Newsletter 13 - 26 August 2022

Principal's Message

Dear Parents, Students and Staff,

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”

The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary:
(Monday 22 August) When Mary was asked to be the mother of the Saviour, she was completely free to accept or reject the offer. Her response, “Let it be done to me,” was a great act of faith. Because she did not understand what was happening, she must have known that there would be difficulties ahead.

Because she replied yes to the angel’s announcement and agreed to become the mother of Jesus, the Church has declared Mary to be the Mother of God. Because she was the first to say yes to the Messiah, the Church has declared her to be the Mother of the Church.

Mary is very special to Catholics. We feel a closeness to her because of her role in salvation history and because of her closeness to Jesus. We venerate Mary because we know that she can bring us closer to God.

Prayer to Mary, Mother of the Church and Mother of our faith

Mother, help our faith!
Open our ears to hear God’s word and to recognize his voice and call.
Awaken in us a desire to follow in his footsteps, to go forth from our own land and to receive his promise.
Help us to be touched by his love, that we may touch him in faith.
Help us to entrust ourselves fully to him and to believe in his love, especially at times of trial, beneath the shadow of the cross, when our faith is called to mature.
Sow in our faith the joy of the Risen One.
Remind us that those who believe are never alone.
Teach us to see all things with the eyes of Jesus, that he may be light for our path. And may this light of faith always increase in us, until the dawn of that undying day which is Christ himself, your Son, our Lord!

School Review Process - Thanks to parents:
There will be some who have been involved in some sort of school review process in the past. Often it was completing anonymous surveys, decoded and interpreted by faceless people in far-off places with little or no context of ‘real life’ on the ground, and returned to schools as accurate reflections of their status to be then used to create a plan for the next 3 years. 

This year, the process has changed — I think, for the better. Whilst ‘Tell Them From Me’ surveys have been completed by staff, students and parents, none of those have directly impacted the current process, but will be used to validate (or refute) the findings of the visiting team. Four members of the ACER (Australian Council for Educational Research) team have been here interviewing staff, students, and importantly parents. I want to extend my thanks to parents who took the time to visit, engage in the process and give their thoughts about how the school is performing from their point of view. 

It is important to note that the groups of parents were not vetted. I firmly believe that the College, if it is to grow in the right direction, needs to have every aspect of feedback covered. As such I am fully aware (noting and confirming that all feedback provided is anonymous) that we will get the ‘good’, the ‘bad’ and the ‘ugly’ from all members of the community, parents, staff and students. We cannot operate in a blinkered world so all feedback is good feedback, even if it is critical of us. Sometimes we don’t know what we don’t know.

I look forward to being able to present back to the community the findings of the team and to work through the data to prepare our next Strategic Management Plan.

Staff Day — School Review:
Please note that the Catholic Schools Office has provided Xavier Catholic College an extra ‘student-free’ day to work through our school review feedback. This day will be negotiated with the Office and communicated to families as soon as possible.

Bill Turner Soccer Success:
My congratulations to Mr Steve Edmonds and our Bill Turner soccer team who travelled further in the competition than any other team before from XCC. Making it all the way to the top 8 in the State, they ultimately succumb to one of the elite Selective Sporting High School teams in Sydney. An outstanding effort by both team and coach — well done, lads.

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

Assistant Principal - Learning and Teaching

Year 12
Congratulations to our Year 12 students on completing their Trial HSC Examinations. The students have displayed great resilience and determination in completing their examinations and we are so very proud of each and every one of them. The forthcoming weeks are a very important time for Year 12 students to continue to focus on teacher feedback and to consolidate their knowledge of course content. Students should continue to work closely with their teachers, refine revision notes and dot point summaries, complete past examination papers under timed examination conditions and actively respond to teacher feedback.

Year 12 reports will be available to download from the parent portal on Friday 2 September after 4pm.

HSC Examinations
Congratulations to Year 12  Dance, Industrial Technology and some language students who have completed practical examinations and projects.

Upcoming HSC Dates for major works, projects and performances
In recognition of the significant impact of flood affected schools the following dates are applicable for Xavier Catholic College Year 12 major works, projects and performances.

