As College Vice-Captain and College Captain, on Tuesday, 8 March, Solomon Tuqiri and I (Daniel McSweeny), were fortunate to attend a Youth Leadership Lunch at the Cathedral House. The event involved a host of Sydney Catholic Schools with student leaders who we had both met at previous leadership events.
It was great to meet and talk to fellow school captains from both male and female schools who we hadn’t met before, and even better to have a hot meal provided by the caterers of the Cathedral House; which is where the Archbishop actually lives.
Solomon and I were unsure of what to expect from other leaders’ perspectives and stories, as well as what the Archbishop had to speak about regarding the current religious landscape of Australia, and ongoing issues including the LGBTQIA+ community and the role of women in the Church.
Daniel McSweeny (College Captain) and Solomon Tuqiri (Vice Captain) at Archbishop’s Luncheon 2022 [Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2021]
At our table, we spoke with students from Bethany College, Cathedral College and Monte Sant’ Angelo Mercy College, who were each respective captains in their Year 12 cohort.
It was interesting to talk about students’ experiences of the HSC and their involvement with school liturgies, particularly the Monte girls who explained a bit about the International Baccalaureate, and the Bethany girls who told us how they keep their chapel open at lunchtime for students to visit for reconciliation.
The mentor at our table, Cheryl Fernandez, gave us some discussion points, and was a great person to speak to during the lunch. Specifically, we discussed why high schools are moving away from parish community life, and how this can ultimately be improved. It was very interesting hearing different perspectives on why students were no longer attached to their parish or church community.
One of the issues raised, was the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how this has impacted the spiritual gap from primary to high school life. I found that the Studies of Religion 2 course, which both Solomon and I study in the HSC, provided us with some background knowledge about the current religious landscape in Australia, and how citizens are choosing to move away from older church traditions.
As College Captain, I felt that these points could be addressed within Waverley and throughout my Prefect Team, so I hope to pass on some knowledge relating to why faith, and particularly spirituality, is important for the development of young men.
Daniel McSweeny (College Captain) and Solomon Tuqiri (Vice Captain) at Archbishop’s Luncheon 2022 [Images by Giovanni Portelli Photography © 2021]
The Archbishop presented at the end of the lunch, asking each of us to continue leading within our communities through faith, and that we stay aware of changing issues which can be addressed by Christian teachings. Following this, we were able to have a Q&A, where some students asked controversial questions relating to Catholic Church life and tradition.
Regarding the Church’s view on the LGBTQIA+ community, the Archbishop pointed out how God’s creation of humans was not a mistake, therefore minority groups should always be a vital inclusion for Church communities across Australia. Additionally, I was intrigued as to the Archbishop’s view that women hold the majority of major lay people roles, and thus are already involved with Church life in some regard.
This information can definitely be used with our leadership of Waverley College, and we hope to take on some responsibility as both of us prepare for the Senior Retreat this term, and the Kairos Retreat next term. I am looking forward to Kairos after experiencing its value when I participated in spiritual discussions and presentations last year.
Overall, Solomon and I found the experience to be very rewarding. We found that our knowledge of church life, background study into Studies of Religion 2, and our own perspective on Waverley College’s appreciation of faith, helped us to join in discussion and learn from fellow leaders.
We thank the organisation and catering of the ‘Sydney Catholic Schools’ as well as the individuals who contributed to the lunch discussion. I believe each leader in the lunch was able to take something away to their own schools.
Solomon and I specifically thank Cheryl for her kind words and care, and Ms Walsh for organising for us to attend and meet the Archbishop.
Student Reporter
Daniel McSweeny
Year 12 College Captain
On Wednesday, 9 March, our Public Speakers competed in the ‘Rostrum Voice of Youth’ competition at Ascham School in Edgecliff.
Each of these young men, Yannick Hott, James Peate, Ewan McDonald and Oscar Danta, are to be congratulated on their dedication to refining and improving their oratory skills.
Ms Emma Halpin
Convenor of Public Speaking and Debating
E: ehalpin@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Last Tuesday, 1 March, our SRC students brought in over 500 pancakes to sell.
Thank you to all those students who purchased these pancakes, and congratulations to everyone raising such significant funds that will go towards our Tonga Appeal and Project Compassion.
Congratulations to all those who served, and helped purchase the ice cream and pancakes to make this initiative such a success.
We raised over $600 on the day.
