Villa View Newsletter Issue 16, 10 October 2025

Welcome back to Term 4 to all of our students and families. It is certainly an exciting time of year with football finals and summer starting. Importantly though sharing the understanding that this final quarter of the year is vital in achieving the goals that one has set oneself is of great value and significance.

In our students we want to encourage in them a sense of belief that the journey is never over, and certainly never hopeless. That even the smallest moments of growth are worth acknowledging and celebrating. We want to ensure that they fully embrace that Augustinian understanding that we are together on a journey to “become who we are not yet”. Our way toward ongoing conversion and wrestle with concepts of truth in both our faith and our individual and collective identity it can take us to places that we never thought possible. Every stage is as important as the one before, and the one that follows. So as we head to the final quarter of this year the question “What can we achieve” needs to be still as vibrant and effort filled as that which occurred in January of this year.

To reflect on the current sporting kings of Brisbane, the Lions and Broncos, look what can be achieved in the ’last quarter’. Everything we need is still present we just need to be committed and execute with precision and be supported through well delivered guidance. This for our students is the Term 4 challenge. We have everything in our kit bag to succeed, but do we have the drive and attitude to make a goal a reality?

One of our 2025 College Vice Captains reflected on this very idea of growth in his assembly address on Tuesday. Matthew expressed with great clarity how the way we frame our difficulties and challenges defines whether we see them as opportunities or as millstones.

I share with you his address for your consideration and sharing with the family at the dinner table this week.

“Sometimes in life you may feel like you have been buried, but in fact you have been planted. I for one most certainly at one point in life felt like I had been buried. I felt like I had everything I loved and everything that was meant to be my life taken away from me. In 2018 my parents made the decision to leave South Africa and immigrate to Australia. To say that I did not want to move to Australia is an understatement. I felt lost. I felt scared. I felt so embarrassed to the point that I hid the truth from all my friends.

For two years straight I dreaded the day I’d have to board that Qantas flight and begin my new life. And so, that day came. The 20th of January 2020. Honestly, if you had told me then that in just less than six years’ time, I would be standing in front of the whole of Villa delivering a speech, I never would’ve believed you. And honestly up until Year 9 I still wouldn’t have believed you. By then I still did not feel that Australia was my home. I was constantly trying to convince my parents that I could just go do boarding school in South Africa, but they simply never budged.

I kept this mindset until around the middle of Year nine, whereby I came to the realisation that I could complain about how different things were in Australia, or I could just accept the circumstances, and write my own new story. I decided why on earth should I constantly feel like an outsider and believe I have less opportunity to succeed than my fellow peers.

So, from that day on my mindset changed. From that day on I promised myself that I would embrace this opportunity that my parents provided me with, and strive towards creating the best Australian version of myself.

Most successful people in life should not have achieved the success they have, but at some point, decided to accept the circumstances they were facing and grow. Think Nelson Mandella, Michael Jordan, Steve Jobs. All these people felt like they were buried at some point during their life, but in that moment decided they were not going to let their struggles dictate their future, but rather rewrite their story and create their own new path.

By absolutely no means do I believe I that I faced anywhere near the struggle that they did, nor do I believe that I am anywhere near as successful as they are, but I do believe that each of us, no matter our story, faces moments where we feel buried. It might be moving countries, failing an exam, losing someone you love, or simply not feeling like you belong.

In those moments, we have a choice: to let the weight of our struggle keep us down, or to see it as the soil from which we can grow.

Growth doesn’t happen in comfort – it happens when we’re challenged, when we’re forced to adapt, and when we decide that our future will not be written by our past.

So, when life pushes you down, when it feels like everything is against you, I want you to remember this: you haven’t been buried, you’ve been planted. And from that place, you have the chance to rise, to grow, and to create the strongest version of yourself.

If Mandela, Jordan, and Jobs could take their hardships and turn them into legacies, imagine what you can do when you choose growth over complaint, action over excuses, and hope over fear.

Because at the end of the day, it’s not about the struggle that defines us, it’s about how we grow from it.”

Matthew Dooley, College Vice Captain 2025

Mr Paul Begg, 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.

