Today is the last day of HSC ATAR exams for our Year 12s. Each day for the past four weeks, they have attended both morning and afternoon examinations for their respective subjects. We wish them all the very best as they now wait for their results and take the opportunity for a well-earned break, and perhaps a Christmas holiday job before starting their respective course next year.
We were honoured to have Christian Brother Frank O’Shea speak to the students at Assembly this week, and talk about his life’s work. From setting up Edmund Rice Camps for struggling Australian children 40 years ago, to working in Tonga, South Sudan, Rwanda, Tanzania, and finally to Kenya where he was the Director of the Ruben Centre for 10 years. Frank has sought to make a difference in each community, learning their language and assisting with education and health programs.
The Ruben Centre is a non-profit, faith-based organisation striving for an empowered and just Mukuru community, by providing quality education, health, financial and social services to children and families in the area.
Run by the Christian Brothers African Province, it is one of eight Christian Brothers project sites across Africa, and offers a vital source of community development programs to the residents of one of the largest slums in Nairobi.
Frank’s stories were inspirational and certainly touched many of the boys’ hearts within the room.
On Tuesday night, I attended the inaugural Choral and Chamber Music Concert in the War Memorial Chapel, featuring the College Choir, Chamber Choir, Cantores, Jazz Band A, Saxophone Ensemble, Clarinet Ensemble, Brass Ensemble, String Ensemble, Guitar Ensembles and soloists.
The evening was a great success showcasing the amazing musical talent of our students to their parents, carers and friends. Congratulations to everyone involved, the quality of music was very impressive.
Special thanks goes to Ms Jaz Dolso, Mr Chris Balkizas, Ms Michelle Rollins, Mr Daniel Williams, Ms Keiran Kossenberg and our peripatetic staff.
We hope parents/carers gained some good insights from drug and alcohol expert Paul Dillon this week. Paul is the founder of Drug and Alcohol Research Training Australia (DARTA) and has worked in drug education for over 25 years.
Paul gave some great insights on adolescent usage of drugs and alcohol, and in particular the current state of vaping in schools around Australia. Paul was also impressive in his delivery of effective strategies for parents/carers in managing their sons with appropriate conversations and seeking support.
His knowledge of the range of issues facing young people today is strongly evidence based and well-researched. We will be inviting Paul back again in 2023, and would encourage as many parents/carers as possible to be a part of his vital presentations, that are critical to young people’s wellbeing.
For any parents/carers who missed this presentation, Paul has a number of presentations and podcasts on his website.
Click here to view the website of Paul Dillon
I congratulate Year 9 student Constantine Iatrou on his letter to the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese.
Subject: Antibiotic Resistance
The Honourable Anthony Albanese MP. Prime Minister
Dear Sir,
The problem of antibiotic resistance worldwide has become urgent and dire.
Please massively fund our CSIRO to research and develop a new generation of powerful antibiotics.
This would alleviate the great suffering of humanity, as did the original development of Penicillin by the research team of the renowned Australian Nobel Laureate, Howard Florey.
Yours sincerely,
Constantine Iatrou (Year 9 Student)
Congratulations to Year 10 student Lachlan Miranda, who was chosen to attend the inaugural Civics and Citizenship Convention at NSW Parliament House on Thursday (27 October), as one of 30 students from across all of NSW. He represented the College with distinction.
During the day, Lachlan listened to guest speakers from universities across Australia, arguing the nuances of Australian voting and how the voting system can be improved. The day concluded with the student communique (declaration) affirmed by the President of the Australian Senate (Canberra) Senator the Hon. Sue Lines live from Canberra.
The following three Waverley Old Boys send their best wishes to the College from their Wallaby Training base in France whilst on the spring tour – Sam Talakai: Tighthead Prop (Class of 2010), Jed Hollaway: Lock (Class of 2010) and Ben Donaldson: Fly Half (Class of 2017).
Wallabies Spring Tour in France – Sam Talakai, Jed Holloway, Ben Donaldson
Tuesday, 8 November will be the last day of class for Year 10 students.
There will be visitors on our campus next week. If you see them, do make them feel welcome.
From Monday, 7 November, there will be a Student-Based Tutoring (SBT) Program in the Senior School Library.
The senior students will run this Program, which will operate from Monday – Thursday, 3:30pm – 4:30pm.
The goal of SBT is to create a space where students excel, and can meet their academic goals with the assistance of senior students. This program is free of charge and runs out of the generous hearts of the senior students.
From now on, the Library will be students’ one-stop-shop for academic aid. Furthermore, it will be an environment where they can focus and reach their academic potential.
