Confirmation Masses are happening on the weekend after Easter. This is a joint Waverley Parish initiative with St Clare’s, St Charles’ and Waverley College (mostly Junior School) on April 2 and 3. The following boys will be confirmed:
Year 6
Year 7
Year 8
Year 5
Our Lenten Appeal this year is supporting Edmund Rice Beyond Borders. This is a network of Edmund Rice Schools from all over the globe working to promote solidarity and justice, especially in developing nations.
Edmund Rice Beyond Borders supports and maintains a number of schools throughout Africa, South America and Asia. Along with opening many pathways for students from other Edmund Rice Schools to work and live in a “home away from home” environment.
The Lenten Appeal always adds excitement and activity to the school. From the numerous bake sales at recess, to the smell of bacon and egg rolls in the morning, there is never a dull moment. The support of the students this year again has been amazing.
With the support of the Homegroup teachers, students have been fundraising in the tried and tested ways, as well as imaginative initiatives like wet sponge throwing. One group of boys were so keen to get involved they organised a sausage sizzle during lunch, bought all the sausages that evening and brought everything into school the next day, where they cooked up a storm. Of course none of this happens without the support of the parents at home, who encourage their sons to play an active role in Social Justice initiatives in the community, along with buying the cake mixes and getting the boys to school early to help with the breakfast stalls.
This year each Homegroup has been assigned the task of raising $300, which is enough to send one child to school for a year in east Africa. This money will provide a uniform, lunch, books and tuition fees for a child that would not be able to afford to go to school otherwise.
To date our leading fundraising House is O’Connor with more than $1200.
Junior School staff, parents and students have also done a great job with an impressive $1900.
Well done to all that have supported our Lenten Appeal. Let’s keep the momentum going right to the end of term so we can really make a difference to the lives of some of the most at risk people on the planet.
Both the Junior and Senior Schools have participated in Holy Week Liturgies over the last few days. Today the Cross, draped with a bloodied shroud, stood high on the roof of the senior school alongside the statue of Our Lady and overlooking our service, a reminder of Christ’s sacrifice.
I encourage all families to consider attending one or more Easter services over the weekend.
Waverley College’s Co-Curriculum Directorate is trialling a free app this winter for all rugby teams and their supporters. Team App is a platform that will allow our rugby community to improve communication by integrating everything you need to know about rugby at Waverley College including:
Team App is available on both Apple and Android devices. If you would like to access this information on your smart phone or mobile device simply download the free App at teamapp.com, then search for Waverley College Rugby and register. The College will then authenticate your registration.
Should the trial be a success we hope to expand the function to include other sports and activities.
Batman: Bad Blood
DC Universe Original Movie, Rating: M
The Gotham City night sky erupts in flames as Batman battles Firefly, Tusk and Killer Moth. But when the smoke clears, Batman is missing and the mysterious Batwoman is the only witness to the events. Now with the Bat Signal going unanswered and a city on edge, Nightwing and Robin form an uneasy alliance with Batwoman and newcomer Batwing. Together they’ll fight to uncover a sinister plot that involves mind control and a monstrous new villain known only as Heretic…
Available now from the Senior Library.
Congratulations to our swimming and diving squads for their great efforts last Thursday. Waverley came in 5th and were not far off St Aloysius in 4th and have certainly closed the gap.
Some of the stand-out performances of the evening were Stuart Swinburn, Erwan Le Pechoux, Peter Cassimatis, Lucas Young and Bailey Habler. Other notable mentions include Henry Standfield and Blair Ryan for their performances as well. Our Junior age groups were excellent and also our captain and vice-captain Adam Lawther and Walter Ozeryiansky led the squad very well.
CAS Swimming Championships
Well-done to Ms Stephanie Floyd, Mr Tony Moore, Mr Stephen Badger and Mr David Parnell for their coaching efforts. We must also acknowledge the special efforts of Mrs Kath Knowles and Mitchell Rawson for their work with the diving team. We had a number of divers qualify for the CIS competition and this is a great reward for the coaches’ efforts.
