Principal, Mr Graham Leddie
May Procession
Today we celebrated the 115th May Procession with our Waverley community here on campus, on a Friday morning.
The event was graced by special guests, including Fr Bernie Thomas ofm, Parish Priest of Mary Immaculate Church Waverley, and Francis Sullivan AO who is a respected educator, administrator, and leader in the health care and public service sectors.
He served as Chief Executive Officer of Catholic Health Australia from 1993 to 2007, followed by his role as Secretary-General of the Australian Medical Association from 2008 to 2011.
From 2012 to 2018, he was appointed CEO of the Catholic Church’s Truth, Justice and Healing Council, leading the Church’s response to the findings of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
In recognition of his service to the community, Francis Sullivan was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2020.
Mr Sullivan brought with him a powerful message for our students – a call to carry their values into the world beyond school.
He urged students to be active in the pursuit of justice: “Show up, speak up, and get serious about becoming political.”
He also encouraged students to reflect deeply and ask themselves important questions: “Why are we still silent in our community? Why do we not want to get uncomfortable? Why have we not got the courage to speak truth to power?”
His message was a thoughtful reminder that meaningful change begins with each of us.
“The responsibility is yours. It’s not someone else’s,” he said. “The key is building momentum and a movement for change.”
We were very honored to have him speak at the May Procession, and his words reminded us that tradition and action must go hand in hand.
During the procession, the Banners were carried, followed by the Marian Statue, into the Gym.
The honor of carrying the Marian Statue was bestowed upon members of the Year 12 class of 2024, known as the ‘new Old Boys.’
The dedication of the Rosary was led by representatives from various groups within the inclusive community, including Old Boys, the teaching community, and the Parents’ Association.
It’s wonderful to see different languages being included, such as Italian, Spanish, and Gaelic, further emphasising the diverse and inclusive nature of the event.
A lot of time and effort goes into the staging of the May Procession, and I would like to thank all the staff who contributed in making the May Procession such a wonderful occasion.
Lastly, a heartfelt thank you goes out to all the students, parents, carers and Old Boys who attended the event.
Your presence and active participation made the May Procession a truly memorable occasion.
Congratulations to Our Rostrum Semi-Finalists
Congratulations to Dante Fearn (Y11) and James Peate (Y12) for making it to the Rostrum semi-finals! James won and is off to the next round, and Dante gave a fantastic performance too.
We were the only school with two students in the semi-finals. A special thank you and congratulations also go to Ms Maisie Gordon, Ms Allison Fullman and Ms Alice Curtis for their invaluable support and contribution
Sydney Writers’ Festival
On Wednesday, a number of Y11 Advanced English students made the journey to Carriageworks to attend the annual student day at the Sydney Writers Festival.
This is an incredible opportunity to listen to some of the most well-known, intelligent writers share their wisdom about the art of reading and writing. Well done to our students who embraced all that the day had to offer.
Session 1: The Craft of Poetry with Lemn Sissay
The first talk of our SWF Experience was from Afro-English autobiographical poet Lemn Sissay. Sissay’s poems speak to his wealth of life experience, exploring themes of identity, belonging, and emotion.
Sissay is a dynamic performer, and his eccentric personality bountifully engaged the inner poets in all of us. His ability to thrill yet captivate his listeners, jumping from comedic action to beautiful lyricism, paired with unique creative advice lit a poetic spark in myself—and the entire audience.
Adam Curran
Session 2: Spotlight on Shakespeare’s Women with Harriet Walter
In the second talk of the Sydney Writers festival, we were introduced to Dame Harriet Walter. She is an English actor famous for her Shakespearean acting and roles in Ted Lasso and Succession and the author of She Speaks! What Shakespeare’s Women Might Have Said.
Walter captivated the audience of students with her beautiful and sophisticated readings of soliloquies, written by her own hand, from Shakespeare’s women.
In doing so, she gave a voice to the female characters that are not adequately heard–an experience she observed playing many of these roles.
To me, her most profound words were on the effects her subconscious has had on her writing process. Walter mentioned how a thing she observes, such as a painting, subtly weaves its way into her writing.
My most valuable takeaway of the festival was, that, to write and create better, we ought to elevate our inputs for better outputs.
Ultimately, Dame Harriet Walter left us all with a greater understanding and deeper appreciation of the women in Shakespeare as well as practical advice for enhancing our writing.
James Barber
Session 3: The Craft of Short Fiction
At the Sydney Writers Festival last Wednesday, I had the opportunity to hear from acclaimed short fiction writers Melanie Cheng and Debrah Adelaide. Both authors had their own unique backstories and approaches to writing.
