Head of College, Graham Leddie
Key Dates
- Monday, 18 November | VET Work Placements, Hospitality, Construction and IT continue
- Saturday, 23 November | EREA Thanksgiving Mass/ Dinner; Charter Leadership Awards
- Sunday, 24 November | Year 10 Camp commences
- Tuesday, 26 November | CAS T20 Final
- Thursday, 28 November | EREA Sustainability Committee Meeting
Year 12 Finish
Over the last two weeks, I have been signing exit cards for our Year 12s who have been completing their final HSC examinations. Each of them had an air of excitement around themselves and about the possibilities of their future. All were appreciative of the opportunities they had at Waverley and wished the College well. I congratulated each of them on achieving this significant milestone in their lives and I hope you will join me in praying for them as they take their next step in their life’s journey. We are grateful to our 2019 student body who led by setting a good example.
Bush-Fire Victims
The children of Wee Care Kindergarten in St Mary’s Avenue, right across the road from the College are putting on a bake stall at recess time tomorrow (Friday) for the bush-fire victims. The devastation of the bush fires in NSW has grabbed the attention of many students and all money will go to this worthy cause. Please encourage your son to support this initiative being organised by some of our compassionate neighbours.
NSW Curriculum Report
This week I attended a Catholic Schools NSW response to the NSW Curriculum Review Interim Report and heard from its author, Professor Geoff Masters. If you are interested in reading more about this review which is looking at making significant changes to the NSW curriculum over the next two decades, please visit the following site www.nswcurriculumreview.nesa.nsw.edu.au
In short, the review is looking at:
- Reforming the content of the Curriculum
- Reforming the structure of the Curriculum
- Reforming the Senior School Curriculum
The long term vision is for a future school curriculum that supports teachers to nurture wonder, ignite passion and provide every young person with knowledge, skills and attributes that will help prepare them for a lifetime of learning, meaningful adult employment and effective future citizenship.
In line with the changes in curriculum, the government is also focussing upon pathway choices. I congratulate Old Boy Scott Cam (WCOB 1980) who has been appointed as Australia’s first National Careers Ambassador. Scott is a qualified carpenter who ran his own business before shooting to fame on TV. Part of this new role is to highlight how practical and technical training can lead to high-paying and fulfilling jobs. At the announcement, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said university, which had become the default expectation for young people, wasn’t the only path to success. Mr Morrison is hopeful the appointment will encourage more people to get technical, trade and practical skills.
The Foundation for Young Australians recently issued a report outlining three startling predictions for 2030. These forecasts are:
- 40% of jobs will be automated in the next 10 years
- 60% of students are chasing careers that won’t exist
- Young people will have an average of 17 different jobs
Similarly, The Future of Jobs report predicts that five million jobs will disappear because of automation (World Economic Forum, 2016). Further, the authors assert this will affect factory jobs, office workers, legal professionals, and accounting positions. McKinsey and Co believe that 45% of “today’s workplace activities could be done by robots”. Here in Australia, The Committee for Economic Development in Australia contend that 60% of all jobs in rural and regional Australia are at risk by 2030.
In preparing our boys for the future, it is so important that we consider the types of jobs that are at the least risk of being replaced by automation. The jobs will involve problem-solving, collaboration, critical thinking, communication, and creativity. There are many aspects of the holistic education on offer at Waverley that contribute to developing these important skills leading to independent thinking and will serve students well, no matter what careers they pursue throughout their lives.
Kincoppal Musical
Congratulations to the following boys who have auditioned and been successful in gaining a place in the cast of sixty at KRB’s musical Matilda which is being staged at NIDA in 2020.
- Will Hughes – Y7
- Tom Park – Y7
- Evander Husdon – Y8
- Alistair Isaac – Y8
- Zachary Straker – Y9
- Riley Klotz – Y11