The major award winners from the swim season are:
Age Group Awards:
|
Age Champion |
Runner up |
Most Improved |
|
U12 Lucas Young |
Luke McLellan |
Nicholas Quinn |
|
U13 Benjamin Shires |
Noah Steiner |
Maks Klimsczak |
|
U14 Peter Cassimatis |
Ronan Braham |
Hugh McSweeney |
|
U15 Stuart Swinburn |
Coen Finati |
Daniel Lambert |
|
U16 Louie Cosgrove |
Liam Jackson |
Thomas Graham |
|
U17 Ewan Le Pechoux |
Blair Ryan |
Alfie Killigrew |
|
Opens Adam Lawther |
Zachary Brown |
William Tyson |
Lewis did himself, his family, his school and State very proud at the Australian Junior Athletics Championships 2016 in Perth.
His performances and results are as follows:
GOLD – 1st Place in U17 Mens Discus Throw with 52.16m, a PB of 3.42m.
4th Place in U17 Mens Shot Put with 14.89m.
8th Place in U20 Mens Discus Throw with 44.73m, a PB of 5m.
Making the final of the U20 Mens Discus Throw was incredible, as he was up against athletes 2 and 3 years older!
Lewis Thompson
This week saw the start of winter training for Cross Country, Rugby, Football, Tennis and AFL. All students have trials in these sports this Saturday, including those on cadet camp. Failure to attend these trials will result in selection in lower grades. As the weather has been challenging for some of this week can I please remind all parents and students to check the wet weather line or use the Skoolbag App in regards to any potential cancellations due to weather. Please also do not just assume matches are cancelled as it is raining at home. Unless notified that matches are cancelled then those games are still on.
Students need to also make sure they have the appropriate equipment and apparel for these sports. All Rugby, Football and AFL players are encouraged to wear mouth-guards and use head-gear where appropriate. All Football players must have shin-pads for training and games please. For Saturday matches incorrect attire will result in that player being unable to take the field. This Saturday’s trials are selection trials for games to be played against Newington on April 2nd. No teams will be final, however, and all students are encouraged to strive for better selection through performances at training and in games.
Good luck to all teams trialing this weekend and ‘Go the Waves!’
Recently Year 11 student Dylan Quirk participated in the National Junior Athletic Championship in Perth. Dylan’s pet event is the Under 18 110m Hurdles.
Despite clipping the final hurdle Dylan still managed a personal best and finished 5th overall.
Dylan will be competing in the same event is the CAS Track and Field Championships this year at Homebush.
The CAS Track and Field season starts immediately after the winter season on Monday 15th August with the 87th CAS Track and Field Championships held at Homebush on 15th September.
Finley Lewis, a year 12 student, started flying at the age of 15
By the time he was 16, he had completed his first solo flight and last month he completed his entry level aerobatic endorsement.
Over the weekend he competed in his first aerobatic competition, the Australian Aerobatic Club’s Victorian state championships in Tocumwal. Finley was the youngest pilot entered and he achieved 1st place in the entry category.
Well done, Finley.
In the lead up to the 2016 CAS Swimming Championships, the Waverley Swim Squad were on a roll, with many of our squad members competing at a State or National level.
Throughout February, Erwan Le Pechoux competed at the State Championships, narrowly missing out on qualifying for the Australian Age Championships in the 400m Freestyle, and Peter Cassimatis qualified for Nationals in the 100m Breaststroke. Ben Shires also competed at the National Swimming Championships, as well as joining Stuart Swinburn, Robbie Beal and Ned Wieland at the Open Water Swimming Championships.
Then came the Christian Brothers Swimming Carnival at the end of February, where Waverley competed against St Pius X, Christian Brothers Lewisham, St Pats and St Mary’s and came out on top, taking home the shield for first place in the Juniors and first place overall.