Society and Culture Personal Interest Projects - Monday 29 August

Drama - Tuesday 30 August

Industrial Technology Marking - Wednesday 31 August

Italian Beginners oral examination - Saturday 3 September

Design and Technology Major Projects - Thursday 8 September

Music performances and viva voce marking - Friday 16 September

Drama Project submissions - Monday 19 September

Visual Arts - Friday 22 September

Music submitted composition projects - Monday 3 October

Year 12 Graduation Mass and Awards Ceremony
All Year 12 parents are invited to attend the College’s Year 12 Graduation Mass and Awards Ceremony on Thursday 22 September 2022. Parents have been emailed details of the event, including timings and locations. We look forward to celebrating this special occasion as a College community.

Year 11
Year 11 examinations commence Monday 5 September. 

All Year 11 students are encouraged to consolidate all course material and to focus on a program of study in order to be well prepared for the forthcoming examination block. 

Students are reminded to check the Year 11 examination timetable very carefully and ensure they attend all examinations at the scheduled time. Students are only required to be on-site when they have a scheduled examination and are encouraged to arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the commencement of an examination. If a student has two examinations scheduled on the same day they must remain at school during the lunch break and may not leave the College between examinations. If they do not have an examination scheduled on a particular day within the examination timetable, students may study at home or access the College library. Any student who wishes to access the library to study is required to sign in at the front office and attend in uniform. All students are required to be attired in full school uniform for all scheduled examinations.

Please be mindful that some afternoon examinations will not conclude until late in the afternoon. Alternative transport may need to be arranged on these occasions.

If a student is unable to attend an examination due to illness or misadventure please call the College office on the morning of the examination. Medical certificates and additional paperwork will be required and must be submitted with an Absence from Assessment form available on the College website/Learning tab/Assessment Information/Year 11/Absence form Assessment and Request for Special Consideration.

A sense of balance is particularly important at this time and students are reminded of the need to take time for relaxation and to nurture their wellbeing in the lead up to, and during, the Year 11 examinations.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish the Year 11 students well for the forthcoming examination block and the prayers of the College community will be with them during this time.

Year 11 reports will be available to download via the Parent Portal in Term 4.

Summer Uniform commences Monday 5 September 2022
Please visit School Locker to buy any new uniform requirements.

Mrs Amanda Falvey

Assistant Principal Mission - Staff and Students

College Data
This week has been a busy week as we have undertaken our School Review. We would like to thank all families that participated in the ‘Tell them from Me’ surveys. We are looking forward to accessing this data as it becomes available to us. This is one of many ways that we can hear the voices of our students and understand their current experiences and the context they are navigating. Another method of data collection and hearing students' voices is through the use of our Pulse Application which we introduced late last year. What is the data and feedback telling us about their experience?

‘Safe and Valued’ is an area in which students have an opportunity to provide feedback. Within this domain, specific questions related to bullying are posed to students and they answer anonymously. When this data is benchmarked against other schools in Australia who use the application (including Primary Schools) we align or better the average in all domains.

As we strive to constantly collect this important data to assist in identifying areas of concern, we are always mindful of explicitly seeking out instances of the most harmful behaviours. Often schools and communities would expect things like bullying, victimisation and anti-social behaviour and the like within a large student population. This can be especially challenging if the data doesn’t match your child’s experience. In fact our data and investigations show that our students feel very safe and strongly valued and that we are aligned with the national averages in these areas, often exceeding them. When we analyse the data in comparison to the sentiment from last year there has been an increase in positivity in how students are feeling. 

Adolescence is a turbulent time. I am sure most adults remember high school years as the time that we learned a lot about who we were. We made mistakes to regret and mistakes to learn and improve from, we tested boundaries and found our voices, had some falling outs with people who didn’t fit with our values, and explored new relationships. With a student population exceeding 900 students, turbulent relationships are unavoidable during this period of growth and discovery. Adolescents will have disagreements and sometimes they can say hurtful things. It should be noted that single incidents or conflicts between equals, whether in person or online, are not defined as bullying.

A reminder that most minor discipline incidents are managed by the teaching staff present at the time of the incident. This builds capacity, respect and relationships across the College. If the incident warrants further intervention/action it will be flagged to the appropriate curriculum leader or welfare team member. Effective school responses to disagreement, banter and harassment are solution-focused and relationship based at a student, class, House or school level and based on strong links between parents and our College.

If students are facing difficulties in their social relationships, there are a number of strategies they can use to address these concerns:

• Stand up to unacceptable behaviour or where ‘banter’ is going too far.
• Seek help from staff to arrange restorative meetings or address unacceptable behaviour.

The school actions:
Conflict Management (Meeting with students involved and at times consequences for inappropriate behaviour)
Small group conferences (Restorative practices and Social skills development)
Anti-bullying messaging (through Pastoral Care and school culture expectations).

