Principal's Message
I received a text from a teacher, “If you are free, would you come to the Year 8 Robotics Class, I have some young ladies who would like to share an idea with you.” Intrigued, I made my way to the classroom where a group of keen girls where full of enthusiasm about ways to promote International Women’s Day in our school. As I stepped out of the room, I saw SRC students posting flyers about the Mufti Day to raise funds for those affected by floods and the invasion of Ukraine.
It is instances such as this that can give us confidence about the future of our society. It has been a very difficult month with the torrential rain and flooding that have wreaked havoc on many communities, continuing cases of COVID and over 2 million refugees in Ukraine. However, when I see our young men and women stepping up to help others, I know there is hope.
The Student Representative Council set a goal of raising $3,000 for both those affected by floods in NNSW and displacement in Ukraine. We thought this was going to be a challenge, but in the true spirit of living the value of compassion, our school community has raised $3,876 dollars to date with contributions still coming in. This money will be given to affected communities through the Adventist Development and Relief Agency.
A favourite bible verse of mine is Micah 6:8 where it says, ‘Act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God.’ I believe this is a wonderful guide and challenge for all of us at Wahroonga Adventist School and am thankful to be part of a learning community that demonstrates social justice and compassion to others.
Amidst the difficulties there is always room to reflect on the enduring spirit of humanity which has been amply shown by those who have volunteered so much for flood affected communities. In our school we celebrated International Women’s Day and you can read an inspiring piece from our Year 8 girls below, acknowledging the achievements of some of our female students and also encouraging us to help women earn, learn and live lives free of violence and discrimination.
May God bless you and your family and thank you for the caring spirit you demonstrate.
Mrs Julia Heise - Principal
Chaplains' News
Week of Worship or WOW as we call it, will commence on Monday next week, 14th March and we are looking forward to a fun week filled with joy and connection!
Our special guest presenter for the Week of Worship has worked with young people and students from around Australia as a Chaplain, Pastor, Youth Worker and Director of Youth Work. Pr Sean loves family, people, water sports and loves working with young people! Pr Sean is currently working in Queensland, he's a fantastic and engaging presenter and we look forward to Pr Sean joining us!
The focus for High School WOW2022 is "RISK" and we will spend time considering what the Bible says about RISK, when to take risks and when not to, how to know which risks are worth taking, why to consider the RISK and the long term rather than just immediate considerations and much more! Matt 19:26 says that with God all things are possible, Prov 3:5-6 tells us to bring God into the decision making process so He can help us journey through life making the very best decisions in the risks we take.
Pray for our school students and school family as we take this opportunity to put God front and centre in a time of connecting and sharing the joy of life in Jesus, it's part of the focus of IMMERSE 2022 we are sharing (Rom 13:14 Be fully Immersed in our Lord Jesus Christ!).
Whole School News
Afternoon Car Pick Up
There is a slight change to our Afternoon Pick Up Procedure for those who pick up from the back carpark. If you are picking up your child after 3:20pm, please proceed to the basement after that time. This allows any remaining primary and high school students to be supervised together in a sheltered space. Thank you for noting this.
Mufti-Day Fund Raiser - NSW Flood/Ukraine
A very big thank you to our students and school families who have donated to our Mufti-Day Fund Raiser this week! A special thank you also to the lovely ladies in the canteen - all proceeds from the delicious cup cakes made especially for the day have also been donated. To date over $3,800 has been raised which is well beyond our goal, and donations continue to come in. If you would like to support those in need and make a donation online we are accepting donations on behalf of ADRA up until close of business on Monday, 14th March 2022. Donations can be made by;
- Credit card through our school website by clicking - 'Parent Information' then 'Make a Payment'. Please use the reference ADRA
- Direct Deposit to Wahroonga Adventist School BSB-032089 ACC NO-167291 – Please use the reference ADRA
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International Women's Day
The 8th of March 2022 marks 111 years of celebrating International Women’s Day. A date to be remembered and remind women how far they’ve come in participating in areas traditionally inaccessible to them, this includes sport, STEM, politics, arts, and education. These areas were inaccessible to them for various reasons, including bias, this year's theme for Women’s Day is Break the Bias. The International Women's Day movement is all about equal opportunities within genders. The scenario you’ve just seen is where girls are picked last for a sporting team, this can be an everyday occurrence but doesn’t mean that these girls don’t have the physical strength or capability. There are numerous examples of girls in our school achieving at the highest levels.
