School Newsletter

A couple of weeks ago, I had the great blessing of attending the NSW Christian Schools Principals' Conference. It is always a very encouraging time to hear how God is working through Christian Schooling across NSW. I was also reminded that some of the challenges and obstacles we face (challenges around building projects, for example) are the same challenges many other principals have to navigate.

The keynote speaker at the conference was Stewart Bogle. A Christian man from South Australia who has experienced incredible challenges and loss in his life. He shared his journey with us, and how he basically went from one hugely traumatic event to another in his life, none of which were his fault or caused by his choices. At the same time, the true focus of his message across the three days was, how do we maintain our faith through really difficult seasons of life? Seasons that will inevitably come to all of us at some point.

I was reminded through these conversations that we serve a God who doesn’t promise that everything in this world will always be sunshine and roses. Intuitively, we probably all know that. Jesus himself said, “In this world, you will have trouble.” At the same time, we serve a God who promises that He will walk alongside us through difficult moments. He understands our pain and heartbreak, and He ultimately wants to make things right – for eternity.

It took me a long time to understand the shortest verse in the Bible – John 11:35, "Jesus wept." It was confusing to me because the context is Lazarus’ death. Eight verses later, Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, and everyone is overjoyed. I couldn’t work out why Jesus would be crying if He knew that He was about to bring Lazarus back to life. My understanding is that Jesus looked around and saw the heartache and the sadness caused by death, the tears and the pain of people deeply grieving, and He too became emotional as He was reminded that this is not how God intended the world to be, and it brought Him to tears – even though He knew He was about to raise Lazarus.

It is in John 16:33 where Jesus says, “In this world, you will have trouble.” But He doesn’t stop there. Next, He says, “But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Yes, this world will have difficult moments, for some of us, they may be incredibly difficult moments. My hope is that knowing we have a God who understands and who has gone through it all provides you with a level of comfort in those difficult moments. Jesus says at the beginning of John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.” May the reminder that we have a God who understands and who has confirmed our salvation bring you peace.

God bless,

• WCCS Twilight Tours Open Evening - Wednesday 26th March (Week 9)
• Years 3 & 4 Camp - Thursday 27th to Friday 28th March (Week 9)
• Junior School Athletics Carnival - Thursday 3rd April (Week 10)
• Years 7-11 Parent Teacher Interviews - Monday 7th April (Week 11)
• Years K-11 Parent Teacher Interviews - Tuesday 8th April (Week 11)
• Years K-12 Cross Country Carnival & Community Picnic - Thursday 10th April (Week 11)
• Years K-12 Easter Service at 9am - 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)

YEAR 11 - WORLD'S GREATEST SHAVE

A team of Year 11 students will be participating in our annual World's Greatest Shave event on Thursday 20th March 2025 (Week 8).

Year 11 has been raising money to help fund critical blood cancer support and research. If you would like to support this great cause you can donate here.

FREE PARENT WEBINAR

• Live Parent Webinar: How You Can Make Technology an Ally (& Not the Enemy!)

Wednesday 12th March 6:30-7:30pm (AEDT)

Elevate Education will be hosting their next parent webinar on technology and focus on March 12th.
Elevate works with our students, delivering high-impact workshops on study skills, motivation, wellbeing, and exam preparation. By tuning into their webinar series, you’ll learn how you can help support your child at home by reinforcing the skills they’re learning at school.

Click here to register for free

REMINDER - EARLY DEPARTURE PROCEDURE

As indicated in our School Information Handbook, any parent/carer needing to sign their child out of school early is required to come to the office to sign them out and then collect their child from the classroom. If you are heading to an appointment, please allow enough time to do this.

Due to the demands within a busy school environment, it is not appropriate to ask our office staff to collect your child for you or to expect that an email to the teacher with little notice will be received in time.

If you would like your child to meet you at the office, you will be required to:

• write a note/email to the class teacher and school office (Junior School)
• write a note/email to the school office (Secondary School)

It will then be the student's responsibility to inform their teacher (at the required time) of their early departure prior to coming to the office to meet you.

Where possible, please avoid booking appointments during school hours to ensure your student is not missing out on valuable learning time.