Definitions:
Banter: playful and friendly exchange of teasing remarks.
Argument (Conflict): an exchange of diverging or opposite views, typically a heated or angry one.
Harassment: unwanted behaviour that offends, humiliates or intimidates a person. Could be once-off.
Bullying: a misuse of power, unreasonable, unwelcome, ongoing and repeated behaviour that can cause harm

Mr Peter Fear

Catechesis And Evangelisation

Year 10 Retreats
All of Year 10 recently spent three days on retreat in the beautiful environment of PCYC Bornhoffen in the Gold Coast hinterland.  Their time away was spent exploring themes of Ignatian Spirituality - Spiritual Freedom, Spiritual Conversations, Deepest Desires, Imagination, Finding God in All Things and building A Faith that Does Justice.

Students had an opportunity to develop relationships with their peers and their Heads of House as well as private time to consider their life goals and communal time for prayer, team building and improving our listening skills.

A special feature of the retreat was the involvement of current YMOs Macy Butler and Chelsea Gorman - as well as past YMOs John Kearney, Eddie Lee and Sophie Sullivan. 

Shine 2022
The Year 10 Ministry Class travelled to Coffs Harbour last week for the first Diocesan Shine Gathering since 2019.  Travelling with them were some Year 9 students who have expressed an interest in joining next year’s Ministry class, and members of the Senior Ministry Team who came as small group leaders.

Shine 2022 was a truly joyful experience for all involved - the approximately 600 Youth Ministry students from across the Diocese inspired each other and their accompanying teachers with their positivity, energy and openness to all the activities.  

The Xavier students and staff were immensely proud seeing the leadership role played by the Xavier YMOs.  Chelsea Gorman sang beautifully with the diocesan worship Band - Wildfire.  She also sang an inspiring duet with former XCC YMO Laurie Pratt.  Macy Butler also had a prominent role on stage leading the “Buzz” sessions with TCC Lismore YMO Tori Puglisi.

Many thanks go to Mrs Kate Kilby for accompanying the students with Mr Eyles.

Senior Retreat 2022
Google Form permission notes will be sent out shortly to all parents of Year 11 students for the Senior Retreat.  The Senior retreat is compulsory.  It is held at the beginning of each cohort’s HSC journey - and this year’s Senior Retreat dates are listed below:

Date:         Wednesday, 26 October until Friday, 28 October 2022

Venue:      Queensland Conference and Camping Centre, 255 Beacon Rd, Mount Tamborine

Depart:      Depart College 9:10am Wednesday 26 October

Return:      Return to College approx. 3:00pm Friday 28 October

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 Gratitude and it dovetails with the Jesuit aspiration of being a person who finds God in all things.

College Captains
It’s that time of the year again when the Xavier Community elects their Student Leadership for 2022/23. In the first round, we had eight nominees address the whole school assembly and put themselves forward as the next College Captains. The quality of their speeches was a reflection on their fine character, each of them would make a fine “servant leader” and they truly represent our values of striving for the “Magis” and being “men and women for others”. In the brutal reality of politics only four of these eight exemplary candidates were successful and we congratulate our College Captains for 2022/23. Congratulations:

House Captains
Today we had the nominees for House Captain address their House Assembly. The Houses then voted for their 2022/23 House Captain and we congratulate:

Campion House: Yasmine Wentzel

Faber House: Georgia Kotsireas

Ignatius House: Max Ingram

MacKillop House: Caston Smith

McAuley House: Suriana Mamone

Nagle House: Blake Walsh

Tomorrow the students will be electing their Houses’ Academic, Culture, Mission and Sport Captains.

Student politics and school life is often difficult and I’ve previously written about learning from life’s challenges and growing through them. In putting yourself forward for election you know that you could very well fail. One House had nine candidates for the House Captain position. Clearly eight must come second or worse! It is a tough process. Life can be like that. It kicks us around. The stuff we expected to be simple turns out to be tough. The people we thought were friends let us down. These trials and tribulations are actually a good thing.

Only the prize fighter who has been bloodied and bruised—in training and in previous matches—can go into the ring confident of their chances of winning. The boxer who has never been touched before or never had a hard fight is the fighter who is scared because they have no idea how they’re going to hold up under pressure.

