Year 5 & 6 Action Items Archives - Page 15 of 16

Welcome to Week 9! It is hard to believe that this is our last week of the term. It was lovely to see so many of you on campus on Tuesday for Parent/Teacher/Student interviews. Using the hybrid model was very successful this year. Many of you opted to discuss your son’s development this year over Zoom. We have learnt some valuable practices that we will keep since COVID-19 restrictions were first put in place.

I want to congratulate all students who performed in the Musical Festival last Thursday at the PAC as well as the very talented Ms Rollins. The array of talent and performances was amazing! Well done!

I want to wish everyone a very safe and relaxing break. I look forward to seeing everyone in three weeks’ time, ready to embrace another busy and exciting term.

Exceptional Junior School Performances at the Music Festival

Thank you to all of the Junior School students who participated in the Music Festival last Thursday night. It was so good to be performing again. The Waterford Guitar Ensemble performed Lady Madonna under the direction of Nick Yatsev and the Waterford Band performing Ancient Voices were directed by Dan Williams. The Waterford Rock band performed When I Come Around by Green Day under the direction of Jesse Johnston, and Evan Service, winner of the inaugural piano competition division 2, played Solfeggietto by Bach.

It was a delight to see our students singing again after many months of COVID-19 restrictions hindering this activity. Our choirs have only been able to rehearse at full strength since the beginning of this term. I was very proud to share the stage with our Junior School Cantores as they performed A New Day is Dawning and The Ghost Ship. I look forward to more performance opportunities in the coming semester.

>>> Click here to see more photos of the Music Festival in the article by Mr Chris Balkizas, Head of Music, Senior School

Wakakirri News

Wakakirri is in full swing. The students have been working hard on our 2021 Wakakirri performance which will take place on Tuesday 27 July at NIDA. Our performance is titled Oliver! We present a modern retelling of this classic tale where Oliver wants more. In our story he wants more likes, more top scores and more devices but is devastated when a dislike appears. How will he cope with this? Luckily, he has loyal friends and family to help him through.

Edmund Rice Day Fundraiser

Last Thursday 10 June the Junior School students were engaged in an activity day to honour the life of Blessed Edmund Rice, the founder of the Christian Brothers. The day began with a prayer service focusing on the early life of Edmund through to his life as a founder of schools to educate the poor and underprivileged children of Waterford, Ireland. To end the day, the students were involved in a number of fundraising activities including some very exciting Spikeball competitions, basketball free throw contests, AFL Kicking and Rugby Passing competitions as well as a raffle and a guessing competition. We thank all the students for the involvement and generosity throughout the day, raising over $1,300 to support Edmund Rice Camps Australia.

With the end of Year 6 fast approaching, we know you will be thinking ahead to the next stage of your son’s education. As such, we would like to inform you that the College is finalising Senior School places for Year 7, 2022.

To secure your son’s place, you are required to pay a $1,000.00 continuation deposit. Your deposit will be included in your Term 3, 2021 fees and due on the same date. The deposit will then be credited against your school fees in Term 2, 2022.

Placement in Year 7 is in high demand and there is a significant waitlist. Please advise us by Tuesday 22 June if you intend to withdraw your son’s enrolment, as this will enable us to offer your place to a waitlisted candidate, and the continuation deposit will not be included in your Term 3 fees. Please also note that the continuation deposit is non-refundable and non-transferable should you decide to withdraw your son from Waverley College.

In order to confirm your son’s transition to Year 7, your school fee account must be up-to-date with no outstanding balance.

We look forward to welcoming your son to the Senior School as he continues his Waverley education. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions regarding your son’s enrolment. For any questions regarding fees, please contact schoolfees@waverley.nsw.edu.au.

Welcome to Week 8! We have been very busy this week interviewing for future enrolments. It is always exciting for our future students to be on campus. Semester One reports will be available tomorrow, Friday 11 June via TASS Parent Lounge. This is an important time to sit down as a family and go through all your son’s achievements and areas for improvement. This is vital for future success. A great idea is to set some goals for Semester Two and have these ready to discuss with your son’s classroom teacher at Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews next Tuesday 15 June.

Reminder – Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews – Tuesday 15 June, Week 9

When to book? – book with your son’s classroom teacher from Saturday 5 June at 9am.

If your son is in Learning Support and you would like to book an interview with our Learning Support teachers, please contact them directly via their email addresses below. They will be available to take appointments from 9am to 3pm.

These interviews will be held in your son’s classroom, however, if you would like to have your interview via Zoom, this option will also be available. Details for connecting to Zoom will be sent out tomorrow Friday 11 June.

Tuesday 15 June is a pupil-free day for your son, however, he is required to attend this interview and be in his full academic school uniform. This will be a 10-minute time slot. While brief, this will allow you to discuss your son’s Semester One report and ask any questions you may have about their progress here at Waverley.

Debating | Cranbrook v Waverley

Last week the debaters had tough competition and a tough topic : That tests should be banned in primary schools. Both Waverley teams put forward strong arguments and presented their cases clearly and firmly, rebutting the Cranbrook team’s cases. The students did themselves and Waverley very proud. One win and one loss.

A huge thank you to Cass Spies, Paula McCade, Heidi Taylor and Robert Goldrich for transporting the teams to their away debates this term.

Home Learning Week 9

Home Learning will be operating on Wednesday and Thursday in the final week of Term 2.

2021 ICAS Competitions | Years 5 and 6 students

Friday 18 June is the CLOSING DATE to enrol your son in ICAS. Dates regarding the sitting schedule will be out in Term 3.

If you would like your son to compete in the 2021 ICAS Competitions, you will be asked to nominate which competitions you would like him to be entered through the Parent Payment System. At the Junior School the following ICAS competitions are offered: Writing and Digital Technologies, Science and Spelling Bee, English and Mathematics. This year all the competitions will be held in August / September, Term 3 and will be completed online.

Through this system, parents can pay for ICAS directly online while tests will still be held at our school. Please use the school’s access code details to register your child no later than 18 June 2021.

Please consider carefully before choosing this enrichment opportunity for your son. It is a rigorous competition with many questions set beyond grade level. Participants are required to demonstrate a deeper, integrated and thorough level of learning. If you are unsure of your son’s suitability, please consult with his teacher.

If you require additional support registering your son contact the customer service team on 1800 931 775 (Australian Toll-Free).

Home Tip To Encourage Reading at Home

The holidays are fast approaching and it is important to continue to encourage your sons to read at home. Modelling reading at home is so important! Carve out time every day for family reading time. This can be a short amount of time (15-20 minutes) where everyone in the family stops what they are doing and reads. It can be anything from a book, newspaper article, magazine to a cookbook. When children see the important people in their lives reading, they will want to read even more.

Book Week is 21-27 August

Term 3 is nearly upon us and in August we will be celebrating Book Week at the Junior School. The theme this year is “Old Worlds, New Worlds, Other Worlds.” Spend the holidays designing your own costume! Stay tuned for more information about Book Week 2021 in Term 3. There will be competitions, author visits, the pop-up bookshop and the book parade. As parents this is an important time to celebrate the wonders that books create.

Innovation Club

Throughout this term, we have been learning all about coding and the process of designing educational games through a program called SCRATCH. Our coding project required us to imagine we were app designers and had to create an educational game that would be suitable for Kindergarten students.

To begin our project, we collaborated on different topics that we could teach and ideas on how we could present our games in a fun, simple and challenging way. We co-constructed a rubric to ensure that we all understood the task, and discussed the importance of catering to Early Stage One abilities by incorporating simplified language, with visuals displayed, alongside words and voice-overs.

Some of our learning topics included the alphabet, simple addition and subtraction and water safety. After we coded our own games, we had the opportunity to challenge ourselves by engaging in the coded games designed and created by our friends!

