Newsletter 12 - August 6

Principal's Message

Dear Parents, Students and Staff,

Galatians 5:22-23 

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” 
St. Ignatius and 500 Years of Leadership Advice

Realities that still resonate today.

Ignatius of Loyola was a man well ahead of his time. Nearly 500 years ago he honed in on realities about leadership that still resonate today and even seem downright visionary. St. Ignatius gave us many gifts: his spiritual exercises of self-reflection, his wisdom that everyone is a leader, his teaching that leadership is a lifetime process, and that it comes from within us all. This founder of the Jesuit Order said that, armed with self-awareness, ingenuity, heroism, and love, we have everything we need to lead.

Self-Awareness
St. Ignatius’ practices encourage the development of self-awareness, a concept that has been reintroduced today as mindfulness. Some understand mindfulness to mean we should be “fully present” and “in the moment.” To achieve true mindfulness one must first know oneself, warts and all.  

Ingenuity
Our ability to imagine new ways to do old things and develop fresh things is the essence of this community. People who thrive on figuring things are nurtured and encouraged at the College and strive to make the world a better place.

Heroism
Heroism as Ignatius offers it to us is not as it is sometimes considered — the incredible efforts or abilities of a single person, a hero. Rather, it is the work of setting goals so significant and challenging that they require the work of many people — aspirations that are so great no one person could achieve them alone.

Love
This work happens most easily when there is love. The Jesuits were first known as the company of Jesus. In the book Heroic Leadership, author Chris Lowney reminds us that company and companion are from the same Latin root. The early Jesuits were not only companions of Jesus, but friends to one another. Their camaraderie and commitment to aiming for heroic outcomes is what made them a company. Few of us think of camaraderie and company when we hear people talk of companies today, and Lowney asks, “Why?”

Captains Speeches and Elections
I was pleased and humbled to listen on Wednesday to the speeches made by our 2022 Captain hopefuls as they presented their achievements and successes to the gathered assembly. I have no doubt, when the counting finishes, the College will once again be blessed with outstanding leaders who will make this community very proud. Of course from an election process, there will always be those who come out behind the eventual winners. I spoke at the commencement of the assembly about all those world ‘successes’ in history who started their public lives labelled as ‘failures’ only to go on to become leading world figures. No doubt there will be some disappointments for some, but I encourage all those who put themselves forward to take the opportunity to draw on this experience and to strive for success next time. And as I have noted above, St Ignatius provides us with a wonderful guide to follow when taking on leadership roles.

Advice on the Qld Health Department Lockdown
So that families are quite clear on the restrictions that apply to both staff and students, the following should be noted:

Regarding the NSW Public Health Order and the Queensland Stay at Home Order, we have received the following current information regarding student attendance. Please understand this advice is subject to change and further advice will be issued if the situation changes.

Students who are New South Wales residents who themselves, or a member of their household, have visited Queensland since 21 July 2021

Students who are NSW residents and who have visited South East Queensland since 21 July 2021 can continue to attend NSW schools as education is deemed as a reasonable excuse to leave your home. This is also the case for staff members as well.

It is important to understand that when you are not leaving your home for a reasonable excuse as per the Public Health Order, you are subject to the same Stay at Home for all Queensland residents. 

From 6pm Saturday 31 July 2021, anyone who resides in NSW and who has been in any of the 11 affected LGAs in Queensland since Wednesday 21 July 2021 must stay at home and only leave their residence with a reasonable excuse. Everyone who is living in the same residence as a person who has been in one of the 11 LGAs is also required to follow the stay at home rules and to only leave home with a reasonable excuse.

Go gently and love each other.

God Bless,
Mr Kevin Lewis
College Principal
kevin.lewis@lism.catholic.edu.au

Assistant Principal - Teaching and Learning

Year 12 Trial HSC Examinations
Year 12 students will commence Trial HSC Examinations on Wednesday 18 August. Students are reminded to check the revised examination timetable carefully and ensure they attend all examinations at the scheduled time. Students are only required to be on site when they have a scheduled examination and are encouraged to arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the commencement of an examination. If they do not have an examination scheduled on a particular day within the examination timetable, students may study at home or access the College library. Any student who wishes to access the library to study is required to sign in at the front office. If a student has two examinations scheduled on the same day they must remain at school during the lunch break. Students are required to be attired in full school uniform for all examinations.

