From Head of O’Connor House, Matthew Barr
This year the introduction of the new Wellbeing structure, involving a transition from Year Group streaming to House group streaming, was introduced. This new structure has provided a positive start to the year with O’Connor students and staff alike embracing the change and interacting and working as a unified group to ensure this system continues to be a positive step for the College and O’Connor House in particular. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our O’Connor mentors for their leadership and direction with the new House system.
Year 7 Camp, Broken Bay
Year 7 started their journey into Senior School with a 3 day camp at Broken Bay Sport, Life and Recreation. It was a great venue with personal and team building activities that provided the students and staff a flexible learning environment and an opportunity to form and build relationships.
In Week 3 of the Term we had the Senior College Swimming Carnival at Des Renford Pool and the Junior School Carnival at the College Pool. The boys and staff of the O’Connor house demonstrated great enthusiasm and participation throughout both days and finished 2nd and 3rd respectively. There was a lot of strong performers, however, the two standouts were Lucas Young from the Junior School and Liam Davis from the Senior School.
House Prefect, Angus Gawdat, at swimming carnival
In Week 8, the House Prefects and SRC attended the Earth Hour Summit at Potts Point. The Summit provided information and statistics on Climate change. It was a great environment for the boys to workshop and share ideas on potential initiatives and programs that could be introduced at a school level and hence implemented at Waverley College.
House assemblies each Friday morning have been beneficial in bringing the House together to build on the Term 1 theme of ‘Right Relationships’. I would like to thank the House Prefects Angus Gawdat, Angus Mattick, Blake Thorn and Ben Walker who have been instrumental in helping facilitate and deliver the content of the assembly.
Throughout Term 1 and the start of Term 2, each House has been allocated a week to raise funds for the College Lent Charity ‘The Ruben Centre’. O’Connor House has been assigned Thursday Week 1, Term 2. For this, we will be running a cake stall in the Centenary Quad. All O’Connor boys are asked to please provide a plate of goodies to sell on this day.
Also next term we will be having the O’Connor House breakfast. The date set down for this is Friday 12th May (Week 3). Year 12 will have returned to classes after their Half Yearly exams by this date. I welcome all parents and students to join us at this informal gathering. More information will be provided early next term.
Thanks again for a great start to the year and I wish everyone a restful and relaxed Easter and Holiday break. I am looking forward to seeing everyone next term.
