Safety First

Several years ago, a student was involved in a traffic incident at the intersection outside the school where I previously served. This accident had a significant impact on the student, their family, and our wider community. Fortunately, through prayer and appropriate medical intervention, she made a full recovery. This serves as a reminder that prevention is always preferable to response.

Road Safety:

We have received a number of concerns from  residents around the school and members of the public regarding illegal and dangerous driving and parking during student drop-off and pick-up times that poses safety risks for all traffic participants. Please remember that you are representing our school to the community. Consider using the designated drop-off and pick-up areas in the underground car park. Your mindful cooperation helps maintain smooth traffic flow, shows respect for road rules and our wider community.

Online Safety:

As part of our ongoing commitment to student wellbeing through our partnership with SchoolTV, we invite parents, carers, and grandparents to participate in an exclusive webinar (click) supporting primary and secondary students on digital media literacy and safety, scheduled for Wednesday, 3 September at 7:30 pm. This special session, led by renowned experts Susan McLean and Dr. Michael Carr-Gregg, will provide valuable insights into empowering young people to navigate the online environment responsibly. Topics covered will include new social media regulations, managing digital footprints and reputation, screen time and brain development, and parental controls.

Child Safety:

For information on our public-facing Child safe policies (click) please visit our website. If you have any concerns regarding child safety, you are encouraged to complete the online report form or contact me, Ms. Natalie Rogers, or Mrs. Anne-Marie Deppeler, our Child Safe Advocates.

Thank you for your attention and cooperation. Stay safe and God bless.

Craig Young

Principal

Get ready to step back in time! From Week 6, our Primary School Week of Worship will take place at Wahroonga Adventist Church, daily from 8:45 AM to 9:45 AM. This year, we’re traveling to Ancient Rome to explore the inspiring stories of the Story Keepers, sharing the life and teachings of Jesus in a cool, underground kind of way.

Our entire Year 6 cohort will lead the charge, serving in eight dynamic ministry teams: Preaching, Hosting, Worship, Drama, News, Crew, Chapelinnis, and Prayer. Each student will have the opportunity to shine in their area of interest, whether they’re on stage sharing the message or working behind the scenes to make it all happen. This collaborative effort ensures every child plays a vital role in lifting up the story of Jesus for our primary school community.

The week will culminate in a grand finale on Friday night, featuring the complete Story Keepers drama series, a one-hour performance with a midway break, a highlight video from the week, and more. This special evening offers a wonderful glimpse into the heart of our Week of Worship. To add to the fun, Friday is a mufti day, with everyone encouraged to dress in Ancient Rome or Bible-time clothing!

We warmly invite parents to join us for any or all of the week’s events, including the exciting Friday night finale. Come celebrate the faith, creativity, and teamwork of our Year 6 students as they share the love of Jesus with our school community.

Bible Verse: “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” — Matthew 5:16

Pr Renee - Primary School Chaplain

This year we returned to Waratah, Tasmania for another week of service, woodfires, connection, and adventure!

Storm co is a major highlight in the school journey, stepping out and away from school, family, and the familia, to meet the needs of a tiny little Ausie rural town. We train our team to show the love of God practically, by our actions, to the people of Waratah. As a school we live to reveal Jesus here on campus in through our own lives as staff. But this vision spans beyond our schoolyard. We have the privilege of taking Jesus to others around our country and in year 11, around the world.

This year, we were warmly received by the people of Waratah, deepening existing relationships and forming many new ones. The leaders in the town have decided to move their 70 person Christmas in July event to align with our 2026 STORM Co trip so that we can celebrate together and get to know even more of the community. This event will be a perfect opportunity for us to share the reason for the season with the lovely people of Waratah.

Pray for us, as a staff, as a school, as a community, that we will truly reveal Jesus each day and into the future unknown to us now. A future a lot less daunting when we are at Jesus’ side.

Pr Nick – Lead Chaplain

We were honored to welcome 17 Japanese students to our school for two weeks. During their stay, they introduced our students to traditional Japanese games and shared fascinating aspects of their culture.

The experience was truly enriching and left a lasting impression on everyone involved. Our visitors repeatedly expressed how warmly they were received, describing our students as kind, friendly, and welcoming.

