Friday saw the first swim meet for 2020 out at the SOPAC for the CAS Invitational.
After a difficult week with the pool not being open, our swimmers had to compete fresh from the summer holidays. This did not put the boys off; we had one of our biggest turnouts, with over 50 boys in attendance. We also welcomed our new Year 7 students for their first High School swim meet.
The evening saw many personal bests broken across all the distances and strokes, with some students trying out new races for the first time. The standout performance from the night was from our swim captain, Peter Cassimatis, who broke a Waverley swim record in the 50m breaststroke. Peter swam in a time of 30.75 seconds, beating the previous record of 31.53, which has stood since 1991. This is a huge achievement and l want to congratulate him on such a strong start to 2020!
Well done to all of the boys who competed, and all of the parents who helped out on the night. I am looking forward to seeing what our next competition has in store.
Waves to win!
Daniel Pomes’s short animation film‚ The Penguin‚ screened as part of the Flickerfest FlickerUp competition on Saturday 18th January at Bondi Beach Pavilion.
Lacey House is very proud of Daniel and of his achievement. We wish him every success along this path in the future.
A little penguin has the dream that he can fly, he only needs to find a way.
Director: Daniel Pomes
Writer: Daniel Pomes
Producer: Daniel Pomes
Run-time: 1 minute
On Wednesday 4 March, Aungier will be holding the House Mass, commencing at 6pm in the College Chapel.
This is a compulsory event for all students of Aungier House.
Following the success of the evening House Mass and Supper in 2019, our House Leaders have been working hard to make this a memorable event. The night is driven by the students, with all hymns, prayers and readings chosen by the boys themselves. We will also include special recognition of our current Year 12 students.
As an important part of the evening, we are inviting and strongly encouraging all families to come along and join in a short supper following the conclusion of the Mass. All families are asked to bring a plate to share. We will be providing glasses, paper plates, tea, coffee, soft drinks and water. The night is expected to conclude at roughly 8pm.
This will be a wonderful opportunity for families to meet our Aungier staff, and also to connect with each other as part of the Aungier House community.
In the lead up to the event, we would also love to have some parent volunteers to help us with the organisation of flowers for the chapel, decorations (for the chapel and supper), and general set up before the Mass. If you would be willing and able to help with this, please get in touch via email: jmccoy@waverley.nsw.edu.au.
Looking forward to seeing you there!
The sound of leather on willow was again echoing around Queens Park and other grounds as the Waverley teams officially kicked off 2020 in style!
There is a record number of teams in Years 5, 6 and 7 making their Waverley debuts together, with our new boys and teams particularly impressive in their enthusiasm and collective spirit. Many of our Junior teams also recorded wins as a result of strong team efforts with our bowling and fielding in particular.
Batting was a weaker aspect of the game for many of our teams, with boys and teams challenged to improve both their mental approach to batting and the right shot selection this week. Batsmen want to find the focus at the crease to watch the ball closer out of the bowler’s hand, be decisive with their footwork and angle the ball into gaps, with the aim of picking up more singles.
All teams are playing limited-overs games this term, and the team scoring the most singles will usually end victorious. All senior cricketers in Years 8-12 are encouraged to attend our specialist Batting Club sessions every Thursday morning from 7:10-8:15am for additional practice.
Congratulations to:
There are several fantastic upcoming social events and celebrations for the Waverley Cricket community. Full details are on the Waverley College Cricket app on TeamApp, and include:
This event is being held at the SCG, with some tickets still available. Waverley has its own special Bay area, BAY 9. This will be the biggest NSW crowd for a women’s sporting event and occurs just before International Women’s Day. It’s our chance to show support for our champion female cricketers and the 2020 theme of Each for Equal.
Student tickets are just $5 and available at www.ticketek.com.au.
This will be a great evening, with BBQ dinner, drinks, cricket awards, trivia, special cricket guests and a HUGE raffle!
Tickets are $10 per person and available at www.trybooking.com/BINQI.
