Please find below key event dates you need to be aware of for the Junior School in Term 4. For all of the College events, please refer to the College calendar.
Ms Gabrielle Smith
Director of the Junior School
gsmith@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Christmas time can be a lonely and difficult time for many people throughout Sydney, therefore we are collecting donations this year, in the hope of supporting the homeless men and women of Sydney.
The Matthew Talbot Hostel provides accommodation and specialised support to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. The service aims to provide immediate support and accommodation for people at the time of crisis, as well as facilitate access to other essential services and more permanent housing.
Click here for more information
Donations Needed
Artwork courtesy Matthew Talbot Hostel
‘Kids Giving Back’ is a NFP – DGR-status charity who offer meaningful volunteering opportunities to people 6-18 years old. Our mission is to create the next generation of generosity. Our philosophy embraces the triple impact of volunteering: creating empathic and responsible kids, supporting charities, and improving the society in which we live by creating a civic-minded population.
‘Kids Giving Back’ partners with over 50 charities, and would love the support of the Waverley community in appealing our students to bring in the following essential items for Essential Care Packs.
With these donations, we enable children in the school holidays to create care packages, which are then donated to victims of domestic violence and the homeless community.
Can You Help Provide These Items For Essential Care Packs?
Thank you for your support!
Thank you to Noah Nunn (5 Indigo) for bringing this charity to our attention.
Donations for both of these charities can be handed to Mrs Coupe at the Junior School front office. We will be collecting donations up until Friday Week 7 (25 November). Your generosity and support is very much appreciated.
Mr Steve Ghattas
Assistant Director of Identity & Student Formation
sghattas@waverley.nsw.edu.au
There have been some amazing team results this season, with minimal to no disruptions to Saturday sport. I know that will continue this weekend for Round 10, best of luck to all teams and please remember to remain committed.
If your son is unable to attend, I need an email sent, or there may be consequences for unexplained absences for training and games.
Please click the button below to ensure you are up to date with fixtures and venue maps for Round 10 (Saturday, 5 November). Please keep a close eye on the Waverley College app for any further adjustments due to weather conditions or ground closures.
A small group of Waverley Junior School AFL students were invited to attend the AFL NSW/ACT launch of the Schools Strategy Tuesday, 1 November at UNSW. The launch was focused on setting the platform for an exciting 2023 and beyond in AFL in the education sector.
The event involved The Hon. Sarah Mitchell (Minister of Education), AFLW player Alyce Parker (GIANTS), and many other AFL and education people of influence.
As a key partner school and great advocate for the AFL, Geoffrey Gibbons, Jake Tobin and Marcus Strbac were given opportunities to ask questions to the panel of people mentioned, related to the new schools program. A few free AFL prizes sweetened the deal for our students to be involved.
AFL Schools Launch Event – Geoffrey Gibbons, The Hon. Sarah Mitchell, Jake Tobin, Marcus Strbac and Alyce Parker (GIANTS – WAFL)
Mr Jack Wachtel
Assistant Director of Co-curricular (Years 5-8)
jwachtel@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Click here to register your son
If your son is unable to attend, please email the College at nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au or call Reception.
Not every design and print is a success!
Over the last few weeks, Waverley students have been challenged with the 3D printer – some prints have failed and some have been highly successful. The failure depends on the design and possibly the status of the printer itself.
Designing is not an easy task. Going through the process of modifying a design takes a lot of patience and persistence. The students have discovered that going back to the drawing board and problem-solving is a must when completing any type of design task.
Beau Matheson-Rayner
Dash McDonough
Thomas Ingham
Franklin Pyke
Failed design and print
I love the enthusiasm the students bring to their weekly Drawing Club session. This week, the students focused on ‘Still Life.’ Using the Learning Hub Fiddle-Leaf Fig as inspiration, they produced the most incredible drawings. Some even opted to use watercolour paints for their drawings.
Back Row: Harvey Smith, James Ganson, Boyd Haslam, Jake Thompson, Aiden Avenell.
Front Row: Jeremy Pounder
I would like to take this opportunity to wish Cormac Maher (Year 5) and Byron Thomas (Year 6) all the best for their Public Speaking Competition next week. I would also like to thank James Peate (Year 9) for taking the time to work with the boys on their speaking skills, working on their pace, stance and voice. Both students have worked very hard to write a speech exploring the topic: When the going gets tough…
L-R: Cormac Maher, Byron Thomas and James Peate
Ms Natasha Zivanovic
Literacy & Innovation Teacher
nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Welcome to this week’s Junior Schools Nurrunga. In English these past few weeks, 5 Blue have been learning about humour, for example, slapstick satire and different types of irony. In writing, we are learning about genre and creating our very own version of the doctor text from Exploding Endings by Tim Harris.
In Geography, we have been developing our knowledge of topography. Did you know that by learning about the elevation of the area your house is in, it can help you to prepare for a bushfire? At the Junior School, a local fire department taught us that for every 10° angle that a fire travels up a hill, the fire speed doubles. Below you can see an example of some of our topography work.
In Religion, 5 Blue has been learning all about ‘All Hallows’ Eve’ and its Irish and Scottish origins, where people remember saints and people who have passed away throughout the year.
Waverley has a diversity of elevations that range between 10-90m above sea level. It has features of beaches and shops as well as a vast number of hills.
Palm Springs is a very contrasting area to Waverley because the suburb’s elevation is around 899m above sea level. It’s surrounded by a number of mountains that are a whopping 1,870m above sea level. It’s also near lots of famous deserts, including my personal favourite, Joshua Tree National Park.
Lane Cove has a very similar topography to Waverley. Surprisingly, the topography only gets up to about 122 m above sea level which is crazy to me because there seems to be a lot more large hills.
Kangaroo Valley is dissimilar to Waverley’s topography because it is surrounded by mountains that are 678m above sea level and there are also areas that are only 164 m above sea level.
Huntington Beach is very dissimilar to Waverley’s topography because it is a gradual incline that eventually reaches 118m above sea level.
Byron Bay is a very flat area that is only 20m above sea level and there are lots of greenery and farm areas.
Topography 1
Topography 2
Topography 3
Topography 4
Topography 5
Topography 6
Ms Tanya Buttling
Year 5 Blue Classroom Teacher
tbuttling@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Dear Parents and Carers
The Year 6 Academic Assessment Services (Allwell) Summary Report is now available for you to view and download on the Parent Lounge in TASS.
Warm regards,
Ms Lynsey Porter
Director of Curriculum
E: lporter@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Please find below key event dates you need to be aware of for the Junior School in Term 4. For all of the College events, please refer to the College calendar.
November
December
This week, the Junior School participated in Y-Safe sessions and found it to be a very positive experience.
The sessions encompassed and explained the many benefits of connecting and socialising online, while effectively addressing the importance of being alert to risks. Utilising real-world stories and role play, students were provided with a safe forum to explore the impact of key themes such as cyber bullying, social exclusion, and the power of bystanders who choose to stand up and contribute to positive issue resolution.
Ms Gabrielle Smith
Director of Junior School
E: gsmith@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Did you know that Leonardo da Vinci invented a parachute? . . . and a scuba mask? . . . and a robot? On Tuesday, we welcomed performers from Musica Viva’s show Davinci’s Apprentice. This show not only told the story of Roberta who faced great difficulties as a young girl who wanted to become da Vinci’s apprentice, but it also took us on a musical journey as we experienced instruments from the time of da Vinci.
We heard the Theorbo, the Viola da gamba and the Cornetto, and learned about how they are played, as well as their history and information about their construction. I found this particularly interesting as we usually only see historic instruments like these in museums.
One of the most interesting things about performances from Musica Viva ensembles, is that they share their music with us before they come to the school. In preparation for the performance, the boys have listened to the music, composed movement sequences, created spinning maple seeds, discussed Roberta’s situation, composed acrostic poems about Roberta, and researched the inventions and instruments of the time.
Ms Michelle Rollins
Music and Drama Teacher
E: mrollins@waverley.nsw.edu.au
As part of the Year 6 Graduation, I will be putting together a slideshow presentation. I would be very appreciative if you could send through a photo of your son’s Kindergarten photo (or their first day of Kindergarten, or similar), as this will form part of the presentation.
Please email your labelled photo to liturgy@waverley.nsw.edu.au by no later than Friday Week 5. Picture format as a jpeg or png files would be preferred. Please do not send through pdf files.
Thank you.
Mr Steve Ghattas
Assistant Director of Identity & Student Formation
E: sghattas@waverley.nsw.edu.au
The weather gods have been looking after us each weekend, and it is going to be the same for tomorrow’s games. It has been a great start to the season, and I wish all teams the best of luck as we approach the halfway mark of the Term 4 season of summer sport.
