From the Pen of the Principal
Dear Parents and Caregivers
“The life and death of each of us has its influence on others” (Romans 14:7)
Anzac Day is an important time for all Australians to reflect on the cost of war and the price of peace. On Sunday, throughout our nation, people gathered to remember those who have sacrificed so much for the freedoms we enjoy. Anzac Day is never a triumphal affair. We do not glorify war. As Australians we remember the sacrifice so as to remind ourselves of our responsibility to be peacemakers.
I shared with students on Wednesday morning the story of my own family’s connection to the reality of war, including Uncles and Aunts that served in World War II, one of whom made the ultimate sacrifice in PNG. My late father served with the Airforce in World War II, stationed for the most part in the Philippines as a signals operator. One of my distinctive memories of my father was that he would rarely ever talk about his experiences and when he did his tone would be somewhat solemn. The only conversation I can recall was after watching an episode of “Combat”. As an enthusiastic 10 year old I said to my father “So dad, was that what it was like?” My father turned to me with such a serious face that I immediately regretted asking the question. “If you could imagine sending an encrypted signal that would result in the deaths of hundreds of men, or picking up the pieces of bodies after an air raid – bodies of people who minutes before were your friends – you’d know not to ask.” Till the day he died when I was just 14 years of age, I never asked again.
My father was one serviceman that survived. But, like so many, he lived with the effects of the horrors he had seen and the memories of those who did not survive. Each life lost, whether friend or enemy, had a ripple effect through his life and the lives of all who knew them. Their stories were precious, individual and unique. Their lives made a difference.
When we hear of the numbers of dead from the conflicts that scourged our planet throughout our nations short life, it is hard to fathom the magnitude of suffering, grief and pain. At times we forget that each individual was a unique story – a precious gift of God. This Anzac day let’s not forget to remember the uniqueness of each individual’s story and the tragedy of each individual’s passing. In doing so, let us remember our commitment to be peacemakers who strive to uphold the dignity of each and every life.
When I visited the battlefields of the Somme in France, I saw the indelible mark left by our soldiers, along with countless graves of the fallen. Each tombstone represented a life cut short. Each grave told the story of an individual who never returned to their native land. At Villers-Bretonneux there is a message painted on the wall of their school ‘Do Not Forget Australia.’ Nearby at the Australian Corps Memorial there is a quote carved in the stone from the French Prime Minister spoken in July 1918. The words speak volumes of the Anzac Spirit. It reads:
“When the Australians came to France, the French people expected a great deal of you… We knew you would fight a real fight, but we did not know that from the very beginning you would astonish the whole continent….
I shall go back tomorrow and say to my countrymen: I have seen the Australians. I have looked in their faces. I know that these men will fight alongside of us again until the cause for which we are all fighting is safe for us and for our children.”
The price of peace and liberty has been a high one for our young nation. While we could not march again this year, it is important for us to continue to remember all who made the ultimate sacrifice and those who continue to be affected by the scars of conflict, loss and grief. Lest we Forget.
God Bless
Simon Dash
Principal
Calendar of events
28/4
| Year 7 Camp
|
28/4
| Year 9 Camp
|
28/4
| Year 10 Camp
|
3/5
| Labour Day Holiday |
4/5
| District Cross Country - 13 to 19 years |
4/5
| Mothers Day Stall |
6/5
| Wide Bay Cluster 3 - 10 to 12 years |
7/5
| Mothers Day Event - P-6 |
9/5
| Mothers Day
|
15/5
| Year 11 & 12 Drama - World Theatre Festival
|
From the Head of School – Primary: Mr Russell Davey
I hope all families have had a positive start to the new term after what was a very unusual end to Term One. The COVID Pandemic has provided us with many lessons, none more so than the need to at times be flexible and adapt to changing conditions. This attitude was on display from Day One of Term Two with students up and running (literally) very quickly for the start of the new term.
As I mentioned to many of my Colleagues, I have never been in a position across my many years of teaching where a school wide carnival occurred on the first day of term. I must admit that I was not sure what to expect as the first day is often focused on returning students to routine and allowing them the opportunity to reconnect with their classmates. I am very happy to report to all parents that the behaviour of students across the day was exemplary and I was very pleased with the positive attitude they presented on the first day of the term. The Xavier spirit was on show from Day One as students represented their houses with pride.
