The Cricket Supporters’ AGM will be held via Zoom.
Topic: Cricket Supporters’ AGM 2023
Date: Tuesday, 5 September 2023
Time: 6:30pm
Please click the button below to join the meeting.
Click here to join the Zoom meeting
Meeting ID: 850 3337 0664
Passcode: 004509
Mr Sean Picone
Convenor of Cricket
spicone@waverley.nsw.edu.au
At last week’s Year 7, 8, 9 Academic Assembly, I spoke about both the skills and values students need to thrive in the fast-paced 21st century, so that they can address individual and community needs and challenges such as global warming, resource scarcity, artificial intelligence, misinformation, and robotics.
Values act as our conscience and moral guide and assist us in binding communities together, finding equality, happiness, and fulfilment. Values help us develop our character and help us find our purpose in life. Values are enduring, whereas skills keep on changing with the passage of time and the influence of technology.
Skills help us achieve proficiency, competence and performance. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the top 10 life skills recommended for mental health equilibrium are: problem solving, decision making, creative thinking, critical thinking, self-awareness, empathy, interpersonal relationships, good communication, management of stress, management of emotions. All of these skills are embedded within our curriculum, wellbeing and formation programs and should be skills you are also trying to develop at home with your sons.
On the back of a successful NAIDOC Week and Men’s Health Week earlier this Term, this week around the campus we had David Kobler (Your Choicez) provide our Year 10s with a values-based respectful relationships education program, Fran Grant helped unpack Indigenous Rights, and our Year 11s attended the RYDA Road Safety program which aims at saving lives through the provision of world-class road safety education.
Our Year 5 and 10s participated in another Big Brother Little Brother experience where they were involved in games that encouraged participation, learning new skills, and building upon their supportive and positive relationships with one another.
In this week’s newsletter, our psychologists’ article unpacks the difficult topic of grief, and Ms Marie-Anne Maakrun (Assistant Director of Student Formation) shares a great article on building resilience with your son.
“A compelling, dramatic and energetic performance reminding us to stand up for what is right!” – Wakakirri Ambassador, Scott Irwin
Congratulations to the Junior School students who performed in Wakakirri on Tuesday evening. The boys received the major award for the night, the ‘Spirit of Wakakirri’ Award, highlighting their positive attitude, fabulous behaviour, teamwork and creative spirit.
Thank you to staff members Mr Tom Olds, Ms Jade Sparks, Ms CJ Tweedie for assisting our students, and a special thanks and congratulations to Ms Michelle Rollins on her 25th consecutive year of directing and choreographing Wakakirri performances for the College. Her passion and dedication to providing boys opportunities to explore story, dance, movement and the creative arts is truly amazing.
Parents, carers, students and Waverley community members are warmly invited to attend the Art and Design HSC showcase on Friday, 18 August, 6pm – 8pm. The event is a collection of Year 12 major works from the students of 2023.
Please read and encourage your son to take up Ms Emily Pace’s (Assistant Head of Science) challenge to enter the Science Week competitions.
Good luck to all of our runners who are tackling the City2Surf on Sunday and well done for their significant support of the charity ‘Running for Premature Babies’ which is founded by Waverley College parent, Sophie Smith. Our College Team is over 130-people strong and has raised upwards of $8,000 for ‘Running for Premature Babies’. You can support them and donate here.
Congratulations to the following students who competed in the Regional Finals of the AFL Schools Cup. We finished in 3rd place, narrowly losing to both 1st and 2nd place.
Year 8
Matt Borgelt, Clancy Walsh, Alex Piperkos, Henry Read, Hayden McAusland, Dom Dametto, James Tucker, Oscar Griffith, Daniel Morrow, Luca Green, Levi O’Keefe, Lachlan Feain, Nash Goldsworthy, Will Roberts.
Year 9
Bailey Gosbell, Edward House, Ned Larkin, James Warwick Rose, Ethan Allardice, Fred Robertson, Ryan Murphy, Zachary Jones, Tane Barclay, Stellan Dymond.
