Historically, Waverley College offered the graduated Year 12 students an opportunity to work casually in the Book Hire department after their HSC exams, until the end of February the following year (with a few weeks during the school holidays as well).
Assisting with textbook returns and loans, covering and repairing books, as well as stocktaking, are some of the tasks undergone in this role.
If you are or know of an HSC student who would like to apply for this role, please:
Any questions at all, please do not hesitate to contact me via the above email as well.
Ms Tamara Bliznjakovic (a.k.a. Ms Blitz)
Library Technician – Book Hire
bookhire@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Since the HSC exams are finishing next week, I thought best to send this friendly reminder that all textbooks must be returned by Friday, 10 November 2023, with the Book Hire opening hours as follows:
As always, any questions, please feel free to email me via bookhire@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Thank you!
Click here to view the fixtures, training schedules and maps
It was a really positive start to the season with our first full round of fixtures last weekend. A huge thank you to all of the wonderful parent supporters who were working on the BBQ at the College and also those parents down at Queens Park with the 1st XI Cricket.
We head into our second round this weekend and including this Saturday, the majority of students have four rounds left for the calendar year. The last round of activities for most students will be on Saturday, 18 November 2023.
I would also like to remind the community of the processes for leave request and absenteeism please:
A couple of weeks ago we had a visit from the Manchester City Football Club with the four premiership trophies they hold. Most students were able to view these and we took a number of photos.
Click to view the Manchester City trophy tour photos
We have a big home game this weekend against Knox with our two day Cricket playing their second day. Aarush Soni taking 6/72 in the 1st XI was certainly one of the highlights of last weekend.
Good luck to all teams and activities this weekend.
Mr Steve O’Donnell
Director of Co-curricular
sodonnell@waverley.nsw.edu.au
The Barker Invitational Tournament provided an incredible experience for the 8As and 9As, as they had the opportunity to play against the best basketball schools from GPS and CAS competitions. The event was not only a chance to showcase their skills as a team, but also allowed them to grow both as individuals and as a team. Unfortunately, the 10As did not have a tournament, but they were still able to hone their skills, through a three-hour team training session that was greatly attended.
The Knox Invitational Tournament was an opportunity for the 1st V and 2nd V trialists to compare their level of basketball to other schools from different associations before the start of the season. The 2nds had a decent tournament finishing 7th, winning two games, and losing three. The 1sts struggled with six injuries, had to battle with just seven players with courageous efforts, but unfortunately finished 9th, winning one game and losing four.
On 14 October, Waverley went up against Trinity in their final preparation before the season started. It was a great opportunity to see what they needed to work on before round 1. Unfortunately, Waverley lost 96 to 58 to a very strong Trinity team, that is one of the favourites to take out the CAS competition this season.
It was a very intense start to the game. Waverley and Trinity were going point for point in a tightly contested first quarter, with Trinity in the lead 22-18. The second quarter was much the same, led the way by Sergej Jakovljevic’s scoring, with Trinity extending the lead to four points from a buzzer-beating shot going into half time.
However, the second half was very disappointing for Waverley, as the game gradually started slipping away, Trinity’s dominance on defence and ability to score the ball in transition was what made it hard for the students to stay in the game. James Dyson Merwe’s interior presence was much needed, although Trinity ended up winning big, in a 38-point dominant victory. The team turned their focus to the Barker game for CAS Round 1 and were hoping to bounce back to win their first game of the season.
Waverley 2nds also played their last pre-season game against Trinity before the season opener which provided a good opportunity to understand how to play together. It was a good win for Waverley and a great confidence boost going into the CAS season, winning the game 71-65. It was a back-and-forth game as both teams were unwilling to give up, and kept playing their hardest throughout, but ultimately Waverley pipped their opponents to win by seven points.