Please click the button below, to ensure you are up to date with fixtures and venue maps for Round 9 (Saturday, 29 October). Keep a close eye on the Waverley College app for any further adjustments due to weather conditions or ground closures.
Last Thursday, Charlie Carrano competed in the NSW State Athletics Championships for the CIS in the 100 metres. We are delighted to announce that Charlie made the semi-final and is now ranked 13th in the State. Congratulations, Charlie, on this outstanding achievement.
Congratulations, Charles Carrano – NSWCIS Athletics
Henry Walker (Year 6) recently successfully competed at the PSSA State Cricket Championships in Dubbo. Playing for NSW Combined Independent Schools, Henry’s team was undefeated till the semi finals where they lost a nail-biting match to the eventual gold medallists, Sydney North.
Henry’s strong batting and fielding performances had State selectors watching him in each game and from numerous accounts, just narrowly missed out on the coveted number 3 batting position in the NSW side. But more importantly, Henry and his team came away with the bronze medal, new mates and lots of good memories.
He is now excited about playing Cricket for Waverley College, his Club and Rep teams. A massive congratulations to Henry and the team for their achievements; the future is bright and we look forward to seeing Henry’s development.
Congratulations, Henry Walker – CIS Cricket
Mr Jack Wachtel
Assistant Director of Co-curricular (Years 5-8)
E: jwachtel@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Click here to register your son
*No Home Learning Wednesday, 2 November – Staff Meeting
If your son is unable to attend, please email the College at nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au or call reception.
This term, the students will be promoting one of their favourite books read to date with their peers, by creating a book trailer using iMovie or iTrailer.
This task not only helps students think critically and creatively to produce a book trailer, but allows them to become more technically literate using iMovie or iTrailer.
The aim of this project is for students to find new reading material that their peers recommend.
Jacob Pelletier and Jack Burrows
Ollie Baskus
The holidays are fast approaching and it is essential to continue to encourage your sons to read at home. Modelling reading at home is so important! Carve out time every day for family reading time. This can be a short time (15-20 minutes) where everyone in the family stops what they are doing and reads. It can be anything from a book, newspaper article, or magazine to a cookbook.
Children who see the important people in their lives reading will want to read even more.
Important Note: Current Year 5 students will be permitted to borrow books for the Christmas holidays.
Alex Jacques (Year 6) is the brains behind this simple idea, that has worked a treat over the last two terms. Students are encouraged to add titles of books to the Suggestion Box. Once there are 10-20 suggestions, books are ordered. This gives students a voice on what they would like to read.
If you son would like to read a book that is not in the Learning Hub, encourage him to add it to the ‘Book Ideas Box.’
I have seen an increase in reading when students select their own texts.
Alex Jacques and Harry Demetrios – Book Ideas
Happy readers receiving their book orders from the ‘Book Ideas Box’ – James Draper and George Alexandratos
Ms Natasha Zivanovic
Literacy & Innovation Teacher
E: nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au
In Geography this semester, we are learning how to execute Geographical skills such as mapping, fieldwork, interpreting graphs and statistics, analysing and creating a variety of visual representations. We will practise and master these skills by learning about content that asks us to reflect upon similarities, differences and the importance of intercultural understanding in countries, particularly those in Asia and the G20. Our aim of the unit is for students to discover how they can become global citizens.
In preparation for their major assignment for Geography this term, the gentlemen in 6 Orange conducted a quick research task, comparing Australia to an Asian country of their choosing, and then presented their findings in a visual presentation to place on our walls for inspiration.
The information presented was on a range of topics such as geographical location, size/population, major imports/exports, languages spoken, Indigenous peoples, government systems etc.
Below are a few of the completed research tasks:
Daniel Roach
Darcy Kidd
Dean Leonstinis
Jack Curtis
Maison Retif
Mr Tom Olds
Classroom Teacher 6 Orange
E: tolds@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Please find below key event dates you need to be aware of for the Junior School in Term 4. For all of the College events, please refer to the College calendar.
Today we had the pleasure of Reese Araujo leading the Junior School as the Director. Reese won this privilege through his incredible fundraising efforts at our Junior School Fun Run.
Our day began with an Assembly, where the teachers faced off in a game of Three Second Rule – Congratulations to Mr Steve Ghattas who received two release periods for taking out the competition.
The students enjoyed being able to wear mufti, which included some very colourful costumes. An ice block, a free period, and a session where they wrote kind affirmations to teachers, all contributed to making it such a great day.
Probably the biggest decision Reese made was No Homework – Week 3. I have to say, this was probably one of his most popular calls on the day!
*There will be no Home Learning Club in Week 3.
Reese Araujo
Director of Junior School
Welcome back to Term 4. I hope everyone had a wonderful and restful break. We have a very full and busy term ahead, which will include being able to celebrate your son’s academic achievements. This is also an important term with Semester 2 reports going home towards the end of term.
We will continue to motivate our students to keep working hard to achieve their goals, and to reach their full learning potential. Our students will be very busy with Summer sports starting, so it is important that you help your sons manage their time, and plan the week ahead to incorporate a balanced approach to training, home learning and assignments.
Below is the Curriculum Overview for Term 4. You will be able to see what your son will be learning in the classroom. It is clearly set out so that you can see the subject and the topics being taught across the curriculum.
2022 Year 5 Curriculum Overview
2022 Year 6 Curriculum Overview
Ms Gabrielle Bransby
Assistant Director of Junior School/Curriculum
E: gbranby@waverley.nsw.edu.au
As part of the Year 6 Graduation, I will be putting together a slideshow presentation. I would be very appreciative if you could send through a photo of your son’s Kindergarten photo (or their first day of Kindergarten, or similar), as this will form part of the presentation.
Please email your labelled photo to liturgy@waverley.nsw.edu.au by no later than Friday Week 5. Picture format as a jpeg or png files would be preferred. Please do not send through pdf files.
Thank you.
Mr Steve Ghattas
Assistant Director of Identity & Student Formation
E: sghattas@waverley.nsw.edu.au
It was a picturesque day for our first round of Term 4 Summer sport last Saturday. Thank you to all parents who took on board the parent support announcement, it was wonderful to see and hear the amount of support given to our coaches. It was equally pleasing to see our students running around enjoying themselves, with zero chance of weather interruptions and ground closures.
Please click the button below to ensure you are up to date with fixtures and venue maps for Round 8 (Saturday, 22 October). Keep a close eye on the Waverley College app for any further adjustments due to weather conditions or ground closures.
Sporting Fixtures and Venue Maps
Wizards Basketball team
Congratulations to the Wizards Basketball team who were runners up in the grand final for Easts Basketball League 12A’s Season 3 2022, which was played on the last weekend of school/first weekend of the holidays.
Congratulations, Wizards Basketball Team: Hugo Murphy, Charlie Gibbins, Ben Fernandez, Nico Peshos, Max Tuffs, Max Malley, Henry O’Donnell, Levi Dunbavin
Junior Australian Oztag Championships
Congratulations to Kalan Fisher, Hunter Leondis and Jackson MacAskill for representing the East Coast Orcas at the Junior Australian Oztag Championships in Coffs Harbour. The boys played 7 games over 3 days, making it to the Quarter Finals.
Junior Australian Oztag Championships
Mr Jack Wachtel
Assistant Director of Co-curricular (Years 5-8)
E: jwachtel@waverley.nsw.edu.au
This term in English our topic is ‘Life is an Adventure.’ Throughout this Unit, the students will be immersing themselves in a variety of short stories across all different media, from written texts to stop motion films.
The students have already shared funny and scary experiences in their own lives, from encounters with sharks and stingrays, to adventures and mishaps whilst away overseas.
They moved on to reading short texts from various authors, worked in pairs to create their own short stories, and combined that with an illustration to match. I look forward to seeing their own stop motion animations that they will create towards the end of the term.
A Short Story by Jonah Nioplias and Ben Fernandes
Hi, My name is Jonah. Jonah Fernandes. And my dog, Bijúzz, has taken my sock. She does this all the time. I am currently chasing her up and down the hallway of my house, absolutely exhausted and fed up with it.
I felt like I was about to pass out and suddenly I stepped in something wet, sticky and chunky. It had a familiar stench of leftover barbecue from last night. It was VOMIT!! With my sock in it. I looked around and Bijúzz was nowhere to be seen, then suddenly I saw her sitting in my bedroom gnawing on my mum’s brand new, fresh out of the box, 100 billion dollar Gucci high heels!
OH NO! I thought to myself. OH NO! OH NO! OH NO! I ran up to her and “Bijúzz!” I yelled, ripping the shoe out of her mouth. After I had taken the shoe out of her mouth, they had been covered and saturated in dog slobber and dug in with teeth marks. There was only one solution to this unfixable problem. It had to be the… Reverse Bot 2000! It had been sitting under the stairs collecting dust, so today was the right time to use it. Once I had opened the door, its eyes lit up in all its glory, waiting for this moment for an eternity. By a simple click of a button the machine reversed back all the way to five minutes ago.
