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Dear Parents, Carers and Students

Please click the button below to view the Year 12 Term 1 Study Guide.

Click here to view the Year 12 Term 1 Study Guide

 

Ms Elizabeth Watson

Deputy Principal – Teaching & Learning

ewatson@waverley.nsw.edu.au

Dear Students, Parents and Carers

Please find below the schedule for the Year 12 Tutorials in Term 1, Week 10.

Topics covered during the tutorials include content revision, study skills, exam preparation and practice papers. These tutorials have proven extremely valuable and, while not compulsory, are strongly encouraged.

Date Subject Time Room Teacher
Monday, 3 April 2023 Visual Arts 3:30pm – 5pm C13 Jenna Turnbull
Tuesday, 4 April 2023 Biology 7:45am – 8:30am K2L3 Gemma Brown
Drama 3:30 – 5pm P12 Peter Lamb

It is important that we know attendance numbers so teachers can prepare accordingly. To that end, the expectation is that students who register for the tutorial, attend. Rolls will be taken to assist us to manage the program.

*The cut-off time to register for morning tutorials is 3pm the day prior.

Ms Lauren Ryan has emailed the registration sheet to students to register their attendance at the tutorials.

Tutorials will be offered during the school holidays. The schedule is still being finalised and will be sent out as soon as possible.

 

Ms Elizabeth Watson

Deputy Principal – Teaching & Learning

ewatson@waverley.nsw.edu.au

Dear Students, Parents and Carers

Below are the valuable tutorials on offer for Year 12 students during the school holiday break.

Week 1

Date Subject Time Room Teacher
Tuesday, 11 April 2023 Visual Arts (Theory and Prac) 9am – 3pm C13 Jenna Turnbull
Wednesday, 12 April 2023
Industrial Tech Timber 8:30am – 3:30pm T13 and T14 Matt Barr
Food Technology 9am – 11am TF1 Mark Neale
Ancient History 9am – 11am K11 Nick Brophy
Chemistry 10am – 12pm E04 Emily Pace
Thursday, 13 April 2023 Hospitality 9am – 10am TF1 Bev McCarthy

Week 2

Date Subject Time Room Teacher
Monday, 17 April 2023 Visual Arts (Theory and Prac) 9am – 3pm C13 Jenna Turnbull
Tuesday, 18 April 2023
Hospitality 9am – 10am TF1 Bev McCarthy
Ancient History 9am – 11am K11 Nick Brophy
Wednesday, 19 April 2023 Food Technology 9am – 11am TF1 Mark Neale
Friday, 21 April 2023
Ancient History 9am – 11am K11 Nick Brophy
Design & Technology 9am – 3pm T04 and T03 Kim Spicer

These tutorials have proven extremely valuable and, while not compulsory, are strongly encouraged.

It is important that we know attendance numbers so teachers can prepare accordingly. To that end, the expectation is that students who register for the tutorial, attend. Rolls will be taken to assist us to manage the program.

*The cut-off time to register for morning tutorials is 3pm the day prior.

Ms Brooke Kent has emailed the registration sheet to students to register their attendance at the tutorials.

Please bring any equipment you may need for the tutorial (e.g. textbooks, notepads, pens etc.).

Students may wear casual attire.

 

Ms Elizabeth Watson

Deputy Principal – Teaching & Learning

ewatson@waverley.nsw.edu.au

Dear Parents, Carers and Students

Please find below the schedule for the Year 12 Tutorials in Term 2, Week 1. Topics covered during the tutorials include content revision, study skills, exam preparation and practice papers. These tutorials have proven extremely valuable and, while not compulsory, are strongly encouraged.

Date Subject Time Room Teacher
Monday, 24 April 2023 Visual Arts 3:30pm – 5pm C13 Jenna Turnbull
Tuesday, 25 April 2023 ANZAC Day
Thursday, 27 April 2023 Spanish 3:30pm – 5pm W25 Priscilla Quintana

It is important that we know attendance numbers so teachers can prepare accordingly. To that end, the expectation is that students who register for the tutorial, attend. Rolls will be taken to assist us to manage the program.

*The cut-off time to register for morning tutorials is 3pm the day prior.

Ms Brooke Kent has emailed the registration sheet to students to register their attendance at the tutorials.

 

Ms Elizabeth Watson

Deputy Principal – Teaching & Learning

ewatson@waverley.nsw.edu.au

The Years 7 and 8 cohorts were involved in the Anti-Violence Education campaign on Tuesday. The presentation spoke about the importance of young people engaging in positive social relationships and respecting everyone’s personal space.

