Principal's Message
There has been quite a buzz around the school over the last two weeks. The well-known TV personality and gardener, Costa, spent a day with some of our primary students and environmental ambassadors filming for Junior Landcare. Two First Nations Elders also participated in filming around the Yarning Circle. What a privilege it is to continue to promote connection and belonging with the land and each other.
A large group of educators from North America and Canada also visited our school last week as part of a tour of schools in the Sydney region. From Professors of Universities to Education Directors and Principals, they all commented on the strong culture of care for students and collaboration in learning. I am very proud of our school and the continued journey of innovation and belonging that we are focused on. At the centre of what we do are the students, with a desire to see them grow up and make a positive contribution to society.
So much more has been happening in classrooms, in sport, on camp and in chapels. Have a read below and be proud of what our community is achieving in partnership with you, the parents.
God bless.
Mrs Julia Heise - Principal
Chaplains' Message
Is anyone else tired? If you’re anything like me, I like to get a feel of how everyone is feeling. And most people I’ve talked to have said that they’re just feeling tired. It’s week 6, we’re getting mid-way through the term where the homework is pumping, and the assessments are raining upon us like cats and dogs... and we’re starting to feel weary.
Parents, getting that work and home life balance- plus remembering which after school sports your child is meant to be at... ‘is it soccer today?, No, that was Tuesday, today must be swimming! Followed by music lessons later’.
Kids juggling their schoolwork, housework, social lives and managing to annoy the other sibling.
So, we’re getting busy and we’re tired. It's not even Christmas season yet! Yet it can be a struggle to keep the emotions in check and regulated and respond how we know we ought.
At Wahroonga this year, our theme is ‘Choose Kind’, and we are encouraging each other that even amid hard and stressful times – it is vital that we take a moment to slow down. In this moment, we can choose kind; perhaps through our words or actions. We want to be proactive in kindness. Our kindness is not dependent on our circumstances. No matter what, we choose to be kind. In the stress and in the mess, in the mountaintop experience and valley lows – we choose kind. Because God first showed kindness to us, we can show this same kindness to others (Romans 2:3 – 4).
Pastor Jessica Metz - on behalf of the Chaplaincy Team
Whole School News
Staff Dedication
The teachers and leadership staff from Wahroonga Adventist School along with other schools in the Greater Sydney Conference recently gathered on a Friday night to be dedicated into a new school year. As a schooling system we are deeply committed to Christian and Faith based education and this moment to pause and refocus our mission towards Jesus as our teacher was a special time. If you would like to view a video of this inspiring evening then click the link below.
Junior Landcare Filming with Costa
As part of our ongoing relationship with Junior Landcare Australia, our school was selected for a film shoot with Ambassador Costa on 7 March. He was joined by two Frist Nations Elders, a First Nations student, Zara and her dad, along with some other students and the Principal.
Costa was an inspiration and full of life, connecting with students and staff throughout the day.
The focus was on Junior Landcare First Nations perspectives in establishing a yarning circle and how to use it. Later this year footage from the filming will also be released as part of the Junior Landcare’s 25 year anniversary.
Mrs Julia Heise - Principal
Native Bee Hive
Thank you to our gardening committee and Alex the bee keeper for organising our very own stingless native beehive! Stingless native bees will enable our students to safely explore, engage, learn and experience close up the social behaviours of bees. An awareness of the impact of human activity on the environment and the interdependence of living things.
Mrs Leisly White - Head of Science
Clean Up Australia Day
Students participated in Clean up Australia Day collecting rubbish in our local community and bush land. With gloves and a smile they played their part in cleaning up our local environment.
Mrs Leisly White - Head of Science
Harmony Day Food Stalls
Harmony Day is a celebration that recognises our diversity and brings together Australians from all different backgrounds. This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate all the things that make our school unique, and it is nice to remember that although we may have come from many places around the globe, we are united through this school as well as the family of God.
As part of Harmony Day for 2023, the SRC would like to host food stalls from different cultures for the students to try. This will occur Friday, 24th of March on the synthetic grass.
We are seeking expressions of interest from families who would like to participate by donating food or drink for Harmony Day. We are hoping to have small items such as biscuits, sweets or savoury bites, which can be easily distributed amongst students. Please ensure that your food is labelled to indicate the ingredients for those with gluten, nut or diary intolerances.
Proceeds from this fundraiser will go to UNICEF Australia to provide support for the Turkey and Syria Earthquakes.
Please click the link below to register your food, culture, and child’s name. If you are available to stay and volunteer, please indicate this on the form.
If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to email either Caitlin McCartney Caitlin.mccartney@wahroonga.adventist.edu.au or Tepatasi Afele Tepatasi.afele@wahroonga.adventist.edu.au
Chess Competition
Our avid chess students attended the Sydney Academy of Chess Interschools Challenge held on 9 March 2023. We had 2 teams attend the event with a total of 18 students. Our primary team did well with a special mention to Ben T for the most competition points overall. The high school team came second. Well done students.
Calendar of Upcoming School Events
You can access the list of upcoming School events via the link below. The School Calendar is also available under the Parent Information tab on the School website.
