“The goal isn’t perfection – the idea is to make music. That’s a healthy attitude and not just for musicians.”
Wednesday, 8 June heralded the second year of the fabulous Piano Competition at Waverley College, now an annual fixture in the calendar of the Music Department. Open to students enrolled in our College’s Instrumental Music Program and those taking lessons externally, the afternoon competition delivered an opportunity for young pianists to showcase their playing in front of accomplished invited guest adjudicator, Mr Evan Streater.
Mr Evan Streater
Performance opportunities for musicians are very valuable. They are especially important for piano players because in school bands and ensembles, there are limited opportunities for piano and keyboard players to ‘find a home’!
Public performance in front of families and peers provides opportunities to build confidence and performing skills, as well as the incentive to learn and prepare repertoire to the highest level possible. Hearing other students in the same area of study is priceless, because it means students can compare performances and receive authentic feedback from an expert adjudicator.
23 students stepped up to be part of the Piano Competition this year, sharing their music with a small but appreciative audience of families and students in the PAC Recital Room. Submitting themselves before Mr Streater, students performed repertoire across a variety of genres, in four Divisions. From classic rock, blues, film scores, ragtime, musicals, folk and classical, there really was something for everyone.
The standard of playing by students across all Divisions was excellent. Congratulations to each and every boy who bravely faced the audience to introduce their piece/s and play for our listening pleasure.
Despite extremely challenging time constraints, Mr Streater listened critically whilst quickly and calmly writing detailed reports on 33 performance pieces. Truly remarkable! This wonderful event concluded with his brief but valuable remarks to our winning pianists, and the charismatic Ms Jaz Dolso awarding the prizes across each Division.
Waverley sincerely thanks Mr Streater for his expert adjudication, proficient piano tutor Mr Barry Kenny, Head of Department Mr Chris Balkizas for initially strategising the concept, PAC Coordinator Ms Keiran Kossenberg for her incredible administrative assistance, faculty member Ms Jaz Dolso and Thomas Jackson-Whitlock, Year 9 for enthusiastically compèring the event, and Ms Michelle Rollins and Mr Chris Blenkinsopp for their amiable and steadfast support.
Ms Keiran Kossenberg and Ms Vanessa Witton
Performing Arts Centre Coordinator
Marketing Communications Specialist
E: kkossenberg@waverley.nsw.edu.au
E: vwitton@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Students wishing to commence private music lessons in Semester 2, 2022 (Terms 3 and 4), are encouraged to complete the below online application form. Private Music lessons are not compulsory but are strongly encouraged for students performing in the many ensembles on offer here at Waverley.
>>> Click here to view and complete the private music tuition form.
For cancellation of private music tuition, please email notifying if your son will be DISCONTINUING. Please advise your son’s full name, year, music tutor and instrument to kkossenberg@waverley.nsw.edu.au
All remaining students will automatically rollover into Semester 2, 2022, and be billed in the July school fees unless notification of the cancellation of lessons is advised by Wednesday, 22 June 2022.
Should you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact the Music Office on phone: 9369 0623 or email kkossenberg@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Ms Keiran Kossenberg
Performing Arts Centre Coordinator
E: kkossenberg@waverely.nsw.edu.au
We are so excited to already have over 80 people register for our Waverley team in the City2Surf on Sunday, 14 August, and have already raised over $5,000 for local charity ‘Running for Premature Babies.’
There’s still time to join and help us reach our goal to raise $10,000.
>>> Click here to sign up and register.
All fundraisers will receive a free running singlet. We’ll also be providing a training program for those wanting to run the 14km. Walkers are most welcome to join too!
The Junior School students and teachers have been training hard for the event, participating in the Monday lunch runclub. This is a great opportunity to be part of the Waverley College team and support an important cause.
This will be a wonderful community event, giving premature babies a better chance of survival.
>>> Click here to view more information about this wonderful cause.
Please direct any questions to:
Ms Cath Lipman
Religion Teacher
E: clipman@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Year 11 students of Studies of Religion II will have the opportunity to engage in a Jewish Depth Study excursion on Thursday, 21 July.
Students will participate in guided tours at The Great Synagogue and Sydney Jewish Museum.
Dress/Attire: full College winter academic uniform with blazer.
Please complete the permission slip below by Friday, 24 June.
>>> Click here to view and complete the permission slip.
