3rd Payment – Due Date Friday 30/7/2021
1st Payment – Prompt payment date 21/1/2022; due date 28/1/2022
2nd Payment – Prompt payment date 22/4/2022; due date 6/5/2022
3rd Payment – Prompt payment date 15/7/2022; due date 29/7/2022
Fees paid before 4pm on the prompt payment date attract a $25.00 discount.
Any payment received after due date will attract an administrative fee of $110.00.
Please be advised that some financial institutions need more than 48 hours to process their payments (e.g. internet/BPay/BPoint).
Please see the last page of your account for payment method and contact details.
You are reminded that if you wish to withdraw your son from enrolment at Waverley College, you are required to give one term’s notice in writing to the Principal that your son’s enrolment will cease.
The last day you can give notice that your son’s enrolment is finishing at the end of a school term, is the first day of the same term. If not received by that date, a penalty equivalent to one term’s tuition fees will be payable.
The relevant dates for 2021/2022 are below:
Mr Bryn Gregerson
Director of Business Services
E: bgregerson@waverley.nsw.edu.au
We received some fantastic parent suggestions about compiling lists of great family film viewing with the idea of devoting time for families to relax and learn together via film. As we are all locked down, we can relive or start the tradition of family viewing nights!
We recognise that not all families have access to all viewing platforms, so below you will find films suitable for family film viewing nights that can be accessed via each platform. Some films will be more suitable for Junior School students and others for Senior School students.
The tip today is to consider the College’s subscription to ClickView. We have a large bank of family films to view here.
Access is available via:
*These sites could be considered for evaluating films to view on streaming services such as STAN and Netflix. This can be a tool to help you find suitable content.
*This site is also of interest, as it reviews films with parents in mind. It rates films according to such categories as language, violence, positive messages, consumerism, drinking, drugs and smoking.
Happy viewing!
Mr William Roberts
Head of Library Services
E: wroberts@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Dear Parents and Carers,
The current COVID-19 environment of repeated lockdowns is having a profound impact on the mental health and wellbeing of adults, adolescents and children, far greater, it appears, than the experts have predicted. Now, halfway through 2021, the numbers are in on the emotional and developmental price being paid.
This Special Report spearheaded by Child Psychologist Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, is essential and timely viewing for parents, carers and educators. It reflects new research, what uncertainties for families and young people lay ahead, and solutions and perspectives on how to assist your son and also you!
The College subscribes to SchoolTV and can be accessed on our website, or in the ‘links’ section of the Waverley College app. Here you will find a range of information, resources and support materials available across relevant social and emotional issues.
It only goes for 8 minutes and I highly recommend it.
Farewell and thank you to Ms Dechantel Green who left last Friday after 11 years of service at the College in the Visual Arts faculty. Dechantel was integral to the organisation of the Annual Art Shows, Media Group and presentation day videos. Dechantal accepted a new opportunity and we wish her the very best of luck with her future endeavours.
We welcome the following staff who have joined our College in Term 3:
Ms Stephanie Falk – Visual Arts Faculty
We warmly welcome a new member to our teaching staff in the Visual Arts faculty, Ms Stephanie Falk. Stephanie will be with us for the remainder of the year and will be teaching Visual Arts and Photography and Digital Media, and has been appointed to replace Ms Dechantel Green. She previously worked at Prairiewood High School and Carlingford High School 2021.
Mr Kevin Heath – Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Liaison
Kevin is a proud Butchulla man from Hervey Bay, Queensland and will be assisting and supporting students who identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and supporting our cultural understanding and appreciation across the College. Kevin is a qualified social worker and is employed by NSW Health as an Aboriginal Health Project Coordinator. Kevin is also a devoted RUOK? Ambassador, and spends much of his time promoting the importance of the four steps of the charity – Ask, Listen, Encourage Action & Check-In. Along with this, Kevin thoroughly enjoys mentoring and guiding our youth. He prides himself on the example he sets and leads through his actions.
