senior School tonight as we engage with our Year 12 Parents. The purpose of these evenings is to reinforce the significance of the partnership that exists between the College and our families in ensuring that we provide the best possible support to the young men in our care. The presenters will outline key messages pertaining to the academic and pastoral support of our Senior School students and provide an overview of our formation programs and strategic initiatives. I look forward to meeting parents at these evenings across the next week.

“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” – Henry Ford.

Mr Matt Levander, Head of Senior School

Living Gratefully and Walking Humbly!
Being together is a blessing that I certainly do not take for granted.  Indeed, this was one of the unexpected blessings of 2020, new appreciations for what had always been a given.  On Tuesday morning our entire school community gathered for our Mass to begin the year.  As a newcomer to Villanova, I could not visualise how our whole community would fit into Goold Hall, and yet the space was transformed by the Maintenance staff from our sports hall into a sacred place with great efficiency, and indeed we did all fit!

This Mass marks officially and spiritually our year beginning.  It is also known as the Mass of the Holy Spirit, and indeed the spirit of this community was tangible in our gathering.  The involvement of all members of the community, the music and singing, the respectful listening and the ready engagement in time for reflection and prayer was fantastic to observe and take part in.  The readings of the day invited us to reflect upon being called by God.  For Samuel, a young boy, this calling came in the middle of the night.  Fr Peter invited us all to consider where, when and how we hear God’s call in our lives.  When are we invited to listen deeply and to respond using our gifts?  How will we do this in 2021?  This is about being grounded, about being humble! What great questions to reflect upon.

Fr Peter’s opening prayer, is one I invite all to pray this week for our community:

Gracious God,
St. Augustine spoke of the community of learners.
May we learn the value of each other’s gifts and, with Christ to show us the way, enrich our community with his truth.
We ask this in Jesus’ name.

Amen

Putting faith into action: Our staff and family visits to Emmanuel City Mission
Putting our faith into action through involvement in ministries is an enriching and vital dimension of life at Villanova College.  John Holroyd, our former Dean of Mission and Identity, shares the following about visits with Emmanuel City Mission over the Christmas break.

A number of staff and family members put their shoulders to the wheel during the Christmas holidays, supporting the outreach of Emmanuel City Mission. Emmanuel City Mission is a drop-in centre for people who are homeless and at risk. It has become increasingly popular with patrons because it is a welcoming and safe space. It has also managed to keep its doors open throughout the COVID-19 restrictions.

In particular, teams of staff and family members supported by supplying two big breakfasts for the patrons, catering for about 70 people on each occasion. About 20 different staff were involved, and it was a highlight to see spouses and children donate their time and energy. The second of the two breakfasts was provided on 22 December, which marked the second day of a four-day sequence of Emmanuel City being constantly open to patrons, including offering overnight shelter, and a hot meal every three hours.

The feedback from staff in being involved is overwhelmingly positive. We all feel as if we are moving into a space at Emmanuel City where ideals of community are being lived out in a tangible way. The timing allowed a profound gift for staff and their families regarding the purpose of Christmas.  Several staff continue to volunteer at Emmanuel City, so the connection has been very enriching for the Villanova community. It is good for us at the College to be able to support such a project which flies almost by faith alone.

One goal for 2021 is to further develop the friendship with Emmanuel City, and older students in particular are welcome to take up the opportunity to visit and volunteer.

Supporting AFAS by attending our La Forza event
A reminder of our La Forza event on Saturday 13 February.  A great opportunity to be with friends and meet others connected with the Villanova community, whilst at the same time knowing some of the proceeds of the night go towards supporting AFAS Elders and their work on Kinatarcan.  In a world experiencing COVID, our community cannot go there this year, but this is a great way to still support those communities.  Please see the flyer for booking details.

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

Ms Kate Garrone, Dean of Mission and Identity

At the conclusion of the 2020 school year, the Sports Office was very confident with the progressions made with regards to our pre-season trial process for the AFL, cricket, volleyball and swimming programs so that we would be in a good position leading into the 2021 season. It always strikes me that no matter how well we are prepared and organised leaving 2020, there is no escaping the usual ‘first week frenzy’ as we prepare for the first round of AIC matches and events scheduled the first week back. Given this, I was quite happy with how all coaches, players and parents did their bit to ensure the 2021 AIC program got off to a good start over the weekend. Many thanks to all!

