Diary Dates:

Friday, 27May16:

Reflection Day -

Campion House, Yrs

7—9

Wednesday, 1Jun16

Athletics Carnival

Friday, 3Jun16:

P&F Trivia Night—

Fundraiser for

Matthew Mallows

Penrith Panthers

Reflection Day—

Cumberland House,

Yrs 7-9

Tuesday, 7Jun 16:

College Photo Day

Friday, 10Jun16:

Staff Formation Day

Pupil Free Day

Monday, 13un16:

Public Holiday

From the Principal 20th May 2016

Postal Address:

PO Box 98 CRANEBROOK NSW 2749

Address:

Ninth Avenue LLANDILO NSW 2747

Phone: 02 4777 0900

Fax: 02 4777 0930

Web:

www.xavierllandilo@parra.catholic.edu.au

E-mail: xavier@parra.catholic.edu.au

Volume 18, Issue 6

The Companion

One of the most familiar things we do as Catholics is to make the sign of the cross in

the name of The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit. For Christians, this is the name

of God, The Trinity. Whenever we attend Mass we are gathered in that name and at

the end we are blessed and sent in that name. We are baptised into the name of The

Father, The Son and The Spirit and, throughout our lives, that threefold name

accompanies us. The ancient Gaelic prayers see it as all encompassing so that all our

life is gathered into the Trinity.

The strength of the Triune be our shield in distress

The strength of Christ, His peace and His Pasch,

The strength of the Spirit, Physician and health,

And of the precious Father the King of grace.

This binding of the Name is no empty or ritualistic formula but the proclamation of

the heart of Christian life and faith. The name we give to God, The Trinity, marks the

depth and height of the Christian knowledge and experience of who God is. It is

entirely unique to Christianity; this is why we celebrate Trinity Sunday this week at

Mass.

* * * * *

This week I was privileged to see the spirit of St Francis Xavier in action.

Monday – I attended a flipped learning conference with seven energetic and

passionate teachers from the College. It was exciting to be part of this new learning

focus.

Tuesday – I attended „Jazz in PAS‟ and watched incredibly talented music students

perform a medley of jazz-inspired music. This polished and professional evening was

a credit to both students and our Music faculty.

Wednesday – The Year 11 Xavier Space Agency was in full flight. It was

exhilarating watching students program a computer chip to be launched via a satellite

next term. I attended our „drone academy' in action.

Thursday – Another great week at Xavier College with our:

PDSSSC Sports teams victorious across all their respective PDSSSC sports;

2017 Musical „Legally Blonde‟ is making outstanding progress in their rehearsal

period. The opening number is something beyond „words‟ and I know our musical

will be an exciting and professional production;

College Captains, Tyler Dunn and Amy Hliounakis, receiving an award from the

Mayor of Penrith. It was a pleasure to be with these young leaders when our local

community leaders recognized them.

Friday – Our Traditional „Pink Stumps Day’ was an outstanding success due to the

organisation by Bradman House under the leadership of Kenneth Fuller. We raised

more than $1800 for the McGrath Foundation. I wish to thank all the

staff and students who entered into the day wearing their best „pink‟

outfits.

It is an enormous privilege to lead our community. We appreciate

your continued support. Please follow us on our official Facebook and

Instagram social media. Details were sent out via Skoolbag last week.

For the greater good

Michael Pate

Resilience is what gives us the ability to cope with change and stress. It is so very

important that we all work on building our resilience daily. In a book by Lyn

Worsley called “The Resilience Doughnut Book – The Secret of Strong Kids”,

the seven factors that resilient young people and adults have in common are

illustrated in the shape of a doughnut.

1. Communicate openly and honestly: While it‟s tempting to shield our children

for as long as we possibly can, it makes sense to provide an open, honest answer

that is appropriate to their age and personality.

2. Keep listening as they explore their feelings: Believing that their parents (or

other trusted adults) really value what they have to say and trust them to make

their own decisions is an important part of building resilience in kids.

3. Help them get to know what they’re “good at”: The best thing we can do is

encourage them to have a go at just about anything that takes their fancy and see

what “sticks”.

4. Make sure they know their wider family well: Having many people in their

life who care for them provides a great sense of security and confidence.

5. Engage with their school community: School is an extremely important

factor in our child‟s life. Three sub factors that are very important …

They feel like they have something to contribute that is valuable

They feel they have a connection with a teacher

They are involved

6. Get involved in the wider community: For children, having relationships

with adults and children who are not part of their usual social or school group is

an important factor in becoming resilient.

7. Help them develop strong friendships: Family is just “there”, but a

friendship is something they made all on their own.

Some Very Important Reminders…

1. If your child is experiencing some challenges and you would like assistance

please let us know. Don‟t wait to see how things go … let us know.

2. If your child does not feel well at school please encourage them to go to the

front office and speak to the office staff. The office staff will make contact with

you if required.

3. Please be aware that if you come to the front office to pick up your child

without notice there will be a delay. This practice should only occur in an

emergency. 4. Thank you for ensuring that your child arrives at school by 8.30.

