Director of Junior School, Ms Gabrielle Bransby
Welcome to Week 8! We have been very busy this week interviewing for future enrolments. It is always exciting for our future students to be on campus. Semester One reports will be available tomorrow, Friday 11 June via TASS Parent Lounge. This is an important time to sit down as a family and go through all your son’s achievements and areas for improvement. This is vital for future success. A great idea is to set some goals for Semester Two and have these ready to discuss with your son’s classroom teacher at Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews next Tuesday 15 June.
Reminder – Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews – Tuesday 15 June, Week 9
When to book? – book with your son’s classroom teacher from Saturday 5 June at 9am.
How to book? – book via the Parent Lounge on TASS, OR click here to book.
Difficulties making the appointment?
- click here for a reminder about how to log on to the portal OR
- please contact the IT Department on (02) 9369 0784 OR email iassist@waverley.nsw.edu.au – iAssist will provide cover from 7am to 5:45pm.
If your son is in Learning Support and you would like to book an interview with our Learning Support teachers, please contact them directly via their email addresses below. They will be available to take appointments from 9am to 3pm.
- Ms Margaret Fitzgerald | mfitzgerald@waverley.nsw.edu.
au - Ms Deanne Seamons | dseamons@waverley.nsw.edu.au
These interviews will be held in your son’s classroom, however, if you would like to have your interview via Zoom, this option will also be available. Details for connecting to Zoom will be sent out tomorrow Friday 11 June.
Tuesday 15 June is a pupil-free day for your son, however, he is required to attend this interview and be in his full academic school uniform. This will be a 10-minute time slot. While brief, this will allow you to discuss your son’s Semester One report and ask any questions you may have about their progress here at Waverley.
Ms Gabrielle Bransby
Acting Director of Junior School
E: gbransby@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Debating | Cranbrook v Waverley
Last week the debaters had tough competition and a tough topic : That tests should be banned in primary schools. Both Waverley teams put forward strong arguments and presented their cases clearly and firmly, rebutting the Cranbrook team’s cases. The students did themselves and Waverley very proud. One win and one loss.
A huge thank you to Cass Spies, Paula McCade, Heidi Taylor and Robert Goldrich for transporting the teams to their away debates this term.
Debating – Waverley Vs Cranbrook
Both Waverley teams put forward strong arguments!
Home Learning Week 9
Home Learning will be operating on Wednesday and Thursday in the final week of Term 2.
Click here to register your son.
2021 ICAS Competitions | Years 5 and 6 students
Friday 18 June is the CLOSING DATE to enrol your son in ICAS. Dates regarding the sitting schedule will be out in Term 3.
If you would like your son to compete in the 2021 ICAS Competitions, you will be asked to nominate which competitions you would like him to be entered through the Parent Payment System. At the Junior School the following ICAS competitions are offered: Writing and Digital Technologies, Science and Spelling Bee, English and Mathematics. This year all the competitions will be held in August / September, Term 3 and will be completed online.
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 18 June 2021.
Waverley’s School Access Code QKV852
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.
Click here for more information about the assessments.
If you require additional support registering your son contact the customer service team on 1800 931 775 (Australian Toll-Free).
Home Tip To Encourage Reading at Home
The holidays are fast approaching and it is important to continue to encourage your sons to read at home. Modelling reading at home is so important! Carve out time every day for family reading time. This can be a short amount of time (15-20 minutes) where everyone in the family stops what they are doing and reads. It can be anything from a book, newspaper article, magazine to a cookbook. When children see the important people in their lives reading, they will want to read even more.
Book Week is 21-27 August
Term 3 is nearly upon us and in August we will be celebrating Book Week at the Junior School. The theme this year is “Old Worlds, New Worlds, Other Worlds.” Spend the holidays designing your own costume! Stay tuned for more information about Book Week 2021 in Term 3. There will be competitions, author visits, the pop-up bookshop and the book parade. As parents this is an important time to celebrate the wonders that books create.
Book Week is Coming!
Ms Natasha Zivanovic
Primary Literacy and Innovation Teacher
E: nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Innovation Club
Throughout this term, we have been learning all about coding and the process of designing educational games through a program called SCRATCH. Our coding project required us to imagine we were app designers and had to create an educational game that would be suitable for Kindergarten students.
