All boys are required to be in winter uniform from the start of Term 2 to the end of Term 3. This includes blazer and tie. The College has high expectations of our students, particularly when travelling to and from school on public transport. As was the case last year, boys failing to do this will be placed on a Saturday detention. The positive message we give to the public though our uniform and grooming is another extension of the ongoing cultural change we are seeing at the College.
When boys are dressed well and groomed appropriately they send a clear message about how they want to be perceived and pride in their school.
Sometimes boys will take the holiday break as an opportunity to experiment with different hairstyles. The expectation is that boys will meet the following guidelines on their return to the College:
Please support the College with these expectations. If boys do not comply with a request to address any breaches by their Head of House, they will then have three options:
1) Go immediately to the barber at Charing Cross and have the inappropriate haircut rectified
2) Rectify the inappropriate haircut themselves with clippers supplied by the College
3) Return home until such time as the inappropriate haircut is rectified
Earlier in April, the College hosted an evening aimed at parents of students in Years 8-10 to provide information and strategies to keep our youth safe, ‘After the Bell’. This was a combined schools initiative focusing on safe student partying in the Eastern Suburbs an included over twelve high schools from all sectors including systemic, independent and public schools.
Highlights of the evening included a message from former AMA President and Member for Wentworth Professor Kerryn Phelps AM, Dr Tamara Lang discussing current data associated with teenage substance use and Senior Constable Yasmin London looking at issues from the Police perspective including relevant legislation and how police can assist when parents hold an event for their teenagers.
Over 800 parents supported the event and proceeds in the form of a cheque for $8000 was presented to a representative from Headspace at the end of the evening.
I spoke to the boys at our last assembly about online trolls and provided them with some strategies to combat them at school and when they enter the workforce. We know that one in four Australian students are bullied online, the evidence from our recent wellbeing survey suggests that online bullying occurs less frequently at Waverley College.
There are four things we encourage our students to do to combat the trolls:
If parents can reinforce this four-step plan I am sure we will continue to see online bullying decline at the College.
Good and Gentle God,
We pray in gratitude for our mothers and for all the women of theory who have joined with you in the wonder of bringing forth new life. You who became human through a woman, grant to all mothers the courage they need to face the uncertain future that life with children always brings.
Give them the strength to live and to be loved in return, not perfectly, but humanly.
Give them the faithful support of husband, family and friends as they care for the physical and spiritual growth of their children.
Give them joy and delight in their children to sustain them through the trials of motherhood. Most of all, we pray for women who on this day, who may be on a journey often forgotten about on Mothers’ Day.
Welcome Back!
I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you all back to Term 2. We have an exciting term of rugby ahead with some challenging fixtures. I am pleased to announce that our 1st XV will be playing against The Kings School at Bankwest Stadium on the 25th May, 2019. This will be the curtain raiser to the NSW Waratahs Vs Jaguars match. A terrific opportunity for all the boys! More details on this to come!
On the weekend, the Waverley Rugby Supporters Club sent out a call for help to assist on the BBQ and Canteen. I am very pleased to say that we had a number of members of the community volunteer to assist. We sincerely thank all those fantastic parents and friends who helped throughout the day – our guests from St Gregory’s and Shore were appreciative for the hospitality provided. If you did enjoy assisting and being involved, the Supporters Club is always looking for help. The roster is located on the Team App – we would love your ongoing support particularly for the next home game against St Josephs.
This week we welcomed back those students and coaches who represented Waverley College and Australia at the Sanix World Youth Rugby Tournament. Waverley College finished in 4th placing (in the World!) Congratulations to all the students and coaching staff who did a wonderful job in representing both Waverley College and Australia. The Waverley College Community is very proud of you all ‚ knowing that you all put in plenty of energy and effort into all the matches played.
For those who are not aware, Waverley College Rugby has a Team App. This contains information including weekly draws, playing venues, team lists (updated weekly), gallery, news articles and live scores. You can access the Team App at https://www.teamapp.com where you can simply search for Waverley College Rugby‚Äù and request access. You are also able to download the Team App to your iPhone/iPad/Smartphone device by going to the App Store and again search for “Team App” (created by Team Mates). Once downloaded to your device you can then search for Waverley College Rugby and request access.