CIS Rugby Trials

Waverley College Junior School has had a large number of students representing the College for NSWCIS Sports Trials throughout Term 2. This continued last Friday 4 June, when the following students travelled to Penrith Touch Fields in Werrington to trial for the NSWCIS Touch Football team: Riley Kolster; Jacob Sheehan; Hunter Leondis and Cooper Misson.

The students did fantastically and tried their absolute best, but selections were very competitive for spots. Riley Kolster has been selected in the 2021 NSWCIS Touch Football team and we wish him a huge congratulations on this significant achievement.

Athletics Trials

Students competed in the Athletics Trial last Friday 4 June, which consisted of a 100-metre sprint to allow us to place students into racing divisions in preparation for the Athletics Carnival. It was an enjoyable afternoon, with students showcasing their sprint running abilities.

Athletics Carnival – Permission Slip Due by Wednesday 16 June

Venue: ES Marks Athletics Field (entry via Boronia Street in Kensington — off Anzac Parade).

How Do I Return the Permission Slip? : there are two options. Choose one of these options.

2. Complete the permission slip that was sent home with your son today and return it to school.

Permission Slip Due Date: Wednesday, 16 June. This permission slip will help us keep track of attendance and alert us to the students who will be requiring a position on the bus.

A Compulsory Years 5-12 College Event

The carnival will be a Years 5 to 12 event for the College, with all Junior School events being undertaken in conjunction with the Senior School events. This allows our young men the chance to interact with Senior School students throughout the entire day.

All students are given the opportunity to participate in a wide range of track and field events. Waverley College places a large importance on friendly House competition whilst supporting all ability levels. The Athletics Carnival is an all-inclusive community event that allows our students to cheer on their House group whilst demonstrating positive sportsmanship.

All Junior School students have now trialled for the carnival and have been placed in race divisions for the selected track events. Students are also allowed to be chosen to participate in different field events, including long jump, high jump and shot put.

Parents are warmly welcomed as spectators and can provide transport to and from the venue for your son on the day. The College has arranged four buses for Junior School students to be taken to and from the carnival. Please see the below information about this compulsory College event:

In the event of rain, students will come to school in their College PE uniform and ask to bring books/equipment for regular lessons (Friday Week A). This information will also be announced on the SkoolBag app if required.

Welcome to Week 7! We started our week off with an uplifting and creative assembly from 6 Gold and Mr Lavorato. The students of 6 Gold created fantastic clips about their experience during camp and highlighted how invaluable this experience was for facing your fears, pushing yourself outside your comfort zone, and creating new friendships. The students loved watching the interviews with teachers and hearing about their experience too. There was lots of laughter and joy in the Auditorium.

Our students also watched our amazing Stomp group perform which is run by Ms Rollins. These students are unbelievably talented and the audience was absolutely enthralled with the performance. I would like to thank all the students involved in Open Day this week. I am so proud of how our students toured our guests and represented Waverley so beautifully.

Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews – Tuesday 15 June, Week 9

Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews will be conducted on Tuesday 15 June, Week 9 this term.

When to book? – book with your son’s classroom teacher from Saturday 5 June at 9am.

These interviews will be held in your son’s classroom, however, if you would like to have your interview via Zoom, this option will also be available. Details will be sent out next week regarding this process.

Waverley Youth Art Competition

I would like to give a big congratulations to Oliver Issac who won 3rd Prize in the 2021 Waverley Youth Art Competition. The theme was ‘We Are Family’ – ancestors, bloodlines and belonging. This is an incredible achievement and we are so proud of him. The artwork he created was absolutely beautiful.

History Hysteria Showcase – Year 5

Year 5 parents and carers are invited to attend our History Hysteria Showcase on Thursday 17 June. It will be held on the Junior School basketball court at 1:30pm. Our Year 5 students will be presenting their historical knowledge from their history unit in a fun and creative way. We hope you can join us.

Congratulations to the Leiper Family who Recently Became Australian Citizens

Freddie Leiper in 5 Gold and his Family – mum (Holly), dad (Johnny) and brother (Harry), came to live in Australia six years ago. The Leiper Family are originally from Edinburgh, Scotland. They love Australia so much that they decided it was time to become Australian Citizens.

The Citizenship Ceremony was conducted by the Mayor of Randwick, Councillor Danny Said. The Leiper Family were presented with their certificates after they had made their pledge of commitment to Australia.

Becoming an Australian citizen is something to celebrate. Citizenship ceremonies mark this important milestone in the lives of new citizens. We congratulate the Leiper Family and welcome them as Australian Citizens.

A Snapshot of What is Happening in the Classroom

Year 5 White

To celebrate National Reconciliation Week, 5 White engaged in many fun activities that taught us about the history and culture of Australia’s First Nations People. Our favourite lesson was Aboriginal Art Therapy. We used watercolour paints and pastel crayons to create an art piece that reflected our feelings, thoughts and emotions in the moment. The joy of listening to music and moving to it freely, while making marks on the paper was therapeutic and mesmerising.

Edmund Rice Activity Day Thursday 10 June

On Thursday 10 June in Week 8, the Junior School students will take part in an Activity Day that will reflect on the life of Blessed Edmund Rice (the founder of the Christian Brothers). The day will begin with a Prayer Service in the morning followed by in-class activities that explore Blessed Edmund Rice’s life. After lunch, there will be a number of fundraising activities including a Spike Ball competition, a basketball shooting competition, as well as a number of other fun games designed to raise money that will go towards assisting the Edmund Rice Camps.

Students will need small amounts of money (coins) to participate in these activities. They are encouraged to come to school wearing mufti clothes for a $2 donation. We hope that they will get behind our Edmund Rice Day activities to assist in raising money for such a worthwhile cause.

Home Learning Club Week 8

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.

ICAS Competitions | Years 5 and 6 students

If you would like your son to compete in the 2021 ICAS Competitions, you will be asked to nominate the competitions you would like him to be entered in through the Parent Payment System. At the Junior School the following ICAS competitions are offered: Writing and Digital Technologies, Science and Spelling Bee, English and Mathematics. This year all the competitions will be held before school in August / September, Term 3 and will be completed online.

Through this system, parents can pay for ICAS directly online while tests will still be held at our school. Please use the school’s access code details to register your child no later than June 18, 2021.

If you require additional support registering your son contact the customer service team on 1800 931 775 (Australian Toll-Free)

Drawing Club

The drawing club operates at lunchtime once a week. There is one more Tuesday left for the artists to show off their talents. This term we focused on sketching, the work of Shaun Tan and entered the Waverley Youth Art Competition. I’m extremely proud of the dedication and commitment to drawing these students show on a weekly basis. I’m looking forward to an exciting Term 3 with a new theme.

CIS Rugby

On Wednesday and Thursday, 26-27 May, Waverley Junior School had six students represent the College at the CIS Rugby Union Trials. These trials are the highest level of accomplishment a Junior School student can achieve for their respective sport.

The students who were selected to trial included: Patrick Palmer, Tom Burke, Jude Maher, Tyden Hennessey, Riley Kolster and Stirling Quinn.

All of our students involved in the trial process did an amazing job, giving their all amongst some of the best junior school rugby players in NSW. Out of the six students who trialed, we were fortunate enough to have two of our students make it through to the final squad selection and make it onto the NSW CIS Rugby team.

The students selected were: Tyden Hennessey and Stirling Quinn, who we are beyond proud of. But we are particularly proud of all of the students who participated.

I would like to thank Mr Gill for his involvement in the trial process and giving the students the confidence to reach their full potential.

