Newsletter 2 - 25 February 2022

Principal's Message

Dear Parents, Students and Staff,

LENT
As we head into the season of Lent next week, we are reminded of the ultimate sacrifice made by Jesus on the Cross for the salvation of the world. Whilst the trials and tribulations of our current, now 2-year long ordeal, continue to frustrate us we are reminded that nothing compares to the Love and Compassion for each and every one of us from our Lord.

Many of us might remember giving up chocolate for Lent when we were children, and it seemed like a real sacrifice. As we grew up, it was often more difficult to decide what special thing to do to make Lent a special season, to get our attention and to prepare ourselves to give up judging others. For others, it could be giving up a bad habit we've developed. Still others will have different answers to the question “What will help me grow in freedom?”

For many of us, the choice may not be to give something up, but to add something to our daily lives during Lent. We may commit ourselves to extra prayer time. We may decide to do some service for the poor once a week during Lent. 

Whether fasting, abstaining, or doing other acts of penance, the whole desire we should have is to use these means to help us grow closer to our Lord and prepare ourselves, in the words of the first preface of Lent, “to await the sacred paschal feasts with the joy of minds made pure.”

May our Lord bless us all on this journey.

Thank you Fr Gerry
We were blessed this week to have the presence, prayers and support of Fr Gerry Healy SJ supporting the faith development and growth of our young people in RE classes, in service, in mass and in prayer. As a member of the JCSA schools network, our College benefits each year along with the other 9 schools Australia-wide, from Fr Gerry’s wonderful generosity.

COVID Update
As the landscape changes and government decisions around schools and community activity continues to loosen, it is likely that more and more opportunities for parents and families to visit schools will become apparent. I would ask though that some caution still be exercised as we transition back to our ‘normal’ operations. There will continue to be some level of hesitancy among staff, students and families and so, with all the plans we are developing for your return, there will be some cautious approaches in play to ensure everyone feels as comfortable and safe as possible. I thank you for your understanding as we move further into the term.

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

Assistant Principal - Teaching and Learning

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a 40-day period leading up to the celebration of the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday.  Lent is a time for reflection and reconciliation and to draw ourselves closer in our relationship with God.

Assessment Information Sessions
Students in Year 10 and 11 attended information sessions which outlined policies and procedures for assessment practices at the College. Students were reminded of how to access year level assessment calendars and policy booklets, the importance of being well prepared for assessment tasks, the need for honesty and integrity in submitting their own work and to strive to do their personal best.

Supporting your child with assessment tasks
Developing good study habits at home and discussing upcoming assessment tasks with your child is an important step in supporting learning. Year level assessment calendars can be found on the College website and have been shown to students during Pastoral Care lessons. Students receive task notifications at least two weeks prior to the due date of a task which detail; the nature of the task, outcomes assessed, the weighting, the due date, task requirements and marking schemes. Assessment task notifications are typically placed on subject Google Classrooms and should be used to support discussions around upcoming task requirements. 

Students and parents are encouraged to print off the relevant year level assessment calendars from the College website and keep them clearly visible at home. The individual year level calendars can be accessed below; alternatively, please see ‘Assessment Information’ under the Learning tab on the College website. As due dates for assessment tasks are fast approaching, it is important that students keep an eye on their assessment calendar to best manage their study plans. It is important to note that students may not study all of the subjects listed on the Calendar, particularly in regard to Elective subjects. A personalised copy highlighting relevant subjects studied is recommended. 
Link to Year level assessment calendars

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  Learning from Home Link

Study Habits
Good study habits are not just for senior students. The foundation of a strong study plan is laid in junior years and from the beginning of the year. If you or your child is unsure about how to approach study, please consider the following tips:

1. Create a study environment that fosters productivity. A quiet, well-lit room with a desk and comfortable chair is best. Keep distractions at a minimum — silence any computer notifications, and keep your phone on silent and in another room.
   
