With great enthusiasm and a sea of colour, the names for our four school houses were announced today. Students had selected their mascot, an Australian animal or bird, and each house was named after a person representing the history and characteristics of our school.

Irwin House – Blue

CW Irwin was the Education Secretary for the Union Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. In 1903 he was Principal of the Avondale Bible School and was a strong advocate for the establishment of Wahroonga Adventist School to educate young people in the Sydney region. Irwin represents the characteristic of faith and the mascot for Irwin House is a Blue-tongue Lizard.

Sisley House - Red

Lucille Sisley was one of the first Teacher/Principals of the school when it was established in 1905. There was no dedicated school building, just a room in the back of Sydney Adventist Hospital, limited resources and only a few students, but this young woman still took on the role of teaching and leading. Sisley represents the characteristic of courage and the mascot for Sisley House is a Red Kangaroo.

Robinson House - Green

Mary Robinson was one of the first students of Wahroonga Adventist School. She was a primary student and valued her educational experience, having a curiosity for life. Robinson represents the characteristic of learning and the mascot for Robinson House is a Saltwater Crocodile.

Stockton House - Yellow

Mr Stockton was a former student of the school who was instrumental in constructing the brick school building on the corner of Fox Valley Rd and Comenarra Parkway in 1941. He volunteered much of his time to help build the school because he believed in education. Stockton represents the characteristic of service and the mascot for Stockton House is a Yellow-crested Cockatoo.

We look for to House Spirit continuing to grow in our school community.

God bless,

Julia Heise

With great enthusiasm and a sea of colour, the names for our four school houses were announced today. Students had selected their mascot, an Australian animal or bird, and each house was named after a person representing the history and characteristics of our school.

Irwin House – Blue

CW Irwin was the Education Secretary for the Union Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. In 1903 he was Principal of the Avondale Bible School and was a strong advocate for the establishment of Wahroonga Adventist School to educate young people in the Sydney region. Irwin represents the characteristic of faith and the mascot for Irwin House is a Blue-tongue Lizard.

Sisley House - Red

Lucille Sisley was one of the first Teacher/Principals of the school when it was established in 1905. There was no dedicated school building, just a room in the back of Sydney Adventist Hospital, limited resources and only a few students, but this young woman still took on the role of teaching and leading. Sisley represents the characteristic of courage and the mascot for Sisley House is a Red Kangaroo.

Robinson House - Green

Mary Robinson was one of the first students of Wahroonga Adventist School. She was a primary student and valued her educational experience, having a curiosity for life. Robinson represents the characteristic of learning and the mascot for Robinson House is a Saltwater Crocodile.

Stockton House - Yellow

Mr Stockton was a former student of the school who was instrumental in constructing the brick school building on the corner of Fox Valley Rd and Comenarra Parkway in 1941. He volunteered much of his time to help build the school because he believed in education. Stockton represents the characteristic of service and the mascot for Stockton House is a Yellow-crested Cockatoo.

We look for to House Spirit continuing to grow in our school community.

God bless,

Julia Heise

In just two weeks, 29 of our Year 11 students will embark on an exciting service-learning trip to Vatuvonu Adventist School, located on the beautiful North Island of Fiji, Vanua Levu. Organized by our chaplains, this trip will span eight days, from Thursday to the following Friday.

This journey offers our students a unique opportunity to engage with the local community, contribute to meaningful projects, and experience the rich culture of Fiji. The connection with Vatuvonu Adventist School is particularly special, as it strengthens the bonds between our schools and provides a platform for our students to grow in compassion and service. We look forward to the impactful experiences and lasting memories this trip will bring.

As we prepare for this journey, it's good remember our annual theme, “Seek Peace.” In Matthew 5:9, Jesus says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” This trip is not just about service; it’s about building bridges of peace and understanding. By serving others, we reflect God’s love and bring His peace into the world.  As a whole, students, teachers, and community, let's choose to seek peace in all our interactions, trusting that God will guide us in making a positive impact.

Pr. Nicholas Kross

Chaplain

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

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.

Tamika Sutton has returned after representing Australia at the IFAF Flag Football World Championships in Finland. The Australian women came 16th in the world.

Australia competed against the USA (world champions), France, Japan, Sweden, Switzerland, Israel, Finland and Ireland.