SBT is here to stay, so students, take full advantage of this opportunity! We hope to see some of you in the Library in the future.
Please note:
Jack Preller (Year 12)
Ms Elizabeth Watson
Deputy Principal, Teaching & Learning
ewatson@waverley.nsw.edu.au
We’re excited to announce that Elevate Education’s next free webinar will take place on Wednesday, 9 November.
Elevate Education works with our students, delivering high-impact workshops on study skills, motivation, wellbeing, and exam preparation.
By tuning into their webinar series, you will learn how you can help better support your children at home, through reinforcing the skills they learn at school:
In this webinar, Elevate will show parents and carers:
Current Parents/Carers and Students of Years 9 and 10, are invited to an Immersion Information Night on Tuesday, 15 November in the PAC, starting at 6pm, if they are interested in participating in any Immersions in 2023.
At the moment, we are currently organising immersions for Timor-Leste, Fiji and Red Earth Cape York. All information regarding costing and expected itineraries, will be discussed on the night.
These wonderful formation opportunities are a privilege to be part of, as we work to build relationships with the communities we visit. As such, places will be limited, and students will need to undergo an interview process for selection.
I look forward to having students take up these life-changing experiences and hope to see you there.
Ms Sue Walsh
Director of Identity & Student Formation
swalsh@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Early this week Waverley was privileged to hear Christian Brother Frank O’Shea from the Ruben Centre in Kenya, speak at our Senior School assembly. His engaging presentation was based on his life’s journey over the past 50 years.
During this time, he has served with marginalised children and adults in Tonga, South Sudan, Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya, particularly in the areas of healthcare, education and infrastructure.
At its conclusion, he strongly encouraged Waverley students to consider the “power of one.” Noting that anything is possible, if they seek to be “men for others” and strive throughout their lives to make a difference.
We thank brother Frank for his inspirational example, and hope that all the young men of Waverley will aspire to this mission.
Christian Brother Frank O’Shea, Jason Bongers (School Engagement Officer, Edmund Rice Foundation), School Captain, Lachlan Grant
Ms Sue Walsh
Director of Identity & Student Formation
swalsh@waverley.nsw.edu.au
One article in this week’s SMH, Good Weekend, caught my attention. The bold headline “Did Tolstoy really need 783 pages to get Anna Karenina to the train station?” (this story is part of the 29 October edition of Good Weekend), seemed to challenge all that we know about “The Classics.” I mean, who is brave enough to question a GOAT writer?
The author, Tim Elliott, went on to write: “As with any art, taste in books is hopelessly subjective, and not just among readers, but among ages: who hasn’t revisited a favourite book years after reading it, only to wonder what you liked about it in the first place?”
I am definitely guilty of this. Reading certain books because we are told we should, doesn’t always work.
In Week 3, many Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 students (and myself), participated in a reading survey coordinated by Mr Bill Roberts and run by Deakin University entitled “Discovering a ‘Good Read’: Pathways to Reading for Australian Teens in a Digital Age.”
The purpose of this research project resonates deeply; music to the ears of teachers and parents/carers of teenage boys.
“This project aims to support the school, library, and book industries to increase teenagers’ recreational reading. Matching the right book to the right reader is essential to increase young people’s motivation to read. Expected outcomes include strategies that libraries, schools, and the book industry can use to promote Australian content for young adults, and equip young people to participate more fully in the social and economic benefits of pleasure reading.”
The tragic readers among us are already well aware of the benefits of reading for enjoyment, apart from the academic and social benefits.
According to Alex Quigley, author of Closing the Reading Gap, “Reading in 2022 is seen as something that happens in the Library, in English class, after other work is done, a kind of pleasurable bolt-on, like some sort of academic ice-cream treat.”
Have we as a society lost sight of the joy of reading for pleasure?
These are concerns many of us share at the College and so we have made it our goal, not only to encourage our students to engage in reading for pleasure, but to ensure that students recognise this joy for themselves.
How we do that will be directly informed by the data from the Deakin University survey. I extend a sincere ‘Thank you’ to the boys who participated actively and responded truthfully.
Stay tuned for the results.
In the meantime, here are three suggestions for students to simply sit back and enjoy, right now.
Is sharing your Netflix password with a friend, stealing?
What is the difference between an obligation and a responsibility?
Is the betterment of society as a whole, more important than the life of the individual?
Imagine a competition where questions like these, questions with several alternative solutions, all with challenging and problematic aspects, are proposed and you have three minutes to structure a competitive presentation that persuades a judging panel that your perspective is the most logical and insightful approach to solving a significant ethical dilemma.