Giles Strachan helped with his amazing 26-point performance to help the 2nds get the win over Trinity going into their season opener. Waverley was able to keep the pressure on Trinity, which overall was able to get them the win. Waverley’s interior defence was able to force Trinity into taking tough shots which made Waverley’s job easier, as Caelum Brook’s defence made it hard for Trinity to score at a consistent pace, and allowed Waverley to get easy points in transition.
Saturday, 21 October was the 2023/2024 CAS Basketball season opener, where Waverley’s 1st V faced off against Barker in a well-fought, intense battle. Unfortunately, Barker was able to beat Waverley 79 to 53.
It was a back-and-forth start to the game, with the score moving between 15 to 8 points difference in the first three quarters in Barker’s favour. The students were confident going into the fourth quarter down by just 8.
James Dyson Merwe’s dominance in the paint was able to keep Waverley in the game. Barker was able to come out aggressive in the fourth quarter, and stretched the lead out to the 20s, and ended up securing their first win of the season by 26 points. The students will face off against Barker once more early next year at home at Waverley, where they hope to attain a victory.
The 2nd faced off against Barker for their season opener in a well-fought contest that was back and forth for most of the game. After a hard-fought game between the two teams, Barker beat Waverley 36 to 55.
There were a number of lead changes during the first three quarters of the game, however unfortunately for Waverley, they fell down into the 4th, unable to keep up with the fast play from Barker.
Hudson Hatchett’s defensive intensity was able to help Waverley stay in the game by providing them with extra time with the ball. Barker was able to outwork Waverley in the second half, which gave them a small lead that Waverley couldn’t come back from, which ultimately led to the 19-point loss.
For the 10As, Barker was going to be a hard matchup. The game was played at Waverley, and it started very strong with a few early scores from Nico Palacio and Jonte Garvey, which gave Waverley the lead.
The game carried on with everyone from Waverley playing well, and we ended up pulling away with a 51-26 win for the first round of CAS.
The 9As, led Mr Tom Kennedy as coach, had a very tough matchup against Barker. With some great talent, the game started well with both teams looking good, but unfortunately for Waverley, we just couldn’t match Barker for the entirety of the game. The final score was a 44-22 loss.
The 8As started off their game at Barker with ample spectators watching on, as they experienced a very competitive matchup against their opponents. As they battled for the first half, Maximilian Malley was able to post a few nice points, however they went into half-time down by a few points.
Despite this adversity, the 8As worked hard and battled their way to the end, eventually winning the game 27-22.
Good luck to all teams as they face off against Knox Grammar School in the second round of CAS Basketball this season.
Flynn Busteed (Captain of Basketball)
James Dyson-Merwe and Sergej Jakovljevic (Co-captains of 1sts)
Click here to view the Week 3 Careers Newsletter
Please see me if you require any further assistance or information.
Ms Kath Knowles
Senior Studies & Careers Coordinator
kknowles@waverley.nsw.edu.au
A few spots are still available for Bellarmine House in 2024 for students seeking university-style accommodation in Chippendale.
Bellarmine House is within easy walking distance of the University of Sydney, UTS and Notre Dame University.
At $375 per week, rates are very appealing compared to other nearby College and accommodation options.
Click here for more information and to apply
Ms Sue Walsh
Director of Mission and Identity
swalsh@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Waverley College welcomes auditions from boys in Year 9 (2024) upwards for Tartuffe (the Hypocrite) by Moliére, being performed in 2024 at the PAC!
The Plot : Orgon is the man who has everything. Money, power, a beautiful family. But lately he’s been questioning the point of it all. When he invites Tartuffe into his perfect household, he unleashes a whirlwind of deception and seduction that threatens everything.
With Orgon under Tartuffe’s spell, can his family outwit this charismatic trickster? Are Tartuffe’s wild claims truth or fiction? Is this mysterious stranger the villain he appears?
Updated to a 1980s setting, this new version of Moliére’s comic masterpiece looks at the lengths we go to find meaning – and what happens when we find chaos instead!
Tartuffe will be performed from Tuesday, 18 June – Thursday, 20 June 2024 with rehearsals starting in Term 1 2024.
