Youth Week is an opportunity for young people to express ideas, diversity and views, create and enjoy activities, and celebrate talents and contributions as members of our community.
From Monday 4 – Sunday 10 April, there are numerous opportunities and events planned for young people to get involved with in Waverley including: surfing at Bondi, tips and tricks for your HSC, concrete riders skateboard lessons and skate jam, silent discos, poetry and author talks.
>>> Click here to check out things to do during Waverley Youth Week 2022.
>>> Click here for further details on the Waverley Council website.
Ms Marie-Anne Maakrun
Assistant Director of Identity & Student Formation
E: mmaakrun@waverley.nsw.edu.au
We will be open at the following times during the Easter break:
Normal trading hours resume from Friday, 29 April.
We look forward to assisting you with your uniform.
P: 02 9369 0709
A big thank you to all parents who have generously donated their sons’ outgrown uniforms to the Secondhand Clothing Pool. This provides 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.
We are steadily rebuilding stock levels and are so pleased to be able to offer some more items for sale. These are mostly academic uniform items with a few PE and very few extra curricular uniforms yet.
Email us to check on stock or pop in Monday morning.
The Secondhand Clothing Pool will gladly accept the donation of all clean and wearable current uniform items for resale. There is a $30 ‘buy back scheme’ for the donation of Blazers and All Weather Jackets in excellent condition.
Please wear a mask when coming into the shop as per current school policy.
At the Senior School campus reception in the designated Secondhand Clothing Pool donation box (courtesy of our fabulous Campus Maintenance Team). If leaving Blazers and All Weather Jackets, you may include name and phone number inside the bag, and we can contact you to arrange ‘buy-back’ if appropriate.
Unfortunately, we don’t have any rain jackets in stock.
We do have a good range of academic shirts available, and in addition, we have:
For more information on stock availability or to make an appointment, please email the Secondhand Clothing Pool: clothingpool@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Phone: (02) 9369 0703 — please leave a voicemail, and one of our volunteers will get back to you.
Location
Main building on Birrell Street. Enter via the Senior School campus reception, and take the lift to Level 3. The Secondhand Clothing Pool is next door to the Uniform Shop (turn right when stepping out of the lift on the uniform shop side).
Kirsten and Camille
Secondhand Clothing Pool Coordinators
E: clothingpool@waverley.nsw.edu.au
P: (02) 9369 0703
A glance through this week’s newsletter certainly gives good insight into a busy and thriving College community, with a wonderful variety of activities, experiences and learnings on offer including: Earth Hour, College representation at St Mary’s Cathedral for St Patrick’s Day, PDHPE excursion to Sydney Academy of Sport and Recreation, the Walawaani program for First Nation students, hospitality work placements, an invitation to join winter Art Club, Big Brother Little Brother gathering, homework club, Year 5 Camp to Stanwell Tops, Year 6 Camp to Collaroy, Year 12 retreat at four different destinations, commencement of winter activities and summer awards, Years 5-12 Student Reports update, and booking in for Years 7-11 Parent Teacher Student Interviews.
It is a great achievement of staff, students and parents that all of these can occur in these challenging times. I encourage your sons to get involved in the richness of College activities, as much learning can take place both inside and outside of the classroom.
Unfortunately, from time to time, we receive information from other schools where students have been targeted by people with possibly sinister intentions. Recently, on the North Shore, a young student was targeted by what the police would describe as an attempted abduction. The student was told that all buses were cancelled and that the school had sent ubers to get students home. Luckily, the student did not accept this offer of transport, and a concerned passerby intervened.
It is timely for all parents to remind their children to never accept a lift from someone they do not know. Encourage them to act immediately, to yell out to draw attention to the situation. Remind them to always be aware of their surroundings e.g. move away from slow-moving cars that come up alongside them.
Eight Year 10 STEM teams from Waverley were involved in the University of Newcastle Science and Engineering Challenge this week, competing against other schools in a fun and engaging day of activities and challenges.