I was very also pleased to see the support shown by the students and wider College community as students participated in this annual event. My thanks to the many parents and carers who attended on the day and supported not only their children but each and every student as they made their way across the line. Congratulations to Mrs Hatchett and Mr Milne for a fantastic Cross Country Carnival and we look for to 2022.
As we begin the new term, I would like to take the opportunity to remind parents and carers regarding some of our general morning and afternoon processes. Please see below:
Supervised GOA Duty – 8.00 am – 8.30 am
As you would be aware the College provides supervision from 8.00 am each morning in our GOA centre and on the GOA oval. The purpose of this duty is to allow parents the opportunity to drop off prior to the start of the school day and to ensure they are able to get to work as required. In recent times we have had a number of students who are not making their way to the supervised areas. Can I ask that all parents who are dropping students in the morning remind their children about the need to go to directly to these supervised areas GOA/GOA oval. Students who are waiting outside these areas must have a supervising adult with them at all times to prevent any unnecessary accidents/issues. My thanks for your support in this area.
Doors Open – 8.30 am
Classroom doors in P-6 open at 8.30 am each day with rolls beginning at 8.40 am. This time is available to parents to deliver a quick message if they need to do so or make an appointment to see the classroom teacher. Alternatively, you can email your class teacher and they will respond once they have had the opportunity to check their emails. If a message needs to be passed to students during the course of the day, please contact student reception at the College and they will pass on the message to your child's teacher.
Pickup/Drive Through
My thanks to the many families who are using the car sun visor family signs distributed last term. This simple addition to our drive through pickup has prevented delays due to staff having to determine which students are required for each vehicle. I would encourage all families to contact the College if you are yet to receive a visor sign bearing your family name or did not receive the communication last term regarding this new addition to our afternoon pickup.
Anzac Day
Thanks to our students who represented the college at reduced services in Burrum Heads and Hervey Bay on Sunday morning. Last week our Prep students learnt about the importance of ANZAC Day in HASS. Through the sharing of stories such as "My Grandad Marches on ANZAC Day", the Preps are aware of the significance of the Poppy as a symbol of remembrance. They also created some portraits of the soldiers who landed in ANZAC Cove on the very first ANZAC Day.
Prep students proudly wore their 'Handmade Poppy Badges' to the P -12 ANZAC Day Liturgy this week. They enjoyed making class wreaths to commemorate this special day.
Thank you to all our Service men and women who have fought for peace. Lest we forget.
From the Head of School – Secondary: Mr Chris Relf
Experience Xavier Day – Year 6 Transition Day
We thank our Year 6 guests so much for attending our special event, 'Experience Xavier' on Thursday 22 April. This provided an opportunity for students to develop friendships, while trying a variety of subjects to discover what high school will be like.
We felt it was a great success and do hope you enjoyed your visit to our school. If you know of any families that missed the opportunity to join us on campus, please encourage them to contact us to arrange a personal tour of the college. We would be delighted to assist in any way possible. A reminder that our Round 1 applications for enrolment ends on May 24.
enrolmentsxavier@bne.catholic.edu.au
http://www.xavier.qld.edu.au/.../General-Enrolment...
Senior Jersey Presentations
Last week our traditional senior jersey presentations took place between our Preps and Year 12's. It is always a special occasion strengthening the bonds between our school leaders and young stars of the future. Thank you especially to Mrs Toohey, Mrs Jacobs and Mrs Proctor for being so accommodating with the in-demand preps, and to our Year 12's for being great role models for our youngest students.
Homework Hub
WHEN: Wednesday 3-4:30
WHAT: Come for a little or a long time
WHO: All students 7-12
HOW: Supervised by Teachers
WHERE: Library
The Homework Hub is a safe, supportive, and productive student meetup out of school hours to assist students in completing their homework. Homework clubs provide vital support for students who do not otherwise have the help that they need or just want a quiet place to study with free Wi-fi.
