Whole School News
A Note from our Head of Junior School - Mrs Anne-Marie Deppeler
How did the stars get in the sky? What is the moon made of?
If you’ve heard these questions, or similar ones, from your child, then you are not alone. Curiosity is part of human nature and each of us, young or old, longs to know more and understand more. There are some people who believe that because we have information literally at our fingertips, that maybe we’re becoming less curious. But that’s simply not true. Everyone is curious, but the object and degree of that curiosity is different depending on the person and the situation.
I am sure many of you heard or saw the blood moon on Wednesday night this week. One of my children recently received a telescope as a gift and wanted to go outside and see this event unfold through his new telescope. While watching the event with my children, I was amazed at the questions that were being asked and how this one event sparked further curiosity and research about the moon. Their curiosity was contagious as before long the whole family had become so engaged in learning all there was to know about the moon, that we lost all track of time. On this occasion we had not intentionally gone outside to learn, but sometimes learning can happen at times when you least expect it.
Each and every day we are blessed to have such an awesome God that created every detail of our incredible world. Genesis 1:1 –“ In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth”. Research has shown us that curiosity makes our brains more receptive for learning, and that as we learn, we desire to continue to learn. Encouraging curiosity in our students is fundamental to learning about the world we live in. Next time your child asks the question ‘Why?’ instead of giving them the answer, encourage them to explore and develop their curiosity. You never know where this may lead.
Values at Home and at School
Our school is currently on a journey to implement a Positive Behaviours for Learning (PB4L) framework and we are thankful for the input of the school community in selecting our four core values: Respect, Responsibility, Integrity and Compassion.
PB4L is an evidence-based school wide approach that will help us to collaboratively continue to build a safe, supportive and positive learning culture. At the heart of PB4L is the social, emotional, behavioural and academic wellbeing of our children and young people. We know that predictable and positive learning environments ensure that students are offered effective support strategies in order to make positive behavioural choices.
As we continue to develop explicit and agreed behaviour expectations across school-wide, classroom and non-classroom settings, we will update you with Values posters that address a variety of settings including:
• Classroom
• Playground
• Canteen
• Excursions
With any system that deals with rules, it opens the door to corrective learning opportunities. At Wahroonga Adventist School we use a variety of strategies to support students in this area, including verbal redirection, time in, discussions and individualised PB4L Learning Plans. Every attempt is made to ensure that the consequence is reasonable, respectful, and restorative.
Research shows that the development and implementation of a PB4L framework takes up to two years and your support in this journey is invaluable. Continue to use the common language of our four values at home in both praising appropriate behaviour and redirecting unhelpful behaviour. To support the use of common language, the Home and School have generously funded the production of four values magnets that you will be able to display on your fridge at home.
Conquering da Vinci Decathlon 2021
Students from Year 5 to Year 11 recently competed in the 2021 virtual da Vinci Decathlon, using their creativity and intellect to tackle this challenging competition, run in the spirit of an Olympic Decathlon.
The da Vinci Decathlon is not for the faint-hearted. Selected students from Years 5-11 competed in teams of eight in order to solve a series of problems across 10 different disciplines: Engineering, Mathematics and Chess, Code Breaking, Art and Poetry, Science, English, Ideation, Creative Producers, Cartography and Legacy.
The competition is designed to challenge and stimulate the minds of students, emphasising higher order thinking skills – assisting students to develop their abilities in analysis, synthesis and creativity.
The theme for the 2021 da Vinci Decathlon was ‘Chance’, and included hundreds of students from independent and public schools across the region.
I would like to congratulate all students for their teamwork, good humour, and efforts on the day. I would also like to recognise all those who participated and acknowledge their achievement in placing in the top 15 schools in multiple disciplines. This is significant because some teams were competing against up to 80 teams across each year level.
