From the Pen of the Principal

Dear Parents and Carers

Last week I had the opportunity to speak to our Year 7 to 11 students regarding finishing the year well. I wanted to get away from the 'follow the rules' approach and speak more about the virtues of the kind of behaviour that are expected when you belong to a community. The virtue I highlighted was that of 'humility'.

It is good to be confident in yourself and to always strive to be the best you can be.  Yet, truly successful people strive not only to be their best, but to be great in how they treat others.

We have all seen the footballer who scores a goal and turns to his teammates to thank them for their help.  We have also seen the player who scores and then runs around the field pointing at himself and calling attention to his achievement.

C S Lewis, the author of the Narnia books, said,

"Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less".

Humility is sometimes referred to as 'the quiet virtue'. Humble people usually know their own strengths and weaknesses, are open to new ideas, and are able to appreciate the talents and needs of others. 

And humble people are not walked over by others. Research has revealed that humble people are the people we like best of all. They are more likely to be successful in life, friendships and even love. Why? One reason is that they are less selfish and more understanding.

Boastful, arrogant people or people with low self-esteem are more likely to demand constant attention and praise. They are more likely to get angry with other people and nurse grudges, playing games like refusing to speak or sending nasty messages or getting others to gang up. They are more likely to run around the field pointing to themselves!

But humble people help their friends find solutions when they disagree, instead of having an argument or fight. They have lots of friends because they are nice to be with.  They are more likely to be able to see the world through the eyes of others.

As Atticus Finch said to his daughter Scout in 'To Kill a Mockingbird', “If you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you'll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." 

A Prayer for the Virtue of Humility

Lord Jesus, when you walked the earth,
Your humility obscured your Kingship.
Your meekness confused the arrogant,
Hindering them from grasping your purpose,
Your nobleness attending to the destitute.
Teach me to model after your eminence,
To subject my human nature to humility.
Grant me with a natural inclination
To never view myself greater than anyone.
Banish all lingering sparks of self-importance
That could elevate me greater than you.
Let my heart always imitate your humility.

Christmas Blessings

The final curtain is closing on the 2019 academic year and students and staff are looking forward to a well-earned rest.  There have been times this year when the busyness of life at the College has reached a frenetic pace.  Great things have happened, and many initiatives have been introduced to improve the provision of a quality education.  Now that the dust is settling on the year, we have an opportunity to reflect on the many wonderful achievements and challenges that have happened at the College.  It has been an excellent year.

I extend my thanks to parents for the partnership you have established with the College.  Much of the change that has been introduced this year has only been possible because of the support of the parents.  Your enthusiasm for the College and your trust in the changes that have been implemented is deeply appreciated.

The Christmas holiday break is a great opportunity to enjoy time with family, to celebrate, and to rest and rejuvenate.  I hope that your family enjoys the time.  I also hope that the true spirit of Christmas will be a central part of your family's celebrations.  Christmas is a time to remember the birth of our saviour and the profound love that God has for us.

At Christmas we are reminded that God is in the ordinary.  The Christmas story reminds us that God has embraced our humanity fully and completely.  If being fully human was good enough for God, living my human life to the fullest is good enough for me.  

Christmas is a celebration of human life.  When I encounter another human, I encounter the God who became human at Bethlehem.  Jesus comes to us and is truly present among us every day.  He comes to us in those who need love, hope, comfort, and joy in their lives.  He comes in those who bring these same gifts to others.  He is born in every circumstance of our lives.  He is the promise of a new day.  May we all be filled with joy and hope and share God's love by the way we care for each other. 

Peace and good will to you all.

Simon Dash

Principal

2020 Year 9 Student Leaders

We are pleased to announce our 2020 Year 9 Leaders. The quality of applicants was immense which made the final decisions quite difficult. In the process of selection, each student's application, interview and ratings were carefully considered. We congratulate the following students on their appointments.

We thank all those who were shortlisted. All were outstanding. 