I would just like to make a correction to the Rugby Team Guide. In the Season Draw, some of the dates, fixtures and venues were incorrect. I can confirm that Waverley will be playing the following schools on the dates listed below:
Saturday, May 11th – Waverley Vs St Augustine’s College (All teams playing – AWAY (aside from 5ths & 15Ds)
Saturday, May 18th – Waverley Vs St Joseph’s College (13s, 16s, Opens – HOME; 14s & 15s – AWAY)
Saturday, May 25th – Waverley Vs The Kings School (13s, 16s, Opens – HOME; 14s & 15s – AWAY (1st XV at Bankwest Stadium))
Saturday June 1st – Waverley Vs St Ignatius College (13s, 16s, Opens – AWAY; 14s & 15s – HOME)
We have had some members of the community express some concerns around the safety of students walking to Queens Park each afternoon. A reminder that students are to cross the roads at the traffic lights. As role models in the community, this sets a bad example for younger students at local primary schools.
Furthermore, poor behaviour will not be tolerated at training. To put it simply, it is unsafe. Any students found to be acting inappropriately during training sessions, will be removed from the training sessions to avoid the risk of injuries occurring. We encourage all students to enjoy their rugby and have fun, but ensure they are following the coaches expectations.
Already, lost property is starting to pop up at the conclusion of training. Lost property will be taken up to the Waverley College Wellbeing Centre. I highly recommend all players label their entire kit with their name and a contact number, so any found items can be returned to the owners.
Good luck to all players this weekend against St Augustine’s!
WAVERLEY TO WIN!
Students in Year 9 Geography study the role of SurfAid; a Non-Government Organisation improving the human wellbeing and lives of those living in remote Indonesian communites connected through surfing.
Led by Team Captain Jay Palm, on Friday 3rd May 2019, nine Year 9 Waverley College students participated in the Bondi SurfAid Cup.
Despite difficult weather and surfing conditions, the Waverley College entry competed against 14 other surfing fraternity teams. Assisted by pro surfer Austin Ware, the boys excelled on the day reaching the semi-finals.
Smashing their target of $5,000, the boys made a real difference in the lives of others raising $6,100 on behalf of SurfAid; the largest sum since Waverley entered the event four years ago. The total Bondi SurfAid Cup event raised in excess of $101,000.00.
Finally, I’d like to extend a special thanks to Mr. Thompson and Mr. McCallum for their ongoing support of the initiative. Furthermore, a special thanks is extended to the parents and supporters of the Year 9 Waverley College SurfAid Team. It’s your generosity that made Waverley entry possible. The boys had smiles all day and now have memories to last a lifetime.
Dear Parents & Carers,
Welcome back to Term two, I hope everyone in the College community had a restful, reflective and special Easter. Term two has started with some significant events in the College calendar with the Anzac Day service, not only does the service highlight Australian history and the sacrifice Waverlians have made to their nation, it is also a celebration of the values behind actions and standards of behaviour, and as such, the ANZAC story is a good illustration of some of our College values such as compassion and love for others, service and sacrifice. Thank you to our Cadet Unit for their support of the College Anzac service and also both Waverley and Sydney’s services and march during the holidays.
The College’s 108th May Procession, unfortunately, was only celebrated by a few in the College Chapel due to the weather. I would like to thank Father Francisco from Paddington and our guest speaker Jennie Hickey, Executive Officer Jesuit Education Australia for their presence and words on the day. Thank you also to the many people that prepared food for the Parent Association afternoon tea. Read more about the May Procession here.
One of the special characteristics of the College is the relationships and care of each other amongst Old Boys and their ongoing relationship and support of the College. The AGM was held after the May Procession and it is my pleasure to announce the following office bearers.
Executive for 2019/20;
President: Salvatore Riolo
Vice President: Col Blake
Treasurer: Peter Foley
Secretary: Chris O’Sullivan
Assistant Secretary: Peter Hannigan (new position)
Council Members
Warren Boyd
Michael Dignam
Sam Hardjono
John Hilton
Richard Jackson
John Karas
Brandon Perry
I remember seeing High School musical in my first year at the College and being very impressed with the performance of both the St Clare’s and Waverley students. Last night, I attended the Guys and Dolls musical production at NIDA and I was blown away at the incredible standard of both the girls and boys in their performance, music, singing and production. All involved, staff and students from both schools should be very proud of the work they have put in over six months, the sacrifices they made and the very high quality of work produced. I know both Ms Antoinette McGahan and I were very proud principals of our respective schools. Well done!