Now that we have reached Week 2 of the school year, all training programs across all sports and year levels are set for the season ahead. These schedules along with the coaching contact details, team lists and by-laws are found on the College’s web site.

The Sports Office communicates information to parents (and students) via the Villa View (College newsletter), website, morning notices and the Villanova College App (this is a must to install on your phone). Regular access to the College’s website is essential. Please be advised that we aim to post the weekly draws on the website by Wednesday of each week. All team lists for each team sport should be posted by Thursday, if not earlier.

As part of the ongoing and far-reaching learning process at Villanova, we do require our students to take responsibility. When a student commits himself to a team, the College expects that he makes every effort to attend all training sessions and games throughout the season within reason. It is not the responsibility of a student to pick and choose which sessions they would like to attend. If a student’s training schedule conflicts with any other Villanova co-curricular commitment we will be more than happy to negotiate an alternative schedule, however, your son must communicate this to the College via the Sports Department.

As a general rule, both the Director of Sport and Director of Music have agreed on the following when there is a clash between sport training and music rehearsal. Please consult the respective Director of Sport/Music to arrange the specific alternate schedule.

• Students in ‘A’ teams (two training sessions per week) will rotate rehearsal with one training session every fortnight, i.e., rehearsal and training one week, two training sessions the next.
• Students in ‘B’ teams (two training sessions per week) will attend one training session and rehearsal every
• Students in all other teams (one training session per week) are to rotate training and rehearsal every fortnight, i.e., rehearsal one week, training the next.

I must congratulate the many coaches and players who represented the College last weekend in cricket, swimming, AFL and volleyball games. To move the ‘sporting elephant’ we need many hands-on deck to ensure that all Villa teams are well prepared and organised. I thank the many people who have assisted the sports program so far by fulfilling the various roles needed for things to run smoothly.

Our results last weekend against Iona (and Ashgrove in Year 5 and Year 6 AFL) were very good overall. From the many games I witnessed, I was pleased with the way the boys entered the spirit of competition and the way we played with grit and determination to give our best to the team and the College. It was very satisfying to see our 1st Cricket, Volleyball and AFL teams all come away with great wins. What a start to the season! Well done to all and I encourage all teams to reset and give it another ‘good crack’ this weekend too.

Villanova heads into Round 2 of competition this weekend against St Peters Lutheran College (SPLC) in cricket, AFL and volleyball in the main round and with Villa playing various other schools in the supplementary rounds. I ask all players to be focused and ready for battle as we look to back up our great results from last weekend. Our swim squad will travel to Iona College (not Ashgrove – as we had a change of venue) via buses organised by the College this Friday evening for the second official AIC swim meet of the season.

As always, to gain good results we must put a substantial effort into our training. It was a shame that we had to cancel training earlier in the week for some teams due to the wet weather. I realize this may result in some teams not having a training session yet – not ideal but we cannot help the weather. At Villanova College the Sports Office is very reluctant to cancel training at a ‘drop of the hat’. If the conditions are not too wet and dangerous, we do from time-to-time train in damp conditions.

I ask all coaches and players to focus on what they need to do at each training session each week so that improvement can be made. The next challenge is put this into action on game day. The fact is we need to train hard and play hard every week to gain positive results. Pride in the jersey, leaving nothing in the tank and giving our best to our College and to our mates is what we want, no matter the result.  Good luck to all this weekend and enjoy. Go Villa!

Round 2 AIC Fixtures – Friday 5 and Saturday 6 February, AIC Cricket and Volleyball v St. Peters Lutheran College (SPLC), AIC AFL v St Peters, Ashgrove, Padua and Iona College.

Please refer to the College’s website to view all times and venues for this weekend’s fixtures. Simply scroll down on the College’s home page to the ‘Latest News’ section and click the ‘Weekly Fixtures’ section.

