Newsletter 1 - 11 February 2022

Principal's Message

Dear Parents, Students and Staff,

Welcome back to the 2022 academic year. I am happy to report that we have had a most successful commencement to the 2022 school year, with an enrolment of 908 students and over 125 staff. A special welcome is extended to the new families who have joined our community here at Xavier Catholic College — the families of our 162 Year 7 students, as well as the families of new students in Years 8, 9, 10 and 11. I trust that all new families find Xavier Catholic College to be a community that is committed to challenging and nurturing your children as they grow into “young men and women for others.” Xavier Catholic College is a community that is proud of its Ignatian tradition.

Welcome back to Mrs Susan Horvath from an extended period of leave, Dr Madeline Beveridge who returns from maternity leave, and Mr Glenn Smith who had all of Term 4 off last year.

Welcome also to our new members of staff:

• Mr James Gordon (Leader of Pedagogy)
• Mr Samuel Priddis (Religious Education)
• Mr Jo Adlard (Mathematics)
• Ms Leela Ford (job-share with Ms Maddie Loch in TAS)
• Ms Amber Beverley (HSIE)
• Miss Emily Jones (HSIE & English)
• Mrs Amy Fear (CAPA)
• Ms Emily Webster (Religious Education)

And our support staff

• Miss Katie Elliott (Business Manager)
• Mrs Jocelyn Perritt (Student Records Officer)
• Miss Isabelle Hillier (Science Lab Technician)
• Mrs Kathleen McLennan (Librarian)
• Mrs Rachael Peters (Teacher Assistant)
• Mr Lochy Lowe (Teacher Assistant)

We also welcome five new trainees:

• Russell Asser (Sport Trainee)
• Joe Knott (Admin Trainee)
• Olivia Voss (Hospitality Trainee)
• Macy Butler (YMO)
• Chelsea Gorman (YMO)

We welcome each of them and pray that their stay with us is rewarding.

Looking Forward
At our combined Laureate and opening assembly last week, I laid down some ground rules that are important in all facets of life. We need to maintain and uphold the standards that set us apart from lesser performing schools. These rules are the importance of:

• Good manners – please and thank you are still magical words
• Striving for your best – no one else will do it for you
• Wearing uniform with pride – let the world know you are proud of this uniform
  • A strong focus on returning to some rigorous standards with respect to uniform is a key focus this year. Expect a flurry of messages home if your child has let theirs slip.
• Taking pride in our school – equally let the world know you are proud of this College
• Establishing positive relationships – be the person you want others to be to you.

This is underpinned by taking a positive approach to school each and every day by:

• G      Being Grateful – seeking opportunities to be thankful for the gifts we have. The more we seek to be thankful, the more things we find to be thankful for.
• E     Being Empathetic – understanding that not all have the same as we do, or that others carry a burden inside that we don’t always see
• M     Being Mindful – taking time in prayer and quiet to discover our true selves through the Examen and meditation.

Laureate Assembly
Our College Dux of 2021, Jamai O’Malley, spoke to our gathering last week of the importance of structure, planning and preparation, but also especially to balance in order to succeed in Year 12. I would add that this needs to happen from Year 7 onwards, and that while not everyone can be Dux, it is entirely possible for all of us to be the best version of us we can be. That is a goal that is attainable for everyone. I encourage every member of our College community to strive to be the best person you can be as we live out our theme of gentleness, kindness and generosity. I pray that you all have a fruitful and rewarding 2022.

Outstanding HSC Results
Congratulations to all Year 12 students on an outstanding 2021 HSC. Results in most courses were well above the state average and many individual students excelled in courses and achieved outstanding results. It was most pleasing to see that the performances of this very talented group of students placed Xavier Catholic College at 131 in schools in NSW, outstripping the excellent results of 2020 by a further 15 places. On behalf of the entire College community, I sincerely congratulate each and every one of our 2021 Year 12 students — the entire community are all very proud of what they have achieved.

Congratulations and thank you to the dedicated staff who worked so hard with these students, giving them every opportunity to succeed, and to their parents who supported them throughout their schooling, particularly during the nail-biting and COVID-19 impacted HSC year.

COVID Update
My thanks and sincere appreciation to our families for the strong support you have shown our College community as we return to learning under very trying conditions. We look to you to help us navigate the coming weeks and months in community and partnership for the betterment of all our student body. I will keep you informed as more news and procedures come to light.

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

Assistant Principal - Teaching and Learning

Welcome back to the College for 2022, and a special welcome to new students and families who have joined the College community.

HSC Congratulations
Congratulations to the Class of 2021 on their outstanding results in the HSC.

Our school once again placed in the Top 150 schools in NSW for the 2021 HSC, ranking 131st in the State. Results in 80% of courses were above state average.

This is an extraordinary achievement for a non-selective regional high school.  

