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.
- 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
Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews
Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews are scheduled for Thursday, 27 June. This will be a hybrid model to accommodate those who would like to come into the school or Zoom in from work or home. Each session will go for 10 minutes. Students are required to attend this session in full academic uniform.
Bookings are now available. Please select a time with your son’s teacher by logging into the Parent Lounge.
Please note that due to Mr Horry being on leave, 5 Red will have their Interviews on Monday 22 July.
Bookings will close Sunday 26 June at 5 pm.
If you have any issues attending during this time please contact your son’s teacher.
Code Camp
We are looking to partner with Code Camp again in Term 3 to offer a weekly STEM program after school. This program allows children to hone their creative skills and keep practicing through weekly sessions over the term! Their fun and engaging content ensures students learn new creative skills in a safe, educational environment.
We are looking at two programs;
Coding: A coding program to include weekly challenges, functions, algorithms, branching, variables, game logic, user experience and math. An 8-week program with a new project each week, and the fun doesn’t have to stop after class! Your child will be provided with their very own Code Camp World account which they can use to continue creating at home and to share their projects with family and friends.
Minecraft Engineers: Minecraft Engineers is our latest exciting blend of coding, engineering, and creativity using everyone’s favourite game. This new 8-week program is designed to pique students’ curiosity and provide a foundation in engineering and programming using a game that we know students absolutely love — Minecraft! In the first term of Minecraft Engineers, students will learn to build a rollercoaster throughout the term by learning and applying basic engineering concepts and command-based programming in an age-appropriate way.
This will be on a Monday from 3:15 pm – 4:30pm. If you are interested could you please click here
Year 5 History Showcase
On Wednesday, we hosted an educational History Showcase, where our talented students took us on an immersive journey through various historical events during the time of colonisation in Australia. The showcase was a vibrant display of dioramas, artworks, costumes, and props, each innovatively crafted to bring history to life.
Students worked diligently to recreate historical scenes with incredible detail. Adding to the experience, students donned historical costumes and created props that added authenticity to their presentations. Students were acknowledged with the following awards for Best Costume, Best Inquirer, Most Creative, Most outstanding and Year 5 Historian of the Year! It was an amazing way to celebrate the Year 5 students and their learning.
Congratulations to Fletcher Mott for winning the Year 5 Historian of the Year, an amazing achievement.
Thank you so much to all the Parents and Carers who joined us on this very special day.
Ms Gaby Bransby
Director of the Junior School
gbransby@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Year 5 Retreat Day
Today our Year 5 students were involved in their first retreat day on their journey at Waverley College. The day began with the students attending the morning Mass at Mary Immaculate Church allowing them to reflect on their own lives and bring them closer to God. The rest of the day focused on themes of friendship, leadership, inclusiveness and being an upstanding citizen.
All activities were led by our Year 11 students including making House Wristbands and defining qualities that make good leaders and good friends. The students also had the chance to listen to some Old Boys talking about leadership qualities and opportunities beyond their schooling years.
To conclude the Retreat Day, they participated in some House team-building games including Tunnel Ball and Kick Tennis, allowing for some friendly competition and a whole lot of enjoyment.
Mr Steve Ghattas
Assistant Director of the Junior School / Identity & Student Formation
sghattas@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Junior Sport Fixtures, Training Schedules and Maps
Click HERE.
Co-curricular Sport
Despite wet and muddy conditions at CIS Cross Country, Jagger Michael (Year 5) placed 35th last week. He was a trooper in the rain and was happy with his result in the conditions. Well done Jagger!
Congratulations to Charlie Draper (Year 6) and Marley Fuller (Year 5), who represented Sydney Comets at the National Junior Classic at the State Basketball Centre in Melbourne over the long weekend, placing 12th in the Country for the U12 Boys. We are so proud of them both!
Manchester City July Holiday Clinics Now Open To All!
Manchester City coaching clinics will give girls and boys in Year 5-8 the opportunity to develop their skills and learn ‘beautiful football’ in the playing style of Manchester City, utilising the football club’s coaching and playing methodology.
Players of all abilities will be challenged to develop in a safe, fun and authentic environment that reflects how Manchester City train and develop football players. They will learn how to master the ball, play with style, dominate the game and achieve their goals.
Waverley College is one of only two schools in NSW and one of five in the entire country to offer this exceptional program.
Who: Boys & girls in Years 5 and 6 from any school
Date: Monday, 1 – Wednesday, 3 July 2024
Time: 9am – 3pm
Venue: Waverley College
Max Players: 16
Cost: $450pp
Ms Jade Sparks
Assistant Director of Co-curricular (Junior School)
jsparks@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Home Learning Week 8
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
Register your son here
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.
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. Please 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
EXAM TIMETABLE TERM 3
All ICAS exams will be sat before school in the Learning Hub.
| WEEK | START TIME | DATE | ICAS EXAM |
| 3A | 8:00 am | Wednesday 7 August | Digital Technologies |
| 8:00 am | Thursday 8 August | Writing | |
| 4B | 8:00 am | Wednesday 14 August | English |
| 5A | 7:45 am | Thursday 22 August | Science |
| 6B | 8:00 am | Wednesday 28 August | Mathematics |
Drawing Club and Waverley Youth Art Prize
It gives me great pleasure to announce that 3 drawing club artists who entered the Waverley Youth Art Prize successfully won prizes last week. The students’ brief was to respond to the theme ‘Mysteries of the Deep.’ The judges – artists Jacqie Meng and Cameron Stead – picked the following artworks created by our budding artists: Junior 3rd Place Alexander Banhidi & August Bergland, Colour Is Everything and Junior Highly commended Oliver Starkenburg, The Sunken Spaceship.
Junior 3rd Place Alexander Banhidi & August Bergland, Colour Is Everything
Junior Highly commended Oliver Starkenburg, The Sunken Spaceship
Ms Natasha Zivanovic
Teacher of Literacy & Innovation
nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au
6 Red Class Item
It has been a busy term in the 6 Red classroom. As Term 2 draws to a close, the boys have been hard at work completing their Summative Assessment Tasks. A highlight in the History calendar is the Year 6 History Showcase. Piecing together their knowledge of Australian history and migration, the students are in the process of making a video presentation telling the stories of their chosen migrants (parents, grandparents, neighbours or friends).
In Science, we have been learning about Sustainability relating to popular foods being produced in Australia. Students have been investigating how we can sustainably produce foods more efficiently to provide for the citizens within our country.
A few weeks ago, the 6 Red boys were fortunate to have a visit from the Writer’s Toolbox team. The Writer’s Toolbox program is an engaging and informative tool aiming to improve students’ writing. Nicky supported our class by teaching students the ‘em dash’ sentence starter. Boys were able to successfully come up with their own em dash sentences, immersing themselves in the WT program.
Mr Oliver Knight
6 Red Teacher
oknight@waverley.nsw.edu.au