To begin our project, we collaborated on different topics that we could teach and ideas on how we could present our games in a fun, simple and challenging way. We co-constructed a rubric to ensure that we all understood the task, and discussed the importance of catering to Early Stage One abilities by incorporating simplified language, with visuals displayed, alongside words and voice-overs.
Some of our learning topics included the alphabet, simple addition and subtraction and water safety. After we coded our own games, we had the opportunity to challenge ourselves by engaging in the coded games designed and created by our friends!
Coding and designing educational games at Innovation Club
After students coded their own games, they had the opportunity to challenge themselves by engaging in the coded games designed and created by their friends!
Coding and designing educational games at Innovation Club
Ms Chloe-Jane Tweedie
5 White Classroom Teacher
E: ctweedie@waverley.nsw.edu.au
CIS Rugby Trials
Waverley College Junior School has had a large number of students representing the College for NSWCIS Sports Trials throughout Term 2. This continued last Friday 4 June, when the following students travelled to Penrith Touch Fields in Werrington to trial for the NSWCIS Touch Football team: Riley Kolster; Jacob Sheehan; Hunter Leondis and Cooper Misson.
The students did fantastically and tried their absolute best, but selections were very competitive for spots. Riley Kolster has been selected in the 2021 NSWCIS Touch Football team and we wish him a huge congratulations on this significant achievement.
Selected in the 2021 NSWCIS Touch Football team — Congratulations Riley Kolster!
Athletics Trials
Students competed in the Athletics Trial last Friday 4 June, which consisted of a 100-metre sprint to allow us to place students into racing divisions in preparation for the Athletics Carnival. It was an enjoyable afternoon, with students showcasing their sprint running abilities.
Athletics Carnival – Permission Slip Due by Wednesday 16 June
When: Friday, 18 June 2021.
Venue: ES Marks Athletics Field (entry via Boronia Street in Kensington — off Anzac Parade).
Departure: from Waverley (Carrington Road) at 8am.
Return: to Waverley (Carrington Road) at 3pm.
How Do I Return the Permission Slip? : there are two options. Choose one of these options.
1. >>> Click here to view and complete the Athletics Carnival permission slip.
OR
2. Complete the permission slip that was sent home with your son today and return it to school.
Permission Slip Due Date: Wednesday, 16 June. This permission slip will help us keep track of attendance and alert us to the students who will be requiring a position on the bus.
Can Parents Attend? Yes.
A Compulsory Years 5-12 College Event
The carnival will be a Years 5 to 12 event for the College, with all Junior School events being undertaken in conjunction with the Senior School events. This allows our young men the chance to interact with Senior School students throughout the entire day.
All students are given the opportunity to participate in a wide range of track and field events. Waverley College places a large importance on friendly House competition whilst supporting all ability levels. The Athletics Carnival is an all-inclusive community event that allows our students to cheer on their House group whilst demonstrating positive sportsmanship.
All Junior School students have now trialled for the carnival and have been placed in race divisions for the selected track events. Students are also allowed to be chosen to participate in different field events, including long jump, high jump and shot put.
Parents are warmly welcomed as spectators and can provide transport to and from the venue for your son on the day. The College has arranged four buses for Junior School students to be taken to and from the carnival. Please see the below information about this compulsory College event:
Travel
- Students travelling by arranged bus need to meet at the Senior Campus Centenary Quadrangle (through the main reception area) no later than 7:45am to be lined up and marked off for an 8am departure.
- Students making their own way to the venue need to arrive no later than 8:50am.
- After the carnival, students will return by bus to the Centenary Quadrangle OR will be marked off and collected by their parent(s) at the venue to make their way home.
Attire
- Students must wear College PE shorts or track pants, a PE shirt or House shirt, and a College hat.
Food
- Canteen facilities are available on the day (cash only), although it is strongly encouraged that students bring their own lunch and drinks.
Valuables
- All students are strongly encouraged not to bring any important valuable items. Students will have limited access to their bags throughout the day with all events taking place.
- Mobile phones and wallets will be stored in a secure area.
In the event of rain, students will come to school in their College PE uniform and ask to bring books/equipment for regular lessons (Friday Week A). This information will also be announced on the SkoolBag app if required.
Parents are more than welcome to attend the event.
Mr Jack Watchtel
Assistant Director of Co-Curricular – Years 5-8
E: jwachtel@waverley.nsw.edu.au