Our middle school students demonstrated incredible grit and tenacity yesterday, working in teams of five to present their collaborative proposals to a global panel of high-profile judges at the Middle School Ethics Olympiad. From Harvard, New York to Cambridge, England, the judges engaged the teams in post presentation Q&As to enable students to examine complex ideas, to determine the validity of possible creative solutions.
Our teams stayed calm and answered each question thoughtfully and collaboratively, showing significant ability to evaluate information and arguments, quickly and succinctly.
Our teams demonstrated an outstanding ability to work collaboratively across different year groups, ensuring the maximisation of their individual character strengths to complement their overall team dynamics.
On the Waverley Orange Team, Henry Goldrich demonstrated significant leadership qualities to guide group discussion and express innovative ideas and solutions. Lachlan Chalmers knew how to keep his cool under pressure, providing logical and insightful ideas to lead the team’s approach. Alexander Avdalis complemented his team as a mighty public speaker, shaping the team’s argument and leading the presentation to ensure clarity and impact.
As senior members of the team, Dominic Scholfield and Zoltahn Szabo lead with confidence. Dominic’s mature approach to the cases revealed his nuanced understanding of the complexity of ethics, and Zoltahn could be relied upon to conclude the Team’s presentation with energy and charisma.
Evan Service was called up as a reserve on the day and did not disappoint; this piano virtuoso juggled music rehearsals and Olympiad responsibilities to cement his place on the team as a creative and critical thinker, whose insight and public speaking skills rendered him invaluable to the Team’s success.
Talent was equally high on our Waverley Red Team. Kayden Barker and Yannick Hott cemented themselves as dynamic school leaders, turning ideas into action with empathy and integrity. Isaac Occhiuto led the team’s presentations with his skilful introductory capabilities setting the tone for the Team’s outstanding visions.
In a competition that relies on cognitive recall, Leo Owen’s broad general knowledge informed the perspective of the team, and ensured the validity of their well-informed argument against other competitive teams.
Toby Johnson’s ability to wrap up the Team’s argument became an iconic consolidation of the Team’s vision, leaving a lasting impression on the judges of Waverley’s grit and tenacity.
The collaboration of the students is to be commended, working interdependently as strong teams. They were a credit to the College, receiving praise from the judges for their teamwork and maturity.
It takes a village to ensure wonderful opportunities like this, run smoothly. Our thanks to Ms Lauren Ryan, for her precise administration coordination, Ms Nina Kormanyos and the canteen team, for providing the students with a delicious morning tea and lunch, and the magnificent Mr Bill Roberts for co-leading and coaching the Red Team.
2023 is set to be a promising year for our Waverley Ethletes!
Waverley hosted St Aloysius’ in our first full Summer home round last weekend, and we had some excellent results as well as some disappointments that come with playing sport.
The 1sts Basketball 109-107 win in double overtime was a great lesson in perseverance.
The 1st XI Cricket were also just as impressive, with the 10th wicket partnership between Conor Andrews and Toby McDonald for around 70 runs, one the highlights, along with Matthew Frost’s 4 wickets.
Our 2nds Basketball are two from two, and I also want to congratulate Will Livissianis on his outstanding 114no for the 9As Cricket team.
Incredible achievement for Will Livissianis – 9A Cricket
Our 1sts Water Polo played their first ever home game at St Catherine’s on the weekend, and despite narrowly losing to Riverview, gave a strong account.
1sts Water Polo
Congratulations also to Josh Ballard (Year 9), recently selected in the Australian U15 Oztag side.
This week we are away to Cranbrook, and I want to remind all students and spectators of the expectations, particularly around uniform.
Any students wanting to attend the Friday night fixture for 1sts and 2nds Basketball at the new Cranbrook Gym, will only be permitted entry if they are in full summer College uniform.
Any students who are supporting on Saturdays, can be either in full uniform or full Waverley sports attire.
We also need to ensure we are supporting Waverley players only, and not engaging with the opposition.
It is great to see Waverley Old Boys continue to shine in a number of areas, including 2022 1st XV Captain AJ Preketes, who recently played for the Rebels against the U19 Waratahs.
We also recently have a number of Old Boys playing in the Rugby League World Cup, including Davvy Moale for the Cook Islands, and Luca Morretti for Italy.
Waverley Old Boys continue to do us proud. L to R: Clem Halaholo, Charlie Worthington, AJ Preketes and Fritz Jahnke-Tavana
With only a couple of weeks of summer activities to go, it is really important for all students to finish the year strong. I encourage all students to continue working on their fitness and skills in the upcoming holidays, ready to go for the start of the 2023 College year.