Year 5 - 3rd - Engineering
Year 6 - 1st - Creative Producers, Equal 15th - Science, Equal 15th - Mathematics
Year 8 - Equal 8th - Cartography, Equal 15th - Science, Equal 15th - Mathematics
Year 10 - Equal 8th – Art & Poetry, Equal 10th - Legacy, Equal 15th – Mathematics
Year 11 - Equal 11th – English
WAS Connect
Relax, get to know other parents and connect over a cuppa on Tuesday mornings at Fox Valley Church. Come along and enjoy a free cup of coffee or tea made by a barista while having a chat to other mums or dads from our school community. No pre-booking is required, just drop in and say hi.
Introducing our Music Tutors...
John Duncan
Hi! I’m John. I was born at the SAN and now I’m working so close to where I started life it feels a little like I’ve come home. As a student, I attended school in Castle Hill and Strathfield and completed my degrees at Avondale University College. I’ve been continuing to study ever since, with AmusA (Associate diploma in violin performance) from the Australian Music Examination Board and am currently working on LmusA (Licentiate diploma in violin performance).
My tertiary studies were in education and music (double major). Playing music and singing are the things I enjoy the most (well perhaps the cricket is a close second) in life. I play the violin and the organ and now I get to do what I love most and that’s to teach others how to play the violin as well.
It’s great to be part of the Wahroonga team and I’m looking forward to meeting you and sharing a little more of who I am.
If you would like to enquire about violin lessons with John please do not hesitate to contact Mrs Vuceski head of CAPA at kristina.vuceski@wahroonga.adventist.edu.au
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
Please click on the link below to view the school term dates and public holiday information for 2021.
Chaplains' News
The joy of seeing our newest students present and participate in Chapel is enough to make us crack a big smile! The young student's smiles, laughter and wonder are infectious! The sense of anticipation, joy, apprehension, and success we see in these young students reveal God's creative love in a display that is absolutely energising!
The Bible tells us that these attitudes of wonder, joy and trust are the basis of a great relationship with God. Through the trust and the inquisitive anticipation that children often experience God reveals to us what He has in store for us all - joy and eternal life. These attributes are the basis of Jesus statement that the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these (children). When we have seen Kindy classes recently participate, and lead out in Chapels, many of us have again taken note of the value of these attributes (Matt 19:14; Matt 18:3).
The simple life of wonder, trust, and joy, awaits those who are willing to sit with a child and ask them how they see life, then remember some of these attributes applied to faith are life changing. Matt 14:1-3 Jesus said, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God. And trust in me. There are many rooms in my Father’s house. I would not tell you this if it were not true. I am going there to prepare a place for you. After I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back. Then I will take you to be with me so that you may be where I am." Wonder, trust, joy, what an awesome way to see life!
Blessings, Pr Andy
The WAS Chaplaincy Team
School News - Years P to 6
Junior Chapel Times
Please note Junior School Chapel starts at 8:50 am and concludes at around 9:30 am. You are most welcome to attend our Chapel service on the day that your child’s class is hosting, COVID restrictions permitting. To view the term 2 Chapel roster please click here.
Chess Competition – Thu 1st April 2021
Last term, Benjamin participated in an interschool chess challenge on the 1st of April at Mt Ku-ring-gai Town Hall. He came first place in this challenge and we are very proud of his efforts. Benjamin’s win placed our school in second place. We wish him all the best as he represents our school in the regional semi-finals in term 3.
Primary School Sport
During week 5, we had two sporting events on the same day with some great results. On Thursday 20th May, Wahroonga Adventist School participated in the ASISSA Cross Country with a total of 27 entries, 4 of those moving onto the CIS Cross Country at Eastern Creek. There was also a team of Year 3 and 4 students who competed in the Adventist Schools Soccer Gala Day and came away with a first place win.