5. As you know we have almost 1100 students arriving in the morning and

leaving in the afternoon. Traffic is very busy at 8.15 – 8.30 am and again at 2.30

– 2.50 pm. Please remind your child to be very careful and watch out for buses/

cars/bikes.

6. If you are unsure how your child is progressing in a particular subject, it is

best to call 47770900 and speak to the teacher. Don‟t wait for the semester report

or parent teacher evening … call today.

Thank you for your continued support

Patrick Finnerty

Page 2 The Companion

From the Assistant Principal

Volume 18, Issue 6 Page 3

From the Director of Mission and Formation

Jubilee Year of Mercy (8Dec2015 - 20Nov2016)

Looking for the smallest opening … What do you need in order to obtain mercy?

Is it necessary to have a certain predisposition?

The first thing that comes to mind is the phrase “I can‟t take it anymore!” You

reach a point when you need to be understood, to be healed, to be made whole,

forgiven. You need to get up again, to be able to resume your path. The Church

Fathers teach us that a shattered heart is the most pleasing gift to God. It is the

sign that we are conscious of our sins, of the evil we have done, of our

wretchedness, and of our need for forgiveness and mercy.

God does not want anyone to be lost. His mercy is infinitely greater than our

sins, his medicine is infinitely stronger than our illnesses that he has to heal. I

have always said that the Lord precedes us, he anticipates us. God waits; he

waits for us to concede him only the smallest glimmer of space so that he can

enact his forgiveness and his charity within us.

We stand before a God who knows our sins, our betrayals, our denials, our

wretchedness. And yet He is there waiting for us, ready to give himself

completely to us, to lift us up.

From Inform Magazine

Year 7: NAIDOC Week Presentation

As part of the NAIDOC week activities, Year 7 will be attending a presentation

by Taronga Zoo on animals/totems which are significant to Aboriginal

Dreaming.

This activity will take place during Period 4, Wednesday, June 22nd. There is no

cost for this presentation.

Kellie Robinson

From the Director of Finance and Office Administration

Xavier College is getting ready for publication of students’ academic,

sporting and cultural events on our Facebook and Instagram sites.

Please contact the College at xavier@parra.catholic.edu.au if you wish

to withdraw permission for the publication of your child’s name and/or

photographs and work.

Dawn Hackett

Page 4 The Companion

From the Director of Learning and Pedagogy

The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it

away from you.

BB King

NAPLAN

I will take this opportunity to acknowledge our Year 7 and 9 students‟ focus and

maturity during the testing period. Year 9 students, in particular, were

exceptional. Their maturity and effort were beyond any I have witnessed in

previous years. I believe this is a direct result of our pre-NAPLAN Year 9

Mentor Programme interviews and our whole school focus on learning, which

impressed upon the students the importance of the assessment as a measure of

their academic growth and a guide to their future achievement. The personal

touch also helped.

Stage 6 Subject Selections for 2017

We commenced the process of subject selection for Stage 6 on Wednesday when

I spoke to Year 10 about the timeline of events. The selection of an individually

appropriate Stage 6 course is important in ensuring a successful senior pattern of

study, and your involvement is crucial. The next event on the timeline is an

information day we‟ve titled, Planning My Future, to be held on Tuesday 24th

May. On this day, the Leaders of Learning will speak to Year 10 about the

courses available from their key learning area. This event will be followed by the

Subject Market Night, Tuesday 7th June, 5.00 – 7.00pm. At this event you will

have an opportunity to speaker to our Leaders of Learning and teachers about

course content and your child‟s suitability for particular courses. A Subject

Selection Handbook will be available on Moodle Student Learning by the end of

Week 5 (May 27th). There will also be a compulsory Stage 6 Subject

Information Evening, Tuesday 14th June, 6.00-7.00pm. The evening‟s

presentation will cover crucial information about building an appropriate pattern

of study for future success. After this evening the Subject Selection portal will

open for students to indicate their initial interest areas. Please note that student

selections at this stage are used to determine course viability and subject

combinations. Each student‟s final pattern of study is determined at an interview

early in Term 3.

Stage 5 Elective Selections for 2017

The Stage 5 elective selection process will run parallel to the Stage 6 selections.

The Subject Market Night, Tuesday 7th June, 5.00 – 7.00pm, will also display

Stage 5 electives. You are invited to attend this evening to learn more about the

subjects available to your child. Year 8 students will select ONE elective for

study in 2017, while Year 9 students will select TWO electives, or ONE early

commencement Vocational Education & Training (VET) course. Mr Geoff

Sullivan, Leader of Learning VET, will be available to answer queries about

these courses. A Subject Selection Handbook will be available on Moodle

Student Learning by Friday Week 6 (June 3rd).

Thank you for your invaluable support as we continue to develop and implement

a learning agenda that supports your children to exceed their own expectations.

Many blessings,

Alyssa Roach

Volume 18, Issue 6 Page 5

From the Director of eLearning and Innovation

Cyber Safety

Xavier College will be hosting a ThinkUKnow presentation on Tuesday 21st

June, 2016 at 6pm and all parents, carers and teachers are encouraged to

attend.

