Dear Parents and Carers

Tomorrow, Wednesday, 2nd August, Xavier Catholic College will be holding its X-CITE Open Day. The afternoon will begin at 3.30pm and conclude at 6.00pm. I would like to extend an invitation to all our current families to come along and have a look at a breathtaking showcase of our teaching and learning activities and facilities. Please drop in at any time throughout the afternoon.

Our staff have been in overdrive in preparing demonstrations and interactive displays to give you a glimpse of the brilliant programs we offer to our students. It’s sure to amaze you how education has been transformed in recent years by technology and the latest research into best practice to enhance learning. We will have student tour guides on hand if you wish to hear about their educational experiences at Xavier.

We are also welcoming prospective families to come and have a look. If you know of a family that haven’t yet made up their minds about which school they wish to send their child, please invite them to come along.

I look forward to seeing you here at the College for what should prove to be an X-CITING afternoon.

Kind regards
Simon Dash
Principal


PRINCIPAL'S ADDRESS

Dear Parents,

Change to Year 6 in 2018
After an extensive phase of research and review which began last year, the College has made the decision that Year 6 will return to being part of our Junior school. This will commence in 2018 with our current Year 5 students as they will move into their new Year Level.

Central to this decision has been the age-readiness of students to cope with the demands of a Secondary School environment. This is particularly significant in regards to entering a Vertical Pastoral Care system. An additional significant factor was researching the best age for experiencing leadership in a Primary School context. It is clear that Year 6 students have developed the maturity to gain much more from the leadership opportunities provided to them and benefit to a greater degree from the experience.

Being a P to 12 school, this move offers us the best of both worlds. It still allows our Year 6 students to access the brilliant Secondary specialist facilities and the expertise of teaching strategies that help transition them to the Middle Years of Schooling. It also enables our Year 6 teachers to work as part of the Junior Years team to ensure consistency and continuity of learning experiences.

Finally, it avoids confusion over such things as uniform requirements, sports carnivals and the double transition that currently occurs in Year 6 and then again when the students hit Year 7 and are joined by a further 50 to 60 students.

This has been a time-consuming and well-researched undertaking to ensure our students have the best experience of the teaching and learning environment at Xavier. More information about the programs and structures will follow later this year.

Launch of the Xavier Endowment Fund
It is my pleasure to announce the launch of the Xavier Endowment Fund, established through the Catholic Foundation, Archdiocesan of Brisbane, which will enable us to provide additional means-tested bursaries to families who are struggling or who would otherwise not consider Xavier because their inability to pay full fees.
Xavier Catholic College is centred upon an Ignatian spirituality of learning and social justice. A cornerstone of this spirituality is to ensure that this Catholic community be accessible to those children who would not otherwise have the opportunity to attend.  Therefore, we have proudly launched the Xavier Catholic College Endowment Fund. This has been established as a perpetual fund to provide annual bursaries for families who are experiencing financial hardship. 

Beginning in 2018, through the generosity of parents, alumni and local business supporters, we will award bursaries to assist with tuition and fees to attend Xavier Catholic College. These bursaries will benefit those students who are genuinely unable to financially afford a Catholic education.

We deeply thank all of the donors who have thoughtfully contributed to opening the Endowment Fund and seek your continued support to raise funds to award more children bursaries in order to give them the opportunity to reach their full potential through a Xavier education. 

All donations to the fund are tax-deductable. It is our hope that through annual pledges and a tax-time appeal, we can grow this fund in the coming years so more students are able to enjoy a Catholic Education in the Ignatian Tradition.

If you would like to make a donation to the Endowment Fund, please follow the link.

It is a small way to make a massive difference to a child’s life. I thank you in advance for your support.

God bless
Simon Dash
Principal


HEADS OF COLLEGE ADDRESS

FEAST DAY OF ST. IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA
Monday was a significant day in our Ignatian network of schools being the Feast day of the founder of the Society of Jesus – the Jesuits. Ignatius of Loyola, along with our Xavier Catholic College patron, St. Francis Xavier founded the Society of Jesus in 1540. Their focus then was on education and this has remained throughout the centuries.

X-Cite – OPEN DAY
We, the staff,  are excited and many of our students across the College are very excited about our upcoming Open Day  “X-Cite”. Our classroom doors will be opened wide and there will be many interactive displays and activities to take part in. Come along anytime between 3.30pm and 6.30pm.

Junior school classrooms will be welcoming visitors and our Heads of the various Departments – English, Mathematics, Science, HPE & Sport as well as all Humanities subjects, will have many great sights to see.

Our Choirs and musicians will be entertaining you in Goa and after taking a tour around the College you will be able to have a barista coffee made by our students in the Hospitality Centre.