Felicity 12W, excels in swimming, competing in many top events such as the Australian Age Championships. Reva 11W Representing NSW in Gymnastics. Abigail 8S has represented our school in swimming CIS, athletic CIS, and basketball CIS. Sasha 7S, is a member of the U14 NSW State basketball team and Tiffany 6K won in the NSW ICAS Spelling Competition for Year 5. All of these are amazing achievements in sport, this is just to name a few. There are also academic and community service achievements, Georgia, Ally and Harriet in 8A have supported and raised money for refugees in Pathfinders, raising a whopping $10,000. Sarah in 8A for helping children with school supplies in Fiji. We should support women for the achievements, deeds, and everyday things that they do because being a woman is something that should be embraced.
When we look around, we can see bias within society; it is fortunate we attend a school where we celebrate women for all their achievements and where we have had equal opportunities as men. We want communities in and out of school to treat women and men equally. Today is International Women's Day, a day to celebrate women for helping build the world we live in. There is still so much inequality in the world, but we, as a school community and people, can change that and provide a positive upbringing for our next generations. So today, find a woman that has made a positive impact on your life and chat with them about why you support them and acknowledge them as a person.
#Break the Bias
Written by Salani S and Sarah L (Year 8)
WAS Gardening Clubs
We are excited to announce plans are underway to develop School Gardening Clubs for our children. The first meeting was held this week between Home and School and the enthusiasm was palpable even over Zoom. This is a perfect partnership of community initiatives with our School's values.
Please find a link to a 2-minute survey requesting information on what you would like from these Gardening Clubs. The survey will also ask for your interest in volunteering materials, time and knowledge for this project.
Looking forward to growing gardens of goodness with you and your children.
The Gardening Club Sub-Committee
WAS Connect
After a long break, WAS Connect is back! We are relaunching this initiative next Wednesday morning. This is an opportunity for parents and carers to have ‘a cuppa and a catch up’ with each other after dropping the kids off to school. Drop in any time between 8:30 – 9:30 in the foyer of the Fox Valley Community Church. A Barista will be serving tea and coffee and senior staff members will be dropping in each week to say hello. Younger siblings are welcome. We would like to thank Fox Valley Community Church for joining and supporting us in this initiative.
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 2022
Please click on the link below to view the school term dates and public holiday information for 2022.
Primary School News
Primary Leadership Positions
We are pleased to announce the following students have been elected into primary leadership positions for 2022. Voting for SRC will be completed this week and elected students for each class will be announced on Monday at our Primary Assembly.
Primary School Captains
- Ishaan S
- Shivon C
Primary Prefects
- Oliver L
- Samarth P
- Jaz B
- Sheressa S
Primary House Captains
- Hunter House Captains - Logan L and Tiffany L
- Hunter Vice Captains - Oliver B and Ira S
- Philip House Captains - Kyle S and Charlotte C
- Philip Vice Captains - Zachary A and Abbey R
Primary School Sport
Primary School Swimming Carnival - Swimming Champions
A very big congratulations to the individual Swimming Champions for 2022! You all did such an amazing job at the swimming carnival, what a fantastic effort!
2022 ASISSA Swimming Carnival
Congratulations to those students who have been selected to represent WAS at the up and coming ASISSA Swim Carnival on Friday the 18th of March 2022 at the Warringah Aquatic Centre. We can’t wait to see you all do your best…..
GOOD LUCK 😊
Sporting Achievements
CIS AFL - Congratulations to Oliver B 6K, Lukas W 5C and Logan L 6K who trialled in the CIS AFL on the 4th of March at Lionel Watts Reserve, Frenchs Forrest. Despite the weather they represented WAS with pride and did their absolute best. Well done to you all - we are all very proud of your efforts!
Triathlon - On the last weekend in February a group of WAS students headed down to Huskisson and competed in a series of triathlons. The boys had a great time and cheered their friends on. They all completed their races fully and had a wonderful weekend watching professional athletes compete too. Well done!!!!
Year 3 : Joshua P and Thomas B
Year 5: Aiden P, Jude S, Ernest C and Dylan B
Year 7: Oscar S
Despite the weather it looks like you all had an amazing time
Nippers NSW State Carnival - Logan L and Levi L represented their Umina Nippers Club in their respective age groups at Manly Beach for the NSW State Carnival.
They braved rough waves and pouring rain taking part in both the water and beach events. They did an amazing job! Well done boys!
At Wahroonga, we are very proud of our students’ achievements across the sporting fields. So, we encourage you to share any sporting achievements that you child accomplishes with us.
Upcoming Dates
- ASISSA Swimming Carnival - Friday 18th March 2022
- CIS Swimming and Diving - Thursday 24th March 2022
- CIS Touch Football Boys & Girls - Tuesday 29th March 2022
- CIS Boys Football - Thursday 31st March 2022
Please email Mrs Gilbert if you would like your child to represent the school at ASISSA or CIS level. Please note- students must be playing their sport at a high rep level to be considered.
