The Senior and Junior School canteens are re-opening with simplified menus from Monday, 25 October 2021 for cashless transactions with the following COVID-19-related restrictions:
Canteen orders can only be made through Flexischools online ordering which is located in your Flexischools account.
Please note that orders need to be placed by 9am each day. Breakfast is not being offered for the first two weeks and there will be no counter service until further notice.
Senior School students will be required to line up in their relevant year groups which will be supervised by College staff. Breakfast, recess and lunch are all available and cash payments are not being accepted at this stage. Also, there will be no use of the communal microwave ovens throughout this period.
Thank you for your understanding.
Ms Nina Kormanyos
Senior Canteen Manager
E: nkormanyos@waverley.nsw.edu.au
As we are getting ready to return to College in person, some parents will find that their sons have outgrown their uniforms whilst learning from home. Or, in the case of Year 12 students, the time has almost come to part with your uniforms!
The Secondhand Clothing Pool will gladly accept the donation of all clean and wearable uniform items for resale. This will provide someone else with the opportunity to purchase a secondhand uniform well below the new price, whilst at the same time, raising funds for the College through the Parents’ Association.
For more information or to make an appointment, you can contact the Secondhand Clothing Pool by:
Phone: (02) 9369 0703 — please leave a voicemail, and one of our volunteers will get back to you.
Email: clothingpool@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Location
(Next door to the Uniform Shop)
Level 3, Centenary Building,
Senior School Campus
(Enter reception and take the lift to the 3rd Floor)
131 Birrell Street,
Waverley NSW 2024
Thank you for taking the time to fill in the survey on fees recently. The survey asked parents about various aspects of the importance of different school attributes in selecting a school, their current methods for paying fees, and their willingness to pay year-on-year school fee increases. It was pleasing that a total of 1,200 responses were recorded from Waverley College parents.
Whilst I appreciate the timing of this survey is poor and the very topic of fee increases in a pandemic is even worse, this is not something that has been orchestrated by the College. To be clear, we are receiving $27M less funding from the Government (both State and Commonwealth) over the next eight years. We therefore do not have a choice but to address this issue at this time. As stated earlier in the year, we have absorbed $1.6M of reduced government funding in 2021, but unfortunately, this practice is not sustainable.
Parents responding to the fees survey were asked whether they were willing to pay more for the same service they currently receive. Their feedback indicated that they ranked particular attributes more highly than others. Those ranked most important were the quality of education (quality of teaching and learning, and the quality of teachers), as well as value for money. Many of the respondents considered a fee increase reasonable and affordable (still representing good value for money). However, some respondents stated an unwillingness to pay higher fees. A large number of these, and indeed most parents, indicated a deep connection to the College. They indicated that they would be resistant to leaving, but also acknowledged that, in some cases, they would need to absorb the cost themselves, or seek other finance options to pay fees.
I want to give you as much advance notice as possible that we are looking at an approximate fee increase of $375 per student for each term for 2022. We are going to add more options to assist with the payment of school fees including quarterly (four terms), monthly and fortnightly payment options. For those families that need some additional time for payment, further flexible payment options are available via Edstart. Parents can apply at any time during the year, and Edstart will tailor a plan to meet your needs based on your remaining school fee balance. Edstart is able to provide flexibility to families where their payments are set at a manageable level over the entire schooling period and beyond. This means that families are able to better manage their budget and are less likely to fall behind on their school fee payments.
P: 1800 139 445
In terms of where does this fee increase place Waverley compared to other independent schools in Sydney? These fee increases due to our reduction in government funding still leaves Waverley as good value when compared to other independent schools which are considerably higher. Even with fee increases in 2022, our pricing will remain significantly lower than comparable independent schools.
|
Year Group |
Tuition Fees |
| Year 5 | $13,500 |
| Year 6 | $14,300 |
| Year 7 | $15,800 |
| Year 8 | $15,800 |
| Year 9 | $16,200 |
| Year 10 | $16,500 |
| Year 11 | $17,400 |
| Year 12 | $17,400 |
We look forward to welcoming our Year 12s back on campus next week with an extended seminar program. There is certainly an air of excitement as the students put in their final preparations for their upcoming HSC examinations. The community’s thoughts and prayers are certainly behind our Year 12s right now. Mr Brennan has written to the Year 12s outlining the safety protocols that need to be followed to reduce health risks at this time. We are also still trying to finalise graduation options and will be in touch shortly.
