Well done to all students and coaches on the first full round of summer co-curricular activities last weekend. We had some great performances in a number of activities.
Our 1st XI Cricket were successful in gaining first innings points against St Aloysius’ in an excellent bowling and fielding performance, and can now hopefully quickly amass a challenging total for the second part of their two-day match this weekend. Our 1sts Touch Football side also had a comprehensive victory against Trinity, 9-4.
1st XI
Sun Protection, Regular Hydration and Correct Attire
With some warming temperatures this coming weekend, it is really important all students are taking appropriate measures around sun protection and regular hydration. We still have a few students in the incorrect attire on weekends, and all students need to ensure they are properly attired for all fixtures.
Waverley drink bottles are available to purchase from our onsite Uniform Shop
NSW Football Squads Selection
I would also like to congratulate Jacob Rae (U14) and Sandy Zaverdinos (U15) on their recent selection in the NSW Football squads.
Correct Procedures for Absence or Leave
I would also like to remind all parents and carers of the correct procedures regarding absence or leave.
If a student is ill or injured and cannot participate in weekend activities, we require a medical certificate. This absence can be lodged through the Waverley College App parent portal.
If a student requires leave, leave requests must be emailed directly to me and not submitted through the App please.
2nd V Basketball
CAS Codes of Conduct Reminder
I would also like to remind all members in the College community of the importance of the CAS codes of Conduct for players, parents, carers, coaches and spectators:
Players
Play by the rules and in a spirit of good sportsmanship.
Play for the “fun of it” and not just to please parents and coaches.
Control your temper. Verbal abuse of officials or other players, deliberately fouling or provoking an opponent, and throwing equipment, are not acceptable nor permitted in any sport.
Work hard, both for yourself and your team. Your team’s performance will benefit, so will you.
Treat all players as you would like to be treated. Do not interfere with, bully or take unfair advantage of another player.
Co-operate with your coach, team mates and opponents. Without them, there would be no game.
In the event of a player, or athlete being sent-off during a CAS fixture, it is the responsibility of that boy’s Headmaster at his discretion, to determine the penalty. It is generally understood among Headmasters, however, that the boy will serve at least one week’s suspension from participating in the CAS competition.
Parents
Focus upon the boy’s efforts and performance, rather than the overall outcome of the game. This assists the boy in setting realistic goals related to his ability, by reducing emphasis on winning.
Teach your son that an honest effort is as important as victory, so that the result of the game is accepted without undue disappointment.
Encourage your son to always play according to the rules of the game.
Never ridicule or yell at your son or another boy for making a mistake or losing a game.
Remember boys are involved in organised sports for their benefit and enjoyment, not yours.
Remember, children learn best from example. Applaud good play by both teams.
If you disagree with an official, raise the issue through the appropriate channels rather than question the official’s judgement and honesty in public. Remember, most officials give their time and effort voluntarily, for your son’s benefit.
Support all efforts to remove verbal and physical abuse from sporting activities.
Recognise the value and importance of coaches. They give their time and resources to provide recreational activities for your son and other boys, and deserve your support.
Spectators
We encourage boys to support their school teams and to be dressed in the school’s uniform while doing so.
We expect barracking to be enthusiastic, but not to be fanatical or designed to heckle, belittle or disturb the opponents. For example, barracking, for or against, during a kick at goal is always bad sportsmanship. Boys should be encouraged to barrack for their school, rather than for an individual team member. Booing, whistling, playing or beating musical instruments are in bad taste and wholly unacceptable.
Vocal support for any team should never encourage violence or rough or illegal play.
Encroaching onto the field of play, the shouting out of suggestions for players, referees or umpires to hear, are not allowed.
It is never acceptable to express disapproval of a referee’s or umpire’s decision – no matter whether the referee be adult or schoolboy.
There is a complete ban on all alcoholic drinks at grounds where games between Associated Schools’ teams are being played.