“Representing Australia has been both a privilege and an honour. Watching and competing alongside the best in the world play has allowed me to learn so much more about Flag Football.  I have loved and appreciated the opportunity to wear the green and gold and I am grateful to God for his many blessings. I’m thankful for the school community and their support in the lead-up to this event and while I was away. It makes a real difference knowing there you have support back home.”

Tamika Sutton

Behind every initiative is a human story, and that is no different for R U OK Day. R U OK day was born out of heartache of a son losing his Father. What started off as being something small has grown into a day that is recognised nationally designed to encourage social connection through positive conversations.

Three take-aways from R U OK Day that we can apply in our everyday lives are:

We can all be part of the solution for suicide prevention

You don’t have to be an expert to ask R U OK?

Have the conversation, whether it be by phone or in person

We celebrated R U OK Day as a whole school by speaking to the students about how to be a good friend and listen. Students were asked to contribute messages of support to the mural for everyone to read. These messages were a lovely reminder for anyone suffering from mental health in our school community that there are people around to listen.

To promote the day, the SRC organised a variety of sweet treats and activities to be run. At Primary Lunch, the students were treated to the choice of an ice cream cone or a delicious cupcake. For our High School students, they had a vegetarian sausage sizzle or soft drink to brighten their day. Students also participated in colouring in, word search and wellbeing games on the synthetic grass. it was a lovely afternoon in the sun listening to music and connecting with friends. All funds raised went to the R U OK Organisation, with over $1200.

The event highlighted the importance of open conversations and checking in on friends, creating a strong sense of community and mental health awareness across the school.

SRC Coordinators,

Miss McCartney, Mrs Ah-You, Mr Tait and Miss Rogers

Father's Day Breakfast was a great success thanks to all the father's and male care givers who attended. A massive thank you to the support from the teachers, students and volunteers who helped prepare and serve breakfast. There was plenty of food, chatter and a real sense of connection on the school green.

Michelle Roberts

Home and School President

This week, 2J and 3/4R celebrated RUOK? Day together through an origami heart activity. 3/4R gifted each student in 2J with yellow origami hearts containing uplifting messages and 2J made their own hearts together with the Years 3 & 4 students. It was wonderful to see students of varying ages interacting positively and spreading positivity and kindness amongst each other.

Miss Kohama

Earlier this month, Liam C in Year 4 (3/4R) competed at the 2024 CIS Athletics Championships. He received third place in the discus throw event (8-10 Boys category), which is an amazing achievement.

Well done Liam!

Miss Kohama

Flynn.M in Year 3 received a Certificate of Distinction for Middle Primary Division in the Australian Maths Competition. Another amazing achievement, well-done Flynn!

On the 28th of August, the year 11 and 12 physics classes went to the University of NSW to complete some experiments in their laboratory space and listened to a talk from one of their honour's students. The students looked at various experiments, from the wavelengths of emission spectra to the different ways strings vibrate.

They had a lot of fun and learned a lot from the experience.

Mr Knight

Last week, the Year 11 students participated in an art gallery tour that took place within our very own classroom! The room was transformed into a mini-gallery, with various artworks displayed around the space. The students were divided into small groups, with each group assigned a series of artworks to analyse. Students carefully annotated and explored the subject matter, techniques, and themes presented in each piece. This activity served as essential preparation for their upcoming Preliminary exams, helping them develop to confidently tackle art theory.

Miss McCartney

Two Year 12 students, Jack B and Will K, recently attended a special event celebrating the 25th anniversary of Pearson Economics , Australia's best-selling Economics textbook. Held on the 45th floor at Deloitte Australia, the keynote speaker was Australia's Treasurer, Dr. Jim Chalmers, who delivered an inspiring talk, emphasizing the vital role economics plays in shaping Australia’s future. Our students gained insights into the latest trends and challenges in both the Australian and global economies.  Alongside Dr Chalmers, speakers included Sydney Morning Herald’s Ross Gittins, economics journalist for over 50 years, textbook authors Tim Dixon and John O’Mahony who are both leaders in the field of economics. This was an unforgettable opportunity to connect classroom learning with real-world issues and hear directly from Australia's top economic leaders.

