Waratah Weekly - Term 3, Edition 9 - Friday, 17 September 2021

Message from the Headmaster

It is beautiful to wander the College grounds especially during Spring and to see God's creation in action with the gardens looking so spectacular. We are blessed to have such a beautiful Campus to be able to enjoy. I wish to recognise our Property Staff who keep our grounds so well maintained. 
I especially wish to mention and thank our Property Manager, Mr Fred Schroder who has announced that he will be retiring from his position at the College as Property Manager at the end of this year. Mr Schroder has been employed at WAC since the end of 2003 and is a Foundation staff member. 

In 2003 the property had an old farmhouse and a railway carriage. Over the years Fred has been involved with the planning and building of every one of our buildings and been instrumental in the development of the College grounds. He has volunteered his Saturdays for the Working Bees and has played a significant role  in each of our Country Fairs.
As the College has grown, Fred's role has expanded to managing bushfire protection, security, traffic control, the College buses, liaising with contractors and leading the property team.  His sense of humour, optimism and faith in God has been infectious.

He has been a great blessing to us all and a very faithful worker and he will be greatly missed by us all. As this place has been such a big part of his life, I am sure we will continue to see him from time to time.

We would also like to announce that after interviewing some great candidates, we would like to congratulate Mr Daniel Warland on being successful for the position of the new Property Manager when Mr Schroder retires.

Mr Trevor Norman
College Headmaster

From the Deputy's Desk

Building Resilience During COVID

The pandemic continues to bring worry and anxiety to children and young people. Resilience can help kids get through these difficult times, but it is not something they are born with. Resilience is built up over time as kids interact with the environment and each other. Emerging relatively unscathed from a setback or hardship can boost future resilience. On the other hand, if experiences are too overwhelming or stressful, kids can be traumatised, making it difficult to respond with future hardships with resilience.

The Harvard University Centre for the Developing Child depicts resilience as ‘a see-saw' or 'balance scale', where negative experiences tip the scale toward bad outcomes, and positive experiences tip it toward good outcomes. The point where the scale balances is called the “fulcrum,” and if it is more to one side or the other, it can make it harder or easier to tip the resilience scale to the positive.’ Everyone’s fulcrum is in a different spot - which explains why hardships impact on people so differently.

Reduce the impact of COVID by reducing stress

During the pandemic there has been a constant build-up of stress and disappointment for many kids. Remote learning, postponement or cancellation of highly anticipated events such as graduations and formals, limited access to community activities and extra-curricular activities are just some of the negative outcomes that kids have experienced.

Most of these stressors are out of parents’ control however any efforts to lighten the load on kids and tip the balance to a more positive side will help build resilience. Reducing sources of stress on kids include:

• facilitating visits to recreation areas for play and contact with friends
• ensuring academic expectations are realistic and reflect the circumstances of each child
• alleviating unnecessary family conflict such as temporarily loosening digital limits

Build up positive outcomes through supportive relationships

The presence of healthy supportive adult relationships with children and teenagers is a recognised contributor to resilience. Harvard University state, “The one thing that most children who develop resilience have in common is a stable, committed relationship with a supportive parent, caregiver, or other adult. Adults need those supportive relationships, too!”

Parents can build more positive outcomes for kids by strengthening the connections they have with friends, family and members of the community. Relationship-building activities can include:

• increasing family connections through shared mealtimes and enjoyable family activities
• positive one-on-one activities between parents and kids
• encouraging regular digital or face-to-face connection with friends
• maintaining contact with extended family

Strengthening core skills and coping capacities

Children and adults need a set of core skills to manage their daily lives. These skills include planning, ability to focus, self-control, self-awareness and adaptability. When children and young people are under extreme stress it’s difficult to apply these core skills so the ability to manage even simple tasks can be compromised.

Parents can strengthen these skills in children and young people by:

• building daily organisational skills at age-appropriate levels including the use of schedules, timetables and other visual organisers
• encouraging children to relax and enjoy regular downtime
• developing anxiety-management tools such as deep breathing and mindfulness
• embedding wellbeing strategies of relaxation, exercise and play into family life

Building resilience in children and young people during the current pandemic is a continuous task for families. Resilience is best promoted by relieving stressors on kids, ensuring they experience a variety of supporting relationships with adults and other children, and building core executive functioning skills so that they can successfully manage their daily lives during these times of change.

