Ms Gaby Bransby, Director of the Junior School
Diary Dates
Please find below some reminders about upcoming events. For all of Term 2 events, please refer to the College calendar.
- 10 June – King’s Birthday Public Holiday
- 12 June – Year 5 History Showcase
- 12 June – Quinn House Mass and Supper, Chapel, 6pm
- 13 June – Hearts for Arch Day – mufti and $2 donation
- 14 June – Year 5 Reflection Day
- 15 June – Winter Sport – Round 6
- 19 June – Year 6 History Showcase
- 19 – 21 June – Year 5 Camp
- 22 June – Winter Sport – Round 7
- 25 June – Semester 1 Reports Available
- 26 June – Classes conclude
- 27 June – Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews
Musical – Disney’s The Lion King Jr.
We are excited to announce that in Term 4, the Junior School will be performing the musical – Disney’s The Lion King Jr!
All Junior School students will participate in this amazing experience, and preparations and rehearsals will begin in Term 3 during Performing Arts classes. We will also be having some students from St Catherine’s Junior School join us for the main roles, which is very exciting. This is a great opportunity and a unique learning experience for our students. More information and details will come soon, so keep an eye out!
Mr Bowden spoke to the students yesterday about the opportunity to be cast as a main role (i.e. Simba, Timon, Scar, etc). Please have a discussion with your son if you think he would be interested in auditioning, as it is a great opportunity.
Koojay Corroboree 2024
I would like to congratulate Mr Burns for organising a wonderful experience for our Indigenous students and Class Captains to attend the Koojay Corroboree last Friday during Reconciliation Week.
This event was organised by the La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council and Randwick City Council to celebrate Aboriginal ceremony, tradition, and culture.
The theme of this year’s event was “Now More Than Ever,” highlighting the ongoing fight for justice and rights for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Students watched performances by various dance groups, visited cultural stalls, and had the opportunity to engage with performers and stallholders.
Koojay Corroboree 2024
Ms Gaby Bransby
Director of the Junior School
gbransby@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Junior Sport Fixtures, Training Schedules, Maps and Venues
Click HERE.
Thank you to all students, families and staff involved in our Indigenous Round in Round 5. Each team respectfully acknowledged the traditional custodians of the lands, and showed gratitude for First Nations’ ongoing connection to the beautiful Country we are so blessed to play on.
Please enjoy the sport-free weekend this King’s Birthday Long Weekend. We look forward to Round 6 next Saturday, 15 June.
Ms Jade Sparks
Assistant Director of Co-curricular (Junior School)
jsparks@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Year 6 History Showcase Invitation 2024
Please see the information below regarding the Year 6 History Showcase, coming up in Week 8.
Date/Time
Wednesday, 19 June.
Parents invited to arrive from 1.30 pm. Students dismissed at 3pm.
Location
Waverley College Junior School, Basketball Courts
Details
In History this term, we have been studying Migration. Parents and family members are welcome to attend our annual History Showcase. It is a special day for Year 6 to immerse themselves in their chosen person of study, by presenting their History ‘Digital Story’ as well as an artefact whilst dressed as the person. This is an assessment we have been working on at home and in class. It is made up of:
- Digital Story & QR code
- Showcase Dress Up and Q & A
- Showcase Artefact
The instructions for how students complete the above elements are on their CANVAS History page > Module 5. Any questions should be directed to your son’s class teacher.
Prizes will be chosen and awarded on the day, with special guests from the Senior School attending.
We look forward to seeing you there to celebrate all the hard work the boys have put into History this term.
Warm regards,
Year 6 Teachers
Home Learning Term 2 Week 7
We offer all students in Year 5 and Year 6 the opportunity to receive free additional support after school for the completion of home learning tasks. The afternoon sessions also provide a quiet, supervised study space for students who want to complete their assigned tasks.
Home Learning Club operates in the Learning Hub from 3pm until 4pm – Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays – during school term unless there is a scheduled Professional Development meeting and the club will be closed.
Procedures
You can register your son here but please only register his name once to allow other students the opportunity to attend. The session is limited to 20 spots. There will be a roll call to ensure attendance.
Students are required to stay for the full session unless there is a message in the student diary requesting early leave, a parent’s signature will be required.
Behaviour
As it is important to respect the rights of others to learn and work, all students are expected to settle to work in the Learning Hub and not cause a disturbance for others.
Teachers
Monday
Mrs Natasha Zivanovic
Tuesday & Wednesday
Ms Gaby Bransby
Thursday
Mr Steve Ghattas
If you require any further information, feel free to contact us.
nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au
An important note to remember, if afternoon training sessions are cancelled, unfortunately, you cannot send your son to Home Learning as an alternative plan, students are registered for the afternoon sessions in advance and the capacity is always reached.
Avoid messaging your son during this period, unless it is urgent.
