School Newsletter

You may be aware that I am currently reading through the chronological Bible in a year. I have recently been reading through the book of Daniel. Most of us would be familiar with the story of Daniel in the lion’s den, but I have always been impacted by the leadership he demonstrated when King Nebuchadnezzar sought to have him (and many others) killed.

Chapter 2 explains that Nebuchadnezzar had a dream and expected his wise men to be able to interpret it for him. His view was that if they truly were wise, as they claimed, he shouldn’t have to tell them what the dream was, they should already know it, and subsequently be able to inform him what it meant. It won’t surprise you that the wise men argued that no one in the world would be able to tell the King what his dream was. Babylon was the ruling empire of the time and pointing out to their all-powerful King that his expectation was unreasonable did not go down well. Subsequently, Nebuchadnezzar made the decree that all the so-called wise men of Babylon would be executed. Even though he had no involvement in the situation at all, Daniel was considered a wise man, and as such, was to be executed.

When Arioch, the commander of the King’s guard approached Daniel, verse 14 explains “Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact.” He then negotiated an extension of time from the King and got his friends together to pray. I have found this an excellent model to emulate.

When we all face challenges it may indeed be helpful to seek more time for an appropriate response. More than that, getting friends together and coming before our Lord in prayer, asking for wisdom and guidance, seems the best possible course of action.

There are certainly times in my life when I have reflected on the crisis that Daniel faced and the righteous way he responded. I expect there will be more opportunities in the future to follow his example. God provided Daniel with the knowledge to tell the King what his dream was and also interpret it for him. It must have been tempting for Daniel to take the glory for himself and accept the ‘gifts and rewards and great honour’ that verse 6 explains the King would bestow. Daniel provides another example of Godly leadership when the King asks if he can tell him the dream and interpret it. Rather than seek out the glory for himself, Daniel responds with words to the effect of ‘no human can do what you are asking (not even me) it is only the God of heaven who can reveal such a mystery.’

In the initial crisis, Daniel responds in a godly manner and then goes on to give all the glory to God when he solves Nebuchadnezzar’s problems - what a wonderful example for us all.

God bless,

• Junior School Celebration Assembly – Friday 27th September at 9am (Week 9)
• Secondary School Celebration Assembly – Friday 27th September at 2pm (Week 9)
• Last Day of Term 3 - Friday 27th September (Week 9)

WCCS OPEN DAY

WCCS is holding an Open Day this Wednesday 14th August.

Our Open Days are designed to show prospective families the many educational opportunities at WCCS, and our vibrant, growing Christian community. If someone you know is considering WCCS for their children, this is the perfect opportunity for them to find out more.

Tour registrations can be made via our website by clicking here.

K-12 LITERACY DAY - TUESDAY 27TH AUGUST

Students from K-12 are encouraged to dress up as a character from a book in our Library or in an Olympic/Paris theme for Literacy Day on Tuesday 27th August (Week 5). The Parade will take place at 9am in our Multi-Purpose Centre. Families are welcome to join us, and younger siblings are encouraged to dress up too.

There will also be a Meal Deal available on the day. Order forms will be sent home with students this week (Week 3). Forms should be attached to a paper bag and returned to our school office, with cash, by Wednesday 21st August (Week 4). Profits raised will go to the Samoa Victim Support Group (SVSG).

FATHER'S DAY AT WCCS

Our K-12 Father's Day Stall will be held on Friday 30th August (Week 5). An email with further details has been sent home to families.

Our Father's Day Breakfast is being held on Friday 30th August (Week 5). We would love to welcome our school Dads, Grandads, and carers to join us for a warm drink and some breaky (please note that catering will only be provided for the dads/carers).

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD

Operation Christmas Child is a wonderful initiative that spreads joy and hope to children in need around the world through shoebox gifts filled with toys, school supplies, and personal items. Each box costs $12.50 to ship, and this fee can be conveniently paid directly through the Operation Christmas Child website, which is the easiest method. Alternatively, cash can be included in an envelope with the box.

Shoeboxes are available from the office and should be returned before the end of Term 3 to ensure timely delivery. Participating in Operation Christmas Child not only brings a smile to a child's face, but is also a wonderful way for the children to hear the gospel message and the hope that Jesus offers. To learn more please click here.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

WCCS is seeking to fill the following positions:

• Junior School Teacher (Full Time, commencing Term 1, 2025)
• IT Systems Engineer (Full Time)

If you, or someone you know, would be interested in partnering with us to equip young people to be responsible and responsive disciples, we would love to hear from you.

For more information about these positions, please visit the Employment section of our website.

