Principal's Message
Celebration and sacrifice are not two words that we usually see in the same sentence. However, in the context of Easter, they sit well together. The sacrifice that Jesus made for us provides an opportunity for us to celebrate His resurrection. It is the death of Jesus that has redeemed us for eternal life, the basis of Christian hope and salvation.
In the words of the disciple John, ‘This is love! It is not that we loved God but that He loved us. For God sent His Son to pay for our sins with His own blood.’ 1 John 4:10 (NLV)
This term I am sure that we can all identify with the death and resurrection of Jesus by reflecting on the ups and downs of our own life. Many of us have had sickness in our households with the pandemic and juggled work and parenting. Yet amidst these challenges and sacrifices of emotional and physical energy, I hope that you have also experienced moments of joy and celebration.
At school we have celebrated the achievements of students in many ways from qualifying for Australian Nationals in swimming and pole vault to students demonstrating our values by consistently helping others. The staff have given their all during this term and I honour their commitment to the wellbeing and learning of each student.
A special thanks to our Home and School Committee who have worked tirelessly to partner with the Chaplains to make the Easter events special. Several subcommittees have also been formed under the umbrella of Home and School that are active in establishing more gardens in our school and an Alumni.
May God bless and keep you all safe over the Easter holidays. May you have many moments of celebration with your families.
Mrs Julia Heise - Principal
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Chaplains' News
Many years ago a great King decided to travel his kingdom and meet with his people. He travelled his kingdom exploring, sharing, and showing a great deal of love, kindness, and generosity to his people. It shocked his leaders, and to an extent very much annoyed his nobles. There were discussions about how this unusual behaviour could be addressed, it was simply not done, not dignified for a king!
To make matters worse, he invited the nobles to travel with him and even stayed in the homes of former prisoners, many of who promptly found an excuse not to attend. Yet the King went with a few of his humble servants who wanted to learn more, it was a gift to be able to see him up close, to see how he treated people with generosity, to see his love for his people.
However, whilst this time of joy, support, love, eating and sharing together occurred, it seemed irrespective of all the support, the leaders below the king plotted to remove him, permanently! His approach was simply too far from the status quo, it was just not normal.
So, having helped and cared for the people of his Kingdom, one day as the King was praying with his servants in the garden, the angry nobles and leaders decided it was time to put an end to this disturbance and replace the King.
This is a different way to read the story of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the great King! We choose to reflect on this at Easter each year, the story can be told in different ways however the simple truth is that God through Jesus chose to demonstrate His desire to immerse Himself in our lives, and does so today if we open our hearts to appreciate His character, gift of grace, forgiveness, hope and love! Phil 2:5-11 challenges us to immerse ourselves in His servant leadership, His attitude, and His Kingdom. May we reflect on that at this time individually, as a school family, as churches, and as families at home.
May you have a truly safe and blessed Easter period and Term 1 break.
Blessings.
Pr Daron and Pr Andy - School Chaplains
Phil 2:5-11
5 Think as Christ Jesus thought. 6 Jesus has always been as God is. But He did not hold to His rights as God. 7 He put aside everything that belonged to Him and made Himself the same as a servant who is owned by someone. He became human by being born as a man. 8 After He became a man, He gave up His important place and obeyed by dying on a cross. 9 Because of this, God lifted Jesus high above everything else. He gave Him a name that is greater than any other name. 10 So when the name of Jesus is spoken, everyone in heaven and on earth and under the earth will bow down before Him. 11 And every tongue will say Jesus Christ is Lord. Everyone will give honor to God the Father.
Whole School News
Winter Uniform - Term 2
Please note as at the start of Term 2, students need to be in full winter uniform, including wearing blazers and hats to and from school each day. We ask that parents please ensure girls winter dresses/skirts have a minimum length below the bottom of the kneecap and maximum length above mid-calf.
Expressions of Interest - HSC Presiding Officer 2022
Wahroonga Adventist School is seeking Expressions of Interest for the position of Presiding Officer for the 2022 Higher School Certificate, with a possible extension beyond this year. For further details please visit this link.
