Throughout the year, our College Captains and Prefects have represented Waverley College at various leadership afternoons and conferences at surrounding schools, to share ideas and leadership initiatives.
One of our College Vice-Captains, Guy Hammerschmidt, reflects on these experiences and the insights that they have gained from these valuable encounters:
We have been privileged to be invited to neighbouring schools, where we have been able to interact with extremely inspirational and influential leaders within our community, such as Dr Marjorie O’Neill, and former Prime Minister, Malcom Turnbull.
Through such experiences, we have gained valuable insights into how we as young leaders can enact real change within our own communities.
Through further collaboration with young leaders from other schools, we have had the opportunity to discuss topics and issues that are of critical relevance for us, such as refining consent education, and building a more inclusive environment for individuals within the LGBTQAI+ community.
It has been a great honour to work alongside aspiring young leaders, who we have certainly learned a lot from, and have made connections that I’m sure will continue after school. – Guy Hammerschmidt
Ms Sue Walsh
Director of Identity & Student Formation
E: swalsh@waverley.nsw.edu.au
In collaboration with St Clares College, the Year 11 Hospitality students catered for the TAS/Art and Design HSC Showcase last week. These talented young ladies and gentlemen created and served canapes and sweet treats.
Items included mini tartlets, salt and pepper calamari, cheeseburger sliders, smoked salmon, cream cheese and dill croutons, and mini banoffee pies. The teamwork, organisation and enthusiasm was commendable and it is wonderful to see the students’ culinary skills continue to develop and improve.
Ms Bev McCarthy
VET/TAS Teacher
E: bmmcarthy@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Please find below key event dates you need to be aware of for the Junior School in Term 3. For all of the College events, please refer to the College calendar.
Ms Gabby Smith
Director of the Junior School
E: gsmith@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Incursion ‘Window to the World – A STEM Story’
What a wonderful week it was for our students last week. We made sure we celebrated Science Week in a variety of ways. We started the week off with a great incursion called ‘Window to the World – A STEM Story.’ We were lucky to have two very talented and entertaining actors who really delved deep into the world of ‘glass.’ This was very informative and a great way to introduce the theme of Science Week to our students.
In-class Experiments
Throughout the week, students were involved in some great hands-on experiments where they looked at Surface Tension.
Students completed two experiments:
Students loved the opportunity to get messy, make a hypothesis and were amazed with the results.
Live Experiments
We were so lucky to have our talented senior school science teachers come down to the Junior School to share their knowledge and skills about science. The students were blown away by the live experiments!
They loved the giant elephant’s toothpaste, the hydrogen balloon explosion and the dry ice. A big thank you to Ms Emily Pace, Ms Gemma Brown and Mr James Listberger who delivered these mind-blowing and exciting experiments.
Classes also had the opportunity to watch some great virtual ‘excursions’ online through SciFest 2022, where they were able to see live experiments. ‘Breaking Point’ was one particular excursion that focused on glass and had fun experiments. Students are still able to watch these if they missed out.
It was a wonderful Science Week, and I can’t wait to hear which Junior School students won the Scientist of Waverley Competition next week.
Ms Gabrielle Bransby
Assistant Director of Junior School/Curriculum
E: gbransby@waverley.nsw.edu.au
The celebration of fathers, grandfathers and significant others in the lives of our Waverley College Students, will be celebrated on Friday, 2 September at 12pm (Week 7, Term 3).
This will be held at Mary Immaculate Church followed by lunch at the Junior School.
Your invitation to this event has been in previous Nurrunga articles over the past few weeks.
Part of the celebration will include a slideshow. Can I please ask that you send through a photo of your son(s) with their fathers/grandfathers if you would like a photo included in this presentation. This needs to be emailed no later that Wednesday, 31 August.
Please email all photos to liturgy@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Mr Steve Ghattas
Assistant Director of Identity & Student Formation
E: sghattas@waverley.nsw.edu.au
The FunRun Fundraiser has seen some amazing achievements and I am thrilled to share the following milestones reached:
The total amount raised for the FunRun will be announced in next week’s Nurrunga, once we have calculated the final total from all the in-school fundraising events and raffles.
