Last Friday, 16 February 2018, the Aungier House Mass, was celebrated by College Chaplain Fr Bernie Thomas ofm. The Gospel (Matthew 9:18-19, 23-26), which was acted out by Aungier Year 8 students, mirrored the message Speak through Action, the theme which our Year 12 Leaders have chosen for 2018. Aungier Prefect of Spirituality, Domenic Abruzzese connected this theme with life at Waverley College in his Reflection.
Other features of this Mass included the Entry Procession and Gospel Procession, while Communion Reflection Song If You’re Out There by John Legend aptly connected to the idea that actions speak louder than words. I would like to thank the staff and students responsible for the organisation and specific roles during the Mass. I would also like to thank Mr McCoy, Head of Aungier House, for his assistance, as well as the many parents and grandparents who attended the Aungier House Mass.
Below is Aungier Prefect of Spirituality, Domenic Aburzzese’s Reflection:
I invite you today, to reflect on the Gospel and the readings, and possibly inherit some ideas on how you, as Aungier students, may benefit from these words.
Edmund Rice in the first reading had a deep desire to help the poor, rough boys of Waterford. His dream then turned into reality through his actions. For all of us, we can all have a dream. That is free. We can tell everyone about the dream. That is free also. But to achieve our dreams or our goals we must find the strength to do.
As Waverley College students we are very fortunate that we can dream big. We can dream about a variety of things whether it be on the sporting pitch or aspiring for personal best in the classroom. We can talk all about these dreams but if we do not do, these dreams stay dreams.
In the Gospel, we see Jesus bring someone back from the dead. While those who witnessed would have been amazed, there was a period of ridicule from those standing around. Despite the judgement, Jesus is able to bring the child back to life anyway.
The actions and ideas of Jesus are applicable in our lives also, as we must put aside the preconceived idea of what we believe is impossible, to make that impossible, possible. We must also put aside those who may doubt us and may potentially stop us from having a try. Jesus “speaks through action” by acting despite ridicule, which results in the child coming back to life.
It is not only Jesus who is the hero in the Gospel. The leader of the synagogue doesn’t just hope Jesus will cure his child, but actually goes and finds Jesus. He doesn’t just ask Him back for help, he leads him back. Action.
Overall, today’s readings link to this year’s theme of “Speak through Action.” Don’t just talk about what you ‘going’ to do… actually do it. Actions really do speak louder than words. Take that extra step and challenge the possibilities of your own limitations and be the change that you want to see, just as Jesus did.
Dear God,
As we take our first steps in the season of Lent,
Take us deeper into your love.
Take us into truth, that we may learn and grow.
Connect us to your grace and compassion,
So that we may hold onto hope when we come to the place where we have to face our shortcomings. Push us into the wilderness of reflection, Test and strengthen us as you reveal your will in our lives.
As we travel with you on the story to the cross; As we journey to the cross and beyond,
May we take up our own crosses and follow you anew.
Jesus,
Walker of the Way,
Lead us again during this season of Lent.
Mould us as your people.
As we remember your commitment to us;
Your new covenant of love,
May we join anew with you in the being of the Kingdom
Amen
Blessed Edmund Rice: Pray for Us
St Mary of the Cross: Pray for Us
Live Jesus in our Hearts: Forever
Thank you to all the parents who took the time to attend the information evening on Monday night. I hope you appreciated all the information and are now better prepared to assist your son on his journey at Waverley. Thank you to Mr Graham Leddie for attending and his warm welcome to the parents.
Special thanks as well to all the Junior School staff for their support through the evening.
What a brilliant day – not only terms of the weather but the way the whole carnival panned out throughout the day One of the great things about Junior School carnivals is every boy whether a swimmer or non-swimmer has an opportunity to earn points and ribbons for their teams.
The support of the parents was again 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 Head of Sport Junior School – Mr Ryan who again organised and ran a terrific carnival.
Congratulations to the boys in Green for an outstanding win their first win in 14 years. Special mention to all the boys in Conlon and Brennan for the great effort they put in to finish in second and third place.
Age Champions – special congratulations to the following boys who won places in their respective age groups:
Under 10
Age Champion: Aidan Lee (Tevlin)
2nd Place: Ben Pignatelli (Aungier)
3rd Place: Digger Callandar (Aungier)
4th Place: Xavier Miconi (O’Connor)
Under 11 5th
Age Champion: Oakley Lamb (O’Connor)
2nd Place: Zoltahn Szabo (Conlon)
3rd Place: Fred Carmody (Brennan)
4th Place: Nicholas Hjorring (Brennan)
Under 11 6th
Age Champion: Tristan Lee (Tevlin)
2nd Place: Oscar Bennett (Green)
3rd Place: Cooper Gee (Conlon)
Equal 4th Place: Will Sweetman (O’Connor), Cameron Pierce (Tevlin)
Under 12
Age Champion: Jack Kerves (Green)
2nd Place: Lucas Dubois (Brennan)
3rd Place: Judah Miller (Conlon)
4th Place: Jack Tindale (Tevlin)
As the season of Lent approaches, we are asking the Year 5 and Year 6 students of the Junior School to think about those who are less fortunate than themselves. The theme for Project Compassion 2018 is “A Just Future”.