Thank you for your understanding and support in this matter.

WELCOME BABY AZALEA

Congratulations to Mrs Anna Estherby and her husband, Jon, on the arrival of their baby girl Azalea Rose. Big sister Aria is overjoyed. Azalea was born on Saturday 8th March, weighing 3.2kg and 52cm long.
Please keep the Estherby family in your prayers as they settle into being a family of 4.

A MESSAGE FROM THE ALINTA UNIFORM SHOP

Please click here for a letter from the Alinta Unifrom Shop regarding cashless payment methods.

COMMUNITY PICNIC

We will be holding our Community Picnic during the Cross Country Carnival on Thursday 10th April (Week 11, Term 1).

For further details click here.

Information regarding the Carnivals will be sent to families via email.

NOTICE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Please click here for the collection notice for parents/guardians regarding student residential address and other information from the Australian Government Department of Education.

• Give thanks for our (2026 and beyond) Kindergarten, Year 5 and Year 7 Information Evening and for those families who connected with our school community.
• Give thanks for our Understanding Teenagers Seminar.
• Pray for peace over all our students sitting NAPLAN in Week 7.
• Pray for our school families who need healing and restoration.

Hello to all our wonderful parents and carers.

What a delight it has been throughout the past fortnight to see our students flourishing in their areas of interest and displaying excellence through their actions.

In Colossians 3:23, we read the following words:

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."

As we continue our journey of identifying the behaviours that are associated with our School Values, it is a blessing to see ‘Excellence’ displayed across our school campus.

As you would be aware, our C Block has been renovated and extended, adding several specialist Creative Arts spaces. Below are some images of our students preparing for the upcoming K-12 School Musical Aladdin JR.

It is such a blessing to witness students so passionately engaged in preparing their scenes and learning their lines, their eyes smiling with excitement as they express themselves through performance. The room comes alive with the energy of their creativity. As followers of Christ, these moments of artistic expression are a beautiful reminder of the gifts God has given to each of our students. They reflect our creative God. Well done creative arts staff and students.

Junior and Secondary School students had the opportunity to compete at the HCZS Swimming Carnivals recently. The dedication they pour into training and developing their skills is not just a pursuit of excellence for personal achievement, but an opportunity to bring God glory. The staff who accompanied these students were thrilled with the results in the pool, together with the way our students encouraged, supported and interacted with other competitors. Well done swimmers.

Some students display excellence simply by turning up and facing another day. It is certainly a privilege for me to walk alongside many families facing a season of challenge. We can bring glory to God by overcoming adversity and allowing His strength to work within us through faith. For those students who are working alongside support staff and striving to work towards their potential, trying new skills and embracing new strategies in the classroom and playground; well done learners.

And lastly, Proverbs 22:6 reminds us,

“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

My first thought when reading this verse is, ‘parenting is a tough gig!’

Thank you to all those families represented at the Parenting Seminar last week, for your engagement and rich conversations that followed. Chris Hudson, the presenter, reminded us of the importance of family, boundaries, clarity, consistency, responsibility, contribution, forgiveness (for children and parents), mobile phones, social media and gaming. He talked about raising children to be members of the family, not guests!

As seen on his Understanding Teenagers Website, Chris writes:

"Contemporary teenagers are navigating a world vastly different from that of their parents. With rapid technological advancements and evolving cultural norms, the adolescent experience has undergone a significant transformation. Despite these changes, my unwavering belief persists:"

"every teen needs at least one caring adult in their corner to thrive!"

"What struck me most during this time was the profound impact adults had on shaping teens’ lives."

The world in which we are raising our teenagers has changed – filled with new distractions, pressures, and influences. The challenges we face may be different, but the fundamental role of parents is not. Let’s work together, equipping our children to be responsible and responsive disciples of God, and do this in partnership with one another. Well done, parents.

To read more about the research shared, I encourage you to take a look at the Understanding Teenagers Website.

God bless,

We are beyond excited to announce that our brand-new, state-of-the-art School Gym is officially up and running! With high-quality treadmills, rowing machines, all-in-one trainers, free weights, resistance bands and so much more, this facility is fully equipped to support our students' health, fitness, and academic journeys.

