Principal's Message
The richness of learning at our school has been highlighted as we come to the end of Term 3. Our third graduating class of Year 12 was farewelled in an uplifting chapel, and our first Year 11 international service-learning trip is currently underway in Fiji. Both events are a testament to our values lived authentically by students, parents and staff.
Many outstanding achievements have been made of the last few weeks representing the diversity of school life:
- 4 High Distinctions and 7 Distinctions were gained in the Year 7-10 elective Australian Mathematics Trust Competition.
- Year 7 & 8 representative STEM teams comp achieved silver and gold in the Adventist School competition.
- Our leading Primary Chess Team made it to the NSW Chess Finals and a Year 5 student, Benji K, placed first overall.
- The Year 6 Debating Team won their regional competition.
- The Year 5 and 6 Touch Football Teams placed first in the Sydney Adventist Schools competition.
- Primary and Secondary teams competed in the NSW Combined Independent Schools Athletics Carnival, with a Year 2 student, Emmett R, placing first in 100m
- Open Boys and Open Girls Basketball teams will be participating in the National Adventist High Schools competition next week.
- Katrina M from Year 9 participated in the Speaking for the Planet Competition
Our staff have worked diligently throughout the term. Unfortunately, we bid farewell to Miss Brielle Robinson who has made a significant contribution to learning in the Primary School over the past 17 years. Mrs Linden Browne, the Learning Enrichment Teacher Aide has supported primary students in literacy, and we will miss her passion for students. We also bid farewell to Mrs Meagan Sullivan, the Uniform Shop Coordinator and parent, who has been outstanding in her organisation. We wish them God’s blessing.
Many of you will have noticed the construction of the cover over the basketball courts and it will be an excellent addition to keep students protected from both sun and rain. Thank you to the Home and School for helping to fund this infrastructure.
May you and your family keep safe over the Term 3 holiday period, and we look forward to seeing all students return on Tuesday, 10 October in summer uniform.
God bless.
Mrs Julia Heise - Principal
Chaplain's Message
Recently 5 of our students were baptised, choosing to publicly declare their love for Jesus. As a team we want to congratulate Josh N, Neo K, Jasper P, Alessandra P and Sophia P, for their recent baptisms.
At school we celebrate faith, and the individual faith journey of each student who walks through our gates. We believe that every student and young child is created in God’s image. Every single one is unique and of immeasurable worth with the right to develop their God-given potential regardless of race, gender, and ability.
Faith holds our community together. Despite the challenges, from a global level right down to our dinner table, it is God who holds us in His hands and who will light the path ahead for us.
Please pray for our year 11 students who are travelling to Fiji today to serve a small remote school community for the next week.
Nick Kross - Chaplain
Upcoming Events
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 2023/2024
Please click on the link below to view the school term dates and public holiday information for 2023/2024.
Whole School News
Farewell to Year 12
This week signals the end of the year 12 cohort’s official schooling journey. Throughout this week, the year 12’s enjoyed different activities where they could bond and spend their last few moments of high school together before their HSC exams. The week was full of highs and lows, tears and smiles. Whittled down from 61 to 34, our 2023 graduate year has endured and concurred a myriad of challenges, though each student has risen above to a level of success beyond anyone’s expectations. More than a cohort, graduates of 2023 are survivors, comrades and family; a strange and enchanting mix of strong willpower, strength, determination and power to see everything to the end. Though their final week has come to an end, they will forever hold the classroom battles, debates, tears and triumphs to their chests; the mish-mash of students that grew (surprisingly) into a family.
Charlotte H - Year 12 Student
New School Captains
Our 2024 School Captains and School Vice Captains were announced during the Year 12 Graduation Chapel with incumbent School Captains Holly M and Dhruv S welcoming Katie M and Jasper S as our new School Captains. Congratulations also to Darcy L and Will K our new School Vice Captains. We look forward to your leadership during 2024.
Year 11 Service Trip to Fiji
Our Year 11 students set out on their adventure and service trip to Fiji this week. It has been a long journey with 2 plane trips followed by a lengthy bus ride. A few hurdles were navigated with some of the staff unexpectedly relegated to a very small aircraft for one of the legs of travel. The team arrived safely today and have a full week ahead of them with work, fun, worship and fellowship alongside students from a fellow Adventist school. We look forward to hearing about their adventures next term. Safe travels to all of the Year 11 students and teachers.
R U OK? Day
R U OK? Day reminds us that it makes a world of difference when somebody demonstrates genuine care and asks if we are okay. It is so important that we take the time to listen so that we do not just ask an empty question but dedicate the time and care for others. God calls us to be there for each other and to share our burdens with him and with our friends.
As a school we took time this week to remember that it is important to ask R U OK?
COLA Update
Many of you will have noticed the construction of the cover over the basketball courts and it will be an excellent addition to keep students protected from both sun and rain. It is expected that the new facility will be ready for use early in Term 4. Thank you to the Home and School for helping to fund this infrastructure.
Julia Heise - Principal
Staff Farewells
Brielle Robinson
Last week, after 17 years of teaching, we farewelled Miss Brielle Robinson as she leaves to begin her journey at a brand new school. Throughout her time at Wahroonga she taught hundreds of children in 5 different classrooms, 5 different grades and multiple campuses. We have been so blessed to have Miss Robinson at our school for all of these years and the hole that she is leaving will be immense. She will be missed by staff and students but we send her on her new journey with God’s blessing and the knowledge that she will continue to change lives in her new role.
