Over the past five weekends the 1st XVIII have been competing in the CAS AFL competition with the students starting to find some good form of late. The season started with a disappointing loss to Knox who appeared more ready for the round 1 clash that would ultimately decide the winner of the CAS competition. Since then, the students have been building nicely with wins against Cranbrook by 50 points, Barker by 68 points, Aloys by 55 points and most recently Trinity by 86 points.
Some stand out performers for the season so far have been Louis Kitto, Max Murphy, Sam Stewart, Aodan Byrne, Freddy Hunt and Joel Burgess. The backline has been terrifically led by Finn Anderson and Will Gibson.
The season now changes into a combined competition where the top six schools from CAS and GPS will meet to crown the overall competition winner. With hard work and dedication I believe that the students can challenge for this title.
This week shapes as a huge game vs Knox where we can set up our run at the title. Good luck to all of the students involved. Go Waves!
AFL 1st XVIII
AFL 1st XVIII
Mr Ben Shorthouse
1st XVIII coach
E: bshorthouse@waverley.nsw.edu.au
All College sports have a supporters group. These groups usually meet twice a season to discuss fundraising for their sport and the general organisation of the Presentation Evening.
Should there be any interested parents/carers who would like to join the AFL supporters group, please meet me at the Queens Park pavilion, Tuesday 1 June for a 6pm start.
Mr Alan Riordan
AFL Convenor
E: ariordan@waverley.nsw.edu.au
This Friday and next, cadets will be rehearsing for the Year 12 Passing Out Parade. This is a compulsory element of Cadets and we ask all Cadet parents to ensure their sons attend the Parade at 11am on Sunday 6 June in the Centenary Quad. This parade is also the occasion for us to recognise some of the incredible leadership in the Unit with the Annual Cadet Awards Ceremony. Parents are most welcome to come and observe the parade and ceremony.
Please click on this link to register your interest, so that we know how many spectators to expect.
We are looking forward to a lovely send-off for our Year 12 cadets after five years of service to the Unit. Year 12 parents are encouraged to respond to the invitation by this Sunday for Dining In Night which takes place in the Gymnasium on the evening of Sunday 6 June.
As we say good-bye to our Year 12 leaders, we look to prepare our new leaders in the Promotions Courses running in the first week of the school holidays. The training your sons will get on course is applicable to so many aspects of their lives, both in school and beyond, and I would encourage all to participate whether they are interested in attaining rank or not. Certainly, to be promoted, cadets will need to attend their respective Promotions Course from Monday 21 June – Saturday 26 June at the Winbourne Conference Centre in Mulgoa. Please see the Joining Instruction emailed this week for further information.
The Joining Instruction for the Cadet Promotions Courses has been emailed to all in the Unit. The Junior Leadership Course, Senior Leadership Course and the CUO’s Course all take place at Winbourne Conference Centre in Mulgoa from Monday 21 June – Saturday 26 June.
Please click on this link to respond to this invitation.
Last week, Companies continued with the variety of activities in the Training Program and some more photos are included here for your enjoyment.
Signallers enjoying Rock Climbing
B Company enjoying Rock Climbing
B Company enjoying Rock Climbing
Ratel Exercise
CDT Luca Patrick-Watkins enjoying Ratel
MAJ(AAC) Julie-Ann de Kantzow
Commanding Officer – WCCU
E: jdekantzow@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Hudson’s Bakery’s mission is to make delicious, healthy, gluten free basics readily available for everyone. We currently sell at Carriageworks Markets & EQ Markets the first, third and fifth weekends, plus a variety of markets on Sundays. Recently we have also opened a shop on Old South Head Road.
A small, dynamic company, this role has exposure to all aspects of the business, and every shift will be different. We really believe in our people and you will be nurtured and encouraged with care being taken to ensure you receive the correct training.
Duties:
Market staff – Setting up and selling at markets
Kitchen & bakery staff – Packaging products; preparing baking mix; prepping stock for markets; washing up and cleaning
As the student gets more experience, there will be more opportunities to be involved with the baking process or the management of the markets. Additional hours may be available during the holidays, and as the company grows, more shifts may become available.