We expect our players to be modest in success and generous in defeat, not showing in either case undue emotion. Good play, by your own school and by the opposing school, should be applauded willingly and openly.
At all times, spectators should leave the area tidy and free of rubbish when they leave.
We look to adults (parents, carers, Old Boys and other spectators), to set an example by their self-control at matches.
Coaches
Students must perceive that the sporting program of the School is consistent with the educational aims of the School’s Christian foundation. The part that coaches play in reinforcing this consistency, is in insisting on proper attitudes both on and off the field, and by making games attractive, safe and enjoyable for the students.
It is imperative that coaches have a clear understanding of the highest standards associated with amateur sportsmanship, and they must always be ready to combat those views widely expressed in the media that run counter to the spirit of the game.
Coaches should help students understand the fundamental philosophical differences between the games they play and professional games shown on television. The professional is an entertainer and a wage earner, whose play often reflects this fact.
Coaches should recognise that games are for enjoyment, and that satisfaction should come from participation in a team. Coaches should kindle in their players, on the one hand, a desire to win, which should motivate them towards excellence, and, on the other hand, a readiness to accept defeat.
Coaches should develop in their players respect for the ability of their opponents, as well as for the judgement of officials (ie umpires, referees and touch judges).
The home Coach/Manager should always welcome the visiting Coach, and encourage the Captain of the team to seek out the visiting Captain.
Coaches should be reasonable in their expectations of the players and in their demands on the players’ time and energy. They should be sensitive to the age, skill and physical maturity of their players.
Coaches should carry out their educational responsibility by acquainting their players thoroughly with the rules of the game, as these provide structure and order. For this reason, Coaches should continually update their knowledge of the game.
Coaches should support and encourage players. Feedback should be focused on the skill area and no personal derogatory remarks should be made.
Where it is permitted under the rules of the game, all coaching from the sidelines must be restrained, tactful, and infrequent, and substantially out of earshot of spectators. In all cases however, the role of the Coach should be understated rather than overstated.
Coaches should warn those players who are losing their composure and becoming too physical, and if necessary, remove them from the playing arena should such warnings not be heeded.
Leadership and responsibility on the part of the captain should be encouraged. Coaches should refrain from running every detail or interjecting from the sidelines. (It is acknowledged that traditions and practices differ between, say, Basketball on the one hand and, on the other, Cricket and Rugby.)
All coaches (and particularly those who are not on the teaching staff), should ensure that they are fully aware of the expectations and practices of the school in which they are coaching. Coaches should remember that school sport plays an important role in a boy’s education, and is for the benefit of boys rather than adults.
Coaches should not engage in excessive and ritual “psyching up” of a team.
If a match is lost, coaches should avoid giving the impression always that it could have been won if the team had played with more determination. (The opposition is sometimes just too skilful!) Similarly, coaches should avoid stating or giving the impression to players that bad refereeing decisions cost them the game.
Coaches should avoid any hint of criticising the umpiring or refereeing of a match – particularly in front of boys or parents.
A coach’s aim should be always to coach in such a way that boys are able to learn for themselves.
Coaches are to accept player safety as an essential priority and correct techniques are to be insisted upon. Under no circumstances are matches to start or to continue under conditions which a coach considers contentious, eg the absence of an appropriate umpire or referee; or an unsafe playing surface.
Coaches must notify their Sports Convenor if any student from a team is sent off. The student(s) must be supervised by a school official after being dismissed from the field, and disciplined subsequently according to the custom and practice of the member school. It is the general rule that students will be suspended for at least one game or similar penalty, as outlined by the rules for individual sports.
On Friday 21 October 2022, Peter Reismann, the grandfather of one of our Year 10 Waverley students, visited the College to present to Year 10 his experience of the Holocaust and subsequent life in Australia.
This invaluable presentation was part of the Year 10 History PBL task being undertaken this semester. Organised by Ms Zoe Fitzgerald, this incursion was one that the students thoroughly enjoyed and found practical application for their assignment.
