Principal, Mr Graham Leddie
Dear Parents and Teachers,
Term 1
We are certainly in full swing in Term 1 and I hope your son is travelling well. Please check with your son, if you have not already, his SMART Goals that he has written into his school diary. I am hoping that he has had a conversation with you and his Wellbeing Mentor regarding these. Writing down and sharing your goals with others increases the chances of achieving these goals dramatically and assists with self-accountability. There should be some academic goals alongside some wellbeing goals that aim to improve his overall health and resilience.
Alex Noble
St Ignatius Riverview student Alex Noble suffered a freak accident at rugby training at 16 years of age and is now a quadriplegic. Alex is now in Year 12 and fellow parents are trying to support his future through a major fundraiser. Please support Alex by purchasing a raffle ticket via www.anoblegala.com
The raffle will be drawn at 10:30pm on Saturday 22 February 2020.
The major prize is 2 tickets to a Major Australian sports event every month for 12 months with flights and accommodation included for events outside Sydney.
AFL grand final, Formula 1 Grand Prix, Australian Open Tennis, Bledisloe Cup, Rugby Test vs IRE, VRC Oaks Day, NRL Grand Final, The Everest, State of Origin, Polo International, A-League Grand Final and Sydney to Hobart.
Other ways you can help support Alex – You can also bid on a spectacular line-up of more than 180 Silent Auction items all generously donated including sporting experiences, dining, holidays, fashion, electronics, jewellery, artwork and homewares, or make a pledge to Alex’s Wish List. You can also share this link www.anoblegala.com via email and social media with your friends and colleagues to encourage others to support this young man.
Virtus Sola Nobilitat
At last week’s High Achievers Assembly we welcomed back many of our top-performing students from our class of 2019.
This is part of the speech that I delivered at this assembly:
Virtus Sola Nobilitat
These Latin words have been on the College crest for 117 years and translate to; virtue is its own reward.
A virtue is a behaviour showing high moral standards and moral standards deal with matters which can either seriously harm or seriously benefit communities and human beings. The young gentlemen displayed many virtues during their time with us and these virtues assisted them in reaching the lofty heights that we celebrate today.
They have been truthful in their pursuit of opportunities that they have been kindly provided by their parents and teachers. When the tough questions are asked in life, honesty counts and helps build resilience.
They have kept promises – they have all set goals to reach such lofty heights. When the road was winding and steep, they stuck to what they had promised themselves, they revised their work when they did not feel like it and they asked questions when it was easier to stay quiet.
They have been courageous – At the recent Year 11 ‘How to Study evening’ conducted by Dr Pru Salter – the same evening that these ‘high achievers’ attended two years ago, I thought about the need to be courageous. The final part of the formal educational journey is two years long, sacrifices need to be made and there are many challenges along the way. But with some courage, you can make it and these boys have not only made it, they have excelled.
They have treated others well, the way that they have wanted to be treated. Some call it bringing your own luck to a situation, some call it Karma. Those that endeavour to live by a code of moral standards and help others in the community, find inner happiness. Those that don’t can end up on the wrong path that can take a lifetime to unwind. Do not judge others, be tolerant of difference and try and assist the quirky, the odd, the different, the lonely, the isolated and you will find peace yourself.
And, they have been patient – As Ms Watson said in her address, these accolades that they receive today from us, did not happen overnight. These boys were patient, they worked hard, they learnt from their mistakes and they took responsibility for their actions.
Other moral standards that come to mind – be dependable, be forgiving, have integrity, be loyal, seek justice, have humility and be generous – I can see all these moral standards in these young men. They found time to attend immersions, to assist in social justice activities, to attain Gold in the Duke of Edinburgh, to win the Archbishops Award for service and represent the College at the Australian Junior Parliament – it is not a coincidence that they are here today.
Virtus Sola Nobilitat -simply stated, the rewards in life are doing the right thing by others, for the benefit of the broader community, and you will be rewarded with peace and happiness. You only have to look as far as the crest on your shirt to be reminded of the right way, the Waverley way.
Congratulations gentlemen and thank you for showing us the meaning of, Virtus Sola Nobilitat
Safety and Standards
The above virtues are what we expect of our students and staff, and our Wellbeing Program supports the development of these. Each boy has his own strengths and areas of development and we aim to challenge and support each boy’s holistic development.
There are of course some non-negotiables at schools and these concern child safety and standards. Many of you would have seen the news story involving St Kevin’s College in Melbourne.
Schools need to be held to a high standard. Waverley College abhors abuse of any kind. Every child has the right to feel safe and should be able to trust those who are in positions of care and leadership around them.
Waverley College has zero-tolerance for any wrong treatment of children, and as such the College’s safeguards go well beyond what is legally required and exceed what is considered best practice. The policies, procedures and practices that are in place to protect children are continually open to scrutiny.
One of the most important criteria for trust is transparency and openness: from the way we proactively communicate with parents, our mandatory reporting, the ability for any parent to see inside rooms, and confidentiality protections for our school psychologists and the students who see them, through to open-door policies for students to speak freely with staff.
We are all responsible as individuals to always create safe environments for others. And that includes speaking up for what is right, even if it is unpopular or uncomfortable to do so.
We have very clear expectations of all staff in relation to the paramount importance of child safety. To learn more about our policies, please click here.