Preparing for Shrove Tuesday / Pancake Day in Wellbeing Centre
Buying $5 pancakes on Shrove Tuesday to raise much-needed funds for our neighbours in Tonga
Ms Suzanne Walsh
Director of Identity and Student Formation
E: swalsh@waverley.nsw.edu.au
This year saw the Waverley College Middle School team take the Bronze Medal in the Ethics Olympiad competition on Friday, 19 November! This was a monumental effort from a group of Year 9 students, who challenged their perspectives of what it means to ‘win’, in particular when discussing ethical viewpoints.
Congratulations to our five superstars:
An Ethics Olympiad is a competitive yet collaborative event, in which students analyse and discuss real-life, and timely, ethical issues. It differs from a debate, in that students are not assigned opposing views, rather, they defend whatever position they believe is right, and win by showing that they have thought more carefully, deeply, and perceptively about the cases in question. The event encourages and promotes ethical awareness, critical thinking skills, civil discourse, international engagement, and an appreciation for diverse points of view.
For the last few years, Waverley College has placed teams into both the Senior and Middle School based competitions. Each event brings about a range of different perspectives and accomplishments, as students endeavour to engage in meaningful dialogue with schools around NSW.
Waverley College already has teams registered for next year’s events. Should your son be interested in engaging in ethical discussions and participating in similar events, please email Ms Boyce for more information.
Ms Stephanie Boyce
Academic Enrichment Coordinator
E: sboyce@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Sustainability is the ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level. Ecology is the study of the relationships between organisms and their physical environment. The newly-named Waverley College Ecology group has, in 2021, been concentrating on making the relationship with our environment a positive one and one that will support sustainability.
In Term 1, we were able to celebrate and contribute towards the annual Earth Hour event on 27 March 2021. Earth Hour claimed that 2021 was the year for positive change, after the previous year that brought droughts, bushfires, toxic smoke and loss of native animals. In highlighting the small changes our students, families and staff could make by turning off their lights for one hour, made ‘Earth Hour’ this year, the most important one for our planet and country.
In Term 2, we learnt a new term ‘Plogging.’ ‘Plogging’ is the combination of two words: ‘jogging’ and the Swedish phrase for pick up, ‘plocka upp.’ Earth Day was celebrated on 22 April 2021, and together with our Ecology Coordinator, I challenged students and staff to a Term 2 plog-a-thon.
This involved:
I received emails from a number of Duke of Edinburgh students who chose ‘Plogging’ as their service component. Great work guys!
Ecology Coordinator Ms Rebecca Sutcliffe
One idea bubbling away, is the potential to grow more of our own fresh fruits, vegetables and bush tucker. However, with limited land space at Waverley College to do this, we would be looking towards installing a hydroponics system on campus. In Term 2, The Students of the World Ecology Group entered a competition to win a Food Ladder.
Food Ladder’s food security solutions integrate a series of custom-designed greenhouses, designed to mitigate the very specific and volatile weather variants, which are being further exacerbated by the impacts of climate change.
Food Ladder projects address health, education and economic development outcomes through a multi-disciplinary approach in partnership with the local community. Programs include vocational training, STEM education and nutrition workshops.
As a city school, our food security is high, but so are our food miles. Having the opportunity to use this within curriculum syllabuses such as: Science, Geography, Hospitality, TAS and our First Nations Students, would be highly educational. Unfortunately, we were not finalists in the competition, but our entry has instigated positive communication and a growing relationship with Food Ladder.
Food Ladder have kindly provided Waverley College with access to their amazing library of educational resources. We hope to include these resources and the prospect of a Food Ladder at Waverley College in the future.
Following the success of the 2020 waste management, which highlighted positive ways Waverley College could improve the disposal of waste for students and staff, in Term 2, a second waste audit was conducted. Having increased the number of recycling bins and significant simple labelling, we were hopeful that we would discover that this had decreased the amount of recyclable waste in the landfill general waste bins.
In June, along with the O’Connor House Prefects, the Students of the World Ecology group audited four bins — two from Centenary Quad and two from Kenny Quad. The bins we targeted were landfill/general waste and the yellow recycle bins. The findings showed that more plastic waste was being disposed into the correct yellow recycling bins across both sites. However, we also discovered a significant amount of food waste in both landfill/general waste, and the yellow recycling bins. Over 12kg of food waste in total across the four bins. This was a shocking discovery.
A further discovery was the amount of soft plastic waste. “If you can scrunch it, you can save it.” Soft plastics are plastics that can be scrunched in your hand. These include: chip packets, snack wrappers, cling wrap, product packaging and many more. The main issue with collecting soft plastic for recycling, is that there needs to be a designated waste bin, solely for soft plastics. If they are contaminated by food or drink, this makes them ineligible for recycling. We have sourced resources from the Plastic Police to help assist the College in providing a soft plastics recycling station.