With all these achievements behind them, the team went into CAS Week with their heads held high. At the CAS Championships last Thursday, the boys gave it their all and ended up scoring over 300 points for Waverley for the first time in many years. The team finished in fifth place with 318 points, narrowly beating out Cranbrook on 314 points. Congratulations to the following swimmers, who finished top three in their events:
Robbie Beal:
3rd Place in U15 50m Backstroke
Ronan Braham:
3rd Place in U14 50m Backstroke
Peter Cassimatis:
2nd Place in U14 50m Breaststroke
Bailey Habler:
3rd Place in U12 50m Freestyle
Erwan Le Pechoux:
3rd Place in Opens 400m Freestyle
3rd Place in U17 100m Freestyle
3rd Place in U17 200m Freestyle
Ben Shires:
3rd Place in U13 50m Butterfly
Nikita Strbac:
3rd Place in U14 50m Butterfly
Stuart Swinburn:
3rd Place in U17 100m Backstroke
3rd Place in U15 50m Backstroke
1st Place in U15 200m Freestyle
Duke Wieland:
3rd Place in U13 50m Backstroke
Lucas Young:
3rd Place in U12 50m Freestyle
The entire swimming squad had a fantastic season, and finished it off with an outstanding performance at CAS. Congratulations to all the boys, and thank-you to the staff and parents who helped to make it such a great season.
On Saturday 12 March Waverley College Rugby held our Inaugural Coaches Induction Day for all coaches. This was a fantastic success. Coaches were provided with information to support them through the season. All coaches were shown drills and coaching points, which will be a focus across all teams this year. A special thanks to our 1st XV Coaches, Paul Cornish and Scott Coleman, as well as Craig Bell, for leading the drills. Thanks also to the 1st & 2nd XV squad for putting the drills into action. This ultimately ensures that all coaches are in the same page in relation to player development at Waverley College.
ALL STUDENTS will have now commenced preseason training at Queens Park. 13’s, 14’s and 15’s train on Monday and Wednesday (3:30pm-4:45pm). 16’s and Opens train on Tuesday and Thursday (3:30pm – 5:00pm).
Students who fail to turn up to training (without a note) will be issued with a detention. Students who forget their gear more than once will be issued with a detention. Rugby is a team sport and when players do not show up or do not put in, it takes away the opportunity for teams to bond – which is one of the greatest parts of the game.
We will hold Internal Trials for all age groups on Saturday 19 March. All players are expected to have with them a Waverley College Jersey as well as a Colour Jersey (non Waverley).
Those students, who are involved in Cadet Camp, will be expected to attend trials following the return from Annual Camp on Friday 18 March. This is an important hit out in preparation for our first opposed trial round against Newington College on Saturday 2 April.
Please note that there are hard copies of this important document available at the Front Office. The Team Guide should also be available online in the near future.
I look forward to seeing you at Queens Park this Saturday.
WAVERLEY TO WIN!
Last year the school took part in an exchange programme with a prestigious school in Paris. The French school has run this program for many years with other schools in Sydney. Due to the popularity of the program, the numbers wishing to visit from Paris have increased and there is now an opportunity for more Waverley College students to participate.
Two Waverley students took part last year and had an amazing experience. This year we have decided to not only offer this opportunity to our French language students but also to any Year 10 student who is thinking about taking French Beginners in Year 11 or quite simply would like the experience of travelling to Europe and being immersed in another culture.
It is a reciprocal exchange: French students are hosted in Sydney from 18 June to 23 July and then our students go to France during the Christmas holidays for the same length of time. This means that the main cost is the airfare as the host family in each country covers the other costs: food, board, etc.
We are keen for this exchange to be an integral part of the French language program and therefore welcome any families interested in taking up this unique experience.
Please contact me if you are interested or would like some more information at: srichards@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Merci beaucoup!
On Sunday 20 March, the Catholic Church across the world celebrates Palm Sunday, which marks the beginning of Holy Week and the journey towards Easter. It is a week when we reflect upon the most significant stories and accounts from scripture and attempt to connect these stories with our own lives. The accounts of Jesus’ welcome into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday), the Lord’s Supper (Holy Thursday), the Crucifixion (Good Friday) and the Resurrection (Easter Sunday) cover the full range of human feeling. Through the words of the Gospel writers we encounter joy, brotherhood, betrayal, torture, execution, grief, isolation, loss and confusion. We are challenged to make sense of what Jesus’ Resurrection might mean for each of us. The stories are compelling and the image of the Cross confronting. Each year, I take the opportunity to ask my own children about the relevance of these events to their own lives and to the world today. It is amazing how their responses have changed over the years.