Farewell to Jaimi Walker who finishes up at the College today. Jaimi has packed a lot into her nearly three years at Waverley as the Marketing and Development Manager, including a rebrand and advertising campaign, uniform redesign, digitised enrolment process and customer relationship management system, Waverley app, updated publications program, Foundation launch, successful inaugural Giving Day, and a strong focus on content development. Jaimi’s strong work ethic and business acumen have left our Marketing team in a strong position. We wish her the very best in her future endeavours at IMC Trading as their Asia Pacific Marketing Manager.
And we would like to welcome Tarryn Thompson to the College as the new Marketing and Development Manager. Tarryn comes to us with over 18 years of marketing, communication and design experience. Tarryn has worked in three independent schools based in Sydney; Pymble Ladies’ College, The King’s School and most recently, Trinity Grammar School. Tarryn will start on 1/11/21.
In the meantime, if you need to contact marketing please reach out via email: marketing@waverley.nsw.edu.au
I encourage the entire College to participate in Waverley’s historic walkathon which runs over 30 days from Monday, 18 October. As we emerge from lockdown I urge students, staff and parents to get involved to improve fitness, encourage team spirit, raise funds for charity and potentially, win prizes!
In this COVID-19 year, the walkathon will look different, as participants will virtually walk, run, swim or cycle in House groups to major cities around the world. All you need to do is download an app, track your movements for 30 days, and make a donation to support our charities: Edmund Rice Camps, Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation, Snowdome Foundation, Children’s Leukaemia and Cancer Research Foundation, or Christmas hampers (for families within our community needing a spiritual lift owing to extraordinary circumstances).
To learn more about the history of the walkathon, prizes and how to enter the event, you will need to register through the events link on the Waverley College website:
Best of luck, everyone!
Read more: Parent seminar, student wellbeing over the coming weeks, sleep and wellbeing.
An event that I believe will be of great interest is a parent seminar with author and education consultant Mr Paul Dillon (Drug and Alcohol Research Training Australia), who has been working in drug education for more than 25 years. The College has been able to exclusively secure Paul on Thursday, 28 October at 6pm. This seminar has been moved online.
Reenforcing our ‘wellbeing partnership’, Paul will also be presenting to students in Years 10 and 11, and to staff earlier in the day.
Whenever and wherever Paul speaks, parents, staff and students deeply appreciate the currency of his knowledge, his insights into young people and his engaging manner. He has closely observed the impact of the pandemic on the drug and alcohol habits of young Australians, and will share this with us in an online seminar.
I hope you can find the time to invest an hour before the long summer holidays, during which Paul anticipates a return to large scale ‘gatherings’ of young people. Among his concerns is that many of these will be outdoor gatherings in high-risk settings such as parks and beaches, with possible risk-taking behaviours.
Parent Seminar: Thursday 28 October, 6pm-7:15pm
Meeting ID: 844 1268 5711
Passcode: 156047
Paul Dillon
At Tuesday’s staff professional learning day, the wellbeing team spoke about a consistent transition to best support our students as they move from online learning back to the classroom.
After looking at other countries that have transitioned back to face-to-face learning, there was a distinct need for students to reconnect with their peers, teachers and indeed their school. Many countries found this to initially be a higher priority than teaching and learning.
Teachers and parents are encouraged to show empathy and understanding towards students who may be struggling after an extended time absent of routine, sport and their friends. Any feelings should be validated by adults in their lives.
Our own College psychologists have noted that during the COVID-19 outbreak, our students who may have previously been experiencing anxiety, have tended to feel calmer and more in control during the online learning experience. This could be due to not being confronted by triggers and reinforcers that increase their anxiety, as well as being in the safety and comfort of their home environment. However, as we see a return to school, we may notice a spike in anxiety for these students (and others). The most likely forms will be related to workload/school pressures, social pressures and safety/concerns regarding COVID-19.
Maintaining routine after lockdown is important
During the initial stages of face-to-face learning, teachers will be providing students with positive reinforcement to help with their adjustment back at College. This will be reflected in the notes sent home to parents. Parents should also be proving positive feedback to their sons for the positive ways they are adjusting to life back on campus.
The College is also aware that some friendship groups may have changed, particularly in the younger year groups. Subjects and activities that promote group work and interaction will gain additional value such as PDHPE, Science, TAS and our co-curricular program.