2. Be conscious of due dates and develop a weekly planner. Map out activities in advance, including set times for study and revision. Ensure a copy of the relevant assessment schedule is clearly visible. We recommend the Elevate website for support in developing time management skills and a study schedule: Elevate site (password: Rondo)
3. Set clear and achievable goals for each study session. Be well-prepared and do not leave tasks until the last minute. Consider breaking the material into smaller ‘chunks’ — daily summary notes, visual diagrams, dot point summary notes, mind maps and subject-specific flashcards are some useful tools students may wish to use.
4. Test your understanding. Senior students may wish to access past HSC papers to consolidate their understanding. Students may also use draft questions from textbooks, Atomi, chapter summary quizzes, Kahoots or digital resources.
   
5. Look after yourself. Make sure you keep a balance between life and study. Healthy habits are important. Ensure you get plenty of sleep each night, drink water and eat healthy food. Exercise will also boost your energy and make you feel great, so keep up any regular sporting activities!

As always, I encourage students to seek help with their learning whenever necessary. Your classroom teachers and Leaders of Learning are available to offer feedback and advice to help you achieve your best.

Mrs Amanda Falvey

Assistant Principal Mission - Staff and Students

‘See all Things New in Christ’

Ash Wednesday and the Start of Lent
World Social Justice Day 20 February 2022
As we move closer to Lent and the start of project compassion, this year's theme reminds us that what we do today can have an impact ‘For All Future Generations’. This message invites us to put our compassion into action. When we are in the mindset of serving others and making choices for the greater good we can make a difference today ‘For All Future Generations’. I would like to share a great resource for our entire community this Lent. I invite our families to use Ignatian Spirituality to breathe new insight into the sacred rituals of Lent. Learn about Lent and about Ignatian Spirituality here through the lived experiences of fellow practitioners.

‘A passion for social justice grows when we recognise the value of each human being and find delight in reaching out to others.’
Fr Andrew Hamilton SJ

Pulse Weekly Survey
This year our school community will continue utilising the Pulse application.

Well-being is not a reaction to COVID. It is important every day and is something we are focussing on not just at our school but across Australia.

In summary, there are four things the Pulse application will help us with: 

• Providing real-time data
• Providing students with an easy way to ask us for help
• Providing students with an easy way to share their experiences of school and home anonymously
• Providing us with well-being and experience data to make immediate positive changes 

With each check-in, students will be asked “How are you feeling?” This question is asked every week and is “identified,” which means their identity will be attached to their response.  

This is so we can see how they are feeling at any time and so we know who they are if they ask to speak to us. The 5 questions that follow the “How are you feeling?” question are all answered anonymously. These questions are randomly selected each time they ‘check-in’ from a database of over 130 questions. These questions are research-based and are developed from the ARACY’s Well-being Wheel for Children. The students’ anonymous answers give us an indication of percentages and trends in our community without identifying individuals.  

Growing research shows that Gratitude, ‘a readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness’, has a very strong link to academic outcomes and wellbeing. When students are feeling great it’s nice to share some gratitude to make others feel good too.  At the end of their PULSE check-in students are given an opportunity to send some gratitude to another student or staff member with a prompt from the application. 

If they choose to do so the following categories are offered:

Kindness
Fairness
Humour
Determination
Or just to say thanks.

Gratitude is one aspect of our community that we truly value, so we strongly encourage students to make use of this function and be proactive in strengthening the healthy relationships in our College Community. We are proud of the way our students often demonstrate their gratitude by saying ‘thank-you’ in person and this function in PULSE provides yet another layer of opportunity for students to show gratitude after some reflection, or when not in the presence of the person they wish to thank.

Exercising gratitude in practice or in person isn’t always straightforward. The Gratitude feature is a way of naturalising the act of sending gratitude, almost like a virtual high five with a value attached.

Care for our Common Home
During our (virtual) whole school assembly on Wednesday I had the opportunity to talk with our entire student body about ‘Care for our Common Home’. This focus on environmental thinking from Pope Francis’ encyclical ‘Laudato Si' highlights that ‘our changing environment prompts us to stop and think about how we live on our planet. We are called to respond and to adopt new ways of living.’ 