This event is being held at the Estée Lauder corporate store, 165A Mitchell Road, Erskineville. There is a minimum of 50-60% off retail prices for makeup, skincare and fragrances. Brands include Estee Lauder, Bobbi Brown, MAC, Clinique, Aveda, Jo Malone, Tom Ford and many more. With Mother’s Day just a few days after the event, it’s a fantastic opportunity to purchase amazing gifts and treat yourself and family members! This event is hosted by the Cricket Supporter’s Group, and all Waverley College families and friends are warmly invited to enjoy this experience.
Tickets are $10 per person and available at www.trybooking.com/BIOOK.
‘Engage in extracurricular activities, spend time with your mates and try to take pleasure in your study. If you get this balance right, everything will seem easier and less of a burden, and you’ll reap the rewards of your effort.’ – Luke Harris, College Dux 2019
Inspiration, commitment and hard work was personified on Thursday 13 February as students, staff, parents and members of the Waverley community gathered together to welcome back and celebrate our high achievers from the Class of 2019.
These assemblies set the tone for the Academic year ahead. They inspire hope and propel us to strive toward something better, greater and higher.
We were delighted to hear two of our 2019 Graduates speak at the assembly. Thank you to both Remi Defina-Sperando and Luke Harris who shed light on their experiences and offered some wonderful words of encouragement and advice to our student body.
Remi spoke openly about his passion for playing musical instruments and composing music, indicating that he found his inspiration for his HSC composition through the tragic 2019 attack on the Mosques in New Zealand. He dedicated his music piece to the victims of this horrific attack. Remi’s composition was subsequently nominated for HSC Music Encore and he was a distinguished achiever for Music 2.
His final message to the students was to ‘use your passions to your advantage and don’t do a subject you find boring. Do the things you enjoy, figure out how to incorporate all the things you like into your HSC subjects, and find something that really inspires you.’ We wish Remi all the best as he begins his tertiary study of a Bachelor of Science Majoring in Biochemistry.
It was with great pleasure to award Luke Harris with the plaque of Highest ATAR 2019, a perfect ATAR score of 99.95. In addition to that, Luke was honoured on the 2019 Premiers all rounders list and was a distinguished achiever for Chemistry, Advanced English, Extension Mathematics, Advanced Mathematics, Physics and Studies of Religion 2. Luke placed 8th in the State for Physics, 13th in the State for Advanced English and was honoured with the prestigious Sydney University Scholar Chancellor’s Award.
Luke reflected on his time at Waverley, also highlighting the importance of choosing subjects that you enjoy. ‘The largest part of my motivation came from choosing subjects I was interested in and could see myself using at Uni.’ Luke encouraged students to take responsibility for their study, seek feedback from their teachers and to ‘try different study techniques until you find something that works best for you.’
We wish Luke every success as he embarks on a double degree at Sydney University, a Bachelor of Science and Advanced Studies in Mathematics.
It is safe to say that the Class of 2019 found their success in very different ways. Whatever path our Year 12 boys chose, it is important to remember that they leave the College with much more than just a number, mark or rank. The journey that brought each student to this point has been far more valuable.
I congratulate the entire HSC Class of 2019 on their fine results and wish them all the best in their future endeavours. I would also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and give thanks to the outstanding commitment of staff and the tireless support of parents during their son’s learning journey.
Click on the following link for full details on our HSC 2019 Honour Roll *90+ ATARs Plus Students who Received Nominations for Major Works.
A group of Deputy Principals across all secondary sectors meet each term to discuss issues common to us. In 2019, the College hosted 800 parents from schools across the Eastern Suburbs for After the Bell, an evening aimed at parents of students in Years 8-10, which provides information and strategies to keep our children safe.
Waverley College will again be hosting this event on Wednesday 1 April. Tickets will be made available to all schools via a Trybooking link from 9am on Tuesday 17 March.
This year’s focus will be our students’ social and emotional wellbeing. The key messages will include:
Parents will also be provided with strategies to best navigate their son’s journey through high school. I would encourage you not to miss it!
Proceeds from the $10 tickets will go to Youth Off the Streets.