Michael Grose (parentingideas.com.au)

Staff PD Day Changes

Parents should have received an email regarding the reasons for these changes and the details.

Please note new dates for the Staff PD Days (changed from 11 and 12 November):

1. Friday, 17 September - (last day of Term 3). The College will be closed (no classes running).
2. Friday, 22 October - just before the staggered return of students to the College.

Timetable Changes - Secondary Students Term 4

Due to some staffing changes there will be some timetable changes for secondary students in Term 4. Students will need to check their timetable during the holidays. This will impact on lesson times.

Mr Ian Croger
Deputy Headmaster

Teaching and Learning 7-12

Congratulations all!

While this Term has been anything but a normal one, I am constantly amazed at the adaptability of both the teachers and students through this challenging time. A great deal has been achieved through Zoom, Canvas and other means. I often talk about the key to success is diligence and sustained effort, that is, do your best and do that consistently. So many of you have shown great perseverance and for that I would like to say well done! Enjoy the well earned break, look out for one another and recharge those batteries as we all look forward to face-to-face teaching resuming late next Term.

Year 12 2022  Resources Collection Week 1 Term 4

The Library staff are busy preparing textbooks and other resources for distribution to our in-coming Year 12 students. Our current Year 11 students will begin their HSC courses Term 4.

Student resources will be available for collection from the Warne Auditorium on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of Week 1 Term 4. Staff will provide a drive through service between 2.30 pm - 4.00 pm on each of those days. If you live in the Southern Highlands and would prefer for the resources to be delivered to the College collection point in Bowral, please email Mrs Colombo j.colombo@wac.nsw.edu.au to arrange this.

Students are also encouraged to return their Year 11 textbooks at the time they collect their Year 12 resources.

Mr Paul Burns
Director of Teaching and Learning 7-12 

Primary News

Learning Packs and Home Readers T-6

Primary teachers are preparing new learning packs ready for parents to pick up in Week 1 of Term 4. These packs will include Home Readers for Years K-2. They will also include, work booklets that will supplement online learning in Term 4. They can be picked up from the College Auditorium from 6-8 October between the hours of 9.00 am -10.00 am and 2.00 pm – 3.30 pm. Parents who would like to pick up from St Jude's in Bowral will need to email Mrs Justine Colombo: j.colombo@wac.nsw.edu.au so times can be arranged. 

Returning Home Readers – next week
It would be very helpful if parents in Years K-2 could return Home Readers that they currently have. A returns box will be set up near Student Reception for parents to drive through and drop them in. 

When picking up your learning packs in Week 1 next Term, could parents please return materials previously distributed.

Ms Jacqui Huxtable
Director of Teaching and Learning T-6

Pastoral Matters T-12

Family Chapel

The current restrictions have not allowed for us to meet on-site as a College Community to have our Term 3 Family Chapel. As a result the College is releasing a link to a video that is a message to the College Community and has a focus on our Year 12 students. The Term 3 Family Chapel has traditionally been focused on farewelling Year 12 and normally involves considerable involvement from them in the Chapel. Family Chapel always provides the community with a great opportunity to hear God's word and build Christian Community.

Mr Liam Toland
Director of Pastoral Care T-12

News from our Education Psychologist

How to make the most of your break time

As we are coming to the end of Term, students (and some parents) will have a chance to take a break and re-energise over the College holidays.

Unfortunately, these holidays will be similar to the previous holidays, with many people across the State spending the holidays in lockdown. This may limit what you can do in the holidays, but it will still be a good chance to take a break from your regular routine and relax a bit, even if you do have to stay close to home.

There are a number of ways you can take advantage of the College holidays during lockdown:

Keep your brain active

It might be tempting to spend a lot of time in front of the TV, trying to relax. Keeping your brain active, however, might be helpful as well. It could be as simple as learning a new recipe, or learning new information by watching something informative like a documentary.