Clean-up Australia Day occurs on the first Sunday in March and on this day it is easy to commit to environmental thinking when at the beach, rivers or hills. Disappointingly some students may think that while in the schoolyard it is someone else's job to pick up their rubbish….well it is not! We do not pay someone to clean up after them and nor should we,  students must be accountable for their own rubbish. St Mother Teresa once said, “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” Let us not do this alone, as together in our Community we can create waves of change, and caring for the state of the yard is a challenge that we want to focus on in March and throughout the school year. 

It is the responsibility of all members of our community to be custodians of the environment and this means responsibility for our students to work with us and take ownership of their own rubbish and the areas they utilise in the classrooms and around the grounds. The staff will support students in this challenge with reminders but it is incumbent on every student at Xavier Catholic College to own their waste and ensure it is placed in a bin, not jammed between tables, left at gathering spaces or just thrown to the side. I call on our community members to create a ripple effect by collecting that rubbish and making a positive impact on our College environment.

Mr Peter Fear

Catechesis And Evangelisation

Ash Wednesday, Lent and Project Compassion
Next week, the season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, which also marks the beginning of the annual Caritas Australia Project Compassion Appeal. Donations to Project Compassion allow Caritas Australia, the Catholic Agency for International Aid and Development, to work with local communities around the world to end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity. 

The theme of Project Compassion 2022 is ‘For All Future Generations’ and reminds us that the good that we do today will extend and impact the lives of generations to come. It invites us to make the world a better place by working together now and finding long-term solutions to global issues. We encourage you to put your compassion into action this Lent through your prayer, fasting and almsgiving by supporting Project Compassion. Families can donate online via the Caritas Australia website at: lent.caritas.org.au

Year 12 Spirituality Days
Year 12 spent two days in prayer and reflection last week at Lighthouse Beach. We were very fortunate to welcome Fr Ramesh Richards SJ to preside at a Year Level Mass by the beach, as well as conduct a workshop of Ignatius Loyola’s First Principle and Foundation.

Fr Ramesh was accompanied by two volunteers from the Two Wolves Leadership Collective, Isabelle Paul and Cyan Swan.  Isabelle and Cyan shared their own experiences of striving for the Magis and of trying to live purposefully and uphold one’s ideals.  These young women are recent school graduates currently studying in Sydney and living at Bellamine House.  The Leadership Collective and Bellamine House are both initiatives of the Cardoner Project, whose mission is To deepen the human, spiritual and intellectual formation of young adults, grounding them in a love of the poor in the service of the Church.  https://www.thecardonerproject.org/

These Spirituality Days also included an experience of the First Spiritual Exercises, and some much needed reflection time in the beauty of the natural environment and the company of their peers. The days were organised when retreats planned for October and then February were both cancelled due to COVID concerns.

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Rev Dr Gerry Healy Sj
Fr Gerry Healy is a scientist, academic and Jesuit Priest. He has been a regular visitor to our College since we became a Jesuit Companion School. Fr Gerry  has spent the past week meeting all our Year 9 classes and assisting them in their topic of study, “The Search for Meaning.”  Fr Gerry was also able to briefly meet with all our Year 7 students, catch up with our Year 12 Physics class and preside at Masses for the Year 10 Ministry Class as well as a before school Mass for students and staff.

Fr Gerry also addressed this week’s assembly on the topic of the Ignatian500 celebrations, which he launched here at Xavier in May last year.

Transitus - The Diocesan Year 7 Gathering
Transitus is the annual retreat for selected Year 7 students from each secondary school in the Diocese. All Year 7 students are invited to apply to be one of up to 15 students from Xavier Catholic College chosen to represent our school at this Diocesan event.

Transitus is a retreat for invited Year 7 students from parish secondary schools of the Diocese to create a smoother transition to secondary schools, celebrate and be nurtured in their faith at a Diocesan level.

The retreat will be a chance to bring students together to meet like-minded peers and tocelebrate with other young people who want to grow and be supported in their Christian faith. The activities will be a mixture of large and small sharing groups as well as celebrating the Eucharist together. The program has been geared to meet the needs of these Year 7 students.