Homework Hub can provide:
· a safe, quiet and calm space for students to concentrate
· a supportive environment
· one to one or small group support
· a chance to share knowledge
· work collaboratively on assessment
· an opportunity to build relationships
· an opportunity to develop good work habits and a positive attitude towards learning
· the chance to develop skills involved in becoming an independent learner
School-based Apprenticeships / Traineeships (SATs)
A SAT is an excellent means for a small business to employ and train an apprentice/trainee for one to two days per week while the student completes their senior schooling. At the completion of year 12 (or sooner if all parties agree), the SAT is rolled over to a full-time apprenticeship/traineeship until it is completed. In 2004 Xavier Catholic College signed-up our very first school-based apprentice. Since 2004 over 200 Xavier students have commenced a SAT.
Since I moved to Hervey Bay in 1988, youth retention to Hervey Bay had always been a challenge. Our youth had to move away for further studies or employment. However, since the introduction of SATs, many of our students have gained employment, a qualification, and remained local. This has been a tremendous benefit to our local employers and our local economy.
If your company (or one that you know of), is considering employing a School-based Apprentice or Trainee (SAT), and you would like to register your interest for a potential Xavier student, please follow the link and complete the SAT Expression of Interest Form. This form will remain open until Friday the 30th of April.
If you have any questions regarding SATs, please do not hesitate to contact John Donnelly at jdonnelly@bne.catholic.edu.au.
NAPLAN
NAPLAN schedule and testing times will be emailed home to parents shortly. Please refer to this email to detailed information regarding NAPLAN testing.
This year Xavier has an absolute BUMPER Mother's Day Stall in the library. Items for sale range from $1 to $10. EFTPOS will be available next week from Tuesday 4th May and cash sales at any time including this week. QKR payments can be made from Wednesday 29th April. Students will have the opportunity to make purchases during their library time or lunch breaks. This year we have two fantastic raffles. No more than $5/child can be spent on raffle tickets. The raffle will be drawn on Friday 7th May at second break.
$1 = 1 Ticket
$2 = 5 Tickets
$3 = 10 Tickets
$4 = 15 Tickets
$5 = 25 Tickets
Win a State of Origin jersey of your choice!
Purchase your tickets on Qkr! app for your chance to win. The money raised goes towards supporting our QISSN Netball team to compete in Brisbane at the state carnival during the June school holidays.
Tuckshop relief staff
Our Tuckshop is calling for Expressions of Interest for casual relief staff, to cover periods of leave and staff absences. The position involves food preparation and customer service. A Working with Children Blue card will be required. If you are interested in this position, please contact Liz Mee on 4197 1264 or email your CV to lmee@bne.catholic.edu.au
Visit by Registered Nurse for Free Prep Vision Screening
Good vision is important for a child's educational, physical and social development. Vision screening checks for common eye conditions that may impact your child's ability to see and therefore impact their learning and development.
A Registered Nurse will be visiting the school on/between 10 and 11 May 2021 to conduct vision screening for children in their prep year. Your child does not need a Medicare card in order to participate in screening. If you wish to have your prep child participate in this free vision screening program, please complete a consent form by 2nd May, 2021. Online or paper consent forms are available and will be distributed to you. Parents do not need to be present for screening, however if you would like to be, please contact the school to arrange this.
If your child's vision is screened, you will be advised of the results in writing. If a vision concern is found, you will receive a phone call from the nurse to discuss referral to an eye health professional for further assessment. If a vision concern is identified and your child requires glasses, eligible health care card holders may be assisted with free basic glasses through the Spectacle Supply Scheme.
Participation in vision screening is not compulsory. If you do not wish for your child to participate in screening, please complete the consent form and indicate that you wish to decline screening.
If you have any questions, please contact the Primary School Nurse Health Readiness Program on 1800 687 372.
Deadly Choices Program
This term we ran the Deadly Choices program with our Year 5 & 6 students. Deadly Choices program aim to empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to make healthy choices for themselves and their families – to stop smoking, to eat good food and exercise daily. In Aboriginal slang, if something is 'deadly' it is great. As such a Deadly Choice is a good choice, and we encourage community to make such choices each day.
