Xavier College Newsletter - Term 1 Week 11

Important Changes to College Uniform from 2024

Over the past few years there have been a number of changes to the Xavier College Uniform and we would like to remind families of the requirements for students from the commencement of the 2024 school year.

In 2020, information was sent to parents/caregivers informing of a brand refresh of the Xavier College uniform. At this time, students in Year 7 2021 were asked to purchase only the new uniform items with the updated College crest.

Existing students in Years 8 to 12 were given until the completion of their schooling to wear the existing uniform, however, were asked to purchase new items if larger sizes were required during this period.

Accordingly, from the commencement of the 2024 school year all students from Years 7-10 should be in new uniform only (new crest). Only students in Years 11-12 may wear the old uniform which displays the old crest.

In relation to the wearing of the PE uniform, the following now applies:

Yours sincerely

Mark Flaherty
Principal

Uniform Shop - April School Holidays

The Uniform Shop will be open on Wednesday, 24 April 8:00am to 4:30pm during the school holiday period. 

Enrolment Information

Evanston Campus
Limited places remain for 2025.
We strongly urge families to submit Applications for Enrolment for 2026 prior to the closure date below.

Two Wells Campus
Limited places remain for 2025.
We strongly urge families to submit Applications for Enrolment for Reception to Year 9 in 2026 prior to the closure date below.

Gawler Belt Campus
Limited places remain for 2025.
We strongly urge families to submit Applications for Enrolment for 2026 prior to the closure date below.

All Applications for 2026 Enrolments close on 31 May 2024.

If you have additional children you intend to enrol at the College in the future, we recommend submitting these Applications at the same time, as places are filling fast.

If you require further Application for Enrolment Forms or if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me, via email registrar@xavier.catholic.edu.au or submit an Enrolment Enquiry form via the College website - link below.

https://www.xavier.catholic.edu.au/enrolment-enquiry-form

Kind regards,

Tamika Boyce
College Registrar

Term 2 Bus Passes are now available to purchase on the Qkr! app

Project Compassion

Each year, the College supports Caritas Australia’s work in Australia and overseas by raising funds for their annual Project Compassion campaign during the Season of Lent.

We want to thank all members of the Xavier College Community for their continued support of the work of Caritas.

This year, as a community, we raised $13,234.00 across all three campuses to help Caritas’ vital work.

Once again, thank you for supporting this fundraising endeavour.

Gareth Watson
Assistant Head of Campus - Mission

Holy Week and Easter

During Week 9, students at Xavier College celebrated Holy Week.  On Holy Thursday, members of the community gathered together across all campuses.  Beautiful prayer services, facilitated by Fr Chris and Fr Sefo were held, creating a space for reflection on the significant events of Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, and Good Friday.  Students and staff were invited to listen to Scripture, join in with songs, and engage in prayers, deepening their understanding of the Easter story.

On the following Tuesday, we all gathered again to actively participate in the Easter prayer services held across all campuses.  As a community, our hearts were filled with hope and joy as we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus. It was lovely to have a variety of senior leaders and student volunteers from all year levels involved in these prayer services.  The reverence demonstrated by individuals during these services is to be commended, highlighting the importance of these religious observances at Xavier College.

Kristynn Ross and Gareth Watson
Assistant Heads of Campus - Mission

Evanston - Head of Campus

Dear Families

As we bid farewell to another term filled with growth and learning, we want to take a moment to extend our heartfelt gratitude to each and every member of the Xavier family. Together we continued to show excellence in learning even through the ups and downs the term brought.

A huge thank you to the students who continue to demonstrate enthusiasm for learning. Whether in the classroom,  academically or socially, you are all continuing to grow and learn every day. Thank you for your hard work, your perseverance, and your positive attitude!

To our supportive families, your partnership with us in the education of your children is invaluable. Your trust, your involvement, and your encouragement create a nurturing environment where our students can thrive.