Feel free to pass on the following Waverley College Junior School fundraising link for other people to use, or students may send out their personal link for one last-minute fundraising push:
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/waverley-4812a57b-0562-43bd-aaca-8f442f30ea3d
You have until Monday to purchase raffle tickets:
Log on to Flexischools
Click ‘Fun Run Raffle’
Purchase Tickets
We look forward to announcing the winners on Tuesday, 30 August!
The big FunRun event was a great success today. We hope you enjoy the photos below. The full report will be added to next week’s Nurrunga once we announce the final fundraising amount.
This week, Ryan Desousa (5 Blue) returned from the Australian Swimming Championships in Brisbane, with three Bronze medals for the following Multi-Class Events:
Waverley College would like to congratulate Ryan on these huge achievements.
Waverley is very proud of you, Ryan!
Marcus Strbac (Year 6), recently travelled to Adelaide as a member of the NSW Under 12 AFL team to compete in the School Sport Australia National Championships.
Following his NSW selection from the PSSA carnival in Coffs Harbour, the team met for a three-day training camp in July at Barooga on the Murray River.
Prior to leaving for Adelaide, the NSW Blue Pups (as the team is fondly known), were invited to attend Sydney Swans training, were able to soak up the atmosphere of the SCG for team photos, and also have their jerseys presented by current Swans stars Nick Blakey and Errol Gulden. Marcus was presented with jersey number 5 – like his favourite player Isaac Heeney (Class of 2014) – a former Waverley Senior School student.
Congratulations Marcus Strbac!
Over six days, the Blue Pups were defeated in their first two games against traditional AFL states like Victoria and SA, and had extremely close games with WA and QLD, where a win could have gone anyone’s way. The NSW state coaching team was proud of the closing gap with the more dominating AFL states, and said the boys should hold their heads high. In their fifth game, NSW had a convincing win over ACT.
Kicking a goal 30 metres out, in the tournament against Western Australia, will be one of Marcus’ most memorable moments playing for NSW, along with making some fantastic and lifelong new mates.
The experience off the field with all his team mates was just as exciting as the one on the field, and he is thankful to Waverley Junior School for providing him with such a fantastic opportunity.
Marcus Strbac
Mr Jack Wachtel
Assistant Director Co-curricular (Years 5-8)
E: jwachtel@waverley.nsw.edu.au
>>> Click here to register your son.
If your son is unable to attend, please email the College nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au or call reception.
If you have entered your son in the ICAS ‘Mathematics’ exam, it will run in the Learning Hub next week. See timetable below.
Please make sure your son charges his laptop the night before. Students need to arrive at least five minutes before the start time.
| WEEK | START TIME | DATE | ICAS EXAM |
| 7 | 8am | Tuesday, 30 August | Mathematics |
Congratulations to the Junior School Debating Team who once again managed to walk away with a double win against Kincoppal.
The topic was ‘That schools should only use popular modern books to teach English.’
The adjudicator was highly impressed with Waverley’s strong arguments and rebuttals. The teams are now preparing for a Debating Gala Day which will be held at the PLC campus. Here they will debate back to back against a variety of schools.
Junior school students enjoyed a highly entertaining and engaging presentation from Sami Bayly as part of our Book Week celebrations.
Sami is an author and illustrator. Her new book is coming out in September and the Waverley students were the first to see the hard copy.
The boys were lucky to hear about all the ugly, dangerous and peculiar creatures in our world, and even have a demonstration on how to draw one!
An essential aspect of supporting your son with his reading is to allow him to make his own book choices. The Pop-up Bookshop was a great experience for the students to enjoy browsing and buying books.
Writing a story continuously is a fun way to work collaboratively, constructively, critically and creatively. The students in Years 5 and 6 showed many strong writing skills, especially when working under pressure with time constraints.