Health and wellbeing are more important than ever, as our Year 12 students continue their school assessments and prepare for upcoming Trial HSC exams during the COVID-19 outbreak.
>>> Click here to view the Stay Healthy HSC Hub which is now available to help students and parents with tips for prioritising wellbeing, including:
Also, make sure you access Wednesday’s Sydney Morning Herald which contained another great resource: the HSC Study Guide 2021.
Students are encouraged to join the #StayHealthyHSC conversation on social media to share how your students are taking care of their wellbeing.
Online learning and spending more time online during lockdowns, should not mean our children have free reign. When talking with your sons about their time online, try always to be positive and open. Put healthy boundaries in place immediately. It is essential to know and understand that many of the same behaviours that keep children safe offline can help keep children safe online.
Here are a just few tips:
It is crucial that you also find some time to do offline activities with children and encourage them to do things that we often don’t get a chance to do, like baking, puzzles, and gardening.
Finally, the biggest endorphin booster for adolescent boys (and girls), is exercise. Get them out of the house for a surf, skate or ride around Centennial Park. We are truly blessed with so many movement opportunities on our doorsteps.
Max Leedham surfing
Mr Patrick Brennan
Deputy Principal : Staff and Student Wellbeing
E: pbrennan@waverley.nsw.edu.au
During the current NSW lockdown, iAssist are operating a limited onsite support service from the Senior School. Even throughout COVID Lockdown, accidents do still happen, and if your sons needs some hand-on help we ask that you pre-book your visit >>> by clicking here to access iAssistBookings.
A reminder to all members of the school community, that if you do have to attend either the Senior or Junior Campuses that you enter through Reception and use the QR code sign-in system. Face masks are also compulsory on all School property.
Mr Simon Potter
Director of ICT, Campus and Innovation
E: spotter@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Well done to all students on your great efforts so far this term with remote learning, as well as the wide range of physical activities that I have seen across all year groups. I am sure we are all well aware of how important maintaining physical activity and exercise is during this time for our overall holistic health.
We have had some impressive submissions on this website. Many students have also utilised the recommended exercises from Mr Jeremy Roff each day in the Daily Notices.
We have also commenced posting specific sport activities on the new Waverley College App under Co-curricular, so please ensure you have subscribed to the App AND those specific activities in which you participate. We will continue to post these over the next couple of weeks to ensure that the students in each of those activities are maintaining and improving their skills and fitness levels. All of these can be done at home and do not require much equipment, as well as being appropriate for all levels of ability.
With the Olympics commencing this week we will also be posting some Olympic-style event challenges across a number of different platforms, with prizes for those students who submit the best results. These will include exercise challenges such as push ups, sit ups, accuracy, standing long jump, trivia questions as well as activity design tasks.
We will also have a medal prediction competition launching next week with the closest students being able to come and select any piece of sports equipment of their choice once we return to school.
At this stage we have no official update on the recommencement of winter sports and the season remains currently suspended. We will also be postponing any current planned presentation evenings and will update the College community based on further health advice and orders to ensure we are keeping everyone safe.
We have had a number of students and parents in Years 7-11 asking about summer co-curricular activity changes that were due in week 3 of this term. We will postpone these changes until we return to school, or if lockdown is extended, we will look at an online method of making these change requests.
Please note that some summer activities such as water polo, fitness group, weights and fitness (selected Year 11 and 12 only) and touch football have very limited spots available, so students will need to ensure that they select second and third preferences.
We also need to maintain the integrity of a number of traditional sports such as cricket and tennis, and would not normally make changes for those students who were selected in As teams last summer season.
We will also be potentially offering a new summer activity in Sailing, depending on the number of students who express interest. Sailing would occur over two afternoons per week as well as on a Saturday morning at Woollahra Sailing Club. For any student selecting this activity, there is a direct cost involved for use of the equipment and instruction. These costs are lower per term the more students that participate, however, we need a minimum of six students for this activity to run.