ZONE ATHLETICS
Congratulations to all our Junior Years athletes who competed in the Regional Zone Athletics last week.  The students involved represented the college very well and are to be commended on their positive attitude and team spirit.  Our thanks Ms Hogan for organising the team and to Mrs Brindell for managing on the day.



AWARDS ASSEMBLY
On Wednesday, we are holding an Assembly for our students in Years 6 to 10 to present Certificates recognising Application and Effort to their studies. Our students in Years 11 and 12 will also receive certificates, however these will be posted home so that they can use the Assembly time to recoup some time lost over the last few weeks with our many extra-curricular activities.

These Certificates will be presented to students who had received “Consistently” for all or all but one subject for Effort on their Trimester 2 report for Years 9 and 10 and Semester Report for Years 7 and 8 and Years 11 and 12.

YEARS 6 -12 PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS
Thank you to those parents who were able to attend interviews last Tuesday night to discuss and review student progress. As a College we highly value the opportunities to speak with parents and strongly encourage parents to take advantage of these opportunities. Semester One and trimester Two Reports were delivered to parents via the Parent Portal and the College offers the opportunity to parents and Carers to meet to review these Reports. If you were not able to access your child’s Reports please check your emails for instructions

CEW MASS
Last week we celebrated and recognised Catholic Education Week.  Under the theme of ‘Sharing the Journey’ the college community came together for a Catholic Education Week Mass.  As part of this special occasion our new student leaders were inducted into their leadership roles within the college.  Congratulations to all students who had been successful in gaining a leadership position in 2017/18.  We wish them the very best as they embark on this new journey.  Our thanks to Father Regi and invited guests for joining us for this important college event.



TRIVIA NIGHT FOR PARISH YOUTH
The Parish Youth Trivia night held by Star of the Sea over the weekend was a big success.  Over 150 people attended this event aimed at raising funds for the youth ministry within the Parish.  Our congratulations and thanks to Mr Nathan Wilson and the SOS staff for hosting this wonderful event.

PARENT REMINDER – MORNING DROP OFF
A reminder to all parents that there is no supervision on the school campus until 8.10am each morning.  Several students are currently being dropped to school before 8.00 am and are therefore unsupervised.   We would ask that parents do not drop their students to school until 8.00 am, coinciding with the opening of the school office.  This will ensure all students are safe and that we have staff available to assist students if required.

Heads of School – Russell Davey & Kerry Sidaway


UPCOMING EVENTS
2 August     Open Day – X-Cite 3:30 – 6:30pm
2 August     Middle / Senior Awards Assembly
3 August     Yr 3-6 Junior Choir Gympie Eisteddfod
4 August     Yr 11 – 12 Business Management and Physics Dreamword Marketing and 2D Motion Excursion
6 August     Condy Park Teddy Bears Picnic (Jnr Choir performing)
7 August     Maryborough Eisteddfod (Junior Choir 7-11am, Mini Singers 9-11am, Senior Choir 12-3pm)
18 August   Yr 10 Science Excursion


FROM THE APRES

August 9:  Indigenous Peoples of World
United Nations Days are like Saints Days in the Catholic Calendars. They are reminders of the wider world beyond our own homes, cities and nations, often reminders of the violence inflicted on good people, and are also occasions for thanksgiving and celebration.

The day dedicated to the world’s Indigenous peoples reminds us that we in Australia are not alone in occupying the land once occupied by other people with their own rich language and culture. Most nations in our region are composed of early inhabitants and later arrivals. 

Nor are we alone in reckoning the effect that the later arrivals’ seizure of land had on Indigenous people. In both North and South America, as in Australia, Indigenous peoples were hunted down and marginalised by the later arrivals. It is less than a century from our emergence from the colonial period, when European nations assumed the right to take control over other peoples and their lands.

We are reminded also of our obligation to seek reconciliation with our Indigenous peoples, recognising their prior ownership of the land and the claim that they still make on us. Our own self-respect as nations depends on us owning our history and making up for the destructive effects that settlement had on Indigenous peoples.
 This day reminds Christians, too, of our ambiguous relationships with Indigenous peoples. Many European powers justified their exploitation of other lands and peoples by claiming they had a duty as Christians to conquer the original inhabitants and to make Christians out of them. But in many places, too, Christian churches protected Indigenous people from worse oppression and even from extermination, by providing some shelter for them. The Christianity that was brought, however, embodied only imperfectly the call to embody the Gospel in all nations, peoples, cultures and languages.

If for the Indigenous people of the world this day is a sobering reminder of wrongs done, it can also be an occasion for shared thanksgiving and celebration. We can be thankful that in our world today so many Indigenous people have survived, despite the sufferings, injustices and humiliation they have suffered, and that they remain proud of their culture and languages. Their faithfulness in keeping alive what was at such great risk of dying out is surely to be celebrated.  We can be thankful, too, for the gift that they are to us.  They ensure diversity in our nations in the face of the many forces that try to eradicate difference.