I’m looking forward to reading the finished stories and sharing them with the boys. A special thank you to Mr William Roberts who supported the Year 5 Writing Workshop.
Thank you to all the Junior School students who entered one or both, Book Week competitions. It was lovely to see students’ interpretation of the theme of ‘Dreaming with eyes open…’
Ms Mary Ryan, Literacy Coordinator, had a tough job judging, see the winners below.
The judge said: A beautifully composed inspirational poem. Ryan has offered the readers (young and old) lots of ideas on how to achieve our dreams. Thoughtful use of rhyme and structure.
Dreams will always be there,
They sit in your mind under your hair.
It’s something you look forward to,
Or a thing you practise through and through.
You want to achieve it
And not quit.
Keep your eyes open
Don’t close them.
If you want to win a short distance race,
Start with your fastest pace.
You can’t win with your eyes closed,
Otherwise you should just stop and pose.
Keep them open nice and wide,
Run with swift, speedy strides.
Ace a really difficult test,
And you keep on getting stressed.
Open your eyes as wide as you can,
Calm down and make a plan.
Write down your answers one by one,
And as soon as you know it you are done.
Compose a song,
And everything is wrong.
You believe in yourself and open your eyes,
Then you give everyone a staggering surprise.
You start to sing,
And words gush out like a flowing spring.
Become a soccer star,
But you can’t shoot the ball very far.
Open your eyes and believe,
And you will achieve.
You play a game and shoot,
With a brilliant goal you celebrate with a royal salute.
You can always achieve,
If you believe.
Keep your eyes open wide,
And use them as a guide.
Don’t keep them closed,
Don’t sit and doze.
Keep them open,
Not closed.
The judge said: I love the imagery in this poem. Lots of clever repetition and contrast too. A wordsmith!
I am thinking of a giant,
I am thinking of the moon.
I am thinking oh so tall.
I will grow pretty soon, I won’t be small.
I will be so so much more.
I am thinking of a giraffe or a giant
Wait!
I have already said that.
I will be taller than the Queen’s Guards in high hats.
The taller I’ll grow the more I will show they will know.
And that is that.
It’s all in perspective
When dealing with heights from up in a skyscraper
I would look like an ant on a big piece of paper
Then down below,
I would grow and outgrow.
I am thinking so tall,
Being small is such a bore
Through the clouds I will soar
By tomorrow giraffes
Won’t seem tall
A-tall.
The judge said: Beautiful imagery in this poem which really captures the power of dreams and the imagination. Interesting structure too – one single verse captures the movement of falling and drifting out of reality and into another realm.
I wander throughout my day
strolling the woods because I could and I would.
I stumble on a patch of sticks and fall into something thick,
it’s warm, it’s cozy, it’s dozy.
I close my eyes and relax. I have to be home by sunset so I don’t plan on staying long.
I pull myself up and start on the voyage home.
With my eyes still closed I find my way into the dark, and BAM!
I see swirls of color and balls of fire,
Other planets, bursting with diversity and joy,
Like a planet of my own.
I take my first steps on the firm ground,
Then I feel weightless and calm. I drift up
then slowly start to come down.
My heart won’t stop beating with pumps of energy,
I start running to the other side of my planet,
I see the most staggering yet peaceful creatures.
I keep moving, fast.
Drifting in the air as I jump
I dash through the world until it ends
Just a faded black line.
I won’t stop running, I run thinking I’ll float,
But I fall
I fall into a small black hole, I think.
I keep falling until…
Whoosh!
In a blink, I’m back in the woods.
I look up high in the sky to see the sun start to go to bed.
I rub my eyes and walk back home.
The judge said: Great use of contrast here and I love how Kobi has interpreted the stimulus. An inspirational poem of a different nature. Subtle but extremely powerful.
I can sometimes drift into a Daydream of happy times
in moments of sadness with my eyes open
A little smile will arrive.
Dreaming With My Eyes Open again
To give me hope of happy times.
