Prelate’s Visit

Tuesday 22 August will be a date to remember at Wollemi for years to come. The Prelate of Opus Dei’s visit to the school was a wonderful experience for all of us and, I believe, for him as well. We gave him a tour of the school whilst normal classes were in progress, and he was able to greet members of staff, students and parents. Mr. Vassallo was once again outstanding in his planning and preparation for the event. The Prelate however deviated from our schedule as soon as he started meeting our wonderful Class parents, spending time with each and every couple, blessing their little ones, and signing family photos presented to him. Likewise, when meeting staff and student leaders, he was not to be hurried. I personally think he felt the spirit of our school community and responded accordingly.

In the Library we had a gathering of class parents, staff and student representatives. I explained to him about Wollemi coming to the end of its ‘growth period’ and moving into a ‘consolidation stage’. I shared that though we dream of wonderful permanent buildings and state-of-the-art facilities, we are conscious that the school’s strength lies in its community, and asked him to share with us his vision or his dreams for a future Wollemi. He jokingly said that he is no oracle or prophet, and then he went on to share a wonderful piece of advice that I wanted to transmit to all. He spoke eloquently of the importance of unity; unity within and among our families; unity among our staff and unity among our students; and unity between the parents and the teachers. This I feel is the strength that has built Wollemi up to this point, and the foundation on which to build the Wollemi of the future.

After visiting Primary and enjoying a mini concert in Year 5B (a big thank you to Mr. Pacquing and the boys for the excellent performance) the Prelate proceeded to the Shrine, where the entire school had gathered with our other guests. After praying the Angelus together, he blessed the Shrine and, as a first official act, we all prayed the Hail Holy Queen together. It was both a solemn and joyous moment. The Prelate then addressed the school and guests, encouraging the boys specifically to, from this moment on, go to the intercession of the Virgin Mary as our Queen whenever they walk by the Queen of their work, their families, their games and sports. Steve Jerome, our Student Captain, then gave a vote of thanks and presented the Prelate with a small gift. 

On the way to his car, the Prelate was able to greet some of the main drivers of the Shrine Building project: Elias, Horsfall, Morched and Dodd families. Finally, some of our ‘foundation’ parents who were instrumental in the earliest stages of Wollemi were able to greet him: the Cassars, Blazevics, Jocsons and Sammuts. 

I had occasion to hear afterwards how much the Prelate enjoyed the visit, especially the warmth and affection shown whilst at Wollemi. Likewise, I have had the opportunity to meet with him and thank him once again for his visit and tell him that we are better for it already, that we will treasure his words of advice and encouragement, and that we promise to remember him and his intentions in our prayers. 

Coming up

Finally, we have a tentative date for this term’s Dads’ Night on Friday 15 September. The theme will be Texas-style Low & Slow smoked BBQ. It looks like it will give last term’s Sub-Continental Cuisine Night a run for its money in terms of deliciousness. Don’t forget to save the date and RSVP.

James Ramos, Headmaster 

_{Photos by Lucas Ison (Wollemi Student 10G)}

In August the Liturgy helps us to look up, to look at Heaven!
On the 6th we celebrated the Transfiguration of Our Lord. I was able to con-celebrate the big Missioning Mass with Pope Francis and other 10,000 priests in the Field of Grace, Lisbon. I could be very close to him, as you can see in the photo.
He summarized in three words his homily: shine, listen and do not be afraid!

One of the highlights of the WYD was the visit of Pope Francis to Fatima. He asked to bring the image of Our Lady to Lisbon for the Missioning Mass and prayed in front of her after the Mass.
You can see in the 2nd photo how big that Mass was: 1,5 million people were there, it was an explosion of grace and faith!!

On the 15th we celebrated the Solemnity of the Assumption of Our Lady with a School Mass: we have a Mother in Heaven!

Finally, on the 22nd we celebrated her crowning as Queen of Heaven! The visit of Fr Fernando with the blessing of the Shrine and the new image of Our Lady of Wollemi helped us to show our affection to our Mother: how beautiful was to pray the Heil Holy Queen with the Prelate of Opus Dei! He leads us to pray for the Pope and to spread the spirit of St Josemaria.