Melanie Cheng, a practising GP, shared how she only discovered writing later in life, after finishing her university degree in medicine. Melanie had to balance writing as a hobby with her career in medicine.
She achieved her first major prize, which helped launch her professional career, after ten years of part-time writing.
Debrah Adelaide described how she spent all of her childhood reading, but confessed she never thought she was bright enough to be a writer. It was only after the disappointment of a post-doctoral fellowship rejection that she turned to creative writing, drawing inspiration from her time managing a country hotel.
Both writers emphasised the importance of reading, writing from your personal experiences, editing, and always revisiting your work to make sure every word serves the story.
As Melanie said, “If writing a short story is like a party, you arrive late and leave early.”
Overall, the day was a fantastic experience that provided some great advice and left us all more motivated to read and write for ourselves.
Ben Cromer
Indigenous Round – Saturday, 31 May
Join us next Saturday (31 May) for our annual Indigenous round of sport against Cranbrook School.
Ahead of each 1ST fixture we will be holding an acknowledgement of Country. Ahead of the 1ST XV Rugby game we will be holding our Indigenous Opening Ceremony from 3pm, consisting of a traditional smoking ceremony & welcome to country.
We look forward to seeing you all this Saturday!
AFL at Blackman Park v Barker – Friday evening
- 7:00 pm Kick off
Tennis on Waverley College Tennis Courts – Saturday
- 8:00 am
Volleyball in Br. J.P. Lacey Gymnasium – Saturday
- 10:00 am
Football on Queens Park 1 – Saturday
- 10:05 am – Indigenous Ceremony with Smoking Ceremony & Welcome to Country
- 10:10 am – Kick-Off
Rugby on Queens Park 1 – Saturday
- 3pm – Indigenous Opening Ceremony with Smoking Ceremony & Welcome to Country
- 3:15pm – Kick-Off
See you at one or all of the games!
‘Kids Giving Back’ – Not For Profit Organisation
We are very proud of the following students who elected to spend part of their Easter holidays volunteering to help provide over 5,000 meals, snack packs, care packages and wrote heartfelt messages to support 15 charities across Sydney.
Their kindness rippled through 15 partner charities and, just as importantly, through our team and the community they supported.
Thomas Cunningham (Y7)
Oliver Starkenburg (Y6)
Henry Grantham (Y6)
If you would also like your son/s to experience meaningful opportunities to give back to disadvantaged people in our community, consider the Kids Giving Back Community Programs www.kidsgivingback.org. July School Holiday programs bookings open in June and fill quickly.
FREE Parent Screening – SEEN The Film
Join us on Thursday, 29 May at the Br. R.J. Wallace Performing Arts Centre for an inspiring evening exploring how our own stories shape the way we parent.
Drinks & canapés from 6:30pm, screening at 7:00pm.
This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with fellow parents and reflect on the shared journey of raising children.
Book your free tickets now at the link below!
https://events.humanitix.com/seen-film-screening
Manchester City Football School Holiday Clinics with Waverley College, July 2025
Manchester City coaching clinics will give girls and boys the opportunity to develop their skills and learn how to play ‘beautiful football’ in the playing style of Manchester City, utilising the football club’s coaching and playing methodology.
Players of all abilities will be challenged to develop in a safe, fun and authentic environment that reflects how Manchester City train and develop football players.
Players will learn how to master the ball, play with style, dominate the game and achieve their goals.
Book Now for the July School Holidays
Tuesday 1 & Wednesday 2 July 2025 (2 days)
Years 7 and 8, boys only.
CLICK HERE TO BOOK
Thursday 3 & Friday 4 July 2025 (2 days)
Years 5 and 6, boys and girls.
CLICK HERE TO BOOK
Monday 7 & Thursday 8 July (2 days)
Years 3 and 4, boys and girls.
CLICK HERE TO BOOK
Legends Coaching Week
This week, our school proudly hosted the annual Legends Coaching Week, a highlight of our sporting calendar that celebrates the strength of our Old Boy, Parents and local community network.
Through this initiative, students had the unique opportunity to train alongside experienced and professional players and coaches, gaining invaluable insights into the world of elite sport.
These sessions provided tailored feedback on both individual and team skills, helping students sharpen their abilities while also learning about the dedication, discipline, and mindset required to succeed as a professional athlete.
Beyond the technical knowledge, the week fostered a deeper connection between our current students and the broader school community.