This presentation supports the Youth Anti-Violence Education Campaign that was launched by the Commissioner of Police in 2022. The presentation included an interactive presentation and Q&A with two senior police officers.

Students were also shown a 12-minute anti-violence video which was produced by the NSW Police Force and co-funded by the Department of Education and the Advocate for Children and Young People. It featured high-profile players from various sporting codes, such as Sonny Bill Williams, who shared their personal experiences and stance against violence.

The students were very engaged and respectful during the presentation and should be commended on the way they conducted themselves.

NSW Police Visit

Term 1 

It has been a big Term 1 at the College and a huge Term 1 for the AFL Program. The AFL Supporters’ Group are doing a fine job of creating an inclusive community for all boys and supporters for the upcoming season. Vision and mission statements for the future of the sport at Waverley College will be available for viewing in the coming weeks.

Teams Have Been Selected

I would like to thank the coaches for all of their hard work over the past few weeks with trials. Myself and the coaches have spent hours on these selections, which were extremely difficult. Week-to-week selections will be based on performance, so continue to strive for the team you want to play in. Teams are posted on the Waverley College app in the AFL section of Co-Curricular.

Term 2 Training Schedule 

Please ensure you check the updated training schedule for Term 2 as this will be different to the schedule in trials for some age groups. You can find these on the Waverley app.

1st XVIII Update

A strong squad of 25 players has been selected + two players to train with this squad for the season. I would like to congratulate these boys for the hard work that many of them have been putting in since October last year. The squad have played two trial games already, and have been impressive in the delivery of game style that the coaches have been working hard on.

Trial game 1 was played against UTS under 19s. This was a difficult match as we had half a team who were three to four years younger than their opponents. Our young boys nearly pulled off an upset victory and played to a very high standard.

Trial game 2 was played against Cranbrook in pouring rain. The boys adapted quickly and turned an early deficit into a comfortable three-goal victory. We were able to show our capability of adapting to conditions that do not suit our exciting style of play. Another very impressive outing.

AFL AGM 2023

The boys will continue to train throughout the holidays and will hopefully have another trial game against Cranbrook on Friday, 21 April before taking on heavyweight Newington on Friday, 28 April at Bat & Ball Oval in Moore Park. I am calling on all members of the Waverley College community to support the boys on 28 April and to bring the Waverley spirit to help us get over the line.

Well done on being involved in an exciting time for the sport at Waverley College. I hope you all have a fantastic break and look forward to hitting the ground running in Week 1 next term.

Waves to Win!

Last Tuesday, 28 March, the Year 11 Drama class presented scenes from various phases of Theatre History. The night was a tremendous learning experience for all. The boys had to learn two scenes each, off by heart!

For some of our students this was the first time they had performed in front of a public audience, so the nerves were high, but that helped to push the boys to achieve their best. We also had brand new VET Entertainment students helping out at the event. Thank you to Sebastian Blowers who ran the audio desk and Zac Summer-Hayes, who looked after the haze machine, a special lighting effect and the cast backstage.

I am very proud of the actors who put in their best effort with their performances. Some of them played stock characters such as a villain, a villain’s sidekick, heroine and hero from the Victorian Melodrama era. Others played mechanics from a shipbuilder’s guild during Medieval times, putting on a Bible story.

In a contemporary setting, it was interesting for the boys to see how men during that age treated women. Noah was bossy and domineering with his wife, and her sons had higher status than her. The boys tried to address this imbalance by injecting humour into the performance, for example, one of the sons became a simpleton and used slapstick comedy to bump into the set, to have “lost” his costume, etc.

The boys all performed a scene from David Williamson’s The Club. Those scenes were so fabulous, I’m inspired to put on the production as a school play one day!

I believe that this showcase evening really built growth in the actors and VET Entertainment students who worked on the show, due to all the technical demands of the sets, lights and audio effects. The boys were also assessed on the evening by Mr Peter Lamb. Thank you to him, Ms Kossenburg and Mr Wasef who all helped with the event.

I am one lucky teacher who gets to work with such talented, generous, passionate and inspiring Drama students every day.

Vale Dr John McLaughlin (Class of 1954)

It is with a heavy heart that I inform you of the passing of Dr John McLaughlin AM, KCSG, KGCHS – an Old Boy and ex-member of the Waverley Board. John left the College in 1954 and was a Retired Judge of the Supreme Court of NSW.

