Please find below some reminders about upcoming events. For all of Term 1 events, please refer to the College calendar.
Next Thursday, 17 March, the Junior School will be celebrating St Patrick’s Day with a mufti day, and we are asking students to bring in a donation to provide financial assistance to those affected by the current floods. They will also have the opportunity to buy a bag of green lollies for $2. The money we raise will be donated to GIVIT, which is an organisation providing immediate assistance to those in flood affected areas.
>>> Click here to view more information about GIVIT.
Should your son have an allergy, please note that class teachers will be in contact with families prior to this event, in regards to your son’s options.
As you are aware, we trialled vending machines in the Junior School for students who required breakfast or extra food or drink throughout the day. We have made the decision to not continue with the vending machines that supply food, as the healthy choice foods are not selling, and we do not want the machines filled with unhealthy options.
We are, however, continuing with the vending machines that supply drinks. Please note, your son can buy a wholesome breakfast at our Senior School Canteen from 8am each morning.
Junior School students can buy a wholesome breakfast at our Senior School Canteen from 8am each morning
Please follow the link below to sign up for Flexischools to order recess and lunch and view our current menu.
In regards to healthy choices, many of our students are stopping at convenience stores in Charing Cross on the way to school in the morning, where they are buying products with very high sugar content. They are consuming these products before the school day begins.
I ask that you be extra vigilant with your son’s purchases, as this is negatively impacting their ability to learn. We are seeing boys attend school in the morning struggling to focus because of what they are consuming before they arrive.
Can I please ask parents to be mindful of where you are picking your son up, after school. We have had many complaints about double parking, parking across driveways, and parking where there are ‘No Parking’ signs on both Langlee Avenue and Gibson Street.
This creates confusion among other road users, which then becomes a safety hazard for students. Can I ask you to please park legally, as there are many spots you can meet your son, that don’t pose an inconvenience to residents, and a safety hazard for our students.
Our staff were fortunate to attend our annual Staff Spirituality Day on Monday, where we had the opportunity to listen to the impressive Reverend Bill Crews. Rev. Crews has been supporting the homeless and vulnerable for more than 30 years.
This began with the famous Loaves & Fishes free restaurant in Ashfield, Sydney, and food vans that have now served over nine million meals to hungry people. In addition, there is now an onsite community centre, with a healthcare clinic and welfare support.
We were reminded of the importance of not focusing on the desire to always want more, as too many attachments end up defining you and destroying you. We were encouraged to continue to serve those who are marginalised and in need of our support, whether this be through mentoring, serving meals or spending time with people in need.
Kevin Heath and Uncle Dean
We also had the opportunity to work with Uncle Dean and our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Liaison Officer, Kevin Heath, to continue to learn and grow in Aboriginal and Cultural Spirituality.
Our session began with a traditional smoking ceremony, and a ritual where ochre was placed on our head representing the mental, physical and spiritual. As humans, if we work hard to connect and balance these dots, we will thrive.
Throughout this session we were also encouraged to focus on one day at a time, and to not dwell on the past and worry about the future.
Thank you for supporting the College in ensuring that we could participate in this day, it was of great benefit to all staff.
Mrs Gabrielle Smith
Director of Junior School
E: gsmith@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Last week during the Junior School Ash Wednesday liturgies, students were spoken to about the Project Compassion Lenten Appeal. By making them aware of the different communities around the world who are less fortunate than others, we now encourage them to put others ahead of themselves.
Each class has a Project Compassion box for students to donate money. They are encouraged to do extra chores around the home to earn pocket money that can be used as a donation.
A reminder to send through a photo of your son(s) with their mothers/grandmothers if you would like a photo included in this presentation.
Please send through all photos to liturgy@waverley.nsw.edu.au
For parents seeking information regarding the Sacrament of Confirmation, it is important that you contact your local parish to find out the details regarding when the Sacrament will be celebrated, and when the preparation classes will be held.
For students of Waverley College who are part of St Charles Borromeo Parish (Mary Immaculate Church), the Sacrament of Confirmation will be celebrated on Sunday, 19 June at 2pm.
There are other dates that also need to be pencilled into you diaries including:
Please be aware that the Sacrament of Confirmation is celebrated each year, therefore only Year 6 students will be enrolled to receive the Sacrament.
If you wish for your son to be a part of this Sacrament, and you are part of St Charles Borromeo Parish (Mary Immaculate Church), please email Mr Stephen Ghattas at sghattas@waverley.nsw.edu.au so that a registration form and other important information can be forwarded to you in the coming weeks.
Mr Stephen Ghattas
Assistant Director Mission and Identity
E: sghattas@waverley.nsw.edu.au
As the Term 1 Summer Season comes to an end, (until Term 4, when it recommences), we’re beginning our Winter Sports Trials for the upcoming season. The Winter Sports Trials will begin next Tuesday, 15 March.
Dates: Trial 1 (Tuesday, 15 March), Trial 2 (Tuesday, 22 March), Trial 3 (Friday, 1 April)
Times: 1:30pm – 3pm (students dismissed from the trial location. Please organise pick up arrangements with your son.)
Location: Waverley Park (unless Queens Park is useable. If so, you will be informed.)
Uniform:
Equipment:
*All students are expected to pack a drink bottle, sunscreen, and anything else personally required.
The trial process will be conducted by our Junior School staff and supporting coaches for the upcoming winter season.
Please refer to the Selection Process document in the link below, to eliminate any confusion around team selection. Teams will be selected fairly and unbiasedly.
>>> Click here to view the Sports Trials Selection Process document.
Staff are all given the information you as parents added to the Google Form sent at the start of this year, which allowed you to share your son’s previous experience in his chosen Winter sport.
Your son will be informed of his chosen preferences for Winter Sport prior to Tuesday’s trial, as he may have since forgotten. Unfortunately, I will be avoiding making last-minute changes to preferences, as the amount of teams allocated has been selected based on the original preferences chosen. I will always consider adjustments to preferences if it is a serious case that needs reviewing.
Continuing from last week’s Nurrunga, there are more results coming in from the recent State Nippers competition. Congratulations to the following students for their achievements at the major event:
Although there have been a lot of games cancelled over the last few weekends, it’s great to see some games going ahead, in spite of the weather. Continue sending through photos from Saturday sport, because it’s nice to see our different teams competing and coming together.
Our mighty Basketball C team getting ready for their game ahead
Mr Jack Wachtel
Assistant Director – Co-Curricular
E: jwachtel@waverley.nsw.edu.au
>>> Click here to register your son.
If your son is unable to attend, please email the College at nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au or call reception.
A reminder that the Junior School debating tryouts are on Tuesday, 15 March (Week 8) in the Learning Hub.
If your son would like to try out for the IPSHA team he will need to do the following:
Choose one of the below topics:
Then:
I read an article ‘Infographic: Which Generation Reads the Most?’ This article zoomed in on the five types of generations and their reading habits.
Because our boys are Generation Z, 5-25 years of age was of greatest interest to me.
What did I learn? I discovered that GenZ reads for the least amount of time, still reads for fun, but this number halves when they become teenagers, and they prefer fantasy genres and books with humour.
After reading this article, I reflected on the importance of catering for our different learners. Reading, however, does not necessarily have to mean opening up a book and staring tentatively at pages and pages of endless words.
For the auditory learners among us, the option of audiobooks is one our society is increasingly turning to, and for good reason. There are many options out there, and I guess the most important aspect is that your son is reading or listening to audiobooks, if that is his preferred choice.
Your son has access to audiobooks from the Learning Hub, as well as a multitude of options online; just remember it does not always have to be a hard copy book.
