Many of you will know that my heritage in teaching is PDHPE. Growing up I was always a fan of sports and whilst I didn’t get to go to many big sporting events, I could always understand how fans of each team would cheer them on. It is certainly on my bucket list to one day experience a European Soccer match and the atmosphere such stadiums contain.
What I find interesting is that at a sporting event, it seems perfectly reasonable to hold alternate points of view. You cheer on your team and believe they deserve your support; I cheer on my team and believe they deserve my support. It does appear that over the last decade or so, as a society, we have not been good at recognising people have different views, that each view should be respected, and we should listen to each other well. Public discourse around the same-sex marriage debate and the vaccination debate are easy examples; however, I would venture to suggest there are many others – Australia’s approach to overseas wars, refugees and First Nations people would be further examples. Sadly, it is also probably fair to say that there are examples of people from all sides of these debates communicating their views in a way that is combative and confrontational, rather than constructive and compassionate.
Last week the Federal Government released the Australian Law Reform Commission (ARLC) report into religious freedom in Australia. Amongst other things, it recommends the removal of legal protections for Christian Schools to be allowed to employ exclusively Christian staff. Like the examples listed above, there are varying opinions in our society on their proposed reforms. It would seem reasonable that if our government is making decisions on such important legislation, that they hear the views of the people they represent.
In that regard, if you have a perspective on the proposed reforms, may I encourage you to share that view with your locally elected Federal MP. There would be merit in considering how to do that in a reasonable manner. If you would like to understand more about the situation, then a helpful place to visit is mychristianschool.au.
It is certainly an interesting time we find ourselves in. It is comforting to be reminded that our God is sovereign over everything and that He will work His plans and purposes out in His good timing. Let’s prayerfully come before Him as we navigate the cultural moment we find ourselves in.
God Bless.
Community News & Prayer Points
Dates For Your Diary - Term 1, 2025
Term 1 Commences Years 1-12 - Tuesday 28th January (Week 1)
Kindergarten Commences - Wednesday 29th January (Week 1)
Secondary School Swimming Carnival - Thursday 30th January (Week 1)
Junior School Swimming Carnival - Friday 31st January (Week 1)
Years K-11 Meet the Teacher Evening - Monday 3rd February (Week 2)
Year 12 Parent Teacher Interviews - Monday 3rd February (Week 2)
Year 7 Camp - Wednesday 5th to Friday 7th February (Week 2)
Years 5 & 6 Camp - Wednesday 12th to Friday 14th February (Week 3)
WCCS Open Day - Wednesday 19th February (Week 4)
K-12 Combined Chapel - Thursday 20th February (Week 4)
Kindergarten, Year 5 & 7 (for 2026) Information Evening - Tuesday 4th March (Week 6)
Years 3, 5, 7 & 9 NAPLAN Testing Commences - Wednesday 12th March (Week 7)
Wellbeing Week - Monday 17th to Friday 21st March (Week 8)
Junior School Crazy Hair Day & World's Greatest Shave - Friday 21st March (Week 8)
WCCS Twilight Open Evening - Wednesday 26th March (Week 9)
Junior School Athletics Carnival - Thursday 3rd April (Week 10)
Years 7-11 Parent Teacher Interviews - Monday 7th April (Week 11)
K-11 Parent Teacher Interviews - Tuesday 8th April (Week 11)
K-12 Cross Country Carnival - Thursday 10th April (Week 11)
K-12 Easter Service - Thursday 10th April (Week 11)
Junior School Celebration Assembly at 9am - Friday 11th April (Week 11)
Secondary School Celebration Assembly at 2pm - Friday 11th April (Week 11)
Community News - Week 9, Term 1
K-12 EASTER CHAPEL SERVICE
Our Easter Chapel Service will be held this Thursday 28th March (Week 9) at 9am in our Multi-Purpose Centre. We invite you to join us as we reflect on Jesus’ death on the cross so that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life in Heaven.
The Easter Chapel Service will be followed by our Cross Country Carnival and Community Picnic.
CROSS COUNTRY CARNIVAL & COMMUNITY PICNIC
We invite all families to join us for our Cross Country Carnival & Community Picnic this Thursday 28th March (Week 9).
