Waratah Weekly - Term 4, Edition 3 - Friday, 28 October 2022

Message from the Headmaster

Last week I began a brief series exploring the themes of our Strategic Plan 2023-2026. The final version of this will be made available to parents and our community before the end of this year. Our Strategic Plan is focused on maintaining and improving in three essential areas; Learning, Care and Culture. Last week I looked at Learning. This week I will discuss Care. We endeavour to provide opportunities for every student at Wollondilly to be cared for, feel connected to their College and feel safe at school. We want students to experience positive friendships and to be engaged in co-curricular activities that connect them with other students and teachers. We will continue to develop our Pastoral Care and Wellbeing lessons so that students are learning how to be mentally, socially and emotionally healthy. We will also take opportunities to share God's Word with your children. We have a Father in heaven who is the most caring and loving person we can have a relationship with. We want our students to know that Jesus knows them, that he cares for them, that he loves them and ultimately wants to have a relationship with them.

This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Tim 2: 3-4

Mr Trevor Norman
College Headmaster

From the Deputy

Year 12 2022 Formal - A Great Celebration
It was a wonderful evening at Ottimo House on Thursday, 22 September for the Year 12 Formal. The evening had a great feel and it was fitting that we had the opportunity to welcome the students to the Wollondilly Alumni. The students (and staff and parents) danced the night away.

Evenings such as these don’t happen without a lot of hard work behind the scenes. I would like to particularly thank the Year 12 Formal committee, Mr van Netten, Mrs Frederiksen, Mr Hitchins and Mrs Bailey. 

Year 12 are now hard at work completing their HSC exams. Please continue to pray for them over the coming weeks.
 
Technology Reminders
We have had an increased number of students using Smart Watches at the College. These are a form of ICT and as such, the normal College rules are to be followed. Students shouldn’t be using these in class and they should not be receiving or sending messages on them. We would like to think that devices such as these can be used responsibly. It is also important that students are not communicating with one another via the various messaging functions that are available on their devices. This communication can be a disruption to teaching and learning in the classroom. Students in Years 9 and 10 are reminded that these devices should not be in classrooms during the upcoming Yearly Examinations.
 
Mr Paul Burns 
Deputy Headmaster 

Pastoral Care - Study Tips

Academic Prefects
At the College, as part of our Leadership Team, we have two Prefects who have a focus on the Academic area of College life. As part of this role, these Prefects have written some tips for students and parents below based on their experiences. This information represents both things that have worked for them and they would advise for others, as well as things they have learnt that are not good practice in this space. Finally, both Hannah and Alex spoke to our Year 9 cohort during Roll Call time on Friday morning this week to discuss this information. This was helpful for Year 9 as they enter an exam period and move forward with their Senior studies.

Do's

Hannah:
If you struggle with the motivation to get started on an assessment, set a timer for five minutes and fully commit yourself to just starting. If, after the timer goes off and you still haven’t done anything, do another task and try again later. By setting a timer you are only committed for a short amount of time but it may be enough to get on a roll with the task to then keep going. Write a list of things you need to do and set small goals so that you can easily achieve little bits each day (eg, Complete Q1 of the Maths assessment). This may only seem like a small thing, but for me who personally struggles with Maths, I feel accomplished knowing I have taken the first step. Everyone says to do the harder stuff first, but I always try and do something easy that I enjoy first for a small amount of time. This allows me to get into a positive mindset and tick one thing off the list. Then, try something harder because you are feeling good about what you just completed.

Alex:
Prepare study notes at the end of each week.
Review notes fortnightly.
Attempt practice questions on a regular basis and seek feedback from your teacher. 

Don'ts

Hannah:
Don’t try and conquer all your tasks in one go, instead break them up into manageable bits and work on them slowly over a few days or weeks. Don’t sit on your bed, you most likely won’t get anything done. Sit at a desk with good lighting and an appropriately sized chair so your feet are flat on the ground. If you procrastinate like me, allow yourself free time and decide when that will be, don’t stop activities or say no to going for a walk because you have things to do, instead go for a walk etc but when you get back, commit yourself to completing your History homework. I often find that when I have lots to do, I stop doing the things that I enjoy and in that time, don’t usually complete that much work anyway. Don’t feel guilty for doing something you enjoy, just make sure you get the stuff you need to do done too!

Alex:
Don’t leave your preparation for exams until you get the notification.
Don’t place yourself in an environment with distractions while studying. 
Don’t type notes on a laptop, instead, handwrite them.

