An evening of dinner and dancing to celebrate of 120 Years of Education!
Your ticket includes food from some of Sydney’s premium food trucks, draught beer and open bar.
Champagne will be available to purchase.
Dance the night away under festoon lights to the sounds of the Baker Boys 8-piece band.
Located on Campus under the stars in the beautiful Braidwood Courtyard.
Tickets $50 per person
Join us!
Click here to purchase tickets
Congratulations to all students who participated in the English ICAS Assessment this year. Waverley’s performance was strong and all students are commended for their efforts.
Merit awards are given to students who achieved within the top 50%, Credit awards are given to students who achieved within the top 25%, and Distinction awards are given to students who achieved within the top 10% of all students in Australia sitting the test.
Year 7: Toby Johnson, Matthew Park, Evan Service
Year 9: Lieme Chan, Thomas Jackson-Whitlock
Year 7: Loughlan Delaney, Christian Micallef, Leo Owen
Year 8: Lewis Hamilton
Year 10: James Birbas, Robbie Muir, Campbell Porteus
A special mention to Aodhan Williams who achieved a Distinction in the Year 10 ICAS English Assessment. Congratulations, Aodhan!
Parents/carers can log in to the ICAS portal to access their child’s results using their individual TAP-ID and PIN which has been sent to them by ICAS.
The portal breaks the test down further into different sections which will give an interesting insight into different areas of strengths and weaknesses.
Well done to all who took part.
Well done to Ecology Coordinator and Geography teacher, Ms Rebecca Sutcliffe, for her tireless work in organising the ceremony and native planting last Thursday and Friday with the Indigenous community in the Main Quad.
This very special collaboration with our Ecology and Walawaani students, Indigneous Elder Uncle Dean Kelly, Mr Kevin Heath (Indigenous Liaison Officer), Ms Marie-Anne Maakrun (Assistant Director of Identity & Student Formation) and Old Boy Costa Georgiadis (Class of 1980), has seen our traditional hedges around the statues of Mary and Edmund Rice, replaced with the critically endangered Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub, which proliferated in the region prior to non-Indigenous settlement.
Uncle Dean performed smoking ceremonies for each plant and educated students and staff about the new plantings, and the reasons why they were chosen. Old Boy Costa educated our students about the importance of connection, respect, working together and always staying ‘present.’
Congratulations to the following captains and teams who were presented at assembly this week.
1st Captain – Jack Preller
1st Team
Captain – Scott Swinburn
1st Captain – Luke White
Captain – Jamie Khov
Captain – Will Hickey
1st Captain – Hirav Gandhi
1st Team
Captain – Daniel Palacio
1st Captain – Thomas Gleeson
1st Team
Captain – Alistair Isaac
1st Captain – Paul Muir
Captain – Liam Athanassiou
1st Captain – Felix Turinui
1st Team
Captain – Sam Johnson
1st Captain – Hugo Kulscar
Captain – Matt Woods
After 37 Years of distinguished service to boys, parents, staff and the community, Ms Audrey Coupe will retire at the end of this year. Over this time, Audrey has provided amazing support to Headmasters and Directors of Junior School. She has run both campuses and supported key personnel, whilst also meeting the needs of families. Audrey has ensured the College got through the storms and shone at all other times. She has put her heart and soul into the College, and left a wonderful legacy of care and service for others. Many an Old Boy remembers fondly the impact she made in their life, long after they left the College. We will thank and acknowledge Audrey at the end of this term and I wish her a wonderful end to her career at the College.
After 47 years of distinguished service to the boys, staff, parents and community, Mr Chris Blenkinsopp will retire from full-time teaching at the end of this year. Over his time at the College, Chris has shared his passion of Music with many students through camps, musicals, and tours to Europe, China and the USA. Chris has been an integral member of the Music Department, and inspired many students to pursue and develop their musical talents. Chris was Head of the Music Department from 1992 – 2005. He has also assisted with many College and community bands over the years, and left a significant mark with all of them. The Cadet program has benefited from his many hours of service and tuition. We will thank and acknowledge Chris at the end of this term, and I wish him a wonderful end to his career at the College.