Pay – as per current junior rates for the Retail Industry Award
Please forward all resumes to sandra@hudsonsbakery.com
Only successful applicants will be contacted.
Ms Kath Knowles
Senior Studies & Careers Coordinator
E: kknowles@waverley.nsw.edu.au
17 May marked IDAHOBIT Day, the annual International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism and Transphobia.
Our guest speaker at assembly this week was Australian actor and former professional rugby league footballer, Mr Ian Roberts. In the mid-1990s, Ian was the first rugby league player in the world to publicly come out as gay.
Ian openly shared his story of courage and care. A child of working-class English migrant parents, and growing up in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, he was aware from the age of seven that he was gay but felt unable to tell his parents.
Making his 1st grade debut with the South Sydney Rabbitohs in 1986, Ian had a distinguished rugby league career in the 1980s-90s. During the 1980s he felt terrified about revealing his sexuality, and explained that he couldn’t come out while playing with the Rabbitohs. He shared with Waverley how different society was at that time and its extreme homophobia.
Ian shared the importance of role models, citing his deep admiration of English footballer Justin Fashanu, who in 1990 was the first man internationally to declare publicly that he was gay, whilst still playing. Ian explained that at the time, this act was very important to LGBTQIA+ people, but unfortunately was not welcomed by the media and fans.
By 1990, Ian had just been signed to play rugby league with Manly. Ian too was ready to tell the world about his sexuality, but after seeing what happened to Justin Fashanu, didn’t feel he could do it. It took another four years until Ian was ready to tell the world. When he came out publicly at 24, he experienced verbal attacks, particularly that he was setting a bad example for kids. Despite these bigoted opinions, the rugby league community and the general public embraced him, and by 1996 he was made captain of the North Queensland Cowboys in Townsville. He said that having a gay man captaining a club was very progressive in the 1990s as homophobia in society was still massive.
Ian acknowledged that things have changed a lot, citing marriage equality and reduced discrimination as positives. But he acknowledged that there are still issues in Australian private/religious schools with transgender student enrolment.
He stressed to Waverley the importance of people having the right to be respected for who they are, and he illuminated the roles of ‘bystanders’ who stand by and watch, and ‘upstanders’ who take the harder, braver choice and won’t let other people treat others as less. “What you’re willing to walk by is what you’re willing to accept”, Ian said.
Ian’s views on masculinity and male stereotypes also struck a chord. He unpacked the word ‘masculinity’, saying that masculinity itself is not toxic, but that it becomes toxic when men don’t know how to ask for help. He believes that society teaches toxic masculinity and does much to discourage men from showing affection and gentleness. He reminded Waverley that it is okay for students to care for their mates and show love to their mates – and that this doesn’t mean they’re “in love” with their mates.
Everyone deserves time to discover and maintain control of their own journey in understanding their sexual identity, and Ian suggested that ‘allies’ are part of positive masculinity. Students will know their allies, because these are the people who are curious, interested, and will listen when they are ready to talk. Allies will help students feel accepted, included and respected. An ally will call out homophobia. He reminded students that, “It takes courage to care.”
Ian generously offered students the opportunity of a Q&A after his talk and there were eager questions. Ian reminded us that it was healthy to keep conversations about sexual identity going in a context where others respect privacy and don’t make their own assumptions. Sharing a poignant example from his childhood, he cautioned that derogatory ‘casual language’ can be so devastating to LGBTIQ+ people.
Waverley sincerely thanks Ian Roberts for being a role model of bravery, openness gentleness and humility.
Guest Speaker Ian Roberts
Guest Speaker Ian Roberts
Guest Speaker Ian Roberts
Ian Roberts circa 1986-89 with South Sydney Rabbitohs
Unlike our time at school where conversations were either one-to-one in the playground or by a landline phone at home, our children now have a variety of group chat platforms at their disposal including Whatsapp, Instagram Messenger, Facebook Messenger, Facebook Messenger for Kids, and Discord. Users of these are getting younger and younger. For our adolescent children, group chats can be both helpful and harmful. Notifications ping all hours of the day, stacks of unread messages build up until they are not worth the effort to catch up on, and important information gets lost in the stream.