Waste Management Audit – Students of the World Ecology Group
We are also, thanks to talks with Waverley Council, taking part in a free ‘Bin Trim’ scheme run by MRA Consulting. The ‘Bin Trim’ Program is a NSW EPA initiative that supports businesses and organisations in maximising recycling, and reducing the amount of waste to landfill. Having received funding from the NSW government, MRA is the leading Bin Trim provider, with more than 8,000 organisations engaged across the state.
Minimising the amount of landfill waste is not just good for the environment, it can raise environmental awareness, and likely save the College money as well. Fingers crossed that they are able to provide us with constructive advice and solutions on how to improve our waste management even further in 2022.
In Term 2, we were invited by Edmund Rice College, Wollongong, to attend the EcoERC Sustainability Conference. This is a student-led conference, connecting various EREA schools who share their ecology projects and knowledge. Hayden Walker (Year 12, 2021), took part in an online pre-conference conversation with the other schools, and discussed our waste management framework and plans.
Hayden also discussed how Waverley College could participate in the conference, as unfortunately, we were unable to visit in person. The Students of the World Ecology Group created a short five-minute video to showcase a few of our waste management ideas, following our second waste audit. This video was played at the conference and was warmly received by all conference participants. Hopefully, we get a chance to attend the conference in person in 2022. The short video was also posted on Waverley College’s Social Media pages!
Waverley College is taking steps to track our energy and waste bills via the Climate Clever App.
This app will provide the College with detailed data on the energy we use, and the waste we create. The app is a very useful way to gather and show data, before and after the College’s Master Plan. The idea centres around our students and staff being able to see how much energy is used/wasted, so that we can all be involved in making the right ecological decisions to reduce it.
The data collection will be student-led by our Students of the World Ecology Group, and will be supported by teachers and staff to help advocate and push it forward. Action plan items will be set and promoted, for example a ‘Remember to Flick the Switch to Off’ campaign to reduce the amount of energy being misused at the end of the week/term.
A whole-school approach will provide significant data for students to compare bills before and after the action plan, hopefully providing proof that small and smart choices do make a difference. Thanks to the Accounts Department, so far we have been able to gather data going back to 2019, and the Students of the World Ecology Group are learning valuable life skills in reading and understanding utility bills.
Solar Analytics is a company behind the software program ‘My Solar Dashboard.’ This provides savings analysis, energy insights and system performance alerts to help you get more value from your solar system. In Term 4, with thanks to Mr Simon Potter, the day to day solar generation from Waverley College’s Gymnasium and Performing Arts Centre solar panels is now displayed daily on the TV screens around campus.
Some useful facts: One hour of streaming Netflix consumes 6.1 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity, and one return air flight between Sydney to Melbourne generates 165kg of CO2.
Special thanks to the Waverley College Parents’ Association for their generous donation towards the Ecology budget. So far, this money has enabled the Ecology group to make plans to split our native bee hive, as well as install a Honey Super to gather honey, both with specialist equipment purchased from Sydney Stingless Bees. They have also supported the Ecology group to concentrate on soft plastic recycling. Furthermore, this money will go towards plans to add more greenery to areas such as the Centenary Quad, which will soften and calm the environment, whilst we wait for renovations under the Master Plan.
We have, in the past month, made our relationship with Waverley Council even stronger by signing up to take part in their new School Uniform Recycling Program, coming in Term 1, 2022. This program is in collaboration with the organisation ‘Worn Up.’ Worn Up will collect our unwearable uniform items and send them to textile companies who will then use them to make something wonderful.
We look forward to working even more closely with Waverley Council, Waverley College Parents’ Association, and other local organisations in 2022.
Restrictions kept our students and staff from campus for the whole of Terms 3 and 4. However, the Ecology group continued to meet online via Google Meets, staying connected and keeping momentum with the projects and ideas that will extend into 2022.
If you have any ecological/sustainability ideas that you would like the Students of the World Ecology group to investigate in 2022, please email me, or even better, consider joining the group! Everyone is welcome.
We wish you a safe and sustainable Summer break.
Ms Rebecca Sutcliffe and the Students of the World Ecology Group
Geography Teacher and Ecology Coordinator
E: rsutcliffe@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Earlier in the year, Waverley College was invited to take part in the Catholic Earthcare Youth Summit online with Mount St Benedict College. The aim of the summit was to share the amazing things schools are doing in the ecological space, inspired by Laudato Si’ and in turn, inform and inspire our 2022 school leaders to strive for greater efforts within school.