Welcome to Ms Helen Barrie, Head of Academic Enrichment, who started with us this week. Helen has nine years teaching/leadership experience in a leading Government School in Sydney. Most recently, she has held the position of Head Teacher – Teaching & Learning, working closely with the leadership team to develop and implement a number of key frameworks within the school. In this role, she implemented the Department of Education’s High Potential and Gifted Education. Helen has also spent time working with the Education Department as a member of the HSC Strategy Team, looking at ways to enhance outcomes for students across the departments. We are very excited to have Helen join Waverley College.
Congratulations to Mr Nic Brophy who is acting as Head of History for the first half of Term 4, whilst Mr Barry Smith is away on leave.
Farewell and thank you to Mr Walter De Vecchis and Mr Simon Finegan, both from the Campus team, who have contributed significantly to the College Campus team this year. Simon has accepted a position with the Opera House and Walter is travelling overseas to visit family. We wish them both all the very best.
Drug and alcohol expert, Paul Dillon, returns to Waverley College presenting to Years 10 and 11, as well a parent session at 6pm on Thursday, 3 November. Paul has been working in the area of drug education for more than 30 years.
The College has responded to feedback from the Parents’ Association and will hold the parent session via Zoom.
Paul regularly appears in the media and is regarded as a key social commentator, with interviews on television programs such as Sunrise, TODAY and The Project. Paul also writes a blog where he discusses topical issues of the day, as well as addressing some of the questions and queries he is regularly asked by those attending his presentations.
Paul’s presentations cover a variety of drug and alcohol-related issues, including the decline in alcohol consumption and the rise in vape use. Interestingly, he sees online gambling as an area of increasing concern for adolescent boys. This issue has previously been identified at the College and discussed at House Meetings, College Assembles, Mentor Groups as well as in PDHPE lessons.
Our Wellbeing Framework relies heavily on the parent partnership. I encourage all parents to log in to Paul’s session on the Thursday, 3 November. It is sure to be an entertaining and informative presentation. The parent session is titled ‘Vaping – short and sweet: What do parents need to know?
Vaping (the use of electronic cigarettes, e-cigarettes or ‘vapes’) has become a growing issue for many parents and carers across the country. Waverley College is not immune to this. This session will provide up-to-date and accurate information on the use of e-cigarettes and vaping, including the potential harms associated with the use of these devices, particularly for young people.
Practical advice will also be provided on how to talk to young people about vaping, as well as some possible responses that parents/carers can use, should their child attempt to challenge them in this complex area.
Click to join the Zoom meeting
Meeting ID: 814 7077 9076
Passcode: 224589
Mr Patrick Brennan
Deputy Principal, Student & Staff Wellbeing
E: pbrennan@waverley.nsw.edu.au
We’re excited to announce that Elevate Education will be hosting a free webinar for our parents/carers on Wednesday, 26 October, titled ‘How to Help Your Child Manage Their Time.’
Elevate Education works with our students, delivering high-impact workshops on study skills, motivation, wellbeing, and exam preparation.
By tuning into their webinar series, you will learn how you can help better support your children at home, through reinforcing the skills they learn at school.
In this webinar, Elevate will be showing parents/carers how to:
1. Align family expectations on homework
2. Work with your child on managing other activities such as your child’s hobbies or sports
3. Create the best weekly planner tool for your child
Wednesday, 26 October, 6:30pm (AEDT)
Register Now to Reserve Your Spot
Congratulations to all students who took part in the Science ICAS assessment this term. There were a total of 52 students who sat the test across Year 7 to Year 10.
Merit awards are given to students who achieved within the top 50%, Credit awards are given to students who achieved within the top 25%, and Distinction awards are given to students who achieved within the top 10% of all students in Australia sitting the test.
A special mention to Aidan Murray who achieved a Distinction in the Year 10 ICAS Science assessment. Congratulations, Aidan!
Parents can log in to the ICAS portal to access their child’s results, using their individual TAP-ID and PIN which was sent to them by ICAS.
The portal breaks the test down further into different sections, which gives an interesting insight into different areas of strength and weakness.
Well done to all who took part. We look forward to you testing your scientific skills even further next year!
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 lead to permanent problems, such as tooth loss or lasting pain.
COVID-19 Guidelines for Dental Services
Consent Form Process and Procedures
Click below to view and complete a consent form if you would like your child to receive a dental consultation
Please ensure the form is completed by 22 October 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
You are invited to attend the Annual Parents’ Association AGM on Tuesday, 8 November at 6pm in the Senior School Library. There will be time for a light refreshment and a face-to-face catch-up, as well as the AGM Agenda.