AIC CRICKET
I would like to take this opportunity to remind players and parents that cricketers need to wear the appropriate uniform to all AIC games. The uniform consists of the Villanova cricket shirt, Villanova hat or cap and white pants for all players. It is not acceptable for any player to wear any club cricket shirt or hat when representing Villanova. All players are to have their own box protector and it is compulsory for all players to wear a helmet whilst batting and keeping up to the stumps. Any fielder who is within 10m of the bat must also wear a helmet.

Training sessions have been finalized and all players are expected to attend all sessions. If for some reason a student is unable to attend training, we ask parents to email the coaches directly (not the Sports Office). The training schedule and coaches contact details are posted on the College’s website.

It is important that all players check their team lists each week as there may be player movement in all year levels. Due to injury and withdrawals, there have been several changes made to the lists.

Please be mindful that our coaches are mainly Old Boys, outside coaches or parents. Most of whom are volunteering their services free of charge. If you need to discuss any cricket matters with them, please do so in a positive and timely manner. When coaches are conducting training sessions, parents should only assist if you have been approached by the coach to help.

Many coaches need the assistance from parents during the season with umpiring and scoring duties. We ask parents to offer their services so there is an even distribution of duties and not one person is burdened each week with the same duty.

With many Old Boys coaching, we are calling on parents to assist with managing the team. Managers will need to put together a roster for umpiring, scoring and any other general duties that can assist the coaches. This will free up the Old Boys and let them concentrate on coaching, rather than having to do jobs that others should be doing to help. Unfortunately, we are not able to give out personal details to parents. This information is to be collected on Saturdays at matches. We have some teams covered by managers at this stage but would dearly love all teams to have a parent rep to distribute team info each week.

Round 1 Results v Iona College
Round 1 came upon us quickly after only three days back at the College. Only a couple of trials and no training sessions had many of the teams underprepared and players and coaches meeting for the first time. Iona was also in the same boat and in many matches, it showed that the boys were lacking a bit of match practice. However, it was great to see the boys out on the field again enjoying themselves and having some time with their friends.

The Year 5 boys were playing together for the first time and there already appears to be a real camaraderie amongst the boys as they celebrated wickets together, played games together while waiting to bat and celebrated their wins enthusiastically. They have started their cricket careers with six wins from six games. Easts Tigers rugby supporters would know the feeling. The 5As had a convincing win easily chasing down 82 and putting an extra hundred runs on top of the Iona total. The 5Bs fought hard and you would have thought they won the World Cup when Iona lost their last wicket just a few runs short of the total. This playing group has a lot of depth and we hope they continue to improve over the season.

All the results were shared evenly throughout the day with Iona. The aggregate was six wins and six losses, and the overall games finished even with 14 a-piece. The Opens all had good solid wins with the firsts dominating in their opening round with an all-round team effort.  The Fourth XI also had a big win, while it was tighter in the Second XI and the Third XI, who snuck home by one run.

This week we have Round 2 against St. Peter’s Lutheran College. Many teams are playing other Colleges, as SPLC are lacking team numbers. Please check the draw and be aware of your opposition and venue.

We are hoping that all teams go out and play some good cricket this week in preparation for round 3 against Ashgrove next week.

Good luck to all teams for a successful round this weekend.

AIC VOLLEYBALL
Mr Todd Kropp, Volleyball Co-ordinator

Last Saturday the Villanova volleyball teams took on a fierce Iona volleyball program, arguably the measuring stick in AIC volleyball for some time now. Whilst it was a tough season opener for some, Villa did record a number of wins and all teams displayed our program’s values to be humble in victory, gracious in defeat and to value each opportunity to improve. Before we head into Round 2 this weekend, I would like to make special mention of our First VI team who won their match three sets to two in a nail-biting finish on Iona turf. I would also like to make mention of our Year 10 teams who cleaned up the division with three wins from three matches and not recording a loss of set.

Please note that the College website is the first place to visit for information regarding when and where your son will be playing each Saturday. Information that can be viewed consists of training schedules, game times, playing venues and duty/linesman rosters. I encourage parents and players to use the website as a vehicle to be informed of occurrences in Villanova Volleyball.