Food/drink options available on the day are:
Sausage Sizzle
Coffee Cart
Bake Sale
Various treats available from the Canteen
Good Day Kiosk will be open throughout the day
EASTER SERVICES
Wyong Baptist Church
If you are not already part of a Church, Wyong Baptist Church welcomes you to their Easter services. Services are held in the Multi-Purpose Centre on site at WCCS.
Good Friday Service - 9am
Easter Sunday Service - 10am
Ecumenical Service
An ecumenical Easter service will be held at Soliders Beach, Norah Head, on Easter Sunday (Sunday 31st March) at 7am.
JUNIOR SCHOOL CRAZY HAIR DAY FUNDRAISER
Thank you to our whole school community for your Crazy Hair Day donations. Together we raised over $490 for the Leukaemia Foundation.
PARENT-TEACHER INTERVIEWS
Parent-Teacher Interviews for Semester One will be held in Week 10 of Term 1 on the following dates:
Junior School - Tuesday 2nd April from 3:30-8:30pm
Secondary School - Tuesday 2nd April from 3:30-8:30pm and Wednesday 3rd April from 3:30-5:30pm
Information on how to book has been emailed to families. Bookings will close on Sunday 31st March at 5pm.
WOOSH VACATION CARE PROGRAM - APRIL 2024
Please click here for information on WOOSH's Vacation Care Program for the April school holidays.
TERM 1 CELEBRATION ASSEMBLIES
Our Term 1 Celebration Assemblies will be held on Friday 12th April (Week 11) in our Multi-Purpose Centre at the following times:
Junior School - 9am
Secondary School - 2pm
Parents of award recipients will be notified via email by Wednesday 3rd April.
COASTAL LINER BUS SERVICES
Please be advised that the afternoon Coastal Liner bus services arriving at WCCS display a different number to the Route Numbers identified on Coastal Liner's timetable. The numbers displayed on the bus are as follows:
S209 for Route #11
S204 for Route #13
ANZAC DAY SERVICE - TUESDAY 30TH APRIL 2024
On Tuesday 30th April at 11:45am (Week 1, Term 2), WCCS will be holding a combined K-12 Anzac Day Service in our MPC. During the service, we would like to commemorate and pay respect to the family members within the WCCS community who have both served in past wars or are still serving.
We are making a photo montage in the hope that students make deeper connections and relevance as to why we reflect on and commemorate Anzac Day. This year, we are encouraging students from both Junior and Secondary School, as well as staff and the community, to submit pictures of loved ones to be a part of this collage. We would also like to print these off and display these montages in the Library during April.
If you have a family member who you would like to include in the montage, please email a photo with the following details to me (Mrs Makepeace).
Name of relative
Family relation to you e.g. Great grandfather of ...
War/s they served in or are currently serving in
Their role e.g. a soldier, nurse, navy, pilot, peacekeeping mission, etc.
During the laying of the wreath ceremony, we are going to give students the opportunity to lay some flowers alongside the school's wreath. Students can bring flowers on the day and when the wreath is being laid, they are able to come up and place flowers down as a sign of respect. Students who have submitted a photo will be given a flower and the opportunity to lay it down during the laying of the wreath ceremony. If your child is interested in doing this, please contact me at the email below.
Pray for our school’s Easter Service this Thursday and for other upcoming Easter Church services. Pray that the message of Jesus’ death and resurrection will give hope to all those in our school community and beyond, particularly those who don’t yet know Him as their Lord and Saviour.
Pray for opportunities to share God’s perfect love over the Easter period and for strength and courage to act on those opportunities.
Pray for good weather for our upcoming Cross Country Carnival and Community Picnic. Pray that students will give their best efforts during their Cross Country run and that the picnic will be an opportunity for new friendships to be formed between families.
Junior School News
Junior School News - Week 9, Term 1
Greetings friends of Junior School.
We are welcoming in Week 9, Wellbeing Week, and we have a lot of activities scheduled for the kids to enjoy.
In the sporting realm this week, we have CIS Swimming and our Cross Country Community Picnic. We are also celebrating Easter on Thursday at 9am in the Multi-Purpose Centre, with a whole school Easter Chapel Service. To ensure that our non-sporty students have the opportunity to demonstrate their gifts and talents, our Junior School Events team have planned a midday concert to be held on the B Block veranda. In light of the approach of Easter, plus the sporting and creative arts performance opportunities, we thought it appropriate to share God’s perspective on giftedness as explained in Romans 12. Therefore, our Junior School Wellbeing Week spiritual focus, during morning devotions, will be exploring that God has gifted us in more ways than just academics, sporting prowess, and creative and performing arts. One of our goals is that the students will see the links to our school values and rules. When we use these gifts in the way God intended them, all of our community benefits.