On Tuesday evening, the Waverley College Board met for the first time in 2016. The Board is an advisory body to the Head of College and has a key role to play in the development of the College Strategy, the oversight of our mission and goals, and the review of College Policies. The Board also contributes to the recruitment and appraisal of the Head, the Deputy Head and the Director of Business Services when those processes occur. In 2016, the College Executive will join our Board for two meetings to reflect on our strategic achievements.
On Tuesday night, the Executive Director of Edmund Rice Education Australia, Dr Wayne Tinsey, visited our Board meeting and spoke about the role of the College Board within the Edmund Rice tradition. Mrs Elizabeth Watson, Director of Curriculum presented her reflections on our excellent HSC results. Mr Sam Hardjono (Board Chair), on behalf of the Board, passed on his congratulations and thanks to the Mrs Watson and the staff of Waverley College for their contribution to these results.
I wish to acknowledge the ongoing work of our College Board: Mr Sam Hardjono (Chair), Dr Mark Davies (Deputy Chair), Mr Matthew Faddy (Finance Committee Chair), Mr Richard Gray, Ms Anne MacNamara, Mr Peter McGuinn, Mr Lawrence Fahy and Mr Matthew Parry.
Front from Left: Sam Hardjono (Chairman), Anne MacNamara, Dr Mark Davies (Deputy Chairman). Back from left: Richard Gray, Lawrence Fahy, Ray Paxton (Head of College), Peter McGuinn, Matthew Parry.
Congratulations to Lewis Thompson (1st U17 Discus), Dylan Quirk (5th Hurdles) and Alex Talbot (2nd for NSW in 3000m) who achieved amazing results at the Australian Junior Athletics Championships in Perth.
I would also like to acknowledge the aeronautical achievement of Finley Lewis (Year 12) who recently completed his first solo flight and achieved his entry-level aerobatic endorsement. Over the weekend he competed in his first aerobatic competition, the Australian Aerobatic Club’s Victorian State Championships in Tocumwal. Finley was the youngest pilot entered and he achieved 1st place in the entry category.
The First Round of Super Rugby at Allianz Stadium saw the Queensland Reds play the New South Wales Waratahs. It also saw two former Waverley College students go head to head.
Jed Holloway (NSW) and Sam Talakai (QLD) both played First XV for Waverley College under teacher/coaches Mr Paul Cornish and Mr Matt Barr. Mr Barr’s coaching of Jed Holloway continues as he also is Head Coach at Southern Districts where Jed plays his club football in Sydney.
“Wherever I get to play rugby I am pretty stoked,” Holloway said. “But I’ll be honest playing at Allianz Stadium in front of 25,000 people – it is pretty intense.
“Running out onto the field you want to be as serious as you can, but I just couldn’t help myself but smile.”
The Waverley old boy and Waratahs number eight had two clean line breaks from five carries and racked up an impressive 65 metres with the ball in hand, winning the Man of the Match award.
Holloway was subsequently named in the number eight jersey again for the match against the ACT Brumbies relegating Wallabies’ Wyclef Palu to the interchange bench.
“I am just trying to go out each week play my hardest and give the respect to that jersey,” he said.
Pat Brennan
Head of Co-curriculum
The Junior School chess class at Waverley College runs during Tuesday lunchtimes from 12.30 – 1.30pm. If you are interested in enrolling your child, please call the Sydney Academy of Chess on (02) 9745 1180 or email enrol@sydneyacademyofchess.com.au.
The Spanish program at Waverley is now in its second year and is continuing to grow. In our endeavour to further promote language learning, the Languages Department is planning on offering a free evening class for parents.
The Parental Polyglots course will enable us to provide a Spanish taster course to parents who have no prior knowledge of the language and would like to further support their son with their Spanish studies.
This fun, intensive course will take place in Term Three for the duration of eight weeks. The course is likely to run on a Thursday evening from 6.30pm until 8pm.
Your son does not have to be currently studying Spanish for you to be eligible to attend the course.
There are 18 places available, which will be awarded to the first keen parents to apply. If you are interested in joining this short course or have any questions please email Suzanne Richards on srichards@waverley.nsw.edu.au.
Muchas gracias
Sra. Richards
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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