As we come to the middle of our summer season (for Years 8-12), it’s a timely reminder of the behaviour expected when we, as a College community, attend co-curricular events.
Co-curricular sports and activities are a critical time where our behaviour and sportsmanship are on display to other schools and members of the general public. At times, unfortunately, a minority undo a lot of the positive cultural change that the majority of our boys, teachers and parents have achieved in recent years.
We encourage all supporters to positively support their school teams and require boys to be dressed in the school’s uniform while doing so.
We expect barracking to be enthusiastic, but not to be fanatical or designed to heckle, belittle or disturb the opponents. For example, barracking – for or against – during a free throw or a shot at goal is always bad sportsmanship. Boys should be encouraged to barrack for their school rather than for an individual team member. Booing, whistling, playing or beating musical instruments are in bad taste and wholly unacceptable.
It is never acceptable to express disapproval of a referee or umpire’s decision, no matter whether the referee is an adult or schoolboy.
We expect our players to be modest in success and generous in defeat, not showing undue emotion in either case. Good play, by our own school and by the opposing school, should be applauded willingly and openly.
Spectators should leave the area tidy and free of rubbish at all times. We look to adults (parents, Old Boys and other spectators) to set an example by their self-control at matches.
I look forward to our next fixture. The full CAS Code of Conduct is as follows:
In the event of a player or athlete being sent-off during a CAS fixture, it is the responsibility of that boy’s Headmaster to determine the penalty at his discretion. It is generally understood among Headmasters, however, that the boy will serve at least one week’s suspension from participating in the CAS competition.
Please find below some reminders about upcoming events. For all of Term 1 events please refer to the College Calendar
Please note, there is an incorrect date in the students diary and calendar. The Year 6 Canberra Excursion is 19 – 21 May NOT 18 – 20 May. Sorry for any inconvenience caused.
Thank you to all the parents who took the time to attend the information evening on Monday evening. I hope you appreciated all the information and are now better prepared to assist your son on his journey at Waverley.
Special thanks as well to all the Junior School staff for their support throughout the evening.
Once again, Waverley College Pool was the scene of the Junior School Swimming Carnival held today. The House spirit and enthusiasm from all participants went a long way to making the carnival a success.
The support of the parents was very evident with the great turn out on the day. Special thanks to all the staff who ensured the carnival ran smoothly. A big thank you to the Assistant Director of Co-curricular – Mr Matthew Ryan – who again organised and ran such a successful carnival.
Congratulations to Brennan House on an excellent win followed closely by Conlon in second place with Green placing third.
Age Champions – special congratulations to the following boys who won places in their respective age groups.
Waverley College 2020 Swimming Champion Under 10: Thomas Maxwell
Waverley College 2020 Under 10 Championship 2nd Place: Duke Thomas
Waverley College 2020 Under 10 Championship 3rd Place: Evan Rowbotham
Waverley College 2020 Under 10 Championship 4th Place: Luca Hjorring
Waverley College 2020 Swimming Champion Under 11 Year 5: Aidan Rednford
Waverley College 2020 Under 11 Year 5 Championship 2nd Place: Owen Roorda
Waverley College 2020 Under 11 Year 5 Championship 3rd Place: Lewis Leyland
Waverley College 2020 Under 11 Year 5 Championship 4th Place: Ned Panlilio
Waverley College 2020 Swimming Champion Under 11/6: Charlie Coutts
Waverley College 2020 Under 11 Year 6 Championship 2nd Place: James McDonald
Waverley College 2020 Under 11 Year 6 Championship 3rd Place: Felix Kelly
Waverley College 2020 Under 11 Year 6 Championship 4th Place: Nicholas Scerri
Waverley College 2020 Swimming Champion Under 12: Raff Toohey
Waverley College 2020 Under 12 Championship 2nd Place: Jack Richardson
Waverley College 2020 Under 12 Championship 3rd Place: Parker Campbell
Waverley College 2020 Under 12 Championship 3rd Place: William Tate
To kick start our 2020 Lunchtime Talks, Waverley warmly welcomed Mrs Cass Spies. Cass is the founder of Twisted yoghurt which is proudly 100 % Australian Made and Owned.