Waverley College is very proud of the selection of Ben Donaldson in the Wallabies Squad for the 2023 World Cup in France. Ben graduated in 2017 and was part of the undefeated CAS Premiership winning 1st XV, as well as playing 1st XI Cricket for the College. Ben was selected for the Australian Schoolboys side in 2017.
Ben was also College Vice-Captain and has played 1st grade for Randwick for a number of seasons, played for the Waratahs and has recently signed with the Western Force for 2024.
Ben has played two matches for the Wallabies in 2023 as well as a number of fixtures for Australia A. Ben is a talented number 10 but also a utility player who can slot into a number of positions in the backline. Ben’s father Stu Donaldson has coached at Waverley College and Randwick for a number of seasons and is a highly successful coach.
The College wishes Ben well for his journey at the upcoming World Cup tournament and we will be cheering him on!
Ben established himself as a full time professional rugby player whilst also managing his study commitments at The University of Technology, Sydney. Ben is currently in the process of finishing a Bachelor of Sports and Exercise management degree, an area he hopes to dive into after his playing career.
Our most recent Parents’ Association meeting was held on Tuesday, 8 August. Louise Lakomy is the new President of the Parents’ Association and you can read her welcome message here.
As mentioned at the Parents ’Association meeting on Tuesday evening, over the past few years, our school has been participating in the Black Dog Institute’s Future Proofing Study, the largest and most comprehensive long-term study of adolescent mental health in Australia.
The research team behind the Future Proofing Study have just released a 23-minute webinar to share their latest findings about the mental health and wellbeing of Australian adolescents.
What the Webinar Covers
Every year, researchers from the Black Dog Institute visit our school and many other Australian schools to survey the same group of over 6,000 students about their mental health and wellbeing. Study data is analysed and translated into practical resources, guidelines, and policy submissions in order to guide schools, families, and the government about issues relating to adolescent mental health and wellbeing.
Topics Included in the Webinar
(1) Background to the Future Proofing Study (at 1:46 mins)
(2) Rates of mental health symptoms found in the study (at 4:06 mins)
(3) Risk factors associated with development of depression and anxiety in early adolescence (at 6:55 mins)
(4) Peer relationships (at 9:00 mins)
(5) Sleep findings (at 12:22 mins)
(6) Screen use (at 15:58 mins)
(7) Mental health resources (at 22:58 mins)
We encourage you to watch this informative webinar below to learn more about this important issue.
*In the webinar, there is some discussion of self-harm and suicidal behaviour amongst young people, so viewer discretion is advised.
If you have any questions about the research or would like to contact the research team directly, you can email futureproofing@blackdog.org.au
We have received a number of complaints from the community in regards to road safety around the College.
Many senior students have their driver’s licence and with that independence and privilege comes responsibility. Most young drivers are careful, safety conscious and considerate when driving, however, they are one of the most vulnerable road user groups because of their inexperience, relatively underdeveloped driving skills and a distinct pattern of behaviour relating to youth culture and lifestyle. Research also shows that travelling with teenage passengers constitutes an increased risk for young drivers, particularly males.
Waverley College supports licence holders’ rights to drive to and from school. It is the College’s expectation that students drive in a lawful manner and be mindful of the local road regulations and parking restrictions around the College.
The College will support the New South Wales Police and Waverley Council in enforcing the road rules. Young males are overrepresented in statistics associated with motor vehicle injuries and fatalities.
Any information supplied to us by a member of the public identifying a Waverley College student not respecting the rights and responsibilities that come with driving a motor vehicle, will be dealt with accordingly by the Head of House or member of the College Leadership Team.
Students who are riding e-bikes to school need to adhere to all rules and regulations. Students need to have their helmets on correctly and done up, no dubbing other students and specifically not riding up Salisbury Street in the wrong direction.
To prevent youth from vaping, the research team at the University of Newcastle have developed a text message program, targeting parents and their adolescents. To help test the effectiveness of the messages, they are looking for parents and their child/ren (aged 12-15 years) to participate in a study.
Participants in the study (parents and adolescents) will receive a series a text messages (one per week for 12 weeks) that have been specifically developed to educate parents and youth on the harms of vaping, empower youth to say no to vaping through social support and teaching refusal skills, and facilitate healthy conversation amongst families. The text messages have been developed in collaboration with parents, adolescents, researchers and parenting experts.