Ms Natasha Zivanovic
Literacy and Innovation Teacher
E: nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au
It has been an exciting and industrious start to the school year in 5 Gold. The students are enjoying developing new friendships, as well as enthusiastically embracing the wonderful opportunities that Waverley College has to offer.
5 Gold in Term 1, 2022
Term One has been action-packed, with the introduction to new and interesting themes in the Key Learning Areas.
In History, the class has been investigating the development of the Australian Colonies in the 1800s. Through their inquiry, the students are beginning to gain an insight into what life was like for different groups in the Colonial period.
Later in this unit, the students will individually investigate one significant person or event that contributed to the development of the Australian Colonies.
In Visual Arts, the class investigated the significance and symbolic nature of authentic Aboriginal Art, to understand why the Dreamtime was so important to First Nations People. Students learnt how Aboriginal rock engravings were cut into sandstone.
To further understand the purpose and sacredness of authentic Aboriginal artwork, the students applied different techniques to replicate Australian native animals. Visual Arts is very popular in 5 Gold.
Harvey Smith and Brynn Spierings are displaying excellent talent and belong to the Waverley College Drawing Club.
Harvey Smith and Brynn Spierings
The season of Lent is an important Season in the Liturgical Year. The class have learnt the relevance of prayer, sacrifice, almsgiving and fasting as a way of renewing their hearts to show their devotion to their faith, and prepare for the suffering death and resurrection of Jesus at Easter.
Each student has made a Lenten promise to show their love and commitment to Christ, during this 40-day period. The class is also preparing three beautiful Easter baskets for our annual raffle to support Caritas Project Compassion.
‘Amazing Energy’ is our Science theme, and students are learning about all things energy. This week, the class identified the essential components of an electric circuit. They experimented with the different objects that make up a circuit, known as components. They learnt that switches act like gates to control the flow of electricity, and when a wire is connected to battery terminals, electrons flow from negative to positive.
It has been a wonderful term so far for 5 Gold, and I commend the class for their enthusiasm for learning and their exceptional efforts.
Congratulations to our Class Captains: James Draper and William Carter. Already they have displayed outstanding leadership and initiative in our class.
I look forward to exciting new learning experiences as the year progresses.
5 Gold Class Captains, James Draper and William Carter, Term 1, 2022
Ms Jennifer Hoare
5 Gold Class Teacher
E: jhoare@waverley.nsw.edu.au
The Sacrament of Confirmation for children in Year 6 and above, not attending Holy Cross Primary School, will be celebrated in Holy Cross Catholic Church in Woollahra on Tuesday, 24 May 2022 at 7pm.
The Parent Information Evening will be on Thursday, 21 April at 7:30pm in the Crypt.
Preparation Classes will be held in the Holy Cross Church Crypt on:
Please find below some reminders about upcoming events. For all of Term 1 events, please refer to the College calendar.
Last week, 6 Gold had the technical task of presenting all their learnings to the Junior School via an online assembly. They were extremely creative with their ideas and made it as fun and lively as possible.
Three reporters moved around to different corners of the classroom to showcase the talent in 6 Gold. They visited the Respect, History, English and Spanish corner.
The Junior School learnt about the first Core Value – Respect, and how to live this out at school, the importance of democracy, myths and legends in English, and created some fabulous superhero dance moves.
A stand out in the assembly was hearing from Dylan Duque-Llorente who is unbelievably talented at speaking Spanish.
The three reporters – Max Wu, Luca Filippi and Jack McCallum
Years 5 and 10 will be taking part in a Little Brother / Big Brother gathering on Friday, 11 March from period 4 until period 6.
Students will first meet at 12:05pm for a BBQ lunch in the Braidwood area, and will then be transported by bus from Carrington Road to Bondi Beach.
Students will travel in House groups with their buddies, and will then participate in activities whilst at the beach.
There will be a House anti-bullying photograph competition as well.
Year 5 students will then return to the College by bus, along with attending Cadets.
The remainder of the Year 10 students will be dismissed from Bondi Beach at approximately 2:30pm.
Heads of House and Year 5 teachers will be in attendance.
Please complete the permission slip below to enable your son to attend.
>>> Click here to view and complete the permission slip.
ALL students should wear their PE uniform and bring a water bottle please. There will be no swimming on the day.
Ms Sue Walsh
Director of Identity & Student Formation
E: swalsh@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Mrs Gabrielle Smith
Director of Junior School
E: gsmith@waverley.nsw.edu.au
This week, the Junior School gathered together in a special Prayer Service for Ash Wednesday, which marked the beginning of the Church’s season of Lent. The marking of the ashes on this day is a public expression of our faith and repentance.
During Lent, we focus on three pillars: prayer, fasting and almsgiving, which help us in this journey to reach a closeness to God, and deeper understanding and relationship with God.
Prayer is a conscious relationship with God. Just as we spend time with friends because we love them, we spend time in prayer because we love God, and we know that God loves us. When we are in tune with God, we cannot help but experience deep wellbeing.
Fasting can be a time to eat less and give up some nice treats, however, could it also be a time for us to be more mindful of our purchases? Can we make ethical choices in what we buy, or even not buy at all?
The third pillar, almsgiving, is donating money or goods to the poor and less fortunate, and performing acts of charity. Caritas launch Project Compassion every year during Lent. Through Project Compassion, Caritas partners with people in the Asia-Pacific to develop their independence, and support the human dignity of every person. Our donation to Project Compassion is an encounter with God through the face of the poor.
The first of several fund-raising and awareness-raising initiatives began with the sale of pancakes on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. We are happy to announce that we managed to raise approximately $850, a great way to begin our fundraising initiatives this year.
Special thanks to Mrs Smith, Mrs Coupe and Ms Bransby for assisting in the organisation and distribution of the pancakes. The boys thoroughly enjoyed indulging in these delicious treats.
I am pleased to announce the Year 5 Class Captains and Class Vice-Captains for Semester 1, 2022. As the students are just getting to know one another, we are giving the following students the opportunity to lead their classes in Semester 1.
I look forward to working with them over the next couple of terms, and hope that they can be good role models to the rest of their peers.
Captains
5 Blue – Zack Stewart
5 Gold – James Draper
5 Indigo – Dario Leyton
5 Orange – Boyd Haslam
5 Red – Hooper Dyke-Miller
5 White – Sam Peate
Vice-Captains
5 Blue – Fletcher Stanton
5 Gold – William Carter
5 Indigo – Pascal South
5 Orange – Jack Burrows
5 Red – Dash McDonough
5 White – Cormac Maher
The celebration of mothers, grandmothers and significant others in the lives of our Waverley College students, will be celebrated on Friday, 6 May at 12pm (Week 2, Term 2).
This will be held at Mary Immaculate Church, followed by a light lunch at the Junior School.
Part of the celebration will include a slideshow. Can I please ask that you send through a photo of your son(s) with their mothers/grandmothers if you would like a photo included in this presentation.
Please send through all photos to liturgy@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Mr Stephen Ghattas
Assistant Director – Mission and Identity
E: sghattas@waverley.nsw.edu.au
The Junior School was fortunate enough to have the team from Elephant Ed present an online information evening for all of our parents last Thursday, 24 February. This program began for all of our Year 6 classes this week, which is a great opportunity for our students to learn about the following topics as a part of our aligned Health unit ‘Exploring Change’:
Although we have experienced classroom teachers, they’re not all equipped to teach such sensitive health topics in detail, which our students require. This is why Elephant Ed is the most appropriate external company to teach this content to our Year 6 students, ensuring this information is taught effectively and with impact.
We believe that although this isn’t being taught to Year 5 students, it was really important for our Year 5 parents to be at the session, to help them prepare for what will be taught next year. Overall, the session was informative, interactive and engaging for all parents in attendance, and we look forward to seeing how students respond.
