Newsletter 18 - 21 November 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”

November in the Catholic Church:
During November, as in all of Ordinary Time (Time After Pentecost), the Liturgy signifies and expresses the regenerated life from the coming of the Holy Spirit, which is to be spent on the model of Christ's Life and under the direction of His Spirit. The culmination of the liturgical year is the Feast of Christ the King. "This feast asserts the supreme authority of Christ over human beings and their institutions.... Beyond it we see Advent dawning with its perspective of the Lord's coming in glory." Let us remember all those who have gone before us in loving admiration.

School Review - Parent Data:
Last Friday, staff had the opportunity to work through the data collected from students, staff and parents. This was an energy-filled day, with all staff engaging in a reading, sharing and imagining session to enable a clearer picture to emerge from our collected responses. The data collected from you, our valued parent community, was key to much of this. A reminder that data was collected in a number of ways, including:

• NSIT - National School Improvement Tool (conducted by ACER - Australian Council for Educational Research) interviews in-person with parents 25/26 August.
• TTFM - Tell Them From Me survey, sent electronically to parents for response during August
• Other data, collected indirectly through various tools

So, what did you, the parent body, tell us?

Some Challenges

• NSIT - Parents are less aware of our teaching & learning goals than others and would like more information
• NSIT - Parents express a desire for more information about the general performance of the school beyond Year 12 results.
• NSIT - Some parents feel disconnected from the College and express a desire for increased engagement and voice
• NSIT - Some parents would like to see additional vocational pathways incorporated into the curriculum offerings
• TTFM - Parents told us, in comparison to scores from other Diocesan schools, they feel:
• Less welcome, less informed, less involved in their child’s learning, and expect more homework to be delivered to their child
• That the College can do more to support your child’s learning, support positive behaviour, make your child feel safer and more included at school, 
• And that we need to do more to provide for your child’s faith formation opportunities and engagement.

College Response 

• We agree we can do better and will work towards an improved communication process for parents 
• In collaboration with the Catholic Schools Office’s Priority for ‘Supporting Renewed Parent Bodies”, we will work to reinvigorate our parent group and investigate other opportunities for parent involvement.
• We also will be committing to reviewing and improving our student support mechanisms, responses to behaviour processes and restorative practices.

Positives

• NSIT - Parents are impressed with our academic outcomes and express high hopes for their child’s successes at the College
• NSIT - Parents of students with additional needs express their satisfaction with the level of support given to their children
• NSIT - Most parents see the inclusion of commendations and recommendations in student reports as a positive appreciation of the whole child
• TTFM - you believe that rates of bullying are similar here or less than in other Diocesan schools
• TTFM - our strongest aspect of Faith Formation and Mission is in our:
• Witness - ‘my child has the opportunity to learn about Catholic living and values’
• Service - ‘my school encourages my child to look after the environment and serve others and the community, as well as supporting charities and those in need’

The final 3-Year Strategic Management Plan and School Annual Plan will be available for families to view early in the new year. There is still much work to be done, and I extend my thanks to parents and families for their honest and forthright responses to questions. Your responses will help us grow into a better, more inclusive, and supportive College community.

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

Assistant Principal - Learning and Teaching

Class of 2022 - HSC Nominations and selections
Congratulations to the following Year 12 Creative Arts students and their teachers for their nominations for HSC showcases of exemplary works.

Onstage HSC Drama
Congratulations to Lirra Eady, whose Individual Performance has been selected for OnStage! OnStage is an annual showcase of exemplary Drama works presented for the HSC examination. Lirra will perform her monologue “Mrs Smith” by Eugene Ionesco early next year at the Seymour Centre in Sydney.

The following HSC Drama students were nominated for possible inclusion in OnStage.

Individual Performance Nominations: Tyler Adamson, Clancy Miller, Joel Hoolihan, Lirra Eady, Ruve Murdoch, Grace Pateman

Group Performance Nominations:

• Clancy Miller, Gabrielle Bolger, Tyler Adamson, Jackson Falvey, and Joel Hoolihan
• Ruve Murdoch, Lirra Eady, Grace Pateman, Sasha Ferreol, and Taya Kelly

Callback - HSC Dance
Siobhan Thompson has been nominated for possible inclusion in Callback. Callback is an annual showcase of exemplary Dance works by HSC Dance students.

I also congratulate and thank Mrs Allysha Hodges for her outstanding work with the Year 12 Dance and Drama classes in 2022.

Art Express- HSC Visual Arts Body of Work
Congratulations to the following students who have been nominated for possible inclusion in ARTEXPRESS. ARTEXPRESS is an annual showcase of exemplary HSC artworks.

