Around Campus Archives - Page 8 of 17

Early this week Waverley was privileged to hear Christian Brother Frank O’Shea from the Ruben Centre in Kenya, speak at our Senior School assembly. His engaging presentation was based on his life’s journey over the past 50 years.

During this time, he has served with marginalised children and adults in Tonga, South Sudan, Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya, particularly in the areas of healthcare, education and infrastructure.

At its conclusion, he strongly encouraged Waverley students to consider the “power of one.” Noting that anything is possible, if they seek to be “men for others” and strive throughout their lives to make a difference.

We thank brother Frank for his inspirational example, and hope that all the young men of Waverley will aspire to this mission.

Is the betterment of society as a whole, more important than the life of the individual?

Imagine a competition where questions like these, questions with several alternative solutions, all with challenging and problematic aspects, are proposed and you have three minutes to structure a competitive presentation that persuades a judging panel that your perspective is the most logical and insightful approach to solving a significant ethical dilemma.

Our middle school students demonstrated incredible grit and tenacity yesterday, working in teams of five to present their collaborative proposals to a global panel of high-profile judges at the Middle School Ethics Olympiad. From Harvard, New York to Cambridge, England, the judges engaged the teams in post presentation Q&As to enable students to examine complex ideas, to determine the validity of possible creative solutions.

Our teams stayed calm and answered each question thoughtfully and collaboratively, showing significant ability to evaluate information and arguments, quickly and succinctly.

Our teams demonstrated an outstanding ability to work collaboratively across different year groups, ensuring the maximisation of their individual character strengths to complement their overall team dynamics.

Waverley Orange Team

On the Waverley Orange Team, Henry Goldrich demonstrated significant leadership qualities to guide group discussion and express innovative ideas and solutions. Lachlan Chalmers knew how to keep his cool under pressure, providing logical and insightful ideas to lead the team’s approach. Alexander Avdalis complemented his team as a mighty public speaker, shaping the team’s argument and leading the presentation to ensure clarity and impact.

As senior members of the team, Dominic Scholfield and Zoltahn Szabo lead with confidence. Dominic’s mature approach to the cases revealed his nuanced understanding of the complexity of ethics, and Zoltahn could be relied upon to conclude the Team’s presentation with energy and charisma.

Evan Service was called up as a reserve on the day and did not disappoint; this piano virtuoso juggled music rehearsals and Olympiad responsibilities to cement his place on the team as a creative and critical thinker, whose insight and public speaking skills rendered him invaluable to the Team’s success.

Waverley Red Team

Talent was equally high on our Waverley Red Team. Kayden Barker and Yannick Hott cemented themselves as dynamic school leaders, turning ideas into action with empathy and integrity. Isaac Occhiuto led the team’s presentations with his skilful introductory capabilities setting the tone for the Team’s outstanding visions.

In a competition that relies on cognitive recall, Leo Owen’s broad general knowledge informed the perspective of the team, and ensured the validity of their well-informed argument against other competitive teams.

Toby Johnson’s ability to wrap up the Team’s argument became an iconic consolidation of the Team’s vision, leaving a lasting impression on the judges of Waverley’s grit and tenacity.

The collaboration of the students is to be commended, working interdependently as strong teams. They were a credit to the College, receiving praise from the judges for their teamwork and maturity.

It takes a village to ensure wonderful opportunities like this, run smoothly. Our thanks to Ms Lauren Ryan, for her precise administration coordination, Ms Nina Kormanyos and the canteen team, for providing the students with a delicious morning tea and lunch, and the magnificent Mr Bill Roberts for co-leading and coaching the Red Team.

In a previous edition of Nurrunga, Ms Elizabeth Watson (Deputy Principal – Teaching & Learning), congratulated Lachlan Miranda (Year 10) for being selected as one of 30 students from across NSW, to attend the inaugural Civics and Citizenship Convention held at NSW Parliament House on 27 October.

Lachlan’s Reflection

I was proud to represent Waverley College as one of 102 students across the nation and one of 30 from across NSW at the inaugural Civics and Citizenships Convention at NSW Parliament on Thursday the 27th October. This was an extremely insightful learning experience. The main theme discussed throughout the day was the implications of compulsory voting in Australia.

