Emma Laurence, Author at Waverley College

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs Megan Schmitz our Junior School Psychologist for her many contributions to Waterford as she finishes with us at the end of Term 1. Megan will move with her family to Germany where she will commence a psychologist position at Independent Bonn International School (IBIS). Megan has been a member of the Waverley community for the past 10 years where she has been a wonderful support to the students in her care. She will be greatly missed.

On Thursday 14th of March, the College participated in the World’s Greatest Shave for the Leukaemia Foundation. The shave aims to raise money for treatment, support for people with leukaemia and their families as well as medical research to help find a cure.

Last year there were only 4 boys who did The World’s Greatest Shave in the Junior School. This year there were over 50 boys who were brave and shaved their heads with me in the Junior School. This year there 21 of the boys were in 6 Blue. Even Mr Gill, Mr Meadley and Mr Lavorato were brave and did the shave with us.

I hope that this is now a tradition down in the Junior School for the remainder of the time that I am going to be at Waverley College. The Waverley team so far has raised $10,222.67 on The World’s Greatest Shave website including me with $2,742.29 and my brother, Thomas Carey, with $1,045.19, Angus Poynting $617.90, Jasper Goodwin $740.32. Also, Rudy Bickers has raised $1,747.31 and Elliot Hellawell-More who has raised $622.71. Overall the Junior School has raised $7465.72, including all the boys who have their own pages.

Parents are invited to attend our HISTORY HYSTERIA SHOWCASE on Thursday 11th April, 2019. It will be held on the Junior School basketball court at 1:30pm.

Year 5 students have been involved in a history inquiry unit that explores the significance of people, groups, places and events that have led to the development of Australia.

Congratulations to the boys who were selected into the NSWCIS team for AFL last week. They have put in a huge amount of training and should be very proud of their achievements. The boys are Ben Pignatelli, James O’Loughlin, and Ricky Meyrick.

Well done to the boys who competed in the IPSHA football trials this week. Unfortunately the boys didn’t make it through on the day, however, they worked incredibly hard and represented Waverley beautifully. The boys were: Joseph Dametto, Gianni Testafredda, Joshua Tsoukalas and Zack Ellis.

Students in Years 5, 7, 9 will be participating in the annual NAPLAN tests in reading, writing, language conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy online this year between Tuesday 14th May and Friday 17th May. Further information can be found in this link: NAPLAN Parent Information Pack

Your son will be sitting an online practice test next Monday 25th March to give him an opportunity to familiarise himself with the test. This will also give the College an opportunity to check that the correct infrastructure is in place.

From the Convenor of Cricket, John McCallum

Over 280 players, coaches and families enjoyed the Cricket Presentation Evening last Friday after the final round of the season he week previous. A BBQ dinner and a great social atmosphere begun proceedings as friends shared highlights of their seasons. Coaches awards, new training shirts for all boys in Years 5 and 7 from our Supporter’s Group and a great account from Captain of Cricket Ryan Smith described how enjoyable playing Cricket has been. Year 12 students were thanked for their outstanding contributions toward Cricket and their team mates. The Br Murphy Player of the Year awards saw 1st place go to Lachlan Forrest from the 1st XI, with 141 runs, a HUGE 22 wickets and 3 catches. 2nd place was Harry Whitaker from the 1st XI and then followed 3 “Young Guns” from the 9As: 3rd was Daniel McSweeny, 4th Maxim Brooks and 5th Edward Regan

7A: Sam Rossen
7B: Aonghus Carone
8A: Carter Steyn
8B: Alistair Isaac
8C: Reece Emmins
9A: Daniel McSweeny
9B: Oliver Monaco
10A: Patrick Hoggett
10B: Cooper O’Donnell
2nd XI: Charley Howell
1st XI: Reid McNamara

All boys who scored over 50 runs or took 5 wickets or more in an innings will be receiving their individual awards at the College’s Summer Sports Assembly on April 4th.

