Newsletter 12 - 12 August 2022

Principal's Message

Dear Parents, Students and Staff,

My apologies for this newsletter being a few days late — it is entirely my fault.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new”

Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary (Monday 15 August)
On Monday, Catholics celebrate Mary's Assumption into heaven. It is one of three feasts of Mary. January 1 is the feast of Mary, the Mother of God, and December 8 is the feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. The assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven has long been held as an important Catholic belief. Mary is the first to receive the fullness of the redemption that her son has won for all of humanity. The Church, therefore, recognises Mary as the sign of the salvation promised to all.

The Gospel highlights Mary's faith. Mary's faith enabled her to recognise the work of God in her people's history and in her own life. Her openness to God allowed God to work through her so that salvation might come to all. Mary is a model and symbol of the Church. May we be like Mary, open and cooperative in God's plan of salvation.

Supporting our Teachers (cont)
In the last newsletter, I spoke about the dwindling support for teachers among segments of the community and offered some sobering figures showing the real situation in relation to teacher workloads, hours and pay. I know many will already be firmly behind our teaching staff, and these figures, which show ‘average’ teacher hours, provide real substance to enable the community to get a better understanding of the need to better support our teaching profession. Of course as I mentioned, these figures relate to ‘average’ hours and workloads, which I hope trigger a clearer understanding of the blessings we have at Xavier Catholic College because, as we all know, our team is well above average — as our results attest to each and every day.  

Taking this theme further, as well as providing encouragement for families to support teachers out in the community, I would ask that this be extended to how the role of teacher is supported inside our perimeter gates. The pastoral and educative role of teachers depends so much on the support and partnerships provided by our parents and extended family members. The successes of so many of our young people can be attributed in no small way to the wonderful way in which many of our families provide positive, enduring and unwavering support for the actions and endeavours of our teaching fraternity. 

How to do this, improve on what you are already doing or recognise a change needs to be made…?
One of the biggest struggles, or more correctly, a worryingly growing struggle that many staff have is a dwindling level of trust in their decision-making, responses to behaviours or corrective actions taken by them in order to redirect the behaviour of some of our young people. Much of this lack of trust can be attributed in no small way to the point I made in the last newsletter about the negative portrayal of teaching in the media. But families can help turn this around. Ask yourself if any of these apply to you. If not, I extend my sincere thanks. If some do, perhaps a reflection on action might be helpful.

• If your child claims they are innocent in a schoolyard incident — don’t immediately leap to their defence and blame the teacher or someone else.
• If your child doesn’t want to attend ‘that event, retreat or carnival’ — don’t indulge them by giving in and providing a questionable ‘my child is sick’ response to the absence.
• If your child fails to complete assigned work for no good reason — don’t provide them with a convenient excuse to have an extension or dodge the detention because of it.
• If the teacher decides that a seating plan or other strategy is required in the classroom, and it impacts your child — don’t accuse the teacher of victimising. 
• If your child needs to apply a more serious consequence — provide support for the College to implement it, rather than focusing on the challenges it provides at home. 
• And in general, try to resist the temptation to immediately assume your child is right and the teacher is wrong. We are, of course, a human organisation and make mistakes; however, I can say confidently that this is rare. More often than not, the actions, reactions and decisions of teachers staff are justified, measured, and well thought out.

Our young people need boundaries, rules and consequences. They learn these 41 weeks a year, 7 hours a day with us at school, but indeed they also learn them 365 days a year at home. When the lessons, responses and actions at these two settings are in conflict with each other, it provides a split in the partnership that can be easily manipulated by some young people to their own ends. And this does them no good, the family and home life no good, and does nothing to support and enable the school to provide the best education possible. As I mentioned above, the staff at Xavier College are well above the average teacher in the average school. They are professionals who care, love and nurture our students each and every day. Sometimes that love needs to be a bit of tough love. Imagine how much more could be done if the entire community was steadfastly behind them in every aspect of their professional responsibilities.

‘Tell Them From Me’:
Parents and students will this week start to receive emails and opportunities to respond to the ‘Tell Them From Me’ surveys designed to provide targeted information for the College to develop our ongoing School Improvement Plans. I encourage you all to make some time to provide considered, thoughtful and provocative feedback so that our plans can be truly representative of the views and staff, students and families.