Stay connected

This is especially important for children who have been able to connect with their classmates and friends online. There won’t be any opportunities to see each other in person during the holidays, so ensuring they still stay connected to their friends online (either through video or text) will help their sense of wellbeing.

Take notice

A lot of people feel like they’re on the edge of a downward spiral at the moment, and are just keeping it together until the end of term. It might be helpful to keep an eye on each other and keep a lookout for any signs that someone is struggling.

Even if you are not lucky enough to have time off during the College holidays, it may be a good time to assess your work habits and see what areas are you struggling in. One of the areas a lot of people have difficulties with is the art of taking breaks throughout the day. Research shows that not all breaks are created equally, and there are even things you can do while taking a break from work that can be detrimental to your productivity. Good breaks can reduce mental fatigue, boost brain function, and help us to keep on task when we go back to work. Bad breaks, on the other hand, can be counterproductive, leading to us feeling more bored, and therefore making us want to take more breaks.

One of the culprits of a bad break in your day is your phone. With so many people working from home, we are spending more time on our screens than even before. It is odd, then, that we work on a larger screen like a laptop, and then look at a smaller screen, like our phones, when taking a break. Research has shown that this is not helpful for us, and can even train us to want to look at our phones more often. This is because we get fast rewards from looking at our screen, and when we are feeling bored in the future, our brains will tell us to seek that quick reward again, making us more likely to reach for our phones.

Luckily, there are a number of things we can do instead during break time that will help us be more productive:

Spend time in nature

This may be difficult during lockdown, but research shows that getting out into nature is great for your productivity. Even spending five minutes sitting on the grass in your backyard may be helpful.

Exercise your eyes

Our eyes have been under a lot of extra strain recently, with many things we would normally do in person happening over Zoom. Taking “20-20 eye breaks” can help reduce the strain. Every 20 minutes, stare at something far away (eg across the room or out the window) for 20 seconds.

Laughter is associated with a number of benefits, from increased heart rate, to increased short-term memory. Even forced laughter has been found to be beneficial, which means that even dad jokes can help us with our productivity. If you need some good jokes to use, here’s one: What’s orange and sounds like a parrot? A carrot.

Mr Mitchell Barnes
Educational Psychologist

Secondary Tournament of Minds 2021

On Friday, 27 August, three Tournament of Minds teams from Years 7-10 submitted their short films to the Sydney South-West region. The Challenges stretched all teams (one STEM, one Language-Literature and one Arts) this year and all teams did the College proud, especially given the conditions where no students could meet in person.

The STEM team of Matilda Contre (7), Blake Dalrymple (7), Nathan Jones (7), Harrison Luhr (7), Maddelyn Phillips (9), Alec Bennett (9), and Shaun Parasher (10) explored how four different objects could be sent from Earth and be part of a code to deliver a message.

The Language-Literature team of Grace Donaghey (7), Dali Martin (7), Megan Gilbert (7), Hollie Byrnes (8), Amalie Borthwick (9), Shelby Luppino (9) and Caleb Boardman (9) needed to find an old classic and reboot it as a new production.

The Arts team of Gemma Hoare (7), Jordan Denford (7), Eden Taylor (7),  Ashton Jones (7), Charlotte Fisher (9) and Audrey Darby (9) explored how techniques could be used to teach about different periods of the arts without needing to use technology, producing an animation to highlight these techniques. All three teams produced high quality solutions.

Congratulations to the Arts team, which was awarded 1st Place in the Regional finals!! We wish them well for the State finals this Sunday.

They each produced a 10-minute video solution. Not sure if they could be used for promotional purposes:

STEM

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JvzoOMtYRaj_1VtbmWExQGNR35jP-y0Z/view?usp=sharing

Language-Literature

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EI7AAy7y4JZTWxtOOIMczdwFl7VLSySB/view?usp=sharing

The Arts (Winners at Regional)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eTQo9fZ73KFlcyI4CK-1cISTOvYUlEqQ/view?usp=sharing

Dr Andrew Eaton
Science Coordinator 

Secondary Sport

Term 4 Sport Update

Given the return to Off-Campus Learning at the start of next Term and following the Government Health Advice all Term 4 MISA, NASSA and several pathway competitions (CIS/All Schools) have been cancelled. For details on specific AICES, CIS and All Schools Events please check the relevant websites for possible alternate dates or cancellations. 

