Waratah Weekly - Term 2, Edition 8

Message from the Headmaster

Our staff at Wollondilly Anglican College are known for many things, and something that stands out to me is the Pastoral Care they provide to our students. I am encouraged when I hear about how our staff are supporting the young people in their care. Whether it is checking in on a student to make sure they are feeling connected, or following up on someone who was having a tough time the previous week. Parents regularly comment that they love the teachers here and their son/daughter feels very cared for. This level of care extends beyond students as well. Our staff genuinely care about and support one another through the challenges of work, family and life in general. We all have our ups and downs and we are so thankful to be surrounded by such a group of passionate and caring people. We are thankful also for the opportunity to demonstrate this care for our colleagues, our students and our College family.

1 John 4:19 “We love because he first loved us.”

Mr Trevor Norman
College Headmaster

Acting Deputy Headmaster

Foundation Day

On Friday, 11 June the College will celebrate Foundation Day. The focus of Foundation Day is to raise money that is donated to a range of Missions supported by the College. The following is important information about the day:

• All students are to wear College Sports Tracksuit and House Shirts to the College on Foundation Day.
• Students are asked to make a $5.00 donation or $10.00 per family to support various Missions.
• Money will be collected during Roll Call time on Wednesday, 9 June, Thursday, 10 June and Friday, 11 June.
• The House group that raises the most money will be recognised as the Mission Fundraising Champion 2021.
  

We usually run the Foundation Day relays but due to the weather conditions this component has been postponed to a date to be confirmed.

Below are some links to the chosen Missions supported by the College in 2021:

Years T-4 Samaritan's Purse 
https://samaritanspurse.org.au/

Years 5-8 African Aids Foundation
https://africanaidsfoundation.org.au/

Years 9-12 Hope Street Mission
https://hopestreet.org.au/

Thank you for your generosity towards this fundraising event.

Mr Liam Toland
Acting Deputy Headmaster 

Teaching and Learning 7-12

Year 8 into Year 9 Elective Information Session

7.00 pm Tuesday, 15 June 2021

The Year 8 into Year 9 Elective Information Evening will be held in the Warne Auditorium on Tuesday, 15 June commencing at 7.00 pm. This is an important time in which Parents and Students will hear from staff about the elective options and the process for making these selections. It is also a wonderful opportunity for families of Year 8 students to be able to connect with one another. Students are expected to be in attendance with at least one Parent in their College uniform. Students will also be involved in seminars during College hours to assist them in making choices.

Year 10 into Year 11 Web choice Subject Selections

Year 10 students are reminded to make their web choices by Tuesday, 15 June. Each student has received an email outlining this process along with their individual web code. Once the choice is made, please print the receipt, have parents sign this and then return it to Student Reception.

Smartwatches at the College 

The speed at which technology advances can prove challenging for schools. As part of providing a safe and supportive learning environment for students, we have prohibited the use of mobile phones while students are on College grounds. This has certainly been a positive experience and many schools that have had a relaxed policy regarding mobile phone use have taken steps to tighten this in recent years.

A challenge we are currently facing is the use of smartwatches during lessons and at lunchtime. In most cases, students would require these to be connected to a mobile phone to operate which would be in breach of the College mobile phone policy. Students are reminded that if they have a smartwatch it should not be used for the purpose of playing games, receiving notifications or communicating with other students or parents. The use of these (other than for checking the time) will result in an ICT infringement.

Parents/carers are asked to support the College by considering whether it is necessary for students to be wearing smartwatches while at the College. 

Mr Paul Burns
Director of Teaching and Learning 7-12

Performing Arts News T-12

MISA Dance Festival

Next Tuesday, 15 June 2021, we have our Dance Company and Stunt Group students performing at the MISA Dance Festival at Campbelltown Catholic Club. Students will meet at the College at 7.50 am and return by approximately 3.30 pm. They must arrive in full College Sports Uniform with all hair and makeup complete before boarding the bus and will take their costumes and props with them. 

Students will be performing a 7 minute dance routine in the first session of School and College Performances and the performanance is expected to be around 10.45 am. We would love to have family members of our students performing come and support us at the event. There is a limit of two attendees per student involved in the routine. All attendees must check into the venue via QR code and stay to watch their child’s item only. There will be reserved seating at the front near the stage for parent/carer attendance. 