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

Acting Assistant Principal - Learning and Teaching

HSC Trial Examinations
HSC Trial Examinations commenced on Monday 1 August and will conclude on Monday 15 August. As we draw towards the conclusion of the Trial HSC Examination period, I would like to acknowledge and congratulate the 2022 HSC cohort on their excellent application and conduct over the previous weeks.  It has been wonderful to witness the focus and determination with which our students have approached their examinations, the support and comradery displayed by the students in their interactions with each other, and the respectful manner in which they have engaged with the staff supervising the Trials.  I would particularly like to mention the way in which students have complied with the school’s requirement to supply and wear a mask during each of their Examinations to protect and safeguard students from potential infection and the resultant impact on missed examinations.  

Please be aware that next week, at the conclusion of the HSC Trial Examination period, all students are required to continue to attend scheduled lessons each day and to apply themselves with diligence and sustained effort as they prepare with their teachers for the final HSC Examinations.

HSC Examinations
In the midst of the Trial Examinations, HSC Examinations have also commenced.  I would like to congratulate the French Continuers class who completed their Oral Language Examination on Saturday 6 August.  The next HSC Examination is Dance, with external examiners visiting the College on 17-18 August.  Practical examinations and submitted works, in a range of courses, will continue through the weeks ahead.  

Year 10 into 11 Subject Selections
In Week 2, all Year 10 students were invited to attend a Subject Selection interview with their parents/guardians to discern their subject selections for their final years of schooling. This was a great opportunity to build parent partnerships as we worked together in support of our students as they discerned these important decisions.  All the subject selection data has now been collected and we have been working to build the timetable for 2023.  Some students will require follow-up interviews, which will occur in the near future.

Year 8 into 9 Elective Subject Selection
Year 8 students have had the opportunity in recent weeks to consider their elective subject choices as they transition into Stage 5. To assist with this process, all Year 8 students were encouraged to explore the Subject Selection Google site, to ask questions of the teaching staff and to discuss subject options with their parents/guardians. Students then nominated four subjects of interest and participated in an afternoon of “taster” classes in order to gain a better understanding of their preferred elective subject options. Following this, students completed a  Google Form to indicate their top two elective subject choices and we have been working with this data to construct the 2023 subject lines, ensuring we minimise clashes on the timetable. Year 8 Students will soon be provided with instructions regarding how to make their final elective subject selections for 2023-2024. A reminder that the Subject Selection Google Site is accessible in the Student Hub on the school website to support student decision making. 

Thank you to Staff
The Trial HSC Examination period is a particularly busy time for staff as they engage in marking and reporting. Twice each day I watch the supervisors wheel a large trolley back to the staffroom; it provides a visual reminder of all the marking and feedback that is done in addition to the face-to-face teaching load of our teachers. Ongoing curriculum matters also occupy the time of teachers. This week, teachers participated in professional learning in our regular staff meeting. Several faculties, including HSIE, Mathematics and Religious Education, have been participating in Registration and Accreditation processes overseen by the Catholic Schools Office, to ensure the quality of our curriculum delivery. Each and every day, our staff labour to provide quality learning experiences, meeting the diverse needs of our learners, whilst also supporting the myriad of extracurricular opportunities that could not operate without their generous support. I would like to acknowledge the dedication and professionalism of our staff who give so much of themselves in service of the students in our community.

Ms Carmel Zuino

Assistant Principal Mission - Staff and Students

St Mary of the Cross
This week on Monday 8 August, there was cause for celebration as it was the feast day of St Mary of the Cross. The story of Mary MacKillop, Australia’s first saint is an inspiration and her life provides an example, not just for women but for all. Mary MacKillop was an educator, a pioneer and a leader, someone who had compassion for others regardless of their situation or race. Galvanised by her belief in the value of education as the foundation for a fulfilling life, Mary dedicated hers to bringing the gift of education to the lives of as many people as she could, especially those whose opportunities were limited.

Mary’s motto was ‘never see a need without doing something about it’ and it was her servant leadership that impacted and improved the lives of others and strengthened communities. We as a community can live this message each day by standing up for others and reaching out to people who need our support. Sometimes it can seem hard to leave our comfort zone and we can lack the motivation to serve others when we are too busy worrying about ourselves, but each of us can have a significant impact within our own community if we are willing to lead with a heart of service and make the needs of others a priority.

Mary dared to be different; if the right thing meant not conforming, then she was brave enough to cut a new path. She was bold in her mission to make a difference and, for this reason, she encourages each of us to take up the challenge!