I had sped up into my mum’s room and grabbed the heels. Bijúzz was right behind my tail ready to intercept them. I had made a tumble roll and had the heels in my grasp. I had got them! But then, I heard the creak of my house’s front door open. The only way to act this out was to- “Hi, darling. Why are you wearing my new heels?”
“I was just playing dress up.” “Ok. They look nice on you.” “Thanks, mum.”
The culmination of 6 Indigo’s Science unit on ‘Sustainable Citizens’ was to design and create a game for a younger person. All students were engaged throughout the design process and finally got the chance to put their games into action.
A lot of excitement could be seen and heard as they challenged each other to friendly competition. Well done to all boys on completing this project with the notion of using recycled materials at the forefront of their design.
Mr Steve Ghattas
Classroom Teacher 6 Indigo
E: sghattas@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Please find below key event dates you need to be aware of for the Junior School in Term 4. For all of the College events, please refer to the College calendar.
October
November
December
Welcome back, I hope you all had an enjoyable break with your boys and they are ready for another exciting term.
Congratulations to all the students who participated in ICAS Assessments. A special congratulations to the following students who received a credit or above in Writing.
Year 6
Year 5
“And sometimes I have kept my feelings to myself, because I have found no language to describe them” Jane Austen, 1811
At the Junior School, every term we allocate two periods in each class dedicated to teaching our students about mental health. These sessions are facilitated by our two Junior School psychologists, Dawn and Alex.
Adolescence fundamentally comes with vulnerabilities, and by increasing a child’s knowledge, understanding and awareness on all matters of mental health and mental wellness, helps children foster positive communication and social skills, emotional connectedness, and builds resilience, to better prepare children to overcome adversities.
With greater learning comes greater control and predictability, factors that help prevent persistent or pervasive feelings of anxiety, anger or other challenging emotions. The mental health sessions incorporate psycho-educations, interactive play, and visual and tactile activities to better facilitate learning and retention.
Sessions covered throughout Year 5 and Year 6
Ms Gabrielle Smith
Director of the Junior School
E: gsmith@waverley.nsw.edu.au
As part of the Year 6 Graduation, I will be putting together a slideshow presentation. I would be very appreciative if you could send through a photo of your son’s Kindergarten photo (or their first day of Kindergarten, or similar), as this will form part of the presentation.
Please email your labelled photo to liturgy@waverley.nsw.edu.au by no later than Friday Week 5. Picture format as a jpeg or png files would be preferred. Please do not send through pdf files.
Thank you.
Mr Steve Ghattas
Assistant Director of Identity & Student Formation
E: sghattas@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Welcome back to the Summer Co-Curricular season and the final six rounds of Summer sport for this year. I hope all families had an enjoyable and restful holiday break. It has been great seeing teams get back into training this week in preparation for Round 7 tomorrow, Saturday, 15 October.
Please click the button below to ensure you are up to date with fixtures and venue maps for Round 7 (Saturday, 15 October). Please keep a close eye on the Waverley College app for any further adjustments due to weather conditions or ground closures.
Innovation Club, HipHop Dance and Judo will all be recommencing from next week, Monday Week 2. We’re excited for each activity to be getting started again after such a great Term 3.
All session days and times will operate as normal, but there will be adjustments to Judo for Term 4. Ms Tweedie will be on leave for three weeks, beginning Week 3. The College is currently seeking a replacement teacher, and families will be informed about who that will be, or if Judo needs to be cancelled.
The College does its absolute best to secure experienced coaches each season, and we are very fortunate to have Waverley staff, Old Boys and external coaches coaching our students. Having received some feedback from parents, our coaches sometimes require more support on Saturdays. This support is needed with set up, warm ups and general team management assistance.
As I am not able to support all teams each week, I am inviting parents/carers to take on the role of supporting their son’s coach, if they’re needing it. All coaches have been informed about this. If you are able to take on this role, please inform your son’s coach. I know all coaches are very appreciative of this, but we ask that you please adhere to the following guidelines:
I would like to congratulate the following students who competed at the CIS Athletics Carnival at the end of Term 3: Charles Carrano, Oliver Burke, Louis Coleman, Vaidas Levi and Lukas Pendleton.
There were some amazing results from the day, with the opportunity to represent Waverley College and IPSHA at the highest level.
10 Years
11 Years
12-13 Years
A massive congratulations to these students, who will no doubt be taking a lot of experience away from these events.
Currently, Tennis is the only sport for which we do not have a properly modified format for the adult game in which IPSHA students of any ability can play. Over the past two years, IPSHA have been consulting with professionals within the game of Tennis, as they refined a format to suit the needs of IPSHA.
They are pleased to report that there has been significant progress made, and demonstration tournaments of the new game format and associated App are being staged.
There is a tournament being held on Sunday, 16 October at Queenwood Tennis Centre, 1110 Oxford Falls Road, Oxford Falls.
Please feel free to attend and witness the format in action.
Mr Jack Wachtel
Assistant Director Co-curricular (Years 5-8)
E: jwachtel@waverley.nsw.edu.au
If your son is unable to attend, please email nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au or call reception.
Drawing Club is not just about art! It is a place where the boys talk about their hobbies, likes and dislikes. Our last drawing session for Term 3 was inspired by Finn Doble’s free choice art. The boys were inspired by his work, creating their own Nike Air Jordan sneakers and unique colourway.
Finn Doble
Finn Doble
The students were fortunate to have the opportunity to watch a formal debate in the last week of Term 3.
This was a wonderful way to inspire and get the boys thinking about ‘Debating.’
The showcase aimed to allow students to have a better understanding of a formal debate.
James Peate and Nick Zanapalis (Year 9 Debating Mentors) adjudicated the debate, and also gave the Year 6 students an insight into Debating in the Senior School.
I look forward to working with a new group of students in the new year. Details about the tryouts will be released in Term 1, 2023.
Ms Natasha Zivanovic
Literacy & Innovation Teacher
E: nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au
A reminder for those who have not already done so, that payment for the Term 1 2023 School Fees is due today, Friday 14 October 2022.
As per the updated conditions of enrolment and as indicated on the College website from 2023, for all Years 5 and 7 enrolments, Term 1 tuition fees are charged in Term 4, in the year prior.
For those families with Edstart, please ensure you have emailed your statement through to contact@edstart.com.au
Please contact schoolfees@waverley.
Thank you.
Waverley College Finance Team
In 2022, Year 6 MacBooks will be at the end of lease. Parents have been emailed with all the information needed to choose whether they wish to purchase and retain their son’s laptop, or return the unit.
The email also contains all the payment options for those purchasing. The nomination needs to be submitted by Friday, 28 October. If no nomination is received by this date, it will be assumed that the unit is being returned.
On 28 November, iAssist will release devices that have been purchased, and collect units that are being returned.
MacBooks for those students continuing into Year 7 will be deployed at the end of the Summer break. More information will be sent out closer to the time.
If you have not received either of these emails, please contact iAssist who can re-issue.
iAssist are available Monday to Friday – 7:30am to 4:30pm. Email: iAssist@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Please find below key event dates you need to be aware of for the Junior School in Term 4. For all of the College events, please refer to the College calendar.
As Term 3 comes to an end, it has been lovely watching our Junior School students be a part of the Year 12 farewell celebrations. Final House Assemblies were held to celebrate the successes of individual students.
It was inspirational to hear how much our Year 12 students have accomplished over their time at Waverley. Our boys created farewell cards and wrote words of wisdom for the boys. We wish them luck as they prepare for their final exams and their future endeavours.
I wish all our families a safe and happy holiday and thank you as always for your continued support.
We look forward to Friday, 21 October when our highest fundraiser for the Junior School Fun Run (Reese Araujo), will be Director of Junior School for the day.
I have met with Reese and he has some wonderful activities planned for both students and teachers.
Reese received his trophy this week in recognition of raising a huge $33,400.
Well done, Reese!
Congratulations, Reese Araujo
Congratulations to all the students who participated in ICAS Assessments over the past two weeks. A special congratulations to the following students who received a credit or above:
Ms Gabby Smith
Director of the Junior School
E: gsmith@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Summer Art Club Expressions in Clay
Visual Arts Club will be offered at Waverley as a Summer activity for students from Years 5-12. It will commence Term 4, Week 2, 2022.
Visual Arts Club provides an opportunity for students to build skills in critical and creative thinking. This summer, students will be introduced to: Expressions in Clay: Texture Through Sculptural Form.
Each student will be introduced to a range of ceramic handbuilding techniques such as pinch-pots, slabs and coiling techniques to build the fundamental form for their ceramic sculpture.