This year, Project Compassion demonstrates how love for our neighbours can transform lives. For more than 50 years, Caritas Australia has been privileged to work together with our neighbours – our most vulnerable sisters and brothers in First Australian communities and in many other countries. Working with our partner agencies in those communities, we have developed the strength to combat poverty, promote justice and uphold the dignity of every person.
Throughout Project Compassion 2018, inspiring stories from the Philippines, Cambodia, Australia, Nepal, Jordan and Mozambique will be shared, highlighting the importance of working hand in hand with communities around the world.
As the thought of freeing the world of poverty can be overwhelming, we are attempting to empower our boys to respond to the needs of others around the world. We have asked the boys to contribute to Project Compassion in some way this year. It may be that they give up a treat at the canteen or perhaps do some odd jobs around the house to collect a bit of spare change. Please encourage your boys to donate to this worthy cause.
“They will neither hunger nor thirst, nor will the desert heat or the sun beat upon them. He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water” (Isaiah 49:10).
On Saturday 10 March students and families of Waverley College Waterford Campus are invited to attend the 6:00pm Family Mass at Mary Immaculate Parish, followed by a BBQ at the Waterford Campus.
Father Bernie, Parish Priest of Mary Immaculate and our College Chaplain, would like to become more involved with the students and families of Waverley College and would also like to see our families become more involved with the church. This would also be a great opportunity to meet other families from the Waterford Campus.
If you are interested in attending, could you please RSVP by filling out the form sent home with your son and sending it back to school by Monday 5 March. For catering purposes, could you please indicate how many people will be in attendance.
Stephen Ghattas
(Assistant Director of Mission Junior School)
Can I please stress the need to ensure your son has his name on all his gear – it makes it far easier to return any lost gear.
Our interschool competition is well under way now and the boys are training hard both in the mornings and after school. It was great to hear the boys talking about their games on Monday morning – the energy and excitement is tremendous.
Waverley released its Skoolbag app which is available for both iPhone and Andriod devices last year to assist contact with parents and students. This app is a free download and enhances the way the school communicates with students and families.
You can find the skoolbag app for Waverley by searching in either Google Play or the Apple App store for ‘Skoolbag Waverley College’. You can also find links to the app on the School website.
Learn to be a chess champion! Coaching for students at Waverley College (Junior School) is held on Tuesdays from 12:30pm to 1:30pm, starting on 6 February 2018.
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.
With many boys involved in morning training sessions the canteen will be open for breakfast to ensure that all boys have the opportunity to have something to eat before school starts. The canteen will be open from 8.00-8.30am.
Waverley College is seeking paid Rugby and Football coaches for the 2018 season. All coaches need to have a NSW Working with Children Check. Please contact Steve O’Donnell: sodonnell@waverley.nsw.edu.au
We continued some good form last week in most co-curricular activities and also impressive individual and team results. Some of the highlights included: the great wins by many basketball teams including 1sts and 2nds; the 7A’s tennis performances; our chess team continuing their great results this year; outstanding swims at the CAS Invitational; and a couple of good wins in cricket.
Thank you to all students for their efforts before and after school this week with the summer sports photos. These have been quite smooth and we will be repeating the process in winter to lessen the impact on teaching and learning.
Next week we have our House Swimming Carnival on Thursday 1 March at SOPAC, Homebush. A letter will be sent home, however, all students in Years 7-10 will need to be at school by 7.45am to catch buses out to the venue, and will return to school by 3pm. Students in Years 11 and 12 may make their own way to the venue or choose to catch a bus at 7.45am. Parents are welcome to attend. Students are encouraged to take their own lunches, as food at the venue is very expensive and queues are quite long. All students are required to wear their house shirts. Any absences on the day will require a medical certificate. There will also be no training on this day.
We have an away game for 1st and 2nd basketball teams this Friday night against Cranbrook, commencing from 6pm. Any student who is attending and supporting must be in full College uniform. If students are not in the correct gear they will be asked to leave. Please note that all winter co-curricular changes have now been finalised and on Monday 5 March we will have our winter activities check. We also have the Christian Brother Swimming Carnival at North Sydney from 7pm on Saturday night and this a great opportunity for the final selections for the upcoming CAS Swimming Championships on 15 March.
Next Monday 26 February is our Parent/Mentor Meeting event and there will be no training in the afternoon only. Training next Monday morning we be on as normal.
Good luck to all teams this week and ‘Go the Waves!’