Any further questions please email k.valente@wac.nsw.edu.au

College Strings Performance 

On Monday night, our College Strings Ensemble performed at the Picton Rotary Changeover Dinner. The quality of their performance was a testament to their ongoing dedication to rehearsals. Congratulations to all who performed and represented the College at this event.

Individual Performance

Cara King who is in Year 8 at the College is a talented singer/songwriter. On Monday night, she performed an item at the Picton Rotary Changeover Dinner. Cara played a selection of cover songs and songs she has composed herself. Her remarkable talent impressed the audience. 

Get Involved in the Performing Arts!

 "Students who are involved in the arts have higher school motivation, engagement in class, self-esteem, and life satisfaction."

The Role of Arts Participation in Students' Academic and Non-Academic Outcomes: A Longitudinal Study of School, Home and Community Factors

The benefits of involvement in co-curricular activities, and in particular in the Arts are significant. We would love parents to encourage their children to get involved with one of our many ensembles and special interest groups. 

Photography Club

Our Photography Club has been having fun with the various weekly challenges set by Mrs Taylor.
This week the Club experimented with depth of field using water droplets and lollies as subject matter.

Mrs Sarah Talbot
Performing Arts Coordinator T-12

Pastoral Matters - Educational Psychologist

Helping Children Manage Social Media Anxiety

Teenagers are using social media more than almost anyone else. Studies have shown that 91% of teenagers aged 15-19 years have a social media presence of some kind. For some, this means checking apps like Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok hundreds of times a day. This has increased in the past year as more people have been drawn to social media to connect with not only their friends but their families as well as we go in and out of lockdowns. While many teens are able to find positives in connecting with others through social media, it can also affect their mental health. The hard part for teenagers and their parents is finding the balance of having a healthy relationship with social media, and the possible negative impacts that it may have. 

Simply being present and aware of what your kids are doing on social media can be helpful. This can help to facilitate conversations about a range of different difficulties that they will encounter, including online safety, advertising, fear of missing out (FOMO), and comparing ourselves to others, especially when those we are comparing ourselves to, are artificial to an extent. This may also help you figure out patterns of behaviour that are emerging. For example, if you realise that your child is always feeling negative after being on their phone for an extended period of time, you could talk to them about what you’ve noticed and how you can help them change.

Many parents have noticed behavioural changes once their child has become more immersed in social media. One common change is that a normally outgoing, personable child becomes withdrawn and quiet as their social media use increases. While research that links social media and smartphone use to poor mental health in children and teenagers is limited, the correlation is strong enough to suggest that parents should be careful with how they approach social media.

There are some other practical things you can do to help your children manage their anxiety:

• Listen to them. For some of us, we struggle to see the importance of social media. However, for many children, social media and social life are almost inseparable. Making sure that you don’t minimise the importance they place on social media will help teenagers be more open with you about how they use it. 
• Encourage them to maximise other areas of their lives. While social media can chip away at a child’s self-esteem, the best way to build them up is to help them explore what makes them unique and valuable. Encouraging them to engage in activities that don’t use social media, like sports, music, or even volunteer work, will help them feel better about themselves and counteract some anxiety they may be feeling.
• Set limits on what, when, and how much they use social media. While listening and validating is vital, setting limits on social media use can be healthy as well. This can be done collaboratively with teenagers, as they will usually be able to identify if they are using social media too much, as well as the types of social media they find most harmful. A good place to start is by getting everyone to turn their phones off an hour before bedtime. This will help everyone wind down before bed and will have a good impact on the quality of your sleep as well.

For more information about how you can ensure your child is using social media in a healthy way, as well as tips for using other types of media in a healthy way, visit www.commonsensemedia.org.

Mr Mitchell Barnes
Educational Psychologist

College Working Bee Report

Last Saturday, 5 June, a number of students, parents and staff came to the Working Bee at the College. The weather was cold in the morning but beautiful mid-morning onwards.

The jobs completed were:

• Rubbish around the College was picked up by students
• Lots of autumn leaves were removed from gardens and sucked up by our new petrol-powered leaf vacuum
• The gardens around the BBQ area and behind Cook were weeded and had lots of mulch added
• Books were covered in the Deakin 3 classroom for our Libraries.

