Newsletter 17 - October 29

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” 

Discerning for a Hope-Filled Future

During the winter holidays I attended a Colloquium of Jesuit Principals, Rectors, Leaders and faithful to discern the future of Jesuit Education on a world-wide stage. The Colloquium JESEDU - Global 2021 provided an opportunity for the Jesuit Global Network of Schools to reflect on the fourth universal Apostolic Preference in particular: “How do we accompany young people in the creation of a hope-filled future in our education apostolic ministry?”

The colloquium focused on 4 strands:

1. Education for Faith
   
2. Education for Depth
3. Education for Reconciliation
4. Education for Global Citizenship
   

It was only the second time in the world-wide history of Jesuit Education that such a colloquium was possible and the spirit and sharing in the groups was inspiring. I had the opportunity (online) to work with many educators and leaders of Jesuit schools across the globe and felt an enormous connection to a community of faith not available to many of our other Diocesan Schools. What a marvellous opportunity it is for our College to be a part of the Jesuit and Companion Schools Australia.

At the end of the Colloquium the response to Fr-General Arturo Sosa Sj was this:
We ought to educate for a hope-filled future
By educating for depth and global citizenship
In faith and in reconciliation
In the context of our Educational Integrated (Holistic) Perspective

The Four-Fold Mission of Jesuit Education Today

A farewell (of sorts) for Year 12 this week
Despite the postponement of their official Graduation Mass and Prize-Giving Ceremonies until after all HSC examinations are completed, we were still able to provide some important Rites of Passage for our, soon-to-be graduates. Each of the six Houses with their Heads of House, House Captains and PC members enjoyed a couple of fun-filled days saying goodbye to their Pastoral Care homeroom teachers and classes, enjoying team-building games and challenging each other to be the best they can be. While the events of this year have stifled many of the activities and schedules for Year 12, it hasn’t dampened their enthusiasm to finish the year on a good and positive note. I congratulate them for their tenacity and guile as they navigated their way through this historical year. We will of course have an opportunity to formally farewell them, but it seems fitting that we highlight their achievements at this time as they move off now to their Study Vacation (stu-vac). HSC examinations commence Tuesday 9 November.

Be Alert - Not Alarmed
While the community is now opening up, it is obvious that more and more schools are being impacted by COVID. The response from the College will be swift and well-planned should anything happen in our community. I ask parents to be agile in their thinking and planning to be ready for any eventuality should it arise. Together we hope to navigate any scenario if or when it arises.

Announcing a College Musical for 2022
It is wonderful to be able to announce to the community that the College will be preparing to put on a musical in mid-2022. Called ‘Back to the 80’s’ The Totally Awesome Musical’ it will provide an opportunity for joy, community and anticipation for the entire College. Auditions will be called in the coming days and all students in Years 7–11 are invited to nominate for any number of different roles. I for one will be very keen to relive the music of my school days as I am sure many parents and extended family will as well. I thank Mrs Leanne Broadley and her crew and support who will lead the students (and possibly some staff) in putting on what I am certain will be a wonderful and uplifting event. 

Attention Please Year 10 Parents
By now you will have received a letter from me outlining a number of days where Year 10 have been designated to work from home.This decision was not taken lightly and will ultimately assist our Year 12 students to complete the HSC safely.

On the busiest of days for the HSC, the College requires additional rooms (the MAGIS Hall is banned by NESA) to run the examinations and so we need a Year group to work from home. For Year 10 the first three of these four days will involve working on and/or submitting assessments online. The fourth of those days will be working from home on pre-assigned work from their teachers. These days are:

1. Tuesday 9 November — HSC English Examination (Paper 1)
2. Wednesday 10 November — HSC English Examination (Paper 2)
3. Monday 15 November — HSC Mathematics Examination
4. Thursday 25 November — HSC Studies of Religion Examinations

Go gently and love each other.

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

Assistant Principal - Teaching and Learning

We farewell our Year 12 students this week as they prepare to sit their HSC examinations.  Congratulations to our Year 12 students on their achievements during their time at Xavier Catholic College and in particular, for the manner in which they have conducted themselves during the many challenges they have faced this year. Our students approached the year with incredible determination, resilience and patience. May they take the lessons learned this year into 2022, especially that of finding hope.