BPSSA
After such a great two days completing the Junior School swimming carnival, we have entered the next stage of swimming events. Due to the State Nippers event, we had reduced numbers for this year’s warm up event for the IPSHA carnival, the annual BPSSA Swim Carnival hosted by Saint Ignatius College Riverview on Friday, 25 February.
Although we were undermanned in our squad, we placed 1st, 2nd or 3rd in every single event of the carnival. This was a huge achievement for our students, who all competed at an extremely high level.
In total we achieved 24 (first placings), eight (second placings) and five (third placings).
BPSSA 2022
IPSHA
Everything has been leading up to the main event, the IPSHA Swimming Carnival, which took place on Tuesday, 1 March. This is a special event for our Junior School swim squad, who make their way to the Sydney Olympic Aquatic Centre to compete against Sydney’s best swimmers in their age group. It is an honour for our students to represent Waverley College Junior School at the highest level.
This year, we’re very fortunate to have a strong group of swimmers in all age divisions. This means that we had some special achievements by the following swimmers who made it into CIS:
U8-10 Relay Team (2 min 38.14 sec)
U11-13 Relay Team (2 min 14.03 sec)
A large number of our students placed in their swim heats with amazing achievements, including:
Freestyle
Backstroke
Breaststroke
Butterfly
The College is unbelievably proud of our entire competing squad, but we want to congratulate the relay swimmers mentioned above, who will now be moving onto the NSWCIS Swimming Carnival, where they will be swimming against the best swimmers in NSW. This is a special achievement, and something these students will never forget.
IPSHA 2022
IPSHA 2022
IPSHA 2022
IPSHA 2022
Junior Australian Oztag National Championships
Jackson MacAskill and Hugo Cummins in Year 5 recently represented the East Coast Orcas at the Junior Australian Oztag National Championships in Coffs Harbour.
Their U/10s team played seven games over three days, and made it through to the finals.
Both students have been selected to represent Easts at the Junior State cup in June. What a big achievement, and we’re so proud of them.
Jackson MacAskill and Hugo Cummins (Year 5)
Waverley Junior School had a large number of students representing their local Surf Lifesaving Club and competing at the State Nippers across three days (24-26 February) at Manly Beach. This is a significant event for our students, who have a massive involvement in a variety of SLSCs around Sydney.
I have received some results from parents so far, but if your son competed and had some great achievements, please send them through so I can share these with all families.
Some of the results include:
State Age Surf Life Saving Titles 2022
Luca Bessera won the silver medal in his division at the Australian Nationals in Melbourne last weekend. What a significant achievement for Luca! We look forward to hearing more about his endeavours with Brazilian jiu jitsu while he’s at the Junior School. Congratulations and well done.
Luca Bessera and his silver medal in his division at the Jiu Jitsu Australian Nationals in Melbourne
Jiu Jitsu Australian Nationals in Melbourne
Mr Jack Wachtel
Assistant Director – Co-Curricular
E: jwachtel@waverley.nsw.edu.au
In 6 Red this week, we have been exploring plants. As a class we have been discussing what plants need to grow, the certain functions they have to survive, and the different shapes, sizes and characteristics that change the way that they survive in different environments.
As a class, we conducted an experiment to find out which leaves had the best water retention. After placing the leaves in plastic bags, we will now observe and note in a scientific table, the amount of condensation that builds up over a one to two week period. Results are to come!
6 Red, Term 1 2022
Mr Matthew Johnston
Class Teacher 6 Red
E: mjohnston@waverley.nsw.edu.au
We offer all students in Year 5 and Year 6 the opportunity to receive free additional support after school, for the completion of home learning tasks. The afternoon sessions also provide a quiet, supervised study space for students who want to complete their assigned tasks.
Home Learning Club operates in the Learning Hub from 3pm – 4pm, Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays – during school term, unless there is a scheduled Professional Development meeting, and then the club will be closed.
NOTE: NO Home Learning on Monday, 7 March – Pupil-Free Day
>>> Click here to register your son.
Only register his name once to allow other students the opportunity to attend. The session is limited to 20 spots. There will be a roll call to ensure attendance.
If your son is not present at roll call, a phone call will be made to check on his whereabouts. If your plans change, and you decide he is unable to attend, please contact the school via email at nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au or call reception.
Students are required to stay for the full session unless there is a message in the student diary requesting early leave, a parent signature will be required.
As it is important to respect the rights of others to learn and work. All students are expected to settle to work in the Learning Hub, and not cause a disturbance for others.
Monday and Wednesday – Mrs Natasha Zivanovic
Tuesday and Thursday – Ms Gaby Bransby
If you require any further information, feel free to email us.
E: nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au
E: gbransby@waverley.nsw.edu.au
The Drawing Club has begun! Our avid artists will meet weekly to talk about all things art. Our first session was on Friday, 25 March, and our theme for the session was getting to know what each student enjoys drawing.
A reminder that the Junior School debating tryouts are on Tuesday, 15 March (Week 8) in the Learning Hub. If your son would like to try out for the IPSHA team, he will need to:
Mrs Natasha Zivanovich
Literacy & Innovation Teacher
E: nzivanovich@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Visual Arts Club will be offered at Waverley as a winter activity for students from Years 5-12.
Visual Arts Club provides an opportunity for students to build skills in critical and creative thinking. This winter, students will be introduced to ‘Printmaking: Narratives.’
Each student will be introduced to a range of printmaking techniques and processes, and will build their knowledge and confidence in the planning, carving, and printing of artworks.
In Visual Arts Club students will:
Cost: $100.00
Materials: all materials will be supplied
Session times: select ONE from the following:
>>> Click here to view the Google Form Expression of Interest.
Ms Stephanie Falk
Visual Arts Teacher
E: sfalk@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Please find below some reminders about upcoming events. For all of Term 1 events, please refer to the College calendar.
As per Mr Leddie’s announcement, please read below the following changes that will be in place from Monday, 28 February:
We will move to symptomatic testing. Tests are to be used at your discretion such as if your son/s are symptomatic or there are cases in their class. Our school will provide each student and staff member with eight tests which will be coming home in your son’s bag today. Beyond that, students and staff can access PCR tests or buy their own rapid antigen tests, as these are now freely available and accessible in the community.
From Monday, 28 February no masks are required for Years 5 – 12 students and Years 7 – 12 staff. From Monday, 7 March no masks are required for Years 5 – 6 staff as well. However, those who wish to continue to use them, will be supported to do so.
Schools will no longer be required to keep students in Year groups or other cohorts.
Visitors (including parents and carers) will be allowed on school sites for events. We will let you know when these can proceed in our school in a COVID-smart way. All visitors are asked to follow our usual sign-in and sign-out process.
The College will maintain core COVID-smart measures including maximising fresh air flow through natural ventilation, continued good hand hygiene practices, and enhanced cleaning through Term 1.
A reminder of some of the practices that will continue to ensure we all work effectively together for the health and safety of everyone in our community:
A reminder that we continue to appeal to Waverley families to support Tonga with donations. These can be dropped at the Senior School Reception on Birrell Street, or to Mrs Coupe in the Junior School.
These items are due in by Monday, 28 February:
>>> Click here to view more information in the article by Mr Steve O’Donnell and Ms Sue Walsh.
Mrs Gabrielle Smith
Director of Junior School
This week we started an exciting new wellbeing initiative with the Junior School boys. This initiative involves educating the students about issues that we sometimes see as challenging for Years 5 and 6. The focus of wellbeing this term is Social Skills, Friendship and Kindness.
Through discussion, games, videos and activities, Year 5 examined friendship and teamwork, and the impact of social influence on behaviour. Year 6 students meanwhile, explored the importance of social skills, social inclusion vs social exclusion, the power of peer-pressure, and how to be an upstander not a bystander.
