Principal's Message
There has been a lot of exciting and positive activity happening in our school recently both in and out of the classroom, reflecting our focus on wholistic learning.
A highlight has been the Secondary Week of Worship where the theme of Future Proof encouraged positive relationships with Jesus as a guide. A big thank you to the Chaplaincy team, student leaders and guest speaker, Pr Chris, for challenging us to grow.
Over the holidays, further steps were made in developing sustainability in our school environment and our reducing carbon footprint with 189 solar cells installed on the roof. Produce from the School’s vegetable garden was also entered into the Sydney Royal Easter Show gaining highly commended awards.
ANZC Day was commemorated in a combined school formal chapel demonstrating a strong commitment to honoring and remembering the sacrifices made by those who have served in the armed forces. Student leaders also attended a number of services in the community to lay wreaths and lead in the singing.
We have talented students who have competed in a variety of sports over the past month from athletics, to swimming and even cup stacking and we are proud of their achievements. The Cross Country events in both primary and secondary were fabulous and the Primary families raised $861 towards the Covered Outdoor Learning Area over the basketball courts. A great effort from the Sport Coordinators and all involved.
All of these activities create a positive and engaging learning environment for our students both within the classroom and beyond and I thank you as parents for your support and involvement. May God bless you and our school.
God Bless
Mrs Julia Heise - Principal
Whole School News
ANZAC Day
ANZAC Day services are meditative and sombre but always filled with community spirit. Every year you will find students and staff from Wahroonga Adventist School, along with the Wahroonga Pathfinder Club and members from Wahroonga Adventist Church in attendance at ANZAC services in the local community. This year was especially collaborative as our students lead out in music and laid wreaths on the Cenotaph. Pr Richie Reid delivered some thoughtful words remembering First Nations men who served as ANZACS. All who attended prayed that the labour and sacrifice of the fallen would not be in vain and that the liberty, truth and justice which they sought to preserve may be seen and known in all the nations upon Earth. Lest we forget.
School Garden Produce
Produce from the School’s vegetable garden was entered into the Sydney Royal Easter Show School Competition. Even though it was Wahroonga Adventist School’s first time, both the primary and secondary school produce was awarded highly commended. All the vegetables, herbs and fruit were displayed beautifully with the Environmental Ambassador students sharing for the judges how they prepare, grow and maintain the garden with a big focus on sustainability. This experience truly highlighted the way in which gardening gives students an opportunity for hands on learning, understanding healthy eating habits and environmental awareness. What a wonderful way for students to be involved in sustainability projects!
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.
Home & School
We have a line up of some great events for the remainder of the year and we hope you can join us.
Mother's Day Afternoon Tea
Mothers, Grandmothers and Female Carers are welcome to join us on the Green of the school grounds to enjoy a grazing table of amazing food, listen to music played by our talented students and engage with other women in our school community.
Please be aware that it will be your responsibility to supervise your child as school will have finished. Thankyou!
Whilst collecting food from the grazing table you are welcome to collect some for your children however we ask that they do not help themselves. This will maintain hygiene and allow Mother's, Grandmothers and Female Carers to have first access to the food.
Garden Committee Working Bee
We have a working bee for our school. Home and School will provide morning tea to keep your energy levels up. This a wonderful way to contribute to our school and see the various environmental opportunities this is creating for our students. Please complete the registration form so we know how many volunteers there are for the various tasks and catering.
Pizza and Movie Night
Term 3 Events
Meals with Love
Meals With Love is a Wahroonga school-based initiative where we provide a cooler bag with a frozen home cooked meal, fresh salads and a dessert/lunchbox snack to a school family in need. If you know a family that would benefit from a meal then please send us an email and we’d be more than happy to arrange it.
For any questions or offers of help please contact Tish Armstrong at tishiarmstrong@hotmail.com OR Nicola Binns at nicolasweetman@gmail.com
Next Home & School Meeting
Next meeting is on the 13th June at 7pm in the Wedge on school grounds.
Mrs Michelle Roberts - Home and School President (homeandschool@wahroonga.adventist.edu)
Primary School News
Year 6 Canberra Excursion
On 26th of April Year 6 started off the term bright and early with their Canberra Camp. The students first stopped at Parliament House where we had some frozen yoghurt before attending the Parliamentary Education Office to role play the process of a bill in the House of Representatives. Students then took a tour of Parliament House where they saw the House of Representatives and the Senate. Using their eagle eyes the students took note of the differences between the two levels of Parliament from the colours to the amount of chairs. After touring the House of Representatives and the Senate we ventured down to Old Parliament House to explore the Australian Electoral Office where we saw how an election takes place and even had our own election! Day 2 started with a tour of the Australian War Memorial. It was here at the War Memorial that students were able to see various aspects of the Wars that Australia has been involved in, the students saw the tomb of the unknown soldier, the eternal flame and the hall of names, they also learnt about the efforts of many soldiers. Following this the students went to the National Gallery to explore and appreciate various artworks and installations including a pyramid that could manipulate sound.