Please note that we are after boys from Year 9 upwards for this particular play, as it’s the last chance for some of our senior boys to shine in a Waverley production. Younger boys will get a chance to audition next year for a 2025 school musical to be performed at the NIDA theatre.
Email Mr Lamb plamb@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Mr Peter Lamb
Head of Drama/Entertainment
Director/Producer of ‘Tartuffe’
plamb@waverley.nsw.edu.au
This week we have launched two academic initiatives, the Senior Academic Scholarship for students entering Year 10 and Year 11, 2024 and the creation of two new academic medals. More more information on these two exciting opportunities, please see Ms Lynsey Porter’s newsletter article in this edition.
Congratulations to the following Design & Technology students who have been nominated for their projects for possible inclusion in Shape 2023 which selects the top HSC designs in NSW;
Congratulations to the following Industrial Technology students who have been nominated for their projects for possible inclusion in Shape 2023 which selects the top HSC designs in NSW;
For more details please refer to Ms Lynsey Porter’s article.
Congratulations to the captains and teams who were presented at assembly this week.
For the full list of selections and appointments please view the article by Mr Steve O’Donnell.
In reading through this week’s Nurrunga, I was impressed with the talented artwork and concepts displayed by our Year 5 students. Their artwork displays the effect climate change has on the planet. Some very impressive work. Read the Junior School news here.
We, as the Council of the community of Edmund Rice Education Australia, acknowledge the heartbreak and disappointment felt by members of our community in relation to the result of the Referendum on the Voice to Parliament. In this context, we extend our thoughts, prayers and solidarity to our students, staff and communities who had seen the Voice to Parliament as a way forward in addressing inequality so that ‘all may have life and have it to the full’ (John 10:10).
>>> Click here to view the EREA Council letter.
Following yesterday’s College assembly, we are delighted to announce the inaugural launch of our Senior Academic Scholarship, a prestigious opportunity for exceptional students entering Year 10 and Year 11, 2024.
The scholarship program is designed to recognise and support the brightest young minds in our community, fostering their academic growth and nurturing their potential. We are excited to embark on this journey with our future scholars, providing them with the resources and guidance they need to excel in their academic pursuits.
For Year 10 and Year 11, 2024
>>> Click here for Year 10 and Year 11 2024
For Year 7 and Year 10, 2025 please apply through our website by clicking the link below
https://waverley.nsw.edu.au/information/scholarships/
In this week’s assembly I shared a wonderful story of one of our 2015 graduates, Adam Hegedus. In 2016 Adam co-founded a not for profit organisation – Educating the Future – with a fellow Waverley College graduate, Alessandro Piovano.
They had a vision to empower members of impoverished communities to achieve an improved quality of life and capacity to achieve their potential. Within a year, they built their first pre-school in Timor-Leste. Now they are in plans for pre-schools 4 and 5, have raised close to half a million dollars, and engaged 200 volunteers who are young leaders in this region.
View the TED presentation below to learn more about Adam’s story.
When Adam conceived of this vision, the feedback he was given from a professional in industry was, “you are too young to create change.” Adam’s response was not to give up but, instead, to demonstrate great resilience and determination to be in a position where he built his first school just six months later.
Adam speaks about how our young people are the biggest under-utilised talent. There are students in our College community who have the potential to make a significant contribution to the world. There are students like Adam who understand this involves not just ambition but the disposition to value learning. They understand that you do not receive an education, a school is not a place where you “get” an education, an education comes from what you choose to do with the knowledge and skills that you encounter on your day-to-day journey towards adulthood.
We are certainly witnessing past and present students using their education to make significant contributions to our world – we want you to know that we see your son, and we want to celebrate his achievements with you.
This is the type of story that inspired our new Senior Academic Scholarships. In this week’s assembly, I challenged our students to reflect on the following questions:
Last week, I had the privilege of meeting with our current student leaders to ensure that they had a voice in our new initiative to launch an academic medal for students who place First in Course and First in Courses. These will be presented at the Presentation Day Ceremonies at the end of this Term.
