The period of Lent is seen as a time of solemn observance and preparation for the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus at Easter. From its start on Ash Wednesday until its conclusion on Easter Sunday, Lent is a traditional time for fasting or giving something up or abstinence.  A focus for week 1 of the Lenten Season is one of being free to choose.  Choosing what we do in our lives is really about choosing the kind of people we want to be. God invites us to the kind of freedom that puts relationships first, especially with him.

Last Monday’s Open Day provided an opportunity for prospective parents and community members to visit Xavier and witness classes in action and see first hand the resources and facilities that all students currently enjoy.  Over 200 visitors enjoyed the tours conducted by our student leaders and welcomed the opportunity to ask questions of students and staff whilst they went about their way of learning and teaching.

Led by Chris Doyle, a talented and engaging presenter, our Year 11 Spirituality Day encouraged students to reflect upon their lives and their relationships and to build the sense of community amongst their Year group.  Students are now further prepared for the rigours of their approaching HSC course knowing they have the continued support of their peers and staff.

Today’s workshops facilitated by Scott Darlow gave our students the opportunity to hear about his indigenous culture, Australian history, racial tolerance, harmony and important social matters. His keyword "FLUTE" (Forgiveness, Love, Understanding, Tolerance and Empathy) has become very popular in schools and businesses. Students from Years 7 to 11 welcomed and enjoyed the opportunity to share their time with Scott.

Our annual Mass and Meal Evening will take place on Wednesday March 13 commencing at 6pm. I cordially invite each and everyone of you to this significant school event.  The Mass and Meal offers an opportunity for the members of our school community and their extended families to join with staff, share a meal and extend their relationship beyond the classroom. All are welcome - from babies to great grandparents. Please CLICK HERE TO RSVP by Monday March 11 to assist with our catering.

The Annual General Meeting of the Xavier High School Council takes place on Wednesday March 27th commencing at 6.30pm. The School Council is advisory for the financial administration of the school and functions at the level of supervision and policy-setting. The Council therefore considers the annual budget, decides on future development of school buildings and grounds and is part of the decision-making process in questions of school policy and the future of the school.

Our Council Guidelines stipulate that four to six parent representatives may take their place on the Council for a two year term. In 2018 the School Council had vacancies for two further parent representatives. Under the Guidelines Melissa Pargeter and Joe Corrigan enter the second year of their current term and Tracey Parnell is eligible for re-election for a further two years. In addition to our parent representatives, Council members include Judy Kenny representing the Parents’ and Friends’ Association.

I encourage you to self-nominate or nominate a fellow parent to join our School Council as a parent representative. Nominations may be submitted by completing this form prior to 10am Monday March 18 2019.

I wish to give you early warning of the  Albury Gold Cup ½ day public holiday on Friday March 22. Students will not be required to attend any classes on that day.  Staff will be involved with professional development until 12.00pm.

Upcoming dates to remember

Wed March 13Welcome Mass and Meal for all families. 6pm

Thurs March 14Pupil Free Day

Staff Professional Development Day

Fri March 22Albury Gold Cup (half day) public holiday.

Pupil Free Day - all day

Staff Professional Development Day until 12pm.

As I reflect on these opening weeks, I consider the words from Luke’s Gospel, which were shared with us across a number of weeks at mass and, indeed, as part of our Opening School Mass, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free.”  It serves as a reminder to us at the start of a new school year of the significance of the role that we play in sharing the “good news” through all we do and say.

We have witnessed Good News across the school in many ways - from our new Year 7 students beginning their journey with our Xavier community and embracing that through their time away on camp, to the House spirit of the swimming carnival and the joy of the Xavier High School 2019 Open Day, the news has been spread far and wide.  Reflecting on the commitment of our students and staff to each opportunity that is presented, it is certainly clear that the Xavier community is being enlivened by all that is happening.

These opening weeks have provided a wonderful opportunity for our Year 10 Peer Support leaders to work alongside our Year 7s, doing so in formal Peer Support sessions, on the Year 7 camp and in organised lunch activities.  It has been so impressive to see the leadership of those students involved and the impact this has had on the smooth transition of the new students settling into our community.