At Questacon the students were able to put their minds and fears to the test as they participated in brain teasers/challenges, watched caged lightning, manipulated air, built earthquake resistant buildings and hung on the free fall slide. Our final day of camp in Canberra saw us partake in a political scavenger hunt looking at various key moments and people in Australia’s history. Our final stop was at the Royal Australian Mint where we saw how coins are made the robots involved and even were able to make our own coin. This excursion was supported by Australian Government through the PACER program that provided $30 per student for the activities.
Mrs Costa - Year 6 Teacher
Year 6 STEM - Pond Ecosystems
Our Year 6 Science and STEM students have created two Pond Ecosystems for our level 2 balcony area. They are learning about sustainability, living things and where their food comes from. They are challenged not only in working collaboratively in making these habitats but also planning and designing aquaponic systems to grow microgreens. Students have created a balanced pond system which includes gold fish, ramshorn snails and a variety of aquatic plants. We look forward to seeing how they use the design thinking process to create their aquaponic systems in the next few weeks.
Mrs Leisly White - Head of Science
Oceania Youth Chess Tournament
During the Autumn school holidays Benjamin Tee and Ryan Liang (both 5C) attended the Oceania Youth Chess Tournament, held in Canberra, ACT featuring competitors from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and New Caledonia. Both Benjamin and Ryan competed in the Under 12s tournament which included 9 rounds over 5 days. Benjamin and Ryan competed against some very experienced opponents in their age group. Benjamin scored 6 out of 9 points achieving a ranking of 7th and Ryan scored 4.5 out of 9 points achieving 39th place out of 71 competitors. Well done Benjamin and Ryan on your outstanding results.
Primary School Sport
Thankyou to Mr Fulton for putting together this video with highlights from Primary Sport in Term 1.
Primary Cross Country
Well done to all students who attended the 2023 Primary Cross Country, running through beautiful bushland behind the school. The student's filling their stomachs, after the run, from the fundraiser store raising an amazing $861 for the COLA (a hard roof covering for the Basketball courts). A massive shout out to Kelly and Alyssa (from the office) and the Year 11 students for putting together such a great selection of food. Thank you to all the parents and year 10 PASS students for your help on the track throughout the day, it made the day go very smoothly. What a great day with positive energy and teamwork making it successful. We are looking forward to the next Primary Carnival - the Athletics Carnival on 11 August at Bannockburn Oval.
Australia Track & Field Championships
Following on from Joel R's incredible result with 2 Bronze Medals at the NSW Junior Athletics Championships he competed at the Australia Track & Field Championships in Brisbane. Joel represented New South Wales in Under 13 Boys Javelin and Long Jump coming 4th in both. Well done to Joel for his hard work and no doubt hours of training. What a great result.
Upcoming Events
Mr Jack Fulton - Primary Sports Coordinator
Secondary School News
Week of Worship
Over the last week we had our senior school senior school week of worship - it was awesome!
Our theme this year was "Future proof", all about how we can face the unknowns and uncertainty of our futures with God and His advice for living today.
Our guest speaker Pr Chris Stanley, the high school pastor of Loma Linda University church in the USA, shared great stories each day with relevant and easy to apply advice for living all under the banner of the way that God relates to us.
During the week our sport captains ran fun lunch time challenges with some really cool prizes (including the Friday mufti pass!). During the program our worship music, hosting, ice breakers, student testimony, and prayer were all student lead. The week was from student to student connection and it was just awesome watching our young people shine in their roles!
As a chaplaincy team we are sitting back now thanking God for a great week! We can't wait to run the next week of worship and the many similar events coming up in the calendar - all for fun, for student involvement, to hand over hope, to glorify God, and to lift up our school!
Pr Nicholas Kross - on behalf of the Wahroonga Adventist School Chaplaincy Team
Pizza Fundraiser for Year 11 Fiji Service Trip
Parents and students were greeted with the delicious smell of pizza when arriving for Parent Teacher Interviews at the end of Term 1. This was a yummy way to fill tummies whilst waiting to speak to the teachers. The Year 11 students have the opportunity to visit Fiji on a Mission Trip in the September holidays and are fundraising throughout the year. So far they have sold pizza raising $1,199.
Art Labs
Miss McCartney and Mrs Trappitt started the first firing of the kiln. Hold on to your hats, it gets up to 1000 degree! The first test pieces will be coming out this week.
Maths Club
Miss Wright and Mr Cordiner, our high school Maths teachers, are offering their expertise with a Maths Club on Monday afternoons from 3.20pm - 4.20pm. The club is open to all students in Years 7-12 and will be held in GLA7 starting from the 15th May. Come along and get help with your homework, consolidate class work or your general questions about your Maths work.