Natural and synthetic textures will be used to create impressions in the clay, forming crevices to catch and control glaze. Students will be involved in the firing and glazing process, learning glaze theory to further extend their knowledge on how clay bodies react when heated.
In Visual Arts Club students will:
Cost: $110.00
Materials: all materials will be supplied (all works will be bisque and glaze fired)
Session times: select ONE from the following:
Ms Natalie Oates
Head of Visual Arts – Senior School
E: noates@waverley.nsw.edu.au
On Thursday, 15 September, Year 5 took part in their first Activism Day!
Activism Day is a celebration and showcase of the learning that has occurred through our English unit ‘Stand up and be Counted!’ It is an opportunity to consider how we can take our learning and have a positive impact on the world around us, and a chance to go out into the community and put some of our words into action.
We began our day by hearing from three amazing guest speakers: Luke Vanderziel, an environmental activist, Louisa McKimm, a Human Rights Lawyer and, Sophia Skaparis, a representative from the charity ‘Take 3 for the Sea’ and a young activist. The speakers gave Year 5 plenty of tips to apply to their own lives to make a difference, and encouraged them to use their voices to stand up for the issues they care most about.
We then put our words into action by heading off to Tamarama Beach, Waverley Park and Queen’s Park, to do a clean-up. Even from the areas we thought were clean, we collected lots of rubbish that could otherwise have damaged the environment. All of Year 5 were so positive and made a huge difference to each of these areas.
In the afternoon, we hosted the finals of our Activist Day Speech Competition. Our judges, Ms Smith, Dr Couani and Ms Sutcliffe were blown away by the quality and persuasiveness of all of the finalist’s speeches, and the passion with which they delivered them.
Congratulations to all of the finalists listed below and in particular to the overall winner, Dylan McGhee, whose speech on Climate Change was absolutely spectacular.
It was an amazing day where Year 5 were inspired to take action on the social issues they care passionately about, and a reminder that we can always make a difference. Well done to all of Year 5 for their participation and enthusiasm.
Ms Charlotte Stephens
Classroom Teacher 5 Indigo
E: cstephens@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Students have enjoyed recommencing training earlier than expected over the past two weeks of Term 3. It has been a great opportunity to help coaches reconnect with their teams, and for our students to get back into physical activity after a short break from school sport.
Training will resume on the first day back, Tuesday, 11 September in the afternoon. This does mean 6C Cricket and E/F Basketball teams will not train on Tuesday morning, due to the Years 5-12 assembly and students needing to arrive at school at 8:15 am.
Please read over the training schedule below, as there have been some training changes from the previous two weeks. I have also included the Term 4 Co-Curricular sports draw. As always, the draw can sometimes change from week to week, for varied reasons. Please utilise the draw, but always refer to the weekly round fixtures I send out on Tuesday or Wednesdays before each round.
All Extra Co-Curricular activities undertaken in Term 3 will recommence from Week 2, Monday 17 October which include HipHop Dance, Judo and Innovation Club.
Have a fantastic break. It has been an amazing finish to the term, and I look forward to summer sport returning in Term 4.
Mr Jack Wachtel
Assistant Director of Co-curricular (Years 5-8)
E: jwachtel@waverley.nsw.edu.au
>>> Click here to register your son.
Home Learning will begin on Wednesday, 12 October
If your son is unable to attend, please email nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au or call reception.
Congratulations to Cormac Maher (Year 5) and Byron Thomas (Year 6), who were the 2022 Junior School Public Speaking champions. They will be representing Waverley College at the 2022 IPSHA Speakers’ Challenge in November. We wish them all the best as they prepare for the competition.
Congratulations, Cormac Maher and Byron Thomas
Ms Natasha Zivanovic
Literacy & Innovation Teacher
E: nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Last week, the Junior School held their first ever Waverley’s Got Talent! There were many extraordinary acts throughout the three days of auditioning; singing, dancing, acting, playing an instrument and performing magic tricks.
On Friday afternoon, the Junior School came together to support and cheer on their friends who had the courage to perform and entertain us all. We were very impressed with the enthusiasm, excitement and energy that filled the room!
A big congratulations to our top three performers:
We were also very lucky to have the support of teachers who acted as judges throughout the week, in particular our Grand Final judges including Ms Rollins, Ms Hoare, Mr Johnston and our guest judge Mr Brennan who visited from the College.
We look forward to seeing the many new talented performers next year!
Ms Chloe-Jane Tweedie
Classroom Teacher 5 White
E: ctweedie@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Please find below key event dates you need to be aware of for the Junior School in Term 3. For all of the College events, please refer to the College calendar.
Did you know that Junior School students can take ‘Swim Squad’ as an extra-curricular activity? Our heated pool on the Senior School campus is 50m (Olympic-sized!), so squad swimmers can gain fitness as well as stroke technique. It’s also friendly and fun.
The Swim School offers three levels of swimming instruction:
*All swimmers must be able to swim unassisted, as there is no in-water coaching.
The Swim School operates throughout the summer months, commencing at the start of Term 4 and concluding at the end of Term 1.
>>> Click here to view detailed information about Swim Squad.
Ms Gabby Smith
Director of the Junior School
E: gsmith@waverley.nsw.edu.au
The Australian Government has an initiative for schools for mobile Dental clinic services, such as NSW Dental Care. NSW Dental Care is offering free dental screenings to students at Waverley College from 24-28 October, 2022.
The dental screening is a free of charge for eligible students aged 2-17 and provides benefits for the child for basic dental services that includes:
This service is provided under the Child Dental Benefits Scheme of the Australian Government. Early detection of decay and other dental disease is vital in preventing bigger, more painful and expensive problems in the future. Left untreated, dental disease is progressive and will result in greater discomfort, and is likely to lead to permanent problems, such as tooth loss or lasting pain.
Please ensure the form is completed by Wednesday, 21 September 2022.
This falls under the Medicare – Child Dental Benefits Scheme. Parents will need to provide their child’s Medicare number on the form. Waverley College encourages our students to benefit from this service.
This service is free for eligible students. Payment of benefits under the Child Dental Benefits Schedule is administered through the Department of Human Services. If your child is eligible, there will be no cost to you and no gap fee.
NSW Dental Care will provide these dental services within Waverley College on both the Junior and Senior School campuses. NSW Dental alongside Waverley College will ensure each student’s safety, comfort, and wellbeing.
NSW Dental Care arrives with fully mobile state-of-the-art equipment, and follows strict COVID-19 safety regulations including the staff being fully vaccinated before visiting the school. Once the check-ups are completed, reports will be mailed to parents regarding the outcome. This enables early diagnosis and preventative treatment.
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email healthcentre@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Ms Adele Cutbush
College Registered Nurse
E: healthcentre@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Summer Art Club Expressions in Clay
Visual Arts Club will be offered at Waverley as a Summer activity for students from Years 5-12. It will commence Term 4, Week 2, 2022.
Visual Arts Club provides an opportunity for students to build skills in critical and creative thinking. This summer, students will be introduced to: Expressions in Clay: Texture Through Sculptural Form.
Each student will be introduced to a range of ceramic handbuilding techniques such as pinch-pots, slabs and coiling techniques to build the fundamental form for their ceramic sculpture.
Natural and synthetic textures will be used to create impressions in the clay, forming crevices to catch and control glaze. Students will be involved in the firing and glazing process, learning glaze theory to further extend their knowledge on how clay bodies react when heated.
In Visual Arts Club students will:
Cost: $110.00
Materials: all materials will be supplied (all works will be bisque and glaze fired)
Session times: select ONE from the following:
Ms Natalie Oates
Head of Visual Arts – Senior School
E: noates@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Waverley College competed in the International Junior School Ethics Olympiad on Tuesday, 13 September. The Ethics Olympiad provides schools with a unique opportunity to develop skills in critical thinking, collaboration and communication. Students work as a team responding to questions and critiquing their own and others’ arguments, while specialist judges award points on the basis of clear, concise, critical and collaborative thinking.
An Ethics Olympiad differs from a debate in that students are not assigned opposing views; rather, they defend whatever position they believe is right and succeed by showing that they have thought more carefully, deeply, and creatively about the cases in question. The cases covered issues including war, refugees and wanting to fit in.
Year 6 Ethletes
Year 6 was strongly represented by Lachlan Crease, Harry Demetrios, Oscar Nicholson, Jeremy Pounder and Aidan Reay. The judges’ feedback indicated that Year 6 was just beaten for the Bronze Medal – a great result in such a competitive international field.
Year 6 Ethletes
The Year 5 team, represented by Xavier Bautovich, James Draper, Cormac Maher, Sam Peate and Leo Vigil, competed confidently and impressed the judges with some very creative responses, which earned them an Honourable Mention in the final results.
Year 5 Ethletes
Congratulations to both teams and to all students who participated in the Ethics group throughout the term.