Upcoming Calendar

School Fee Accounts Due to be Finalised by 30/11/2019

Just a reminder to parents that School Fee charges for 2019 need to be paid in full by 30.11.2019 unless you have a payment arrangement which will finalise the account by this date or an ongoing Direct Debit or Credit Card payment plan.

At the beginning of November we commenced following up on all School Fee Accounts that are in breach of our School Fee Collection Guidelines which are available on the Parent Portal.

If you feel you need assistance with school fees please download a 2019 Concession Application and submit to us complete with all the documents required.

Our friendly Finance Staff are available to assist on 4197 1261 or via xFees@bne.catholic.edu.au

Uniform Shop Opening Hours – Purchase for 2020

The College Uniform Shop will be open from 10am to 1pm on Friday 29 November for Year 6/7 Transition Morning and Prep Orientation Morning.

Opening hours in December will be as follows: -

Monday 2nd 8.00 – 10.30am

Tuesday 3rd 8.00 – 11.00am

Wednesday 4th 8.00 – 11.00am

We recommend where possible you utilise these opening hours to order your 2020 uniforms as the Uniform Shop is very busy in January with long waiting times and no appointment times offered.

Xavier Kindy

Key upcoming dates for Xavier Kindy 2020 cohort

• 2020 Group B play afternoon Wednesday 27th November 3pm to 4pm

• 2020 Parent enrolment meetings Monday 2nd December to Thursday 5th December from 3pm to 6pm (book time at the Kindergarten)

• 2020 Parent enrolment meetings Monday 9th December to Wednesday 11th December 9.00am to 12.00pm (book at the Kindergarten)

Tuckshop

Merry Christmas from all the staff in the tuck shop. We would like to thank all our beautiful volunteers throughout 2019. The tuck shop still has a number of unpaid invoices and we would appreciate your assistance in finalising these payments before the end of the schooling year. We will be issuing reminders in the coming days. Also please remember to update your children's class details on the QKR! ordering app before the commencement of next year. Have a great festive season.  Liz Mee (Canteen Convenor)

2019 Yearbooks

Check your children's backpacks for the 2019 Xavier Yearbook. Students received this publication last Thursday morning in Pastoral Care classes. If students were absent on this day please collect your copy from student reception in the coming days.

Year 2 Excursion

It was with great delight that the 2019 Year 2 cohort boarded a bus last Friday to head to Maryborough for their excursion.   A very excited bunch of students arrived at Customs House and the Bond Store for a quick snack before heading off to visit Story Bank, Queens Park, the Bond Store and Customs House.    During rotations students listened to a local indigenous story, tried on clothes from different eras, played with shadow puppets, drew on walls and got to find out exactly what happened at the Bond Store.   The year twos would like to thank to Mr Toole and Mrs Bryant who drove the bus for us and Mrs Wilson, Mrs Murray Jones and Mrs Krtiakis for coming along to help the teachers.  

Grandparents Day Liturgy

It was beautiful that so many of our Grandparents were able to visit for our Grandparents Day Liturgy on Monday 18 November. Your wealth of knowledge, experience and most importantly love is incredibly valued by our Xavier community.

Parish Working Bee Reschedule

Due to the extreme heat we have been experiencing, the Parish working bee has been post-poned until 2020.

Year 11 Art Exhibition

Year 11 Visual Art students recently had the opportunity to work with local artist, Jo Williams, in her studio at Howard. As a result of this experience, Jo has generously included the students' work in an upcoming exhibition at Gatakers Artspace. Get along to the opening the opening on the 29 November at 6pm.

Capturing Hervey Bay – Art Initiative

Another exciting opportunity is coming up next year for our Year 10 Visual Arts students. The Fraser Coast Regional Council is conducting a mapping of buildings of interest in Hervey Bay, especially those of heritage value. Council wants to ensure that the history of this area is preserved, and one way to do this is through cataloging those buildings that capture our past. As part of this process, Anita Garton, architect and town planner with the council, has invited local schools to participate in an exhibition of works based on the heritage of our built environment. We will be participating in this wonderful event, along with students from other schools across the region.This is planned for Term 1 with the opening of the exhibition at the Regional Gallery planned for 8th May 2020.

