Ms Gaby Bransby, Director of the Junior School
Diary Dates
Please find below some reminders about upcoming events. For all of Term 4 events, please refer to the College calendar.
- 4 December – Year 6 Graduation Mass, Mary Immaculate, 1pm
- 5 December – Presentation Day.
This week we say our goodbyes to Ms Michelle Rollins who has been with us for 27 years. She will be truly missed by our whole Waverley community and we wish her the very best in her journey ahead.
Junior School Music Captain Joe Madden presents Ms Rollins with a floral token of our deep appreciation of her work
We also wish Ms Charlotte Stephens a wonderful maternity leave and look forward to seeing her return to the classroom in 2025.
I would like to congratulate Ms Jade Sparks who will be replacing Mr Jack Watchel in the position of (Acting) Assistant Director of Co-Curricular. Mr Jack Wachtel has made the decision to step down and work part time at the College. He has some wonderful business opportunities and we wish him all the best. He will continue to teach PDHPE in the Junior School next year.
I would also like to congratulate Mr Elliott McKimm who will replace Ms Charlotte Stephens as the (Acting) Director of Curriculum for Terms 1, 2 and 3 in 2024.
I want to thank all parents and carers for your support through such a fantastic year. I continued to be amazed by the commitment, dedication and resilience of each student and I am so proud of their growth and achievements this year in every facet of school life. Together our community has supported each other and made many special memories. I feel blessed to be part of such a wonderful community.
Have a fantastic Christmas break, stay safe, enjoy the sun and take care of one another. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Presentation Day Years 5-8 – Tuesday, 5 December 2023 – Reminder
Time: 9am – 10:30am (students to arrive at school at 8:15 am)
Location: Gym (Senior School)
Student Dress Code: Academic Uniform (no blazers)
Only the parents/carers of students who are receiving an award have been invited to this event. These parents/carers will be notified in a separate email.
A Google Doc was sent to you by Mr Ghattas for you to inform us if your son has permission to go home, or if they will require supervision until 3pm. If you have not already done so, could you please fill this out asap. Link HERE.
Semester 2 Reports
I hope you took the time to go through your son’s Semester 2 report and reflect on the achievements and areas of growth.
After School Code Camp 2024
Term 1 2024: Coding
Coding class on a Monday will continue next year. If you would like your son to be part of the session, please find the booking link HERE.
Monday, 5 February to Monday, 25 March – 8 sessions
Time: 3:15pm – 4:30pm
Ms Gaby Bransby
Director of the Junior School
gbransby@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Year 6 Excursion to Raging Waters
What a delight it was to take the Year 6 students to Raging Waters and share in their end of year celebration. We were blessed with a beautiful sunny day and the boys were full of excitement as they boarded the buses.
Plenty of fun was had by all as they raced around the park venturing down the many different waterslides, lazed around in the dinosaur lagoon or swam in the beach wave pool. Their behaviour throughout the day was exceptional and I am sure they will hold onto some very special memories.
Mr Steve Ghattas
Assistant Director of Junior School / Identity & Student Formation
sghattas@waverley.nsw.edu.au
New Assistant Director of Co-Curricular (Year 5 and 6) for 2024
As I reflect, it has been an extremely special year for all areas of co-curricular at Waverley College Junior School. This includes all sports undertaken in both the Summer and Winter seasons and the growth, development and successes that followed.
This includes all of the extra co-curricular activities undertaken throughout the entire year (Innovation Club, Debating, Judo, Hip Hop, Chess, Drawing, Homework and Board Games Clubs), not to mention the amount of time and energy put into all areas of Music and Performing Arts by the amazing Ms Michelle Rollins and music teachers (Wakakirri, Stomp, Junior School Band and Ensembles, and Junior School Rock Band).
In working towards developing this Junior School Co-Curricular program over the past three years, it’s given me immense enjoyment, pride and appreciation to see how it’s grown from year to year.
As mentioned, I have some exciting new opportunities in sport and business taking place, which means I will be pulling back to working part time at Waverley College. I will still be based at the Junior School teaching PDHPE and look forward to working with the community.
I just wanted to say a massive thank you to all my colleagues, staff, coaches, parents and carers, and the wider Waverley community for your ongoing support while your son has been at the Junior School.
2022 Junior School Fun Run
Ms Jade Sparks, Junior School Rugby Convenor and classroom teacher of 6 Blue will be taking over my position. She will do an outstanding job and will no doubt continue to grow the junior co-curricular program for many years to come.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding Junior School co-curricular, please feel free to direct them to Ms Jade Sparks jsparks@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Mr Jack Wachtel
Assistant Director of Co-curricular Years 5-12
jwachtel@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Learning Hub
As the school year comes to an end, I would like to acknowledge all the students who immersed themselves in the many activities the Learning Hub offered.
The Learning Hub aims to inspire, engage and empower students through critical and creative activities, plus allow students to retreat, explore and collaborate with others, whether that be before school, during Learning Hub sessions or during lunch. I look forward to working with all the Junior School students in 2024.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Brad Burke, Jessica Buchanan, Bryn Tilly, Christy Norwood, Dr James Roy, Dr Matt Pelletier, Richard Simpkin, Nicole Draper, Ian Storie, Phil Gartland, Claire Petit, Mark Zimmermann and Monique Kalmar for your time and expertise as guest speakers this year.
Your contributions have been invaluable to our students, and we could not have achieved our goal to inspire the Junior Schools without your support. Your willingness to share your knowledge and experience with our boys has made a significant impact, and we are truly grateful for your generosity and dedication towards this initiative. The talks aim to inspire the next generation of learners, leaders, entrepreneurs, sportsmen, scientists, writers, and all the other industries.
If you would like to volunteer to do a presentation in 2024, please email me directly at nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Ms Natasha Zivanovic
Literacy and Innovation Teacher
nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au
News from Science and Mr Max Mancinelli
In an exciting cross-school collaboration earlier this term, Year 6 boys had a unique opportunity to engage in a co-educational STEM lesson at St Catherine’s School in Waverley.
Leveraging the institution’s state-of-the-art resources, our students immersed themselves in a hands-on experience that left a lasting impact. Back at our own campus, boys in Years 5 and 6 delved into the fascinating world of acids and bases through immersive experiments and keen observations.
This has been an exciting end to our first year in the new science lab. Both cohorts should be proud of their consistent dedication and enthusiasm to science throughout the year.
Mr Max Mancinelli
Specialist Science Teacher
mmancinelli@waverley.nsw.edu.au
