Newsletter - Friday 6 May 2022

Whole School News

Wellbeing

Do you ever feel like you need a break to recover after a break? All too often people get caught up in the busyness of life and never seem to find the rest or recovery they need to thrive. Instead of hoping and waiting to catch these wonderful moments, why not create them?

Rest and recovery are essential components of self-care and wellbeing. Engaging in regular practices to ‘fill your cup’ can help improve physical and psychological restoration, stress management, energy levels, focus and attention. At the start of a new school term, now is an excellent opportunity to add a little D.R.A.M.M.A to your life.

D.R.A.M.M.A is an acronym for actions that support adaptive recovery. Recovery is so much more than us doing ‘nothing’; it’s a process of restoration and rejuvenation.

Detachment – means mentally switching off from daily stresses. Set some boundaries around time for work, time for daily living tasks and time for yourself. Immerse yourself in a book, in nature or in the bath. Give your mind a break from all those work and daily-living pressures.

Relaxation – means physically unwinding from daily stresses. Allow your body to be still or move gently and savour doing activities that help you feel good.

Autonomy – means being empowered with your actions for recovery. Readily making the choice to engage in a particular recovery activity is more helpful than doing an activity begrudgingly.

Mastery – means developing proficiency in a recovery activity that you find stimulating. Try a new activity or develop a new skill? Notice how you feel as you practice that activity or skill and it becomes easier.

Meaning – means engaging in activities that create a sense of purpose and significance in your life. Consider how your actions benefit others and contribute to supporting your partner or children, your friends, your local community, the vulnerable and needy or maybe even a stranger?

Affiliation – means doing activities that help you feel close and connected with others. Activities that strengthen your relationships with family, friends and others have the added benefit of bringing joy and meaning to others’ lives too.

There are many activities we can do to help with rest and recovery, and what works for one person may not work for someone else. Find what works for you and make sure you carve out the time you need. If you’re stuck for ways to help you rest and recover, maybe you could visit a local church this weekend or talk with one of the school’s Chaplains about the Sabbath – one of God’s designs to support our rest and recovery.

ANZAC Services

Remembering and honouring the fallen who fought to protect our freedom on ANZAC Day, School Leaders attended the Hornsby Dawn Service followed by the Wahroonga and Turramurra Cenotaph Services along with Wahroonga Pathfinders and Church.

On Friday 29 April Students and Staff honoured our ANZACs in formal ceremonies. One of our Year 11 Prefects, Holly, gave the student led address. We will remember them. Lest We Forget.

Uniform Shop

Uniform Hat Policy - Please be reminded that there are different hats for the various stages in the school. It is important to note that the sports cap is for high school students only. Below are the hats required for each grade.

• Prep – Year 2: Bucket Hats
• Year 3 – Year 6: Play Hats
• Year 5 and Year 6: Formal Hats and Play Hats
• Year 7 to Year 12: Formal Hats and Sports Caps

Second Hand Uniforms - We are unable to accept second hand uniforms for the remainder of the term. We are at full capacity and can not process any more items at this time.

The exception to this is second hand blazers and high school sports jackets. These items are in high demand. If you have these items and would like to sell them please send them into the uniform shop on a Thursday with your details attached.

Years 5 to 12 Boys - The delivery of long sleeve shirts in size 12, 14 and 16 has been delayed. If you have ordered these sizes they will be delivered to you as soon as they arrive. If your son doesn’t have a long sleeve shirt that fits he can wear his short sleeve shirt until the long sleeve shirts arrive.

Return of Items - If you purchase items from the shop and then need to return or exchange them, the items must be in original packaging/bags and have the tags attached. Items can not be exchanged or refunded if packaging or tags are missing. The shop is open every Thursday and students can come to the shop to try on items for sizing before purchasing to help minimise the need to exchange or refund.

Meagan Sullivan - Uniform Shop Manager

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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

We have started this term off with a bang! Many exciting events and opportunities for our students to learn and develop new skills and knowledge and to show case their talents... Week of Worship, Cross Country, Gardening Club Day, I WAS caught being Good, AFL Paul Kelly Cup, and Years 5 & 6 Maths Olympiad - further details of these events can be found throughout the Newsletter.

I WAS caught being Good!

As part of our Positive Behaviours for Learning initiative, students who are caught demonstrating our values will be recognised each week. This week we had 5 student names drawn out of the box, unfortunately only 2 have been at school to collect their prize. Well done Chloe (Year 2) and Aston (Kindergarten). (See photos attached).

NAPLAN

Years 3 & 5 will be sitting NAPLAN on 10 May with the last catch-up day scheduled for 20 May. They will start with the Writing component on 10 May. Please send a set of headphones with your child that day as a backup.

Primary School Sport

Whole School Cross Country

Well done to all children from Prep to Year 6 who took part in our amazing School Cross Country event held on Tuesday the 3rd of May. Children were blessed with sunshine and fresh air and showed true House spirit and determination throughout the whole event. It was fantastic to see so many children having fun and encouraging their friends to complete a muddy and challenging course.