Romans 12:4-6: "For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us."
Over the last few years, after our Easter services, Cross Country Carnivals and Picnic concerts, several families have opted to make an early start on their holiday adventures. If you are planning to take your kids home early, please ensure that you visit the office and sign your child/ren out; this will save our staff some stress when we see that students are missing from our afternoon classes.
Congratulations to our Years 3 and 5 students who have completed NAPLAN for 2024. Our students were amazing. Each day they turned up with a smile and put their best effort forward. We reminded our students of the fact that their NAPLAN results won’t change who they are or who God has destined them to be.
This was a team effort between our IT Department, Admin and teachers and thankfully all tests went smoothly. A huge thank you to everyone involved.
NAPLAN results should be sent to parents in Term 3.
Week 10 Events:
Years 5 and 6 will have a special visit from the Home School Liaison Officer with the NSW Police on Tuesday 2nd April. This visit links in beautifully with our unit about Cyber Safety and Cyber Bullying. In the past, our students have been receptive to the message being told and they have asked some valuable questions. It would be worthwhile debriefing with your child on Tuesday afternoon as they may be challenged by what they hear. It is so important that our children are educated in ways to be safe online as this is a major part of the world they are growing up in.
We also have the Biathlon and CIS Soccer scheduled later in the week.
As we head into the most significant event on our Christian calendar, I pray that you will find yourself in a loving Church community over Easter and that God reveals His most precious gift to us all, Jesus.
John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
God Bless.
Secondary School News
Secondary School News - Week 9, Term 1
Week 9 already, it does seem as though the weeks are flying by!
SHOUT OUT TO THE IT DEPARTMENT
Years 7 and 9 students have diligently completed their NAPLAN tests throughout the last two weeks. A huge thank you to Mrs Makepeace for coordinating the Exam Timetable and to the IT staff for their humble assistance. What a blessing it is to have Christian staff across all areas of our school community who go to their workplace to serve as Christ’s disciples.
While highlighting IT, I would like to reiterate the significant importance of online safety for our students. Below is a copy of an email you may recall receiving last year, encouraging families to take up the opportunity to sign up for Qustodio.
Navigating the Challenges of a Digital World
Please see linked here a video message from Mrs Katie Worboys, our Head of Secondary School - Student Wellbeing, with some information about a recommended Online Safeguarding Program - Qustodio.
Below are details on how to sign up to use this free online safeguarding tool - Qustodio.
By signing up for Qustodio, you will have the option to download and use the app for free, outside the school premises. Qustodio provides a comprehensive set of features designed to ensure the safety and well-being of your child in the digital world. We believe that Qustodio will equip you with the necessary tools to effectively supervise and protect your child's digital experience at home.
It is important to highlight that WCCS, in partnership with FamilyZone, will continue managing accessibility in the classroom. Qustodio is designed to provide online safety at home.
If you would like to manage your child's device at home with Qustodio, you can follow the steps below.
Click here to create your new Qustodio account and video instructions here .Alternatively, go to https://wyong.onlinesafetyhub.com.au under the Child Safety App tab and click “Create your Account”
Download the Qustodio Parent app.
Install the Qustodio Kids app on your child's personal devices.
If you have any inquiries or require further guidance, please don't hesitate to reach out.
You can contact the WCCS IT Department during school hours on 02 4351 2020 or email helpdesk@wyongccs.nsw.edu.au. Alternatively, you can contact Family Zone’s Support Team via email at support@familyzone.com, chat, or call 1300 398 326. They are committed to supporting you and ensuring the digital safety of our students.
If you have concerns regarding your child’s wellbeing, please reach out to their Classroom Teacher, Home Room Teacher or Mrs Katie Worboys.
