Year 5 & 6 Action Items Archives - Page 2 of 17

Please find below some reminders about upcoming events. For all of Term 3 events, please refer to the College calendar.

ICAS Assessments 2024

Congratulations to all the students who participated in the 2024 ICAS Assessments.

A special congratulations to the following students who received a credit or above in Science.

Science Year 5

Science Year 6

Year 6 Retreat Day

Today our Year 6 students were involved in their annual retreat day. The day began with the students attending the morning Mass at Mary Immaculate Church allowing them to reflect on their own lives and bring them closer to God. The rest of the day focused on themes of friendship, community and leadership. All activities were led by our Year 11 students including defining qualities that make good leaders, delving deeper into the history of our Houses and activities that asked students to step outside their comfort zone and step up to the challenge.

To conclude the day, they participated in some House team-building games, including Kick Tennis, allowing for some friendly competition and a whole lot of enjoyment.

Mr Steve Ghattas
Assistant Director of Junior School / Identity & Student Formation
sghattas@waverley.nsw.edu.au

Fitness Club

Toiling away on a Tuesday and Thursday afternoon whilst working up a sweat, our students at the Junior School have been thriving in our new Fitness Club. The boys have been participating in a variety of exercises across four separate groups on both days.

The boys are all relishing the opportunity to stay fit in the weeks after the Winter Sports Season, getting their heart rates going and enjoying quality time with their peers with some lovely spring weather.

Continually growing from strength to strength, with fitness goals both personal and shared, we are proud of the enormous efforts being put in by all the students and staff members involved.

Winter Co-Curricular Awards Assembly

During Week 9, we will be holding a Junior School Winter Co-curricular Awards Assembly (date & time to be confirmed). Here students who missed presentation nights will receive their trophies. We will also acknowledge other co-curricular activities that students have participated in, and announce Athletics Age Champions.

Around the Grounds

Kai Freeman and Teddy Walker, both from Year 6, were selected by Hoops Capital to represent their Sydney Kings and Flames Youth League teams in a special halftime activation during the pre-season game between the Sydney Kings and the NZ Breakers at the Quay Centre, Sydney Olympic Park. They had an incredible experience playing on the court in front of a packed crowd and enjoyed the unique opportunity to interact closely with the Sydney Kings players.

Uncle Dean’s Learning on Country Workshop

On Thursday, Uncle Dean led a Learning on Country workshop at the Junior School, for students and teachers to connect to Country through artefacts, story telling, knowledge sharing and cultural mentoring from a local Aboriginal elder, Uncle Dean. In Aboriginal culture, Country is not only the land, the waterways and the skies, but all living things. Connecting to and caring for Country fosters a sense of belonging by connecting us to where we are, the people, animals and plants around us.

During this workshop we got to pass around boomerangs, digging sticks, spears, clap sticks, didgeridoos, message sticks, possum skins and model canoes and hand-woven ropes made from stringy bark trees. All the boys enjoyed touching, hearing and looking at these cultural artefacts while listening to stories.

“NSW schools can ensure successful and sustainable learning outcomes for all students by working in partnership with their local Aboriginal community… Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures is a Learning across the curriculum priority.” (New South Wales Education Standards Authority)

We are grateful for the wisdom, knowledge sharing and storytelling that Uncle Dean has offered us, helping us engage with community and deepen our understanding of Aboriginal culture.

FunRun

The FunRun ‘Big Show’ event is now less than 3 weeks away (Wednesday, 25 September) and we are so excited to have all students at Waverley Park to celebrate the fundraising with our Colour Run.

The Colour Run will be taking place between 10am and 12pm at Waverley Park. It will involve students running around the marked track through colour spraying sections and giant inflatables. There will be an awards ceremony and staff members will be slimed at the end of the event. Parents are warmly welcome to attend and we look forward to seeing you there. Once the event concludes, teachers will walk their class back to school for a sausage sizzle lunch catered for by the Junior School. Dismissal information will be sent out in next week’s Nurrunga.

We are looking forward to celebrating our incredible efforts in fundraising for our four special charities:

Ms Jade Sparks
Assistant Director of Co-curricular (Junior School)
jsparks@waverley.nsw.edu.au

Home Learning

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 3:00 pm until 4:00 pm – Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays – during school term unless there is a scheduled Professional Development meeting and the club will be closed.

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’s 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 disturb others.

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.

Year 5 Public Speaking Finals 2024

This week, we had the Year 5 Public Speaking Competition. All the boys put in an incredible amount of effort, with one stand-out student taking home the trophy!

Well done to all the finalists, and thank you to Ms Alice Curtis, Mr Jack Wachtel, and James Peate for adjudicating the finals.

Congratulations to our finalists Harry Maley, Spencer Murphy, Cooper Green, Jensen Honey, Tristan Francis and our Public Speaking Champion 2024 Toby Pounder.

Class Item – 6 Orange

In Year 6, our students are diving into the unit “Make Yourself Heard,” where they are encouraged to take a stand on issues that matter to them and communicate their thoughts effectively to a wider audience. Our focus this term has been on social justice issues, particularly those affecting marginalised communities, such as refugees and asylum seekers.

In 6 Orange, we have been deeply engaged with the graphic novel “Illegal”, written by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin and illustrated by Giovanni Rigano. This powerful story follows a young boy from Ghana named Ebo, who embarks on a perilous journey across the Sahara, through the dangerous streets of Tripoli, and across the sea in search of a safer, more hopeful life in Italy. Our students have been creating reflective journals that not only capture their emotional responses to Ebo’s journey but also explore the unique techniques used in graphic novels. Through this work, the boys are gaining a deeper understanding of empathy and are recognising just how fortunate we are to live where we do.

Diary Dates

Please find below some reminders about upcoming events. For all of Term 3 events, please refer to the College calendar.

Father’s Day Mass

Thank you to the fathers, grandfathers and anyone who is like a father for attending our special Mass today. We were blessed with a warm day as we start our transition towards Spring. These events are so important to our students as they get a chance to spend quality time with their loved ones.

Thank you to Mr Ghattas for organising our special day and to Gene Ross for speaking about his experience of being a dad.

Father’s Day Stall

A huge thank you to the Parents’ Association for organising the opportunity for our students to buy gifts for Father’s Day this year on campus. There was so much joy in the room as students were able to select a special gift for their dads or male figures in their lives.

Lion King Musical – 23 October

We are excited to announce the date for our Lion King Musical which will be on 23 October. The musical itself will be performed twice on October 23, with a matinee and evening performance confirmed. Rehearsals for our production of the Lion King Jr are well underway, with the girls from St Catherine’s joining us regularly on Fridays. There will be more information on tickets available soon.

ICAS Assessments 2024

Congratulations to all the students who participated in the 2024 ICAS Assessments.

A special congratulations to the following students who received a credit or above in Digital Technologies and English.

Night Patrol Donations

Once a month, as part of the Social Justice program, our Year 11 students will hit the streets to feed the homeless men and women of Sydney. This initiative is run by the St Vincent de Paul Society and gives the students an insight into the vast array of people (children, teens & adults from varying backgrounds) who are homeless and the journey that each of them are on. As this face to face experience is not suitable for our Junior School students, we are asking assistance in the form of donations We are asking 5 Orange & 6 Orange students for the following donations for the next Night Patrol on Monday 2nd September:

Fresh Fruit – Banana, Apples, Oranges (to be brought in on Monday, 2 September)

Packet noodles, Packets of chips, Poppers (to be brought in on or before Monday, 2 September)

Athletics Invitationals and IPSHA Carnival

Congratulations to our Athletics Squad who have attended a number of Athletics events over the past week. Last Friday, boys attended Riverview to compete in the BPSSA Athletics Invitational, winning Waverley 2nd place at shot put and taking home many other impressive results!

The squad then attended Sydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre on Saturday, the following day, and won 2nd place in the Junior Relay and 3rd place in the Senior relay. Congratulations to the entire squad who did really well on the day.

The IPSHA Athletics Carnival took place this Wednesday, with our boys representing Waverley extremely well, unphased by the heat. We competed against 56 schools at the carnival. There were a total of 1589 individual competitors in a total of 2768 starts. Our Waverley boys should be very proud of themselves. A special congratulations to the boys who have been selected to represent IPSHA at CIS Athletics, and we wish them all the best.

CIS Rugby

Congratulations to our Year 6 Waverley boys who competed in the CIS team at the NSWPSSA Championship for Rugby Union. Taj Cooke, Harry Minards and Fergus Samba Hoare represented the College with pride at Wagga Wagga last week. They won 3 out of 3 games on the first day, made it to the semi finals on the second day, and finished the tour by winning Bronze. Amazing work – go Waves!

Clubs

We have launched our OzTag Competition this week, with a round robin of over 100 boys teamed up to play in a friendly competition during lunch times until the end of term.

We have also begun our Fitness Club after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays, keeping our staff and students busy and active!

Thank you to all the staff supporting these extra-curricular experiences for the boys.

Home Learning

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’s 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

Debating

Last week the debaters had tough competition and a tough topic. Both Waverley teams put forward strong arguments and presented their cases clearly and firmly rebutting the St Catherine’s team’s cases. The boys did themselves and Waverley very proud. Both teams won their debate!

I would like to thank our Year 10 mentor Dante Fearn for his continued support at home debates and training sessions.

Every training session was packed with tips and activities to help the junior team develop their debating skills.

As part of our Book Week celebrations, we welcomed author Reece Carter. An emerging talent in children’s literature, Reece inspired students with his passion for storytelling and creativity.