Welcome back, Senior School families, to the final term of the year. Following my graduated return to work after my prolonged leave of absence due to health reasons, it is great to be back serving this wonderful community and supporting the young men of the Senior School as they continue to navigate the myriad of challenges and opportunities presented to them.

I hope you found time for relaxation and renewal during the holiday break after the intensity of the previous term. As we return, our Year 12 students are nearing the end of their Villanova journey, with much still to focus on before the commencement of external exams. We continue to pray for our Seniors as they finish the final kilometres of the marathon which is the Year 12 academic program.

This term, our Year 11 students will officially begin their Unit 3 studies and as I challenged them in their Wellbeing lesson this week, the onus is on them to adopt a ‘white shirt mentality’ now and continue to step up as the incoming Senior class of 2026. Year 10 students will have their Day of Reflection at the conclusion of the month with an intentional focus on building leadership capacity and how they can serve and contribute to our community.

I wish all Senior School students every blessing for a strong finish to 2025.

2026 Student Leadership Team
Following the announcement of the 2026 Student Leadership Executive of Reid Gapes, Harvey Anderson, Darcy Kerr, Christian McIlwain and Oliver Truloff earlier in Term 3, the remaining positions of Student Leadership were confirmed in the final week of last term. Throughout the selection processes, it was inspiring to hear the passion these young men have for the College and their ideas for student agency and action.

Portfolio and House Captain Appointments
Academic Captain Christian Snell
Cor Unum Spirit Captain Ronan McMahon
Cultural Captain Reuben De Groot
Wellbeing Captain Hayden Eller
Adeodatus House Captain Xavier Webb
Alypius House Captain Will White
Ambrose House Captain Jack Trethewey
Augustine House Captain Max Rakitovszky
Monica House Captain Jai Bloxsom
Nicholas House Captain Jack Fidge
Rita House Captain Dom Simionato
Thomas House Captain Alexander Solomon

The Virtue of Wisdom
One of my favourite writers that I have often referenced in my newsletter articles is the modern-day stoic philosopher Ryan Holiday. His series of books on the four stoic or cardinal virtues has always resonated with me in terms of the value of courage, temperance, justice and wisdom that underpin in my view a fine young man of integrity and character. His latest work on the virtue of wisdom I believe has a profound interplay with our intentional College value this year of the Restless Search for Truth.

According to Holiday, ‘wisdom takes work.’ This maxim emphasises the importance of a commitment to the pursuit, just like we promote within the learning and teaching process at the College. I would like to share the following passage from Holiday where he speaks of this process further:

‘Every problem we face, every decision we make, every risk we take, every belief we choose to accept or question—it all requires the skill of discernment. Life, business, ethics, success, it comes down to being able to see what’s what in a given situation.

…what to do

…when to do it

…and how to do it.

And no skill was more cultivated by the Stoics than this. To be able to see what’s in front of you with clarity. To know what’s important and what isn’t, how things work. That’s what wisdom is. It’s not an encyclopaedic knowledge of facts and figures but something both profound and applied—for it was not Gandhi’s sharp legal mind that made him the mahatma.

No one is born with this critical and all too rare ability. It is not something, Seneca reminds us, that can be delegated to someone else. There is no technology that can do it for you. There is no app. No teacher who can simply download everything into your brain. No guru who can lead you to enlightenment or shaman who can give it to you in a dose.

No, I say, wisdom takes work! Lots of work. Lots of reading. Lots of teachers. Lots of experience. Lots of reflecting. It took lots of work in the ancient world and it takes lots of work today. But where would we be without it? Who would we be without it?”

‘Knowledge comes but wisdom lingers.’- Alfred Lord Tennyson.

Mr Matt Levander, Head of Senior School

Welcome Back to Term 4!
Welcome back, everyone! We hope you enjoyed a well-deserved break over the Term 3 holidays. The beautiful spring weather, beach days, sporting grand finals and time spent with family and friends will hopefully have left you refreshed and ready to tackle the final stretch of the year.

Term 4 is always a short and busy one. Before we know it, drafting, assessments and exams will be upon us. Our focus this term is on finishing strong — staying organised, maintaining good study habits, and giving your best effort right to the end.