The results are some of the College’s finest HSC results, made especially impressive by the challenging circumstances in which our Year 12 students completed their final year. Their journey involved lockdowns, learning from home, completing Trial HSC examinations via remote learning, attending classes in Term 4 and completing HSC examinations as late as mid-December! Our students, along with their amazing teachers and supportive families, showed great resilience, determination and commitment to achieving their personal best. As a result, Xavier Catholic College is once again recognised as a top-performing school in NSW.

We are especially proud to acknowledge the following highlights:

The Dux of the College for 2021 is Jamai O’Malley. 

Jamai achieved an ATAR of 99.35 and was recognised on the Premier’s All- Round Achievers List  for attaining 90 or above in 10 units (all Band 6 results)  

Congratulations Jamai!

 Top Achievers in Course

Jamai O’Malley - PDHPE  (2nd in NSW)

Jamai O’Malley- English Standard (13th in NSW)

Tim De Wit - Dutch Continuers (Year 11 Accelerant, 2nd in NSW)

• Distinguished Achievers List

         65 listings on the Distinguished Achievers List  (Band 6-90% or above in a course).

Notable Achievements:

100% of students in English Extension 2 placed in the top Band

100% of students in the following courses achieved a Band 5 or 6 (marks of 80 or higher) :

• English Extension 1
• Mathematics Extension 2
• Ancient History
• Music 1
• Society and Culture
• Textiles

90% of  students in English Advanced achieved Band 5 or 6 

More than half the cohort within the following courses achieved a Band 5 or 6

• Drama
• Earth and Environmental Science
• English Standard, English Advanced
• Geography
• Legal Studies
• Mathematics Standard 1, Mathematics Advanced
• Modern History
• Studies of Religion II
• Visual Arts
• Italian Beginners
• VET: Hospitality and Construction

HSC Drama Selection
Sophie Ferns was selected for OnSTAGE for her Individual Project 

Drama Nominations
Maisie Miller was nominated for OnSTAGE for her Individual Performance

Sophie Ferns, Malia James and Lucy Sidney were nominated for OnSTAGE for their Group Performance 

Music
Joe Rutledge was nominated for Encore 

Technology
Zac Swan was nominated for Shape 2021

Laureate Assembly
On Wednesday 2 February, we celebrated the achievements of our Year 12 graduates at the annual Laureate Assembly. 

Students who achieved a Band 6 result (or mark above 90) in a subject area are listed as HSC Distinguished Achievers. These students were acknowledged at the Assembly and will receive a medallion in recognition of their HSC result. We also acknowledged students who were nominated and/or selected for inclusion in various HSC showcases, as well as those with ATARs of 80 and above.

While we celebrate academic excellence at the Laureate Assembly, I take this opportunity to remind students that they are not defined by an examination result or a HSC Band. Rather, it is the qualities embedded in your heart to act justly and love God, love others and love yourself, always striving to achieve your personal best.

It is hoped that our students from the class of 2021 will contribute gainfully to the world that they will enter beyond graduation.  We encourage all our graduates and students of Xavier Catholic College, no matter what field their God-given talents lie in, to live out the Jesuit tradition of a faith that does justice, and St Ignatius’ call to go forth and set the world on fire.

I hope that our current students at the College can take inspiration from the Class of 2021 as they, too, strive to achieve their personal best.

Book Packs
Parents are reminded that stationery requirements for each year level are available on the College website https://xavierlism.catholic.edu.au/learning-materials

2021 Contacts
As our students commence the academic year, we understand there may be some queries regarding individual subjects or patterns of study. Please see the list below for contacts regarding academic matters.

Base Classes
Please note that your child has received a new base class this year. 

In Year 7, all base classes are mixed-ability and allocated by House group. In Year 7, your child will travel to most classes with this group. For Creative Arts (Music and Visual Arts) and Technologies subjects students may be in a different class grouping.

 In Years 8-10, all base classes are mixed-ability and include students from all six Houses. 

PAT Testing
All students in Year 7 will be involved in Progressive Achievement Tests (PAT) during Weeks  3 and 4. PAT tests are a diagnostic tool for teachers to inform teaching and learning and to plan strategies to best support your child’s individual learning needs.  Year 7 students who have come from feeder schools such as Holy Family Catholic Primary School and St Francis Xavier Primary School will have already completed similar tests in their primary years.

Data from the tests are accessed by teachers only and PAT data is not used for formal reporting purposes. Tests will take place in Year 7 English, Math and Science classes. 

Learning from Home
If your child is learning from home due to COVID-19 restrictions, please visit the College’s Learning from Home page for support.

https://xavierlism.catholic.edu.au/learning-from-home 

Assistant Principal Mission - Staff and Students

Welcome Back
Welcome to all students, staff and families of the Xavier College community as we commence the 2022 school year. I would especially like to welcome all our new students and families that have joined the College community. I hope that you have found any elements of trepidation or overwhelm have been outweighed by the evident support network of quality staff and students who make this community so special. 