Reece shared his journey as a writer, highlighting the importance of imagination in crafting unique characters and stories. His presentation encouraged the boys to explore their creativity and consider writing as a means of expression and never to give up.

Reece’s visit was a wonderful reminder of the magic of reading and the power of storytelling in shaping young minds.

Book Week Competition Winners – Reading is Magic

Thank you to all the Junior School students who entered one or both, Book Week competitions.

This year, I received an impressive array of over 60 entries, showcasing the writing styles of Year 5 & 6 students. Mr William Roberts Head of Library Services & Applied Philosophy had a tough job judging the writing submissions, see the winners below.

Congratulations to the following students who were awarded Outstanding Achievement in Poetry Writing.

Most of the world’s knowledge has been captured in text for future generations to unlock through reading

All ages have the ability to engage with the writer through text and experience the magic of their world

Giants, dragons and even the occasional wizard can take the reader to places without limits and let all of our senses run wild

Can you imagine how peaceful and great the world could be if everyone had the chance to read and dream.

Flip the page here, flip the page there, you’ll find this magic is everywhere.

Action, adventure, fantasy or fact I could rest here all day and read books to back.

Murder or mystery, thrillers or history, I could sit in a nook devouring a book.

Chapter books or picture books, comics galore you can always read a book whether rich or poor.

You can escape in a book where rather you would be the magic in books is for you and me.

Thank you to Mrs Jenna Turnbull Innovation Coordinator & Visual Arts Teacher & Mrs Natalie Oates Head of Visual Arts for judging the Visual Arts competition.

Outstanding use of pencil. The colour layering and tonal control in the portrait is sophisticated. Being able to capture the emotion and engagement in the facial expression that books bring us all is wonderful. A very well-planned and executed work.

A Surreal composition with all elements of the drawing so well planned and considered. Outstanding use of colour and detail throughout the work.

The judges said:
Great use of colour and blending in the background of the work. Creative use of the book in the foreground and all the imaginative creatures coming from literature.

The judges said:
Unique response to the ‘Reading is Magic’ theme. An incredible amount of skill and precision in the embossed text and pattern making. A very special book mark for any lover of reading.

Clever response to the theme of ‘Reading is Magic’ and this work does have a little bit of Magic embedded.

Well-balanced composition of colour and imagery throughout. Dexter has considered and drawn each object well with a clear link to the theme.

This Term in 5 Red there has been an immense presence of strength and commitment on multiple fronts. The boys have all been toiling hard, putting their best foot forward and reaping the benefits of the strong foundations laid out from the early stages of the year.

Each learner has shown tremendous accountability towards achieving goals and entering the classroom with purpose. The boys are thriving and flourishing inside and outside of the classroom with a whole heap of positive contributions being made to our immediate and broader communities.

Continually building relationships, the start of lifelong friendships, we are very proud of all that we have accomplished so far. Join us by viewing a small snapshot of what we have been up to this Term. A video presentation put together by 5 Red’s very own Ollie Forde.

Diary Dates

Please find below some reminders about upcoming events. For all of Term 3 events, please refer to the College calendar.

Father’s Day Stall – Parents Association

Next Wednesday, 28 August (Year 5) and Thursday, 29 August (Year 6) the boys will have the opportunity to choose a special gift for a remarkable man in their life from a range of gifts.

The boys will enjoy a shopping experience at the Father’s Day stall this year instead of an online event. They will select a gift sourced from our Waverley and local community. Gifts such as, water bottles, insulated cups, glasses, socks, mugs, hats, cookie boxes and more will be available to purchase.

Gifts will range from $10 to $40 and boys will be able to pay with cash or card on the day and take their purchase home with them that day.

Boys will be able to purchase just one gift to begin with and if numbers of gifts permit, they will be invited back if they wish to purchase a second gift.

Father’s Day Mass & BBQ – Final Reminder

Fathers, step-dads, uncles, grandfathers and special men who are like fathers in the lives of Waverley College students, are invited to accompany their boys to a special Father’s Day Mass in honour of fathers everywhere.

This will be held on Friday 30th August, beginning at 12:00pm. A BBQ Lunch will follow, which will be held in the Junior School.

Please click on the invitation below to RSVP for this wonderful occasion .If you have not yet done so, could you please RSVP HERE as soon as possible.

Part of the Father’s Day celebration will include a slideshow. Can I please ask that you send through a photo of your son(s) with their fathers/grandfathers if you would like a photo included in this presentation. This needs to be emailed no later than Monday, 26 August. Please send through all photos to liturgy@waverley.nsw.edu.au

Matthew Talbot Winter Appeal

Matthew Talbot Hostel helps over 40,000 Sydney men each year in providing accommodation, health, counselling and employment assistance. Waverley has had a long history of boys volunteering in their kiosk in Woolloomooloo.

Home Starter Kit Items: these are prepared and distributed to the men when they move out of the Hostel into more settled accommodation. New items are ideal, but used/clean items in good condition are also fine.

Items desired as new, or very good condition: Warm Winter Jackets, Mens Tracksuit Pants, Long Sleeve Polo shirts or Long Sleeve T-shirts;

Items required to be new: Gloves , Underpants (Large or XL size), Socks (calf / mid-length in white sports or any colour)

All items can be brought to either the Senior School Wellbeing Centre or Junior school reception in weeks 3-6 between August 5-29.

Night Patrol Donations

Fresh Fruit – Banana, Apples, Oranges (to be brought in on Monday 2nd September)

Packet noodles, Packets of chips, Poppers (to be brought in on or before Monday 2nd September)

Junior Sport Fixtures, Training Schedules, Maps and Venues

Athletics Carnival

Last Friday the Junior School held its own Athletics Carnival at Sylvania Waters Athletics Track and we had a blast! The boys got so involved in all the track and field events, and the house spirit was high. Congratulations to all who participated and made it such a special day. A special mention to the 26 students who were selected as the Junior School Athletics Squad and good luck to their next events at the two Invitational Carnivals this Friday and Saturday and the IPSHA Athletics Carnival next week. Final House Points from the day were as follows:

Term 3 Clubs

We are offering a range of extra clubs this term to help keep students occupied between Winter and Summer Sport. I am excited to share each club’s convenor details below, should you require further information.

FunRun

Another amazing FunRun update: the Junior School has raised well over $26,000 for our four amazing charities! This is an incredible achievement and I am so excited to smash our goal of $50,000 over the remaining five weeks:

More information regarding the Colour Run will come out prior to the event. Save the date of Wednesday 25th September, when we will be hosting our FunRun Colour Run at Waverley Park during school hours. Keep up the amazing fundraising efforts, boys!

Year 6 Camp

The Year 6 camp at The Collaroy Centre was an unforgettable experience for the students, filled with laughter, adventure, and camaraderie. From the moment they arrived, excitement was in the air as they explored the beautiful surroundings and participated in a wide range of activities. Thank you to everyone who made the Camp such a success!

Kendall Robinson

The Year Six Camp to The Collaroy Centre was a great success, with students and staff enjoying the time away from the formal school environment. A big thank you to Ms Sparks and the fantastic teachers for looking after the students so well. The weather was perfect and the students were able to have experiences that will last a lifetime.

Ellis Cario

Overall a great experience there were a variety of things we got to do, everything was incredible including the food, beverages, as well as night and beach games.

Billy Irvine

My favourite thing about the camp was the activities such as high ropes, the giant swing and laser tag. I think the scariest thing was abseiling because you had to completely lean back over a cliff from ten meters up.

Home Learning

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’s 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

EXAM TIMETABLE TERM 3

All ICAS exams will be sat before school in the Learning Hub. Please ensure that your son has a charged laptop and he is on time for each ICAS exam.

Pre-loved, Pop-up Bookshop

A huge thank you to all the families who donated books for the pre-loved, pop-up bookshop.

There will be another opportunity for the students to purchase books in Week 6. The date will be confirmed and communicated to the boys.

Writing Workshop Year 5 & 6

Writing a story continuously is a fun way to work collaboratively, constructively, critically and creatively. The students in Year 5 and Year 6 showed many strong writing skills, especially when working under pressure with time constraints. I’m looking forward to reading the finished stories and sharing them with the boys.

A special thank you to Mr William Roberts who supported the Year 5 Writing Workshop.

Diary Dates

Please find below some reminders about upcoming events. For all of Term 3 events, please refer to the College calendar.

Matthew Talbot Appeal

Items desired as new, or very good condition: Warm Winter Jackets, Mens Tracksuit Pants, Long Sleeve Polo shirts or Long Sleeve T-shirts;

Items required to be new: Gloves , Underpants (Large or XL size), Socks (calf / mid-length in white sports or any colour)

All items can be brought to either the Senior School Wellbeing Centre or Junior school reception in weeks 3-6 between August 5-29.

Father’s Day Mass & BBQ

This will be held on Friday 30th August, beginning at 12:00pm. A BBQ Lunch will follow, which will be held in the Junior School.

Fathers Day Mass – Friday 30 August 2024 – Mary Immaculate Church – Request for Photos

This needs to be emailed no later than Monday 26th August. Please send through all photos to liturgy@waverley.nsw.edu.au

Junior Sport Fixtures, Training Schedules, Maps and Venues

Winter Sport Wrap

Well done to every Junior School student on their efforts over the weather-interrupted winter season.

The boys managed to get 6/10 rounds in (AFL squeezing in 7) despite rain showing up with the worst timing after a teaser of a sunny Friday.

Players showed grit and determination to do their best each game, making our Waves community proud.