There were many close and highly exciting matches last weekend, including an amazing tied match for the 7C and a whitewash of wins for all Year 9 teams! Many teams demonstrated improved batting from last week, with the 3rd, 10A, 8B, 7B and 7C teams all reaching their highest team total for the term – with batsmen looking for more singles and being wiser in their shot selection. Both the Year 5 and Year 6 1st XI teams also were highly impressive in great wins and all-round performances, so momentum is building strongly for many of our youngest teams. This week sees most teams play Cranbrook and continue to enjoy our attacking brand of Cricket.
There were many wins from the Waverley boys around the grounds, including all Year 9 teams. The 9As bowled St Aloysius’ out for 68, with captain Sam Connolly claiming 5 wickets for 7 runs in his first spell of bowling in 4 matches. He was ably supported by all bowlers, including Harry Schultz, who took 2 wickets and then scored 20 not out as Jackson Dodd also took to making a swift chase. The 9B team followed a similar pattern of great attacking bowling to leave a comfortable chase, with Noah Mitchell and Edward Sullivan producing fantastic spells to take key wickets. The 9C team had an exciting last-over win as they successfully chased the target of 86 in a determination team effort.
Other highlights included an elegant 68 runs to Luca Derbyshire in the 8B team’s strong total of 145. The 7B team can be congratulated with a strong batting total of 125, only to narrowly lose, while the 7C had the first tied match in the last 6 years – with both sides locked on 88 runs. Peter Fragias was strong with the bat, before Reece Emmins led the bowling effort to restrict St Aloysius’ and get a great result. The 7A team did brilliantly with the ball to bowl out St Aloysius’ for 69 – with fielding again a highlight with athletic catching and ground fielding. Scott Swinburn took 3 wickets with excellent pace bowling as all bowlers did a fine job. Sadly this week the batting didn’t get any momentum as wickets steadily fell to see us fall 10 runs short.
Last Friday evening saw Mac Jenkins from Year 11 receive a Combined Independent Schools (CIS) Blue and Honours Award for Exceptional Performances in selection in the Australian U16 side as the only CIS player. This follows Mac captaining the NSW U15 side to the national championships and finishing as leading wicket taker with 9 scalps from his left-arm spinners – congratulations Mac of some fantastic achievements. Mac and the Australian U16s play a one-day series against Pakistan U16s in Melbourne in April.
All players and families from Years 5-12 are warmly invited to attend the end of season Presentation Evening – set for Saturday 12 March after the final round of senior school matches. This will be a fantastic way to celebrate achievements and friendships formed throughout the year, while welcoming many new boys and families. The presentation will run from 7-9pm in the gymnasium, and include a sausage sizzle, raffle, games and awards. The Cricket Supporter Group are putting on this great event with tickets on sale from this week, and are requesting any donations of raffle prize items – please email Convenor jmccallum@waverley.nsw.edu.au with any donations, as any contributions would be appreciated.
Ryan Connolly sends one down
Bowling first, Waverley made a promising start with two maiden overs. Thirteen overs had passed, with many near misses, when the first wicket fell to skipper, Ryan Connolly. This became 2 when Lachlan Forrest induced a false shot. Ryan Connolly claimed the 3rd wicket with 73 on the board off 30 overs and Waverley seemed well on top as the 4th wicket fell to a run out, the result of a fine throw from Jack Hardwicke-Owen and a smart pick up by keeper Rory Doyle to have SAC at 4 for 89 off 34 overs. This unfortunately was where the wheels fell off for the Waverley team as no fewer than 6 catches went to ground until Benjamin Scarf finally hit the stumps and late catches by Cameron Shearer and Harry Whiteman saw Benjamin Scarf finish with 3 wickets. Unfortunately, the SAC total had climbed to 8 for 196 at the completion of the 50 overs.
After the lunch break the innings was off to a disastrous start with Reid McNamara falling in the first over LBW and Oliver Ruse bowled in the 2nd over to have Waverley at 2-5. Jack Hardwicke-Owen and Alex Ferrara began to steady the ship and after 13 overs the total was well on track at 2 for 56. However, the 14th over saw Jack Hardwicke-Owen playing at a wide delivery only to nick off to the keeper. Worse was to follow when Skipper Ryan Connolly called for what should have been an easy single only for his ball watching partner not to respond with the throw finding the skipper short of his ground, Waverley now 5 for 61. Jacob Tomasiello started in good form lifting a huge six over long-on and was looking set with 24 to his name, when he attempted to turn an arm ball to leg only to lose off-stump.
Lachlan Forrest played a short cameo innings and at 7 for 140 off 42 overs Waverley was still a chance. This was not to be as Benjamin Scarf couldn’t repeat his innings from the game before and was caught behind for 2, Cameron Shearer followed in the 45th over and the final nail was driven when Harry Whiteman was run out in the 47th over with the final total on 154. Alex Ferrara remained 40 not out in a very uncharacteristic innings. Trinity had a win and this victory over Barker secures them the CAS title, however Waverley must now strive to remain in 2nd place on the ladder by winning the final 3 games. This Saturday sees the team away at Cranbrook.