Keep working on those physical activities and exercises, and please keep uploading this evidence to the House Points Challenge website or please just send them to your Convenors or myself.
James Fragias (Year 10) staying active at home during 2021 Lockdown
Mr Steve O’Donnell
Director of Co-curricular
E: sodonnell@waverley.nsw.edu.au
All students Years 5 to 10 have access to Skwirk. Skwirk covers all NSW curriculum content, organised neatly via subject and sub topics.
With over 18,000 Australian animations, videos, images, quizzes, podcasts, games and activities across our English, Maths, Science, History, Geography and Commerce curricula, Skwirk provides a fun and interesting way for students to further explore and develop the concepts taught in school.
Username is your College email address
P = waverley
Please contact me if you have any further questions or need help with access.
Mr William Roberts
Head of Library Services
E: wroberts@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Congratulations and thank you to all staff, students, and parents who have helped support the transition to online learning. The NSW Premier, Gladys Berejiklian has extended current community restrictions until Friday 30 July, therefore online learning will continue for the next two weeks.
Due to the current Government restrictions and advice, all CAS 2021 winter sport competitions and fixtures are currently suspended. The CAS will work within NSW Government and Health guidelines in preparation for the re-commencement of sporting fixtures when it is deemed safe and appropriate to do so. We will communicate developments as soon as we are in a position to do so.
Whilst other LGAs in Sydney are attracting greater attention at present with respect to COVID-19 transmission to where most of our students live, there are currently 70 cases of COVID-19 in the Waverley LGA. It is vital that we continue to follow health orders and stay at home. Please remember that masks must be worn indoors, unless in your own home. This includes inside apartment building common areas such as lifts, stairwells, corridors, car parks and shared laundry facilities.
Ms Gabby Smith (Deputy Principal – Teaching & Learning) commended students in her communications today for showing resilience, grit and perseverance and I would reiterate her sentiments.
These are challenging times that are being presented to us all. How do you help your son develop and improve qualities of resilience?
Psychologists Lawrence Robinson and Melinda Smith, M.A suggest there are five key areas to practise to improve resilience:
Change is an inevitable part of life and many aspects of the changing world are outside of your individual control. Accepting your situation can free up energy to be used on areas that you can control and take action on in your life. It is tempting to believe that the best way to get through hard times is by ignoring painful emotions and ‘putting on a brave face’. Unfortunately, unpleasant emotions exist whether we choose to acknowledge them or not. By allowing yourself to feel emotions, the most intense and upsetting emotions will pass and fade, and you will be able to find a path forward.
Connecting with friends and family when you’re going through tough times can help ease stress, boost your mood, and make sense of all the change and disruption. Instead of feeling like you’re facing your problems alone, you can draw strength and build resilience from having others to lean on. The people you reach out to don’t need to have answers to the problems you’re facing; they just need to be willing to listen to you without judging.
When your body feels strong and healthy, so too will your mind. When you’re dealing with chronic stress, you are likely to carry it somewhere in your body.
Make sure you:
When you are in the midst of a crisis, it’s common to feel powerless and helpless. By proactively helping others, you can regain a sense of control as well as find purpose in your life. In fact, giving support can be just as beneficial as receiving support.
In turbulent times, it’s important not to cast aside interests that nourish your spirit. For many of us, it’s these things that define us as individuals and bring meaning to our lives.
Whether it’s exercising, caring for a pet, an artistic or musical endeavour, home improvement projects, or spending time in nature, continuing to draw pleasure from your pastimes adds to your ability to cope with the stress of difficult times.
Deal with your problems one step at a time. If a problem is too big to deal with all at once, try breaking it down into smaller, more manageable steps. If your problem seems to have no possible solution, you can still take action by drawing up a list, researching more about the subject, or seeking the advice of a trusted friend or loved one. You can also take a moment to acknowledge your gratitude for the small things in your life, and these can provide respite from the stress and really boost your mood.