The Wellbeing Team values any information about recent changes in a student’s life that may impact their wellbeing, particularly those that have occurred during lockdown. Loss, grief, anxiety, family breakup or trauma are important pieces of information. It is asked that parents contact their son’s Head of House so the appropriate staff can help with their son’s journey.
Finally, there is no doubting the importance of routine and maintaining our high expectations. From uniform (including haircuts), behaviour to and from school, as well as in the classroom and attendance, the College will be reinforcing these from the moment students return to campus until the last day of school.
The importance of quality sleep has been reenforced by our wellbeing team during lockdown. Quality sleep and effective sleep hygiene are strong protective factors against stress and disease by allowing our bodies to rest and recharge.
Dr Meeta Singh
Dr Meeta Singh is a psychiatrist and sleep specialist from the United States who presents practical ideas to ensure we are doing the correct things to allow our bodies to get the sleep we need. In her podcast she discusses common sleep disorders and useful ways we can improve our quality of sleep and therefore our quality of life.
Mr Patrick Brennan
Deputy Principal (Staff and Student Wellbeing)
E: pbrennan@waverley.nsw.edu.au
By the time our students start to return to campus next week, all Waverley College staff will be fully vaccinated.
To provide our community with the best possible protection, we are encouraging all students over the age of 12 years to follow the health advice from NSW Health, by getting their COVID-19 vaccination. This will not only protect them, but everyone else, as it appears likely that a single COVID-19 transmission at our College will still trigger a chain of casual and close contacts. The implications of such are considerable and anything we can do to reduce the likelihood is worthwhile.
Protecting the health and wellbeing of our community is our number one priority. The Health Centre is now accepting copies of your sons’ vaccination status.
Please send them to healthcentre@waverley.nsw.edu.
This data will be added to the immunisation history entered at the time of his enrolment.
Mr Patrick Brennan
Deputy Principal — Staff and Student Wellbeing
E: pbrennan@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Bondi Road Medical Centre has been in touch with Waverley College to let us know that they are offering COVID-19 vaccinations to all children over 12 years old and adults. They stock the Pfizer and Astra-Zeneca brands.
If you would like to secure a booking to have yourself or your child vaccinated, please contact the medical practice directly on (02) 9389 8000.
They are open from Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm, and on Sunday from 10am to 1pm. Please do not book through their website online.
Their address is 248 Bondi Road in Bondi Beach. They are situated on Bondi Road, Bondi, approximately halfway down the road between Bondi Junction and Bondi Beach, opposite the Green BP Petrol Station at the corner of Henderson Street. You can contact them on (02) 9389 8000.
When you arrive, please ensure that you are wearing a mask. Their policy is that everyone must wear a mask, even children under 12 years old. Please bring along your Medicare card and also a pen to complete paperwork. If you want to save time by already bringing along the paperwork, please print out and complete the PDF in the link below before attending:
Bondi Road Medical Centre practices social distancing and COVID-19 safe routine practice.
Please be reminded Waverley College is not affiliated with the Bondi Road Medical Centre. They have just reached out to us to let you know that they want to provide access to COVID-19 vaccinations for the Waverley College community.
Ms Adele Cutbush
College Registered Nurse
E: healthcentre@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Welcome back to term 4. We are looking forward to finally seeing students back on site over the next couple of weeks. We have received inquiries regarding the commencement of co-curricular activities in Term 4, particularly with the announcements around community sport starting under COVID-restricted guidelines.
The current information we have from NSW Health and the NSW Department of Education is that when students return to school, we will be under Tier 3+ restrictions which means no school sport or activities outside of normal school hours.
Practical PE lessons are permitted to proceed, however, there are restrictions regarding cohorts mixing and reducing crowding in certain areas. We also need to plan to keep our Year 12s, who are sitting their upcoming HSC examinations, as safe as possible.
Whilst it seems contradictory that community sport and community facilities are able to proceed and open, we are seeking advice on clarification around school sport and training, and are hopeful that we will be able to commence some activities this term. All Independent schools in Sydney are under these same restrictions, and as a part of CAS, all six schools will be following the same roadmap. This may involve training within Year cohorts and limiting the number of sessions, as well as having Saturday fixtures amongst Waverley teams or against local schools only.
When we have further information on start dates, we will publish this to the wider community as soon as possible. I appreciate your patience with this. These rules will also apply to the commencement of activities such as Cadets and Duke of Ed. Once we are given the go ahead to return, it is a mandated requirement that all staff and coaches are fully vaccinated to be able to work within the co-curricular program.
