Xavier College Gawler Belt eNewsletter

Uniform Shop Opening Times

Monday: 2:30pm - 4pm

Wednesday: 8am - 9am

Thursday: 2:30pm - 5pm

Please direct any enquiries to uniformshop@xavier.catholic.edu.au

Qkr! app

Uniform orders placed through the Qkr! app will be delivered to the respective Campus. You will be notified when your order is ready to be picked up from your Campus Front Office.

Principal's Welcome

College Board Annual General Meeting

The College Annual General Meeting will be held on Tuesday, 21 March 2023. We warmly invite all parents/caregivers to attend.

The meeting will be held in the Gawler Belt Campus Auditorium.

If you would like to attend the AGM please RSVP to Carolyn Pape via email cpape@xavier.catholic.edu.au by Tuesday, 14 March 2023.

If you are interested in becoming a member of the College Board, please forward a one-page expression of interest to Carolyn Pape by Tuesday, 14 March 2023, indicating your area of expertise and what you can bring to the College Board.

The format for the evening will be as follows:

7pm commencement

Report from Board Chair
Report from Board Finance Committee Chair
Report from the College Principal
Elections
General Business

Mark Flaherty
Principal

Lent and Project Compassion

Two weeks ago, members of the College community acknowledged the beginning of Lent by attending mass and prayer services across all three Campuses. Lent is a time of preparation for Easter. During this time, we are asked to focus on changing our lives through prayer, penance and almsgiving (helping others in need).

The central 'almsgiving' focus for the College is supporting the work of Caritas Australia by fundraising for their annual Project Compassion Appeal. While the national appeal runs throughout the Lenten Season, we will run a more concentrated campaign, which will begin in Week 8 and end on Holy Thursday in Week 10. Families will be able to make donations through Oratories and classes across the Campuses.

Project Compassion brings thousands of Australians together with the world's poor and needy to help break the cycle of poverty, promote justice and uphold human dignity. The campaign strives to raise awareness and stand in solidarity with the millions of people worldwide that Caritas helps. This year's theme is once again For All Future Generations – together, we can make a difference now, and For All Future Generations. If families would like to find out more about the work of Caritas Australia and Project Compassion, please visit their website: https://www.caritas.org.au/project-compassion/

Please assist Xavier College in our ongoing commitment to supporting Caritas Australia's work by contributing to our Project Compassion activity during this season of Lent, starting in Week 8.

Gareth Watson
Assistant Principal Religious Identity and Mission

Catholic Swimming Carnival

Recently students from both the Gawler Belt and Two Wells Campuses attended the Catholic Co-Ed Swimming Carnival held at the North Adeliade Aquatic Centre. All of the swimmers did an amazing job, with multiple wins and placings. The pool was slow but our swimmers were fast! The highlights of the evening were our U14 girls coming in 3rd for the 4 x 50m freestyle relay and our U16 girls winnin ghte 4 x 50m freestyle relay against incredible competition. We are extremely proud of them all.

Pedal Prix

The 2023 Pedal Prix season has commenced for the Xavier College team. We welcome new members from any year level. We compete in events during the year at Tailem Bend, Victoria Park and Murray Bridge.

When: Each Tuesday and Thursday
Time: 3.15pm to 4.30pm
Where: Gawler Belt Campus

Information sheets can be obtained from the Gawler Belt Hub or by contacting Jo Bakker via jbakker@xavier.catholic.edu.au

Jo Bakker
Pedal Prix Coordinator

Catholic Salesian Youth Minister - Gawler Parish

The Gawler Parish is seeking a Youth Minister to provide support, guidance and leadership to the young people of Gawler. This will be a casual position (approximately 24 hours per month) with days and hours varying week-to-week (and weekend work a possibility).

The Role

Responsible for working with young people of Gawler, providing support, guidance, and leadership to help them grow in their faith and develop their personal, social, and spiritual potential.
Develop and implement youth programs and activities that align with the Salesian charism and Catholic teachings, promoting the spiritual, intellectual, emotional, and physical development of young people (can be many groups, not only from the Parish).
Work collaboratively with the Parish Priest, Parish and Salesian community, schools and colleges, other agencies for the young, and parents/caregivers, to create a holistic and integrated approach to youth ministry.