May the Lord go before you to light the path and give you direction
May he go behind you to guide your steps
May he go beside you to keep you from stumbling
May he go above you to protect you and 
May he go with you to give you the power of the Holy Spirit

HSC Examinations
HSC examinations commence on Tuesday 9 November
Year 12 students are to arrive via the D block entry to the College from 8:30am onwards to enable time for COVID protocols to be implemented prior to the commencement of the examination.  On behalf of the Xavier Catholic College community, I take this opportunity to wish our 2021 Year 12 students every success during the upcoming HSC examinations and all the very best in their future. We will keep them all in our prayers as they prepare for their HSC.

Year 11
Year 11 academic reports are available for download through the parent portal. Year 11 will have a number of assessment tasks in the forthcoming weeks. Please see link to Year 11 assessment calendar under Curriculum tab/Assessment Information/Year 11

Year 10 Examinations
Please find attached to this edition of the Newsletter a copy of the Year 10 examination timetable. Please note examinations for Year 10 commence on Monday 8 November and conclude on Tuesday 16 November. Please note Year 10 students will be off site due to HSC examinations and will sit online examinations from home on Tuesday 9 November and Wednesday 10 November.

Year 10 Examination Timetable

If a student is unable to attend a scheduled 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. The Absence from Assessment form can be accessed at the link below, or by visiting the College website/Curriculum tab/Assessment Information.

We wish the students all the best for their forthcoming examinations.

Year 7, 8 and 9
All students in Years 7, 8 and 9 will complete assessment tasks over the forthcoming weeks which will contribute to their Semester 2 report grades. Please encourage your child to commence tasks early and to carefully check due dates and submission procedures for all submitted assessment tasks. 

Please refer to the Assessment Calendars on the school website under the Curriculum tab to assist with forward planning and to allow tasks to be completed in a timely manner. 

Click here for Assessment calendars, Absence From Assessment Form and Assessment Task Illness/Misadventure From

Mrs Amanda Falvey

Assistant Principal - Staff and Students

‘For we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard’ 
Acts 4:20

World Mission Month
On Sunday during Mass the Parish celebrated World Mission Sunday — a special day, where Pope Francis invites us to respond to what we have seen and heard, calling us to each be missionary disciples. A missionary is someone who is on a mission. As Christians, our mission is to bring Jesus to others. Each of us, by our baptism, is called to bring Christ to the world. In other words, our mission is to share with the world what we have experienced through the Gospel and our personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We can say that a missionary disciple is one who emphasizes the importance of following and sharing Jesus with others, and inspires, equips and forms others to be disciples and disciple makers.

One practical way we can do this is by supporting the Catholic Mission to ‘Reach out. Give life’. This year, we have been invited to partner with the essential work of the Good Shepherd Sisters in Bangkok, Thailand as they reach out to vulnerable mothers and their babies, and children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

This Kindergarten gives children the opportunity to learn in a safe and positive environment, helping to prepare them for primary school and building a brighter future for themselves. But without your help, Sr Chalaad cannot continue to reach out to all of these children and give them this incredible opportunity.

Please give generously to support the transformational work at the Kindergarten Centre, and many other programs reaching out to those in need around the world. You can choose to give a tax-deductible gift, which helps purchase school supplies, uniforms and nutritious meals for the children at the Kindergarten, as well as supporting similar mission projects around the world. 

Please select this link to make a donation.

Uniform
During Week 5 our entire College community will pay particular attention to re-focusing our uniform standards. Could students also please note that our uniform is a clear visual symbol of the inclusion and membership of our community and a source of pride on which we focus. 

Students are required to action the following:

• The formal uniform striped polo shirt should not be worn with sport shorts
• Long hair should be tied back and jewellery to a minimum (no piercings in the upper ear)
• Appropriate socks worn, no logos or branding
• Canvas skate shoes are not allowed. The acceptable style is black, fully enclosed, polishable, lace-up shoes
• Pale blue discontinued Sport shirts should not be worn — students need to wear the current red sport shirt

Please refer to Page 7 and 8 of the College Planner for specific expectations related to personal presentation and uniform.

Masks
All families are reminded that they are to provide a mask for their child to wear correctly while on buses and in the classroom. It is the responsibility of each family to supply their own masks. The College has a limited supply for students on the rare occasion that they misplace their mask or if their mask breaks. Could families please be aware that the CSO Guidelines are that if a student is not wearing a mask while in class they are to be sent home. Please remind your child that this requirement is mandated to protect their teachers, peers and themselves.