What does the Lord require of us but to act justly, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God? - Micah 6:8

Our College motto is to ‘Act Justly.’ It is embedded in our logo and can be seen displayed all around our school. I encourage our students to value their responsibilities, the rights of others, and to work together to create a community in which students feel secure enough to realise their potential. Students can do this by acting justly in our community, being an upstander and not a bystander. We need to be the community we want to see reflected in the world.

International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples - (Tuesday 9 August)
This week, our staff meeting began with the question 'Whose country have you lived on, worked on, travelled through, explored or experienced in some way?'

It was a great opportunity for our staff who have lived and worked in such a variety of locations to reflect on and share their experiences. We shared a map of Australian Aboriginal Nations so that we could learn, explore, remember and discuss the lands which we have been a part of. It was an interesting discussion point and I urge you to do the same with your family and friends by using the following link to increase awareness and connection to Country: https://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/map-indigenous-australia

Mr Peter Fear

Catechesis And Evangelisation

Year 10 Retreats
Year 10 are currently completing a week of retreats and other activities. Many thanks to the staff that have accompanied them on their retreats: Mr Eyles, YMOs Chelsea and Macy, Mrs MacPherson, Mr Coleman, Mr Priddis, Miss Jones, Mrs Kilby, Mr Wills, Mr Raeburn, Mrs Grimster, and Mrs Wallace. Many thanks to the teachers who have covered lessons while these staffs are away; without you, these retreats could not take place. We will have more details about the retreats in the next newsletter, so stay tuned!

Year 7 Stewards of Creation
Year 7 are learning about what it means to act as a Steward of Creation as they create sustainability proposals for Xavier Catholic College. This week they reflected on some of the most important themes from Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si and shared these reflections on a Padlet. Pope Francis wrote Laudato Si in 2015 to encourage humanity to act to care for our common home. He warns against the dangers of materialism and consumerism and the importance of acting immediately to safeguard the health of the planet for future generations. Thank you Year 7 for these beautiful insights; hopefully we can all work together to act as Stewards.

Mr David Eyles & Dr Madeline Beveridge

Wellbeing

Optimism and Competence
[ 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 of Competence.

Yesterday I had the privilege of attending the funeral of Isley Theresa Smith, the mother of Amanda Falvey (our Assistant Principal: Learning and Teaching). It was a wonderful celebration of a life well-lived and an occasion of deep grief at her death. 

Funerals are always a time of great sadness. I recall my father’s passing and the other significant people in my life who are no longer in the “group chat”. It is a time for each of us to recall that we are all born with a death sentence. Death is one prophecy that never fails. We never know when it will happen but we all know it will happen.

In his famous commencement speech, Steve Jobs said that "death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because death is very likely the single best invention of life. It is life's change agent." As he would put it later in the speech, "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition...Everything else is secondary." Yet it is so easy to forget this. 

The truth of life and death shouldn’t depress us. On the contrary, it should help determine what we do and say and think. It should make us better. It should let you live more, learn more, love more.

GOLD COAST MTB SCHOOLS COMP | NERANG QLD | Friday 5 August 2022
Last Friday, 12 students represented the College at the Nerang Mountain Bike Schools Competition. The boys had the option to do each of the three courses up to five times, with the fastest times for each course recorded for the final result. It was a great day for the students and I’m sure they slept well that evening. Congratulations to Finn Flockton, Samuel Bagatan, Jye Paxton, Kayden Thompson, Lachlan Di Rosso, Daniel Rule, Logan Kennedy, Hayden Burt, William Wallace, Samuel Ellis, William Harris, and Alby Shearer.

Mr Anthony Condon

Faculty News

Year 8 Visual Arts

Students create coil pots inspired by the Hermannsburg Potters of Central Australia
On Friday 5 August, Year 8 Visual 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 the students' coil pots was “My Connection to Place”. It was a highly valuable learning experience, which gave the students the opportunity to acquire skills in coil pot construction as well as expressing their ideas and feelings about the theme when modelling the sculptural lid. 

This is what they said:

Max: “It was an enjoyable experience and I learnt much more about pottery.”

Evie: “A fun day with my classmates. It was different. I’d never done this before.”

Riley: “Great! I learnt how to make a pot using coils.”

David: “Great opportunity to pick up new skills in pottery.”

Toby: “Good fun!”

Oscar: “I learned the traditional technique of coil pot construction whilst having a really enjoyable time.”

Mrs Therese O’Kane

BAND IS BACK!!!

The Xavier Catholic College Concert Band began rehearsals this week for the first time in a long time.  We are very excited to be back and playing together. 