The Person

Must have a deep commitment to the Catholic faith, with an openness and appreciation of the Salesian charism, spirituality and youth ministry.
Basic qualifications and experience in youth work, skills in communication, planning and organising.
Musical or other skills to engage young people are of desirable advantage.
A commitment to ongoing learning and professional development; flexibility and adaptability to the changing situations of the young.
Willingness to comply with all legal and mandatory requirements.

For further information about this position, please email: gawlerparish@adam.com.au.

South Australian Commission for Catholic Schools Parents and Carers Forum

The South Australian Commission for Catholic Schools (SACCS) recognises the importance of a positive partnership with Parents and Carers as first educators and is thankful for their commitment and contribution towards the educational and spiritual outcomes of all children.

The Commission is hosting a forum for Parents and Carers with the intent of strengthening the partnership between the Commission, Catholic Schools and Parent and Carer communities.

With the launch of the Commission’s new strategy on February 9 2022 Towards 2027: Expanding Horizons and Deepening Practices – Strategies for Catholic Education in South Australia, the Commission warmly welcomes Parents and Carers to attend the forum.

The forum is an opportunity for the Commission to provide an update on the Strategic Direction of Catholic Education, and importantly, hear feedback from Parents and Carers.

Dr Neil McGoran, Director of Catholic Education South Australia, will present an update on the strategy as well as the developments, challenges and opportunities facing Catholic Education. Other speakers will provide updates on a range of topics including Catholic Identity and Infrastructure Developments.

Date: Thursday, 23 March 2023, 6pm to 8:30pm

Venue: Catholic Education Office Conference Centre, 116 George Street, Thebarton

An option to join via video conference will also be available to enable Parents and Carers to join online to maximise accessibility and attendance

If you are interested in joining the Forum, please contact Carolyn Pape, Leadership Executive Assistant via email cpape@xavier.catholic.edu.au by 16 March 2023.

Happiness and Gratitude - Special Report

Happiness and Gratitude are integral to our College’s Positive Education program. Happiness is defined as the balance of positive and negative emotions, combined with overall life satisfaction. Happiness and gratitude have been studied in positive psychology for many years and researchers have found that gratitude is always strongly associated with greater happiness. Although everyone has their own definition of happiness, many of us want to feel more positive emotions than negative ones. However, negative emotions are still important. They have a lot to teach us and alert us when things need to change. Practising gratitude helps people feel more of the positive emotions, enable us to relish good experiences, improve our overall health, deal with adversity and build strong relationships.

SchoolTv

Health News

From 6 February 2023, the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine will change from the routine two doses to a single dose.

The change is based on advice from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisations (ATAGI) who have considered the latest and international scientific and clinical evidence which has concluded that a single dose of HPV vaccine delivers comparable protection to two doses.

If consented for, students in Years 7 and 8 will receive a single dose of the HPV vaccine and a booster dose of diphtheria Tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough).

This will be the last year for year 8 students to receive these vaccinations at school, from 2024 they will be offered to all year 7 students bringing South Australia in line with the other states in Australia.

Dates regarding immunisations will be communicated through SEQTA.

More information regarding these changes is available by following the link

Evanston - Head of Campus

I’d like to start with a huge thank you to all our families for joining us on such a successful Sports Day, it was wonderful to see everyone in their colours cheering on our students. It was great to witness the students participate and give the activities a go with a smile on their faces. The weather held up, the sausages were sizzling and it was a fun-filled day for all. Congratulations to Occhiena for winning the Sports Day Cup!

On the 27 February, we joined together for our Year 6 Evening. This was a way to bring our Year 6 families together, acknowledge the Year 6’s as leaders at Evanston, present the students with Xavier pins that have been blessed by Fr Jose, and to present our Campus and House Captains. The evening saw all our families join together and build connections.