Our amazing coaches have done a wonderful job at developing the skills and character of each player, and we are grateful to them.

Thank you to all the families for helping your sons make the most of the season, driving in the rain, braving the cold and managing the early morning cancellations. And especially for sharing beautiful team photos with me each week. Keep them coming!

I look forward to Summer Sport recommencing in Term 4, where we pick up where we left off in Term 1, beginning with Round 7 on Saturday, 19 October.

FunRun

Congratulations to the entire Junior School, who have raised well over $20,000 in the first week of launching our FunRun! This is a phenomenal achievement and I am so excited to smash our goal over the remaining six weeks for our four special charities:

All of the boys have been lit up by this initiative and have taken it upon themselves to raise as many funds as possible for our charities. Keep it up boys!

Rosario Squadrito and Aleks Peric (Year 5) set up a lemonade stand raising money for their FunRun. They raised $150 each which is amazing!

Year 6 Camp

We are fast approaching our exciting Year 6 Camp! Please read through the attachment sent on the App for all the details. Boys will be told their cabin and activity groups on their bus on Monday. We have planned a wonderful 3 days and look forward to spending some quality time with the students outside of the classroom.

A friendly reminder to drop off any medication to Ms Sanchez at Reception as soon as possible, clearly labelled with your son’s name and dosage.

Please let your son’s classroom teacher know if you have any questions or concerns.

Home Learning

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 the club will be closed.

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’s 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

EXAM TIMETABLE TERM 3

All ICAS exams will be sat before school in the Learning Hub. Please ensure that your son has a charged laptop and he is on time for each ICAS exam.

Book Week Guest Author – Reece Carter

Reece Carter will be Waverley’s guest author for Book Week on Friday, 23 August.

Reece is an up-and-coming author who fell in love with writing stories when he was a young reader himself, Reece wants to help the next generation of storytellers reach into the quirkiest corners of their imaginations, so they might dream up characters and larger-than-life stories of their own.

Reece’s visit aims to inspire students to grow their imaginations – and to think big!

Debating Kambala v Waverley

Both Waverley teams put forward strong arguments and presented their cases clearly and firmly rebutting the Kambala team’s cases on the topic ‘That we should ban takeaway food.’

Debating develops essential skills that are transferable to other areas: exploring ideas, developing arguments, articulating opinions, building confidence, being able to think on one’s feet, collaborating, critical thinking, connecting and communicating

I would like to express my gratitude to the parents for their support in transporting the boys to and from their debates and for their encouragement throughout the season. Special thanks to Dante Fearn for his ongoing mentorship of the boys. The boys and I feel very fortunate to have this support.

Book Week Competitions

Mr. William Roberts, Head of Library Services and Applied Philosophy Teacher, will face a challenging task in judging the Poetry submissions, While, Ms. Jenna Turnbull, Innovation Coordinator and Visual Arts Teacher, along with Mrs. Natalie Oats, Head of Visual Arts, will also have a tough role in judging the creative art pieces that interpret the theme ‘Reading Is Magic.’

Winners will be announced in Week 6. Good luck to all the students who entered.

Pre-loved, Pop-up Bookshop

A huge thank you to all the families who donated books for the pre-loved, pop-up bookshop.

6 Gold

The students in 6 Gold have had an amazing start to Term 3. They have settled into their learning routines and are thoroughly enjoying the subject content across the different Key Learning Areas.

Our focus in English is, ‘Make Yourself Heard’. Students have been reading various stories of refugees and asylum seekers that have sought a safer place, after conditions in their home country have become unliveable. In one of the tasks, students were asked to put themselves in the shoes of one of the characters and describe what the journey would have been like. Here are a couple of examples:

“We waited in suspense for the next few minutes. Mom’s eyes were watering with tears and I could see the struggle in her. She had lived in Afghanistan for over 50 years and now she had to make a decision; whether to leave all her loved ones and precious belongings behind to go to Australia, or to stay but possibly die. Eventually, Mom spoke. “We’ll go.”

“Welcome aboard,” said the captain as he stuck a hand out pointing to the boat. Slowly but surely, we trudged over to the boat still unsure if this was the right decision. The boat looked far from safe with paint and wood falling off the sides. On board another crew member greeted us and showed us to our quarters below deck. It was a small, cramped space crowded with people all the way from babies to seniors. My mind still couldn’t get around how we were doing this. The boat reeked of vomit and stinky, unshowered people. I wandered my way around the boat, weaving in and out of many other refugees, and eventually I found the sleeping quarters. I lay down on my hammock and let my heavy eyelids close.

When I awoke I could heard the soft sound of rain pattering on the walls outside. I clambered out of the ripped, soggy hammock and made my way upstairs. I was stilled amazed at the mass of refugees onboard. “Mom?!” I cried out. She was nowhere to be seen. “MOM!!!” This time I said it with a tinge of anger in my voice. my head started spinning. My senses overloaded. The rocking boat was making me sick and even worse was the smell of baby vomit in the air. This boat was quite literally a living hell. Had we made the right choice?”

Mum sat on the beach while the captain was waiting, she had a drop of sweat roll down her cheek. We all waited silently. I started to think about what would happen if we stayed, we might get hurt or trapped somewhere. I also thought about what would happen if we got on the boat, it could sink, we could get hijacked or we could even make it to the country that dad made sound so good. The captain was about to leave when mum stood up and said “said we are going”. We all got up and got onto the creaky boat, I was scared but I knew my mum would always make the right decision. Crowded, hungry and hopeful, mum looked like she was making friends as me and Hussien hid under her dress waiting for some sort of food to end up in front of us.

Mum was talking to another woman who looked about the same age as her, she had brown eyes and black hair, she was quite tall. We were about two days into the long journey. I hadn’t eaten and Mum had made good friends with a lady. Her name is Arwa and she is from a place near where i’m from. She is really nice and brought some bread with her that she shared between our empty stomachs. “Land ahead!” A man shouted, waking up almost everyone. I stood up and over the edge of the boat I could see land and a dock in the distance. With the smell of of a welcoming home I knew we had made it.

Diary Dates

Please find below some reminders about upcoming events. For all of Term 3 events, please refer to the College calendar.

St Catherine’s Muscial Moana

The students were absolutely outstanding and performed at a high level. It was a wonderful co-educational experience for our students as well as preparing them for our own musical.

They were able to see the finished product of a musical and all that it entails. Our students represented Waverley so well and were a wonderful audience.

Congratulations Oliver Simpkin!

Oliver’s work is currently on exhibition on level 2 of Customs House, Circular Quay.

Matthew Talbot Appeal

Items desired as new, or very good condition: Warm Winter Jackets, Mens Tracksuit Pants, Long Sleeve Polo shirts or Long Sleeve T-shirts;

Items required to be new: Gloves , Underpants (Large or XL size), Socks (calf / mid-length in white sports or any colour)

All items can be brought to either the Senior School Wellbeing Centre or Junior school reception in weeks 3-6 between August 5-29.

Father’s Day Mass & BBQ

This will be held on Friday 30th August, beginning at 12:00pm. A BBQ Lunch will follow, which will be held in the Junior School.

Fathers Day Mass – Friday 30 August 2024 – Mary Immaculate Church – Request for Photos

This needs to be emailed no later than Monday 26th August. Please send through all photos to liturgy@waverley.nsw.edu.au

Junior Sport Fixtures, Training Schedules, Maps and Venues

Winter Sport

We are looking forward to our final round of Winter Sport tomorrow, and wish all our Waves the best of luck! Enjoy the weekends off before Summer Sport returns in Term 4. Well done on all our Winter teams’ achievements and thank you to our families for your ongoing support.

Please remember we run a number of extra curricular activities. Review the below information and please email the co-ordinator if you have any questions about these activities for Semester 2.

Run Club – Monday lunchtimes as per Mr McKimm’s correspondence – emckimm@waverley.nsw.edu.au

Around the grounds

The Waverley College Junior School were proudly represented at the Basketball NSW State Championships over the weekend.

Playing for the Sydney Comets, Marley Fuller and Charlie Draper were active members of the team crowned under 12 Boys State Champions.

Well done to Charlie and Marley who can be very proud of this wonderful achievement.

Athletics Carnival

Our 2024 Junior School Athletics Carnival will be held on Friday, 16 August. Students will be bussed to and from Sylvania Waters Athletics Track for an exciting day of track and field events.

Parents are welcome to spectate and can take their sons home at the conclusion of the carnival by signing out with his classroom teacher.

Please read all the information in Parent Lounge > Events and Payments > JS: 2024 Athletics Carnival and action the permission slip here too.

We are looking forward to an exciting day of Athletics house spirit, races and field events!

Year 6 Camp

We held a student meeting last Thursday, 1 August to explain the ins and outs of Year 6 Camp 2024 and can see how excited Year 6 is becoming for our camp on Monday, 19 August – Wednesday, 21 August.

While we are so enthusiastic about Camp and all the joys it brings, we understand that there can be some anxiety around it.

Please ensure your sons that we will have a fun, safe Camp where they can enjoy getting to know others in the grade, face challenges in the activities, have fun outdoors, and spend quality time with their Waverley mates.

Please access the Parent Lounge to action the permission slip and remember to respond to the Collaroy Centre email with any dietary requirements (even if there are none for your son, you still need to submit the form).

FunRun

We have launched our Junior School FunRun this week and boy, are our students excited! We are fundraising for 4 special charities: Educating the Future, RUOK?, Indigenous Literacy Foundation and Edmund Rice Camps. In 2022, the Junior School raised over $100,000 for the FunRun and Educating the Future was one of our charities. They have since built their fifth pre-school in Timor Leste with the funds.