All musicians are welcome to join! Rehearsals are on Tuesday mornings before school from 8:10am. Contact Miss Georgia Quinn or Mrs Leanne Broadley for more information.

georgia.quinn@lism.catholic.edu.au or leanne.broadley@lism.catholic.edu.au

Mrs Leanne Broadley & Ms Georgia Quinn 

House News

IGNATIUS HOUSE

St Ignatius Feast Day

Sunday 31 July was the Feast Day of St Ignatius of Loyola. Ignatius House celebrated with a Liturgy during Pastoral Care on Friday 28 July, led by the Ignatius House Captains.

As a College, over the last year, we have celebrated the Ignatian Year. This began on 20 May 2021, marking the ‘cannonball moment’ that started a conversion where Ignatius learnt to Find God in All Things and ultimately led to the foundation of the Society of Jesus. The Ignatian Year concluded on St Ignatius’ Feast Day 2022. 

In our Liturgy, we celebrated the life of St Ignatius of Loyola and considered the theme of the Ignatian Year - To See All Things New in Christ.  Students were encouraged to reflect on how they have lived the past year.  Did they set out on the road, letting themselves be guided gently by the Holy Spirit and allow themselves to see God in all things and see all things new in Christ?  

We also took some time to renew our Pastoral Care trees. These trees and the symbols on them reflect on our core House value of Care for our Common Home and also represent a transformative journey. The symbols on the tree represent the transformation from a seed to a mature tree that bears fruit.  Year 7 collected a gumnut, representing the seed from which a tree grows. When that seed is given water, which is the Year 8 symbol, it will sprout leaves, the Year 9 symbol. As the tree grows, the Year 10 symbol of the flower emerges. From the flower, fruit develops, the symbol for Year 11. Year 12 students collected a bird. The bird eats the fruit and, as it spreads its wings and flies away from the tree, it carries the seeds of the fruit and renews the cycle.

I would like to sincerely thank the students from each of the PC groups, who read the prayers of the faithful, and our Captains who led the Liturgy so beautifully.  It was a wonderful celebration and I thank all of the Ignatius students and staff for their respectful and thoughtful participation.

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Ignatius House - Caring for our Common Home

As the Green team, Ignatius House has taken on awareness raising among the student body around the Jesuit Apostolic Preference of Caring for our Common Home.

Last term, Ignatius House leaders prepared activities for all students to participate in during Pastoral Care. This coincided with World Environment Day which fell on Sunday 5 June.  The 2022 theme for World Environment Day was “Only One Earth. Let’s take care of it.”  This was the slogan for the Stockholm Conference in 1972, which put sustainable development on the global agenda. World Environment Day 2022 re-energised the slogan to emphasise that planet Earth is still the only liveable planet we have and to push for actions to reset the balance to create a better future for all.

Ignatius House student leaders decided to remind students of the simple things we can do at XCC that can make a difference, and students also considered how to recycle correctly. Recycling can be confusing - especially when different Councils have different rules - so students were given the opportunity to explore the Recycle Mate App. Recycle Mate allows you to enter your location so you get the right information for your area and the app also gives you options for recycling if your local Council does not take that item in your recycle bin (for example, where to take your soft plastics).

Ignatius House also launched our annual Fundraising Initiative during this Pastoral Care lesson and continued with our environmental theme by reminding students of the Return and Earn program established last year by Ignatius House.  We asked for a willingness to engage with the program and to continue to place all eligible drink containers in our Return and Earn bins. Every eligible container is a 10c donation to our friends in Turiscai. We also sold soft drink cans on Fridays for the remainder of the term and encouraged students to place their empty, uncrushed cans in the Return and Earn Bins. 

Throughout the year we have been able to keep a huge amount of material from being added to landfill. When we combine the money earned through Return and Earn with our soft drink sales, our total funds raised for our friends in Turiscai is around $1700. This is a huge achievement. On behalf of Ignatius House and the Ignatius Captains, we sincerely thank the College community for supporting our fundraising initiative by buying the soft drinks and, most importantly, for using the bins correctly.

Janine Wallace
Head of Ignatius House

MCAULEY HOUSE

Sport News

Diocesan Basketball

9/10 Boys
The Year 9/10 Boys Basketball team started the tournament with their biggest challenge and were defeated by the championship winning Mackillop College of Port Macquarie. The second game saw a close finish; however, we were beaten by Trinity College. The tides changed to see the boys undefeated for the remainder of the tournament, with a very large victory over St Joseph’s and two draws over John Paul and Woodlawn Colleges.

