Deputy Principal - Students, Ms Gabby Smith
Diary Dates
Please find below some reminders about upcoming events. For all of Term 1 events, please refer to the College calendar.
- Monday, 14 February – Years 5 and 6, Parent Information and Welcome Evening
- Thursday 24 February – Elephant Ed, Puberty and Embracing Change, 6pm
- Wednesday, 9 March – Class/Individual/Summer Sport Photos
- Wednesday, 23 March – Friday, 25 March – Year 5 Camp, Stanwell Tops
- Monday, 28 March – Wednesday, 30 March – Year 6 Camp, The Collaroy Centre
Congratulations
I would like to congratulate Mr Matthew Johnston and his wife Annella on the arrival of their beautiful daughter Maeve Anna Johnston. The family are doing very well and we hope to meet little Maeve in the not too distant future.
Parent Information Night
A reminder that Parent Information Night will be held on Monday, 14 February, hosted by your class teacher. You will have received an email today from our IT Department providing instructions on how to access zoom, and the meeting ID you will need to use for your session. Please note, Year 5 will be held at 5pm, and Year 6 will be held at 6pm.
Parent Information Booklets
The Junior School Parent Information Booklet is intended to inform you of the more detailed aspects of life at Waverley College Junior School. The first section deals with overall aspects of the College and the second section is more class specific. I hope that you get involved in the many facets of life at Waverley College and enjoy being part of our great community.
>>> Click here to view the Year 5 Parent Information Booklet.
>>> Click here to view the Year 6 Parent Information Booklet.
Please note, the class teachers will refer to these booklets during the Parent Information Session on Monday, 14 February.
Tonga Needs Your Support – Here’s How You Can Help
On 15 January, a volcano erupted in Tonga and the eruption caused a tsunami that left many families without food, clothing, shelter and other basic necessities. We appeal to Waverley families to please donate the following wrapped household items labelled with their item name, and drop these at the Senior School Reception on Birrell Street.
- Year 5 – Toys/books, coloured pencils and crayons
- Year 6 – School backpacks, healthy snacks
>>> Click here to view more information in the article by Mr Steve O’Donnell and Ms Sue Walsh.
Ms Gabrielle Smith
Director of Junior School
E: gsmith@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Curriculum News
What a wonderful start it has been in the classroom. Our students have come back from a long break with enthusiasm to learn, and have already embraced the challenges we have set for them academically.
Students have started to set SMART goals with their classroom teachers this week. Goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timed, will set our students up for success. Students will set SMART goals each term, and I encourage you to sit down and discuss what your son wants to achieve this term. We know that having it recorded allows them to revisit their goal throughout the term, and build on strategies to make sure they achieve their goal/s. These goals can be found on Page 59 in the College Diary.
At the beginning of each term, I will provide a Curriculum Overview of what your son will be learning in the classroom. It is clearly set out so that you can see the subject and topics being taught across the curriculum.
>>> Click here to view the 2022 Year 5 Curriculum Overview.
>>> Click here to view the 2022 Year 6 Curriculum Overview.
Ms Gabrielle Bransby
Assistant Director of Junior School/Curriculum
E: gbransby@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Swimming Carnival
Today Waverley College Pool was the scene of the Junior School Swimming Carnival. The House spirit and enthusiasm from all participants went a long way to making the carnival a success. It was a shame the day had to be cut short due to inclement weather, but we were pleased to have been able to get in the majority of the day’s events.
The support of parents was very evident with a great turn out. Thank you to all attending parents for your patience during the difficult time when the weather quickly turned. Special thanks to all staff who ensured the carnival ran smoothly.
Thank you to the following Year 6 House Captains who provided outstanding leadership for their respective House throughout the carnival:
| Aungier | Brennan | Conlon | Green | Lacey | O’Connor | Quinn | Tevlin |
| Captain:
Max Wu |
Captain:
Max Malley |
Captain:
Cooper Misson |
Captain:
Geoffrey Gibbons |
Captain:
Joshua Raymond |
Captain:
Kobi Keenan |
Captain:
James Fanning |
Captain:
Kingsley Turinui |
| Vice Captain:
Hunter Leondis |
Vice Captain:
Vinny Kapos |
Vice Captain:
Cooper Mott |
Vice Captain:
Ben Fernandes |
Vice Captain:
Ngakau Hiroti |
Vice Captain:
Cameron Spies |
Vice Captain:
Henry O’Donnell |
Vice Captain:
Sam Ireland |
All events that were missed as a result of the weather, will be undertaken at some point over the next two weeks. Thank you for your understanding. This will help us decide who will be selected to represent Waverley College at the IPSHA Swimming Carnival at Homebush. Once these races are complete, we can look forward to announcing the winning House for the 2022 Swimming Carnival.
Co-Curricular Sport – Round 1
The big week of Co-Curricular sport continues with Round 1 commencing from tomorrow (Saturday, 12 February). Although it hasn’t been the most ideal start to the Co-Curricular season, with missed training due to weather and the Swimming Carnival, we’re looking forward to getting started.
Please ensure you refer to the Waverley College app announcements each week, as I will continue to send out the weekly Sports Fixtures for each round. All families can also locate all relevant Junior School Co-Curricular information through the College website via the link below.
>>> Click here to view all Junior School Co-Curricular information on the Waverley College website.