Click here to view the research flyer
If you would like to find out more information or to sign up to participate in the study, please click the button below.
Ms Gabby Smith
Deputy Principal – Students
gsmith@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Please find below some reminders about upcoming events. For all of Term 3 events, please refer to the College calendar.
Having assisted backstage at Wakakirri for many years, Tuesday night was the first time I had the opportunity to watch a live performance from the audience and what an amazing performance it was. Their presence on stage, the way they told their story and their overall manner in which they represented the College was outstanding.
The boys thoroughly enjoyed themselves and received the major award for the night, the ‘Spirit of Wakakirri’ Award, highlighting their positive attitude, fabulous behaviour, teamwork and creative spirit. A special thanks to Mr Tom Olds, Ms Jade Sparks and Ms CJ Tweedie for their assistance on the night.
I would like to congratulate Ms Michelle Rollins on her 25 years of directing and choreographing Wakakirri performances for the Waverley College students. Her passion and dedication to ensuring that the students get to enjoy and participate in Story Dance and Creative Arts is truly inspirational.
The celebration of fathers, grandfathers and significant others in the lives of our Waverley College Students will be celebrated on Friday, 1 September at 12pm (Week 7, Term 3). This will be at Mary Immaculate Church followed by lunch at the Junior School.
Click here to view the invitation
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.
Please send through all photos to liturgy@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Mr Steve Ghattas
Director of Junior School
sghattas@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Now the Winter Co-Curricular Season has come to an end, I’d like to say a massive thank you to all coaches, students and parents/carers for their level of commitment and dedication to the season that was. Since I’ve been in the role, it’s the first year that there has been no weather-related interruptions to games and training.
It has been great to see all of our students enjoying every aspect of the season, which had many highs and some lows. We look forward to doing it all again next year, and now we can begin planning for the Term 4 Summer season.
There are three Presentation Nights to celebrate all Waverley College Winter sporting teams, beginning from tonight. Thank you to those who have purchased tickets. Please be reminded of details below:
As mentioned during the week, Armidale Rugby Tour Trials for 2024 will take place next week.
It is confirmed that the trials will take place on Wednesday, 16 and Thursday, 17 August during Periods 5 and 6.
Mr Olds (Prep 1st Coach) and Mr McKimm (11As Coach) will undertake the trials. Please be informed that students trialling will be dismissed from Waverley Park on both days at 3pm.
The cost of the tour this year was $440 per student to attend. This gives families a rough idea what to expect and to plan ahead if your son is selected in the team.
If you haven’t already done so, please click the button below to complete the Google form if your son is interested in trialling for the upcoming 2024 tour.
Click here to view and complete the Armidale Rugby Trials permission
Shot Put and Discus trials for the upcoming IPSHA Athletics Carnival will be undertaken next Thursday, 17 August 7:30am – 8:15am at Queens Park. Once completed, students will be walked to the Junior School to begin the school day. Students trialing can arrive in their PE uniform and remain in it for the day.
Please click the button below to complete the Google form if your son is interested in trialing for Shot Put and Discus, with the opportunity to make the IPSHA team and train with the Senior Track & Field squads.
Click here to view and complete the Shot Put and Discus Trials permission
Charlie Draper and his Basketball team won the State Cup, a Basketball tournament held on the Central Coast last weekend.
It was an incredible experience! The team has been undefeated throughout the whole representative season and again across the weekend, winning 20 from 20 games!
A significant achievement, congratulations Charlie and his team.
Mr Jack Wachtel
Assistant Director of Co-curricular Years 5-8
jwachtel@waverley.nsw.edu.au
NO Home Learning Tuesday, 15 August
We offer all students in Year 5 and Year 6 the opportunity to receive free additional support after school to complete 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.
Teachers
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.
It was a privilege to have Philip Gartland as our guest speaker on Friday. Philip Gartland, the father of Aidan Gartland (Year 5), is the Director of Stonebridge Property Group, one of Australia’s leading retail, development site and commercial property agency.
