Newsletter 3 - 11 March 2022

Principal's Message

Dear Parents, Students and Staff,

See Christ in the Darkness and in the Light
Jesus and his three best friends climbed the mountain to pray, but Jesus did all the praying. The others napped, exhausted by the climb or bored by the task of praying. And because they slept, they very nearly missed the radiance of the Transfiguration. When they awoke, the glory still lingered around Jesus, not to mention his two unmistakable guests.

But they hardly saw the radiance before being overshadowed by a cloud. Where would you expect God to be found: in the brilliance or the shadow? Actually, God is revealed in both. God’s glory is seen in the light, but God’s voice is heard in the darkness. How often has this been true in our experience as well? We celebrate God’s nearness and blessing in the happy times, at the birth of a child or the marvel of a new snowball. But we can hear God’s voice ring out on a bleak city backstreet, and in the season of illness. When we insist on seeing God only in the good times, we find ourselves apparently abandoned when we need God’s comforting presence the most. God is with us, in the light and in the darkness.

Where do you find it easy to experience God’s presence in your world? How might God be present in the “absence,” while you’ve been looking elsewhere? Seek God in the light: at sunrise and sunset, in candle’s glow, in the radiance of the faces you love. Listen for God’s word in darkness: in sickness and worry, when the path before you seems obscure or lonely.

Xavier Recovery Support Effort
Whilst now is not the time for a high level of detail, I do need to recognise the efforts of the Xavier Catholic College community, staff, students, parents and those who just wanted to help. Along with the establishment of a field hospital for the evacuated Ballina District Hospital, we provided evacuation and related support to somewhere in the order of 700+ people last week. The volunteer staff, students and others who contributed made sure this was possible. Without them, there is no way we could have functioned properly. I am eternally grateful.

Flood Recovery
Bishop Greg, along with St Vincent de Paul, has launched appeals for those who are less directly impacted by floods to start contributing support in the community. I know many are already looking for other ways to help those in need.

Bishop Greg’s Appeal
the CSO is requesting that all donations be channelled through Bishop Greg's Diocese of Lismore 2022 Flood Appeal (https://www.lismorediocese.org/) It would be greatly appreciated that all fundraising efforts support this appeal.

• BSB: 037-889
• Account No: 1061 5829
• Account Name: DOL Flood Appeal

Transaction Details: If you wish your donation to go to a particular school, please include the school name in the transaction details (i.e. for St Joseph’s Primary, Woodburn). While offers of physical resources and equipment are appreciated, unfortunately they have nowhere to store, sort and distribute such forms of generosity.

Enrolment Open Night Postponed
Of course, the ongoing events of last week have had a huge impact on all of us. We recognise the trauma and upheaval that has been inflicted on so many and so have decided to postpone the Open Night planned for next Monday 14 March. Our friends at Trinity College Lismore and St John’s College Woodlawn are under extreme hardship and it would not be right to move forward in recognition of their plight at this time. Alternate arrangements are being considered and will be communicated to new and returning families as soon as they are finalised.

New Facebook Page for Xavier College
It had been our plan to have a more planned and ceremonial rollout of our new Facebook platform to the community. However, the immediate needs of the wider community meant that we needed to launch it into action to support the relief effort in Ballina and Lismore straight away. Many have already found the page and liked and shared. For others, there may still be some who are not aware and would like to join the page. Our plan is to use this for immediate communications to supplement our other tools such as SMS, email and the College webpage. I encourage you to find the page denoted by the inclusion of Ballina in the page name. Please note there is another page which does not have Ballina in the name - this is not managed by our College.

Official page: Xavier Catholic College Ballina: https://www.facebook.com/xaviercatholiccollege 
The College is also on instagram: @xccballina

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

Assistant Principal - Teaching and Learning

Thank you all for your support and generosity over the past week. Your kindness towards our community is so valued, and it is incredibly encouraging to see our students and their families giving to the community in whatever way they can. 

We understand many families have been affected in recent days and our prayers remain with all those in our community. Whilst we recognise the difficulties some students and families continue to experience, an important part of the learning cycle is assessment and opportunities for feedback. 

As we approach the end of term, assessment tasks typically fall due and it is important that students keep an eye on their assessment calendar (linked below). All tasks are clearly outlined on Assessment Task Notification sheets, available on Google Classroom. Discussing the nature of the task with your child is an excellent way for parents to engage with their child’s learning.