Mr Peter Fear

Catechesis And Evangelisation

World Mission Sunday - 24 October 2021
Every year, in every country, Catholics celebrate World Mission Sunday — the day in which we reflect on the urgency to proclaim the Gospel in our times and pray that we will always be more committed to Christ's mission of salvation for the world. 

Throughout October, Catholic Schools are asked to assist raise funds and awareness for the work of Catholic Mission. This is a worldwide organisation formerly known as the Pontifical Mission Society. As the Pope’s international mission agency, they respond to the call to love God and to love neighbours by forming individuals and communities as missionary disciples of Jesus who share their faith in action and through prayer.  Catholic Mission serves people in need, acts for peace, justice and creation, and proclaims the Gospel that all may have life in Christ.

To recognise Mission Month, World Mission Sunday and the important work of Catholic Mission, we hosted a Socktober fundraising and awareness raising event on the College Green this week.  The Senior Ministry Team and House leaders ran activities and raised money to assist a school for disadvantaged children run by the Good Shepherd Sisters in Thailand. 

Families are invited to support the work of Catholic Mission via their website: 
2021 Catholic Mission Appeal

Mr David Eyles and Mrs Mary Howard

Wellbeing

Self Compassion and Deepest Desires
[Character Strength and Jesuit Value]

Year 12 End of Classes for 2021
Yesterday we farewelled the HSC students for 2021. We had three days of joyful celebration of six years of high school education for our Year 12. They are a fine group of young men and women who are now on study vacation until their examinations start in November. Great praise must be given to the Heads of House who organised these House and Year level activities. They will indeed be fine young men and women for others.

Safer Drivers Course for Learners - 15 November 4:00pm to 7:00pm
Byron Youth Services are running the next Safer Drivers Course for Learners on Monday 15 November from 4:00pm to 7:00pm at the YAC, 1 Gilmore Crescent, Byron Bay.

The course combines theoretical and practical training for under 24 L-plate drivers with a minimum of 50 logbook hours.

Module One: Three-hour facilitated group discussion on risk management on the road. Maximum of 12 participants. Delivered by a facilitator. 

Module Two: Two-hour in-vehicle coaching session to develop low-risk driving strategies. Two participants and a driving instructor.

Fee: $140 per student                                  To book please go to: https://www.bys.org.au/ldriver

2021 House Cup
Given the unusual nature of the HSC Year 2020/2021, many of the normal elements of the House Cup (Athletics Carnival and Cross Country) were not able to be included in this year’s House Competition because of the restrictions placed on the school by the Coronavirus.  

We have set up a new model for the House Cup to include as many College activities as possible. These include points for:

• Sporting Competitions and Participation — Swimming Carnival, Golden Boot, Inter House Volleyball
• Battle of the Bands
• Academic Excellence and Consistent Effort Awards
• Merit recognition in Schoolworx 
• Co-Curricular Participation

The final results were very close for Term 4 2020 and Terms 1, 2 and 3 2021:

Mr Anthony Condon
Leader of Welfare

Faculty News

Visual Arts

Year 12 HSC Body of Work 2021

Congratulations Maddison Newton for your Nomination for Art Express.

Ms Jasmin Rogers & Ms Katherine Brentin
Class Teachers

Samuel Callahan

Artwork Title: On Country
Documented Forms

Sam completed an investigation of his own identity using ceramic forms. The artworks use symbolism to connect with identity, land and culture. The body of work was extended in meaning and visual qualities by being photographed on country.

Talea-Shae Colefax

Artwork Title: Metaphysical Transference
Collection of works - 20 pieces

“Thoughts are the shadows of our feelings -- always darker, emptier and simpler.”
-Friedrich Nietzsche

My body of work is an exploration of philosophy and art; morality and fragmentation through an influence of Freudian and Nietzchean principles. This is achieved through a close study of religious iconography, architecture, and automatic art-making practices which underpin these philosophies.

Keely Collins

Artwork Title: You are what is most beautiful about me
Collection of works - 12 pieces

My body of work is an exploration of the interconnectedness of family. Through a close study of portraiture I represented the physical likeness of each family member, aiming to expressively show the distinctive personality and character behind each individual. The dry point etchings of still life objects explores each person’s interests that make them unique. The symbolism of the graphite drawings delve deeper into the hardships that ultimately draw them together in a network of love and support. Essentially I express what it means to be a family, drawing on the irony that beauty lies in the fact that we find ourselves in our connection to others.