Congratulations to the Cadet program who ran a successful leadership program in the first week of the holidays prior to the lockdown. Congratulations also to those Cadets who have received leadership ranks from both St. Catherine’s School and Waverley College. Please see the full report later in Nurrunga.
I would like to thank all students who have seamlessly transitioned to online learning this week. Reports from both the curriculum and wellbeing teams indicate that attendance has been excellent and students have been following the online protocols and are actively engaged in their learning.
When the NSW Government calls for a return to face-to face learning, it will be particularly important for us to know if any of our students become exposed and will therefore be required to complete a period of 14 days of isolation. In such a case we will do our best to provide access to remote learning. Any student who attends school, even with the slightest cold and flu symptoms, will be required to obtain a negative COVID-19 test before returning to school.
Last week, I reminded our community of the following tips to boost our immune system during the flu season:
The Wellbeing team appreciates the difficulties faced by our community who are currently impacted by COVID-19 restrictions. Mental health and wellbeing changes over time in response to different stresses and experiences. Remember to reach out to your support networks; teachers, mentors, Heads of House, Psychologists and members of the College Leadership Team:
Mr Patrick Brennan: pbrennan@waverley.nsw.edu.au 9369 0713
Head of Aungier House: Mr John McCoy jmccoy@waverley.nsw.edu.au 9369 0613
Head of Brennan House: Mr James Horrocks jhorrocks@waverley.nsw.edu.au 9369 0614
Head of Conlon House: Ms Cathy O’Sullivan cosullivan@waverley.nsw.edu.au 9369 0611
Head of Green House: Mr Scott Coleman scoleman@waverley.nsw.edu.au 9369 0610
Head of Lacey House: Mr Damien Thompson dthompson@waverley.nsw.edu.au 9369 0609
Head of O’Connor House: Mr Matthew Barr mbarr@waverley.nsw.edu.au 9369 0612
Head of Quinn House: Ms Olivia Kite okite@waverley.nsw.edu.au 9369 0608
Head of Tevlin House: Mr John McCallum jmccallum@waverley.nsw.edu.au 9369 0607
Mr Greg Cameron: gcameron@waverley.nsw.edu.au 9369 0645
Ms Tessa Prior: tprior@waverley.nsw.edu.au 9369 0635
Ms Alexsandra McCredie: amccredie@waverley.nsw.edu.au 9387 5022
Ms Dawn Young: dyoung@waverley.nsw.edu.au 9387 5022
Ms Adele Cutbush: healthcentre@waverley.nsw.edu.au 9369 0644
I spoke at this week’s assembly about the importance of sleep, exercise and diet at times of change, anxiety and increased stress. Sleep is as important to our health as eating, drinking and breathing. It allows our bodies to repair themselves and our brains to consolidate our memories and process information.
Poor sleep hygiene is linked to physical problems such as a weakened immune system and mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. Boys should be getting at least eight hours of sleep each night. Good sleep hygiene involves a routine that includes no screen time an hour before bed and sleeping in a cool, dark and quiet environment away from any devices, particularly their mobile phone.
Physical activity has a huge potential to enhance our wellbeing. Even a short burst of 10 minutes’ brisk walking increases our mental alertness, energy and positive mood. Participation in regular physical activity can increase our self-esteem and can reduce stress and anxiety.
Even in this time of lockdown, I am seeing many of our students engaging in COVID-safe exercise such as jogging and cycling in Centennial Park, skating at Bondi Skate Park, football drills at Erskineville Oval and surfing at Bronte. I believe we have some of the most active teenagers in Sydney. We are blessed with a natural environment conducive to incidental and planned physical activity, and it’s great to see our boys taking full advantage of these spaces.