Please be reassured that consideration for timing of assessment tasks has been reviewed; to support our students, any tasks due last week or this week have been rescheduled. Special consideration will, of course, be extended to students as required due to individual circumstances.

Please see links to Year level Assessment Calendars below, which have been revised in light of current circumstances: https://xavierlism.catholic.edu.au/assessment-information

As always, the wellbeing of our students and their families is the College’s highest priority. I encourage you to contact me if your child needs any additional support.

Year 12 Mid-Course Assessment Block (commencing Week 8)
Year 12 students are encouraged to continue to prepare for the upcoming mid-course assessment block, where many subjects will have assessment tasks due or tests of limited scope conducted in class time during Weeks 8, 9 and 10.

We recognise some students may need new study notes or extra support at this time. If your child is unable to complete upcoming assessment tasks or requires special consideration at this time, please encourage them to speak with their classroom teacher or the relevant Leader of Learning. They should also submit a response to the form below, which will be used to consider individual circumstances whereby estimates, extensions or even alternate tasks may be deemed most appropriate for a particular student. 

Please note that your child must submit the form using their school login details. Parents are unable to submit on behalf of their child.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScK72o2zO24oXB2Su5sQ7SV9dvDK_Cf30hXcDUY6UZDP8Pijg/viewform 

NAPLAN
NAPLAN is scheduled to run in Term 2 (May) for students in Year 7 and 9. To help our students prepare, we will be running practice tests for Years 7 and 9 later this term. It is an opportunity for your child to familiarise themselves with online testing platforms and to ensure they are well-prepared for the tests next term. The practice tests are not marked and do not count towards the students’ NAPLAN results — it is just a familiarisation exercise. Thank you to Ms Nichole Page and Mrs Emma Smith for their work in supporting our students in their preparation for NAPLAN next term.

Our prayers and support are with you all. Be kind to yourselves as we navigate this uncertainty — the College is here to help. I speak for the entire College staff when I say how proud I am of the resilience, determination and selflessness of our students and families. You are all wonderful examples of being men and women for others, especially in these times of great need.

Mrs Amanda Falvey

Assistant Principal Mission - Staff and Students

‘Never see a need without doing something about it’ - Mary MacKillop
Last week we witnessed the worst of Mother Nature but the best of humanity within our own community. As the rain kept falling and the waters rose, we saw a need on Tuesday 1 March to open our school to people in the community who needed somewhere ‘high and dry’ to gather out of harm's way, access to food, drink, electricity to power phones, somewhere to shower and change. The rain didn’t cease, though, and as the threat grew in our local community we very quickly had to evolve our school from a safe rest point to a temporary Evacuation Centre and relocation site for the Ballina Hospital and Emergency Department. The Xavier Catholic College staff, students, parents and volunteers (including local chefs and businesses) turned our College into a safe, supportive and highly functioning evacuation powerhouse despite the lack of training, funding, or limited external management. It was evident as the week progressed that we were truly seeing ‘God’s work in action’ through members of our community. 

We are pleased for our large XCC Community that we have been able to return the College to its primary function as a school, allowing families and local businesses to return to some semblance of normality or have an opportunity to address what needs to be cleaned and repaired while the students are back on campus continuing their studies. We are continuing to find ways to help, raise funds and rally support for those in need, while identifying those students and families in our own community that need us most at this time. The flood may be receding, but the rebuilding of our community has only just begun and the impact will be felt for a long time yet.

‘See all Things New in Christ’
After a natural disaster, it can seem overwhelming to identify and prioritise a student's needs. The school's Welfare Team and entire community has been busy working to identify students and families who have been impacted and who may require support. To our families it is important to remember that: 

• It is normal for students to have some reaction and emotional response after a natural disaster whether they have been directly or indirectly impacted.  
• Students who have survived a natural disaster often feel a sense of grief and loss, but there are no 'right' or 'wrong' feelings and they can vary markedly from one student to another. These emotions can occur immediately, later, or even long after the disaster has passed. 
• Most students do recover in time. Schools can help this by providing a safe and supportive school environment. A priority is the normality of being in the class engaging in lessons to the best of their capacity.  

What services can be accessed by families?
Not all students will require counselling. The support of their family will help with the student’s recovery.  In cases where the school is observing no difference in the student’s behaviour and engagement at school, the family may need to seek external advice and support.