As St Augustine reminds us, “Pray as though everything depended on God; work as though everything depended on you.” It’s a timely encouragement for all of us to combine faith, effort, and perseverance as we strive to finish the year well.

We wish all our athletes representing Villanova at the AIC Athletics Carnival this week the very best of luck. Your commitment, teamwork and determination continue to make our community proud. Thank you to the contingent of Middle School students who are going out to support our Year 10’s in the stands and cheer them home.

A special mention also goes to our Year 9 students, who will take part in their Rite Journey incursion next week as they begin to reflect on and celebrate their Middle School experience. This marks an important milestone as they prepare for the next stage of their Villanova journey.

Let’s make Term 4 a great one — full of energy, focus and pride in all that we do!

Mr Sean O’Neill, Head of Middle School

I stumbled across the movie “Wonder” on the holidays, and I was reminded of this gripping story centred around a young boy in fifth grade. Having been home schooled, his family decide it is time he joins a mainstream educational setting. August Pullman is intelligent, sociable and witty. His parents are wise, humorous and spontaneous. His sister is resilient, hard-working and patient. Together they celebrate many occasions, but they also have to figure out living in a world where August’s physical appearance, due to Treacher Collins syndrome (TCS), means teaching the world a little more kindness and understanding.

As a parent, this story grabbed my heart. There is a moment where the mother watches August walk off through the school gates and whispers to herself “Please God, let them be kind to him.” You can see the desperate plea in her eyes, and you can feel the faith she is putting in August to manage his new surroundings, as well as the people he will meet. The dad uses honesty and humour to help bridge August’s world and that of the one at school. He knows that there is a half-way point where a community can involve everyone, and embrace the gifts that lie in our mind, heart and actions. August’s sister is a teenager yet understanding of the balance that often swings towards her younger brother, for medical procedures but also for social and emotional support. This family is so likeable, full of flaws, but always with the best intentions for seeing each other grow.

As Head of Junior School, it makes me wonder about the difference between what we see, think, say and do with the people around us. I see well-dressed students, staff and parents, all around me. I notice the smiles, manners and respect shown after a well-deserved holiday. How our relationships are so comfortable in Term 4, with all our experiences and learning so far bringing about a little more ease. I hear the laughter and banter during lunch breaks – mates running to the canteen, and small groups busily comparing lunch box delights. I feel that amazing sense of joy, hope and willingness to believe that our lives are great, protected and nurtured.

We have the most incredible “wonders” all around us – just like August, who was brave enough to prove to his classmates that our differences really do pale in comparison to what we all want in this life. Our Junior School, Middle School and Senior School boys are wonders. Miracles. Treasures that only God can make. Together we share our ideals. We want friends, acceptance, value and worth in a community. Being included, invited and cherished matters. Trusting that our classmates, teachers and family look forward to seeing us every day is important to establish in our young men. That we all have something wonderous, something so special, that without it, our class groups would not be the same. Every hair on our head, every word that is said, is a gift we are blessed to witness.

I cried during the movie Wonder; it reminded me of how lucky we are. The spirits, minds and youthful energy that surrounds us at Villanova College. To be witness to their awe of learning, their triumphs but also their struggles along the way. That if we show more kindness, patience and seek to befriend others, we might just be the light needed to live God’s Word here on Earth. A flicker that could help someone else’s flame burn brighter.

So, Junior School boys, know you are the wonders of my week. That I applaud your presence and achievements. I know that holidays are incredible with late nights, sleep ins and endless free choice of activities. We also know that Term 4 is a highlight. Peaking with our understanding of routines and expectations, this is the time to shine gentlemen. Let the wonder in you embrace the opportunities whole-heartedly. Try your very best in class, but also just as importantly, with the people you work and play with. Let them see your very best and know that we all need love, friendship, a helping hand – adults too.

Mr Stephen Rouliadeff, Head of Junior School

AFAS Immersion: Pilgrims of Hope
The theme for this Jubilee Year, Pilgrims of Hope, invites us into a time of spiritual renewal, prayer, and pilgrimage. This theme has been powerfully embodied by our AFAS pilgrims who recently returned from their immersion experience in the Philippines.