We encourage parents to continue the discussion of such important issues at home.
Mrs Dawn Young and Mrs Alex McCredie
Junior School Psychologists
E: dyoung@waverley.nsw.edu.au
E: amccredie@waverley.nsw.edu.au
This Tuesday, 1 March, is Shrove Tuesday, the day immediately preceding Ash Wednesday. As the final day before the Lenten fast, Shrove Tuesday is also known as Pancake Day. Pancakes are traditional in a number of countries because eggs, sugar, and fat, commonly forbidden during the Lenten fast, are used up so they will not go to waste.
To mark this occasion, the Junior School leaders, with the assistance of Senior Student Representatives, will be selling pancakes at both recess and lunch. Pancakes will cost $2 and the funds raised will go to supporting CARITAS as part of our Lenten Appeal.
We are all looking forward to a tasty treat before the fasting period begins.
I am pleased to announce the Year 6 Class Captains and Class Vice-Captains for 2022. I look forward to working with them throughout the year, assisting them to be role models for the rest of the Junior School students, as they take on extra responsibilities around the campus.
Captains
6 Blue – Hugo Anderson
6 Gold – Lachlan Green
6 Indigo – Ishaan Jeena
6 Orange – Emilio Gomez
6 Red – Riley Carr
6 White – Quinn Brodie
Vice-Captains
6 Blue – Ollie King
6 Gold – Campbell Oxborrow
6 Indigo – Beau Matheson-Rayner
6 Orange – Jonathan Le Marchant
6 Red – George Whitehouse
6 White – Cash Parry
The celebration of mothers, grandmothers and significant others in the lives of our Waverley College students, will be celebrated in Week 2, Term 2. Details regarding this celebration will take place in the coming weeks.
Part of the celebration will include a slideshow. Can I please ask that you send through a photo of your son(s) with their mothers/grandmothers, if you would like a photo included in this presentation.
Please send through all photos to liturgy@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Mr Steve Ghattas
Assistant Director – Mission and Identity
E: sghattas@waverley.nsw.edu.au
The continuation of the Co-Curricular Sports season is providing a lot of enjoyment for our Waverley students, and it’s fantastic to see all teams developing week after week.
The inclement weather has hit us hard this week, forcing us to cancel a large number of trainings throughout the week. We thank you for your patience and understanding, and we look forward to this weather passing, and sport resuming as scheduled.
Thank you to the parents who have been sending through photos of Saturday sport. It has been a pleasure to see some teams in action. Please feel free to send through photos, as I can show them in Nurrunga.
Waverley Junior School is pleased to announce that we’ve looked closely at growing our Extra Co-Curricular program offered at the Junior School. This creates exciting opportunities for students to involve themselves in various activities that interest them, outside of their Co-Curricular Sporting commitments at Waverley. Due to the business of the beginning of the school year, we deliberately did not provide any details about these activities until now.
The Junior School will have a trial run for all the Extra Co-Curricular activities that haven’t yet begun. The trial run will be undertaken in the last two weeks of Term 1 (Weeks 10 and 11), which will allow students to see if they enjoy what has been offered, and if they would like to begin the activity officially in Term 2 for the remainder of 2022.
The following Extra Co-Curricular Activities being offered in 2022 include:
| 2022 Extra Co-Curricular Activities |
| INNOVATION CLUB |
| Teacher |
| TBC |
| HOMEWORK CLUB (Has Begun) |
| Teachers |
| Ms Bransby |
| Mrs Zivanovic |
| JUDO |
| Teacher |
| Ms Tweedie |
| HIPHOP DANCE
HipHop Dancing Announcement Video (Click Link to Watch) |
| Coach |
| Mr Joel Preisley |
| SURF LIFE SAVING (Bondi Beach SLSC) |
| Teacher |
| Mr Nick Nezval |
| CHESS CLUB (Has Begun) |
| External Teacher |
| Mrs Coupe |
| STOMP |
| Teacher |
| Ms Rollins |
| BANDS & OTHER ENSEMBLES (Has Begun) |
| Administrator |
| Ms Rollins |
| BOARD GAMES CLUB |
| Teacher |
| Mrs McCredie |
| DRAWING CLUB (ART) (Has Begun) |
| Teacher |
| Ms Natalie Oates |
Once the two week trial period is completed, all activities not already underway will begin at the commencement of Term 2. We will give information about when these activities will be occurring, once we have an understanding of how many students want to be involved in each activity.
If your son is interested in any of the activities that aren’t already taking place, can you please complete the Google Form below, as this will help us begin collating numbers for the two-week trial in Weeks 10 and 11 of Term 1.
>>> Click here to view and complete the Google Form.
Mr Jack Wachtel
Assistant Director of Co-Curricular
E: jwachtel@waverley.nsw.edu.au
We offer all students in Year 5 and Year 6 the opportunity to receive free additional support after school, for the completion of home learning tasks. The afternoon sessions also provide a quiet, supervised study space for students who want to complete their assigned tasks.
Home Learning Club operates in the Learning Hub from 3pm until 4pm – Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays – during school term, unless there is a scheduled Professional Development meeting, and then the club will be closed.
NOTE: NO Home Learning Club on Wednesday, 2 March.
>>> Click here to register your son.
Only register his name once, to allow other students the opportunity to attend. The session is limited to 20 spots. There will be a roll call to ensure attendance.
If your son is not present at roll call, a phone call will be made to check on his whereabouts. If your plans change, and you decide he is unable to attend, please contact the school via email nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au or call reception.
Students are required to stay for the full session, unless there is a message in the student diary requesting early leave, a parent signature will be required.
As it is important to respect the rights of others to learn and work. All students are expected to settle to work in the Learning Hub and not cause a disturbance for others.
Monday and Wednesday – Mrs Natasha Zivanovic
Tuesday and Thursday – Ms Gaby Bransby
If you require any further information, feel free to contact us.
E: nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au
E: gbransby@waverley.nsw.edu.au
This week, we have the opportunity to hear from Mrs Zivanovic about what is happening in the Junior School Learning Hub.
This week the boys are exploring literature by Shaun Tan, using Visible Thinking Routines.
The purpose of thinking routines is to promote a deeper understanding of content, and help students to understand how they think and learn.
This week we focused on the See Think Wonder visible thinking routine. This routine encourages students to make careful observations and make thoughtful interpretations. It also helps stimulate curiosity and set the stage for inquiry.
These activities promote critical thinking, by being able to make sense of what we see in illustrations through interpreting, understanding and evaluating visual messages. This often results in richer discussions.
The students used the image below to complete a SEE THINK WONDER.
| SEE
What do you see? |
THINK
What do you think is going on? |
WONDER
What does it make you wonder? |
| I see an alien with a big eye and a helmet
A windy, light brown field A robotic dinosaur and a little boy walking in the background
|
I think an alien crash landed on a mysterious world and everyone is confused. | This makes me wonder what is going to happen and what already happened |
By Fletcher Stanton, 5 Blue
| SEE
What do you see? |
THINK
What do you think is going on? |
WONDER
What does it make you wonder? |
| I see a big toy dinosaur
A guy with a big helmet on that has an eye on it A boy looking sad.
|
Something has crashed and the dinosaur and boy look sad and angry. | I wonder what crashed and if something crashed
I wonder where they are and where they are trying to go and why they are looking at another boy |
By Xavier Bautovich, 5 Blue
| SEE
What do you see? |
THINK
What do you think is going on? |
WONDER
What does it make you wonder? |
| A boy with a one-eyed helmet
A boy walking with a robotic dinosaur Trees of green Red robots A house that has gas coming out of the chimney |
The boy with the dinosaur is looking at the little boy thinking about what he is doing with that enormous helmet
The boy is looking into an enormous helmet thinking what is this!? The boys are going on a walk but the little boy found some rusty robot pieces and wants to play with the eye |
If the boys are my age?