Term Dates for 2023
Please click on the link below to view the school term dates and public holiday information for 2023.
Primary School News
A Message from our Head of Primary
In Week 7 we begin NAPLAN testing for students in Year 3 and Year 5. Please see below the schedule for testing and catch up times.
Parent Teacher Interviews - Later this term parents and teachers will have the opportunity to discuss student progress during our Parent Teacher Interviews which are scheduled for Wednesday 29 March.
Mrs Anne-Marie Deppeler - Head of Primary
Student Leadership Dedication
Our student leaders, School Captains, Prefects and Sports Captains were dedicated today as they begin their school year of leadership. These students have a unique opportunity to not only be leaders but to model our school values, encourage and uplift other students and represent our school in roles both within and outside our school. Congratulations to you all!
Huskisson Triathlon Festival
This group of awesome kids swam, ran and cycled in the Huskisson Triathlon Festival which includes both adult and kids events. These students all encouraged and supported each other through their events and showed great sportsmanship. Oscar & Jude S ran the Super Sprint. Aiden P, Ernest C, Joshua P & Thomas B participated in the Kids Tri. Dylan B ran the 10km fun run in a sub 1 hour time! Roary O and Florence S were the most fabulous support crew. Well done to you all.
Primary School Sport
NSW Junior Athletics Championships
An incredible result for Joel R at the NSW Junior Athletics Championships winning 2 bronze medals whilst competing in Javelin and Long Jump. Joel had fun and is very excited to be attending the Junior Athletics Championships being held in Queensland in April. Well done Joel and good luck!
Mr Jack Fulton - Primary Sports Coordinator
Secondary School News
High School Athletics Carnival
The Secondary Athletics Carnival was held at the Warm-Up Arena on Thursday 2 March. The day was filled with plenty of events, with records being broken and a fun and competitive experience. Congratulations to all participants and to the winning house, Hunter!
Below are significant achievements from our students.
CSSA Hockey Team
On Wednesday 22 February, Jude G (Year 11) participated in the trial for the CSSA Open Boys Hockey team at Macarthur Regional Hockey Complex. He joined a Barbarian Team and competed in a tournament against other school teams from the sport association. Jude played to the best of his abilities and impressed the selectors as they announced his selection for the CSSA Open Boys team. This team will go on and compete at the CIS Hockey Championships later in May 2023. Congratulations Jude!
Upcoming Events
CSSA Zone Swimming Carnival – Friday 17th March 2022 at Warringah Aquatic Centre
Mr Ignatius Ah-You - Secondary School Sports Co-ordinator & Year 11A Homeroom Teacher
Year 7 Camp
Year 7 camp came to a close today, and it was awesome!
Adventure is the heart of this camp, from early morning running club to abseiling over cliff faces, exploring the wilderness in canoes to night-time flying fox, it is packed with opportunities for our students to step out of their comfort zone. As staff, we love to see our students make new friends and discover that they can do more than they realised.
Our theme for the year camp was ‘into the unknown’. Each night when we gathered for worship and talked about courage, trust, risk, and being ready for the adventure that God has for each of our lives.
Looking back over the last few days, we are confident that both our students and staff are walking away with memories that will last a lifetime! For those who have students in year 7, we hope you hear all about those memories tonight!
Lastly we want to thank all our amazing year 7 students for their fun loving attitudes over the last few days, and we want to thank our staff who organised and ran this camp!
Pr Nicholas Kross - Chaplain
Year 9 Design and Technology
Our Year 9 Design and Technology class has been hard at work building and testing water bottle rockets! Through this project, our students have been learning valuable skills in design, engineering, and teamwork. We're proud to see their creativity and innovation come to life with each unique rocket design. This activity has provided a fantastic opportunity for our students to apply real-world principles in a fun and engaging way. Stay tuned for updates on our rocket adventures!
Mr Lindsay Gates - Design & Technology Teacher
Year 7 Science
This term, Year 7 Science have been learning about the states and properties of matter. They have been investigating the properties of liquids, solids and gases and this week, they made some slime. Their task was to determine whether slime was a liquid or a solid, and they discovered that it has the properties of both!
Mrs Madeline Hokin - Director of Studies & Science/Mathematics Teacher
Visiting Adventist Educators
We had some special visitors in the last week with 38 Adventist educators from North America, Canada, Bermuda and Guam visiting our school. They represent 918 schools and will be visiting classrooms, talking with students and staff and looking for ideas around innovation. Some of our student leaders spent some time answering questions as well as serving lunch to the delegates. It was a great opportunity to show the visitors our beautiful Australian school and highlight our unique point of difference.
Canteen News
Double Delicious
Today, we were preparing the cookie dough for our amazing home-made choc chip cookies, every egg I cracked was a double yoke!
The eggs we use for our yummy baked goods come from our school chickens, The Henny Penny’s, and Midnight Sparkle. These beautiful chicks gobble up our scraps from the canteen. Their favorite lunch order is watermelon and pasta, they love it and they generously give back by providing eggs for our ingredients. Hence, the special ingredient in all our dishes is love, from our chickens and from us.
