Well done to Mr Paul McAlister and Rice House Captains Grace Frede and Talisa Haberman. There were also some great individual results from our students on the day. Finally, I'd like to thank Mrs Emily Scammell for all the hard work and organisation she puts in behind the scenes to make our Swimming Carnival such a great event every year.

Last week our Year 11 students were in Melbourne for their Spiritual and Academic retreat. From all reports, our students got a lot out of this trip. This experience provided students with the opportunity to grow into their faith, develop skills to prepare for the demands of their senior years of school and also provide them with insight into life beyond school.

On Wednesday our Year 7 students headed to Harrietville for their first Xavier school camp. This camp supports our Year 7 students with their transition into Xavier High School and also provides them with an opportunity to forge relationships with students and staff. Our Year 10 Peer Support Leaders also attended to assist with the running of the camp. I look forward to hearing their stories when they return. 

Monday, March 2 is the Xavier High School Open Day. Open Day provides an opportunity for prospective families and community members to visit Xavier, see the resources and facilities our students enjoy, hear about the opportunities available to Xavier students and watch classes in action. For anyone interested in attending Open Day please register via this link.

Monday, March 23 is our Year 6 Taste of High School Day. This is a great day that provides current Year 6 students from our feeder and non-feeder schools the opportunity to experience what a day at Xavier is like. In the evening there will be a parent information session for parents of current Year 6 students who are interested in knowing more about enrolling their child at Xavier. If you would like more information about either of these events please get in touch with the school via xhs-info@ww.catholic.edu.au 

The Wagga Wagga Diocese has requested all schools schedule two extra professional development days this year to support schools in continuing to deliver the best opportunities for our students spiritually, academically, physically and emotionally. Monday March 9 will be the first of these Pupil Free Days.  

As in past years, there is a gazetted half-day public holiday for schools in Albury on Friday, March 20. With the difficulties associated with school buses not scheduled to arrive at lunchtime, Friday, March 20 will be a Pupil Free Day for all students. Staff will complete professional development on-site until midday.

Key Dates

March 2 2020 - Xavier Open Day

March 5 2020 - BISSA Swimming Carnival

March 9 2020 - Pupil Free Day (Staff PD Day)

March 20 2020 - Pupil Free Day for Albury Gold Cup (Staff PD half day)

March 23 2020 - Year 6 Taste of High School 

March 23 2020 - Information Evening for Parents of Year 6 students.

The results from the day were as follows:

Male Age Champions:

Female Age Champions:

The BISSA Squad will soon be announced and students will receive information regarding this, please keep an eye on Compass for the team list and event information. The BISSA meet will be held at Wagga Wagga Aquatic Centre on the 5th of March. We wish all squad members good luck in their pursuits in representing Xavier on the day.

Emily Scammell

Sport Coordinator

Summative Assessment Tasks with Feedback
The following expectations are held for SAT items:
- A Naming Convention will be used to clearly indicate the task is a SAT item
- Grading will take the form of an A - E letter and raw mark
- Feedback provided for this task will provide an overview of student achievement
- One SAT item per term
- SAT items heavily influence the grade your child receives in each subject

Come along and join one of our student led tours to see what Xavier has to offer.

https://docs.google.com/…/1FAIpQLScibdfpXHdEiPx4tQ…/viewform

It is important to prepare a student’s brain for success. Studies show there is a clear link between students taking care of their health, and their overall productivity during the final year of school. Understanding how best to support your child’s health and wellbeing during this time will help them perform at their best. The student brain has a lot going on, so understanding how it works will help them get the most out their brain power. Acknowledge that not all stress is bad. The art is in finding the right balance. Having the right amount of stress can encourage students to be at their optimal level of alertness, and improve behavioural and cognitive performance. It helps tune their brain and focus.

In this Special Report, parents and care givers will be presented with a number of strategies on how best to support their child during the final year at school. We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this Special Report, and as always, we welcome your feedback.

If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to the special report: https://xhsww.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/surviving-final-year

The meeting will commence at 7pm in the school front office. All are welcome to attend, we would love to see some new faces.

The local branch, WIRES Murray River, is hoping to run a training course in March. 

• Volunteers must be 18, live in NSW and do a training course (RICC). 

• Volunteers must be willing to:

go on the phone roster once a month           rescue injured animals

attend monthly meetingsfollow NPWS guidelines

be guided by more experienced membershelp with fundraising

• Some animals require a lot of care and hygiene is very important. Also, every effort should be made to NOT humanise wild animals.  

• At times we need to make difficult decisions, with the welfare of the animal and its ability to survive in the wild in mind. 

Our basic training course (RICC) has an online section and a practical part, that we are hoping to run in March. (cost $125)     To enrol go to:       

https://www.wildlifetraining.org.au/training/rescue-and-immediate-care-course

Check out the flyer for more details.

With an increasing need for services to the most vulnerable in our communities we need caring people to help with duties like shop sales, sorting, & collection (must have HR License). If you would like to become a valuable volunteer in our Lifeline stores please contact Carol on 0260 216 397.

See the flyer for more details.

See the flyer for more details

The weekly club will include coaching sessions, games, and tips from current Albury Club Champion and chess coach, David Marsh. Commencing on Thursday February 27^th, the first two weeks will be free and will include a mini-tournament with prizes as well as basics coaching for beginners.  All experience levels are welcome. Please find more details in the attached flyer.

See the flyer for more details.

Tickets are $20 and are available from Louise McManus (ph.0424 848 473) or online at https://www.trybooking.com/603591. Profits will be used to purchase a defibrillator for St Patrick's parish.

See the flyer for more details.