From the Convenor of Basketball, Anthony Gibbs

Waverley 2nd V went down 50-53 in an exciting Friday night matchup against the undefeated Cranbrook 2nd V. Waverley quickly found themselves on the back foot early in the first half, unable to handle Cranbrook’s full court pressure. The visitors were able to build a substantial early lead which left Waverley fighting from behind for the rest of the night. Despite Waverley’s early offensive struggles, they were able to stay in the game on the back of a huge first half from Keilan Grace who had 17 points of his side’s 21 first half points. Cranbrook started off the second half the same way they did the first, but Waverley were able to finally slow them down with some big defensive plays from Nick Bosnar and Ben Walton. As Waverley began to click offensively, some huge plays from Tom McMahon and a pair of big shots from Josh Gleeson saw Waverley draw even heading into the final minutes. Waverley had three consecutive possessions in the last 20 seconds but were unable to draw even as Cranbrook, to their credit, were able to hold on and in doing so, secure the 2019 CAS 2nd V Premiership.

After three lackluster weeks, the 1st V lifted their game significantly against Cranbrook. Waverley led all the way to post a 103-78 win in front of a sizeable and vocal crowd. Dion Hatziandreou, Angelo Di Bartolo, Ash Backlund, Kyle Goulding and Ryan Abbott were outstanding on the night. The win moved Waverley to 4 wins for the season.

On Saturday 16th of March, the Basketball Presentation Night was held and was another great success with approximately 200 guests in attendance. A huge thank you to our Supporters Club and 1st’s and 2nd’s parents, especially Mrs Sophia Hatziandreou, Jo Morrissey and Nicole and Stephen Abbott for all their work this season with the BBQ, after-functions and Presentation Night. Without the efforts of our dedicated parents, basketball would not enjoy the success it does, nor the excellent community spirit and goodwill that has been generated. A special thank you must go to outgoing club president Mrs Hatziandreou, whose leadership and approach has been instrumental in creating a strong, caring supporters group.

Waverley Basketball uses Team App to publish information such as scores, news, fixtures, team lists and announcements. Download the app and search for ‘Waverley College Basketball’ to receive notifications and updates.

Convenor of Swimming, Nicola Silsby

Last week saw the final event in the Swimming calendar with the CAS Championships out at the SOPAC. The swim team have put hours of training in for this one night and were eager to get in the pool.

We had a large number of memorable performances over the night which started from the outset. Stuart Swinburn managed to break three Waverley records over the night, in the 50 Freestyle and 50 and 100 Backstroke, taking 1st place in both Backstroke races. Peter Cassimatis also broke a Waverley record in the Under 17’s 50 Breaststroke taking 2nd place.

Not only were school records broken but a number of swimmers broke personal bests throughout the evening across all age groups. We also had a number of students making their debut CAS Championship performance which was a hugely rewarding experience for them. It was also the last performance for our Year 12’s who are going to be greatly missed by the team.

The evening cannot be written about without mentioning the incredible support we had from Years 8, 10 and 11 who helped to encourage our students to perform at their very highest, we could hear cheers and songs echoing around the SOPAC.

At the final points total we took 5th place, only 8 points behind St Aloysius. The boys should be proud of how close the margin was between us and 4th position, and use it as something to work on for next season. All boys, whether they were competing or supporting, are to be congratulated for an outstanding evening. It was a fantastic way to end the season and I cannot wait to see what the 2020 season has in store!

The George William Rummery Scholarship is a gift of the Rummery Family in memory of their son and brother, George, whose life ended tragically in 1982 when he was in Year 8 at Waverley College.

The Scholarship is awarded to a student of the College who displays particular aptitude and interest in music and is committed to supporting co-curricular music at the College.

The Scholarship covers ongoing full or partial remission of music tuition fees for students from Year 7 to Year 12.