Mrs Chloe Gilbert - Primary Sports Coordinator
Reminder
Please remember to label your child’s belongings as we are finding a growing number of jackets, hats, lunchboxes and drink bottles with no names and we would love to return them to their owners.
Secondary School News
Secondary Leadership Positions
It is with great pleasure that we announce the 2022 Prefects and Student Leadership Council. These students have taken the challenge to walk in the footsteps of previous leaders of our great school. We do not doubt that they will continue to provide student voice and enrich our school culture.
Secondary Prefects
Historically, Prefects were appointed from Year 8. However, with the transition to Primary & Secondary, Year 11 & 12 students now have the opportunity to undertake a senior leadership position as Prefect. It is a chance for our most senior students to work together to lead others across the School and bring about those changes and improvements our student body wants to see here at Wahroonga.
Prefects support the School Captains and act as ambassadors for the School, supporting the School's values and acting as role models for all students.
We are delighted to announce the following students have been appointed as Prefects for 2022.
- Kate S
- Dhruv S
- Holly M
- Nethanya K
- Fraser H
- Charlotte L
Student Representative Council (SRC)
A Student Representative Council (SRC) is a group of students elected by their peers to represent all students. They work democratically to represent the student body in school decision-making and organise ways to participate in and enjoy school life. Organising fundraising initiatives is another important element of the council, as recently seen in their fundraiser for those affected by the NSW Floods and the humanitarian need in Ukraine. We are all proud of their initial impact on the School.
We are delighted to announce that the following students have been appointed to the SRC for 2022.
- 7W - Aojie L
- 7A - Sri Haashini J
- 7S - Xavier O
- 8W - Bede H
- 8A - Justin R
- 8S - Annaliese D
- 9W - Erin R
- 9A - Cameron P
- 9S - Neo K
- 10W - Katie M
- 10A - Darcy L
- 11W - Shruti P
- 11A - Nicole Z
Congratulations to all of our student leaders; we know you will do an excellent job.
WIRED Youth Program!
Next Friday night (18th March), as part of our Week of Worship, we have a special "Wired" event for our Secondary School students. All Secondary Students are invited to attend;
- Time - 6pm - 8pm
- Dinner Included
- Place - Fox Valley Community Centre
We look forward to this fun evening of fun and fellowship!
Invictus Breakfast
Friday the 25th of February saw the continuation of a significant Wahroonga tradition - the Invictus breakfast. The breakfast is an opportunity for our year 10 students, participating in the Serve module, to put service into action and welcome our year 7 students to high school. The year 7 students are engaged in the Network module, which focuses on building healthy connections and relationships in our communities.
On Friday morning our year 10 students arrived early and began preparations in the school kitchen, cooking pancakes, cheese toasties and hashbrowns for the year 7 classes. The year 10 classes had also spent time writing personalised welcome notes in the year 7 Invictus journals, which were delivered to the students along with their breakfast.
The breakfast this year held special significance, as the year 10 students were the first group to be served breakfast, this tradition started when they were in year 7 in 2019. It was great to see the process of serving come full circle for the first time.
Thank you to our excellent year 10 class for their efforts, and to our staff leaders who assisted on the day, and welcome to the year 7 class of 2022!
Earth and Environmental Science Incursion
Our Year 11 Earth and Environmental Science class has been rocking it out learning about rocks, minerals, exploration and mining. Susan Filan from Australian Earth Science Education filled the day with hands-on activities, including:
- Using industry standard software to explore real geology and exploration data
- Mining a muffin with underground or open cut methods
There was even a tour of mining sites in VR, followed up with discussion about our human impact on the environment.
Secondary School Sport
Weekly Training Sessions
Netball - This Netball Program is aimed at Students in Year 7 and 8 students.
- When: Wednesday Mornings
- Time: 7:15am-8:15am
- Venue: School netball/basketball courts - if it is raining the session will be in the Fox Valley Community Centre
Basketball - This Basketball Program is open to all students.
- When: Monday after school
- Time: Junior - 3:30pm-4:30pm, Senior - 4:30pm-5:30pm
- Venue: School basketball courts - if it is raining the session will be in the Fox Valley Community Centre or cancelled
Running - All students are welcome and encouraged to attend running training.
- When: Secondary - Tuesday, Primary - Friday
- Time: 7:00am-8:00am
- Venue: Meet at synthetic grass
Honourable Mentions
NSW Golf - William M (Year 12) has been selected as 1 of 4 boys to play golf as part of the NSW Boys team to contest an interstate series in April in South Australia. This is one of the highest honours in state golf for U18s. Congratulations William!
