Newsletter 12: Friday 20 October 2023

For the Calendar

Week 3 (23/10/23 - 27/10/23)

Monday: 

• HSC Examinations continue (click here for HSC timetable)
• Year 11 2023/Year 12 2024 HSC Assessment Information: P6 (Year 11) and 6pm (Parents)

Tuesday:

• Year 7 Vaccination catch-up
  
• Year 10 Living History Incursion

Wednesday:

• Senior Retreat
  

Thursday:

• Senior Retreat 

Friday:

• Senior Retreat
  
• Holy Family Mini-Fete (Year 9 Program students)

Week 4 (30/10/23 - 3/11/23)

Monday:

• HSC Examinations continue (click here for HSC timetable)
  

Tuesday:

• Year 11 Earth & Environmental Science Excursion
  

Wednesday: 

• Staff Development Day (no students)

Thursday:

• Year 11 Parent/Teacher Interviews (3:45pm - 6:30pm)

Friday:

• McAuley Fundraiser
• Year 11 Griffith University Visit
• Year 10 Examination & Assessment Block begins

Assistant Principal: Learning & Teaching

Welcome back to the College for Term 4. We are once again preparing for a busy and exciting term. In a year where we have been Better Together, I look forward to our community working hard together and enjoying the summer term ahead.

Shape

It is with great pleasure that I share that the following HSC Industrial Technology students have been nominated for consideration in Shape 2023:  Landon Broadley, Simon Dwyer, Lauren Evans and Joshua Thick.  

In addition, Sam Thomas has been nominated for his Design and Technology project.  We also congratulate their dedicated teachers: Trent Dooley, Pat Kennedy, Tawney Peachey and Sam Kennedy. 

Shape is an annual exhibition of exemplary Major Projects developed by HSC Design & Technology, Industrial Technology, and Textiles & Design students.

World Teachers Day: Friday October 27

In Australia, World Teachers Day is held on the last day in October to commemorate the anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO ‘Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers’, which sets benchmarks regarding the rights and responsibilities of teachers and standards for their initial preparation and further education, recruitment, employment, and teaching and learning conditions.

I would like to acknowledge and thank our dedicated teaching staff; their commitment and expertise continue to build our College as a centre of educational excellence.  When the opportunity presents itself, I encourage you to thank a teacher for their dedication, passion, and pastoral care for their students.

Professional Learning for Teachers

On the first day of this term, staff gathered for a day of learning to support the implementation of the curriculum reform, which is the result of the NSW Government Curriculum Review that was launched in 2018. This was the first comprehensive review of the NSW curriculum in three decades. After two extensive rounds of public consultation, education research and lessons from the experiences of other jurisdictions in Australia and internationally, priorities were identified for the early, middle and late years of schooling.

The reform recommendations included the development of a new curriculum – new syllabuses focused on what is essential to know and do in the early and middle years of schooling, and key learning areas in the senior years. 

On a very practical level, this means that teachers are required to rewrite teaching programs and create new resources and assessment tasks.  Next year  English, Mathematics, Languages and Computing Technologies will implement new syllabuses, along with Geography and Software Engineering in Stage 6. There will be an ongoing staged rollout of new syllabuses across key learning areas over the coming years.  This will require a great deal of preparation for teachers in addition to their usual duties.  

Year 12 HSC Examinations

Our Year 12 students have commenced their HSC examinations, the final assessment in their life at secondary school. We are very proud of our students and wish them all the best in these examinations and into the future as they pursue life beyond school.  We are confident that they will be able to use what they have learned during these years at Xavier to be co-creators of a better world.

Please join me in praying for our students throughout the HSC examination period. The examinations will conclude on Friday 3 November.

Year 11

Year 11 students have now commenced their HSC studies and will be formally briefed on the HSC course and assessment requirements on Monday 23 October. Parents are warmly invited to our HSC information session, on Monday 23 October at 6pm in the Magis Centre, as we work in partnership to support our students throughout their HSC journey. The students will begin to complete HSC assessment over the coming weeks and are advised to consult the Year 11 Assessment Calendar for upcoming task dates. If a student is unable to complete an assessment task, please ensure the Absence from Assessment form is completed. Supporting documentation must be included.