**Please note that this event had previously been scheduled for Tuesday, 1 November.**
We are still taking expressions of interest for three positions in the Committee – Treasurer, Secretary and President. Please email me if you would like to get involved.
We look forward to seeing you on the 8th.
Waverley College invites applications to join us as a Canteen Assistant to start during Term 4, 2022.
The responsibilities of this position will be to assist with the preparation and serving of meals and refreshments to the student community and College staff.
Applications close: Wednesday, 1 November 2023
Click here for more information about this permanent role
I wish all students a successful and enjoyable Term 4. Term 4 always moves very quickly, please ensure your son hits the ground running, and is well organised for upcoming assessments, and gets into a good study routine early. Finishing the year strongly should be his goal. We offer special prayers and wishes for our Year 12s who started their HSC examinations on Wednesday this week.
Mr Leddie and Ms Porter with Year 12 (2022) on Day 1 of the HSC
On Monday of this week, our teaching staff continued their participation in the specialised Association of Independent Schools (AISNSW) program ‘Deep Learning.’ The Program supports teachers to incorporate the learning competencies (6Cs) into their whole school teaching and learning programs to underpin the curriculum.
Deep Learning integrates academic skills with personal and social capabilities, and gives priorities to those capabilities and dispositions that support whole-school learning and living.
The 6Cs include:
At the end of last term our four College Captains were announced for 2023:
This week, we would like to announce the following boys as House Captain and Prefect positions. Congratulations to all these students:
Charlie Smith – House Captain
Liam Russell – House Prefect
Jack Crotty – House Prefect
Mackenzie Palmer – House Prefect
Thomas Shaninian – House Prefect
Tom Gleeson – House Captain
Jacob Hassan – House Prefect
Carter Steyn – House Prefect
Carter Hjorring – House Prefect
Jonas Dowling – House Prefect
Alistair Isaac – House Captain
Tom Hughes – House Prefect
Harrison Lee – House Prefect
Sam Johnson – House Prefect
Kai Jones – House Prefect
Frederick Le Vay – House Captain
Aiden Pascoe – House Prefect
Ethan Williams – House Prefect
Marcus Antonio – House Prefect
Will O’Connor – House Prefect
Jack Preller – House Captain
Matthew Woods – House Prefect
Will Mood – House Prefect
Harry Makatoa – House Prefect
Luke White – House Prefect
Mitchell Cahill – House Captain
Jake Perks – House Prefect
Toby Neilsen – House Prefect
Ruben Stock – House Prefect
Tom Stewart – House Captain
Charles Hely-Hammond – House Prefect
Noah Tofaeono – House Prefect
Darcy Standfield – House Prefect
Thomas Walker – House Prefect
Felix Turinui – House Captain
Jett McTavish – House Prefect
James Iatrou – House Prefect
Angus Birrell – House Prefect
Hugh McDonald – House Prefect
‘Effective schools keep up to date with developments in research and professional knowledge.’
(Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), 2016)
Waverley College strives for every student to be engaged, challenged and learning successfully. We recognise that highly effective teaching is the key to achieving this. Educational research affirms “that engaging teachers in high quality professional learning is the most successful way to improve teacher effectiveness and hence improve student outcomes.” (Greenwald, Hedges & Laine 1995; Guskey & Huberman 1995; Elmore & Burney 1997; Hawley & Valli 1999; Elmore 2002).
This week, the teaching staff had the pleasure of Jorga Marrum – lead educational consultant from the AIS (Association of Independent schools) – facilitate our Professional Learning day on Deep Learning. Jorga has been working closely with Heads of Department and Curriculum teams for the last 18 months, designing inquiry units across Years 5-10 in English, Science, Visual Arts and Geography. She will continue to work with design teams for the next 18 months to deepen units of work across all KLAs.
Deep learning is the process of students acquiring the six Global Competencies: Character, Citizenship, Collaboration, Communication, Creativity, and Critical Thinking. These skills and attributes are essential for learners to flourish as citizens, and to engage and innovate successfully in our increasingly complex and connected world.
Deep Learning moves students beyond surface knowledge by creating learning experiences where students go deeper in knowledge, standards and assessment. Students are actively involved in the learning process as co-designers and co-learners.