We have designed these medals in the same rectangular shape as our current Dux of Year and Principal’s Award for Excellence medals, so students can wear them with pride on their blazer.
I also reminded students that we track their academic progress from Semester 1 to Semester 2, and we present the students who have made the most significant learning gains and demonstrated a growth mindset, early next year. These students will receive a Principal’s Award for Academic Effort.
During the assembly on the first day back, Ms Smith challenged students to set smart goals. Perhaps these goals could lead to an effort award or the start of a collection of an impressive set of medals for excelling in a field in which students find joy.
Ms Lynsey Porter
(Acting) Deputy Principal – Teaching & Learning
lporter@waverley.nsw.edu.au
The 2023 HSC Drama class should be proud of their achievements. For their efforts, the class has received four individual nominations for OnStage, the annual showcase of the best HSC Drama performances in the state! To be nominated indicates outstanding achievement in the subject.
Matthew Woods received an OnSTAGE nomination for his moving and compelling portrayal of the central character from The Curious Incident. Christopher, a young autistic boy who has recently lost his mother, sets out to solve the murder of Wellington the Dog, using his maths ability and his fascination with details. He discovers far more than he bargained for. Matthew delivered a detailed and nuanced performance, packing a huge emotional punch.
Bert Cottell brought the character of Eugene Morris Jerome to life, from Neil Simon’s famous semi-autobiographical play, Brighton Beach Memoirs. 14 year-old Eugene is trying make sense of his fracturing family while dealing with the end of puberty and his sudden urgent interest in girls. Bert has created a tremendously charming and touching coming-of-age piece.
Sam Stewart tackled the fast-paced and physically intense play, Shadowboxing, by James Gaddas. Sam created a stunning emotional portrait of a son struggling with the complex memory of his estranged father, through the prism of the brutal world of professional boxing.
Evander Hudson explored the fractured emotional landscape of a soldier’s PTSD and the profound bond between Man and companion animal in, You’re my Horse. A haunted light horseman is driven to show the final mercy to his suffering best friend. Evander’s mature and compelling performance was devastatingly powerful.
Let’s celebrate the talent and hard work of the whole HSC Drama cohort of 2023!
Mr Peter Lamb
Head of Drama
plamb@waverley.nsw.edu.au
We would like to celebrate two groups of outstanding Technology students who have gone above and beyond, and their hard work and innovative thinking have earned them deserved nomination for the SHAPE 2024 showcase.
Kit Armstrong, Ruben Stock, Mitchell Cahill, Tom Gleeson, Max Dimitrijevic, Samuel Fingleton, and Darcy Standfield are among the hardest working students at our school, and they’ve been nominated to be part of SHAPE showcase with their exceptional practical projects. These young men have harnessed their creativity, technical skills, and dedication to create projects that are very professional in their outcome.
Kit Armstrong brings innovation to the forefront with his ‘SES Dual Power Generator.’ His project not only showcases a ‘genuine need’ energy solution but also an acute understanding of the pressing environmental problems faced in Australia.
Ruben Stock has truly thought outside the box with his glueless, screwless, flatpack student desk and storage bag. His design not only speaks to the needs of students for functional yet portable workspaces, but also embodies the principles of minimalism and eco-consciousness.
Mitchell Cahill invites us into the realm of on trend design with his ‘River Entertainment Unit.’ His creation combines functionality and aesthetics, setting a new standard for entertainment units while embracing the natural beauty of river pours.
Tom Gleeson innovated the heart of his home with his ‘Kitchen Island.’ A fusion of form and function, this project redefines the focal point of every household, making it not just a cooking space but a social hub.
Max Dimitrijevic presented one of the most beautiful student desks I have had the pleasure of watching come together. His ‘Parquetry Student Desk’ stands as a testament to the art of precision and the elegance of design. It beautifully blends beauty and function, making it an inspiring workspace for future endeavours.