On behalf of the History and English Departments, thank you to Peter for your memories, and thank you Zoe for organising such a valuable learning experience.
Peter Reismann
Mr Nicholas Brophy
Acting Head of History
E: nbrophy@waverley.nsw.edu.au
1sts
Saturday, 22 October was the 2022/2023 Basketball season opener, where Waverley’s 1st V faced off against Knox in a well-fought, intense battle up at Wahroonga. Unfortunately, Knox was able to beat Waverley 81 to 65.
It was a slow start to the game for Waverley, with Knox coming out firing in the first quarter and moving to a 32-17 lead. The students were then able to switch it on for the rest of the game, bringing Knox’s lead down to just 6 in the third quarter.
From then on, it was just point for point between the two teams until late in the fourth quarter, where Knox was able to run away and secure their first win of the season. Marko Rangan, Sergej Jakovlijevic and Harry Lee worked hard all game to give Waverley a fighting chance. The students will face off against Knox once more next year, where they hope to attain a victory.
2nds
Before the 1st V, Waverley’s 2nd V faced off against Knox for their season opener, where they went on to win in a well-deserved victory. Straight away from the jump ball, the students worked hard to gain an early lead, with the help of Aren Yaghoubian. They kept their lead for the rest of the game, as they continually tried building it up.
The third quarter was where they were really able to shine, and where they gained an 11-point lead with the help of Dom Smith’s defence. During the fourth quarter, Knox was able to come back to make it a 3-point game.
In the end, Waverley was just too good, and were able to secure their win over Knox with the final score 58 to 54. The win gives the 2nd V a confidence boost as they head into the second week of the CAS season.
10As
Waverley 10As faced off against Knox at Waverley in a close game which came down to the wire. Both teams fought hard, but unfortunately Waverley came up just short, with the final score 28 -34. The students were led well by Renato Rovacchi, Giles Strachan, and Mati Falaniko.
9As
Waverley’s 9As worked hard at home to secure an 8-point win over Knox. The students were led behind the star players Angus Peshos, Isaac Buchanan, and Jonte Garvey in their win, with the final score 32-24.
8As
The 8As had a nail-biting game against Knox, that came down to the final buzzer. The students continued to work hard till the final buzzer, but unfortunately came short by 4 points. They were led well by Aidan Giusti, Phil Falaniko and Hayden McAusland, with the final score 28 to 32.
Good luck to all players who will be facing off against St Aloysius’ this Saturday, where we hope to have wins across all age groups.
Tom Gleeson
Captain of 1sts
Wins, Losses and Draws
Saturday, 22 October saw the resumption of CAS Basketball, with Waverley up against perennial Basketball powerhouse, Knox Grammar. While our 1sts, unfortunately, were unable to come away with a win, our 2nd V posted a rousing 4-point win away at Knox, which is never an easy assignment. Both 1sts and 2nds face undefeated St Aloysius’ teams this week.
Waverley also enjoyed further wins across all age groups including 4th V (35-28), 6th V (32-24), 8th V (31-26), 9th V (34-32 against St Joseph’s), 10th V (31-10 against Newington), 10G (24-14), 9A (32-24), 9B (42-27), 9D (30-28), 9G (30-28), and 8C (31-27).
The 10Fs drew 25-all, while another 9 teams lost by 6 points or fewer.
Supporters’ Club BBQ
The Supporters’ Club BBQ is back up and running after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19. 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 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 greatly appreciated!
Good luck to all teams this week against St Aloysius’!
Weekly Careers Newsletter
Please see me if you require any further assistance or information.
Congratulations to all students who participated in the English ICAS Assessment this year. Waverley’s performance was strong and all students are commended for their efforts.
Merit awards are given to students who achieved within the top 50%, Credit awards are given to students who achieved within the top 25%, and Distinction awards are given to students who achieved within the top 10% of all students in Australia sitting the test.