John was 10 years on the College Board during Mr Ray Paxton’s tenure. John was a proud Old Boy of Waverley College and we send our deepest sympathies to his family and friends.

Finish the Term Well 

I encourage all boys from Years 5 -12 to finish off Term 1 well. It has been a very positive term across both campuses and it is important that boys exhibit self-control right to the end. Self-control promotes delayed gratification and directly influences thoughts, emotions and impulses. The reward of Easter and a holiday are close, but it is important to ‘stay the course’ until the end.

These are good practices to support and encourage as self-control is a critical trait for success in any aspect of life, and a practice that can be worked on. Self-control helps build resilience and assists in achieving goals and priorities. It also promotes good habits such as studying regularly, managing time effectively and avoiding procrastination, which are all essential for success in school and beyond. 

Assembly Awards

It was a pleasure to present at this week’s assembly, the summer co-curricular awards across such a broad array of activities, with many splendid individual and team performances. Congratulations to all award winners. 

A new academic award was launched and presented for the first time at assembly called the ‘Growth Awards’ which were presented to students who had achieved the most significant growth across their respective subjects between semesters.

>>> Please click here to find out more about these exciting awards in Ms Elizabeth Watson’s article.

Chess 

One of my most prized possessions at home is my replica Lewis Chess set. The original pieces are now located between the National Museum of Scotland and the British Museum in London. They were found in 1831 on Lewis in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The pieces were carved from walrus ivory and sperm whale tooth and are believed to have been made in Trondheim in western Norway around 1150–1200.

In this newsletter, Ms Helen Barrie our Head of Academic Enrichment, explores the benefits of Chess and cleverly sets up a learning experience where students can transfer their understanding of Chess strategy to inform their deeper understanding of the strategy of language composition.

>>> Click here to explore further.

The Lewis chessmen in the British Museum

The Lewis chessmen. Image: courtesy The British Museum

Year 11 Drama 

I had the pleasure of attending our Year 11 Drama class assessment this week where they performed very well in front of peers, parents, carers and staff. Drama has always been strong at Waverley under the leadership of both Ms Alison Jinga and Mr Peter Lamb. Drama provides a wonderful opportunity for students to express themselves and showcase their performance skills, which are vital across many aspects of life and future employment areas. A new winter co-curricular Drama Club is starting up.

>>> Please click here for more details.

Election BBQ Parents’ Association 

The Parents’ Association organised a sausage sizzle last Saturday for voters at the NSW State election. The funds raised are to start off our fundraising campaign towards a new Science Centre to be built on the senior campus, parallel to our tennis courts. Thank you to our wonderful parents and carers who volunteered: Daniella Strbac, Leanne Whittingham, Juliette Carter, Wendy Salkeld, Sarah Constable, Sharon Stuart, Simi Seroa, Lil Murphy, Rachel Clarke, Melissa Maclean, Deidre O’Connell Boreland, Sam Bullock, Chantal Hughes, John Dodsworth, Brett Stapleton and Jade Stapleton (President of the Parents’ Association).

Election Day 2023

Election Day 2023

Cadets 

We wish all Cadets a safe and enjoyable AFX camp. Ms Judith Poole, Principal of St Catherine’s School, Sir Peter Cosgrove and myself, will be visiting the Cadet Camp next week.

Newsletter 

It never ceases to amaze me of the amount of opportunities, events, and activities occurring across both the Senior and Junior Schools at any one time. Make sure you check out in this newsletter the 2nd Big Brother Little Brother program with Rock and Water Program, the Year 11 Galmatic Car Workshop – teaching students how to maintain a car, the Beginning Concert Bands starting Week 1 of Term 2 for Junior and Senior students, holiday volleyball camp, Annual Waverley Youth Art Prize now open for entries, the Elite Football Camp – University of Wollongong and Tottenham Hotspur on campus, reflections on Teaching Creative Writing with Writer’s Toolbox, Year 11 SLR hike through the Royal National Park, the University of Newcastle’s Science and Engineering Challenge, and the Junior School creative writing competition. 

Term 1, 2023 – Lenten Term

Click here for Swim School Information

Weeks Ahead

April

May

It is hard to believe we are close to the end of Term 1. It has been another busy week here in the Junior School with the major highlights being Open Classrooms with so many parents/carers excited to be in their son’s classrooms and some very happy students.

