Ms Lynsey Porter, Deputy Principal - Teaching & Learning
Congratulations to Archie Godby in our Year 12 2025 cohort who has been selected to participate in the 2024 NSW Schools Constitutional Convention at NSW Parliament House on Tuesday 5 November. As a part of the selection process, Archie was required to submit a detailed and well-researched expression of interest outlining his interest in the program and a piece of legislation that he would like to introduce in NSW. There was an excellent response to the program with a large number of students from across NSW submitting entries of the highest calibre.
As we settle into the final stretch of the year, it’s crucial to reflect on our learning journeys and set our SMART goals for Term 4. In our assembly this week, I made reference to James Clear’s work on building effective habits for life. He says that, ‘every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.’ James Clear, Atomic Habits.
We encourage all our students to consider the actions they can take to become the learners they aspire to be. This term presents a valuable opportunity to solidify knowledge, refine skills, and make significant academic progress. I challenged our students to remember that every class, every day, is a chance to vote for the type of person you wish to become.
Tech-Free Week
In the spirit of continuous improvement, yesterday we commenced our Tech-Free Week which continues through to next Wednesday for Years 5-12. This initiative aims to reset our learning habits and promote the benefits of handwritten notes and focused study techniques. Whilst technology has many benefits, there is substantial research literature that supports the benefits of taking handwritten notes to improve conceptual understanding.
One example is Mueller and Oppenheimer’s 2014 research that found, ‘students who took notes on laptops performed worse on conceptual questions than students who took [handwritten] notes.’
We understand that this resetting of habits may be challenging, but we are confident that everyone will embrace this opportunity to step up and support our school community with this learning experience and make this Tech-Free Week a resounding success!
Staff Professional Learning Days
‘Ensuring that teachers are provided with high quality PD is… crucial in improving student outcomes.’ (Colin, Smith, Sholefeel, Rosenbrock, & Toon, 2022). This underpins our mapping of professional learning for our staff throughout the year, including the sessions that we delivered on 27 September and 14 October.
Our overarching focus at the end of Term 3 was to support our staff to contribute to an inclusive and safe environment for all members of our community. Our sessions addressed the national teaching AITSL Standards 4.1: to support student participation and 4.4 to maintain student safety.
We were firstly delighted to invite Dr Victoria Rawlings, Senior Lecturer at the University of Sydney to deliver an engaging and interactive session with all of our staff on creating LGBTQIA+ inclusive classrooms and spaces in our school. Dr Rawlings has been awarded an Australian Research Council DECRA fellowship to conduct research into understanding how schools can positively and proactively include all students. Her insights into language and its nuances were really practical and useful. Also, we ran sessions on ensuring that our staff are up-to-date with relevant First Aid qualifications and Fire Safety where applicable.
The theme for our professional learning day this term on 14 October was around strategy for the future. Working with the Association of Independent Schools (AIS) our first session focused on engaging all of our staff in the important work of making a case for change and contributing to our mission and vision as we build our strategic plan for the future.
One of our current strategic priorities is our important work with the AIS on Designing for Deep Learning where our students learn to develop the Six Global Competencies: Character, Citizenship, Creativity, Collaboration, Communication and Critical Thinking. Focusing on the work that our teaching teams have already achieved in their purposeful design of Deep Learning experiences in teaching and learning programs, our second session celebrated the stories of success that were having a positive impact on student learning outcomes.
This dynamic session gave our teachers the opportunity to hear about what is working really well in our context with our students and consider what they might implement in their own classrooms. The sessions included examples from a wide range of Key Learning Areas and learning stages including: Critical Thinking in Year 7 Poetry, Year 5 History and Year 10 History, Communication in Year 6 English, Collaboration in Visual Arts, English and History, Citizenship in Year 7 Mathematics and Literacy and in a Cross Curricular unit in Year 9 PDHPE and Science, and Collaboration in Year 7 PDHPE.
At the conclusion of the interactive story sharing sessions, our teachers considered our Teaching & Learning Framework through the lens of these stories. We collated data on which elements of the framework Deep Learning is addressing and which areas should be our focus on the future.
Student and Parent Literary Evening and Book Club
We are incredibly excited to launch the inaugural Waverley College Book Club at Waverley College Library, open to students, parents, carers, and staff alike! We will also be joined by guest speaker, Paul MacDonald. Owner of the award-winning ‘The Children’s Bookshop’ and winner of numerous awards such as a Quality Teacher Award, The Premier’s English Scholarship, the inaugural Maurice Saxby Award and the 2016 Lady Cutler award for services to children’s literature and literacy in Australia, Paul is a passionate proponent of the value of quality Australian books. Paul is the current CBCA president.
Our first novel is the captivating Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. This heartwarming story, set in a small Tokyo café, explores themes of time travel, love, and second chances. It’s the perfect conversation starter for our first gathering!
The Book Club is not just about reading—it’s about building community through great stories, delicious food, and meaningful conversation.
Reading together helps strengthen our critical thinking, encourages empathy, and offers a wonderful escape from the everyday hustle. According to the International Boys’ School Coalition (IBSC), family time reading at home can encourage boys to develop as readers and develop a love for books. Perhaps there is no better way to celebrate this shared reading experience than to discuss the book together with other families and friends in a beautiful literary space at the College.
Whether you’re an avid reader or just looking to try something new, we welcome you to join us for this enriching experience. Food will be provided!
Date: 20 November
Time: 6pm
Location: Waverley College Library
“Every Boy has a Book” Poster/ Bookmark Competition
In anticipation of our Term 4 Reading initiative across both Junior and Senior schools, we are also excited to announce our Poster/ Bookmark Competition for all students from Years 5-12. Thank you to Ms Jenna Turnbull for her assistance with both posters.