Next week our Year 3 and 5 students will participate in NAPLAN. The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is an annual national assessment for all students in Years 3, 5, 7, and 9, and is the only nationwide assessment that all Australian children undertake. It’s a measure to see whether or not young Australians are developing the literacy and numeracy skills that provide the critical foundation for other learning, and for their productive and rewarding participation in the community. We complete all preparation here at school.

Rozanna Elmassih
Head of Campus - Evanston

Evanston Campus - Student Leaders

Year 6 represents a special time in the lives of our primary children at Xavier College, Evanston Campus. As the Year 6 students begin their transition towards secondary schooling, we would like to acknowledge their leadership and contribution to the life of our school as one chapter of our their schooling closes and they continue their journey at Xavier College, Gawler Belt Campus.

Daniel Hickey
Assistant Head of Campus - Curriculm and Wellbeing

Evanston Campus - Peaceful Classroom Program

The Year 2 students at Evanston Campus have emersed themselves in the Peaceful Classroom Program with Mrs White, which is a whole class application of Mindfulness from the Peacful Kids program. This program has been developed by Georgina Manning - Well Being for Kids and endorsed by Monash University.

The students are very engaged in the program and are already talking about strategies they have learnt to help them relax and stay calm when they are feeling anxious and worried.

The aims of the Peaceful Classroom program are:

To build emotional resilience
To teach children mindfulness exercises they can use for life
To empower children to self-manage their stress
To empower children to self-regulate and self-calm
To build a reservoir of'strength' to enable children to cope with life more effectively
To minimise anxiety and stress symptoms occuring in the future
To develop emotional intelligence skills
To teach children life-long skills to manage stress and prevent stress build up
To help children become more engaged in their learning
To help children understand themselves better and understand the stress response and what is happening in theor brain
To create Peaceful Classrooms where children can learn more effectively and enjoy their learning more
To create Peaceful Classrooms for teachers to increase capacity for effective teaching and lessen teacher stress
To increase positive emotions in both teachers and students

Andrea White
Teacher

Evanston - Nature Play Incursion

In Week 5, the Reception and Year 1 students at Evanston participated in a Nature Play Incursion. Run by Nature Play SA, our youngest children explored water courses, painting, potion making with natural materials, cubby building and seed bomb making. We worked on our team building and negotiation skills, as well as expressing ourselves through the arts and natural materials.

This was a wonderful experience for all involved. A special thank you to the staff at Nature Play SA for providing such a wonderful experience for our early learners.

Anthea Lipp
Early Years Y - 2 Coordinator

Gawler Belt - Head of Campus

Today the Xavier College community was delighted to warmly welcome Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson, Governor of South Australia along with the Governor's husband Mr Bunten to our beautiful Gawler Belt Campus. Her Excellency has set herself the goal of visiting each of the schools across the State of South Australia with the intent of promoting and encouraging discussions on civics and citizenship amongst the students in our schools.

As part of the formal proceedings, Her Excellency spoke at our Year 12 Assembly in our George Gawler Auditorium. Her Excellency's address touched on the following key topics:

Future career pathways for the youth of South Australia
The importance of citizenship
The importance on focusing on students’ contribution to the growth of our State

At the conclusion of our morning tea, Her Excellency formally presented two of our Campus Captains Keeley Hurst and Zachary Sadiwynk with their 2023 Year 12 Jackets. Our community felt blessed to have Her Excellency take the time to learn about our College, our values of Respect, Understanding, Affection and Humour (RUAH) and genuinely engage with our wonderful students and our dedicated staff.

John Cameron
Head of Campus – Gawler Belt

Gawler Belt Campus - Champion Swimmer

Gawler Belt Year 9 student, Lachie Nys, recently competed in the 2023 Northern Territory State Age and Open Championships in Darwin. Representing his local club, Gawler Gators, Lachie competed in the 50m, 100m 200m, 400m and 800m freestyle, the 50m and 100m breaststroke and the 50m butterfly.

Lachie came home with a silver each for the 50m and 100m breaststroke, as well as a bronze medal for the 50m and 200m freestyle and the 50m butterfly. Being one of the youngest swimmers in the field, Lachie also made the open men's final for the 200m freestyle. Lachie took a whopping 55 seconds off his personal best for the 800m freestyle as well as making six personal best times in other events. Congratulations Lachie, we are very proud of you!