• Jasmine Jones
• Carmen Stock
• Lara Crawford

I congratulate and thank Ms Donna Albany for her outstanding work with the Year 12 Visual Arts class of 2022.

Year 9 Examinations
Year 9 examinations conclude with practical and performance tasks this week. Year 9 students are to be commended on the very positive and mature way in which they approached their first formal examination block. 

Year 7 to 10 Reports
Semester 2 reports for students in Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 will be issued on 16 December after 4pm. Parents will be notified via email when Semester 2 reports are available to download. Please ensure you have created a Parent Portal account. If you have any queries or are unable to access your Parent Portal account, please contact the Helpdesk on 6618 0123. 

2022 Class allocation
A reminder that all classes, including base classes and streamed classes for English, Mathematics and Science, will be reallocated for the commencement of the 2023 academic year.  

Mrs Amanda Falvey

Assistant Principal Mission - Staff and Students

Year 12 Graduation Dinner
On Saturday 12 November, at the Ballina RSL Club, we celebrated the final rite of passage for our 2022 Graduates. The evening was a joyous celebration filled with that amazing feeling that comes from knowing that our graduates have lived the full experience that comes from being a member of the Xavier Catholic College community. It was a night dedicated to celebration and joy that our graduates have persevered and thrived. It was also an opportunity to recognise that all along the way, they have had the wonderful support of their families and the encouragement and help of their teachers and community. The event's driving force was Sharyn Dorey, who has spent countless hours booking, arranging, sourcing quotes, setting up, packing up, etc; the event was a success due to her commitment and hard work. Thank you, Sharyn!

2023 Year 7 Orientation
On Wednesday, we were blessed to have our new intake of students, Year 7 2023, visit the College. I spoke to a number of new students at the conclusion of the day, and they were able to reflect on the excitement of their experience at the College and acknowledged that they were ready to step up to secondary school. Thank you to all the staff involved, especially our teachers who ran introductory learning experiences, the Heads of House who helped create a sense of family for each of our students and Nichole Page, who facilitated the day's running. I personally look forward to seeing this cohort of students live, learn and grow in the Xavier Catholic College Community and culminate as successful graduates — the class of 2028.

Finishing the year well
I would like to encourage all our students to finish the year positively. They can do this by ensuring they stick to their routines, attend all their classes, and contribute to the classroom environment. Students need to continue to be supportive of their peers and teachers, adding to the joy of the final weeks of school before our well-deserved Christmas Holiday break.

Mr Peter Fear

Year 7 2023 Orientation Day

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Catechesis And Evangelisation

Studies of Religion Presentation with Mr Joel Stocks
On Monday 14 November, Joel Stocks visited the Studies of Religion II Year 12 class to present us with a personal knowledge into Aboriginal spirituality. As a student of Studies of Religion II, I found the talk from Joel an insightful experience. He was able to relate the syllabus with his own personal experiences which allowed us to understand Aboriginal spirituality a lot clearer and in depth. During his talk he told us many stories telling us about his childhood and connecting with his spirituality from a young age through the land and his country as well as traditional celebrations. He also delved into the repercussions of dispossession of Aboriginal people and the prolonged issues it has created within the Aboriginal community today. This generated discussions within our classes and allowed for us to be more knowledgeable about the consequences and issues many Indigenous people in our own community are facing, such as broken kinship and lost land. Overall the talk was an engaging and eye opening experience. Our sincere thanks to Joel for taking time out of his busy day to meet with our class. 

Phoebe Hoolihan
Year 11 Campion

One Foot Raised - Jesuit Mission Walkathon
As part of the Year 10 Activities week in Week 8, students are participating in a walkathon on the oval in support of Jesuit Mission. Students will complete as many laps as they are able to in two periods on Tuesday 29 November. 

Students are asked to ensure they are wearing their sports uniform and take appropriate sun-safety measures (hats and sunscreen). Students should carry bags of rice or bottles of water (such as 2L milk bottles filled with water) as an act of solidarity. 

Fundraising
If you would like to donate to Jesuit Mission, you can do so via their website https://jesuitmission.org.au/ 

Programs run by Jesuit Mission break the cycle of poverty through teaching and education, protect the well-being of communities by providing medical care and programs that improve access to clean water and toilets, develop independent, strong communities through livelihood training and income-generating projects, and provide vulnerable individuals with pastoral care, social inclusion and advocacy.

