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
Last Friday our debaters competed against Barker College in the first round of the CAS debating competition. Under extremely unusual circumstances, and following COVID-safe protocols, our staff, coaches and teams navigated their way through remote online debates.
Under the guidance of their auspicious Captain, Patrick Hoggett, both junior and senior teams articulated complex and nuanced arguments related to the assigned topic of economic issues. In particular, our debaters explored ideas pertaining to the ethical aspects of advertising to children, financial security at the cost of emotional wealth, and the effectiveness and necessity of union strikes.
Overall, each team proved their ability to be confident, engaging, and well-spoken. I am thoroughly impressed with the collaboration and mateship that was displayed on Friday evening.
I congratulate all teams on their success, and I look forward to round two.
Ms Emma Halpin
Convenor of Debating and Public Speaking
E: ehalpin@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Wavefest 2021 is running a competition! As part of Waverley’s commitment to engage with students at home during online learning and keep us all connected, we are seeking fun and creative video content from students, families and teachers to show what they have been doing at home #wavestogetherbutapart
Email a 15-second video of you engaging in exciting classroom or outdoor physical activities. It could be a funny class activity, dance, physical workout challenge or family activity.
We will post video entries on our Waverley Social Media platforms. Please keep content family friendly as it will be shared on College Instagram and Facebook.
The best video entry will win a hamper from a school community local business.
Please email your videos to bbuchan@waverley.nsw.edu.au by Friday 30 July.
Ms Belinda Buchan
Academic Mentoring Coordinator
E: bbuchan@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Since 2008, Waverley College has played host to a series of speakers in Term 3 each year, who might be considered visionary leaders in their respective fields. These speakers are invited to work with our students to:
The speaker series is part of the Year 9 Applied Philosophy program but open to all students who may be interested in the Guest Speakers and their respective career path or leadership roles.
>>> Click here to view Jeremy Liddle’s LinkedIn Profile
From his webpage: ‘During my 20+ years of founding & scaling businesses, I came to realise that entrepreneurs solve the world’s biggest problems. However, a lack of access to smart money & global markets inhibits so many from changing the world. I cofounded SDGx to help solve this problem through investment, advisory, and impact work that targets the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with an initial focus on climate tech. I am also a partner at Third Hemisphere, a tech and finance media relations firm that elevates the voices of innovators & leaders who are breaking new ground & changing the world for the better. I’ve now invested in 25+ tech companies, coached/advised hundreds, and manage all media for organisations such as Australian Ethical ($5bn+ FUM), Volt bank, Cicada Innovations, SocietyOne, and Limepay.’
>>> Click here to view Jenny Leong’s website bio
Jenny Leong is the State Member for the Electorate of Newtown in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. The Electorate includes the suburbs of Redfern, Surry Hills, Camperdown, Enmore, Petersham, Darlington, Stanmore, Chippendale, Lewisham, Erskineville and Newtown. The ABC’s Election Analyst Antony Green has described it as “the state’s newest, smallest and funkiest electorate.”
Jenny was elected to parliament at the NSW state election on 28 March 2015. She is the first person to represent the seat of Newtown in its current form, as the electorate was recreated for the 2015 election, to accommodate inner Sydney’s rapidly growing population. However the history of the Electorate of Newtown dates back to 1904 and it was represented by a number of Members before it was merged then abolished in the mid-1900s.
Jenny’s statewide portfolio responsibilities for the NSW Greens include: Housing and Homelessness; Women’s Rights; Human Rights; Sexuality and Gender Identity; Multiculturalism; Western Sydney; Climate Change.
>>> Click here to view Troy Douglas’ LinkedIn Profile
Troy is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Nexba, one of Australia’s fastest growing beverage brands. Troy leads the global expansion of the brand, infusing his passion for innovation and healthy living to take Nexba’s Naturally Sugar Free movement beyond Australia. Rapidly expanding in the European market Nexba is now stocked in major retailers in the UK including Sainsbury’s and WHSmith.
Troy, alongside his Co-Founder and brother-in-law Drew, were inspired to innovate and shake up the high-sugar and artificial-laden beverages market in Australia after seeing the devastating impact of diabetes and obesity on people at home, and around the world. From humble beginnings selling iced tea from the back of a van in Bondi, Sydney, the pair are now approaching their tenth year in business with consistent 100% YOY growth and major stockists nationally including Coles, Woolworths, 7-Eleven, Caltex, and more.
>>> Click here to view Jonathan Moody’s LinkedIn Profile
Jonathan Moody is an experienced owner, investor, practitioner and educator of Allied Health businesses, learning many lessons from both his successes and failures in the health space.
As the strategic leader at Physio lnq, Jonathan is big on collaboration, through empowering staff to chase their passion and use Physio Inq as a vehicle to do it. He hopes to position Physio lnq as the benchmark of high quality, patient-orientated and clinician-connected healthcare into the future.
Combine this with a keen interest in Technology and IT, Jonathan has at his core, a passion for innovation, progress and driving change.
Due to the changing nature of COVID-19 restrictions, these dates may be subject to change, and may also be run virtually. Updates will be provided in due course to all interested participants. If your son is interested in participating >>> Click here to complete the Visions of Leadership participation form. (A calendar invitation will be sent before each event).