Her dream was to create a healthy treat that was also delicious, and that she did. The company supplies to Coles, Woolworths, Costco, Harris Farm and over 5000 schools.
Thank you so much for sharing your story of the ups and downs of running a business.
Lexington (Year 5) is a lucky boy to have an inspirational Mum like you!
If you would like to be a guest speaker, please contact me: nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au
The Waterford Concert Band commenced rehearsals on Thursday morning at 7.30 am. The band is directed by Mr. Dan Williams and rehearses each Thursday of the term. It is open to all students who play brass, woodwind and percussion instruments.
Apart from the band there are a number of ensembles commencing in week 4.
Any enquiries/request for further information should be addressed to the music department via the PAC Administrator, kkossenberg@waverley.nsw.edu.au or alternatively complete the online Music Tuition Form
Do you want your son to improve his reading?
Do you want to encourage your son to read more?
Do you want your son to stop spending so much time on-screen?
I would imagine that most parents would give a resounding “Yes!” to each of these questions.
We all know the pressure of phones, email and social media. They are known reasons for people to read less and to be distracted from reading. So why not try the Tech-Free Twenty Challenge?
Everyone – siblings, parents and anyone else in the house – comes to one area to read (fiction, non-fiction, magazines, newspapers etc). All technology is in another room (try the garage) and notifications are turned off.
Why everyone? Young people need to model their behaviour on positive examples – and that’s where the rest of the family comes in. If everyone else is still on screens and talking into phones, they will only feel resentful.
So why not give it a try? Your son can come to the Library to find some great reading.
The Rock and Water program is being implemented at Waverley College in 2020. The program, backed by 20 years of research, provides young people with a pathway to building self-awareness, self-confidence and emotional regulation, while also providing guidance on how to communicate effectively with peers and adults.
The program is being rolled out in our Year 7 and 8 PDHPE classes this term, alongside some discussions during our Big Brother/Little Brother Program. Year 11 students were trained for the program during Term 4 last year.
Watch this video to find out more about the program: Rock and Water Introduction
At the end of last year, Mission Australia released its 2019 Youth Survey findings, which aim to identify young peoples’ values, aspirations and concerns, with a focus on student voice, bullying and disability.
The survey outlined that mental health, the environment, equity and discrimination are the top concerns of the 25,000 youth who took part. In addition, coping with stress, school or study problems and mental health are listed as respondents’ top three personal concerns.
The survey outlines the need for these issues to be addressed at home and at school to provide young people with coping strategies for dealing with their anxieties and concerns. Waverley endeavours to support all students through various means. We use the data from these surveys to ensure that we are at the forefront of wellbeing and supporting the lives of our young people.
You can download the survey here: 2019 Youth Survey
The NSW Youth Advisory Council (YAC) plays an important role in advising the NSW Government on issues that are relevant to young people across the state.
Membership of the YAC is open to all children and young people between 12 and 24 years of age residing in NSW. Applications are sought from diverse locations, backgrounds and life experiences.
The 12 member YAC provides a direct avenue of communication between young people and the NSW Government.
The YAC meets regularly throughout the year to advise the relevant Minister and NSW Advocate for Children and Young People on issues, policies and laws that affect children and young people in NSW.
Waverley College students are encouraged to apply to the council using this link: ACYP Application Form
There is clear evidence that purposeful professional learning for teachers is a key factor in improving student learning outcomes. The research asserts that, ‘in order to be effective, teachers need a deep understanding of their subject area, knowledge of how students learn specific subject matter and a range of strategies and practices that support student learning.’ The research also affirms ‘that engaging teachers in high quality professional learning is the most successful way to improve teacher effectiveness and hence improve student outcomes.’(Greenwald, Hedges & Laine 1995; Guskey & Huberman 1995; Elmore & Burney 1997; Hawley & Valli 1999; Elmore 2002).