Our HSC students continue to work steadfastly through their courses and have taken the opportunity to engage in the Parent/Teacher/ Student conferences to gather feedback on their achievements to date and set new, focused goals for their continued growth.  As they move towards their Mid-Course Assessment Period, they are able to take pride in their efforts so far. The students have also taken part in the first of 4 sessions with Align Health aimed at helping them to remain calm and focused throughout Year 12.  A parent handout around this session was sent to all parents to encourage discussion of the topics at home also.

We have enjoyed the company of many of our parent community at our information nights so far this term, for both our Year 7 and Year 11 cohorts.  These gathering opportunities provide the chance to be engaged with our approach here at the school and also with other parents who are along a similar journey.  We are looking forward to welcoming more of our parents to the Welcome Mass and Meal to be celebrated at 6pm on Wednesday 13th March - all are welcome.

Catholic Schools Week has been upon us this week and the school has been lively with events to recognise his.  Monday saw us welcome over 200 people through our gates for our Open Day. We had a wonderful team of almost 50 students who led the visiting families on tours of our school, introducing them to life at Xavier.  Our Year 11 students took part in a Spirituality Day and all of our students in Years 7 - 11 enjoyed the performances of Indigenous singer Scott Darlow. It was a week that certainly celebrated the Good News that happens at Xavier every day.

As we hit the halfway mark of this term, a reminder that on Thursday 14th March, there is no school for our students as the staff have a professional learning day with Dr John DeCourcy.  Dr DeCourcy is an academic who, each year, works with Catholic schools to analyse student growth and results. Staff will be engaging with strategies that are aimed at developing instructional approaches to enhance student achievement.  It will be a day that will be of great benefit to the teaching and learning across the school!

Students are encouraged to wear coloured clothes (House colours) with gold coin donation going to Project Compassion. The day will run as follows:

• Competitors only – for students who are attempting to make the BISSA team and will be expected to go to this event if they qualify, students will run two external laps of the school (4km). Only student's who are prepared to go to BISSA should compete in the competitive section.

• House based “walkathon/fun run” – non-competitive event compulsory for all students. Houses to run/walk laps using both ovals (4 houses per oval) with staff recording the number of laps completed by students. This will be a timed event and Houses will have 40 minutes (based on organisation and start time) to complete as many laps as possible. 

• Scoring – House points will be allocated on the total number of laps completed (1 lap = 1 point). Students who are competing in the competitive section of the event will be allocated set points (comparable to the best non-competitive runners amount of laps).

• Schedule for the day:

If you wish to enter the competitors only section you will need to complete the attached nomination form by Wednesday. 

First Sunday of Lent

Grief is a natural response to loss. It might be the loss of a loved one, relationship or even a pet. The more significant the loss, the more intense the grief is likely to be. Children and adults grieve differently due to their developmental stage, and this can prove difficult for parents to understand. 

Young children fluctuate in and out of the stages of grief rapidly, as they may not comprehend the permanency death. They express their grief more physically. Teens, on the other hand, may not know how to express their grief and will need some space to process their loss. Some may choose to grieve alone, not wanting to stand out or be seen as not coping. Whilst others, who may have a greater understanding, can start to question their own mortality.

In this edition of SchoolTV, parents can learn how to acknowledge their child’s feelings and the best way to support them through the grief. We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this month’s edition and we always welcome your feedback.

If you have any concerns about your child, please contact the school counsellor for further information.

Here is the link to this month's edition https://xhsww.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/grief-loss

Thursday 14th March - Staff PD  

Friday 22nd March - Albury Gold Cup

• The University of Melbourne – George Hansen Scholarship (now open)
• Australia National University – Tuckwell Scholarship (open now)
• RMIT Trades Tours
• Victoria Polytechnic Trade Tours
• Webinar – Steps to an Australian Apprenticeship
• RMIT Apprenticeships and Traineeships Facebook site
• Flight attendant – 12-month Cabin Crew in the Air Force (now open)
• Flight attendant training at William Angliss
• Focus on the Bachelor of Science
• Musculoskeletal Occupations (physiotherapy, osteopathy, chiropractic, myotherapy, podiatry)
• Work experience at the Australian Defence Force
• Work experience directory for secondary students
• Interesting career articles
• Australian Defence Force Gap Year Program – now open
• Australia National University – applications now open
• TAFE to university pathways
• Get a head start on searching for university scholarships
• International Studies at Monash University
• Dates for your diary

See the flyer below for more details