Please help your son sign up to the FunRun and set up his fundraising page HERE here.

Please mark your calendars – we will be holding our Big Show Colour Run on Wednesday, 25 September at Waverley Park!

Home Learning Week 4

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.

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’s 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

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.

All ICAS exams will be sat before school in the Learning Hub. Please ensure that your son has a charged laptop and he is on time for each ICAS exam.

LEGO Club

The LEGO Club’s Olympic-themed session was a success, sparking enthusiasm, critical thinking and creativity among the boys. The boys constructed various Olympic-inspired builds, from miniature stadiums to athlete figures & podiums.

The Olympic theme provided a perfect setting for collaborative building and friendly competition. The boys recreated iconic Olympic sports like diving, soccer, rock climbing, shooting and tennis using LEGO bricks. Some even attempted to build intricate structures like the Olympic rings & Eiffel Tower.

LEGO club not only fosters collaboration among the boys but also new friendships. The photos speak for themselves!

Book Week 2024

In Week 5 we will be celebrating Book Week at the Junior School. The theme this year is Reading is Magic.

Writing Workshop

Your son will take part in a fun and engaging writing workshop that will encourage critical and creative thinking while working collaboratively in a small group to produce part of an imaginative text, which in turn will be part of a book.

I am looking forward to working with Year 5 on Wednesday, 21 August and Year 6 on Thursday, 22 August.

Book Week Guest Author Reece Carter

Reece Carter will be Waverley’s guest author for Book Week on Friday, 23 August.

Reece’s visit aims to inspire students to grow their imaginations – and to think big!

Pre-loved, Pop-up Bookshop

An essential aspect of supporting your son with his reading is to allow him to make his own book choices. The Pop-up Bookshop will be running in Week 4 on Thursday, 15 August and on Monday, 19 August.

This year I would like to continue with a sustainable and cost-effective Pop-up Bookshop.

If you would like to help with this initiative I would like you to donate pre-loved books that will be sold a very reduced amount. The amounts raised will be donated to one of the Edmund Rice foundations.

Geography Excursion to Chinatown

On Monday, Year 6 went to Chinatown in the city. After walking through the plaza in Dixon Street, we visited The Chinese Garden of Friendship at Darling Harbour.

We learnt a lot on things about Chinese culture, including that green is known as a colour of protection and red is known as a colour of luck. We also learned that the green roofs on buildings protect us from bad spirits.

We all had lots of fun looking at all the trees, buildings, art, and even the Koi fish. We are appreciative of our tour guide George for teaching and engaging with us on the day.

Diary Dates

Please find below some reminders about upcoming events. For all of Term 3 events, please refer to the College calendar.

Excursion to St Catherine’s

All Junior school students have been invited to watch the matinee of the Junior School Musical ‘Moana’ at St Catherine’s. This will be next Tuesday, 6 August during school time. This is very timely for our students with our upcoming Musical The Lion King. We are all very excited and we can’t wait to watch the spectacular performance.

Permission is required to attend. Please log into the Parent Lounge to action the permission slip. If you have any problems accessing the Parent Lounge please contact iassist@waverley.nsw.edu.au.

SMART Goals

At the commencement of each term, students are encouraged to set SMART goals for their learning with their classroom teachers. Goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timed will set our students up for success. I have been visiting classes this week and I will continue next week to really motivate and guide them on the importance of goal setting and how to set goals that are meaningful to each individual.

Last term, all students received their Semester One Academic report and had a meeting with their teacher to identify areas for development. I encourage you to sit down and discuss the goals that your son has set for his learning so we can all work together to help him achieve it. We know that writing goals down allows students to revisit them throughout the term, encourages focus, and builds strategies to make sure they achieve their goal/s. The goals for Term 3 can be found on Page 112 and 113 in the College Diary.

Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee

A friendly reminder to please complete the Consent Form attached for the Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee. We are encouraging all students in the Junior School to participate; however, it is not compulsory. It is a free online competition that we will run in classes during Week 4 this term. More information can be found on the English Canvas page.

Father’s Day Mass & BBQ

This will be held on Friday, 30 August, at 12pm. A BBQ Lunch will follow, which will be held in the Junior School.

Fathers Day Mass – Friday 30 August 2022 – Mary Immaculate Church – Request for Photos

Part of the Father’s Day celebration will include a slideshow. Can I please ask that you send through a photo of your son(s) with their fathers/grandfathers if you would like a photo included in this presentation. This needs to be emailed no later than Monday 26th August. Please send through all photos to liturgy@waverley.nsw.edu.au

Night Patrol Donations

Once a month as part of the Social Justice program, our Year 11 students will hit the streets to feed the homeless men and women of Sydney. This initiative is run by the St Vincent de Paul Society and gives the students an insight into the vast array of people (children, teens & adults from varying backgrounds) who are homeless and the journey that each of them are on.

As this face to face experience is not suitable for our Junior School students, we are asking assistance in the form of donations.

Students in 5 Indigo & 6 Indigo are asked to donate the following items for the next Night Patrol on Monday, 5 August:

Fresh Fruit – Banana, Apples, Oranges (to be brought in on Monday, 5 August)

Packet noodles, Packets of chips, Poppers (to be brought in on or before Monday, 5 August)

Junior Sport Fixtures, Training Schedules, Maps and Venues

Congratulations swimming superstars, Jack Forde & Kai Hess!

It gives me great pleasure to share the National Swimming achievements of two of our Junior School boys, Jack Forde (5 White) and Kai Hess (5 Gold). They represented NSW PSSA at the School Sports Australia Games on the Gold Coast last week/weekend. This comes after progressing through several tough competitions against swimmers all over Sydney, from making the IPSHA team to the CIS team and then the PSSA team. Needless to say, Jack and Kai also train extremely hard before and after school throughout the year. The boys put a lot of pressure on themselves to succeed and we are so proud of them.

On Thursday, 25 August, Jack and Kai placed 3rd in their Medley Relay, Kai swimming the back leg and Jack the free leg.

Friday, 26 August, Kai got into the Finals for 50m Backstroke and ranked 7th fastest overall.

On Saturday, Jack touched the wall 4th in his 50m Freestyle heat, and swam a personal best at the competition.

Jack and Kai were in separate 4x50m Freestyle relay teams for NSW. Jack’s team came 2nd and Kai’s team were 5th.

The boys had a lot of fun, met some new friends and idols and made Waverley very proud.

Year 6 and 7 boys come 3rd overall at u12 State Cup in Camden

Congratulations to the below Year 6 and 7 boys, who were selected to represent Randwick at the U12 NSW Junior Rugby Union State Cup in Camden over the holidays. This event was scheduled to take place over the King’s Birthday long weekend but was postponed as Camden’s fields were flooded!

The team came 3rd overall in the state out of a total of 23 teams entered. Go Waves!

Paul Kelly Cup

Our Year 5 & 6 AFL Paul Kelly Cup squad represented Waverley with grit and sportsmanship on Wednesday at the Paul Kelly Cup Regional Final at Timbrell Park in Five Dock. The weather held out despite being cold, and the boys were not deterred.

We then progressed to the semi-finals and unfortunately lost against Lilli Pilli 29-19.

The boys showed tenacity and Waverley pride throughout the day and we are so impressed with their performance, having done so well in the first round last term, and showing up the way they did on Wednesday. Thank you to our amazing coaches Elise Hunt and Cian Foley for leading the boys. Well done Waves.

Athletics Carnival

Our 2024 Junior School Athletics Carnival will be held on Friday, 16 August. Students will be bussed to and from Sylvania Waters Athletics Track for an exciting day of track and field events. Parents are welcome to spectate and can take their sons home at the conclusion of the carnival by signing out with his classroom teacher. Please read all the information in Parent Lounge > Events and Payments > JS: 2024 Athletics Carnival and action the permission slip here too.

We are looking forward to an exciting day of Athletics house spirit, races and field events!

Year 6 Camp

We held a student meeting on Thursday, 1 August to explain the ins and outs of Year 6 Camp 2024 and can see how excited Year 6 is becoming for our camp on Monday, 19 August – Wednesday, 21 August. While we are so enthusiastic about Camp and all the joys it brings, we understand that there can be some anxiety around it. Please ensure your sons that we will have a fun, safe Camp where they can enjoy getting to know others in the grade, face challenges in the activities, have fun outdoors, and spend quality time with their Waverley mates.

Year 6 Man City/PE Take-over

In Term 3 our Year 6 pupils will be taking part in the Manchester City Football School Program, once per class in a double PE lesson throughout the Term. Head football coach Ben Charlton will be delivering the football sessions working alongside the junior school PE staff.

The year 6 pupils will learn to play ‘Beautiful Football’ which is the style of football developed and used by Manchester City Football Club across all age groups, from the academy to the first team.

They will also develop their individual football skills by practicing the ball manipulation skills used by Manchester City’s first team players and they will work on team development through technical and game based practices where they can practice applying their skills in game based training scenarios.

Home Learning Term 3, Week 2

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.

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’s 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

Exam Timetable Term 3

All ICAS exams will be sat before school in the Learning Hub. Please ensure that your son has a charged laptop and he is on time for each ICAS exam.

Public Speaking Competition Year 5

All Year 5 students will be participating in a school-based Public Speaking Competition this term, aimed at allowing students to develop their speaking skills.

Speaking well in public prepares you for positions of responsibility, visibility and the future. Speak up, speak well, and many opportunities will be open to you.