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT: PDHPE
PDHPE is more than a subject; it's the foundation of a well-rounded education, providing students with lifelong knowledge and skills. It goes beyond the classroom, blending theory with practical engagement to equip students for life's complexities. Through 'Personal Development and Health', we tackle issues crucial to students' well-being, fostering resilience and essential life skills. Meanwhile, Physical Education isn't just about fitness; it's about nurturing a passion for movement, teamwork and personal growth, empowering students to thrive physically and contribute meaningfully to their communities. Ultimately, PDHPE embodies a belief in education's power to shape not only minds but entire lives, preparing students to flourish in an ever-changing world.
The PDHPE Department itself is also growing! Alongside familiar faces like myself (Mr Thomas), Mr Campbell, Mrs Kelly and Mrs Cox, we are delighted to welcome Mr Nathan Irvine to our team in 2024. Nathan will also serve as the Secondary School Sports Coordinator. With his passion for sports and boundless energy, Mr Irvine is set to invigorate our sporting programs and inspire our students to reach new heights in their sporting pursuits.
The term has been jam-packed with a range of engaging learning experiences for our students in PDHPE. Our Year 12 Community and Family Studies (CAFS) students have been hard at work undertaking their Independent Research Projects. What makes this endeavour truly special is that they are not just studying from textbooks – they're actively involved in collecting and analysing their own primary research data. This hands-on approach is cultivating valuable research skills and providing them with real-world experience that will serve them well beyond the classroom. It has been wonderful to see the students practice integrity and respect as they go about their research.
Our students in Years 7-9 are delving into theory topics centred around relationships, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to cultivate healthy and fulfilling connections with others. Recently, our Year 7 cohort were involved in a workshop conducted by Elephant Education. This workshop honed students’ skills in managing conflict in an online environment. Meanwhile, Year 10 students are focusing on mental health and well-being, emphasising the importance of self-care and resilience in navigating life's challenges.
In our physical education lessons, Years 7 and 8 students have been gearing up for the upcoming Cross Country Carnival by engaging in a series of chasing and fleeing games.
Years 9 and 10 are exploring various activities, games and sports from Australia and abroad.
Our team has also spent a significant amount of time over the past 6 months planning for the new Health and Movement Science curriculum to be implemented in 2025 for Year 11 students. This new course is grounded in the foundational principles of the current PDHPE syllabus. We are excited to teach this course next year and are confident that students will find the course interesting, challenging and fun!
We look forward to working alongside you and your children this year, empowering them with knowledge, understanding, skills and values to become responsible and responsive disciples of Jesus Christ. Our enthusiasm for both our subject and our faith fuels our excitement for the year ahead.
Year 11 have made a wonderful start to the year. They have embraced the responsibility of being a senior student at WCCS. The term commenced with a study day to help the students have an understanding of what an effective study regime may be. There are lots of students who have embraced their new subjects, with numerous students undertaking TVET and Distance Education options. In addition to working at their studies, a lot of students have elected to help the Year 7 students increase their confidence and familiarisation of Secondary School by engaging in the Peer Support program, making a smoother transition for our incoming Year 7 students. Year 11 have participated in a RYDA program that focuses on Road Safety and we are looking forward to seeing this safe outlook in practice.
Amongst all the good things that are happening, students have also managed to raise $12,447 towards blood cancer research on behalf of the Leukaemia Foundation. Because they crossed the $10,000 threshold, Mrs Alison Johns qualified for cutting her hair short by the student who raised the most amount of funds. Two special mentions - to Zoe L for raising the most funds, and Mrs Kate McKendry in Junior School for also cutting her hair for this great cause. A massive thanks to Mrs Johns for coordinating this wonderful event - this wouldn't have been such a success without you.
This week we are looking forward to focusing on wellbeing. During our Secondary School assembly, students will begin conversations centred around our school values of respect and compassion.
During devotions classes, we will consider positive relationships by studying what is written in Luke 6.
"But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on the cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also." Luke 6:27-29
These words are often counter-cultural; however, Christ calls us to not look to our own interests but to the interests of others; as seen in Philippians.
This Thursday will be a wonderful community day, starting with the whole school Easter Chapel service, then the Community Picnic and Cross Country.
To all our families, we wish you a safe and enjoyable Easter weekend and pray you find a moment to reflect on the love of Christ and His sacrifice for us all.
God bless.
REACH - Student Enrichment
Reach Student Enrichment - Week 9, Term 1
In the last fortnight, our students have continued to challenge themselves in a wide variety of areas, from debating to da Vinci Decathlon, writing and maths.