ThinkUKnow Australia is a cyber safety education program that educates

parents, carers and teachers on how people are using technology, the challenges

they may face online, and how to help them overcome these in a safe and

ethical way.

During the presentation, the following topics and issues will be discussed:

Popular websites, social media sites and apps

Privacy policies and settings

Geotagging

Scams, fraud and identity theft

Online grooming

Sexting

Cyberbullying

Reputation management

Reporting

Since these presentations are designed for parents, carers and teachers, we ask

that young people and students do not attend. The sessions include short

videos and real life case studies.

ThinkUKnow Australia is a partnership between the Australian Federal Police,

Microsoft Australia, Datacom and the Commonwealth Bank. The program is

delivered in collaboration with policing partners New South Wales Police

Force, Northern Territory Police, Queensland Police, South Australia Police,

Tasmania Police, Western Australia Police, as well as Neighbourhood Watch

Australasia.

The presentation will be delivered by a local law enforcement member and an

industry volunteer. In addition to the topics above, the presentation also covers

issues relating to children and young peoples‟ privacy and security online, their

relationships with other users and their online reputation. It provides insight

into the devices young people are using, as well as the popular websites, apps

and social networking sites they‟re accessing.

This is a fantastic opportunity for you to learn more about young people and

the online environment, and how you can help them to be safe and responsible

users of technology.

For more information about the program, you can isit www.thinkuknow.org.au

Andrew Wonson

RSVP: College Office

4777 0900

by

Monday,

20th June 2016

Page 6 The Companion

School Photographs: Tuesday, June 7th

Advancedlife Photography will be taking the College photographs this year.

Orders for packages and sibling photographs can be placed securely online at

www.advancedlife.com.au using our school‟s unique 9 digit Online Order

Code, as shown. Portrait and group package orders are due by photography

day.

Should you wish to purchase a sibling photograph online, the order must be

placed no later than the day before photography day. Sibling photographs

will only be taken if an order has been placed.

Students who have not completed online orders must collect an Advancedlife

order envelope from the Office through which photo orders can be made.

Completed envelopes (correct change if paying by cash) must be handed to

the photographer on the day of the photographs.

Any queries concerning school photographs or online ordering should be

directed via email to enquiries@advancedlife.com.au

Lee McCrorie

From the Director of Student Growth and Administration

ORDER

9 Digit Online

Order Code

Z8V MDG

Bronze Medallist in Kayaking Championships

On April 2nd 2016, Christian Hliounakis of Year 8 competed in the 2016

Australian Freestyle Kayak National Championships. The competition was held

at our local Olympic venue - Penrith Whitewater Stadium.

Freestyle Kayaking is a growing sport, and is being looked at for inclusion in

future Olympic Games. On the day of competition, you need to bring you‟re A-

game, as it consists of only 2 x 45 second turns in the feature, and the

competitor who can do the most tricks worth the most points awarded for both

turns gains the Gold medal.

Competing against 15 and 16 year olds in the Under 18 Junior Mens category,

13yr old Christian did well to bring home a bronze medal, after a slight

computer glitch on new software originally tallied his points to having only

received a 4th place. One trick that was executed well but which failed to "stick"

cost him a 2nd place on the day.

Being two to three years younger, and two to three years behind in kayaking

and coaching, Christian has done well to be catching the older boys and

making them sit up and pay attention. He regularly paddles whitewater on

weekends, and has coaching from an Australian three-time World Champion

and a British eight-time World Champion every Saturday. He also spends

many hours, in addition to his training times, practising his moves on flatwater

and his aerial manoeuvres are perfected using the backyard trampoline.

“Exceed your expectations”

Xavier College

Llandilo

McCarthy Catholic College

75 Mackellar Street, Emu Plains

Trade Training Centre INFORMATION EVENING FOR YEAR 11, 2017

Date: Wednesday 8 June 2016

Time: 6:00pm - 7:30pm

Start your trade and complete your HSC –

with no external examinations

Trades offered:

Automotive Bricklaying

Electrical Hairdressing

Childcare Hospitality

Carpentry Metal Fabrication

Plumbing

Christian‟s attendance at a development camp in New Zealand last

January to ride the Hawea Wave in 10 degree waters helped him

improve immensely, under the guidance of elite coaches from the US,

Canada, Britain, Peru, Czechoslavakia, New Zealand and Australia. He

is currently looking at returning to New Zealand in January 2017, as

well as attending a kayaking camp in Canada in July 2017. This camp is

for elite juniors, and may lead to Christian gaining one of only three

spots in the Junior Mens Australian Freestyle Team to go to Rio in

September 2017 to compete in the World Championships.

Congratulations Christian on your Bronze Medal and best wishes for

every success in your upcoming competitions.

Daniel Whiley

Director of Sport

Xavier College

Uniform Shop Including pre-loved uniforms

Thursdays

8am-4pm

Enrolment Enquiries for

Trade Training Centre:

Mrs Katrina Gill – 02 4728 8129

www.mccarthycttc.catholic.edu.au