Ms Stephanie Boyce
Academic Enrichment Coordinator
E: sboyce@waverley.nsw.edu.au
The Year 12 Studies of Religion cohort engaged in an excursion on Thursday 10 June to the Nan Tien Buddhist Temple in Wollongong to appreciate and experience the practice of temple puja, an aspect of the Buddhism HSC course. The breakfast stop, at McDonald’s Heathcote, en route set the tone for a highly engaging day. Temple puja is a set of devotions to the Buddha, the role model of the path to enlightenment and escape from suffering. Students were able to observe Buddhist adherents engaging in puja but also experience and practise their own development of mindfulness.
They were very focused during the origami session, producing a range of lotus flowers, the symbol of Buddhism. Meditation, with the nuns, was another attempt to be still and cultivate the mind. The removal of shoes, bowing and silence are components of this ancient practice. It was quite uplifting to see that these young adults were able to detach from music, laptops, mobile phones and other devices to give due respect to the nuns, tour guides and teachers. The sharing of a vegetarian meal for lunch further enhanced their understanding of this faith tradition.
Year 12 Studies of Religion students on an excursion at the Nan Tien Buddhist Temple in Wollongong
Year 12 Studies of Religion students on an excursion at the Nan Tien Buddhist Temple in Wollongong
Year 12 Studies of Religion students on an excursion at the Nan Tien Buddhist Temple in Wollongong
Students making origami Lotus flowers; an Auspicious Symbol of Buddhism
Origami by students; the lotus flower is an Auspicious Symbol of Buddhism
Ms Martina Cooper
Head of Religion
E: mcooper@waverley.nsw.edu.au
In a timely manner to coincide with World Environment day (5 June) and World Ocean Day (8 June), our Students of the World Ecology group, along with O’Connor House Prefects and the help of Mr Robinson (Junior School Teacher and iLeader) and Ms Stacey (pre-service teacher), met last week to undertake a waste management audit of selected campus rubbish bins. This is the second waste audit to take place at Waverley, the first in 2020, providing us with comparable data.
One general waste bin and one recycling bin from two high traffic areas, Centenary Quad and Kenny Quad (near the Canteen), were selected to provide a good snapshot of the waste disposal habits of our students and staff.
Students of the World Ecology Group Keenly Participate in the Waste Management Audit
Waste Management Audit – There’s More Work to be Done!
Students were grouped into two teams lead by our Year 12 Ecology students Hayden Walker and Sebastian Van de Hoek. Students emptied the contents of these bins onto large tarpaulins and began sorting waste (appropriate gloves were provided!) into specific categories such as, food waste, plastics, soft plastics (RedCycle), paper etc. Each category was weighed and recorded.
Although we have yet to analyse the data in more detail, which will be done in the next group catch up (Wednesday 16 June, W23, lunchtime), it was clear to see that there was an enormous amount of food waste being disposed of incorrectly. 13kg in total across just four bins. With nearly 4kg of that being placed into the recycling bin! This clearly shows the need for a solution to increase the accessibility of a composting bin to these and other areas in the Senior Campus.
It was also evidently clear that a further solution along with education is needed for the correct recycling of soft plastics and RedCycle items. Both findings will be discussed and researched early in Term 3.
Mr Robinson will be looking to organise a waste management audit in the Junior School so that we have data across both campuses.
Thanks go to Mr Barr, Mr Kendall and Ms Stacey. Thank you also to MAJ(AAC) de Kantzow for allowing us to use the cadet tarpaulins, and to Ms Day in the Science department who helped provide the necessary equipment and cleaning support.
Waste Management Audit – Klayton Thorn categorising waste
Last week also saw the group create a short filmed presentation (below) for the EREA Ecology Conference in Wollongong on 21 June. Unfortunately, we are unable to attend the conference in person this year but we still wanted to participate and provide the other participating schools with an update on our waste issues and other ecological initiatives. We look forward to hearing all about the conference and we hope to be able to incorporate ideas shared by these schools in the near future.
We wish everyone a happy and ecological break. Remember one small ecological action by many creates one large ecological change – let’s make this a positive change.
Ms Rebecca Sutcliffe
Geography Teacher and Ecology Coordinator
E: rsutcliffe@waverley.nsw.edu.au
This term our Senior School debaters competed in the Catholic Schools’ Debating Association competition. Throughout the competition, students delivered informative, persuasive and well-structured arguments on international and domestic socio-political concerns such as educational reform, rules of law, and environmentalism. Within this, students astutely navigated the moral and ethical dilemmas at the heart of any good debate about history and progress.
All debaters, teachers, coaches and parents should be proud of the level of rhetorical skill and confidence that was demonstrated in this competition. Well done to all, and particularly to Years 7, 8, 9 and 11 who won more than half of their debates.
I congratulate all teams on a successful debating competition and look forward to the Combined Associated Schools’ Debating competition in Term 3.
Ms Emma Halpin
Convenor of Debating and Public Speaking
E: ehalpin@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Year 7 students preparing informative, persuasive and well-structured arguments at the Catholic Schools’ Debating Association Competition
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