Samuel Fingleton takes us back in time with his ‘Rocking Chair.’ This piece brings a classic touch to modern living, and Samuel’s work reflects craftsmanship and an appreciation for timeless design.
Darcy Standfield demonstrates his flair for combining elegance and recreation with his ‘Upholstered Poker Table.’ This project was so beautifully crafted it makes professional tables look amateur. Well done Darcy, on adding sophistication to a classic game.
A huge thank you and congratulations to their teachers and mentors, Ms Kim Spicer, Mr Matthew Barr, Mr Stephen Wilmot and Mr Perry Stanbrook. The invaluable time, support, guidance and most of all patience with the boys, have enabled this to be our strongest nomination group in many years.
Mr James Spargo
Head of Technologies
jspargo@waverley.nsw.edu.au
We are fortunate to have Paul Dillon visiting Waverley College on Tuesday, 14 November to speak to our parent community about what parents need to know about teens, parties, alcohol, vapes and risk taking.
Paul Dillon has been working in the area of drug education for almost 30 years. Through his own business, Drug and Alcohol Research and Training Australia (DARTA), he has been contracted by many organisations to provide updates on current drug trends, as well as advice on alcohol and other drug issues. He continues to work with many school communities across the country to ensure they have access to quality information and best practice drug education.
Paul presented to our Years 10 and 11 students this week and talked about alcohol and risk taking, drugs and vapes and looking after your mates.
If you would like to attend the Parent Seminar, please RSVP by completing this google form by Wednesday, 8 November 2023.
Paul Dillon
Please view the newsletter from the NSW Government regarding school travel applications for 2024 here.
As part of our ongoing engagement with our parent body, we will be hosting our annual CyberSafety week commencing on 23 October. During this week we will facilitate sessions for students in their Year groups with relevant information regarding current risks and strategies on how to manage them.
In addition we will also be holding an online webinar for both Senior School parents and Junior School parents, these sessions will cover current trends and risks and provide some information on how to tackle these.
Please note the following dates for the sessions, the link for the webinar will be sent out closer to the date.
All these sessions are being facilitated by our CyberSafety partners ySafe who also provide our Parent CyberSafety Portal which can be found here: https://waverley.onlinesafetyhub.com.au/
You can find more information on ySafe at: https://www.ysafe.com.au/
I look forward to welcoming you to the Parent sessions.
Please find below some reminders about upcoming events. For all of Term 4 events, please refer to the College calendar.
Protecting children in their digital worlds is an ever-evolving task for Australian families. Now more than ever parents/carers are looking for guidance in how to manage screen time and navigate the world of games and social media.
We warmly invite our Waverley College Junior School parent community to a crucial and engaging education webinar with ySafe, Australia’s leading provider of online safety education. This practical, strategy-rich session will cover the most important points that all families need to know about online safety, covering key information about social media and gaming, screen time recommendations and step-by-step instructions on how to set up a cyber safe home for children of all ages.
If you’ve ever struggled with getting your children off their games and into bed, worried about the content of the games that they are playing, or felt concerned that your child was spending too much time in the digital world, this workshop is for you!
Click here to view the webinar page
There are still places available for Coding Camp this Term.
Class Type: Coding After-School
Day: Mondays
Dates: Monday, 23 October – Monday, 4 December 2023 (7 sessions)
Times: 3:15pm – 4:30pm
Ms Gaby Bransby
Director of the Junior School
gbransby@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Dear Parents and Carers,
You are all invited to the Year 6 Graduation on Monday, 4 December to acknowledge the end of your son’s primary school years. Please see the invitation below.
As part of the Year 6 Graduation, I will be putting together a slideshow presentation. I would be very appreciative if you could send through a photo of your son’s Kindergarten photo (or their first day of Kindergarten, or similar), as this will form part of the presentation.
If you could please send a labelled photo through to liturgy@waverley.nsw.edu.au by no later than Friday Week 5. Picture format as a jpeg or png file would be preferred. Please do not send through pdf files.