We also had the amazing workshop that celebrated the Jewish festival of Passover. The students were taught how to make their very own hand-made Matzah and the story of Passover. Matzah is a traditional bread of faith and its message is an integral part of the morals and beliefs within Judaism. It was a wonderful experience for our boys as they were able to immerse themselves in learning about another religion and culture.  

WriteOn Competition 2023

If your son is looking for some extra inspiration over the next few weeks or holiday period, please direct him to this competition. 

WriteOn is an annual writing competition open to all NSW primary students in Years 1 to 6. Students compose an imaginative text of up to 500 words, using the below image as the stimulus.

WriteOn competition

This competition provides students with the opportunity to become published authors and showcase their creativity. 

Entries are due to me by Week 6, Term 2.

 

Ms Gaby Bransby

Director of the Junior School

gbransby@waverley.nsw.edu.au

 


Mother’s Day Mass at Mary Immaculate Church, Friday, 12 May, 12pm

The celebration of mothers, grandmothers and significant others in the lives of our Waverley College Students, will be celebrated on Friday, 12 May at 12pm (Week 3, Term 2). This will be at Mary Immaculate Church followed by a light lunch at the Junior School.  

>>> Click here to view the invitation and to RSVP.

Part of the celebration will include a slideshow. Please send through a photo of your son(s) with their mothers/grandmothers if you would like a photo included in this presentation.

Please email photos to liturgy@waverley.nsw.edu.au

Confirmation at Mary Immaculate Church

For parents/carers seeking information regarding the Sacrament of Confirmation, it is important that you contact your local parish to find out the details regarding when the Sacrament will be celebrated, and when the preparation classes will be held.

For students who attend St Charles Borromeo Parish (Mary Immaculate Church) and attend Waverley College, the Sacrament of Confirmation will be celebrated on Sunday, 19 June at 2pm.

Please be aware that the Sacrament of Confirmation is celebrated each year, therefore only Year 6 students will be enrolled to receive the Sacrament.

View the boundary map below to see if you are within the parish boundary.

Boundary map

Click the button below for further information, important dates and to register your son to receive this Sacrament.

Click here to view the Sacrament of Confirmation form

Edmund Rice Activity Day – Friday, 5 May

On Friday, 5 May, the Junior School will participate in their Annual Edmund Rice Activity Day, which explores the life of the Founder of the Christian Brothers, Blessed Edmund Rice. Throughout the day, the students will participate in a variety of in-class activities as well as fun games at lunchtime to raise money for Edmund Rice Camps.

We will have a guest speaker during assembly who will highlight the wonderful work that Edmund Rice Camps do to help underprivileged children.  

At lunchtime, there will be a Sausage Sizzle sale.

Click here to assist with catering and for payment

We look forward to celebrating a wonderful day.

Pantry 4 the People – Initiative by James Draper 6 Indigo

James Draper in 6 Indigo would love anyone who could assist in bringing in chocolate eggs for Easter for a worthy cause ‘Pantry 4 the People.’

‘Pantry 4 the People’s is a non-profit organisation established by Rachael Smith, a Waverley mum, for the less fortunate. Rachael created the Pantry 4 the People in 2021 to assist those struggling during the COVID-19 lockdowns.

It operates on the motto: “Take what you need, Give what you can” whereby a waterproof ‘pantry’ has been set up at 1555 Botany Road, Botany, and people donating are encouraged to leave non-perishable goods and ‘staple’ foods, and those in need can help themselves to the items in the pantry.

If you can assist, please bring chocolate eggs to the Reception by Wednesday.

Big Brother Little Brother – Session 2

On Tuesday, the Year 5 and Year 10 students were involved in a very successful Big Brother Little Brother session. They participated in Rock and Water activities designed to build respect, trust and resilience from their respective partners.

They were spoken to about the importance of friendship and then demonstrated ways in which they could support one another, even if they felt they were not big enough or strong enough.

They were also encouraged to think about the times in their lives where they need to be strong and supportive, and other times where they need to let things go and learn not to let the little things bother them.

It was great to see the connections between the ‘brothers’ build during this session and we look forward to the activities in Term 2.

Big Brother Little Brother

Big Brother Little Brother

Big Brother Little Brother

Big Brother Little Brother

 

Mr Steve Ghattas

Assistant Director of Junior School / Identity & Student Formation

sghattas@waverley.nsw.edu.au

 


Open Classrooms

From Ms Stephens

It was so wonderful to have so many parents/carers join us on campus for Open Classrooms this week. Thank you to everyone who was able to make it to hear and see some of the learning that has been happening this Term.