Students have been advised how to change their pattern of study for the HSC course. These moves were made as early as possible to support a smooth transition into the HSC. 

We encourage parents and students to carefully read the Year 11 End of Course Report and to attend the Parent Teacher Conferences which will take place on Thursday 2 November in the Magis Centre.

Year 11 students have also been presented with their Academic Excellence and Consistent Effort Awards at a special awards ceremony, acknowledging their achievements in the Year 11 course. We congratulate all award recipients for their commitment to their studies and trust they will utilise this knowledge and skills in the HSC and beyond.

Absence From Assessment Procedures

I remind families that submitting an Absence from Assessment application does not inform our Attendance Officer or the Welfare team of any absences. In addition to completing the Absence from Assessment form, please ensure that you inform the front office of your child’s absence by emailing xcc-absences@lism.catholic.edu.au, or by responding to the Absence SMS sent each day.

Year 7-10 Reports

Students in Years 7-10 will be issued with Semester 2 Reports in Week 10 of Term 4. We will notify parents via email once reports are available via Compass. If you have any queries about Compass access, please contact the Helpdesk via 6618 0123.

Year 10 Examination Block

Year 10 students were briefed on the upcoming examination and assessment period, which commences on Friday 3 November and concludes with practical examinations on Tuesday 14 November. It is important for all students to commence a program of study and revision to prepare for their final examinations. These assessments will contribute to the ROSA (Record of School Achievement), recorded by NESA.

Ms Carmel Zuino

Assistant Principal: Mission

Welcome Back

Welcome to Term 4, Xavier Catholic College community! We are thrilled to kick off this term with great enthusiasm and positive energy. At Wednesday's assembly, we proudly inducted and commissioned our new student leaders, entrusting them with the responsibility of leading our College for the next 12 months. We encourage all of our students to rise to the occasion, particularly highlighting the transition of our Year 7s as they step up to Year 8. We have faith in your ability to guide the next cohort of Year 7s in 2024. As for our Year 11s, they are now our 2024 Year 12 Cohort, embarking on their HSC studies. To our Year 8, 9, and 10 students, it's time to showcase the potential and maturity you've cultivated over the past 12 months. Let's make this term a time of growth, leadership, and achievement for each and every one of us.

The Resilience Project: Community, Parent & Carer Presentation

In the year ahead, Xavier Catholic College is embarking on a mission to nurture resilience within our community. This strategic direction is a result of a thorough analysis of the Tell Them From Me surveys and forms the cornerstone of our annual plan.

We are committed to collaborating with our parent, student, and staff community to introduce a student wellbeing program dedicated to enhancing resilience and overall wellbeing. To kick off this journey, we're excited to announce that Martin Heppell from the Resilience Project will host a presentation for parents and carers about developing resilience in our College community. 

The most significant impact on positive mental health in schools happens when we all work together. For this reason, we're asking all Xavier Catholic College parents to attend this important presentation.

The 'Discovering Resilience' presentation will equip you with the same evidence-based strategies taught in the classroom, allowing you to implement them at home and beyond. You'll also be reminded of the importance of your own wellbeing as we bring our best selves to our families and communities when we prioritise self-care. Together, we can make a meaningful difference.

Please save the date to join us on the first step of this journey:

The Resilience Project – Parents & Carers Presentation
Monday 4 December, 6:30pm-8:00pm
Magis Centre, Xavier Catholic College

Ignatian Leadership Pilgrimage

During the holiday break, Mr. Lewis and I joined the Ignatian Leadership Pilgrimage, where we travelled to the key sites in the life of St Ignatius of Loyola. The Pilgrimage was an opportunity to encounter Jesus, connect with God, and explore Ignatian spirituality. It helped us grow closer to the sacred, improve relationships, open dialogues, and be better companions for our community.

