Principal's Message
Balloons are a symbol of celebration and we will be seeing quite a few over the coming weeks as students return to face-to-face learning. There is nothing like the joy of hearing student voices in the classrooms and on the playgrounds and I, along with all the staff, am looking forward to this.
Recognising that there will be a range of emotions as students transition from remote learning, our Wellbeing Team are planning a variety of reconnection experiences. The values of compassion and respect will be very important as students catch up with their peers and share views and experiences about a range of topics including vaccination and life during lock down.
The Home and School Association has also been busy preparing end of year events and service opportunities for our students and I would like to acknowledge the outstanding leadership of Michelle Roberts and Raelean Goodacre this year, ably supported by a dedicated group of parents who work tirelessly for the benefit of the school.
It is with sadness that we farewell Mrs Keryn Mowbray who has shifted north to the pastoral life of a farm after 5 years of service at the school. Keryn’s creativity and compassion will be much missed by her Year 2 students and we wish her and her family God’s blessing. Miss Georgia Robertson, will be teaching Year 2 for the rest of the term and we welcome her enthusiasm and energy. Georgia is familiar with the school, having taught Year 6 last term.
Mrs Jacinta Thomson and her husband Carl welcomed their first child into the world on Thursday 14th October. They have had a healthy baby boy and everyone is doing well! Congratulations Jacinta and Carl!
As school returns to the new normal with some modified routines to keep our students and staff safe, I am grateful for the remarkable efforts you as parents have made over the last months to keep our students engaged in learning while juggling your own work commitments. Thank you – the teachers have been working hard, but we could not have done it without you.
Chaplains' News
Term 4. WOW!
This year has flashed before our eyes and we are in the last couple of months of the year already. We are excited for the students to return in the following weeks and can’t wait to see them in person instead of through a screen.
Our theme for this term is ‘Imagine Peace’, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:7
We will be sharing with the students what real peace is, peace that comes from God. This is something that is important at any time, but is so relevant at the moment.
We have lots of exciting things planned for this term and we are looking forward to seeing what God has in store for us as the term unfolds.
Blessings, WAS Chaplains
Whole School News
Sports Uniform
We are excited to announce that from 2022 we will be transitioning the whole school to the High School Sports Uniform. As part of the Whole School Sports Uniform unisex shorts will be available for all students from Prep to Year 12 to wear on sports days.
There will be a changeover period from the current Junior School Sports Uniform to the Whole School Sports Uniform.
Stock of the new uniform is arriving so we are offering the old Junior School Sports Uniform at a discounted cost while stocks last. (Discounted from 18/10/21).
Ordering Uniforms
Flexischools is available to order any uniforms that you need moving into Term 4. More information will follow on how to order uniforms for 2022.
If you have any enquiries please contact me at uniformshop@wahroonga.adventist.edu.au
Meagan Sullivan - Uniform Shop Manager
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 2021 & 2022
Please click on the link below to view the school term dates and public holiday information for the remainder of 2021 and 2022.
Primary School News
Prep Students Return!
We are very excited to have welcomed back our Prep students to learning on campus this week! It is so lovely to seem them again and have them excited about exploring new activities in the classroom. Next week students in Years K, 1 & 12 return to school for onsite learning - we are really looking forward to their return!
Prep Classroom
Miss Dowe was very busy over the school holidays creating some new spaces in preparation for the Prep's return to the classroom this week...
Home Corner: By creating a home corner space children have the opportunity to make sense of their worlds. Role play and dramatic play is the ideal space for children to develop turn taking skills, expand and refine vocabulary, express wants and needs and take on and delegate roles. In the WAS Prep space, the home corner is used in times of developmental play as well as being linked in with our Numeracy focus of the week. This provides the time and space for children to explore key mathematical ideas in a play-based setting.
Construction Zone: A loose parts play space based on the teaching of Simon Nicholson who pioneered the use of loose part play with children. Loose parts proved a dynamic and engaging challenge for children to tinker build and create with. Loose parts can include the use of natural and manmade recycle materials, inspiring, developing, and refining children's fine motor, gross motor, social, emotional, cognitive, and creative skills.
Quiet Space: The quiet space is a perfect place for students to reset their bodies and minds throughout the day. Our quiet space is a literacy rich environment which provides children autonomous access to rich texts. Students use this space throughout the day to engage in quiet and solitary reading or to engage in small teacher lead reading groups
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Secondary School News
Year 10 Work Experience
With the easing of COVID restrictions, our Year 10 students are looking for work experience opportunities from 22 - 26 November this year.
If your company or workplace can accommodate a Year 10 student for work experience during that time, please indicate by clicking here.
Thank you for supporting our students.
Congratulations Lachlan L - Year 8
Lachlan participated in the Ryde Eisteddfod online last Wednesday night 6th October where he was in the Prepared Reading 14 and under section. Lachlan had to read a passage that was 250 words in length from Iron Man by Ted Hughes. Lachlan received a mark of 88 by the adjudicator which is a fantastic result! Well done Lachlan - you are a talented young man, we are very proud of you!