Team Sports Uniform Essential at Saturday Games
Please ensure your son now has his team sports uniform for Saturday, as this will best help represent Waverley College in high regard. It is important that students also have all the appropriate equipment needed for their sport. Please email me if you are unsure about what your son requires for his sport on Saturdays.
I wish all teams the best of luck for their games on Saturday, and know that our students will represent the College at a high standard, and have fun when competing with their teammates.
Wet Weather Notification
Please ensure you have now downloaded the Waverley College app, as all communication with parents and carers around wet weather cancellation will be sent through the app. An announcement will be sent out between 6:30am to 7am to inform all families of the sports that will go ahead and those which have been cancelled.
If you do not receive any notification, all sports games will be considered ON as planned. Families travelling far distances for away games are firstly considered, but please be aware that other schools are relying on groundsmen to make the final call, which can impact when announcements are sent out.
IPSHA Basketball and Tennis Trials/ Branch Surf Lifesaving Carnival
A huge congratulations to the following Junior School students who were selected for the IPSHA Trials in their respective sports:
Basketball – Hunter Bligh (5 Gold), Charlie Carr (6 Indigo) and Darcy Kidd (6 Orange)
Tennis – Noah Dalton (5 Gold)
This is a significant achievement and all students involved should be proud of their selection.
A large number of Waverley College Junior Students recently competed at the Branch Surf Life Saving Titles. Branch is the major carnival prior to State Life Saving titles and covers all the beaches from Bondi to Garie in the National Park. It is an extremely tough field, with a large number of the best State competitors coming from these Sydney beaches.
Congratulations to the following students for their involvement and achievements in the two-day event:
Roman Szabo (Water Competitor)
- Gold in U11 Ironman (qualification event for state)
- Gold in U11s Cameron Relay (compilation of a board leg, swim leg and two run legs)
- Silver in U11 Individual Surf Swim
- Gold in U11 Swim Team
Talin Opai (Sand Competitor)
- Gold in All Age Sprint Relay
- Silver in Mixed U11 Sprint Relay
- Bronze in Boys U11 Flags
- Bronze in U11 Boys Sprint Relay
Louis Coleman (Water Competitor)
- Gold in U11s Boys Swim Team
- Gold in U11s Cameron Relay (compilation of a board leg, swim leg and two run legs)
Jack Baker-Sedgeman (Sand Competitor)
- Silver in U10 Boys Sprint Relay
- Bronze in U10 Flags
- Bronze in U10 Sprints
- Bronze in U10 Mixed Sprint Relay
Jayden Newrick
- Gold U11 Boys Sprint
- Silver U11 Boys Flags
- Gold U11 Mixed Relay
Joshua Raymond
- Bronze U12 1km Beach Run,
- Bronze U12 100m Beach Sprint
- Silver 100m Sprint Relay
Nippers Branch Championship 70m Sprint
- 1st Jayden Newrick
- 2nd Jake Tobin
- 3rd Joshua Raymond
Mr Jack Wachtel
Assistant Director of Co-Curricular
E: jwachtel@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Instrumental – the Real Guitar Heroes
Have you ever played Guitar Hero on your Playstation? Perhaps you prefer some serious moves with your air guitar? For the boys at the Junior School, the 2022 instrumental program provides a chance for all students to experience the real thing.
Mr Jesse Johnston (an Old Boy of Waverley College) has developed an engaging program that takes boys through guitar basics including correct playing posture, understanding the instrument, string names and musical notation.
Each class will have the opportunity to participate in the beginner guitar classes on a rotating roster through 2022. For boys who enjoy the beginner guitar experience, further study is available through private lessons (please contact Mrs Keiran Kossenberg at the senior school kkossenberg@waverley.nsw.edu.au for more details).
The Junior School also offers a guitar ensemble for more advanced players. This group meets on a Monday at lunchtime and is directed by Mr Nick Yatsef.
News from The Learning Hub
As we welcome a new group of students to Waverley in 2022, The Learning Hub aims to nurture and guide them in their social, creative and academic development.
Last week we saw the boys use this space in many different ways before school and during lunch.
Reflecting on the Importance of Reading
As an educator, I believe it is vital for our boys to have a strong understanding of the advantages of reading. The boys were asked to use the thinking routine ‘Think, Pair, Share’ to answer the question ‘What are the advantages of reading?’
Reflecting on this question is an important part of their learning journey.
The boys’ reflections were exceptional. Here are some examples:
- Grows your imagination
- It relaxes you
- It can increase your knowledge about different topics
- Healthy for your brain
- Expands your vocabulary
- Reading is a life skill
The boys have also set personal reading goals for themselves. Goals are an important part of Waverley and of successful learning. These goals are specific to them, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely. I am looking forward to working with the boys and their reading journey.
Home Learning Club – Week 4
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 4 pm – Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays – during school term, unless there is a scheduled Professional Development meeting and the club will be closed.
Procedures
>>> Click here to register your son.
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.
If your son is not present at roll call, a phone call will be made to check on his whereabouts. If your plans change and you decide he is unable to attend, please contact the school via email nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au or call reception.
Students are required to stay for the full session unless there is a message in the student diary requesting early leave, a parent 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 and Wednesday – Mrs Natasha Zivanovic
Tuesday & Thursday – Ms Gaby Bransby
If you require any further information, feel free to email us.
E: nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au
E: gbransby@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Mrs Natasha Zivanovic
Literacy & Innovation Teacher
E: nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au
