From the Head of Brennan House, James Horrocks
Term three is always a bittersweet term as it is the one in which we farewell our current Year 12 leaders. For these students, it is the culmination of a journey that they have taken through Waverley College, one which for many, began 8 years ago when they entered the Junior School as Year 5 students. Irrespective of the length of their journey through the college, each and every Year 12 student has had a profound impact on their peers and have led the way in demonstrating what it means to be a Waverlian. They have been fine role models for the rest of the school and have set an excellent foundation for future Year 12 students to build upon. I would like to take this opportunity to thank each of our Year 12 students for the way in which they have approached their final year at Waverley. They have been an exceptional group of leaders and, more importantly, have grown into a fine bunch of young men that are a credit to their school, families and teachers. On behalf of the entire Waverley College community, I would like to wish you all the best in your HSC Examinations and every success in whatever direction your next journey takes you.
Our 2017 Brennan House Year 12 students include:
- Benjamin Archondoulis
- Nicholas Blakey
- Mark Brown
- Stephen Croft
- Hal Cumpston
- Finlay Davis
- Taaj Davis
- Jake Galluccio
- Jack Gordon
- Zach Havard
- Angus Mullins
- Charlie Negus
- John Persoglia
- Liam Rayner
- Luca Reiners
- Cameron Walker
- Finn Wright
- Jonathan Wu
I would also like to personally thank each of our House Prefects for 2017; Mark Brown, Taaj Davis, Angus Mullins, Liam Rayner and Jonathan Wu. These five young men have worked incredibly hard throughout the year and have put in many hours of additional work beyond the already demanding schedule of a Year 12 student. As a result they have ensured that all Brennan students have been able to take part in and benefit from our new wellbeing system. Each of these young men has made the transition to a new wellbeing model happen smoothly and have ensured that it has benefitted as many of their peers as possible during their tenure as prefects.
In other year groups, Year 11 have just wrapped up their end of year examinations before becoming our new Year 12 cohort at the commencement of Term 4 and while the current Year 12 have left big shoes to fill, I am sure that Year 11 will step up well into their new role as leaders in the college. A number of Brennan boys also put their names forward to be selected as House Prefects commencing in Term Four. It is a tough selection process and all candidates should be commended for the way in which they conducted themselves in their speeches and throughout the interview process. I wish them all the best in the outcome of this process.
Year 9 Camp
Year 9 also had their annual camp during Term 3. For many of our boys, this is their first time undertaking an Outdoor Education camp program and it can be quite a shock to the system. However, they all took it in their stride and all reports from the camp said that they had a great time, fully immersing themselves in everything that camp has to offer and learning lots of great lessons about perseverance and overcoming obstacles. These lessons are often just as important as those learnt in the classroom and help our Year 9 students continue to develop into true lifelong learners.
Year 10 had their first taste of a school formal in week 7 when they went on their Harbour Cruise and Dinner Dance. There was some fantastic fashion on display from the boys and their partners and some equally impressive dance moves from the likes of Heath Lawther, Jack Sonego and Henry Bartlett to name but a few! This was all accompanied by a 3 course dinner and five hour cruise around Sydney Harbour. Year 10 proved a credit to themselves in the respectful way they enjoyed themselves on the night and there was clearly a lot of fun had by all. If you are interested in seeing some of the photos from the night, follow this link to the site of the official photographer from the night:
Term 3 has also seen the culmination of the Winter Sport season. This season has been one of the most successful in our long history with our 1st XI Football team, as well as the 1st, 2nd and 3rd XV Rugby taking out the CAS Premierships. This is a huge achievement and all players and coaches deserve a massive congratulations on their exceptional efforts this season, as do the parents and guardians who spent countless hours getting players to and from venues and supporting so vocally and passionately on the sidelines each and every week. In addition to this, all Waverley teams demonstrated fantastic sportsmanship and enjoyment throughout the season. At the end of the day this is what sport is all about and it is excellent to see Waverley leading the way in this regard. Continuing on with sporting news, congratulations go out to Finn Wright for his selection in the Australian Schoolboys Rugby team. He is one of 5 Waverley students selected in the Australian School boys and Australian Barbarians Rugby teams, a record breaking achievement for the college and for the boys themselves! We wish you all the best for your upcoming fixtures against New Zealand and Fiji.
