On Tuesday, 26 October and Wednesday, 27 October, students from both Years 6 and 7 finally had the chance to celebrate their Sacrament of Confirmation at Mary Immaculate Church. This celebration was certainly one to remember, as COVID-19 restrictions meant that both parents and sponsors were unable to be in attendance, and the celebration was live-streamed into their homes.
It was a very sacred and intimate occasion with Father Bernie inviting all candidates to celebrate the Sacrament with him on the altar, making each boy feel special. After receiving their blessings and confirming their faith, all boys have now been fully initiated into the Catholic Church.
Year 6 Confirmation
Congratulations to the following students:
Year 6: William Bayly, Harrison Boden-Taylor, Aidan Busteed, Jack Daley, Henry Furlong, Mikey Gauci-Cook, Hugh Godby, Henry Goldrich, Oliver Harwood, Jack Henderson, Alexander Janis, Alexander Moore, Otto Murcutt, Ned Panlilio, Joshua Peters, Stirling Quinn, Will Roberts, Owen Roorda, Evan Rowbotham, Jacob Sheehan.
Year 7: Aston Cavender, Adam Curran, Cavell Frampton, Lucas Guerreiro, Willam Jacques, Finley Malone, Owen Patient, Christian Richardson, Dante Scarfone, Olle Wixstrom.
Mr Stephen Ghattas
Assistant Director of Identity & Student Formation
E: sghattas@waverley.nsw.edu.au
The College is excited about the return of all students to face-to-face learning next week. The safety and wellbeing of our community is our top priority as we return to campus.
The College is following NSW Government guidelines to ensure our staff and students are safe. A number of changes will therefore be in place upon your son’s return. These were outlined to students at today’s online assembly.
We recognise the need for a ‘multilayered approach’ to minimising risks associated with the Delta strain of COVID-19:
Where possible, students will be separated into cohorts to limit the interactions of year groups. This includes not conducting in-person whole College indoor Assemblies and assigning designated spaces to year groups at break and lunchtimes:
Please note that our vertical Wellbeing time has been suspended to prevent students in different year groups from mixing. We will continue to communicate important wellbeing messages via Year groups meetings (socially distanced) and whole online school assemblies.
As a result, the Senior School and Junior Schools will be following the adjusted timetables below:
| First Bell | 8:40am | ||
| Period 1 | 8:45am | 9:40am | 55 mins |
| Period 2 | 9:40am | 10:35am | 55 mins |
| Recess | 10:35am | 10:55am | 20 mins |
| Period 3 | 10:55am | 11:50am | 55 mins |
| Period 4 | 11:50am | 12:45pm | 55 mins |
| Lunch | 12:45pm | 1:25pm | 40 mins |
| Period 5 | 1:25pm | 2:20pm | 55 mins |
| Period 6 | 2:20pm | 3:15pm | 55 mins |
| Periods 1 & 2 | 8:40am | 10:35am | 115 mins |
| Recess | 10:35am | 11:00am | 25 mins |
| Period 3 | 11:05am | 11:50am | 45 mins |
| Period 4 | 11:50am | 12:35pm | 45 mins |
| Lunch | 12:35pm | 1:25pm | 50 mins |
| Period 5 | 1:30pm | 2:15pm | 45 mins |
| Period 6 | 2:15pm | 3:00pm | 45 mins |
We will continue to implement a range of measures to decrease the likelihood of the spread of COVID-19. Hand sanitiser will be widely available around the College and students will be reminded to use it regularly. We will continue with increased cleaning measures, with high touch and high traffic areas being cleaned regularly throughout the day. Students will also be regularly reminded of spatial distancing as well as hygiene measures.
If your son presents with even the mildest of cold-like symptoms, and even if he is partly or fully vaccinated, he should remain at home. If he presents at College, he will be isolated in the Health Centre and will need to be picked up as soon as possible by his parent/carer. He will then only be able to return to campus following a negative COVID-19 test, with the result of this test being emailed to the Health Centre.
>>> Click here to email the Health Centre.
In accordance with NSW Government guidelines, masks are compulsory for all Years 7-12 students and staff. The College is however taking the additional precaution of mandating masks for students in Years 5-12.