It was a joy to host them, and the memories made will be cherished for years to come.

On Monday, 11 November, our Prep students enjoyed an exciting visit to the high school art room for a memorable lesson with Mr Stretton. They were assisted by Year 10 students Miss Emma R and Mr Anuk R, who helped guide the creative process. The session began with the story of Noah’s Ark, exploring God’s love for humanity and all living creatures. Students then created vibrant paintings, experimenting with a variety of animal patterns and colours. The Prep class were delighted with their artworks and are eager to return for more creative fun in the future!

In Week 3, our Year 5 students headed off on a three-day adventure to Bathurst, packed with history, culture, and plenty of fun.

We began with a misty stop at Echo Point, where the Three Sisters were almost completely hidden by the fog. After visiting a historic coal mine, we settled into our Mt Panorama accommodation for boomerang dot painting and throwing. That night, we enjoyed roasting marshmallows by the fire before a year 5 impromptu Bathurst’s Got Talent , judged by Miss Lonsdale, Miss Quick, Miss Neuschulz, and Pastor Renee.

The next day was spent exploring Hill End, from the museum to an underground gold mine where we even tried our hand at gold panning. Some students walked away with some real gold souvenirs. The evening finished with everyone joining in for some fun line dancing.

We ended our trip with a visit to Scenic World in the Blue Mountains, taking in the stunning views and riding the scenic railway and skyway.

It was three days filled with laughter, learning, and memories we’ll be talking about for a very long time.

On Wednesday, August 6, our Under 12 NFL Flag Football team proudly represented Wahroonga Adventist School at the NSW South Tournament, competing against 11 other schools in a high-energy day of sport and teamwork.

Our team showed incredible determination and skill, going undefeated in the pool rounds with three wins from three games. This strong performance secured their place in the semi-finals, where they faced Wollemi College. With solid defence and multiple well-executed touchdowns, our team advanced to the grand final against Arndell Anglican College.

Throughout the day, our players were recognised by coaches, teachers, and referees from other schools for their positive spirit, sportsmanship, and impressive knowledge of the game. Their conduct on and off the field reflected the values we strive to instil at Wahroonga Adventist School.

A highlight of the day was the team’s opportunity to meet Kodie Fuller, the NFL Flag Global Ambassador. Kodie took time to speak with the players, offer encouragement, and share her passion for the game.

The grand final was a thrilling and closely fought match, coming down to the very last plays. Although we narrowly missed out on the top spot, losing by just one touchdown, the team’s second-place finish is a fantastic achievement and a moment of pride for our school.

With the growing popularity of NFL Flag Football, there are more opportunities just around the corner. Stay tuned for upcoming events and ways to get involved in this exciting and fast-paced sport at Wahroonga Adventist School.

Well done, team!

Our Stage 2 team competed in the Adventist Schools Newcombe Ball Gala Day, going through the entire day undefeated. Their hard work, teamwork, and determination paid off as they secured a thrilling win in the grand final, bringing home the championship!

Our Stage 3 girls took part in the CSSA Zone Netball Gala Day. They faced tough competition but never gave up, displaying excellent skills, teamwork, and school spirit in every game.

At the Primary North Met Zone Athletics Day, our students shone both in performance and character. They displayed exceptional sportsmanship, cheering on teammates and congratulating competitors from other schools. Their manners were impeccable, showing respect to officials, volunteers, and each other. Every student gave their all in every track and field event, showing determination, perseverance, and a “never give up” attitude. They encouraged one another, celebrated each other’s achievements, and carried themselves with enthusiasm and pride, making the day a wonderful reflection of our school’s values.

Across all three events, our students demonstrated resilience, pride, and a true sense of sportsmanship. We are so proud of every player and athlete who represented Wahroonga Adventist School with excellence.

This term, our curious Year 1 and 2 students have been diving into the fascinating world of light during their science lessons. They’ve been learning about different types of light, natural and artificial light sources, and how light helps us see the world around us.

As part of our STEM investigation, students worked collaboratively in small groups to tackle a real-world challenge: designing a new library window that lets in enough light for reading. Using torches, they tested a variety of materials to see which ones allowed the most light to pass through. After careful observation and discussion, each group selected the best material and created their own window prototypes.

