Diary Dates
Please find below some reminders about upcoming events. For all of Term 1 events please refer to the College Calendar.
- Monday, 9 March | Student Free Day due to staff Professional Learning Day
- Wednesday, 11 March | Brennan House Mass 6pm
- Monday, 16-18 March | Year 5 Camp – Vision Valley
- Thursday, 19 March | Green House Mass 6pm
- Friday, 20 March | Junior School Winter Sports Trials
- Friday, 20 March | Cocktail Function Parents’ Association
- Wednesday, 25 March | Conlon House Mass 6pm
- Thursday, 2 April | Junior School Winter Sports Trials
Please note: the Year 6 Canberra excursion is from Tuesday 19 May to Thursday 21 May.
Traffic and Parking
There have been increased concerns with traffic and parking on Henrietta Street in the morning and afternoon. This includes people parking in the “no stopping” zone at the front of the Junior School. Please ensure that traffic and parking regulations are followed at all times, in both Henrietta Street and Victoria Street – especially during the busy drop-off and pick-up times. This is to ensure not only our students’ safety, but also the safety and needs of our local community.
Lunchtime Talk
This Friday, 6 March we warmly welcome our second lunchtime talk guest speaker, Rebecca Mikula-Wright, mum of Oscar in Year 6.
Rebecca will discuss her voluntary role on the board of The Orangutan Project. This project works on direct orangutan and habitat conservation in Indonesia. She will also touch on her role as a consultant with the Investor Group on climate change.
Home Learning Club
We offer all students in Year 5 and Year 6 the opportunity to receive free additional support after school for the completion of 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 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays during school term.
Procedures
Register your son via the Skoolbag app and follow this link: https://homelearningclub.youcanbook.me
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 signature will be required.
Try to avoid messaging your son during this period unless it is urgent.
Behaviour
As it is important to respect the rights of others to learn and work, all students are expected to settle down to work in the Learning Hub and not disturb others.
Teachers
- Monday and Wednesday | Mrs Natasha Zivanovic
- Tuesday and Thursday | Mr Dan Walsh
If you require any further information, feel free to contact us:
nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au
The World’s Greatest Shave
On Thursday, 12 March, the College will participate in the World’s Greatest Shave for the Leukaemia Foundation. The shave aims to raise money for treatment and support for people with Leukaemia and their families, as well as medical research to help find a cure.
The Junior School has supported this cause numerous times over the years, but in recent years we have had students of the school or their siblings diagnosed with Leukaemia, so participation in this important fundraiser is a symbol of our support.
In 2015, Patrick (Year 7) and Thomas (Year 12 – 2019) lost their sister Elisabeth to this disease. They have both spearheaded our participation in this event. Patrick Carey would like to see that this initiative is continued so that a cure can be found and others don’t have to suffer the pain his family has suffered. Over 50 boys from the Junior School participated in the shave last year, which was an amazing effort. Even Mr Gill, Mr Meadley and Mr Lavorato were brave enough to do the shave. We would encourage the boys to get behind this again this year. Last year the Junior School donated just under $7,900,00.
If you would like to sponsor the Waverley College Team, please follow this link: https://secure.leukaemiafoundation.org.au
Boys, if you would like to participate in the World’s Greatest Shave, you need to do the following:
- Donate to the link above, or bring a minimum of $10 into your class teacher before Thursday 12th March.
- Make sure your parents sign your diary with a note saying, ‘I give my son permission to participate in the Greatest Shave’.
Parents, if you have a pair of clippers and are available to help on Thursday 12th March at 1pm, we would really appreciate your support. Please place your name on the following Google form: https://forms.gle/r19rsTENRnBZnYbw8
Hip Hop
Hip hop lessons have started in the Junior School at lunchtime on Wednesdays. A very enthusiastic group of over 20 boys are learning the moves and tricks that give form to this style of dance. We are very fortunate to have Amber from Dance Chora teaching the class. She is building some great routines with the boys. The boys are working on group choreography as well as being encouraged to try some improvised solos. We look forward to seeing the boys perform soon.
Year 5 Excursion to Wollongong – written by Max Jennings and Michael Gauci-Cook
On Friday, 28 February, Year 5 went to The Innovation Campus of Wollongong University to focus on Science, including space. We took the bus early because it took an hour and a half to get there! Our first activity was the planetarium, where we watched an incredible 3D space show. We were able to explore planets such as Mars, Saturn and Pluto. We also examined star constellations such as Southern Cross, Scorpius and Pegasus. It felt like we were actually in space, it was a really amazing experience.
Next, we independently participated in a range of scientific experiments such as testing how fast we could throw a ball and how much energy we could produce while pedalling a bike. There were some exciting experiments like shooting a parachute out of an air tube and keeping a beach ball in the air using only air resistance. Each experiment taught us or demonstrated a scientific principle.
Finally we took part in a Liquid Nitrogen show, where we were shown how Liquid Nitrogen can change the properties of different objects. Did you know that Liquid Nitrogen is -196°C! We watched as Molly, our scientist, put two rubber bouncy balls into a cup of Liquid Nitrogen. We could see that after being in the Liquid Nitrogen, they hardly bounced. Then we looked at the effect of Liquid Nitrogen on plant cells. Phoenix in 5 Blue tried to karate chop a plant leaf before we put it into a bottle of Liquid Nitrogen and after we put the plant into the bottle and he chopped in half and the plant shattered. Lastly, Molly poured Liquid Nitrogen into boiling water and it exploded into gas!
It was the best excursion EVER!
Sports Report
Congratulations to all the boys who recently represented Waverley at State Touch, Oztag and Nippers. A special congratulations to the seven Waverley players from the Easts team who won the NSW State Oztag Championship – also to the boys who won medals at State Nippers. Julian Minto won gold in the All Age Beach Relay, Noah Bowler won gold in the under-10s Nippers board race and Ashton Briffa won gold in the mixed relay, silver in the boys’ beach sprint relay, bronze in the individual boys’ beach sprint and bronze in the all-age relay under 10s.
Congratulations also to Raff Toohey, who gained selection into the IPSHA swim team for the 100m freestyle and the 50m butterfly.
Year 5 Camp
On Monday, 16 March, the Year 5 boys will depart for their annual camp to Vision Valley – an outdoor recreation camp that will challenge the boys to step outside of their comfort zone in many different ways. With the theme of the camp being ‘Let’s Get Together’, they will be encouraged to make new friends with the boys in their lodge groups as well as their activity groups.
The camp is a fun and exciting time for all. They will undertake activities such as rock climbing, mountain bike riding, archery and canoeing – all activities requiring the use of communication, teamwork, encouragement and support. At night time, the boys will get to watch a ‘Movie Under the Stars’ and showcase their talents in ‘W Factor’.
During our final day at camp, Rural Fire Service volunteers will visit the boys to talk to them about what they do to support the local communities to reduce the risk of bushfires. This educational talk links in with our Science unit for Term 1.
I know that the boys will have a fantastic time away. A few important reminders:
- Monday, 16 March | Meet at the PAC on Birrell Street by 9:15am.
- Wednesday, 18 March | We should arrive back at the Junior School by 2:30pm. Mrs Coupe will notify you if there are any delays with our return.
- A packing list and more information will come out in the next few days.