These included designing an earthquake-proof tower, building a hovercraft, providing electricity to a city, and creating an environmentally-friendly house. All teams performed very well and took a lot out of the day.
I am excited to announce that our very own Tom Olds (Year 6 Orange Classroom Teacher) is representing Waverley College in the Cancer Council’s ‘Stars of the East’ event. This event is a high-energy, dance spectacular, bringing the Eastern Suburbs together and raising much-needed funds for The Cancer Council NSW.
Tom is fundraising for …
“My beautiful mother who has, unfortunately, had to battle the dreaded “C” word twice. She is the most influential woman in my life and is such a fantastic role model in terms of resilience, courage and dedication.
Thankfully, she has managed to win on both occasions and I hope that I can help in providing much-needed funds to support the future research, so others can share similar stories.”
Tom Olds – Year 6 Teacher
>>> Click here if you would like to donate and keep updated on Tom’s progress.
Thank you for your support of our snap mandated mask wearing this week, for all students, staff and parents, whilst indoors at the College. This action will certainly slow down transmission rates, and hopefully ensure we can stay fully operational.
Please find the latest COVID-19 numbers below. Please remind your son to wash his hands regularly, and carry hand sanitiser for when this is not possible.
| As at 25/3/22 | COVID-19 Positive | Close Contacts |
| 5 | 3 | 2 |
| 6 | 9 | 4 |
| 7 | 11 | 16 |
| 8 | 15 | 16 |
| 9 | 30 | 8 |
| 10 | 10 | 10 |
| 11 | 11 | 6 |
| 12 | 6 | 8 |
| Staff | 12 | 2 |
| TOTAL (179) | 107 | 72 |
NSW Health will be visiting Waverley College on Tuesday, 5 April, 2022 to offer the following routine vaccines to Year 7 to protect them from preventable diseases:
| YEAR | VACCINE | NUMBER OF DOSES |
| Year 7 | Human papillomavirus (HPV) | 2 doses at least 6 months apart |
| Diphtheria, Tetanus and Whooping Cough (dTpa) | 1 dose |
NSW Health will also be offering catch-up vaccination during 2022 to students who missed HPV, dTpa or MenACWY vaccinations in 2020 and 2021.
Where this is not possible, parents/carers will be contacted and recommended to access free catch-up vaccines for their child at their local GP.
Please note, that any vaccine offered to students at school requires the signed consent of parents/carers.
The vaccination consent packs have been distributed to all of Year 7 students today. Anyone absent today, can pick it up from the Wellbeing Centre on Monday.
Please ensure that you sign the consent form and ask your son to return them the following day.
>>> Click here to view more information about the NSW School Vaccination Program.
Enrolment applications for 2024 will close on Thursday, 31 March 2022. Should you have a younger son who you would like to enrol at Waverley College in Year 5 or Year 7 in 2024, please ensure you complete an application form through our website.
>>> Click here to view the application form.
Please note, if your son is currently enrolled in the Junior School, there is no need to place an additional application for Year 7.
>>> Click here to submit an online application.
For any further enrolment questions, please contact the College Registrar, Ms Kylie Anderson at registrar@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Read more: bus travel survey, the conflict in Ukraine and wellbeing, 2022 May Procession information, parent event ‘It’s Time We Talked.’
The College has the opportunity to provide feedback to Transport For NSW, with regards to changes to the bus services that will affect travel to and from school.
To help us provide a clear picture of our needs, it is requested that you take a minute to complete the attached survey, so we can provide feedback to the operators.
>>> Click here to view and complete the survey.
Around the world, people are saddened and devastated by the events unfolding in Ukraine. Both adults and young people alike, are feeling the stresses of war from afar as they experience fear, frustration and helplessness.
The 24-hour news cycle has shown us upsetting images raising many questions, especially for our young people, about what is happening. This has backed on to over two years of often dire news about the COVID-19 epidemic.