Ms Natasha Zivanovic
Teacher of Literacy & Innovation
nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au
2024 ICAS Competitions | Years 5 and 6 students
What is ICAS?
ICAS is an online academic competition designed to assess students’ higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills in English, Mathematics, Science, Writing and Digital Technologies.
Each assessment celebrates students’ accomplishments by providing opportunities for recognition and development. Every student who participates will receive a printed certificate and an online results report. Top performers will be eligible for medals.
If you would like your son to compete in the 2024 ICAS Competitions, you will be asked to nominate which competitions you would like him to be entered in through the Parent Payment System. At the Junior School, the following ICAS competitions are offered: Writing & Digital Technologies, Science & English and Mathematics.
This year all the competitions will be held in August / September, Term 3, and will be completed online in the Learning Hub before school starts. A timetable will be shared closer to the assessment dates.
Click here to register your son.
Through this system, parents can pay for ICAS directly online while tests will still be held at our school. You can use the school’s access code details to register your child no later than July 23, 2024.
Waverley’s School Access Code: YGC063
Please consider carefully before choosing this enrichment opportunity for your son. It is a rigorous competition with many questions set beyond grade level. Participants are required to demonstrate a deeper, integrated and thorough level of learning. If you are unsure of your son’s suitability, please consult with his teacher. More information about the assessments can be found here.
If you require additional support registering your son contact the customer service team on 1800 931 775
Ms Natasha Zivanovic
Teacher of Literacy & Innovation
nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au
IPSHA Gala Day Barker College and Home Debate
It has been a pleasure and privilege working with the JS debate team and their mentor, Dante Fearn. Throughout the first half of the season, these debaters demonstrated incredible dedication and perseverance.
Last week, the team had an intense schedule that included back-to-back debates. On Thursday, 30 May, they attended the IPSHA Gala Day at Barker College. Under immense pressure, the boys displayed their debating skills in four rounds of debates. They earned two well-deserved wins and two hard-fought defeats.
The enthusiasm didn’t stop there. The next day, Friday, 31 May, the JS debating team hosted a home debate versing Emanuel, demonstrating their oratory and arguing abilities once again.
Ms Natasha Zivanovic
Teacher of Literacy & Innovation
nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Drawing Club
The drawing club runs at lunchtime every Tuesday, and over the last two weeks the focus has been on drawing characters. Our inspiration was drawn from Shaun Tan – a very creative and clever artist who draws intriguing characters which are found throughout the stories he has written and illustrated.
I’m extremely proud of the dedication and commitment to drawing these boys show on a weekly basis. Not only do they have fun showing off their creative talents, but the boys are also developing new friendships.
Ms Natasha Zivanovic
Teacher of Literacy & Innovation
nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Storytelling Through Words and Illustrations – News from 5 Blue and Ms Elise Hunt
This Term students in 5 Blue have been studying the picture storybook, The Rabbits, a work of historical fiction by Shaun Tan and John Marsden. Our deep dive into The Rabbits not only enriched the students’ understanding of the book but also significantly enhanced their analytical skills. We focused on literary techniques within the illustrations and the story’s deeper meaning about the colonisation of Australia.
Students worked hard to redesign the final page of the book to show ‘reconciliation’ beginning to take shape. The design was to include salience to draw their audience’s attention, and colour to represent the damage that has been done, as well as the hope that can be achieved.
For their learning checkpoint, 5 Blue completed a written reflection explaining the symbolism displayed in each illustration. Throughout the unit, the boys are learning to approach texts with a critical eye, exploring the symbolism and themes in the story of invasion, colonisation, dispossession, violence and destruction of the environment. In noticing body language and repeated use of symbols within the text, the boys have gained understanding of characters and appreciation for visual literacy techniques.
“We learnt about metaphors, phrases and words that represent another meaning and can express a bigger idea. Some symbols in the texts. In the book, I noticed amazing illustrations which, If you look closely, help you understand what is maybe going on in the background. For my character profile I chose one of the rabbits from one of the pages. I thought that this rabbit in general might have been a government official since it was holding an official note which in the book said “And, They, Stole, Our, Children” referring to the Stolen Generation of Indigenous children. Since the rabbit was holding an official note, which in the past might have been used to evict people from their property, it meant to me that it was a government official.”
– Cooper Stamatelatos, 5 Blue
“In my written reflection I explained the way the authors used strong images and words to express the feelings on the page and the descriptive way that they would live and work according to my chosen page. I made sure to focus on the literacy techniques that the authors used in order to bring out advantages and disadvantages of the colonisation and how the rabbits ruined the land at the time. I noticed the changing landscape which symbolises the loss of land for the Indigenous and the expansion of machines due to colonisation.”
– Hayden Greenberg, 5 Blue
Ms Elise Hunt
Teacher of 5 Blue
ehunt@waverley.nsw.edu.au