Ms Deanne Edwards and Ms Margaret Fitzgerald
Learning Support Teachers
E: dedwards@waverley.nsw.edu.au
E: mfitzgerald@waverley.nsw.edu.au
It has been good having Summer Co-Curricular sport recommence this week. It will continue for Week 10, with all Thursday training cancelled due to the public holiday. Any further adjustments or cancellations will be communicated through the College app.
Please refer to the training schedule for Week 10 below, and further information about Term 4 sport to come before the end of term.
>>> Click here to view the Weeks 9 and 10 Training Schedule.
The Paul Kelly Cup team who won the regional championship back in March, finally competed for the state championship on Monday. This is the major event, where the best AFL schools in NSW/ACT come together, to compete for the infamous Paul Kelly Cup at Giants Stadium. The team were ecstatic to be playing on an AFL ground, and to represent Waverley College at the highest level possible for Junior School AFL in NSW.
Waverley made it all the way to the Semifinals, winning all games in our pool of teams. Knowing it wasn’t going to be easy, our students battled it out all day with nail biting results, to make it to the finals. Coming up against Lindfield East Public School in the Semifinal, it was clear that they had a height advantage. We fought it out to the very end, getting as close as three points behind, in the last few minutes. Unfortunately, time wasn’t on our side, and we couldn’t get in front to win the game.
Waverley College is extremely proud of how the team performed, and for the determination and resilience displayed. The players never gave up at any point of the day. The team finished 3rd overall, and definitely held their heads high for their efforts.
Congratulations to the following Waverley students for their selection to trial for the CIS Cricket team at The King’s School last Monday: Luca Valere, Henry Walker, Sam Ireland and Jack McCallum.
All students trialled exceptionally well, and represented Waverley College with the utmost respect and honour. Over 100 students attended, with a train-on squad of 24 selected to attend a second trial, the following day. A massive congratulations to Henry Walker who made it through the second trial, and has since been announced as a part of the CIS Squad of 24. A huge achievement, and one Waverley College is hugely proud of.
Luca, Henry, Sam and Jack (CIS Cricket trials)
CIS Cricket Squad (Waverley: Henry Walker)
Six Waverley boys represented the Clovelly Eagles at the Canberra 7s Rugby tournament in Canberra last weekend. They were undefeated premiers, winning 7 games from 7 games. Congratulations to these students for their involvement and deserved success.
Players: Kalan Fisher, Hugo Cummins, Hunter Leonidis, Henry Callen, Joseph Di Blasio and Charlie Meynell.
Clovelly Eagles 7s Tournament
Mr Jack Wachtel
Assistant Director of Co-curricular (Years 5-8)
E: jwachtel@waverley.nsw.edu.au
>>> Click here to register your son.
Home Learning will operate on Monday 19 September and Tuesday 20 September ONLY in the last week of term.
If your son is unable to attend, please email the College at nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au or call reception.
Guest Speakers from UNSW, Dr Ben Montet and Dr Kate Jackson, who specialise in astrophysics, discussed all things Space with the Waverley students during our ‘Lunchtime Talk’ on Friday, 9 September.
This presentation was literally out of this world. The Waverley students asked many intelligent questions about black holes, planets, stars, life on other planets and many, many more fascinating questions. I can confidently say that some of our students will be future scientists.
A huge thank you to Dr Montet and Dr Jackson for giving up their time to inspire the next generation of astrophysicists.
If you would like to volunteer to give a presentation, please email me directly at nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au
L-R: Quinn Brodie, Thomas Stillone, Geoffrey Gibbons, Jack McCallum, Isaac Tait, Beau Matheson-Rayner, Max Wu and Ned Wilson Absent: Ishaan Jeena
It has been a pleasure and privilege working with the Junior School debating team this season. Our last official debates were held on Tuesday, 13 September at the IPSHA Gala Day held at PLC Croydon.
This group of students worked under pressure to debate in four rounds. Their commitment to debating this season has been outstanding.
Next week, the debaters will showcase their skills at a live debate for the Junior School students. The adjudicators will be James Peate and Nicholas Zanapalis.
The aim of this event is to get students inspired to trial for debating in 2023, whether that be in Year 6 or Year 7.
Ms Natasha Zivanovic
Literacy & Innovation Teacher
E: nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au
In Year 6 this term, students are engaging in a Deep Learning Program connected to Citizenship. The program is built upon the dimension: Genuine Interest in human and environmental sustainability, whereby students incrementally reflect and gauge their movement along the progression.
One of our tasks is to create or re-create a game using old, recyclable, or repurposed materials. Students in 6 Red took the task further, by being mindful of the glues and tapes that they use, to ensure that these are also environmentally-friendly materials.
Students completed a design, which included a list of things they needed to collect to make their game. They then went about collecting those materials and just this week, began to create their games.
In Week 10, we will be playing all students’ games as a class, and providing feedback to them.
Mr Matthew Johnston
Class Teacher 6 Red
E: mjohnston@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Please find below key event dates you need to be aware of for the Junior School in Term 3. For all of the College events, please refer to the College calendar.
This week, we acknowledged R U OK? Day. This is a national day of action when Australians are reminded that every day is the day to ask, ‘are you OK?’ and start a meaningful conversation whenever they spot the signs that someone they care about, might be struggling with life.
On Thursday, 8 September, students were invited to make a wrist band to mark the day. A splash of yellow might be all that’s needed to spark a conversation and awareness about this great cause.
All Year 6 parents whose son is continuing into Year 7 next year, are reminded that as per the updated conditions of enrolment and as indicated on the College website from 2023, for all Year 7 enrolments, Term 1 tuition fees are charged in Term 4, in the year prior. This applies to continuing Year 6 (2022) students into Year 7 (2023). Year 7 will still receive an invoice in Term 1, 2023 for any applicable sundries, excursion fees, sibling discounts and camps. Please be advised that if this payment is not made by the due date, your son’s enrolment will be forfeited, and his place will be offered to a waitlisted candidate.
The account will be issued around 26/09/2022 with the due date for payment by 4pm on 14/10/2022.
I would like to acknowledge Noah Nunn, Harry Neylon, Taj Gadd and Oscar Litchfield who recently participated in community programs at the charity, Kids Giving Back. They were among over 500 young people who produced over 13,500 hot meals, soup, salads, fruit kebabs, breakfast boxes, snack packs, care packs and decorated tote bags, with empathetic, positive messages, which were distributed to 13 charities around Sydney.
These four very special student volunteers have helped many vulnerable people, many of whom were affected by this year’s floods. Kids Giving Back deeply appreciate their service to others and the kindness they have shown through their actions.
Ms Gabby Smith
Director of the Junior School
E: gsmith@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Summer Art Club Expressions in Clay
Visual Arts Club will be offered at Waverley as a Summer activity for students from Years 5-12. It will commence Term 4, Week 2, 2022.
Visual Arts Club provides an opportunity for students to build skills in critical and creative thinking. This summer, students will be introduced to: Expressions in Clay: Texture Through Sculptural Form.
Each student will be introduced to a range of ceramic handbuilding techniques such as pinch-pots, slabs and coiling techniques to build the fundamental form for their ceramic sculpture.
Natural and synthetic textures will be used to create impressions in the clay, forming crevices to catch and control glaze. Students will be involved in the firing and glazing process, learning glaze theory to further extend their knowledge on how clay bodies react when heated.
In Visual Arts Club students will:
Cost: $110.00
Materials: all materials will be supplied (all works will be bisque and glaze fired)
Session times: select ONE from the following:
Ms Natalie Oates
Head of Visual Arts – Senior School
E: noates@waverley.nsw.edu.au
On Thursday, 15 September (week 9), Year 5 will be taking part in our first ever ‘Activism Day’!
In our English unit ‘Stand Up and Be Counted’, Year 5 have been examining the ways in which authors communicate their passions and causes with the world. They have been working on their own speeches in class, taking inspiration from Greta Thunberg.
On Activism Day, Year 5 will hear from three speakers who have taken their passion for making a difference in the world and put it into action. We will hear from a Human Rights Lawyer, an Environmental Activist, and a representative from the charity Take 3 For the Sea.
After our assembly, we will all head out to have a positive impact on our local community by taking part in a cleanup of some of our local areas.
In the afternoon, we will return to the College for our speech finalists to give their incredible and impactful speeches to the rest of Year 5 and a panel of expert judges, who will decide on an overall winner.
On the day, we will be off site for recess and lunch, so no canteen orders will be available. Boys need to wear their sports uniform for the day and bring their recess, packed lunch, and a water bottle. A google form will be sent out to you by your son’s teacher to give your son permission to take part in the cleanup.
We are so excited about our inaugural Activism Day, as a culmination of all of the hard work happening in our English classes, an opportunity to showcase some of our outstanding change makers of the future, and a real-world application of our learning.
