Principal, Mr Graham Leddie
Start of Term
It was lovely to see the students return to the College on Thursday (Years 5, 7 and new students) and the whole school today. Each year level had an outdoor Year level assembly meeting where important information, expectations, goals and support mechanisms were outlined. I felt a sense of positivity and excitement across each year level, and I wished every student a great start to their respective year. I encouraged each of them to take others along on the journey and to look for ways to support each other and to take advantage of the opportunities as they present themselves.
Communication – The Importance of Reading the Weekly Nurrunga and the Waverley College app
Nurrunga is our weekly newsletter, delivered directly to your email inbox every Friday afternoon. It includes the most important updates from the Principal and College Leadership Team, vital information from teachers, and Key Dates for the weeks ahead. I strongly recommend that you read Nurrunga when it is delivered to you each Friday, to ensure that you and your son do not miss crucial information.
How to Subscribe to the Waverley app
The College uses the app as its central portal to communicate with parents and carers. Features include: Notices, weekly Nurrunga newsletter, Co-Curricular, Parent Lounge, Calendar, Absences, Contacts, Maps and Links.
We send regular updates through the app. If you’ve not subscribed already, the username you need for the app is your family ID, the same one that you use to access the Parent Lounge, where you book Parent/Teacher interviews and obtain school reports.
The app can be downloaded from your app store. Please use the following instructions to download and set up the app:
>>> Click here to download the instructions.
Should you have any questions, suggestions about the user experience, or are having technical issues, please contact app@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Congratulations!
Congratulations to Luke Crosson (Year 10), who has been accepted as a finalist into Flickerfest’s U18s category, Flickerup. His five-minute short film ‘Lockdown Blues’ will be screened on Saturday, 29 January. We’re all very proud of you, Luke.
New Staff Welcome
I would like to welcome the following staff to our teaching and support staff team. They come from a variety of schools and workplaces and I look forward to the teaching, learning and innovative skills that they will bring to their respective teams, departments and the College.
Gerald Winch | Facilities Manager | Australian Museum
Michelle McDonald | Learning Support Teacher | Rutland NS, Dublin
Silvia Baylie | Relief Teacher |Esbee Consulting
Jade Sparks | Junior School Teacher | Coonamble Public School
Elliott McKimm | Junior School Teacher | Cronulla Public School
Alon Horry (T1 and T2) | Junior School Teacher | Waverley College Casual Teacher
Lachlan Drew-Morris | PDHPE Teacher | Waverley College Casual Teacher
April Barry | Science Teacher | Chatswood High School
Andrey Tregubov | Science Lab Tech | Glenaeon Rudolf Steiner
Kyra Oliver | History Teacher | De La Salle College, Ashfield
Peter Riley | Mathematics Teacher | Waverley College Casual Teacher
Laurence Trinca | Mathematics Teacher | Randwick Girls’ High School
Steven Hall | Mathematics Teacher | Woonona High School
Alice Curtis | English Teacher | Mendooran Central School
Colette Brus | English Teacher | St Leo’s Catholic College
Graham Clarkson | TAS Teacher | ICT Education Solutions
Stephanie Jackman | TAS Teacher | Good Shepherd Lutheran College
Kim Spicer | TAS Teacher | St Joseph’s Nudgee College
Melissa Denkinger | TAS Teacher Hospitality | Australian International School, Singapore
Beverley McCarthy | TAS Teacher Hospitality | Brigidine College
Nicholas Sposari | HSIE/RE Teacher | All Saints Catholic College
Ben Steel | HSIE Teacher | Asquith Boys’ High School
Angelique Theodorou | HSIE Teacher | Blakehurst High School
Gianfranco Leon Rivera | Spanish Teacher | Marcellin College
Natalie Keyte | English Teacher | The Scots College
Sam Mulgrew | History Teacher | Trinity Grammar School
Farewell to Former Staff
We say farewell to some valued colleagues at the start of this year, and wish them well with their new opportunities. Thomas Pryor (English) moved to America, Tarryn Thompson – Marketing & Development manager resigned, Jyoti Bapat, part-time Science Technician accepted a full time role at The King’s School, and Matthew Ryan (21 years) Head of Sport Junior School for 16 years, accepted a position at St Charbel’s College Primary as Sports Coordinator.
>>> Click here to view a welcome to new staff photos.
NSW COVID Health Change/Update
Please note that NSW Health have updated their previous advice regarding the exemption of students who are close/household contacts. A student who is identified as a close/household contact can no longer attend school during their 7-day isolation period.
In our School community at present, we currently have 12 students and 3 staff who are isolating at home with COVID-19, and 13 students who are close contacts in isolation at home. If your son is unwell, please get him tested and stay at home.
CAS Sport Update
Rapid Antigen Home Testing Information for Parents
Waverley College has been supplied with Rapid Antigen Home Test (RAHT) kits from the NSW Department of Education, which have been distributed to each student. Please make sure your son keeps these safe and stored securely.
In relation to what days your son should test, that is a decision you can make between yourselves. We would suggest testing on a Monday morning before school starts, mid-way through the week, or at any stage your son starts to show symptoms. Please remember to use a RAHT immediately if your son is starting to show symptoms of COVID-19.
The symptoms can be any of the below:
- fever (37.5 degrees Celsius or higher)
- cough
- sore throat
- shortness of breath (difficulty breathing)
- runny nose
- loss of taste
- loss of smell.
Other reported symptoms include:
- fatigue
- acute blocked nose (congestion)
- muscle pain
- joint pain
- headache
- diarrhoea
- nausea/vomiting
- loss of appetite
- Unexplained chest pain and conjunctivitis (eye infection) have also been reported as symptoms of COVID-19.
Undertaking a Rapid Antigen Home Test
The instructions on how to undertake a RAHT are enclosed in each individual box. Here is some information that we have found useful when using a RAHT:
- Ask your son to blow his nose into a mask before testing.
- Ensure you have washed your hands thoroughly before and after the testing process.
- Make sure you only put the swab 1-2cm in the nostril. This is not as far as some would have experienced through previous PCR testing. You don’t want to cause trauma to your son’s nasal passage.
- Wait for 15 minutes for the result, and do not read the result any earlier than 15 minutes, or later than 20 minutes, as this could result in an inaccurate result.
- If you have a faint line that shows up in the test region then this is classified as positive. You can follow up with a PCR if you are unsure.
- Dispose of the tests in a biohazard zip lock bag in your rubbish bin if you have access to one, especially if you or your family member tested positive for COVID-19. If you can’t access one, then make sure the test is sealed well, before disposing of it.
Please do not hesitate to contact the College Registered Nurse, Adele Cutbush, if you have any questions or concerns. The Health Centre is open Monday to Friday 8am – 4pm during term time.
E: healthcentre@waverley.nsw.edu.au