This journey has deepened our connection to the Ignatian tradition at the College and will enrich the experiences of our staff, students, and families. Pope Francis said Catholic educators need a 'formation of the heart' that's rooted in faith and love, like a journey within ourselves. It's not about the miles we walk but the change in our hearts. This pilgrimage experience taught us about the transformative power of our Ignatian tradition. It's a journey that strengthens our bond as a community committed to Jesuit education. As we return, we bring back wisdom, insight, and a deeper spirituality that will inspire and guide our community. Our commitment to Jesuit education remains grounded in faith, love, and the profound tradition of pilgrimage.

With gratitude and renewed purpose,
Mr Peter Fear

Catechesis & Evangelisation

Day of Prayer & Fasting for the Holy Land

All Catholic parishes and communities were encouraged to mark Tuesday October 17 as a day of prayer and fasting for the Holy Land. Below is from the Lismore Diocese Facebook page. 

On behalf of all the Ordinaries of the Holy Land, I invite all parishes and religious communities to a day of fasting and prayer for peace and reconciliation.

We ask that on Tuesday, October 17, everyone hold a day of fasting, abstinence, and prayer. Let us organise prayer times with Eucharistic adoration and with the recitation of the Rosary to Our Blessed Virgin Mary. Although most probably in many parts of our dioceses circumstances will not permit large gatherings, it is possible to organise simple and sober common moments of prayer in parishes, religious communities, and families.

This is the way we all come together despite everything, and unite collectively in prayer, to deliver to God the Father our thirst for peace, justice and reconciliation.

As a College community, we marked this through prayer and an Examen at our Staff meeting, at students’ lunchtime prayer, and in Religious Education lessons. Our Religion lessons this week explored the Israel-Palestine conflict, including aspects such as:

• The history of the conflict
• What is the Holy Land
• The current situation
• Church teachings about the importance of peace
• What Pope Francis has said about the crisis
• Examining first-hand accounts 
• How students can ‘fast’ in their own lives, such as by giving up social media for a day, aiming to express gratitude or be more inclusive and welcoming.

Dr Madeline Beveridge & Mr David Eyles

Pastoral Care News

Welcome to Term 4 to all families! Despite the adjustment back into routine, there has been a pleasant air of calm about the College grounds in these first two weeks. This is a credit to our students, staff and families alike for all that goes on within the grounds and behind the scenes for our young people. This term, guided by the message of the College Captains in our Wednesday assembly, we look to ‘step up’ and finish 2023 as strong as we can, growing and striving for the Magis in our daily lives.

Uniform

Thank you to all Parents, Carers and Students alike for the positive way that our students have worn the uniform this term. Our communication toward the end of Term 3 highlighted the significance of wearing the College uniform and how it can promote a sense of belonging, unity and wellbeing among students. Below is the link to our College website that clearly states the expectations of the uniform:

Uniform Website

If you have any questions or concerns about matters related to uniforms, please don’t hesitate to contact your child/ren’s PC Teacher, Head of House or me.

Attendance

We appreciate the many complex situations that our students experience in life. The expectation for all students is that they attend school when they are well enough to do so. There are many reasons that it might benefit young people to engage in other experiences (i.e. family holidays, elite sporting pathways, cultural experiences, etc.). It is crucial that these are communicated by email (xcc-absences@lism.catholic.edu.au) with as much notice as possible so that we can adequately account for days of absence from school.

This term, there will be a renewed effort to work with families to ensure that students attend school each school day. It is the desire of the College that students attend school and experience the sense of belonging and achievement that comes from engaging in social, educational and interest-based activities. If there is any way we can support your family, please contact us at the College.

Student Leaders Formation Retreat

The incoming leadership group of 2023/2024 engaged in a time of collaboration and learning in Week 1 as they commence their tenure as leaders of the College. The group were blessed with spectacular weather for the two days together that culminated in attending the vigil Mass at St. Francis Xavier Church in Ballina.