Merit Awards
Year 7: Toby Johnson, Matthew Park, Evan Service
Year 9: Lieme Chan, Thomas Jackson-Whitlock
Credit Awards
Year 7: Loughlan Delaney, Christian Micallef, Leo Owen
Year 8: Lewis Hamilton
Year 10: James Birbas, Robbie Muir, Campbell Porteus
Distinction Awards
A special mention to Aodhan Williams who achieved a Distinction in the Year 10 ICAS English Assessment. Congratulations, Aodhan!
Accessing Your Child’s Results
Parents/carers can log in to the ICAS portal to access their child’s results using their individual TAP-ID and PIN which has been sent to them by ICAS.
The portal breaks the test down further into different sections which will give an interesting insight into different areas of strengths and weaknesses.
Throughout the academic year, the University of Sydney hosts a round-robin style debating competition for school students. Last Friday, Waverley debaters from Years 7, 8, and 9 participated.
The students were required to debate in three rounds, speaking for five minutes with only half an hour to prepare.
Teams
Year 7:Lachlan Chalmers, Henry Goldrich, Henry Fitzpatrick, Alex Avdalis, Carter Hughes, Conor Munro, Owen Lloyd-Jones
Year 8:Ben Darcy, Ethan Ooi, Ben Cromer, Mikayl Keshavarz
Year 9:James Peate, Oscar Danta, Nicholas Zanapalis, Lachlan Hoy
This was a fantastic experience for our junior debaters to practise their argumentative skills learnt during the winter season. All teams showed progress across the three rounds, with particular congratulations to the Year 9 team who won all three debates.
On Saturday, 15 October, Waverley students participated in the UN Youth public speaking competition: Voice. A unique competition, in that students are required to pitch a solution to given global issues such as aged care crisis, climate change, and public housing.
Waverley students Ewan McDonald, Charlie Murphy, James Peate, and Lachlan Miranda represented our College. All three students spoke confidently and presented innovative solutions to their chosen concern.
I congratulate Ewan, Charlie, James, and Lachlan on such a strong start to the public speaking season, and look forward to continuing to support them as they hone their rhetorical skills.
Given that many exciting things are scheduled for our Year 10 students – exams, service weeks and activity days, we kindly ask that all their textbooks are returned to Book Hire promptly.
If students can please ensure that they return their textbooks upon completion of their exams, that would be greatly appreciated.
Lastly, a friendly reminder that the Book Hire room is open Mondays to Thursdays 8am-4pm, however students are welcome to return their books on Fridays to the Senior library as an alternative.
Thank you in advance and wishing Year 10 best of luck for the upcoming exams!
The 1st XI claimed their first win of the season against St Aloysius’ College at Queens Park in the first two-day game of Term 4. Aloysius’ were sent into bat first, and were limited to a total of 104 due to an impressive performance with the ball by rookie and team favourite, Matthew Frost.
Frost proved that consistency is crucial in building pressure, as he went on to take 4/26 off 11 overs. Lucas Ryan provided the helping hand by taking an excellent diving catch in second slip. Waverley currently has a lead of 14 runs going into the second day, which was boosted by Hunter Eldrige’s 27, who was unfortunately run out. Congratulations to Mr Kroll and the team for their superb efforts on Saturday.
Waverley College Lunch
I would also like to acknowledge and thank all the parents/carers involved in putting on the famous Waverley College lunch for the 1st XI players. COVID-19 had restricted the College’s capacity to facilitate this lunch, and it was pleasing to see that as a cricket community, there is still a driving force of unity in organising this event.
Ultimately, these efforts as a community make the experience of playing 1st XI much more enjoyable for all the students. In particular, thank you to both the Hickey and Andrews families who have devoted their time in not only organising the lunch, but also embraced the many new parents/carers as members of our community.