The gathering will be an overnight experience that will allow students to build relationships with other students from throughout the Diocese as well as a chance for students to talk and share about their faith journey. Students will be sleeping in male and female dorms with at least one student from their school.

Transitus will be held at Camp Koinonia, Evans Head, on Thursday 24 - Friday 25 March 2022.

There is no cost to families for those students chosen to represent us at the Transitus Gathering. Students who wish to apply should get parental permission and then submit the following Google form as their application: 2022 Transitus Application

RENEW PBL Masterclass
Our Stage 4 (Year 7 and 8 team) met with Matt Brown, Secondary Education Officer with the Catholic Schools Office in Week 3 for a “PBL Masterclass.” PBL stands for Project Based Learning and is an approach we have been using to increase rigour and engagement in Religious Education in Stage 4. Our Masterclass focused on some of the key teaching strategies we use, such as success criteria, learning intentions, and surface, deep and transfer. We also spent some time planning a unit of work for Term 2. Thanks to Matt for making himself available to work with our Year 7 and 8 team.

Mr David Eyles & Dr Madeline Beveridge

Wellbeing

Optimism and Being a Person for Others
[Character Strength and Jesuit Value]

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

Year 7 Belonging Day
The Year 7 Belonging Day was a great success thanks to the organisational efforts of the Year 7 Transition Coordinator, Mrs McPherson. The Year 7 students went to the Goonellabah SAC. A big thank you to Mrs McPherson and the Heads of House.

Uniform
The new school socks have been well adopted by the vast majority of our students. 

A good way to acquire these is to go online to the School Locker https://theschoollocker.com.au/ and order your child’s socks online. They will contact you as soon as they come in. The manufacturer in Queensland, is continually trying to produce a range of sizes and get them to Ballina. https://theschoollocker.com.au/sock-navy-everyday-unisex

When we hear that supply has met demand, all students will be expected to be in these school socks all of the time. That is with long trousers, shorts, summer, winter and sports’ uniform.

The Xavier uniform dress and skirt is to be to the knee.  Xavier students should be wearing our uniform as purchased.

A Tutoring Option
We have just had an email from last year’s Dux, Jamai O’Malley, who has started working for Art of Smart Education as an academic tutor.  Jamai has been provided with professional training on the most effective methods of tutoring for the HSC. He has access to a massive library of resources including notes, worksheets and scaffolds which are specifically tailored to be used for HSC tutoring purposes.. 

Jamai is running 1.5 hour structured zoom lessons for HSC students. If you are interested you can contact Jamai on: jamaiomalley2003@gmail.com

He is available to tutor PDHPE (98), Economics (94), Business Studies (94) and Maths Standard (99). *In brackets are Jamai's HSC grades

Our Youth Advisory Committee is hiring!
Safe on Social has successfully worked with youth advisors for two years now and this year we are excited to offer these roles again. We want youth to continue to help us empower other young people (and parents) to use social media in a more positive way and guide how communities live and work where online life intersects with offline life and wellbeing. 

To apply or request more information please email - wecanhelp@safeonsocial.com

 Applications close on Monday 28 February.
 Thanks the Safe on Social Youth Advisory Team

Safer Drivers Course
Please click on the following link to access the Safer Drivers Course website
https://www.bys.org.au/ldriver

Mr Anthony Condon

Faculty News

Year 8 create coil pots inspired by the Hermannsburg Potters of central Australia
On Tuesday 22 February, Year 8 Art students spent a day in the Art rooms constructing clay coil pots inspired by their study of the indigenous women potters of Hermannsburg in central Australia. The theme of their pots is My Connection to Place. It was a highly valuable learning experience, which gave the students the opportunity to acquire skills in coil construction as well as expressing their ideas and feelings about the theme.

This is what they said:

Amelia Axman:
"It was an amazing day, it was hard and took a lot of tries but it was a fun  experience. Thank you to all the teachers who all helped organise it.”                                 

Max Churzynski:
“It was an unforgettable day!“

Rory Close:
“It was an awesome experience, it was fun.”