Last Monday, Mr. Uyeda and I had the privilege of accompanying four of Wollemi Primary School's 7-a-side rugby teams to NSW Waratah's Gala Day, held at William Clark College. In the lead-up to this event, both our Junior and Senior teams dedicated their lunch breaks to intensive training sessions, diligently absorbing the core aspects of rugby. Among the 40 team members, only 1 or 2 boys had prior club rugby experience. However, their effort and commitment bore fruit on the day of the gala, as their hard work translated into impressive performances. Coach Uyeda and I were witness to fearless tackling, adept support play, proficient breakdown techniques, exceptional teamwork, and the trademark Wollemi spirit of sportsmanship. While the true victor was the spirit of rugby itself, it's worth noting that one of our Junior teams reached the final, securing the runners-up position.

Each and every one of our rugby players represented Wollemi College admirably, wearing their jerseys with pride. Their respect for the opposition, referees, and one another was abundantly evident throughout the day. A heartfelt thank you goes out to Mr Uyeda for spearheading this initiative, coordinating the training sessions, maintaining regular communication with both staff and parents and significantly elevating the stature of rugby within Wollemi. Gratitude is also extended to Mr. Bayliss for affording Wollemi the opportunity to participate in rugby and for effectively handling administrative responsibilities. A special acknowledgment is reserved for the parents who wholeheartedly supported Wollemi's rugby endeavour; their presence and cheers were deeply cherished by our young athletes. It's worth noting that with Mr. Uyeda at the helm, the future holds promising prospects for rugby at Wollemi.

From the rugby pitch to the library, last week, Mr Lockley coordinated a Book Week celebration to remember! We had it all! The well-known illustrator of an Australian junior fiction favourite, Deltora Quest, Marc McBride, visited the Primary. Marc engaged the boys from the moment he started his presentation by telling stories of creativity, making a multitude of mistakes, and never giving up! Throughout his presentation, Marc dispelled any myth that men are unable to multitask by spray painting the most remarkable dragon while continuing to talk to and engage with our boys! Marc’s artwork is framed and on display in the library. After the presentation, there was a line of boys – the length of two classrooms – eagerly and patiently waiting for Marc to sign their pieces of art composed during the workshop! Kudos to Mr Lockley for booking such an authentic and inspirational speaker!

The Book Week action doesn’t stop there! On Friday, the eagerly anticipated Year 2 and 3 Book Week Costume Parade and Family Picnic took place, and the excitement leading up to it surpassed all expectations. Harry Potter, Miles Morales, Moana and Maui, St. Joseph, the Wizard of Oz characters, Wally, the Mandalorian, Darth Maul, and Tintin, to name but a few, all took time out of their busy schedules to visit Wollemi for this special occasion. The hard work applied by our Year 2 and 3 parents - late nights sewing, stapling, painting, and rehearsing — did not go unnoticed. The costumes paraded by our young learners filled them with pride as they displayed their characters. The wonderfully supportive teachers and office staff joined in on the fun by dressing up as their favourite book characters and proudly parading on stage. A highlight was Mr. Tu'ipulotu, who took on the character of Maui, accompanied by the cutest supporting actor in the world, Moana, his youngest daughter.

Once the Costume Parade had come to an end, the festivities continued with a family picnic and carnival activities organised by Mr Baxter. The picnic had it all! Sack races, three-legged races, and the classic egg and spoon race—all including our parents, who showed no mercy when it came to crossing the finish line with the blue ribbon in mind. Disclaimer: no students were injured in their parents' quest for 1st place! With that said, I'm sure there were a few sore muscles on Saturday.

Thanks again to Mr Lockley and Mr Baxter for their hours of planning and organising such a fun and family-friendly event. It is a highlight on the school calendar.

I would like to share a touching moment that occurred last week. The devastating fires in Maui, Hawaii have claimed too many lives and deeply affected countless families. Our Year 2 teacher, Mr Uyeda, who was born and raised in Hawaii, was met by his Year 2 students, with Hawaiian flowers pinned to their lapels. Each leaf bore the word "Ohana," which means family in Hawaiian. A very special thank you must go to the Finianos family for proving the boys with these treasured items. Mr Uyeda is profoundly appreciative of their love, care, and support. To amplify this heartwarming gesture, our Year 6 students helped organize a fundraising drive last Friday, raising over $1700 to aid the people of Maui. This serves as yet another illustration of the profound compassion and magnanimity within our Wollemi Community.

Scott Williamson, Head of Primary

The highlight of Book Week as always, was our character costume parade and our family picnic. Every year it is such a joy to see the boys bring their favourite characters to life and push themselves outside of their comfort zone. I was so impressed with our year 2 & 3 boys this year, every boy (even those who didn't appear on stage) truly pushed themselves outside of their comfort zone.

