Dear Parents and Care-givers,

The Choir sang a beautiful opening song titled Make Christmas a little more about Jesus , at our Christmas chapel last week. It really resonated with me because Christmas can seem so consumeristic, especially when watching TV ads or walking through the mall. May this Christmas be different for us because we choose to remember that ‘God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son that whoever believes in Him should not die but have everlasting life.’ John 3:16. This is the message of Christmas – God loves. God gave His unique Son. We respond by Faith. Eternal Life Is ours.

As we conclude another remarkable year, my heart is full of gratitude. My first year as principal has afforded me a front-row seat to observe what God has done in our school this year. The learning and growth of our students, the plethora of activities and events is a testament to the collaboration and cohesiveness of our community and the faithfulness of God.

Thank you to every parent and family member who joined us for Presentation Day your presence made it a truly special celebration of our students’ achievements and God’s goodness. Your ongoing support throughout the year has been invaluable, and I deeply appreciate the trust you place in us to partner with you in your child’s education.

2025 will go down as another year made up of many treasured memories, many of which will be captured in our Yearbook that we are planning to distribute on Friday, February 6 2026.

I want to acknowledge our incredible staff. It has been a privilege to work alongside such dedicated and passionate educators. Together, we have faced challenges, celebrated successes, and remained united in our mission to provide Christ-centred learning that nurtures both hearts and minds.

As we look ahead, let us continue to walk in faith, knowing that God’s plans for us are good. May this Christmas season bring you peace, joy, and the hope found in Jesus Christ.

We look forward to seeing you all when school starts on Wednesday January 28 for Prep and Years 7, 11, 12; Thursday January 29, for Years 1-6, 8-10; Friday January 30 for Kindy.

God bless,

Grace and peace,
Craig Young
Principal

As we come to the end of another incredible year, we pause to celebrate all that God has done in and through our school community.

For Freedom drawn from Galatians: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free” (Galatians 5:1) has been our theme for the year. Throughout this year, we have explored what it truly means to live as people who are Free in Christ grounded in His love, secure in our identity, and empowered to make a difference.

Our amazing Secondary and Primary Chapel Teams have led with courage and creativity planning worship, sharing testimonies, and encouraging their peers to seek Jesus daily. Their leadership has helped shape a school environment where faith is not just talked about, but lived out.

And none of this would be possible without our dedicated teachers and supportive parents, who model the love of Christ and cheer our students on every step of the way. Thank you for investing in the spiritual and personal growth of our young people your partnership truly matters.

As we look back with gratitude, we also look forward with expectation. The freedom we have in Christ is not confined to a school year it continues to guide us into the future. May we keep walking boldly in the calling God has placed on each one of us.

What a year, and the best is yet to come!

This year our school community has once again shown incredible generosity. Together, we packed and delivered over 90 hampers to Hornsby Fusion, overflowing with wonderful Christmas treats.

The sorting and packing day was filled with joy and teamwork, with our primary students, SRC, and selected Year 7 and 8 students all pitching in. Special mention goes to Kindy D, 7A, and 8S , who were our most generous classes. The sheer abundance of donations meant the hamper bags were brimming with festive goodies.

The Fusion staff were deeply moved many were teary with gratitude and they want you to know that countless families will be richly blessed this Christmas because of your kindness.

We extend a huge thank you to our SRC and their friends, as well as the parent volunteers who assisted with sorting and packing. We are also very appreciative of the parents who kindly offered their time to deliver the hampers to Fusion on Wednesday afternoon.

Your generosity has made a meaningful difference for local families, and we are so grateful to everyone who contributed.

Christmas blessings to you and your family, and thank you for helping us spread joy and care this season.

We’re thrilled to announce that our boys have just been crowned Australian National School Basketball Champions 2025 !

This year’s tournament was bigger than ever, with 270 schools from across the country competing for the prestigious title. Through every round, our team displayed incredible skill, teamwork, and resilience, proving that months of training and dedication truly make a difference.