Waverley is a very busy school with so many opportunities on offer. It is fantastic to be able to celebrate the academics and incredible learning that is happening every day in our classrooms. We hope, for those who did attend, that you enjoyed your son sharing their learning with you. 

Open classroom

Open classroom

Open classrooms

Open classrooms

Open classrooms

Open classrooms

Open classrooms

From Mr Stanton

During Open Classrooms, Year 6 White had a visitor all the way from England. Henry Simpson and his mum came to visit. Henry is a first cousin to Alf Griffin in 6 White. They thoroughly enjoyed going to all different parts of the school and were most impressed by what Waverley College had to offer our students.

Henry and Alf

Year 5 Innovation Club

The Year 5 Innovation Club members have had an amazing first Term learning all about basic programming, flow and working with hardware such as sensors. In their first session, they constructed their Mbots, a very difficult feat.

In the sessions since, the Innovators have been learning how to program their Mbots to automatically navigate their way through a maze using block code. Throughout this project, Year 5 has had to problem solve, think critically and creatively to find solutions, test and make adaptations to successfully navigate their Mbot through mazes.

Lachlan and I have been constantly impressed by their perseverance and enthusiasm. We are very much looking forward to Term 2! 

Innovation Club

Innovation Club

Innovation Club

 

Ms Charlotte Stephens

Assistant Director of Curriculum

cstephens@waverley.nsw.edu.au

 


Winter Co-Curricular Team Selections and Terms 2 and 3 Season

It was a great way to finish up our Winter Sport Trials today at Queens Park, with the sun shining and all of our students getting the opportunity to play competitive games for the final trial. All staff and coaches are extremely confident with their team selections, based on the ‘Selection Process’ that we at the Junior School utilise for all sports (refer to selection process document attached below).

>>> Click here to view the Selection Process Document for all Sports Trials.

Teams will not be announced until next week, when we have our sports meetings on Monday, 3 April. This gives staff and coaches a further chance to not rush the team selections, and to make any last minute decisions if required.

In preparation for the Winter Co-Curricular Sport Season beginning in Term 2, please refer to the link below where you’re directed to the Winter Season Draw and the Training Schedule for 2023.

Majority of training aligns with each winter sport, and all will have one training at Waverley Park and Queens Park. Any further information or documents will be shared with you soon if required.

>>> Click here to view all Junior School Co-Curricular information on the College website.

External Sporting Achievements

NSW Junior State Age Swimming Championship

On the weekend of 25 and 26 March, five Waverley College Junior School students competed at the NSW Junior State Age Swimming Championship at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.

Hugo Bindner, Jacob Roorda, Charles Carrano, Tobias Panlilio and Ben Kostic tried their hardest swimming against the best swimmers in NSW.

Participation in this competition is the highest achievement swimmers of their age can accomplish. Each of the boys swam their hearts out and achieved some great results and times.

Special mention should go to Hugo who finished the weekend with two top-ten finishes, coming 5th in 200m free and 6th in 100m free.

A massive congratulations to all of our Waverley Junior School swimmers on this great achievement.

NSW Junior State Championships

Congratulations, Charles Carrano, Hugo Bindner, Ben Kostic

 

Mr Jack Wachtel

Assistant Director of Co-curricular (Years 5-8)

jwachtel@waverley.nsw.edu.au

 


Home Learning Club – Week 10

*Monday and Tuesday ONLY

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 until 4pm – Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays – during school term unless there is a scheduled Professional Development meeting and the club will be closed.   

Procedures

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/carer signature will be required.

Behaviour

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.

Teachers

If you require any further information, feel free to email us.

Important

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.

Meet the 2023 Learning Hub Assistants

2023 Learning Hub Assistants

Congratulations to the following students who are now the 2023 Learning Hub assistants: Ellis Cario, Marcus Juhasz, Flynn Gilmore, Ben Mayne, Max Pargeter, Rhys McEvoy, Noah Nunn, River Sullivan, Jacob Pelletier, Jake Mussett,  Lachlan Moore, Arlo Buchanan, Tom Brown and Luke Haddock.  

I am excited to be working with a new group of boys who will help support old initiatives and make the Learning Hub even more exciting with new initiatives this year. I look forward to working with you and listening to your ideas and suggestions.