Congratulations to the following Waverley Students:
Cast
Year 7 – Liam Gabriel, Ewan McDonald, Thomas Park, Cillian Treanor,
Year 8 – Pierre Bourel, Mitchell Cahill, Evander Hudson, Tom Hughes, Alistair Isaac,Hugh McDonald, Liam Russell
Year 9 – Hugo Defina-Sperando, Zachary Straker
Year 10 – Remy Crompton-Lamb, Massimo Di Napoli, Saem Goffe, Perri Quirk, Toby Rabinowitz, Aidan Rogers,
Year 11 – Riley Klotz, Jack Lynch, Peter Tsakonas, Jed Turnbull,
Year 12 – Andrew Badger, Roman Koteczky
Production Crew
Year 11 – Riley-James Buenaventura, Riley-James Cebokli, Patrick Chan, Ben Dunning, Mitchell Eyles, Brock Preston, Oscar Rowson, William Spittall, Jacob Smith, Edward Williamson, Zachariah Murphy
Year 12 – Nicholas Buckingham, Finn Cviker, Harry Heinemann, Jordan Hulme
Oliver Pether, Dylan Smith, Finbar Warren, William Woodward
Next week our boys in Year 5, 7 and 9 will be sitting the Naplan tests which examine fundamental skills of writing, reading, grammar, spelling and numeracy. These skills are essential for your done to progress through school and life. The tests are aligned to the Australian Curriculum for English and Mathematics, so what your son learns in the classroom is what they’re tested on in NAPLAN. Other than being comfortable with the format of NAPLAN, there’s no special preparation, or NAPLAN books, that are necessary.
NAPLAN results help identify areas of achievement and areas where your child may need more support. Teachers use their students’ NAPLAN results as just one piece of the assessment puzzle – they’re not the ‘be-all-and-end-all’ – and they don’t replace regular school tests or assessments. If you would like more information, please visit the NAP website.
One day out of the year, we have this beautiful opportunity to give back to the people who have given so much: our mothers.
This morning, we held a Mother’s Day Mass and Morning Tea to say thank you to all of the mothers for their love, dedication and devotion to their sons and families. A highlight from the day was seeing all of the hand-written cards that boys gave to their mothers expressing their gratitude, respect and love for everything they do.
Thank you to all of the mothers, extended families and son’s who made today such a beautiful celebration.
Congratulations to the staff and students who attended the USA NASA STEM tour and the Sanix World Rugby Tournament in Japan over the Easter break. I have had a number of emails from both USA and Japan from locals that interacted with our students and all were full of praise for their manners, engagement and the respect shown.
Conlon “Greening”
Over the Term 1-2 break, we installed 9 new Alexander palms between the rear of the Centenary Quad and the Conlon Building this is part of our ongoing commitment to the greening of the Campus.
Kenny Quad works
During the Summer new synthetic turf was laid in this space to provide a more student-friendly surface and to help soften what was a very hard area, the turf has also benefited the acoustics in this space and helped dampen the sound. We will continue this term to soften the space by introducing new fern gardens on the western side remove the old tired seating which was an underused space. New umbrellas will provide more shade and fixed seating will be installed to provide students with more options for eating lunch.
Performing Arts Centre (PAC) works
The PAC, in its 16th year, will require some restoration works in term 2 and to facilitate this the building will be closed for 4 weeks commencing the 6th May. The works will focus on repairing water damage to the lower floors. Classes will be relocated within the High School and music tutoring will continue in various locations across the East/West and Main Buildings.
Lower Rec – Tennis Courts
Term 2 will also see work commence on creating 2 new Tennis Courts on the Lower Rec area and replacing the fencing around the current courts. This extension will mean Waverley can meet the requirements of the CAS in having 5 courts available onsite. These courts will be open for students to use at lunchtime and breaks. In addition to the Tennis Courts we will also be creating 18 new car park spaces around the PAC which will help to alleviate the need for staff to park in side streets around the school.
On behalf of the College I would like to welcome the following new staff:
2019 has commenced with a busy and successful term for Brennan House. This success has been due to the enthusiasm and “buy-in” of everyone when it has come to the wide range of activities and events that have taken place in Term 1.
Starting off the year, we welcomed our new cohort of Year 7 students. As part of their first day in the Senior School they were partnered with a “Big Brother” in Year 12 who helped show their new “Little Brothers” around the school, helped them set up their lockers, collect book packs and introduce them to their Wellbeing Mentors. Not long after this Year 7 went on their first high school camp to Broken Bay Sport and Recreation Camp. This camp is always a wonderful way to welcome our new Year 7 students and allow them to bond more closely as a year group, while engaging in activities that challenged them both physically and mentally. It was good to see all boys pushing themselves to get the most they could out of their time on camp and developing some positive relationships with students and staff.