We had morning tea together and some of our P&F volunteers cooked our sausage sizzle lunch.

Thank you to all those who attended and our next Working Bee is planned for Saturday, 28 August to tidy up the College ready for the Country Fair on Saturday, 11 September. Please put these dates into your diary and come to join us.

Thanks again for your support

Mr Fred Schroder
Property Manager

TAS News

Year 10 Textiles Technology

During Term 1, students completed their ‘Little Looms Task’. This task involved students researching different types of fabric structures as well as different kinds of fibre types. Students were then asked to find a source of inspiration (an image, colour, texture etc) to design and make a textile art piece using a loom and a variety of weaving techniques.

This Term, students complete a unit called ‘Reduce, Recycle, Reuse’.
In this unit, students take a simple white t-shirt, and they must repurpose it. They look to cut, stitch, weave and embellish their existing item to create a new textile. They also take an old pair of jeans and remake them into a bag.

We look forward to seeing the students' creations.

Mrs Kelly Evans
TAS Coordinator

Earth and Environmental Science Waste Management Excursion

As part of their studies, Earth and Environmental students learn about sustainability and investigate ways that human activities affect the availability of resources. One aspect that is investigated is the sustainability of waste disposal processes. To give them a first hand understanding of how our waste
is managed students completed a tour of the Spring Farm Resource Recovery Park.

Students had a great time learning about how waste is recycled and the negative impacts of incorrectly sorting rubbish into yellow bins. They also learnt about how landfills are constructed and managed and how organic materials are composted and turned into soil products. It was certainly an eye opener for students to see how poorly many people recycle materials and how important it is for everyone to do their part to improve the sustainability of our waste management by recycling as much of our waste as possible.

It was great to see students learning how to improve the sustainability of our waste management and also understanding how important it is for all of us to do our part to use the resources we have carefully.

Mr Wayne Baulch
Secondary Teacher

Year 11 PDHPE First Aid

On Thursday, 10 June, Year 11 PDHPE  completed their formal First Aid Certificate at the College. Students undertook some prior online learning and then engaged in the one day course, which included both a theoretical and practical assessment. Mr Burns, their teacher, also completed the course alongside the students.
It was a very worthwhile day that will prove valuable for the class when they commence their course option of first aid.

Mr Joshua Hewitt
PDHPE Coordinator

Makerspace

In the Makerspace this Term, students have been building the tallest tower possible out of just 50 paddle pop sticks and glue. Congratulations to Joshua Belanszky, Byron Henderson and Dylan Jones who built a tower that incredibly stood 2.3m tall.
Well done boys what a great engineering achievement.

For the rest of the Term in the Makerspace, there will be a competition to build a hydraulic arm that will be able to pick up and move a soft drink can. This will be a great challenge and will be occurring the second half of lunch on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. To join this challenge, students need to come along to the Makerspace (Sturt Library) at the second half of lunch.

Over the course of the rest of the year, the Makerspace will continue to hold various competitions and at the end of the year, those students who have been the most successful in all the challenges will have the opportunity to join a STEM excursion. These activities are a great opportunity for students to develop their design, creativity and problem solving skills. 

I am looking to seeing the many fantastic creations that will be built over the rest of the year.

Mr Wayne Baulch
Secondary Learning Innovations Coordinator

Secondary Sport

NASSA Athletics Championships - 3rd place overall

On Friday, 4 June, we had over 100 students representing the College at the NASSA Athletics Championships. It was a fantastic day with some amazing achievements. As a College, we placed 3rd on the overall point score, just 7 points shy of 2nd place and 50 points off 1st. This was a fantastic achievement in a tight race for 1st, with the 50 point deficit being the equivalent to just four races! 

On an individual level, we had two students named Age Champion - Rebecca Mills and Hophnie Noblett. We also had two students break NASSA records - Ben Napier in the 1500m and PJ French in Discus.

Overall, we have 30 students, including two relay teams, who have qualified for AICES Athletics on Wednesday, 1 September 2021. This is one of our largest teams yet and we look forward to more success at AICES.

MISA Champions

Congratulations to the Year 7-9 Girls' Basketball team who were crowned MISA West Champions after their 3 point win over Macarthur Anglican on Tuesday. The Girls' team have remained undefeated all season and, despite trailing at halftime, were able to finish the match strongly. The Girls' team will now contest the Interzone Championships on Tuesday, 15 June 2021. Well done to all the girls and their coach, Mrs Hitchins.