He provided the Junior School boys with knowledge about the commercial real estate industry and his position as a business owner. Philip had the boys captivated with his wealth of knowledge about the industry and the figures of some recent retail sales.
There is a long list of students who want to do work experience with Stonebridge in their later years of study, and we appreciate you taking the time to encourage the Waverley boys to dream big. You made a significant impact on the students.
We often hear from families, students, teachers and Old Boys that Waverley has a lovely community feel. Hence the decision this year to invite Richard Simpkin, Waverley Old Boy and father of Ollie (Year 5), to open our Book Week celebrations with a presentation on Monday, 21 August.
Richard will share motivational stories, writing advice, and the value of reading to the boys.
Richard’s current series, The Aussie Big Achievers, are a fun and educational way for children to learn about some of Australia’s most interesting and inspiring people who have helped shape our nation. Each book encourages children to always believe in themselves and never give up on their dreams.
If you would like to purchase books for your son or children, click the button below:
Click here to view Richard's books!
Richard will be happy to sign copies after his presentation.
An essential aspect of supporting your son with his reading is to allow him to make his own book choices. The Pop-up Bookshop will be running in Term 3 Week 6. This year I would like to introduce a new sustainable and cost-effective Pop-up Bookshop.
If you would like to help with this initiative I would like you to donate pre-loved books that will be sold a very reduced amount. The amount raised will be donated to one of the Edmund Rice foundations.
The books can be dropped off at the Learning Hub in Week 5.
Topic: That teachers are better than AI
Last week the debaters were faced with tough competition and an equally tough topic in their debate against the students from Cranbrook. Both Waverley teams put forward strong arguments and presented their cases clearly, and were firm in their rebuttal of the Cranbrook team’s cases.
The boys did themselves and Waverley College very proud with one win and one loss. A huge thank you to the parents/carers for their continued support in transporting the students to their away debates.
The teams are now preparing with the support of their debating mentors, Nick Zanapalis and Thomas Jackson-Whitlock, for their last debate against St Catherine’s and a Debating Gala Day later in the Term at Mount Sinai College.
Ms Natasha Zivanovic
Teacher of Literacy & Innovation
nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au
In our English class this Term, we have been studying one of Lance Balchin’s fiction texts, Mechanica. Set in the year 2203, Mechanica focuses on the extinction of wildlife due to the environment becoming polluted; causing uninhabitable areas around the world. A new style of wildlife to replace the old was designed, engineered and formed called Mechanica.
The 5 White boys have enthusiastically delved into the author’s background and have practiced using a range of comprehension strategies to analyse and annotate each species.
To enhance our understanding of Mechanica, we have partaken in a variety of tasks. One of our favourite activities was our Animal Fact File posters that are now displayed around our classroom. Each of us had the opportunity to choose a real life animal to research and also to design our own Mechanica version of that animal.
Check out some of the fact file posters below!
Another fun task that we did this week during Visual Arts was a Mechanica self portrait. Our instruction was to look through the text in search of ideas on how to draw our faces with mechanical engineering components. We had fun listening to music and drawing our portraits together!
Ms CJ Tweedie
Classroom Teacher 5 White
ctweedie@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Two of our College Psychologists, Ms Dawn Young and Ms Samantha Jessen, attended a workshop last week run by Catholic Schools NSW and the National Centre for Childhood Grief (NCCG) about grief in the school setting. Unfortunately, our school community is not immune from the impact of grief, and we have continued to hear about and support those going through significant loss.
The experience of grief is one that all of us will go through at some stage in our lives. Despite this however, grief is rarely spoken about effectively, and a lot of us won’t know what to say when we learn that someone close to us has suffered a great loss. At times, this means we might avoid talking about grief, and even avoid the bereaved person altogether, which can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness.
If we ourselves are impacted by grief, our study/work, socialisation, physical and of course mental health can all be significantly impacted. This workshop has been a timely reminder to bring to your awareness the services offered here at Waverley College and in the wider community.
It is very important that each Waverley College student seeks support when they experience grief and loss; the College community is here to provide support in the best way we can. We encourage students to reach out if their family is going through a difficult time. We are here to offer support which may look like a chat with our College Psychologists or simply organising a safe space where students can take a break throughout the day.