From the Guidance Counsellors
We would like to take this opportunity to outline the Guidance Counsellor roles at Xavier. Our role is essentially to be a support avenue that students and families can access in the College Community for information, support, counselling or advice. While personal counselling is an aspect of our roles, students and parents often make appointments for many different reasons.
Amy Sands, Guidance Counsellor (Prep to year 6)
Collaborate with external agencies and professions to provide holistic programs to support the education and mental health needs of individual students
Short-term personal counselling and assistance for mental health difficulties (assistance provided to access external agencies for ongoing clinical intervention)
Implement a range of mental health and social skills programs to accommodate the needs of students
Psycho-educational assessment as necessary
Collaboratively negotiate, develop, and implement programs for students, responsive to identified personal, social, emotional and educational needs
Guidance counsellor requests in Prep to year 6, are made through referrals from the classroom teacher. If you have any concerns regarding your child, please ensure you speak with the classroom teacher first, and they can complete the referral process to discuss further support.
Annie Sexton, Guidance Counsellor (Years 7-12)
I can offer assistance in the following areas and can be accessed either directly or through a member of Leadership or a Dean of House:
Career information and support – Queensland and Interstate tertiary options, in-school University experiences such as Head Start
Assistance with QTAC applications and Scholarship links
Australian Defence Force Career Pathways and application processes
Educational Support including Individual Education Plans, social-emotional needs and referral to Mrs Loanda Moy (Youth Support Coordinator) who assists students with time management, study schedules and information on alternative career pathways
Personal counselling and assistance for mental health difficulties (assistance provided to access external agencies for ongoing clinical intervention)
A Message from the Xavier Student Support Team
The Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD) is a yearly count of students by all Australian schools across the country. The aim of the NCCD is to provide the Australian Government with information about the number of students with disability in Australian schools and the type of adjustments they need in order to access and participate in education on the same basis as other students.
If you are a parent, guardian or carer of a child with disability who requires ongoing adjustments at school, a teacher or another school staff member will consult with you to understand your child's needs. This collaborative approach ensures the most appropriate adjustments are chosen to support your child's learning and participation at school. At Xavier, we aim to communicate with families to update a learning plan each semester.
Your child will be included in the NCCD if they require ongoing adjustments at school due to a disability as defined by the Disability Discrimination Act 1992This link will open in a new window (the DDA). This is a very broad definition of disability, which includes physical and intellectual disabilities, learning disorders such as dyslexia and dysgraphia, and mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression.
The Disability Standards for Education 2005 (the Standards) set out the obligations of schools towards students with disability. Information for parents, guardians and carers on the DDA and the Standards about how schools can work with students and their families is available at Disability Standards for Education: A practical guide for individuals, families and communities.
While it is not possible for schools or families to 'opt out' of the NCCD, the privacy and confidentiality of all students and their families is treated with utmost importance. Data is collected within each school, and personal details, such as student names and other identifying information, are not provided to local or federal education authorities.
If you would like more information about the NCCD, please use the link below.
As a parent, guardian or carer, what do I need to know? - Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (nccd.edu.au)
Claire Sinclair – Secondary
Cassandra Wilson – Year 3-6
Libby Gaedtke – Prep-2
We are going green, download the app today!
Need to Notify an Absence?
Collecting a Student Early?
Dropping a Student off Late?
Do it online and save time!
Download the BCE Connect App
Search for Xavier Catholic College
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BCE Connect allows you to enter the information before you come to the school.
You will still need to come into the office however you will not need to complete any forms.
Maths Pathway – Year 7-9 Growth Gurus
Each fortnight we will be recognising the students who have mastered six or more new mathematical concepts for the cycle. These students have achieved rocket status for their growth rate.