Mr Justin Lockley 

 _{Photos by Lucas Ison}

A BIG THANK YOU to all Wollemi students for their support of our Year 12 Mufti Day and Fundraiser on Thursday 10 August. This was a great day. It was so fantastic to see so many of our Wollemi men getting behind our Year 12s -  by wearing their favourite jersey and purchasing doughnuts at lunch. 

A highlight of the day was the Year 12 vs. Staff Basketball match. The Staff were after revenge after losing last year to the Class of 2023. It was a tough-fought tussle with the leading shifting between both teams during the game. Despite the staff's best efforts and some phenomenal 3-pointers from Mr Berryman (who was a crowd favourite), the staff were bested by their younger rivals winning by 3 points in a 25 to 22 victory. It was so great to so many of our school community lining the COLA basketball court to watch this exciting match. 

Thank you to the School Community for their generous support of this fundraising initiative, over $670 was raised towards the Year 12 Gift to the College. 

Well done to all our Year 12 men for their organisation and efforts of the day.

David Vassallo, Deputy Headmaster  

On Wednesday 23rd August, the Year 10 boys headed out to the Sydney International Regatta Centre to partake in the RYDA Driver Safety Excursion. In groups, the students took part in several unique sessions throughout the day, each run by experts and focusing on different facets of road safety.

The boys were required to apply critical thinking skills in understanding factors that contribute to serious road accidents, and the wide-spanning consequences of these accidents. They were upskilled with practical advice to consider when purchasing their first car in the near future. A highlight session was the practical demonstration on the lakeside tarmac, where students examined the impact of speed in real-life brake testing demonstrations.

Overall, students had a positive experience and took away some valuable lessons they will be able apply on the road!

Mr Garzaniti & Mr Dominici

Last Saturday 19 August we had the inaugural ride of the new Wollemi MTB Club. The response was fantastic, with a group of 12 riders representing teachers, dads and students from Year 1 to Year 7. We rode 13.5 km of fire trail and 'single track' in Minamata Regional Park, between Ropes Crossing and Jordan Springs. The weather was glorious, and the wildlife was abundant. Oscar B reported 7 kangaroos, three emus and one snake. I believe 'Man of the Ride' award should go to our youngest, John Yee, who, despite the little wheels,  kept up manfully with the rest of the 'peloton'.

Stay tuned for the next meeting of the Wollemi MTB Club, and if interested, contact Mr Williamson or Mr Rajnoch to be added to the WhatsApp group.

Congratulations to Michael Gaid (Year 8) who was presented with the Wollemi Man Award at our Term 3 Week 5 Whole School Assembly. 

Michael was awarded this accolade for the consistent consideration and compassion he has demonstrated towards others. Michael regularly, on his own initiative, gives up his seat on the bus to and from school to anyone who may need it. For example, on a recent trip, Micheal relinquished his seat to assist an elderly woman. In addition to this, Michael will regularly help his fellow students by collecting the stationary and equipment for the class’s laptop monitors as they return their class’s devices to the library each day. Michael showcases the key virtues of justice, love and prudence we aspire all of our Wollemi men to achieve. To quote one of the students who nominated Michael for this award: “Michael perfectly encapsulates the mindset of the Wollemi man. He ticks all the boxes”. I could not have said it better myself. 

Congratulations Michael. Michael will receive a Certificate of Recognition, 25 House Points for his House and a $20 gift voucher courtesy of Caddens Woolworths. 

Well done Michael.

 The School community is invited to pray for our young men as they prepare for their trials in this week and HSC exams later this year. 

A CoA Community HSC Prayermmunity HSC Prayer

A School Community HSC Prayer

Heavenly Father, we bring before you our HSC students. Give them the gifts of wisdom, right judgement, knowledge and courage. 

Bless them with calm hearts and clarity of mind as they sit for their exams. May they be affirmed in their efforts and may they know that you are there with them. 

We pray that they will stay calm under pressure and work to the best of their ability. May they feel your loving presence in their lives, now and always, and may they be strengthened by the prayerful support of us, their school community.

 We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen

We have two Father’s Day events to be held this year on Friday 1 September, the Father’s Day Breakfast from 7.30 am – 9am and the Father’s Day Stall that will be running from midday until 3 p.m. on the same day.  A hard copy of the order forms was sent home this afternoon with your son/s.  If you would like to help on the day, please contact the Wollemi Fundraising Committee at admin@wollemi.nsw.edu.au.

Funds raised will go towards the completion of the Wollemi Shrine. The flyers for our Fathers’ Day events are attached, and support is greatly appreciated.

An invitation to Wollemi and Montgrove Dads.

