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From the Pen of the Principal   

Dear Parents and Carers

GOOD ADVICE

As Principal, you come across many stories that are inspirational and contain wisdom that can shape one's future. During our lives, people say things to us that we always remember. Sometimes we are given advice that changes our worldview. Recently I listened to a story from a fellow Principal that really spoke to me and has been a message that I keep returning to in my own work. I will do my best to put into words what I heard and hopefully do justice to the powerful message it contained. This is what one person remembers a teacher saying, many years ago and I want to pass on the gift to you.

I can't even remember his name. He was a student at our school. I was nine years old. The gift he gave me was a sentence – significant only to me. He would not have remembered saying it an hour later.

I've never been at all good with my hands and a pottery lesson was spent making coil pots. I could see how it was done; everyone around me seemed to me doing all right, but mine was strangely collapsing. I gave up. Everyone else had made a jar; I had somehow made a flattish sort of thing with centimetre high sides. A plate, possibly.

We had to go and present it to our teacher for advice or approval. I stood in the queue with a friend, chatting.

“Mine's awful," I said casually. “It's really bad."

I was only speaking to my friend, but the teacher at the front of the room had heard.

“Well, then," he said, “go back and do it again if it's no good."

He was perfectly serious. I extracted myself from the queue, went back to the workbench, and tried again. Of course it was still awful – I could never have made a pot.

The sentence was a gift of insight, however, and I learned something that people can take years to discover.

There is no point in criticising what you make or what you do. When people say, “Oh, what I've done is awful," what they are really saying is, “I want you to tell me it is okay. I want you to tell me it doesn't matter I didn't try hard enough to do a good job."

In fact, I think apologising in advance means that often we start off not making much of an effort so we can shrug it off and people will say it doesn't matter.

When my students now give me work saying, “It's terrible, I'm so sorry," I think, “Yes, it is. And you made it like that."

What we all should do instead is do the best we can and present it with a smile.

The very first thing that I say to my students is: “The rule is this: you must not apologise for your work." It changes them. Until then they think it is all right to come and say “This isn't very good" – because what they have written is not very good, because they didn't start by making enough effort, because they never even tried to make it good.

I'm grateful for that gift from that teacher. It certainly didn't stop me from failing. It didn't ensure that what I made would always be perfect. But someone who said, “Don't apologise; make something that you don't need to apologise for" changed my life.

So that's my advice to you for this year, which is full of opportunities for us all.

Don't say “Sorry it's no good". Make it your personal rule to always do work you can hand in with a smile, knowing you have done your best.

If you commit to doing that then you are truly an example of the Vision for Xavier Catholic College:

To provide an exceptional

Catholic education in the Ignatian tradition

which encourages all to strive for their personal best

and aspire to make a difference to the world.

​God bless

Simon Dash

Principal

Upcoming Dates 

From the Head of School – Primary: Mr Russell Davey   

​As we move into the second half of the first term of 2021, I would like to take the opportunity to remind parents of the importance of routine for the children who attend Xavier each and every day. Often at the start of the school year we make that extra effort to ensure our children are well prepared for each day however with the busyness of daily life it can often be hard to maintain this momentum.  Whilst it can be difficult to maintain a daily routine, I would encourage all families to prioritise this key component of each day for their children.  Often this simple act will prevent significant issues arising and will allow each child the opportunity to succeed in their school day.  I would like to share with you below some information which I think provides a lot of insight into how routines can impact on a child's day in a positive manner.  Please take the time to read these simple tips and give yourself the opportunity to reflect on your child/children's day and identify the regular routines you currently have in place and those that you may need to give more attention.

Why routines matter:

Research shows that routines support healthy social emotional development in early childhood. In particular, children with regular routines at home have self-regulation skills, the building blocks of good mental health. When children learn to regulate feelings and behaviours, it means they are able to identify their feelings and have skills to manage those feelings so that they do not feel overwhelmed. Young children who learn to do this well are better able to adapt to everyday challenges, stressors, and new expectations. Children do not learn to do this all at once. Just as when a child is learning other important skills, like reading and writing, self-regulation is a set of skills that build over time. Every stage includes age-appropriate milestones and important things parents can do to coach children from one stage into the next.

What about routines matter:

Often parents hear the word routine and imagine it is a proxy for schedule or even more generally structure. Those constructs are similar, but routines require a particular set of characteristics for children to be most developmentally supportive: predictability and accessibility. Children benefit from relationships and environments that are predictable to them: this includes important caregivers who behave in predictable ways, and events that occur at predictable times. For example, many studies demonstrate the benefit of bedtime routines and dinnertime routines. Children can anchor their day according to these expected interactions with their families. Furthermore, these are routine moments that provide a high level of accessibility to children. Not only can children know easily when and how they will occur, but even young children can often participate in these routines in meaningful ways by helping to set the table at dinnertime or choose their own book to read with a parent at bedtime.

School Photo Day- Tuesday 9th March

A reminder to all parents that next Tuesday is school photo day.  All families should have received order slips via their class teacher.