Years 3 & 4 SDA Soccer Gala Day - Thurs 20th May 2021
On Thursday (May 20th) WAS participated in the ‘Stage Two Soccer Gala Day’ at The Hills Centenary Park in Rouse Hill, a fun Adventist School competition. Six schools attended in total. WAS entered a mixed team into the boys’ competition with eleven boys and two girls. The students focused on playing the right way: being respectful, responsible and positive. During the round robin competition WAS came away with two wins, two draws and a loss. That was good enough to rank 2nd behind Hills Adventist College and make the Grand Final. The team played hard in the Final and held out for a 0-0 draw, finally WINNING 3-2 in the penalty shootout! Every member of the team played extremely well, but what was most impressive was the team’s ability to work together and stay respectful, responsible and positive all day. Special mention goes to Ella and Sofia who played hard and fitted right in, and Roary who stood up to the pressure test in the Grand Final Penalty Shootout saving the last two goals to secure the win! A big thanks to the parents that came along and helped out and well done to all!
ASISSA Cross Country - Thu 20th May 2021
On Thursday 20th May, Wahroonga Adventist School participated in the ASISSA Cross Country at Queens Park in Bondi Junction. We were welcomed with some beautiful Autumn weather, just right for competing in a long distance run.
The 8-10 year old girls and boys ran a distance of 2km and the 11 and 12 year old students competed on the 3km track. All the students placed their best efforts in every stride and can be proud of the results they achieved. A special congratulations to Joel R, Kyle S, Levi L and Isabel P for making it into the ASISSA team. They will have the opportunity to represent our school at the CIS Cross Country on Thursday 10th June 2021.
During the events some of the students enjoyed a social game of soccer against students from other schools on the vacant soccer field. It was great to see them being inclusive of others and perhaps even making new friends.
Hockey Championships - NSWPSSA
We would like to recognise Leo Boorman for his dedication and time spent at the NSWPSSA Hockey Championships at the Newcastle Hockey Centre on the 25th and 26th of May. We hope you had a great time!
Girls Basketball Championships - NSWPSSA
We would also like to acknowledge Sasha Clague and the effort she has put into her basketball training. She will be competing in the NSWPSSA Girls Basketball Championships on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday next week. During this time Sasha will be part of the CIS team and compete against 14 other regional school associations. Once the tournament is completed, 10 girls out of 150 will be chosen as the NSWPSSA 2021 team. Sasha has said that she is very excited, but also a bit anxious as there are quite a number of girls competing.
Basketball Training
Monday afternoon basketball training for this term is an opportunity for Junior School students to engage in gameplay! The students are being arranged into teams each week to put the skills they have learned over term 1 into practice. Senior Duke of Edinburgh students are assisting by refereeing the games and teaching basketball rules and teamwork skills along the way. We are looking forward to more games each Monday for the rest of the term - a big thankyou to our senior students for their help.
Upcoming Primary School Sporting Events
Fri 4th June – CIS Girls and Boys Touch Football (Years 4-6 only)
Wed 9th June - Netball NSW Schools Cup (teams have been selected)
Thu 10th June - CIS Cross Country (students have been selected)
Fri 11th June – CIS Primary Boys Softball Trials (Years 4-6 only)
If your child participates in representative softball and is interested in attending the CIS Softball Trials, please email nathan.hurst@wahroonga.adventist.edu.au. Please note that students will need to be provided with transportation and supervision for this event.
Co-Curricular Program
During the school holidays we will have Code Camp on campus from the 7-9th July. To receive the $25 early bird discount please click here before the 30th of May!
We are excited to offer some new co-curricular opportunities in Term 3. Limited spaces are available, book now!
• For more information on Tae Kwon Do please click here
• For more information on After School Coding please click here
School News - Years 7 to 12
Year 12 Study Retreat - 17th & 18th May 2021
Our Year 12 students enjoyed a study retreat at CRU Galston on the 17th and 18th of May. Highlights included focused study skills sessions with Dr Faull and a number of recent HSC graduates. Students also had the opportunity to receive one-on-one feedback from their curriculum teachers. We are so grateful for the support of these wonderful educators and mentors.