Please be mindful that some afternoon examinations will not conclude until late in the afternoon. Alternative transport may need to be arranged on these occasions.

If a student is unable to attend a Trial HSC examination due to illness or misadventure please call the College office on the morning of the examination. Medical certificates and additional paperwork will be required and must be submitted with an Absence from Assessment form.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish the Year 12 students well for the forthcoming examination block and the prayers of the College community will be with them during this time.

Year 11 Examinations
Year 11 students will sit a formal examination block from Monday 30 August to Friday 10 September. Examination timetables will be issued next week.Students are to ensure they check the examination timetable carefully and present on time for all scheduled examinations. It is important to arrive at least half an hour prior to the commencement of an examination. Students are only required to attend school on the days they have a scheduled examination or on days designated as ‘normal classes’ within  the examination timetable. They may not leave the school grounds between a morning and afternoon examination session.

Study Tips

• Ensure you have a quiet space to study with a desk and appropriate lighting
• Make sure your phone is silenced and not in the same room
• Check notifications on your computer have been turned off to avoid any unnecessary distractions
• Set up a study timetable and consider the best time within each day to be “blocked out” for study. This may be before school, during scheduled study periods within the school day, after school or in the evening
• Set clear and achievable goals for each study session. Focus on selecting a specific area to consolidate (syllabus dot points, past paper multiple choice responses or extended responses)
• Know the syllabus and have dot point summaries
• Complete past HSC papers
• Use flashcards, quizzes and online resources
• It is important to have between 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night and there should be no screen time for at least half an hour prior to bed
• Eat well, drink plenty of water and maintain a healthy exercise program

Mrs Amanda Falvey
Assistant Principal - Teaching and Learning

Assistant Principal - Staff and Students

Athletics Carnival
Again, this year we have been faced with the changing conditions of COVID-19 restrictions, rescheduling and altering events and exams. It is a pity that these changes and adaptations often cause us an element of stress and uncertainty, especially when it robs us of the opportunities to enjoy community events. To this end we have decided that it is important for the wellbeing of our student cohort to embrace the opportunities we do have for camaraderie, celebration, and opportunities to strengthen bonds within our wonderful College community. The decision has been made to bring forward our College Sports Carnival, for all students, on Friday of Week 5 (13 August).

This new date enables our senior students a much needed fun-filled community day, the last of many opportunities to lead our College, to celebrate their place in our community and hand on their legacy to the younger students. As you know from the enrolment process there is an expectation for every student, in every year level, to participate in the full Xaver experience which includes attendance at these sporting events. When you consider in this age of COVID-19 that students may not even be lucky enough to attend 6 sports carnivals in 6 years, every opportunity to participate is precious and memorable. Note that student absences will be followed-up to ensure the continuing commitment of families to the XCC Community.

Captains Assembly
This year we were inundated by a huge quantity of quality applications for leadership roles for 2022. It was very hard to shortlist the 11 students to present for election at the College Captains Assembly and I wish to express my appreciation to all those who applied. We clearly have a wonderful cohort of role models entering Year 12 next year and we look forward to seeing how you lead the school in 2022.

The standard set by every single candidate that presented at our Captains Assembly was truly exceptional as they made reference to the Jesuit ethos and Ignatian Spirituality aspired to in a Jesuit Companion School such as ours. The candidates clearly identified with the strengths and vision of their own House Patrons and presented how their own gifts and talents could be used to add value to the XCC Student Leadership Team. It was inspiring to hear how their patron’s stories intertwined with their own and have enriched these students’ lives and connected them intimately to our cultural history. By the end of the Assembly it was clear that all of the candidates will be strong, capable and inspiring leaders in our community and we look forward to congratulating the four College Captains Elect for 2022.