Saturday’s encounter against St Aloysius’ saw a significant improvement across the board for the Waverlians, with many competitive matches keeping spectators on the edge of their seats.
The 1st and 2nd teams were able to challenge the boys from St Aloysius’, despite being defeated 8 sets to 0 in both fixtures. The highlight of the opens came from Marko Dundovic’s debut in the 1sts, where he lost his singles set in a nail-biting tiebreaker. The opening set of Will Durkin and Matthew Gallagher’s doubles in the 2nds also went the distance, but they were unfortunately overcome by their opponents in the tiebreak.
Regardless of the 3rds and 4ths being conquered 1 set to 5 and 2 sets to 4 respectively, Oliver Hackers managed to exhibit his skills on the court, taking his singles set 6-0 with ease. He also won his doubles 6-0 with Daniel Chow. Domenic Abruzzese brought his A-game once again, winning his singles 6-3. Alastair Alston also deserves a mention, as he was neck and neck with his singles opposition, unluckily being edged in a close tiebreak.
Mawson Flitcroft turned the tables on the Aloysius’ boys in the 10A’s, winning the only set for the team in a 6-3 victory. There were some positive results in both the 9A’s and B’s, with Diego Berdaa and Will Jensen trouncing their opposition 6-3 in the doubles. Massimo di Napoli delivered the goods in his singles, triumphing 6 games to 2.
The youngest of the Waverley boys produced the best results, with the both the 7A’s and 7C’s taking out their fixtures in a 6 sets to 0. Jo Jo Cumpston and Ethan Williams denied their opponents a game, winning their doubles 6-0. Bellino Testafredda won his singles with the same 6-0 margin in the 7D’s, highlighting the substantial depth of skill amongst the younger teams. The 7B’s pulled through to win 4 sets to 2.
Overall, the results have drastically improved in contrast to the previous week, with the boys looking forward to a big round 8 against one of our greatest rivals – Cranbrook.
This week our junior teams had great performances with one of the best being the 8A’s, who enjoyed a 44-30 win with a 14-point performance from Jack Ringrose. The 9A’s had a 7-point win, lead by Eoin Morrissey. Unfortunately, the 10A’s lost by 9 points and the 7A’s by a mere 3 points.
Facing this week’s opponent St Aloysius’, the 2nd V players trained hard in the hopes of achieving a successful outcome. Running through plays and doing some conditioning training, they were fit and ready for their next challenge. Before the start of the game, the team had a quick talk and a walk through of their plays and tactics. From the tip-off, Waverley was off to a strong start, scoring some good inside shots and taking advantage of their opportunities. Ash Backlund opened up the scoring with 6 straight points for Waverley. However, this was soon matched as Waverley took it too easy with their transition defense and St Aloysius’ took advantage of turnovers, which saw them capitalise on some fast break points.
The first half was very close with each team scoring simultaneously. Towards the end of the half, after a time-out, Waverley fired up to finish strong, scoring on some of their own fast breaks off turnovers and taking advantage of shots they created from some good spacing. Waverley led 23-21 going into the second half. The second half began with Waverley’s momentum falling away as St Aloysius’ scored some quick points. However, the 2nd V players heated up and got their heads back into the game and again continued to run through their plays, smoothly creating more opportunities for some points to give them an advantage.
Heath Lawther scored multiple circus shots allowing for the 2nd V players to gain a comfortable lead. St Aloysius’ made one final push and scored only a few more points, however Waverley was able to maintain their momentum and finished off with their first win of the year, 40-32. Ash Backlund top scored with 10 points. The players put on a great performance and really showed improvement after last week’s tough loss, however they must keep it up for this Friday night’s game against Cranbrook.
This week the 1st V prepared for a game they had been waiting a long time for. It was an important game, heightened by the unfortunate narrow loss to St Aloysius’ in the third round of competition. The focus for the 1st team this week was to minimise fouls. They were also missing two players from the team in Alex Higgins-Titsha and James Foster, which would mean Waverley would have to play smarter defense. The opening tip resulted in an early St Aloysius’ basket, which was quickly answered with a three-point attempt from Ryan Abbott that fired up the team. Kyle Goulding and Ryan Abbott lead the scoring early in the first half with a several three point shots as well as a few strong drives towards the basket exposing the holes within St Aloysius’ defense. Waverley lead by 2 at the end of the first quarter, but needed to figure out how to stop key opposing players quickly.
The second quarter was filled with a dominant inside performance from Mike El-Haddad with several inside shots and post moves as his energy on defense forced several errors from the St Aloysius’ guards. Ryan Abbott continued where he left off in the first quarter with multiple baskets including another 3 point shot that would stretch Waverley’s lead to a comfortable 6 points at the half with the score at 34-28. Following the initial well-executed first-half performance, Waverley didn’t hold back and began to stretch their lead out to a substantial amount with Kyle Goulding making his way to the rim several times and drawing contact that resulted in free throws. St Aloysius’ called a time out to try combat Waverley’s seemingly instant offence, but Dion Hatziandreou continued to apply pressure with several layups inside.