On Saturday, 29 October, the Waverley 1st V faced a tough matchup against St Aloysius.’ It was an incredible battle, which resulted in a victory for Waverley in Double Overtime, with the final score being 109-107.
Once again, the 1sts had a slow start to the game and Aloys’ came out on fire in the first and second quarter, however, thanks to Tom Gleeson and Marko Rangan, the students were able to make a run, and close out the lead to 6 during half time.
Up until the 4th quarter, Aloys’ held a 10-point lead which the students weren’t able to track down, no matter the efforts. However, late in the 4th, led by miracle 3-pointers by Marley Henare and Sergeij Jakovljevic, Waverley closed the lead, and was able to push the game into overtime, finishing 83-all after regular time.
However, Waverley was not able to contain Aloys’ and the team was pushed into another overtime. Finally, Waverley prevailed, and the game ended with some saving defensive efforts by Oscar Walters-Green and Wylie Durrans.
The students will face off against Cranbrook at Cranbrook on Friday this week, which will undoubtedly be a true thriller to watch.
Before the 1st V faced off, the Waverley 2nd V faced off against St Aloysius’ to try to secure their second win, in their run to go undefeated this season. It was a controlling win which was much deserved.
From the jump, the students played incredible defence, and executed on offence led by Aren Yaghoubian, Eden Byrd and Toby Longmire. The lead was extended at half time, and the students were able to maintain a 15-point lead going into the last quarter.
Waverley continued to display a dominant stance on defence, led by Dom Smith and Ashar Te Rata, and extended their lead to 23, with the final score being 55-32.
Now with some momentum, the 2nd V will also face off against Cranbrook next Friday, to try to secure their third win of the season.
The Waverley 10As played a close game which came down to the last second, but unfortunately didn’t fall their way in the end. The students were led by Kayden Baker, Rory Donnellan and Mati Falaniko, the final score being 51-53.
Waverley 9As were dominant in their win, with particularly strong games from Angus Peshos, Solomon Penitani and Xavier Koster. The final score was 52-33.
The 8As played a hard-fought game but were unfortunately defeated in the end. The group was led by the defensive and offensive presence of Dominic Dametto, Aiden Giusti and Philip Falaniko. The students fell short, the final score reading 38-52.
Good luck to all our players who will be playing Cranbrook, a tough opponent, on Saturday.
Daniel Palacio
Captain of Basketball
Round 2 delivered some great results for Waverley Basketball, with the most exciting being the 1st V’s thrilling, nail-biting 2-point win in double overtime against last season’s co-premiers, and still a very good St Aloysius’ team.
The 1st V never led at any stage during the game, and at one stage were 16-points adrift, only managing to draw equal with less than 12-seconds left on the game clock. It was neck and neck for both overtime periods, with Waverley’s victory not assured until the final second, when St Aloysius’ frantically scrambled under desperate defensive pressure by the 1st V, to put up shots which were either blocked or missed their target.
This was a very memorable win and potentially season-defining moment. Congratulations to both the players and coaching staff.
The 2nd V also enjoyed a great win, leading from the start and moving out to a 22-point lead at one stage. It was a dominant performance by Waverley who is undefeated, and now faces a Cranbrook side that has also defeated Knox by a small margin.
Special thanks go to the parents/carers of the 1st V and 2nd V, who hosted the first post-game luncheon in two years. It was a bountiful feast that certainly impressed all in attendance. Thank you to Anne Gleeson and Tony Gleeson for their efforts in organising this.
Waverley was victorious in the majority of its games with the following teams winning: 3rd V (56-26), 9th V (46-13), 10th V (48-23), 10C (34-33), 10E (40-24), 10F (45-33), 10G (51-14), 10H (18-11), 9A (52-33), 9B (40-27), 9C (42-34), 9D (32-26), 9G (26-16), 9H (24-7), 8C (27-26), 8D (32-24), and 8E (25-21) with the 5th V (44-all) and 7th V (37-all) drawing their games.
The Supporters’ Club BBQ has been running for the past three Saturdays, feeding many hungry and happy players and their parents/carers. In the past, funds raised by the Supporters’ Club have helped to pay for Basketball equipment, including scoreboards, shot clocks, backboards and rims.
Thanks to Rachael Smith and Glenn Smith for their wonderful efforts in running the BBQ over the past three weeks. It has also been great to see further support from other parents/carers over the past two weeks.
If you are able to help out for one hour on a Saturday when your son plays at Waverley, please contact Rachael Smith at rachael_gray@hotmail.com. It would be enormously appreciated.