Ms Charlotte Stephens
Year 5 Indigo Classroom Teacher
E: cstephens@waverley.nsw.edu.au
>>> Click here to register your son.
No Home Learning on Tuesday, 13 September due to Staff Meeting.
If your son is unable to attend, please contact the school via email at nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au or call reception.
Our Year 5 students gained experience in a vital life skill – Public Speaking. Presenting to an audience can be daunting, but utilising our newly-learned techniques, each student presented an engaging speech.
The heats held during their Learning Hub sessions created a hum of excitement, and it was clear that all students were highly engaged in this initiative.
Winners were chosen and progressed to the school finals on Monday, 5 September.
The six finalists took it all in their stride, and stepped up confidently to deliver their speeches once again.
Our adjudicators Ms Emma Halpin and James Peate (Year 9) had a torturous decision to make, as the standard and quality of all competitors was so high.
Congratulations to our finalists Sebastian Karhan, Taj Gadd, Cormac Maher, Ceilim O’Kelly, Will Thompson, Samuel Powell and our Public Speaking Champion 2022 Cormac Maher.
L-R Sebastian Karhan, Taj Gadd, Cormac Maher, Ceilim O’Kelly, Will Thompson and Samuel Powell
Ms Emma Halpin, winner Cormac Maher and James Peate
Cormac Maher with his parents
Drawing inspiration from our guest author and illustrator, Sami Bayly, during our weekly drawing club session proved to be fun. The students experimented with watercolour paints. Watercolor is a wonderful, versatile medium – and one that scares some artists. The students did an excellent job experimenting with it.
They focused on the Blue-and-yellow Macaw, one of the dangerous creatures in the book The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Dangerous Animals.
Boyd Haslam
Ms Natasha Zivanovic
Literacy & Innovation Teacher
E: nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au
It is exciting that we’re near the end of Term 3, with Summer sport returning just after the holidays. With the majority of students having a rest period from school sports while Athletics has been taking place, I wanted to get Summer season training started early.
Summer training will recommence from Monday, Week 9 (Monday, 12 September) until the end of term. This will give students the opportunity to reconnect with their team and coach from Term 1, and get back to sports training. A number of teams will have new coaches, as it is difficult retaining them between two terms. Some cricket coaching positions are close to being finalised, which is why some are listed as TBA.
I have included two training schedules, as it will be slightly different for some sports in these next two weeks. Tennis and Water Polo will continue with one training, due to lack of availability on campus and externally. Please refer to both Term 3 and Term 4 schedules to be fully organised and prepared. The two documents are below:
Students are expected to pack the appropriate gear and attire for their training, as in Term 1. No students will need to bring equipment for their training, including Cricket, as there won’t be net sessions until Term 4.
Due to a Junior School staff meeting next Tuesday afternoon, 13 September, the following adjustments have been made:
The finalised Term 4 draw will be released in the final week of this term, including the address maps document and any other relevant information.
Luca Bassera competed over the past two weekends at the Australian Nationals Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Championship in Melbourne and the NSW Winter Cup in Sydney. He was awarded a silver medal at Nationals in his division, and Gold this past weekend at the NSW competition.
A massive congratulations to Luca, and moving forward, we look forward to seeing you compete at the highest level.
Luca Bassera, Australian Nationals, Melbourne 2022
Luca Bassera, NSW Winter Cup
Mr Jack Wachtel
Assistant Director of Co-curricular (Years 5-8)
E: jwachtel@waverley.nsw.edu.au
This term in English our topic is ‘Make Yourself Heard.’ Students have undertaken a close study of historical fiction and graphic novels. The main subject matter explored in these texts relate to social justice issues of the marginalised, notably, refugees and asylum seekers.
We have just finished reading Illegal by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin. As a class, we not only looked at the powerful storyline, but we delved deep into the visual techniques used in this graphic novel such as: vectors, salience, colour, body language and gaze. From this, students created their own graphic novels and annotated them in detail.
This term, the Science topic is ‘Sustainable Citizens.’ The purpose of this unit is for students to recognise that everyone’s actions have an impact on the environment. Through learning about materials, sustainability and waste, students will develop a genuine interest in environmental sustainability that is important for the survival of human beings.
Up-cycling is one area students have looked at this term. Up-cycling is taking an old object and giving it new life. Our planet has a lot of people on it and we produce a lot of rubbish, so students were tasked with finding objects at home that they could up-cycle. As you can see below, they turned their trash into treasure!
This term, the topic for visual arts is ‘Art of Asia.’ Students are appreciating and re-creating a number of art forms found in the region of Asia. Students designed their own pagoda. Their task was to examine a variety of images of pagodas and to discuss the different designs and styles, e.g. upward curving roof, many tiers. They then commented on the elements of art they could see such as: line, shape, form, colour, texture and space. Students were then tasked with designing their own pagoda. As you can see below they did an incredible job!
Ms Gaby Bransby
Assistant Director of Junior School and Year 6 Gold Class Teacher
E: gbransby@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Please find below key event dates you need to be aware of for the Junior School in Term 3. For all of the College events, please refer to the College calendar.
I want to extend a huge congratulations and thanks to our staff, students and parents/carers for their incredible support of our Junior School Fun Run. We have been blown away by the fundraising efforts of the students. A special thanks to Mr Wachtel for the organisation of this great event.
I am pleased to announce that we raised a total of $104,357.
Well done to Reese Araujo as our biggest fundraiser. I look forward to hearing what plans Reese has, when he takes on the role of Director of Junior School for the day.
I also wanted to give a special shout to all those who participated in and supported the many teacher v students fundraising events in the lead up to the Fun Run. I have included a snapshot of these events below.
Staff V Students Connect 4
Staff V Students Theatresports
Staff V Students Dodgeball
Staff V Students Soccer
Please read Mr Wachtel’s section for more details on the Fun Run.
We celebrated a beautiful Father’s Day at the Junior School today. We commenced celebrations with a lovely Mass followed by a delicious BBQ.
Thanks to Mr Stephen Ghattas for his organisation, making the day so special. A special thanks also to our Old Boys for supplying and running the BBQ.
To all the fathers and those who are like fathers to our boys in the Junior School, I hope you have a lovely weekend.
It is with very mixed emotions that I write to inform you that Ms Jennifer Hoare has taken a position at Hartford College in 2023. Hartford College is an all boys independent school, which will open its doors to students next year.
Ms Hoare has always been committed to inspiring her students to strive for excellence in all their endeavours, whilst nurturing them to become young men of faith and virtue. She always places great emphasis on working collaboratively with parents, to support the student’s educational, character and spiritual formation.
Ms Hoare will be greatly missed at Waverley College and we look forward to celebrating her incredible contribution to the school in Term 4.
Ms Gabby Smith
Director of the Junior School
E: smith@waverley.nsw.edu.au
As we hit the second half of the year, we start to see students coming to class with missing equipment. This makes teaching and learning very difficult. In next week’s Home Learning we have asked our students to make sure they are stocked up with the following items:
Red pen, blue pen, lead pencils, coloured pencils, textas, highlighters, rubber, sharpener, scissors, glue, ruler and protractor.
We thank you for your support in advance.
Year 5 were involved in a Leadership/Team building day last Wednesday, 24 August. The key themes that were focused on throughout the day were:
Here at Waverley, we are trying to instil the importance of these themes, so that our students can contribute as global citizens, and are equipped with the necessary skills they will need for the future.
The day was broken up into three sessions:
The key learning intention during these sessions were:
As you can see from the photos, the Year 5 students had a wonderful day!
Ms Gaby Bransby
Assistant Director of Junior School/Curriculum Coordinator
E: gbransby@waverley.nsw.edu.au
The Fun Run Fundraiser has seen some amazing achievements, and I am thrilled to share the following milestones reached at the conclusion of the fundraising period:
The Fun Run ‘Big Show’ took place on Friday, 26 August, and what an amazing day it was.
Students arrived in their white shirts, prepared for the unknown, but in awe of the inflatables. Once students were explained the running track, all classes were sent at different times to begin the colour run, after being sprayed with water by the local fire department. It was exciting having the fire department there to encourage fire safety throughout the event.
There was a high ambiance at Waverley Park, with music playing all around the running track. The local kindergarten were there supporting, and cheering on our students, as they made their way around the track.
The school was truly grateful to have parent helpers for the event, who were tasked with spraying the boys with the coloured powder, at various sections of the track.
Once the running time had concluded, we celebrated and awarded the highest fundraising students.
It then became time for the main event, where six staff members were slimed. These staff members included Ms Smith (Director of the Junior School) and Mr Leddie (Principal of Waverley College). This was a highlight for many students, staff and parents.
What a fantastic event, and all for such an amazing cause. Thank you to everyone who was involved and showed their support.
On Monday, 29 August, the Junior School Athletics Age Champions headed out to Sydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre to represent Waverley College at the IPSHA Athletics Carnival.