The quality of the completion was extremely high this year and the boys continued to lift through a strenuous two days of games, with only three substitutes and a couple of injuries. The three guards (Declan, Rhys, and Logan) were continuously impressive with their ability to move the ball and take every opportunity outside. Our forwards and middles stuck to the game plans and dominated a majority of our games inside the key, both offensively and defensively.

The gamesmanship and respect the boys showed throughout the carnival is to be commended. We look forward to seeing these boys work together over the coming years.

Mr Clint McCarthy
Coach

9/10 Girls
The Xavier Catholic College 9/10 Girls Basketball team attended the annual Diocesan Carnival in Coffs Harbour on 1 August to 3 August 2022. The team competed with determination and gave all on the court leaving nothing in the tank at the end. The girls roared home to a win against St Joseph’s Port Macquarie and Woodlawn and played well but were marginally defeated against Mackillop Port Macquarie and John Paul College Coffs Harbour. Special thanks go to Lauren King who coached the girls beautifully and is an inspiration to them all. Commendations to all the girls: Siara Lynch, Madison Smith, Coco Gallagher, Lilly Beadham. Pippa Bailey, Madi and Neeve Alexander and Leura Allen and Alyssa Pinto (reserve) who trained and played with such heart and grit. They will be a formidable force next year!

Mrs Emma Smith
Coach

7/8 Girls
From August 1 to 3, four teams from Xavier Catholic College travelled and stayed in Coffs Harbour to compete in the two day Lismore Diocese Basketball Championships.  The 7/8 Girls team, which consisted only of Year 7 students, had a tough start to the draw playing St John Paul College first up at 8:30am; this was the only round game that the girls were unable to win. With the girls defeating all other teams in the round games, they progressed to the finals and were matched up against St John Paul College again. The girls played exceptionally well however they were unable to get the win. They did, however, score 26 points which was triple the points scored in the round game played against this team. Well done to the 7/8 Girls team!

Mrs Jess Ferris
Coach

7/8 Boys
The Xavier College Junior Basketball teams headed to Coffs Harbour to compete in the annual Diocesan junior Basketball Carnival. The staff and students had a fantastic time staying at the Park Beach Holiday parking in Coffs.

The Year 7/8 Boys Basketball team started the tournament off in flying colours, with comfortable wins over MacKillop College and Woodlawn College. These wins were aided by great ball movement and solid defence which set the tone for the rest of the tournament. The team's final game on day one was against St. Joseph's College Port Macquarie (eventual champions). Although the match was a tight affair which saw the lead change numerous times, the team lost in a close match by four points. The first match of the second day saw the team come up against John Paul College (eventual runners-up). John Paul College shot out to an early lead which was reeled in by the boys from Xavier in the second quarter. The boys took the lead in the third quarter, but were ultimately out enthused in the final quarter and lost by nine points. The team finished strongly with a solid win over Trinity College.

It was fantastic to see this group of students come together without much training and perform the way they did. All players added value to the team and should hold their heads high despite not making the final. Levi, Banjo and Tahj (guards) led the team around the court well. Luca, David, Rory and Billy (forwards) showed great defensive resolve and rebounded well throughout the tournament, whilst Angus (centre) frustrated all oppositions with his height and skill.

Overall, basketball was the winner throughout this trip and tournament. All players played in the right spirit of the game and were a pleasure to take away for three days and two nights.

Mr Sam Priddis
Coach

Mr Pat Kennedy & Mr Russell Asser

Canteen News – Term 3 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

XAVIER INSTRUMENT TUITION PROGRAM                                             

Not only has learning an instrument been proven to enhance learning, it can be a fun way to meet new like-minded people and play together with other musicians. It can be the beginning of a lifelong skill which can bring joy to you and others throughout your life!

At Xavier Catholic College, Holy Family and St Francis Xavier students have a great opportunity to have professional tuition during the school day on a range of instruments and voice. The Band has also re-started on Tuesday mornings at 8:10am at Xavier.

This term we welcome a new Flute Tutor, Kate Gabarelli, and welcome back Peter Jaggle, Drum Tutor (SFX and HF). 