Year 9 Excursion to Frozen the Musical
Along with costume design, music appreciation and set design mechanics - the Year 9 students experienced the joy and culture of live theatre last week while seeing “Frozen the Musical”! Enriching their learning, the excursion was also an absolute treat after a year of Covid-19 closures.
Year 11 Biology Excursion - Thu 27th May 2021
The Year 11 Biology class travelled to Catherine Hill Bay yesterday where they undertook some fieldwork for their studies of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics. This fieldwork makes up the major component of their Year 11 Depth Study.
Prayer Breakfast
Our School Captains and Vice Captains, along with the Principal and Chaplain, attended a Sydney wide prayer breakfast held at the International Convention Centre this week. The previous CEO of Telstra, Mr David Thodey AO, was the keynote speaker inspiring over 1300 Christian business leaders as they prayed for those living and working in town, encouraging each other in their trust in the Lord, to be a light to our fellow workers and neighbours.
Maths News
Maths Help Club
If you are in Years 7-12 and would like some help with maths assessments or homework, Maths Help Club runs every Wednesday lunch in GLA 2. Come and ask a question!
Maths Newsletter Challenge
Worked solutions for this week’s challenge can be submitted to the office in the Maths Challenge post box and Junior and Senior winners will be drawn from the correct entries. Remember to include your name and all working out when submitting solutions. Keep up the good work!
Entries close Friday 4th June.
Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) Exhibition
We are pleased to invite you to our Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) Exhibition Night which will be held on Wednesday June 23 from 6 to 8pm in the Fox Valley Community Centre. This event will showcase the art and musical talent of high school students in the Semester One Creative and Performing Arts spaces.
Free tickets for this event can be booked here. Doors will open at 6pm with an art exhibition in the foyer. The musical exhibition will commence in the main hall at 6:30pm. We look forward to welcoming you on the evening and showcasing the wonderful talents of our creative students.
CSSA State Cross Country - Fri 28th May 2021
31 students participated at the CSSA State Cross Country at the Sydney Equestrian Center today. The students represented the school with excellent attitude and effort. It was great to see the students from each year group warming up together and the students encouraging each other as their peers came into the finishing line. Five students were successful in attaining a top 10 position meaning they will go on to represent the school at NSW CIS Cross Country at Eastern Creek on the 10th of June. These students were Mason J 18yrs boys - 4th, Ella G 15yrs girls - 3rd, Danny J 16yrs boys - 9th, Isaac N, 16yrs boys - 10th, Charlotte L, 17yrs girls - 9th.
Student Spotlight - Year 12 - 2021
Meet Joshua (Josh)...
1. How long have you been at Wahroonga? I have been at Wahroonga since Year 7, so this is my sixth year here.
2. What subjects are you studying in your HSC? Business Studies, Economics, Physics, Mathematics Advanced and Extension 1, English Standard.
3. What’s your greatest life achievement so far (either in school or out)? Experimenting with investments. Some more successful than others.
4. What advice would you give your Year 7 self going into high school? Read over your work.
5. What career would you like to do once you leave school? I'd like to eventually own my own business.
6. Any school study/survival tips for those in younger grades? Ask your friends for help.
7. Best thing you’ve ever eaten for lunch? Nachos.
8. Favourite excursion? When we got to watch The Merchant of Venice for Year 8 English.
9. Favourite day at school? Food Tech with Mr Ed when we catered the staff meeting.
10. A quote from you... The greatest success is giving it all you've got over and over again.
Meet Edward (Ed)...
1. How long have you been at Wahroonga? Since Year 7.
2. What subjects are you studying in your HSC? Mathematics Standard, Advanced English, Food Technology, Ancient History, and Legal Studies.
3. What’s your greatest life achievement so far (either in school or out)? I got my Ls last Tuesday that was pretty neat.
4. What advice would you give your Year 7 self going into high school? Don't worry about it so much.
5. What career would you like to do once you leave school? I'm still working that out.
6. Any school study/survival tips for those in younger grades? Do things how you like. Other people's tips may not help you; you just have to kind of figure out what works for you.