IPSHA Debating Waverley v Ascham

Debating has kicked off this term with one win and one loss for Waverley. The boys had their first debate for Term 3 against Ascham. The debate topic was ‘ Should we change the National Australian flag.’

Both Waverley teams put forward solid arguments and presented their cases clearly and firmly rebutting the Ascham team’s cases. The boys did themselves and Waverley very proud.

Debating develops essential skills that are transferable to other areas: exploring ideas, developing arguments, articulating opinions, building confidence, being able to think on one’s feet, and becoming a good public speaker. I’m extremely proud of the boys and their commitment to debating.

school boys debating

Book Week 2024

In Week 5 we will be celebrating Book Week at the Junior School. The theme this year is Reading is Magic.

Book Week Competitions

All students from the Junior campus are encouraged to enter one or both of the competitions running for Book Week.

Writing Workshop

I am looking forward to working with Year 5 on Wednesday, 21 August and Year 6 on Thursday, 22 August.

Book Week Guest Author – Reece Carter

Reece Carter will be Waverley’s guest author for Book Week on Friday, 23 August.

Reece’s visit aims to inspire students to grow their imaginations – and to think big!

Pre-loved, Pop-up Bookshop

An essential aspect of supporting your son with his reading is to allow him to make his own book choices. The Pop-up Bookshop will be running in Week 4 on Thursday, 15 August and on Monday, 19 August.

This year I would like to continue with a sustainable and cost-effective Pop-up Bookshop.

If you would like to help with this initiative I would like you to donate pre-loved books that will be sold at a very reduced amount. The amounts raised will be donated to one of the Edmund Rice foundations.

A big welcome back to all our Waverley College families. I hope the 3 week break gave you a chance to slow down and spend quality time with your family. We are back in full swing and excited for the term ahead.

Just a reminder that all students require a blazer in Term 3. I have noticed some haircuts that do not align with the College Haircut policy which can be found on page 28 of the school diary. If your son has been asked to have his hair rectified, please have this done by Monday Week 2.

Diary Dates

Please find below some reminders about upcoming events. For all of Term 3 events, please refer to the College calendar.

Attendance

A reminder to please see the below process for reporting your son’s absence. Parents/carers requesting permission for three days or more of leave or extended holiday periods exceeding three school days, must apply for permission from myself. Permission needs to be in writing at least two weeks in advance, and is not automatically granted. Please contact myself for approval by emailing ssanchez@waverley.nsw.edu.au.

Term 3 Curriculum Overviews

I am pleased to share with you the Term 3 Curriculum Overviews for Years 5 and 6. These documents are a guide to the learning that your son will be covering in class this Term.

I hope this is a useful document that will help you to support your son and engage him in conversation about his learning experiences at school.

Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee

The Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee is a free, online competition where students get 30 randomly selected words from their competition level and have 25 seconds to type each answer. The students with the most correct words in the fastest time progress to finals. All Junior School students are invited to participate, however it is not compulsory.

If you would like your son to participate please complete the digital Parental Consent Form by this Wednesday, 31 July.

Father’s Day Mass & BBQ

This will be held on Friday, 30 August, beginning at 12pm. A BBQ Lunch will follow, which will be held in the Junior School.

Please note: Although it is lovely that we receive quite a number of photos, can you please limit the number of photos that you send to 1 per family member (e.g. dad/son, grandad/son). This will ensure a more streamlined process in the creation of the slideshow.

Night Patrol Donations

As this face to face experience is not suitable for our Junior School students, we are asking assistance in the form of donations.

Students in 5 Indigo & 6 Indigo are asked to donate the following items for the next Night Patrol on Monday, 5 August:

Fresh Fruit – Banana, Apples, Oranges (to be brought in on Monday, 5 August)

Packet noodles, Packets of chips, Poppers (to be brought in on or before Monday, 5 August)

Holiday Sport Shoutouts

Jack Forde (Year 5) and Kai Hess (Year 5) have been on the Gold Coast representing NSW at the inaugural School Sports Australia Games. Both boys placed 3rd in their race on Thursday 25th July, and are currently swimming in more events today and tomorrow. We congratulate them for all they have achieved so far to get here, and we are cheering them on for the rest of their time at the competition. Go Waves!

Congratulations to the Waverley boys who represented Randwick in the U10 Boys State Cup with both teams undefeated.

Well done to the boys who played in the U12 Boys State Cup over the weekend at Narrabeen playing for Randwick. They represented Waverley well, winning all 4 games and only conceding 2 tries (1 v Gordon and 1 v Penrith). I am looking forward to having you back at Queens park for the remainder of the season.

Winter Sport

We are excited to commence the final 3 rounds of Winter Sport at the Junior School. Myself and the coaching staff hold high expectations of each one of our players, and look forward to an enjoyable and successful end to the season. Please keep an eye on the fixtures and Training Schedule. Fixtures are released each Tuesday. You can look ahead at the Draw for future rounds.

I would like to remind everyone of the IPSHA Code of Conduct, which you can review here. Thank you for helping Waverley maintain our high standards and supporting the boys in having fun at school sport.

Extra Curricular Activities

Please remember we run a number of extra curricular activities which are additional to Saturday sport commitments. Review the below information and please email the co-ordinator if you have any questions about these activities for Semester 2.

Athletics Carnival

Students will be bussed to and from Sylvania Waters Athletics Track for an exciting day of track and field events.

Please read all the information in Parent Lounge > Events and Payments > JS: 2024 Athletics Carnival and action the permission slip here too.

City2Surf

The City2Surf is now 95% sold out, so anyone wanting to join our Waverley team of over 230 students, teachers and families on 11 August in support of Running for Premature Babies, please don’t delay in registering!

All team members will receive a free charity shirt, and anyone who raises $300 will receive a refund of their race entry fee.

Home Learning Term 3, Week 2

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.

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’s 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

Exam Timetable Term 3

All ICAS exams will be sat before school in the Learning Hub. Please ensure that your son has a charged laptop and he is on time for each ICAS exam.

Public Speaking Competition Year 5

All Year 5 students will be participating in a school-based Public Speaking Competition this term, aimed at allowing students to develop their speaking skills.

Speaking well in public prepares you for positions of responsibility, visibility and the future. Speak up, speak well, and many opportunities will be open to you.

Book Week 2024

In Week 5 we will be celebrating Book Week at the Junior School. The theme this year is Reading is Magic.

Book Week Competitions

All students from the Junior campus are encouraged to enter one or both of the competitions running for Book Week.

Writing Workshop

I am looking forward to working with Year 5 on Wednesday, 21 August and Year 6 on Thursday, 22 August.

Book Week Guest Author – Reece Carter

Reece Carter will be Waverley’s guest author for Book Week on Friday, 23 August.

Reece’s visit aims to inspire students to grow their imaginations – and to think big!

This year I would like to continue with a sustainable and cost-effective Pop-up Bookshop.

Celebrating a wonderful Term 2!

I would like to take the opportunity to thank all families for a wonderful Term 2. Some highlights from this term have been the wonderful Year 5 Camp where the boys connected with nature, pushed themselves out of their comfort zones, and made new friendships. Both the Year 5 and Year 6 History Showcases were outstanding this year. The enthusiasm displayed and the quality of work produced were extremely high.

It was amazing to see the commitment and team spirit displayed by all students at Saturday sport and training sessions throughout the term, despite the weather. It has been truly impressive to see the sportsmanship among the students and how far they have developed as a team.

I hope the Parent/Student/Teacher interviews this week were valuable and gave you a chance to connect with your son’s teacher, go through their Semester One Report, and set goals for next term. Knowing where your son is currently academically and socially is vital in order to set new goals and reassess current ones.

I hope the break provides much-needed rest and family time. I look forward to seeing the students return to school in Term 3 renewed and ready to take on Semester 2.

WriteOn Competition 2024

Congratulations to Finn Constable. His imaginative writing has been selected as one of the top entries for the WriteOn 2024 competition. This annual contest, open to NSW primary students in Years 1-6, challenges young writers to craft a creative 500-word story inspired by a specific image. Finn’s piece stood out among numerous submissions and will now advance to the final judging round. A selected panel of school sector and NESA representatives judge the WriteOn competition.

Samuel Loughrey, Jack Bird, Silas Murphy and Alex O’Brien were awarded Highly Commended for their writing submissions.

Code Camp

Junior School Mini da Vinci Decathlon written by Waverley Students

On Thursday, 13 June, our Year 9 da Vinci Decathlon team hosted the ‘MiniVinci Decathlon’ for students in Years 5 and 6 at the Junior School.

Due to the popularity of the Decathlon held at Knox Grammar School, the event was held as an internal, student-run initiative, with four teams from the Junior School.

This competition required students to compete in teams of eight across 10 disciplines: Engineering, Mathematics, Code Breaking, Art and Poetry, Science, English, Ideation, Creative Producers, Cartography and Legacy.

Our Year 9 team took on the responsibility of supervising teams, marking papers, and overseeing the competition. This student-led initiative provided a remarkable opportunity for us to demonstrate leadership skills and quick-thinking abilities.

Overall, witnessing the level of engagement, involvement and active participation among the Junior School students was truly inspiring, demonstrating promise for future success in academic competitions for these students.

I worked on English and Engineering, as well as on Creative Producers where a team performs a one-minute performance on a given topic. This year’s topic was Going Back and Changing a Mistake You Have Made. The team I was in—Team 6.1—won the event. We got a chocolate medal, a merit, and a da Vinci Decathlon award. It was an overall fun experience.