What is there on that wheat field? What the house is making What the boys are thinking Is it in the future? Why are there robots? |
By Frederick Crabbe, 6 Blue
| SEE
What do you see? |
THINK
What do you think is going on? |
WONDER
What does it make you wonder? |
| I see trees and wheat.
Robots too. Pollution too. Factories operating. Making bread from wheat. |
I think this is what will happen when we keep on polluting the air. We will have fewer trees and no green but there will be factories every second hectare. Some kids are trying to hide from the factories so they won’t get enslaved. | Why is that kid wearing a robot’s eye?
Why is there wheat? Why is there a giant wind-up tyrannosaurus rex? |
By Thomas Stillone, 6 Blue
Mrs Natasha Zivanovic
Literacy and Innovation Teacher – Learning Hub
E: nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Read more: diary dates, Parent Information Night, Family Zone – Year 5 parents, Nick Kyrgios visits Waverley, round 1 sport overview, Junior School House Swimming Carnival, Branch Surf Lifesaving Carnival, Art Club, Home Learning Club, Waverley Reading Challenge, meet 6 White.
Please find below some reminders about upcoming events. For all of Term 1 events, please refer to the College calendar.
Thank you to all those families who joined us for Parent Information Night last Monday. If you were unable to attend this evening, please reach out to your son’s teacher who will update you on what you missed.
IT Department
As you are aware, we have just completed the deployment of MacBooks for Year 5. As part of the iLearn package, we have partnered with Family Zone to provide CyberSafety software that you can use to manage your son’s online activity, whilst away from school. We still manage this when they are at school.
The Family Zone application is pre-installed on the school device, and we will “onboard” parent email addresses with Family Zone in the next few weeks. You will then receive an email prompting you to register, to enable you to use the software.
If you do not wish to receive the registration email, and you would rather not take up this offer, please email it@waverley.nsw.edu.au by Friday, 25 February 2022, stating that you wish to opt out of the Family Zone program.
CyberSafety
Further information around Family Zone and some tips and tricks regarding CyberSafety, can be found below at the Waverley College Family Zone hub.
>>> Click here to view the Waverley College Family Zone hub.
Support for Parents
You can also view the Family Zone flyer, which has a support contact number, should you have any questions or issues setting up your account once you have registered.
>>> Click here to view the Family Zone Support for Parents flyer.
This is a service provided for free by Waverley College as part of our iLearn program.
It was as if a pop star had arrived at Waverley, when Junior and Senior School tennis players greeted our Tuesday afternoon visitor, Nick Kyrgios. The Australian Open 2022 Doubles Champion was welcomed with cheers, chants and screams, as he made his way onto the Senior School tennis courts towards our seated, awe-struck crowd.
At six foot five, Nick’s star quality shone, as he took the microphone to share insights about his career journey, the importance of hard work and sacrifices made. Nick said that he’d always tried to be himself and be authentic, and encouraged students to stay confident in themselves.
Answering prepared questions from our Junior School tennis stars, he revealed Roger Federer to be his favourite opponent and a “dream come true” to play him and achieve a victory. He surprised the crowd when admitting that his favourite tournament was not the Australian Open, but in fact, Wimbledon. He’d also broken a couple of thousand tennis racquets!
He then teamed up with our top-seeded Junior player Noah Dalton to challenge Senior Tennis Captains Kai Jones and Jack Preller to a friendly set, sending a ball into the crowd every so often to keep the punters on their toes!
Thanks, Nick. It was awesome to meet you.
This is a reminder that you are invited to a webinar presented by Elephant Ed on Puberty & Embracing Change, for our Junior School Students.
When: 6pm – 7pm on Thursday, 24 February, 2022
Topic: Puberty & Embracing Change
You are required to register in advance for this webinar. Please use the link below to register.
>>> Click here to view and complete Elephant Ed registration information.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Mrs Gabrielle Smith
Director of Junior School
E: gsmith@waverley.nsw.edu.au
It was great to see all of our Junior School students begin the season with such a strong display of sportsmanship and teamwork. These qualities were evident in every team that played their home games at Queens Park and Waverley Junior Basketball Court. I heard inspiring reports from parents and coaches about several away fixtures, with teams starting the season in positive spirits.
It was a shame that some of our away Cricket games weren’t able to go ahead due to inclement weather, but I look forward to these players getting their opportunity this coming weekend.
Please always refer to the Waverley College app announcements each week, as I will continue to send out the weekly Sports Fixtures for each round. Families can also locate all relevant Junior School Co-Curricular information through the College website via the link below.
>>> Click here to view all Junior School Co-Curricular information on the Waverley College website
The Junior School have found themselves in a unique situation, having the opportunity to complete the Swimming Carnival across two days, due to the severe weather conditions experienced during last Friday’s carnival.
Continuing the House spirit and enthusiasm from all students, we were able to finish all remaining events today at the Senior Swimming Pool. We have experienced some amazing achievements this year from our swimmers, and we were excited to have a new swim record that hadn’t been broken since 2004!
We send a huge congratulations to Roman Szabo who set a new Junior School record for the U11 (Year 5) 50-metre freestyle, with a time of 30.17 seconds. This was previously set by Lachlan Reid in 2004, with a time of 31.17 seconds.
I would also like to congratulate the Age Champions for this year’s Swimming Carnival:
| Under 10: | |||
| Waverley College 2022 Swimming Champion Under 10: Charles Carrano | |||
| Waverley College 2022 Under 10 Championship Equal 2nd Place: Hugo Bindner | |||
| Waverley College 2022 Under 10 Championship Equal 2nd Place: Benjamin Kostic | |||
| Waverley College 2022 Under 10 Championship 4th Place: Jaden Truscott | |||
| Under 11: | |||
| Waverley College 2022 Swimming Champion Under 11: Roman Szabo | |||
| Waverley College 2022 Under 11 Championship 2nd Place: Jacob Roorda | |||
| Waverley College 2022 Under 11 Championship 3rd Place: Louis Coleman | |||
| Waverley College 2022 Under 11 Championship 4th Place: Tobias Panlilio | |||
| Under 12: | |||
| Waverley College 2022 Swimming Champion Under 12: Aiden McNee | |||
| Waverley College 2022 Under 12 Championship 2nd Place: Rowan Metzl | |||
| Waverley College 2022 Under 12 Championship 3rd Place: Ngakau Hiroti | |||
| Waverley College 2022 Under 12 Championship 4th Place: Lukas Pendleton |
Lastly, we can finally announce and congratulate the winning House for this year’s Junior School Swimming Carnival – Lacey House!!!
As mentioned last week, a large number of Waverley College Junior Students recently competed at the Branch Surf Life Saving Titles. Branch being the major carnival prior to State Life Saving Titles.
Congratulations to the following students for their involvement and achievements in the two day event who were not mentioned last week:
Mr Jack Wachtel
Assistant Director of Co-Curricular
E: jwachtel@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Visual Arts Club commenced this term as a Summer extracurricular, and students in the Junior School have their works underway. Developing skills in colour mixing, tonal application and composition, students have all begun the process of creating a sustained still life painting.
Each week, students will resolve certain areas of their canvas, with each of the finished works to be entered in the Mosman Youth Art Prize, later this year.
Visual Arts Club Progress Samples
Ms Natalie Oates
Head of Visual Arts
E: noates@waverley.nsw.edu.au
We offer all students in Year 5 and Year 6, the opportunity to receive free additional support after school, for the completion of home learning tasks. The afternoon sessions also provide a quiet, supervised study space for students who want to complete their assigned tasks.