Year 5 & 6 Camp

Camp is approaching very quickly for our Year 5 and 6 students.  Both the teachers and students in these year levels are looking forward to the wonderful experiences which form part of every Camp. My thanks to Mrs Brindell and Mrs Pronk for their effort in getting camp up and running again in 2021.  We wish all students the very best for Camp and look forward to hearing about their adventures when they return.

AFL Gala Day

Congratulations to all the students who represent the College at the AFL Gala Day last Thursday. From all reports the students had a wonderful day and represented the school very well.  My thanks to Mrs Hatchett for facilitating this wonderful day out for our rising AFL stars!​

Primary School - Excellence at XCC Award recipients   

These awards are for students who have demonstrated one or more of the following SAIL Expectations.  

We are Safe

We Act Responsibly  

We Interact Respectfully  

We Love to Learn​  

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Award recipients Term 1, Week 5

School Photos

Today, students received their School Photo order envelopes. School Photos will be held next Tuesday 9 March. Secondary students are to wear their formal uniforms on this day and all students should return their envelop on the day for processing, regardless of order. Family Photo and spare envelopes will be available from the Office.​

Xavier Finance

Dear Parents & Caregivers,

Please be aware our bank details have changed.

If you pay school fees into our bank account directly, please use the following details:

Account Name: Xavier Catholic College

BSB: 064-786

A/C: 100017100

Please ensure you use the customer reference number provided on your statement.

PLEASE NOTE: THIS DOES NOT AFFECT CUSTOMERS PAYING BY DIRECT DEBIT, BPAY, CREDIT CARD, OR QKR.​

Volunteering at Xavier Catholic College 

We are so fortunate to have many generous parents and carers who volunteer their time in different capacities around the college. If you are interested in volunteering, you will need to complete our online training available at the link below. Please download and read the Code of Conduct, complete the Student Protection training and download, print and complete the registration form. This registration form can be dropped into our Student Support staff in the Manresa Support room (outside Goa) where we can discuss your availability and the areas you would like to support. This is an annual requirement from Brisbane Catholic Education before you commence your voluntary work in the school each year.  

Student Protection and Code of Conduct Training for Volunteers ​

Xavier takeover Parkrun 

Mark it on your calendar! Saturday March 13, Xavier Catholic College community have nominated to fill the volunteer roster for Hervey Bay parkrun and hope to encourage as many of our families to get involved in this great weekly event. Whether you're a regular participant or a curious first timer, this will be a welcoming opportunity to give Parkrun a go. Walk, jog or run at your own pace. Wear your school uniform or a great opportunity to bust our the Wolves gear. Let's see how many participants we can get to this fun event. We hope to see you there.

You can participate without registering for a parkrun account, but if you are considering it as more than a once off, you may like to track your parkrun times. Registration is completely free and only needs to be done once. Simply complete the registration form, print your barcode and come and join the fun. It is a great way to start your weekend, make new friends, feel part of your local community and improve your fitness.

Lions Park, Urangan (Urangan Pier)

Saturday, March 13, 2021 at 7 AM​

Lions Youth of the Year

Congratulations to our College Vice Captain Sarah Garty who was awarded the Fraser Lions Club Overall Winner in the 2021 Lions Youth of the Year Competition. Sarah's outstanding speech on the need for free education also led to her second award for the evening – the Public Speaking Award.

The judges described Sarah as courageous, articulate and passionate about supporting youth.

The Lions Competition required Sarah to answer a series of questions by an interview panel (including a general knowledge quiz), present a prepared speech and respond to two (2) impromptu questions. Sarah's performance was inspirational. She is a credit to her family, school and community and a great role model for our younger students. The best wishes of the Xavier Catholic College community go with her as she embarks on the next stage of judging in this challenging but amazing opportunity!​

Arts News

What a fantastic start to the year for XAVIER ARTS. This year we have been making participation in the ARTS a priority by providing more and more opportunities for students to engage in fun and enriching arts programs.

We have started off the year with our new After-School Drama program for both Primary and Secondary students with our expert, external tutors from ZPAC Theatre, Mr Tim Holstein (Primary) and Mr Jonathan Sharp (Secondary). Both bring a wealth of knowledge and experience in working with young people and are so far doing some fun and amazing work.

Mr Paul Damms has been beating the drum both metaphorically and for real by reintroducing Drum Line. This exciting musical artform involves skill and timing and often includes spectacular displays of synchronisation. Join the fun Tuesday Afternoons in the senior music room. Participation is free for this adventure.

STOP PRESS! One of our talented Year 11 Students, Georgia Cassidy had her opening night and weekend of performances in the lead role of ZPAC Theatre's Two Weeks with The Queen. The show was well attended and opened to rave reviews. Don't miss seeing our one of our Xavier Arts crew shine on the local stage.

Most of our instrumental music program is on track and busily educating the musicians of tomorrow. Both Keyboard and Guitar /Drums are set to recommence in Term 2. Choir is off to a flying start with several events planned for the year including the Maryborough Eisteddfod and a possible surprise performance coming up sooner than we may think…

Also, in term 2 we hope to introduce an after school Visual Arts and a film making program. And did someone say…Bagpipes…watch this space!