Thank you to all our students and families who have embraced the continuing COVID safety measure currently in place. Could I remind students that we need to wear our masks correctly to protect ourselves, our peers and our hardworking staff. I would also like to remind students that they are required to bring a refillable water bottle to use the bubblers. There will be NO drinking directly from the bubblers.

NSW School Vaccination Program
Each year NSW Health works in partnership with schools to offer the vaccines recommended by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) for adolescents as part of the school vaccination program.

In 2022 the following vaccines will be offered:

Please Note: The NSW School Vaccination Program will NOT be offering any COVID 19 vaccines in the school environment. They will continue to provide the scheduled vaccines as outlined above.

Parent Information Kits that include an information sheet, consent form and privacy statement will be sent home to parents/guardians. To consent to the vaccination of their child, parents/guardians are advised to:

• read all the information provided
• complete the consent form, including signing their name next to the vaccine/s they would like their child to receive
• return the completed consent form to their child’s school
• ensure their child eats breakfast on the day of the school vaccination clinic.

Please note that, to improve vaccination completion, students will be opportunistically offered any missed doses during Year 7 and catch up into Year 8 (for HPV and dTpa vaccination) and during Year 10 and catch up into Year 11 (for Meningococcal ACWY vaccination) or consent signed in 2021.

Parents/guardians who wish to withdraw their consent for any reason may do so by writing to the school Principal or phoning the College. The Procedure for Withdrawal of Consent is available on the NSW Health website at www.health.nsw.gov.au/immunisation/ Pages/withdraw_consent.aspx.

A Record of Vaccination will be provided to each student vaccinated at each clinic either as  a physical card or a text message sent to the mobile number recorded on the consent form. Details about vaccinations given at school will also be uploaded to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) to support complete vaccination histories.

2022 Vaccination Schedule

TERM 1 – Booked for Tuesday 29 March 2022

ALL YEAR 7 STUDENTS

1)      Gardasil (HPV) Dose 1
2)      Boostrix (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis-whooping cough) 1 dose only
ALSO
3)      Catch up Year 8 Gardasil (HPV)  & Boostrix if required (if we have a consent form signed while they are  in Year 7)
4)      Catch up Year 11 Nimenrix (Meningococcal ACWY) (if we have a consent form signed while they are in Year 10)

TERM 2- Booked for Tuesday 28 June 2022

ALL YEAR 10  STUDENTS

1)      Nimenrix (Meningococcal ACWY) 1 dose only
ALSO
2)      Catch –up Year 7 if required (late forms, absentees from term 1)
3)      Catch up Year 8  if required
4)      Catch up Year 11 Nimenrix if required

TERM  4 - Booked for Tuesday 18 October 2022

 ALL YEAR 7 STUDENTS

1)      Gardasil (HPV) Dose 2
ALSO
2)      Catch–up Year 7 if required (late forms, absentees)
3)      Catch–up Year 8  if required
4)      Catch-up Year 10 & 11  students Nimenrix if required

Mr Peter Fear

School Fees

Please be advised that Term 1 school fees will be issued over the coming weeks. Parents are kindly asked to pay school fees via BPAY. The biller code is 30759 and your account number is to be used as a reference.

Ms Katie Elliott
Business Manager

Catechesis And Evangelisation

Welcome to New Staff
We are delighted to welcome the following staff to the Religious Education Faculty: Amber Beverley, Emily Webster, and Samuel Priddis. We are also excited to be joined by new Youth Ministry Officers (YMOs) Chelsea Gorman and Macy Butler. Mary Howard has changed roles this year and will now be Assistant Leader of Religious Education, whilst Madeline Beveridge has accepted the role of Leader of Catechesis.

Year 12 Spirituality Days
A difficult decision was made at the start of the year to cancel the Year 12 Retreat- based on COVID safety recommendations from Catholic Schools NSW and the Lismore Catholic Schools Office.

A team from the Two Wolves Leadership Collective will now join us in Ballina to present a number of workshops along with activities led by our own staff.  Parents who would like to learn more about this organisation are encouraged to visit their website: https://www.thecardonerproject.org/

This retreat experience invites our new senior class to look closely at how they view themselves, how they relate to others, and how they experience God in their lives. It offers an opportunity for the students to celebrate what they have already achieved, to set goals for their immediate future and to realise that they are not alone.  It is a compulsory event for all students enrolled in Year 12.

Parents are asked to please complete and submit the medical form, the permission form and (where applicable) the request for bus transfers between the College and the Surf Club before Friday 11February.

Year 12 Spirituality Days Google Form

Liturgies and Masses
Typically, we would start our year with a Welcome Liturgy in the Magis Centre.  This year’s Liturgy was streamed into PC classes.  A recording of that streamed liturgy can be found at this link: Welcome Liturgy 2022 The Ministry team would like to apologise for a lack of polish in the production quality of the sound and video, but we hope the warmth and enthusiasm of the welcome more than make up for any technical shortcomings.