Don’t forget we are now open for Breakfast, please click here for the menu.
Mrs Missy Jose - Canteen Co-ordinator
Library News
Premier's Reading Challenge
The Premier’s Reading Challenge website (use link below) is now active for the 2023 challenge. On this website you can read about the challenge, check the rules and regulations, view the extensive book lists, read the privacy policy and access your child’s reading record. Please use the same username and password as last year - if you have forgotten your child’s PRC details email Mrs Savage at library@wahroonga.adventist.edu.au . Please keep a record of these details for future reference as they will be needed each year your child completes the challenge.
Kindy students and those new to our school will now have received their username and password. If your child has completed the challenge elsewhere please contact me at library@wahroonga.adventist.edu.au so I can arrange for your challenge history to be brought over to our school – please include the name of your child’s previous school.
We have made an amazing start to the Premier’s Reading Challenge this year with 29 students having already finished! Congratulations to the following students who have kept busy reading over the holidays: Amelia K (2A), Samuel K (2A), Oscar L (4K), Ariya B (4R), Caleb L (4R), Nicole D, Iris L (4R), Josephine L (4R), Georgina M (4R), Aadi V (4R), Charlie B (5C), Eliza C (5C), Emeline G (5C), Mila J (5C), Jasmine L (5C), Ryan L (5C), Aleah M (5C), Aaron Z (5C), Christopher D (6A), Olive G (6A), Victor K (6A), Sophie L (6A), Sarah L (6A), Elijah V (6A), Sofia G (6C), Olivia M (6C), Jemima S (6C), Yifei S (6C) and David L (8W). Congratulations to the Year 4, 5 and 6 classes who have made a brilliant start to this year’s challenge.
Library WebApp
The Library WebAPP is a great place to keep up with library news, search the catalogue, check your child’s borrowing details and view their borrowing history. Go to bit.ly/waslibrary (Wahroonga Adventist School (accessit.online)) and follow the instructions on the Guest page to log-in to your child’s records.
Book Fair 2023
Get ready for some fun in the Library at our Term 1 Book Fair which is being held during Weeks 8 and 9 of this Term!!! Our theme is: Bookaneer: Where books are the Treasure!
Book Fair will run from Wednesday, March 22 to Monday, March 27 (8am – 4pm & Thursday until 6pm) in the school library. A giant range of children’s books, novelty items and posters from Scholastic Book Company will be available for purchase. Choose books for your personal use, for gifts, or select books from your child’s class wish list and donate them to their classroom.
** There will be no book exchange in the Library during the Book Fair so please keep your books at home and return them the following week. Tuesday classes will be rescheduled so that they can also attend the Book Fair.
** If you are able to volunteer some time to help set up and run our book fair, please contact Mrs Savage at library@wahroonga.adventist.edu.au – set up will be on Tuesday, March 21 and helpers will also be needed during the book fair.
** Please note: Our dress up day this year is going to be on August 25 during our Term 3 Book Week celebrations.
Mrs Leonie Savage - Librarian
Uniform Shop
Uniform Shop Hours
The uniform Shop is open Thursdays during the school term from 8:30am – 12pm during the school term.
Mrs Meagan Sullivan - Uniform Shop Manager
Home and School
Home and School had their first meeting on Tuesday the 28th February. It was lovely to see and meet new families from our school community and welcome them to this committee. Our new Yarning Circle was the perfect place to receive the Principal's Report as well as an update on the Sustainability and Gardening projects.
We are always looking for new volunteers however we understand why some cannot sit on committees. Life gets busy but maybe you can be available to assist on the day of a social event? Volunteering at your child's school has many advantages - connecting with other parents, meeting with teachers and school leaders, and role modelling. The graphic below gives an insight into the benefits of volunteering in your school community. If you would like to be on our volunteer list please email us at homeandschool@wahroonga.adventist.edu.au.
Our first event of the year was the Family Activity Day at Crosslands on Sunday the 26th February. We had over 160 people attend on the day. The weather was perfect, activities were on point and families relaxed, connecting and meeting one another.
We have some more social events lined up for the year so keep checking the Newsletter and Flyers that will be posted around the school.
Parent Masterclasses will again be held throughout the year and we are in the process of making bookings. Details will be provided to the community when they are available.
I look forward to meeting you at our next Home and School meeting or social event.
Next Meeting
Next Home and School meeting is on Tuesday 28th March at 7pm.
Mrs Michelle Roberts - Home and School President (homeandschool@wahroonga.adventist.edu)
Bits and Pieces
Rince Academy is a new dance studio that offers Irish dance classes for children of all ages and abilities in the Hills District. As St. Patrick's Day approaches, we at the Rince Academy are excited to celebrate and share our love for Irish culture with others. If you would like further information about the classes we provide please click the link below.
West Pymble Football Club
West Pymble Football Club is currently finalising their teams for the upcoming winter season. The club is specifically looking to fill Junior Girls teams from Under 8 to Under 18 with these games played on Sunday. Click the link below to contact the club for further details.