PRINCIPALS ADDRESS

Dear Parents and Carers

Parent Engagement Committee
Next Thursday, 24th August, we will hold our second Parent Engagement Committee meeting.
In an effort to meet the demands of busy parents, this time we will commence at 3.30pm in Campion Theatre and aim to conclude by 5pm.

It is a great opportunity to hear what is happening at the school and to offer your thoughts as to our proposals for school improvement. It is also a great chance to bring forward your ideas or concerns that you would like the College to address.

Among the topics I would like to gain parents thoughts is the School Uniform and whether changes might be necessary. This could entail the Formal Uniform and what days it should be worn, along with any additional items that might be required such as a College jumper.

Additionally, I would like to hear from parents about the best methods of communication between the home and school and what information should appear on the Parent Portal.

This is a great opportunity to have a voice in shaping the future of a great school into something even better. All parents are welcome to attend.

The Feast of the Assumption
On Tuesday Catholics around the world celebrated the Feast of the Assumption of Mary. Mary was the first person to say ‘YES’ to God in the story of Jesus and is a role model for each one of us. Though the future was uncertain, she trusted God and became an agent for God’s grace to enter the world.

Mary is also a role model of justice. In Mary’s famous prayer the “Magnificat” she says of God: ‘He has shown might with his arm, He has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and has exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty’. Mary, like Jesus, wants all people to be treated with dignity, for the lowly to be raised up, and to have their basic needs met. We are challenged to have the same values.

Solidarity and justice is a core dimension of a Catholic School in the Ignatian Tradition. We are called to offer a different kind of education, an education that is purpose-filled with the intent of growing young women and men into active citizens with a social conscience, an education that will lead to advocacy for the marginalised.

It is a reality that many Catholic schools have become comfortable and attractive to those who may primarily seek our 'fruits but not our roots'. Catholic Schools must resist in a society that increasingly sees education as a commodity which can be bought. We must resist the temptation to have our schools being used principally as vehicles for socio-differentiation and creeping elitism. At times we all need to be reminded that we are on about more than strong academic results, 'good discipline' and providing a 'caring environment', as important as these qualities are for any school community. To set our priorities and define our success solely by league tables and sporting achievements betrays the foundations upon which we stand. Catholic education in this land can model a family of schools where those who can look after those who can't; where co-responsibility becomes the norm; where the strong accept responsibility for those on the margins.

When we reflect on the life of Mary we see a model of faithfulness to God and God’s call to be agents of justice and solidarity in a world that is too often divided into the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’. It is not surprising that devotion to Our Lady was such an important part of the lives of both St Ignatius and St Francis Xavier as they reflected on the world in which they lived and how best to bring hope to those who were oppressed by an unjust social order.

God Bless

Simon Dash
Principal


UPCOMING EVENTS

16 August       Year 10-12 Titration Chemistry Competition (CQ Uni - Bundaberg)

16 August       Xavier Art Competition

17 August       Year 9-12 Vicki Wilson Netball

18 August       Year 10 Science Excursion

19 August       Whale Festival - Light Parade

19 August       Years 9-10 Reader's Cup Wide Bay (Maryborough)

20-23 August   Year 11 Houseboats Excursion

21 August        Book Week

21 August        Prep Church Excursion

21 August        P& F Second Hand Uniform Sale (GOA Foyer)

29 August        Year 9 Parent Night

5 September     Year 10 Parent Night

Parent Portal Upgrade
Xavier Catholic College is excited to announce the upgrade of our Parent Portal is due to occur next week.
Our Parent Portal is the main channel of communication with our parent community. Stay up to date with important school information!

• New features
• New look and feel
• Better Report Absence feature makes it easier for parents to use
• Easier access to information about your child
• Give permission for excursions and other events online – no more paper forms!
• Image slide show on home page
• Translate feature lets you see information (excluding the content of documents) in your choice of language.
  

Of course, all our previous features are still there including calendar and announcements, school documents, staff contacts, enrolment and fee information as well as your child’s timetable, teacher names, classes, attendance reports, NAPLAN and even report cards.

As always, you’ll need your email address and password to login. Forgotten your password? You can reset it here. 

Watch this space!


RYDA program
We took 50 year 11 students to this program in Maryborough on Friday. RYDA is a series of practical and powerful workshops for high school students that challenge students to change the way they think about road safety and lay the foundation for safe road use throughout their lives. It is a program support by local Rotary Groups and local businesses: Richers transport, CSG Law, Maryborough Police Station and Able driving school to name a few.