May the upcoming break be a time of rest, rejuvenation, and joy for all. We look forward to welcoming you back for another term of learning, discovery, and friendship on Tuesday 30 April.

Thank you once again to Mr E for the exceptional leadership, care, and warmth he has provided to the Evanston campus. We will see you soon!

Wishing you all a wonderful break!

Rozanna Elmassih
Head of Campus - Evanston

Evanston - Project Compassion and RUAH Coin Challenge

A big thank you to all our families for the support you have given towards our Caritas Australia Project Compassion RUAH Coin Challenge campaign.

On Thursday afternoon in Week 9, our House Leaders gathered in the SAMMAT and were overwhelmed with the contributions from our community.  Each House was given 30 minutes to create the biggest letters of RUAH with the help of all the donations.

The students showed excellent teamwork and persistence throughout the challenge.  Overall, Mazzarello took out the title for the winners of the RUAH Coin Challenge.

Once again, a big thank you to the whole community for your generosity.

Kristynn Ross
Assistant Head of Campus - Mission

Evanston - Receptions Thrive with Peaceful Kids

In the hustle and bustle of Term 1, some of our little Reception stars took part in something truly special—the Peaceful Kids Program at Xavier College Evanston. It was a five-week adventure filled with strategies on handling those big, tricky feelings that sneak up on us.

During these sessions, our students experienced mindfulness, discovering what it means to be really, truly present. They even got a peek into their amazing brains and how they deal with all those feelings! It was awesome to find out what the Amygdala and Pre-frontal cortex do—they're like the superheroes of our brains!

But the real fun? Learning how to chill out with some amazing meditation tricks. One favourite was JAM—nope, not the sticky kind you put on toast, but Just A Minute to take a breather and feel the calm wash over.

This program is like a secret recipe for our young ones, helping them understand their feelings and giving them superpowers to tackle stress and worries head-on.

As we prepare for more adventures in Term Two, we can't wait to see our Reception students continue to grow and shine, armed with newfound skills to take on whatever life throws their way.

Andrea White 
Teacher

Evanston - Resilience Project

The Resilience Project has kicked off at Evanston and our students are absolutely loving it! They're diving headfirst into learning all about GEM—Gratitude, Empathy, and Mindfulness.

Working on gratitude helps us to be thankful and appreciate what we have in our lives, rather than focusing on what we don’t have or what we want. When we practise being grateful, we start to scan the world to look for positives – this only takes 21 days! Practising gratitude every day increases our levels of energy, and helps us to feel happier and more focused, determined and optimistic. It even helps us have better sleep, lowers levels of anxiety and depression and we are less likely to get sick. So many benefits – let’s all try to be grateful for the things and people in our lives every day!

Whole Family Activity

Gratitude Scavenger Hunt

• As a family, create a scavenger hunt list of things that make you happy or you are grateful for, you can make your own list or use the examples below:
• Something that makes you happy
• Something you love to smell
• Something you enjoy looking at
• Something that is your favourite colour
• Something you like in nature
• Something that is useful for you
• Each member of the family uses the list and has to find as many things as they can.
• You can hunt for things inside or outside, or both. You can hunt for real things, or you can also do this using magazines or pictures from the internet.
• After a set amount of time hunting, come back together, have a look at what each person collected and let them explain why they are grateful for each item.

Family Habit Builder

Every night at dinner, have each person talk about their favourite thing about that day. What are you grateful for today? 

Andrea White
Teacher

Evanston - Sports News

It has been a busy start to 2024 with SAPSASA try-out events for swimming, cross country and softball having already taken place. Of those who participated in the trials, I would like to congratulate the following students whose talents in each respective discipline have earned them a place on a Gawler District SAPSASA team/squad. The Softball Carnival took place in Week 9, of this term, where the Gawler girls’ team were overall winners of Division 1.  A huge congratulations to Chalri and the rest of that team. We wish our other successful participants all the best in their upcoming competitions.