Maths Pathways – Year 7 & 8 Growth Gurus

It has been a very successful Semester 2 in Year 7 and 8 Maths Pathway. Congratulations to Kail Daly from Year 7 who is currently working at a Year 9 level and the following Year 8 students who are working at a Year 10 level: Corey Arnold, Ashleigh Relf, Lily-May MacKinnon & Adam Wylie. What an excellent achievement!

The following students in Year 7 and 8 have maintained an average of 200% or higher for the whole of Semester 2. Well done!

We are looking forward to publishing more great results from Year 6-9 Maths Pathway classes next year.     

Senior French Students celebrate at Aegean Waters French restaurant

It has become an annual tradition for our year 11 and 12 French students to be treated to an authentic French meal at our own local French restaurant, Aegean Waters. For our year 12s, in particular, it is a celebration of their many years of French studies and a chance to share their fondest memories and stories with their year 11 counterparts.

Highlights of the night are always the platters of snails as entree and the scrumptious profiteroles for dessert.    

Junior Primary Swimming Carnival

The Prep, Year 1, Year 2 and Year 3 Carnival will be held on the 28th November at Elders Swim Centre. Preps and Year Two will attend from 9.30 to 11.00am. Year One and Year Three will attend from 11.00 to 12.30pm. We invite parents and caregivers to come along and join in the fun.

Congratulation Grace Collins

Congratulations Grace Collins who recently represented QLD at the National Cricket Titles in Adelaide. She was also deservingly bestowed the captaincy role for the tournament. We look forward to hearing more about Grace's achievements at the National Titles.

Rugby Union – Reds Visit

Some of our Junior school students along with Middle School and Open Girls Rugby Teams had an opportunity last week to participate in the Queensland Reds Rugby Activation initiative. This initiative is designed to help promote and support rugby within our region. Two Queensland Reds players were on hand to conduct a skills session developing foundational rugby skills to ensure the safety and positive experiences of all students involved. Working with the Queensland representative players, as well as the Sunshine Coast Development Officer provided a tremendous platform for their skills development.

Oztag Congratulations

Congratulations to Year 10 student Dylan Bennett for his nomination for a Student Leader Award at QLD Oztag's upcoming awards night on the 6th December in Caloundra. Dylan has been nominated for his captaincy skills, his skilful playing ability and for being an impressive role model for younger students.

EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST - TEACHER AIDE – TECHNOLOGY/MANUFACTURING

Expressions of Interest are being called for the position of Teacher Aide in the College's Technology department, for one day per week, term-time, commencing 2020.  The position is classified at Level 2 of the School Officers salary scale.

The position would suit a person with a trade background and involves maintenance and upkeep of workshops and equipment, ordering and purchasing stock, as well as assisting engineering and furnishing studies students.

Please forward your application to the College Administration Officer, kgoffinet@bne.catholic.edu.au, by Tuesday 3 December 2019.  Any queries regarding the duties of the position should be directed to Bruce Donoghue or John Donnelly.

Lights of Christmas – St Stephen's Cathedral

St Stephen's Cathedral will come alive again this festive season, as the Lights of Christmas returns to Brisbane for its second year. Tens of thousands gathered around the Cathedral in 2018 to celebrate the joy of Christmas with the extraordinary sound and light show, projected onto its historic walls. The free event will include music, children's activities, food and a digitally animated tale celebrating the true spirit of Christmas, while a kaleidoscope of moving colour will transform the adjacent chapel.

Further information is available at http://bit.ly/36ZbGea

WHEN AND WHERE: 11-24 December, Cathedral of St Stephen, 249 Elizabeth St, Brisbane City
The show runs on a 12 minute loop, beginning at 7pm each night, with carols beginning at 6.30pm

Our gratitude to our partners whose generosity has made this possible - Australian Catholic University, Australian Catholic Superannuation Retirement Fund, Queensland Government, St Vincent's Health Australia, AGB Events and Catholic Church Insurance.