School Newsletter

Hello everyone.

A little over a week ago we all had the blessing of being able to celebrate Easter. I hope you were able to enjoy some quality time with your family over the long weekend. If you work in an industry that meant you didn’t get the blessing of the public holidays, thank you for serving the wider community in the way you do.

Given that we celebrate Easter every year (as we should), I sometimes wonder whether we can become complacent about just how important the events of the first Easter were. I don’t think I am being melodramatic to say it quite literally was the most important event in the history of the world.

I have been a follower of Jesus for about 28 years now, and over that time I have learnt much about the God we serve and how He has revealed Himself in Christ. If I was to be honest though, I think one of my biggest areas of growth has been understanding just how sinful my human nature is and how much I am in need of forgiveness.

I have always been significantly impacted by the crucifixion story, particularly the events recorded about the night before Jesus died. You may well indeed be familiar with the story. Jesus explains to Peter, “This very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” Peter confidently declares, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” (Matthew 26:34-35). Within hours, Jesus was arrested, taken before the Sanhedrin and Peter denied knowing Jesus three times. I find the version in Luke’s gospel most helpful, he writes how, at this point, Jesus’ eyes met Peter's. It is at this moment that Peter is truly confronted by the reality of his sin. Luke writes that Peter “went outside and wept bitterly” (Luke 22:62). There have been many times in my own journey where I have figuratively ‘wept bitterly’ when confronting the reality of my sin.

Arriving at a place in our own heart where we realise we are in need of forgiveness and a Saviour is an important step in coming to true repentance and faith. Just as important though, is not remaining in that place of despair. The famous 19th Century preacher, Charles Spurgeon, said it well;

“I have a great need for Christ, I have a great Christ for my need.”

As we look towards Jesus and fix our attention on Him, we can be reminded that it is Him alone who is responsible for our salvation, and He continues to work in us through His Holy Spirit. I pray that this may provide you with comfort and inspire you in your role as parents. He truly is a wonderful God that we serve. Let's collectively remain fixed on Him, with a healthy awareness of our own sinfulness.

God Bless.

• Junior School Celebration Assembly at 9am - Friday 12th April (Week 11)
  
• Secondary School Celebration Assembly at 2pm - Friday 12th April (Week 11)

• Secondary School Play 'Robin Hood: A Bard's Tale' Matinee Performance at 11am - Tuesday 2nd July (Week 10)
  
• Secondary School Play 'Robin Hood: A Bard's Tale' Evening Performance at 6:30pm - Tuesday 2nd July (Week 10)
• Secondary School Play 'Robin Hood: A Bard's Tale' Evening Performance at 6:30pm - Wednesday 3rd July (Week 10)
• Junior School Celebration Assembly at 9am - Friday 5th July (Week 10)
  
• Secondary School Celebration Assembly at 11:45am - Friday 5th July (Week 10)

TERM 1 CELEBRATION ASSEMBLIES

Our Term 1 Celebration Assemblies will be held this Friday 12th April (Week 11) in our Multi-Purpose Centre at the following times:

• Junior School - 9am
• Secondary School - 2pm

Parents of award recipients were notified via email on Tuesday 2nd April.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

We are seeking a Head of Secondary School - Teaching & Learning. If you, or someone you know, would be interested in partnering with us to equip young people to be responsible and responsive disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, we would love to hear from you. For more information about the position, please click here or visit the Employment section of our website.

WOOSH VACATION CARE PROGRAM - APRIL 2024

Please click here for information on WOOSH's Vacation Care Program for the April school holidays.

SCHOOL HOLIDAY OFFICE HOURS

Please be advised of our office hours during the upcoming school holidays.

• Monday 15th to Friday 19th April - Closed
  
• Monday 22nd to Wednesday 24th April - Open from 8:30am-3:30pm
• Thursday 25th April - Closed for the ANZAC Day Public Holiday
• Friday 26th April - Open from 8:30am-3:30pm

TERM 2

Term 2 will commence on Monday 29th April.

ANZAC SERVICE

Families are invited to attend our K-12 ANZAC Service on Tuesday 30th April (Week 1, Term 2) at 12pm in our Multi-Purpose Centre.

MOTHER'S DAY BREAKFAST

We will host a Mother's Day Breakfast on Friday 10th May (Week 2, Term 2) at 7:45am to celebrate and honour the women in our community.

