Principal, Mr Graham Leddie
COVID-19 Update 7 May 2021
NSW Health have advised two new cases of community transmission within the last 48 hours, and are continuing to work to identify the source of transmission. The following precautionary restrictions are in-place for the Greater Sydney region (including Wollongong, Central Coast and Blue Mountains) from midday yesterday, 6 May until 12:01am on Monday 10 May 2021:
What this means for students, staff and parents:
- Students over the age of 12 and staff must comply with the Public Health (COVID-19 Mandatory Face Coverings) Order 2021 when travelling to and from school and during school excursions by public transport or by chartered or private transport services. We would encourage all students from Years 5-12 to follow this guideline.
- Staff and students are not required to wear a face mask while at school, however, are most welcome to do so if they wish.
- Parents are required to wear a mask whilst attending the College for co-curricular activities or other reasons for the next three days.
- Staff and students should not attend work or school if unwell, even with mild symptoms of COVID-19. Any person with any COVID-19 symptoms should be sent home and should not return until they have received a negative test result and are symptom-free. In circumstances where students have other medical reasons for recurrent symptoms, a letter from their GP is sufficient to negate the requirement for a negative test.
- All visitors to a school site must comply with the 1.5m physical distancing requirements and the sign-in arrangements. This includes the requirement to sign the school sign-in sheet where they acknowledge that they will comply with the COVID-19 requirements for visitors, contractors and service providers each time they visit.
- Students are recommended to carry their own personal hand sanitizer, particularly for usage after touching communal surfaces such as railings and seats on public transport.
- As we approach the flu season, it is advised to get a flu shot and maintain good hygiene practices, especially washing your hands several times a day with soap.
- If you are contacted by NSW Health, you need to follow their directives precisely.
*For co-curricular COVID-19 protocols for spectators, players and coaches over the weekend please click Mr Stephen O’Donnell’s article in the Sport section.
Mother’s Day
I am disappointed that our two planned Mother’s Day celebrations have been postponed to Friday 21 May due to the recent COVID-19 activity in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The Junior School Mother’s Day Mass will go ahead at Mary Immaculate Church: Year 5 at 10:30am followed by morning tea at the Junior School, and Year 6 at 12pm followed by afternoon tea at the Junior School.
We wish all our mothers, grandmothers, step mothers and those who play a maternal role in the lives of our students all the best for Sunday. Special thoughts go to some members of our community who can not see their mothers this weekend because of world travel restrictions in play due to the global pandemic. Happy Mothers’ Day!
May Procession & Founders Day
It was wonderful to celebrate the 111th May Procession and Founders’ Day with our Waverley community here on campus, on a sunny Sunday May afternoon. Special thanks to guest speaker Patrick McClure AO (Class of 1967), who spoke to us about the alignment of two EREA Touchstones, Gospel Spirituality and Justice & Solidarity, within his own work-life journey. Thank you to all the students, parents and Old Boys for your attendance and for making it a memorable event. We proudly refer to ourselves as a Catholic school in the Edmund Rice tradition along with 54 other schools and 25 Flexible Learning Centres in Australia and 280 schools around the world. It is the spirit of Edmund Rice that helps to shape and define the common identity that we share with these schools, even though we all operate in many different contexts. Feast Days enable us to reflect on this identity and build upon the College’s traditions, values and touchstones.
Urgently Seeking Volunteers for our Canteens
As you know, we are lucky enough to have two canteens that are open five days a week for breakfast, recess and lunch. We urgently need a full roster of volunteers each term to ensure that the canteens can continue to operate successfully.
The canteen will continue to be open every school day of the year. Therefore, we are looking for as many volunteer workers as possible to assist us in our daily operations.
Lunch is provided for all volunteers. Please know, we highly value the assistance and support of our volunteer workers as it allows us to be more efficient in our services for the students. We welcome all members of the Waverley College Community (mothers, fathers, grandparents, aunts, uncles, carers etc). We are also happy to take on any availability, it all helps.
Please click here for the Senior School volunteer roster.
Please click here for the Junior School volunteer roster.