From nail-biting finishes to moments of brilliance on the court, the boys showed not only their talent but also their sportsmanship and determination. Their commitment to each other and to the game has been inspiring, and this victory is a testament to their hard work.

We also want to extend a special thank you to Coach Jeremiah Amoah , whose guidance, leadership, and unwavering belief in the team played a vital role in this success. His dedication both on and off the court has helped shape our champions and made this achievement possible.

We couldn’t be prouder of this outstanding accomplishment it’s a milestone that will be remembered in our school’s sporting history for years to come. Congratulations to our champions!

We are delighted to share the wonderful news that another one of our students has dedicated their life to Christ through baptism. Last Friday, Lincoln was joyfully baptized at Fox Valley Community Church, surrounded by the love and support of his family, friends, and church community. We rejoice together in this beautiful step of faith!

We are so proud of our Preppies who celebrated their graduation ceremony. This milestone marks the end of a wonderful year, and we cannot wait to welcome them back next year as they begin their exciting kindergarten journey.

A heartfelt thank you goes to Miss Yap for her love, dedication, and nurturing guidance for our little learners. Your care has made this year truly special.

Cole competed in the NSW State Titles at the Australian Martial Arts Championships and emerged victorious as the NSW State Karate Champion . On top of that, he also claimed the State Title in Sword Fighting (8–10 years division) .

With these incredible achievements, Cole will now go on to represent NSW at the Australian Championships in Melbourne .

Well done, Cole what an outstanding accomplishment!

This week, Art Club proudly completed their “Thomas Dambo” Troll Pot Project — a full-term adventure in creativity, clay, and colour.
Students began by moulding and shaping clay troll pots sized perfectly for a 6 cm plant , then added funky troll features such as big noses, bumpy ears, and textured details. After sculpting, they brought their creations to life with hasty greens, terrific troll tones, and bold bursts of colour .
The final lineup is wonderfully imaginative, featuring everything from:
🐸 Troll frogs
🌲 Woodland trolls
🟢 Gooey green trolls
Each piece reflects the students’ fantastic effort and creativity throughout the term. We’re so proud of their troll-tastic achievements — and excited for what’s coming next!

On Wednesday, 26 November, our Year 7 students eagerly set off on an exciting excursion to Sydney Zoo.
Upon arrival, each class participated in an interactive workshop that began with a refresher on how living organisms are classified. The second half of the session explored the incredible adaptations that enable animals to thrive in their natural habitats.

Students were thrilled to observe and even gently touch some of the animals featured in the workshop. Following this, the presenters led each class on a guided tour through various sections of the zoo, sharing fascinating examples of animal adaptations along the way.

After the workshop, everyone enjoyed an early lunch at the cafeteria and gathered for a group photo to commemorate the day. The adventure continued with a self-guided tour of the zoo, supervised by our dedicated teachers. Cameras clicked, conversations flowed, and even a sudden thunderstorm couldn’t dampen the group’s enthusiasm.

A quick stop at the gift shop marked the end of our visit, and all too soon it was time to board the bus and return to school.

It was a memorable day filled with learning beyond the classroom walls. A heartfelt thank you to Mrs White, Dr Symons, and Ms Wu for accompanying Year 7 on this excursion. We’re already looking forward to next year’s zoo trip!

Marlene Feltoe

The year 10 students set off for their Jindabyne camp in week 8 of term 4, a great way to finish the year! After the road trip to the beautiful Adventist Alpine Village in Jindabyne, the students enjoyed a canoeing day for the first adventure of the camp. The group paddled from the mouth of the Thredbo River around to the Snowy Mountain River, scaling an impressive rocky summit for lunch with a view over the lake before the return paddle into a challenging head wind. On day three, the students geared up for a day of mountain biking, beginning at the Bungarra mountain bike trails where they honed their skills and finally completing a lap from the Mill Creek trails on the opposite side of Jindabyne dam, across the dam wall and back into town. Thursday was the top of the activities for the week - summiting Australia's highest peak, Mount Kosciuszko. The group caught the Kosciuszko chair from Thredbo Village to the Eagles Nest and began the 12km round trip to the summit. An unusual summer snow dump meant the students were able to enjoy large amounts of snow with bluebird conditions and panoramic views. Many snowballs, snowmen and snow slides were had on the way to the top and back down! All in all, the camp was an excellent week of adventure, resilience building, and connecting with friends in the outdoors.