Private music lessons are well underway. Boys are to be reminded to check their schedule, be punctual to their lessons and inform the teacher at least the day prior to their lesson if they are unable to attend. We have excellent, well qualified peripatetic teachers at Waverley College and lessons are available on a large variety of instruments. Any new student to the college who wishes to learn an instrument or join the Rock Band program are welcome to visit the PAC and speak to Mrs Kossenberg or any of the music staff. Click on the link below to complete the online Private Music Registration Form Waverley College Private Music Lesson Form

All Music Ensembles are well under way. New members are welcome at any time, especially year 7 students and those students who are new to the school!

Guitar Ensemble will commence this Thursday at lunchtime in P14. All guitarists are encouraged to attend, especially those who read music notation.

College Choir rehearses every Monday morning, 7.30 in P14. We are always looking for new members! We can always work around any clashes with other co-curricular events.

Beginner Band at Waterford (Years 5 and 6) has now commenced. The Band is open to students wishing to take up an instrument or who have recently commenced. The Band meets on a Tuesday at 7.30am in the Auditorium at the Junior School. Please contact Mr Blenkinsopp for any inquiries. cblenkinsopp@waverley.nsw.edu.au.

Students who may have a hire instrument belonging to the school and is not in use at present, please return to the music faculty so it can be reissued to another student.

Director of Curriculum, Lynsey Porter and Head of Learning Support David Parnell

Waverley College, along with all Australian schools, will be submitting information to Catholic Schools NSW for the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data for Student with Disabilities: A count of the number of students with disabilities who are supported under the school’s obligations to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act 1992, Disability Standards for Education 2005 and The Australian Education Act 2013. The count is based on the professional judgment of teachers and their knowledge and understandings of students. The process assists the school in identifying and supporting students with disabilities by implementing adjustments to enable them to access and participate in education on the same basis as their peers. The data collected is not identifiable to individual students. Information collected relates to: the total numbers of students involved; the types of adjustments provided, including curriculum delivery, medical support, health and safety, social skills and communication; the level of adjustment provided and the categories of disabilities. In the first instance, the information is submitted to the Catholic Schools NSW then forwarded, as non-identifiable data, to the Australian Government Education Council (ie student NCCD Website and names will not be captured). The information collected is protected by the privacy act. The information collected may be used for the school’s future funding and policy requirements.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any queries in relation to this process.

From the Deputy Head of College – Teaching and Learning, Elizabeth Watson

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 emerging technologies. Professional learning on the March Staff day had a focus on Digital Citizenship, Hattie’s Learning Intentions and Success Criteria, Formative Assessment, Google Suites and Coding. 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).

I would like to thank all staff who energetically involved themselves in these learning experiences. A special thank you to our teachers who designed and facilitated these courses – Bill Roberts, Kaitlyn Downey, Charlotte Stephens, Patricia Alborough, Kyle Newbury, James Spargo and Dom Hearne. The Waverley community not only values their expertise but commends their commitment and passion to teaching and learning.

This week the college also hosted the EREA Eastern Region conference. Leaders of Learning across the state explored the principles of a “Whole of School Approach to implementing change”. These discussions and shared strategies were particularly valuable to Waverley as we embark on our 2019-2023 Strategic Plan.

I look forward to regularly communicating the strategic developments and achievements in our key priority areas of enhancing quality teaching, inspiring student learning and maximising student academic achievement.

Assistant Director Guys and Dolls, Alison Carlile

In May, Waverley College and St. Clare’s College are putting on the musical of the year! Guys and Dolls.

Rehearsals began in Term 4 of last year and have been a rewarding challenge for all involved. It has been a rigorous process to learn dance moves and dialogue, songs and accents.

Earlier this term the entire cast and chorus went away on camp. These three days proved incredibly productive and thanks to the hard work put in during this intensive workshop every aspect of the show came together wonderfully. It was a bonding experience that shows in the camaraderie on stage.

Students have had to work hard to overcome nerves and learn pages of dialogue. Not to mention having to learn to sing and dance together in key and in time. This hard work is certainly paying off and is showing through their enthusiasm and excitement on stage.