Lockdown KM Challenge

Each week this Term we have been running the Lockdown KM Challenge. It has encouraged individuals and families to get out and active by either walking, running or riding. At the time of writing the Secondary students have accumulated a massive 6136km’s! Thank you to everyone who has engaged in this opportunity.

Each student, parent or staff member who participated earnt a House point which has been tallied up alongside the Performance and Wellbeing Challenge points. The overall winner will be announced at the Talent Quest on Thursday afternoon. 

Fun Friday Family Challenges

The Friday Challenges have continued this Term and it has been great to see students filming their best (and worst) attempts at each of these. These have been a great screen break for students during Off-Campus learning and have provided some fun challenges and competitions between family members. 

Running for a good cause

Despite all the limitations we are facing at the moment it is great to see Year 11 student Jayde Gitto still finding time to be active whilst also raising money for a valuable cause. Jayde is completing the RSPCA Rescue Run which will see her aim to run a minimum 67km between the 18-31 October. You can access her page below for more information. https://www.rspcarescuerun.org.au/fundraisers/jaydegitto

Mr Mark Goldsbrough
Secondary Sport Coordinator 

Employment Opportunites

College Photos

Thank you for your patience as we awaited the delivery of the College Photo Day Prints. Please be advised that the prints will be distributed to students during Roll Call once students return to Campus in Term 4.

Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 12 will have their photos distributed from Week 4, Years 2, 6 & 11 from Week 5, and the remainder of the College from Week 6. 

Mr Alex Hitchins
Development Manager

P&F 2021 WAC Golf Day - CANCELLED

Attention Golfers and High Tea Attendees

Unfortunately, due to the current restrictions with running events, we are cancelling the 2021 Wollondilly Anglican College Golf Day which was meant to be on Wednesday, 27 October 2021.

A new date will be advertised once confirmed.

Mr Bill Norman 
P&F President

Mrs Rhonda Hay
Headmaster's Personal Assistant 

Enrolment News

Students Leaving at the End of 2021

If your child will not be attending the College in 2022, please give written notice by the end of Term 3 so that your bond may be returned and to avoid Term 1, 2022 fees and charges, as agreed in the Terms and Conditions of Enrolment.
Should you have any further general queries, please do not hesitate to contact me on 4684 2722 or at k.biddle@wac.nsw.edu.au.

Year 7 2023 Sibling Applications

The Headmaster will begin reviewing places for Year 7 2023 siblings in the upcoming holidays. If your child is in this cohort, please send in their application ASAP to avoid disappointment. If your child is already enrolled at the College, they do not need to apply.

Application For Enrolment

Applications continue to pour in for 2022 and beyond, across all Year Groups, but especially our entry years of Transition, Kindergarten, Year 5, Year 7 and Year 11.

All current College families looking to enrol siblings for the coming years are encouraged to do so without delay to avoid disappointment. 

Enrolment packs are available from the College Office or from the College website www.wac.nsw.edu.au

Mrs Kristy Biddle
Enrolments Officer
Ph: 4684 2722

Church Services

Staying connected in the Wollondilly Shire

During this time, it is important that we stay connected as a community. Due to the restrictions in the Wollondilly Shire, this cannot happen face-to-face. However, many churches in our local area still gather together online. For those within our community who have a faith, can I encourage you to keep meeting as a community of believers as it says in Hebrews 10:24-25 “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

To those in the College community, we encourage you to consider attending a Church Service or Bible Study Group online. In these difficult times, you may be feeling isolated, burdened and even fearful. Because of this, we encourage you, even more, to connect to your local Church, to explore Christianity, to seek the peace and relief that Jesus can give you. It says in Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” There is no better time to seek and to come into relationship with Jesus than now. Below are some local Churches in the Wollondilly Shire and surrounds with their services and programs and contact information for any enquiries. 