Many staff supported the students very generously, who walked in the spirit of true accompaniment with our young people as they grew and learnt together. Thanks to Ms Leigh-Jones, Mrs Kilby, Mrs Howard and Mr Fear for organising and supporting the program and leading sessions for the leaders.

The students themselves worked together in a spirit of humility and compassion, with self-awareness for the benefit of the group. They achieved many great outcomes and have set some inspiring goals that will see our College driven forward through 2024. It is truly amazing to note the competence and commitment of these leaders as they embark on their journey through Year 12. Some notes from our young leaders will sign off the article, along with some photos from the experience.

“Through our leadership workshop last week the 2024 captains were able to establish bonds and build on the foundations that were already there. When brainstorming our 2024 college theme we were able to collaborate with our peers and every person was able to contribute their own ideas. This experience displayed what ideals we valued within our life as a student and what every individual regarded as an important aspect of our school. This collaboration was defined by many misplaced post-it notes and many laughs but overall ended with a deeper understanding of each other and a pretty killer school theme.”

Madison Smith - College Captain, 2024

“Receiving my leadership position at church, in front of the entire parish community, was a truly special moment for all 35 leaders of 2024. The support from the congregation was heartwarming, and it reinforced our shared commitment to our faith community. This event marked the beginning of our journey to serve our church and our school community which symbolized our collective dedication to spiritual growth and the fellow community and college students. It was a moment I will always treasure.” 

Alexander Crimmins - Nagle House Sport Captain, 2024

We look forward to walking alongside these leaders and their cohort through the 2024 school year.

As always, please don’t hesitate to contact me if I can support you or your family in any way.

Mr Nick Jones

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Sport News

Diocesan Volleyball

Open Boys: Congratulations to the Open Boys Volleyball team on their performance at the  Diocesan North Volleyball Championship held at Casino. The team, consisting of Finn Law, Henry Godman, Bodhi Fox, Declan Wallace, Luke Gibbs, Bodhi Smith, and Kyan Brough, finished first in their pool after wins against Mount St Patrick College Murwillumbah and St Joseph's College Banora Point. In the semi-finals, they were matched up against a strong Trinity Catholic College team and unfortunately went down. The boys are to be commended for their enthusiastic and positive effort throughout the competition. They played with great skill and teamwork and represented our school with pride.

Coach: Mr J Cunynghame

Under 15 Girls:

The U15 girls are congratulated on a great day at the recent Diocesan North Volleyball Championships.  After a very close game against Mount St Patrick College, Murwillumbah and a huge win against St Joseph's College, Banora the girls qualified for the semi-finals. The semi-final was a very closely contested match against McAuley Catholic College, Grafton and the girls were unlucky not to make the final. The team, consisting of Portia Johannes, Esther Drake, Kira Van Eijden, Indiana Peachey, Felix Burnett, Mame-Diarra Tall and Lily Smith are to be commended for their enthusiasm and outstanding conduct on the day.

Coach: Mrs J Wallace

College News

Sustainability News

Welcome to Green Corner for Term 4.

This term, we hope to begin work on our garden and mural space behind J Block. Our intentions are to create a space that has connections to the earth, our spirituality, and our Bundjalung history. We have big plans for the space and are so excited to share the progress with you.

Buy Nothing New Month

October is Buy Nothing New month, which is a one-month challenge to buy nothing new (with the exception of essentials like food, hygiene and medicines). Below is a short blurb from the website:  

Buy Nothing New Month is the global movement for collective, conscientious consumption.

It's a little idea that started in Melbourne and is spreading to the Netherlands and USA. In 2011, the Sydney Morning Herald ran a poll asking, "Is Buy Nothing New Month a good idea?" Over 10,000 voted. 82% said "yes."

Buy Nothing New Month isn't Buy Nothing New Never. Nor is it about going without.

It's literally about taking one month off to really think, "Do I really need it?" If I do, "can I get it second-hand, borrow it or rent it? What are my alternatives? Can I borrow from a friend? Can I swap with my neighbour?" It's about thinking where our stuff comes from (finite resources) and where it goes when we're done (often landfill) and what are the fantastic alternatives out there to extend the life of our 'stuff'. It's easy. It's fun. It's moving from consumption-driven to community-driven.

