From the Head of College, Graham Leddie
Address to Year 7, 8 & 9 Academic Awards Assembly
Colleagues, Parents and Gentlemen
In a world where brands are the material signifiers of success, material belonging and material status, it is interesting to sit and reflect on what it means to wear a brand. If I carry an iPhone, wear Nike and eat McDonalds, do I realise that I am endorsing the values of those companies? Do I promote those often materialistic desires and, sometimes unwittingly, promote ideals and beliefs such as elitism and consumerism that are not necessarily community minded? In a contemporary song by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis entitled “Wings”, he argues that stars, such as basketballer Michael Jordan who endorses wearing Nike shoes, made the singer believe that if he wore a brand of shoes he would have wings so that he could fly. The singer discovers that the shoes were an empty hope, built upon the desire to follow a false idol and a fleeting star.
Stars, of the million-year-old variety, are tools of navigation. For centuries they have served as points by which the journey men or women may mark his or her path and follow the course. They are as Shakespeare tells us “an ever fixed mark” and, as a result, have come to symbolise steadfastness, determination and purpose and direction. They serve to unite people under the common theme of a shared direction and from this sharing comes unity and community.
The College Crest features a five point star – a symbol of faith. It is reminiscent of Mary, Mother of God who brought Jesus, the Light of Life into the world. This is the star that will exceed its celestial counterparts for its light is eternal.
When we act in accordance with this star, we are not following a fleeting dream. We are acting in the light of God’s work. That is what it means to be a Waverley boy. The College Crest is not a brand that will make you popular and trendy. But it will give you something which you can proudly stand for in life.
This star, this purpose, has value. It stands by the ideals of love, compassion, inclusivity, care, humility, integrity and moral courage. It signifies the Waverley College spirit and embodies who you are. When we think of Waverley boys past and present, we think of men who endeavour to do good things. They are honest, spirited, generous and light hearted. They believe in each other, in supporting their mates and in respecting individuality. The Waverley spirit means you’re in it together and you will do it because it is right and decent.
A literal star is a giant sphere of plasma that is held together by its own gravity. It is held together by the properties of itself. The concept of drawing matter together, to form one luminous body, points to the importance of the core. The core must have sufficient gravitational pull to draw all matter to it.
We have drawn to us great respect for our College spirit. Members of the broader community are praising us for our significant progress in fostering this spirit. They see the students embody a sense that everyone belongs and is welcome regardless of stage, age, colour or gender. It is omnipresent and it is a powerful force that permeates everything. You can identify a student by his student number, uniform, co-curricular activity and subject choice. More importantly, you can know a Waverley boy by what he values and how he treats others. He does not stand alone, but is part of a greater family that he serves and protects.
The people who live the Waverley College spirit hold this great College together. The star, the symbol of faith, pulls us to its centre. Our luminosity – our spirit – is like the stars. It releases energy into the night sky and it becomes larger. It is not a fashion, a ‘fly by night’, a fad. It is a living spirit that will continue to shine and give the boys of Waverley College the wings upon which they can fly.
Ned Wieland
One star I would like us to acknowledge today has raised over $28k for RUOK? and swam the English Channel in 9 hours 45 minutes as the youngest Australian male swimmer ever. Congratulations to Ned Wieland, who returned to school this week and we acknowledged at our assembly.
Ned Wieland addressing assembly, August 2017
Will Cooley
During the Term 2 holiday year nine student Will Cooley representing the NSW Youth Sailing Team competed in the Queensland Youth Week Regatta at Manly Queensland.
213 boats competed across 14 divisions, with Will competing in the Nacra 15 multi-hull. The Nacra 15 is the new World Sailing youth multihull pathway boat to the Olympic Nacra 17.
Over the 5 days racing, weather was mixed with both strong and light wind. After 9 races, Will finished 3rd overall.
Will Cooley representing NSW Youth Sailing Team
Academic Award Winners
I would like to congratulate our Academic Achievers in Year 7, 8 & 9. They have succeeded because they have shown dedication and worked hard. They are shining examples of what we can all achieve and on behalf of the entire College I would like to congratulate them.