Lucia Moloney:
“It was an incredible experience, with lots of challenges and problem solving along the way but it was an amazing experience. I really enjoyed learning how to construct a coil pot. Thank you to Mrs O’Kane, Ms Albany and Mrs Coleman for their help throughout the day.

Mrs Therese O'Kane & Ms Donna Albany

House News

CAMPION HOUSE FUNDRAISER
There was an abundance of red in the College on Valentine’s Day as part of the Campion House fundraiser. The Campion students were busy in Week 2 selling chocolate hearts, lollipops and plush roses to raise funds for the College’s sister school in Turiscai. The sweets were then delivered during Pastoral Care on Monday 14 February and we thank the students and staff of the College for their support.

Mrs Kate Kilby
Head of Campion House

Sport News

Championship Swimming Carnival
On Tuesday 15 February a team of 75 swimmers (accompanied by Mr Kennedy, Mr Asser, Mr Colman, Mr Black and Ms Quinn) competed at the 2022 Championship Swimming Carnival held at the Ballina Memorial Pool. 

Congratulations to all of our swimmers on your effort, conduct and sportsmanship shown throughout the day. Also, a huge thank you to Francis Quinn and the Year 10 and 11 student helpers for all of your assistance throughout the day. It is greatly appreciated. Thank you also to the staff at the Ballina Pool for a great day. 

Top two placegetters in events will now be eligible to represent the College at the 2022 Lismore Diocesan Swimming Carnival on Thursday 10 March at the Lismore Pool.

2022 Swimming Age Champions
Congratulations to the following 2021 Swimming Age Champions:

• Under 12 Girls: Abigail Matthews
• Under 12 Boys: N/A
• Under 13 Girls: Dusty Emanuel 
• Under 13 Boys: Harry Thompson-Mills
• Under 14 Girls: Keiko Bond-Sheehan
• Under 14 Boys: Jayden Matthews
• Under 15 Girls: Jasmin Poptie
• Under 15 Boys: Lukas Ott
• Under 16 Girls: Niamh Sharpe
• Under 16 Boys: Ethan Bayly
• Under 17 Girls: Madelaine Siebert
• Under 17 Boys: Oliver Sharpe
• Under 18 Girls: Clancy Miller
• Under 18 Boys: Brodie Viel

2022 Swimming Records
Congratulations to the following students who set new College swimming records this year:

• U12 Girls: Abigail Matthews
  ○ 200m Freestyle (2:51:50)
  ○ 200m Medley (3:25:40)
  ○ 100m Backstroke (1:59:10)
  ○ 100m Butterfly (1:39:94)
  
  
• U14 Girls: Keiko Bond-Sheehan
  ○ 100m Backstroke (1:23:51)
  ○ 200m Medley (3:02:87)
  
  
• U17 Girls: Madelaine Siebert
  ○ 50m Freestyle (28.87)
  ○ 200m Freestyle (2:22.75)
  ○ 100m Freestyle (1:05.21)
  ○ 50m Butterfly (31:35)
  ○ 200m Medley (2:51.25)
  ○ 100m Backstroke (1:22.90)
  ○ 100m Butterfly (1:14.56)
  
  
• U17 Boys: Oliver Sharpe
  ○ 200m Freestyle (2:14:93)

Upcoming Dates

• Wednesday 2 March - Round 2, Gold Coast Schools U15 Boys Rugby
• Thursday 3 March - Diocesan Touch Football Trials at Coffs Harbour
• Tuesday 8 March - Winter Sports Trials (Rugby League and Soccer) at Lismore (back up date)
• Tuesday 8 March - Diocesan Tennis U14 & Open Boys and Girls at Tweed Heads (back up date)
• 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 - Diocesan 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

Mr Pat Kennedy & Mr Russell Asser

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.
• 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

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 develop 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)

Library Happenings
Book Club will be starting up next Tuesday 1 March, in the Library (JCL 1) during Lunchtime. It will be held on the first Tuesday of every month in the Library. Come along and discover some reading fun!

Mrs Kathleen McLennan
Library Manager

Community News