Principal, Mr Graham Leddie
Mother’s Day
We wish all mothers, grandmothers, stepmothers and significant female carers a respective Happy Mothers’ Day on Sunday. I hope you are acknowledged for the significant role you play in your children’s development, for the care and support you provide and the wisdom and skills you share so generously.
I hope boys are thankful and appreciative for all that you have done and sacrificed for them and will continue to do for them. The College also thanks you for the significant contribution mothers have made to Waverley throughout its 121 years of service. Mothers and other female carers have made a significant impact on the lives of students, the school’s culture and the sense of community. Happy Mother’s Day.
Senior School Mother’s Day Breakfast
A prayer for all Mothers;
Today, loving God,
we pray for our mothers:
who cared for us when we were helpless,
who comforted us when we were hurt,
whose love and care we often took for granted.
Today we pray for
those who are grieving the loss of their mother,
those who never knew their biological mother, and now yearn for her;
those who have experienced the wonder of an adopted mother’s love;
those families separated by war or conflict.
Lord, give them special blessings.
Keep us united with you and with each other,
so that we can be and become all that we are meant to be.
Amen.
Blessed Edmund Rice Feast Day – 5 May 2024
We wish a blessing upon all that have worked in Christian Brother Schools and Catholic Schools in the Edmund Rice Tradition, for the lasting legacy of schools across Australia and the world, which all began in 1802 with the establishment of the first school in Waterford, Ireland by our Founder Edmund Rice.
Please find an EREA Feast Day message from the Chair of the EREA Council, Dr Michael Slattery HERE.
Hearts For Arch Day
In 2020 our community was rocked when we lost Year 8 student Archie Perkins. Archie passed away from a pre-existing heart condition over the summer holiday period. This came as a terrible shock to Archie’s family and the Waverley College community, particularly Archie’s close friends and Year group. Archie would have been graduating from Waverley College this year and in memory of him, we will be holding a Hearts For Arch Day.
This day will be held on Thursday, 13 June 2024 in which the students will wear mufti uniform and are required to give a gold coin donation. All money raised will go directly to the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network Cardiac Unit and to the purchase of the mobile ECG units; Kardia.The aim to provide a Kardia mobile to every eligible cardiac patient at Sydney Children’s Hospitals, and at $173 each, every dollar counts. Donations can be made through the Hearts for Arch Foundation.
We also encourage students to purchase merchandise which they can wear throughout Week 7. This will be available for purchase at school on Thursday 13 and Friday 14 June, however, you can also purchase merchandise HERE.
We look forward to welcoming Archie’s family to our College Assembly where they will share Archie’s story and the importance of the Hearts for Arch Foundation.
Strategic Planning – Perspectives Survey
The 2025-2027 Strategic Planning process will begin shortly. The College will be seeking feedback from stakeholder groups. The information gathered will assist in furthering the growth and development of our school community. We will use the survey results to help inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.
The survey instruments that we are using have been created by the Association of Independent School NSW (AISNSW). These surveys have been specifically designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of stakeholders’ perceptions of five important areas: School Environment, Teaching and Learning, Student Wellbeing, Leadership and Community. All staff, students, parents/guardians/carers, leaders and board members will be invited to participate.
The surveys will be distributed via email to all from ‘evidence@aisnsw.edu.au’ on behalf of the school and will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. All information will be anonymous and no data information will be stored past the process.
Your input and contribution are important to the success of our continuous school improvement process as we aspire to improve the learning experience for everyone at our school.
Thespian in Action
Congratulations to Fox Stapleton (Year 11) who played the senior male role in the St Catherine’s School 2024 School Musical Legally Blonde, which opened last night. Fox produced a stellar performance along with his St Catherine’s School colleagues. It was truly an enjoyable evening of entertainment with all students delivering a very high standard of performance.
Mr Peter Lamb (Head of Drama) and I were both impressed also with the number of Fox’s peers who had bought tickets to go along and support him and friends at St Catherine’s. We saw this same support last Term for Mackenzie Singh (Year 12) and Matthew Frost (Year 12) who had lead roles in the KRB 2024 School Musical.
It is a nice attribute that I see often from Waverley boys and something we as a community should acknowledge and encourage. I am looking forward to Waverley’s production in Week 8 of this Term (18 – 22 June 2024), Tartuffe (The Hypocrite) where we will see a number of our students along with St Clare’s and Ascham students perform.
Courage2Care Presentation Inspires and Provokes
During Thursday morning, our entire Year 10 cohort participated in a special program delivered by the Courage2Care organisation. Focussed on the Holocaust, the key message of child survivor Mr Jack Feller and the volunteer presenters was for Waverley staff and students alike to be upstanders and not bystanders. In line with our Wellbeing program, for our staff and students to act against bullying and discrimination in all its forms.
The centrepiece of the presentation was Mr Jack Feller relating his personal, harrowing story: being born to parents in hiding in Nazi-occupied Poland, surviving the final months of the war with a foster family and being reunited with his birth parents at 11 months of age. As Mr Feller told our students, he survived because Polish neighbours stood up to the Nazis at risk of their own lives.
Year 10 History students are currently engaged in a deep-learning investigation of the Holocaust, which covers the entirety of Term 2. The study includes formative tasks related to the Courage2Care presentation, as well as a formal assessment task on refuting Holocaust denial.
The Courage2Care incursion is part of the College’s ongoing community engagement project, seeking to reach out to groups within the immediate neighbourhood of Waverley and beyond.
Thank you to the History Department staff who organised this important incursion. A great initiative which is sure to have inspired our students as well as to provoke deeper thinking about themselves.
Dr Panos Diamadis
Teacher
pdiamadis@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Redfern Jarjum College ‘ Our Mob’ – 15 June 2024
Every two years, Jarjum College holds a fundraiser at the International Convention Centre Sydney to assist them to raise funds to support the educational model of their school. It is also a great opportunity for us to share with the wider community our success. Given the on-going partnership between Waverley and Jarjum, they would love to see some of our community present on the evening.
You can purchase your ticket via this link.
Enquiries: please email Natasha Evans nevans@rjc.nsw.edu.au
University of Sydney Year 12 Information Evening – Wednesday, 22 May, 4pm – 7pm
The University of Sydney is offering an information evening to explore their iconic campus and learn more about university entry, scholarships, study options and more at their information evening for Year 12 students and their caregivers.
Don’t miss this opportunity to explore your options and ask any questions you have about joining the Sydney student community next year. This on-campus event will include a tour, course advice exhibition and information sessions on curriculum, scholarships, student support, campus life and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander study pathways.
If you can’t make it in person, don’t worry – the online session on 23 May will cover everything you need to know!
The University of Sydney also has a number of upcoming webinar events to help you discover what it’s like to study a bachelor’s degree there. Their events are best suited for students from Years 10-12, and include tips on your school subjects, preparing for uni and how to choose a course.