Linden Browne
Our Learning Enrichment team has been very blessed to have Linden Browne as a Teacher’s Aide to work with us over the last 18 months. Linden has made a huge contribution to our team, always doing an impeccable job. We value all that she has done to support her colleagues. We want to thank Linden for her patience, love and care of the students that she taught and supported every day. Linden worked mostly in the Primary School however, supported students ranging from Kindergarten to Year 12. They were all very fond of her, learnt so much from her and knew how much she cared for each of them.
We are surely going to miss Linden in our office and send her best wishes as she embarks on her new and exciting adventure. Our best wishes and prayers are always with you Linden! Good Luck and farewell friend!
From Julie, Lee-Ann, Emma-Lee and everyone here at WAS
Meagan Sullivan
It is with sadness that we farewell Meagan Sullivan as our Uniform Shop manager. For over two years she has not only efficiently managed our uniform needs but has also dedicated many previous years volunteering in the shop. It is with heartfelt gratitude that we wish Meagan success and happiness for her next chapter.
Primary School News
Primary Debating team.
Our Primary Debating team has performed brilliantly in a recent round of debates and won against the Australian International Academy: Kellyville Campus. Mrs Costa has been working with Yifei S, Sophie L, Ira S & Emily H and assisted them in developing their debating skills over the year.
Students debated the negative argument for "Children under 16 should be prevented from using their real names online". The students did an amazing job, speaking clearly, confidently and presenting excellent arguments. Well done!
Anne-Marie Deppeler - Head of Primary School
Values Awards
Each fortnight, students who have consistently demonstrated one of the school values receives a values award at assembly. These are our Years 3-6 recipients for Term 3, well done!
Primary School Sport
CIS Athletics Carnival
What a great day at the CIS athletics carnival. The un-seasonally hot weather played a toll on all students and schools that were there. The 7 students who competed from WAS gave it their absolute all with each of them breaking their own records from previous carnivals. Emmett R, Year 2, performed brilliantly coming 1st in his 100m sprint and therefore qualifying for the upcoming state competition. What an achievement! Well done Emmett.
Touch Football Gala Day
The Stage 3 Primary Touch Football Gala Day was great both on the pitch and off. Despite the scorching hot weather it didn't stop the teams totally rocking it with both the girls and boys teams winning the day's competition. They showed great respect to the players and refs, playing fair and square and it was an unforgettable day of victory and sportsmanship. Our students shook hands after each match, helped pick up rubbish and collected cones after the day had finished, showing the true character of what our school is all about.
Mr Jack Fulton - Primary Sports Coordinator
Secondary School News
Year 12 Luna Park Excursion
To close off Term 4 the Year 12 Physics students travelled to Luna park to experience some of the physics phenomena that were studied throughout the Year 12 course (and to have some fun).
Mr Joshua Knight - Maths and Physics Teacher
Year 7 & 8 STEM Representative Challenge
Last month our Year 7 and 8 STEM representative teams completed an escape room challenge at Hills Adventist College. They had to complete a variety of maths problems, engineering challenges and science activities. The Year 7 team achieved the silver time award and our Year 8 STEM team achieved the gold time award. Well done to our STEM representatives!
Leisly White - Head of Science
High School Sports
Sailing Champions League Youth World Finals
Lachlan Wallace competed in the 2023 Sailing Champions League Youth World Finals held in Kiel, Germany from 1-3 September. There were 21 teams competing in the regatta (aged 23 years and under) representing 11 countries. Lachlan, a member of the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club's Youth Development Team competed in 14 races over 3 days finishing 6th overall.
The team qualified for the regatta following on from their performance at the Asia -Pacific Final in May where they placed 3rd overall (and 2nd in Youth teams).
Mr Ignatius Ah-You - Secondary Sports Coordinator
Library News
‘Library Bag’ Incursion – Years 5 and 6
For Book Week this year our Year 5 and 6 students have been working with Brenden and Suzanne Lovett to produce ‘Library Bag’ podcasts where the students ask each other the all-important question – ‘So, what are you reading?’ Suzanne has presented workshops to the students covering interviewing skills and how to ask leading questions, and then over the last two Mondays, the students have been busy recording their podcasts with the help of Brenden. The next step will be editing the recordings to create the finished podcast. We will look forward to broadcasting these podcasts on our Library WebAPP via the link below early next term, so keep a look out for them!
Premier’s Reading Challenge
The Premier’s Reading Challenge has now finished for 2023, however any books read from now on can be included on next year’s challenge. As there is no access to the PRC website until early next year a written list of books read will need to be kept until then.
2023 Year 12 Book Lists
The cut-off date for Box of Books textbook orders with guaranteed delivery before the start of Term 4 has now passed, however orders can still be placed for books you may still be needing. Click the link below for instructions on how to order from ‘Box of Books’.
Very limited second-hand textbooks are still available for purchase from the library. Please email Mrs Savage if you wish to purchase second-hand textbooks.
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
Term 3 has been busy for Home and School with various events from dancing feet at the Bush Dance, Father's Day Big Breakfast, Dad's Campout, and moving mulch at the Working Bee. Thank you, parents, students and teachers for being part of these events.
Term 4 will be a slower pace as we are mindful of how busy that time of year can be for our families. However, we would really love to hear from you on a few key topics so that we can prepare for 2024. So, come along to our Focus Group on the 31 October at 7pm. Further details below.
We also have our traditional Christmas Hamper drive that Home and School does with our SRC students.
Enjoy your much-deserved holiday and we will hopefully see you at the Focus Group. in Term 4.
Next Home & School Meeting
Tuesday 24 October 7pm
Mrs Michelle Roberts - Home and School President (homeandschool@wahroonga.adventist.edu)