Ever wondered how important school was in your child’s life? No doubt the answer is, ‘Yes’. A recently published longitudinal study by UNSW confirmed that teenagers’ motivation dips from Year 6 to 9 – a well-known trend. However, during this time, the link between teaching support and students’ motivation and engagement increased. To put it simply, the importance of your child’s teacher in keeping your child engaged in learning increases in those early years of high school when young people are dealing with a significant period of change.

It can be reassuring to know we are a team as we each have a significant role in every child’s development.

What can you do? Three simple strategies:

Ensure your child is getting enough sleep – this may require limiting technology use before bed

Take an active interest in what’s happening at school – ask ‘what did you learn today?’

Focus on your child’s interests and strengths – concentrate on their passions rather than their problems

Between home and school, we have shared values and there is a consistency in our aspirations for each student. Nurture for today, learning for tomorrow, character for eternity indeed!

Mrs Julia Heise - Principal

This term we are looking at what it means to have Jesus as our firm foundation.  Pr. Ron challenged students that the unstable mess of the world around us can be superseded by having Jesus as that stable cornerstone.  We are looking at how that stability is a pathway to peace.

When we pursue Jesus as our firm foundation, we also find peace.

Romans 8:5-6 tells us that when our motivation shifts from selfish things to a focus on spiritual realities, the Holy Spirit brings peace to our lives.

As a parent myself I know how hectic and turbulent life can get.

Our prayer for you this week is that you can find stability in life with Jesus and as a result, amongst the chaos of life, find peace.

Chaplaincy team

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.

Please click on the link below to view the school term dates and public holiday information for 2024.

The school theme for National Science Week this year is Species Survival - More than just sustainability .

This week our students have learnt about the importance of science and innovation in ensuring the survival of different species in our ever-changing world. Students were able to participate in citizen science as part of the iNaturalist bioblitz species survival challenge, where they were challenged to photograph as many species as possible in our school grounds. We had a lion roaming around our community highlighting the impact of invasive species. Our students participated in escape room challenges, visits from scientists and learned about desert plant species adaptations. We all had a wonderful and wild Science Week!

Mrs White - Head of Science

Last Friday we turned our school ‘Green and Gold’! Support was shown for the Australian Olympic team competing in Paris and our students came dressed in Green and Gold for the day. Snacks were sold during break times raising money for the Year 11 Fiji Service Trip and students participated in our WAS House Olympics earning house points.
We had a great day supporting our Aussie team!

Mrs Ah-You

Thank you to all the teachers and students who helped out for School Tree Day!

It was wonderful to see students involved in the restoration of our local bushland ecosystem. It is a protected Blue Gum High Forest area where the Powerful Owl and Satin Bowerbird live. A huge thank you to Jayden Streatfeild and the team from Wahroonga Waterways for helping our students make such a positive impact in our local community. You will also notice a variety of citrus trees on each level of our school. Thank you to our secondary Environmental Ambassadors for working so hard to plant these up.

Mrs White

The Preps are currently learning about different sports, today we had our own Miss Phoebe come in and teach us about ice hockey. Miss Phoebe plays for the Women’s Sydney Bears ice hockey team and coaches new ice hockey players. The preps learnt the rules of the game and coloured in ice hockey players.

Thank you, Miss Phoebe, we love building connections with older students, not only building a sense of community but also role models for the preps.

Miss Yap - Prep Teacher

Our students recently shone at the CSSA Athletics Carnival and our Olympic Sports Fun Day, displaying remarkable athleticism and school spirit. At the CSSA Carnival, students competed in various track and field events, achieving personal bests and representing our school with pride. A special shout out to Emmet R for winning age champion on the day. The Olympic Sports Fun Day brought everyone together for a day of friendly competition and fun, with students participating in a range of activities that celebrated fitness and teamwork. Both events were a great success, highlighting the dedication and enthusiasm of our students.

Mr Fulton

Our Year 5 students had an unforgettable experience at the recent Bathurst Camp, where they immersed themselves in the historic lands of the Australian Gold Rush. For many, it was their first time sharing cabins, adding a new level of excitement to the adventure! Highlights included gold panning, mastering the art of line dancing, and roasting marshmallows by the campfire. The Bathurst Camp provided a perfect blend of history, fun, and camaraderie that our students will cherish for years to come.

Mr Cowley, Miss Kohama and Mrs Heise

Year 4 enjoyed their Science Trail excursion which took place at the Royal Botanical Gardens and the Australian Museum during Science week. The students enjoyed nature journalling, watching a science show, participating in workshops and exploring the Science Week Expo! Lots of discoveries were made and students loved seeing science come to life!

Miss Kohama

Congratulations to Natalie D who has been dancing with Action Dance Academy in Jazz troupes since 2022. She is part of the jazz troupe, lyrical and hip-hop classes.
This year she started dancing Jazz Solo and scored medals in her first two competitions.
Solos:
The Ultimate Dance Challenge - Solo - Jazz 8-10Years & Under - 3rd Place.
Sydney West Challenge - Solo - Jazz 8 Years & Under -2nd Place.
Troupes:
The Ultimate Dance Challenge - Lyrical Troupes - 10 Years & Under - 1st place

Congratulations to Lachlan W and his sailing team who participated in the 57th Governor's Cup in the USA from 22-27 July.

The 'Govs Cup' is the oldest and most prestigious youth (under 23 years old) match racing championship. Competing is by invitation only with the regatta being held off Newport Beach in California and hosted by the Balboa Yacht Club.