Home Learning Club operates in the Learning Hub from 3pm until 4pm – Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays – during school term, unless there is a scheduled Professional Development meeting, and then the club will be closed.
>>> Click here to register your son.
Only register his name once, to allow other students the opportunity to attend. The session is limited to 20 spots. There will be a roll call to ensure attendance.
If your son is not present at roll call, a phone call will be made to check on his whereabouts. If your plans change and you decide he is unable to attend, please contact the school via email nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au or call reception.
Students are required to stay for the full session, unless there is a message in the student diary requesting early leave, a parent signature will be required.
As it is important to respect the rights of others to learn and work, all students are expected to settle to work in the Learning Hub and not cause a disturbance for others.
Monday and Wednesday – Mrs Natasha Zivanovic
Tuesday and Thursday – Ms Gaby Bransby
If you require any further information, feel free to contact us.
E: nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au
E: gbransby@waverley.nsw.edu.au
The ‘Waverley Reading Challenge’ is underway. This Challenge implements important strategies to assist your son to engage in reading in a positive manner.
Students are challenged to read different genres, read nonfiction, listen to audiobooks, give recommendations to their friends, and develop a love of reading.
Giving boys choices, also plays an important role in them developing a love of reading, as does making sure they have access to the books they would like to read, providing a welcoming, flexible and comfortable space, and lastly, time to read.
The Learning Hub is continually working to support young readers in the Junior School. This challenge sits under the umbrella of a formative assessment. The main goal for the students is to develop a love of reading.
I recommend you ask your son about the Challenge and what they are currently reading!
>>> Click here to view the Waverley Reading Challenge.
Mrs Natasha Zivanovic
Literacy & Innovation Teacher
E: nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Throughout the year, your son’s class will showcase their work through Nurrunga. This week we are fortunate enough to hear from Mr Stanton and 6 White.
Hello, to all in the Waverley College Community. As the class teacher of Year 6 White, I am happy to inform you that we are a hard working class, who are well behaved, and enjoy our varied school tasks and activities.
Our normal days include moving around for lessons, participating in Music / Drama lessons, calmly working with each other in a school setting, writing on desktops with whiteboard markers to take notes, and solve mathematical puzzles in mastering arithmetic.
Year 6 is their second year at Waverley College, and we now have voted for 26 brand-new school leaders. It is a shame some talented captains have missed out in 2022. Their chance will come again in winter sports and in Year 7.
The work is a little harder and more complex than last year, but nothing they cannot cope with. The teachers are also a little more demanding in regards to quality and content of work presentation, to prepare them for the Senior School.
Quotes
“6 White is an amazing class. It is really easy to learn in class.” Jake Tobin
“Year 6 White has been fun but a little challenging.” James Rozea
“I really like 6 White because they are always moving and doing work. It is fun and Mr Stanton is very compatible.” Quinn Brodie
Mr Anthony Stanton
Class Teacher, 6 White
E: astanton@waverley.nsw.edu.au
As you are aware, the Welcome Cocktail Party has been postponed until Term 2, date to be confirmed.
However, we are excited to welcome all Year groups along to a fun, social event in Term 1, that will give you an opportunity to catch up, meet other parents and carers, and enjoy a night out.
Years 5-10 parent Year group social events will be held on separate dates at the Clovelly Hotel, and Years 11 and 12 at the Coogee Pavilion.
Tickets are $20 per person, and include light refreshments and a drink on arrival. We hope that many of you can come along! We have an amazing College community and these events are a great way to stay connected.
We look forward to welcoming you, Waverley College Parents’ Association and Parent Representatives.
Ms Jade Stapleton
President, Parents’ Association
Students who need a School Opal card or travel pass, but have not yet applied, need to apply or update their details as soon as possible.
Students are also required to comply with the Student Code of Conduct when travelling, to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children and other passengers.
Please find below some reminders about upcoming events. For all of Term 1 events, please refer to the College calendar.
I would like to congratulate Mr Matthew Johnston and his wife Annella on the arrival of their beautiful daughter Maeve Anna Johnston. The family are doing very well and we hope to meet little Maeve in the not too distant future.
A reminder that Parent Information Night will be held on Monday, 14 February, hosted by your class teacher. You will have received an email today from our IT Department providing instructions on how to access zoom, and the meeting ID you will need to use for your session. Please note, Year 5 will be held at 5pm, and Year 6 will be held at 6pm.
The Junior School Parent Information Booklet is intended to inform you of the more detailed aspects of life at Waverley College Junior School. The first section deals with overall aspects of the College and the second section is more class specific. I hope that you get involved in the many facets of life at Waverley College and enjoy being part of our great community.
>>> Click here to view the Year 5 Parent Information Booklet.
>>> Click here to view the Year 6 Parent Information Booklet.
Please note, the class teachers will refer to these booklets during the Parent Information Session on Monday, 14 February.
On 15 January, a volcano erupted in Tonga and the eruption caused a tsunami that left many families without food, clothing, shelter and other basic necessities. We appeal to Waverley families to please donate the following wrapped household items labelled with their item name, and drop these at the Senior School Reception on Birrell Street.
>>> Click here to view more information in the article by Mr Steve O’Donnell and Ms Sue Walsh.
Ms Gabrielle Smith
Director of Junior School
E: gsmith@waverley.nsw.edu.au
What a wonderful start it has been in the classroom. Our students have come back from a long break with enthusiasm to learn, and have already embraced the challenges we have set for them academically.
Students have started to set SMART goals with their classroom teachers this week. Goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timed, will set our students up for success. Students will set SMART goals each term, and I encourage you to sit down and discuss what your son wants to achieve this term. We know that having it recorded allows them to revisit their goal throughout the term, and build on strategies to make sure they achieve their goal/s. These goals can be found on Page 59 in the College Diary.
At the beginning of each term, I will provide a Curriculum Overview of what your son will be learning in the classroom. It is clearly set out so that you can see the subject and topics being taught across the curriculum.
>>> Click here to view the 2022 Year 5 Curriculum Overview.
>>> Click here to view the 2022 Year 6 Curriculum Overview.
Ms Gabrielle Bransby
Assistant Director of Junior School/Curriculum
E: gbransby@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Today Waverley College Pool was the scene of the Junior School Swimming Carnival. The House spirit and enthusiasm from all participants went a long way to making the carnival a success. It was a shame the day had to be cut short due to inclement weather, but we were pleased to have been able to get in the majority of the day’s events.
The support of parents was very evident with a great turn out. Thank you to all attending parents for your patience during the difficult time when the weather quickly turned. Special thanks to all staff who ensured the carnival ran smoothly.
Thank you to the following Year 6 House Captains who provided outstanding leadership for their respective House throughout the carnival:
| Aungier | Brennan | Conlon | Green | Lacey | O’Connor | Quinn | Tevlin |
| Captain:
Max Wu |
Captain:
Max Malley |
Captain:
Cooper Misson |
Captain:
Geoffrey Gibbons |
Captain:
Joshua Raymond |
Captain:
Kobi Keenan |
Captain:
James Fanning |
Captain:
Kingsley Turinui |
| Vice Captain:
Hunter Leondis |
Vice Captain:
Vinny Kapos |
Vice Captain:
Cooper Mott |
Vice Captain:
Ben Fernandes |
Vice Captain:
Ngakau Hiroti |
Vice Captain:
Cameron Spies |
Vice Captain:
Henry O’Donnell |
Vice Captain:
Sam Ireland |
All events that were missed as a result of the weather, will be undertaken at some point over the next two weeks. Thank you for your understanding. This will help us decide who will be selected to represent Waverley College at the IPSHA Swimming Carnival at Homebush. Once these races are complete, we can look forward to announcing the winning House for the 2022 Swimming Carnival.