AFL Paul Kelly Cup

Round 2 of the AFL Paul Kelly Cup took place last Thursday, 27 May, at Blacktown International Sportspark. Our team made it through to the second round by winning the first regional championships at Queens Park. We were anticipating a great day, as that is exactly what eventuated. Mr Mitton did an excellent job coaching the students again for the day, as the team made it straight through to the Grand Final match after winning the first three games against quality opposition.

The Grand Final was against Lilli Pilli Public School, who had played exceptionally well all day. We knew it was going to be a strong fight, but in the end our students were too strong and came away comfortable winners. The team have been awarded the Regional Champions for the Paul Kelly Cup and are moving onto the State Championships at Giants Stadium in August.

We congratulate all of the players and Mr Mitton for this amazing achievement, and we wish them the best of luck for the State Championships.

Round 7 Fixtures and Round 6 Scores

The Round 7 weekly fixture and Round 6 results have now been uploaded on the Waverley College website.

>>> Please click here for the Round 7 fixture and Round 6 results.

Good luck to all of our teams in the final round before the mid year break. It has been an exciting and entertaining Winter Season so far and we look forward to the final three rounds of the season at the commencement of Term 3.

Holiday Sports Programs (Cricket/ AFL)

As the July holidays draw closer, it is a good time to think about sporting camps that are taking place across the break period.

Please contact me should you require information about sports camps for Cricket and AFL.

Welcome to Week 6! I want to start by thanking every mother, grandmother or person who is like a mother to our students, for turning up to our Mother’s Day Mass last Friday. We were so disappointed when we had to cancel it initially, but as they say, better late than never! It was wonderful to see the smiles on everyone’s faces, the hugs exchanged and the joyful chatter amongst families. Being able to have everyone in the church and on campus was a delight. We hope you enjoyed the day as much as we did.

We finished our last open classrooms on Monday. It has been so exciting having parents back in the classrooms, meeting teachers (for some the first time face-to-face), and being able to see what your sons have been learning and what their classrooms look like. The turnout has been amazing and the feedback has been very positive.

I would like to congratulate two very talented students who came first and second in Division 2 of the piano competition which was held last week at the PAC. Evan Service was placed first and Robbie Johnson placed second. This was very impressive for our two Junior School students as they were competing against Senior School students. What a wonderful achievement.

Mother’s Day Mass

Last Friday 21 May the Junior School finally had a chance to celebrate our mothers, grandmothers and those who are like mothers to our students at our Mother’s Day Mass. It was both special and amazing to see the amount of people there to celebrate such a wonderful day, and to emphasise to our students what an important part our mothers play in our everyday lives.

Both celebrations were led by Fr Bernie and we were fortunate enough to have Ms Michelle Rollins and the Cantores leading us in the singing which further added to the overall atmosphere of the occasion. Both celebrations ended with a morning tea at the Junior School with a wonderful spread put on by our canteen staff for our parents to enjoy.

I was glad to see the excitement in all who attended, given the opportunity to spend time on campus interacting with other parents and their own children. My sincerest thank you to all who assisted in making the day run so smoothly.

Home Learning Club – no Home Learning Club on Monday 31 May

Teachers will be participating in a Professional Development session on Monday afternoon, therefore there will be NO Home Learning Club.

2021 ICAS Competitions for Years 5 and 6 Students

If you would like your son to compete in the 2021 ICAS Competitions, please nominate which competitions you would like him to be entered in via the Parent Payment System. At the Junior School the following ICAS competitions are offered: Writing & Digital Technologies, Science & Spelling Bee, English and Mathematics. This year all the competitions will be held in August / September, Term 3 and will be completed online.

Click here to register your son. Through this system, parents can pay for ICAS directly online while tests will still be held at our school. Please use the school’s access code details to register your child no later than 18 June 2021.

If you require additional support registering your son, contact the customer service team on 1800 931 775 (Australian Toll-Free).

Sorry Day 26 May and Reconciliation Week 27 May – 3 June

The students explored the important themes of Sorry Day and Reconciliation. Rich literature was used to encourage valuable discussion on the cultural heritage of the First Nations Peoples. The students highlighted many important facts and we were involved in activities that promote critical thinking. This is also an ideal time for families to join the Reconciliation conversation with their sons.

6 White Work Samples

Students of Year 6 have been immersed in a wide range of informative and persuasive texts related to the theme, ‘A Different Way of Looking’. The primary text, Bruce Pascoe’s Young Dark Emu – A Truer History, uses first-hand accounts of early European explorers, colonists and farmers, to compellingly argue for a reconsideration of the hunter-gatherer label for pre-colonial Aboriginal Australians.

6 White Students regularly journaled their responses to content, chapters, and evidence presented in Young Dark Emu and follow up texts. They were encouraged to personally reflect when given particular prompts at the start or end of each lesson, which could range from a question, a lightbulb, an exclamation, or more directed stimuli such as: ‘I am shocked by…’ , and ‘I have become more aware that…’

In Visual Arts, students responded to the rich biodiversity of Australia by weaving Ojo de Dios – ‘Eye of God’. They chose an ecosystem type, for example: rainforest, bush, desert, ocean, river, coast, as the basis for their weaving. They paid attention to the various colours to help to represent their ecosystem. They also tried to mix different tones and contrasts, such as placing bright colours next to pastels to add interest.

Round 6 Fixtures and Round 5 Scores

The Round 6 weekly fixture and Round 5 results have now been uploaded on the Waverley College website.

>>> Please click here for the Round 6 fixture and Round 5 results.

I wish all teams the best of luck for Round 6 and encourage students to continue representing Waverley College with pride and respect as we do week after week.

Just a reminder that we only have two more rounds of Saturday co-curricular sport for Term 2. The final three rounds of the Winter season will commence from the first weekend of Term 3 (Saturday, 17 July).

Welcome to Week 5! We started the week with 5 Indigo’s class assembly. They focused mainly on one of the core values here at the Junior School – resilience. My favourite part of the assembly was when 5 Indigo gave practical resilience tips for our students’ use:

Year 6 Camp

Year 6 had an amazing time at camp last week. It was wonderful watching the students take risks, show resilience, build stronger relationships and simply have fun. The behaviour of the students was exemplary and they represented Waverley brilliantly.

Elephant Ed Inspires Students to Embrace Change

Our Year 6 students also participated in their second session with Elephant Ed on Monday. This session focused on embracing change. The feedback from the students was very positive again.

There are two more sessions this year and we know from their feedback that they have been very successful and educational.

Year 6 Strengthen Relationships at the Great Aussie Bush Camp

Last Wednesday, 12 May, our Year 6 students and teachers headed off to The Great Aussie Bush Camp located in Kincumber on the NSW Central Coast. As expected, there was noticeable excitement and some nervous energy in the air. This was the first camp these students had experienced at Waverley College due to COVID-19 restrictions in 2020 forcing the cancellation of all school camps.

Once they arrived, students were given a welcome briefing by camp staff about the campsite, where they would be sleeping and all the fun activities planned for them over the next three days. The camp activities included:

Students were given time to unpack, get to know who their roommates were, and change ready for the first lot of activities for the day. Before beginning, we headed down to the camp’s sports field on the riverfront, where students could enjoy free time before activities beginning. This time was mostly made up of sport, with big games of AFL, Rugby and Cricket taking place. Waverley staff couldn’t help but involve themselves in the action.

Students enjoyed their first lot of activities for camp and were slowly fading from tiredness.

The plan for night one activities included Commando Night, a flashlight game not far from the campsite. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t work in our favour, and we made alternative arrangements to have a group challenge night indoors, which the students made the most of and thoroughly enjoyed.