Parents need to remain vigilant if their sons are using any of these platforms. Group chats can also be where drama, nasty behaviours, exclusion, cancel culture, and bullying can thrive. In a perfect world, when there is a group chat of eight Year 7 students, there are potentially eight sets of parents that may be checking their son’s phone and reading that chat, thus ensuring all of the eight are respecting each other.
Parents Need to Remain Vigilant as Children Now Have a Variety of Group Chat Platforms at Their Disposal
Unfortunately there have been examples when young people have engaged in nasty behaviour about another person in a group chat, then deliberately invited them into the chat to see those comments. The deliberate nature of this abuse is regarded as ‘cyberbullying.’
At Waverley College we regularly remind our students of the four-step rule:
I would urge parents to help us build self-confidence in your sons too! Teach them the life skill of politely exiting a social situation that they feel uncomfortable in, online and off. This should serve as another reminder of everyone’s role to combat negative online experiences—especially parents. Removing access to the devices late at night helps avoid interrupted sleep caused by the group chat notifications and beeps. Researchers suggest that we lose on average, an hour of sleep per night if our phones are kept in our room at night time.
Group chats happen outside of school hours. Despite this, a student at Waverley College will be held accountable for their actions outside of school hours.
At Waverley College we Teach Students to be Confident in their Relationships Both Online and Offline
Leaving a group chat without warning can offend the remaining group members and become an awkward situation for our text-obsessed generation.
Teach them the skills to know how to leave a group chat that is not helpful or is harmful in any way, including the actual words to use should they need to leave. Fear of missing out (FOMO) is a significant factor in a teenage boy’s life, so you will need to navigate that as well. Our wellbeing team hear reports of young people trying to “catch up” on the hundreds of messages that they have received overnight, first thing in the morning. Their brains are bombarded first thing in the morning, sometimes after a night of often broken sleep checking messages in the middle of the night. They are often anxious and exhausted from it.
In sessions with our psychologists, boys have come up with statements such as “sorry guys, this is getting pretty nasty, I am out of here” as words they can use when they need to remove themselves.
There have also been some humorous responses that can add some humour while they exit a toxic chat, that may also help to defuse a situation. “I don’t have to go but I am pretending that I do,” “I am going to practice my ninja skills and sneak away now.” “ I have to go, the planet needs me,” and do not forget the old “my battery is low” excuse.
However, not all boys have that confidence, and many would prefer to remove themselves from the chat. Again, not always easy for young boys, but we do want them to always be in charge of their online interactions and how those interactions may affect their reputation and digital footprint. It’s important that we help students to realise that they can be “guilty by association,” even if they are not the ones saying the nasty stuff. This is also a necessary part of growing up and parenting. At Waverley, we want our boys to be upstanders, not bystanders.
We want to give young people the skills to put boundaries around their friendships. We do not have to be accessible all the time just because we can be. We want our boys to know their friends will not go away if they are not involved for 30 minutes while they have dinner. Teach them to be in charge and confident in their relationships. Their friends will understand that their refusal to engage at every moment has nothing to do with the state of their relationship. They will understand this is the way they manage their time, their devices, and their priorities.
Mr Patrick Brennan
Deputy Principal – Student and Staff Wellbeing
E: pbrennan@waverley.nsw.edu.au
The Salvation Army does vital work to support people affected by homelessness, family violence, substance addiction, poverty and isolation in our State and city. To support the community, Waverley College has been invited to assist with the Red Shield Appeal in the Waverley Area.
In prior years, Waverley College students have very generously volunteered their time on Sunday morning to assist in door knocking houses in the Waverley area for donations. This year the money they collect will help to assist so many desperate people, including young people their age who are cared for in the Salvation Army’s Oasis Youth Programs, located not far from our College.
Last year the Appeal was only conducted on digital platforms, but this year we are hoping to once again be in the Community directly asking people for their support for our work with vulnerable and disadvantaged groups in our community.
The support of Waverley College over so many years has been greatly appreciated, and has made a big difference to the success of the Appeal and ultimately the lives of many people.
