From the Head of College, Graham Leddie
Lent
Fr Martin Milani delivered two age appropriate and thought provoking liturgies for Ash Wednesday to the Junior and Senior School respectively.
He challenged the boys to self reflect and assess where they were in their lives with their God, their families and their community. Were they taking advantage of the gift that God had given them? Were they helping others to reach their full potential?
Father Milani also reminded the boys that they are not always who they should be and Lent is a chance to stand together with others and be reminded of our frailty and brokenness. It is an opportunity to do better and begin something new inside each of us.
The reverence at the Senior Assembly was impressive where the boys enjoyed the symbolism and the opportunity to reflect.
Academic Assembly
An extract from last week’s academic assembly…
Today we will witness some amazing talent and we can be incredibly proud of all award winners.
While we stop and applaud your incredible efforts, gentlemen, across the broad range of subjects, I wonder if it wouldn’t be wise for us to sit and think about what this award you have earned, means.
We know that it is an accolade achieved through merit, sheer hard work and commitment. It will stand for you as a tangible reminder of the value of applying yourself and achievement. If what Socrates the Greek Philosopher told us is true– “There is only one Good, knowledge, and only one Evil, ignorance” – you must be inspired to know more and seek a path away from ignorance. You must be prepared to push the boundaries to challenge the status-quo. You must trust that you have a God given talent that needs nurturing and development.
Therefore, I have two challenges for award winners, what will you do next? How will you make your world a better place through the skills we have celebrated today? The second challenge is for the rest of us in the room, how can we learn from these award winners to assist us develop our academic performance?
Congratulations to all award winners today. Thank you to the Old Boys who performed so well and were willing to take the time to come back and share their perspectives and advice on how to achieve well.
Parent/Carer Involvement
One of the key performance indicators for school improvement according to the National School Improvement Tool (ACER) which is based on international research and analysis from top performing countries, is the partnership between school and parents and families.
Parents and families are recognised as integral members of the school community and partners in their children’s education. These have certainly been on display at the recent Year 12 Parent Teacher conferences, the Year 11 study skills evening, the registrations to the Wellbeing Launch and the Parent Association Welcome Cocktail Party last Saturday with over 700 parents attending. Congratulations to Greg Bodkin and the Parent Association Committee, and Ms Rebecca Curran, the Development Manager.
Another key partnership
The College Board also has a key role to play in School Improvement and we have formed three subcommittees recently with both Board members and College staff with the aim to progress some strategic elements of the College.
The Finance Committee provides a financial oversight of the College, the stewardship of resources, the annual financial accounts, review and recommending the annual budget to Board and EREA, reviewing the progress of finances against annual budgets, evaluation of variations to budgets, monitor cash flow adequacy, family fee concerns, College loan position and investments.
Finance Committee
Ms Audrey Bower (Board Member)
Mr Jason Malone (Board Member)
Mr Pasquale Guerrera (Board Member)
Mr Bryn Gregerson (Director of Finance)
Mr Graham Leddie (Acting Head)
The Advancement Committee aims to develop a culture of giving within the College Community. Our students and their families, current, past and future, play an integral role in determining the future and continued development of Waverley College.
The Advancement Committee seeks to strengthen ties within our own community and in doing this procure much needed funds to enhance the learning experience for students now and in the future. We gain so much more than just an education from our school and college, so it is imperative that we try to give as much back.
Advancement Committee
Dr Mark Davies (Board Member)
Ms Penny Wright (Board Member)
Mr Greg Bodkin (Board Member)
Ms Rebecca Curran (Development Manager)
Ms Jennifer Divall (Marketing Manager)
Mr Patrick Brennan (Deputy Head)
The Property Committee aims to develop the College’s property and resources including : learning and recreation spaces, the College’s Master Plan, property acquisition, Queens Park Trust negotiations, and programmed maintenance.
Property Committee
Mr Matt Parry (Board Member)
Mr Mark Fragias (Board Member)
Mr Richard Gray (Board Member)
Ms Elizabeth Watson (Director of Learning)
Mr Peter Frost (Assistant Head of College)
Mr Graham Leddie (Acting Head)
Waterpolo
Congratulations to our 1st Water Polo team who took out the CAS final against St Aloysius’ College. They showed great grit to stay composed until the last few seconds where they sunk the winning goal. We also wish our CAS swimmers and reserves all the best as they finalise and taper towards the CAS competition.
Wellbeing Survey
We are conducting a 30 question Wellbeing Survey next week with all boys. The survey will be filled out electronically and is anonymous. It will enable us to see trends and areas that we need to focus more upon. The questions look at social, emotional and motivations of the boys. This is something we will do at least once per year, to allow us to track strengths and areas for development over time. The survey was developed by Macquarie University.