It's good for us, our wallets and our planet.

https://buynothingnew.com.au/why/ 

Laudate Deum

Finally, on October 3, Pope Francis released an Apostolic Exhortation titled Laudate Deum, which is a call to all people of goodwill on the climate crisis. Although a short read, Pope Francis has not held back. He discusses the dire need for a change in mentality, no longer romanticising being ‘green’ but the need to take action at all levels. The efforts of households are praised as this is our road to transformational change. 

“...the most effective solutions will not come from individual efforts alone, but above all from major political decisions on the national and international level” (para. 69)

“Efforts by households to reduce pollution and waste, and to consume with prudence, are creating a new culture. The mere fact that personal, family and community habits are changing is contributing to greater concern about the unfulfilled responsibilities of the political sectors and indignation at the lack of interest shown by the powerful… we are helping to bring about large processes of transformation rising from deep within society.” (para. 71)

Ms Emily Webster
Sustainability Coordinator

Library News

Aussie Bird Count

This week in the library, we are promoting Aussie Bird Week and encouraging students to be “citizen scientists” by spending 20 minutes throughout the week counting birds they encounter.

Revamped Reference

This term, we have reorganised our Reference section to make it more user-friendly and easier to find books. All reference books can be found in the catalogue under a Dewey decimal number. They are arranged on the shelves according to this number. This, along with shelf labelling, makes it a lot easier to find non-fiction books in our library

Book Week Competitions Winners

The winners of our Book Week competitions who received  $30 Book Warehouse vouchers were:

Mrs Malwina Dwyer, Jacob Fear, Patrick Jones, Nava Tiernan, Rachel Wills and Imani Peart.

Congratulations once again to all our winners, and thanks to everyone else who participated in our Book Week activities.

Mrs Kathleen McLennan
Librarian

School Fees Due

Please note that all 2023 School Fees & additional outstanding fees are due to be paid in full no later than Wednesday 15 November 2023.

If you are unable to pay your fees in full by this date, you must contact the school prior, and we can discuss options available to you based on your current circumstances.

We appreciate all Xavier families adhering to your enrolment agreement with the College in ensuring fees are paid on time. In the event of non-payment and no communication with the college, we may pass over management of your account to our external Collection Agent.

Please see attached our 2024 Schedule of Fees so you can start budgeting for next year's billing. You will note there is a 5% increase due to inflation. If you have any questions at all regarding your fees or our billing, please contact me via email at xccfinance@lism.catholic.edu.au, or phone 6618 0180.

Ms Katie Elliott
Business Manager

Canteen News – Term 4 2023

Volunteering in the Canteen is a great opportunity to meet other parents and to be involved in your child/children's 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 to the Canteen where you can prepare 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 on how busy the day is.
• If you cannot 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.
• Reminder: All Canteen volunteers need a volunteer Working With Children Check before starting with us. This is free for volunteers, and you can apply via Service NSW. 

Please note that, due to price increases at our suppliers, we will be increasing costs on some canteen items from Term 3. 

From Monday 24 July 2023, our recess and lunch order cutoff time will be 8:45am.

Check our live Term 4 Canteen Roster here.

Mrs Denise Barnard
Canteen Supervisor

Community News

An Invitation to Grandcarers

If you are a grandcarer who looks after your grandchildren full-time, DAISI Services is here to support you in your important role of helping your grandchild or grandchildren reach their potential.

The Grandcarer Project, an established group, is ready to welcome you. 

Frequency: The first Monday of every month (3/4/23, 1/5/23, 5/6/23, 7/8/23, 4/9/23, 6/11/23)

Time: 11:30am – 1:00pm, with lunch provided

Venue: Ballina Masonic Hall, 56 Cherry St, Ballina

Please contact Sue Hetherington on 0491 065 906 or gc.sue@daisi.asn.au for more information.