In the past couple of weeks, students have completed an induction process covering a wide range of safety procedures and have already begun using the Gym in PDHPE lessons. This Gym will also play a pivotal role in our elective courses, including Physical Activity & Sport Studies, Sport Lifestyle & Recreation, and Health & Movement Science.

But it's not just about fitness – this gym is a hands-on learning space where students will explore training procedures, recovery techniques, biomechanics of movement, body systems, anatomy, and much more! It’s a wonderful opportunity for our students to achieve excellence both in the classroom and in their personal development.

We can’t wait to see the amazing experiences and learning opportunities this facility will provide for our students! Stay tuned for updates!

Mr David Thomas | PDHPE Learning Leader

JS SWIMMING CARNIVAL - HOUSE AND AGE CHAMPIONS

House Champion:

Congratulations to the following age champions for 2025:

HUNTER CHRISTIAN ZONE SCHOOLS (HCZS) SWIMMING CARNIVAL

On Friday 21st February, 29 Junior School students represented WCCS at the HCZS Swimming Carnival. The Carnival this year was held at The Forum Pool, Newcastle University. The students cheered on their fellow teammates all day. It was great to have family members in attendance, cheering on the competitors. Special thanks must go to Mrs Hoken, who helped out on the day, and also Mr Higgins for being a great team manager all day.

WCCS finished in 2nd place overall, which is a credit to our swimmers and the effort and training they put in all year round. Six students received medals, and many more progressed onto the CSSA Swimming Carnival (State level).

Congratulations to these students who participated on the day: Vincent B, Sebastian B, Ivy C, Eloise C, Jack C, Ava C, Harvey C, Brodie C, Caleah D, Zachary G, Hannah G, Myah J, Asher K, Ryder K, Matilda L, Dylan M, Leonardo M, Chloe P, Holly P, Cameron P, Ashton R, Zahlia T, Jack T, Addison T, Layla T, Lotus V, Alannah W, Phoenix W and Brielle Y.

Congratulations to the following Age Champions: Jack T (1st 8 Year Boys), Holly P (3rd 9 Year Girls), Addison T (1st 10 Year Girls), Alannah W (2nd 10 Year Girls), Harvey C (2nd 11 Year Boys) & Lotus V (2nd 12 Year Girls).

Along with the Age Champions, the following students qualified for the CSSA Swimming Carnival: Eloise C, Jack C, Brodie C, Myah J, Chloe P, Ashton R, Layla T, Thomas V and Brielle Y. That makes 15 students who qualified for CSSA, which is an outstanding achievement.

It was a wonderful day. All of the students should be proud of their efforts and the way they represented the school.

CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS SPORTS ASSOCIATION (CSSA) SWIMMING CARNIVAL

On Thursday 6th March, 15 students went to Sydney Olympic Aquatic Centre for the CSSA Swimming Carnival. All students participated amazingly and set some personal bests. At the end of the day, WCCS had six students qualify for the CIS (Combined Independent Schools) Swimming Carnival. This is a credit to the students and the hours of training they put in each week to make it to the CIS level.

In an incredible feat, Jack T was named Age Champion in the 8 Year Boys. Congratulations Jack.

Also, congratulations to the following students who will be representing CSSA at the CIS Swimming Carnival on Wednesday 26th March: Eloise C, Chloe P, Jack T, Addison T, Lotus V & Alannah W

Mr Dean Knibbs | Junior School Sport Coordinator

LAURENCE T - CIS BLUE AWARD

On Friday 28th February, Laurence T attended the Combined Independent Schools (CIS) Awards Evening. This prestigious annual event recognises athletes who have progressed through the school pathways and have gone on to represent CIS, NSW All Schools and at National level in their chosen sport.

Laurence was awarded a Blue Award with Honours for Football (Soccer). This was due to him representing NSW at the National Titles, being named Player of The Tournament and being named in the U16 Australian Schoolboys Team, all in 2024. After being named in the Australian Team, he had the opportunity to tour the UK and played against other countries, such as Scotland and Ireland, and some powerhouse clubs, such as Swansea and the Glasgow Rangers. He even had the honour of captaining his nation in the matches. Even more incredibly, the team was undefeated the whole tour, becoming the first team to achieve this feat for about 30 years.