Notable Performances
Furthermore, some other notable performances across the grounds included:
2nd XI – Freddie Le Vay – 43 runs
2nd XI – Euan Veale-Wright – 45 runs
2nd XI – Charles Coughlan – 52 runs
10A – Charlie Short – 4/13 off 12 overs
9A – Aidan Herlihy – 3/14 off 5 overs
Lastly, Lachlan Chalmers from the 8As bagged a hat trick playing club cricket for Randwick on Sunday, and definitely deserves a special mention. Lachlan’s performance is a reflection of his attentive approach to training and his respect for his team, including his coaches. Well done, Lachlan.
Diary Dates
Please find below key event dates you need to be aware of for the Junior School in Term 4. For all of the College events, please refer to the College calendar.
October
Wednesday, 26 October – Year 5 Y-Safe Presentation – Normal Uniform
Thursday, 27 October – Year 6 Y-Safe Presentation – Normal Uniform
November
Tuesday, 8 November – Year 6 Orientation Day – Senior School – Sports Uniform
Thursday, 17 November – Junior School Music Festival, PAC, 6pm – select students
Saturday, 19 November – Final Summer Co-Curricular round of sport
Friday, 25 November – Year 6 Graduation Mass – 1pm – Followed by a BBQ at Coogee organised by Class Parents
Friday, 25 November – Reports Home
Monday, 28 November – Year 6 Laptop Return
Tuesday, 29 November – Year 6 Celebration – Raging Waters
December
Thursday, 1 December – Years 5-8 Presentation Day – Academic Uniform
Thursday, 1 December – Classes Conclude
Today we had the pleasure of Reese Araujo leading the Junior School as the Director. Reese won this privilege through his incredible fundraising efforts at our Junior School Fun Run.
Our day began with an Assembly, where the teachers faced off in a game of Three Second Rule – Congratulations to Mr Steve Ghattaswho received two release periods for taking out the competition.
The students enjoyed being able to wear mufti, which included some very colourful costumes. An ice block, a free period, and a session where they wrote kind affirmations to teachers, all contributed to making it such a great day.
Probably the biggest decision Reese made was No Homework – Week 3. I have to say, this was probably one of his most popular calls on the day!
*There will be no Home Learning Club in Week 3.
Reese Araujo
Director of Junior School
Curriculum News
Welcome back to Term 4. I hope everyone had a wonderful and restful break. We have a very full and busy term ahead, which will include being able to celebrate your son’s academic achievements. This is also an important term with Semester 2 reports going home towards the end of term.
We will continue to motivate our students to keep working hard to achieve their goals, and to reach their full learning potential. Our students will be very busy with Summer sports starting, so it is important that you help your sons manage their time, and plan the week ahead to incorporate a balanced approach to training, home learning and assignments.
Below is the Curriculum Overview for Term 4. You will be able to see what your son will be learning in the classroom. It is clearly set out so that you can see the subject and the topics being taught across the curriculum.
Year 6 Graduation – Friday, 25 November 2022 – Save the Date!
Request for Photos Please
As part of the Year 6 Graduation, I will be putting together a slideshow presentation. I would be very appreciative if you could send through a photo of your son’s Kindergarten photo (or their first day of Kindergarten, or similar), as this will form part of the presentation.
Please email your labelled photo to liturgy@waverley.nsw.edu.au by no later than Friday Week 5. Picture format as a jpeg or png files would be preferred. Please do not send through pdf files.
Thank you.
Mr Steve Ghattas
Assistant Director of Identity & Student Formation
E: sghattas@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Summer Co-Curricular Sport
It was a picturesque day for our first round of Term 4 Summer sport last Saturday. Thank you to all parents who took on board the parent support announcement, it was wonderful to see and hear the amount of support given to our coaches. It was equally pleasing to see our students running around enjoying themselves, with zero chance of weather interruptions and ground closures.
Please click the button below to ensure you are up to date with fixtures and venue maps for Round 8 (Saturday, 22 October). Keep a close eye on the Waverley College app for any further adjustments due to weather conditions or ground closures.