NSW Junior Championships - Daniel P (Year 9) competed in the U16 pole vault at the NSW Junior Championships at SOPAC and placed first with a height of 2.8m. He now qualifies for National Championships which is held on 27 March 2022 at SOPAC. Congratulations Daniel for this great achievement!
Upcoming Sporting Events
CSSA Zone Swimming Carnival
- When: Wednesday 16 March 2022 (Week 7)
- Venue: Warringah Aquatic Centre
CSSA State Swimming
- When: Tuesday 29 March 2022 (Week 9)
- Venue: Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre
Mr Ignatius Ah-You - Secondary Sports Coordinator
Wahroonga Senior Boys Basketball Team
The Wahroonga senior boys' basketball team have entered the Hornsby Basketball Men's Division 1/2 Competition for semester 1, 2022. The boys are accompanied by Mr Starrett and Mr Baker for some staff and parent guidance on court. The team have started the season well, with 4 wins and 1 draw in the games played so far. It has also been a great opportunity to see the new Wahroonga sport singlets in action!
Library News
Premier's Reading Challenge
The Premier’s Reading Challenge website is now active for the 2022 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.
Congratulations to the following students who have kept busy reading over the holidays and are already finished the challenge: Sierra B (2R), Lilly S (3L), Charlie B (4R), Emeline G (4R), Mila J (4R), Ryan L (4R), Harper W (4R), Oliver B (6K), Shivon C (6K), Max L (6K), Tiffany L (6K), Samarth P (6J) and Ishaan S (6J), Callum P (6J), Sheressa S (6K). Congratulations to the Year 4 and Year 6 classes who have made a brilliant start to this year’s challenge.
Book Fair 2022
Get ready for some fun in the Library at our Term 1 Book Fair which is being held during Weeks 9 and 10 of this Term!!! Our theme is: Dive into Reading!
Book Fair will run from Wednesday, March 30 to Monday, April 4 (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.
** Please note: Our dress up day this year is going to be on August 26 during our Term 3 Book Week celebrations.
** 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 29 and helpers will also be needed during the book fair.
Mrs Leonie Savage - Librarian
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Co-Curricular Program
Code Camp - April School Holidays
We are excited to announce over the April school holidays Code Camp will be running camps for students aged between 5 and 13. For more information or to book please click here.
Ballet - Prep/Kindy Students
Home and School
Hard to believe we are already half way through term 1.
Home and School will be meeting again (via Zoom) on the 22nd of March at 7.30pm. We welcome you to join us, there are some real exciting portfolios and opportunities this year. Zoom login details will be emailed to the school community closer to the time.
Our newest portfolio is the Gardening Club, so watch this space as it comes alive with the various gardens across the school space.
Term 1 Events
High School - Laser Tag during Week of Worship.
Primary - Easter Colouring Competition . More details to come.
Parents
Please join us for the special Easter Chapel service on the 1st of April at Wahroonga Adventist Church. Home and School will be providing some morning tea on the lawn outside the church for parents to meet and fellowship. We ask that you wear a mask and please do not attend if showing any possible symptoms of Covid.
For many of us parents it can be difficult to know how to manage the conversations around what is happening in the world at the present time with natural disasters to the war against Ukraine. Maggie Dent is a valuable resource and she recently provided a podcast on how to talk to your children about the news. Check the link out below for some helpful tips
The next Home and School Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday 22nd March 2022 at 7.30pm.
Mrs Michelle Roberts - Home and School President
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Meals With Love
The Meals with Love Team have been busy restocking the freezer with meals this term. We have a number of families presently in isolation and we'd be more than happy to support them with a home cooked meal. Please email and we'll arrange for a meal to be delivered. All meals this term will continue to be prepared by the Canteen and the MWL team. However, if you would like to contribute, we would gratefully accept any dry ingredients such as pasta or microwave rice to accompany our dishes.
If you have received a MWL meal, please return the blue cooler bag to the Canteen.
Many thanks for your support.
mealswithlove@wahroonga.adventist.edu.au
Canteen
The Canteen has revised the Menu for the remainder of Term 1, please click HERE for more information, or to order please log into flexischools.com.au.
If you have any questions please feel free to email canteen@wahroonga.adventist.edu.au
Bits and Pieces
Clothing Donations
Looking for somewhere to donate your old clothing?
Wahroonga Adventist Church (the big building next to our school) has 2 new collection bins out the front. All donations to the bin will go directly to those in need.