Within our community, the NCCG offers free counselling for bereaved children aged to 3-17 years old (face-to-face or Telehealth options). Access to the service is self-referred (no GP referral needed) by calling 1300 654 556. Additionally, Psychology services are available for students at Waverley College. Feel free to reach out to the Wellbeing Team or your Head of House for further information.
Junior School Psychologists
Senior School Psychologists
Dear fathers, grandfathers and significant men in the lives of Waverley College students
Please join us to celebrate Father’s Day where you can enjoy a light breakfast with your Senior School sons. Any Junior School siblings are most welcome to attend and can be taken to school at the conclusion of the breakfast.
Date: Friday, 1 September
Time: 8am – 8:45am
Venue: Cosgrove Basketball Court (entrance via Birrell Street)
*Please RSVP by Monday, 28 August 2023
Parenting a tween/teen and navigating these crucial years is like riding a roller coaster – full of thrills, chills and sometimes a little nausea. With life throwing countless challenges their way, there is one trait that can help them thrive – resilience.
In his article Raising Resilient Teens, Daniel Merzer delves into five practical strategies to empower parents/carers to nurture resilience, wellbeing and tenacity in their child to enable them to thrive.
Click here to view the article
To celebrate two great annual events on the Australian educational calendar – National Book Week (Week 6) and Science Week (Week 5) – the library will be combining forces to promote both with our mega book giveaway competition.
We have 11 books to give away (one per family) in total worth $279.00.
*In 25 words or less, tell us your memorable science memories or moments.
We will share the winners and responses in future Nurrunga editions! We are hoping to get lots of entries.
Email your entries to librarystaff@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Good Luck!
Beyond DNA
Benjamin Oldroyd
NEW! Out September 2023
$35.00
Made by Humans
Ellen Broad
$29.99
The Weather Obsession
Lawrie Zion
$29.99
A Hostile Beauty
Alistair Dermer and Danielle Wood
$69.99
Little Species, Big Mystery
Debbie Argue
$39.99
When Galaxies Collide
Lisa Harvey-Smith
$19.99
The Advocates
Robyn Gulliver and Jill L Ferguson
$34.99
Sunburnt Country
Joëlle Gergis
$34.99
Name that Flower: The Identification of Flowering Plants
Ian Clarke and Helen Lee
$39.99
My Forests
Janine Burke
$39.99
Backyard Insects Updated Edition
Paul Horne, Denis Crawford
The Science Department are excited to announce the Waverley Scientists of Science Week Competition!
Students from Years 5-12 are asked to record themselves undertaking an experiment at home and explaining the scientific concept behind it in a fun and engaging way.
Prizes will be awarded to a winners from both the Junior and Senior Campus.
The Science Department are looking forward to celebrating Science Week with you!
Click here for the Week 4 Newsletter
Please see me if you require any further assistance or information.
Ms Kath Knowles
Senior Studies & Careers Coordinator
kknowles@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Dear Students, Parents and Carers,
Please find below the schedule for the Year 12 Tutorials in Term 3, Week 5.
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 |
| Tuesday, 15 August 2023 | Visual Arts | 3:30pm – 5pm | C13 | Turnbull |
| Wednesday, 16 August 2023 | Standard Mathematics | 7:30am – 8:30am | E23 | Riley |
|
Thursday, 17 August 2023
|
Spanish | 3:30pm – 5pm | W25 | Quintana |
| Standard Mathematics | 7:30am – 8:30am | E33 | Cornish | |
| Design and Tech | 7:30am – 8:30am | T04 | Spargo | |
| Friday, 18 August 2023 | Hospitality | 7.30am – 8.30am | TF1 | McCarthy |
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
Waverley library is running a free HSC program over two evenings to help students to prepare for their exams.
The teachers will stay a couple of hours after the lectures to answer last-minute questions.
The Library will be open on those days until 12am.
Parking, security and food will be provided.
Waverley Library is located at 32-48 Denison Street Bondi Junction.
Bookings essential.
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