This production is only on for a limited run, so we invite you to join us for Guys and Dolls! Performances are 7pm Wednesday 08th May, 7PM Thursday 09th May and 7PM Friday 10th May. This is shaping up to be an amazing production so be sure to book tickets soon as they’re selling fast! Performance and ticket information can be found at https://waverley.nsw.edu.au/events/guys-and-dolls/

Year 12 Student, Andrew Badger

On Wednesday 6th February, Years 11 and 12 Waverley Entertainment students travelled to Fox Studios to attend the filming of The Voice Blind Auditions as audience members. For me, this wondrous experience was a great privilege, allowing me new insight into the inner workings of my chosen industry. During the course of the event I observed multiple techniques employed by the venue, including the operation of follow-spots at heights, being harnessed within a seat connected to the suspended lighting rig, and cameras, some of which were connected to employees via wee-bills, which eliminated wobbling. These personnel were always assisted by a colleague who, by maintaining both a strong grip on their partner and constant communication, directed them away from hazards, such as when the camera man exited the stage backwards down several stairs while filming the contestant leaving the performance area after their audition.

During the production we were allocated an usher, who both answered our Industry related questions and briefed us on their safety practices i.e. avoiding the main floor as the follow spot operators could drop their equipment at any moment, and cause serious injury to both crew and audience. With the show being recorded as a stop-start there were many opportunities for audience members to communicate with the usher, asking industry related questions as well as receiving free water and snacks to keep everyone happy.

Overall, my time at The Voice Blind Auditions was a highly informative experience, giving me a newfound appreciation for the Television component of the Entertainment Industry and the effort that goes into productions of such a massive scale.

FROM HEAD OF SENIOR STUDIES AND CAREERS, KATH KNOWLES

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From the Deputy Head – Staff and Students, Patrick Brennan

A group of Deputy Principals from schools in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney including Waverley College meet each team as we believe that there is enormous value and under-utilised potential in schools collaborating, sharing ideas and resources to support our community.

Our key focus is working together in order to raise awareness and provide parents with strategies to help them manage risky teenage behaviour.

We believe that it is important for parents to see that our schools stand united, with shared values on social issues.

We have come together to organise an event which the College is hosting for parents on 3 April 2019 The focus is to help students make good decisions out of school hours.

The link for the TryBooking is open now. All funds raised go to Headspace at Bondi Junction.

Head of Library Services, William Roberts

All boys in Years 5 to 12 have access to the typing software – Typing Tournament.

To view the resource, see the weblink below. For your son’s login details please contact the library or it can be viewed on the College’s PowerSchool platform.

Touch typing is a great skill and is recommended by Prue Salter who has presented to boys and parents at the College on the topic of maximising study success at school.

From the Convenor of Cricket, John McCallum

From the Convenor of Basketball, Anthony Gibbs

Convenor of Swimming, Nicola Silsby

Director of Curriculum, Lynsey Porter and Head of Learning Support David Parnell

From the Deputy Head of College – Teaching and Learning, Elizabeth Watson

Assistant Director Guys and Dolls, Alison Carlile

Year 12 Student, Andrew Badger

FROM HEAD OF SENIOR STUDIES AND CAREERS, KATH KNOWLES

Download the Career Guide

From the Deputy Head – Staff and Students, Patrick Brennan

Head of Library Services, William Roberts

Senior Campus

Junior Campus

From the Convenor of Cricket, John McCallum

From the Convenor of Basketball, Anthony Gibbs

Convenor of Swimming, Nicola Silsby

Director of Curriculum, Lynsey Porter and Head of Learning Support David Parnell

From the Deputy Head of College – Teaching and Learning, Elizabeth Watson

Assistant Director Guys and Dolls, Alison Carlile

Year 12 Student, Andrew Badger

FROM HEAD OF SENIOR STUDIES AND CAREERS, KATH KNOWLES

Download the Career Guide

From the Deputy Head – Staff and Students, Patrick Brennan

Head of Library Services, William Roberts

Senior Campus

Junior Campus

A Catholic School for boys inthe tradition of Edmund Rice

A Catholic School for boys in
the tradition of Edmund Rice