As a College, we are incredibly proud of the way each young man embraced the challenges of stepping outside their comfort zone- immersing themselves in a new culture, engaging deeply with our Augustinian partners, and opening their hearts to learning and transformation. The growth witnessed in each participant was truly extraordinary.

A highlight of every AFAS immersion is the opportunity to visit the families of our scholarship recipients. The impact of Villa’s support extends far beyond the individual child-it touches entire families, who express deep gratitude for the life-changing opportunities made possible through our Mission Day fundraising.

We share below a heartfelt letter from the mother of one of our scholars, offering a glimpse into the profound difference these scholarships make:

Additionally, please enjoy a few reflections from our student pilgrims. More will be shared in upcoming newsletters as we continue to celebrate and reflect on this transformative journey:

Visiting the scholars’ homes in the Philippines was a deeply eye-opening experience – highlighting the extreme poverty and hardship these scholars, let alone the general populous, would face in day-to-day life. From the warm hospitality at lunch, to the painful stories shared by Samantha’s (one of the scholars) mother,  these experiences particularly resonated with me, and surely will forever more.

The stories referenced details the time of early childhood in Samantha’s mothers life, and the struggles faced when her mother abandoned her family at a young age. According to her, she left for ‘work’, although, little to the knowledge of her father, she had started a new family in Manila, and could not be found when the father travelled there to retrieve her. This would have negatively impacted the family both financially and mentally, leaving a void in the family dynamic.

This confronting story made me think of just how grateful I am to have both parents with me, as well as how little grasp the citizens of the Philippines have on their lives, due to inherent poverty, government corruption, and many other unfortunate circumstances. The homes of both scholars we visited made the reality even clearer. The living arrangements were small, and inherently confronting. Juxtaposed by the towering ‘SM Mall’ that was viewed earlier that day. Yet, despite such conditions, the dreams and aspirations expressed by the scholars contrasted such conditions heavily: one wanting to be a lawyer, another an engineer. The motorbike ride there as well as the exhilarating cock fight we watched juxtaposed the unpleasant conditions and demonstrated how hardship and joy often coexist.

These experiences not only lead to a growth in wisdom of the Filipino culture, but collectively fostered a growth in compassion that will last a lifetime. I have been truly humbled by this experience, and for that I am forever grateful. From these scholarships we provide, Filipinos gain a sense of hope, the hope of a brighter future, a hope that they can dream. As here, it is often said that dreams are expensive, but through the undying support of Villanova, these dreams may just become reality. By Lucas.

The AFAS trip for me was mind-blowing. To see the impact that Villanova students have on our scholars’ lives, particularly through the fundraising from mission day, it was extraordinary. Our scholars and their families were all so incredibly grateful especially when we visited their homes and had an opportunity to speak to them. The opportunity we give them to have an education and have a life where they do not have to think about paying for education is the main reason behind mission day and the scholarships that we fundraise for. The big picture of the immersion program for me was being able to see for myself the profound impact we had on the students there.

In Divino Amore, all the students were so happy for us to be there and to just have a chat about ourselves and what it was like living in Australia. Towards the end of the immersion, we received a letter from one of the parents of our scholars. They expressed immense gratitude for the opportunity to have their child in school and be able to potentially escape poverty.

The impact we had in this immersion by just being there, showed from the very first day we were in the Philippines. Our time we spent assisting in the soup kitchens and cleaning up beaches showed to the Filipino people that we care and that AFAS isn’t just about sending money to our scholars. That is the main reason why the immersion and mission day are so important to not just Villanova but also the Filipino community. By Nate

Mrs Eleni Greenaway, Dean of Mission and Identity

Welcome to the commencement of Term 4. A special welcome to our new families and young men who are also commencing their Villanova journey with us. Whilst we appreciate this can be a daunting time for some, we hope students quickly settle in and have an enjoyable and rewarding schooling experience with us.

I trust students and families were able to find time over the holiday break to disconnect, relax and recharge. I was personally fortunate to spend the first part of the holidays with 10 students from Villanova College, and Ms Clara Liu on a cultural and language immersion tour to China. This was an amazing experience for our students to enhance their understanding of Chinese culture and to broaden their experiences. The students were wonderful ambassadors for the College, fully immersing themselves in the experience to try new things and engaged in the opportunities afforded to them.