Year 7 Semester 1 Academic Awards
First Place in: Year 7
| Religious Education | James Byrd, Daniel Di Francesco, Sam Hodgson, Henry Kopsiaftis, Solomon Tuqiri |
| English | Jake Weinstein, Max Leedham, James Harding |
| Science | Mack Flitcroft |
| PDHPE | William Dodd |
| Geography | Oliver Monaco |
| Music | Carl Waterson |
| Technology | Mack Trustrum |
| Drama | Freddy Hunt, Cjuba Lord |
| Drama Creativity | Jonty Booy |
First in Class 701
| Religious Education | Daniel Di Francesco |
| English | Daniel Risk |
| Science | Carl Waterson |
| PDHPE | Daniel Di Francesco |
| Geography | Freddy Hunt |
| Music | Carl Waterson |
| Technology | Michael Richmond |
| Drama | Freddy Hunt, Cjuba Lord |
First in Class 702
| Religious Education | Mackenzie Flitcroft |
| English | Jake Weinstein |
| Science | Mackenzie Flitcroft |
| PDHPE | Max Barber |
| Geography | Jake Weinstein |
| Music | Jake Weinstein |
| Technology | Mackenzie Flitcroft |
| Drama | Jake Weinstein |
First in Class 703
| Religious Education | Cameron Abbott, Nathan Barns, James Harding |
| English | James Harding |
| Science | James Harding |
| PDHPE | Conor Cahill |
| Geography | Nathan Barns |
| Music | Mack Trustrum |
| Technology | Mack Trustrum |
| Drama | Cameron Abbott |
First in Class 704
| Religious Education | Leo Morgan |
| English | Leo Morgan |
| Science | Cooper Stynes |
| PDHPE | William Dodd |
| Geography | Leo Morgan |
| Music | Harry Gippel |
| Technology | Leo Morgan |
| Drama | Luke Dent |
First in Class 705
| Religious Education | Oli Goodrum |
| English | Oli Goodrum |
| Science | Oli Goodrum |
| PDHPE | Oli Goodrum |
| Geography | Oliver Monaco |
| Music | Moyo Adewusi |
| Technology | Daniel Di Paola |
| Drama | Oli Goodrum |
First in Class 706
| Religious Education | Aidan Trovato |
| English | Max Leedham |
| Science | JJ Lim |
| PDHPE | James Eveleigh |
| Geography | Max Leedham |
| Music | James Eveleigh |
| Technology | Oliver Elliott |
| Drama | Christian Kitas |
First in Class 707
| Religious Education | James Byrd, Sam Hodgson, Henry Kopsiaftis, Solomon Tuqiri |
| English | Sam Hodgson, Jared Garwood |
| Science | Jared Garwood |
| PDHPE | Thomas Walker |
| Geography | Lachlan Mercer |
| Music | Jared Garwood |
| Technology | Sam Hodgson |
| Drama | Louis Kitto |
First in Class 708
| Religious Education | Jimmy Ashbridge, Hugo Pizzol, Xavier Scally, Zachary Tyrrell |
| English | Patrick Healy, Felix Gardan |
| Science | Thomas Wilkins |
| PDHPE | Xavier Scally |
| Geography | Daniel McSweeny, Xavier Scally |
| Music | Jimmy Ashbridge |
| Technology | Jimmy Ashbridge, Thomas Wilkins |
| Drama | Daniel McSweeny |
Mathematics 1st to 8th placings in Year 7
| First place | Sam Hodgson |
| Second place | Carl Waterson, Jared Garwood |
| Third place | Jake Weinstein |
| Fourth place | Mackenzie Flitcroft |
| Fifth place | Antonio Rodriguez, Felix Gardan |
| Sixth place | Cooper Stynes |
| Seventh place | Damian Poulos |
| Eighth place | Matis Jos-Rolland |
Year 8 Semester 1 Academic Awards
First Place in Year 8
| Religious Education | Giulian D’Ettorre |
| English | Guilian D’Ettorre |
| Science | Hayden Wild |
| PDHPE | Guilian D’Ettorre |
| History | Hayden Wild |
| Visual Art | Max Valentine |
| Technology | Ronan Schocher |
| French | Hayden Wild |
| Spanish | Dante Pontes-Cox |
First in Class 801
| Religious Education | Lachlan Muir |
| English | Liam Gregorio |
| Science | Lachlan Muir |
| PDHPE | Liam Gregorio |
| History | Lachlan Smith |
| Visual Art | Joseph Agius |
| Technology | Ronan Schocher |
| French | Noah Matet |
First in Class 802
| Religious Education | Hayden Wild |
| English | Charles Harris |
| Science | Hayden Wild |
| PDHPE | Cooper O’Donnell |
| History | Hayden Wild |
| Visual Art | William Gibson, Hayden Wild |
| Technology | Charles Harris |
| French | Hayden Wild |
First in Class 803
| Religious Education | Giulian D’Ettorre |
| English | Giulian D’Ettorre |
| Science | Giulian D’Ettorre |
| PDHPE | Giulian D’Ettorre |
| History | Giulian D’Ettorre |
| Visual Art | Giulian D’Ettorre |
| Technology | Kyle McBride |
| French | James Simpson |
First in Class 804
| Religious Education | Dante Bryan |
| English | Luke McLellan |
| Science | Conor Boyd-Boland, Jacob Larcinese, Luke McLellan |
| PDHPE | James Hoggett, Conor Boyd-Boland |
| History | Conor Boyd-Boland |
| Visual Art | Elija Heininger |
| Technology | Dante Bryan |
| French | Luke McLellan |
First in Class 805
| Religious Education | Lachlan McLean |
| English | Jack Mackenzie, Peter Stamatelatos |
| Science | Bryn Parry |