Parents and caregivers need to be guided by their son’s curiosity. There is strong evidence to suggest that having a supportive discussion about a stressful event in a developmentally-appropriate way, can actually decrease distress. It’s best to “name it, to tame it.” This will also combat any misinformation to which they have most likely already been exposed to, through social media, pictures or video clips.
Children need to know that they are being taken seriously. So it is recommended that you don’t avoid the difficult questions. Ensure you address their questions honestly and sensitively. With less life experience than adults, young people may need help navigating news about this crisis. Use this as an opportunity to model and encourage compassionate views towards fellow humans, regardless of distance or circumstance.
>>> Click here to view the 5.5-minute SchoolTV Special Report video on the Conflict in Ukraine.
Sunday, 1 May 2022
Our annual May Procession is fast approaching, early in Term 2, and will occur on Sunday, 1 May from 12pm to 1:30pm, in the Centenary Quad, here at Waverley College. Students will need to be in the Quadrangle by 11:30am.
This wonderful celebration of our College founder, Blessed Edmund Rice, and Mary our Mother, is a compulsory event for all students. As such, full school uniform including blazer and tie should be worn.
Students will be required to get their names marked off by their Mentor upon arrival.
Tuesday, 26 April 2022, 5:30pm
‘It’s Time We Talked’ is a violence-prevention initiative that supports young people, parents, schools, government and the community sector, to understand and address the influence of pornography.
The program grew out of Maree Crabbe’s work with young people in secondary schools and community settings.
Maree noticed that pornography was increasingly playing a role in how young people learn about, think about and experience sexuality. The young people she worked with were keen to talk about pornography, but the adults in their lives often had no idea about pornography’s prevalence or influence – and those who did, often didn’t feel equipped to have the conversations.
These observations led to more questions, research, planning and writing. With significant philanthropic support, ‘It’s Time We Talked’ began in 2009.
Following a presentation to staff earlier in the day, Maree will be presenting to parents that evening.
How To Join the Zoom Meeting for ‘It’s Time We Talked.’
>>> Click here to join the Zoom meeting.
Meeting ID: 896 5492 2955
Passcode: 864555
Mr Patrick Brennan
Deputy Principal – Student & Staff Wellbeing
E: pbrennan@waverley.nsw.edu.au
After two years of research and planning, we are delighted to announce that Waverley College will be offering parents and carers real-time access to assessment task results and formative task feedback via the College Learning Management System – CANVAS – in the coming weeks.
This will be in lieu of Years 7 – 12 Term 1 and Term 3 progress reports. Please note that we will still be issuing full reports via the TASS parent portal at the end of Semester 1 and Semester 2.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank the volunteer parents and carers from the Parents’ Association, who have dedicated their time in a trial of this new system to provide valuable feedback.
We would also like to thank the large number of parents and carers who attended the Parents’ Association meeting this term to hear about this initiative.
One of the major benefits of this new system, is that parents and carers will be able to access information regarding the whole assessment process from notification to results, and feedback as it happens, rather than waiting for a static report at the end of each term.
To facilitate a smooth launch, we will be staggering the release across year groups in the following stages:
As access for parents and carers according to this timeline becomes available, we will be in touch with instructions and a training video to assist with the setup and navigation of the system.
Ms Lynsey Porter
Director of Curriculum
E: lporter@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Our First Nation families are invited to attend the Walawaani Welcome BBQ and Information evening on Tuesday, 3 May 2022 from 6pm – 7:30 pm, in the Performing Arts Centre (PAC) at the College.
This will be an opportunity for families to meet each other, meet staff, ask any questions, and learn more about the program.
All families have been sent an invitation via email. Click on this email invitation to RSVP
OR
>>> Click on the invitation inside this link to RSVP.
Please RSVP (for catering purposes) by Friday, 29 April 2022.
If you have any further questions please contact myself or Mr Kevin Heath.
E: mmaakrun@waverley.nsw.edu.au
We look forward to welcoming you to the College.