MISA Results

In all outdoor MISA sports, our teams replayed Round 2 after games were cancelled earlier this Term. The Boys' Softball side, under the guidance of Mrs Rockwell, put together a fine performance in their 10-1 victory over Broughton Anglican College. The Boys' Soccer side also finished the regular season strong with a 2-0 win. Despite their first loss of the season last week the 7-9 Ultimate Frisbee team were back in fine form. A stand-out performance from both Hayden Brown and Ayva Robinson secured a comfortable 18-4 win. 

The Boys' Hockey side faced Broughton Anglican College for the second time this season. After a draw in their first match, the opposition came out firing. Despite some great saves from Jacob Birta and excellent running from Toby Jobson, it was a 0-2 loss this week. The Girls' Soccer and Netball sides both suffered defeats this week to round out the season in 4th place. 

Mr Mark Goldsbrough 
Secondary Sports Coordinator 

Primary Sport

IPSSO

The Junior Boys' Soccer team defeated MACC in a 4-0 victory.
The Senior Boys' team arrived at a hard fought 2-2 draw.
The Newcombeball and Volleyball teams both tasted the sweet fruits of victory with WAC winning 2-0 in the Juniors and 2-1 in the Seniors.

Both AFL sides found victory this round. The Juniors were triumphant in a high scoring victory of 25-19. The Seniors again victorious, winning 57-14. 
A harder day was had for our Netball teams. The Juniors going down 18-0 and Seniors suffering the narrowest of defeats in a 15-16 nail biter.
Next week’s game is away against St Gregory's College.

Primary Athletics Carnival - Years 3-6

The Primary Athletics Carnival - Years 3-6 will be held at the College on Friday, 18 June. The first event will be the 800m race. This race will start at 8.00 am. Students who want to compete in this race will need to indicate this on the automated permission note when it is issued next week. For all other students the Carnival will start at 8.10 am. All students will have an opportunity to compete in shot put, high jump, long jump, 100m and 200m races. Qualification rounds for discus will be held in the lead up to the Carnival.

CIS Touch Football Trial

Congratulations to Isabella Evans of Year 6 for being selected in the CIS Girls' Touch Football side.
Well done Bella!

Mr James Gooden
Primary Sports Coordinator 

Application for Enrolment

Applications continue to pour in for 2021 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

Save the Date

Equestrian

P&F Association

Next Meeting:

Monthly Meeting
Wednesday, 4 August - 7.00 pm Deakin Administration Building

Save the date for the Country Fair: Saturday, 11 September 2021

The Country Fair is happening for 2021!

We are happy to say that we are already planning for our Country Fair for 2021. This year will be a little different to others, however, we are still planning for it to be amazing with Stall Holders, Food Vendors, Amusement Rides, Wood Chopping, Pony & Camel Rides, Petting Farm, Climbing Apparatus and much, much more.

The annual Photo Competition will be going ahead so the approaching holidays will be a perfect time to get some happy snaps of different themes like animals, landscapes and people. See the attached flyer below for information regarding the Photo Competition.

The Cake Competition is also going ahead. See below for details.

Toy Brick Display at Country Fair - Volunteers Required

We are looking at having a Toy Brick display (including Lego, Megablocks, Nanoblocks) at the Country Fair. For this to run we are seeking volunteers to coordinate entries and supervise on the day. Please contact Leah Frost on 0413 942 243 or pandfvolunteer@wac.nsw.edu.au

Volunteers Required for Country Fair

To help with the running of the Country Fair we are also seeking Parent/Carer involvement for volunteers. Once again if you are interested in helping out, please give Leah Frost a call on 0413 942 243 or pandfvolunteer@wac.nsw.edu.au

Seeking Sponsorship for the Country Fair

This year our Silent Auction will be running again. We are seeking donations of goods or services for our Silent Auction. If you have a business or know of anyone who might be able to assist please contact Mrs Deirdre Fitzsimmons for sponsorship packages and information.

This year our Country Fair is requiring sponsorship of these events:

• Camel Rides
• Pony Rides
• Woodchopping
• Animal Farm
• Prizes for Cake Competition & Photo Competition.

Please support the businesses that support our College.