Waverley College is committed to providing ongoing professional learning for our staff to ensure they are kept up-to-date with the latest pedagogical research, high impact teaching strategies and ideas to improve staff and student wellbeing. Professional Learning on our Day 1 Staff Day included a session on Staff Wellbeing, a demonstration of the Rock and Water program, and the launch of our new Teaching and Learning Framework.
The day started with a Staff Wellbeing session on Work Life Balance, Health and Happiness was facilitated by Mark Bunn. Mark, a former AFL player with an Honours Degree in Western health science and formal training in Eastern medicine (Maharishi Ayurveda), provided strategies to create happier, healthier and stress-free lives through the collective wisdom of East meets West. https://markbunn.com.au.
It was exciting to launch the new Teaching and Learning Framework that teachers and school leaders have been developing over the last 18 months.
Staff explored the framework elements of self efficacy, school climate and the Principles of Visible Learning. They were given opportunities to participate in high impact teaching strategies and shown how to effectively implement them in the classroom to maximise student learning. Thank you to Ms Gabby Smith, Mr Jean Paul Boumelhem, Ms Jenny Hoare, Mr Jack Wachtel and Mr Ben Meadley who facilitated this informative session.
The day concluded with the Rock and Water program, which is a student Wellbeing program designed to decrease bullying and depressive feelings, and increase self-esteem, self-regulation and social acceptance. Staff had an opportunity to explore some activities and strategies that help build student self-confidence and enhance social and communication skills. These activities will be embedded within the PDHPE Stage 3 and 4 programs and students will also be exploring this program during Camp experiences. Thank you to Mr Scott Coleman, Mr John McCoy and Ms Belinda Buchan who facilitated this great session.
In addition to this professional Learning, all new staff were trained in the Mental Health First Aid Program earlier in the year. A program designed for adults working with adolescents to improve knowledge, reduce stigmatising attitudes and increase first aid towards people with mental health problems. Throughout the 14 hour program, staff looked at a range of topics including common youth mental disorders, depression and anxiety in young people, eating disorders, substance misuse, intoxication, suicide and aggression. Staff learnt about first aid action plans to assist students in these situations. Thank you to our facilitator and College Psychologist, Ms Tessa Prior for her ongoing commitment to this important program. To date, Tessa has trained 60% of our staff and will continue this training for remaining staff over the course of the year. I look forward to regularly communicating the Professional Learning of our staff as well as the ongoing developments and achievements in our key strategic priority areas.
Please click on the following link to view the Teaching and Learning Framework.
Coaching for students at Waverley College Junior School is held on Tuesdays from 12:30pm to 1:30pm.
Learning and playing chess helps children develop their logical thinking and problem solving skills, improves their concentration and focus, while also being a great source of enjoyment.
Activities include group lessons on a demonstration chess board or interactive whiteboard, puzzle solving and fun practice games.
Students earn merit awards by making checkmates, or by displaying skills and positive qualities, which all good chess players strive to develop.
If your child is interested in taking part, you can collect an enrolment form from the school office, or email enrol@sydneyacademyofchess.com.au for a copy.
For all enquiries, please contact Sydney Academy of Chess on (02) 9745 1170.
At the first College Assembly for the year, I spoke about the importance of recognising that each student is going through one of their largest transitions in any given year, the movement from eight weeks of holidays to coming back to working and learning in a school community. Most people struggle with change and transitions, which are natural. Change can bring some discomfort, excitement and new possibilities. The Greek Philosopher Socrates provides us with some advice on how to handle this change; ‘the secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new’.
Adapting to change is important and a requirement of returning to be part of the Waverley College community so that all boys can flourish. I outlined to all students our expectations around the following:
Renowned Australian Psychologist Dr Andrew Fuller, who presented two years ago to both students and staff at Waverley, has come up with thirteen tips on ensuring your son has a great year. I include these for your reference and as a useful checklist for discussions you may like to have with your son.
Parents, teachers, friends, everyone! One of the ways of reducing your stress levels is to set out to have as many positive friendships this year as you can.