This was Lachlan's Teams first invitation to the regatta and their first time sailing the custom designed 'Gov Cup 22' boats. The team raced in very light but otherwise perfect summer conditions.

The team placed 8th overall after a very competitive double round robin and were 1st of the Gov Cup first timers. The closeness of the fleet was a theme highlighted all week by media provider, Sailing Illustrator and Gov Cup 'guru' Andy Rose.

Last Friday, our school celebrated our Olympic athletes by running a green and gold day. This day allowed our students to come to school dressed in green and gold to support our Australian Olympians. Our secondary students had the opportunity to compete in a special event titled the 'All-around Olympic' event. This consisted of hurdles, a mini basketball shot and a precise javelin throw.

Students represented their house and were awarded house points for their efforts.

Congratulations to the following houses:

Red house - Gold Medal

Blue house - Silver Medal

Green house - Bronze Medal

Mr Ah-You

This week, our Junior Girls and Junior Boys Oztag teams competed at the CSSA State Oztag Gala Day. The day was filled with camaraderie, great tries and plenty of rain. The fields were wet which made the day even more challenging for all, yet our athletes represented our school with pride. Congratulations to our Oztag teams!

Congratulations to Tyler L (1L/C), Brendan C (1L/C), Kiara S 1L/C, Elliot Z (1L/C), Chloe C (3K), Daniel D (3R), Chandler L (3K), Sienna M (3K), Porsha C (4R), Jamie L (4R), Reuel J (5M), Alex M (5C), Sean P (5C), Tom W (5M), Jahanaz G (6A), Gaba G (6A), Lincoln G (6A), Luke P (6A), Rafael S (6A), Sophia T (6A), Jonathan D (6A), Nathaneal M (6A), Lucas Z (6A) Ashton R (6A), Phoebe H (7A), Sarah L (7A), Simarjeet G (8W) and Oliver L (W) who have all finished the Premier’s Reading Challenge.  Great effort!

PLEASE NOTE: Student access to the Premier’s Reading Challenge website ends on August 23 , so if you haven’t entered your books online there is only one week left to do so!! As PRC coordinator, Mrs Savage has an extra two weeks of access, so if you miss this deadline, please send her a list of the books your child has read, and she can enter them for you ([email protected]).

Mrs Savage

‘Maybe a Miracle’ Book Week Performance:

Last Thursday our Prep to Year 4 students were treated to the ‘Maybe a Miracle’ Book Week Performance presented by Perform Education. Students were immersed into a highly interactive, educational musical adventure celebrating the ‘Reading is Magical’ theme and highlighting three of the CBCA shortlisted books. The main message of the performance encouraged the importance of making time for friendships, ‘the everyday miracle.’

Mrs Savage

Book Week runs from Monday, August 19 through to Friday, August 23, so next week we will be continuing our celebrations with the following events.

Monday, August 19 – Friday, August 23

Monday, August 19 Dress-up Parade: ‘A book character you Love!’ 50am, COLA (Parents are welcome!)

VIP Story Time Each day during Book Week at 11.30am - listen to a guest VIP read one of their favourite stories.

‘Library Bag’ (Stage 3)

Students will be working with Brenden Lovett and Suzanne Milne to create podcasts interviewing a friend about what they are reading. Check out the podcasts from previous years on the Library WebAPP homepage, Wahroonga Adventist School (accessit.online) and visit the Library Bag website for more information, librarybag.info .

Mrs Savage

Dear Parents and Carers

We are excited to announce that we will be adding female navy trousers to our suite of uniforms from Term 3. These can be worn in Terms 2 and 3 as part of our winter uniform.

The trousers are to be ordered through the Uniform Shop or through Flexischools. There is at least a 2-week turnaround from date of payment and no exchanges or refunds will be granted for incorrect purchases.

If you have any questions, please email [email protected]

Kind regards,

Kelly Oldfield - Uniform Shop Manager

The options for purchasing uniforms for Term 3 are:

Shop Open Hours: Tuesday morning 8.20am – 9.30am and Thursday afternoon 2pm – 3.20pm.

Online orders via Flexischools: Every Tuesday and Thursday Flexischool orders will be processed and available for collection. All orders close at 8pm the night before. Secondary School orders can be collected from the office. Primary School orders will be delivered to the student's classroom.

If you have any questions, please email [email protected] .

Mrs Kelly Oldfield - Uniform Shop Manager

For more information or to arrange a fitting please contact Mrs Kelly Oldfield via email at [email protected].

Mrs Kelly Oldfield- Uniform Shop Manager

What a great evening at the Bush Dance. Live music played by Peter Dixon and his band, people up trying their best bush dance moves, tasty food and a gathering of all ages. Thank you to those who could join us for the evening.

A big shout out to Fox Valley Church for allowing us to access your hall. To all the year 11 students, fellow students and parent volunteers. Without volunteers we cannot run events, so your time and contribution is very much valued and appreciated.

Michelle Roberts - Home and School President

Father’s and Male care givers don’t miss out on the celebration of you. Come along to our Father’s Day BREAKFAST on Friday August 30th at 7:15am on the green.

Home and School

We have a Working Bee coming up on September 15th from 9.00-12.00. Come for an hour or stay for the 3 hours. It is a relaxing way to meet some others from our school community and a great way to enhance our environmental opportunities.

Please RSVP below by September 6th to ensure we have numbers for morning tea.

Working Bee RSVP

Michelle Roberts - Home and School President