7. Best thing you’ve ever eaten for lunch? Hash brown burger from canteen, plus extra hash brown.
8. Favourite excursion? Year 10 Camp hiking and sea kayaking at Patonga
9. Favourite day at school? Last term Pr Richie brought us Krispy Kreme's!
10. A quote from you... "I know nothing except the fact of my ignorance." - Socrates
Library News
Premier’s Reading Challenge
Congratulations to Cameron P (KE), Jamie L (1S), Jax R (1K), Martina C (1K) and Oscar L (2M) who have all finished the Premier’s Reading Challenge. Awesome effort!
The Premier’s Reading Challenge does not finish until the end of August so there is still plenty of time to complete it. Happy Reading!!
Overdue Books
To check if your children have overdue library books please log on to their library records by going to the library WebApp (bit.ly/waslibrary) and following the instructions on the home page to access your child’s personal records. Our library does not charge fees for overdue books, however a replacement fee of $25 per book is required if books are lost or irreparably damage.
National Simultaneous Story Time
On Wednesday, May 19 Wahroonga Adventist School participated in the National Simultaneous Story Time where astronaut Shannon Walker, who is currently working at the International Space Station, read the book ‘Give me some Space’ by Philip Bunting. Over 1.8 million students across Australia and New Zealand tuned in at 11am to listen to the reading.
Kids’ Lit Quiz
On Monday, May 24 Wahroonga Adventist School sent three teams to participate in the Sydney Heat of the Kids’ Lit Quiz, the Sport of Reading! There were 14 schools represented at the Sydney heat, with a total of 32 teams competing for a place in the top two in order to move on to the National Final being held at the State Library of NSW in July. Our students all displayed excellent team work and represented our school with beautiful manners and good sportsmanship. Unfortunately, we were not amongst the winning teams on the day, however our Year 8 team did win one of the rounds and each received a book prize! A big thank you to Oliver L (8W), Finn M (8W), Audrey K (8A), Sarah L (7A), Katrina M (7W), Atticus J (7S), Nicholas G (7A), Sophie C (6C), Nathan S (6J), Tiffany L (5K) and Samarth P (5K) for being wonderful ambassadors for our school.
Home and School
Mother’s Day Stall
The intention for the Mother’s Day Stall was for the Student Representative Council along with the Home and School to work together and raise money for Mother’s in need as well as supporting ethical, earth loving or local businesses. Over $1,200 was raised for dental check ups, breast screening, business training, education, reproductive health awareness, maternal care and sewing machines for women, mothers and their communities.
Well done to the students who were considered and thoughtful in choosing the charities. They helped set up for the stall as well as keeping stock at hand and taking payments on the day. Their leadership and enthusiasm was evident. Thank you also to the parent helpers who supported the SRC in the lead up to the event and on the day.
Home and School Movie Event!! Sunday 20th June 2021
Home & School Meeting Dates for 2021
TERM 2 - Tuesday 1st June (Time: 7.00pm, Location: The Wedge)
TERM 3 - Tuesday 27th July and Tuesday 31st August
TERM 4 - Tuesday 5th October and Tuesday 2nd November
Meals with Love
Do you have a favourite family recipe you’d like to make and share with Meals With Love? Or maybe you can bake an extra batch of grandma’s cookies? If you would like to provide a home-cooked meal or lunchbox snack that can be stored in our school freezer, we would greatly appreciate it. These meals and snacks are packaged up with fresh salads provided by our Canteen and sent home for families that need a little TLC and would benefit from a meal. Please attach a list of ingredients and the date the meal was made to aid in distribution. We do request no pork or shellfish ingredients please. If you require storage containers, please see the Canteen. If you have any questions or would like us to arrange a meal for a family you know, then please send us an email. We thank you for continuing to support this school-based initiative.
mealswithlove@wahroonga.adventist.edu.au