Back at school Brennan House were the first house to undertake the new school initiative of night-time House Masses and Family Suppers. It is always challenging to be the first in anything and I would like to both thank and congratulate all of the students and their wonderful families for their support of the night. The sense of togetherness that was on display that night was such a great thing to be a part of. I believe that this is a tradition that will continue to grow in significance over the years to come and has been highly successful in further nurturing the close knit and supportive community that is Brennan House. Thank you to our Prefects Will Davison, Tommy Tyson, Darcy Mullins, Alex Kapos and Josh Gleeson for the hard work and planning that they put into making the night happen. Thank you also to Max Curry, Liam Andrews and Charlie Alexander who stepped in to help run the music for the night. A very tough job on short notice!
This term has also been highly successful for the members of Brennan House in their sporting endeavours. The Junior School started strong by taking out the Junior School Swimming Carnival. This was followed up with another win by Brennan House in the Senior School Swimming Carnival, returning the swimming trophy to Brennan House for the fourth time in the last six years! These wins have secured valuable House Points and taken us to a strong Term 1 lead in the House Competition, one we intend to build upon throughout the year. Congratulations to all our Brennan House swimmers for your strong performances on both carnival days! These successes at the school carnivals carried over into some exciting races at the CAS Swimming Carnival against our rival CAS Schools. Hearing of all the PB’s that were swum on the night was very encouraging for the future of Waverley’s Swimming program.
https://animoto.com/play/H3pA18xKSEPS3ewPAgkFtA
The Amazing Race also made a return to the Waverley College calendar this year thanks to the planning and organisation of our Year 12 Prefect Leaders. This whole school challenge saw students from Years 5 to 12 tested in their Swimming, Running and Problem Solving abilities. Everyone who put their hands up to take part represented Brennan House with pride and the cheers from the Brennan spectators certainly helped us pick up a couple of places late in the race. Well done to everyone involved in the planning and running of this event!
The Lenten period encourages us to reflect, sacrifice and give to those less fortunate. It also drives our social justice initiatives during Term 1 each year. This year our annual Lenten Appeal saw us raising money in our Wellbeing Groups and through a whole school Mufti Day. In addition to this, a vast number of boys chose to raise money for Leukemia by shaving their heads as part of the World’s Greatest Shave. Seeing all members of the College banding together to support these worthy causes demonstrates the kind and generous nature of our students and the strong social justice ideals that they embody through their actions.
Academically, it has been a good start to the year for the house with students demonstrating their desire to work hard in the classroom with positive Term 1 reports and discussions with staff and mentors at their Wellbeing Mentor Interviews and Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews. Following on from this all students were guided by their mentors to set some academic goals for the remainder of the year given the feedback they received in their reports and interviews. I strongly encourage all students to refer back to these goals and make sure they have a plan in place to help them achieve these during the year.
Some of the other highlights this term involved; Year 9 Ballroom Dancing, the Year 8 and Cadet Camp, recognition of the National Day of Action Against Bullying, Study Skills workshops for Years 10 and 11, and the commencement of the Year 10/Year 5 Big Brother/Little Brother Program. Each of these events have been further opportunities for students in Brennan to continue their development as well-rounded, generous and supportive young men in the Waverley College community.
Our incredible team of mentors must also be thanked for their continued work throughout the term. The support and care they demonstrate, daily, encourages the young men of Brennan House to involve themselves fully and give back to others at every available opportunity. We welcome Ms Holly Medcalf to the Wolf Pack as a new Mentor with Brennan 10. Sadly, we also say goodbye and thank Ms Victoria Califano for her work this term with Brennan 6. Thank you also to Mr Stephen O’Donnell for his three years of enthusiastic leadership in Brennan 1, as he moves to Green House. Thank you for everything you have contributed to Brennan over the years and we wish you all the best with Green (apart from in House Competitions!). You are always welcome to come back and visit the Wolf Pack!
Finally, I would like to wish everyone the best for the upcoming break and I hope you enjoy a happy and holy Easter period with friends and family. See you in Term 2.
Up, up the Wolf Pack!