I can sometimes escape sad times
Dreaming with my eyes open.
Dreaming with my eyes open and sad moments.
To always remember I am thoughtful of others.
I dream that others can see that words can hurt.
But dreaming with my eyes open will help
Me see that those happy days will arrive.
I am home and safe to hear those words of kindness.
They always say the right things to make me see those who hurt with their words. Have problems of their own but don’t have the tools just yet
to dream of the happy times in moments of their uncertainties.
Show kindness to those people
hopefully they too will Daydream with their eyes open!
So with my eyes wide open once again
I’m ready for the day ahead.
Thank you to Ms Natalie Oates, Head of Visual Arts and Ms Jenna Turnbull, Visual Arts teacher, for judging the Visual Arts competition. See the winners below.
The judges said: ‘A collection/series of work which encompassed the student demonstrating an individual style of art making, whilst also taking the theme on a more thoughtful and conceptual idea.’
The judges said: ‘A series of work which encompassed the student demonstrating an individual style of art making, whilst also taking the theme on a more thoughtful and conceptual idea.’
The judges said: ‘This was so future focussed with an impactful meaning on the treatment of our current world. It demonstrated stylistic drawing qualities whilst using symbolism to convey key issues of our world.’
The judges said: ‘This artwork was out of this world! The detailing and the composition of the artwork was meticulously composed and well thought out.’
The judges said: ‘Such fantastic skills in painting. He has grasped a strong concept of the theme and looked beyond our own world and what might be our future.’
The judges said: ‘It was interesting to see digital art involved within the competition and students utilising their skills to adapt into art. Not only did the artwork portray an individual flair of the theme, but it demonstrated a high skill in digital art.’
Ms Natasha Zivanovic
Literacy and Innovation Teacher
E: nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au
I feel privileged and honoured to be the classroom teacher of 5 Orange. These boys have embraced Waverley College life and aim to make the most of every opportunity that is offered to them.
5 Orange believes in manners, respect, teamwork, and displaying a growth mindset at all times. The young men of this class know that life is not always perfect, and use strategies such as the ‘reset button’ and ‘changing your internal dialogue’ to get back on track.
5 Orange loves to seize any opportunity to work outside and enjoy the beautiful outdoor learning spaces that the Junior School Campus has to offer.
Mr Elliott McKimm
5 Orange Classroom Teacher
E: emckimm@waverley.nsw.edu.au
This week, the 2022 HSC Music Recital showcased the talents of our Year 12 students in the PAC Recital Room. Eight students played and sang diverse repertoire on their chosen instrument, with material ranging from rock guitarist Joe Satriani’s ‘Satch Boogie’ to classical works by Saint-Saëns, popular songs, blues pieces and works by jazz legends such as Denny Ilett.
It was clear that students had spent countless hours perfecting their chosen pieces and had a true understanding of their instrument.
Playing to an appreciative audience of parents, carers, students and teachers, these students demonstrated that they were well prepared for their upcoming HSC practical examination and were comfortable in a performance environment.
We wish each and every one of you, the very best for your HSC.
Thank you to our music makers: Max Leedham (voice); Luke Stewart (tuba); Hugo Pizzol (trumpet); Louis Kitto (electric guitar); Evan Hodges (alto saxophone); Harrison Gippel (clarinet); Charles Alexander (electric guitar) and Guy Hammerschmidt (trombone).
With special thanks to Mr Chris Balkizas (Head of Music); Mr Chris Blenkinsopp (Music Teacher) and Ms Jaz Dolso (Music Teacher) as well as our tireless accompanists and instrumental teachers.
Ms Vanessa Witton
Marketing Communications Specialist
E: vwitton@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Please find below the schedule for the Year 12 Tutorials in Term 3, Week 7. 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.