The third quarter was a well-executed period with the score 48-45. The same could not be said for the fourth quarter with Kyle Goulding fouling out within the first two minutes of the quarter, leaving the 1st V with no point guards for the remainder of the game. Thankfully, Angelo di Bartolo stepped up and set the tone with some great passes and kept his composure for the time he played at this position. Captain, Jeremy Pertritsis, was keeping the team grounded and slotted in at point-guard to maintain a steady offence that would hold off St Aloysius’ late push due to further free throws resulting from an onslaught of fouls that were committed by Waverley. The game was closed out by Ryan Abbott and Luca Zanarini with some crucial free throws to seal the game. The 1st V had made drastic improvement from their first game against St Aloysius’ and we hope to carry the same level of energy and intensity into the Friday night game against Cranbrook.
The 2nd V lost narrowly in their last outing against St Aloysius’ (59-54) and were looking to resurrect their season with a solid performance in their second matchup. The players showed a high level of purpose and intensity from the opening jump ball. Coach Mr Phil Noreika, applauded the players’ desire to dive on loose balls, crash the boards at both ends and contest jump shots. The 2nd V ultimately settled their score with St Aloysius’, defeating their opponents 40-32. Best on court were Ash Backlund, Mark Goncalves and Daniel Marando. The 2nd V are 3-4 for the season and will be confident in defeating Cranbrook for a second time when they face them again this week.
The 1st V also lost a close physical game against St Aloysius’ in the previous round (65-62). Down two players (James Foster and Alexander Higgins-Titsha), the 1st V needed to step up. Waverley gained the upper hand in the first quarter with St Aloysius’ in early foul trouble, however still struggled to convert easy points at the foul line. Ryan Abbott, fresh off a solid rebounding and outside shooting game against Knox, continued his form and helped the team in crucial possessions. The score at half-time was 34-28 in Waverley’s favour. The 1st V lost point-guard Kyle Goulding in the third quarter to fouls, which meant Angelo Di Bartolo needed to step in to fill the position in the absence of James Foster. Despite struggling early with the new setup, the players eventually gained the upper hand to secure the team’s fourth win of the season (63-57). Ryan Abbott, Hayden Walton and Luca Zanarini were best on-court. While pleased with the win, Coach Mr Johnny Jovine will be concerned about the 1st V’s free-throw shooting accuracy, their foul count and their split-line defense.
With 7 rounds completed, the 1st V have now won four games and sit third on the ladder. They will hope to pick up wins against Cranbrook and Trinity over the coming weeks before facing CAS favourites, Barker, who are undefeated, in the last round at home at Waverley.
This week sees the 1st and 2nd teams take on traditional local rivals Cranbrook on Friday night at Cranbrook. These games are always played in a great atmosphere and are generally close affairs. The players and coaching staff would appreciate support from Waverley students to assist them in getting over the line against a fired-up Cranbrook side defending their home turf. Game times are 6pm (2nds) and 7:15pm (1sts). Any Waverley student wishing to attend and spectate must wear full school uniform or sports uniform. Spectators must also ensure that their support is positive and appropriate at all times.
In other games, Waverley enjoyed considerable success against St Aloysius’ including winning games in the top 3 grades for the first time in many seasons and recording a clean sweep in the Year 9’s. The following teams recorded wins: 1st V (3-57), 2nd V (40-32), 3rd V (31-26), 10C (19-15), 10F (25-15), 9A (34-27), 9B (36-30), 9C (54-26), 9D (58-14), 9E (29-18), 9F (57-5), 8A (44-30), 8B (27-19), 8C (33-19), 8E (26-21), 8F (26-13), 7B (25-24), 7C (49-12), 7D (56-10), 7F (24-3) with the 7E’s drawing (20-all). Against Shore, the 9H’s drew (30-all), while the 8H’s won 20-16.
The Basketball Supporter Group is seeking help in staffing the BBQ this Saturday. If you are able to assist for an hour, please contact Mrs Sophia Hatziandreou at sophiah@samos.com.au.
The last round of games on Saturday 10 March sees a number of events occurring. This will be the last game representing the College for our Year 12 players and a special luncheon is being organised at the after-function for the 1st V by the Basketball Supporters Group to recognise their efforts. A reminder that the BBQ to welcome our new Year 7 players and their families was rescheduled to Saturday 10 March. The Basketball Presentation Night is also on Saturday 10 March. More details on the Presentation Night will be made available in the coming weeks.
The annual Basketball Supporter Group AGM will be held on Monday 12 March at 6pm in the Grange (entrance from 12 Carrington Road). All parents are welcome to attend.
Waverley Basketball is now using 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.
Good luck to all teams against Cranbrook this weekend.
Parents and carers of Waverley College Junior School Year 6 students who are transitioning into Year 7 in 2019 have been emailed an offer for a place.