Ms Marie-Anne Maakrun
Assistant Director of Identity & Student Formation
E: mmaakrun@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Walawaani, meaning ‘safe journey’, characterises the journey of our First Nation students from Years 5 through to Year 12, throughout their time at Waverley.
Through our holistic approach, we endeavour to provide a safe and enriching educational environment that is culturally inclusive and respectful of Indigenous values, culture and history.
As part of the Walawaani program this term, our First Nation students have been viewing the film Araatika – Rise Up!
Araatika documents the journey of NRL star Dean Widders and his quest to create an Indigenous
All-Star pre-game dance in response to the Maori Haka.
The film documents the journey of NRL star Dean Widders and his quest to create an Indigenous All-Star pre-game dance in response to the Maori Haka. The film traces the story of this journey from his childhood and upbringing, to strength and diversity of culture, reconciliation, racism in sport and keeping culture strong through dance.
Ms Marie-Anne Maakrun
Assistant Director of Identity & Student Formation
E: mmaakrun@waverley.nsw.edu.au
This Earth Hour, Waverley College’s Students of the World Ecology Group are calling on you, and Australians everywhere, to sign up to ‘switch off’ and join a worldwide community of millions supporting stronger action on climate change.
It’s never been more critical to come together to protect our world than at this moment. Climate change is impacting our precious environment right now, with the Great Barrier Reef experiencing its fourth significant bleaching event in just six years.
We’ve watched Australian communities and wildlife endure raging bushfires and devastating floods in quick succession, and now we’re seeing climate change impact one of our most iconic unique ecosystems.
We still have time to make a difference for the planet we call home. We all have the power to Shape Our Future. So please switch off today.
Ms Rebecca Sutcliffe
Geography Teacher and Ecology Coordinator
E: rsutcliffe@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Yesterday was the first time this year that we have been able to come together as a whole College for Assembly. Our assembly was celebrated outdoors in the Centenary Quadrangle, and we addressed a number of issues that are important to our community including; Premature Babies, International Women’s Day, National Close the Gap Day, St Patrick’s Day, National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence, the World’s Greatest Shave, and we wished our CAS Swimming and Diving team the very best for the championships held on Thursday evening at SOPAC.
Our special guest at assembly was Premature Babies Charity Founder and Waverley College parent, Ms Sophie Smith, who congratulated and presented a number of medals to students and staff who were involved in the annual Premmie Marathon Challenge, last November.
Ms Sophie Smith
The challenge was to run (or walk) a 42km marathon or a 100km ultramarathon over the month of November, and to raise funds for lifesaving neonatal equipment for neonatal units around Australia.
I also shared with our students the very sad news that one of Year 7 parents, Brad Coleman, recently passed away in a tragic drowning on the South Coast. Our thoughts and prayers are with Hulya his wife, Raiden (Year 7) and Aleyna, along with their family that includes Scott Coleman, Head of Green House.
A number of parents have asked if they can assist the family in any way, and I draw people’s attention to the following GoFundMe page which has been set up to assist the family at this incredibly difficult time.
>>> Click here to view the GoFundMe page for the Coleman family.
Congratulations to both our swimmers and divers who both took out fourth position in last evening’s CAS competition. Both teams performed with great spirit and enthusiasm. Thank you to coaches and parents for all of their support throughout the season. We congratulate Knox (Swimming) and Trinity (Diving) on their respective wins.
As part of our PDHPE program and student wellbeing program, every Year 9 student participated in a short program of Ballroom Dancing under instruction from the Joan Carmody Dance Academy.
Along with students from St Clare’s College, our students participated in lessons in preparation for an evening of dance on Wednesday evening. I would like to congratulate our Year 9 cohort on their dress, manners and spirit to participate in such a positive way. I received many comments of praise from parents and staff who witnessed the evening. Thank you to the staff who assisted to make this evening a success. Needless to say, much fun was had!