In order to host home games, we do require a huge amount of help. From time to time each player will be asked to perform a court duty – linesman. We ask parents to support the College by ensuring that your son is available and attend the designated court duty before or after his game. This information will be available on the college website each week and published on the Sports notice board.

Round 2 serves off this week against St Peter’s in what will be another tough encounter. After another tough week on the training court, I know the coaching team are looking forward to seeing how our teams fair. Again, it is expected that every member of Villanova Volleyball plays every point of every set until the referee whistles, we hope to be humble winners and gracious in defeat.

Players are asked to be in the correct uniform for the start of the volleyball season – no rugby or basketball shorts and no black socks.  Please check the College website for more information.

 Check out this clip for some helpful hints when blocking!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UForevjCu2Y

Goold Hall Canteen – Volleyball Parents
The Villanova Sports Club requests the assistance of all volleyball parents to help serve in the canteen during our home games. Parents are asked to assist in the canteen when their son arrives 20 minutes prior to the start time of their game time for warm up or when their son has been rostered on for court duty (this should be maximum two occasions throughout the season). We are seeking interested persons to coordinate the canteen for home games for the Year 10 – 12 home rounds.  If you would like to take this on, please do not hesitate to contact Mr Todd Kropp, Email: tkropp@vnc.qld.edu.au

AIC AFL
Mr Adam Fry, AIC AFL Co-ordinator

Footy’s back. What a terrific way to kick off the season with the weekends results. Six of the seven teams had dominating wins against very good opposition in Iona and Marist College. For the first time in several years, our First men took care of a very strong Iona team. All teams displayed incredible talent on the weekend and have certainly set the bar high in terms of expectations for the season ahead. It was terrific to see the amount of support at Coorparoo on Friday evening for the First team, the encouragement and war cries from all boys present really gave our men an edge on the field.

This weekend our First team will be up against St Peter’s and once again it would be fantastic to see as much support as last week. Our younger boys are playing Iona and it would be incredible for our future AFL stars to have some support from the Senior boys who might be around.

With school camps about to head off, can I please ask that if you are unable to make a training session, that you let your coach know. All coaches put in hard work to ensure training runs smoothly and everyone is developing, so please stay in contact.

Please ensure you are at your game at least 30 minutes before bounce. Good luck for the weekend ahead, we have set a very high bar on what we can achieve this season.

AIC SWIMMING
Mrs Juanita Jacobs, AIC Swimming Co-ordinator

Our preparation schedule is now under way with squads training each morning at Langlands Pool, the Interhouse swimming carnivals completed and the Friday evening meets beginning.  Congratulations to all the boys who represented their houses at the Interhouse carnival.

I also wish to thank all the students and parents who have made the commitment to attend the training sessions and strongly encourage all boys to attend as many sessions as possible. With only 3 weeks of training left until the competition at Chandler, we need to be training regularly to be at our best.  The sign in sheets for the squad are kept at the front desk and with the teachers as the boys enter the main pool entrance.  The boys are asked to tick off as they enter so that we can monitor who has been training.  If the Jets swimmers, who are training before our squad could also sign on the way out, it will assist me with team selection.

The walk up the hill after training can be difficult for some of the younger boys who also must carry bags. Parents make prefer to make a stop at school on the way to swimming in the mornings and deliver the bags to the classroom or to the Goold Hall foyer where staff usually are available each morning.  The boys would then only need their swimming gear and their uniforms for after training.

While I realize that the AFL competition is being held at the same time on a Friday evening as the AIC Swim meets, I am aware that many boys including our swimmers are keen to attend and support the AFL players at their games. Given the AIC Swim Championships is less than four weeks away, I ask the support of the parents and swimmers to attend all remaining AIC swim meets as a priority. If boys wish to be considered for the AIC team, then they are required to attend both training and the Friday meets please.

We also require that swimmers notify staff members when they leave the pool with their parents.  Swimmers can leave as soon as their races are completed, but please let Mrs Jacobs know.  Boys are not to leave the pool area for any reason during the meets.