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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
Year 5 & 6 Camp - Bathurst
This week our Year 5 & 6 students made an exciting journey to the Bathurst Goldfields. They enjoyed learning about the history of gold discovery in the area and experiencing gold panning, line dancing and a tour of the historical town of Hill End. Another highlight of the trip was visiting Lithgow State Mine where students had fun watching a blacksmith at work and riding on the back of a mining vehicle. We ended our trip with a visit to Scenic World in Katoomba where despite the weather, students were thrilled to ride the scenic cable way, skyway, and railway. A great time was had by all and are thankful to God we could go on camp.
Primary School Sport
Sporting Achievements
CIS Swimming - Congratulations to our amazing WAS swimmers who represented ASISSA (and WAS) at the CIS Swim Carnival on 24th March.
They all swam amazingly well and enjoyed the fierce competition. It was a great learning experience for all and a highlight to swim amongst some of the best primary swimmers in NSW.
Congratulations to…..
- Logan L
- Levi L
- Shivon C
- Harry A
Sadly, Jude S and Lukas W were unable to take part due to covid, but I am sure we will see both boys excelling in the pool for many more years to come.
Unfortunately, a number of our CIS and ASISSA sports trials, including the Netball Gala Day and Touch Football have been cancelled over the last couple of weeks due to bad weather. Hopefully Term 2 will bring sunshine and these postponed events will be able to take place. If you are involved in these events please keep an eye on the CIS website, we will also provide updated information.
School Cross Country
The day you have all been waiting for………
We have our School Cross Country event on 3rd May, so dust off your running shoes and try and get a few Kilometres in before the big day. Everyone will take part in this event, with our highest achieving students progressing to the next level (ASISSA). We hope this will be a fun and exciting outdoor experience for all to enjoy.
Age - Distance
- 12+yrs - 3km
- 11yrs - 3km
- 10yrs - 2km
- 8-9yrs - 2km
- 7yrs - 1km
- 5-6yrs - 1km
At Wahroonga, we are very proud of our students’ achievements across the sporting fields. So, we encourage you to share any sporting achievements that your child accomplishes with us.
Upcoming Dates
- CIS Touch Football Boys & Girls - (Rescheduled) TBA
- ASISSA Netball Gala Day - 29th April (Date change)
- CIS Boys/Girls Hockey - 9th May
- CIS Netball - l6th May
- CIS Rugby League - 18th May
- CIS Rugby Union - 25th/26th May
- CIS Primary Girls Rugby 7’s - 31st May
If your son or daughter plays any of these sports at a high level please email chloe.gilbert@wahroonga.adventist.edu.au
Mrs Chloe Gilbert - Primary Sports Coordinator
Secondary School News
Year 8 Visual Arts
Our Year 8 students have been working hard on their ‘Archibald of a Teacher’ artwork for this term, and one of our lucky teachers chosen was Mr Govan. Sam and Jenson have each created a wonderful portrait of Mr Govan and presented it to him today as a farewell present. We’re looking forward to exhibiting the rest of the Archibald portraits next term. Well done boys!
Mandatory Technology - Materials
Our Year 7 students rotate through our Mandatory Technology program. Students gain experience in engineered systems, food and agriculture and materials technologies. All these subjects include elements of digital technologies to fully enhance the students ability to design and create projects that solve real world problems, all while having fun.
These students designed and created lolly dispensers. Students were tasked with researching appropriate lolly choices and sizes, dispensing mechanisms and storage container sizes, shapes and designs. Of course there was time spent sampling lollies!
Students completed some wonderful designs and were very pleased to sit back and sample from their creations. Well done!
Mr Nick Coyte - Design & Technology Teacher
Year 7 Visual Arts
In Year 7 Visual Arts, students have been learning about the Elements and Principles of Art and how artists use these in their artworks. The students have been working on a final artwork over the past few weeks, using artmaking mediums and techniques such as painting, oil pastels, markers, paint sticks and collage. Creating their own visual language using signs and symbols to represent who they are, the final artworks have become a great expression of self for the students.