If any students are available to volunteer to assist with this year’s Appeal please contact Ms Marie-Anne Maakrun:
I am pleased to confirm that the Quinn House Mass will be going ahead on Thursday 27 May 2021, as indicated in the Waverley College calendar. This will commence at 6pm at the College Chapel. Please take note of the following:
Please feel free to contact me at the email below if you have further questions about the House Mass.
Ms Olivia Kite
Head of Quinn House
E: okite@waverley.nsw.edu.au
I am pleased to confirm that the O’Connor House Mass will be going ahead on Wednesday 2 June 2021, as indicated in the Waverley College calendar. This will commence at 6pm at the College Chapel. Please take note of the following:
Please feel free to contact me at the email below if you have further questions about the House Mass.
Mr Matt Barr
Head of O’Connor House
E: mbarr@waverley.nsw.edu.au
On 4, 5 and 6 May, Waverley College entered teams in Years 5-10 into the annual Da Vinci Decathlon. This year’s theme was ‘Legacy’, and the competition ran online for the first time in its history – very different from previous years. All students showed great enthusiasm for the duration of the day, and participated in 10 challenges across each team ranging from: Art and Poetry, Creative Producers and Cartography to Code Breaking, Science, Mathematics and Engineering.
I would like to congratulate all students for their hard work and participation in the event:
I would also like to congratulate teams on coming in the top 15 categories for their respective challenges. Each year level had approximately 75 schools participating, so this is an outstanding achievement:
Well done to all teams!
On 17 May two teams of students participated in the FAPSA Ethics Olympiad. This was the first Olympiad to be held online through Zoom, and is known as the Ethics Bowl in the United States. The event itself emphasises the importance of meaningful dialogue and discussion of a range of ethical dilemmas relevant in today’s society.
Some of the topics covered include: racial stereotyping in the media, gaming platforms and abusive speech, fast fashion, public safety during COVID-19, and ethical storytelling in documentaries. All students participated in a respectful manner. They had a wonderful opportunity to establish connections with professional philosophers and judges from all over the world, who provided them with feedback throughout the day.
Well done to James Garrop; Mitchell Marsh; Darius Hall; Hugh McDonald; Ben Stirling; Gabe Rutter.
The Bachelor of Arts in Western Civilisation Winter School is an immersive two day on-campus experience that will give you an insight into studying the Bachelor of Arts in Western Civilisation and the diverse career opportunities in the Liberal Arts. Open to high school students in Years 11 and 12, the program will include intellectually stimulating workshops led by academic experts as well as fun social activities. You will experience university life while staying in a UOW-managed residence.
Click here to read more about the UOW-managed student residence.
By attending the UOW Bachelor of Arts in Western Civilisation Winter School you will:
The Winter School will run from 28-29 June 2021 – all costs associated with the program will be covered by UOW.
If you are interested in being involved, please contact Ms Boyce or click here to read more about the Liberal Arts Winter School
The Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation has generously donated thirty scholarship opportunities of $30, 000 per annum for up to five years. This scholarship is open to students currently in Year 12 who would be able to commence studies in 2022. This covers a full range of study options including; a three-year single degree; a three-year degree plus an honours year; or a full five-year double-degree program. Scholarship recipients will enjoy access to a dedicated study lounge, small class sizes, academic mentoring and an international return airfare for an approved overseas experience as part of your studies.
You are strongly encouraged to apply for this scholarship if you are a high-achieving student applying to study the Bachelor of Arts in Western Civilisation.
Applications are open 20 July 2021 – 19 August 2021.
Students can also apply for the UOW Ramsay Scholarship by contacting Ms Boyce.
Ms Stephanie Boyce
Academic Enrichment Coordinator
E: sboyce@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Welcome to Week 5! We started the week with 5 Indigo’s class assembly. They focused mainly on one of the core values here at the Junior School – resilience. My favourite part of the assembly was when 5 Indigo gave practical resilience tips for our students’ use:
Resilience Tips from 5 Indigo
Resilience Tips from 5 Indigo
Year 6 had an amazing time at camp last week. It was wonderful watching the students take risks, show resilience, build stronger relationships and simply have fun. The behaviour of the students was exemplary and they represented Waverley brilliantly.