 
BOOK WEEK

Xavier Catholic College will celebrate National Book Week from Monday 21 to Friday 25 August 2017. Book Week is all about loving and enjoying books. We have so many exciting events planned. The following is a list of Book Week activities and events that you may wish to add to your calendar. Don’t forget to come and see our fantastic door displays. They will be ready for viewing on Friday 18th August.

MONDAY 21st August

• Decorate the Door visits
• Superhero LEADER READERS might fly into your classroom with a surprise
• Local Author: Diane Patterson presents her picture book, “Betsy Explores Australia” to some Preps and Year 1’s
  

TUESDAY 22nd August (9:30 to 10:30) – Rug Reading

• Presented by Year 6 Students. The entire junior school will be entertained by our Year 6’s who will be reading picture books to small groups of children, whilst seated on a rug in various venues.

Tuesday 22 August 6:00 to 6:45 pm. Kindy to Year 3 Family Reading Night in the Library
What is happening? Stories ... S t o r i e s and more … STORIES

• Six library locations – Heaps of stories – Mountains of fun – Giggles GALORE
• Guest appearances by Mr Simon Dash, Mr Russell Davey and many more.
• Who is invited? Families in Kindy to Year 3 and any older siblings.
• So, get your pyjamas ready, puff out your pillows, pack your teddy bear because this will be a night to remember. Families will be able to sit together and listen to the POWER OF STORIES. Children and parents are invited to come to the library in their pyjamas (optional for parents). Parents are asked to sit with their children.
  

Wednesday 23th August – (9:00 to 10:30) – BIG BOOK PARADE - Venue GOA

• All Kindy to Year 5 students will come to school dressed up as their favourite book character. They can also bring their favourite book to school with them. Students will leave the junior school at 9:00 where the middle and senior school students will give them a guard of honour around the library and back towards GOA. Once we are all in Goa, a BIG BOOK parade will take place. Parents are encouraged to attend this event. Come and celebrate READING!!!
  

Thursday 24th August – Celebrating “Love your Bookshop Day”. 

• Owner of Mary Ryan’s Book Shop, Cate Akaveka will be speaking to Year 4 and 5 children about the importance of reading and book shops in our community.

SVDP Clothes Drive

Bring in dresses, shirts, scarves, jumpers, shorts, jeans and clean clothes for the Magis Minis clothes drive.  Please no stains or holes because they need to be worn.  Bins will be located in the following locations; GOA, Library, Language Centre and Student Reception from 30th August until the 13th September. 

DAFFODIL DAY CHARITY SUPPORT
Friday 25th August, students wishing to purchase merchandise will be able to from an area set up outside Campion Theatre at first and second break.

Why are we doing this?  Year 10 student Declan James is the Wide Bay Burnett representative for this promotion, and has also been involved in various other charity projects including recently Riding his push bike from Hervey Bay to Towoomba raising over $3000 for Beyond Blue.




School Dental Van
Students are eligible to use the dental van from Prep to Year 10. Students in Prep to Year 7 will be issued dental forms through class teachers. Any students in Years 8-10 that wish to access the School Dental Service, please pick up a dental form from student reception. Dental forms are to be returned signed by 31/08/2017.


Year 6 Art Excursion.
Monday this week our Year 6 students visited the Hervey Bay Regional Art Gallery to observe and work with a local artist.





DISTRICT ATHLETICS
On Wednesday 9th and Thursday 10th August, 96 students represented Xavier at the Hervey Bay District Athletics Carnival held at Dundowran Little Athletics. The conduct of Xavier students was outstanding on both days and this was complemented by a level of participation that was unmatched by other schools in the district. There were many outstanding performances across the two days; in particular, the following students who received Age Champion honours: Tilley Fialele, Isabella Jensen, Isaac Kelsey, Sieanna Alexander and Todd Baldwin. Xavier has once again taken home Overall School Champions with a commanding 200 point victory. Xavier was also Junior School Champion (13-15yrs) and Runners Up in Senior School (16-19yrs).
Congratulations to all students on your involvement over the two days – you have represented your College with distinction. A number of students will now have the opportunity to compete at the Wide Bay trials in Gympie on Monday 11th and Tuesday 12th September. Information about this will be forthcoming.




XAVIER KINDERGARTEN


STOCKLANDS HERVEY BAY SCHOOL REWARDS
Help Xavier climb the leaderboard for prizes in the Stockland Hervey Bay School Rewards program. Any purchase made from a Stockland Hervey Bay store earns points towards our campaign.
Simply, visit the customer service desk with your reciepts and register towards our school OR register and upload your dockets online at www.herveybayschoolrewards.com.au
Every dollar spent, can earn one point towards prize rewards for Xavier.

 

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 26 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.
 

GREAT BOOK SWAP
Please support the Great Book Swap to raise funds for Indigenous Literacy Foundation