Years 5 and 6 have done a stellar job recording their Library Bag podcasts throughout Terms 3 and 4. These podcasts are now being gradually loaded onto the Library WebApp ( bit.ly/waslibrary ), and the Library Bag website ( Library Bag | librarybagproject ). The 10 most recently loaded podcasts are available to listen to on the library WebApp home page, and all podcasts can be found on the Library Bag website where all our Library Bag episodes are stored. Please keep checking these sites to hear your child’s episodes. We thank Brenden Lovett and Suzanne Milne for the huge amount of work and effort they have put into this project.

Congratulations to Tiffany L (9S) and Oliver L (9W), who received their Premier’s Reading Challenge Medallion for completing the Premier’s Reading Challenge every year from Year 3 to Year 9.

Well done also to the following students who received special certificates this year:

Gold (Completed the PRC 4 times): Mila A (3K), Isaac B (3K), Florence B (3J), Ethan K (3K), Hosana K (3K), Neo M (3J), Judah P (3J), Sana S (3J), Adam A (5C), Emma L (5C), Vihaan S (5L), Lambert T (5C), Chloe Z (5C), Thomas B (6Q), Aimee D (6Q), Hunter H (6Q), and Madeleine J (6Q).

Platinum (Completed the PRC 7 times): Ariya B (6Q), Madison E (6A), Iris L (6A), Charlotte L (6A), Shourya M (6A), Sean P (6A), Declan R (6A), Yijie S (6Q), Thomas W (6Q), Moksha Y (6A), Subi B (7A), Siya W (7S), and Holly F (7S).

All library books were due back two weeks ago, so if your child still has library books at home, please assist them in getting the books found and returned to the library – you can access your child’s borrowing records on the Library WebApp ( bit.ly/waslibrary ).  If library books are lost or not returned, a $25 per book replacement fee will be applied to your school account, or alternatively please buy a replacement copy of the lost book for the library. Thank you.

Textbook sign-out for Years 7-10 happened on Monday, December 8. Each student from Years 7-10 was been given a list of the books they needed to return to ensure that they are all found and cleaned before sign-out day.  A replacement fee of $35 for each textbook, or $25 for each novel/library book will be applied to the school accounts of all those who fail to return their books. Current loans and a list of instructions for cleaning can be accessed on the Library WebApp ( bit.ly/waslibrary ). Please do not return any self-purchased textbooks as these books do not belong to the school.

The uniform shop will be open for walk-ins  on Friday the 23rd January. We will also be filling flexischool orders from the Wednesday 14th January. Any orders made from Wednesday 10th December - Wednesday 14th January will be filled on Wednesday the 14th/Thursday 15th and Friday 16th .These orders will need to be collected form the uniform shop  during school times.

Thank you ,

The Uniform Shop

Thank you to all who supported the Garden Committee this year. We are grateful for the efforts of students, staff and the wider school community who helped the garden grow and thrive. A special thank you to Mrs White and Mrs Williams for running the Environmental Ambassador Program and inspiring students to care for the world around them.

We also thank Home and School for their support in purchasing the new chicken coop. The chickens are loving their new home which is spacious and comfortable, giving them plenty of room to explore and enjoy.

Next year is shaping up to be an exciting one. We will be holding two working bees, expanding our gardening projects, increasing the greening of our school grounds and growing our composting efforts to reduce waste and build rich soil for future planting.

If you would like to be involved in the Garden Committee next year, please contact me. It is low key, relaxing and good fun, and a great way to contribute to the school community.

Thank you again for your support throughout the year.

Kind Regards,

Brad Crossman.