AIC Swim Meet at Iona College – Friday 5 February
The Villanova swim squad will travel to Iona College this Friday 5 February (not Ashgrove as was advertised earlier in the information note). A bus will depart in front of the College at 3.10pm. A return service will not be available, parents are asked to collect their son from the venue by 5.30pm. A full program of events is posted on the College’s website within the sports section under AIC Swimming.

A maximum of two parents per swimmer are permitted to attend this event with QR sign -in.

Lytton District Swimming
Boys who will be nominated to swim in the Lytton District swimming trials will be given the relevant information either this week (Year 6 and Year 7 students), or next Monday (Year 5 students), from Mr Everding. The trials will be held at Moreton Bay College on Friday 12 February. Students who are nominated for this Meet must find their own way to and from Moreton Bay College. Due to the nature of this trial, only three – four boys per age group can be nominated from Villanova for each stroke and the College will nominate the boys based on the trial form and timings already taken over the last week. Parents are not permitted to nominate their sons for any Lytton trials throughout the year. This is the responsibility of the College. We are also looking for a parent to nominate to act as an official for the day as no staff from Villanova will be released to attend.

Met East Swimming
Please be aware that the abovementioned Met East trials will be held at Chandler on Tuesday 2 March. Students who turn 13 years or older in 2021 are nominated directly to the Met East trials based on qualifying times. Students turning 12 years or younger must attend the Lytton Trials to gain entry. Any student who wishes to participate must see Mr Stariha for all nomination information. Please note a $22 fee will be payable by each swimmer who wishes to nominate.

AIC RUGBY AND FOOTBALL
With many clubs now having their sign-on days, please be aware that information regarding AIC Rugby and Football will be sent home in a couple of weeks, particularly to the Year 5 and Year 6 students. It is important to note that.

* Boys should make themselves available to play school rugby/football. The AIC pre-season/trials commences at the end of Term 1 and throughout Term 2. The season consists of two trial games and seven rounds as per College calendar. Please be aware that College commitments take precedence over club commitments as per College policy.

* School Rugby/Football is played on Saturday mornings between 7.30am and 3pm as per College Calendar. All A and B teams will have two training sessions each week. C teams and lower may only train once.

• All Year 5 and Year 6 training will be at Langlands (rugby) or Whinstanes (football).
• Year 7 – 12 Rugby (plus First XI/Second XI Football) – Tuesday and Thursday afternoon at Villanova Park 4.00pm-5.15pm approx.
• Year 7 – 12 Football (excluding First XI and Second XI) Monday and Wednesday afternoon at Villanova Park.

* Allowing your son to participate in AIC rugby/football, helps to promote school spirit, camaraderie and a sense of personal achievement in representing his College.

 Year 8 Rugby
Boys wishing to trial for the Year 8A rugby team are invited to attend pre-season sessions at Langlands each Wednesday morning beginning in a fortnight on the 17 February. Sessions are not compulsory, and players are asked to attend if they have no other commitments.

COMPOSITE SPORT
The following Composite Sport trial information is now available from the Sports Office.

Mr Craig Stariha, Director of Sport

Music (Camp) Workshop 2021
The combined Loreto and Villanova College Music Workshop, convened at Sleeman Sports Complex, was a fantastic success.  Over 120 students from both schools (over 70 Villanova students) came together and refined their musicianship with four amazing clinicians.  Rachel Howley (Band), David Deacon (Strings), Maree Hall (Choir), and Joel Woods (Guitar), selected a range of repertoire that afforded our students the opportunity to engage their musicianship and creativity.

This year’s ‘theme’ for camp was “We G.E.T. to make music!” – where ‘get’ is an acronym.  We make music with Gratitude; we make music Enthusiastically; and, we Treasure every opportunity to make music and those we make music with.  The students engaged with this theme and approached this changed activity with much optimism and enthusiasm.  I would like to thank the music leaders from both schools for supporting this event and leading their colleagues in such a positive manner.