Over 5 days, our Open Boys Volleyball, Open Boys Basketball and Open Girls Basketball teams participated in the  second ever Adventist National Games. The games were held at Avondale University at the Lake Macquarie Campus. Schools from around Australia were invited to participate at these games with schools from Victoria, Tasmania and east coast of New South Wales making the trip this year.

This year offered 2 sports - Basketball and Volleyball. Our Open Boys basketball team started their campaign well with a 43-37 victory over Nunawading Christian College. Unfortunately, the boys did not qualify for the finals, however, demonstrated great signs of development for the coming years.

The Open Girls basketball team started the competition with 2 wins - with one of the victories by 70 points. They finished the pool stages in second place which set them up against the reigning champions Central Coast Adventist School in the Grand Final. The game was intense, with both teams displaying amazing skills both offensively and defensively. As the game concluded, it was the Central Coast team walking away with the Championship with the final result at 35-28. Congratulations to our girls for the runners-up!

Our Open Boys Volleyball team continued to display amazing results winning multiple games throughout the pool stage, which resulted in a grand final berth! The Grand Final showdown was against Avondale School. The game was best out of 5 sets, first to win 3. Our boys started well and won the first set 25-22. In the second set, Avondale fought back and secured a set at 25-23. With each team securing 1 set apiece, the game was living up to the expectations. Following the second set, our boys put on a clinical display of skill and took out the next 2 sets, securing the Volleyball Championships 3 sets to 1. Congratulations to the Open Boys Volleyball team.

This week, the students also had the opportunity to experience life at Avondale University - attending their Week of Worship services on a few nights, shared meals with other schools at the cafeteria and explored the local environment. Overall, our students enjoyed the experience, showed great support and camaraderie and represented our school with pride. ADDED : This was recognised by the coaches of the schools awarding our school the 'Adventist National Games Unity Cup' - which is awarded to the team who fostered unity and sportsmanship across the tournament. Congratulations to our representatives!

Mr Ah-You

Congratulations to Stella Y (KD), James R (5M), and Ava D (7W) who have all finished the Premier’s Reading Challenge. Well done!

Congratulations to the 152 students who completed the 2024 Premier’s Reading Challenge with special mention to 5M who took out the class participation prize with 100% class participation. Certificates will be handed out at the end of the school year.

The Premier’s Reading Challenge is now finished for 2024. Any books read from now on can be listed on your 2025 challenge list, so please keep a written record of the books you’ve read so you can add them when the website becomes active again early next year.

Mrs Savage

This week is the last week of borrowing for Term 3 for our Prep students – please ensure all your books are returned to the library before the end of term. For all other classes, borrowing continues up to and over the school holidays. If you are wanting extra books for holiday reading, please email your request to Mrs Savage ([email protected]).

Mrs Savage

This is a friendly reminder that all students are required to wear their summer uniforms when Term 4 begins.

Now is an ideal time to ensure that your uniform still fits and to purchase any additional items you may need.

We have a variety of second-hand uniforms available in our shop. You can also buy new items through Flexischools.com.au or during our regular opening hours.

The Uniform Shop is open on Tuesdays from 8:20 to 9:20 am and Thursdays from 2:30 to 3:30 pm.

Please note that the shop will be closed during the school holidays.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Mrs Kelly Oldfield

Operations Co-ordinator

Home and School are running our Working Bee this coming Sunday 15th of September between 9.00-12.00.

If you have some time or just enjoy being in the garden or hanging out with the chooks, we would really appreciate your assistance.

If you haven't RSVP'd feel free to drop in, we'd love to see you!

Michelle Roberts - Home and School President

We have some vacancies within our Home and School committee - Community Engagement, Vice President, Secretary and Meals with Love. If you would be interested in being part of our committee, please send an email to Home and School at [email protected].

Thank you,

Michelle Roberts

Home and School President

Last year the wholehearted giving of the school community meant that Fusion could distribute Christmas Hampers to ALL of their 150 community food program families. Looking Beyond our School Yard has led to this spirit of Christmas giving and the tradition of Christmas Hampers in term 4 each year.

Your level of support has meant that Fusion don't deplete their regular pantry stocks for the new year. Watch for the information about donating this year. Fusion have been extremely appreciative of the support provided by the Wahroonga School Community

Jodie Landstra