This term is always one of the most significant in the school calendar from a teaching and learning perspective. It is a time when students consolidate their learning, demonstrate growth, and prepare for important milestones. Across the College, there are a number of key events that shape the coming weeks: the commencement of Year 12 external examinations, the completion of semester assessments for Years 5–11, and the celebration of student achievements at the Celebration of Excellence.

Whilst there is much from a teaching and learning perspective to look forward to, the commencement of the term is also a time for students to reflect upon their efforts, performance, application and teacher feedback from Term 3 and set clear goals for continued improvement in Term 4.

Year 12 Holiday Tutorials
A thank you is extended to our Year 12 teachers who offered their time during the September holidays to support Year 12 students in preparation for their upcoming external examinations. These sessions provided an excellent opportunity for students to refine their understanding and strengthen their confidence ahead of their External Examinations. The students who were able to take advantage of these sessions found them particularly valuable.

Year 12 External Examinations – Week 4 Commencement
The Year 12 external examinations will begin in Week 4 of this term. Further information will soon be distributed to Year 12 families about the key logistics and preparation requirements. This communication will outline venue locations, individual student timetables, permitted materials, and assessment conditions. It will also provide details regarding illness and misadventure procedures, ensuring all families understand the supports and expectations during this critical time.

We extend our best wishes to all Year 12 students as they approach this final stage of their Villanova journey, confident that their hard work and perseverance will be rewarded.

Celebrating the Diploma of Business Graduates
This week, we proudly recognised 45 Year 12 students who successfully completed their Diploma of Business through Axial Training. This achievement highlights their dedication and commitment to extend their learning beyond traditional academic programs. The Diploma provides students with valuable skills in business operations, leadership, and communication, attributes that will serve them well in university study, or entry into the workforce.

The College community commends these young men for their commitment to their studies and thanks Axial Training for their partnership in providing this valuable opportunity for our students

PAT Testing – Supporting Growth Through Data
In Week 3, students in Years 5–9 will undertake Progressive Achievement Tests (PAT) in Reading (PAT-R) and Mathematics (PAT-M). These nationally recognised assessments help the College measure student growth over time and identify areas for further development. The data gained supports teachers in refining their practice and designing learning experiences that best meet the needs of each student.

This testing forms an important part of the College’s commitment to using data meaningfully to inform teaching and enhance learning outcomes. Specific details and timetables will be shared with families shortly, specifically in regard to equipment required to complete the testing.

Returning to Routine and Readiness
Finally, as students commence this new term, it is vital that they re-establish effective routines around study, homework, and assessment preparation. These habits underpin academic success and ensure that students approach their end-of-semester assessments with confidence and clarity. Updated assessment calendars for each year level will be made available early next week via myVilla, assisting students to plan and manage their workload effectively.

With focus, organisation, and a commitment to learning, students can make Term 4 a period of real achievement and personal growth.

Best wishes to all members of the Villanova community for a productive and rewarding commencement to Term 4

Mr Kirk Astill, Acting Dean of Teaching and Learning

FUSE Cup Esports Updates
Late last term, a Year 7/8 team and Year 9-11 team of students participated in the FUSE Cup Brisbane High Schools esports competition across Brisbane and locally. Rocket League is an intensive, complex game requiring skills manipulation of a high-powered car in a 360-degree arena resembling a soccer field. The objective is to work as a pair in both offense and defense, protecting your own goal whilst attacking the opposition’s goal in coordinated gameplay. Instincts are important, but strong communication is key to success! Our Junior Year 7/8 team competed here at the College against strong opposition schools. Villanova progressed as far at the quarter finals, with Declan H and Nate N performing the best out of our playing pairs on the day. In the same week, our Senior Year 9-11 teams travelled to Brisbane South State Secondary College where three of the four pairs made it through the round of heats. Harvey A and John M proved our most successful Rocket League pair on the day. My thanks to Mr Lachie Dent and Mr Matthew Smith for attending and supporting our students during both competitions.