High School Sports
Cross Country
On Tuesday 3 May, Secondary School students participated in the annual Cross Country. Cross country is a great way to stay active and have fun at the same time! Students were able to persevere either through a 3km, 4km or 6km course that included running through the local bush track and challenging themselves against the different types of terrain. Well done to all the students who participated and congratulations to those who have qualified for CSSA State across Country.
CSSA Zone Football Gala Day
On Wednesday, 3 May – our school’s 15&U and Open Boys Football (Soccer) teams participated in our CSSA Zone Football Gala and although the results weren’t what we hoped for, the team showed great sportsmanship and effort. Despite the losses, the team never gave up and continued to demonstrate support and camaraderie. Well done!
CIS Swimming
From the evening of Monday 2 May to Tuesday 3 May, the CIS Swimming Championship was held at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre. Maile W, Eliza M, Nicholas L and Salani S not only represented Wahroonga Adventist School, but also our sport association the CSSA. Special mentions go to Salani who won bronze medal in the 100m backstroke event which is a fantastic result at such a highly competitive level.
Australian Junior Athletics Championship
Last month in April, Daniel P, Year 10, competed and achieved a silver medal with a second place at the Australian Junior Athletics Championship in U17 Men’s Pole Vault in Brisbane. Look at this fabulous photo of Daniel in action. Well done Daniel on this significant achievement.
World Sport Stacking Competition
A huge congratulations to Justin R for his incredible achievement in representing Australia in the World Sport Stacking Competition over the holidays in Singapore! Justin has been practicing and refining his skills over the past 18 months and made the finals for his age division in one of the three individual events. He set an Australian doubles record for Under 16s with his doubles partner. Check out Justin's statistics in the image below. Now that is fast! Congratulations Justin on this amazing achievement!
Mr Ignatius Ah-You - Secondary Sports Coordinator
Library News
Premier's Reading Challenge
Congratulations to Jaden K (KW), Marissa F (1J), Adrian S (1J), Emily S (2A), Elsa K (3K), Gaba G (5C), Mia M (5C), Ashton R (5C), Hayden Q (6C), Eliana P (6C), Kyle S (6A), Ryan Z (6C) and Peyton S (10W) who have all completed the Premier’s Reading Challenge. Keep up the great reading!
The Premier’s Reading Challenge finishes at the end of August, so there is still plenty of time to get on board – it’s fun! Please email Mrs Savage at library@wahroonga.adventist.edu.au if you need your log-in details.
Kid's Lit Quiz
Kids’ Lit Quiz (May 15) – 12 middle school students will be representing our school at the Sydney Heat of the Kids’ Lit Quiz at Loreto Kirribilli on May 15! We look forward to seeing our students shine during this fun and fast paced literature-based trivia quiz.
National Simultaneous Storytime
This year our school is participating in the National Simultaneous Storytime. On May 24 we will be tuning in online with other schools from all around Australia and New Zealand to listen to the reading of the book ‘The Speedy Sloth’ by Rebecca Young and Heath McKenzie.
Mrs Leonie Savage - Librarian
Wellbeing
Soks is the Wahroonga Adventist School Wellbeing dog. This year Soks has been adjusting to the busy life of being a working dog and enjoying interacting with students when they arrive at school. Soks loves when students visit or say ‘hi’ with a thumb-wave as they pass her in the office or around the school.
She has also regularly been spending time in classrooms, listening to stories, doing crafts, and being amazed at her student’s great work. Students and teachers are becoming familiar with Soks visiting their classrooms, and Soks is promoting a sense of calm and gentleness and attentiveness when she is present.
Most recently Soks was thrilled to dress up in Hunter house colours to watch students participate in the Cross Country carnival; she was also thrilled watching all the delicious fundraising treats everyone was eating – Yum Yum!
We are loving having Soks working at our school. To visit with Soks, please remember to approach her slowly, to ask her handler for permission before patting, and then move on to give others a chance to say ‘hi’. Please also remember that only animals that have been approved are allowed onsite.
Uniform Shop
Uniform Shop Hours
OPENING HOURS - Please note the uniform shop hours are 8:30am – 11:30am. The shop will not be open for service before 8:30am.
FITTINGS - If you require your child to be fitted for multiple items please book an appointment . We are unable to do a fitting without an appointment during shop hours.
RETURNS & EXCHANGES - If you wish to exchange or return items please note the following: 1. All items should be in original packaging with tags attached. 2. Boys shirts and girls blouse should not be removed from packaging. 3. Sports items should be in Valour bags with tags attached. Please do not rip the Valour bag, use the opening at the back of the package and reseal if you need to exchange or return.
Unfortunately if items are opened or packages are torn or missing we will not be able to exchange or refund items.
JACKET FOR PREP TO YEAR 4 - The new jackets have arrived. These jackets are an extra layer of warmth for the cooler weather. They are to be worn on top of the cardigan, jumper or track jacket and not in place of them. Jackets are $80 and can be ordered on Flexischools.
Mrs Meagan Sullivan - Uniform Shop Manager