Please note that a response to your offer is due by 4pm on Monday 5 March 2018 at the latest.
If you have another son, or know of someone wanting to apply for a place in year 5 or year 7, 2019, please note that applications must be submitted by 4pm 9 March 2018 at the latest.
New enrolment deadlines for 2020 are outlined below
The application form is available on our website or from the Registrar Ms Terese Kielt by calling 9369 0698.
All Applications and responses are to be sent to the Registrar
A comprehensive course for Years 11 and 12 to broaden understanding of performance styles and develop improvisation, acting and devising techniques.
Cost – $615
16–20 April 2018, 10am–5pm
8–12 Oct 2018, 10am–5pm
HSC IP Study Day is a fantastic way for students to explore the creative process from conception to successful completion. Participants gain a practical understanding of what is involved in the project area of their choice.
Tuesday 30 October 2018, 9.30am–3.00pm
Subject-specific seminars designed to provide insight and understanding from expert HSC Teachers in the lead up to the half-yearly exams.
Saturday 3rd & Sunday 4th March
Saturday 10th & Sunday 11th March.
A Gap Year in the Australian Defence Force is more than just a great way to try out a career in the Navy, Army or Air Force. It’s a fulfilling year of adventure, experiences, mateship, learning, leadership and travel.
Find out more
Registrations close 1 June, and the testing date is 25 July 2018.
Find out more
This U.S. Government Website provides advice to students interested in applying to U.S. colleges and universities. Information includes how to apply, testing, financial aid, visas, and more. The U.S. Consulate General in Sydney has an EducationUSA Centre, and students, parents and career advisers can make appointments to visit the centre.
https://www.educationusa.info/australia
The main changes to the recruitment process include no minimum academic requirement, introduction of a University Certificate in Workforce Essentials, the entrance exam is now known as the Police Entrance Exam, copies of transcripts and other mandatory documents need to be certified by a Justice of the Peace, online application via JobsNSW and a case office will contact applicants once applications are received.
Australian Defence Force Academy applications are now open. To avoid having to do the application when you are busy with year 12 exams, think about starting your application soon!
Click here for information on how to apply.
A resource that provides students and career advisers access to the relevant tools to explore career, education and employment options. The 400+ job descriptions covered by the guide include information about personal requirements, education and training, employment opportunities and related jobs.
A tax file number is a unique nine-digit number issued to individuals and organisations to help administer tax and other Australian Government systems. Students need a TFN before they can start any type of paid work.
For information on how to apply click here.
For your copy of the Career Guide click here.
Start the new school year off right with these great tips for staying focused while studying.
An article features some smartphone apps that can help students to improve their study habits.
Think Education have produced a free eBook with tips on how to master your final year of school.
https://www.tsfx.com.au/hsc-study-tips
Edge Online is an online resource portal that provides exclusive resources designed to provide students with the best opportunities to optimise their Year 11 and 12 scores.
https://www.tsfx.com.au/resources/
https://www.tsfx.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/HSC-2016-Study-Tip-1.pdf
https://this.deakin.edu.au/study/students-take-note-and-ace-your-exams
Volunteering is a great way to give to your community, meet interesting people, and learn new skills. It can also be a great way to get some experience on your resume before you get a job. Youth Central have some tips on finding a volunteering position and making sure you’re not being exploited in the role.
Choosing a job in an industry where they need more workers is usually a smart decision. Right now, most professions are adequately supplied with large numbers of qualified candidates competing for vacancies. There are shortages for architects, surveyors, sonographers, audiologists and veterinarians, and many trades need more qualified people.
Click here to find out where more people are needed here.
This website is for anyone interested in a career in sport and fitness. There is information about recommended qualifications and pathways, along with a list of available positions and courses.
https://www.sportspeople.com.au/
Read the article here – https://this.deakin.edu.au/career/what-its-really-like-to-be-a-nutritionist
It sounds like the coolest job in the world – find out what it actually involves from a forensic scientist over at Careers with STEM.
https://www.mskills.org.au/media-centre/news#NewsHint=14168
https://upto.com/embedded/detail/5HQ1O?pt=a1SO
https://www.skillsroad.com.au/parents/career-planning/stemsubjects
This article from Youth Central has some great tips on surviving and succeeding in Year 12. Start your year off right by thinking about how you’re going to balance your year.
The School for Excellence (TSFX) have put together a 36 page guide to help year 12 students achieve the best possible marks in end of school exams. The guide has advice about goal setting, managing stress and procrastination, time management skills, effective learning techniques, planning study timetables and more.
This page has electronic resources on a number of topics, including comparing universities by state or by degree. The information is all sourced from The Good Universities Guide 2018.
https://australiancareersservice.com.au/resources/ – good-university-guide-downloadables
https://www.utas.edu.au/news/2017/10/6/422-how-to-focus-on-wellbeing-during-times-of-stress/
Many people struggle with perfectionism – needing everything to be exactly right. Sometimes the desire to get things perfect prevents us from doing anything at all. This article provides some ideas about getting things done rather than needing everything to be perfect.