Mr Liam Toland
Director of Pastoral Care T-12

Year 9 & Year 10 Exam Reminders

Year 10
Just a reminder that Yearly Exams commence next week, Monday, 31 October - Monday, 7 November. Students should be working hard at revising topics that they will be examined on. The exams will occur in the Warne Auditorium.

Year 9 
Year 9 Exam Week commences Monday, 9 November - Friday, 13 November. Students should be working hard at revising topics that they will be examined on. The exams will occur in the Warne Auditorium.

Mrs Kelly Evans
Director of Teaching & Learning 7-12

Secondary Sport

Mountain Biking
It has been very exciting to kick off our new Mountain Biking Sports Program this Term. In Term 2 the College was successful in securing a significant financial grant as part of the UCI Cycling Fund. After a lengthy process of grant submissions and panel interviews, the College was able to purchase a brand new Mountain Bike Trailer to hold 22 bikes as well as two College bikes for supervising staff to use. This means we can now run a weekly mountain biking program during Tuesday Sport and we can also enter and transport College teams into local and regional events. A big thank you also goes out to Mr Lobb who has been heavily involved with me throughout the process.

MISA
Once again, it has been a rain-affected start to the Term 4 MISA Season. Most teams managed to get their Round 1 matches completed, however, in Round 2, only indoor sports could go ahead due to ground closures. The Years 7-9 Boys' Indoor Cricket Side has now had two wins after a 1-run victory over Broughton Anglican College (BAC) followed by a 31-run win over Mount Carmel Christian College. This week, Matthew Higham and Riley Langtry combined to top score, managing 28 runs with the bat. The Girls' Volleyball Team lifted their game in the second set after losing the first set against Oran Park Anglican College. Unfortunately, they were narrowly beaten in the final set to go down 1-2. It was an identical scoreline in the Boys' Volleyball match who will be looking to bounce back next week. 

NASSA Basketball Gala Day
Last week we sent two teams to the NASSA Basketball Gala Day under the coaching guidance of Mrs McCann and Mr Jordan. It was a tough day on the court, however, a big congratulations is due to Beau Riashi of Year 7 who was named as a shadow for the U/15’s NASSA Side. Considering he is only 13, this is a great achievement and sets him up well for future years.

CIS Rugby League 7’s Gala Day
Unfortunately, the scheduled 7’s Rugby League Gala Day was postponed due to the weather. It looks like the Gala Day will be running on Wednesday, 23 November now, however, no official correspondence has been received regarding this. Once the date and location are secured, more information will be provided. 

NASSA Cricket and Netball Gala Days
We have two more Gala Days on the calendar for Term 4. The Year 7 Girls' Netball Gala Day will take place on Friday, 25 November and the Cricket Gala Day will be on Monday, 28 November. A trial date for Netball is being confirmed for next week whilst the Cricket Sides will be determined from our MISA Teams that have already been selected this year. Students will be notified by email and via Edumate broadcasts once this has been finalised. 

Mr Mark Goldsbrough
Secondary Sports Coordinator

Creative Arts News

Year 9 and Year 10 Elective Music students attended the Sydney Symphony Concert on Thursday, 27 October at the Sydney Opera House.
The students witnessed a number of exciting as well as inspiring pieces of music including:

• Burnout (part of 50 Fanfares - a commissioned work by Holly Harrison)
• Cello Concerto by Dvorak - performed by Daniel Muller-Schott (Cellist)
• Selection from Romeo and Juliet Suite by Prokofiev
  

I'd like to thank Mrs Bethune for accompanying the students on the trip and to Mr Warland for driving the College Bus into the city. 

Mr Lloyd Grant
Performing Arts Coordinator T-12

Performing Arts News

After College Hours Groups/Ensembles
This is just a general reminder to all students who attend after College hours Group/Ensemble rehearsals that there are a few important procedures to stick to:

1) When the College bell signals the end of the day, students are to proceed to their designated rehearsal space immediately so that the supervising teacher is aware of where students are. Students are under their supervising teacher's duty of care from this time

2) Staff will mark a roll to ensure they are aware of which students have turned up for rehearsal - staff are now aware of which students are absent from the College that day as rolls are marked on Edumate each period

3) At the conclusion of the rehearsal, students may proceed to the bus bay area to catch the 4.30 pm late bus or remain outside the designated rehearsal area (preferably in the Johnson/Melba car park areas) for parents to pick students up. Students should NOT be moving around the College after or during rehearsals.