As we reflect on a meaningful and encouraging Term 1, each student in Green House should think deeply about how their approach to learning, mentoring and relationships at Waverley have shaped their experiences. Through their approaches to learning we hope that students build on their knowledge, skills, attitudes, perspectives and character. Hopefully, with these approaches, each student learns that ‘the manly thing’ will always be defined by integrity, compassion, faith and wisdom. Because Waverley boys will all eventually discover, that ‘Virtue is its own Reward.’
This term we welcomed new students into Years 5, 7, 10 and 11. I would like to welcome these families to Green House, we are blessed to have such supportive parents and this has continued in 2019. I hope each student has managed to make friendships, get settled into a good routine and have enjoyed their time at Waverley College so far.
Our Year 7 students were involved in an outdoor learning program, the focus was on team building and for the boys to step outside their comfort zone. It was a great chance for students to get to know each other as they started their journey at Waverley. As their Head of House, it was also a great chance to get to know each student. It was a very enjoyable experience, and each boy will have gained valuable friendships from their time away.
All students in Green House attended our annual Green House Mass this year. It was the first time this event has taken place and we look forward to building on this exciting and engaging event. Thanks to all the parents for their involvement and a thank you to our Year 12 students for their service to Green House.
Our Year 10 and Year 5 Waverley students met up for their first Big Brother, Little Brother this term. The Big Brother Little Brother program aims to engage and partner our Senior students as mentors with our Junior school students. It provides a series of opportunities for them to engage with each other throughout the year. Games such as Basketball, Dodgeball, Soccer, Touch Football and Tug of war were enjoyed by all the students. A great time was had by all and a special thank you to all the teachers from both Waterford and the Senior school that helped facilitate this event. We look forward to many more enjoyable experiences.
This term we held the Senior and Junior Swimming carnivals to much fanfare. Thanks must go to all the students that were actively engaged in these exciting events. While Green House did not win either event, the highlight was the engagement of our students. Some other highlights for the term include: The World’s Greatest Shave, wellbeing mentor interviews, the cadet camp, the end of the summer co-curricular season and the start of the winter co-curricular season, Year 9 ballroom dancing, our Green House Easter liturgy, The Amazing Race and our inter-house dodgeball competition.
I must also take this time to thank our Green Mentors for 2019. Green House has been blessed with outstanding teachers who bring life and meaning to everything our students experience. Our team of wellbeing mentors have done a wonderful job in their wellbeing roles this term, building positive relationships with the students and welcoming them every morning. We thank the following staff for their role as Green House mentors in 2019: Junior School: Stephen Ghattas Gabrielle Bransby Senior School: Angur Brotherton (GR01) Melinda Phelps/Ms Jannet Markey (GR02) Jon Walker (GR03) Gary Kennedy (GR04) Kathryn Knowles (GR05) Dominic Hearne (GR06) Daniel Kroll (GR07) Belinda Buchan (GR08) Patrick Darvill (GR09) Nehal Badiani/Julie Barns/Mr Angus Lyons (GR10) Phoebe Guirguis (GR11) I hope you have a relaxing and enjoyable break.
Lacey House is 140 students strong with a support network of twelve Mentors and a Head of House. Our students range from Years Five to Year Twelve and each one of them is unique in their abilities, challenges and the pathways that they need to follow to find success. Our strength as a House lies in our strong student led Mentor groups and House meeting framework that thrives on the input of our senior boys and the enthusiasm of the younger students.
Big Brother programs this year have made an immediate impact on the wellbeing of our students. The Year 12 group were simply awesome in the way the connected to their little Year 7 brothers on their first day of school. I have seen numerous examples of the senior boys chatting with the younger boys and heading off small problems that could have led to much bigger issues. I encourage you to talk with your son about how they can utilise this program for their best benefit. The Year 10 and Year 5 Big Brother program is paying huge dividends with the a much easier transition of our Waterford Campus boys into Our Lady’s Mount campus.
A significant change is occurring around academic progression from Year 10 to the senior courses. The boys are being guided with significant input from Heads of Department and their teachers towards making better choices for their senior study pathway. Each of the boys (and their parents) in Lacey House will have an interview with an external careers advisor to assist in this decision. I will follow this up with a chat with each boy regarding their final decision. The monitoring of their results and application grades helps guide the access each boy will have for certain courses as student selections are not automatic.
We have enjoyed the Year 7 camp, the Amazing Race, the CAS and the House Swimming Carnivals. There has been much debate and discussion of the Mentor Group Competition and great opportunities for the Year 11 boys to step up and take on the challenge of raising funds for our charity, RUOK Day. We are constantly seeking to build stronger connections between House and home, between parents and Mentors, between students and Mentors and between students and their peers. I am always delighted to hear from parents about the great things that are happening in your son’s life as well as the moments they need extra support from us.