Check it out and see if it works for you – https://learningfundamentals.com.au/blog/how-to-be-a-completionist-not-a-perfectionist/
ReachOut is Australia’s leading online mental health organisation for young people and their parents.
There’s a section on school and study, to help you work through the big decisions.
Edmund Rice Camps run residential programs for disadvantaged children across Sydney, and are looking for student volunteers to help run their holiday camps.
Volunteering at these camps would not only be a very rewarding life experience, but also a great opportunity to mix with other Year 11 students from schools across NSW. Volunteering will also count towards your Community Service points.
Please contact Ms O’Sullivan for more information (cosullivan@waverley.nsw.edu.
We celebrated Ash Wednesday this week with a liturgy with all students from Years 5-12. The prefects distributed the ashes and students were reminded that Lent is our season of prayer, fasting and almsgiving (the practice of giving to those in need).
Lent is an ancient practice dating back to the Israelites and was mentioned in a number of places in Scripture – particularly the Books of Job, Jeremiah, and Daniel. The sprinkling of ashes, wearing of sackcloth, and practices of fasting were the central gestures of sorrow and repentance for the people of that time. The use of ashes for all of the faithful at the start of Lent began in the 10th century.
Many have pointed out the irony that on the day we hear Jesus speak of prayer, fasting and almsgiving being done in secret, we participate in what may be the year’s most public physical statement of our belief in Him. As we are signed on the forehead with the Cross we are told to, “repent and believe in the Gospel.” We are reminded, just as when we were first signed with the cross in Baptism, that with our faith comes responsibility to live our lives for the Lord.
As children, many people learn to give up treats like sweet foods, television or limiting screen time for Lent. As adults, we are encouraged to consider not only that from which we want to fast, but the deep hungers we hope Christ will fill as we create a deeper space within. We might consider conserving the money saved in a fast for a work of kindness or charity. To help with this, we will, as always, be conducting the college Lenten appeal throughout this period.
At this time in particular, I also encourage you to take every opportunity to share with others the beautiful gift of our faith and the richness of the Catholic expression of Christianity.
Class of 2017 High Achievers
Today we held our annual HSC High Achievers Assembly, attended by students from the 2017 Year 12 cohort who achieved outstanding results. We welcomed back over 40 students and their families to celebrate their academic and creative successes and wish them well for the future.
The screens at reception and around the college feature these students’ HSC results and the university courses they have chosen. The opportunity to congratulate our students is important for them, their families and for our current students, many of whom will aspire to be a scholar invited to the High Achievers Assembly.
The occasion also gives us time to reflect on the nature of education that we encourage. As each of our High Achievers was congratulated, I reflected on their considerable contribution to the cultural, advocacy/social justice and sporting life of the college. This is an excellent indicator of the importance of the broad co-curricular program offered at Waverley, which along with the academic program contributes enormously to the development of each student. I encourage all of our current students to follow this example; to strongly dedicate themselves to their academic work but also to avail themselves of the many opportunities that the College offers outside of the classroom.
Angus Mullins gave the address at the High Achiever Assembly for the Class of 2017.
James Rusconi with head of Drama, Alison Jinga at the High Achiever Assembly.
A memorial was held this week for Mr Brian Sheedy who taught for 27 years at the College. Every seat in the College chapel was filled as he was fondly remembered as a great teacher and mentor of young men. Old Boys came from far and wide to reminisce and pay their respects to Mr Sheedy. I heard comments such as, ‘firm but fair’, ‘unconventional but passionate’, ‘non-conforming but loving’, ‘great teacher and amazing HSC results’, ‘life-long learner’ and ‘someone who challenged us to be better people’. May Brian rest in peace.
Mr Brian Sheedy
I attended mass for the Feast Day of St Josephine Bakhita last week at St Mary’s Cathedral. The mass was celebrated by the Most Rev Anthony Fisher OP Archbishop of Sydney. St Josephine Bakhita is the Patron Saint of South Sudan and victims of slavery and human trafficking. The Archbishop announced a suite of initiatives in the drive to eradicate modern slavery and human trafficking in Australia. Independent researchers estimate 4300 people in Australia are slaves. People do not need to be chained up or traded like property to be enslaved. Modern slavery is the control over someone through force, coercion or deception, and the consequent removal of the person’s freedom to say ‘no’.
The initiatives include a process to slavery-proof Archdiocesan supply chains, incorporating anti-slavery topics into the Catholic school curriculum, and equipping welfare services to support survivors of slavery. Archbishop Fisher encouraged the audience to pursue compassion through both personal and organisational change, and through both prayer and action. World wide the estimation of people enslaved is approximately 40 million. It is timely for us all to look at what we purchase and from whom.
Digital technology has opened up a world of possibilities for our children. At the same time, it has multiplied potential risks. Our goal is to protect every student from exposure to online threats – from inappropriate content to cyberbullying.