Day two began with breakfast at 6:30am and was then jam-packed with ongoing daytime activities. Students underwent four lots of activities throughout the day and displayed plenty of laughter, smiles and entertainment. A large portion of activities encouraged students to face their fear of heights and the unknown to achieve endless amounts of accomplishment and satisfaction for having challenged themselves to try something new and scary. This quickly became the theme of the camp, with students supporting each other to build resilience and accomplish new experiences that once would’ve been too frightening to face by themselves.

Night-time activities for night two included Commando Night, marshmallows by the campfire and a movie to settle the students before bedtime. It definitely worked, as the majority of students were fast asleep by 9pm. Students savoured the last two lots of activities on the last day before having to pack up their belongings and get on that bus to return to their families. This was something all students were excited about, but also remained grateful for the experiences and good times over the three days.

Round 5 Sports Fixture / IPSHA Touch Football and Rugby Trials

The Round 5 weekly fixture and Round 4 results have now been uploaded on the Waverley College website. Please click here for the Round 5 fixture and Round 3 results. I wish all teams the best of luck for Round 5 and encourage students to continue representing Waverley College with pride and respect as we do week after week.

Waverley College Junior School has had many representatives at the majority of IPSHA sporting trials so far this year. On Friday 7 May (Week 3) and Friday 14 May (Week 4), we sent six to seven students to participate in the Touch Football and Rugby trials at Barker College and Shore Playing Fields at Northbridge. Mr Lavorato supported the Touch Football and Mr Gill the Rugby trials, both as official CIS trial selectors.

Touch Football selected trialists included: Riley Kolster, Jacob Sheehan, James Tucker, Hunter Leondis, Cooper Misson and Riley Carr.

Rugby selected trialists included: Jude Maher, Riley Kolster, Stirling Quinn, Tyden Hennessey, Tom Burke, Patrick Palmer and Tom Maxwell.

All reports suggested that all of our students performed exceptionally well. We were fortunate enough to have had four students selected to trial at CIS Touch Football Trials and all six selected for CIS Rugby Trials. This is a massive accomplishment for Waverley College, and we wish the students chosen all the best for the upcoming trials.

Touch Football – Riley Kolster, Jacob Sheehan, Hunter Leondis and Cooper Misson.

Rugby Union – Jude Maher, Riley Kolster, Stirling Quinn, Tyden Hennessey, Tom Burke and Patrick Palmer.

A Double Win for Waverley in Debating!

The debating season has kicked off this term with a double win for Waverley. The students had their first debate against Coogee Boys’ Preparatory. The debate topic was ‘Technology is harmful to our friendship.’ Both teams had strong arguments with supporting examples and worked together to put forward a strong case. Debating develops important skills that are transferable into other areas: exploring ideas, developing arguments, articulating opinions, building confidence, being able to think on one’s feet, and becoming a good public speaker.

News from the Learning Hub – Book Recommendations

Over the past few weeks, I have had many conversations with students on ‘What should they read next?’ This sparked an idea to get the boys sharing book recommendations via their CANVAS page. This allows students to have an online platform where they can see what their friends are reading. I can proudly say that I have noticed more students asking for books to borrow that were recommended by their peers.

If your son is having trouble picking his next read, guide him to the ‘What Should I Read Next?’ under the tile Learning Hub News.

What are the Student Recommendations?

From an Idea to Google is a book about two friends who make one of the biggest companies in the world. They quit university to start a business in their garage. It’s a great book about a company that never gave up. From an Idea to Google is a short book which will give you an insight of the wonderful world of Google.

The Science Book is quite an intriguing book. It is a book for readers who are interested in the different sciences and their histories. It supplies the reader with a large amount of knowledge and facts that are sure to make you seem like one of the smartest people in the room. The Science Book talks about basic physics, geography, geology, biology and so on. If you can think of a science, it will almost certainly be in the book. I highly recommend this book for study, or if you just overall enjoy reading about science and the different facts and history inside.

The World’s Worst Children is a humorous fiction book written by David Walliams and illustrated by Tony Ross. Tony Ross’s cartoonish artistic style provides an idea of the character’s characteristics and features. Even the fonts in this book are exaggerated and over the top, giving the reader an idea of what’s happening and how the characters are feeling. This book is about children that are disgusting, loud, and annoying. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to have a laugh and an overall good book. I would give this book a 4 out of 5.

National Volunteer Week

This week is National Volunteer Week (17-23 May). I would like to say a thank you and recognise the commitment of our three amazing volunteers and what they do to help the Learning Hub ensure that our students have books covered and ready for borrowing.

Home Learning Club – will not operate on Tuesday this week (Week 6)

Da Vinci Decathlon 2021 Wrap Up – Year 5 Takes 15th Place in Cartography

On 4, 5 and 6 May, Waverley College entered teams in Years 5-10 into the annual Da Vinci Decathlon. This year’s theme was ‘Legacy’, and the competition ran online for the first time in its history – very different from previous years. All students showed great enthusiasm for the duration of the day and participated in 10 challenges across each team ranging from: Art and Poetry, Creative Producers and Cartography to Code Breaking, Science, Mathematics and Engineering.

I would like to congratulate all students for their hard work and participation in the event:

William Frinsdorf; Aiden McNee; Samuel Ireland; Jack McCallum; Dylan Crewe; Hendrix Brown; Thomas Stillone; Liam Madden; Jeff Saxler; Augie Gibson; William Bayly; Sonny Campbell; Alex Avdalis; Daniel Morrow; Evan Service; Joshua Du Toit.

I would also like to congratulate the Year 5 team on coming in the top 15 categories for their respective challenges. Each year level had approximately 75 schools participating, so this is an outstanding achievement:

Welcome to Week 4! I want to first congratulate the six students who represented Waverley at the IPSHA Touch Football trials at Barker last Friday. Mr Lavorato accompanied Jacob Sheehan, Riley Carr, Cooper Misson, James Tucker, Hunter Leondis and Riley Kolster. The trials were very successful with students making the CIS Touch Football team. A big congratulations to Cooper Misson, Jacob Sheehan, Hunter Leondis and Riley Kolster.

We have had a very busy start to the week with our Year 5’s completing NAPLAN. Every student did so well and took all tests in their stride. Our Year 6 students went off to camp on Wednesday to the Great Aussie Bush Camp in Kincumber. The students were so excited, especially after missing out on camp last year due to COVID-19. I’m sure there will be some very tired but happy students coming home today.

Mother’s Day Mass

We were so disappointed that we had to cancel our Mother’s Day Mass last Friday. We were so looking forward to celebrating our mothers. I hope every mother had a wonderful day last Sunday and we look forward to celebrating with you on Friday 21 May.

2021 ICAS Competitions

If you would like your son to compete in the 2021 ICAS Competitions, you will be asked to nominate the competitions you would like him to be entered in through the Parent Payment System. At the Junior School the following ICAS competitions are offered: Writing & Digital Technologies, Science & Spelling Bee, English and Mathematics. This year all competitions will be held in August / September, Term 3 and completed online.

Through this system parents can pay for ICAS directly online while tests will still be held at our school. Please use the school’s access code details to register your child no later than 18 June 2021. Waverley’s School Access Code is: QKV852.

If you require additional support registering your son contact the customer service team on: 1800 931 775 (Australian Toll-Free)

Home Learning Club

We offer all students in Years 5 and 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.

Procedures

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.

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.

Ms Natasha Zivanovic, Primary Literacy and Innovation Teacher and Mr Matt Ryan, Year 5 Red Class Teacher

Year 5 Indigo – Around the classroom

We have been busy in maths this term, learning all about multiplication and division. We particularly loved learning about the divisibility rules for division. In the video, Harry and his group have learnt a rap to remember all of the divisibility rules! We hope that through fun, engaging ways of learning, the students will never forget them!