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.
| Date | Subject | Time | Room | Teacher |
|
Tuesday, 30 August 2022
|
English Standard and Advanced: The Craft of Writing | 7:45am – 8:40am | E40s | Melanie Stephens/ Emma Halpin |
| Drama | 3:30pm – 5pm | P118 | Alison Jinga | |
| Business Studies | 3:30pm – 5:30pm | W33 | Adam Wallington/ Sean Picone | |
|
Wednesday, 31 August 2022
|
Maths Ext 2 | 3:30pm – 5pm | E32 | Steven Hall |
| Geography | 3:30pm – 5:30pm | W33 | Adam Wallington | |
|
Thursday, 1 September 2022
|
Engineering Studies | 7:30am – 8:30am | Library | Silvia Baylie |
| English Advanced: Texts and Human Experience Section 2 – Thesis building |
7:45am – 8:30am | W22 | Lynsey Porter |
Ms Lauren Ryan has emailed the registration sheet to students to register their attendance at the tutorials.
Ms Elizabeth Watson
Deputy Principal – Teaching & Learning
E: ewatson@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Waverley Library is hosting two special study nights, just for Year 12 students. They’re free, but bookings are essential.
For students who selected English as part of their HSC, Larry Grumley will provide HSC students some last-minute advice in preparation for their upcoming exams, covering HSC Human Experience and Paper 2 study and exam techniques both Advanced and Standard courses.
>>> Click here to register for English with Larry Grumley.
For students who selected Maths as part of their HSC, Harry Mavrolefteros will provide some last-minute advice in preparation for their upcoming exams, covering HSC exam techniques, specific questions and strategies for the Maths Standard, Advanced, Extension 1 and Extension 2 courses.
>>> Click here to register for Maths with Harry Mavrolefteros.
Waverley Library will provide the study space, food, drinks, library resources, security and parking! See you there.
>>> Click here to view the poster.
Waverley Library
32-48 Denison Street Bondi Junction
E: leyla.bhathela@waverley.nsw.
P: 02 9083 8529
At Thursday’s College Assembly, I celebrated this week’s upstander, Aungier student Charlie Smith, who was spotted at Charing Cross escorting an elderly lady whilst engaging in conversation, and then pressing the button to ensure she was able to cross the street safely.
Charlie was in perfect and complete academic uniform and was a fantastic advertisement for the College. This was just something so simple and humbling to see. Well done Charlie!
The middle of the Term is a good opportunity to provide a timely reminder of the College’s expectations regarding uniform and appearance. Boys are required to wear their full academic uniform to and from school each day. This includes the College blazer in Terms 2 and 3. Haircuts should be at the same length and not below the collar. Students should be freshly shaven each morning.
A detailed outline of the College expectations appears in the College Diary. These expectations are consistent with other independent schools in the eastern suburbs, and have the support of staff, the Parents’ Association and Old Boys’ Union.
At Waverley College, we hold an expectation that students commit to, and accept responsibility for, their learning. We work in relationships of mutual respect and trust, whereby our students are accountable for their choices that either enable or diminish a positive learning experience. We believe our students should always be well prepared and organised for classes.
The Wellbeing Team relies heavily on the partnership between the College, parents/carers and your sons. Parents/carers are encouraged to support the College by discussing pastoral notes they receive from their son’s teachers during the day, affirming positive notes and looking at constructive feedback as an opportunity for improvement. The more parents and carers support the College, the better the outcomes for their sons.
Mr Patrick Brennan
Deputy Principal – Student & Staff Wellbeing
E: pbrennan@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Being an effective teacher is more than just improving test scores – it’s also about making a difference in students’ lives. Some of the traits of an effective teacher are their passion for learning, believing in their students’ strengths, and knowing how to help students to reach their full potential.
The Heads of Department, Mr Spargo and Ms Quintana, took the opportunity to create an experimental cross-curricular Spanish and TAS activity, touching upon the importance of cooking and safety, responsible food preparation and good food choices. Aligned and cooperative collaboration is all about diverse departments getting together and planning, so that topics of study are taught concurrently.