SHINE EVENING

On Thursday 12th September (Week 7) we will be celebrating the talents and gifts of our students at Shine Evening. This is a wonderful opportunity for family and friends to come and watch the children from Kindergarten to Year 12, as they showcase creative performances they have been working on.

Keep this date free in your calendar, and stay tuned for updates as we get closer to the date.

SAMOA MISSION TEAM TRIVIA NIGHT FUNDRAISER - SEEKING DONATIONS

On Saturday 21st September (Week 8), we are holding a trivia night to raise funds for the Samoa Victim Support Group and the local Samoan villages. To be successful in this, we are asking for donations of items that we can put in our silent auction of smaller prizes that we can use to create hampers for the winning teams. We are also looking for food items that we can add to hampers and auction off on the night, as well as smaller prizes for mini-games that we’ll run. If you, or someone you know can help, please email the office or Mr Alex Hellyer at ahellyer@wyongccs.nsw.edu.au and we can forward further information.

This is a great way for the wider community to partner with the team that is serving on our ministry’s behalf.

WYONG BAPTIST CHURCH - PLAYTIME

Playtime is a ministry of Wyong Baptist Church and takes place on the Church/school grounds during term time. Please see the flyer below for further information.

CANTEEN - NOW OPERATING 5 DAYS A WEEK

We are pleased to inform our school community that from Term 3, our Canteen will operate five days a week (Monday to Friday).

We have also updated our Canteen Menu, which can be accessed here. Please be reminded that orders must be placed by 9am each day.

• Give thanks for a great start to Term 3.
  
• Give thanks for our school community; the staff, students and families who make up our Christ-centred community.
• Continue to pray for our Year 9 students on the Red Centre Road Trip.
  
• Pray for our Year 12 students who are commencing their Trial HSC Examinations in Week 3. Pray for clarity and peace as they prepare and sit their exams.

Greetings friends of Junior School.

Congratulations to our Years 3 and 5 students for their amazing NAPLAN results. This year we found 72% of both our Year 3 and Year 5 students achieved in the highest two proficiencies for Numeracy (Exceeding and Strong).

In Literacy, 68% of Year 3 students and 88% of Year 5 students achieved in the top two proficiencies in Reading. In Writing, 95% of Year 3 students and 71% of Year 5 students achieved in the top two proficiency levels. Grammar and Punctuation saw 60% of Year 3 students and 78% of Year 5 students achieve in the top two proficiency ranges and in Spelling, 63% of Year 3 students and 74% of Year 5 students achieved in the “Strong and Exceeding” levels of proficiency.

We are very proud of the achievements of our students in NAPLAN this year. The results reflect the hard work, dedication and willingness of our students and staff to achieve their best. It is also worthwhile noting these tests examine the students at one point in time. The results give us an insight into how the students are travelling and what we can put into place to ensure our students continue to flourish.

In our highly stressed society, where anxiety shows its face earlier in the lives of our students than previously expected, there could be some real merit in teaching our children the benefits of breathing.

Mrs Thomson has been doing some external studies around wellbeing and has presented the following information to her Year 6 students. I can see some real benefits for all of our students knowing the following technique to help them with anxiety and potentially find that Philippians 4:7 peace that transcends understanding; "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

God bless,

Hello to all our Secondary families and friends.

We hope you and your families are settling back into the school term's routine and rhythm well. Secondary School has been a busy place over the last two weeks! Our students participated as a school community in a NAIDOC Assembly, with special guest Tim Selwyn, who shared insights into First Nation’s Culture and History. They have represented the school excellently at the HCZS Athletics Carnival and participated in excursions and incursions for SLR, Modern History, Drama and Biblical Studies. Students have begun to undertake some PAT Assessments and Minimum Standards Tests. They have also enjoyed the first ‘Merge’ lesson for the term, as well as Chapel in Week 2. This is all in addition to the wonderful teaching and learning that is happening in our classrooms every day!

At the beginning of Week 2, our staff met with parents and students for Parent Teacher Interviews. This was a wonderful opportunity to discuss the growth and progress our students are making. The MPC was a hive of activity and for me (Miss Fedder) as a new member of the WCCS community, it was fantastic to be able to meet so many parents. Thank you for partnering with us and being involved in these evenings.

On Thursday 15th August (Week 3), our HSC students will commence their Trial Examinations. This is an important milestone in their school journey as they enter their final days of secondary education. I encourage our students to be diligent and prepare well, but to also rely on God to sustain them through this season. The words in Proverbs 3:5-6 seem particularly relevant for our Year 12 students. It says to ‘Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He’s the one who will keep you on track.” We will be praying for them during Weeks 3 and 4.