Gawler Belt - Year 12 Religion

In Year 12 Religion (Integrated Learning), our first folio task consisted of research into our House Patron – and how they continue to inspire the Xavier community today. Our Year 7 students are beginning to explore our Xavier Identity. This provided a wonderful opportunity for our Year 12 students to educate our youngest students about their House patron. It was an enjoyable experience for all involved, which ended in a game.

Kiara Hansen
Year 12 Student

Gawler Belt - Year 11 Food & Hospitality

Throughout Week 5, the Year 11 Food and Hospitality classes completed their Café Style Cakes practical assessment. For this task, students were required to individually investigate food items sold in local cafes and the food technology involved in making these products. Students then selected, prepared and presented their own food items that would be suitable for a café menu. The students did an incredible job working together to develop new knowledge and skills while creating their masterpieces!

Nadine Smart, Kieran Sankey & Ainslee Knight
Food & Hospitality Teachers

Gawler Belt - Rich Learning in Year 7 Maths

In the upcoming weeks students will begin a series of rich learning tasks each fortnight which will improve their problem solving, reasoning, mathematical fluency and communication skills as well as help them make connections between mathematical concepts. Parents and students are both welcome to give it a try at home – you could even partner up!

What do you notice? What do you wonder?

Send an email to smonach@xavier.catholic.edu.au with your process, solution, or any questions. Credit to Maths300 for this resource.

Stephen Monach
Curriculum Leader - Mathematics

Gawler Belt - 11 Viticulture Excursion

Year 11 Gawler Belt Agriculture students recently travelled to the stunning Seppeltsfield Winery as part of their 'Introduction to Wine Making' module. Students learnt about biosecurity, pest management, wine making, and viticulture before moving on to picturesque Rosenvale. Here students went into more detailed learning about vineyard management that they will apply when establishing the Xavier College vineyard in the near future. This amazing opportunity was possible through the generous support of Seppeltsfield, Rosenvale, Ag-communicators, and Barossa Grape and Wine.

Zoe Joyce and Daniel Oates
Curriculum Leaders - Agriculture

We are looking forward to the next few weeks, with some exciting events on the horizon, including our R-5 Sports Day, and our 6-9 Athletics Day. In addition to these events, we have had some great experiences over the last few weeks, including the Catholic Schools Swimming Carnival, and the opening of our new play areas.

I would like to acknowledge the hard work of our incredibly dedicated staff, and in particular Mr Nick Skewes for his work in organising our sporting events.

Our Open Night is scheduled for 15 March, 4.30pm – 7.30pm. If you are a current parent who has not yet submitted an application for a sibling, this may be a good night for you to collect an Application Form and secure a position for your child/ren.

Congratulations to our newly elected Campus Captains and student leadership groups. Students submitted applications for these positions and were voted on by their peers and teachers. These are significant positions in the College, and allow students to have agency, leadership and ownership over differing aspects of the campus community. These positions will be formally announced in a few weeks time.

The religious dimension of the College was evident with our Ash Wednesday services earlier in the term. It was wonderful to have Father Germano join us; our Reception students were very excited to show him around their classrooms. We encourage our students to assist by donating to Project Compassion.

I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate Adrian Costa and his wife Shay on the safe arrival of their daughter, Harper, weighing a healthy 3.1 kg. Adrian has recently rejoined our Xavier community, having previously been part of the Gawler Belt campus. We wish them all the best with their new family member.

Janet Coomber
Head of Campus - Two Wells

Two Wells - Sports Days

A very successful Sports Day was held for our students at Two Wells Campus from Reception to Year 5 yesterday. There was a lot of colour, lots of energy, much cheering, and some great examples of sportsmanship. Well done to our student leaders who assisted in the running of the day, and to Mr Nick Skewes for his organisation. Thanks to Mr Pinchbeck for cooking 500 sausages for us, and to Miss Michelle for her assistance with setting up the day. Thanks also to the families who came out to support the children, it made the day even better!