Mr Patrick Brennan, Deputy Principal - Student & Staff Wellbeing
Read more: Easter message, Year 11 ‘Save the Date’, 2022 May Procession details, ‘It’s Time We Talked’ parent event Zoom codes, Terms 2-3 winter uniform and hair expectations.
Easter Message
So much has happened both at school and on a national and international scale over the past two years. COVID-19, conflict in Europe, floods, and a number of families in our community affected by tragedies. Our faith is often challenged during these difficult periods.
Easter provides us with a time to stop, think, and reflect on our own lives and our relationship with others and the world around us.
Several years ago, His Holiness gave us all a clear message to consider through Lent and to Easter. The title of his message was: “The Word is a gift. Other persons are a gift.” Without making room for God’s word in their hearts, people will never be able to welcome and love all human life.
Pope Francis has said:
“Each life that we encounter is a gift deserving acceptance, respect and love. The word of God helps us to open our eyes to welcome and love life, especially when it is weak and vulnerable.”
His Holiness focused on the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. In the Gospel account, Lazarus and his suffering are described in great detail. While he is “practically invisible to the rich man,” the Gospel gives him a name and a face, upholding him as worthy, as “a gift, a priceless treasure, a human being whom God loves and cares for, despite his concrete condition as an outcast.”
Pope Francis added that the parable shows that “a right relationship with people consists in gratefully recognising their value … a poor person at the door of the rich is not a nuisance, but a summons to conversion and to change.”
The Pope has asked that Lent be a time “for renewing our encounter with Christ, living in his word, in the sacraments and in our neighbour.” This is something that we should consider doing, to renew our relationship with God during uncertain times.
On that note, on behalf of the dedicated staff who have worked tirelessly and often under great pressure this term, to ensure we maintained face-to-face learning at Waverley College, I would like to wish you all a very happy and restful Easter.
Year 11 – Save the Date
An exciting message for Year 11 students. Please keep the evening of Thursday, 26 May (Week 5) free for a special event. We understand that you missed the annual dinner cruise because of COVID-19 in 2021, so we have an announcement coming soon! More details will be released in Week 1 of next term.
2022 Annual May Procession
When – Sunday, 1 May, 12pm to 1:30pm – students need to be in the Quadrangle by 11:30am and have their names marked off by their Mentor
Where – Centenary Quad
Dress – full winter uniform including blazer and tie must be worn
The College has been celebrating this event for over 100 years. The May Procession is a sacred celebration of our College founder Blessed Edmund Rice and our devotion to Mary, Jesus’ mother.
We are aware of and support a number of students who are involved in external sporting club commitments. As a note, however, we are expecting that all students are in attendance.
111th May Procession in 2021
‘It’s Time We Talked’ – Parent Event Via Zoom (last chance)
Tuesday, 26 April, 5:30pm
‘It’s Time We Talked’ is a violence-prevention initiative that supports young people, parents, schools, government and the community sector to understand and address the influence of pornography.
‘It’s Time We Talked’ grew out of Maree Crabbe’s work with young people in secondary schools and community settings.
Maree noticed that pornography was increasingly playing a role in how young people learn about, think about and experience sexuality. The young people she worked with were keen to talk about pornography, but the adults in their lives often had no idea about pornography’s prevalence or influence – and those who did, often didn’t feel equipped to have the conversations.
These observations led to more questions, research, planning and writing. With significant philanthropic support, ‘It’s Time We Talked’ began in 2009.
Following a presentation to staff earlier in the day, Maree will be presenting to parents that evening.
Join Zoom Meeting
>>> Click here to join the Zoom meeting.
Meeting ID: 896 5492 2955
Passcode: 864555
Terms 2-3 Winter Uniform
All students are required to be in winter uniform from the start of Term 2 to the end of Term 3. This includes blazer and tie.
The College has high expectations of our students, particularly when travelling to and from school on public transport. As was the case last year, students failing to do this, will be subject to a Friday detention.
The positive message we give to the public through our uniform and appearance is a clear statement of what it means to be a Waverley College student, and a student’s pride in themselves and the College.
Sometimes students will take the Easter break as an opportunity to experiment with different hairstyles. The expectation is that students will meet the following guidelines on their return to the College:
- Hair neatly cut, combed and maintained – hair should be shorter than the collar
- Long hair or outlandish styles are not acceptable
- Undercut styles, dramatic layering, tracks, mohawks, overuse of product, tinting, colouring, dreadlocks, strands of hair, buns, braids or lines are not acceptable
- A number 2 cut is the shortest acceptable cut
- No facial hair
Parents are asked to please support the College with these expectations. If students do not comply with a request to address any breaches by their Head of House, they will then have three options:
1) Go immediately to the barber at Charing Cross and have the inappropriate haircut rectified
2) Rectify the inappropriate haircut themselves with clippers supplied by the College
3) Return home until such time as the inappropriate haircut is rectified
Mr Patrick Brennan
Deputy Principal – Student & Staff Wellbeing
E: pbrennan@waverley.nsw.edu.au
