Identity and Student Formation
As a Catholic College in the Edmund Rice Tradition, we believe that your son should be presented with opportunities for spiritual, social and emotional growth as well as cognitive and physical growth.
Justice & Solidarity
Justice & Solidarity is an EREA Touchstone and giving back is a fundamental part of College life. As such, it is something that we want every student to experience.
Students in all years are encouraged to participate in outreach activities and develop a lifelong commitment to making a difference in local, national and global contexts.
The College participates in a number of important causes throughout the academic year, with each House supporting a different charity and the whole school community fundraising for events including R U OK? Day, World’s Greatest Shave for Leukaemia Foundation, Beanies for Brain Cancer, Running for Premature Babies and Indigenous Literacy Foundation.
Servant Leadership
Servant leadership is at the heart of student formation. The College encourages students to pursue leadership opportunities like the Student Representative Council (SRC), which consists of College Captains, House Captains, Prefects and House representatives from Years 7 to 11.
Our spiritual leadership program, The Edmund Rice Waterford Leadership Academy is open to students in Years 11 and 12, and focuses on character and faith development. Guest speakers address a variety of leadership topics, with particular emphasis on servant leadership.
Our aim is to create young men of faith and integrity who care for others and seek to make a positive difference in their world.
Service
Service – Our Faith in Action
There is a special emphasis on service to the community at Waverley. Students can start making a difference to their community at a local, national and international level by participating in our dedicated community service program that offers invaluable volunteering and experiential learning opportunities.
Our program partners:
- Matthew Talbot Hostel provides accommodation, health, counselling and employment assistance to men who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Students help in the kiosk in Woolloomooloo.
- Wayside Chapel provides day services for the homeless of Sydney which includes showers, meals and professional assistance for addiction, mental health and employment. They provide an awareness excursion for students, highlighting the difficulties facing homeless people in Australia.
- Wairoa School provides Special Provisions education to students from K to 12 with varying levels of ability. Our students spend a few hours each week as teachers assistants, reading, listening, and playing with the students from Wairoa.
- Redfern Jarjum College provides education for urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students who need a small school context to thrive. Our students attend Jarjum to help in the classroom or afternoon activities program.
- Holdsworth Community provides services for adults with a disability. Our students attend a weekly bowling activity engaging in conversation and having fun with the community. We also partner with St Clare’s College to run the annual Holdsworth Ball.
- Windgap Foundation provides services for adults with a disability. Similar to Holdsworth, our students attend weekly activities and host an annual ball.
- Local aged care facilities where students attend regularly to engage in conversation, call the bingo or partake in a variety of activities run by the home.
Social Justice
Immersions and Deep Learning
We recognise more than 60,000 years of continual connection by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples as a key part of the nation’s history, present and future. Through education, we are committed to ensuring that all students learn about the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
The College’s Red Earth immersions take place in Arnhem Land, Cape York and Cape Tribulation where students explore our First Nations Peoples history, culture, engage in reconciliation, respect and connection to Country.
Our senior students are provided with opportunities to explore the rich social, cultural, religious and linguistic diversity of other global communities and embrace opportunities to communicate and share knowledge and experiences.
Our international immersions take us to Kenya and Timor-Leste and allow for the development of life-long friendships to be forged with people from different backgrounds. Students volunteer and engage with resource-poor local communities that are working towards sustainability and an improved standard of living which helps students look at life through a new lens.
Immersion leaders emphasise the importance of teaching our young men to give back with their hearts and hands because we believe that the development of authentic relationships based on respect, listening, and physically helping are just as valuable and significant as financial help.
Spiritual Opportunities
Your son will be invited to participate in the spiritual life of the College through prayer, liturgies, reflection, retreats, outreach, advocacy and immersions.
Spiritual formation opportunities include:
- House, Commencement, Service Week and Valete Masses
- Ash Wednesday
- Easter and ANZAC Day liturgies
- May Procession
- Years 11 and 12 Kairos retreats
- Reflection days
- Volunteering as a Catechist at Bondi Beach Public School
- Serving as a Minister of the Eucharist