The College is proud to be introducing a new cybersafety package for our families which we will be providing free of charge in 2018. Family Zone is a complete, comprehensive cyber safety system that really works. With Family Zone, parents can opt to provide their children with the same protection they receive during school hours – at home and everywhere in between.
Ever since the college introduced laptops, our parents have expressed concern about managing their child’s access to the internet at home; Family Zone provides a solution to this problem. Chosen by over 300 premier schools, the Family Zone cyber safety ecosystem is a suite of unified products and services that provides an unrivalled cyber safety experience.
To complete the circle of safety for your child, however, we need your participation. By setting up a private Family Zone account, you can apply age-appropriate parental controls on every device your child has access to, in any location.
The college will stage a cyber safety evening in conjunction with Family Zone on Wednesday 28 February at 6pm in the Br J P Lacey Gymnasium. All parents are encouraged to attend this event, when we will explain how to sign up and operate your account.
We have also teamed up with leading Cyber Expert Yasmin London from ySafe for the evening to present a parent workshop on current trends in social media. Informative and practical, the workshop will arm parents with constructive strategies for managing online behaviour. Some of the topics covered include:
Please REGISTER HERE to attend the Family Zone Cyber Safety event.
On Thursday, 8 February, College Chaplain Fr Bernie Thomas ofm celebrated the Waverley College Commencement Mass in St Mary’s Cathedral.
In his Welcome Address, Head of College Mr Graham Leddie spoke of the history and significance of St Mary’s Cathedral and then called forward College Captain, Harley McGuiggan to accept the updated Edmund Rice Education Australia Charter to symbolise Waverley College as being a Catholic School in the Edmund Rice Tradition.
A highlight of the Mass was Fr Bernie’s Homily which he concluded by singing a blessing over the staff and students. Special mention must be made of the Choir who were outstanding in their musical accompaniment of the Mass. The following indicates students who assisted with the various aspects of the Liturgy:
Year 5: Joseph Cipolla, Archie Godby, Jett Lenzo, Lincoln Tanner
Year 6: Oscar Bennett, Jack Kerves, Ewan McDonald, Oscar Passicot, Brock Randall
Year 7: Alistair Isaac
Year 8: Jonty Booy, Ian Vuk, Zac Wilde
Year 9: Andre Bonanni, Charlie Harris, James Hoggett
Year 10: Reid McNamara, Hugh McSweeney, Alex Talbot
Year 11: Joshua Gleeson, Carter Killigrew
Year 12: Domenic Abruzzese Daniel Andrews, Dominic Augoustis, James Bodkin, Daniel Brown, Daniel Callaghan, Allan Cannes, Ryan Connolly, Stephen Davies, Coen Finati, Daniel Gandy, Jacob Gibson, Kiva Gwynne, Jack Hardwick-Owen, Daniel Hassan, Nathan Higgs, Byron Howe, Patrick Kossenberg, Hunter Markham, Luca Martin, Adam McCabe, Harley McGuiggan, Joseph Moroney, Tadgh Murphy, Ethan Reid, Anthony Roydhouse, Ben Scarf, Jonathon Schacht, Reece Thorn, Jacob Tomasiello, Felix Valentine, Andre Vumbaca, Fred Watkins, Ben Webster, Joseph Wightwick, Jasper Wilde, Luca Zanarini
I would like to thank these students, as well as those who assisted with the musical accompaniment. I would also like to thank all staff who helped make the Commencement Mass such a special start to 2018.
Photos by Angus McPherson.
As we come to the middle of our summer season, it’s timely to remind our students and supporters of the behaviour expected when we attend co-curricular events as a College community.
This is a time where our behaviour and sportsmanship are on display to other schools and members of the general public.
We encourage all supporters to positively support their school teams and require all students to be dressed in the school uniform.
We expect barracking to be enthusiastic but not excessive, and it is unacceptable to heckle, belittle or disturb our opponents. For example, barracking, for or against, during a free throw or a kick at goal is always bad sportsmanship. Students should be encouraged to barrack for their school rather than for an individual team member. Booing, whistling, playing or beating musical instruments are also wholly unacceptable.
It is never acceptable to express disapproval of a referee’s or umpire’s decision – no matter whether the referee be adult or schoolboy.
We expect our players to be modest in success and generous in defeat, not showing in either case undue emotion. Good play, by our own school and by the opposing school, should be applauded willingly and openly.
At all times spectators should leave their area tidy and free of rubbish.
The college looks to adults (parents, Old Boys and other spectators) to set an example by their self-control at all matches/competitions.
The complete CAS Code of Conduct follows for your information:
In the event of a player, or athlete being sent-off during a CAS fixture, it is the responsibility of that boy’s Headmaster at his discretion to determine the penalty. It is generally understood among Headmasters, however, that the boy will serve at least one week’s suspension from participating in the CAS competition.