Student participants were selected from each school. Years 10 and 11 students were the main focus for student-led actions within schools, to help:
Bert Cottell (Year 10) who is a member of our ‘Students of the World Ecology Group’, was selected to represent Waverley College and participate in the full day online Zoom Summit.
“On 10 November, I was given the incredible opportunity by Ms Sutcliffe, to attend the New South Wales Catholic Earthcare Youth Summit as a representative for Waverley College’s ‘Students of the World Ecology Group.’
This Summit allowed me to connect with students who have a strong interest in the environment and care about what can be done to reduce climate change. The Catholic Earthcare Youth Summit was a meeting to raise awareness and have meaningful, productive discussions about issues surrounding the environment, and how schools can be involved in making changes.
The summit was a chance for me to hear about what other schools are doing, and gave me some great ideas we can incorporate at our own school. In attendance were several environmental guest speakers: Alicja Borciuch (Australian Young Christian Workers), Ann Marie Brennan (a COP26 representative), Katarina Kabiriera and Taabeia Ibouri (Good Samaritan ministry in Kiribati), and finally, Bishop Long (the fourth Bishop of Parramatta.)
All the guest speakers gave us an intimate understanding into what the Catholic Church is doing for the environment, and how climate change is affecting the world around us. I am honoured that Waverley College gave me the opportunity to attend.”
Bert Cottell (Year 10)
We cannot wait to hear all about these shared experiences when the ‘Students of the World Ecology Group’ meets next and to discuss what we can look to implement here at Waverley College in 2022.
Ms Rebecca Sutcliffe
Geography Teacher and Ecology Coordinator
E: rsutcliffe@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Throughout Term 4 online learning, a select few members of our Junior and Senior debating teams participated in the 2021 USyd Debating Schools Tournament. These students had the opportunity to compete against schools all across NSW and receive feedback from some of the state’s foremost debating adjudicators.
While all teams are to be commended for their efforts, special congratulations goes to our Junior team, consisting of Ewan McDonald, James Peate and Yannick Hott, who won the majority of their debates and only narrowly missed out on the finals.
We look forward to participating in this competition in 2022!
Ewan, James and Yannick preparing for their exciting debate against Sydney Girls’ High School
Ms Emma Halpin
Convenor of Debating and Public Speaking
E: ehalpin@waverley.nsw.edu.au
With the return to campus for all students and staff next week, the Students of the World Ecology Group and I wanted to highlight and remind students and staff of the many small ways you can positively contribute to keeping our campus litter free, and to reduce the waste that goes to landfill sites.
I am sure that many households have varying degrees of recycling options, and depending on where you live, your councils may offer different recycling and waste services. At Waverley College we are very conscious of the amount of waste we generate. We are a large College with over 1,500 staff and students. Every one of us can make smart decisions about what items to bring to College, and how to dispose of them correctly.
Waste Management Audit — Students of the World Ecology Group
Waste Management Audit – Students of the World Ecology Group
There are many more ways you can take action to make sure you dispose of your rubbish properly, and to minimise the amount that goes to landfill. Disposing of your rubbish carefully helps keep our streets and oceans clean, it also helps to keep Waverley College a clean environment for all of us to enjoy.
If you have any additional ideas, please email me at rsutcliffe@waverley.nsw.edu.au or even better, consider joining the Students of the World Ecology Group.
We only have ONE planet, so let’s all take care of it together.
Ms Rebecca Sutcliffe
Geography Teacher and Ecology Coordinator
E: rsutcliffe@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Could you imagine Julius Caesar, Christopher Columbus, Charles Darwin and Eddie Mabo all in the same Zoom chat?
Well — this is what has been happening in Term 3 for Tournament of the Minds — a co-curricular competition designed to enhance critical thinking, creativity, teamwork and problem solving.
Due to COVID-19, the entire competition was planned, recorded, edited and performed via Zoom. Students put together an interview-style presentation where they asked pertinent questions about topics in today’s society such as medical advancements, human rights issues, climate change, and how each of the aforementioned people would react.
These students worked tirelessly over Term 3 through online meetings and Google Docs to put this all together — an absolutely wonderful effort and amazing dedication to seeing through their winter co-curricular.
Well done to the following students:
Ms Stephanie Boyce
Academic Enrichment Coordinator
E: sboyce@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Read more: Discover Education Perfect Science Championships winners, see competition-winning experiments by Waverley Scientists of Science Week.