Maths Pathways – Week 1 Results
| | | | | | 400%
| 467%
|
Angus Keal Holly Linderberg Chloe Paxton Bailey Shinner Jeremy Dawe Madison Smith Oliver Watson Jake Claridge Huerta Mia Kai Peacock Destiny Scott Sharnie Finlay Charlotte Brydges Emily O'Shea Mia Anderson Sebastian Denny Nelson Mischa
|
Isabella Feckner Kian Black Olivia Frawley Maya Malkani Charlotte McQuaid Mackenzie Riedy Emil Stewart Hamish Bryce Ronan Gilbert Kaylan McKeehan Daly Sharnee Sienna Hilton Brock Carmichael-Reid Matthew Sinn Jack Delaforce Kruiz McGennan Milli Paxton
| Leah Lyle Isobel Moustakis Tess Verbeek Kataleya Clifford Alexander Laskowki Tahlia Lethborg Lucas Tavaya Caelan Baker Charlotte Westblade Harriet Everett Bonnie Murphy Peyton Prizeman Shaw Lincoln Brody Carter
|
Mason Bartholomeusz Maddy Moyle
Lilliana Binns Belle Bishop Aiden Quinn Brodie Dearne Ellyana Kelso Claire Olsen
|
Bella Thom
Leesha Williams
| | Sebastian Carlin
Joshua Hazelden
| Anthony Czinege
|
Maths Tutoring Timetable
Year 7-12 Maths Tutoring Roster 2021
Before School 8:00 – 8:30 am | | | Staff Prayer | Mr Relf Library | Mrs Wright Library |
First Break 11:15 -11:35 am | Mrs Green P34 Week B | | Mr Tyrrell Mrs Buxton Rm 48 Language Centre | | Mrs White P22 Week B |
After School 3:05 - 4:00 pm | Staff Meeting | Miss Hourigan Mr Duck Library | | Mrs Ritter Library | |
SPORTS NEWS
K-12 Cross-Country
Last Monday, 19th April, the Xavier K-12 Cross-Country was held at the College grounds. With fine weather conditions, the students had a fantastic time with great levels of participation and many excellent performances.
The Age Champions for 9yrs to Open were as follows:
9yrs Alannah Blanke and Harrison Carpenter, Jack Anderson
10yrs Mahina Rasmussen and Will Robertson
11yrs Summer Osbourne and Caelan Gilbert
12yrs Ariana Rasmussen and Jestyn Horne
13yrs Ellie Stewart and Ethan Wright
14yrs Milli Paxton and Caleb Berthelsen
15yrs Montana Matheson and Seth Logan
16yrs Charlotte Davies and Jett Wright
OPEN Chantelle McCarthy (18yrs), Charli Thompson (17yrs) and Eli Smith
Congratulations to Narwari for winning the Primary Trophy and to Buthu for winning the Secondary Trophy The OVERALL HOUSE CHAMPIONS for the carnival were BUTHU. Overall points are below:
| House | P-6 | 7-12 | Total | Place |
| Buthu | 661 | 1502 | 2163 | 1st |
| Dirum | 876 | 1158 | 2034 | 2nd |
| Kondari | 519 | 1406 | 1925 | 3rd |
| Narwari | 896 | 938 | 1834 | 4th
|
The Hervey Bay District Cross-Country is held at St James Lutheran College on Tuesday 4th May. All students who have qualified have been given information packages. The due date for forms submission (to sports box) and Qkr payment has been brought forward to Tuesday 27th April 9am.
Touch Football
Trials for all Xavier touch football teams will commence in Week 3 of this term. More information to follow.
Community Notices
Registration is open now for the Hervey Bay Oztag 2021 Senior Winter season. Register a team or as an individual at www.herveybayoztag.com SENIOR men, mixed, family and friends mixed and ladies divisions are available to play in for fun, non-contact footy action We have a great new promotion for qualifying school or workplace mens and ladies teams to have a FREE season! Visit the website, email herveybay@oztag.com or call 0414893840 for all of the info. We are ready to assist you in every way possible.
Fair Play vouchers are accepted for U18's, check out if you are eligible for a fair play voucher to cover all fees at https://www.qld.gov.au/recreation/sports/funding/fairplay/apply We also have online payment plans available if you don't qualify for a Fair Play voucher
Team Registrations closing May 20th
Don't miss out on the fun. Join the Oztag family and Come and “Get Your Tag On"