The event was marvellously put on by some Year 9 students, Ms Barry from the Senior School and our enrichment teachers Ms Fitzgerald and Ms Edwards, and was an incredible day.

Junior Sport

We are so proud of the boys who represented Waverley at the AFL Paul Kelly Cup on Tuesday this week at Queens Park. The sun was shining and spirits were high as the boys laced up to take on their rival schools. They played 5 games overall, dominating each match to play the top team in the semi-finals.

As final teams were announced, to no surprise the Waverley boys were in. With the Waverley chant being heard from across the oval, the boys took on their opponents to win the grand final 41-2.

Highlights of the day were first goals kicked by Ziggy Sarkozy, Cillian Stankard and Bart Carmody, coach Cian getting saturated by water bottles in celebration after the win and Jordy’s fluoro pink sock and boot combination that could be seen from anywhere sprinting down the field. The boys will play at the Regional Final in Five Dock in the upcoming months.

I wish everyone a safe and enjoyable winter break, and look forward to Rounds 8 to 10 of Winter Sport continuing next term. Training will resume in the first week of Term 3.

Home Learning Term 3, Week 1

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’s 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

2024 ICAS Competitions | Years 5 and 6 students

ICAS is an online academic competition designed to assess students’  higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills in English, Mathematics, Science, Writing and Digital Technologies.

Each assessment celebrates students’ accomplishments by providing opportunities for recognition and development. Every student who participates will receive a printed certificate and an online results report. Top performers will be eligible for medals.

If you would like your son to compete in the 2024 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 & English and Mathematics.

This year all the competitions will be held in August / September, Term 3 and will be completed online in the Learning Hub before school starts. A timetable will be shared closer to the assessment dates.

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 July 23, 2024.

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. More information about the assessments can be found here.

If you require additional support registering your son contact the customer service team on 1800 931 775

EXAM TIMETABLE TERM 3

Book Week Competitions

Term 3 is nearly upon us and in August we will be celebrating Book Week at the Junior School. The theme this year is Reading is Magic.

All students from the Junior campus are encouraged to enter one or both of the competitions running for Book Week.

Pop-up Bookshop

An essential aspect of supporting your son with his reading is to allow him to make his own book choices. The Pop-up Bookshop will be running in Term 3 Week 4. This year I would like to continue with a sustainable and cost-effective Pop-up Bookshop.

If you would like to help with this initiative you can donate pre-loved books that will be sold a very reduced amount. The amounts raised will be donated to one of the Edmund Rice foundations.

Junior School Music

In Music this term, both Year 5 and 6 have been exploring the musical concept of ostinatos; or repeated rhythmic patterns found in music.

Using the viral YouTube video ‘Potter Puppet Pals: The Mysterious Ticking Noise’ as inspiration, students then recorded their own versions into GarageBand using the MIDI keyboard, following the notation of the original.

Below is an example from one of our Year 6 students; a screenshot of the project and the audio to listen to.

Diary Dates

Please find below some reminders about upcoming events. For all of Term 2 events, please refer to the College calendar.

Semester 1 Reports

Semester 1 Reports will be available next Tuesday, 25 June at 5pm in the Parent Lounge. Please take the time to go through and read the report with your son. Please have any questions regarding the Semester 1 Report ready to discuss at Parent/Teacher/Interviews.

Reminder – Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews

Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews are scheduled for Thursday, 27 June. This will be a hybrid model to accommodate those who would like to come into the school or Zoom in from work or home. Each session will go for 10 minutes. Students are required to attend this session in full academic uniform.

Bookings are now available. Please select a time with your son’s teacher by logging into the Parent Lounge.

Please note that due to Mr Horry being on leave, 5 Red will have their Interviews on Monday 22 July.

Year 5 Camp – Stanwell Tops

There was an exciting energy from all of our Year 5 students leading into the camp at Stanwell Tops. For many students this was their first time going to camp. I arrived Wednesday afternoon and it was clear that all students had quickly settled into camp life, getting stuck into the wide range of activities on offer.

In spite of the chilly weather, students embraced all the adventures and activities that pushed them out of their comfort zone each day. All staff were very impressed with the students’ involvement, engagement and support for one another.

The overall experience of Year 5 Camp gave all students every opportunity to create new memories and connections, step out of their comfort zone to face challenges and conquer fears along the way. It taught our boys about resilience, compassion and genuine mateship for one another. It was an experience the boys will hopefully never forget for years to come.

I would like to acknowledge all the Waverley staff who gave up their time to be a part of the experience, and to Stanwell Tops staff who made everyday enjoyable and memorable for our students.

Year 6 History Showcase

On Wednesday 19 June, the Junior School playground came alive with stories from across the globe as the Year 6 students showcased their Digital Migration stories as part of their learnings in History. Every student had a unique story to tell, either about a close family member, a neighbour or an Australian identity who had their own story of migration. The staff and wider community were so impressed with the quality of I-Movies, costumes and the way the students knew their characters so well. What an amazing day!

Congratulations to Flynn Gilmore for winning the Year 6 Historian of the Year, an amazing achievement.

Thank you so much to all the Parents and Carers who were able to join us on this very special day.

Art Incursion

In partnership with the Senior School Art Department, Year 5 Classes have been venturing to the Senior School to work with clay and create their own pottery. This process has allowed Junior School boys to experience a subject in a Senior School setting while also expressing their creativity.

So far 5 Orange and 5 Indigo have participated in this immersive experience with other classes to come. Year 6 will also journey to the Senior School in Term 4 to partake in an art making experience.

We thank Ms Oates very much for providing this opportunity to our Junior School students.

Semester 1 Reports

Assessment

Teachers do not rely solely on one piece of assessment to assess your child. In fact teachers will consider:

Grades

At Waverley we use an A to E reporting scale and it is important to understand what each grade represents:

An A grade means that a student is performing at Stage level above their current Stage and can do so on a consistent basis.

A B grade means that a student is performing at a higher level in their Stage in most situations.

A C grade means that a student is performing at the expected level for their Stage and meeting those outcomes.

A D grade means that a student is experiencing some difficulty at times in meeting the expected outcomes for their stage.

An E grade means that a student is performing at a level below their current stage.

Interviews and growth

Teachers look forward to discussing your son’s report at our upcoming Parent/Teacher/Interviews. It will be imperative to celebrate all grades as a measure of success in relation to individual growth from the beginning of the year to now. Teachers will then be able to provide boys and families with tailored feedback that will look to see boys continue further on the trajectory of individual growth.

Junior Sport

Despite all other matches washed out, the Yellow B AFL team had a convincing win over St Pat’s last Saturday. Congratulations to the boys for getting involved in the cold and showing great sportsmanship.

We are looking forward to the final round before the holidays. Please remember there is no training in Week 9 during the last week of Term 2. Wishing everyone a safe and enjoyable holiday break. Training and Saturday fixtures resume Week 1 of Term 3 starting Tuesday, 23 July.

Home Learning Week 8

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’s 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

2024 ICAS Competitions | Years 5 and 6 students

ICAS is an online academic competition designed to assess students’  higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills in English, Mathematics, Science, Writing and Digital Technologies. 

If you require additional support registering your son contact the customer service team on 1800 931 775

EXAM TIMETABLE TERM 3

Year 6 Public Speaking Finals

This week, we had the Year 6 Public Speaking Competition. All the boys put in an incredible amount of effort, with one stand-out student who took home the trophy! Well done to all the finalists and thank you Mr Jack Watchel, Ms Alice Curtis and James Peate for adjudicating the finals.

Congratulations to our finalists Toby Armson, Hugh Rachel, Luke Haddock, Joe Fanning, Ellis Cario, Finn Constable and our Public Speaking Champion 2024 Luke Haddock.

Book Week Competitions

Term 3 is nearly upon us and in August we will be celebrating Book Week at the Junior School. The theme this year is Reading is Magic.

All students from the Junior campus are encouraged to enter one or both of the competitions running for Book Week.

Pop-up Bookshop

If you would like to help with this initiative you can donate pre-loved books that will be sold a very reduced amount. The amounts raised will be donated to one of the Edmund Rice foundations.

Class Item – 5 White

The past few weeks have been buzzing with activity in the 5 White classroom as our students delved into various fascinating subjects, showcasing their impressive learning and creativity.

Our English lessons have taken an exciting turn with the introduction of the captivating text FOX by Margaret Wilde. This engaging tale, rich with themes of friendship and betrayal, has sparked lively discussions and deep analysis amongst 5 White students. The students have enjoyed dissecting the story, exploring the visual and literary techniques used by the author and illustrator to captivate the audience.

In History, the excitement reached new heights as students eagerly prepared for and hosted the History Showcase last week. This event was a fantastic opportunity for the students to present their newfound knowledge about significant figures and events that contributed to the colonisation of Australia. From engaging stories to creative displays, the students’ hard work and enthusiasm were evident, making the showcase a memorable event for everyone involved.

In Science, the 5 White students have been learning how to design and build circuits using copper tape, light bulbs, and coin batteries. This hands-on project has been both educational and exciting, as students apply their knowledge to create circuits that light up their vivid artwork.

I am so proud of how these young gentlemen have been applying themselves to their schooling in Term 2!

Diary Dates

Please find below some reminders about upcoming events. For all of Term 2 events, please refer to the College calendar.

Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews

Bookings are now available. Please select a time with your son’s teacher by logging into the Parent Lounge.

Please note that due to Mr Horry being on leave, 5 Red will have their Interviews on Monday 22 July.

If you have any issues attending during this time please contact your son’s teacher.