Masks must comply with NSW Health guidelines and must be of surgical grade standard (a triple layer mask), and well fitted around the mouth, chin and nose. Students will be required to have sufficient stores of masks to use throughout the course of each week.
The College Health Centre continues to operate and is staffed by our College Nurse. The staff have well-prepared procedures, in line with NSW Health protocols, to manage the health of individuals and the campus community, in the event of a COVID-19 case.
On the day of your return, all staff (teaching and non-teaching) will be fully vaccinated.
NSW Health strongly urges all students aged 12 years and over to receive two doses of either Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines as soon as possible before returning to College. COVID-19 vaccination is the best protection against severe illness and also reduces the risk of spreading COVID-19 to others.
Vaccination bookings can be made via the Vaccine Clinic Finder. Depending on location, bookings are available within the next few days, including at local GPs.
>>> Click here to view the COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Finder.
For students and families who have questions or concerns related to getting vaccinated, please refer to NSW Health’s ‘Know the Facts! COVID-19 Vaccines’ fact sheet.
>>> Click here to view the Know the Facts! COVID-19 fact sheet.
The wellbeing and safety of our students and staff are paramount. To this end, classrooms and indoor learning spaces have undergone a thorough external review as we consider the optimal ventilation solutions for the campus. Guidelines for the use of each learning space in the College have been developed in line with these recommendations, considering a range of mitigations including wearing of masks, spacing of students, ventilation and other hygiene measures. The College has purchased 50 air purification devices which will be utilised across the campus.
To assist with social distancing and to decrease interactions between year groups, the canteen will reopen in Week 4 and will be cashless. There will be no access to microwaves. Access to the canteen will be restricted to one year group at a time.
To ensure we are not mixing cohorts, the Library will only be open to our Year 12 students (2021 cohort).
Students in Years 7-11 will be able to enter the College via the opened gates next to the library and other access points. Note, access to and from the College will not be available via the library.
The library will be offering a Click and Deliver service. Students can send through requests for reading books and resources by email, the library OLIVER search page, or the Library CANVAS page.
>>> Click here to email the library.
>>> Click here to access the library OLIVER search page or the library CANVAS page.
Resources will then be prepared for students and placed into a bag with the student’s name on it. Library staff will deliver these to classrooms.
Library staff will have an outdoor service point to assist Years 7-11 students where needed. This will be outside the entrance to the library.
Printers will be placed outside, with the favoured option to have students email library staff their printing jobs, which we can then deliver to teachers or classrooms.
>>> Click here to email the library.
Library staff will be offering a ‘Pop Up’ library service in the designated year group areas. For example, library staff will be physically present in the playground area during lunch to field questions and take requests. Our focus will be on the new Year 12 (2022) cohort, however we will move through all year groups.
Student replacement ID cards can be printed at the Wellbeing Centre.
Note: loans of library items will be available over the summer holidays. This may be a way to balance online and offline and screen time, and we encourage your sons to borrow. Borrowing will be available up until Friday, 10 December.
Book Hire will be open. Students can see Ms Pearce who will attend to student inquiries via a help desk located outside the current Book Hire office.
>>> Click here to send your requests and questions.
Library staff will also be available to assist with Book Hire / TextBook inquiries.
At the Junior School, the library will be opened on alternate weeks for each cohort.
At this stage, a number of co-curricular activities will continue to be offered in an online format. The Convenors of these and other co-curricular activities will communicate with students and their parents directly, as well as via the Friday Nurrunga newsletter. We are awaiting further advice from the Association of Independent Schools NSW and the NSW Government as to the possibility of increasing our offering of co-curricular activities.
Please note, many activities including retreats, bands and ensembles, assemblies, service week, community events and excursions are not permitted at this stage under NSW Government guidelines.
Parents and visitors, as a general rule, are not able to visit the College grounds under the Level 3 directions. Arrangements for meetings between staff and parents will continue to be delivered via Zoom.
If you need to drop off any items you can do so by labelling the item with your son’s name and leaving it in the boxes located at Reception.
At this stage, there will be no Saturday sport. We are awaiting further advice from the CAS, Association of Independent Schools NSW and the NSW Government. Any updates, including information regarding the availability of facilities such as the gym and pool, will be provided via Friday’s Nurrunga newsletter as this information becomes available.
