Ms Gaby Bransby, Director of the Junior School
Diary Dates
Please find below some reminders about upcoming events. For all of Term 3 events, please refer to the College calendar.
- 10 September – The Great Big Science Show Incursion – PAC
- 12 September – R U OK? Day
- 16 September – Allwell Testing Year 6
- 17 September – Year 6 Kinder World Experience (3 classes)
- 18 September – Year 6 Kinder World Experience (3 classes)
- 25 September – Junior School Fun Run
- 26 September – Classes conclude
ICAS Assessments 2024
Congratulations to all the students who participated in the 2024 ICAS Assessments.
A special congratulations to the following students who received a credit or above in Science.
Science Year 5
Distinction
- Leo Murphy
- Eric Rakoczy
Credit
- Mark Adamik
- Jensen Honey
- Hugo Lehmann
- Jack Morahan Saliba
- Nixon Oakes
Science Year 6
Distinction
- Jake Saad
Credit
- Liam Hagley
- Marcus Rakoczy
- Cillian Stankard
Ms Gaby Bransby
Director of the Junior School
gbransby@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Year 6 Retreat Day
Today our Year 6 students were involved in their annual retreat day. 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, community and leadership. All activities were led by our Year 11 students including defining qualities that make good leaders, delving deeper into the history of our Houses and activities that asked students to step outside their comfort zone and step up to the challenge.
To conclude the day, they participated in some House team-building games, including Kick Tennis, allowing for some friendly competition and a whole lot of enjoyment.
Mr Steve Ghattas
Assistant Director of Junior School / Identity & Student Formation
sghattas@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Fitness Club
Toiling away on a Tuesday and Thursday afternoon whilst working up a sweat, our students at the Junior School have been thriving in our new Fitness Club. The boys have been participating in a variety of exercises across four separate groups on both days.
The boys are all relishing the opportunity to stay fit in the weeks after the Winter Sports Season, getting their heart rates going and enjoying quality time with their peers with some lovely spring weather.
Continually growing from strength to strength, with fitness goals both personal and shared, we are proud of the enormous efforts being put in by all the students and staff members involved.
Mr Alon Horry – Fitness Club Coach
Winter Co-Curricular Awards Assembly
During Week 9, we will be holding a Junior School Winter Co-curricular Awards Assembly (date & time to be confirmed). Here students who missed presentation nights will receive their trophies. We will also acknowledge other co-curricular activities that students have participated in, and announce Athletics Age Champions.
Around the Grounds
Kai Freeman and Teddy Walker, both from Year 6, were selected by Hoops Capital to represent their Sydney Kings and Flames Youth League teams in a special halftime activation during the pre-season game between the Sydney Kings and the NZ Breakers at the Quay Centre, Sydney Olympic Park. They had an incredible experience playing on the court in front of a packed crowd and enjoyed the unique opportunity to interact closely with the Sydney Kings players.
Uncle Dean’s Learning on Country Workshop
On Thursday, Uncle Dean led a Learning on Country workshop at the Junior School, for students and teachers to connect to Country through artefacts, story telling, knowledge sharing and cultural mentoring from a local Aboriginal elder, Uncle Dean. In Aboriginal culture, Country is not only the land, the waterways and the skies, but all living things. Connecting to and caring for Country fosters a sense of belonging by connecting us to where we are, the people, animals and plants around us.
During this workshop we got to pass around boomerangs, digging sticks, spears, clap sticks, didgeridoos, message sticks, possum skins and model canoes and hand-woven ropes made from stringy bark trees. All the boys enjoyed touching, hearing and looking at these cultural artefacts while listening to stories.
“NSW schools can ensure successful and sustainable learning outcomes for all students by working in partnership with their local Aboriginal community… Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures is a Learning across the curriculum priority.” (New South Wales Education Standards Authority)
We are grateful for the wisdom, knowledge sharing and storytelling that Uncle Dean has offered us, helping us engage with community and deepen our understanding of Aboriginal culture.
FunRun
The FunRun ‘Big Show’ event is now less than 3 weeks away (Wednesday, 25 September) and we are so excited to have all students at Waverley Park to celebrate the fundraising with our Colour Run.
The Colour Run will be taking place between 10am and 12pm at Waverley Park. It will involve students running around the marked track through colour spraying sections and giant inflatables. There will be an awards ceremony and staff members will be slimed at the end of the event. Parents are warmly welcome to attend and we look forward to seeing you there. Once the event concludes, teachers will walk their class back to school for a sausage sizzle lunch catered for by the Junior School. Dismissal information will be sent out in next week’s Nurrunga.
Please help your sons prepare for the day by:
- Encouraging more fundraising
- We are currently at just over $32,000 of our $50,000 target.
- Find or purchase plain white shirt to wear on the day (cotton shirts will stain; alternatively, polyester shirts will wash out the powder that students are sprayed with).
We are looking forward to celebrating our incredible efforts in fundraising for our four special charities:
- Educating the Future
- R U OK?
- Indigenous Literacy Foundation
- Edmund Rice Camps
Thank you for all your support thus far!
Ms Jade Sparks
Assistant Director of Co-curricular (Junior School)
jsparks@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Home Learning
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 3:00 pm until 4:00 pm – 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 via the link https://homelearningclub.youcanbook.me
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 disturb others.
Teachers
Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday
Mrs Natasha Zivanovic
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.
Year 5 Public Speaking Finals 2024
This week, we had the Year 5 Public Speaking Competition. All the boys put in an incredible amount of effort, with one stand-out student taking home the trophy!
Well done to all the finalists, and thank you to Ms Alice Curtis, Mr Jack Wachtel, and James Peate for adjudicating the finals.
Congratulations to our finalists Harry Maley, Spencer Murphy, Cooper Green, Jensen Honey, Tristan Francis and our Public Speaking Champion 2024 Toby Pounder.
Class Item – 6 Orange
In Year 6, our students are diving into the unit “Make Yourself Heard,” where they are encouraged to take a stand on issues that matter to them and communicate their thoughts effectively to a wider audience. Our focus this term has been on social justice issues, particularly those affecting marginalised communities, such as refugees and asylum seekers.
In 6 Orange, we have been deeply engaged with the graphic novel “Illegal”, written by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin and illustrated by Giovanni Rigano. This powerful story follows a young boy from Ghana named Ebo, who embarks on a perilous journey across the Sahara, through the dangerous streets of Tripoli, and across the sea in search of a safer, more hopeful life in Italy. Our students have been creating reflective journals that not only capture their emotional responses to Ebo’s journey but also explore the unique techniques used in graphic novels. Through this work, the boys are gaining a deeper understanding of empathy and are recognising just how fortunate we are to live where we do.
Here are some fantastic examples of the front covers of their journals!
Front Cover “Illegal”
Rufus Nicholson
Max Roberts
James Morgan
Mr Tom Olds – 6 Orange Teacher