Ms Martina Cooper
Head of Religion
E: mcooper@waverley.nsw.edu.au
>>> Click here to view the weekly Careers Newsletter.
Please see me if you require any further assistance or information.
Ms Kath Knowles
Senior Studies & Careers Coordinator
E: kknowles@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Are you a talented Australian student with an inspiring idea? The 2022 Edstart Achievement Awards Program recognises Australian students for their contributions and ambitions in their area of passion.
This far-reaching Program enables the next generation of innovators, creators and leaders to reach their potential across six award categories including:
Winners in each category will receive an award and $1,500 grant to fund a project, initiative or training related to their area of interest. Finalists in each category will also receive a $250 grant.
>>> Click here to view more information and to nominate.
>>> Click here to view the Edstart Achievement Awards Information Pack.
Last week, our SRC organised some fun activities for students to enjoy after exams. Years 7 and 8 played Touch Football, whilst our Years 9 and 10 competed in a Soccer competition.
An entertaining time was had by all, culminating in finals and a BBQ on Thursday. Sportsmanship was the winner on the day! Many thanks to the Prefects who coordinated these events and to all those who purchased at the BBQ. We raised $200 towards the Edmund Rice camps for students living with disabilities.
Next Wednesday is our House Strongman competition. Aungier/Brennan are organising this competition, with two teams from each House 7, 9, 11 and 8, 10, 12. Activities include: 1 min push ups/1 min sit ups/sleds/Year 7 on back of Year 11 squats/Year 8 on back of Year 12 squats/relays/tug o’ war.
Will you be there? We look forward to seeing you.
Years 7 and 8 After Their SRC Touch Football Comp
Years 9 and 10 After Their SRC Soccer Comp
Ms Sue Walsh
Director of Identity & Student Formation
E: swalsh@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Well done to all cast and crew for the Cosi production this week, which was a resounding success. Congratulations also to Ms Alison Jinga and Mr Peter Lamb for all their hard work in producing such a high-quality Drama showcase.
Congratulations to the 23 student pianists who bravely stepped up to the Piano Competition challenge in the PAC Recital Room this week, and thank you to Ms Keiran Kossenberg, Mr Chris Balkizas, Ms Jaz Dolso and the music department, for their organisation of this annual event.
More information about these colourful and expressive performances will appear in next week’s edition of Nurrunga.
Unfortunately, the mental health of young people has been significantly impacted by the pandemic. The prevalence of symptoms of anxiety and depression has risen dramatically amongst young people, and remains higher than pre-pandemic levels. It is not an exaggeration to say that the child and adolescent mental health system is currently in crisis, with general practices inundated, emergency departments flooded with demand, and medical services becoming disconnected, dispersed and diluted.
At the College, we have seen the students slow to find their normal balance and routine. The teaching and learning process has also been disrupted. After speaking with other deputy principals in the area, this is common across all schools.
As a result, many young people are at risk of not achieving the primary demands of developmental tasks such as independence, identity formation, and attaining and maintaining peer relationships. However, by maintaining their wellbeing through regular exercise, adequate sleep and healthy nutrition, young people can be in a better position to tackle them.
As many families settle back into their pre-COVID routines, there seems to be a pervasive sense of optimism about what lies ahead. If there is a panacea to the adversity caused by the pandemic, then it is the building of resilience. In this current environment, young people need support, understanding, empathy and encouragement from caring adults. Teaching them the skills to build resilience, will enable young people to thrive and develop healthy coping strategies.
On Thursday, 13 October, the College will proudly host parents from across the eastern suburbs, to look at strategies to deal with our students’ successful return to school, following several years of COVID-19 disruption.
Topics to be covered include:
More information and tickets will be released early in Term 3.
Psychologists work hard at building resilience in our students as they navigate challenges such as COVID-19 or a change to their routine.
There are seven integral and interrelated components that make up being resilient. These are explained in more depth in this Special Report which includes suggested strategies on how parents and carers can best facilitate them.
>>> Click here to view the SchoolTV Special Report on Building Resilience Post Pandemic.
You recently received an email from us inviting you to complete a survey about your experience with the Committee of Associated Schools (CAS). This is your final opportunity to participate in this survey. The survey closes this weekend.
If you have already completed the survey – thank you! If you have not yet had a chance, we would greatly appreciate you taking time to complete it. The survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete and can be accessed via the links below.