Swimming - Amelia Iredale, Angelique Du Randt and Eliza Brown

Cross Country - Rocco Consalvo, Charlotte Eime and Saverio Trimboli

Softball – Charlotte Freeman.

Lyndon Draper
Sports Coordinator

Gawler Belt - Head of Campus

Liverpool Football Club International Academy (LFCIA)

Following the success of the launch of Xavier College's formal partnership with the Liverpool Football Club International Academy in February, I am delighted to announce that we have nearly 250 students registered for our 'LFCIA Community Day' which will be held here on our Gawler Belt Campus on Saturday, 27 April from 9am - 4pm. It is important to highlight the fact that if your child was not able to register for the 'LFCIA Community Day', they will be given preference to be the very first students to be involved in our after-school skill development clinics which will commence in Term 3 this year.

The Liverpool Football Club International Academy program will consist of the following 5 modules.

• LFCIA Standard Coaching certifications and pathways for staff
• After-school skill development clinics
• Holiday clinics
• The delivery of the authentic, comprehensive Liverpool curriculum in our Health and Physical Education subjects in alignment with the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) subject requirements
• SACE Stage 2 High Performance 
• Coaching courses that would provide our students with a direct University pathway into the Australian College of Physical Education (ACPE) in Sydney.

The College's after-school skill development clinics will be formally launched in Week 1 of Term 3 2024. The clinics will be held (as an example) on a Wednesday afternoon from 4pm - 5pm and run for 10 weeks. Please note, that the scheduling of the afternoon clinics will be advised in due course. The Xavier College community will be notified by Liverpool Football Club International Academy when registration for these clinics will open.

John Cameron
Head of Campus - Gawler Belt

Gawler Belt - GATEWAYS Masterclass

14 exceptional students from Years 7 and 8 across Two Wells and Gawler Belt campuses embarked on a transformative journey through the GATEWAYS think masterclass at Mary Mackillop College. This unique opportunity served as a platform for our high-ability students to delve deeper into their passions, extending their learning beyond the boundaries of the traditional curriculum.

Tailored to the distinctive needs of gifted and talented students, the GATEWAYS program provided a rich tapestry of enrichment and extension activities. Engaging workshops and thought-provoking discussions ignited our students' curiosity, challenging them to explore topics that expanded their horizons and stretched the limits of their knowledge.

The presenters leading these workshops were experts in their fields and possessed an infectious enthusiasm for their subject. Their wealth of knowledge transformed each session into a fun experience, filled with interactive learning opportunities carefully designed to resonate with the diverse interests and abilities of our students.

Through their participation in the GATEWAYS program, our students were inspired to excel academically, encouraged to cultivate their creativity, hone their critical thinking skills, and ignite their passion for lifelong learning.

Petone May
Teacher

Gawler Belt - Kaurna Day

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Years 10, 11 & 12 students attended the The University of Adelaide 150th year celebration on Kaurna Day; Tirkanthi - Ngutu - Taikurrinthi (Learning – Knowledge - Be united together), a day where our students immersed themselves and  experienced Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and culture. 
 
Students got to explore and discover community stalls, performances by First Nations artists from the Centre of Aboriginal Studies in Music, student presentations, and collaborative information sessions facilitated by Wirltu Yarlu. We got to experience the Deadly Mentorz cultural workshop, where we learnt about each others’ culture, and learnt about the origin of different Indigenous musical instruments.

Lorraine Lemmens
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Coordinator 

Gawler Belt - Sekseed Presentation

In Week 9, Sam Ghamrawi from Sekseed presented his ‘Learning 2 Learn’ program to our Year 12 students, which aims to set students up for success by helping them better understand how they learn and inspire confidence in their own ability. This was the first of 6 sessions - through the 6 sessions Sam will focus on the topics of Set Up for Success; Focus; Time Management; Goals; Stress and Set Up For Life. The sessions come with a workbook for students to utilise the key concepts covered.