JUNIOR SCHOOL GRANDPARENTS' MORNING

Our Junior School Grandparents' Morning will be held on Friday 17th May (Week 3, Term 2).

The morning will commence with Chapel at 9:30am in the Multi-Purpose Centre. Please note that Chapel has been moved to a later time of 9:30am on this day, to limit congestion in the car park around school drop-off and allow for Grandparents to find a parking space with greater ease.

LOST PROPERTY

If your child is missing an item of clothing or personal belongings, please encourage them to check lost property in our office before the end of the term. Lost property will be cleaned out during the holidays, and any unclaimed items will be donated. Thank you.

• Praise God for His provisions this term. Pray for sustained energy for our students and staff as we conclude a huge term.
  
• Give thanks for the opportunities that we have as a school to raise much-needed funds for areas in our local and wider community, as well as globally.
• Pray for God's protection over all students, families and staff during these upcoming school holidays. Pray that it will be a time of rest for all and that we can prioritise spending time reading the Bible.

Greetings friends of Junior School.

What an outstanding term we have had, and it is not over yet.

We still have the Futsal Gala Day and Celebration Assembly to enjoy this week. If your child is receiving an award, you would have received an email early last week from our amazing Admin team.

Next term, we jump straight into our K-12 ANZAC Service on Tuesday 30th April, at 12pm, and in Week 2 we have our Junior School Athletics Carnival, Years 5-8 Maths Olympiad, Mother’s Day Breakfast and Mother's Day Stall.

Thanks to all the parents who joined us for Parent-Teacher Interviews last week. It was a challenge for many families off the back of the long weekend, and we will consider this for future reference.

Our Cross Country Carnival and Community Picnic concert were wonderful. Thanks so much to the families who joined us for this most excellent community event. As always, the Kindergarten and Year 1 Fun Runs were the spectator’s preferred events. It was so exciting to see the crowd following the kids across the oval to the finish line. Such a beautiful day to watch other people run (hahaha).

The kids seemed to enjoy our Wellbeing Week activities, discussing how God has gifted us with special abilities and talents and how we can use those gifts to benefit our community.

You can see photos of our Cross Country, Community Picnic and Easter Service in the 'What's Happening Around WCCS' section of this Newsletter.

On Tuesday 2nd April, our Years 5 and 6 students had a Police Liaison Officer visit. Humble thanks to Snr Constable Kleeman for helping our students successfully navigate the dangers of their online adventures. We pray that these sessions will equip our young people to make wise decisions online and avoid the temptation of risk-taking behaviours.

Many of our students competed in the CSSA Triathlon Event at the Penrith Regatta Centre on Thursday 4th April. It was an early start for our students, parents and teachers and proved to be what was a very wet day. We were thankful for our seats in the Grandstand and our students were beautifully behaved and competed well considering the conditions. For many of our students, this was their first Triathlon/Duathlon.

Congratulations to the following students:

• Gold Medal Year 5/6 Boys Team – Billy, Jack and Malachi
• Bronze Medal Year 5/6 Boys Team – Brodie, Dylan and Elijah
• Bronze Medal Year 3/4 Boys Team – Harvey and Charlie

Our children represented our school well and we are very proud of their achievements and level of participation.

We pray that the kids enjoy a safe and restful break. Some of our little cherubs are really feeling the challenge of an 11-week term, especially Kindergarten. For those families that are lucky enough to enjoy a holiday, we are praying for travelling mercies and a blessed time with your precious family.

See you next term. God bless.

Isaiah 12:4-5 - And on that day you will say, "Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name. Make known His deeds among the peoples; make them remember that His name is exalted." Praise the Lord in song, for He has done glorious things; let this be known throughout the earth.

As we head into the final week of Term 1, we are filled with gratitude for the blessings He has provided.

Last week, our school community saw a focus on compassion and service. The Community Picnic, Cross Country races, Colour Run, and K-12 Easter Chapel Service – all wonderful opportunities to come together and be a blessing. Thanks to all those involved in raising funds for the Samoa Victim Support Group. Congratulations and thanks to our Year 12 Student Leaders, supported by Rev. Shorten, in leading us through a wonderful Easter service with the message of the cross clearly delivered. Some photos of the service can be seen in the 'What's Happening Around WCCS' section of this Newsletter.