This task has also been a fantastic one for students to work on during this term as they learn how to use the different resources available to them in the Art Labs. Students were also able to work together collaboratively in groups as they moved around different stations using the various materials on offer. We are so excited to see their final completed works all exhibited together and the students should be really proud of their efforts this term!
Miss McCartney & Mrs Trappitt - Visual Arts Teachers
Secondary School Sport
CSSA State Swimming Carnival
On Tuesday 29th March, 10 Secondary students represented Wahroonga at the CSSA State Swimming Carnival. All participants were competitive and with many of these students achieving great results. Special mentions must go to Nicholas L (Year 8), Salani S (Year 8) and Felicity S (Year 12) for coming first place in their races, and Charli B for being awarded Age Champion.
CSSA State Touch Football Gala Day
On Friday 1 April, Jessica M represented the North Met Zone in the CSSA State Touch Football Gala Day. She joined the North Met team which included students from local schools such as Northern Beaches Christian and Oxford Falls Grammar. Her team was able to win most of their games and eventually win the competition. Well done.
Honourable Mentions
National Track and Field - On 26th-27th March, Nathan R (Year 9) Jimmy T (Year 8) and Daniel P (Year 9) competed at the National Track and Field Championships. Nathan placed 5th in Javelin, Jimmy 11th in Triple Jump and Daniel P taking out silver medal in pole vault which is a fantastic achievement. Congratulations to these athletes.
Shotakan Karate - On Sunday 3 April, Tilly C (Year 9) was awarded a Black Belt in Shotokan Karate.
She has completed 5 years of training and 8 weeks of intensive Black Belt preparation cycle. The Prep Cycle included 5 training sessions per week and a 1.5 hour fitness session every Sunday as well as weekly tasks in honesty, humility, indomitable spirit (cold showers), perseverance, respect and self control.
Here are a few tests that she needed to complete at her grading:
- Karate basics (2 hours of kicks, blocks, punches, strikes and combinations);
- Self-defence (including learning how to disarm a knife attack);
- 1.5 hours of intense fitness (no breaks);
- Sparring drills; kata (6 kata forms had to be learned and displayed); and
- The horse stance challenge (staying in a low horse stance for 3.5 minutes whilst holding a thick heavy rope above your head).
This was only one part of her testing. Well done Tilly on your amazing achievement!
Upcoming Sporting Events
- Whole-School Cross Country - Tuesday 3rd May (Venue: Wahroonga Adventist School)
- Secondary School Athletics Carnival - Monday 23rd May (Venue: Warm-up Arena SOPAC)
Mr Ignatius Ah-You - Secondary Sports Coordinator
Farewell Mr Govan
It is with sadness that we say goodbye to Mr Brandon Govan who has been teaching maths and science over the past few years. Mr Govan is moving north where his fiancé lives, and we wish him all the very best for his future. “I have had a great time at the school and will miss all the students,” said Mr Govan.
Mr Joshua Knight will be replacing Mr Govan. Mr Knight is a specialist Physics and Maths teacher and looks forward to inspiring students with a love of maths and science.
Library News
Premier's Reading Challenge
Congratulations to the following students who have now completed the Premier’s Reading Challenge: Florence B (KA), Zohra K (1K), Amelia K (1K), Ethan W (1K), Hugo B (2R), Jonas F (2H), Kebir K (3K), Caleb L (3K), Josephine L (3L), Sophia W (3L) and Prardhana G (6J). Well done to all of you – Keep up the excellent reading!
Book Fair 2022
A HUGE thank you to all those who came along and supported our ‘Dive into Reading’ Book Fair! Thanks to your support our sales tallied up to $6,730, with $387 worth of books being donated to the classrooms! A commission of just over $1,600 will be used to buy new books and resources for our school library.