I have been really impressed with some of the videos and activities a number of students have been submitting in regards to undertaking their own training and fitness over the recent holidays. It is still critical that all students remain physically active for their overall wellbeing. We will also continue to provide recommended activities via the Waverley College app.
Best wishes to Year 12 in preparation for their HSC examinations, as well as to all students for their return to face-to-face teaching and learning.
Mr Steve O’Donnell
Director of Co-curricular
E: sodonnell@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Welcome back to week 1 of Term 4. I hope your sons were able to find some rhythm this week with online learning and that they are starting to think about returning to face-to-face learning quicker than expected as a result of the Premier’s announcement this week.
Students of parents who are essential workers/cannot be supervised at home, and are currently working on campus, will remain on our supervision list until the completion of online learning. If your son is not being supervised at school, but you now require supervision, please email Mrs Gabrielle Smith —gsmith@waverley.nsw.edu.au.
Over the last 21 months I have spoken of the need for us all to be able to pivot, find daily gratitude amongst the uncertainty, and be resilient. Of course these words are easy to say, and my thoughts and prayers go out to those who have lost loved ones, seen their businesses struggle and close, and all who have endured lost freedoms that we normally take for granted.
This week I had the privilege of speaking with Professor Kristine Macartney, Director of the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, along with other Catholic School Principals. I came away buoyed that we will continue to need to excel across these three attributes more than ever. Professor Macartney spoke of the need to embrace a multilayered approach to reduce the risk of transmission within school environments. Vaccination, mask wearing, ventilation, isolation when sick, use of outdoor spaces, sanitisation, and physical distancing and cohort separation where possible, will all be part of the College’s risk management strategies.
However, Professor Macartney outlined that with the opening up of society, transmission of COVID-19 will increase, and that the most important element of protection is vaccination for the majority and for the minority who can not get vaccinated due to medical reasons. There really is not a plan B, those unvaccinated will face greater risk and cause greater risk within the community. All three TGA-approved vaccines are now available — Moderna and Pfizer are available for everyone aged 12 years and older, and AstraZeneca is available to everyone 18 years and older.
The Federal Government recently launched the Raising Healthy Children app. Developed by the Raising Children Network, this free phone app supports the mental health literacy and confidence of parents regarding the social and emotional wellbeing of their children. The app targets parents with children aged 12 years and younger, and is available via Android and iOS app stores.
If you have not already seen the Waverley College 2021 R U OK? Video, Lean on Me, I encourage you to. It is a beautiful message from our vibrant, supportive community of students, staff and Old Boys, who are always there when you need someone to lean on! Our musicians took on the challenge of recording remotely and contributing to this important cause, reminding everyone to start a conversation and ask are they really OK.
We would like to thank the following people for their contribution.
Students: Axel Stapleton, Axl Igra, Caleb Secton, Callum Macarthur, Campbell Porteus, Elliott Barton, Enzo Rossi, Fox Stapleton, George Ellis, Guy Hammerschmidt, Isaac Barton, Oliver Isaac, Lachlan Isaac, Alisatir Isaac, Ishaan Jeena, Liam Russell, Lucas Dubois, Max Leedham, Tom Park, William Dubois, Jone Tuqiri, Lieme Chan.
Old Boys: Dom Augoustis (2018), Will Baker (2020), Pat Byrne (2012), Lachlan Drew-Morris (2016), Tom Jaeger (2019), Angus Mullins (2017), Chris Salem (2020).
Staff: Chris Balkizas, Jaz Dolso, Jesse Johnston (2012), Cathy O’Sullivan, Michelle Rollins, Sue Walsh.
I would also like to thank Venettia Miller, Jaimi Walker, Angus McPherson, Michelle Rollins, Jaz Dolso, Jesse Johnston and Chris Balkizas for all their hard work behind the scenes to bring this project together.
Recently, I have been highlighting early university entry programs that are available. An alternative to these is the PwC Higher Apprenticeship Program that offers an alternative option to university for individuals who are primarily school leavers. Students can join straight out of school and develop business and technology skills to work towards a qualification in I.T. Applications are open and there are 13 places available for 2022 in Sydney.
PwC 2022 Higher Apprenticeship Information webinar for interested students:
This week we celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the beatification of our founder, Blessed Edmund Rice. The Edmund Rice Schools Trust – Ireland, is hosting an online global gathering on Thursday, 14 October to celebrate this event, at 10am GMT. The NSW time is 9pm. You are very welcome.