Code Camp

We are looking to partner with Code Camp again in Term 3 to offer a weekly STEM program after school. This program allows children to hone their creative skills and keep practicing through weekly sessions over the term! Their fun and engaging content ensures students learn new creative skills in a safe, educational environment.

Coding: A coding program to include weekly challenges, functions, algorithms, branching, variables, game logic, user experience and math. An 8-week program with a new project each week, and the fun doesn’t have to stop after class! Your child will be provided with their very own Code Camp World account which they can use to continue creating at home and to share their projects with family and friends.

Minecraft Engineers: Minecraft Engineers is our latest exciting blend of coding, engineering, and creativity using everyone’s favourite game. This new 8-week program is designed to pique students’ curiosity and provide a foundation in engineering and programming using a game that we know students absolutely love — Minecraft! In the first term of Minecraft Engineers, students will learn to build a rollercoaster throughout the term by learning and applying basic engineering concepts and command-based programming in an age-appropriate way.

This will be on a Monday from 3:15 pm – 4:30pm. If you are interested could you please click here

Year 5 History Showcase

On Wednesday, we hosted an educational History Showcase, where our talented students took us on an immersive journey through various historical events during the time of colonisation in Australia. The showcase was a vibrant display of dioramas, artworks, costumes, and props, each innovatively crafted to bring history to life.

Students worked diligently to recreate historical scenes with incredible detail. Adding to the experience, students donned historical costumes and created props that added authenticity to their presentations. Students were acknowledged with the following awards for Best Costume, Best Inquirer, Most Creative, Most outstanding and Year 5 Historian of the Year! It was an amazing way to celebrate the Year 5 students and their learning.

Congratulations to Fletcher Mott for winning the Year 5 Historian of the Year, an amazing achievement.

Thank you so much to all the Parents and Carers who joined us on this very special day.

Year 5 Retreat Day

Today our Year 5 students were involved in their first retreat day on their journey at Waverley College. The day began with the students attending the morning Mass at Mary Immaculate Church allowing them to reflect on their own lives and bring them closer to God. The rest of the day focused on themes of friendship, leadership, inclusiveness and being an upstanding citizen.

All activities were led by our Year 11 students including making House Wristbands and defining qualities that make good leaders and good friends. The students also had the chance to listen to some Old Boys talking about leadership qualities and opportunities beyond their schooling years.

To conclude the Retreat Day, they participated in some House team-building games including Tunnel Ball and Kick Tennis, allowing for some friendly competition and a whole lot of enjoyment.

Junior Sport Fixtures, Training Schedules and Maps

Co-curricular Sport

Despite wet and muddy conditions at CIS Cross Country, Jagger Michael (Year 5) placed 35th last week. He was a trooper in the rain and was happy with his result in the conditions. Well done Jagger!

Congratulations to Charlie Draper (Year 6) and Marley Fuller (Year 5), who represented Sydney Comets at the National Junior Classic at the State Basketball Centre in Melbourne over the long weekend, placing 12th in the Country for the U12 Boys. We are so proud of them both!

Manchester City July Holiday Clinics Now Open To All!

Manchester City coaching clinics will give girls and boys in Year 5-8 the opportunity to develop their skills and learn ‘beautiful football’ in the playing style of Manchester City, utilising the football club’s coaching and playing methodology.

Players of all abilities will be challenged to develop in a safe, fun and authentic environment that reflects how Manchester City train and develop football players. They will learn how to master the ball, play with style, dominate the game and achieve their goals.

Waverley College is one of only two schools in NSW and one of five in the entire country to offer this exceptional program.

Who: Boys & girls in Years 5 and 6 from any school
Date: Monday, 1 – Wednesday, 3 July 2024
Time: 9am – 3pm
Venue: Waverley College
Max Players: 16
Cost: $450pp

Home Learning Week 8

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 the club will be closed.

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’s 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

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.

2024 ICAS Competitions | Years 5 and 6 students

ICAS is an online academic competition designed to assess students’  higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills in English, Mathematics, Science, Writing and Digital Technologies. 

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 July 23, 2024.

If you require additional support registering your son contact the customer service team on 1800 931 775

EXAM TIMETABLE TERM 3

Drawing Club and Waverley Youth Art Prize

It gives me great pleasure to announce that 3 drawing club artists who entered the Waverley Youth Art Prize successfully won prizes last week. The students’ brief was to respond to the theme ‘Mysteries of the Deep.’ The judges – artists Jacqie Meng and Cameron Stead – picked the following artworks created by our budding artists: Junior 3rd Place Alexander Banhidi & August Bergland, Colour Is Everything and Junior Highly commended Oliver Starkenburg, The Sunken Spaceship.

6 Red Class Item

It has been a busy term in the 6 Red classroom. As Term 2 draws to a close, the boys have been hard at work completing their Summative Assessment Tasks. A highlight in the History calendar is the Year 6 History Showcase. Piecing together their knowledge of Australian history and migration, the students are in the process of making a video presentation telling the stories of their chosen migrants (parents, grandparents, neighbours or friends).

In Science, we have been learning about Sustainability relating to popular foods being produced in Australia. Students have been investigating how we can sustainably produce foods more efficiently to provide for the citizens within our country.

A few weeks ago, the 6 Red boys were fortunate to have a visit from the Writer’s Toolbox team. The Writer’s Toolbox program is an engaging and informative tool aiming to improve students’ writing. Nicky supported our class by teaching students the ‘em dash’ sentence starter. Boys were able to successfully come up with their own em dash sentences, immersing themselves in the WT program.

Diary Dates

Please find below some reminders about upcoming events. For all of Term 2 events, please refer to the College calendar.

Musical – Disney’s The Lion King Jr.

We are excited to announce that in Term 4, the Junior School will be performing the musical – Disney’s The Lion King Jr!

All Junior School students will participate in this amazing experience, and preparations and rehearsals will begin in Term 3 during Performing Arts classes. We will also be having some students from St Catherine’s Junior School join us for the main roles, which is very exciting. This is a great opportunity and a unique learning experience for our students. More information and details will come soon, so keep an eye out!

Mr Bowden spoke to the students yesterday about the opportunity to be cast as a main role (i.e. Simba, Timon, Scar, etc). Please have a discussion with your son if you think he would be interested in auditioning, as it is a great opportunity.

Koojay Corroboree 2024

I would like to congratulate Mr Burns for organising a wonderful experience for our Indigenous students and Class Captains to attend the Koojay Corroboree last Friday during Reconciliation Week.

This event was organised by the La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council and Randwick City Council to celebrate Aboriginal ceremony, tradition, and culture.

The theme of this year’s event was “Now More Than Ever,” highlighting the ongoing fight for justice and rights for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Students watched performances by various dance groups, visited cultural stalls, and had the opportunity to engage with performers and stallholders.

Junior Sport Fixtures, Training Schedules, Maps and Venues

Thank you to all students, families and staff involved in our Indigenous Round in Round 5. Each team respectfully acknowledged the traditional custodians of the lands, and showed gratitude for First Nations’ ongoing connection to the beautiful Country we are so blessed to play on.

Please enjoy the sport-free weekend this King’s Birthday Long Weekend. We look forward to Round 6 next Saturday, 15 June.

Year 6 History Showcase Invitation 2024

Please see the information below regarding the Year 6 History Showcase, coming up in Week 8.

In History this term, we have been studying Migration. Parents and family members are welcome to attend our annual History Showcase. It is a special day for Year 6 to immerse themselves in their chosen person of study, by presenting their History ‘Digital Story’ as well as an artefact whilst dressed as the person. This is an assessment we have been working on at home and in class. It is made up of:

The instructions for how students complete the above elements are on their CANVAS History page > Module 5. Any questions should be directed to your son’s class teacher.

Prizes will be chosen and awarded on the day, with special guests from the Senior School attending.

We look forward to seeing you there to celebrate all the hard work the boys have put into History this term.

Home Learning Term 2 Week 7

You can register your son here but please 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’s 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.

2024 ICAS Competitions | Years 5 and 6 students

ICAS is an online academic competition designed to assess students’ higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills in English, Mathematics, Science, Writing and Digital Technologies. 

This year all the competitions will be held in August / September, Term 3, and will be completed online in the Learning Hub before school starts. A timetable will be shared closer to the assessment dates.

Through this system, parents can pay for ICAS directly online while tests will still be held at our school. You can use the school’s access code details to register your child no later than July 23, 2024.

If you require additional support registering your son contact the customer service team on 1800 931 775

IPSHA Gala Day Barker College and Home Debate

It has been a pleasure and privilege working with the JS debate team and their mentor, Dante Fearn. Throughout the first half of the season, these debaters demonstrated incredible dedication and perseverance.

Last week, the team had an intense schedule that included back-to-back debates. On Thursday, 30 May, they attended the IPSHA Gala Day at Barker College. Under immense pressure, the boys displayed their debating skills in four rounds of debates. They earned two well-deserved wins and two hard-fought defeats.

The enthusiasm didn’t stop there. The next day, Friday, 31 May, the JS debating team hosted a home debate versing Emanuel, demonstrating their oratory and arguing abilities once again.

Drawing Club

The drawing club runs at lunchtime every Tuesday, and over the last two weeks the focus has been on drawing characters. Our inspiration was drawn from Shaun Tan – a very creative and clever artist who draws intriguing characters which are found throughout the stories he has written and illustrated.

I’m extremely proud of the dedication and commitment to drawing these boys show on a weekly basis. Not only do they have fun showing off their creative talents, but the boys are also developing new friendships.