A very special thank you to parents, staff, senior student helpers and House Captains who were all wonderfully helpful on the day!

Some students will be invited to progress to the ASISSA Cross Country held later this month.

AFL Paul Kelly Cup

Years 4, 5 & 6 boys put in a great effort as they competed at the AFL Paul Kelly Cup yesterday, winning their pool but unfortunately losing to William Clarke in the semi-finals. Well done to Oliver B for being voted Best and Fairest, and Harry P for being voted Best Sportsmanship Award!

A special thanks to our volunteer coaches Steve Bultitude and Marc Oldfield for all their time and effort, it is greatly appreciated!

Sporting Achievements

Gymnastics State Championships

A huge congratulation to Nicole D (Year 3) who won the GOLD medal for level 4 at the Gymnastics State Championship held at SGAC, Rooty Hill. Nicole has been very excited to have received a gold medal at her first state competition. Well done Nicole!!!!! We are all very proud of your outstanding achievement.

CIS Netball

Congratulations to Beccy Howison and Abbey Roberts who represented WAS at the ASISSA Netball Gala. They both played very well in a highly competitive competition and a HUGE congratulations to Abbey Roberts who made the official ASISSA Netball Team. Wow what an achievement. We are very proud of both girls.

ASISSA Touch Football

Congratulations to Abbey Roberts who represented ASISSA and WAS at the CIS Touch Football on 27 April. She played amazingly well and progressed to the final 24 students … unfortunately she didn’t make the team but went very well!!!

Well done Abbey on a busy week of sport! 😊

Jump Rope for Heart

Jump Rope For Heart Kicks off this term. Jump Rope for Heart is the Heart Foundation’s primary school skipping challenge that helps kids move more, have fun and raise funds for lifesaving research and programs.

This year is the 40th year of Jump Rope for Heart! To celebrate this milestone, we’ve got an audacious goal to see our student Heart Heroes at Wahroonga Adventist School to log 40 hours of skipping throughout the program!

It’s important you register your child online, so they can receive the full benefits of the program and participate in online fundraising, simply follow the link below to get started. www.jumprope.org.au/parents

Students will be skipping throughout the next 5 weeks in PE lessons and during lunch breaks to help raise money for this great cause. We will hold a special jumping session in week 5 or 6 this term and this will mark the end of the program and is a chance for children to come together to skip and show off their newly learned skills.

Thank you for supporting the Jump Rope for Heart program.

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 Netball - 6th May
• CIS Boys/Girls Hockey - 9th May
• CIS Rugby League - 18th May
• CIS Rugby Union - 25th/26th May
• SDA Soccer Gala Day Years 3 & 4 - 26th May
• ASISSA Cross Country - 26th May
• CIS Primary Girls Rugby 7’s - 31st May
• SDA Basketball Gala Day Years 3 & 4 - 1st June

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

Years 6 to 10 Mathematics Challenge

Twenty four students have signed up to complete the Mathematics Challenge this year run by the Australian Mathematics Trust . Students completing Mathematics in Years 6 through to 10 have 4 to 6 challenging mathematics questions to complete over a four week period. We wish them all the best as they work through the problems. The Mathematics Department are encouraged to see students willing to get involved in Enrichment tasks such as the Mathematics Challenge, the Mathematics Olympiad, and later in the year, some Mathematics competitions.

Miss Wright and Mr Cordiner

Year 7 Camp

Last week Year 7 students went to Crosslands Youth and Convention Centre for their annual school camp. Students had a great time learning more about themselves, their classmates, the local environment and God while they participated in a range of fun, and at times challenging, activities with some Year 11 helpers.

Students had the chance to spend one night in a cabin and one night in a tent, and from abseiling to hiking, flying fox to canoeing, everyone got involved in the activities. In the evenings our Chaplains came out and had worship with everyone around the campfire, and despite a bit more rain (and leeches) than anticipated, everyone stayed positive and helped each other make many lasting memories and a fantastic introductory camp experience.

"Camp was a great experience because we got to do many fun activities like abseiling, high ropes, team building and hiking with the Year 11's. All students and teachers were supportive and encouraged us."

Written by Christian B - Year 7

"The things I enjoyed most about camp were spending time with my classmates and going on the flying fox. It was fun to fly across the camp on the flying fox!

Written by Kaitlyn P - Year 7

Year 8 Cafe

It is with great excitement that Year 8 Café is able to welcome back our school community! We are proud to offer a range of tasty snacks and drinks prepared and served by our Year 8 students. Over the last term, we have worked hard to refine our skills, and are looking forward to having you join us soon!

If you are joining us, please sign in at the front office before making your way up to the Textiles room on Level 3.