Congratulations to the Wizards Basketball team who were runners up in the grand final for Easts Basketball League 12A’s Season 3 2022, which was played on the last weekend of school/first weekend of the holidays.
Congratulations, Wizards Basketball Team: Hugo Murphy, Charlie Gibbins, Ben Fernandez, Nico Peshos, Max Tuffs, Max Malley, Henry O’Donnell, Levi Dunbavin
Junior Australian Oztag Championships
Congratulations to Kalan Fisher, Hunter Leondis and Jackson MacAskill for representing the East Coast Orcas at the Junior Australian Oztag Championships in Coffs Harbour. The boys played 7 games over 3 days, making it to the Quarter Finals.
Junior Australian Oztag Championships
Mr Jack Wachtel
Assistant Director of Co-curricular (Years 5-8)
E: jwachtel@waverley.nsw.edu.au
News from 6 Indigo and Mr Ghattas
English
This term in English our topic is ‘Life is an Adventure.’ Throughout this Unit, the students will be immersing themselves in a variety of short stories across all different media, from written texts to stop motion films.
The students have already shared funny and scary experiences in their own lives, from encounters with sharks and stingrays, to adventures and mishaps whilst away overseas.
They moved on to reading short texts from various authors, worked in pairs to create their own short stories, and combined that with an illustration to match. I look forward to seeing their own stop motion animations that they will create towards the end of the term.
A Short Story by Jonah Nioplias and Ben Fernandes
Hi, My name is Jonah. Jonah Fernandes. And my dog, Bijúzz, has taken my sock. She does this all the time. I am currently chasing her up and down the hallway of my house, absolutely exhausted and fed up with it.
I felt like I was about to pass out and suddenly I stepped in something wet, sticky and chunky. It had a familiar stench of leftover barbecue from last night. It was VOMIT!! With my sock in it. I looked around and Bijúzz was nowhere to be seen, then suddenly I saw her sitting in my bedroom gnawing on my mum’s brand new, fresh out of the box, 100 billion dollar Gucci high heels!
OH NO! I thought to myself. OH NO! OH NO! OH NO! I ran up to her and “Bijúzz!” I yelled, ripping the shoe out of her mouth. After I had taken the shoe out of her mouth, they had been covered and saturated in dog slobber and dug in with teeth marks. There was only one solution to this unfixable problem. It had to be the… Reverse Bot 2000! It had been sitting under the stairs collecting dust, so today was the right time to use it. Once I had opened the door, its eyes lit up in all its glory, waiting for this moment for an eternity. By a simple click of a button the machine reversed back all the way to five minutes ago.
I had sped up into my mum’s room and grabbed the heels. Bijúzz was right behind my tail ready to intercept them. I had made a tumble roll and had the heels in my grasp. I had got them! But then, I heard the creak of my house’s front door open. The only way to act this out was to- “Hi, darling. Why are you wearing my new heels?”
“I was just playing dress up.” “Ok. They look nice on you.” “Thanks, mum.”
Science
The culmination of 6 Indigo’s Science unit on ‘Sustainable Citizens’ was to design and create a game for a younger person. All students were engaged throughout the design process and finally got the chance to put their games into action.
A lot of excitement could be seen and heard as they challenged each other to friendly competition. Well done to all boys on completing this project with the notion of using recycled materials at the forefront of their design.
Mr Steve Ghattas
Classroom Teacher 6 Indigo
E: sghattas@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Well done to Ecology Coordinator and Geography teacher, Ms Rebecca Sutcliffe, for her tireless work in organising the ceremony and native planting last Thursday and Friday with the Indigenous community in the Main Quad.
This very special collaboration with our Ecology and Walawaani students, Indigneous Elder Uncle Dean Kelly, Mr Kevin Heath (Indigenous Liaison Officer), Ms Marie-Anne Maakrun (Assistant Director of Identity & Student Formation) and Old Boy Costa Georgiadis (Class of 1980), has seen our traditional hedges around the statues of Mary and Edmund Rice, replaced with the critically endangered Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub, which proliferated in the region prior to non-Indigenous settlement.