With only 10 hours of rehearsal over the weekend, the students provided a concert for their parents that exceeded the musical outcome of previous events.  Upon conclusion of the Sunday event in Chandler Theatre, there were many students, parents, and staff, who departed the venue with great optimism for music in the year ahead.

Year 5 Immersion Program
On Tuesday this week, we met all of our Year 5 musicians for the first time.  Instrument allocations were shared, and we had an opportunity to set up our Instrumental Music OneNote notebooks.  An email will be distributed to parents shortly regarding our processes for the next month as we get started on our music journey at Villanova.

Rehearsals and Lessons Have Commenced…
All rehearsals and lessons have commenced.  If you have not received the appropriate information or are confused as to your son’s attendance requirements, please do not hesitate to contact the Music Office via email – music@vnc.qld.edu.au – or via phone on 3394 5691.

The Term 1 rehearsal schedule is attached.  Your son’s ensemble director will be making contact regarding his first session – these will be commencing in Week 2 unless communicated otherwise.

Music Support Group Meeting
The first Music Support Group Meeting for 2021 will be convened on Monday 8 February, commencing at 7.30pm.  This month, we will be meeting in the Music Classroom on Level 1 of the Augustine Centre; please enter the music foyer and access via the lift.

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.

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

Mr Michael Jones, Director of Music

LA FORZA IN CONCERT 
The countdown is on to see La Forza right here at Villanova College on Saturday 13 February on the Cassiciacum Gardens (outside Veritas) commencing at 5.30pm.

Accompanied by a four-piece band with the Brisbane city skyline as the backdrop, this event supports the Australian Filipino Augustinian Solidarity (AFAS) Elders Project on Kinatarcan Island in the Philippines. The work of the AFAS Elders is specifically focussed on development of sustainable community projects which provide long term employment opportunities for the community, and to assist where we can, to improve their quality of life.  Proceeds from the La Forza concert will be used to purchase a sterilizer for the local midwife on the Island, who is the only medical provider for the whole community.

Bring your own picnic basket or order one when you book. Cashless bar operating.

Bookings essential. Please click here for booking details.

In the event of bad weather, the Anyone for Tenors concert will be moved indoors.

ALINTA UNIFORM SHOP
Please note the term-time hours for the Alinta Uniform Shop.

Shop hours:
Monday to Wednesday:  7.30am – 9.30am
Thursday: 2.00pm – 4.00pm
Last Friday of Terms 1 to 3: 9.00am – 12.00pm

Contact details:
Phone: 0432 707 972
Email: villanovacollege@alinta.com.au
Online orders: www.alintaapparel.com.au

2021 TUCKSHOP MENU
The 2021 menu and price list for Tuckshop is now available by clicking here. Boys are reminded to bring their student card or cash for tuckshop purchases. Student numbers will not be accepted.

Tuckshop Roster (Monday 8 February 2021 – 12 February 2021)
All volunteers rostered on this week will be contacted directly by the Tuckshop.

POSITION VACANT – SPORTS CANTEEN AND EVENTS CO-ORDINATOR
Part-time, term-time (working 12 hours per week including Saturday).  Flexibility is a must with this position.  Click here for Role Description. Applications close 4.00pm – Friday 12 February.

AFAS – LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

2023 AFAS Exchange – 30^th Year
Whilst September 2023 might seem a long way away, initial planning has commenced for the 30^th anniversary of the first AFAS Exchange. Any student in years 9 or 10 in 2021 is eligible to participate in this Exchange. If any students or parents are interested in finding out more information regarding the Exchange, please contact Tony Hindmarsh at – thindmarsh@vnc.qld.edu.au or attend the information evening on Friday February 12 in V7 commencing at 7:00pm​

Like to volunteer abroad?
AFAS Elders are once again planning to assist the community on Kinatarcan Island in the Philippines in late 2022. If any parents or old boys (includes students in Years 11 and 12 in 2021) are interested and would like more information, please contact Tony Hindmarsh at – thindmarsh@vnc.qld.edu.au or attend the information/planning evening on Friday February 12 in the Staff Centre commencing at 6:00pm.​