AIC Esports – Saturday 25 October
In a few short weeks, Villanova will host the third annual AIC Esports round from the Hanrahan Theatre, Villanova College. The main game is Minecraft live Capture the Flag, with teams of 5 vs 5 strategising to both capture the opposition’s flag whilst protecting and securing their own. Games range from 10 to 20 minutes in duration, with each minute of gameplay doubling the intensity of the survival skills, communication and strategy involved.

Last year, Villanova was successful in winning the AIC esports competition and aims to go back-to-back this year!

This year’s AIC Esports round features a few important changes. Firstly, we are opening the competition to “Cadet” teams, where five younger players may be guided live during games by older, senior Minecraft coaches. Villanova will enter a Senior team, our victorious Year 8 “Apex” team (recently crowned the FUSE Cup Minecraft PVP champions), and a Junior Year 7 Cadets team, coached by Year 10 students Alex T and Taylor P. Both Alex and Taylor are seasoned players and esports officials and will ensure our Cadets team rise to the occasion against more senior playing groups.

But that’s not all! We are also staging an invitational AIC Super Smash Brothers Ultimate competition at the same time. On the day, players will be invited to compete for the title of sole Super Smash Bros Champion, after a structured round of 1 vs 1 matches on random battlefields.

Any and all spectators are welcome. If you have never seen competitive esports before, consider visiting the Hanrahan Theatre on Saturday 25 October from 8:30 am until 1:00 pm.

I look forward to sharing more information in future newsletters.

myVilla Updates
This week and across this term, teaching staff are invited to use myVilla as a Class Learning Management space. This is the next phase of a structured and staged model of evolving our digital pedagogy, reporting and communication platforms towards a more centralised whole school solution.

During the term, you are invited to log in to myVilla via the link: https://schoolbox.vnc.qld.edu.au and enter your parent login credentials. Bookmark it!

From the parent dashboard, you will be able to see your child’s profile – his timetable, subjects, recent pastoral records, academic achievements, and “Due work”. Due work relates to any tasks assigned by teachers using the myVilla platform – this may take the form of homework, quizzes, class activities or even assignments in some specific use cases.

Parents/carers will have access to on-demand video and guided tutorials from the homepage, to be made available soon. If you have any feedback or suggestions regarding myVilla, please direct them to Jason Lane via: jlane@vnc.qld.edu.au

Mr Jason Lane, Esports Coordinator

Year 7 and 10 Student Immunisation Program
In conjunction with Queensland Health’s annual School Immunisation Program (Ozcare) all year 7 and 10 students will be offered free vaccinations to protect against vaccine preventable diseases.

Year 10 students will be offered vaccines against meningococcal (ACWY – 2 doses and B – 1 dose) disease on Monday 3 November.

Only students whose parents have registered consent for the vaccine will receive the vaccine.   Ozcare has changed to a simple and secured digital system for the 2025 School Immunisation program.   If you wish for your son to participate in this program and did not complete this process earlier in the year when the information was first disseminated, it is not too late to indicate your consent.  Please use the link or the QR code below to register your consent.

https://OzcareMetroSouth.book.vitavo.com.au/school/VillanovaCollege-jLRAUW

• Ozcare will also be offering students in Year 8 and Year 11 the opportunity to receive their missed vaccinations from 2024.  Please use the link/QR Code above.

Please email SIP.Brisbane@ozcare.org.au if you have any questions regarding the digital system or the Immunisation Program.

Host an International Student at Villanova College! 

Non-government schools census collection notice 2025
The Australian Government Department of Education (the department) would like to advise all staff, parents, guardians and students (where applicable) that it will collect certain information about your school, its staff and student body as part of the non-government schools census collection (the census).

How and what information is collected for the census?
Census information is provided to the department by your school legal entity (the approved authority) via the SchoolsHUB website.
The census provides information about your school and the number and characteristics of the school’s staff and student body during a specific reference period. Information and characteristics collected through the census include:
•teaching and non-teaching staff
•students’ year level and workload
•students’ gender and age (as on 1 July 2025)
•Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff and students
•students with disability
•students receiving distance education
•day, boarding and overseas students.
The names of students and staff are not collected, apart from the name, position and contact details of the staff member nominated as the primary contact for the census.