So far, 2019 has been a successful year for the students of Quinn House.
Year 7 began their journey at the College attending Year 7 Camp in Broken Bay.
The camp is a wonderful opportunity for students to build friendships, gain confidence, explore Australia’s history, support and encourage one another through a range of physical and mental activities, test their Harry Potter trivia knowledge and bake damper over an open fire. Our newest Quinn members showed leadership, kindness, initiative, mateship and a love for the outdoors. The boys returned from camp excited about their new friendships and eager to start the academic year.
Our Year 5 and Year 10 Little Brothers and Big Brothers spent time together this Term getting to know one another. The Quinn Boys spent the morning playing tug-o-war, touch football and soccer in Waverley Park. This opportunity gave both groups of boys the chance to be active, develop friendships and learn to communicate and engage with people from different grades, backgrounds and experiences.
Thank you to all the teachers and mentors involved who made the day a success.
Term 1 saw the Senior Swimming Carnival take place at Des Renford Aquatic Centre. After some fierce competition, chanting and a lot of enthusiasm, Quinn House placed second on the day. Congratulations to Brennan House who won the carnival.
CAS was another successful night for Waverley College. Congratulations to Stuart Swinburn who broke an 18 year old College record.
The summer season was hugely successful and congratulations to the follow Quinn student who received awards for their performance over the season:
Finally, welcome to Ms. Annie Phillips and Mr. Michael Chan who look after Quinn 11 and Quinn4 respectively. Thank you to our Quinn mentors for all their hard work, patience, effort, guidance, and involvement with our students.
Wishing you and your family a safe and happy Easter and break.
Did you know we have a Book Club in the Senior School library?
We run the book club throughout the school term, usually holding at least two to three meetings.
Students from St Clare’s will join in and some light snacks will be provided.
The club aims to give students a chance to talk about books or get some good recommendations on future books to read.
We will change the days throughout the year to assist with sport commitments.
Look out in Nurrunga for upcoming Book Club dates.
To help your sons, talk about a book that you really enjoyed when you were at school. Get you son to come to the library to borrow it! If we don’t have we can get it in.
The Premier Reading Challenge is now on for boys in Years 5 to 9.
With the aim to encourage a love of reading for enjoyment and for your sons to experience quality literature it is a great challenge to be a part of.
The Premier’s Reading Challenge is not a competition but a challenge to each student – to read, to read more and to read more widely.
We would love your son to participate. It runs from March to August 30. Your sons can join in anytime up to the end of Term 2.
We have a full range of books to support the challenge and are on hand to assist and encourage your sons.
Send your sons to the library to get started. As well, your son can see his English teacher or Wellbeing tutor for advice and encouragement.
On 18th March, a group of Year 10 boys competed in Year 10 UoN Science and Engineering Challenge.
What a day!
After an early start to the morning to get to Sydney Olympic Park, the fun started. Boys were split up into their respective pairs to complete their first challenges of the day – ranging from Mars Rovers, flat pack furniture, bridges and a variety of coding and strategy challenges. Each student brought their Wave Game, and their hard work paid off – with the first round of challenges being completed by the boys putting us into the LEAD!
After a break, back to the second round – each group swapped activities and completed their next challenge. Tension was running high as each student saw their part in maintaining our first place status right through until the very end.
Once the final points were through, a few design and technical errors unfortunately ended up placing is in 4th overall. However, general feedback from all students was the day was amazing fun and a great success (with a few even saying they’d happily repeat Year 10 so they could compete again!)
Special mention goes to James Privett who was commended by another school on his assistance with their team who were set to lose points because they were running out of time to put all their equipment away.
All of these students shone today and should be commended for both their attitude and aptitude in representing Waverley College – Well done!
Last week, myself and Sue Walsh (Director of Identity and Student Formation) joined over 70 educational leaders from EREA and Associate schools in Ballarat for the EREA Leaders of Wellbeing Conference. The conference was hosted by St Patrick’s College and the Southern Region Schools from Victoria.
Highlights included a session on staff wellbeing and self-care – with former AFL player and author, Mark Bunn. Mark will be speaking to our staff next year about this important issue and providing strategies to improve our health and wellbeing. A second speaker which we are bringing to Waverley College for both staff and parents is Student Resilience expert – Greg Mitchell. His parent session will be on the evening of 27 April, 2020.