An extra big thank you goes to the wonderful volunteers, parents, staff and student helpers who all pulled together at the last minute to set up, run and pack down the Book Fair. Your efforts are truly appreciated, and we cannot thank you enough for ensuring the success of 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.
Coming in Term 2... Bricks 4 Kidz!!
We are very excited to announce the upcoming Bricks 4 Kidz after school program which is coming to Wahroonga for Term 2!! Open to students from Years Prep to 3, Bricks 4 Kidz is an international Educational Play program with over 40 locations across Australia.
At their after school workshops, children will be constructing amazing technical models with motors and batteries to make their creations come to life! They will be introduced to all the STEM based concepts of engineering, science, architecture and mechanics using LEGO®. Lessons integrated and discussed using themes such as Space, Laws of Motion, Inventions, Robotics and more to provide variety and ensure a high level of interest and enthusiasm amongst our students! LEGO is a brilliant way of getting kids to think about STEM, and because it is fun, kids are more likely to retain the concepts!
Keep an eye out for further information on our Term 2 Co-curricular Program which will be released over the holidays!
Home and School
It has been a busy Term 1, I am sure we are all looking forward to a break and some time out to recharge and be ready for Term 2. One of the highlights of Term 1 for Home and School is the establishment of the Gardening Club.
Gardening Club
Experiencing and connecting with the natural world can enrich our children’s lives in so many ways. As a small committee of students, parents, and teachers we are committed to providing opportunities for our children to engage with nature and the world around them. We have identified three areas across the school to focus our attention (see the planning map here). Ideas for these areas include a sensory garden, raised garden beds, vegetable gardens, composting, habitat gardens, chickens and a whole lot more.
Work will soon begin on a sensory herb garden near the prep classrooms as well as repainting existing garden beds near the library. The raised garden beds in this area are currently being planted with a range of vegetables which is very exciting for our children.
Parents of Prep and Kindy are invited to participate with their child in the planting of the sensory garden on the morning of 5 May. Details will be sent directly to those families at the beginning of Term 2.
Do you work in the landscape or nursery industry or know somebody that does? Please contact me if you do. We will be needing help with landscaping and the sourcing of materials and plants. As the gardens get up and running, there will also be opportunities to come together for working bees etc.
See you in the garden.
Brad and the Gardening Sub-Committee (Bradcrossman1@gmail.com)
Easter Chapel Morning Tea
We were able to hold a Morning Tea for parents and grandparents after the Easter Chapel on 1st April. We had a wonderful representation of families attend and watch the students present in Chapel. It was so nice to be able to connect with family members of our community again on the school campus.
As part of the Easter Chapel we organised a Colouring Competition with our Primary students with the focus being on the Resurrection. Entries were judged by teachers who teach art at the school and a member of the Home and School Committee. The students who were awarded the prize for the colouring competition are as follows:
- Prep: Emmanuel M
- Kindy: Sol M
- Year 1: Amelia K
- Year 2: Alexander I
- Year 3: Oscar L
- Year 4: Benjamin T
- Year 5: Jordi O
- Year 6: Jaz B
Prize was a $20 gift voucher for the Adventist Book Centre.
On Monday this week 4th April we were gifted a presentation by Chuck Hagele on “Beating Technology Addictions”. Chuck was knowledgeable and gave some very helpful and valuable guides on how to manage the challenges of technology with our children. The real take home message was being able to have the conversation and the uncomfortable conversations with our children and that it is about our connection and relationship with our children.
Save The Date!!
Thank you to everyone who has been attending our Home and School meetings and supporting our school, your input and time is very much appreciated. Have a wonderful break and look forward to working with you all in Term 2.
Happy Easter.
Mrs Michelle Roberts - Home and School President (homeandschool@wahroonga.adventist.edu)
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Bits and Pieces
$500 Voucher for Before and After School Care
Families with children aged 4 to 13 years that attend a primary school in NSW can now receive a $500 voucher per child to reduce the out-of-pocket costs of before and after school care.
You can apply for a voucher until 30 September.