Round 4 Co-Curricular Sport

The strong performances from all of our Junior School Co-Curricular sports teams continued last weekend for Round 3. The majority of Football and Rugby games were played at Queens Park, which provided excitement and a noticeable home ground advantage—particularly highlighting Rugby teams who finished Saturday with excellent results and some close nail-biter finishes that could’ve gone either way.

Well done to all teams on another great weekend of sport, showcasing professionalism and sportsmanship across all sporting codes and teams. Unfortunately for our AFL and 11E/F Football teams, games were cancelled due to ground closures because of weekly rainfalls.

The Round 4 weekly fixture and Round 3 results have now been uploaded on the Waverley College website. Click here for the Round 4 fixture and Round 2 results. I wish all teams the best of luck for Round 4 and encourage students to continue representing Waverley College at the highest standard as we consistently do each week.

Subaru Ski Sydney Regional Championships

Waverley College has an opportunity to be involved in the upcoming Subaru Ski Sydney Regional Championships, taking place between 5 – 9 July (July School Holidays) at Thredbo.

The Interschools Snowsports Championships are a series of snowsports competitions where students compete for their school as a team or an individual. There are nine disciplines: alpine, skier cross, freestyle moguls, snowboard giant slalom, snowboard cross, cross country freestyle, cross country relay, ski slopestyle and snowboard slopestyle. Kids from Kindergarten to Year 12 can enter and don’t need to be an expert to participate. In the first tier of competition, the regional championships, kids of all ability levels can take part as long as they can link turns and ride a chairlift and T-bar confidently.

Students from Years 5 and 6 are designated as Division 4, Years 7 and 8 are designated Division 3, Years 9 and 10 are designated Division 2, and Years 11 and 12 are designated Division 1. The slopestyle events are for kids in Divisions 1–3 only.

If your son is confident at snowsports and consistently practises during holiday periods, you are welcome to nominate him to attend the event as a participant of Waverley College. A Waverley Junior School parent has kindly offered to be the College’s Co-ordinator for the event. Parents will need to attend and arrange a season pass, travel, accommodation, entry race fees and waivers and insurance for their son to participate in the event.

Should you wish to involve your son in this event, please email me your interest so I am able to inform the parent coordinator.

Disciplines and Divisions 5-9 July Thredbo:

Welcome to Week 3!

We started our week with a beautiful assembly by 5 Gold and Ms Hoare. 5 Gold presented some highlights of what they have been learning this term. As it is early in the term, their focus was on Religion, specifically the Season of Easter, the Feast of Edmund Rice and May, the month of Mary. The students narrated and dramatised many stories and events, and displayed enthusiasm and knowledge of their learning.

Open Classrooms Timetable

We are excited to welcome parents/carers on campus in Weeks 5 and 6 for open classrooms. Please see the timetable below for your son’s scheduled time. We are looking forward to seeing you. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, we can only allow one parent per student.

Tuesday 18 May	Wednesday 19 May	Thursday 20 May	Monday 24 May
6 Blue	6 White	5 Red	5 Blue
5 Orange	6 Red	6 Orange	5 Gold
5 White	6 Indigo	6 Gold	5 Indigo

Pick up and Parking

Can I please ask parents to be mindful of where you are picking up your son from after school. A lot of parents are picking students up at the front of the school in the ‘No Stopping’ area near the crossing. We have had many complaints about double parking on Langlee Avenue for extended periods of time. Many are double parking close to the interaction of Langlee Avenue and Henrietta Street. This creates confusion for other road users which then becomes a safety hazard for students. Can I ask you to please park legally. There are many spots you can choose to meet your son so that you don’t pose an inconvenience to residents and create a safety hazard for our students.

Medical Information for Year 6 Camp (12-14 May) – Reminder

If your son has any medical conditions, you will need to update his medical information in the Parent Portal.

If your son needs to take medication while he is on camp, we require one snack-size ziplock bag for each dose, according to your son’s requirements. For example, if he takes 1 tablet at breakfast, 1 at lunch and 1 at dinner you will need to provide the following as indicated:

Please clearly mark your son’s name on all individual dosage bags, and place them into one large ziplock bag clearly marked with your son’s name.

If your son requires liquid medication, or you have any questions, please contact Ms Audrey Coupe to discuss on 9387 5022.

Junior School Canteen

As you know, the Junior school is lucky enough to have a canteen that is open five days a week for breakfast/recess and lunch. We urgently need a full roster of volunteers each term to ensure that the canteen can continue to operate successfully.

We would be delighted to have you volunteer and would really appreciate the support. As a huge thank you for your continued support. Lunch is on us!

NAPLAN

Students in Years 5 will be participating in the annual NAPLAN tests in reading, writing, language conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy online this year between Tuesday 11 May and Thursday 13 May.

Students must have their earphones and laptops fully charged for the start of every test.

Students should try out the online tools including calculator, protractor and ruler, as well as text magnification and flags.

NAPLAN Timetable for 2021

Lunchtime Talk

Alexander Avdalis, one of our very own Junior School Waverley students presented at our Lunchtime Talk last Friday. He gave valuable tips on 3D printing, key elements for 3D design; simplicity, structure and size, and recommended websites for creating your own designs. The Junior School students loved every minute of the presentation and had many questions for our 3D printing guru. A huge thank you to Alex for giving up his time to inspire the next generation of designers.

Home Learning Club

*Next week there will be NO Home Learning Club on Monday 10 May. All teachers will be attending a Professional Development session.

Home Learning Club operates in the Learning Hub from 3pm until 4pm – Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays – during school term.

Procedures

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.

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

Round 3 Co-Curricular Sport

Last weekend, our Prep 1st Football and Prep 1st Rugby teams were honoured to represent the College against Trinity and Shore on Queens Park 1 main field. Allowing both teams the opportunity to experience what it is like for our senior teams to play on a full-sized pitch. Each game was played at a high standard, and the results gave that impression:

After the Prep 1st Rugby game, students were given a tour of the pavilion. This opened their eyes to the rich history of sport at Waverley College, showcasing the most decorated student-athletes in the College’s long history. I sensed the students’ appreciation and honour of representing Waverley College in their early years at the school and for many years to come.

I have been fortunate enough to witness the majority of games at Queens Park over the first two rounds. It has been amazing to see all teams playing with such enthusiasm and enjoyment. Teams are quickly beginning to develop a positive culture and bond that makes me proud to see, and I know it does for coaches as well. I wish all teams the best of luck for the upcoming round of games and look forward to seeing more great team performances that demonstrate positive sportsmanship.

Welcome to Week 2!

We have really hit the ground running here in the Junior School. We have had a very busy and lively start to the term. Last Wednesday I attended the IPSHA Cross Country and was so proud to see our students representing Waverley with great sportsmanship and support of one another. We welcomed Mr Brendan Cook who is the Creative Director at Picture Drift for our lunchtime talk. The students were so intrigued and inspired by his amazing work and skills in animation.

We started this week with a beautiful ANZAC Day Commemoration Service as a whole school. We were very lucky because Junior School student Levi Dunbavin (5 Gold) brought in his father’s precious medals. His father Paul has been serving in the Australian Army for over 34 years. He has just left Australia to serve in Iraq for the next six months. We pray for his safety and thank God for his dedicated service. We are thinking of Nicolle, Levi, and Ky during this time.

Look at Paul Dunbavin’s many impressive medals, acknowledging his bravery and service:

Staff Update

Last Friday, we said goodbye to our Learning Support teacher Ms Katrina King. She has accepted a wonderful opportunity at Grammar Edgecliff. Katrina has given 15 dedicated years of service to Waverley College as a Learning Support teacher. She has provided quality learning opportunities through her skills, talents and enthusiasm for our students in Mathematics, Spelling Mastery, Decoding and Enrichment Classes. We thank Katrina for her devoted service and wish her the best for this new and exciting chapter of her life.