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT: CREATIVE & PERFORMING ARTS (CAPA)

Visual Arts

Our Visual Arts students have been off to a strong start, laying the foundational skills they'll need for the rest of the year. Year 7 have kicked off their art journeys by looking at the colour wheel and creating vibrant animal paintings. Year 8 have spent a great deal of time refining their pencil work and creating realistic portraits using the grid method. Our Year 9's have been challenged to paint optical illusions and Year 10 have been creatively exploring watercolour. Year 11 have explored old and new artmaking materials through the 'Experimental Art Project', while our Year 12 cohort have bunkered down and have been working hard on their Major Works for the HSC. We're excited to see very soon how they turn out!

Drama

The Drama department is gearing up for our Secondary School play, Robin Hood: A Bard's Tale, which will be in the middle of the year. We have a wide range of students from different year groups who are all busy learning lines and blocking. In class, Year 7 students have been focusing on the elements of Drama, and Year 9 have been developing their lighting techniques. Year 12 are working on group performances, and all elective classes recently benefitted from an author visit to the school, who provided feedback for the students.

Music

In Music classes, Year 7 have been exploring the beginnings of Western music, with a focus on playing as a class ensemble. Year 8 has been investigating the development of Game music, designing their own character and writing a theme using a composition app with original game music sounds. Year 9 have been playing Latin music and will perform at this week's Secondary School Celebration Assembly. In Junior School, both the band and choir have been preparing for some upcoming performances.

Mrs Leah Gander | CAPA Learning Leader

HOME ROOM SPOTLIGHT: YEAR 12

Year 12 is such a significant year for anyone who has completed Secondary School. It’s the one year when we start to gain independence and receive glimpses of adulthood. It is also the last year where you have the safety net and predictability of Secondary School with teachers, peers, and a supportive and caring community. As Year Advisors, both myself (Mr Alex Hellyer) and Mrs Kelly Tabrett really want this year to be one of significance because of their growth, both emotional and spiritual. There is such a powerful and meaningful opportunity in our school to focus on community and really do that well (it’s in our name!).

With this in mind, we have been focusing on coming together as a cohort and looking for opportunities to learn from one another and create connections that we might have missed out on otherwise.

Our theme for the year is James 2:8, "If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbour as yourself,” you are doing right". This is why we have been mixing it up in Home Room with panels, small groups, and areas of interest so the year group is constantly being given opportunities to love and care for different peers, not just the ones they usually mix with.

There have been multiple opportunities to look at students' career and university paths, with various guests coming into our classroom to discuss these opportunities with students. The Prefects have been doing an amazing job with running Chapels and Assemblies which has been an encouragement to the wider school community.

Aside from the anticipation of the Formal, Year 12 Jerseys and Graduation, it is our prayer that this cohort really find joy and excitement in Christ and one that they can share with the community in their final year at our school.

Year 12 Home Room Teachers share their favourite holiday destination:

• Year 12 Devotions 1 - Mr Alex Hellyer: Tokyo, Japan or a holiday park with my family in a tent.
• Year 12 Devotions 2 - Mrs Kathryn Jaeger (assisted by Mrs Kirsten Warner): This is a tough question… my favourite continent is Europe.
• Year 12 Devotions 3 - Kelly Tabrett (assisted by Mrs Lina Williams): Anywhere on the beach! Sunshine Coast, QLD or South Coast NSW are particular favourites.

Mr Alex Hellyer & Mrs Kelly Tabrett | Year 12 Year Advisors

COMING UP IN WEEK 11:

Our Year 11 students will have the opportunity to look beyond schooling at WCCS at their Careers Day on Tuesday 9th April.

On Friday 12th April, we invite parents and friends to join us for our Term 1 Secondary School Celebration Assembly at 2pm in our Multi-Purpose Centre.

Please pray for our Secondary School students, as many still complete Assessment Tasks and sit examinations.

We will be praying for a restful and safe school holiday break, and look forward to seeing our students at the commencement of Term 2.

Matthew 5:16 - "In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven".

God bless.

Please see below some photos of our wonderful Easter Chapel Service and Community Picnic, held on Thursday 28th March.