We were privileged to welcome an exceptional group of legends this year, including Brad Burke (Wallaby and Old Boy), Shaun Berne (Professional Rugby Union Player and Coach, current Randwick 1st Grade Coach), Morgan Turinui (Wallaby and Old Boy), Owen Finegan (Wallaby and Old Boy), Henry Patterson (Australian Men’s Rugby 7s captain and Old Boy), Jonas Dowling (Professional Rugby Player and Old Boy), and Joel Ellis (Current 1st Grade Randwick Captain and Old Boy).
Their willingness to share their time, expertise, and experiences made a lasting impact on our students and staff alike.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to all the Old Boys, parents and community members who contributed to the success of this week.
Their ongoing involvement enriches our programs and reinforces the enduring bonds that make our school community so special. We look forward to continuing to build on these relationships in the years to come.
Congratulations to our swimmers!
I’m thrilled to share the outstanding achievements of our students at the recent All Schools Swimming Championships.
Ollie Moclair made history by winning the 17 years and over 50m freestyle event, shattering the Championship record by a mere 0.01 seconds.
This impressive feat marks a significant milestone for our student-athlete.
Notably, Ollie’s win follows a four-year gap since a Waverley student took individual gold, with Stuart Swinburn last achieving this in 2019.
In another remarkable performance, the 4x50m freestyle relay team consisting of Zoltan Szabo, Lincoln Tanner, Nick Hoering, and Ollie Moclair secured second place while setting a new College record.
Congratulations to these talented students on their exceptional teamwork and dedication!
Free Parent Webinars – Teen Mental Health Matters
The Black Dog Institute offers free 60-minute online webinars for parents entitled “Teen Mental Health Matters”. The webinar is delivered by a Clinical Psychologist facilitator, and Black Dog Institute lived experience presenter.
It explores how parents can support adolescents through tough times. The findings from the Future Proofing Study inform these presentations.
The dates and registration links for these webinars are below:
- Wednesday 28 May 6.30 – 7.30 pm (AEST) Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_hCSRW5V4Q6q3e5S8oolf8g#/registration
- Monday16 June at 6.30 – 7.30 pm (AEST) Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_XmN4p3FFSBS9IJKQ7waepA#/registration
- Monday 30 June at 6.30 – 7.30 pm (AEST) Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_rL9TZNMhQOWM4NR5UMkmDw#/registration
Parent/carer strategies specifically for supporting teens to navigate their online world can be found in the attached guide. Link
Waverley College App
A friendly reminder that the Waverley app is our primary communication channel, so it’s essential to stay connected and informed through it.
To help streamline your experience and avoid unnecessary notifications, please ensure you’re only subscribed to the groups and tags that are relevant to you and your son.
We’re also aware of a bug that is automatically resubscribing some parents to all groups – our team is actively working with developers to resolve this issue as quickly as possible.
In the meantime, you can click the PDF here for a simple step-by-step guide on how to manage your subscriptions. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Waverley College App Instructions – CLICK HERE
Father/Son Dinner
Dear Dads and Carers,
We are looking forward to welcoming you all to the Waverley College Parents’ Association Father/Carer & Son dinner in just 2 weeks time! Below is some useful information about the night.
About the Event
Date: Friday 30 May 2025
Time: 6:30 – 10:30pm
Venue: The Ballroom, Royal Randwick Racecourse, Alison Road, Randwick.
Please enter via Gate D and proceed through to the QEII Grandstand using the centre escalators up to Level 2.
On arrival, please make your way into the Ballroom where you will be met with a complimentary welcome drink.
Table plans will be set up at the two entrances however we ask that you please familiarise yourself with your table details ahead of the night. The table plan for the night is attached below.
Dress Code
Fathers/carers: Smart casual
Boys: Academic uniform
Getting There
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Please refer to the information in the link below.
TAXIS, RIDE SHARE SERVICES & DROP OFF
Taxis, ride share services, and private vehicles can enter Royal Randwick Racecourse through either Gate 1 on Alison Road or via the Ascot Street entrance. Drop off is at Gate E. Parking attendants will be there to guide guests to the drop off point.
CAR PARKING – MAIN DRIVE
There is limited complimentary parking available in the Main Drive or Taxi Rank area, accessed via Gate 1 on Alison Road or Ascot Street. This parking is on a first come, first serve basis. Upon arrival, please follow the instructions given by parking attendants on where to park.
CAR PARKING – ASCOT STREET CAR PARK
The multi-deck Ascot Street car park is available for paid parking. The car park is accessed via Ascot Street off Doncaster Road. The parking fee is a flat rate of $10 per day and is a cashless payment only.
Alcohol Consumption
Students (even those over 18) will not be served alcohol.