Deepening units of work enlivens our Teaching & Learning Framework. A framework inspired by EREA’s ‘Liberating Practice’ and Australia’s national goal of all young people becoming ‘successful lifelong learners, confident and creative individuals, and active and informed citizens.’ (Department of Education, Skills and Employment, 2021).
I look forward to keeping you updated on our exciting Deep Learning journey, as well as sharing and celebrating student work.
Drug and alcohol expert, Paul Dillon, returns to Waverley College presenting to Years 10 and 11, as well a parent session at 6pm on Thursday, 3 November. Paul has been working in the area of drug education for more than 30 years.
The College has responded to feedback from the Parents’ Association and will hold the parent session via Zoom.
Paul regularly appears in the media and is regarded as a key social commentator, with interviews on television programs such as Sunrise, TODAY and The Project. Paul also writes a blog where he discusses topical issues of the day, as well as addressing some of the questions and queries he is regularly asked by those attending his presentations.
Paul Dillon
Paul’s presentations cover a variety of drug and alcohol-related issues, including the decline in alcohol consumption and the rise in vape use. Interestingly, he sees online gambling as an area of increasing concern for adolescent boys. This issue has previously been identified at the College and discussed at House Meetings, College Assembles, Mentor Groups as well as in PDHPE lessons.
Our Wellbeing Framework relies heavily on the parent partnership. I encourage all parents to log in to Paul’s session on the Thursday, 3 November. It is sure to be an entertaining and informative presentation. The parent session is titled ‘Vaping – short and sweet: What do parents need to know?
Vaping (the use of electronic cigarettes, e-cigarettes or ‘vapes’) has become a growing issue for many parents and carers across the country. Waverley College is not immune to this. This session will provide up-to-date and accurate information on the use of e-cigarettes and vaping, including the potential harms associated with the use of these devices, particularly for young people.
Practical advice will also be provided on how to talk to young people about vaping, as well as some possible responses that parents/carers can use, should their child attempt to challenge them in this complex area.
Click to join the Zoom meeting
Meeting ID: 814 7077 9076
Passcode: 224589
Young people might have a lot of fun playing online games, but parents and carers need to make sure they empower their children to make wise decisions and help them manage the risks.
Numerous games can help your child become more coordinated, adept at problem-solving and multitasking, and help them develop social skills through online interaction with other players. However, it’s also critical to comprehend what may go wrong and what might be harmful to your child. Carers need to play an active role in understanding and being aware of what their young person is playing online and who they are interacting with.
This week’s SchoolTV provides parents and carers with strategies to walk with our young people to navigate the pitfalls of online gaming.
Click to view the SchoolTV edition on Online Gaming
This week, I spoke to students at our College Assembly about the need to tighten up in a number of areas. The Heads of House have identified the following areas that will be focused on in Term 4.
Mobile phones are not to be on a student during school hours.
For Years 7-12
◆ Devices are to be stored in lockers, and preferably placed on silent or flight mode to eliminate loud ringtones. They can only be used next to one’s locker before school, recess, lunch or after school, for short periods of time. The only exception to this is when students are instructed to contact their parent/carer regarding variations to scheduled events or, under direct teacher supervision, they may use their device.
◆ Devices cannot be taken to class.
◆ If a mobile phone is brought to any class, a student will receive a one-hour detention.
◆ Parents/carers needing to contact their son during class time, should contact the College reception directly.
◆ Students found to have mobile devices switched ‘on’, using devices to ‘hotspot’ laptops to external data sources, bypassing the College’s network, or used in any way deemed inappropriate by College staff or supervising adult, can expect a one-hour detention. Mobile phones will be confiscated if it becomes an ongoing disruption to the learning process, has been a medium for a breach of privacy, or holds information pertaining to a crime. Parents or carers will be notified immediately about any confiscation.
For Years 5-6
◆ Devices are collected in the classroom at the beginning of the day and placed securely in the office. At the end of the College day, they are collected and returned to each student.
Vaping is illegal for those under the age of 18 years. Vapes are a Schedule 4 drug in the Poison Standard, thus requiring prescription. They contain nicotine which is an addictive substance with harmful side-effects. Any student in possession of a vape will face a consequence in line with the College’s drug and alcohol policy. Consequences may include (but not limited to) suspension or enrolment review.
Common vapes. Image: courtesy NSW Health
Families make a significant financial commitment to send their sons to Waverley College.
Any student who deliberately damages school property will be billed for the repair/replacement costs incurred as a result of their actions.
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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