The Commencement Mass is scheduled to take place in Week 5, on Tuesday 1 March.  Ordinarily we would issue a warm welcome for parents to join us at this Mass, but we will need to wait to see what health orders are current at that time. 

St Vincent de Paul bin at Xavier Catholic College

2nd Hand Xavier School Uniforms
The College St Vincent de Paul group accepts donations of clean second-hand uniforms in the wheelie bin near the school office.

These uniforms are sent to the Vinnies shop in Martin St. Ballina.  Families seeking second-hand uniforms are welcome to visit the Ballina shop – if the particular size or uniform you need is not on display, please ask.  There is a considerable quantity of stock ‘out the back!”

All organisations that recycle second-hand clothes in Australia are currently struggling with the sheer volume of unwanted goods being left at collection points.  Our XCC second-hand uniform bin is quite small.  We can only accept clean second-hand XCC uniforms in this bin – no other items please!

Our NEW Youth Ministry Officers and XCC_Ministry Social Media
Macy Butler and Chelsea Gorman completed two weeks of intensive induction with our school and the Catholic Schools Office and are now settling into their new roles. Their initial contact with our community has been via some well received posts on our social media pages. Parents who are new to the College can learn about Ministry activities via our social media presence on Facebook and Instagram.  https://www.facebook.com/XCCMinistry  https://www.instagram.com/xcc_ministry/

Applications open for Seniors to attend the LEAD Gathering
LEAD will be held at McAuley College Grafton on 10 and 11March. The Lead Gathering is a diocesan event for students in Year 11 and 12 who are currently involved in their school’s Senior Ministry Team - or who would like to become more involved in these activities. The Lead Gathering will include:

• Dynamic keynote speakers
• The Lismore Diocese Youth Ministry Officers
• SHINE-style rally on Thursday night
• Mass
• Small Group Discussions
• Seminars and Interactive workshops to provide formation in Youth Ministry Skills

There will be a cost to participants attending of $20.00. LEAD will run in accordance with CSO and NSW Health COVID-19 guidelines. 

Students interested in LEAD should come to a Senior Ministry Team meeting and/or speak to the YMOs soon.

Important Information Regarding Fundraising at Xavier College
Our College takes its “Act Justly” motto very seriously and we make a particular effort to respond to people in need through fund-raising and community service.  Collecting toiletries and spectacles for various aid agencies, and selling badges on Legacy Day are some of the initiatives we undertake as a College. We also have school-based and house-based charitable collections each year supporting our sister school in Turiscai and various Catholic charities such as Caritas, Catholic Mission and St Vincent de Paul.

As a school we get numerous requests to be involved with other very worthy charities. Often our students become involved in projects and appeals for various charities in the community and this is to be commended. It is not permissible, however, for these additional fundraising activities to be conducted at school.

We request that students do not bring raffle tickets, fundraising chocolates or sponsorship forms to school. We ask for the cooperation and understanding of parents and students in this matter.

Retreat dates for 2021

Compulsory College Retreats

The events listed below are a compulsory part of the Catechesis and Evangelisation program for all students enrolled at Xavier Catholic College.

2022 Lismore Diocesan Discipleship Events

The events listed below are faith development experiences specifically targeted at students already involved in their local churches.  The number of students Xavier Catholic College can send to these events is restricted due to practical limitations such as transport and accommodation.  

Mr David Eyles & Dr Madeline Beveridge

Wellbeing

This week’s Character Strength in the Student Planner is Empathy and it dovetails with the Jesuit aspiration of being a person for others

Uniform
The new school socks have been well adopted by a majority of our students. There were many factors in the decision making process, but the foremost driver of change was simplification of the uniform for all students. Many schools in our region have a school sock, including Mt St Pat’s, Emmanuel and Trinity College. We, as a school and a society, need to be inclusive of all of our students. This has resulted in a trend toward a set of more unisex uniform rules. One way we can do this is to have one sock for all students and for all occasions (sport and formal). A good way a acquire these is to go online to the School Locker https://theschoollocker.com.au/

Shoes
At Xavier Catholic College, since its inception, the rule has been for the uniform shoes to be black, polishable and lace up.

Sport Shoes must be predominantly black of white,

ALL parts of the uniform must be the official Xavier Catholic College uniform and are best purchased from School Locker: https://theschoollocker.com.au/ The wearing of parts of other school’s uniforms or generic parts of the uniform is unacceptable.

Senior students must wear a black belt.
All skirts, shorts and dresses must be to the knee. 
If a uniform note comes home, we ask that you make these adjustments as soon as practicable, usually letting down a dress/skirt/short or buying a black belt.
We will be insisting on the school sock ONLY when supply meets demand.

Camp and Pastoral Care Week
The Year 8 students are off to Uki in Week 7. We are all looking forward to this exciting adventure.