Storytelling Through Words and Illustrations – News from 5 Blue and Ms Elise Hunt

This Term students in 5 Blue have been studying the picture storybook, The Rabbits, a work of historical fiction by Shaun Tan and John Marsden. Our deep dive into The Rabbits not only enriched the students’ understanding of the book but also significantly enhanced their analytical skills. We focused on literary techniques within the illustrations and the story’s deeper meaning about the colonisation of Australia.

Students worked hard to redesign the final page of the book to show ‘reconciliation’ beginning to take shape. The design was to include salience to draw their audience’s attention, and colour to represent the damage that has been done, as well as the hope that can be achieved.

For their learning checkpoint, 5 Blue completed a written reflection explaining the symbolism displayed in each illustration. Throughout the unit, the boys are learning to approach texts with a critical eye, exploring the symbolism and themes in the story of invasion, colonisation, dispossession, violence and destruction of the environment. In noticing body language and repeated use of symbols within the text, the boys have gained understanding of characters and appreciation for visual literacy techniques.

“We learnt about metaphors, phrases and words that represent another meaning and can express a bigger idea. Some symbols in the texts. In the book, I noticed amazing illustrations which, If you look closely, help you understand what is maybe going on in the background. For my character profile I chose one of the rabbits from one of the pages. I thought that this rabbit in general might have been a government official since it was holding an official note which in the book said “And, They, Stole, Our, Children” referring to the Stolen Generation of Indigenous children. Since the rabbit was holding an official note, which in the past might have been used to evict people from their property, it meant to me that it was a government official.”

“In my written reflection I explained the way the authors used strong images and words to express the feelings on the page and the descriptive way that they would live and work according to my chosen page. I made sure to focus on the literacy techniques that the authors used in order to bring out advantages and disadvantages of the colonisation and how the rabbits ruined the land at the time. I noticed the changing landscape which symbolises the loss of land for the Indigenous and the expansion of machines due to colonisation.”

Diary Dates

Please find below some reminders about upcoming events. For all of Term 2 events, please refer to the College calendar.

Digital Borders and Boundaries

Last week I attended a Professional Development course and the keynote speaker was Dr Kristy Goodwin – a highly sought-after digital wellbeing & productivity expert. Kristy’s a speaker, author, researcher and consultant who delivers evidence-based information about the impact of digital technologies on children, adolescents’ and adults’ health, wellbeing & learning.

She’s passionate about sharing the latest research and insights into how “digitalised childhoods and adolescence” are changing the ways that students learn, play and develop (without telling parents or educators that they need to ban the iPad, or disconnect the Internet).

Dr Kristy Goodwin cutting-edge research from neuroscience, psychology and technology and translates it into brain-based protocols to power-up performance.

3 Top Tips from Dr Kristy

Junior Sport Fixtures, Training Schedules, Maps and Venues

Co-curricular Sport

Round 4 of Winter Sport was a success with teams starting to demonstrate what they have been learning in training. With beautiful weather, we showed Waverley pride throughout all AFL, Football and Rugby games. Players are showing our three Core Values Respect, Compassion and Resilience by never giving up and being good sports.

Congratulations to Jordan Strbac, Louie Cummins and Alex Jenkins who competed as part of the CIS AFL team at Albury last week. We are very proud of their efforts over several tough but exciting games. They had a huge week of AFL, had fun swimming and getting to know other boys in their team and have returned to the Junior School ready to use their skills in their Waverley jerseys. 6 Blue were also able to enjoy supporting the boys, watching the live stream for half of their first match, with two of the CIS boys in 6 Blue. Go Waves!

Athletics Carnival

Our 5-12 Athletics Carnival is fast approaching! We are looking forward to an exciting day of races, field events, House spirit and lots of fun. Please make a plan with your son about the day and ensure he is aware of the below details:

*Further information can be found on the Waverley App > ‘JS: Athletics Carnival Permission Slip REMINDER’.

Home Learning Term 2 Week 5

NO Home Learning on Monday 3 June

Home Learning Club operates in the Learning Hub from 3pm until 4pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays during school term, unless there is a scheduled Professional Development meeting and the club will be closed.

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, and a parent’s signature will be required.

It is important to respect the rights of others to learn and work, and as such all students are expected to do their work quietly while attending the Learning Hub and minimise disturbance to others.

Important: 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.

2024 ICAS Competitions | Years 5 and 6 students

ICAS is an online academic competition designed to assess students’ higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills in English, Mathematics, Science, Writing and Digital Technologies.  Each assessment celebrates students’ accomplishments by providing opportunities for recognition and development. Every student who participates will receive a printed certificate and an online results report, and top performers will be eligible for medals.

To register your son, click here. 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 below to register your child no later than July 23, 2024.

If you require additional support registering your son contact the customer service team on 1800 931 775

National Simultaneous Storytime

National Simultaneous Storytime in the Junior School was a resounding success, thanks to the dedication and enthusiasm of the Year 8 students, Mr William Roberts and Ms Tamara Bliznjakovic. Their commitment to fostering a love of reading and nurturing the next generation of book lovers is a testament to the power of education and the enduring magic of storytelling. This year the beautifully written and illustrated text ‘Bowerbirds Blue’ was the highlight of NSS.

LEGO Club

Last week the theme of cartoons came to life. As the club continues to thrive, one can only wonder what captivating themes and challenges await in the weeks to come. The possibilities are endless thanks to the creative imaginations of these young architects and storytellers.

A New Generation of Podcasters – News from 6 Blue and Ms Jade

This term in English have been studying ‘A Different Way of Looking’. This unit has involved studying Bruce Pascoe’s non-fiction book ‘Young Dark Emu.’ We are learning about alternative ways of understanding the past, and how to unpack the rich history that lies within the culture of First Nations peoples. We started by journaling about our responses to the book and ended with our first assessment.

The first of our English summative assessments this term was to script and record our very own Podcast about our response to the text and the topic we have been learning about. Podcasts are a conversational way to share knowledge and make learning fun. We have been using the Deep Learning progression ‘Collaboration’ to learn to work in pairs on this assessment. It is important that we do not divide up the work and create separate pieces of writing when collaborating – our aim is to work on one piece and communicate with each other about how to progress. Like our school motto this year, Stronger Together, United as One.

WEEK	START TIME	DATE	ICAS EXAM
6B	8:00 am	Wednesday 28 August	Mathematics

WEEK	START TIME	DATE	ICAS EXAM
5A	7:30 am	Thursday 22 August	Science

6B	8:00 am	Wednesday 28 August	Mathematics

WEEK	START TIME	DATE	ICAS EXAM
4B	8:00 am	Wednesday 14 August	English

5A	7:45 am	Thursday 22 August	Science

6B	8:00 am	Wednesday 28 August	Mathematics

WEEK	START TIME	DATE	ICAS EXAM
3A	7:30 am	Wednesday 7 August	Digital Technologies
3A	8:00 am	Thursday 8 August	Writing

4B	8:00 am	Wednesday 14 August	English

5A	7:30 am	Thursday 22 August	Science

6B	8:00 am	Wednesday 28 August	Mathematics

WEEK	START TIME	DATE	ICAS EXAM
3A	7:45 am	Wednesday 7 August	Digital Technologies
3A	8:00 am	Thursday 8 August	Writing

4B	8:00 am	Wednesday 14 August	English

5A	7:45 am	Thursday 22 August	Science

6B	8:00 am	Wednesday 28 August	Mathematics

Diary Dates

ICAS Assessments 2024

Science Year 5

Science Year 6

Year 6 Retreat Day

Fitness Club

Winter Co-Curricular Awards Assembly

Around the Grounds

Uncle Dean’s Learning on Country Workshop

FunRun

Home Learning

Procedures

Behaviour

Year 5 Public Speaking Finals 2024

Class Item – 6 Orange

Diary Dates

Father’s Day Mass

Father’s Day Stall

Lion King Musical – 23 October

ICAS Assessments 2024

Night Patrol Donations

Athletics Invitationals and IPSHA Carnival

CIS Rugby

Clubs

Home Learning

Procedures

Behaviour

Teachers

Debating

Book Week Competition Winners – Reading is Magic

Diary Dates

Father’s Day Stall – Parents Association

Father’s Day Mass & BBQ – Final Reminder

Matthew Talbot Winter Appeal

Night Patrol Donations

Junior Sport Fixtures, Training Schedules, Maps and Venues

Athletics Carnival

Term 3 Clubs

FunRun

Year 6 Camp

Kendall Robinson

Ellis Cario

Billy Irvine

Home Learning

Procedures

Behaviour

Teachers

EXAM TIMETABLE TERM 3

Pre-loved, Pop-up Bookshop

Writing Workshop Year 5 & 6

Diary Dates

Matthew Talbot Appeal

Father’s Day Mass & BBQ

Junior Sport Fixtures, Training Schedules, Maps and Venues

Winter Sport Wrap

FunRun

Year 6 Camp

Home Learning

Procedures

Behaviour

Teachers

EXAM TIMETABLE TERM 3

Book Week Guest Author – Reece Carter

Debating Kambala v Waverley

Book Week Competitions

Pre-loved, Pop-up Bookshop

6 Gold

Diary Dates

St Catherine’s Muscial Moana

Congratulations Oliver Simpkin!

Matthew Talbot Appeal

Father’s Day Mass & BBQ

Junior Sport Fixtures, Training Schedules, Maps and Venues

Winter Sport

Around the grounds

Athletics Carnival

Year 6 Camp

FunRun

Home Learning Week 4

Procedures