School Newsletter

Welcome back to Term 3. I hope you were able to enjoy your time away from school these past few weeks. We are certainly enduring a very cold winter for Wyong. Our fireplace at home is getting a strong workout! Many things have been occurring over the break; I thought it might be helpful to update you on a range of them.

Two new staff members will be joining our school community this term. Mrs Louise Marootians has taken on the role of Director of the Early Learning Centre. She will be working with us to establish the new ELC at 1 North Road. We also have Mr Daniel Irazabel coming on staff to join the IT department. Daniel was a former student of the school and will be involved in all things technology across the campus.

We have also made progress on our latest building projects. Both the Learning Enrichment rooms and Secondary toilets have been progressing over the break. They are scheduled to be operational by Week 5 this term. We have also confirmed the design of the two new classrooms that will be installed on the grassed area to the south of the Bible timeline. This is also the case with the new administration building that will be installed opposite the Uniform Shop. These structures are modular builds, which means they are largely constructed off-site. They are due to be installed by the middle of next term, ready for the beginning of 2026.

Junior School students will also see the construction of their new playground area coming to fruition. We have built a big mound of dirt with a concrete tunnel going through it. Some large slides are on order as well as some other playground equipment, which we’re confident will be fun for our students to play on. It should likely be finished within the coming month.

Soon we will be able to show you the masterplan for 1 North Road. Whilst there is not a lot of visible evidence of change on the site, there has been extensive planning and design work occurring. It is very much our desire to plan the site out well to ensure we are well positioned for the students to commence. On Monday of last week, the staff had our morning session up in the hall on the site. I couldn’t help but be excited about the potential of having our Infants students sitting in the same hall for their assemblies and Chapel services in 2027.

Last week, the staff were involved in Professional Development across the five days. This included WCCS hosting the State Conference for Christian Schools Australia. It was wonderful to have 622 delegates from across nine Christian Schools in our zone. We heard a range of challenging and encouraging presentations regarding ways to enhance our ministry to your children.

With so much going on within the ministry, there is much to be thankful to God for. He continues to bless us richly and provide many opportunities we feel called to lean into. I look forward to serving alongside you this term for all that God has prepared in advance for us to do.

God bless,

• WCCS Open Day Tours - Wednesday 13th August (Week 3)

• Understanding Faith Course, Night 2 - (7pm for prospective families) Wednesday 13th August (Week 3)

• Literacy Day - Wednesday 20th August (Week 4)

• Understanding Faith Course, Night 3 - (7pm for prospective families) Wednesday 20th August (Week 4)

• Understanding Faith Course, Night 4 - (7pm for prospective families) Wednesday 27th August (Week 5)
• Father's Day Breakfast - Friday 5th September (Week 6)
• Father's Day Stall - Friday 5th September (Week 6)
• K-12 Chapel Service - Friday 5th September (Week 6)
• Junior School Bandaged Bear Day - Friday 12th September (Week 7)
• Year 12 Graduation - 10am, Thursday 25th September (Week 9)
• Junior School Celebration Assembly - 9am, Friday 26th September (Week 9)
• Secondary School Celebration Assembly - 2pm, Friday 26th September (Week 9)
• Last Day Term 3 - Friday 26th September (Week 9)

PARENT-TEACHER INTERVIEWS

Parent-Teacher Interviews for Semester Two will be held in Week 2 of Term 3 on the following dates:

• Junior and Secondary School - Monday 4th August from 3:30-8:30pm
• Secondary School - Tuesday 5th August from 3:30-5:30pm

Information on how to make a booking was emailed to families last week.

IMPORTANT REMINDER - ALLERGIES

Please be reminded that we are a “High Risk Foods – Minimised” school. This means that parents, students and staff are requested to refrain from bringing fava beans, peanuts, tree nuts, and peanut butter or Nutella (chocolate/hazelnut) spreads to the school. Please adhere closely to this policy, as we have numerous students throughout the school who have an anaphylactic allergy to nuts and fava beans.

SCHOOL APP

Please be reminded that WCCS utilises our School App to communicate important information with parents (along with our fortnightly Newsletter and EdSmart). The App is available for free download from the App Store and Google Play by searching ‘Wyong Christian Community School’.

MORNING SUPERVISION OF STUDENTS FROM 8:15AM

Please be reminded that staff supervision of students commences from 8:15am. So we can best care for our students, they should not arrive at school before 8:15am.

Junior School students who need to be supervised prior to 8:15am can access the WOOSH program (Wyong Baptist Church Out of School Hours Care).

Thank you for your understanding.

WCCS PARENTS' PRAYER GROUP

Our Parents' Prayer Group is an opportunity for WCCS parents and carers to gather each week and pray for our school community.

When: 8:45am on Wednesdays during term time.

Where: Wyong Baptist Church Green Room - accessible via the Good Day Kiosk.

The group is hosted by our School Chaplain, Rev Matt Shorten. All are welcome to come and pray together.

• Pray for our Year 9 students as they head off on the Red Centre Road Trip. Pray for God's hand of protection to be over students, staff and parent helpers as they travel, and pray that our students will grow in their relationship with God and seek Him in everything they do.
• Pray for our Year 12 students as they prepare to commence their Trial HSC Exams. Please pray that they are able to remain focused on their studies and continue to trust in God.
• Give thanks for the new students and families who have started at our school this term. Pray that they will develop relationships quickly and praise God that we have these new families in our school community.