We want our students to have fun, enjoyable but above all, safe experiences whilst at the College. It is imperative, therefore, that students follow these procedures. 

If students are going to be absent for a known reason ahead of their designated rehearsal day, it is encouraged that parents email the Performing Arts Group/Ensemble supervising teacher to let them know. This assists the staff when preparing the rehearsal plan for that day to ensure the time spent in the rehearsal is seamless.

I am certainly looking forward to the performances that are upcoming at our End-of-Year Events and as I communicated last week, I will provide more information on which Groups/Ensembles will be performing and when in due course.

Mr Lloyd Grant
Performing Arts Coordinator T-12

We're Hiring!

Equestrian Events

P&F Golf Day Postponed

Unfortunately due to the weather conditions, the Golf Day was not able to go ahead this week as the Course was too wet. We will keep you posted if a new date is arranged in the near future.

Mr Brandon Cooper
Golf Day Organiser

Library News

Book Fair Completed
Our Book Fair has been a great success, thank you to everyone involved; teachers, Library staff, Property staff, parents, grandparents and carers, Library Monitors and all the students who attended. We will receive 25% of the total sales in rewards to purchase books and resources for the College. Students were sad to see the Fair finish, but were very excited to be back in Quarmby Library at Lunchtime!

Teen Reading Project
This week, Secondary students have taken part in a teen reading survey as part of a research project conducted by Deakin University and the Queensland University of Technology about teenage reading habits and opinions. The project aims to know more about how teens make decisions regarding the books they read, to inform librarians, teachers and publishers to help them improve their services to teenagers. All answers are anonymous and will inform the broader research project. We look forward to viewing the results and using the data to improve our library services and teaching practice.

Mrs Justine Colombo
College Librarian

Scholarships Now Open

Scholarships 2024/2025
I am delighted to advise that the Wollondilly Anglican College Scholarship Program is now open for academic and creative arts scholarships commencing in 2024.

The College Headmaster may award a number of scholarships offering partial fee remission for each year in the areas of Academic, Music and Dance. Most scholarships will be awarded for two years and are conditional on the continuation of the relevant criteria being met. They will be available to students currently enrolled at the College or at other schools. Students who are studying in Years 6, 8 and 10 in 2023 may apply for a scholarship as they enter their next stage of learning.

Application Process for Scholarships

Academic Scholarships – 

• Complete the scholarship application form and return it to the Enrolments Officer, Mrs Kristy Biddle with the supporting portfolio. 
• Complete the online application with ACER at https://scholarships.acer.edu.au. (Parents will need to create a Parent Account, from which they can register their child for the scholarship test at Wollondilly Anglican College. A $110 application fee is also payable to ACER as part of the registration process).
• For Academic candidates, be available to complete the scholarship test on Saturday, 25 February 2023.

Music and Dance Scholarships – 

• Parents should complete the scholarship application form and return it to the Enrolments Officer, Mrs Kristy Biddle with the supporting portfolio. 
• Music/Dance scholarships need to be accompanied by a scholarship application processing fee of $110. 
• Short-listed students will be required to audition before a panel at a later date to be confirmed. There will not be an additional audition fee.

Applications are now open and will close on Friday, 3 February 2023. The closing date is final and late applications cannot be accepted.

A comprehensive information pack and application form is available for download from the College website. Alternatively, all information and forms are available from me at the College Office.

Should you have any further general queries, please do not hesitate to contact me at (02) 4684 2722 or at k.biddle@wac.nsw.edu.au.

Mrs Kristy Biddle
Enrolments Officer

P&F Clothing Pool

The Clothing Pool has a great selection of used College uniforms from Transition to Year 12 for purchase. Additionally, our friendly volunteers can help you Monday-Friday 7.45 am - 8.30 am at White Cottage. Payment is via EFTPOS only. If you can't make it in, call us on 4623 0286 or email clothingpool@wac.nsw.edu.au

Volunteers to run the shop are also needed, if you can help, please contact Melissa via the clothing pool at clothingpool@wac.nsw.edu.au

Donations of used uniforms are gladly accepted at the Clothing Pool during opening hours or can be left at Student Reception.

We currently have a great selection of pre-loved Senior Uniform available at the Clothing Pool.
Blazers $60
Shirts $10
Trousers $20
Skirts $20
Hats $20
Ties $10

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

College Sponsors

PLATINUM SPONSORS

SIMEC Mining

Tahmoor Colliery is an underground coal mine producing high-quality coal for steel production. Tahmoor Coal is a proud supporter of local charities, businesses, organisations and schools; and is committed to responsible mining operations, taking care of the community and environment.