Only the boxer who has suffered can succeed and win. Only the athlete who has given their all in training will win the 1500 metre race. Only the Tigers really know how to struggle on when the going gets tough and the situation looks hopeless! Only the student who has made mistakes can really learn. We need to be good enough parents and let our kids make mistakes and learn how to write a better essay, how to treat others, how to make better friends, how to take responsibility for their good and bad conduct. Life can be difficult and that is good, that is how resilience is developed.

 “Decide Your Own Destiny” 
Tuesday, 6 September 6
Magis Centre:  6:00pm

Topics are as follows:

1. How to Motivate Teens
2. The Keys to Developing Resilience in Young People
3. 10 Things Extraordinary Parents Say To Their Kids

Mr Anthony Condon

Faculty News

Yr 11 Geography Excursion - Evans Head 

Last Friday 19 August the Year 11 Geography class travelled down to Evans Head to conduct field work as part of their unit on Biophysical Interactions. The students paddled kayaks from the entrance of Evans River downstream to two sites where they conducted water testing. By taking part in this field work, the students were able to gain a better understanding of the health of the Evans River catchment and the relative human and physical impacts causing changes in this ecosystem. We would like to thank Mr Mark Lee for driving the bus to Evans Head and Mr Eddie Lee for accompanying us on the paddle.

Matt Wills
Geography Teacher

Sport News

Netball NSW Schools Cup Competition

This year’s NSW Netball Cup saw Xavier take two teams through the initial first rounds of competition. A Year 7/8 team and Year 9/10 team travelled to Tweed Heads to compete for a spot in the regional finals to take place the following week. A strong competition of both private and public schools ensued, with some tough battles played out over the day. The top two teams from each division were rewarded a spot in the second round of the state-wide knockout competition. 

Xavier were strong contenders in both divisions. The younger girls dominated and were clear winners in the 7/8 Girls division, while the Year 9/10 Girls finished a close second in their division, both progressing through to the regional finals. Unfortunately, due to  a clash with Year 10 retreat and PDHPE assessments, the older girls team could not compete at the next stage.

The regional finals took place the following week, with a very quick turnaround from the district knockouts. The competition stepped up to a whole new level, with the girls taking on Lindisfarne, Emmanuel College, Woodlawn, and Trinity, amongst others. Most games were only a few goals’ difference. Xavier were strong and played classy netball throughout the day. Some games went goal for goal, but the girls fought strong and secured a place in the final, with the victors earning a place in the state finals. Xavier came up against a powerful Emmanuel team, and not much could split the girls throughout the entire match. In the end, perseverance and strong court play saw our girls come out victorious by a mere 2 goals - well deserved win that now sees the girls take on the best of the best school netball teams in the state in Sydney in November. This is an amazing team effort and a well-deserved spot in the finals. Well done to Mrs Jeffery and her team. Many thanks also go to our talented YMOs, Macy and Chelsea, who umpired all day on behalf of Xavier Catholic College.

Team members:

Year 7/8 Team - Marli Francis, Ruby Yantsch, Heidi Grimster, Charlotte McNally, Sarah Jones, Macy Crilley, Cedar Pick, Olivia Hussey, Milli O’Neill

Mrs Lauren Jeffery
Coach

Year 9/10 Team - Siara Lynch, Makenzie Raudonikis, Jorja Wagland, Olivia Ryan, Phoebe Ryan, Maddison Kennedy, Pippa Bailey, Ruby-Mae Campbell, Chaise Windle, Brylei Izzard

Ms Nichole Page
Coach

Individual Achievements

Congratulations to three College students: 

• Year 11 Blake Walsh (captain)

• Year 9 Brianna Walsh

• Year 10 Jake Sayer

They were members of the twelve person Ballina Bullfrogs Tenpin bowling team who travelled to Tasmania to compete in the Australian National Championships – Presidents Shield, Under 18s Tenpin Bowling competition. The Bullfrogs represented NSW against Victoria, South QLD, North QLD, Tasmania, South Australia and New Zealand

The one week tournament involved 'head to head match play'. With all of the best bowlers across Australia and New Zealand. The Ballina Bullfrogs team did extremely well finishing 2nd in the Males, 5th in the Females and 3rd in Combined!

At the Presidents Shield Award Ceremony, Blake Walsh was awarded:

1. Jason Belmonte Sports Person Award – Voted by all teams
2. All-Star award (The top 5 bowlers, male and female, based on total points won head to head)

Blake has also been selected to compete in a new National Tenpin Premier League. The inaugural 2022 season of the TPL will consist of an event-style format around Australia, kicking off in Wodonga, Victoria on 3-4 September. The Final event will be staged in Melbourne’s Keon Park Tenpin Bowling Centre on 29-30 October. This is a massive achievement for a young man at his age, particularly for Tenpin Bowling and for the North Coast area.  