Week 9 saw the running of the 88th Annual CAS Athletics Carnival out at Sydney Olympic Park. All of the boys involved in this year’s athletic program represented the college with pride on the night. Well done in particular to Daniel Andrews, Ronan Braham, Nick Corias, Will Davison, Charley Howell, Alex Kapos, Spencer Kapos, Sean Kearns, Nick Quinn and Finn Wright who competed on the night. This group of boys should be commended for the fantastic school spirit shown by committing to an extra 5 weeks of school sport, putting themselves through gruelling training sessions and getting up early on Saturdays when many others are sleeping in. Congratulations on your season and hopefully your efforts inspire many more to get involved next season.
2017 Holdsworth Ball
The Holdsworth Ball is the flagship charity event of the Brennan House calendar every year, with 2017 being no different. Waverley has a strong history of working with the Holdsworth Community, a local organisation that supports children and adults living with intellectual disabilities, their families and caregivers throughout Sydney and the Eastern Suburbs. Since early in Term 2, a group of 12 boys from Waverley and 12 girls from St Clare’s have been meeting to plan the annual ball. This is a huge undertaking for those involved as they are responsible for every aspect of the night; planning the entertainment, seating, decorations and prizes, as well as cooking and serving a full three-course dinner. In addition to all of this, they are also responsible for raising all of the funds to pay for the night. I would like to thank and congratulate the following students for their hard work and turning the night into a resounding success:
- Daniel Hassan
- Ethan Reid
- Coen Finati
- Riley Singles-Fotopoulos
- Oliver Read
- Daniel Andrews
- Tommy Tyson
- William Davison
- Hunter Foley
- Luca Galeazzi
- Jack Hardwick-Owen
- Dominic Augoustis
2017 Holdsworth Ball
In addition, I would like to thank the members of the Waverley College Jazz Band who provided such excellent musical entertainment on the night. Those boys included; Dominic Augoustis, Simon Finnegan, Ryan Bakels, Flynn Schulz and Eric Cordato. Thank you also to Mr Leddie, Ms Cullen, Mr Kara, Ms Boyce and the TAS department for their continued support and hard work on the night to help prepare and serve the meals and ensure the night ran smoothly.
2017 Holdsworth Ball
I would also like to make a point of highlighting the significance and impact that this event has on all participants who attend on the night. It is one of the key social events on the Holdsworth Community calendar every year purely because of the care and hard work put in by the students to make the night so fun and enjoyable for all who attend. A number of parents and caregivers stated on the night how important events like this are for those that they care for and how much it means to see the participants enjoying themselves in normal social environments. Thank you to all who worked so hard on the night, you should be very proud of what you were able to achieve.
2017 Holdsworth Ball
It would be remiss of me not to again thank all of the wonderful Brennan House Wellbeing Mentors for your continued support of all under your care. You are the first face that many of the boys see each day and the caring environment that you provide for them each morning ensures that they can start each day with a smile.
Mentor time
To Year 12, your High School career is coming to a close and you should be incredibly proud of all that you have achieved during your time here at Waverley. The end is in sight and it is important that you finish strong. Keep those study habits going throughout the holidays and stay in contact with your teachers to keep getting as much help and guidance as you can in the lead up to the exam period. Lastly, good luck in your exams, you have done the hard work and it is almost time to reap the rewards!
Brennan House at play!
Finally, I would like to wish everyone involved in our Brennan House community a happy and restorative holiday break and I look forward to seeing you all in Term 4 for a great finish to the year.