Reader of the Week

Reader of the Week

Term 2 Lunchtime Guest Speakers

Lunchtime guest speakers

Lunchtime Talks

Lunchtime talks

Lunchtime Talks

I’m thrilled to share that Term 2 will have four Lunchtime Guest Speakers. The purpose of this initiative is to inspire young people to dream big, work hard and to never give up on their dreams.

 

Ms Natasha Zivanovic

Literacy & Innovation Teacher

nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au

 


Gratitude in 5 Orange

The word gratitude is defined as the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. In 5 Orange we acknowledge that we have so much on offer to us as students at Waverley College. We are extremely grateful for all the opportunities presented to us as Waverley boys and we aim to make the most of these. 

Art

We love art as an opportunity to express ourselves.

5 Orange Art

School Counsellor

We love that our school counsellor visited us to promote a message of kindness.

5 Orange School Counsellor

Writer’s Toolbox

We love using Writer’s Toolbox and the support it provides us to become great writers.

5 Orange Writer's Toolbox

These are just a few of the things that we are grateful for in 5 Orange. Most of all we are grateful for each other!

5 Orange Grateful for each other

Ubuntu – “I am because we are”

 

Mr Elliott McKimm

Classroom Teacher 5 Orange

emckimm@waverley.nsw.edu.au

Dear Parents and Carers

The Years 7-10 Parent / Teacher / Student Interviews will be held on Wednesday, 26 April from 8:30am – 6:30pm.

*The booking system will be opened from Monday, 3 April at 5pm and close on Monday, 24 April at 5pm.

Please ensure you book your appointment during this time frame as we will be unable to open the bookings once closed. Bookings will be made via the TASS Parent Lounge.

The interviews will run in two sessions:

Connecting to a Waverley College Zoom Parent Interview

Zoom codes will be sent out prior to the session. The instructional video below has been provided to assist you with accessing the Zoom platform – Connecting to a Waverley College Zoom Parent Interview.

Click here to view the instructional video

You may choose to book your appointments during the face-to-face session or the Zoom session, or you may consider a mixture.

In order to have staff available to as many families as possible, interviews will be of five minutes duration. To make the process as efficient as possible and to minimise lost time, we ask that you don’t make consecutive bookings and leave at least a five minute gap between your bookings to allow time to move between meetings with the teachers.

Please ensure that you make bookings with your son’s main teacher in instances where one period is taken by another teacher.

The link to the Parent Lounge is below.

https://waverley.cloudwork.id/
user id = email address
password = if you cannot remember your password you can reset by selecting ‘forgot password’

If you have any technical issues with using the system then you should contact the IT Department on 9369 0784 or email iAssist@waverley.nsw.edu.au

It was with great pleasure that the school community came together this week to celebrate a new expression of student academic achievement. This year has seen the introduction of the Academic Growth Award. This award is presented to students who have achieved a significant gain in their Grade Point Average (GPA) across their subjects. They have also demonstrated the dispositions that we value at Waverley College – resilience, determination and curiosity. They set goals and work hard to achieve them with a growth mindset, positive work ethic, sustained application and high expectations of themselves and others.

Contemporary educational research suggests that broadly defined and acknowledged measures of success will enable young people to graduate with confidence and capacity to successfully navigate post-school pathways and life experiences. (Looking to the Future (Shergold) Report, 2020).

Academic Growth Awards

I am proud that Waverley has always been proactive and courageous in supporting this sentiment. For many years we have committed to a holistic education for our students, recognising the importance of acknowledging and celebrating success in all its measures. We want our young people to be happy at school as well as flourish post-school. We want to open doors, not narrow pathways. The interests of our students are front and centre and we educate for the diverse learnings that make the whole person.

It is encouraging that our governing body, Edmund Rice Education Australia (EREA) supports this paradigm shift of what success looks like. They acknowledge ‘that excellence and improvement can be viewed in a variety of ways and that evidence of success is gathered, interpreted and celebrated holistically.’ (EREA Strategic Directions, 2020-2024).

Academic Growth Awards

Leading educational researchers, Hattie and Larsen (2020), recently commented that “the purpose of schooling is to help young people to uncover and recognise their particular talents that, appropriately nurtured through the school experience, will influence their future happiness.” This continues to be a priority area of the College.

I look forward to presenting further Academic Growth Awards at future assemblies. 

Please click here to view the recipients of the Academic Growth Awards

Academic Growth Awards