Mr Peter Fear
Assistant Principal - Staff and Students

Catechesis and Evangelisation

Rite of Christian Initiation of Youth
At the beginning of the year a warm invitation was extended from our Parish Administrator Fr Peter and College Chaplain Fr Anselm to consider a sacramental program developed specifically for secondary students.

This program is for students who are

• Not yet baptised
• Have been baptised but have not been confirmed or have not yet made preparations for First Communion.
• Were baptised in another Christian denomination but feel strongly connected to our Catholic faith community.

We would like to congratulate Portia Johannes who participated in the program and made her First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion at Saint Francis Xavier Church last Saturday.

Junior Classes in the Chapel
At Xavier we encourage all students to explore their faith. The College Chapel is open at lunch times for prayer. Recently some classes from Years 7-10 have spent time praying in the Chapel and learning ministry games with the YMOs.

Mr David Eyles & Mrs Mary Howard

Wellbeing

Ethics and Conscience
[Character Strength and Jesuit Value]

Student Leadership for 2021/22
It seems like yesterday we held elections for the student leaders of 2020/21 and now we are holding the next round of elections. We are blessed with an extremely high calibre of candidates each year and this year is no exception. Over the next few weeks the community will be discerning the College and House Captains for the year starting in Term 4.

Exams in the time of Covid
This term will include the Trial exams for the Year 12 students, the end of course exams for Year 11 students and the normal term assessments for all students. It is important to develop a healthy and sustainable pattern of study for intellectual growth. For your child, exam time can equal freak-out time. Tensions running high, there is a lot of pressure and school is competitive. Friends can be a great source of support during exam time, but they can also distract your child from studying.

Sometimes a parent may offer/insist on playing the role of the difficult mother or father, e.g. “I’d love to come over but my overcontrolling and non-understanding mother won’t let me out of the beach shack. Friends may even add to your child's stress levels if they’re not handling their own exam preparation very well.

Talk to your child about how to keep friendships positive during exam times.

These are 5 suggestions from ReachOut.

1. Figure out what works for you
   Everyone learns and studies differently. Do you learn best from discussing ideas? From teaching others? Reading notes? Listening to lectures?
2. Take a break from friends if you are getting stressed
   Take notice of how you and your friends are speaking to each other and what you’re talking about. For example, a young person we spoke to said, “All my friends were getting stressed. When one gets stressed, we all generally get stressed.” This is called stress contagion. Avoid this situation. While social media group chats can be awesome for learning, they can also be a huge distraction. Group chats can create stress contagion if everyone is talking about studying but not actually doing anything.
3. Support those friends who support you
   The best thing friends can do is support each other. Many young people report that friends help calm them down when they’re feeling anxious or stressed. If someone is being a big support to you, such as by helping you with a particular subject, ask how you can assist them in return.
4. Try to stay in your own lane
   Learning environments can be tough, especially in years 11 and 12 when it’s easy to compare yourself with your friends. Try to think about what your own personal strengths are, and focus on your own performance.
5. Reach out to family and other supports
   If you feel like your friends are stressing you out or you’re not sure what to do about a situation with a friend, reach out to others in your support system; they might have had similar experiences and may be able to help you talk it out.

For more information go to: https://au.reachout.com/articles/friendship-and-exam-stress

Mr Anthony Condon
Leader of Student Welfare

Faculty News

Music News

Year 12 Music students have been inventive and creative, as well as determined and persistent, in preparing for their Trial HSC and HSC performance exams even with the limitations and restrictions that have come about due to COVID.

Our singers have been unable to sing inside with other people in the room, so have been rehearsing with student-markers and audience members seated outside. They are to be commended on their persistence and positivity around the new changes we have had to implement.

Congrats Year 12 Music, keep up the good work.

Miss Georgia Quinn
Music Teacher

House News

Faber House Feast Day Liturgy

Last Wednesday during House Assembly time, Faber House celebrated the Feast Day of St Peter Faber which occurs on 2 August each year. Year 12 Captains were responsible for leading the House in prayer and reading a short reflection on the life of St Peter Faber. A representative from each Pastoral Care group was selected to make a pledge on behalf of the members in their group regarding how they could live out our House motto of “Open Hearts” in the future. These pledges were written on the back of a heart which featured the photos of each member of the Pastoral Care group. The hearts will now be displayed in an artwork to be placed next to the Faber House notice board in C block.