Led by Ms Quintana, students from 803 were provided with a cooking demonstration class in Monday’s lesson, sampling the savoury and traditional Spanish tortilla. The following day they were tasked with preparing the dish during their practical lesson by following a detailed recipe. They did an outstanding job and would make their families proud, perhaps even given their parents a night off every week to prepare something nutritious and delicious for the whole family.
Research has shown that students can achieve deeper learning when professional educators combine their efforts and reinforce the same message in each subject area. This helps clarify the information for the student, the learning activities become more fluid, and the student’s knowledge and skills improve.
Needless to say, the smiles on the students’ faces were priceless after successfully completing their cooking lesson, with the knowledge that they could devour the fruits of their labor – once they had cleaned up, of course!
Ms Priscilla Quintana
Head of Languages Department
E: pquintana@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Waverley College Senior School celebrated ‘Wear it Purple Day’ today, 26 August. This day celebrates the LGBTQIA+ community and is a day which exemplifies the inclusive nature of the College, underpinned by the EREA touchstones.
This year, we created a video, with a script written by our LGBTQIA+ student advocacy group, and spoken by some of our current and future leaders. In the video, we highlight the importance of being kind and accepting towards one another, and how to be a supportive ally.
Two very special guests, Ian Roberts and Peta Friend, worked with the students to create this video, that was screened at assembly this week. In addition, we handed out purple ribbons to students who wished to wear one, to show their support today.
We hope you enjoy our special ‘Wear it Purple Day’ video below.
We are committed to creating a safe and caring school environment for every student. We use Wear it Purple Day and IDAHOBIT day to celebrate the changes we are creating, which are both part of a bigger, three-year strategic plan.
In line with the EREA Safe and Inclusive Schools Policy, Waverley has been developing this strategic plan to underpin a range of initiatives that will continue to enhance the inclusion of staff, students and community, who identify as part of our LGBTQIA+ community. This plan will deliver initiatives and adjustments across the following areas:
It will be rolled out by members of our LGBTQIA+ staff advocacy group, who meet twice a term to discuss and update each initiative. In addition to this, we have a well-established LGBTQIA+ student advocacy group, who meet two to three times per term.
This group offers support to each other while respecting individuals’ privacy and personal boundaries. The students have input into the strategic plan, with the content of our meetings ranging from delivering an initiative, to eating lunch in a safe, shared space.
Students interested in joining our LGBTQIA+ group should ask their Head of House, or contact me for more information.
Ms Tessa Prior
College Psychologist
E: tprior@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Year 10 Service Week will take place over four days in Term 4, from Monday, 21 November to Thursday 24 November, 2022 (inclusive).
Student placements are now due. All students are required to register their placement with the College by completing the form below. Thank you to those students and families who have already done this.
>>> Click here to view and complete the Service Week Form.
If you have any further questions or are unable to locate a service placement, please see Ms Maakrun or Ms Walsh as soon as possible.
Ms Marie-Anne Maakrun
Assistant Director of Identity & Student Formation
E: mmaakrun@waverley.nsw.edu.au
>>> Click here to view the weekly Careers Newsletter.
Please see me if you require any further assistance or information.
Applications are now open for the THALES AWS 2023 Apprentice and Traineeship Program.
Multiple disciplines are available including:
>>> Click here to view application information.
Over the past 10 years, AWS has assisted more than 100 apprentices and trainees qualify in their chosen field, delivering quality outcomes for our business to support the Navy, to keep Australia safe.
Next year, we have positions available at Garden Island. AWS plays a critical role at Garden Island, managing the Captain Cook Graving Dock and providing critical ship repair, maintenance and engineering services to the Royal Australian Navy.
Image: courtesy Australian Department of Defence
On Tuesday, 30 August 6pm, they are hosting a useful online information session, so that interested candidates may learn more about the apprenticeship opportunities available.
>>> Click here to view information about how to register for the online session.
For more information on positions available, please email Ms Amanda Duval: amanda.duval@thalesgroup.com.
Ms Kath Knowles
Senior Studies & Careers Coordinator
E: kknowles@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