Years 7 & 10 Vaccination Schedule
Please Note - Vaccinations for students in Years 7 and 10 will now be held at school on Thursday 18th November 2021.
- Year 7 - HPV Dose 2. No action required - the consent forms submitted for Dose 1 also apply to Dose 2.
- Year 10 - Meningococcal ACWY. Consent forms will be distributed to students on 25th October. Please ensure they are returned to the School Office by Monday 8th November.
High School Sport
Rocket League
On Friday the 8th of October, 6 students participated in a very new and unique gala day – E Sports Rocket League Gala Day. The two teams had to compete in 5 rounds, versing teams from other CSSA schools.
It was a fun and exciting event hosted by Yonder Sports – a great way to be competitive in this current online learning time.
Well done to the following students;
Year 7 - Patrick M, Xavior E and Nkumbu N
Year 8 - Cameron P, Lachlan L and Sidney G
Strava House Competition - Hunter vs Philip
As of this week the High School students are competing in the Strava House Competition which will run over the next few weeks. Run, walk or ride as many kilometres as you can. The house with the most kilometres wins!!
Running and walking kilometres: 1 km = 2 points
Riding kilometres: 1 km = 1 point
With every Strava entry, be sure you do the following for your kilometres to be counted;
1. Follow the WAS Club.
2. In the title of your run/ride/walk, make sure you include your house name. For example, “Afternoon run for Hunter” or “Morning walk – Philip”.
Seqta Notices have a leader board, showing the current score. The kilometres will be tallied on Sunday night at 7pm (so make sure you finish all your activities and have them uploaded by then), with the winner announced on Monday.
Library News
Borrowing
Please ensure all library books that have been out throughout lockdown are returned as soon as your children are once again back onsite. If you are unsure of what your children currently have out, please log on to the library WebApp at bit.ly/waslibrary and follow the instructions on the home page to access their borrowing details.
The last week of borrowing for this year will be Week 6 in order to ensure that all books are returned before the end of the school year. Please remind your children to bring their library bags once onsite learning resumes so they can take advantage of borrowing for the few weeks where borrowing will be allowed. All library books need to be returned to the Library by the end of Week 8.
Covid Safety
As the Library is a shared space that is used across the whole school community, we will be stringently following the whole school Covid safety procedures and will also be quarantining all returned library books for a period of at least 48 hours before allowing them to be reborrowed. For a full statement on Covid safety in the library please visit the Library WebAPP.
Premier’s Reading Challenge
The Premier’s Reading Challenge has finished for 2021 and the website is no longer active. Any book read from now on can be added to next year’s challenge once the website becomes active again in March. The Premier’s Reading Challenge certificates will be handed out when they are available at the end of the Term.
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Canteen
The Canteen will remain open in Term 4 with a limited menu. Primary aged students will only be able to access the canteen through online orders. High School students are encouraged to order online, a limited window service will be available following a COVID safe procedure.
Home and School
A MASSIVE shout out to members of the Home and School Committee, parent body and WAS staff for their ongoing commitment to the Home and School. THANK YOU for your time and valuable thoughts and ideas. We had a meeting this past Tuesday the 12th of October 2021 and it was super exciting and affirming to see more families attending this forum. Feel free to join us for our next meeting on the 2nd of November.
Term 4 we have high hopes to bring LASER TAG for the High School students in a reframed format – so watch this space over the coming weeks.
Keep an eye out for the Primary School students as they bring back to school their “creative spoons” for WAS Spoonville.
Don’t forget to work on your GINGERBREAD HOUSE and enter the competition that is closing on the 5th of November 2021. Send your photo entry to the Home and School email: homeandschool@wahroonga.adventist.edu.au.
We are revamping Dad’s Campout this year to be a FAMILY CAMPFIRE NIGHT. Save the Date – the 23rd of October 2021, starting sometime in the early evening. More details to come, but be assured a fun evening is planned via zoom.
I am really pleased to announce we have 2 new representatives on the Home and School Committee – Jodia Lanstra and Kylie Banks, who have kindly taken on the Beyond the School Yard Portfolio. They are currently in the process of exploring some charities for the Christmas period and will be working with the SRC students. More to come around our Beyond the School Yard projects.
In reflection of the past 4 months of being in lockdown I am very aware that we may have some families in our own community who have been impacted in various ways as the world we know seems to be changing. If you need some extra support, would like us to pray for you, or know of a family in our community who could use the support of our Chaplaincy Team please reach out to Pastor Andy, he would love to hear from you. Email: chaplains@wahroonga.adventist.edu.au
Michelle Roberts - President of the Home and School Committee
Home & School Meeting Dates for 2021
TERM 4 - Tuesday 2nd November
Meals With Love
Meals with Love is back for Term 4! If you know a school family that needs a little TLC and would benefit from a home cooked meal then please send us an email and we can arrange for one to be sent home. Due to the current climate all meals are again being prepared by the Meals with Love Team and the Canteen. Please email us if you would like further information.
Many thanks for supporting this initiative.
mealswithlove@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.