Eating a balanced diet with adequate hydration and plenty of fruit and vegetables helps to reduce the risk of sickness and disease. It also helps with sleeping patterns, energy levels, and your general health. A healthy diet also affects your mood and helps to manage your anxiety and stress.
As well as being the first teaching and learning period of the day, period one serves as the College’s mandatory recording of daily attendance as required by law.
Students who do not attend their Period One Google Meet will be marked absent and their parents will be sent a text message from the College indicating this. This often causes parents who receive this SMS anxiety and concern. This is escalated when parents are under the impression that their son is actively engaged in online learning. To avoid this situation please ensure your son is ready to commence his Google Meet at the start of Period 1. When we return to face to face learning, if he attends school after the bell, he needs to sign in late at the Wellbeing Centre with his student ID card.
Your son’s teachers and Head of House will monitor his attendance during the day and will notify parents if he is not attending his scheduled periods.
Mr Patrick Brennan
Deputy Principal – Staff and Student Wellbeing
E: pbrennan@waverley.nsw.edu.au
The physical impact of the pandemic has mostly spared our young people, however as the nation remains to be on alert and in various stages of lockdown, restrictions continue to be mandated. The pandemic has had a great affect on our young people with many paying a heavy emotional and developmental price. Psychological disorders are on the rise and emergency interventions have skyrocketed.
As hard as it is being a young person today, it’s also draining being the parent of one. It has been reported that many parents are struggling to keep their child’s mental health afloat, often proving it is difficult to juggle parenting responsibilities whilst at the same time providing much needed emotional support for their children.
Unlike the coronavirus itself, the emotional blowback of the pandemic cannot be vaccinated away. Psychologists are seeing more depression and anxiety across all age groups, but in adolescents it seems to be on steroids, with some choosing to self-medicate using alcohol or other drugs. When they look into the future now, they’re looking at one that wasn’t what they envisioned before.
This report explains the current state of youth mental health in a post-COVID era and offers guidance on how best to support young people today. We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this Special Report, and as always, we welcome your feedback.
If this Special Report raises any concerns for you, a loved one or the wellbeing of your child, please seek medical or professional help.
| Psychologist for Years 7-12 | Ms Tessa Prior | tprior@waverley.nsw.edu.au | 9369 0635 |
| Psychologist for Years 7-12 | Mr Greg Cameron | gcameron@waverley.nsw.edu.au | 9369 0645 |
| Psychologist for Years 5 and 6 | Ms Alexsandra McCredie | amccredie@waverley.nsw.edu.au | 9387 5022 |
| Psychologist for Years 5 and 6 | Ms Dawn Young | dyoung@waverley.nsw.edu.au | 9387 5022 |
Perhaps your son may be interested in connecting with ‘Canice’s Kitchen Backyard Winter Sleepout’ on Saturday 31 July 2021 from 6pm-6am. This wonderful initiative may be a great break from “lockdown life” and is designed for students aged 12-18 years, to help develop their knowledge around the issues of homelessness.
The event is completely virtual, meaning they can complete the 12-hour sleepout in their backyard, balcony or living room, and connect to the event hosts and guest speakers via Zoom. There will be a live discussion as well as a Q&A, followed by a series of challenges they must undertake overnight. These challenges aim to mimic the lived experiences of our two speakers and really put the students into the shoes of someone who has slept rough.
This event is free, however if students would like to get sponsored, they may do so. There is a FAQS page on the registration page to help parents and carers understand the event.
OR
Should you have any other questions please don’t hesitate to contact us directly.
Ms Suzanne Walsh – Director of Identity and Student Formation
E: swalsh@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Ms Marie-Anne Maakrun – Assistant Director Identity and Student Formation
E: mmaakrun@waverley.nsw.edu.au
We hope to be able to participate in the event in August if at all possible. If this can go ahead I will be in contact again pending availability of spots.
In the meantime I encourage you to read and when reading to take note of how writers grab your attention and keep you interested.
Mr William Roberts
Head of Library Services
E: wroberts@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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