We welcome Ms Deanne Seamons who has been a Learning Support Teacher in the Senior School since 2004. She is highly experienced and we are delighted to have her join our team in the Junior School.

Open classrooms

We are pleased to announce that we will be holding open classrooms for parents to come and see what your son has been learning this year. This will be held in Week 5 from Tuesday 18 May to Friday 21 May. The session will be from 2:30 – 3pm on one of these days. In next week’s Nurrunga, I will have a timetable outlining your son’s exact time. We look forward to seeing you on campus.

Medical Information for Year 6 Camp (12-14 May)

If your son has any medical conditions, you will need to update his medical information in the Parent Portal. Please click this link for detailed instructions on how to update his information.

Please clearly mark your son’s name on all individual dosage bags, and place them into one large ziplock bag clearly marked with your son’s name.

If your son requires liquid medication, or you have any questions, please contact Ms Coupe to discuss on 9387 5022.

NAPLAN 2021

Students in Years 5, 7 9 will be participating in the annual NAPLAN tests in reading, writing, language conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy online this year between Tuesday 11 May and Thursday 13 May.

Students are encouraged to practise for the tests by clicking on this website. They should try out the online tools including calculator, protractor and ruler, as well as text magnification and flags.

Should you have any questions regarding this practice test, please contact either Ms Lynsey Porter, Director of Curriculum, or Thomas Mitton, Acting Assistant Director of Curriculum.

KLA Curriculum Overview

Please follow the links below to view the KLA curriculum overview for Term 2 for Years 5 and 6.

Mother’s Day Mass

You are formally invited to our Junior School Mother’s Day Mass on Friday 7 May 2021 at Mary Immaculate Church.

Unfortunately, we are still restricted by COVID-19 regulations, therefore we cannot hold a combined Year 5 and Year 6 Mass. As a result, we have decided to hold two separate Masses to make this day a special day for the mothers of the students at the College. We are also restricted to one parent/carer per student.

If you have a son in both Year 5 and Year 6, we ask that you please attend the 12pm Mass. Additionally, if your son is in Year 5 and in the Cantores, we also ask that you attend the Year 6 Mass.

As part of the celebration, there is a slideshow presentation showcasing our mothers/grandmothers with their son(s). If you would like to send a photo through, please email it by Friday 30 April to liturgy@waverley.nsw.edu.au

News from the Learning Hub

Lunchtime Talk

Our Junior School students had an insightful Lunchtime Talk with guest speaker Brendan Cook, the father of Mikey Gauci-Cook in Year 6. Brendan is the Creative Director at Picture Drift. We learnt that being creative takes a lot of patience, and that sourcing ideas doesn’t happen overnight. It was a full house with aspiring creative students wanting to learn all about the world of animation. Thank you for taking the time out to inspire our Junior School students.

Debating Training

I would like to thank our Year 12 students Conor Boyd-Boland, Patrick Hoggett and Luke McLellan for offering to mentor our Junior School IPSHA Debating Team. It was a successful first training session. Waverley’s first debate for the season is against Coogee Prep and the topic is ‘That technology is harmful to our friendships.’

Meet The 2021 Learning Hub Assistants

I am thrilled to be working with a new group of students who will help make the Learning Hub even more exciting with new initiatives this term: Alexander Avdalis, Carter Kennedy, Charlie Griffin, Cooper Burns, Evan Service, Henry Furlong, Jack Stuart, Jeremy Pounder, Jude Maher, Liam Boreland, Maximilian Wu, Oliver Adkins and Thomas Ingham.

2021 ICAS Competitions for Years 5 and 6 students

If you would like your son to compete in the 2021 ICAS Competitions, you will be asked to nominate which competitions you would like him to be entered in through the Parent Payment System. At the Junior School the following ICAS competitions are offered: Writing & Digital Technologies, Science & Spelling Bee, English and Mathematics. This year all the competitions will be held in August / September, Term 3, and will be completed online.

Click https://shop.icasassessments.com/pages/pps to register your son. Through this system, parents can pay for ICAS directly online while tests will still be held at our school. Please use the school’s access code details to register your child no later than 18 June 2021. Waverley’s School Access Code QKV852.

If you require additional support registering your son contact the customer service team on 1800 931 775 (Australian Toll-Free).

Home Learning Club

Home Learning Club operates in the Learning Hub from 3pm until 4pm – Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays – during school term.

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.

Waverley Youth Art Prize

Are you a talented artist? Would you like to showcase your gifts?

One of the ways current Waverley College students can grow and showcase their artistic skills is by entering competitions like the Waverley Youth Art Prize. This prize is to encourage creativity in young artists from Sydney’s Eastern Beaches.

Entries for the 2021 Waverley Youth Art Prize are Open!

Looking at the theme: We are Family – ancestors, bloodlines and belonging, students are invited to create an artwork to submit for the competition. Works can range from drawings, paintings, ceramics, sculptures, prints or photographs. Be creative!

Eligibility

All students from the Junior and Senior Campus are encouraged to enter the Waverley Youth Art Prize. All works entered will be exhibited in the opening on 3 June 2021. Entrants will go into the running to win vouchers and prize packs. If you are wanting the Senior School Art Department to enter your work on your behalf, please bring your artwork to me by 19 May 2021 with the completed entry form for your age category.

Entry forms
Click here for entry form age 9-12
Click here for entry form age 13-15
Click here for entry form age 16-18

Key Dates – Entries Close 21 May 2021

Round 1/2 Saturday Sport & IPSHA Cross Country

I acknowledge all players, staff and coaches for a great start to the Winter Co-Curricular Season last weekend. There were standout team performances for many of our AFL, Football and Rugby teams. As Mr O’Donnell has mentioned, we want to thank all players and parents for their patience with the new attire, and we will communicate with the College community as soon as the new gear is available. We also encourage any student who has yet to get fitted for their new gear to go to the uniform shop to order.

It is exciting to know that both our Prep 1st XI Football and Prep 1st Rugby will be playing on Queens Park 1 this coming Saturday. I want to wish these teams and their coaches the very best in playing their games on the full-sized field; it will be an experience they’ll remember.

Good luck to all Waverley teams competing this weekend, and I hope we all display positive sportsmanship, endeavour, and enthusiasm, as shown in Round 1.

IPSHA Cross Country

On Wednesday 21 April, our Cross Country team headed to The King’s Preparatory School in Parramatta to represent Waverley College at the IPSHA Cross Country running event. The team consisted of the following students: Liam Madden (Year 5); Hunter Leondis (Year 5); Anthony Chorafitis (Year 5); Hugo Spierings (Year 5); Evan Rowbotham (Year 6); Oscar Lennon (Year 5); Conor Kane (Year 5); Joshua Raymond (Year 5); Jayden Newrick (Year 5); Daniel Morrow (Year 6); Josh Peters (Year 6); Flin Newman (Year 6); Thomas Burke (Year 6); Levi O’Keefe (Year 6).

The event was planned to go ahead at the end of Term 1, but unfortunately was postponed due to the weather conditions at the time. We had no worries about the weather this time around, as it was a fantastic blue sky day and excellent conditions for running.

All our participants gave their absolute all in their events and represented the College at the highest level. We were fortunate to have five students who performed at an elite level, finishing within the top 15 of over 150 runners per event. These students were: Evan Rowbotham, Liam Madden, Daniel Morrow, Josh Peters and Oscar Lennon.

All students had a great day and enjoyed being a part of the event and competing against the best cross country runners of their age groups.

Welcome back to Term 2. I hope everyone had a relaxing and restorative Easter break. It has been lovely to see the students come back enthusiastic and ready to learn.