Wollemi would like to extend an invitation to our Wollemi and Montgrove fathers to join us at a Dads’ Night on Friday 15 September at 6 pm here at Wollemi.

This night will be an opportunity for dads to come together and enjoy a meal, beer and one another's company.  

What: Spring Celebration!  

Where: Montgrove College Hall

When: Saturday 16th September 2023

Time: 8:00-10:00 pm

Come dressed in your favourite spring outfit and come for a night of good food and good fun with great company! Karaoke, games and lucky door prizes to be won!

Please RSVP by Saturday 9th September via this form. 

Congratulations on the birth of Mariel  Rose, baby daughter to Jess and Nathan Quan ( Year 5B teacher)

Please pray for our sick Wollemi family and friends:

Alex Borg, grandfather to Nicholas Cassar (6B).  Joanne Pang, mother to Ian Chia in 4G; Margaret Miles, grandmother to Marissa and Vince Zinghini, great-grandmother to Anthony in 5B; Maria Mendoza, mother to  Noah in 7B; Joseph Valladores, father to Jose in 7B; Fr Andrew Fornal, Parish Priest of St Joseph's Kingswood; Benjie Santiago, father to Aryel (Class of 2020); Emmanuel Hanna, brother to George (6B) Victor Sciberras, father to Marianne and Carmel Spiteri, grandfather to Justin in Year 7B; Louise Varas, mother to Sebastian in 3B;  Mariano Valladores, father to Ela and Will O'Neill,  grandfather to Michael in 9B and John-Paul in 4B;  Amelia Acasio,  grandmother to Peyton (7B) and Angelo (5G);

Please pray for the soul of the recently deceased and the family left behind:

Fr Carl Ashton PP, parish priest of Sacred Heart Mount Druitt, friend and supporter of Wollemi College; Wilson Filamor, father to Joel and Charisse Filamor, grandfather to  Lorenzo 11B; Michel Chaghouri, father to Joseph and Cristina, grandfather to Elias in 5B; Phillip Yassa, uncle to Shukr and Sara, great uncle to Luke in 9G; Antoine  Nohra, father to Alain and  Lisa Nohra, grandfather to Giovany in Year 12 and Mathew in 10G; Josip Blazevic, father to John and Julie Blazevic, (John Paul 2011, Daniel 2017) Viktor and Alison Blazevic (Josip 2013, Raphael 2015, Dominic, 2017 and Gabriel 2020) and Paulina and Renzo Trivarelli (Adrian 2013, Alex 2015, Luke 2017, Marcus 2020 and Michael Leaver 2021); Adele Doko, mother to Herg Christine Lay, grandmother to Jonathan in 4B and Joseph in 2B;  John Russell, grandfather to Emily and Anthony Di Natale, great grandfather to Joseph in 3G; Benilda Castro, grandmother to Jose and Christine Besa, great grandmother to Lucas in 4G; Chun Seng Chia, father to Chin and Jo, grandfather to Ian in 4G.

_{If you would like to add any intentions to the Prayer Board, please send them to newsletter@wollemi.nsw.edu.au.  Kindly notify newsletter@wollemi.nsw.edu.au when your intentions can be removed.} 

The school gates will be opened at 8:15 am and students are not allowed onto the school premises before this time unless there are co-curricular commitments. If you are dropping your child/ren off before 8.15 am, please remind them that they are to stay outside the gates until it is opened. 

A reminder that when collecting your child/ren parents can either:

• Park their car in the outside car park and walk into the school/pedestrian gate to pick up their child
• Use the car line process where your child will come to the car. 

To help with the flow of the carline and traffic in the area we kindly ask that: 

• If you are using the car line, we ask parents to not exit the car.
• Please collect your child/children from 3.25 pm and 3.45 pm when Teacher supervision ends.
•  Reminder parents NOT to park along Gipps Rd in the afternoon as it causes congestion and risks the safety of our students.

ABSENCES

If your child is absent from school an Engage absence form must be completed first thing in the morning. It is a legal requirement to provide an absence note no more than 7 days after the last day of the absence.  Absences will remain as unexplained absences if a note is not received or is received more than 7 days after the last day of the absence.

Instructions on how to complete an absence form can be found below. 

How to Complete an Absence Form on Engage

Please find below some simple instructions on how to complete an absence form. 