We have commissioned McCrindle, an independent research organisation, to conduct this research. All responses will remain anonymous and completely confidential. Thank you very much for your input.
>>> Click here to view and complete the Waverley PARENTS Survey link
>>> Click here to view and complete the Waverley STUDENTS Survey link.
| 10/06/2022 | COVID-19 | Close Contacts |
| Year 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Year 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Year 7 | 1 | 2 |
| Year 8 | 0 | 4 |
| Year 9 | 2 | 0 |
| Year 10 | 2 | 1 |
| Year 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Year 12 | 0 | 1 |
| Staff | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 7 | 8 |
Wishing everyone in the Waverley family a healthy and happy long weekend.
Mr Patrick Brennan
Deputy Principal – Student & Staff Wellbeing
E: pbrennan@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Last weekend saw our first full round of CAS fixtures for this winter. We had some impressive results as well as a few heartbreaking losses, as is the nature of schoolboy sport. It was great to see a number of players and staff ensuring enjoyment for all players, with good sportsmanship in many games.
Our next round of sport is on Saturday, 18 June against Knox Grammar, and this will be a season-defining round for many teams. As next week is a short week, we need to ensure all students are meeting their full requirements for training, in preparing for these matches.
Well done to all cast and crew for the Cosi production this week, which was a resounding success. Congratulations also to Ms Alison Jinga and Mr Peter Lamb for all their hard work in producing such a high-quality Drama showcase.
Congratulations to the 23 student pianists who bravely stepped up to the Piano Competition challenge in the PAC Recital Room this week. There were many excellent performances. Thank you to Ms Keiran Kossenberg, Mr Chris Balkizas, Ms Jaz Dolso and the music department, for their organisation of this annual event.
More information about these colourful and expressive performances will appear in next week’s edition of Nurrunga.
Well done also to all of the Cadet Unit staff and students for their efforts in the annual Passing Out Parade and dinner, and congratulations to all award winners.
>>> Click here to view more information in the Cadets article by MAJ(AAC) Julie-Ann de Kantzow.
We have a number of students that continue to shine. Ryland Short and Will Heffernen (Year 12), have been selected as Australian and NSW Cycling representatives to travel to Europe, to compete for TWC Maaslandster Zuid-Limberg in the prestigious road race circuits. For these junior riders to achieve this is an amazing success, and we wish these young men well.
>>> Click here to view more information about these two incredible young cyclists.
We had a number of students competing last week at the State Oz-Tag championships, including a very successful U13s team made up of a number of Waverley students. Well done to all students on their respective performances.
State Oztag Championships U13 team: Declan, Felix, Sonny, Taoko, Bailey, Kyson, Hayden, Jimmy, Daniel and Julian (Years 7-8).
Unfortunately, we have recently been informed that ES Marks will not be ready for our scheduled house Athletics Carnival on 23 June. We are currently investigating alternatives, and will communicate an update as soon as we can.
I want to wish all students who are competing this weekend at the State Club rugby Championships – don’t get injured!
Enjoy a weekend off!
Mr Steve O’Donnell
Director of Co-curricular
E: sodonnell@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Waverley College travelled across the bridge to take on St Aloysius’ College in the opening round of the 2022 Combined Associated Schools Competition. Pleasingly, the sun was shining over the College Oval, and a dry pitch meant that there would be no excuses for both teams to engage with some running rugby.
The whistle blew, and the home side, St Aloysius’, put the pressure on the visiting team. This early pressure coupled with a number of early penalties saw Aloysius’ go to the front, 6 points to 0.
A breeze behind the Double V in the first half, saw Waverley working to secure territory with some handy kicks downtown, from Caleb Sinclair-Harris and Dane Towns. Some handling errors from Waverley did see some early opportunities lost.
A dashing run by Jonti Morshead-Feildel, followed by a cheeky offload to Solomon Tuqiri, had Waverley over for the first 5-pointer for the CAS competition. Just as Waverley looked to work into a rhythm, they were temporarily reduced to 14 men, following poor discipline at the tackle.
Still, the Waves continued to approach the match with an attacking flair. A slick run by Tino Jahnke-Tavana down the left sideline saw a well-placed chip kick find the hands of Tuqiri who went in for his second try. Tino put on a masterclass again as he stepped past several defenders, and then threw a magic ‘no look’ pass into the hands of the always-supportive Charles Alexander, who charged away to score. Waverley now in front 21 to 6.
