Head of Aungier House, Mr John McCoy
From Head of Aungier House, Mr John McCoy
“Do not judge me by my success, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”
― Nelson Mandela
Year 12 Retreat: Mr John McCoy and Year 12 Aungier students
2020 has certainly taken us all on a journey that many of us never thought we would ever go on. What we have all experienced this year has changed the way we see the world and provided challenges that we’ve had to push through. Students in Aungier House have progressed tremendously through the course of this unpredictable year and displayed a significant amount of resilience. What has been particularly pleasing through these times is the gratitude that Aungier students have shown for the many opportunities that are available across Waverley College.
Aungier moved into Term 3 with a great deal of momentum following a successful end to Term 2. This was highlighted in the Social Justice projects that Aungier students passionately supported, including Beanies for Brain Cancer (Mark Hughes Foundation) as well as Refugee Week.
Refugee Week is Australia’s peak annual activity to raise awareness about the issues impacting refugees as well as recognise the positive contributions that refugees make to Australian society. The theme for this year is celebrating the Year of Welcome. With this theme in mind, Aungier House wanted to make Waverley College an inviting campus, acknowledging and welcoming all those refugees who have come across from around the world. Students were involved in a flag painting activity to highlight the nations that refugees have come from to settle in Australia. Aungier students prepared a large welcome sign and the various flags were displayed in the Centenary Quadrangle.
Mrs Kelly’s Aungier 10 Wellbeing Group during Refugee Week
The academic success stories from Semester 1 were recognised at the online College academic assembly. Pleasingly, a number of Aungier students were acknowledged for their dedication to study. This included:
Year 7
• Dean Andrews – First in Class Science
• Montgomery Armstrong – First in Class English
• Charles Coughlan – First in Class English and Technology, Equal First in Year English
• James Finegan – First in Class Technology
• Nicholas Zanapalis – First in Class Geography and Science
Year 8
• Joel Hammerschmidt – Equal Third in Year Mathematics
• Mitchel Ho – First in Class English, Religion and Science & Equal First in Year Mathematics
• Aston Owen – First in Class English
• William Whitaker – First in Class Spanish
• Henry Whitehouse – First in Class Technology
• Ricardo Zanapalis – First in Class History, PDHPE, Religion, Spanish, Technology and Visual Arts & Equal First in Year History and Religion
Year 9
• Jack Crotty – First in Applied Philosophy & Equal First in English and PDHPE
• Liam Russell – First in Music
Year 10
• Guy Hammerschmidt – First in Music
• James Jones – First in Mathematics Level 1
• Luke Stewart – First in Information and Software Technology
Year 11
• Joseph Agius – Equal First in Modern History
• Harrison Palmer – First in Music 2
• Peter Stamatelatos – First in Geography
• Hugo Stephenson – Equal First in Visual Arts
Year 12
• Lachlan Miller – First in Mathematics Advanced and Physics
• Jacob Valenti – First in Mathematics Standard 1
• James Waterhouse – First in Investigating Science
Term 3 saw the resumption of a range of activities that were postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions. Aungier students made some incredible contributions to the co-curricular success of the College in a reduced winter sport season. Those impressive efforts included:
Rugby
• Ronald Volkman – 1st XV Best & Fairest/1st XV CAS Undefeated Champions
• Jim Waterhouse – 2nd XV CAS Undefeated Champions
• Joshua Drevon – 2nd XV CAS Undefeated Champions/3rd XV Coaches Award
• Jack Fingleton – 5th XV Coaches Award
• Charlie Smith – 15Cs Coaches Award
• Tom McKenna – 13As Best & Fairest
• William Whitaker – 13Cs Coaches Award
Football
• Jet Marsh-Cashman – 2nd XI Coaches Award
• Saia Afeaki – 8th XI Best & Fairest
• Luca Fucci – 10A Coaches Award
• Bailey McNulty – 9B Coaches Award
• Fergus McGaffney – 9C Coaches Award
• Ricardo Zanapalis – 8A Coaches Award
• Remy Frampton – 8D Best & Fairest
• Joel Hammerschmidt – 8E Coaches Award
• Josh Tsoukalas – 7A Coaches Award
• Dean Andrews – 7E Best & Fairest
• Alejandro Zanapalis – Frank Salvo Award for Most Improved Referee
AFL
• Lachlan Miller – 1st XVIII AFL CAS Undefeated Champions
• Hamish Milne – Year 7/8 Bs Coaches Award
Music
• Liam Russell – College Choir
• Luke Stewart – College Brass Ensemble
Cadets
• CDT Henry Whitehouse – Most Efficient Recruit Award (Platoon #2)
• WO1 Emile Stephenson – The Colonel RJ Marr Cane DFC QC for Meritorious Service, Graduating Senior Rank of 2020
• CUO Jake Burns – Graduating Senior Rank of 2020
• CUO Joshua Drevon – Graduating Senior Rank of 2020
• CUO – Samuel Markert – Graduating Senior Rank of 2020
Aungier’s Ronald Volkman and Emmanuel Di Bartolo celebrating the 1st XV CAS undefeated championship season
The Aungier House representatives at the Junior School did Aungier proud on the Annual Blitz Day. The Aungier/Lacey teams put in a strong effort in Rugby, Football and AFL. Special thanks to our Aungier mentors at the Junior School – Ms Charlotte Stephens and Mr Anthony Stanton provide strong guidance to our youngest members.
Aungier students also had the opportunity of get involved in a range of competitions over the term and show a high level of House Spirit. Competitions included tug-of-war, Touch Football and the Waverley College Strong Man Competition, where the Aungier boys thrived! Aungier students also benefited from activities that helped to provide important life lessons that aren’t usually discovered in the classroom. Once such activity was the Galmatic Workshop. This fantastic workshop allowed students in Year 11 to gain a basic knowledge about cars, how to care for them and ensure they are working safely and at their best.
Aungier’s Jude Sedley and Charles Jaeger changing a tyre in the Galmatic Workshop
The conclusion of Term 3 marked a special farewell for students in Year 12. Aungier House said goodbye and good luck to its most senior students at an entertaining and uplifting online House assembly. Each Year 12 student was presented to the House by their Mentors, and gifted with specially made cards from Junior School students. Many smiles and laughs were shared as we reflected on some interesting and memorable moments, as well as some fascinating career pathways.
We wish the following Aungier graduates the very best of luck in the HSC examinations and beyond:
- Aungier 1 – Alex Gross
- Aungier 2 – Jake Burns, Joshua Psarros
- Aungier 3 – Jim Waterhouse, Zac Wotherspoon
- Aungier 4 – Michael Momcilovic, Ronald Volkman
- Aungier 5 – Christian Diaz, Oli Thompson, Lachlan Unsworth
- Aungier 6 – Emile Stephenson,
- Aungier 7 – Jake Valenti, Ryan von der Heyden
- Aungier 8 – Lachlan Miller, Joseph Petroni
- Aungier 9 – Sam Markert
- Aungier 10 – Joshua Drevon
- Aungier 11 – Jett Beckley
I would like to congratulate all students in Aungier for their continued positive response to the challenges they’ve faced this year. I would also like to thank the Aungier wellbeing mentors for their fine work to support our students through a difficult period.
Wishing you all a safe and restful break.
Mr Tall and Aungier Man of the Week, Cooper Fitzsimmons