• NSW Parentline 1300 1300 52. Parentline is a free telephone counselling and support service for  parents and carers with children aged 0 to 18 who live in NSW. 
• Mental Health Access Line on 1800 011 511. Parents can talk to a trained professional about their child’s  needs and where to access services in the community. 
• Local Headspace centre. For students 12 years and over via telehealth 6625 0200.
• Connect to Wellbeing 1300 160 339. This service connects community members to the right mental health support for them. This can include free over the phone counselling, as well as up-to-date resources.

School counselling is a short term/brief intervention only and is not suitable for students who require intensive long term therapy. Students who have diagnosed conditions should continue to engage with their external therapist. After a traumatic event it may be in the best interest of the students to increase the frequency of their sessions.  

International Women's Day
International Women's Day (8 March) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.

SPOTLIGHT: Mary MacKillop
Throughout her life, Mother Mary MacKillop accomplished many extraordinary things, especially in the realm of education. She demonstrated courage, determination and unfailing faith. Mary MacKillop was more than just a great Catholic, she was also a great Australian. She was the very role model of an independent woman, often in conflict with male officialdom and invariably prevailing through strength of argument and force of character. Mary faced many external challenges and internal struggles, however, she never ceased to turn her gaze towards the needs of others, creating a legacy of selflessness and charity. Her perseverance, determined spirit, faith and integrity are a constant inspiration to many people and her life empowers generations to ‘never see a need without doing something about it’. 

SPOTLIGHT: Mother Teresa
"You cannot do what I do. But I cannot do what you do. Each of us has his or her own work to do. The important thing is that we all do something beautiful for God."

These are the words of Mother Teresa (now St Teresa). This tiny nun missioned to the poorest of the poor, to those whose limbs were decayed from leprosy, whose skin erupted in boils, to the abandoned and discarded. She did what was uncomfortable, what was challenging, what was downright hard. She loved those whom society had branded untouchable. She reminded the whole world of their innate human dignity, their worth. Mother Teresa led by example and people flocked to her institutes to volunteer. 

If we value the life these inspirational women led, then we need to address what we see in front of us. What are the needs we see today in our own society? How can we address them? What can we do today? How do we love the poorest and those in need in our own society?

“Secure your own oxygen mask first!”
As the CSO has reminded us this week, we won’t be much help to others if we are not mindful to take care of our own physical and mental health and wellbeing. Everyone, please stay safe, and do look after yourselves so that we can continue to be a healthy and thriving community of God’s love in our world.

Mr Peter Fear

Catechesis And Evangelisation

Project Compassion 2022
Along with all Catholic Schools and parishes in Australia - Xavier Catholic College commits to fundraising for Caritas during the Lenten season to support communities across the whole world.

At the start of the 2022 Lenten season we find ourselves in a community experiencing an unprecedented crisis.  For the first time in our school history we were unable to conduct an Ash Wednesday liturgy due to a school closure!

In consultation with the Catholic Schools Office we have made a decision to focus our Lenten alms giving (fundraising) on local charities supporting flood victims such as the Bishop’s Flood Appeal and the St Vincent de Paul Flood Appeal.

Families are warmly encouraged to make a contribution to the outstanding work of Caritas Australia. To support Project Compassion, visit lent.caritas.org.au

Xavier Catholic College Men and Women for Others Community Service Program
We are pleased to announce we are launching a Community Service Program, inspired by our Jesuit Charism to be Men and Women for Others. 

The program will give students the opportunity to be acknowledged for the good works they are already doing and encourage them to undertake service of others in the community. 

How it works
Students undertake deeds in the service of others and keep a log of their hours in their planner on pages 28-29. Their hours must be signed off by a supervisor (such as a parent, teacher, community supervisor). At the end of the year, their Pastoral Care teacher will record their hours and they could be awarded a Gold, Silver, or Bronze Community Service Award.

Awards: 

• 20 hours of community service = Bronze Award
• 50 hours of community service = Silver Award
• 100+ hours of community service = Gold Award 

What is community service? 
Community service is an unpaid activity that serves the community. It could include work that is: volunteering, community work, sports coaching, Parish-based, tutoring (unpaid), or for the Xavier Catholic College community (e.g. Leos club, ministry activities, environment club, Year 9 program). If they assisted during the floods, either at Xavier or in their local community, this also counts as community service. The range of activities that ‘count’ as community service are broad - if students have any questions they can talk to their PC teacher, RE teacher, or Dr Beveridge. 