Student reviews

'I enjoyed the presentation that we attended with Sam. It opened my eyes to the ways that I can succeed. I liked his enthusiasm and the way he connected with us as an audience.  I think that his presentation made me and my year level more aware of our mindset and how it can help us to achieve our goals' - Nikiah Whalen.

'I thought that the presentation done by Sekseed was one of the best that my cohort has had yet. I liked how he connected with the audience and brought their thoughts to the conversation. I liked how he was funny and connected with the audience well. I have been told from some others that they didn't like what his main focus was, people thought he was just preaching for good grades when he should talk more about all aspects of life' - Jeremy Simpson.

'I found the humour to be really engaging, his use of body langue also added to the entertainment. I enjoyed how he interacted with us, specifically when he clearly outlined that his presentation was a more of a discussion. This set the tone for the presentation and made it really easy to actively think and engage with the concepts he was talking about' - Alexander Evans.

'I thoroughly enjoyed the guest speaker. Sam was engaging and funny, I loved how motivational and encouraging he was, I have taken away great advice that will stay with me throughout the rest of my schooling, and into my adulthood' - Bridie McIlduff.

'We really enjoyed the fun environment Sam created. He allowed us to feel involved in the work and it was a conversational interaction, which was better than having him talk at us. We’re excited for him to come back again because his points were so helpful and actually realistic' - Holly Sayce, Rubi Whitley, and Layla Mather.

Ben Whyte
College Counsellor

Two Wells - Head of Campus

As we approach the end of another busy term, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to our students who are the heart and soul of our College. Thank you for your active participation, your energy, and the way you work on embedding RUAH into your days.  

To our parents and families, we appreciate our partnership and commitment to your child's education. When families and school are working together, the teamwork is invaluable.  

To our staff who work incredibly hard behind the scenes to ensure that our College continues to grow, evolve, and flourish. I am deeply grateful for your leadership, your expertise, and your unwavering dedication to our shared mission.

What an exciting term it has been – the variety of learning opportunities, excursions, camps, Liturgies, Masses, iTime showcases, intercampus trips – it has been action packed.

On another exciting note, it will not be long before you start to see some movement to prepare for the next stage of building on campus. This will be a significant build for the College, and  one that will provide outstanding facilities for our senior students.

Wishing you all a restful and rejuvenating break, filled with joy, laughter, and cherished memories. I look forward to seeing you all in Term 2.

Janet Coomber
Head of Campus - Two Wells

Two Wells - Year 5 Parliament Excursion

In Week 10, our Year 5 students had the amazing opportunity to travel into the city to visit Parliament House. We were welcomed by Hon. Heidi Girolamo, who conducted our tour around Parliament House and answered student’s questions, in preparation for their learning of democracy next term. Students explored the House of Assembly Chamber, the Legislative Council Chamber and Old Parliament House. We concluded our tour with a walk through the library and through the hallways where students viewed portraits of past Speakers and other important members of our parliament. We were also fortunate enough to take some time to sit in the Esther Lipman Gardens for lunch and have a quick run-around before getting back on the bus and travelling back to school.

Amie Hockenhull
Teacher

Two Wells - Year 5 Wax Museum

In Week 9, our Year 5 students participated in a wax museum performance as a part of their Drama assessment. Throughout Term 1, they have been developing an appreciation for the use of drama elements while performing, specifically tone of voice and improvisation. As a part of their assessment, students were to pick a famous person of their choice and research information about them, as well as their mannerisms and tone of voice. Students then practiced answering 5 questions in character, while also being ready for random questions to be thrown at them on the day.

Our wonderful Year 4 students helped us out when it came to performance day, by walking through our very own wax museum and asking the Year 5 students the 5 questions they had practiced. Our Year 5 students did a fantastic job at changing their voice or accent, improvising when they were given a different question, and some even dressed up for the part.

Kayla Carbone
Teacher

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