Phone: 02 4640 0100 (within office hours) 1800 154 415 (after hours)
Email: tahmoorenquiries@simecgfg.com
Web: www.tahmoorcoal.com.au

Double Gold Sponsors

Little Elves Childcare Centre
T/ Little Elves OOSH
Bargo Public School
Ph: 0487 000 245
Email: littleelvesoosh@gmail.com

Thirlmere Quality Timbers
http://www.thirlmerequalitytimbers.com.au/
60 Oaks Road Thirlmere, NSW, 2572
Phone: Deb 0417 486 522
Office 02 46841 8580
Email: sales@thirlmerequalitytimbers.com.au

About our business:
We supply quality rural hardwood fencing products and quality seasoned firewood sourced from sustainable regrowth forests. We produce 90% of our stock on-site and strive to supply the best timber products in the area to our customers.

The Associates Insurance Broking Services Pty Ltd
Address: PO Box 56, Bowral NSW 2576
ABN: 90 638 881 660
Contact Person Name: Victoria Holt (Company EA)
Email address: victoria.holt@is-insurance.com.au

PRISM Human Capital
Address: PO Box 56, Bowral NSW 2576
ABN: 94 604 594 345
Contact Person Name: Victoria Holt (Company EA)
Email address: Victoria.holt@is-insurance.com.au

About our business:
Insurance Investment Solutions (IIS) opened its doors for business in 2017 and quickly built a reputation as one of Australia’s leading strata insurance specialist underwriting agencies. We provide brokers with market leading insurance solutions.

Gold Sponsors

Narellan Pools

Electro-Service Solar

Ken Shafer Auto Body

Thornton Bros Roses

Studio 6 Photography

Silver Sponsors

Tahmoor Garden Centre

Pheasants Nest Produce

Eyepower Tahmoor

F45 Bowral

F45 Picton

FS8 Bowral

Gumnut Patisserie

Country Valley Milk

Church Services

Wollondilly Anglican Church
Our church services are all held at St Stephen’s Thirlmere at 9.30 am and 4.30 pm. Both are family services and all ages are welcome. 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) 
Services run on Sundays at 10.00 am. Also currently streaming their services on their YouTube channel:

Wollondilly Presbyterian Church
Sunday Service starts a 9.15 am. 
The Service is also streamed 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
Sunday Service starts a 9.50 am. 
Also streamed at 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
Picton - Sundays 9.30 am – 10.50 am all welcome.
Also live-streamed on Youtube: http://youtube.com/PWAChurches/
Wilton - Sundays 5 pm – 6.20 pm all welcome.
Also live-streamed on Youtube: http://youtube.com/PWAChurches/

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.

The Oaks Anglican Church
Sunday at 10.00 am. Services will also be streamed online live: toa.church/livestream/

Douglas Park Evangelical Church
10.00 am Sundays at Douglas Park Community Hall or online via Zoom.
Contact David Luxford on 0404754105 or via Facebook.com/DPEChurch

Wollondilly Uniting Church
110 Thirlmere Way, Tahmoor.
Sunday Service 9.15 am
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WollondillyUniting/

Staying connected in the Southern Highlands area.

Highlands Christian Church: 
Sundays at 10.00 am
Online Service:
https://www.facebook.com/highlands.au/videos/highlands-church-online-experience/930979114318498/
Website:
https://www.highlandschristianchurch.org.au/

Highlands Baptist Church
Sundays at 10.30 am
Website:
http://www.highlandsbaptistchurch.org.au/

St Judes (Bowral Anglican)
Traditional Church Building - 8.00 am, 9.30 am & 4.00 pm
Church Auditorium - 9.30 am & 5.30 pm
Website:
https://bowralanglican.org.au/
Online Service:
https://bowralanglican.org.au/online/

Mittagong Anglican
Sundays at 9.30 am & 11.30 am
Website:
https://www.mittang.com.au/
Sermon Archive:
https://www.mittang.com.au/sermons/

C3 
Sundays at 10.30 am
Website:
https://c3destinychurch.com/
Livestream/Video Archive:
https://c3destinychurch.com/sunday-live-stream/

Bowral Baptist
Sundays at 10.00 am
Website:
https://bowralbaptistchurch.net/wordpress/
Video Archive:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCED4wlEz42j6thR9-OsVn4A

Community News

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 to any families in need.

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