The Waverley College Parents’ Association (WCPA) Meeting took place on Tuesday, 22 February at 6pm.
The meeting was welcomed by WCPA President, Jade Stapleton and attended by parents, staff and 95 parents/families via Zoom.
Speakers included Ms Lynsey Porter (Director of Curriculum), Ms Gabrielle Smith (Director of Junior School), Mr Graham Leddie (Principal), Mr Patrick Brennan (Deputy Principal, Staff and Student Wellbeing), and Ms Jade Stapleton (President WCPA).
I encourage all parents/carers to attend WCPA meetings. The meeting Minutes are below for any parents who would like to read more about the important topics discussed.
2021 HSC analysis and highlights from Mrs Elizabeth Watson (Deputy Principal – Teaching and Learning), are also available below for your perusal.
>>> Click here to view the WCPA Minutes, Term 1, 22 February 2022.
>>> Click here to view the slide show of 2021 HSC Analysis and Highlights.
Please see below the College COVID-19 numbers as they stand today. We will continue to monitor our numbers closely. In speaking with a number of principals across systems, our numbers are tracking on the lower end of transmission rates. However, I acknowledge that this can change very quickly, and we may need to make some adjustments.
| 18/3/22 | COVID-Positive | Close Contacts |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 6 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 7 | 6 | 11 |
| Year 8 | 6 | 11 |
| Year 9 | 10 | 9 |
| Year 10 | 13 | 7 |
| Year 11 | 4 | 2 |
| Year 12 | 3 | 5 |
| Staff | 3 | 2 |
| Total | 58 | 59 |
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face; the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
This traditional Irish blessing is an ancient Celtic prayer.
Read more: National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence, 2022 May Procession, ‘It’s Time We Talked’ Parent Event.
All of this week, Wellbeing groups have been discussing strategies to combat bullies. On Friday, we celebrated the National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence. Australia’s key bullying prevention initiative celebrates 12 years of action, empowering our College community to find workable solutions to prevent bullying.
The theme for 2022 is ‘Kindness Culture.’ By building Kindness Culture together, we can promote inclusion, respect and community belonging for all students at the College.
In addition to wellbeing content and discussion at Thursday’s assembly, Years 5 and 10 took part in the Big Brother, Little Brother program, enjoying a BBQ lunch, followed by some time together at Bondi Beach, where they were challenged to come up with images as a House that say ‘no’ to bullying.
Our aim is to create a shared understanding of what bullying is, and encourage our students to be upstanders, by stepping in or letting someone know when bullying is occurring. All of us in our community have a role to play in bullying prevention.
The College can be much more effective when parents report bullying to their son’s Head of House and support our efforts to deal with it.
If your son reports that bullying is occurring at school, or the bullying involves students from the College outside of school, you should let the College know about the situation.
Working together with the College is the best way to help your child resolve bullying issues.
The College will work with you to resolve the situation, and will also work with the other student’s parents. Due to privacy laws, we are not able to share information about any other students involved.
Remain calm and focus on being constructive (even if you feel upset).
Prepare by:
checking our policy on bullying, which can be found on the College website
making a time to talk with your son’s Head of House, either by phone, by email or by setting up a Zoom or face-to-face meeting
writing notes, (and any other records,) based on what your son has told you, so that you can be as clear as possible about what happened. The more information and evidence that you can provide, (names, screenshots, text messages, witnesses’ names etc), the easier it will be for the College to follow your contact up in a timely manner
allowing time for procedural fairness. Many cases of bullying are not black and white. Some cases involve fault from both parties. The College investigates allegations of bullying thoroughly, taking statements from all students involved, witnesses, and sourcing evidence such as video footage.
being clear about the definition of bullying. Bullying is an ongoing misuse of power in relationships, through repeated verbal, physical and/or social behaviours, that cause physical and/or psychological harm. It can involve an individual or a group misusing their power over one or more persons. This can be online, face to face, or hidden.
Our annual May Procession is fast approaching.