Mr Matt Wills
Head of Faber House

St Ignatius Feast Day

Saturday 31 July was the Feast Day of St Ignatius of Loyola. Ignatius House celebrated with a Liturgy during Pastoral Care last Friday, led by the Ignatius House Captains.

This year, as a College, we also celebrate the Ignatian Year which began 20 May, the 500th anniversary of the day that Ignatius of Loyola was hit by a cannonball during a battle in Pamplona. In our Liturgy we celebrated the life of St Ignatius of Loyola and considered the ‘Cannonball moment’ that changed the course of his life. It started a conversion where Ignatius learned to find god in all things and ultimately led to the foundation of the Society of Jesus.

Several members of the Xavier Catholic College community generously shared their personal cannonball moments in a very special and heartfelt video. The students were then asked to reflect on their own cannonball moments or the places where they find God every day by selecting images to add to an artwork to be displayed in each of the PC rooms.

As a House, we strive to care for our common home. In 2019 during our Liturgy we planted small trees in pots. We nurtured them and watched them grow. Last year we created banners for our pots. This year the trees were tall and strong and ready to be planted in the grounds of the College. During the Liturgy students from each PC group carried forward the things a tree needs to thrive and grow and then the trees were planted at lunch time.

I would like to sincerely thank the staff and students who shared their cannonball moments, the students from each of the PC groups who read the prayers of the faithful or participated in the tree ceremony and our Captains who lead the liturgy so beautifully. Thanks also to Mr Matt Purcell who assisted with the tree planting.

It was a beautiful celebration and I thank the students for their respectful and thoughtful participation.

Mrs Janine Wallace
Head of Ignatius House

Turiscai Fundraiser

 Recently, a group of Year 12 boys organised and carried out a basketball exhibition match. Soft drinks were sold on the sideline with all profits being sent to our sister school in Turiscai. We managed to raise close to $90, with the help of Year 11 students Charlie Davies and Jessica Mason. The game was a hit amongst the school community with hundreds of spectators piled around the court in grandstands. There was an amazing atmosphere and it was thoroughly enjoyed by both spectators and players. Team captain Kacy Rose said post-game, "It's one of those moments you will never forget." Opposition captain and fan favourite Russell 'Buckets' Asser said, "[I] couldn't be prouder to play alongside my mates. Despite the loss we did a good thing here today, raising a buck or two for a truly good cause whilst having some fun." The money will be sent to Turiscai, along with the schools other fundraising initiatives which aims to provide necessary funds to build a functional and hygienic toilet block for the students and teachers. The Year 12 cohort look forward to running more events like this in the future.

Kacy Rose
Ignatius House Sport Captain

MacKillop House Liturgy 2021

Saint Mary MacKillop’s Feast Day is on 8 August. MacKillop House recently celebrated her Feast Day early with a MacKillop House liturgy. This year's liturgy was focused around two wonderful Australian role models, St Mary MacKillop and the Senior Australian of the Year for 2021, Miriam Rose Ungunmerr-Baumann.There is a strong link between these two wonderful role models.

Pope John Paul II said of St Mary MacKillop, “Mother Mary’s life speaks eloquently because it was firmly anchored in something for which every human heart longs: inner peace, that peace that comes from knowing that one is loved by God and from the desire to respond to God’s Love.” In 1868, Mary MacKillop is famously quoted as saying, “Believe in the whisperings of God in your own heart.” Mary MacKillop placed great value on every human being from all walks of life, regardless of their position. She embraced all people who came from different faiths and cultural backgrounds, and she invites us to value the diversity in our country today. Mary promoted the human dignity of each person and desired to see their needs being accommodated. We too are called to embody what Mary envisaged our nation to be — that is, a society which voices the right to justice for all.