Other speakers included Legal Obligations surrounding Mental Illness: Student, Staff, Family – with Paul O’Halloran (Partner, Colin Biggers & Paisley), responsible gambling – Tanika James (Child and Family Services-Ballarat), trauma informed learning – Andrew McCausland and gaming addiction with Vasileious Stavropoulos (Cairnmillar Institute).
Just a friendly reminder of the processes surrounding leave from the College. NESA requires that any leave during term time must be approved by the College, prior to the leave being taken. The College requests no less than two week’s notice. For leave of up to four school days application for leave must be emailed to your son’s Head of House.
For leave of five days or more application for leave must be emailed to the Deputy Head of College – Staff and Students.
All Waterford applications are to be made to the Director of Waterford.
It is expected that students will be present at all compulsory College events including: May Procession, College Sport, Co-curricular activities, CAS Swimming and CAS Athletics carnivals.
An application for co-curricular exemption must be made directly to the Director of Co-Curriculum with two week’s notice prior to the date for any anticipated absences. Medical certificates must be supplied for illness. Unauthorised absences from compulsory events will result in an appropriate Sanction.
These are now available, please click here to view the 2020 calendar on the website.
Under the NSW Child Protection Legislation the School is responsible for the protection of children in our care. Whilst the regulations state that parents volunteering in their child’s school are exempt from the WWCC requirement, we have adopted a higher standard of practice. Consequently we require that all volunteers meet the following requirements.
Procedure:
At the conclusion of this process you are ready to volunteer for activities within the College.
* If you already have a WWCC number you will need to complete step 6 if you have not already done so.
Please contact me if you have any questions. We understand that these steps may take you some time, so we thank you, not only for your time in volunteering assistance, but also for demonstrating your ongoing commitment to your sons’ security and wellbeing. We are sure you will understand and appreciate our aim to establish and maintain the highest standards of child protection.
IMPORTANT DATES
22 March | Closing date for Year 5 and Year 7 Applications for 2021
27 March | Conlon House Mass 6-8pm. Bring your own plate of food to share
1 April | Year 7-11 Parent teacher-student interviews, Gym 8.30am-6.30pm
3 April | After the Bell Forum, Gym 7pm-9pm
4 April | Year 11 Parent/Teacher/Student Evening, Gym 6-7.30pm
6 April | Year 8 and Cadets depart for Camp and return 12 April
12 April | Last day of term and returning on 30 April
A Prayer for Christchurch
Many of our students have expressed a strong desire to stand in solidarity with the people of Christchurch amid their unimaginative grief.
This prayer was offered during Wellbeing Time this week….
Let us pray together for our brothers and sisters in New Zealand. We pray for those caught up in the events in Christchurch, New Zealand, for those killed and wounded, and for those who mourn the loss of loved ones.
We pray that people who have become disenfranchised, can find a non-violent way of expressing themselves and can be granted the courage to rise above hate and revenge. Soften their hearts and bring peace to your precious people of New Zealand.
We pray people will embrace diversity, we commit ourselves to playing our part in advocating for justice and peace and to building life-affirming communities, where all may experience a sense of belonging.
We pray for the people of the emergency services as they respond, and for community leaders and faith leaders as they work to heal broken communities.
May the soul of those who have died rest in peace, the injured restored and healed.
Amen
Strategic Plan
Please click this LINK to view the 2019-2023 College Strategic Plan. The plan was constructed from a wide community consultation process throughout 2018 and it is very much owned by the College’s staff. Each College Leadership Team Member (CLT), Head of House, Head of Department and Manager at the College have constructed their 2019 Action Plan including specific initiatives, actions and strategies linking to this plan. The Plan highlights areas that we consider essential for the College’s continual improvement. The crux of the plan focuses upon improving teaching and learning at the College whilst continuing to develop our wellbeing and student formation programs to develop holistically every student. I recommend at least a short viewing of the plan and we look forward to bringing it to fruition with your assistance.
Study Group Launch
This week saw the launch of Study Group where Year 7-10 students are able to access tutoring that focuses on literacy and numeracy. Boys can organise to attend these sessions around their co-curricular commitments to get support with assessments. We will also be providing targeted assistance to Year 11 and 12 students from Term 2 based upon a survey of their needs across subject areas. Thank you to Ms Ashleigh Della-Marta and Mr Michael Couani for running the sessions, Ms Gemma Brown, Ms Ashleigh Della-Marta and Ms Cassie Foster for writing the programs and Mr Stephen O’Donnell for coordinating the program. Thank you also to the College’s Parent Association for funding this wonderful initiative.