I spoke to the students this week about the importance of wearing their uniform with pride and how they are representing themselves and the school. Now we are in Term 2, all students are required to wear their blazer to and from school. The students looked extremely smart turning up on their first day with their Winter school uniform. Can I please remind you that students should have their hair at an appropriate length, style and no shorter than a number two. You can refer to page 25 in the school diary if you are unsure. Can all inappropriate haircuts be rectified by Friday please.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, we realise that last term there were limited interactions with parents on campus. With restrictions easing, I am currently putting together a timetable that will invite you to visit your son’s classroom and see what they have been learning this term. More information to follow in next week’s Nurrunga.

Volunteering in the Junior School Canteen

As you know, our school is lucky enough to have a canteen that is open five days a week for breakfast/recess and lunch. We need a full roster of volunteers each term to ensure that the canteen can continue to operate successfully.

We would be delighted to have you volunteer and would appreciate the support. As a huge thankyou for your continued support. Lunch is on us!

Project Compassion Easter Raffle Winners

The Junior School students are to be commended for their wonderful generosity in supporting Project Compassion this year. During the season of Lent, the 5 Gold students generously donated Easter Eggs to gift three beautiful Easter baskets and six individual Easter prizes. The raffle raised over $1000 and was donated to Project Compassion. The support from all the students in buying tickets was incredible.

The following students were overjoyed when they heard their names called out as the 2021 Easter Raffle winners: 1st: Luke Bannister 5 Gold; 2nd: Cooper Misson 5 Indigo; 3rd: Will Frinsdorf 5 Blue; 4th: Harper Warnock 5 Gold; 5th: Archie Callander 6 Blue; 6th: Nicholas Giannikouris 5 Gold; 7th: Rowan Metzel 5 Orange; 8th: Xander Mills 6 White; 9th: Clancy Walsh 6 Gold.

Year 6 Camp (Kincumber)

Year 6 Camp is quickly approaching and will take place in Week 4 from Wednesday 12 to Friday 14 May. The camp is run by ‘The Big Aussie Bush Camps’ organisation, and located in Kincumber, NSW.

Please follow the links below to access all relevant information regarding the camp, guidelines and rules on camp, what to bring, daytime/ night time activities, food, accommodation and the overall outline of the three days.

Medical information is currently being programmed to allow you to add your son’s medical information through the TASS online system. We will inform you immediately once this is up and running, with more information about how to best pack medication to be easily distributed whilst on camp.

Round 1 Co-Curricular Winter Season

Welcome back to Term 2 and the beginning of the Winter Co-Curricular Sports Season. I have witnessed both the excitement and enthusiasm of students commencing winter sports training and students beginning to form a better relationship with their new coaches. The season ahead will build improved resilience, character, mateship, sportsmanship and enjoyment within students’ selected sport.

I wish all students the best of luck for the season ahead, and look forward to watching all of our teams give their absolute all to achieve varying levels of success, regardless of wins or losses.

Click here for the Senior and Junior Sport Fixtures link to prepare for the Winter Season commencing this Saturday 24 April and scroll down this website page to view the attached documents that include both the Round 1 Fixture with any changes noted in red, and the venue maps list that includes all the addresses.

All of this will be included in the Nurrunga newsletter this week to remind you.

2021 ICAS Competitions for Years 5 and 6 students – registration closes 18 June

This year all the competitions will be held in August / September in Term 3 and will be completed online. More information will be provided next term.

Through this system you can pay for ICAS directly online, while tests will still be held at our school. Please use the school’s access code details to register your child no later than 18 June 2021. Waverley’s School Access Code is: QKV852

Should you require additional support registering your son, contact the customer service team on 1800 931 775 (Australian Toll-Free).

Home Learning Club Week 2

We offer all students in Years 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.

2021 WriteOn Competition for Years 5 and 6 students

WriteOn is an annual writing competition open to all NSW primary students in Years 1 to 6. Students compose an imaginative text of up to 500 words using an image for the basis of their story.

Over the last few years, we have had some incredible submissions with aspiring writers from both Years 5 and 6 entering. Imaginative pieces could be any of the following: letters, poems, scripts for radio, screen and stage, interviews, journal entries and narratives. See the new stimulus image below:

All students wishing to enter the competition should please complete their writing submission and hand it to Mr Mitton or email it to tmitton@waverley.nsw.edu.au

Submissions must be in by 3pm Tuesday 15 June. All submissions will be read by Ms Zivanovic, Ms Bransby and myself, with the winning entry from the Junior School to be sent on behalf of Waverley for judging!

Should you have any more questions please email me at tmitton@waverley.nsw.edu.au or talk to me at school. Best of luck and WriteOn!

Junior School Mother’s Day Stall – Gift orders close Sunday 2 May!

Junior students, are you looking for the perfect gift to buy for your favourite person on Mother’s Day? Mrs Coupe has a beautiful display of the gifts outside her office and orders close Sunday 2 May.

All gifts will be wrapped and delivered to the Junior School students on Thursday 6 May.

Sacrament of Confirmation – Registration by Friday 30 April

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 20 June. Compulsory preparation classes will be held in the weeks prior to the celebration.

Due to COVID-19, the Sacrament was postponed in 2020, therefore in 2021 we are only celebrating the Sacrament with current Year 6 and Year 7 students. Please rest assured that the Sacrament will be held again next year to accommodate any Year 5 2021 students.

If you are looking to have your son enrolled in the Confirmation program for 2021, please contact Mr Stephen Ghattas at sghattas@waverley.nsw.edu.au for the necessary information. Due date for registration is Friday 30 April. For parents who have already received the registration form via Google Forms, it is important that these are filled out if you are wanting to have your son enrolled. This includes those parents who enrolled their sons to receive the Sacrament in 2020.

Junior School Mother’s Day Mass – Friday 7 May

You are formally invited to our Junior School Mother’s Day Mass on Friday 7 May 2021 at Mary Immaculate Church.

If you have a son in both Years 5 and Year 6, we ask that you please attend the 12pm Mass.

As part of the celebration, there is a slideshow presentation showcasing our mothers/grandmothers with their son(s). If you would like to send a photo through, please email it by Friday 30 April (Week 2) to liturgy@waverley.nsw.edu.au

We hope everyone is enjoying their Term 1 school holiday break!

Canteen Closed Week 1 Term 2

Due to ongoing renovations, the canteen will not be available for lunch orders or service in Week 1. The canteen will reopen again in Week 2, Monday 26 April. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Home Learning Club

Home Learning Club operates in the Learning Hub from 3pm – 4pm – Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays – during school term.

Procedures

This will be sent out each week in the Nurrunga newsletter. 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.

An important note to remember during Term 2: if afternoon training sessions are cancelled, unfortunately you cannot send your son to Home Learning as an alternative plan, as 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.

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 and Thursday: Mr Matt Ryan

If you require any further information, feel free to contact us.

mryan@waverley.nsw.edu.au

nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au

Term 2 Art Accomplishment Classes – Lunchtimes and Thursdays After School – Enrolments Close Wednesday 28 April!

In term 2, lunchtime and after school art accomplishment classes will be held for Junior School students in the Junior School art room and taught by specialist visual arts teacher Ms Faye John-Hopkins.

The program will extend students’ creative abilities through visual media, providing a variety of art experiences that perhaps would not be available to students until their senior years.

Classes begin in Week 2 of Term 2 and run from Thursday 29 April – Thursday 17 June.

Term 2 Chess Classes – Tuesdays 12.30-1.30pm

Chess creates brighter thinkers, improves student focus and achieves academic success. It also combines learning with fun!

Sydney Academy of Chess Pty Ltd runs Junior School chess classes at Waverley College on Tuesdays 12.30-1.30pm in the Library.