Uncle Dean performed smoking ceremonies for each plant and educated students and staff about the new plantings, and the reasons why they were chosen. Old Boy Costa educated our students about the importance of connection, respect, working together and always staying ‘present.’
Summer Co-Curricular Captains and Teams
Congratulations to the following captains and teams who were presented at assembly this week.
Tennis
1st Captain – Jack Preller
1st Team
Xavier Miconi
Charlie Farrington
Jack Preller
Kai Jones
Swimming
Captain – Scott Swinburn
1st Captain – Luke White
Judo
Captain – Jamie Khov
Cricket
Captain – Will Hickey
1st Captain – Hirav Gandhi
1st Team
Hunter Eldridge
Liam Wood
Jack George
Lucas Ryan
Jono McDonald
Carter Steyn
Matthew Frost
Toby McDonald
Conor Andrews
Freddie Le Vay
Basketball
Captain – Daniel Palacio
1st Captain – Thomas Gleeson
1st Team
Flynn Busteed
Wylie Durrans
James Dyson Merwe
Marley Henare
Sergej Jakovljevic
Harrison Lee
Daniel Palacio
Zion Poitaha
Marko Rangan
Oscar Walters-Green
Music
Captain – Alistair Isaac
1st Captain – Paul Muir
Water Polo
Captain – Liam Athanassiou
1st Captain – Felix Turinui
1st Team
Lucas Dubois
Sonny Mori
Jack Kerves
Felix Turinui
Luca Whitaker
James Finegan
Tristan Lee
Ehren Little
Lincoln Tanner
Archie Godby
Touch Football
Captain – Sam Johnson
1st Captain – Hugo Kulscar
Public Speaking
Captain – Matt Woods
Staffing Updates
After 37 Years of distinguished service to boys, parents, staff and the community, Ms Audrey Coupe will retire at the end of this year. Over this time, Audrey has provided amazing support to Headmasters and Directors of Junior School. She has run both campuses and supported key personnel, whilst also meeting the needs of families. Audrey has ensured the College got through the storms and shone at all other times. She has put her heart and soul into the College, and left a wonderful legacy of care and service for others. Many an Old Boy remembers fondly the impact she made in their life, long after they left the College. We will thank and acknowledge Audrey at the end of this term and I wish her a wonderful end to her career at the College.
After 47 years of distinguished service to the boys, staff, parents and community, Mr Chris Blenkinsopp will retire from full-time teaching at the end of this year. Over his time at the College, Chris has shared his passion of Music with many students through camps, musicals, and tours to Europe, China and the USA. Chris has been an integral member of the Music Department, and inspired many students to pursue and develop their musical talents. Chris was Head of the Music Department from 1992 – 2005. He has also assisted with many College and community bands over the years, and left a significant mark with all of them. The Cadet program has benefited from his many hours of service and tuition. We will thank and acknowledge Chris at the end of this term, and I wish him a wonderful end to his career at the College.
Welcome to Ms Helen Barrie, Head of Academic Enrichment, who started with us this week. Helen has nine years teaching/leadership experience in a leading Government School in Sydney. Most recently, she has held the position of Head Teacher – Teaching & Learning, working closely with the leadership team to develop and implement a number of key frameworks within the school. In this role, she implemented the Department of Education’s High Potential and Gifted Education. Helen has also spent time working with the Education Department as a member of the HSC Strategy Team, looking at ways to enhance outcomes for students across the departments. We are very excited to have Helen join Waverley College.
Congratulations to Mr Nic Brophy who is acting as Head of History for the first half of Term 4, whilst Mr Barry Smith is away on leave.
Farewell and thank you to Mr Walter De Vecchis and Mr Simon Finegan, both from the Campus team, who have contributed significantly to the College Campus team this year. Simon has accepted a position with the Opera House and Walter is travelling overseas to visit family. We wish them both all the very best.
