‘The Future Leaders Awards recognise and reward young Australians who have shown strong leadership and potential. The Awards also aim to inspire others to engage in environmental and community issues and make a difference.’
‘What Matters? is a ‘catalyst for young thinkers and young writers to develop a perspective, a point of view, on where we’re heading as a society’.
Inspired by Gough Whitlam’s commitment to involving young people in the shaping of Australia’s future, the competition is currently open to school students in years 5 to 12 from NSW, VIC, WA, the ACT and Tasmania. Responding to the simple question ‘what matters?’, entrants are free to express their views on any matter they care about. It encourages students to think critically and creatively about a range of social, political, economic, cultural, environmental or civic issues. Students think about the impact of such issues and how these issues might be addressed.
Prizes are awarded in 4 categories: Years 5/6, 7/8, 9/10 and 11/12.
The Future Leaders Writing Prize is designed to recognise and reward talented young writers. It aims to encourage expressive and creative writing. Year 11 and 12 students in Australian secondary schools are invited to submit a piece of writing (800 to 1,000 words). The writing can be fiction or non-fiction and on any topic.
The Future Leaders Photography Prize is designed to recognize talented young photographers. Year 12 students are invited to submit digital photographic work (one photograph for each student). The work submitted can be on any theme. Submissions must include Student’s Name, School and Year Level.
The award winner will receive $1,000. Where there is more than one winner the prize money will be shared. The winners of the Future Leaders Prizes will have their work published.
Any students interested in submitting a piece of writing or piece should contact Stephanie Boyce, sboyce@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Thank you for your support of your son and the College throughout Term 1. Most boys have worked towards their goals effectively and have a well-deserved break just ahead. I know our Year 12s will use the holidays to consolidate their learning and ensure their notes, projects, and assignments are in good order.
I am hoping parent/teacher interviews earlier this week provided parents and carers with some areas to focus upon in partnership with your son on seeking academic improvement. I encourage all boys to finish the Term off strongly across all of their pursuits.
Thank you for your support of our Lenten appeal thus far. Project Compassion, run by Caritas Australia aims to assist vulnerable communities to lift themselves out of poverty.
Caritas’ is a Latin word meaning ‘Love + Compassion’ which links closely with EREAs Touchstones of Gospel Spirituality and Justice and Solidarity. We want our boys to understand love and be compassionate, particularly to those less fortunate, with greater needs and those that live on the margins.
As we approach the end of Lent, we turn our focus to Holy week which is the most solemn and glorious week in Christianity, the pinnacle of the liturgical year.
Let us not forget that the redemption of the cross begins with the darkness of the tomb. Without the darkness of the tomb, we cannot experience resurrection. The tomb is truly a dark place, lifeless, still, silent and with hope far beyond anyone’s grasp.
Isn’t this true of the darkness we encounter in our own lives? Visiting those dark places within us can be so frightening, at times terrifying, all the while we emit no hope and see no way out. But within the tomb, darkness does not prevail, because darkness cannot win. Light always overcomes darkness and in the tomb, light shines as Christ rises from the dead and destroys death forever.
In our lives today, no matter how bleak our situation or deep the darkness in which we find ourselves, if we dare venture into and fully embrace our darkness, light always comes. Let us experience the true redemption of the cross this Easter by recognising that the journey begins in the darkened tomb.
Over the last 18 months, we have communicated that the College is moving towards a new uniform. Please click here to see details on the rationale, costs, scope and phase in.
I commend the uniform committee on the work they have performed thus far and look forward to seeing this project come to fruition. Our designer Jonathon Ward is highly regarded in Australia and has extensive experience in the design of school uniforms.
I would like to welcome the following staff who have joined the College recently:
I would like to thank and farewell the following staff who have been on short term contracts at the College;
I would also like to thank and acknowledge the services of Ms Megan Schmitz who has been a part-time psychologist at the College for the last ten years. Megan is moving with her family to Germany where she will commence a psychologist position at Independent Bonn International School (IBIS). Megan has been a wonderful support to the students in her care.