When: Sunday, 1 May
Time: 12pm-1:30pm. Students need to be in the Quadrangle by 11:30am.
Where: Centenary Quad, Waverley College.
This wonderful celebration of our College founder, Blessed Edmund Rice, and Mary our Mother, is a compulsory event for all students. As such, full school uniform including blazer and tie must be worn.
Students need to get their names marked off by their Mentor on arrival.
111th May Procession in 2021
When: Tuesday, 26 April
Time: 5:30pm
Where: Online
‘It’s Time We Talked’ is a violence prevention initiative that supports young people, parents, schools, government and the community sector, to understand and address the influence of pornography.
‘It’s Time We Talked’ grew out of Maree Crabbe’s work with young people in secondary schools and community settings.
Maree noticed that pornography was increasingly playing a role in how young people learn about, think about and experience sexuality.
The young people she worked with were keen to talk about pornography, but the adults in their lives often had no idea about pornography’s prevalence or influence – and those who did, often didn’t feel equipped to have the conversations.
These observations led to more questions, research, planning and writing. With significant philanthropic support, ‘It’s Time We Talked’ began in 2009.
Maree Crabbe
Following a presentation to staff earlier in the day, Maree will be presenting to parents that evening.
>>> Click here to join the Zoom meeting.
Meeting ID: 896 5492 2955
Passcode: 864555
Mr Patrick Brennan
Deputy Principal (Staff and Student Wellbeing)
E: pbrennan@waverley.nsw.edu.au
As the number of COVID-19 cases have risen around the state, we wanted to remind you of the policies surrounding testing and surveillance for COVID-19. The most important thing to remember is that if your son shows any symptoms of COVID-19, he is not to attend school, regardless of whether his PCR or rapid antigen test (RAT) is negative.
In line with NSW Health advice, any student with a symptom of COVID-19 must get tested immediately.
Most people no longer need to get a PCR (nose and throat swab) test if they have COVID-19 symptoms, or are a household, social, workplace or education contact of a positive case.
However, students are still required to undertake a RAT. Anyone who tests positive with a RAT must register their test result with Service NSW, and self-isolate following the NSW Health guidelines for testing positive.
Please note: At this stage the Department of Health is not sending any more rapid antigen test kits home to students.
Any student who attends school with symptoms of COVID-19 including; fever, sore throat, runny nose, cough or shortness of breath, will be sent home regardless of RAT or PCR results. The student must stay at home and not return to school until they are completely asymptomatic.
Any student or staff member who tests positive to COVID-19 is required to follow NSW Health requirements under the Public Health Order for testing positive and self-isolation.
Currently, the requirements are:
Staff and students who return a positive RAT result must register it on the Service NSW app or service.nsw.gov.au website as soon as possible.
>>> Click here to view the Service NSW website.
Staff and students who receive a positive PCR or RAT result must tell their school as soon as possible, and follow NSW Health advice.
No. A student is no longer able to attend school through the use of RAT if they are identified as a household/ close contact.
The exemption that was in place for students in 2021 under the Test to Stay Program was rescinded on 24 January 2022, and is no longer available, with immediate effect.
Students identified as household/ close contacts are required to complete the 7 day period of Isolation.
If your son has had COVID-19 in the last 8 weeks, they can return to school as long as they are asymptomatic, provide a negative RAT result every day, and can provide proof of dates of isolation to the Health Centre via email to: healthcentre@waverley.nsw.edu.au
When you are calling in to report your son’s absence, please make it clear that you have undertaken a PCR or RAT test. As mentioned, students are not to be at school if they have any symptoms of COVID-19, however when they are asymptomatic, they can return.
Due to the large number of calls the Health Centre is receiving at the moment, I would prefer you to email me at healthcentre@waverley.nsw.edu.au if you have any questions, queries or concerns.
Stay safe and stay healthy.
Ms Adele Cutbush
Registered Nurse
E: healthcentre@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.
Watch our video