Clothing Pool

Volunteer Required
We are seeking a volunteer to be able to work in the Clothing Pool on a Friday morning. Big thanks to Stephanie who has been volunteering her time this year. We thank her for her contribution to the Clothing Pool.
If you could assist by filling this vacancy (Friday, 7.45 am - 8.30 am), please call Melissa. It is a great way to meet other parents and be part of the WAC volunteer community.

Winter Warmers
With the cool change, you may need a spare warm item of uniform.
We have a good supply of second hand woollen jumpers and sports jackets for only $20.00 each!

Drybods
Keep dry with our new ponchos for $18.00 each.
A great item that will keep your child and their bag dry!
Available in all sizes.

Lost Property 
Please visit the Clothing Pool before the end of this Term to check for any of your lost items.
The Clothing Pool has been holding lost items of uniform that Student Reception can't return to students due to lack of clear identification. Any unclaimed items will be added to the Clothing Pool as stock.
A cheap way to add your child's name to uniform items is to purchase white hemming tape. The tape can be cut to a suitable size and ironed onto your items. Please write your child's full name on the tape in permanent marker or pen.

Opening Days & Times

• Monday to Friday
• 7.45 am to 8.30 am
• Location - White Cottage - side windows
• Payment - EFTPOS or cash 
  

Have a great week!

Mrs Melissa Whishaw
WAC P&F Clothing Pool Coordinator
Ph: 0415 402 013

Church Services

• Grace Anglican Church at Harrington Park - 9.30 am at Harrington Park Public School
• Wollondilly Presbyterian (Tahmoor) - 9.15 am service + links via FB page to recorded service
• Wollondilly Uniting Church - 110 Thirlmere Way, Tahmoor - 9.15 am Sunday. Kids Church
  program. All welcome. https://picton.uca.org.au/about-us/im-new/
• Wilton Anglican Church - 9.30 am at St Mark's, Picton at 5.00 pm. https://pwac.org.au
• Narellan Anglican Church meets at 9.00 am, 10.30 am and 5.00 pm every Sunday, with full
  children’s programs available at 10.30 am.
• Wollondilly Anglican Church service meeting at St Stephen's, Thirlmere - Sunday at 9.00 am and 10.30 am. Sunday School offered at both services.
• St Jude's Anglican Church Bowral are as follows:
  • 8.00 am Traditional Service of Holy Communion in the old church building
  • 9.30 am Traditional Service of Morning Prayer alternating with Holy Communion in the old church building
  • 9.30 am Contemporary Service in the Auditorium
  • 5.30 pm Auditorium Church Service - aimed at teenagers and young adults but open to all Online services can be found here: https://bowralanglican.org.au/online
• St Marks Anglican Church Picton Services - Sunday 9.30 am
• Campbelltown Christian Community Church (C4) - Sunday at 10.00 am (also online)
• Mittagong Anglican Church - Cnr Main St & Church Ln, Mittagong
  • 8.00 am Traditional 9.30 am Contemporary with Kids & Youth programs
  • 11.15 am Traditional 5.00 pm Contemporary: young adults and beyond www.mittang.com.au office@mittang.com.au Find us on Facebook or Instagram

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.

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. The College is accepting food donations towards the WAC Kids Care Meals Ministry.

• The Wollondilly Redbacks Junior AFL U/14s team is looking for more players
  • When: Wednesday Nights from 5.30 pm to 6.30 pm at Hanaford Oval, Wilton     
  • Ages : 12, 13 or 14 years - Please contact Clinton on 0467 001 002
    

• St Jude's Bowral Anglican Church Holiday Club - Years 1-6
  
  • Where: St Jude's Bowral
    
  • When: Monday, 28 June - Wednesday, 30 June
  • www.bowralanglican.org.au

• Mittagong Junior Disco
  • Where: Mittagong RSL
  • When: Saturday, 26 June
  • Time: 4.00 pm to 6.00 pm
  • Cost: $5.00 per person
  • For more information, please contact 0412 321 555

• Getting Korina Back on the road Trivia Night
  • When: Friday, 13 August
  • Time: 6.30 pm doors open
  • Cost: $60.00 per ticket

Two-course buffet dinner served at 7.00 pm. Please contact Mittagong RSL on 4872 6700.

Pretend Headmaster