Stories of change - Jesuit Mission
Due to the work of Jesuit Mission, clean fresh water arrived for the first time at the remote community of Fatunero in Timor-Lesté. In Week 2, Meg Morrison visited Xavier Catholic College and spoke of the work of Jesuit Mission. One story Meg shared was of a rice farmer who was barely making enough money to survive. In fact, her situation was so desperate that she was forced to give one of her children away. Her family lived under a piece of tin roofing, with a dirt floor, and no walls. Jesuit Mission worked with this farmer to teach her a new approach to rice farming. She was able to triple her production and now makes enough money for her family, was able to take out a loan to build a modest house, and was able to take custody of her child back.

Community Service Program
We are heading towards the final week of the Men and Women for Others Community Service Program. The program gives students the opportunity to be acknowledged for the good works they are already doing and encourages them to undertake service to others in the community. Many students have already recorded hours of community service work in their planner. Below is a reminder about the details of the program.

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.

Mr David Eyles & Dr Madeline Beveridge

Faculty News

Creative Arts

SYDNEY DANCE COMPANY

Creative Youth Dance Intensive

Join Sydney Dance Company for our Creative Youth Dance Intensive in January 2023!  

In partnership with NORPA as part of their Summer Workshop Series, this intensive program is open to dancers aged 14–18 with some experience in dance. 

Working with Sydney Dance Company's Teaching Artists, young dancers will have the opportunity to explore their own creativity through contemporary dance techniques, creative tasks and development. 

Participants will experience the choreographic process and repertoire of Sydney Dance Company, culminating in an informal performance opportunity at the end of the week for family, friends and the broader community. 

When:   Monday 16 January – Friday 20 January 2023 
Where:  Southern Cross University, Lismore
Cost:     Free!

Application are open:  Apply Now

For more information please contact Sydney Dance Company’s Learning Manager Justine Turner at  education@sydneydancecompany.com or (02) 9258 4843. 

Sydney Dance Company’s Creative Youth Dance Intensive is part of the Holiday Break program supported by the Office for Regional Youth in partnership with Create NSW. This workshop is also supported by Southern Cross University

Griffin Theatre Company

‘Unlocking The Local’ Young Playwrights Workshop

Join Griffin Theatre Company for our ‘Unlocking the Local’ Young Playwrights Workshop in January 2023! 

In partnership with NORPA as part of their Summer Workshop Series, this introduction to playwriting from Australia’s leading new writing theatre is open to 15 young writers in Years 10 – 12 in 2023. 

Learn the basics of playwriting craft and storytelling from some of Australia’s most exciting young working writers. Workshop attendees will write a five-minute scene drawing from their own experiences as young people living regionally, and will build a dramatic landscape together to create an exciting living world.

When:   Monday 9 January – Friday 13 January 2023
Where:  Northern Rivers Conservatorium, Lismore
Cost:     Free!

Applications are open: Apply Now  

For more information please contact Griffin Theatre Company’s 

Programs Producer Janine Lau at 

janine@griffintheatre.com.au or (02) 9332 1052. 

Griffin Theatre Company’s Unlocking the Local Writers Workshop is part of the Holiday Break program supported by the Office for Regional Youth in partnership with Create NSW. 

Sport News

NSW Schools Cup Netball - State Final
Last week our Year 7/8 girls netball team travelled to Netball Central at Olympic Park Sydney for the all schools NSW Netball State Cup Final 2022. In the knock-out competition that spanned most of 2022, it was down to the best of the best teams in the state. Our girls drew a strong pool of competition, going up against Inverell HS, Westfield Sports High School, Hunter Sports High School and St John Paul College, Coffs Harbour. 

Our XCC girls played with so much fire and determination, right down to the last second of each game. The quality of netball was extremely high, and our girls were every part of that class of netball. At the end of the day, Westfield Sports HS and Hunters Sports HS were too good and took top honours in the final. Our girls finished a brilliant fifth in the state and did themselves and the College name proud with how they went about their netball for the day. Next year they step up to the Year 9/10 ranks, and I am very confident that they will be returning to the State Cup final next year. The girls should be extremely happy with their netball and how they travelled and conducted themselves the entire trip, which was nothing short of its own challenges that regional sports travel faces from time to time. 

Well done girls. And thanks to the supporters (mums) that cheered from the stands too!