It was wonderful to see our young scientists experimenting, problem-solving, and thinking creatively. Their enthusiasm and teamwork were outstanding!

Well done, Year 1 and 2 – your bright ideas really shone through!

This week, our school celebrated National Science Week with the theme Decoding the Universe . Students across all year levels engaged in exciting activities designed to spark curiosity and deepen their love for science.

A highlight of the week was a group of our Year 10 female students taking part in the prestigious iWISH (Inspiring Women in Science and Health) program. Our students were grouped up with PLC and Abbotsleigh students. Working alongside an industry mentor, they applied STEM design thinking to tackle real-world industry challenges, developing innovative solutions while gaining valuable insight into science and health careers. Students were challenged to present their pitch to a panel of judges. A group of our students Aojie Liu, Kaitlyn Pang and Amellia Duan won a $100 gift card each! Congratulations!

We also want to congratulate Aojie Liu, Kaitlyn Pang and Amellia Duan, coming in second place for the KIPO Space challenge where they had to program a robot on the international space station using Java code. They were competing against other schools across Australia and even university engineering students! They can be very proud of their efforts, we certainly are.

In addition to this, Yr 7 – 10 students participated in citizen space science projects, contributing real data to global scientific research, and tested their problem-solving skills in a Science Escape Room Challenge.

Our Science Club students are currently participating in a One Giant Leap Foundation program called Astrosprouts where they are challenged to grow seeds that spent some time in space on the international space station. They are to compare the Space seeds with Earth seeds!

Next week some of our Yr 10 and 11 students will continue celebrating science week with the STEMM (the extra M is for Medicine!) event at the SAN hospital where they will hear from a variety of specialist doctors.

Science Week has been a fantastic opportunity for students to connect classroom learning with real-world applications, explore the wonders of the universe, and be inspired by the possibilities of STEM.

Mrs Leisly White

(Head of Science)

Last week, our Year 10 students joined thousands of peers from across NSW at the bstreetsmart road safety event, held at Qudos Bank Arena. This annual initiative, organised by Westmead Hospital’s Trauma Service, aims to empower young people to make safer choices behind the wheel and as passengers.

We are proud of our Year 10s for participating so thoughtfully in this important program and hope the lessons learned at bstreetsmart will stay with them on their journey to becoming safe, responsible drivers and passengers.

Our Y12 Modern History students attended the Sydney Jewish Museum recently and experienced a tour of the museum, a workshop on exam skills for the Power and Authority in the Modern World 1919-1946 unit of their course and heard from a holocaust survivor. The excursion was very valuable to our students ahead of their trial HSC examination and the students had a rare opportunity to engage with a survivor of the holocaust themselves.

Year 8 recently traded in their classroom for the day to try a more hands-on approach to learning on their Farm Day excursion at Sydney Showgrounds. The day was linked to our Technology Mandatory curriculum for Years 7 and 8, and was filled with a variety of stations that allowed students to have a closer look at different aspects of the farming industry.

Students got a closer look at the vital role that soil health plays in sustainable farming, as well as learning about chickens and the importance of checking our eggs before we eat them. Students were fascinated by the demonstration of agricultural drones and exploring how technology is transforming modern farming. They also discovered the richness of Australia’s native foods through a bush tucker tasting session and learnt about their cultural and nutritional significance.

And of course, no farm visit would be complete without some farm animals – the petting zoo was a favourite among the students (and teachers too!)

The experience gave students a deeper appreciation for where their food comes from, the science and technology behind agriculture, all while having a lot of fun.

In preparation for our CSSA North Met Zone Basketball Competition next week, our U15s boys basketball team competed in a friendly game against the U15s boys basketball team from Central Coast Adventist School.

The game started well, with both teams showing teamwork and skills. Our boys made a few early mistakes, but once they settled into the grind of the game – it was no stopping them. Our boys won 53-25! Congratulations and good luck in the next competition!

Last week, our school proudly sent both our U15 Girls and U15 Boys teams to compete at the CSSA State Oztag Gala Day. It was a fantastic day filled with energy, teamwork, and determination against some very tough opposition from across the state.

Both squads showed incredible spirit, encouraging each other on and never giving up. A few spectacular tries had the crowd cheering, showcasing individual skill and teamwork. Congratulations to our junior oztag teams!