DEBATING
Our Years 5-8 debaters faithfully meet each week to practice various public speaking and debating skills, including the ‘Umm Game’, speaking for a minute and ‘PEELing a topic’. In the coming week, we will further hone our skills as we argue for and against the proposal, ‘That the school week should be 4 days’.
WRITING
Each of our Junior School Literacy extension groups have been paired with an author pen pal, and we are very excited to have received the first letters and postcards from some talented Australian authors. Our young aspiring authors will certainly enjoy reading their work and writing our own letters and postcards back to their pen pals.
We are never too young to make a difference in the world, and I’d love to encourage our Years 5-12 students to consider using the written word as a way to have their voices heard. In the What Matters Writing Competition, Years 5-12 students may submit fiction, non-fiction, poetry or prose of up to 600 words by Tuesday 14th May. For more details, click here.
MATHEMATICS
Our Maths extension students are continuing to enjoy the world of Banqer, and this week have become job-seekers. Students learned how to write a resume and have applied for a variety of part-time Banqer roles (on top of their main job of being a student). Next week, we will learn about tax, and when they have saved up enough money, students will be able to purchase a vehicle (scooter, bike, economy, mid-range or luxury car). They will then need to decide whether to insure their vehicles against potential accidents… so many life decisions to consider!
ICAS
It was a delight to hear some young students last week tell me how much fun NAPLAN was, and how sad they are that it is finished! They said that they really enjoyed the challenge. Well never fear, because ICAS will soon be here. We know our students are amazing, so we’re once again giving them the opportunity to showcase and celebrate their talents in the world-renowned ICAS Competition. ICAS is an online academic competition that provides students the opportunity to challenge their higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills in English, Mathematics, Science, Writing and Spelling. Every student who participates is celebrated and recognised with a printed certificate in each subject area, and an online results report to track development each year. Top performers are eligible for one of the highly coveted ICAS medals.
The dates of this year’s competitions are as follows:
ICAS Writing Competition: Monday 5th to Friday 9th August - Years 3-12
ICAS English Competition: Monday 12th to Friday 16th August - Years 2-12
ICAS Spelling Competition: Monday 19th to Friday 23rd August - Years 2-7
ICAS Science Competition: Monday 19th to Friday 23rd August - Years 2-12
ICAS Mathematics Competition: Monday 26th to Friday 30th August - Years 2-12
If you wish for your child to participate in ICAS this year, you can:
Go to the Parent Portal to sign up for chosen subject areas here, and enter our school’s access code – YUV807. Enter your child’s details, select the subject areas your child would like to participate in and then proceed to payment. The last day to sign up will be Friday 26th July 2024.
PARENT-TEACHER INTERVIEWS
If you would like to chat with me about any of these extension opportunities or find out how your child is going in these extension groups, please feel free to book a time to chat with me at the upcoming Parent-Teacher Interviews in Week 10.
A diagnosis of cancer is a life-altering event, not only for the individual facing the diagnosis but also for their immediate family. It's a journey that challenges one's strength, resilience, and faith.
In 2006, my daughter, Amelia, was diagnosed with neuroblastoma cancer. She underwent six months of chemotherapy followed by surgery. It took an unexpected 14 months for her to recover fully. Her story is a poignant reminder that each cancer journey is unique, fraught with its own set of challenges and victories.
This year, our Year 11 students supported cancer research and treatment through their participation in the World's Greatest Shave. We are immensely proud to announce that 17 students and 3 staff members raised an impressive total of $12,447. Another group of 7 students made lolly bags and sold them at school to raise an additional $256.
My daughter is alive today because of the medical advancements made possible by research conducted prior to her diagnosis. The funds we raised will go to the Leukemia Foundation to provide practical and emotional support for families facing cancer as well as supporting cancer research.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who generously donated to this cause. Your kindness and generosity will make a tangible difference in the lives of those affected by cancer.
Earlier this month, Mr Jason Benn, one of our Secondary School teachers, participated in the NSW Surf Lifesaving Masters State Championships held at Queenscliff. Mr Benn received a Silver medal for achieving second place in the 50-59 double surfski, competing for Caves Beach SLSC. Well done, Mr Benn!
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