Coaches: Lauren Jeffrey (maternity leave), Nichole Page, Tegan Paton-Kelly

Under 15 Diocesan  Water Polo
On Thursday 10 November, Mrs Byrnes and Miss Quinn took the Under 15 boys and girls water polo teams to Alstonville Pool for the Diocesan Water Polo Carnival. It was a fantastic day! Both teams played exceptionally well, demonstrating sportsmanship, enthusiasm and skill. The boys, took out the competition as Dicocesan champions, playing every game undefeated. The girls, amazingly, placed second overall, losing their final in the last ten seconds to a goal scored by St John Paul College, Coffs Harbour. Both teams were a wonderful representation of the Xavier Catholic College spirit. 

Special mention to Mr Pat Kennedy who organised and convened the day, and to Russell, Joe, Macy and Joel who assisted on the day.

Mr Pat Kennedy & Mr Russell Asser

Canteen News – Term 4 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

TURISCAI - SISTER SCHOOL UPDATE - November 2022

Our school has a sister school in Timor Leste, in a small village called Turiscai up in the mountains in the middle of the country.

Over the past couple of years, we have been raising funds to support this school, with our initial aim being to create a toilet block for the 400 students as they had only 1 pit toilet for all the students of the school.

Our fundraising efforts achieved this, and so much more. With the funds we have sent to Turiscai, the school has built a toilet block with 4 toilets. They have also been able to use funds to complete another school building, with 6 classrooms and 2 storeys with a veranda, for the students to work in.

Mrs Leanne Broadley
Immersion Co-ordinator

TIMOR LESTE IMMERSION OPPORTUNITY - make a difference

Students in Year 10 and 11 this year have the opportunity to visit Turiscai next June/July on a 12 day immersion experience, and will have the opportunity to visit Timor and the village of Turiscai in these new classrooms, spend time with high school students of Turiscai and see what life is like in another culture. We have not been able to travel since 2019, so this will be a very special experience for both our students and staff, and the Timorese.

Experienced staff members will travel with a team of 15 students from Year 10 and 11 (next year's Year 11 and 12 students) and live in this village for about a week, as well as visit other significant places in Timor Leste.

Interested students and their parents are invited to attend a 1 hour information session next MONDAY evening, 21 November from 6pm-7pm at the school, where you will be able to find out more information about this experience and what is involved.

For more information please contact Leanne Broadley - leanne.broadley@lism.catholic.edu.au

Year 7 and 8 Book Packs

The College's Book Packs for Years 7 and 8 must be purchased via the Winc Portal. Specific pack details are linked below, including the access code to complete book pack orders:

• Year 7 Book Pack (Technologies: Navy apron will be issued during class)
• Year 8 Book Pack (Technologies: White apron and cap will be issued during class)

Year 9-11

• 2023 book requirements will be made available before the end of 2022.

Community News

Vaping: Information & Awareness

Vaping is on the rise in Australia and has become popular amongst teenagers and young adults. Alarmingly, a recent study has also shown that there is an increase in the number of primary school-aged children who are experimenting with vapes. There are many misconceptions about vapes being fairly harmless and that vapes in Australia do not contain nicotine.

Our school is committed to the health and wellbeing of our students and will be including a series of informative resources for our parent community over the next 3 editions of our newsletter. We hope parents and carers use these helpful resources to:

• learn the facts about e-cigarettes and vaping,
• recognise what a vape looks like,
• understand why vaping is attractive to young people and
• engage in positive conversations at home.
  

By working in partnership we hope to support our young people to make healthy
choices.

Please watch this informative 2 minute  video which provides some key information
about vaping and e-cigarettes.

Key Information:

• Vaping is the act of smoking e-cigarettes or ‘vapes’ that can look like metallic
  pens, USBs and other hand-held systems.
• Vapes use cartridges filled with liquids, which typically contain nicotine, artificial
  flavouring, and various chemicals. These can be harmful to the developing body.
• Research shows that 1 in 5 young people have vaped and nearly 80% of young
  people say it is easy to get a vape illegally at a shop or online.
• Nicotine is especially addictive for young brains. It can cause long-lasting
  negative effects on brain development and can include impaired attention,
  learning, memory and changes in mood.
• You can find out more about vaping from NSW Health

Conversation Starters at Home
Start conversations about vaping with your child early. You could consider the following
questions or conversation starters:

1. 1. Are a lot of kids vaping at your school? Are your friends vaping?
   Be sure you don’t react, just listen.
2. What do you think about vaping?
   You may hear your child say that vaping is harmless. It’s important to share
   some good information with your child about the impacts of vaping.
3. Do you know what is in vapes?
   Share with them that they’ve tested vapes and they do not contain only water
   vapor and flavouring. Vapes can contain very high levels of nicotine and other
   toxic chemicals that damage lungs.