Café will be open between 2-3pm on the following dates:

• Week 3 – Friday, May 13
• Week 4 – Thursday, May 19
• Week 5 – Friday, May 27
• Week 6 – Thursday, June 2
• Week 7 – Pupil Free Day
• Week 8 – Thursday, June 16
• Week 9 – Friday, June 24
• Week 10 – Thursday, June 30

Year 8 Science

Over the last five weeks, Year 8 have been learning about organs and organ systems as a part of their functioning organisms unit. To gain a better understanding how mammalian kidneys function, students had the opportunity to undertake a dissection, investigating the internal structures of the kidney and mapping the flow of waste products out of the body. This first hand investigation provided students with an opportunity to hone their working scientifically skills, and also provided a good opportunity for students to assess the ethics of scientific study as the specimins used are a byproduct of the food industry.

Duke of Edinburgh Award

Congratulations to Arna T (Gold) and Charlotte L (Gold) and Amogh J (Silver) for completing their hikes for the Duke of Edinburgh Award over the holidays! Students walked the Main Range Track, Kosciuszko Summit Walk, Dead Horse Gap and the Geehi Dam Circuit, totalling over 80kms with more than 2000m of vertical incline.

We were blessed with warm sunny days, however it got well below 0 degrees at night. Ice would be around in the morning until the sun came out. A late evening hike and an early morning rise allowed us to see both the sunset and sunrise from the top of Australia. There were multiple river crossings that were as cold as ice, and at night, it was difficult to move with over 6 layers on. Our hike in the Kosciuszko National Park was a memorable, exhausting, difficult, rewarding and enjoyable adventure!

Secondary School Sport

Cross Country - 3 May 2022

On Tuesday 3 May, Secondary School students participated in the annual Cross Country. Students were able to persevere either through a 3km, 4km or 6km course that included running through the local bush track. Well done to all the students who participated and congratulations to those who have qualified for CSSA State Cross Country.

CIS Swimming

From the evening of Monday 2 May to Tuesday 3 May, the CIS Swimming Championship were held at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre. Renee L, Felicity S, Charli B, Arna T, Nicholas L and Salani S not only represented Wahroonga Adventist, but also the CSSA. Special mentions go to Salani who won silver medal in the 200m backstroke event which is a fantastic result at such a highly competitive level.

CIS Touch - Referee

Jessica M (Year 12) attended the CIS Open Touch Football Championship on Friday 29 April as a referee. She refereed multiple games throughout the whole day and has been invited to help referee at the next level. Well done Jess!

Honourable Mentions

A huge congratulations to Will M for his incredible achievements in a variety of golf tournaments held around the country recently! Representing NSW at the Australian Junior Interstate Comp, Will and his team mates were undefeated coming away as tournament champions. Will also played extremely well at the Australian Amateur, Australian Junior Amateur and placed first amongst the boys at the Adidas 6S World Amateur Golf Ranking Event. Congratulations again Will on such an amazing achievement!

Upcoming Sporting Events

• Secondary School Athletics Carnival - Monday 23rd May (Venue: Warm-up Arena SOPAC)

Mr Ignatius Ah-You - Secondary Sports Coordinator

Library News

Congratulations to Annabelle J (2R), Nicolas J (4R), Victor K (5M), Olivia C (6J) and Jaz B (6K) 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!

Upcoming Library Events

National Simultaneous Storytime (May 25) – This year our school is participating in the National Simultaneous Storytime. On May 25 we will be tuning in online with other schools from all around Australia and New Zealand to listen the reading of the book ‘Family Tree’ by Josh Pyke and Ronojoy Ghosh.

Kids’ Lit Quiz (May 23) – Students in Years 5 to 8 will be representing our school at the Sydney Heat of the Kids’ Lit Quiz at Loreto Kirribilli on May 23! We look forward to seeing our students shine during this fun and fast paced literature-based trivia quiz.

Mrs Leonie Savage - Librarian

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Home and School

Welcome back to Term 2. We hope you have all been able to recharge yourselves and are ready for another Term back at school.

I attended the Cross County on Tuesday 3 May, it was so nice to see so many parents being able to see their children run and have fun. Hopefully, the beginning of more opportunities to be back on school campus.

This term we have the Mother's Day Morning Tea on 11 May from 8.00-9.30am - an event not to be missed. There will be music, games on the synthetic grass, photo booth and some amazing food to be shared with other Mother's or significant others. We welcome you to attend and reconnect with the school community.

Mrs Michelle Roberts - Home and School President (homeandschool@wahroonga.adventist.edu)

Don't forget to put our upcoming Movie Event in your diary and purchase a ticket!

Gardening Club

Sensory Garden - On Thursday 5 May, students and parents of Prep and Kindy helped prepare our new Sensory Garden. This will be an inspiring space for young minds as they use their senses to experience different smells, colours and textures. Our younger children will tend to the garden and watch it grow through the different seasons. What a terrific way to learn about living things and experience the joy and calm one experiences in nature. Our sincere thank you to our students, parents, Miss Dowe and other WAS staff who helped make this happen.