Wahroonga year 12 student Ilaria C recently competed at the School Sport Australia Games, National Schools Diving Championships, held in Brisbane from 26 July - 1 August 2025. Ilaria achieved a number of excellent results at the Championships, including:

Gold Medal - 2025 National School Champion for 17-19 Girls Platform

Gold Medal - 2025 National School Champion for 17-19 Girls Springboard

Bronze Medal - Individual 17-19 Girls Knock Out Event

5th Place - 17-19 Girls and Mixed Synchronized Diving

We commend Ilaria for these achievements and the hard work and dedication that has gone into earning the title of National School Champion in her individual diving events – well done Ilaria!

Salani Represents Samoa at the Pacific Mini Games in Palau

Over the school holidays, Salani proudly represented Samoa at the Pacific Mini Games 2025 held in beautiful Palau . The Games brought together athletes from 23 Pacific nations , including Palau, Tokelau, Guam, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, Tahiti, New Caledonia, the Federated States of Micronesia, Norfolk Island, the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna, the Cook Islands, Nauru, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Australia—and of course, Samoa.

A Strong Medal Performance

Salani competed in a demanding program of both pool and open water events , and came away with six medals . One of the highlights of her campaign was taking on her first-ever 5km open water swim . Despite initial reservations about racing in the open ocean, she completed the race in 1:21:57.80. - a testament to her determination to finish despite finding the experience very scary.

Medal haul:

- 🥈 Silver - 4x200m Freestyle Relay

- 🥉 Bronze - 100m Backstroke

- 🥉 Bronze - 400m Individual Medley

- 🥉 Bronze - 4x100m Freestyle Relay

- 🥉 Bronze - 4x100m Medley Relay

- 🥉 Bronze - 4x50m Mixed Medley Relay

Thank You for the Support

Salani extends her sincere thanks to Samoa Swimming and the Samoa Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee for making this opportunity possible. She also acknowledges her coach Steve Goodier for his expert guidance and preparation throughout the season.

‘Treasure Hunt’ Book Week Performance:

On Thursday our Prep to Year 4 students were treated to the ‘Treasure Hunt’ Book Week Performance presented by Perform Education. Students were immersed in an action-packed interactive adventure featuring a selection of the 2025 CBCA Short Listed books. Themes of sustainability and our relationship with the natural environment were explored, as well as celebrating how books and reading create understanding and bring people of different backgrounds together.

Book Week Events (Week 5):

Book Week 2025 runs from Monday, August 18 through to Friday, August 22. This year we are partnering with ROOP (Reading Out Of Poverty) to bring the joy of reading to children in Yarrabah, an indigenous community in far north Queensland. All monies raised during Book Week will go towards creating 5 pop-up libraries giving children in this remote community access to good quality books. Please join the celebrations by participating in the following events:

Monday, August 18:

Dress-up Parade: ‘An Adventurous Book Character!’ 8.50am, COLA (Parents are welcome!)

Please send a gold coin donation for ROOP

Friday, August 22:

Second-hand Book Sale : bring along your gold coins to purchase a second-hand book for a gold coin. Our sale will be held on the deck outside the library during both primary and high school lunch times.

‘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, www.librarybag.info .

Congratulations to Mateo K (KC), Hamish K (KC), Callie T (KC), Riley E (1B), Darius L (1C), Cade T (4W), Lucy N (5L) and Madison E (6A) who have all finished the Premier’s Reading Challenge.  Great effort!

PLEASE NOTE : Student access to the Premier’s Reading Challenge website ends on September 19 , so there are only 5 weeks left to complete the challenge!!

Monday CLOSED

Tuesday CLOSED

Wednesday 8:20 - 9:30 AM

Thursday 2.30 - 3:30 PM

Friday CLOSED

Please order through Flexischools for any orders where you know your sizing and what you may need. Flexischool orders will be collected from the office for High School and dropped to classes for Primary school on Thursdays and Fridays.

Thank you for the amazing feedback about Home and School, your responses are being analysed and will help us create community building events and communicate with you in the best way. You said email (159)  is the best communication followed by the newsletter (76) and seesaw or class whats app (65). So many of you offered your help and we will be getting in touch with you soon. Thank you for giving us your time and opinions.