Plans are also afoot for a major Xavier Art exhibition, Showcase events and a Secondary school production. Stay tuned – the Arts-Fun has only just begun.​

School Based Traineeship Profile: Grace Waning

Work experience helped me score a job in an industry I love. Completing a Certificate 3 in Beauty Services, while continuing to complete my Senior Education is a fantastic opportunity and one that I'm excited to complete. Practicing in the field, creating a clientele base, and expanding my knowledge in the industry every week I do placement, adds to the enjoyment and fun the course.  I love learning new things and having my own work family at Serenity Skin Spa!" ​

Xavier Alumni take part in the World's Greatest Shave

​​Xavier Alumni, Connor and Isabella McMahon are taking part in the World's Greatest Shave for the Leukaemia Foundation – they’re on a mission to shave the world from blood cancer! If you would like to sponsor the siblings to give families facing blood cancer the emotional and practical support they need, please click the link below to our donations page. 

Donations will help fund vital research to help more people survive blood cancers, while improving their quality of life. Every day another 47 Australians are diagnosed with a blood cancer. That’s one Aussie every 31 minutes. Although research is improving survival, sadly an Australian loses their life to blood cancer every two hours. Will you help by sponsoring us? Please click below and sponsor our team today!​

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Book Fair

Book Fair is now on at Xavier Library!  A great selection of books, posters and stationery is currently on sale.  The Book Fair raffle is $1 for a chance to win one of two $25 Book Fair vouchers.  We are open until Monday 8th March, 8.10 am to 3.30 pm (except Friday after school).  Sales by cash, EFTPOS or QKR. Every purchase helps earn learning and literacy resources for our school. Thank you for your support.​

Narwari Mission Week – Project Compassion

Only 2 weeks to Narwari Mission Week. There are lots of activities planned from Face Painting in the Primary School to Jelly Eating in the Secondary School. Notes will be coming home this week in the Primary School with all payments on QKR. Secondary students will be able to purchase on the day with cash or card. All money raised is going to our charity Caritas and we usually raise around $1800. Below is an example of how the money you raised in our Mission Week goes to help people around the world. We are looking forward to a fantastic week.​

WHAT YOUR DONATION CAN DO​

$20 will provide COVID-19 prevention training for a member of a primary school's Water Sanitation Hygiene (WASH) club in Tanzania.

$70 can buy fabric to make up to 1000 face masks to protect a community during a COVID-19 outbreak in the Solomon Islands.

$160 provides one family with materials to build their own toilet in Indonesia.

$500 an provide beds in a refugee camp in Bangladesh to an entire family, including their elderly grandparents so they don't have to sleep on the ground.

During Project Compassion we hear the difference our donations make in relation to women empowering each other and their villages. As we celebrate International Women's Day in 2021 “Women in Leadership", let us not forget the courage it takes for women to take up these challenges so that they may simply live.  Please allow sometime in to listen, discern and act with these stories, real people real life…

Nude Food 2021

Nude lunches tend to be healthier! They encourage eating of whole foods, fruit and veg. Lunchboxes with many pre-packaged items are often less healthy and they create a lot more waste! High amounts of plastic wrappers in our red waste bins and not much in our greenwaste or recycle bins...

For more ideas about Nude Food lunchboxes, check out the following links:

How to pack lunch without plastic

How to pack a nude food lunch

Recipes Booklet

During 2021, Xavier is continuing to encourage all students to bring in Nude Food lunches as much as possible. We very much appreciate your support.

Clean Up Australia Day

Clean Up Australia inspires and empowers communities to clean up, fix up and conserve our environment. What was started thirty years ago, by an "average Australian bloke" who had a simple idea to make a difference in his own backyard has now become the nation's largest community-based environmental event.

Yr 9 leaders will be running the school clean up day on this Friday, look out for more information in the notices. Sunday is the national clean up Australia day, seek out your local event by following the link below.

Clean Up Australia (cleanupaustraliaday.org.au

From Student Support: Why is reading so important?

Reading is such an important skill for life for all ages of students. Reading in the early years is also a wonderful sharing time for young children and the adults in their life. Reading together builds language skills and vocabulary as well as a love of books - and that early love of reading is also a major predictor of future academic and vocational success. For early readers, reading with your child should be a fun, sharing time where adults and children take turns at reading and talking about the book they are reading together. For older students, setting aside a time to read independently each day increases vocabulary and allows their imagination and creativity to grow.

If you are unsure about how to start reading with your child, there's a great, simple video link below. If you are concerned about your child's reading progress, send us an email or come in and visit the Manresa Learning Support rooms next to After School Care.

Libby Gaedtke

Prep – Year 2

egaedtke@bne.catholic.edu.au

Cassandra Wilson

Year 3-6 Support

cphillips@bne.catholic.edu.au

Claire Sinclair 

Secondary Support 

cvsinclair@bne.catholic.edu.au ​

Maths Tutoring Timetable

Year 7-12 Maths Tutoring Roste​r 2021

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Girls Colour Cricket Night

Hervey Bay Cricket Association are celebrating Qld Women's Week with a FREE Girls Colour Blast Cricket Night

Includes white shirt &

Free sausage sizzle for participants

Canteen will be Open

Click on the link here to register.