Good luck to all teams this week against Cranbrook!
Congratulations to the 1st XI, 9A, and 8A in defeating St Aloysius’ College in Round 2 of CAS Cricket.
The 2nd XI, 10A, 9/10B, 8B and 8C all went down in narrow losses, despite some outstanding individual performances from play on Day 1.
One of the highlights from the weekend, was seeing Fred Robertson (9A) back up in the field for the 1st XI after Jack George was unexpectedly injured. Fred led the way with his constant high energy, as the 1st XI sought to claim the outright points on offer.
Unfortunately, despite the Waverley tail wagging with Toby McDonald and Connor Andrews being our top scorers, a flat pitch made it difficult for Waverley to move the ball around and close out the second innings.
My personal standout team from Saturday was the mighty 8C who unluckily went down to Shore, on the final ball of the match. Waverley had Shore tied down for all but one ball, of the last two overs. Unfortunately, the Shore batsman just got enough toe on the last ball, to push it through extra cover on a downhill slope that turned, what looked like a mishit, into four runs.
However, it was the manner in which the Waverley students huddled around their teammates and kept their heads held high, which struck me the most. Those who were disappointed, were quickly greeted with the true Waverley values of encouragement and positivity.
Lastly, congratulations to William Livissianis of the 9A (115*) and Henry Read of the 8A (57*) on outstanding batting performances. The ongoing commitment to the College’s Cricket program from both students is recognised, and is a reflection of their dedication to continual improvement.
On Saturday, the 1st XI won their first game of the season, after a convincing win against St Aloysius’ at Queens Park.
After winning the toss and electing to bowl, we wasted no time, and picked up some early wickets to set the tempo for the game. The opening bowlers, Matt Frost and Toby McDonald worked in tandem to create pressure, which ultimately led to the fall of the Aloysius’ top order.
After some tight bowling and help from the pitch, we finished the 1st Innings with bowling Aloysius’ all out for 104 in 55 overs. Special mention to Matt Frost who topped the bowling figures, with an impressive 4/26 off 11 overs.
We continued with the aggressive tempo in our first batting innings, with a few boundaries off the first over. The whole team chipped in with some runs to chase down the 104 total in 46 overs, and ended the day with a win.
In the beginning of play of Day 2, our tail end put in a massive effort to bring our lead up to 119. Credit to Connor Andrews (38*) and Toby McDonald (28), who combined for an 11th wicket partnership of 66.
During lunch it was great to have our 1st XI support Will Livissianis, who scored 115* in the 9As. Will scored his 115 off 91 balls, with 13 fours and 4 sixes.
After getting all out for 223, we headed back in with the task of getting quick wickets in order to win outright. We went through seven different bowlers, and we finally found some success in Toby McDonald, who picked up back-to-back wickets.
We threw everything we had at them, but unfortunately the hot day and flat wicket was a field day for the batsmen. Stumps was called early, and we finished Round 2 with 6 points. A special thanks to young Fred Robertson from the 9As, who fielded 55 overs for us. His chat in the field never failed to bring the energy up.
Alfred Robertson of 9A celebrates with the 1st XI
Please see me if you require any further assistance or information.
Ms Kath Knowles
Senior Studies & Careers Coordinator
kknowles@waverley.nsw.edu.au
“Everything has been entrusted to our protection, and all of us are responsible for it. Be protectors of God’s gifts!” Pope Francis’ inaugural Mass homily.
National Recycling Week runs from 7 – 13 November this year, and the theme is ‘Waste isn’t Waste until it’s Wasted.’ This is Planet Ark’s flagship campaign, run every year in the second week of November.
Its aim is to educate and empower people to do the right thing when they place an item in a bin. The campaign also focuses on reducing, recycling and reusing. Reducing our consumption is the first step to reducing the amount of waste we produce.
At assembly next week, members of the Students of the World Ecology Group will speak to all students and staff about the importance of recycling correctly, not just for National Recycling Week, but every day.
Through our positive collaboration and connection with Waverley Council, they have kindly provided Waverley College students, staff and families with a way to further support National Recycling Week.
They are hosting a free 30-minute Recycling 101 webinar on Thursday, 10 November, 6pm.
This webinar was designed to debunk some recycling myths and provide quick and easy tips on how to recycle more and better.
Whether you are a recycling legend or a recycling renegade, join this 30-minute session with Lottie Dalziel, sustainability expert, founder of Banish and Waverley resident!
Remember…Waste isn’t Waste until it’s Wasted.
Reserve Your Webinar Spot Here
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