Winter Co-Curricular Season

From Mr Jack Wachtel, Assistant Director of Co-Curricular (Years 5-8)

I hope all students and families have had a restful holiday and are looking forward to the Winter Co-Curricular Season commencing on Saturday 24 April. While there has been information sent out on SkoolBag, I would like to remind you of important information in preparation for Week 1 training and Round 1 beginning.

Winter Season Trials

All students gave their absolute best efforts in all three trials to provide themselves with the best opportunity to be selected into a team accordingly. Doing the trial over three separate afternoons provided opportunities for students who may have been sick, injured or had just had an ‘off’ day. Our coaches had the challenging task of selecting teams according to what they had seen across the three sessions. They did their absolute best despite the large numbers of students in each sport.

I have been listening to parents’ concerned opinions about the selection processes in some sports. I appreciate you sharing your concerns and they have been received and noted. We are currently in talks with the Senior School and looking into a whole-school approach moving forward. I will review the role the Rugby 7s competition plays in the Co-Curricular program, and the amendments that could be considered moving forward.

Training Information

Training will begin on Tuesday 20 April, with all training being held at either Queens Park or Waverley Park between 3.15pm to 4.30pm. Teams will be walked to their training venue by their coach after the school day. Once training is completed, students will be dismissed from the training venue. Please ensure you have arranged with your son that you’ll be picking him up from the venue. If your son is waiting a considerable time, he will be walked back to the Junior School by his coach to be picked up from there.

The training schedule and season draw has now been added to the school website. Please click Senior and Junior Sport Fixtures to check which day’s your son is training.

Winter Season Attire

As mentioned on the slip your son received last term, please remember he must purchase the new winter sports uniform for his sport from the uniform shop before Round 1 commencing. He will be allowed to wear previously worn Waverley playing attire, his new winter sports uniform or his PE uniform for training. Please avoid non-Waverley gear unless you have a necessary reason.

Season Draw & Weekly Fixture

To locate the Winter Season Draw, please click Senior and Junior Sports Fixtures. Although the draw is the primary document for all games, please firstly refer to the weekly fixtures – as games occasionally have last-minute changes that are uncontrollable. These will be updated on the school website each week and addressed in the weekly newsletter Nurrunga.

Refer to the Winter Season Maps for any venue addresses (which will be sent out/added to the school website during Week 1).

I excitedly look forward to the season beginning and for different sports to be played each Saturday morning. Thank you for your ongoing support.

Year 6 Camp

From Mr Jack Wachtel, Assistant Director of Co-Curricular (Years 5-8)

The Year 6 Camp (The Great Aussie Bush Camp) scheduled for Week 4 of Term 2 is still going ahead as planned. Students will be leaving from the Senior School Performing Arts drop off area on Birrell Street and heading onto Kincumber NSW from Wednesday 12 to Friday 14 May.

All information about the camp regarding what to bring, daytime activities, and medical information will be added in the Week 1, Term 2 Nurrunga newsletter on Friday 23 April 2021.

Junior School Mother’s Day Mass

From Mr Stephen Ghattas, Assistant Director of Junior School/Student Formation

You are formally invited to our Junior School Mother’s Day Mass which will be held on Friday 7 May 2021 at Mary Immaculate Church.

If you have a son in both Year 5 and Year 6, we would ask that you attend the 12pm Mass.

Additionally, as part of the celebration, there is a slideshow presentation showcasing our mothers/grandmothers with their son(s). If you would like to send a photo through, please email it to: liturgy@waverley.nsw.edu.au

Sacrament of Confirmation

From Mr Stephen Ghattas, Assistant Director of Junior School/Student Formation

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 20 June. Compulsory preparation classes will be held in the weeks prior to the celebration.

If you are looking to have your son enrolled in the Confirmation program for 2021, please contact Mr Stephen Ghattas at sghattas@waverley.nsw.edu.au for the necessary information.

For parents who have already received the registration form via Google Forms, it is important that these are filled out if you are wanting to have your son enrolled. The due date is Friday 30 April. This includes those parents who enrolled their sons to receive the Sacrament in 2020.

	Tuesday 11 May	Wednesday 12 May	Thursday 13 May	Friday 14 May
Periods 1 and 2	Writing(42 mins) 9:00 – 10:00am	Reading(50 mins) 9:00 – 10:00am	Numeracy (50mins) 9:00 – 10:00am	Catch up
Recess	Normal	Normal	Normal	Normal
Period 3	Conventions of Language (45mins) 11:00 – 11:50am
Periods 4 – 6	Normal	Normal	Normal	Normal

Exceptional Junior School Performances at the Music Festival

>>> Click here to see more photos of the Music Festival in the article by Mr Chris Balkizas, Head of Music, Senior School

Wakakirri News

Edmund Rice Day Fundraiser

Reminder – Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews – Tuesday 15 June, Week 9

Debating | Cranbrook v Waverley

Home Learning Week 9

2021 ICAS Competitions | Years 5 and 6 students

Home Tip To Encourage Reading at Home

Book Week is 21-27 August

Innovation Club

CIS Rugby Trials

Athletics Trials

Athletics Carnival – Permission Slip Due by Wednesday 16 June

A Compulsory Years 5-12 College Event

Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews – Tuesday 15 June, Week 9

Waverley Youth Art Competition

History Hysteria Showcase – Year 5

Congratulations to the Leiper Family who Recently Became Australian Citizens

A Snapshot of What is Happening in the Classroom

Year 5 White

Edmund Rice Activity Day Thursday 10 June

Home Learning Club Week 8

ICAS Competitions | Years 5 and 6 students

Drawing Club

CIS Rugby

AFL Paul Kelly Cup

Round 7 Fixtures and Round 6 Scores

>>> Please click here for the Round 7 fixture and Round 6 results.

Holiday Sports Programs (Cricket/ AFL)

Mother’s Day Mass

Home Learning Club – no Home Learning Club on Monday 31 May

2021 ICAS Competitions for Years 5 and 6 Students

Sorry Day 26 May and Reconciliation Week 27 May – 3 June

6 White Work Samples

Round 6 Fixtures and Round 5 Scores

>>> Please click here for the Round 6 fixture and Round 5 results.

Year 6 Camp

Elephant Ed Inspires Students to Embrace Change

Year 6 Strengthen Relationships at the Great Aussie Bush Camp

Round 5 Sports Fixture / IPSHA Touch Football and Rugby Trials

A Double Win for Waverley in Debating!

News from the Learning Hub – Book Recommendations

What are the Student Recommendations?

National Volunteer Week

Home Learning Club – will not operate on Tuesday this week (Week 6)

Da Vinci Decathlon 2021 Wrap Up – Year 5 Takes 15th Place in Cartography

Mother’s Day Mass

2021 ICAS Competitions

Home Learning Club

Procedures

Behaviour

Year 5 Indigo – Around the classroom

Round 4 Co-Curricular Sport

Subaru Ski Sydney Regional Championships

Disciplines and Divisions 5-9 July Thredbo:

Welcome to Week 3!

Open Classrooms Timetable

Pick up and Parking

Medical Information for Year 6 Camp (12-14 May) – Reminder

Junior School Canteen

NAPLAN

NAPLAN Timetable for 2021

Lunchtime Talk

Home Learning Club

Procedures

Behaviour

Teachers

Round 3 Co-Curricular Sport

Welcome to Week 2!

Staff Update

Open classrooms

Medical Information for Year 6 Camp (12-14 May)

NAPLAN 2021

KLA Curriculum Overview

Mother’s Day Mass

News from the Learning Hub

Lunchtime Talk

Debating Training

Meet The 2021 Learning Hub Assistants

Entry forms
Click here for entry form age 9-12
Click here for entry form age 13-15
Click here for entry form age 16-18

A Catholic School for boys in
the tradition of Edmund Rice