Year 7
We are very grateful for all of the organisation that Mrs Sarina McPherson put into the first couple of days for the Year 7 students. They appear to be settling into high school quite well.

Byron Youth Services are running the next Safer Drivers Course for Learners on Monday the 21st February from 4 to 7pm at the YAC, 1 Gilmore Crescent, Byron Bay.

The course combines theoretical and practical training for under 25 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. 2 participants and a driving instructor.

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

Mr Anthony Condon

Faculty News

Creative Arts News

Arts Partnership Grant
We have been successful in obtaining funding to run an Arts Partnership with an industry professional during 2022. We are very excited to announce that RACHAEL BECK - Australian music theatre star, Australian film and TV actor, dancer and ARIA award winning singer will be coming on board as a professional mentor for our school production!

Rachael has worked for many years in the music and performance industry, working alongside some of our most well known performers.  She has played many lead roles on the Australian stage, including the Australian premiere of Beauty and the Beast where she played Belle opposite Hugh Jackman. Just last month she was playing Glinda the Good Witch at the Crown Theatre in Perth for a very successful season. She has experience in arts education and running similar programs in schools all around Australia. We are delighted to have Rachael come on board in a Creative Professional Arts Partnership, and are excited that she will be working with and mentoring our students and staff on the production of BACK to the 80’s.

School Musical Production
BACK to the 80’s

Rehearsals have begun for our 2022 school production! Our first rehearsal on Wednesday afternoon was really successful, and we were delighted to welcome about 20 new Year 7 students joining us for the rehearsal, along with many other students from every year in the school! Including the two days of rehearsal at the end of last year, we are off to a fantastic start.  We are delighted that we are able to sing again this year (with restrictions in place), and our weekly rehearsals will have a bit of everything singing, dancing, and acting. Our band will be rehearsing the songs in the Music room, and there will be plenty of work going on behind the scenes in the next few weeks as we start to work on sets, props and art design elements of the show.

Our rehearsals are every Wednesday after school, and we are looking forward to working with Rachael Beck in workshops. Photos are from rehearsal on February 9, 2022.

Instrumental Tuition
We have a strong tradition of excellence in Music performance at Xavier Catholic College, with a school band that performs widely in our local community, and two students in the past few years coming first in the state in HSC Music. We have a program of tuition at school that allows students to have private tuition with a professional tutor to support them with their performance goals, right here at school during the school day. Lessons are for half an hour and rotate each week, so students never miss the same lesson from week to week. 

Our 2022 Tutors are: 

Brass and Vocals - Dean Doyle
Dean Doyle started his musical career in his early teens singing and playing drums in an old time family dance band in dance halls around Gympie in Queensland, and played with the RAAF band.

Dean’s main musical focus over the last 12 years has been performing the popular Morning Melodies and Sunday Sessions with his fabulous trio, Dean Doyle with Sophistication. Mr. Doyle is looking forward to building up the Brass part of the band program at Xavier Catholic College, and helping our singers develops good technique and repertoire. Dean has worked with many of our students who have achieved Band 6 in HSC Music.

Woodwind - Sally Lindenberg
Sally Lindenberg has been playing music since the age of 3 and teaching students music since the age of 16. She has been playing the saxophone for over 30 years, and her flute and clarinet experience is not far behind that. Sally completed Grade 8 saxophone when she was 16 and soon moved onto her Trinity Performance certificate, completed during her final year of high school. 

After school Sally commenced training in Brass and Woodwind Instrument Repair and Restoration. After completing this training in Ireland with a clarinet maker, she started her business. Sally Lindenberg Wind and Brass’ in Brisbane, which along with instrument repairs also included a teaching studio (now in Lennox Head).

Over the years, Sally has played professionally in Queensland Wind and Brass Orchestra, as well as gigging both here and abroad with several bands at music festivals and venues. Music is a huge part of Sally’s life, and she cannot wait to share her skills with students in the area!

Drums - Brad Dymock
Brad Dymock has a Bachelor of Contemporary Music from Southern Cross and has played many roles in the music industry, currently teaching drums through the week, DJing on the weekends, drumming for his band Giants of Jericho and producing in his sound proof recording studio after hours.

Brad started drum tutoring whilst still in high school, developed strong foundations through university and has found his own style of teaching focused on musicality and creative expression. Drum students are coached towards musical goals as they develop skills that translate to jam room, stage and studio.

In the last 11 years, Brad has taken many students through the HSC Music course. Over 20 of these students have scored up in the top band, with 7 Encore nominations and one of these students placing second in the state with a score of 99. Most importantly, they all enjoyed hitting drums and expressed their musicality in their own individual way.

Guitar - Michael Creary
Michael has been teaching guitar for over 30 years and playing professionally since the age of 12. In that time he has developed a unique but highly effective method of guitar and music tuition that is both encouraging and fun.