The Senior Australian of the Year for 2021 is Miriam Rose Ungunmerr-Baumann. She is a kindred spirit of St Mary MacKillop. Both were teachers and dedicated their lives to teaching Australia’s young people. Both were gifted by their peaceful presence, their passion for justice and their deep wisdom. Miriam Rose speaks of Dadirri — a special quality of Aboriginal people. She believes it is the greatest gift Aboriginal people can give to fellow Australians. It is inner, deep listening and quiet, still awareness. MacKillop House was encouraged to learn from Miriam and the term Daddirri. Miriam Rose says that, “Daddirri recognises the deep spring that is inside us. We call on it and it calls us. This is the gift that Australia is thirsting for. It is something like what you call ‘contemplation’. The contemplative way of dadirri spreads over our whole life. It renews us and brings us peace. It makes us feel whole again…” Miriam says that her “Aboriginal culture has taught us to be still and to wait. We do not hurry things up. We let them follow their natural course - like the seasons. We wait on God, too. His time is the right time. We wait for him to make his word clear to us. We don’t worry. We know that in time and in the spirit of dadirri, the way will be clear.”

How does this link to Mary MacKillop and Xavier Catholic College as a community? Mary belonged to many communities in her life. As young adults, we each walk a different journey, but what unites us is the common foundation of searching for what we really desire in life so that we can bring life to others. Mary and Miriam's examples leave us asking ourselves questions such as: How do we relate to our own family, friends, colleagues and those we meet? How do we respond to others and bring out the positives in each of our communities? Mary’s spirit will continue to radiate in our midst if we allow ourselves to be like her, seeing the inherent goodness in all people and things, and encountering all situations with love. Her life provides a blueprint upon which to pattern our thoughts, our motivation for all our actions, and how we relate with life around us. Mary dared to be different, and for this reason, she encourages each of us to take up the challenge!

Thank you to our MacKillop Captains, Russell Asser, Chloe Simpson, Kennedy Benson, Lucas Sutherland, Emily Thick and Maigan Gearing-Lenehan, who prepared and ran the MacKillop liturgy with pride and reverence. Thank you also to the MacKillop students who participated in the liturgy by reading the prayers of the faithful: Bailey Thompson, Zac Thick, Logan Kennedy, Cooper Davis, Isabelle Schubert and Sophie Ferns. Special thanks to our MacKillop Mission Captain Maigan Gearing-Lenehan, who performed a very moving dance that represented and paid tribute and respect to the important teachings of Dadirri.

To solidify the sense of family, unity and connection to MacKillop House, students created an artwork to add to our collection in M Block. This year’s artwork represents the main themes of our liturgy. It features the term Dadirri and Mary MacKillop's words, “Believe in the whisperings of God in your Heart.” It also encourages us to think about this year's NAIDOC message to ‘heal country,’ a reminder that not only can country heal us but we all have an important role to care for our country and the people in it. Thank you also to Year 7 MacKillop who have created some beautiful Mary MacKillop images that will also be displayed in M Block.

Mrs Rebecca Kennedy
Head of MacKillop House

McAuley House News

Sport News

Unfortunately COVID restrictions continue to cause Sport cancellations and postponements.

Rescheduled Sporting dates:

• Wednesday 13 October, NSW Netball Cup North Coast Finals at Lismore
• Wednesday 13 October, Cochrane Cup Rugby League North Coast Finals at Coffs Harbour
• Monday 18 October, NSW All Schools Cross Country at Eastern Creek

Cancelled Events:

• Monday 9 August, NRCC under 14 AFL at Byron Bay
• Monday 16 August, NRCC under 16 AFL at Byron Bay
• Thursday 12 August, Diocesan Athletics at Coffs Harbour
• Thursday 2 September, Diocesan Netball at Port Macquarie

Teams still training for rescheduled dates:

• Bill Turner Cup U15 Boys Soccer
• Cochrane Cup U14 Boys Rugby League
• 7/8, 9/10 Boys and Girls Basketball
• 7/8, 9/10 Girls Netball

Individual Achievements

Tyler Dogan
On Friday 30 July, Tyler competed in the QLD State Cross Country Championships near Toowoomba. In order to make the QLD state team he needed to finish in the top 10 runners from a field of 60 runners. Tyler finished 7th in the under 14 boys with a time of 14.20 for 4 kms. Congratulations to Tyler who now has qualified for the Australian Cross Country Championships in Adelaide.