• Select the heading Daybook and select "Pupil Daybook"
• Click on "add new entry"
• If your child is COVID positive or a close contact select: "01b Covid POSITIVE or ISOLATION Status" from the drop-down menu
• If your child is absent for any other reason, arriving late or leaving early please select: "01 Absent, Late or Early Departure Note" from the drop-down menu 
• Then click on the "add new entry" button to the right. It will bring up the form for you to complete
• Select which of your children is away in the left column and press the -> arrow button in the middle, so that the selected name goes from the left column to the right. If you select the double arrow it will move all your children's names to the right column if you need to do an absence form for all of them for the same reason. 
• Once you have completed the form make sure that you click "save and close" at the bottom of the page when completed (not "save") 
• You also have the ability to upload a doctor's certificate, if applicable.

Click on the links below to complete the relevant forms in Engage.  You will find these links under Announcements on the top right-hand side of this newsletter. 

● To update your contact details

● Submit an Absentee Form

● Submit an Extended Leave Form(for holidays, weddings, etc.)

● Submit an Exemption From School Form (for external activities, medical appointments, funerals etc.)

For more information on using the Engage Parent Portal please go to our Parent Portal Resource Site

House spirit and unity are such an important part of life at Wollemi. On Friday of Week 4,  it was so great to celebrate our Secondary House Champions for Term 2 - Echuca - and publicly acknowledge their achievements. This was the second term in a row they have achieved this honour. 

The Wollemi House competition recognises all aspects of endeavour with boys being awarded house points for their contributions and efforts in a range of areas from sport to classroom application and achievements, behaviour and house competitions.  

Echuca boys in Years 7-12 enjoyed cans of drinks and a well-deserved sausage sizzle - a welcome treat on a cooler winter day. 

It was also great to see the Echuca boys sharing their celebratory BBQ with our Japanese exchange students from Kaimei High School. Each of our Japanese guests enjoyed a fair dinkum Aussie sausage sizzle.  

A big thank you to Simon Quinn, Echuca House Captain, and all the senior Echuca students who helped on the day to set up, cook and run this celebration. It is very much appreciated and ensured the smooth running of the event. 

Congratulations once again to all the Secondary Echuca boys. I wish all Houses the best of luck for the Term 3 House Competition. 

Wollemi Basketball Club Expression of Interest (Summer 2023 - 2024)

Expression of interest for those who wish to join a basketball team. This is only for new players and returning players (who skipped the Winter Season). Existing or current players don't need to register, just let your team manager know that your son will be playing again this coming Summer Season.

Congratulations to our U14 team for a very convincing win against Wentworth Falls (3-1) over the weekend and reaching the finals.

The Finals will be played at 12 pm Saturday the 26th of August at Jamison Park PFC Field 2. 

Please support our team, we hope to see everyone there.

The Year 9 parents' dinner last week hosted by the Quinns was a great opportunity to catch up over good food and great company. Thanks to everyone who came and we hope the others who couldn't make it will join us next term.

Rocel and Leo Quinn, Michael and Camille Wiggins

Fitting Service has resumed in Term 3. Normal Trading Hours are Fridays from 1 pm to 4:30 pm

Please Note: This is for Fittings & Try On Service Only. No sales or orders will be placed on-site - all orders will be placed online only.

All families are able to make their own uniform-fitting appointments through our online appointment system by using the below link. 

https://midford.as.me/WollemiCollege

Email: wollemi@midford.com.au Website: https://www.midford.com.au/school-shops-online     school passphrase: Wollemi1999

P: 02 8857 4959   E: wollemi@midford.com.au

Ordering online couldn’t be simpler.

1. Go to https://www.midford.com.au/school-shops-online  

2. Select Wollemi College from the online School Shops tab.

3. New users to click the ‘Register New Account’ button.

4. Start the registration process by selecting Wollemi College from the drop-down menu and add the

unique school pass phrase - Wollemi unique passphrase: Wollemi1999

5. Add your personal information, and create a username and password.

6. Order the items you need, select pick up from the school, or option of home delivery.

As we near the end of term 3, Mr. Berryman and I (Mr. Uyeda) are excited to announce our term 3 Wollemi Primary Sports Camp.  

When: Monday 25th - Wednesday, 27th September

Start Time: 9:00 am

Pickup Time: 3:00 pm

Cost: $100 for all 3 days or $40 per day

If you or anybody you know are interested in signing up, please click the link below:

Sign Up Here

We are still in the process of finalizing the schedule, and it will be very soon. If you have any questions regarding the sports camp, please feel free to contact Mr. Uyeda or Mr. Berryman @ dustin.uyeda@wollemi.nsw.edu.au   or jacob.berryman@wollemi.nsw.edu.au

RSVP to: parentformationteam@montgrove.nsw.edu.au