This is a significant event for our student athletes, and an opportunity to compete against all associated IPSHA schools around Sydney, at an extremely competitive level.
Congratulations to all the age champions who competed at the carnival:
U10 Students
U11 Students
U12 Students
Out of all the Waverley athletes who competed, we had five students excel in their track and field events, finishing in the top five, to progress to the NSWCIS Championships.
This will be an amazing chance for our students to compete at the highest level possible for their age.
Congratulations to the five students:
Congratulations Jayden Newrick, Vaidis Levi, Josh Raymond
Congratulations Charlie Carrano
Congratulations Josh Raymond
Sam, Alfie, Charlie, Ollie
Luka, Hugo C, Louis
Lukas Pendleton, Riley Carr and Daniel McCall were selected in the CIS Rugby team for 2022. A massive achievement, performing very well and representing Waverley both on and off the field.
Despite winning 4 games out of 5, and only going down by 2 points in the game, they lost, impacting the final placing with the team finishing 5th. All students gave it their all, and were forces to be reckoned with throughout all of their games.
Congratulations to all of the students, and what a brilliant experience to be a part of.
CIS Rugby – Riley, Daniel and Lukas
CIS Team
The Waverley students from the U12 Clovelly Reds won their grand final on Sunday, 28 August. They won 35-10 against another local team, South Coogee, at Cliff Oval Wahroonga.
They went through the season undefeated, finishing top of the ladder by 9 points, with a for and against of 280.
Congratulations to the following Waverley students in this winning team:
Cooper Mott, Lukas Pendelton, Nicholas Peshos, Riley Carr, Isaacs Matheson, Lachlan Symes, Beau Matheson Rayner, Angus Palm, Cian Brady.
The Team at Pro Performance Cricket are excited to announce their upcoming Holiday Cricket Camps where they will be offering an additional Youth aged / representative level camp for players aged 12 years and over.
All camps provide intensive individual and group skill development for players across all facets of the game.
With an excellent coach to player ratio, and a focus on a positive and fun environment, it’s a perfect opportunity for the kids to enhance and develop their games while having heaps of fun, making new friends and taking their game to a new level.
>>> Click here to view the Pro Performance Holiday Cricket Camps booking information.
Mr Jack Wachtel
Assistant Director of Co-curricular (Years 5-8)
E: jwachtel@waverley.nsw.edu.au
>>> Click here to register your son.
Should your son be unable to attend, please email the College at nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au or call reception.
Ms Natasha Zivanovic
Literacy & Innovation Teacher
E: zivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Summer Art Club Expressions in Clay
Visual Arts Club will be offered at Waverley as a Summer activity for students from Years 5-12. It will commence Term 4, Week 2, 2022.
Visual Arts Club provides an opportunity for students to build skills in critical and creative thinking. This summer, students will be introduced to: Expressions in Clay: Texture Through Sculptural Form.
Each student will be introduced to a range of ceramic handbuilding techniques such as pinch-pots, slabs and coiling techniques to build the fundamental form for their ceramic sculpture.
Natural and synthetic textures will be used to create impressions in the clay, forming crevices to catch and control glaze. Students will be involved in the firing and glazing process, learning glaze theory to further extend their knowledge on how clay bodies react when heated.
In Visual Arts Club students will:
Cost: $110.00
Materials: all materials will be supplied (all works will be bisque and glaze fired)
Session times: select ONE from the following:
Ms Natalie Oates
Head of Visual Arts
E: noates@waverley.nsw.edu.au
In 5 Indigo it has been a very busy and exciting term of learning both inside and outside of our classroom. We have focused on the theme of Leadership through Term 3, reflecting on what it takes to be a successful leader, the qualities we look for in our leaders, and, how we can be leaders in our lives.
We have elected new Class Captains, taken part in the Year 5 Leadership Day, and developed as leaders through our Year 5 Retreat Day. 5 Indigo have relished every opportunity given to them and grown as young men of faith and character. I could not be any more proud to be their teacher.
Our Science topic for Semester 2 is Earth and Space. 5 Indigo have loved asking inquiry questions about the Universe, worked collaboratively and used reasoning and problem-solving skills to order celestial bodies, and created our own playdough version of the solar system.
Look at our incredible models below:
In English, we have been investigating the ways that authors and composers communicate their passions and beliefs with the world. We read the book Mechanica, A Beginner’s Field Guide, a book set in a dystopian future where humans have not looked after the planet, and animals have become mechanical hybrids to survive. The author is very passionate about the issue of climate change.
In 5 Indigo we created our own Australianica, A Beginner’s Field Guide of Australian mechanical animals. This is a very complex text and the students in 5 Indigo showed what imaginative and accomplished writers they are, by emulating the style and language choices of the author, Lance Balchin. You can read their Australianica extracts proudly displayed on the wall of our classroom.
We are now in the process of identifying the social issues that we feel passionately about, looking at the examples of speeches made by activists including Greta Thunberg, to begin writing our own speeches. We are so excited to find out how each member of 5 Indigo will make a difference in the world.
Ms Charlotte Stephens
5 Indigo Classroom Teacher
E: cstephens@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Please find below key event dates you need to be aware of for the Junior School in Term 3. For all of the College events, please refer to the College calendar.
Ms Gabby Smith
Director of the Junior School
E: gsmith@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Incursion ‘Window to the World – A STEM Story’
What a wonderful week it was for our students last week. We made sure we celebrated Science Week in a variety of ways. We started the week off with a great incursion called ‘Window to the World – A STEM Story.’ We were lucky to have two very talented and entertaining actors who really delved deep into the world of ‘glass.’ This was very informative and a great way to introduce the theme of Science Week to our students.
In-class Experiments
Throughout the week, students were involved in some great hands-on experiments where they looked at Surface Tension.
Students completed two experiments:
Students loved the opportunity to get messy, make a hypothesis and were amazed with the results.
Live Experiments
We were so lucky to have our talented senior school science teachers come down to the Junior School to share their knowledge and skills about science. The students were blown away by the live experiments!
They loved the giant elephant’s toothpaste, the hydrogen balloon explosion and the dry ice. A big thank you to Ms Emily Pace, Ms Gemma Brown and Mr James Listberger who delivered these mind-blowing and exciting experiments.
Classes also had the opportunity to watch some great virtual ‘excursions’ online through SciFest 2022, where they were able to see live experiments. ‘Breaking Point’ was one particular excursion that focused on glass and had fun experiments. Students are still able to watch these if they missed out.
It was a wonderful Science Week, and I can’t wait to hear which Junior School students won the Scientist of Waverley Competition next week.
Ms Gabrielle Bransby
Assistant Director of Junior School/Curriculum
E: gbransby@waverley.nsw.edu.au
The celebration of fathers, grandfathers and significant others in the lives of our Waverley College Students, will be celebrated on Friday, 2 September at 12pm (Week 7, Term 3).
This will be held at Mary Immaculate Church followed by lunch at the Junior School.
Your invitation to this event has been in previous Nurrunga articles over the past few weeks.
Part of the celebration will include a slideshow. Can I please ask that you send through a photo of your son(s) with their fathers/grandfathers if you would like a photo included in this presentation. This needs to be emailed no later that Wednesday, 31 August.
Please email all photos to liturgy@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Mr Steve Ghattas
Assistant Director of Identity & Student Formation
E: sghattas@waverley.nsw.edu.au
The FunRun Fundraiser has seen some amazing achievements and I am thrilled to share the following milestones reached:
The total amount raised for the FunRun will be announced in next week’s Nurrunga, once we have calculated the final total from all the in-school fundraising events and raffles.
Feel free to pass on the following Waverley College Junior School fundraising link for other people to use, or students may send out their personal link for one last-minute fundraising push:
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/waverley-4812a57b-0562-43bd-aaca-8f442f30ea3d
You have until Monday to purchase raffle tickets:
Log on to Flexischools
Click ‘Fun Run Raffle’
Purchase Tickets
We look forward to announcing the winners on Tuesday, 30 August!
The big FunRun event was a great success today. We hope you enjoy the photos below. The full report will be added to next week’s Nurrunga once we announce the final fundraising amount.
This week, Ryan Desousa (5 Blue) returned from the Australian Swimming Championships in Brisbane, with three Bronze medals for the following Multi-Class Events:
Waverley College would like to congratulate Ryan on these huge achievements.
Waverley is very proud of you, Ryan!
Marcus Strbac (Year 6), recently travelled to Adelaide as a member of the NSW Under 12 AFL team to compete in the School Sport Australia National Championships.
Following his NSW selection from the PSSA carnival in Coffs Harbour, the team met for a three-day training camp in July at Barooga on the Murray River.