Census special circumstance applications
Census special circumstance applications may also be made by schools to include a student/s who did not attend during the census reference period but otherwise meets census eligibility. Schools will provide the department with information and documents about the student demonstrating their eligibility. The department does not require personal information about a student and asks schools to de-identify any documents before providing them.
Purpose of the census collection
The information provided during the census is collected by the department in accordance with the Australian Education Act 2013 (the Act) and the Australian Education Regulations 2023 (the Regulations). The Act and the Regulations require the legal entity responsible for the administration of the school (the approved authority) to provide this information to the department to:
•Ensure the provision of Australian Government funding to schools is properly calculated and appropriately managed
•Conduct research, statistical analysis and develop school education policy for the Australian Government
•Meet national and international reporting obligations on school students in Australia
•Publish and provide information about schools to the public.

Use and disclosure of personal information
Your personal information is protected by law under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act). Personal information is information or an opinion about an identified individual or an individual who is reasonably identifiable.
Any use or disclosure of your personal information must occur in accordance with the Privacy Act and the Act and Regulations and any other applicable laws.
Your personal information provided to the department through the census may be:
•Used or disclosed by the department for the purposes outlined above under the heading Purposes of the census collection.
•Disclosed to the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) to publish on the My School website and include as high-level data for ACARA’s National Report on Schooling in Australia.
•Disclosed to state and territory government departments and authorities in accordance with the Act and Regulations.
•Disclosed to Australian Government departments and authorities in accordance with the Act and Regulations.
•Disclosed to non-government school representative bodies in accordance with the Act and Regulations.
•Disclosed to a contracted auditor where the department decides to audit or verify the information provided by an approved authority about a school. The contracted auditor may use previously collected information or request access to individual student records for comparison purposes. The contractors may pass this information onto officers within the department, if there is a discrepancy in the data provided by the school and the school’s records and further investigation is required. The contracted auditor must handle personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act.
•Disclosed to its service providers for the purposes of the provision of information and communications technology support services to the department.
•Used to validate data from other collections undertaken by the department.
•Used or disclosed where it is otherwise required or authorised by law including under the Act or Regulations, or otherwise permitted under the Privacy Act.
Other than in exceptional circumstances (for example, investigation of fraud relating to overseas students), the department does not disclose any of the personal information collected to overseas recipients.
You can find the department’s privacy policy on the Department of Education website or request a copy from the department at privacy@education.gov.au. The privacy policy includes information about how to access or correct personal information held about you or your child, how to make a complaint about a breach of the Australian Privacy Principles and how the department will deal with such a complaint.

What do you need to do?
You are not required to do anything. The approved authority of the school is responsible for providing the information to the department.
Contacts for further information
Your school can provide information about data provided for you or your child for the purposes of the census. To find out more about the census collection and reporting, visit SchoolsHUB.

Are you ready for Brisbane’s New Bus Network?
The new network, including the introduction of Brisbane Metro M1 services, launched on Monday 30 June. Brisbane’s New Bus Network is inspired by world-class transport systems like those in London, Hong Kong, Auckland and San Francisco, and tailored to meet Brisbane’s growing needs. The new network links local buses with turn-up-and-go services on dedicated busways to deliver more bus services, to more places, more often.

With changes to more than 70% of bus routes, we encourage your students to use Translink’s journey planner to find out what these changes may mean for them. Students can plan their new journey by:

• Step 1: Visiting Translink’s journey planner
• Step 2: Entering their start and end location
• Step 3: Finding their new journey.

For district (school) services, please use Translink’s school service finder and/or Journey Planner on school travel dates.

We’re here to help
We recognise this is a big shift which is why our team and Translink will be at key bus stops and stations to support your students to navigating the new network.
It may take some time for your students and our bus drivers to become familiar with the new network, and we thank you for your patience while these changes are introduced.

You can visit the Brisbane Metro website to learn more about how Council is enhancing our city’s public transport network to keep you moving.

Other network impacts
Logan and Redlands bus changes
On Monday 30 June, Translink also made some changes to Logan and Redlands bus services, including updated stops, new timetables, renamed routes, and route changes. Additional information on these service changes can be found on Translink’s website.

Get in touch about the new network
If you have any additional questions about the new bus network, please contact Translink by calling 13 12 30 or visiting Translink’s website.