A Message from the Head of Watha Endeavour House (Yrs 9-10)
Scott Warnock
During our Week 5 House Assembly, I used a quote from Gareth Parker-Jones, Head Master of Rugby School, England as a provocation to answer the question – Why Does School(ing) Matter?
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A letter from the Headmaster Gareth Parker-Jones published in The Times in response to Joanna Williams’ comment piece entitled ‘Post-COVID We Need To Say Why School Matters’:
Sir, Going to school matters for a number of reasons. Sometimes it can be fun, and children certainly need to feel safe and cared for. But the main reason for turning up every day is to learn. Learning is effortful. We need to stop patronising children and their parents by suggesting it’s anything else. Making an effort, in any area of life, usually brings rewards. School is a good place to start.
Gareth Parker-Jones Head Master, Rugby School |
This notion that learning is effortful is a key takeaway for our students. For students in Watha Endeavour House, this effortful approach should be applied to all facets of life. Students must be effortful in every learning task of every class, effortful in ensuring that their uniform and appearance aligns with College policies, effortful in their collegial approach to social interactions, effortful in their participation on the sporting field, in the Music Suites or the Drama Studio and of course, effortful in the role that they play within the family unit. This holistic approach allows for them to reap the rewards for this effort. This tangible link between effort and reward is an important one for young people to consider, and in my address to the House, I encouraged learners to use this as a reflective question when finding themselves disengaged, unmotivated or withdrawn – Am I applying effort? If they can answer ‘yes’, then they should enjoy the reward, but if the answer is indifferent, or even ‘no’, then greater effort is required.
Academic Handbooks
The Stage 5 Academic Handbook has been finalised this week. Parents, carers, and students have received the 2025 Stage 5 Assessment Handbook, which includes a calendar of formal Assessment Tasks, clarifies the assessment processes, defines each student’s responsibilities, and outlines the procedures to follow in case of absence, illness, or misadventure affecting the preparation or submission of an assessment task.
For assessment-related matters, the first point of contact should be your son/daughter’s classroom teacher for that subject. These details can be easily found via Compass. If further assistance is needed, such as extensions of time or support with the illness or misadventure process, please contact the relevant Leader of Learning.
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Studies of Religion |
Sarah Gardiner |
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English |
Emma Bennis |
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Mathematics |
Christopher Tomasella |
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Science |
Luke Kelleher |
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HSIE |
Alexander Finall (Semester One) Alexandria Warnock |
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CAPA/LOTE |
Elyse North |
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TAS |
Richard Brown |
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PDHPE |
Lachlan Tonks |
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Inclusive Pedagogies |
Geraldine Whiteside Jenny Newling |
Year 10 Study
I have been very pleased with the manner in which the Year 10 cohort have approached their ‘Study’ session each fortnight. This timetabled, 100-minute session provides the College the opportunity to explicitly teach study skills, space for guest presenters as well as individual, private study. The cohort has responded in a positive manner, engaging well with presenters from Bond University in Week 6 and ensuring that they are optimising their use of time.
As always, should you wish to discuss any matter regarding your son or daughter, please do not hesitate to contact me.
United in Mercy