Prior to leaving for Adelaide, the NSW Blue Pups (as the team is fondly known), were invited to attend Sydney Swans training, were able to soak up the atmosphere of the SCG for team photos, and also have their jerseys presented by current Swans stars Nick Blakey and Errol Gulden. Marcus was presented with jersey number 5 – like his favourite player Isaac Heeney (Class of 2014) – a former Waverley Senior School student.
Congratulations Marcus Strbac!
Over six days, the Blue Pups were defeated in their first two games against traditional AFL states like Victoria and SA, and had extremely close games with WA and QLD, where a win could have gone anyone’s way. The NSW state coaching team was proud of the closing gap with the more dominating AFL states, and said the boys should hold their heads high. In their fifth game, NSW had a convincing win over ACT.
Kicking a goal 30 metres out, in the tournament against Western Australia, will be one of Marcus’ most memorable moments playing for NSW, along with making some fantastic and lifelong new mates.
The experience off the field with all his team mates was just as exciting as the one on the field, and he is thankful to Waverley Junior School for providing him with such a fantastic opportunity.
Marcus Strbac
Mr Jack Wachtel
Assistant Director Co-curricular (Years 5-8)
E: jwachtel@waverley.nsw.edu.au
>>> Click here to register your son.
If your son is unable to attend, please email the College nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au or call reception.
If you have entered your son in the ICAS ‘Mathematics’ exam, it will run in the Learning Hub next week. See timetable below.
Please make sure your son charges his laptop the night before. Students need to arrive at least five minutes before the start time.
| WEEK | START TIME | DATE | ICAS EXAM |
| 7 | 8am | Tuesday, 30 August | Mathematics |
Congratulations to the Junior School Debating Team who once again managed to walk away with a double win against Kincoppal.
The topic was ‘That schools should only use popular modern books to teach English.’
The adjudicator was highly impressed with Waverley’s strong arguments and rebuttals. The teams are now preparing for a Debating Gala Day which will be held at the PLC campus. Here they will debate back to back against a variety of schools.
Junior school students enjoyed a highly entertaining and engaging presentation from Sami Bayly as part of our Book Week celebrations.
Sami is an author and illustrator. Her new book is coming out in September and the Waverley students were the first to see the hard copy.
The boys were lucky to hear about all the ugly, dangerous and peculiar creatures in our world, and even have a demonstration on how to draw one!
An essential aspect of supporting your son with his reading is to allow him to make his own book choices. The Pop-up Bookshop was a great experience for the students to enjoy browsing and buying books.
Writing a story continuously is a fun way to work collaboratively, constructively, critically and creatively. The students in Years 5 and 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.
Thank you to all the Junior School students who entered one or both, Book Week competitions. It was lovely to see students’ interpretation of the theme of ‘Dreaming with eyes open…’
Ms Mary Ryan, Literacy Coordinator, had a tough job judging, see the winners below.
The judge said: A beautifully composed inspirational poem. Ryan has offered the readers (young and old) lots of ideas on how to achieve our dreams. Thoughtful use of rhyme and structure.
Dreams will always be there,
They sit in your mind under your hair.
It’s something you look forward to,
Or a thing you practise through and through.
You want to achieve it
And not quit.
Keep your eyes open
Don’t close them.
If you want to win a short distance race,
Start with your fastest pace.
You can’t win with your eyes closed,
Otherwise you should just stop and pose.
Keep them open nice and wide,
Run with swift, speedy strides.
Ace a really difficult test,
And you keep on getting stressed.
Open your eyes as wide as you can,
Calm down and make a plan.
Write down your answers one by one,
And as soon as you know it you are done.
Compose a song,
And everything is wrong.
You believe in yourself and open your eyes,
Then you give everyone a staggering surprise.
You start to sing,
And words gush out like a flowing spring.
Become a soccer star,
But you can’t shoot the ball very far.
Open your eyes and believe,
And you will achieve.
You play a game and shoot,
With a brilliant goal you celebrate with a royal salute.
You can always achieve,
If you believe.
Keep your eyes open wide,
And use them as a guide.
Don’t keep them closed,
Don’t sit and doze.
Keep them open,
Not closed.
The judge said: I love the imagery in this poem. Lots of clever repetition and contrast too. A wordsmith!
I am thinking of a giant,
I am thinking of the moon.
I am thinking oh so tall.
I will grow pretty soon, I won’t be small.
I will be so so much more.
I am thinking of a giraffe or a giant
Wait!
I have already said that.
I will be taller than the Queen’s Guards in high hats.
The taller I’ll grow the more I will show they will know.
And that is that.
It’s all in perspective
When dealing with heights from up in a skyscraper
I would look like an ant on a big piece of paper
Then down below,
I would grow and outgrow.
I am thinking so tall,
Being small is such a bore
Through the clouds I will soar
By tomorrow giraffes
Won’t seem tall
A-tall.
The judge said: Beautiful imagery in this poem which really captures the power of dreams and the imagination. Interesting structure too – one single verse captures the movement of falling and drifting out of reality and into another realm.
I wander throughout my day
strolling the woods because I could and I would.
I stumble on a patch of sticks and fall into something thick,
it’s warm, it’s cozy, it’s dozy.
I close my eyes and relax. I have to be home by sunset so I don’t plan on staying long.
I pull myself up and start on the voyage home.
With my eyes still closed I find my way into the dark, and BAM!
I see swirls of color and balls of fire,
Other planets, bursting with diversity and joy,
Like a planet of my own.
I take my first steps on the firm ground,
Then I feel weightless and calm. I drift up
then slowly start to come down.
My heart won’t stop beating with pumps of energy,
I start running to the other side of my planet,
I see the most staggering yet peaceful creatures.
I keep moving, fast.
Drifting in the air as I jump
I dash through the world until it ends
Just a faded black line.
I won’t stop running, I run thinking I’ll float,
But I fall
I fall into a small black hole, I think.
I keep falling until…
Whoosh!
In a blink, I’m back in the woods.
I look up high in the sky to see the sun start to go to bed.
I rub my eyes and walk back home.
The judge said: Great use of contrast here and I love how Kobi has interpreted the stimulus. An inspirational poem of a different nature. Subtle but extremely powerful.
I can sometimes drift into a Daydream of happy times
in moments of sadness with my eyes open
A little smile will arrive.
Dreaming With My Eyes Open again
To give me hope of happy times.
I can sometimes escape sad times
Dreaming with my eyes open.
Dreaming with my eyes open and sad moments.
To always remember I am thoughtful of others.
I dream that others can see that words can hurt.
But dreaming with my eyes open will help
Me see that those happy days will arrive.
I am home and safe to hear those words of kindness.
They always say the right things to make me see those who hurt with their words. Have problems of their own but don’t have the tools just yet
to dream of the happy times in moments of their uncertainties.
Show kindness to those people
hopefully they too will Daydream with their eyes open!
So with my eyes wide open once again
I’m ready for the day ahead.
Thank you to Ms Natalie Oates, Head of Visual Arts and Ms Jenna Turnbull, Visual Arts teacher, for judging the Visual Arts competition. See the winners below.
The judges said: ‘A collection/series of work which encompassed the student demonstrating an individual style of art making, whilst also taking the theme on a more thoughtful and conceptual idea.’
The judges said: ‘A series of work which encompassed the student demonstrating an individual style of art making, whilst also taking the theme on a more thoughtful and conceptual idea.’
The judges said: ‘This was so future focussed with an impactful meaning on the treatment of our current world. It demonstrated stylistic drawing qualities whilst using symbolism to convey key issues of our world.’
The judges said: ‘This artwork was out of this world! The detailing and the composition of the artwork was meticulously composed and well thought out.’
The judges said: ‘Such fantastic skills in painting. He has grasped a strong concept of the theme and looked beyond our own world and what might be our future.’
The judges said: ‘It was interesting to see digital art involved within the competition and students utilising their skills to adapt into art. Not only did the artwork portray an individual flair of the theme, but it demonstrated a high skill in digital art.’
Ms Natasha Zivanovic
Literacy and Innovation Teacher
E: nzivanovic@waverley.nsw.edu.au
I feel privileged and honoured to be the classroom teacher of 5 Orange. These boys have embraced Waverley College life and aim to make the most of every opportunity that is offered to them.
5 Orange believes in manners, respect, teamwork, and displaying a growth mindset at all times. The young men of this class know that life is not always perfect, and use strategies such as the ‘reset button’ and ‘changing your internal dialogue’ to get back on track.
5 Orange loves to seize any opportunity to work outside and enjoy the beautiful outdoor learning spaces that the Junior School Campus has to offer.
Mr Elliott McKimm
5 Orange Classroom Teacher
E: emckimm@waverley.nsw.edu.au
We would like to acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora nation who are the traditional Custodians of the land on which Waverley College is located. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We are committed to honouring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ unique cultural and spiritual connections to the land, waters, seas and sky and their rich contribution to society.
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