Our Year 6 students also participated in their second session with Elephant Ed on Monday. This session focused on embracing change. The feedback from the students was very positive again.
The statistics are as follows:
There are two more sessions this year and we know from their feedback that they have been very successful and educational.
Ms Gabrielle Bransby
Director of Junior School
E: gbransby@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Last Wednesday, 12 May, our Year 6 students and teachers headed off to The Great Aussie Bush Camp located in Kincumber on the NSW Central Coast. As expected, there was noticeable excitement and some nervous energy in the air. This was the first camp these students had experienced at Waverley College due to COVID-19 restrictions in 2020 forcing the cancellation of all school camps.
Once they arrived, students were given a welcome briefing by camp staff about the campsite, where they would be sleeping and all the fun activities planned for them over the next three days. The camp activities included:
Students were given time to unpack, get to know who their roommates were, and change ready for the first lot of activities for the day. Before beginning, we headed down to the camp’s sports field on the riverfront, where students could enjoy free time before activities beginning. This time was mostly made up of sport, with big games of AFL, Rugby and Cricket taking place. Waverley staff couldn’t help but involve themselves in the action.
Students enjoyed their first lot of activities for camp and were slowly fading from tiredness.
Giant Swing
The plan for night one activities included Commando Night, a flashlight game not far from the campsite. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t work in our favour, and we made alternative arrangements to have a group challenge night indoors, which the students made the most of and thoroughly enjoyed.
Day two began with breakfast at 6:30am and was then jam-packed with ongoing daytime activities. Students underwent four lots of activities throughout the day and displayed plenty of laughter, smiles and entertainment. A large portion of activities encouraged students to face their fear of heights and the unknown to achieve endless amounts of accomplishment and satisfaction for having challenged themselves to try something new and scary. This quickly became the theme of the camp, with students supporting each other to build resilience and accomplish new experiences that once would’ve been too frightening to face by themselves.
Lost Island
Night-time activities for night two included Commando Night, marshmallows by the campfire and a movie to settle the students before bedtime. It definitely worked, as the majority of students were fast asleep by 9pm. Students savoured the last two lots of activities on the last day before having to pack up their belongings and get on that bus to return to their families. This was something all students were excited about, but also remained grateful for the experiences and good times over the three days.
Power Fan
High Ropes
Lost Island
The Round 5 weekly fixture and Round 4 results have now been uploaded on the Waverley College website. Please click here for the Round 5 fixture and Round 3 results. I wish all teams the best of luck for Round 5 and encourage students to continue representing Waverley College with pride and respect as we do week after week.
Waverley College Junior School has had many representatives at the majority of IPSHA sporting trials so far this year. On Friday 7 May (Week 3) and Friday 14 May (Week 4), we sent six to seven students to participate in the Touch Football and Rugby trials at Barker College and Shore Playing Fields at Northbridge. Mr Lavorato supported the Touch Football and Mr Gill the Rugby trials, both as official CIS trial selectors.
Touch Football selected trialists included: Riley Kolster, Jacob Sheehan, James Tucker, Hunter Leondis, Cooper Misson and Riley Carr.
Rugby selected trialists included: Jude Maher, Riley Kolster, Stirling Quinn, Tyden Hennessey, Tom Burke, Patrick Palmer and Tom Maxwell.
All reports suggested that all of our students performed exceptionally well. We were fortunate enough to have had four students selected to trial at CIS Touch Football Trials and all six selected for CIS Rugby Trials. This is a massive accomplishment for Waverley College, and we wish the students chosen all the best for the upcoming trials.
Selected CIS Trialists
Touch Football – Riley Kolster, Jacob Sheehan, Hunter Leondis and Cooper Misson.
Rugby Union – Jude Maher, Riley Kolster, Stirling Quinn, Tyden Hennessey, Tom Burke and Patrick Palmer.