For more information regarding instrument tuition or the Xavier Catholic College Band Program contact Ms Kathleen McLennan - kathleen.mclennan@lism.catholic.edu.au (Instrument Tuition Coordinator) or Leanne Broadley leanne.broadley@lism.catholic.edu.au  (Leader of Learning, Creative Arts)

Sport News

Welcome students and parents to the 2022 sporting year at Xavier Catholic College. Students are asked to please listen carefully to sporting announcements read via the daily notices in PC, made at assemblies and House Meeting Zooms. Sporting information will also be communicated through the College Newsletter, student/parent emails, and on the Sport noticeboard outside the staff room.

Swimming Carnivals
The 2022 Championship Swimming Carnival will be held on Tuesday 15 February at the Ballina Memorial Swimming Pool. 

The Whole School Swimming Carnival will be held on Friday 25 February at the Ballina Memorial Swimming Pool.

The Championship Swimming Carnival is NOT compulsory. However, in order to compete, you must nominate via the email from xccsport sent home to parents/guardians. If you are a strong swimmer and wish to swim competitively, please nominate and compete on the Championship Day. You do not have to be a squad or club swimmer to compete. Students who would like to represent the College at the Diocesan Swimming Carnival on Thursday 10 March at Lismore must compete at the Championship Carnival.

Whole School Participation Swimming Carnival: Friday 25 February 2022

Details of the annual Xavier Catholic College Swimming Carnival are listed below.

Activity:           Annual Swimming Carnival – Attendance is compulsory
Venue:             Ballina Memorial Pool - River Street, Ballina
Date:                Friday 25 February 2022
Travel:              ALL students will travel by bus to and from the pool
Departure:       Buses depart College at 9:15am (no House cheers this year)
Return:             Return to College by 3:00pm
Needs:              Canteen facilities will be available to purchase recess/lunch
Cost:                 Nil

House Spirit: Students may come to school in appropriate House colours/fancy dress/costumes, etc. The winning Houses will be announced in the Magis Centre at the completion of the carnival, and Age Champions will be announced from the Championship carnival.

Hats and Sunscreen: All students are required to wear a hat and sunscreen during the day.

Events: Students will have the opportunity to swim in year group freestyle races, as well as House freestyle relays and year group novelty events including breaststroke, inflatable races, unders and overs, shallow pool running relays, and the water slide. 

                                             NAGLE  -             Blue
                                          McAULEY  -         Pink
                                          CAMPION  -        Red
                                          MACKILLOP  -     Gold/Yellow
                                          IGNATIUS  -         Green
                                          FABER  -               White

Sport Uniform
Students are required to wear the correct sports uniform when representing the College in sport or when participating in Integrated Sport. This includes the College hat/cap, predominantly white or black sports shoes with jogger sole, navy striped socks, correct shorts (not rolled up at the top) and sporting polo shirt in good condition.

Years 9 and 10 Integrated Sport
Students in Years 9 and 10 do Integrated Sport once per fortnight as part of their timetable. This year students will attend Ballina Ten Pin Bowling (which is a registered COVID safe venue) in Term 1. In Terms 2 and 3 Bod Squad personal trainers will instruct students. In Term 4 the focus will be on team sports. The Year 9 and 10 Integrated Sport schedules can be found on the College website under the Co-Curricular link.

NRCC (Northern River Catholic Colleges)
The NRCC sporting competition is for students in Years 7 - 10 only and is in two age divisions: Under 14 boys and girls, and Under 16 boys and girls. The competition continues to grow in 2022 and includes nine schools: 

• Xavier Catholic College
• St Mary’s Catholic College Casino
• Trinity Catholic College Lismore
• McAuley Catholic College Grafton
• Mt Saint Patrick’s College Murwillumbah
• St Joseph’s College Banora Point
• St John’s College Woodlawn

Guest schools in 2022 include: 

• Lindisfarne Anglican Grammar School Terranora
• Emmanuel Anglican College Ballina

NRCC Sports include:

• Boys Rugby League held at Casino
• Girls Volleyball held at Casino
• Girls Netball held at Tweed Heads
• Boys and Girls Hockey held at Grafton
• Boys and Girls Touch Football at Ballina
• Boys and Girls AFL at Byron Bay
• Boys and Girls Basketball at Lismore

Gold Coast School Cup Rugby
Once again, the Xavier Catholic College Under 15 boys will compete in the 2022 Gold Coast Schools Cup Rugby competition. Matches will be played at various Rugby clubs on Wednesday nights, including Palm Beach RUC, Bond Pirates RUC, Surfers Paradise RUC. 2022 Under 15 teams include:

• Xavier Catholic College
• Lindisfarne Anglican Grammar School
• Marymount College
• Merrimac High School 
• Somerset College
• Varsity College
• Ormeau Woods State High School
• Miami State High School
• Pimpama State Secondary College

College Website – Sport Link
When visiting the College Website, please use the Co-Curricular Link then the Sport Link to find the Year 9 and 10 Integrated Sport programs for Term 1, the NRCC draw for Terms 1–4 and the 2022 Contact Sport permission note.