| PDHPE | Bryn Parry |
| History | Jack Mackenzie |
| Visual Art | Bryn Parry |
| Technology | Dante Pontes-Cox, Bryn Parry |
| Spanish | Dante Pontes-Cox |
First in Class 806
| Religious Education | Finn Hocking |
| English | Finn Hocking |
| Science | Isaac Coombes |
| PDHPE | Jack Harms |
| History | Finn Hocking |
| Visual Art | Max Valentine |
| Technology | Aaron Dimovitch |
| Spanish | Charlie Adonis |
First in Class 807
| Religious Education | Sebastian Baldwin |
| English | Jonathon Englezos |
| Science | Connor Wilson |
| PDHPE | Connor Wilson |
| History | Connor Wilson |
| Visual Art | Saia Afeaki, Kian Uchitel |
| Technology | James Privett |
| Spanish | Nicholas Pineiro |
First in Class 808
| Religious Education | Harjot Mand |
| English | Leon Palacio |
| Science | Leon Palacio |
| PDHPE | Ethan Illidge |
| History | Dylan Brown |
| Visual Art | Jet Marsh Cashman |
| Technology | Harjot Mand |
| Spanish | Diego Berdaa, Leon Palacio |
Mathematics 1st to 8th placings in Year 8
| First place | Lachlan Muir |
| Second place | Conor Boyd-Boland, Hayden Wild |
| Third place | Leon Palacio |
| Fourth place | Ronan Schocher |
| Fifth place | Charles Harris |
| Sixth place | Nicholas Pineiro |
| Seventh place | Max Hammond |
| Eighth place | Jacob Larcinese |
Year 9 Semester 1 Academic Awards
First Place in Year 9
| Religious Education | Ky Jeffery, James McMahon, Emile Stephenson |
| English | Benjamin Elder |
| Mathematics Level 3 | Nathan Le |
| Mathematics Level 2 | Lachlan Miller, Joe Parsons |
| Mathematics Level 1 | Alex Gross |
| Applied Philosophy | Joshua Cornelius |
| Science | Valentius Wirjana |
| PDHPE | Ryan Abbott |
| Commerce | Jake Lewis |
| iSTEM | Aidan Korpar |
| Information Software Technology | Dylan Bracken, Benjamin Elder, Lachlan Foley, Thomas McMahon, Finn Robilliard, Oliver Thompson |
| Geography | Hugh McSweeny |
| PASS | Ryan Abbott |
| Music | Gabriel Kidston |
| Drama | Jack Hillary |
| Visual Art | Alex Talbot |
| Photography | Jim Waterhouse |
| French | Sebastien Richardson |
| Wood Technology | Jake Torsellini |
| Food Technology | Nicholas Poulos |
| Design & Technology | Lachlan Cunningham |
| Work Education | Peter Cassimatis |
| Spanish | Charles Kent |
| Multimedia Technology | Daniel Pomes |
Waverley Bowling Club Development
The College has been made aware of a proposed plan to redevelop the Waverley Bowling Club which sits adjacent to the College on Henrietta street. The proposed plans to redevelop this site would include a seniors’ living development, a child care centre and a club and would require rezoning of the area from Private Recreation to a Mixed Use.
In 2014 the Easts Group withdrew a planning proposal to rezone the Waverley Bowling Club site. This previous proposal also sought to change the following development controls in the Waverley Local Environmental Plan (LEP):
- Rezone the site from RE2 Private Recreation to B4 Mixed Use – to permit residential apartments and retail premises on the land;
- Increase the height standard from 8.5 metres to 45 metres; and
- Increase the developable floor space area by changing the floor space ratio standard from 0.5:1 to 2.26:1.
While details for East Group’s new development proposal have not been finalised, the College rejects any change of zoning to the Bowling Club land on the following grounds:
- The need to maintain recreational space
There are already limited recreational spaces in the Waverley area and the population is growing, making it vital to maintain recreations spaces. - Negative impacts on traffic and amenity
The streets of Waverley are already gridlocked at peak times and this proposal will bring more traffic into an already very busy residential, park and school space. This will have flow on effects on student safety and local amenity. - Maintenance of the Waverley Park Precinct
The Bowling Club is a perfect extension of the Waverley Park precinct, if the site is to be redeveloped it should be for recreational purposes and include the development of additional carparking to take pressure off already saturated streets.
There are two ways you can support the College’s position should you agree:
- If you are an Easts Member or Waverley Bowling Club Member, please attend the General Meeting on Tuesday 22 August at 5.30pm at Easts Leagues Club, 93-97 Spring Street, Bondi Junction, NSW 2022 and vote against the ‘Fourth Ordinary Resolution’.
- If you are not a member, please write to Waverley Council, outlining your concerns regarding the development.
Thank you for your consideration of this request.