LEAD Gathering Postponed
LEAD, the annual Diocesan gathering for Year 11 and 12 students interested in Senior Ministry Team activities, was to be held this Thursday and Friday. The event has been postponed until March. When a firm date is advised, we will be able to accept any additional applications from seniors wishing to attend.

Transitus - The Diocesan Year 7 Gathering
The annual retreat for selected Year 7 students, Transitus, is expected to proceed as planned at Camp Koinonia, Evans Head, on Thursday 24 - Friday 25 March 2022.  Successful applicants should get their paperwork to the office as soon as possible (no later than Tuesday 15 March).

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.

Week 5 The Great Flood. XCC as an Evacuation Centre
Francis of Assisi (the other St Francis) is often quoted as saying something like: “Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.” During the course of last week, we saw so many students and staff give their time and energy to selflessly serve those whose houses were inundated by flood waters. They were truly men and women for others. Many other students were working to save and repair their own house and their neighbour’s property. Others worked as members of the SES. This letter was sent to Mrs Kennedy from an old Maclean school mate, expressing her gratitude for the staff and students who supported her 101 year old Great Aunt who was evacuated to XCC from St Andrews Retirement Village: 

Hi Bec,
Just as an update, my parents finally got to see my aunt today .
Aunt XXX  told my parents that the school children (about 15-17yrs?) who were helping at the evacuation centre were so very helpful, kind and considerate. If they saw her getting up out of the chair they were straight away there to help without being asked or told. I know it wasn't just for her, but she was so praiseworthy of them. I wanted to pass that on to you because they are your school's students and they should know that they helped a 101yr old lady in this terrible time feel compassion. 
Nice.
Cheers,........

We saw this type of generous compassion so many times it was actually overwhelming. One fellow told me that “the parents of these kids must be so proud of them”, as are we.

Goori Careers Action Plan-GCAP

Our ATSI students are working on these plans. The Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools Office is committed to improving the educational outcomes of  Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. It is important that staff, parents/carers and students work together to identify and support the individual and cultural needs of students.  

The Personal Learning Plan (PLP) has been renamed as the Goori Careers Action Plan (GCAP) and aligns with National Education recommendations from the Alice Springs Mparntwe Education Declaration. 

The GCAP is a requirement for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and aims to be  inclusive of all students, whether on or off country. It is hoped the new format encourages positive partnerships between the student, the families and the school, acknowledging the  importance of each student’s story. 

Uniform Donations
Thank you for your generous donations of uniforms to help the flood affected students in our school community. We now have more than enough. Please send any more donations to St Vincent de Paul in town. This is an excellent source for “spare/extra” uniforms for students in our community. 

Mr Anthony Condon

House News

2022 House T-Shirt Orders
Due to the Natural Disaster last week the ordering of the 2022 House T-shirts has been extended to Friday Week 7. Please return order form and payment to the College Office by Friday 18 March 2022.

Canteen News – Term 1 2022

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.
  

Mrs Denise Barnard
Canteen Supervisor

College News

TURISCAI UPDATE
You may be aware that we have a sister school in Timor Leste, in a small village in the mountains right in the centre of Timor.  As a school, we sent over our first Immersion team in 2017,  with the vision of pairing with a school in Timor where we could build relationship and companionship, and walk alongside a community from a different culture.

We were able to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between Xavier Catholic College and Our Lady of Fatima School in Turiscai in 2019, and have been supporting them in our school prayers and in House fundraising activities over the last few years.

I had recent correspondence from the local priest in Timor, who runs the Catholic School we are partnered with. He is very proud of the new school building and refurbished toilets that some of our fundraising has been able to contribute to.

In past years, our Immersion team has gone to Timor with open minds and hearts, ready to learn from others and walk alongside our Timorese brothers and sisters for about 10-12 days. This involves living in the community, helping with English language classes, learning about Timorese culture and the difficulties that the Timorese faced under Indonesian occupation, and sharing friendships with young people from Timor.

We are making inquiries about the possibility of restarting our Immersion program in the near future, and ask our students to consider the possibility of taking some time out of their lives here on the North Coast and see what it is like to walk in someone else's shoes for a short while.

Mrs Leanne Broadley
Immersion Coordinator

Community News