Through three keynote lectures I was able to build a sound opinion on this topic. One highlight was listening to Professor Mark Evans discussing global voting arrangements and comparing Australia on an international stage. Throughout the day I was surrounded by like-minded peers, some of whom I developed friendships with.

After completing a strenuous day of debating, learning and collaborating with others, a nationwide referendum was held between all student participants and presided over by the President of the Australian Senate, Senator the Hon. Sue Lines. This ballot resulted in 90 to 12 in favour of compulsory voting. Resoundingly, it was a worthwhile and intuitive experience that I was privileged to attend.

The Future Looks Bright

Congratulations Lachlan! You represented our College with distinction and we are incredibly proud of you. It was a privilege to work with you during the application process.

Opportunities like this, allow Waverley students to flourish. And as teachers, witnessing Waverley students flourish and be part of something bigger, is truly special.

Thank you to Mr Leddie, Ms Watson, Mr Smith (Head of History) and Mr Wallington (Head of HSIE) for your support of Lachlan.

We look forward to selecting, mentoring and supporting our 2023 candidate, with the hope of our College being represented once again.

Last week, our Year 11 students had the wonderful formation opportunity to participate in their final House retreats. These retreats took place at four different venues including Grose Vale, Port Hacking, Tahmoor and Toukley.

A variety of themes permeated the retreat, ranging from knowing themselves, relationships and gratitude. From all accounts, the students thoroughly enjoyed the experience and the time it gave them to step back from their studies and reflect.

A special thank you to the Heads of House and all those teachers who enabled us to organise and facilitate such a valuable formation experience for our students.

Next year, our Year 12 students will have the opportunity to participate in either a Kairos (student-led retreat) or a Year 12 retreat. I look forward to sharing these experiences and seeing our fine young men continue their journey of spiritual formation.

Today Year 10 Food Tech were introduced in a dynamic way, to foods that can be tied into Stage 5 units of study.

Divided into small groups, they sampled hidden food and were required to taste, smell and guess what they might be eating … with some hilarious results!

Food in Australia, including food from different cultures, such as lamb heart, kangaroo sausages, and durian fruit
Food Equity, such as edible bugs
Food Product Development, such as Gaytime ice cream-flavoured milk
Food selection and Health, such as a purple carrot
Food service and catering, such as Dominos pizza
Food for specific needs, such as astronauts’ ice cream
Food for special occasions, such as Halloween lollies
Food trends, such as protein bars and plant-based duck.

Tallied on a white Leader Board, bonus points were afforded to groups who were able to answer additional questions.

Can you answer either of these questions about food?

Q: What is food equity?

A: Food equity is having access to healthy, affordable, culturally-significant foods.

Q: Carrots were originally purple. Suggest a reason why they are now predominantly orange.

A: One possible reason, is that they were bred to be orange in the Netherlands, in tribute to the emblem of the House of Orange and the struggle for Dutch independence.

On Friday 21 October 2022, Peter Reismann, the grandfather of one of our Year 10 Waverley students, visited the College to present to Year 10 his experience of the Holocaust and subsequent life in Australia.

This invaluable presentation was part of the Year 10 History PBL task being undertaken this semester. Organised by Ms Zoe Fitzgerald, this incursion was one that the students thoroughly enjoyed and found practical application for their assignment.

On behalf of the History and English Departments, thank you to Peter for your memories, and thank you Zoe for organising such a valuable learning experience.

Throughout the academic year, the University of Sydney hosts a round-robin style debating competition for school students. Last Friday, Waverley debaters from Years 7, 8, and 9 participated.

The students were required to debate in three rounds, speaking for five minutes with only half an hour to prepare.

Teams

This was a fantastic experience for our junior debaters to practise their argumentative skills learnt during the winter season. All teams showed progress across the three rounds, with particular congratulations to the Year 9 team who won all three debates.

On Saturday, 15 October, Waverley students participated in the UN Youth public speaking competition: Voice. A unique competition, in that students are required to pitch a solution to given global issues such as aged care crisis, climate change, and public housing.

Waverley students Ewan McDonald, Charlie Murphy, James Peate, and Lachlan Miranda represented our College. All three students spoke confidently and presented innovative solutions to their chosen concern.