In the meantime, students should check that they have registered for summer sport and continue to follow the online activities that are posted on the relevant Waverley app pages.
It is requested that parents make arrangements for their sons to arrive on campus as close to 8:30am each day, and depart as soon after 3:15pm as practicable. All public transport and school specials are due to run as timetabled. Students are encouraged to depart campus using multiple access points to reduce congestion.
Students will wear their full summer uniform when participating in face-to-face learning.
At all times, students are expected to be clean-shaven. All students should have an appropriate haircut by Monday, 25 October. Anticipating pressure on barbers, parents/carers and students are encouraged to make arrangements as soon as practicable.
Due to the current COVID-19 restrictions, the Uniform Shop is operating online with pre-ordering arrangements in place. There will be one dedicated staff member attending outside of school hours from 3:15pm-4:30pm Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for student pick up.
Please contact your son’s Mentor or Head of House to share any information you feel necessary, to assist us to support him as he recommences face-to-face learning. Any updates based on NSW Health guidelines will be shared via the Friday Nurrunga newsletter or the Waverley app.
With COVID-19 restrictions in place, there is an even greater need to ensure that our community is looking out for each other to the best of our ability.
Please contact your son’s Head of House should you have any questions or concerns.
Mr Patrick Brennan
Deputy Principal – Student & Staff Wellbeing
E: pbrennan@waverley.nsw.edu.au
Read more: Transitioning Back to College, Paul Dillon online seminar, Child Safety Handbook.
This week I met with Dr Tom Brunzell and his team to discuss transitioning back to school. Dr Brunzell is the Director of the family services organisation, Berry Street, and has worked with schools across Victoria after their long lockdown. His research at the University of Melbourne investigated both the negative impacts of secondary traumatic stress and the positive impacts of wellbeing on teachers and leaders.
Dr Brunzell stressed the importance of routine when our students return to campus next week. He went on to say that we cannot underestimate the importance of reconnecting with each other, and student schoolwork during this transition phase.
The College has also been looking at evidence from the Northern Hemisphere to put in place strategies to best help our students return to campus.
The circumstances of this situation have significantly impacted us all. For some, it has been an opportunity to reflect on what is important, whilst others have embraced the opportunity to learn new things.
Many young people may be excited at the prospect of restrictions being lifted, whilst others may be feeling mixed emotions. Reactions will differ depending on how well they cope with stress and change. Keeping a check on your child’s mental health and wellbeing as they adjust to new routines, will be vitally important. We encourage parents to reach out to their son’s Mentors or Head of House if circumstances have changed during lockdown, or they are detecting any flags such as anxiety or unusual lethargy in their sons.
There is still a lot of uncertainty ahead of us, so focusing on the things you can control or enjoy doing, can help establish predictability and familiarity for the whole family. Adult carers need to provide young people with reassurance by acknowledging any concerns and fears they may have at this time. Consider this to be a normal reaction, however it may be best to focus more on their feelings and emotions, rather than the practicalities at this stage.
The latest Special Report contains ideas about how to help ease this time of transition.
If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your son, please contact the wellbeing team for further information or seek medical or professional help.
Don’t forget our parent seminar next week featuring Mr Paul Dillon from Drug and Alcohol Research Training Australia. Paul will be presenting exclusively to the College community online next Thursday.
Reenforcing our ‘wellbeing partnership’, Paul will also be presenting to students in Years 10 and 11, and to staff earlier in the day.
Parent Seminar: Thursday, 28 October, 6pm-7:15pm
Meeting ID: 844 1268 5711
Passcode: 156047
The NSW Police Legacy Child Safety Handbook is a comprehensive resource to assist parents and carers on a range of topics essential to child safety. The handbook has been updated to include key messages about COVID-19 safety and bush fire safety with summer just around the corner.
This handbook also includes important content updates from: NSW Ministry of Health, NSW Police Force, Fire and Rescue NSW, Rural Fire NSW, Transport for NSW, Sydney Trains, NSW Department of Family & Community Services, eSafety Commissioner and NSW Office of the Children’s Guardian.
Mr Patrick Brennan
Deputy Principal (Staff and Student Wellbeing)
E: pbrennan@waverley.nsw.edu.au
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
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