Touch Football: Mr Lavorato, Riley Kolster, Jacob Sheehan, James Tucker, Hunter Leondis, Cooper Misson and Riley Carr
Rugby Union: Jude Maher, Riley Kolster, Stirling Quinn, Mr Gill, Tyden Hennessey, Tom Burke and Patrick Palmer
Mr Jack Wachtel
Assistant Director of Co-Curricular (Years 5 – 8)
E: jwachtel@waverley.nsw.edu.au
The debating season has kicked off this term with a double win for Waverley. The students had their first debate against Coogee Boys’ Preparatory. The debate topic was ‘Technology is harmful to our friendship.’ Both teams had strong arguments with supporting examples and worked together to put forward a strong case. Debating develops important skills that are transferable into other areas: exploring ideas, developing arguments, articulating opinions, building confidence, being able to think on one’s feet, and becoming a good public speaker.
Congratulations on your first debate!
Debating 2021
Debating 2021
Debating 2021
Over the past few weeks, I have had many conversations with students on ‘What should they read next?’ This sparked an idea to get the boys sharing book recommendations via their CANVAS page. This allows students to have an online platform where they can see what their friends are reading. I can proudly say that I have noticed more students asking for books to borrow that were recommended by their peers.
If your son is having trouble picking his next read, guide him to the ‘What Should I Read Next?’ under the tile Learning Hub News.
From an Idea to Google is a book about two friends who make one of the biggest companies in the world. They quit university to start a business in their garage. It’s a great book about a company that never gave up. From an Idea to Google is a short book which will give you an insight of the wonderful world of Google.
Student book reviewer: Aiden Reay Year 5
The Science Book is quite an intriguing book. It is a book for readers who are interested in the different sciences and their histories. It supplies the reader with a large amount of knowledge and facts that are sure to make you seem like one of the smartest people in the room. The Science Book talks about basic physics, geography, geology, biology and so on. If you can think of a science, it will almost certainly be in the book. I highly recommend this book for study, or if you just overall enjoy reading about science and the different facts and history inside.
Student book reviewer: Patrick Palmer Year 6
The World’s Worst Children is a humorous fiction book written by David Walliams and illustrated by Tony Ross. Tony Ross’s cartoonish artistic style provides an idea of the character’s characteristics and features. Even the fonts in this book are exaggerated and over the top, giving the reader an idea of what’s happening and how the characters are feeling. This book is about children that are disgusting, loud, and annoying. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to have a laugh and an overall good book. I would give this book a 4 out of 5.
Student book reviewer: Henry Halden Year 6
This week is National Volunteer Week (17-23 May). I would like to say a thank you and recognise the commitment of our three amazing volunteers and what they do to help the Learning Hub ensure that our students have books covered and ready for borrowing.
Thank you to our hard-working Learning Hub volunteers Hyacintha, Bernadette and Paula
Register your son via the Skoolbag app and click on this link.
Ms Natasha Zivanovic
Primary Literacy and Innovation Teacher
E: nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au
On 4, 5 and 6 May, Waverley College entered teams in Years 5-10 into the annual Da Vinci Decathlon. This year’s theme was ‘Legacy’, and the competition ran online for the first time in its history – very different from previous years. All students showed great enthusiasm for the duration of the day and participated in 10 challenges across each team ranging from: Art and Poetry, Creative Producers and Cartography to Code Breaking, Science, Mathematics and Engineering.
I would like to congratulate all students for their hard work and participation in the event:
William Frinsdorf; Aiden McNee; Samuel Ireland; Jack McCallum; Dylan Crewe; Hendrix Brown; Thomas Stillone; Liam Madden; Jeff Saxler; Augie Gibson; William Bayly; Sonny Campbell; Alex Avdalis; Daniel Morrow; Evan Service; Joshua Du Toit.
I would also like to congratulate the Year 5 team on coming in the top 15 categories for their respective challenges. Each year level had approximately 75 schools participating, so this is an outstanding achievement:
Year 5: 15th Place – Cartography
Well done to all teams!
Da Vinci Decathlon
Da Vinci Decathlon
Da Vinci Decathlon
Da Vinci Decathlon
Ms Stephanie Boyce
Academic Enrichment Coordinator
E: sboyce@waverley.nsw.edu.au
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.
Watch our video