This week we recognised and celebrated our Summer Co-curricular program. Congratulations to all students who received awards and thank you to all students, staff and coaches for their efforts over the season. Thank you to all of our Supporters Groups for their efforts in delivering key assistance for the season. We had a large range of individual and team efforts that include:
I had a look at practice and preparations this week for our upcoming musical – Guys and Dolls which is being held with St Clare’s College at NIDA on the 8, 9 and 10 May at 7pm. I was impressed with what I saw and am looking forward to a great evening.
Please book online at Ticketek.com.au
I would like to congratulate James Kondilios on this year’s Science and Innovation awards from the Australian Government.
James Kondilios (graduating year of 2016) who is in his 4th year of an Advanced Science degree at ANU Canberra has successfully won a Government grant.
James’ parents have expressed their appreciation to the amazing team of dedicated Science Teachers in his final years at Waverley College, and through their encouragement, he developed a strong love for science.
His time spent at Waverley College and all the experiences, academic, social and sporting have attributed, they believe, to his recent success in his achievement in gaining this award.
I congratulate and thank all of our cadets who will play, march and represent the College in ANZAC Memorial Services over the holiday break.
I wish all boys and families a safe and happy Easter and on behalf of staff, we look forward to the return of our students on Tuesday, 30 April, 2019.
Throughout the season of the Lent, the Waterford boys have made a ‘personal pledge’ in support of Caritas Australia, Project Compassion Appeal.
The focus of their pledge is to open their hearts and unite together in solidarity with the world’s poor to help end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity.
Through their donations, the boys are helping the poor around the world to empower themselves in order to shape a better future for themselves, their families and their communities.
It is wonderful to see the generosity of all the boys. Special mention is to be given to Fox Stapleton in 6 Red and Claude Natalizio in 6 Gold who have given a great deal of their time in baking cakes, cookies and brownies and selling them to the wider community over the weekend. Their generosity, initiative and care is a great example of love and service to others.
We received a call from a member of the community to compliment the behaviour of two Waterford boys on the 400 bus last week. They stood up immediately when a woman with a stroller got on the bus, despite their cumbersome backpacks, displaying great manners. Well done boys!
I have just returned from the very successful and high energy Year 5 camp that was held at Vision Valley. The theme was ‘Let’s Get Together’ and it supported the boys in building relationships with their teachers and fellow students. With 145 boys beginning in Year 5 this year it was a wonderful opportunity to get to know each other better.
They were given opportunities to experience a sense of achievement as they took on leadership roles and worked together as a team to encourage positive decision making. This all being achieved within a supervised, safe and positive environment.
Thank you to our dedicated teachers; Ms Gaby Bransby, Mr Stephen Ghattas, Mr Ben Meadley, Mrs Michelle Rollins, Mrs Tracie Ryan, Mr Matt Ryan, Mr Anthony Stanton and Miss Charlotte Stephenson for ensuring the camp was such a success.
A huge thank you to the parents who have already volunteered to help in the tuckshop.
We are now looking for volunteers for Term 2. If you are able to give up some of your time to help in the Canteen, please sign up using this link
This is a great way to get to know some of the other parents of Junior School boys.
I would like to take the opportunity to thank the staff, students and families of Waterford for a wonderful start to 2019. We have a dedicated team consisting of teaching staff, support staff, students and families who work so well together to support school endeavours. It’s a recipe for an enjoyable school experience and a pleasurable environment to work in. I wish you all a safe and happy holiday if I don’t see you before the end of term.
Thank you all parents, students and staff for their patience with the weather disruptions and the start to the winter season.
We have a full round of Football and Rugby this week against Riverview but we are not yet close to finalising teams. Players who demonstrate good attitude and application in training, as well as good sportsmanship and performance in games, will certainly be considered for higher selections. All students are also reminded that they need to be at their matches 30 minutes prior as a minimum as well as correctly attired at all times.
A reminder also to parents to sign up to ‘Team App’ for their son’s winter sporting activities.
Click here for instructions on how to sign up for the Canteen or BBQ, and to become a part of our tremendous Rugby community
We have also received some really positive feedback regarding the introduction of the Study Group with Literacy sessions on Monday and Tuesday and Numeracy on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons in the library for any student in Years 7-10. The Parents Association have been instrumental in implementing this great program and any student is welcome to attend any of these sessions.
