Principal, Mr Graham Leddie
Fire at Waverley College Today 27 August 2021
Today at around 2:20pm, a fire broke out in the TAS building on the Senior School campus. The fire was caused by embers that made their way into the exhaust duct.
There was only skeleton staff on campus and three Year 12 students. Staff responded immediately and everyone was evacuated and thankfully all are safe.
On behalf of the College and the local community, I would like to thank the local Police and Fire Departments who were at the scene in minutes and in large numbers. Their response was impressive and decisive and certainly kept damage to a minimum.
Return to School Roadmap
Please find below the key changes and announcements made by the government today in outlining a roadmap for return to face-to-face teaching.
The roadmap consists of four parts and is current as of 8am Friday 27 August:
- 1. Staggered return
Priority cohorts will begin face to face learning on Monday 25 October, as long as community transmission and vaccination rate requirements have been met.
HSC exams will be delayed to 9 November with a revised timetable and guidelines for a COVID-safe HSC to be released by NESA in early September. The updated start date means HSC results will be released in mid-January. For further details, please refer to Ms Porter’s newsletter article.
>>> Click here to read Ms Porter’s article.
- 2. Vaccinations
A) Vaccinations for all school staff across all sectors will be mandatory from 8 November.
NSW Health will be providing priority vaccinations at Qudos Bank Arena for school staff the week beginning 6 September. School staff are also encouraged to make use of the GP network to be vaccinated with whatever vaccine is available as soon as possible. A recent survey of the public-school workforce indicated the majority of staff already had at least one dose of a vaccine.
B) All students sitting their HSC will receive priority vaccination if they are eligible. Notification for priority booking will be issued by NESA next week. All students eligible for a vaccine will be strongly encouraged by the government to book an appointment.
Vaccination against COVID-19 is recommended for all individuals from 12 years of age, extending the current recommendation for those aged 16 years and older.
- 3. Low community transmission in LGA*
Students can only return to face-to-face learning in LGAs where community transmission cases are 50 or less per 100,000 people, based on health advice. For most LGAs in NSW this is already occurring. If cases exceed 50 per 100,000 in any LGA, learning from home will resume for that LGA until case numbers drop. This means about 64 per cent of students in Greater Sydney wouldn’t be able to return to school, totalling 554,861 students.
* Subject to possible change.
- 4. Community vaccination rates
The start of the staggered return of students to face to face learning depends upon at least 70 per cent of the state’s eligible adult population being vaccinated. Current NSW Health projections indicate this will be before mid-October – which is why NSW Health and Education have confidence in the start date for the staged return being 25 October. We will continue to inform you of any changes as they arise.
Leadership 2021
After an extensive Prefect and Captain selection leadership process that included House, peers, and staff, it is my pleasure to announce that the four College Captains for Term 4 2021 and 2022 are:
- Daniel McSweeny – Captain
- Guy Hammerschmidt – Vice Captain
- Christian Kitas – Vice Captain
- Solomon Tuqiri – Vice Captain
The House Captains and Prefects will be announced at their respective House Assemblies next week.
Indigenous Literacy Day
Wednesday 1 September is Indigenous Literacy Day and this year the The Indigenous Literacy Foundation has organised an online event called ‘Celebrating Stories and Language.’
Catering for Senior and Junior School students, it features stories being read and shared by Elders in remote communities, famous Indigenous Australians and children.
Be sure to read the articles by Mr Bill Roberts and Ms Olivia Kite to learn how to register to view Indigenous Literacy Day video stories that will go live at 9am on Wednesday.
>>> Click here to read the Nurrunga article by Mr Bill Roberts and Ms Olivia Kite.
Supportive Letters from our Global EREA Community
During the Greater Sydney lockdown, I have been heartened to receive numerous handwritten, typed, audio and video messages of support from schools in our global EREA community. Messages have been sent to us from: Fe y Alegria in Peru, St Laurence in the United States, St Johns and St Edmunds in India, and Blarney Street in Ireland.
United in prayer, these communities send their best energies to students, staff and families in Greater Sydney Edmund Rice schools. I encourage you to read the messages in the links below, in the hope that they will bring comfort and encouragement during this time of uncertainty.
>>> Click here to view the message from Fe y Alegria in Peru.
>>> Click here to view the message from St Laurence High School in the United States.
>>> Click here to view the message from St Edmunds in India.
>>> Click here to view the message from St John’s in Chandigarh, India.
>>> Click here to view the message from Blarney Street in Ireland.
Virtual Open Day at St John’s College at the University of Sydney
St John’s College is holding its Virtual Open Day this Sunday 29 August at 2:30pm via Zoom. St John’s is a vibrant, mixed-gender residential college within the University of Sydney, and is the oldest Roman Catholic university college in Australia. The current Chair of Council at St John’s is Old Boy John Coorey (Class of 1979).
Should your son be interested in on-campus accommodation or the University of Sydney in 2022 or 2023, St John’s would really like to see him at the Virtual Open Day. Parents are also welcome. Current students at St John’s will be ready to answer questions and chat about why they chose St John’s and the University of Sydney.
Interested Waverley students need to register to ensure that they receive the access link and any updates about the event direct to their inboxes. Students can also submit any questions they have via registration.
>>> Click here to register for the St John’s College Virtual Open Day.
For questions about the application process, scholarship program or financial assistance, please reach out to the Registrar Ms LeVina Huirua | 02 9394 5000 | registrar@stjohnscollege.edu.au