The big week of Co-Curricular sport continues with Round 1 commencing from tomorrow (Saturday, 12 February). Although it hasn’t been the most ideal start to the Co-Curricular season, with missed training due to weather and the Swimming Carnival, we’re looking forward to getting started.
Please ensure you refer to the Waverley College app announcements each week, as I will continue to send out the weekly Sports Fixtures for each round. All families can also locate all relevant Junior School Co-Curricular information through the College website via the link below.
>>> Click here to view all Junior School Co-Curricular information on the Waverley College website.
Please ensure your son now has his team sports uniform for Saturday, as this will best help represent Waverley College in high regard. It is important that students also have all the appropriate equipment needed for their sport. Please email me if you are unsure about what your son requires for his sport on Saturdays.
I wish all teams the best of luck for their games on Saturday, and know that our students will represent the College at a high standard, and have fun when competing with their teammates.
Please ensure you have now downloaded the Waverley College app, as all communication with parents and carers around wet weather cancellation will be sent through the app. An announcement will be sent out between 6:30am to 7am to inform all families of the sports that will go ahead and those which have been cancelled.
If you do not receive any notification, all sports games will be considered ON as planned. Families travelling far distances for away games are firstly considered, but please be aware that other schools are relying on groundsmen to make the final call, which can impact when announcements are sent out.
A huge congratulations to the following Junior School students who were selected for the IPSHA Trials in their respective sports:
Basketball – Hunter Bligh (5 Gold), Charlie Carr (6 Indigo) and Darcy Kidd (6 Orange)
Tennis – Noah Dalton (5 Gold)
This is a significant achievement and all students involved should be proud of their selection.
A large number of Waverley College Junior Students recently competed at the Branch Surf Life Saving Titles. Branch is the major carnival prior to State Life Saving titles and covers all the beaches from Bondi to Garie in the National Park. It is an extremely tough field, with a large number of the best State competitors coming from these Sydney beaches.
Congratulations to the following students for their involvement and achievements in the two-day event:
Roman Szabo (Water Competitor)
Talin Opai (Sand Competitor)
Louis Coleman (Water Competitor)
Jack Baker-Sedgeman (Sand Competitor)
Jayden Newrick
Joshua Raymond
Nippers Branch Championship 70m Sprint
Mr Jack Wachtel
Assistant Director of Co-Curricular
E: jwachtel@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Have you ever played Guitar Hero on your Playstation? Perhaps you prefer some serious moves with your air guitar? For the boys at the Junior School, the 2022 instrumental program provides a chance for all students to experience the real thing.
Mr Jesse Johnston (an Old Boy of Waverley College) has developed an engaging program that takes boys through guitar basics including correct playing posture, understanding the instrument, string names and musical notation.
Each class will have the opportunity to participate in the beginner guitar classes on a rotating roster through 2022. For boys who enjoy the beginner guitar experience, further study is available through private lessons (please contact Mrs Keiran Kossenberg at the senior school kkossenberg@waverley.nsw.edu.au for more details).
The Junior School also offers a guitar ensemble for more advanced players. This group meets on a Monday at lunchtime and is directed by Mr Nick Yatsef.
As we welcome a new group of students to Waverley in 2022, The Learning Hub aims to nurture and guide them in their social, creative and academic development.
Last week we saw the boys use this space in many different ways before school and during lunch.
As an educator, I believe it is vital for our boys to have a strong understanding of the advantages of reading. The boys were asked to use the thinking routine ‘Think, Pair, Share’ to answer the question ‘What are the advantages of reading?’
Reflecting on this question is an important part of their learning journey.
The boys’ reflections were exceptional. Here are some examples:
The boys have also set personal reading goals for themselves. Goals are an important part of Waverley and of successful learning. These goals are specific to them, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely. I am looking forward to working with the boys and their reading journey.
We offer all students in Year 5 and Year 6 the opportunity to receive free additional support after school for the completion of home learning tasks. The afternoon sessions also provide a quiet, supervised study space for students who want to complete their assigned tasks.
Home Learning Club operates in the Learning Hub from 3pm until 4 pm – Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays – during school term, unless there is a scheduled Professional Development meeting and the club will be closed.
Procedures
>>> Click here to register your son.
Only register his name once, to allow other students the opportunity to attend. The session is limited to 20 spots. There will be a roll call to ensure attendance.
If your son is not present at roll call, a phone call will be made to check on his whereabouts. If your plans change and you decide he is unable to attend, please contact the school via email nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au or call reception.
Students are required to stay for the full session unless there is a message in the student diary requesting early leave, a parent signature will be required.
Behaviour
As it is important to respect the rights of others to learn and work. All students are expected to settle to work in the Learning Hub and not cause a disturbance for others.
Teachers
Monday and Wednesday – Mrs Natasha Zivanovic
Tuesday & Thursday – Ms Gaby Bransby
If you require any further information, feel free to email us.
E: nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au
E: gbransby@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Mrs Natasha Zivanovic
Literacy & Innovation Teacher
E: nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Rehearse on a Wednesday afternoon from 3:05pm to 4pm in the Auditorium at the Junior School.
To join this band, no experience is needed.
The Commencement Band is available to students in Years 5 and 6, who are interested in learning to play an instrument and be part of a Band. Students will be assisted to choose an instrument, and a modest fee will be charged for the hire of the instrument for the year.
Rehearse on Thursday mornings from 7:30am to 8:25am in the Auditorium at the Junior School.
To join this band, students should have been in a band at your previous school or you have had lessons on your instrument.
Students need to bring their own instrument and a sleeve folder to hold their music, to each rehearsal.
For further information regarding the Bands, please email Mr Dan Williams, Head of Bands.
E: dwilliams@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Mrs Keiran Kossenberg
PAC Administrator
E: kkossenberg@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Read more: Parent Information Night, Elephant Ed ‘Puberty and Embracing Change’ webinar, face masks, Parent Questionnaire, Junior School canteen changes, Visual Arts Club, Chess Club, diary dates, Sports and Swimming Trials, Junior School swimming carnival, Co-Curricular Parent/Carer liaison role – expressions of interest, Home Learning Club procedures.
It is hard to grasp that we are already moving through Term 1 at a rapid pace. It has been lovely being able to visit classrooms since the students returned, and see that they are settling in so well to new environments and routines.
Parent Information Night will be held on Monday, 14 February, hosted by your class teacher. Unfortunately, we are unable to have our parents on site for this, so it will be held via zoom. You will receive an email from our IT Department on Friday, 11 February, providing instructions on how to access zoom, and the meeting ID you will need to use for your session.
Please see below for an invitation to a webinar presented by Elephant Ed on Puberty & Embracing Change, for our Junior School Students.
When: 6pm – 7pm on Thursday, 24 February, 2022
Topic: Puberty & Embracing Change
Elephant Ed is a leading sexuality education provider to hundreds of schools around Australia. Elephant Ed’s workshops are evidence-based, age-appropriate and mapped to State and National curriculum guidelines. Elephant Ed is endorsed by the eSafety Commissioner as a Trusted eSafety Provider.
In advance of Elephant Ed’s workshops with the Waverley College Junior School students, this webinar will include discussion around the physical, social and emotional changes associated with puberty, as well as strategies for starting open and effective conversations at home.
You are required to register in advance for this webinar. Please use the link below to register.
>>> Click here to view and complete Elephant Ed registration information.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
A reminder that students from Year 5 – Year 12 are required to wear masks at school whilst indoors. We have spares at school, however we are very quickly running out. We ask that you pack a few extra masks in a plastic bag and place them in your son’s school bag.