This is an outstanding achievement and a first for WCCS for someone to make it that far through the school pathway. We are so proud of your success Laurence and can’t wait to see you play on the big stage in future.

Mr Dean Knibbs | Junior School Sport Coordinator

YEAR 11 GEOGRAPHY EXCURSION TO BANTRY BAY

As part of their Geography studies on Earth’s Natural Systems, Year 11 students recently enjoyed an enriching excursion to Bantry Bay, Frenchs Forest. This hands-on learning experience allowed students to explore the area’s unique Hawkesbury Sandstone geology and its impact on local ecosystems.

Throughout the day, students examined how the sandstone formations influence plant life across the gullies and ridges while taking in the beautiful views of the bay and Sydney’s skyline. The bushland provided a perfect setting for studying native fauna and flora diversity. Additionally, students investigated local creeks, gaining valuable insights into the effects of suburban development on natural water systems.

The excursion was a fantastic opportunity for students to connect classroom learning with real-world environmental processes, deepening their understanding of the natural world and human impacts on the landscape.

Mr Jonathan Eloff | HSIE Learning Leader

YEAR 10 HISTORY
Year 10 recently had the pleasure of having Brett Hunt visit and give a theatre performance on his experiences of growing up with his father, who had been in the Vietnam War.
Brett shared how his mother, Connie and his father, Frank met and how his father was impacted by a landmine, made famous in the song ‘I Was Only 19’.
The students were moved by his story and performance, which gave them great insight into the experiences of soldiers in the Vietnam War, which forms part of their unit of study.
We are very thankful for Brett’s visit and look forward to him returning next year.

REMINDER: ANZAC DAY 2025

In Week 1, Term 2 we will be holding a combined K-12 ANZAC Day Ceremony. During the ceremony, we would like to commemorate and pay respect to the family members within the WCCS community who have served in past wars.

During the laying of the wreath ceremony, we are going to give students the opportunity to lay some flowers where we lay our wreath during the ceremony. Students can bring some flowers on the day and when the wreath is being laid, they can come up and place flowers down also as a sign of respect. If your child is interested in doing this, please email me and let me know.

We are also making photo montages in the hope that students make deeper connections and understand why we reflect on and remember ANZAC Day. This year, we are encouraging students from both Junior and Secondary Schools as well as staff 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 that you would like to include in the montage, please email a photo with the following details to the email address listed below.

Name of relative: Name or names of the relatives who served in a war

Family relation to you: E.g. Great grandfather of...

War/s they served in:

Their role: E.g. a soldier, nurse, navy, pilot, peacekeeping mission, etc.

Inquiries or pictures can be submitted to Mrs Linda Makepeace.

REMINDER: HISTORY COMPETITION 2025

Each year, the HSIE department signs students up to compete in the National History Competition which we run at our school. Last year we had students participate and achieve some outstanding examination results. We are looking for students who are interested in signing up for this examination. This is a great way for students to extend and test themselves without feeling the pressure of an official Assessment Task. It also gives them great practice for their formal History Assessment Tasks as multiple choice questions make up a component of their Half Yearly Examination questions. The History Competition is open to students in Years 7-10.

If students are interested, please email me their name and year group. Also, if you have any further questions then please feel free to contact me.

Mrs Linda Makepeace | HSIE Teacher

YEAR 10 MARINE & AQUACULTURE TECHNOLOGY

The Year 10 Marine Studies students recently took on the challenge of setting up Careers Expo stalls as part of their first Assessment Task to showcase volunteer organisations that help protect the marine environment. They put together creative displays and presentations to highlight the important work these groups do, from marine conservation to research and community outreach. It was a great way for students to explore real-world opportunities in marine protection and think about how they could get involved in the future.

Mr Bradley Robson | Science Teacher

During Term 1 we will be introducing you to our Year 12 Student Leadership Team in our Newsletter. This fortnight we are introducing Cooper and Isabelle.