Waverley represented at the National Schools Constitutional Convention
Congratulations to Year 11 student Bradley Marzol who this week represented our College at this prestigious national convention. Bradley was one of only 120 students chosen from around Australia to attend the 24th National Schools Constitutional Convention.
Premier’s Reading Challenge
Please see Mr Bill Roberts newsletter article for further information in this edition. For boys in Years 5 – 9 with the aim of encouraging a love of reading and engagement. These years are particularly critical in formulating boys literacy skills that assist them greatly in their senior years. I encourage you to get your son involved.
Wellbeing
This last week we have been celebrating National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence and also National Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. EREAs Touchstone of “inclusive community” clearly sets the boundaries for us in addressing these two important causes. There is no place for either as we respect the dignity of each human being no matter what their background, colour, religion or race is.
We also certainly do not try and make someone else’s life more difficult by bullying them. Bullying is an ongoing misuse of power in relationships through repeated verbal, physical and/or social behaviour that causes physical and/or psychological harm.
It can involve an individual or a group misusing their power over one or more persons. Bullying can happen in person or online, and it can be obvious (overt) or hidden (covert).
Single, one-off, incidents and conflict or fights between equals, whether in person or online, are not bullying, even though they are not acceptable behaviour.
As parents, teachers and carers we can continue to speak with young people about why bullying, violence and racial discrimination are unacceptable, and continue to teach our sons and daughters that, regardless of personal feelings, every person is entitled to have their humanity respected.
We cannot opt out of our collective responsibility to deal with any bullying or racial discrimination that we encounter. We must work together to stamp out aggressive and anti-social behaviour and empower our sons and daughters to stand up against bullying and violence in all its forms.
Ballroom Dancing
As part of our PDHPE program and student wellbeing program, every Year 9 student participated in a short program of Ballroom dancing under instruction from the Joan Carmody Dance Academy. Along with students from St Clare’s School, our students participated in lessons in preparation for an evening of dance on Wednesday evening. I would like to congratulate our Year 9 cohort on their dress, manners and spirit to participate in such a positive way. I received many comments of praise from parents and staff that witnessed the evening. Thank you to the staff that assisted make this evening a success.
Former Headmaster Retires after great service
Last Saturday evening I attended a dinner to thank and congratulate Br Bob Wallace, former Headmaster of Waverley. Bob has been the chair of Australian Schoolboys Rugby since 1992 and retires this year. He has been the driving force to ensure boys have opportunities to perform to the highest levels, tour and learn from other regions of the world. It was a testament to the far-ranging impact that Bob has had with attendance from people from the United Kingdom and New Zealand. Famous past schoolboys such as Wally Lewis and Tony Melrose were also in attendance to acknowledge his work over many years.
APIFOOU COLLEGE APPEAL, TONGA
Dear Waverley College Community,
On behalf of Apifoou College Ex-students in Australia, I would like to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation to the Waverley College Community for the donation of sports gear for the APIFOOU COLLEGE APPEAL, TONGA.
As the ongoing process of rebuilding damage classrooms caused by Tropical Cyclone – Gita (February, 2018) for a few more years to come, the students of Apifoou College will make use of these sports gear and enjoy some sport. The sports equipment collected was shipped to Tonga on the 20th February, 2019 in time for the inter-college competition and rugby season. I hope this appeal project is the foundation for a sister relationship between the two
Schools.
Thanks and regards
Soane Halaholo
(President – Apifoou College Ex-students in Australia
CAS Swimming and Diving
Congratulations to all of our competitors who came a credible 5th and 4th in the CAS Swimming and Diving respectively. There were many personal bests on the night which is all you can ask of any athlete and there were some standout Individual performances that included are worthy of noting:
Stuart Swinburn – Murray Garrety Award for most outstanding CAS Swimmer. Stuart broke three College records on the evening including the Opens 50m Freestyle record that has stood since 2000.
Peter Cassimatis – 2nd in U17 50m and 100m Breaststroke which also included breaking his own College record from earlier in the year
Scott Swinburn – 3rd in U17 100m backstroke as a 14-year-old
Congratulations to Knox (Swimming) and Barker (Diving) on their respective wins in the competition.
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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