You should have received a parent questionnaire via email on Monday, 31 January. Please ensure you fill this out to inform the classroom teacher on how to best support your son this year. If you would like to meet with your class teacher before this time, or feel you need to discuss your son in a face-to-face meeting, please do not hesitate to contact your class teacher. This survey will close on Sunday, 6 February.
Our new canteen service began on Monday, and seems to be running smoothly. The boys are particularly loving the vending machines.
If you missed this in last week’s Nurrunga, please take the time to learn more on our website about the significant changes to the way breakfast is accessed, and the ordering and payment options for recess, lunch, drinks and healthy snacks. The Junior School canteen link is below.
>>> Click here to view the significant changes to the Junior School canteen.
In 2022, Visual Arts Club will be offered at Waverley as an extracurricular summer activity for students from Years 5–12. Visual Arts Club provides an opportunity for students to build skills in critical and creative thinking.
>>> Click here to register by viewing the article by Ms Natalie Oates, Head of Visual Arts.
In 2022, midday Chess classes will be offered in the Learning Hub for Junior School students on Tuesdays 12:30-1:30pm. These stimulating classes will again be operated by Sydney Academy of Chess and deliver multiple educational benefits. Chess helps to enhance memory, develop problem solving skills, encourage creative thinking and accelerate emotional development.
>>> Click here to view Chess Club enrolment and payment information for Terms 1–4.
Please find below some reminders about upcoming events. For all of Term 1 events, please refer to the College calendar.
Exciting Year 5 laptop deployment!
Year 5 laptop deployment
Year 5 laptop deployment
Ms Gabrielle Smith
Director of Junior School
E: gsmith@waverley.nsw.edu.au
All of our Junior School students enjoyed a jam-packed two days for both the Sports and Swim Trials on Monday, 31 January and Tuesday, 1 February. Both days were warm, but considering the conditions, all students gave it their absolute all in the hope of being selected in a team within their chosen sport preferences.
All students swam their hearts out at the swimming trial to help them be placed in a competitive heat for the Swimming Carnival on Friday, 11 February. It gave them a chance to cool down before moving onto their final sports trial session. Any students who were away for the swim trial will be placed into the absent race, or will have their previous year time used to place them in a swimming heat.
Junior School Water Polo Sports Trials
Junior School Water Polo Sports Trials
As I made my way around the sports sessions, the level of enjoyment and excitement from our students was very evident. I would like to acknowledge all Junior School staff and coaches, who brought so much energy and enthusiasm to all of the sport trial sessions. They diligently followed the selection process to ensure all students trialled were placed into a team, in the fairest and most appropriate way. This made both days run seamlessly.
Students have now been placed into their team for the Summer Co-Curricular Season. As mentioned, all coaches followed the Junior Schools Selection Process to ensure students were graded based on skill level and overall character traits. Please refer to the selection process document included in last week’s Nurrunga for further clarification.
Junior School Basketball Sports Trials
Junior School Basketball Sports Trials
Junior School Basketball Sports Trials
Unfortunately, each year we have a select group of students who are disappointed by not making it into their first or second preference. This is a situation that we continue to try to improve each year, to ensure our students are happy with where they have been placed, even if it wasn’t their preferred choice.
As mentioned in the Waverley College app announcement sent on Thursday, your son has now been given a hard copy of the training schedule, and this has been added on the College website.
>>> Click here to view the training schedule on the Waverley College website.
Please refer to the season draw and address list, which are also included on the College website. Please be advised that because your son has only just found out his sports team, he will not be required to have his sports attire for next week’s training. This will allow all parents to get to the uniform shop in their own time. Please note that your son must have his sports attire for Round 1 (Saturday, 12 February).
Year 6 Cricket Sports Trials
Year 6 Cricket Sports Trials
After a successful swim trial this week, we are all set for our Swimming Carnival to be held at the Senior School pool on Friday, 11 February from 9:30am.
For those who would like to attend the Carnival, we are able to accomodate one parent per family. We ask that when arriving as a spectator, you enter through the pool gate on Salisbury Street – this is the street that runs beside the pool.
You will be asked to QR Code in and your vaccination status will be checked by the staff member on duty. We ask that while you are on site, please socially distance yourself from other members of the community.
Sun Protection: As previously mentioned, for the trial days, all students are asked to pack sunscreen for the Swimming Carnival. The College provides sunscreen tubs, and staff will continually remind students to re-apply sunscreen on the day.
Please ensure you place further responsibility on your son to manage his re-applying of sunscreen throughout the day, as the responsibility cannot solely be placed on staff.
Students are strongly encouraged to wear their House colours on the day as support. Alternately, they can also wear their sports uniform. Students can wear their swimmers underneath, or pack swimmers in their swim bag, to get changed at the pool change rooms.
Please remember sunscreen as mentioned, water, towel, goggles, Waverley sports hat and a Waverley swimming cap. We will lend swimming caps to students who do not have a Waverley cap, as we need these to clearly indicate your son’s House. Please also remember a packed lunch and recess, or you can order lunch via Flexischools, and it will be delivered to the pool.
We look forward to a great day!
If you are a Junior School Parent/Carer, and would like to involve yourself as an assistant to your son’s sporting team, please read further. The role of Co-curricular Parent/Carer Liaison gives a vital link between the College Coach/Teacher, myself and the Parents/Carers and students involved. These people will serve as a point of contact throughout the co-curricular sporting season.
Roles may include supporting the coach with specific duties, such as team organisation (correct uniform/safety gear and extra umpiring responsibilities when umpires need assistance). The role could occasionally require you to fill in as the coach for training, or a game if the team’s coach is late, suddenly unavailable, or needs support at any time.
Your assistance will provide significant support to the coach throughout the season.
Thank you for your consideration, and I look forward to meeting you and getting to know you better throughout 2022.
Mr Jack Wachtel
Assistant Director of Co-Curricular (Years 5-8)
E: jwachtel@waverley.nsw.edu.au
We offer all students in Year 5 and Year 6 the opportunity to receive free additional support after school, for the completion of home learning tasks. The afternoon sessions also provide a quiet, supervised study space for students who want to complete their assigned tasks.
Home Learning Club operates in the Learning Hub from 3pm until 4pm – Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays during school term, unless there is a scheduled Professional Development meeting, and then the club will be closed. You will be unable to book at these times.
>>> Click here to register your son for Home Learning Club.
Only register his name once, to allow other students the opportunity to attend. The session is limited to 20 spots. There will be a roll call to ensure attendance.
Students are required to stay for the full session unless there is a message in the student diary requesting early leave, a parent signature will be required.
As it is important to respect the rights of others to learn and work, all students are expected to settle to work in the Learning Hub and not cause a disturbance for others.
If you require any further information, feel free to contact us.
E: nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au
E: gbransby@waverley.nsw.edu.au
An important note to remember, if afternoon training sessions are cancelled, unfortunately, you cannot send your son to Home Learning as an alternative plan, students are registered for the afternoon sessions in advance and the capacity is always reached.
Try to avoid messaging your son during this period, unless it is urgent.
Mrs Natasha Zivanovic
Literacy and Innovation Teacher
E: nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au
This is your last opportunity to register your son for the ACER Academic Scholarship test.
The ACER Academic Scholarship test is open to students in Year 6 who will enter Year 7 in 2023. The College awards Academic Scholarships to a limited number of students who demonstrate academic excellence. The scholarship can cover up to 100% of tuition fees.
Applications close: midnight AEDST Monday, 7 February 2022
Please note that no late applications will be accepted.
>>> Click here to view further information through our website, about how to register your son
OR
contact the College Registrar by email at: registrar@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Ms Kylie Anderson
Registrar
E: registrar@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