This day reminds us all that our world is wider than our nation, that our nations are more than the peoples who presently rule them, and that God is larger than our local churches.  For us at Jesuit Social Services the day is an occasion for thanksgiving for the Indigenous people whom we serve and who work with us, and a reminder that our mission extends beyond our own shores. 

Whale Festival Light Parade
Great news!  This year Xavier will be putting a float into the Whale Festival Light Parade, as part of the Ocean Festival!

When:  Saturday 19th August
Where:  Down along the Esplanade, finishing at Seafront Oval
Time:    Yet to be confirmed
Theme:  Beach party!!

Look out for a letter to express interest, coming home soon.


Dr for a Day with the Rural Clinical School of Medicine:
Recently four of our senior students participated in the Dr for a Day Program with the Rural Clinical School in Hervey Bay.  The program consists of three clinical scenarios in the simulation laboratory using  adult manikins. Each student is buddied with a medical student, who is only allowed to guide their buddy using verbal communication.   Students were able to commence and initiate treatment, interact with the ‘patient’ and perform clinical procedures under instruction.  The manikins are very realistic and can open and close eyes, talk, breathe and make all the sounds that a human patient would.  Working together as a team, problem solving the presented cases and communicating with peers is an essential part of any career in the medical field.  A debrief was provided after each scenario to chat about the experience and to listen to the feedback provided by the medical students.  



Junior Physics Olympiad 2017
My name is Cameron Payne and I was lucky enough to attend the University of Queensland’s Junior Physics Olympiad at the St Lucia Campus in the first week of the June/July holidays. I was blown away when I got there by the sheer size of the place and the amount of technologically advanced facilities they have. There were 59 Year Ten students taking part in the Olympiad with 47 Tutors, plus the lecturers. First, I met my group members and we were given a group name. My group’s name was Ohm, after the German physicist who created Ohm’s Law; there were 6 groups in total. Then we meet Dr Stephenson the head of the program or Stevo to JPhO alumni, he gave us a rundown on what would be happening for the week. Stevo had three rules; he hates people not interacting with new people, not giving things a go and if you have a question, just ask it. Our first experiment was making the tallest and strongest paper tower which was then hit with an air cannon. After that was our first lecture/ tutorial which was at break neck speed. Lunch was next, a chance to catch our breaths and refuel. The next experiment was on gravity, dropping tennis balls from different heights and calculating the effect of gravity.



Tuesday’s first lecture was fast and furious which was followed by a science demonstration, it was so “cool” but I am not going to tell you what happened, no spoiler alert here. Only to say that it involved dry ice and us playing with microwaves. After lunch was another experiment on gravity, dropping different sized balls into a semi circle dish and recording the time the balls took to perform as many full rolls of the dish, we calculated gravity using the results. Then we had dinner, followed by our second lecture delivered by a guest lecturer who works in quantum computing. It was amazing; the sheer size of these computers would blow your mind. The St Lucia campus is in the process of building its own quantum computer.
 
The third day we had group lectures/tutorials, by now we were used to the pace of the lectures. We then went on a tour of four different labs throughout the campus, just amazing. In the afternoon we were in “Circus” Physics, with all the fun and clowning around of the circus but none of the makeup.

Thursday, like Tuesday, was another big day starting at 8.30am with a lecture/tutorial and ending at 8pm that night with another lecture from a theoretical Physicist. In between lectures there were demonstrations on electricity, it was amazing and shocking! This was followed by an experiment on volume and air pressure which involved pushing down in a syringe with weights which were connected to a machine then to a computer that measured the pounds per square inch.



On the best and the last day of JPhO we had the funniest, weirdest and fun exam I have ever sat. I’m please to say I aced the exam. I wish all exams were the same format. Afterwards we had group rotation activities to earn points for our group, like creating a moving human circle. We toured a few more mind boggling labs. Photos were next  and then we said our thank yous and goodbyes.

By the end of this amazing week I was wishing I could go back and do it all over again. I would like to thank Dr Turner for recommending me to be a part of the Junior Physics Olympiad and for the amazing learning experience I have had.  At JPhO I have made new friends and broadened my horizons. So if you are ever given the opportunity to attend the Junior Physics Olympiad at the University of Queensland you should definitely grab it with both hands, it will change your life and always remember the Stevo pose.