Mr Steve Ghattas
Assistant Director of the Junior School / Identity & Student Formation
sghattas@waverley.nsw.edu.au
I am pleased to share the Term 4 Curriculum Overviews for Years 5 and 6. These documents are a guide to the learning that your son will be covering in class this Term.
I hope this is a useful document that will help you to support your son and engage him in conversation about his learning experiences at school.
As we move towards our final assessment and reporting period for 2023, this is a crucial Term for achieving our learning goals and finishing the year with a sense of pride and achievement. I wish you all a wonderful Term ahead.
>>> Click here to view the Year 5 Term 4 Curriculum Overview.
>>> Click here to view the Year 6 Term 4 Curriculum Overview.
Ms Charlotte Stephens
Assistant Director of Curriculum
cstephens@waverley.nsw.edu.au
The first round of Summer sport for Term 4 ran smoothly with all teams enjoying being back playing co-curricular sport again after an extended break.
Please click the button below to view the sports fixture for Round 8, Saturday, 21 October. All adjustments to times and venues have been noted in red, please take note carefully.
Click here to view the 21 October Sports Fixture
Best of luck to all teams this weekend.
In preparation for summer and winter co-curricular sport in 2024, I am seeking your son’s sport selection for the summer and winter sports that he will be choosing to trial for at the beginning of 2024 and at the end of Term 1 2024.
This will allow me to nominate the appropriate amount of teams based on how many students nominate for each sport.
Please discuss this with your son and complete the form at the end of this article by Tuesday, 24 October 2023.
Please be aware of the following prior to your son making his selection:
This will be the only opportunity to complete the form, so if any changes need to be made to your son’s selection, please email me at jwachtel@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Click here to view and complete the Form
Form due: Tuesday, 24 October 2023
Mr Jack Wachtel
Assistant Director Co-curricular Years 5-8
jwachtel@waverley.nsw.edu.au
We offer all students in Year 5 and Year 6 the opportunity to receive free additional support after school for the completion of home learning tasks. The afternoon sessions also provide a quiet, supervised study space for students who want to complete their assigned tasks.
Home Learning Club operates in the Learning Hub from 3pm – 4pm – Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays – during school term unless there is a scheduled Professional Development meeting and the club will be closed.
Click here to register your son
Only register his name once to allow other students the opportunity to attend. The session is limited to 20 spots. There will be a roll call to ensure attendance.
Students are required to stay for the full session unless there is a message in the student diary requesting early leave, a parent’s signature will be required.
As it is important to respect the rights of others to learn and work, all students are expected to settle to work in the Learning Hub and not cause a disturbance for others.
If you require any further information, feel free to contact us.
An important note to remember, if afternoon training sessions are cancelled, unfortunately, you cannot send your son to Home Learning as an alternative plan, students are registered for the afternoon sessions in advance and the capacity is always reached.
Try to avoid messaging your son during this period, unless it is urgent.
Ms Natasha Zivanovic
Literacy & Innovation Teacher
nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au
In 5 Indigo we have been developing our skills as communicators and composers. Through Term 3 we have been looking at ways in which people communicate their passions and interests with the world. Firstly, by studying the text Mechanica by Lance Balchin and then by investigating the speech writing skills of advocates such as Greta Thunberg.
Below are some examples of our own version of Mechanica, Australianica!
In Visual Art we have been designing, drawing and creating an artwork that displays the effect climate change has on the planet. Our artworks show a comparison between a healthy planet and an unhealthy planet.
The following artworks were created by Riley Jones, Edgar Gibson, Louis Vereker, Fergus Samba-Hoare, Anthony Zanapolis, Joe Fanning and Boyd Green.
Artwork by Anthony Zanapolis
Artwork by Boyd Green
Artwork by Fergus Samba-Hoare
Artwork by Joe Fanning
Artwork by Louis Vereker
Artwork by Riley Jones
Ms Charlotte Stephens
Teacher 5 Indigo
cstephens@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