I congratulate Ewan, Charlie, James, and Lachlan on such a strong start to the public speaking season, and look forward to continuing to support them as they hone their rhetorical skills.

The Eastern Suburbs Leaders of Youth Learning (ESSLY), which includes Deputy Principals from many of the schools in our local area, held another sold-out parent event at Waverley College on Thursday, 13 October, which looked at our strategies and practices as we emerge from COVID-19.

Guests included speakers from YSafe and REELise, as well as hearing from our own psychologists and students. It was a valuable insight into the journey we have all just travelled, and importantly, how we are supporting our students on this journey.

Last Friday, Waverley College First Nations students were invited to gather at the Australian Catholic University at Strathfield, for the very first EREA ACU Indigenous Student Day.

The Yalbalinga Indigenous Higher Education Unit hosted an experience day for senior students that provided an opportunity for students to be exposed to a tertiary pathway at ACU, learn about the support measures in place for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students by speaking and engaging with current ACU students directly, as well as network with other EREA schools in the greater Sydney region.

While this program has operated for EREA schools in Brisbane, this was the first time it has been run for Sydney schools. Year 12 students, Xavier Quinn and Elliot Witten, found the experience to be informative and enjoyable, as it opened their awareness to the greater opportunities available to them post school.

On Monday, 19 September, I along with Patrick Blackall (Year 8) and Ms Rebecca Sutcliffe (Ecology Coordinator and Geography Teacher), had the privilege to observe Mr Mark Neale (TAS Teacher) split our native beehive.

Beehive splitting, as the name implies, is literally splitting one colony into two. By taking a strong, vibrant colony, you create two. Mid-spring is a good time to split the hive, as this gives the colonies the whole summer to regenerate.

It was amazing to watch Mr Neale open the hive to meet our Waverley bees, who were a little annoyed at having their roof opened! Mr Neale put a Coke bottle at the exit point of the hive, to collect some of the bees, to keep them calm. Many escaped the hive, but thankfully, as they are native and therefore stingless, we were in no immediate danger of being stung! We were really surprised at the size of the bees, they’re more like the size of a small fly.

Whilst Mr Neale separated the egg spiral, we had the chance to try some of the honey. The honey had a very sweet tangy taste and I would have it again. Mr Neale collected the honey in a small jar for us to use at a later date.

Mr Neale pointed out the harder beeswax material and the honey pockets. This beeswax material can be used to seal wooden surfaces and furniture. A small piece was kept out to trial.

The next step was for Mr Neale to place half of the egg spiral into the new hive, and then finally, to seal both hives. Mr Neale showed us how to close and seal the hive safely.

Patrick and I were given the opportunity to repeat this on the second hive. The second hive was now ready for its new home. Mr Neale explained that the new hive needed to be at least 500m from the original hive, as bees will automatically seek out their old home if set too close together. This would impact the success of the second hive.

The next morning, Mr Neale and I headed down to the Junior School to install the second beehive. It was decided that the best place for the hive was in Wingara. A spot was chosen for maximum use of the morning sun. This exact location was also considered, so it would not be too hot during the summer, but hot enough so the bees can survive and thrive. Wingara also has a plentiful supply of vegetation, so it is easy for the bees to pollinate and explore their environment safely.

Our Waverley bees are stingless and cannot hurt anyone, so all of this was done safely and harmlessly. It was a pleasure to be a part of this wonderful activity that will have many benefits to the campus and to our neighbouring environment.

Thank you to Mr Neale for his time and expertise, and for showing our students the splitting process. Thanks also to Mr Stanbrook for the ongoing care he provides to the bees, Mr Wallington for his work in installing the bees, Mr Spargo for his support and the use of his TAS area, and finally to Ms Jackman whose Year 8 students were present.

It was a glassy day out on the water last week for the Year 12 Marine Studies students who went deep sea fishing. This excursion provided students with the opportunity to consolidate their boating, fishing and seafood cooking skills, which they have developed over the length of their Stage 6 course.

Students motored out to sea at sunrise, and dropped their lines off North Bondi, Vaucluse and Manly. The fish were biting and the students pulled up flathead, morwong, snapper, wrasse and some whiting.