In amongst all of this, our Year 9 students have been away on the Red Centre Road Trip having a wonderful time! The reports, stories, and photos are making me very excited to attend in the future. The students have shown great growth and resilience with the early mornings and setting up their tents and beds each day. They have been bonding through sharing meals and devotions, playing games, worshipping together, and having lots of laughs. They have seen incredible sights such as the sunset at Uluru and a hike at Kata Tjuta. They have had the privilege to be guided through important sites, such as Uluru, learning secrets and stories that the Anangu people have passed down for thousands of years. They visited the School of the Air in Alice Springs, and learned how children living on remote farms learn each day. Students saw all manner of animals at the Alice Springs Reptile Centre. It will be wonderful to hear more stories from the students when they return to school next week. In the meantime, enjoy some photographs of their travels below.

We would also love you to view the first video in our Wellbeing Series. We look forward to sharing more of these with you throughout the term.

God Bless,

SPELLING BEES

Last week, roughly 200 Years 3 to 8 students took up the opportunity to participate in the fun, online Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee. Congratulations to our students for their efforts – we look forward to presenting all with a participation certificate, along with Class Champion and Grade Champion certificates.

Continuing with our focus on spelling, our next stage will be to hold an in-person grade Spelling Bee, where the Top 8 from each grade (Years 1-6) and all who nominate themselves (Years 7 and 8) will receive the same words and spell these words on a whiteboard. The Years 1-6 students who have been selected for this in-person Spelling Bee will be informed in the coming weeks.

• Years 1 & 2 Spelling Bee – Thursday 29th August from 1:35pm during Infants Assembly
• Years 3 & 4 Spelling Bee – Friday 30th August from 1:40pm during Primary Assembly
• Years 5 & 6 Spelling Bee – Friday 6th September from 1:40pm during Primary Assembly
• Year 7 Spelling Bee – Thursday 12th September at lunchtime (students self-nominate)
• Year 8 Spelling Bee – Friday 13th September at lunchtime (students self-nominate)

Our final stage of celebrating spelling will be to take our Top 4 Years 3-6 students to participate in an Inter-school Spelling Bee with Green Point Christian College. This will be held at GPCC on Tuesday 24th September from 11am to 2:30pm.

SCIENCE WEEK
As part of celebrating Science Week, we are looking forward to hosting our Science Fair on Friday 16th August (Week 3), from 1:45pm in the Library. All are welcome to walk through and admire the work of our young scientists, asking them questions about what they have learned.

DEBATING
Congratulations to our four Years 5-8 Debating teams. With Round 1 of the Australian National Virtual Debating Competition now complete, I’m so pleased to announce that our clever arguers have won 11 out of 12 debates! Well done to our Year 5 and Year 8 teams who convinced the adjudicators ‘That all restaurants must not be required to provide gluten-free and vegan options’ and ‘That companies should not be required to label genetically modified foods’.

Mrs Anne Livette-Vial | High Potential & Enrichment Teacher

ASHTON R - 2ND GRADE AMEB SAXOPHONE HIGH DISTINCTION

Congratulations to Ashton R, one of our aspiring Junior School Band members in Year 4 who sat his 2nd grade AMEB examination for Saxophone last term and received a High Distinction (A+)! This is particularly amazing as Ashton has only been learning since last year. However having witnessed Ashton’s work ethic since he started, we are not surprised! Well done, Ashton!

Mrs Lisa Whitwell | Band Coordinator

NOAH M - NSW PSSA TOUCH FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Noah M (Year 5) recently participated in the NSW All Schools (PSSA) Touch Football Championships in Wollongong as a part of the CIS (Combined Independent Schools) Team. His team performed well all week and came 7th overall. Congratulations to Noah for competing at this level and for your outstanding effort displayed at the championships.

Mr Dean Knibbs | Junior School Sports Coordinator

JOSIE D - HIGHLAND DANCING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Recently Josie D in Year 7 competed in the International Highland Dancing Championships. She also performed in the recent Military Tattoo at Sydney Olympic Park. Her team did amazingly well and won the U20 Choreography Team Event for the second year in a row and individually Josie ranked second overall and medalled in all 13 disciplines she competed in, including winning the Gold Medal in one of them (against competitors 8 years older than her). Well done Josie!

Miss Kayla Christensen | Year 7 Year Advisor

JASMINE F – EQUESTRIAN

Recently, Jasmine F (Year 8) competed in the Orange Anglican Grammar School Inter School Equestrian event. Over the three days, she competed in Show Horse and Sporting events which were very new to her and Combined Training and Dressage which are her specialties. She did very well in these two disciplines, achieving 3rd in Combined Training, 2nd in Dressage preliminary 1.2 (missing first place by 0.35 of a point). In Dressage preliminary 1.3 she placed 3rd. Congratulations, Jasmine.