National Science Week at Waverley College was a little different this year, however, that did not stop our budding scientists from experimenting at home. The theme for 2021 was Food: Different by Design. Students learnt about the creative innovations which have been developed to solve complex issues relating to sustainability and the effects of climate change on the agricultural industry.
To explore this concept, students entered a virtual escape room which required them to reflect on the impact of extreme weather conditions on rice crops and the role genetically-modified crops play in alleviating hunger in a large portion of the world’s population. Students problem solved in groups to crack codes and save the virtual lab from flooding!
Students got curious about science which excites them in the Education Perfect Science Championships. Waverley College students answered 20,281 questions on a vast range of scientific concepts during the competition!
Special mention goes to the following students for achieving an Education Perfect Science Championship Award:
*Max has won 70 points for Quinn House and Thomas has won 80 points for Lacey House! Well done boys!
We also had a very large response to the Waverley Scientists of Science Week Competition! There were many fantastic entries from both Junior and Senior School students, some of which will be showcased on the Waverley College Instagram page.
It was an incredibly hard competition to judge. We would like to acknowledge the efforts all students put into undertaking their experiments at home. We hope you had fun!
Congratulations to the following students who have been deemed Waverley Scientists of Science Week!
Junior School
Senior School
These boys will receive a gift card to purchase science equipment, a science book or an artifact to add to a science collection they may have at home.
Well done to all students who participated. Stay curious!
Watch the experiment created by Junior School winner Jasper Lumsden:
Watch the experiment created by Senior School winner Dante Fearn:
Ms Gemma Brown
Assistant Head of Science
E: gbrown@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Have you ever looked at the ‘Conversations’ section of our website? Here you can discover conversations with alumni, shared memories and thoughts from past Waverlians, as well as read news.
The latest fascinating post is about Class of 2015 graduates Adam Hegedus and Alexi Piovano, the Old Boys behind Educating The Future (ETF), a not-for-profit that facilitates powerful change through education in Timor-Leste.
You can find ‘Conversations’ under the tab ‘News’
or
We hope you are moved and inspired by these Conversations pieces.
Read more: digest a thoughtful piece authored by student Christian Kitas in Year 11.
On Wednesday 28 July, the New South Wales Advocate for Young People, Zoë Robinson, along with Multiculturalism NSW, hosted an online forum for young people to hear NSW Government officials answer questions about COVID-19 from young people.
The forum included The Hon. Alister Henskens MP, Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services, The Hon. Natalie Ward MLC, Minister for Sport, Multiculturalism, Seniors and Veterans, Assistant Commissioner Gelina Talbot, Capability, Performance and Youth Command, NSW Police, Dr Jan Fizzell, Senior Health Advisor, NSW Health and Ms Deb Summerhayes, Executive Director, School Performance, Department of Education.
The forum was a major success and was extremely informative. All speakers responded to each of the questions in great detail and showed a tremendous amount of respect for each question asked. Questions included: Racism during COVID-19 and the blaming of suburbs for the current lockdown, vaccine mandates for school students, and whether AstraZeneca is safe for young people.
When answering questions, each speaker repeated the optimistic message that ‘We will get through this’, and this message of hope conveyed the mindset that everyone should adopt during this tough period of time; one of hope and optimism. This message was especially needed at this forum as the questions indicated that many students had a negative and pessimistic outlook toward the future in lockdown. However, the message reassured each attendee that we will get through this together.
One of the biggest benefits of attending this forum was the ability to hear the perspectives of other students and how lockdown was affecting them, their school community, and the wider community. It was especially interesting to hear questions from students whose schools were located in the local government areas which had the highest COVID-19 infection rates. Those questions were some of the most interesting to listen to, especially those regarding the vaccine and whether students will be able to attend school if they are unvaccinated. All questions asked were quite sophisticated and very worthy of being answered by the speakers who responded.
This forum inspired hope amongst students in a plethora of ways, and for myself, personally, I also left the forum with a newfound sense of hope. I became much more optimistic in my general feelings toward both this lockdown and COVID-19. I was also optimistic for the future generation due to the calibre of questions asked by the students, and I appreciated the articulate, detailed responses from the speakers.
To conclude, it was a remarkable event to attend, and I would like to thank the speakers and the NSW Advocate for Young People for organising this wonderful forum.
Christian Kitas
Year 11 Student Representative
E: bbuchan@waverley.nsw.edu.au
We would like to acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora nation who are the traditional Custodians of the land on which Waverley College is located. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We are committed to honouring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ unique cultural and spiritual connections to the land, waters, seas and sky and their rich contribution to society.
Watch our video