On Thursday 28th March, WCCS hosted its annual Junior School Cross Country event, a day filled with joy as students showcased their endurance in long-distance running. The weather was superb, and the presence of numerous spectators added to the festive atmosphere. The races commenced with the 8/9 year olds leading the way, followed by competitors of all ages. The event culminated in an endearing run by Kindergarten and Year 1 students. Throughout the carnival, community spirit remained high, with participants running with smiles on their faces. Crossing the finish line was met with delight as each runner received an ice block. The day concluded with a Community Picnic and Concert, bringing everyone together to celebrate. Special thanks to all the spectators whose presence enhanced the day's ambience. Overall, it was a fantastic event filled with camaraderie and spirited competition.

I would like to say a big thank you to our wonderful Groundsmen for helping with set up and pack up. A huge thanks must go to Mrs Hannah Kelly and her wonderful PE class, who didn’t stop running all morning.

Those students who came in the Top 4 will progress to the CSSA Cross Country Carnival on Friday 31st May at Sydney International Equestrian Centre. Permission slips will be sent out shortly.

Students will receive their trophies in the coming weeks at our Primary Assembly. Parents will be notified in advance when the trophies are to be handed out.

Congratulations to the following Age Champions:

Final House Standings:

Thanks again for a great day.

Mr Dean Knibbs | Junior School Sports Coordinator

On Thursday 28th March, Secondary School students, staff and families came together for our annual Cross Country Carnival and Colour Run event. Prayers were answered as the rain held off just enough so we received near-perfect running conditions! Our students were dressed to impress with many representing their sport houses so well as they eagerly anticipated and got involved in their events.

In addition to our formal Cross Country event, students had the opportunity to suit up in white and have some fun on our Colour Run course - a crowd favourite! Throughout the day, there were standout performances in each age group. A big well done to all our students who got involved but particularly those who dug deep and left it all out on the course, our Age Champions!

Congratulations to the following Age Champions:

A special congratulations to all our first-place winners and additionally to those individuals who placed inside the top 4 who will progress to the upcoming CSSA State Cross Country. CSSA team lists will soon be posted on the 2024 Secondary School Sport page on CANVAS for students and parents to view.

The final tallies of house points include points awarded for running events, house spirit and student helpers on the day. We have a very close point tally below, only separated by thirteen points!

Total points tally for the 2024 Cross Country Carnival:

Congratulations Liddell - Cross Country Carnival House Champions of 2024!

Thank you to all the students, staff and supporters who came along, got involved and contributed to a great carnival!

Mr Nathan Irvine | Secondary School Sports Coordinator

Over the past couple of weeks, we have had some Junior School students represent our school, Zone and CSSA at CIS Championships.

On Wednesday 27th March, WCCS had 10 students compete at CIS Swimming. Most finished in the top 10, which was an extraordinary achievement given the students were racing against several students from some big private schools that even have pools at their school. Congratulations to Andy A (Senior Boys Relay), Billy C (Senior Boys Relay, 12 Years Breaststroke), Harvey C (10 Years Freestyle), Isabelle J (Senior Girls Relay, 12 Years Freestyle), Chase M (Senior Boys Relay), Holly P (8 Years Freestyle), Lachlan R (Senior Boys Relay, 12 Years Butterfly), Layla T (Senior Girls Relay), Lotus V (Senior Girls Relay, 11 Years Backstroke) and Cadence Y (Senior Girls Relay).

Then on Thursday 4th April, Kaiden K participated in the CIS Primary Boys Football (Soccer) Championships. He trialled very well against some strong competition (120 boys) and his team came 3rd in his pool. Kaiden joins an exclusive club, as we have only had about 4 or 5 students who have participated at this level over the years. Congratulations to Kaiden.

Mr Dean Knibbs | Junior School Sports Coordinator

FIVE TIPS TO HELP PARENTS MAKE THE MOST OF READING ALOUD TO THEIR CHILDREN

1. Give it all your attention - Bedtime is best, switch off devices, get comfortable and make it a daily routine.
2. Engage with the story - Keep interruptions to a minimum, recap longer stories, and share responses.
3. There is no age limit - Start from infancy and continue for young people for as long as possible.
4. Pick a book you both enjoy - Find a book that interests you and the child. Parents, you can borrow from the WCCS Library too.
5. Do not worry about your style - Reading aloud helps parents to slow down, relax and share the wonderful world of books.
   

Mrs Bronwyn Hutchings | Head of Library & Mrs Christina Stubbs | Teacher Librarian