Many of my students’ parents have asked me how they can keep their sons actively engaged, whether this is in lockdown or generally!
As a Geography teacher, I have a natural inquisitive character and a healthy thirst for knowledge, but in this day and age where there are so many different ways of discovering new ideas and increasing our knowledge, we can get a little overwhelmed.
In response to this, I have created a document containing Geography activities to help keep your sons globally connected. It contains a few of my ideas and suggestions for students and/or families to get you started. Please note, parental guidance may be required for some documentaries and around Social Media use.
If you are already subscribed to, or frequently use, a particular outlet you find engaging and informative, please do let me know. Below is a link to a Google Form where you can add suggestions. These can include: websites, podcasts, Social Media handles, documentaries, news articles etc.
I look forward to hearing from you. In the meantime, get exploring, it’s a big world out there!
Ms Rebecca Sutcliffe
Geography Teacher and Ecology Coordinator
E: rsutcliffe@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Join a fun, online Youth Summit on Wednesday, 13 October 3:30pm-5pm, where you’ll have the opportunity to give your opinion on what Council should be doing. You could even win a gift voucher!
Don’t delay as places are limited.
We hope you enjoyed the school holiday break. As we work together in our response to the COVID-19 pandemic in NSW, I thank you for your support as remote learning continues into Term 4.
Regrettably, this continues to be an uncertain time with ever-changing circumstances. Please be assured that we will contact you via the Nurrunga newsletter as soon as there is updated information about our return to school plans.
This week, the NSW Government announced that students will be returning to school one week earlier than anticipated. This will be a phased return to the physical classroom.
It goes without saying that the safety and wellbeing of our students and staff is our key priority, and Waverley College continues to follow NSW Health advice including vigorous support for vaccinations.
Throughout Term 4, face-to-face teaching and learning for students in Years 5-11 will inevitably be subject to change with the greater opening up of our community. We will have to pivot and respond appropriately to the circumstances that present themselves. A priority will be given to our Year 12 students who are undertaking their HSC examinations.
We recognise your exceptional patience and ask for your continued goodwill as we navigate the next nine weeks of schooling. Please let the College know if your family requires support as we return in phases to learning in the face-to-face environment.
I attended an online meeting with the NSW Chief Health Officer, Dr Kerry Chant this week along with other Independent School principals. Her message was clear about making school communities as safe as possible, and that the most effective way of achieving this was by having a high community vaccination rate. College staff are approaching 100% double dose vaccination, and no staff member or contractor will be on campus unless they have achieved this status when students return to school. This is supported by the Public Health Order.
I encourage you to get your son vaccinated if you have not already organised this, as this will make our school community safer. The South Eastern Sydney Local Health District has recently opened a Pfizer vaccination hub near Centennial Park. The hub is open to all people over 12 years of age and bookings can be made via the link below.
Help us stop the spread of COVID-19 by getting vaccinated, today.
Please bear in mind that these are links provided to Waverley College from our Local Health Districts. They are not affiliated with Waverley College in any way. We are trying to assist you by providing this information about where you can get vaccinated.
Please note that the Junior School timetable will not be changing in Term 4. Adjustments are only being made to the Years 7-12 timetable.
We recognise and validate the struggle many students have experienced in keeping up with their online learning workload whilst trying to stay on top of assessments and exam preparation. To alleviate this pressure, we are adjusting our assessments for Term 4 to better support the online learning environment by introducing a valuable ‘Consolidation Day’ every Wednesday until we return to face-to-face learning. We expect that this will help to provide reinforcement, continuity and an opportunity for the students to stay on top of their workload.
Each Wednesday will begin with Wellbeing at 8:45am (moved from Monday) where the Wellbeing Mentors will have the opportunity to check in with their students.
The day will then continue with condensed 20-minute periods. This will provide time for students to check in with their teacher, ask any questions and/or receive any necessary feedback in regards to assessment preparation, including writing study notes or working through specific assignments.
These classes will conclude at 11:20am. After this time we are expecting that students will consolidate their work requirements, whether this be class work, assessments or exam preparation.
Below is the updated Online Learning Timetable for Term 4 for Years 7-12:
State Transit resumed operating school buses to a reduced frequency from Tuesday, 5 October.
This reduced frequency schedule includes the operation of bus routes to, from and passing Waverley College, to ensure students requiring access to the College can join these buses.
ALL school specials will resume operation from Monday, 18 October.
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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