Dr David Curran (Class of 1970) with Ms Lynsey Porter
Edmund Ignatius Rice Senior Essay and Speech Competition
Congratulations to the finalists of the inaugural Edmund Ignatius Rice Senior Essay and Speech Competition who presented their speeches in Round 2 of the competition on Monday, 6 May 2024.
Our finalists for 2024 are:
- James Medland
- James Peate
- Asher Thomasyu
All three finalists were extremely impressive and the judging panel will have a tremendously challenging task to award first, second and third place. There was a discerning audience who attended to support the students including the College Principal, Mr Leddie, Old Boy, Dr David Curran (Class of 1970) and a range of staff and senior students.
The award winners will be presented in our Edmund Rice assembly next Thursday, 16 May alongside the students who will be receiving Highly Commended and Commendation certificates.
Many thanks to the judging panel: Dr Couani, Head of English, Ms Stewart, Head of Religion, and Mr Smith, Head of History.
Ms Lynsey Porter
Deputy Principal – Teaching & Learning
lporter@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Waverley Students Commended at the Ethics Olympiad
This week our Senior students showcased their capacity for rigorous intellectual debate and ethical exploration at the annual Ethics Olympiad. Among the standout topics this year were discussions exploring the societal impacts of new AI technologies and the ethics of sporting investments from potentially questionable sources. Our Waverley students were commended by judges for their exceptional insight and empathy as they engaged with these current issues receiving honourable mentions in the results.
We would like to take this opportunity to celebrate James Barber, Ben Cromer, Dante Fearn, Xavier Kopsiaftis and Ryan Murphy from Year 10, as well as Alexander Avdalis, Henry Goldrich, Carter Hughes, Leo Owen, Evan Service and Luke Ibrahim from Year 9.
The collaborative spirit and respectful engagement from these two teams demonstrates that the Ethics Olympiad not only fosters intellectual growth but also encourages empathy and open-mindedness—a sentiment that was evident in the camaraderie of these teams and their interactions with teams from other schools.
As always, it takes a village to pull off these events, we would like to thank the Canteen for providing morning tea and lunch and to Mr Bill Roberts and Ms Bella Davies for their supervision and coaching.
Ms Helen Barrie
Head of Academic Enrichment
hbarrie@waverley.nsw.edu.au
2024 Lawrence Campbell Oratory Competition
On Friday 4 May, James Peate (Year 11) took part in the Lawrence Campbell Competition at Scots College. This is a prestigious competition that has seen the likes of Malcolm Turnbull, Murray Gleeson and Adam Spencer as previous winners. On the evening of the competition, all competitors were given three topics:
1. Some rise through sin, others through virtue fall
2. The minority is always right, or so they think
3. The superfluous: a necessary thing.
James had 15 minutes to compose an eight-minute speech based on one of the topics. He then had to deliver the speech in front of a panel of judges as well as all the spectators. The focus of James’ speech was survivorship bias, the nature of objective truth and interpretations of history.
James should be both congratulated and commended for representing Waverley College at Lawrence Campbell. It is no easy feat to speak in front of a room of strangers especially with little time to prepare and he represented the school with pride.
Ms Alice Curtis
Teacher of English
acurtis@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Inaugural LEGO League and Inaugural Robotics Competitions
UNSW EMU Robotics, is a student-led robotics competition team, participating in the first First LEGO League and First Robotics Competitions!
The upcoming ‘Open Nights’ are held at the UNSW Electrical Engineering building. The Junior team learn about robotics through their hands-on experience with LEGO EV3 and SPIKE robots. Senior teams design, build and code a robot from scratch using materials like aluminium and timber. This robot competes in an annual competition where it plays on an alliance with two other robots.
They are also trying to establish a regional First LEGO League competition within the Eastern Suburbs so that a local option is available to teams in the area.
If your child is interested, please see the flyers in the links below for more information and registration.
Robotics Team Open Nights
Image: courtesy UNSW
Ms Gemma Brown
Head of Science
gbrown@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Linking to Experts in the Field to Celebrate 2024 NSW Law Week
Image: courtesy Law Week NSW
Linking to legal experts was on display today with our Waverley Council and Waverley College Library collaboration for NSW Law Week.
Our Year 11 students were fortunate that Waverley Public Library partnered with Legal Aid to foster community and student engagement with Law.
Legal Aid professional Caterina Mazza presented some compelling issues relating to young people and the criminal law in a workshop which delivered a very practical understanding of the Children’s Criminal Law jurisdiction. Based on syllabus outcomes for the Year 12 Legal Studies course, it illuminated:
- the criminal jurisdiction of the Children’s Court
- diversionary and sentencing options
- current issues in the youth justice system.
Both students and teachers learned a great deal from this collaboration and share their reflections below.
Students:
“It was something new that I have never experienced, I would love the opportunity to learn about the law in real life more.”
“It was helpful and a worthwhile session.”
“It would have been good to be longer, there was more I wanted to ask and find out.”
“Handouts and support materials were good.”
“Next time can we have the two Legal Studies classes attend?”
“Can we attend the next session on consent?”
Teachers:
“The boys enjoyed it and lots of relevant questions were asked at the end.” – Mr Bill Roberts
“The partnership with NSW Law week was a resounding success, as it provided our Year 11 students with a unique opportunity to delve into practical aspects of the legal system. The students gained invaluable insights into the criminal jurisdiction of the Children’s Court, diversionary and sentencing options. This excursion not only enriched their understanding of the Year 11 Legal Studies syllabus but also fostered a deeper engagement with the complexities of the law, empowering them to become informed and conscientious citizens. Thank you Waverley Public Library, Legal Aid and Mr Roberts for all his assistance in organising this.” – Ms Michelle Joyce
We look forward to further workshops on Criminal Law and Consent coming up over the next Terms.
Mr Bill Roberts
Head of Library Services and Applied Philosophy Teacher
wroberts@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Ms Angelique Theodorou
Assistant Head of HSIE
atheodorou@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Ms Michelle Joyce
Legal Studies Teacher
mjoyce@waverley.nsw.edu.au