NOAH J - GYMNASTICS

We would like to recognise Noah J (Year 9) for his efforts in his recent events over the holidays. Noah competed at the annual Country Championships in Trampolining. He managed to win the event in the double mini and placed second in the Trampoline event. We are proud of your efforts Noah and want to recognise the time and effort you have put into this event. Congratulations.

LAURENCE T - FOOTBALL

Laurence T (Year 10) is heading off to Perth this week to compete at the annual All Schools Football Championships. This is an incredible opportunity for Laurence and his family and we pray he enjoys this experience and plays his best, free of injury.

Mr Nathan Irvine | Secondary School Sports Coordinator

We are thrilled to announce that WCCS came 3rd overall in the recent HCZS Primary Zone Athletics Carnival, showcasing the talent and dedication of our students. The event was a huge success, with 55 students from WCCS in attendance, each demonstrating remarkable sportsmanship and effort. There were a record number of 15 schools present.

Age Champions

• Malachi C: 1st in 12 Years Boys
• Ryder K: 3rd in 10 Years Boys
• Ethan C: 2nd in 9 Years Boys

Our athletes represented WCCS with outstanding sportsmanship and determination, embodying our School Values. The carnival was filled with a great sense of competition, making it a memorable day for everyone involved. The sunny weather added to the vibrant atmosphere, providing the perfect backdrop for a day of exciting events and personal bests.

Congratulations to our CSSA Athletics Carnival Qualifiers!

We are proud to have several students advancing to the CSSA Athletics Carnival on Friday 23rd August at Blacktown Sportspark. Their hard work and determination have earned them a spot to compete at the next level. Best of luck to the following students:

• Nathan C
• Judah R
• Ryder K
• Charlie C
• Morgan R
• Amariah C
• Betty G
• Katie N
• Malachi C
• Chase M
• Billy C
• Elijah S
• Ethan C
• Fletcher D
• Marlo E
• Anna L
• Joshua S

We look forward to cheering on our athletes as they represent WCCS with pride and excellence. Go team!

Mr Dean Knibbs | Junior School Sports Coordinator

SECONDARY ZONE ATHLETICS (HZCS)

Last week, 45 students from Secondary School participated at the annual Hunter Christian Zone Sport (HCZS) Athletics Carnival. It was encouraging to see so many of our students support and congratulate students from other schools on their attempts and achievements. It’s a true testament to the values and the Christian character we have here at WCCS. It was a fun and enjoyable day for our students and we are proud of their commitment in performing their best and representing our school well. On Thursday 29th August, students who have qualified for their events will have the opportunity to represent WCCS at the annual CSSA State Athletics Carnival in Sydney (more details to follow).

A special congratulations to the following students from Zone Athletics:

• Kendall A – 3rd in 800m
• Matilda B – 3rd in 200m
• Micah B – 1st in 800m (broke the HCZS record by 7 seconds), 1st in 1500m and 2nd in 400m
• Ashton C – 2nd in 1500m
• Cody C – 1st in 800m, 1st in 1500m (broke the HCZS record by 6 seconds), 2nd in High Jump and Long Jump
• Ava C – 3rd in 100m
• Orlando G – 1st in 800m, 100m and the 200m
• Otis H – 2nd in 1500m
• Stella J – 3rd place in Javelin
• Max M – 1st in 100m and Long Jump
• Summa N – 2nd in Shot Put
• Callum S – 2nd in High Jump and Javelin
• Laurence T – 2nd in Long Jump
• Leila T – 1st In Discus and 2nd in Shot Put
• Harry W – 2nd in 200m
• Jonothan – 2nd in 100m, 3rd in Long Jump, 3rd in 200m and 400m
• Bailey W – 2nd in Shot Put and 3rd in Javelin

SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVE SPORT TEAMS - TERM 3

This term, students have had the opportunity to try out for our Boys Basketball, Mixed Oz Tag and Girls Futsal. As a Secondary Sports faculty, we are very proud of our students’ commitment to being a part of our representative teams that will compete at HCZS (Hunter Christian Zone Sport) Gala Days throughout this term.

If your child is selected for one of our teams, you will receive a permission slip with further details regarding the Gala Day. Training will occur for each sport during lunchtimes on selected days that are posted weekly on our ‘Secondary Sport 2024’ CANVAS page. Please encourage your child to view these weekly announcements so they can keep up to date.

Mr Nathan Irvine | Secondary School Sports Coordinator