We also have appointed Mr Jeremy Roff as Weights Room supervisor and all students now have far more accessibility before and after school to this impressive facility. Mr Roff is not only an Old Boy but has represented Australia at the World Championships and Commonwealth games in track and is studying Exercise Science at a tertiary level. Boys can access the facility under Mr Roff’s supervision most mornings and afternoons and can also seek advice on appropriate programs. We also have a sprint and agility coach at Queens Park every Wednesday morning at 7am and any student is welcome to attend these sessions.
Click here for a full list of all the students being awarded for their achievements in Summer Co-curricular
The CAS vs GPS tennis was held on 20th March 2019 and once again Lachlan Unsworth of Year 11 represented Waverley. Despite the CAS losing to the GPS, it proved for a stellar day of tennis and a strong fight to the end.
Lachlan was paired with Cranbrook, and although they went down in two sets, they managed to win a few games along the way. The communication and teamwork between the boys was exceptional, and we are very proud of the mature approach Lachlan displayed in all his matches.
In his singles, Lachlan went down in two sets, but not before putting up a great deal of fight and making his opponent work hard for every point. All players performed well on the day and are to be congratulated for their efforts.
Next term the College is offering an eight-week language course to parents for just $50.
Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language in the world, after English, and is used in over 40 countries.
Head of Languages at the College, Suzanne Richards, believes the benefits of learning a new language for both adolescents and adults are endless.
“Learning a language is a great asset to have, when you travel or to gain greater career opportunities by having that extra skill over other – and it looks great on any resume,” she said.
Ms Richards who lived in Spain as a teen and studied the local dialect, wants to share her passion with as many parents from the College as she can.
“I want to get parents excited about learning another language and to experience the benefits for themselves,” she said.
“As well as being useful for travel, studies have shown that learning a foreign language is good for brain health, sharpening the memory and delaying onset diseases like Alzheimer’s.
“For school students, it helps them to develop a deeper understanding of English, because it gets them critically thinking about grammar and literacy and making those linguistic connections. So it’s not just the acquisition of knowledge, but actually applying it.”
College Alumnus, James McPherson, who studied Spanish in year 11 said he enjoyed learning the language because it gave him a break from doing the basics like English and Math.
“With those subjects, you always know what you’re going to be learning, with Maths you know you’ll be doing things with numbers,” he said.
“But with Spanish, it’s always something different. One day it could be grammar or counting, the next you could be learning the words to a song or Geography, its great.”
In eight weeks parents can expect to learn basic conversational Spanish like greetings, family titles, colours, counting to 100 and essential phrases that would be useful when dining out or travelling around a Spanish speaking country.
The course also aims to introduce parents to new learning platforms, some of which the students are using in the classroom.
Ms Richards believes that the initiative is also a good way for parents to connect and socialise.
“We’ve been offering the eight-week course to parents for three years now and we’ve had really good feedback over this time,” she said.
“Parents can come along and learn a new skill, get to know one another and potentially connect with their sons on a new level by learning together.
“I’ve had many students tell me that because their mum or dad came to the class they are now studying more because they have someone to converse with and quiz them at home.”
“I think it’s a nice connection for the students to have with their parents, it makes learning fun again.”
The course is open to all parents from the College and will begin in Term 2 on Wednesday, May 8 from 6.30pm to 8pm.
For more information email srichards@waverley.nsw.edu.au.
Wednesday 3rd April, saw our Prefects join with other local schools for their inaugural Prefects Afternoon Tea. We welcomed Prefects from St Clare’s, St Catherine’s, Champagnet, St. Scholastica, Kambala, Reddam, Rose Bay Secondary College and Brigidine, The theme of the afternoon was “getting to know our neighbours”. The afternoon provided an opportunity for the leadership groups from many schools throughout the area to come together to share their ideas and challenges for 2019.
A great time was had by all with activities ranging from trivia, human bingo and Easter egg hunts to discussion groups on the themes and challenges faced in their leadership roles.
Our young men of Waverley led with distinction and are to be congratulated on the organisation of this wonderful initiative. Some great ideas were given on the day and a solid foundation laid for future gatherings. Well done!
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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