Wollondilly Anglican Church
Currently posting pre-recorded messages and services on their YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1LQDtFMRt1RFZQ8KhRC2kA  
If you are interested in attending a Bible Study, or Youth Group and connecting with the community this way, please visit these links for more information
https://wollondillyanglican.org/grown-ups/  
https://wollondillyanglican.org/youth-ministries/  
We also encourage you to check out their website to stay updated with any new information https://wollondillyanglican.org/
Contact them about any enquiries at
https://wollondillyanglican.org/contact/

C3 Picton and Camden
Live-streaming their services on their YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV-SaFqz0okwO85XQE01CKw.
If you would like to find out more information about C3 connect groups, please visit these links:
https://www.c3picton.church/groups
If you would like to know more information about C3 and keep updated please visit their website:
https://www.c3picton.church/
Facebook page:
https://m.facebook.com/C3Picton/
Contact them at:
https://www.c3picton.church/contact

Campbelltown Christian Community Church (C4) 
Currently streaming their services on their YouTube channel:

Wollondilly Presbyterian Church
Currently streaming their services on their YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClGGkiM_xP5rCdViW3uo6Xw/featured
They are also holding Church Zoom Calls at 9.15 am on Sundays, if you are interested in connecting to the community in this way, please visit their Facebook page for the links as well as updates, information and to contact about any enquiries.
https://www.facebook.com/WollondillyPC/

Tahmoor Baptist Church
Gathering via Zoom on Sunday mornings, please visit their page for the Zoom link, as well as resources, other services, and updates.
https://www.tahmoorbaptistchurch.org/
If you are interested in attending a Bible Study, or Youth Group and connecting with the community this way, please visit this link for more information
https://www.tahmoorbaptistchurch.org/activities.html

Picton and Wilton Anglican Church
Currently streaming their services on their YouTube channel at 9.30 am on Sunday mornings.
https://www.youtube.com/c/PWAChurches/videos
I also encourage you to visit their website
https://pwac.org.au/
To stay updated with information or to contact them about gathering groups and for any general enquiries, please click on the link below:
https://pwac.org.au/contact/

Most importantly, we encourage all to meet with God directly and personally through daily reading of The Bible and prayer. This is the best way to get to know who God is and further trust in him during this time. If you don’t have a Bible or don't know where to start, we encourage you to download “You Version” on your device, this is a great resource to assist you in your journey and relationship with God.

Staying connected in the Southern Highlands area.

Highlands Christian Church: 
Online Service:
https://www.facebook.com/highlands.au/videos/highlands-church-online-experience/930979114318498/
Website:
https://www.highlandschristianchurch.org.au/

Highlands Baptist Church
Website:
http://www.highlandsbaptistchurch.org.au/

St Judes (Bowral Anglican)
Website:
https://bowralanglican.org.au/
Online Service:
https://bowralanglican.org.au/online/

Mittagong Anglican
Website:
https://www.mittang.com.au/
Sermon Archive:
https://www.mittang.com.au/sermons/

C3 
Website:
https://c3destinychurch.com/
Livestream/Video Archive:
https://c3destinychurch.com/sunday-live-stream/

Bowral Baptist
Website:
https://bowralbaptistchurch.net/wordpress/
Video Archive:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCED4wlEz42j6thR9-OsVn4A

Christian Leadership Prefects
Nerida Seidel and Ethan Schultz 

Community

WAC Kids Care

From time to time, families undergo trauma such as severe or terminal illness. There are short term support structures in place at the College to assist families during these times.

We have a collection of beautifully prepared meals that are ready for distribution for any families in need.

The WAC Kids Care Program offers support to families in the way of meals. Please contact Mrs Hay or Mrs Rockwell at the College. Confidentiality will be respected. If you know of anyone who may need meals at this time, please contact the College office.

• One of our parents will be participating in a fundraiser for JDRF, raising funds for diabetes research and support. Nikki will be walking 100km during the month of October. If you wish to support this cause, please click on the link below. https://walk.jdrf.org.au/fundraisers/nikkifoley

Pretend Headmaster