We are all looking forward to seeing this on Television in the near future.

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

Learning Centre

Treat Trolley
We are running a program called the “Treat Trolley”( a food stall) where students get the opportunity to learn all facets of running a business. This extracurricular opportunity is offered to Year 7 to 11 students.This interaction between the different age groups is great for building community. All profits will go to a charity of the student committee's choosing. Cash only! It will be open during recess, 5 days a week. The first week has been a great success.

Positive Posts and Mindful Rocks

What a great student community has greeted me at Xavier! Last week at the Athletics Carnival the students were given the opportunity to write a ‘Positive Post’ for their fellow students. We received so many Positive Posts that I have redecorated the Seasons Room with the Power of Positive Posts! Check it out in the back of the library when you need to get a lift from your fellow students. Please keep them coming - even when I am not here. 

On Monday and Tuesday, the Mindful Rock project was offered, which students from all years really embraced. The rocks are decorated with positives or whatever the student would like to create. Students can then either keep the rock for themselves or donate the rock back for others to have. So many positives are coming our way. The donated mindful rocks also decorate the Seasons Room at the back of the Library. Keep an eye out in the Daily Notices for what is on for next week. 

Remember I am here Monday and Tuesday. When you need me I can be found in the library before school and during class or floating around the yard with some project to do during breaks. Keep up the fantabulous positives! 

Rennae Reilly
Support Officer

INSTRUMENTAL TUITION

The Instrumental Tuition Program allows students at Xavier Catholic College, St Francis Xavier and Holy Family to have private tuition with a professional tutor 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.

Drums XCC - 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 soundproof 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.

Piano - Anna Honeychurch
With an Associate Degree of Music in teaching and performance (specialising in Jazz) and an Associate in teaching through Trinity College of Music London, Northern Rivers based musician Anna Honeychurch teaches piano, keyboard, vocals, and theory of music.

Anna is also an experienced songwriter, music arranger and choral master who has worked in the music industry for over 25 years.

Resident pianist in multiple styles of venues, Anna has also performed as a soloist, duo member and has been the vocalist and keyboardist for several bands.

Working with children from the age of 6 months old through to adults, Anna teaches all styles of music. Her goal with her students is to balance the creative side of music with the knowledge and theoretical component. Anna offers lessons for those looking for a new hobby or for those wanting to work their way through an exam syllabus.

 Anna brings her enthusiasm, love of music and communication skills to her role as a teacher.

Flute - Kate Gabbarelli
Kate began her musical career at age 6, learning the recorder and then progressing to flute. She has played the flute for over 30 years and has been teaching for the past 9 years. 

Growing up in England, Kate gained her Classical Grade 8 ABRSM on Flute at age 18.

She has performed in many orchestras, concert bands, flute choirs and small ensembles in England and Australia. Kate currently performs in the Lismore Symphony Orchestra.

Drums SFX and HF - Peter Jaggle 
Peter Jaggle has been in the entertainment industry since age 6 and has played percussion professionally since his early teenage years. He has performed with many top names over the years such as Jon English, John Farnham, John Williamson, Duane Eddy and Dionne Warwick. Peter has also been successful in the recording industry composing documentary film soundtracks for the ABC and NZBC, and jingles in the commercial arena.

He was Head of Percussion for fifteen years  at various Conservatoriums of Music and has conducted workshops all over Australasia and internationally. Peter holds a degree in composition and is recognised by the Founder/Conductor of the National Pan African TraditionalOrchestra as a fellow Master of Percussion.

He  is also the Founder / Artistic Director / Conductor of the Young Drums School of Percussion and Performance and the Young Drums Percussion Orchestra both of which he directed for two decades. Peter has taken his Young Drums Orchestra to perform at most major venues in Australia and also overseas to perform at the prestigious Aberdeen International Youth Festival in Scotland where they broke attendance records and set precedents that had not been achieved by any other group in the entire 26-year history of the festival. A board member of the UK Percussion Foundation (chaired at the time by Phil Collins) stated, “Peter is possibly the most innovative and exciting teacher of youth percussion in the world today.”

For more information regarding Instrumental Tuition or the Xavier Catholic College Band Program contact  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) or fill out the instrument tuition application form here: Instrument tuition form

Community News