Mouthguards are compulsory for all contact training/sports including Rugby League, Rugby Union, AFL and Hockey. Team coaches will have paper copies of the 2022 Contact Sport permission note at training or copies are available at the Front Office.

Diocesan ‘Individual’ Winter Sports Trials
(these are not  Xavier Catholic College Teams)
Students who are interested in nominating to trial for the ‘Individual’ Diocesan representative pathways below. Please see Mr Pat Kennedy or Russell Asser (Sports Trainee) for printed paper instructions on how to do so, or use the links below:

SECONDARY REGISTRATIONS

2022 Diocesan Secondary Individual Touch Football Selection Trials.

2022 Diocesan Secondary Football (Soccer) – Open Boys and Girls *NEW*

2022 Diocesan Secondary 400m Swimming *NEW*

2022 Diocesan Secondary Additional Swimming Events *NEW*

2022 Diocesan Secondary U15 & Opens Boys Rugby League *NEW*

2022 Diocesan Secondary U16’s Girls Rugby League *NEW*

NOTE: AFL and RUGBY are no longer Diocesan Sports Trials. Interested players need to register as individuals directly on the NSWCCC Website as explained below.

Representative Sporting Links
(these are not Xavier Catholic College Teams)
It is very important that students and parents become familiar with the following websites regarding representative pathways. Registrations / Nominations / Expressions of Interest for both team and individual representative sports are to be done by parents using the following links:

• Diocesan Sports Website home page sport.lism.catholic.edu.au look at the ‘REGISTRATION’ green link (top of page)  - then click on the appropriate sport under ‘OPEN STUDENT REGISTRATIONS’’
• The NSWCCC website has been replaced by the Catholic Schools NSW website www.csnsw.sport look for links such as ‘HOW TO REGISTER’ ‘UPCOMING EVENTS’ ‘ABOUT PATHWAY SPORTS’ etc. Help is also available on the website.
• See below for important NSWCCC Individual Sport information:

‘Individual’ NSWCCC Sport Registrations for 2022 pathway sports
(these are not Xavier Catholic College Teams)
Registrations are via the CSNSW.sport portal. For instructions on how to register go to –
Guide For Parents – Sport Registrations >>

Please note that the NSWCCC Sport registrations for individual nominations for 2022 selections  are open for the following trials:

NSW Office of Sport, Active Kids link
Parents may be interested in the following:
https://sport.nsw.gov.au/sectordevelopment/activekids
www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/apply-active-kids-voucher

Individual Achievements
In December 2021, two Xavier Catholic College students competed at the NSW AllSchools Athletics Championships in Sydney. Congratulations to:

Alexander Crimmins 

• Under 15 Boys Triple Jump: Alexander placed second with a jump of 12.75m and qualified for the 2022 Australian All Schools Athletics Championships.
• Under 15 Boys 400 metres: Alexander placed fifth in the Final with a time of 53.92 seconds. 

Congratulations Alexander on your amazing results.

Tyler Dogan 

• Under 14 Boys Steeplechase: Tyler placed second with a time of 6.42 minutes. 
• Under 14 Boys 1500 metres: Tyler made the final with the fifth-fastest qualifying time but was unfortunately tripped in the race.

Tyler also competed in the NSW Country Athletics Championships, where he placed second in the 1500 metres with a time of 4.28 minutes and second in the 3000 metres with a time of 9.42 minutes.

In addition to this, he also won the Ballina Shire Sportsperson of the Year award at the Australia Day Ceremony. 

Congratulations Tyler on your amazing achievements.

Upcoming Dates

• Tuesday 15 February - Closing date for Diocesan Touch Football Trials
• Tuesday 15 February - Championship Swimming Carnival at Ballina Pool
• Wednesday 23 February - Winter Sports Trials Closing Date (Rugby League, Soccer)
• Wednesday 23 February - Round 1, Gold Coast Schools U15 Boys Rugby
• Friday 25 February - Whole School Swimming Carnival at Ballina Pool
• Tuesday 1 March - Winter Sports Trials (Rugby League and Soccer) at Lismore
• Tuesday 1 March - Diocesan Tennis U14 & Open Boys and Girls at Tweed Heads
• Wednesday 2 March - Round 2, Gold Coast Schools U15 Boys Rugby
• Thursday 3 March - Diocesan Touch Football Trials at Coffs Harbour
• Wednesday 9 March - Round 3, Gold Coast Schools U15 Boys Rugby competition
• Thursday 10 March - Diocesan Swimming Carnival at Lismore
• Wednesday 16 March - Round 4, Gold Coast Schools U15 Boys Rugby 
• Thursday 17 March - Girls League Tag at Murwillumbah
• Tuesday 22 March - Opens Soccer boys and girls at Lismore
• Wednesday 23 March - Round 5, Gold Coast Schools U15 Boys Rugby 
• Wednesday 23 and Thursday 24 March - Diocesen Opens Basketball at Coffs Harbour
• Thursday 24 March - Girls League Tag at Casino
• Wednesday 30 March - Round 6, Gold Coast Schools U15 Boys Rugby
• Friday 1 April - NRCC Netball at Tweed Heads
• Friday 8 April - Cross Country