Edmund Rice Foundation – Help for India
In India, the second wave of the COVID-19 crisis is taking a devastating toll. Right now, urgent financial assistance to support frontline workers is required. ERFA has previously partnered with respected Indian-based NGO PRATYeK to provide vital support to vulnerable communities. The current health crisis cannot be overstated, and PRATYeK has requested urgent assistance from us. 100% of donations will go towards providing the PRATYeK frontline team with oxygen cylinders, medicine and COVID-curated first aid kits. The crippling undersupply of ICU beds and ventilators will also be targeted in this campaign.
George Richard Rummery (2.4.1928 – 26.4.2021)
Today we think of George Richard Rummery, QC, who passed away on 26 April aged 93, and whose funeral mass was today at St Mary Magdalene’s Catholic Church, Rose Bay. George was a much-loved husband, father to seven children, and grandfather, and maintained a strong relationship with us because his only son George William Rummery attended Waverley College. Tragically, young George died accidently on 20 March 1982, aged 13 and a half, when he was in Year 8. He enjoyed music and had particular gifts in singing and the mouth organ.
In 1986, George’s parents George and Barbara founded the George William Rummery Foundation for the purpose of providing, in his memory, an annual scholarship to pay the fees of a Waverley pupil to learn music or singing at the College. In recent years this scholarship has enabled several Waverley students to pursue their talents in music, and today we remember George for this generosity. He was known as a gentle, kind man with a keen intellect and passionate dedication to the law.
George Rummery senior, a compassionate man who dedicated a Waverley College music scholarship in memory of his son George Rummery
CSDA Debating and Lawrence Campbell Oratory competition
Last Friday we hosted the first round of CSDA Debating as well as hosting for the first time in 20 years, the Lawrence Campbell Oratory competition, a well-renowned and high-performing public speaking competition where students are given only 15 minutes preparation and required to speak for 8 minutes. Vice Captain Patrick Hoggett did a sterling job of representing Waverley at this event. A huge thank you to Ms Emma Halpin for the arrangements in hosting. Congratulations to the following students who took out the top three positions – 1st Bernard Lund (St Joseph’s College), 2nd Aidan Woo (Sydney Grammar School) and 3rd Jivian Naganathan (Sydney Boys’ High School). All students performed remarkably well and it was a pleasure to listen to their responses and perspectives.
Patrick Hoggett representing Waverley at the Lawrence Campbell Oratory competition
NAPLAN Testing
NAPLAN testing for Year 5, 7 and 9 students will be held over the coming two weeks. While we have prepared the students in these respective year levels, there is no preparation program per se beyond the effective learning and teaching of numeracy and literacy every day. The NAPLAN results give parents and teachers insight into the capabilities of each student as well as indicating their improvement since previous testing. The College uses these results as one set of data that informs teaching for individuals, as well as the adjustments that may be necessary for cohorts of students. Our continued focus in recent years has been around improving our students’ writing skills.
Old Boys Union – AGM
The OBU AGM, was held last Sunday, with Council elections being conducted. I would like to congratulate the elected members, both the Executive & Council Members for 2021/22 and thank them for their ongoing support of the College community:
- President: Salvatore Riolo
- Vice President: Col Blake
- Treasurer: John Hilton
- Secretary: Chris O’Sullivan
- Assistant Secretary: Peter Hannigan
- Council Members: Warren Boyd, Michael Burns, Michael Dignam, Peter Frost, Sam Hardjono, John Karas, Brandon Perry, Tom Wallace
I thank all Old Boys who still have strong involvement with the College and these areas include: College Advisory Council Chair and other committee members, College Foundation Chair and other committee members, CAS General Committee Membership, Queens Park Committee, College Uniform Committee, College mentor program and guest speaker program, Wavefest master classes, Cadets, Co-Curricular Coaches, College Arborist, College Plumbers, 12 Teachers, two Support Staff, and, of course the Waverley College Old Boy Union Executive and Committee Members. Without this support, the College’s programs and operations would be significantly reduced.
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF)
Waverley mum, Kate Miranda, is undertaking a five-day trek in the outback to raise money for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). To help raise funds, she is hosting a dinner with comedian Chas Licciardello from the Chaser. Tuesday 25 May, 7pm, Love Supreme (180 Oxford Street), $85 three-course meal and entertainment. Get a few friends together and support a great cause. Details and tickets here. If you can’t make the dinner but would like to support JDRF, donate here. Contact details: katemiranda75@gmail.com.