You are much, much smarter than you know. If you practice doing your best in life you will succeed because very few people ever practice doing their best. To do your best you have to get out of the habit of predicting that things won’t go well for you. If you look for what’s going to go wrong, you will always find it. If you look for what works, life just gets a lot easier.
Thinking positive isn’t enough for successfully achieving goals. Implement ways to reduce distractions, at least for a few hours at a time, or else learning will become a frustrating experience.
Human nature is such that not everyone in your life will be a well-wisher in your self-improvement and learning plans. They may intentionally or subconsciously distract you from your goal.
Getting enough sleep helps you to manage stress, stay happy and also increases your marks. You need at least 8 hours and sometimes as much as 9 and a quarter hours a night.
A lot of people skip breakfast, but you often learn best at school in the morning and it helps to have some protein in you to feed your brain. A lack of protein can actually cause headaches.
Get into the habit of being effective. Write a to-do list each week. Ask yourself the question, “What is the one thing I could do this week in each subject area that would improve my results?” Then do it.
Many people muck around in school and then wonder why they have to do so much work outside of school. If you can focus and listen well while at school you can save yourself endless hours. Some people find if they sit at the front they are less distracted.
Teachers want their students to do well. Watch your teachers closely. Observe the things that they emphasise or repeat. Take notes of these things. It is a fair bet that these things will feature in tests and exams.
Do a little bit often. Succeeding at school can be easy if you do a little bit each day. The best learning occurs when you do repetitive interval training. This means do a little bit of practice every day. Interval training is especially powerful in subjects like maths and the sciences.
For at least some time every day switch all forms of technology off and focus on whatever you’re studying. Don’t try to watch TV, listen to music or gaze at a screen at the same time as learning something. Technology is not going to be there in exam rooms so you need practice performing without it.
Most students are really bad at predicting how well they are going to do. In fact, they are hopeless at it. So don’t spend the year thinking how awful your results could be. Just do the most important things first and do them regularly.
Think of someone you know who always seems to know interesting things- weird facts, strange occurrences, funny jokes, and wacky stories. Try to be one of these people. Look out for and learn things that are fun and interesting.
Get active, break out into a sweat now and then. Lack of blood flow is a common reason for lack of concentration. If you’ve been sitting in one place for a while, stand up and stretch or bounce one of your legs for a minute or two. It gets your blood flowing and sharpens both concentration and recall. Even if you are busy, three twenty-minute bursts of exercise a week makes a massive difference to your stress levels, happiness and sleeping.
Lots of people wait to be happy. They wait for the situation to be right. Or they wait for the right friends to show up. Some people spend their entire lives waiting to be happy. Decide to be happy now. Have a look at the things in your life you can feel lucky that you have. Appreciate the people who like you and love you. Make the most of the moment and seize the day.
Dr Andrew Fuller (2020).
The College’s thoughts and prayers remain with the Perkin family. A memorial to celebrate Archie’s life was celebrated at the College this week. Both Archie’s parents Nicola and James, spoke about Archie’s love and passion for life, his great times at Waverley and the importance of being a good mate that looks out for others. Archie has clearly made a massive impact on many boys at the College and is greatly missed. A tree has been planted in memory of Archie who had a love for the environment. The tree is located near Birrell Street in front of the Kenny Quad.
The College is continuing to monitor this matter with NSW Health and will advise of any further details as they come to hand. As always, the health and wellbeing of our students remain our number one priority, and I would ask that you remain alert to your son’s wellbeing. Although our College does not have an international student program, Boarding students and only a couple of our students travelled anywhere near mainland China, we still need to be vigilant and follow the Health Department advice and directions that have been communicated.
The uptake of the new College Uniform has seen 718 students fitted out in the Uniform Shop, which is an impressive number. Congratulations to Ms Chrissy Jones, Ms Tammy Addison and Ms Kat Cattana from the Uniform Shop on their fine work and service in bringing this to fruition.
Congratulation to the following boys on some great achievements:
We would like to acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora nation who are the traditional Custodians of the land on which Waverley College is located. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We are committed to honouring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ unique cultural and spiritual connections to the land, waters, seas and sky and their rich contribution to society.
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