SPORT
13 Years to Open ATHLETICS
On Friday 28th July, the 13yrs-Open Athletics Carnival was held. The day began in JPAC with the traditional Opening Ceremony. Thank you to Hannah Gamble for Acknowledgement of Country; Mr Relf for Official's Oath, Mr McDonald for Prayer and Brodie Harris for the Athlete’s Oath. Following the war cry, which was won by Kondari, students walked out to the oval following their decorated ute in an informal march past. The Junior classes also were seated down the oval to enjoy the lighting of the flame by 4 beefed up super-heroes. The weather was outstanding the whole day and students’ level of participation was brilliant. There were many terrific performances throughout the day, with the following students awarded Age Champions:

​AGE	​BOYS	​GIRLS
​13	​Dylan Ilka	​Isabella Jensen
​14	​Isaac Kelsey	​Aylee Barker
​15	​Daniel Harding	​Sieanna Alexander
​16	​Nathan Robinson	​Lucinda Cullen
​Open	​Todd Baldwin	​Eloise Rossetto

 


A number of records were broken this year, with the following students setting new benchmarks:

​Toby Powers	​14yrs	​3000m	​10:52.15
​Parker Worthington	​13yrs	​Discus	​34.41m
​Casey Russell	​16yrs	​Shot Put	​13.46
​Isabella Jensen	​13yrs	​Triple Jump	​9.37m
​Amy Wyvill	​14yrs	​Javelin	​24.45m
​Rosie Baumann	​16yrs	​Shot Put	​10.08m
​Sieanna Alexander	​15yrs	400m​	​1:04.84

 
Dirum House has returned to the winning podium, taking out the 2017 Athletics Carnival. Final points were as follows:

​1st	Dirum​	2450​
​2nd	​Buthu	​2301
​3rd	​Narwari	​2219
​4th	​Kondari	​2175

 
The final event of the day, saw the inaugural running of the Xavier Gift. With a separate boys and girls race, the fastest 100m runner from 8yrs to Open competed in a handicapped sprint with the fastest qualifier starting at 0m. These races were preceded by a P-12 College War Cry to set an electric atmosphere for the running of these races. In the Girls Xavier Gift, Millie Jackson from Grade 3 was the winner, with Emma Baillie from Grade 5, 2nd and Sieanna Alexander running off 0m storming home to finish 3rd. In the Boys Gift, Sam Wilson (Grade 3) finished 1st, Caelan Baker (Grade 4) finished 2nd and Parker Worthington running off 15m finishing 3rd. Well done to all students for competing in this exciting finale.

A big thank you to Mrs Liz Mee for operating a pop-up canteen and also Mrs White and the senior students for their food stall as well. Thank you to all staff for their efforts in helping the day run smoothly; in particular Mr Jonathon Wedemeyer for the preparation of the oval throughout this athletics season. Lastly, thank you to all families who came to watch the students compete. You are always welcome in the Xavier Community and your attendance on these days helps to make these kind of events all the more special.

The Hervey Bay District Athletics will be held at Dundowran on Wednesday 9th (1:00pm to 5:00pm) and Thursday 10th (8:20am-2:00pm) August. Students who have been selected in the XCC team to compete at these trials will be given information this week. I’d like to encourage ALL students who have qualified for this team to accept the opportunity to compete. Xavier has a proud tradition at the District level and our success in the past has been largely due to Xavier always having a competitor in every lane and in every event available to us. If students are unable to compete, they are asked to communicate this to Mr Milne as early as possible so that a replacement can be notified.



15yrs Wide Bay Touch
Congratulations to Skye Houliston, Phoebe Fraser, Jaspa Wright and Gula Shillingsworth for representing the 15yrs Wide Bay touch team at the recent State titles. Both teams finished in the top 8.



All Hallows Touch
The rescheduled All Hallows girls touch carnival is being held this weekend in Brisbane. Good luck to the 13yrs and 15yrs girls who will be competing.


Woolworths Earn and Learn
The Woolworths Earn and Learn program is back for 2017 and once again Xavier College is participating.
The program works like this – if our community saves their stickers when they shop at Woolworths we can use these to ‘purchase’ educational resource items from Modern Teaching Aids at the end of the promotion.
The program runs from 26th July – 19 September.

Staff, grandparents, neighbours and friends can all support our school by collecting stickers and placing them on a sticker sheet and dropping them into the boxes marked ‘Xavier College” at each Woolworths store or in the box in the college foyer.

Last year we were able to supplement our PE equipment for junior school and this year we would love to be able to use the resources in other learning areas.

Thanks for your support,
 

MS SWIMATHON
Please join and support this MS Swimathon team! Anyone, any age, any fitness, we have a team of all ages.
Swim a little, swim a lot, or stay dry and count laps...and moral support!

Hervey Bay event Sunday 17th September, 2017.

You will find Chunky Dunks Team on the website this Friday, go to:  
https://www.msswimathon.com.au/swim-locations/hervey-bay