Principal, Mr Graham Leddie
R U OK? Day
To mark R U OK? Day, we had the privilege of welcoming Alex Noble – a remarkable young man whose story of resilience, courage and connection deeply reflects the very heart of the R U OK? message: “Ask R U OK? – Any Day.”
At just 16, Alex’s life changed forever when a rugby injury left him with a severe spinal cord injury and a diagnosis of C4 quadriplegia. Told he would never regain movement from the neck down, Alex chose to fight.
In his hospital bed, just four days after emerging from a coma, his first words were to his brother: “Zac, if I fight… you fight.” That moment of brotherly connection sparked the IFIGHTYOUFIGHT movement, which has since inspired hundreds of thousands of people around the world.
Through grit, determination, and the unwavering support of those around him, Alex has defied the odds – learning to breathe again, stand with assistance, walk using an exoskeleton, and rebuild a life filled with purpose.
Now 22, he is a bestselling author, public speaker, university student, law firm employee, and runs his own boat charter business. His story is a living reminder of what’s possible when resilience meets connection and how vital it is to have someone by your side during life’s toughest moments.
That’s exactly what R U OK? Day is about: reminding us that we all have the power to support each other through life’s ups and downs. A single conversation, a caring question, or a quiet moment of listening can be life-changing. Alex’s journey began with one sentence of support which lit a spark.
Waverley College is proud to support R U OK? Day and the powerful legacy of its founder, Gavin Larkin, whose sons Gus and Van are former students of our College. If you’re unfamiliar with their story, we encourage you to watch the moving Australian Story episode “Beyond OK” (Season 22, Episode 30), available on ClickView or ABC iView.
Alex’s message and the message of R U OK? are ultimately the same – that through resilience, connection, and a willingness to ask and listen, we can lift each other up, change lives, and remind one another: you’re never alone in the fight.
Winter co-curricular Award Winners 2025
This week we celebrated some of the amazing achievements of individuals and teams over the 2025 winter co-curricular season.
View the full list of Winter Co-curricular awards here
Year 12 Drama Showcase
On Tuesday evening, I was lucky enough to attend the Year 12 Drama Showcase. The event highlighted the impressive talent within our Year 12 Drama course and students. Their dedication, creativity, and skill were on full display and truly captivated the audience.
Today we heard from NESA that the following students have been nominated for individual inclusion in the HSC Showcase ‘OnSTAGE’
Congratulations to the following students for their respective performances:
Taj Lynn – Losing Love
James Peate – Select Delete
Renzo Walker – The circle of life
And in the Group Performance category of ‘On STAGE’, the following students were nominated for their performance of ‘Signal Lost’
Lachlan Hoy
Taj Lynn
James Peate
Supporting Children After Disturbing News
The news of Charlie Kirk’s assasination in the USA has been widely reported, and some students may have seen or heard about it, especially online. Exposure to real-life violence can leave students feeling worried, sad, or unsafe.
Parents can help by:
- Limiting exposure: Avoid repeated viewing of disturbing images or unfiltered social media.
- Giving honest, age-appropriate information: Keep explanations simple for younger children and gently correct any misinformation with older ones.
- Listening and validating feelings: Let children talk about their fears or sadness and reassure them these feelings are normal.
- Keeping routines steady: Regular schedules and normal activities provide a sense of security.
- Reassuring safety: Calmly remind children they are safe and surrounded by people who care for them.
Waverley College is here to support the safety and wellbeing of your son/s. If your son shows signs of ongoing distress (e.g., nightmares, clinginess or withdrawal), please reach out to external support (GP, Headspace) or our Wellbeing Team to provide additional support.
VET Excellence Award – Noah Anderson (Hospitality Year 12)
The VET Excellence Awards is a prestigious annual event held at Parliament House and organised by The Youth Partnership, dedicated to recognising and celebrating the exceptional achievements of students who are undertaking Vocational Education and Training (VET) studies as part of their Higher School Certificate.
The VET Excellence Student Award for Hospitality highlights the dedication and excellence exhibited by Noah: classwork, industry commitment, professionalism, and motivation during his work placements.
Schools can only put forward one student from all VET subjects combined, and right from the start of Year 11, Noah has consistently worked hard in all aspects of the course and is well deserving of this recognition.
Reminder: Parent Feedback Survey – Thank You
Thank you to the many families who have already completed the MMG Education parent survey, and thank you in advance to those still planning to do so. We appreciate that your time is precious and that the survey is quite detailed, but your insights are vital in shaping the future of our College.
Your voice matters. By sharing your perspectives, you help us understand what we do well and where we can grow, ensuring the best possible learning, wellbeing and formation opportunities for your sons.
The parent survey remains open until Monday, 15 September. Once the review period concludes, MMG will prepare a detailed report and we will share the key findings with our community.
If you have any questions, please contact info@waverley.nsw.edu.au. Thank you for your valuable contribution to the future of Waverley College.
Educating The Future – 10-Year Anniversary Gala Dinner
Waverley College is proud to host the Educating The Future 10-Year Anniversary Gala on Saturday 29 November, 6–11pm in the College Gymnasium.
This youth-led, volunteer-run NGO founded by two Waverley Old Boys after a 2015 Timor-Leste immersion has since built and supported seven public preschools, giving early education to more than 2,000 children.
The evening will feature keynote addresses from Co-Founder Cirilo Soares and Kirsty Sword Gusmão AO, live music, DJs, dancing, raffles, a silent auction and more.
Tickets are $150 per person, including a three-course meal and entertainment, with all proceeds contributing to the $100,000 fundraising goal (just $53 educates a child for a year). Join us in celebrating a decade of impact and shaping the future for Timor-Leste’s youngest learners.
Get your tickets here!
App Reminder
A friendly reminder that the Waverley College App remains our primary communication channel, so it’s essential to stay connected and ensure you’re subscribed only to the groups and tags relevant to you and your son. This helps streamline your experience and avoids unnecessary notifications, which is particularly important as we head into the start of the Co-Curricular Summer Season in Term 4.
To further improve communication, we are introducing Clipboard as a built-in feature within the Waverley App. Clipboard is a platform that many CAS schools already use successfully to manage co-curricular information. It was originally developed for schools as a way to bring all sport and activity details into one place, making it easier for families to keep track of fixtures, team lists, venues, and cancellations. Importantly, it also personalises notifications, meaning you will only receive updates relevant to your son’s activities, rather than a stream of general alerts.
This integration has been mandated by CAS, but it also aligns with our own goal of making communication with parents clearer, more consistent, and easier to navigate. Clipboard links directly with our existing IT systems, which allows information to flow seamlessly, reducing duplication and ensuring greater accuracy.
From this term, you will notice that all parents now have access to Clipboard via the Co-Curricular button in the Waverley App. Simply log in with your Parent Lounge credentials to explore the platform. Over the coming months, Clipboard will become the central point of communication for all Co-Curricular Sport & Culture activities, gradually replacing some of the functions currently delivered through App Notices.
We appreciate that this is a change, and there will be a short transition period where both systems run in parallel. In the long run, we believe this shift will make receiving accurate, timely information about your son’s co-curricular activities far simpler and more personalised.
Please see the below PDF for a step-by-step guide on how to manage your app subscriptions. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