It was time for Tino to get rewards for his efforts throughout the match, and he soon accepted a try in the left corner. Approaching the break, Waverley held a comfortable lead, but were looking for more points. An intercept from Sinclair-Harris put Waverley again in a point scoring position. The call to “rumble the ball” was signalled, which included some strong carries from AJ Preketes, Ethan Halatokoua and Noah Tofaeono. But the St Aloysius’ defensive line did a great job holding Waverley out. Half time was called.
The long shadows fell across the College Oval grounds, and it seemed to get colder and colder. Winter had well and truly hit Willoughby! While Waverley held a comfortable lead, would the home side come back?
Cooper Stynes started the half in good form, and was wonderful in the air, disrupting the opposition lineout on several occasions. These efforts were rewarded with a try on the back of an entertaining passage of play from Sinclair-Harris, Tino, Tom Martin and Ben Finegan.
Aloysius’ did not give up, and this effort was rewarded with a try to the delight of the home supporters. However, a couple of late tries to Lachlan Grant as well as Felix Turinui, son of Waverley College Old Boy and Wallaby Legend, Morgan, meant that it would be a comprehensive victory for Waverley.
In other results from around the grounds, Barker defeated Trinity and Knox Grammar defeated Cranbrook in the opening round of CAS. Following the long weekend, Waverley heads up to Wahroonga, in what should be a schoolboy classic against Knox Grammar in Round 2 of the CAS Competition.
Last weekend was a successful day of rugby for Waverley College. From the 18 matches played against St Aloysius’, St Stanislaus and St Patrick’s, Waverley came away with 15 wins. The 4th XV match was unfortunately cut short due a player injury, and we pass on our best wishes for a speedy recovery to the St Aloysius’ player.
The 13s, 14s and 15s age group had an undefeated day. Credit to the 13Bs, 14Bs and 15Bs, who all had strong wins against A grade teams. Also, a shout out to the mighty 13Fs, who were the only team to travel out to Strathfield to have a great win against St Patrick’s.
We would like to congratulate our representatives at the Junior School, who were courageous last weekend in their rugby fixtures.
Firstly, we congratulate the Prep 1sts who got to play on QP1 for the very first time. What was even more pleasing, was a try in the final seconds of the match to Kingsley Turinui, which saw a win to Waverley over Scots College. Well done, lads!
We would also like to congratulate the 11s age group, who had a number of players missing due to illness and State Oztag. We had a group of students who covered two games in C Division (with a win and a loss), and a group who covered two games across A and B divisions, recording two wins. The future is certainly bright with such wonderful determination and commitment from our Junior School students. We are proud of you all!
Following the long weekend, Waverley College will have a challenging final week of rugby for Term 2 against Knox Grammar School. Knox are always wonderful competition across all age groups, and all our teams will need to be at their best for this encounter. Our 13s, 16s and Opens will play at Knox, while our 14s and 15s will play at Queens Park. It is important that all players get to training next week for this important fixture.
We would like to wish all our students involved in the State Championships this weekend, the best of luck. We have a number of students who are involved in a number of club teams, playing at various venues across the state, from Orange to Concord. Safe travels to all involved!
WAVERLEY TO WIN!
Mr John McCoy
Convenor of Rugby
E: jmccoy@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Waverley College will again be supporting the Mark Hughes Foundation and the Beanie for Brain Cancer Initiative. The brand new 2022 designs have been released, and will be available for purchase both at the Junior School (Reception) and Senior School (Wellbeing Centre) over the final weeks of Term 2. These will be $25 each.
Furthermore, we are encouraging Waverley College community to get behind the ‘Big Three Trek’ run by the Mark Hughes Foundation to launch the 2022 Beanie for Brain Cancer campaign. A group will be walking from NRL Headquarters in Sydney (Moore Park) to Newcastle.
We would love to see Waverley College families supporting the first leg of the walk from Moore Park to the Opera House (5kms) on Tuesday, 28 June 2022. Please wear your beanies and your Waverley College uniforms!
>>> Click here to view more information about the Big Three Trek run.
Mr John McCoy
Head of Aungier House
E: jmccoy@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.
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