Canteen News – Term 1 2022

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.
• You need to wear a face mask and QR code on arrival and must be vaccinated
• 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

FRIDAY MORNING MATHS HELP
Every Friday morning, from 8:00am to 8:40am, students have the opportunity to work with their peers towards furthering their mathematics study. Starting in Week 2 (11 February), students can meet in D1 and obtain assistance from Year 10 and Year 11 students in completing homework or general mathematics topics being studied. Students are not locked into any term contract, and can come and go week by week as needed. If you have any further queries regarding Maths Help, please contact Ms Louise Weir at the College.

LOST PROPERTY IN LIBRARY- PLEASE COLLECT!
There are numerous articles of clothing, jackets, shoes, etc in Lost Property cluttering up the Library. Many of these items are unmarked, making it impossible to return them to students.

If your student is missing anything PLEASE get them to see a staff member in the Library to try and locate their item/s. All Lost Property is cleared regularly, so please get them to check ASAP. Please mark all items of property to avoid our Lost Property pile mounting up in future!

Thanks,
Mrs Kathleen McLennan
Library Manager

Year 7 News

To our new Year 7 students and families,

Welcome to the Xavier Catholic College community! We trust that your child has enjoyed their first week of high school. As the Year 7 group gathered last Friday afternoon, they reflected on some of the highlights and challenges of the week. Collectively, they agreed that they were all in need of a rest over the weekend.

In the coming weeks, I wanted to share with you some useful information:

• Student ID cards: photos were taken this week and students will receive their ID/library card soon.
• Bus passes: usually arrive from Blanchs soon and will be distributed in PC. Students will be able to travel without a bus pass for the time being.
• Belonging Day: the Year 7 Belonging Day at the College and Ballina Waterslides will go ahead as planned for 23 February. 
• Family Picnic: unfortunately, we have had to cancel the annual picnic scheduled for the evening of 23 February.
• Swimming Carnival: the College (participation) swimming carnival is scheduled for Friday 25 February. Students will be expected to wear house colours and participate in the fun events on this day. 
• Home Learning: classroom teachers will have shared with students their Google Classroom codes this coming week. Should your child be well enough to complete learning from home, this will be the platform for completing set work. You can assist us by ensuring that your child has joined Google Classrooms for all of their subjects.
• Chromebooks: please ensure these are charged each night.
• Starting High School: I have shared with you a useful document created by our Parent Assembly. 
• Newsletter: the College Newsletter is published fortnightly. Please keep an eye out for important information.
• Assessment Tasks: the dates for Term 1 Assessment Tasks are currently being finalised. I will share the link with parents and students when they are published on the College’s website.
• Timetable: Students have been issued with a hard copy of their timetable. They can also access their timetable on Schoolworx. Please make sure a copy of their timetable is displayed in their home learning area to assist with organisation and routine.

Please do not hesitate to email me any time if you have any concerns about your child. You can also contact your son/daughter’s Head of House or PC teacher. Classroom teachers can also be contacted at any time for matters related to classroom learning.

Sarina McPherson
Leader of Year 7 Transition

Year 7

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Community News

Ballina Netball LJ Hooker Winter competition
Sign on is open until 21 February 2022. Ballina Netball looks forward to welcoming back new and returning members.
Age groups include 5 years to senior age.  Boys and girls are encouraged to register with one of Ballina Netballs 4 affiliated clubs.

Headlands Netball Club
Lennox Head Netball Club
Costal cruisers Netball Club
All Saints Netball Club

Our outdoor winter competition is played on Saturdays at the courts on Owen Street Ballina.

Ballina Indoor Netball competition is played for the duration of each school term at the Ballina Indoor Sports Centre (BISC) Cherry Street Ballina and has the following Competitions.

Walking
Social
Competitive.

For more information email info@ballinanetball.com.au

GET EXCITED BALLINA Neon NETFIT is coming!! 

Neon NETFIT is the brightest glow in the dark netball experience. 
Something like nothing you’ve ever experienced before. 
Neon NETFIT is a high-energy glow in the dark netball workout activation. With fitness and solo skills workouts, netball-themed yoga, DJ, giveaways and SO much more.

Book your tickets now, tell your friends, this event is not just for Netballers. 
https://netfitnetball.com/event/neon-netfit-ballina/
#ballinanetball #netball #netfit  #neonnetfit #neon #glowinthedark