Cosmo Jackson

Artwork Title: Antipodean Apocalypse
Collection of works - 8 pieces

In my body of work, I intended to express the connection between humans and nature and our negative impact on the environment. Over time, my work developed into a form of social commentary about important political and environmental themes in our contemporary world, from industrialisation to the  present. The Collection of works reference global warming, mining, bushfires, and key political moments in Australian history with influencing figures - Gough Whitlam and Scott Morrison. Sidney Nolan’s Ned Kelly and Albert Tucker figures take the viewer through a damaged Australian landscape. I explored ideas and imagery appropriating Australian art culture and identity using digital collage and  photo etching techniques.

Isabel Jones

Artwork Title: Touch
Collection of works - 9 pieces

My Body of Work explores the relationship human beings have with physical touch and how losing it can have an effect on our mental and physical health. This concept was greatly inspired by a story I heard from a friend about how being in lockdown and living alone, being unable to be close to anyone had a massive effect on her mental state. Humans have a longing for the touch of others, it’s fundamental for survival.

Isobelle Jones

Artwork Title: What price are we happy they pay?
Drawing

The collection of works “What price are we happy they pay?” is a commentary on our willingness to accept the inhumane conditions and treatment of animals for products for our ease or enjoyment. Technology and the economy have altered the methods of farming, harvesting and animal sport to produce more output at a lower cost. But at what price to the animal? Using a contemporary surreal style, each piece reflects the blurred lines between animals used for product or entertainment and our willingness to accept mistreatment for the gain of cheaper products or entertainment.

Isabella Marcon

Artwork Title: Midnight Shakes The Memory
Collection of works -13 pieces

Through my collection of works I have intended to show the transition from childhood to adulthood inspired by ‘vanitas’.

The photo etchings capture nostalgic moods and moments, and the photography allows the audience to peer into a moment of contemplation and reflection as adulthood approaches. The painting creates an expressive depiction of the fragility of time.

Through my body of work,I intended to create intimate, expressive, and surreal images.  I aimed to invite the viewer to negotiate their own identity and consider how they have changed as time transforms them.

Maddison Newton

Maddison’s body of work has been nominated for Art Express. Congratulations and all the best with the selection process.

Artwork Title: Digitalisation
Drawing 3 mounts (9 individual works)

In my work, I intended to explore & comment on the negative impacts of the advancement of technology in our contemporary world, the digital age. Based on drawing using digital and traditional techniques, I have developed a panoramic landscape and portraits. The world I have constructed refers to the constructed digital space and personas in which we are intact in our daily lives. I primarily use heightened unconventional colors to represent the digital world through an avatar. Progressively the portraits metamorphose from realism to digital.  By using a combination of digital media and colored pencil, I reinforce these themes.

Imahn Pholi

Artwork Title: That which is loved will endure
Collection of works - 8 pieces

My Body of Work captures shared memories and experiences with horses, my grandfather, our deep connections and close relationships. My grandfather was a beautiful human and great horseman. Sadly, he passed away while my work progressed, and so now it pays tribute to him. Drawing and dry point etching allows for intricate details along with the small scale, depicting the intimate bond between myself, my horses and my Pa. This invites the audience into our shared world to experience what we shared and now can only remember.

Emma Tibbey

Artwork Title: He Looks Me To Pieces
Collection of works - 10 pieces

My collection of works ‘He Looks Me To Pieces’ explores the destruction of feminine identity as a result of the patriarchal pressures manifested within the male gaze. Throughout my Body of Work I was inspired by postmodern feminist artists, particualrly The Guerilla Girls, Barbara Kruger, and Judy Chicago. My collection of works also confronts and subverts traditional depictions of the feminine figure, seen through a recontextualisation of Venus. The Body of Work includes ceramics, textiles, printmaking and video. Domestic objects and crafts associated with female expectations, and depictions of the objectified female nude aimed to confront the audience's perceptions of gender.

House News

Faber House
2021 Design a Christmas Heart Ornament

Canteen News – Term 4 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

Musical Production 2022

2021 College Yearbook

We are now accepting order for the 2021 Xavier Catholic College Yearbook. Order forms are available on the College Website or can be downloaded via the below link. Please ensure all order formas are returned by Friday 12 November 2021. Parents and students will be notified when the Yearbooks are available for collection.

Ordering of School Photos and Group Photos

If you wisk to reorder school photos or purchase group photos please see the below flyer.

www.theshoolphotographer.com.au