INSTRUCTIONAL COACHES

Throughout 2025, I’ve taken the opportunity to share with you a number of new K–12 initiatives that reflect our ongoing pursuit of excellence across the school.

With our ongoing commitment to excellent teaching and learning, WCCS has appointed Instructional Coaches to both Junior and Secondary Schools. These highly skilled and experienced practitioners bring a passion for the craft of teaching with a proven track record of quality teaching and learning in their classroom. Their role is to deliver targeted Professional Learning for all teaching staff and work alongside teachers, helping them to hone their craft in areas identified for growth.

NAIDOC WEEK
This week, we are pleased to host our Years 3-12 NAIDOC Week Assembly, with special guest Brook Prentis joining us as our keynote speaker. Brook is an Australian Aboriginal Christian leader, descended from the Wakka Wakka people, and is the coordinator of the Grasstree Gathering.

Following the assembly, Brook will spend time with WCCS Indigenous students and lead a Professional Learning session for staff. This session will focus on the Indigenous cultural threads embedded in the new NESA curriculum and how they can be thoughtfully integrated with a Christian worldview.

We warmly invite our community to join us for the assembly in the MPC at 12:15pm on Thursday 31st July.

TRIAL HSC EXAMINATIONS

Our Year 12 students will commence their Trail HSC Examinations next week. Please pray for our Year 12 students as they sit these examinations as their last assessment task in preparation for their HSC Examinations in October.

YEAR 9 RED CENTRE ROAD TRIP

This week, Year 9 set off once again for their two-week adventure from Wyong to Darwin. Whilst this trip offers great ‘once in a lifetime’ experiences, it also offers a deeper experience of discovering more about who they are and their relationship with their Creator. Removed from the comforts of technology and familiar support networks, students are encouraged to consider what is shaping them, who they are becoming, and how they are nurturing their relationship with God.

The trip is a significant undertaking, but WCCS believes that it will help transform young lives, and because of that, we commit to it each year. Students, staff, and parents who have taken part in past trips consistently speak of the transformation they’ve witnessed.

Please join us in praying for the safety of this year’s group and that they, too, will experience the richness and growth this journey offers.

God bless,

Term 3 is shaping up as a busy and fun term, with many opportunities for students across the school to be extended and enriched in their learning.

MATHS EXTENSION

Our Years 4, 5 and 6 Maths extension students will participate in the Newcastle Permanent Maths Competition on Monday of Week 1, while our Years 3 to 8 Maths extension students will be challenged through the third Maths Olympiad during their normal Maths extension time in Weeks 2 and 3.

ICAS

Thank you to the many parents who have registered their children for the upcoming ICAS Competitions. For your information, ICAS will be run at the following times. Could you please remind your child on the day, so they know to expect this? Secondary students should arrive with a charged laptop, and I will let their teachers know that your child will be missing a specific lesson.

Tuesday 5th August – ICAS Digital Technologies Test - Lesson 1

Wednesday 6th August - ICAS Writing Test - Lesson 1

Friday 8th August – ICAS Digital Technologies and Writing Catch Up – Lesson 3 (11:45am)

Tuesday 12th August – ICAS English Test - Lesson 1

Friday 15th August – ICAS English Catch Up – Lesson 3 (11:45am)

Tuesday 19th August – ICAS Spelling Test - Lesson 1

Thursday 21st August - ICAS Science Test - Lesson 1

Friday 22nd August – ICAS Spelling and Science Catch Up – Lesson 3 (11:45am)

Tuesday 26th August – ICAS Maths Test - Lesson 1

Friday 29th August – ICAS Maths Catch Up – Lesson 3 (11:45am)

SCIENCE FAIR

As part of celebrating Science Week, we are excited to present the hard work of our Junior School Scientists on Friday 15th August, from 1:30-3pm, at the Junior School Science Fair. Families and friends are warmly invited to come to the Library to admire these impressive Science Fair projects and learn from the young scientists themselves. Many of our Junior School classes will also be taking the time to tour through the displays and learn from their friends’ scientific discoveries.

EVENING OF EMINENCE
This week, I will be visiting the Years 3-6 classes to chat with them about our annual Evening of Eminence extension project. This is an exciting and challenging project where students get to choose someone that they admire, in an area of personal interest, to learn about and ultimately 'become'. Past EoE students agree that this project requires a great deal of work, yet at the end they report feeling incredibly proud of what they have achieved! This year I am introducing some 'Depth and Complexity' thinking skills to the process, which will be explained to the students at our weekly meetings. This is a project that requires stamina, resilience, strong literacy skills (for their age), creativity and a willingness to develop their public speaking confidence.

The process this year is that students will register their interest, then I will send parents an application form designed to help parents consider whether this project will suit their child. The class teacher and I will then carefully consider each application and we will let parents know whether their child has been selected to participate in Evening of Eminence 2025. K-2 students may participate by teacher recommendation, after consultation with the parents.

DEBATING

Our debating season continues this term, with the Hunter and Central Coast Debating Gala Day at Maitland Christian School, on Friday 1st August. We wish all the best to our four Primary teams and Year 8 team, who have all been working hard to prepare two debates each. We are looking forward to a day of polite arguing, excellent listening, great thinking and building friendships with like-minded students at other schools.

Mrs Anne Livette-Vial | High Potential & Enrichment Teacher