Mr Pat Kennedy & Mr Flynn Whitney

Canteen News – Term 3 2021

Mrs Denise Barnard – Canteen Supervisor

Canteen is a great opportunity to meet other parents and to be involved in your child/childrens school life

• Arrive at school by 8:45am and park on the street (or you will get locked in the bottom carpark!)
• Go to the Office to sign in and receive your Visitor Badge.
• Head over to the Canteen where you can start preparing for the day’s lunch orders.
• Volunteers receive lunch and their children receive a $5 canteen voucher.
• Finish time is approximately 1:30-2:00pm, depending how busy the day is.
• If you are unable to make your rostered day please email Denise at xcccanteen@lism.catholic.edu.au or phone the College beforehand on 6618 0180.
• Text message reminders are sent on Wednesdays the week before your rostered day.

College News

Co Curricular News

Sunday 29 July 2018 was National Tree Day, Australia's largest community tree planting and nature care event. For many years now, the students of Xavier Catholic College have planted trees in conjunction with our community. Members of our Leo Club and our former SRC representatives have been an integral part of the GeoLink Tree planting to rejuvenate native trees on the Lennox Headland, have assisted with Landcare initiatives, and planted endangered trees in both local areas and of College land. Unfortunately, COVID has again seen us unable to leave the College to take part with community groups.

Over the years, these same students have taken part in potting small trees to be used as screening and decoration around the College until they mature and are then planted out around the College grounds. The last groups of plants have already found a spot to create shade and the tradition has passed to Ignatius House. Please see Ms Wallace’s report in this newsletter.

Whilst we may not be able to solve all the issues of pollution and global warming ourselves, there are many things we can do in our own daily lives to be part of the bigger solution. Perhaps adopt one project for the remainder of the year as your family’s way of making the world a better place.

If you have a child in Year 7, you may wish to discuss this with them as they are learning about Water in The World in Geography and Stewardship of Creation in Religion.

What can I do?

Why not have a look at the website for Australian Citizen Science.

What is citizen science Australia?

ACSA is a member-based incorporated association that seeks to advance citizen science through the sharing of knowledge, collaboration, capacity building and advocacy. https://citizenscience.org.au/

Xavier Catholic College employs sulphur crested cockatoos to show students how to put their rubbish in the bins!

https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2020-10-18/what-do-you-know-about-sulphur-crested-cockatoos/12721398?nw=0

The Aussie backyard bird count is back for its third year between 17-23 October — with over 40,000 participants and over a million birds counted last year, this is becoming one of Australia's largest citizen science projects.

https://www.ecolsoc.org.au/news/aussie-backyard-bird-count-australias-largest-citizen-science-project/

The findings help BirdLife Australia manage conservation efforts for birds and give researchers an indication of how our native birds are faring.

To participate, download the free ‘Aussie Bird Count’ app for Android or Apple, or register online. There is a field guide to help you recognise the various bird species. The app also shows you how many people nearby are taking part and the species counted in your neighbourhood and Australia. It’s a great way to spend time outdoors and to get to know some of the birds visiting your garden. If you find an injured or orphaned native animal, call a wildlife rescue organization straight away, such as • WIRES: 1300 094 737 http://www.wires.org.au/

Sadly it’s happened AGAIN!  We had been approached by Gardiner Chess to facilitate the highly popular interschool Chess competition in our College Magis Centre, but due to Health Department advice and CSO directives this will not be going ahead at this stage. Here’s hoping for Term 4!

Ms Leanne McFadden
Leader of Co-Curricular

LOST PROPERTY

• 5 school jumpers (no name on them)
• 10 school jackets (no name on them)
• 12 caps (no name on them)
• Headphones in material bag
• Black school shoes Lynx brand size 8 mens
• 4 pencil cases

Please contact the Library

Community News