Application forms for the Instrument Tuition Program can be found using the link below:

Instrument tuition form         

Further information can also be obtained from kathleen.mclennan@lism.catholic.edu.au (Instrumental Program Coordinator)

Stormbirds is a small group program based on the belief that change, loss and grief are a normal and natural part of life. Stormbirds supports young people in understanding and managing the changes they experience as a result of a natural disaster, or other sudden life altering experiences. This program enables them to realise that they are not alone in the impact and supports them to develop coping, problem solving and decision making skills in a safe atmosphere of like-to-like peer support.

The small group program of four 50-60 minute sessions explores the themes of:

• Understanding and managing changes they experience
• Understanding that their reactions are normal
• Developing skills with coping problem solving and decision making
• Builds a peer support network
• Helps restore self confidence and self esteem

The Stormbirds program encourages young people to value who they are and their story. Stormbirds helps the participants to modify, where necessary, their thinking, attitudes, beliefs and constructs about life and to ‘take charge’ of their behaviours.

Stormbirds emphasises the importance of storytelling as a means of acknowledging loss, of managing the feelings associated with the loss and moving forward in hope.

To participate in this valuable program, contact rennae.reilly@lism.catholic.edu.au Rennae is available Mondays and Tuesdays in the Seasons Room before school and during lunch. At recess, you will find her in the Rodriguez Room.

Isaiah Galloway ABC series
We are very excited to announce that Year 11 student Isaiah Galloway will be featured in an upcoming ABC TV series titled "Soundtrack to our Teenage Zombie Apocalypse" Earlier in the year Isaiah was successful in auditioning for the production and then spent 6 weeks filming the series in Sydney.  “Soundtrack to Our Teenage Zombie Apocalypse” follows the story of four music-obsessed teens on a mission to win triple j Unearthed High, who find themselves trapped in an abandoned building during a zombie apocalypse. The series will air on ABC ME on Monday 15 August. A link to the trailer of the show can be found below

If starring in a TV series wasn't enough, Isaiah has also been recognised as a National Finalist with the Artology Fanfare Award for high school music students. Isaiah composed a piece of music that was chosen from hundreds of entries that will be recorded by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

The College community congratulates Isaiah on these amazing achievements.

Soundtrack to our Teenage Zombie Apocalypse airs tonight on ABC Me at 6:30pm

Click on the following link for a brief promo of the Movie:

Movie Preview

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XCC ART CLUB
Sending out messages of kindness and hope to those impacted by the floods

The Art club came together to make ceramic plaques and pinch pots of care and hope for our XCC families impacted by the floods. The Art club members wanted to let students and their families know that they are thinking about them during this difficult time. Flood impacted families are still dealing with the after effects of this event.

This is what the creative and dedicated members of the Art club had to say about this act of kindness:-

Felix: “I wanted to bring them some cheer at a time of hardship.”

Lily: “We wanted to show that we care about our XXC community.”

Indira: “Community is important, so that is why we care.”

Isla: “We are always here for you when you need it most.”

Ivy: “There is hope and support for each other when we struggle.”

Tam: “We wanted you to know that we were thinking of you and there is hope.”

Well done, Art club! 
Mrs O’Kane

Community News

The Healthy Minds Club

WHEN: Monday 5 September
TIME: 5:45pm – 8:30pm
WHERE: Lennox Head Cultural Centre
WHO: Parents, Teachers, Carers, Adolescents are welcome to attend with their parents/carer. 
COST: FREE

Today’s world is a busy and uncertain place and it is impacting our children and adolescents. In this seminar, Barney and Kada Miller will explore the challenges of extreme life events and what it takes for us to bounce back from these challenges. They offer an incredibly raw and touching presentation which is directed at youth and adolescence. A video presentation will be followed by a Q & A from the audience on experiences and overcoming adversities for both Barney and Kada! 

The presentation will explore how to overcome life's adversities and ways for adolescents to understand and help each other to navigate ugly feelings, unexpected or traumatic events, and the mindset needed to achieve the unthinkable. Barney's journey has seen him experience a fair share of lif- threatening health scares, from a car crash to receiving several life-threatening surgeries in twelve months. We would find it hard to locate an individual with more resilience than Barney and a better support than Kada! The presentation will also include a musical performance by Kada.

This seminar is for anyone in the community who is supporting youth and adolescents. 

If your circumstances have changed and you can no longer attend, please email us at thehealthymindsclub@gmail.com

No food or drinks provided at the presentation.

If you would like to attend please click on the following link to book your tickets https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/you-me-barney-kada-miller-tickets-396359280277

Please click on the following video links:

You and Me Premier responses

Quick video clip