And so we come to the end of the end of the academic year. These last few weeks, amongst the tight schedule, and all the activities and celebrations, have brought plenty of joy; the joy of helping others, and the satisfaction we have felt on hearing of the positive impact our students have. At Wollemi over the last two weeks, we have sought to remind our students of the true meaning of Christmas, beyond a commercial opportunity or a set of social customs, by focusing on community service to finish the year with gratitude.

Years 7-9 engaged in a number of community service initiatives over this last Activities Week at St Joseph's Parish, Thorndale and St Vincent De Paul Homeless Appeal. Service was balanced with the enjoyment of bushwalks, excursions and surfing lessons. A big thank you to Mr Johnson, Mr James and the Formation team, as well as the entire Secondary Staff for their support and flexibility in covering such a wide range of activities.

Our Primary boys were not to be left behind. They made a wonderful effort in the Christmas Class Decorations challenge, that really transformed our Primary school and made the joy of Christmas present to all. The pictures below only partially represent the wonderful atmosphere of celebration we have been living at Wollemi. Many thanks to our wonderful Primary Class Teachers for getting into the spirit, and to the many parent helpers who so kindly lent their talents and support.

I am particularly proud of the initiative of our Primary Captain, Elijah, to organise our Primary students to write Christmas Cards to residents of a number of local nursing homes, with a group of our student leaders, together with Mr Williamson, then delivered in person. We have received several emails relating the positive impact this initiative has had on many residents. Only this morning, the son of one of such residents contacted us wishing to return the favour in the form of his own card to the boy who wrote to his mother, such was the impact this small act of kindness had. Well done boys!

Last Sunday night, a group of our Year 4 students sang Christmas Carols at our neignbouring Kurrambee School during their Christmas celebration. During the evening, Logan Stead, a graduate from our 2023 class, unveiled the lectern he designed and built for them as part of his major Design & Technology HSC project. What an outstanding citizen! Many thanks to Mr Williamson for organising Wollemi’s participation in the event, to Mr Johnson for conducting the choir and to one of the dads, Mr Biliniewicz, for accompanying the boys on guitar. 

Congratulations to our Year 6 graduating class, and a big thank you to our Year 6 parents who worked so hard, in record temperatures, to give our Year 6s a memorable graduation celebration last Friday.

Congratulations also to John McLoughlin who, with 3 other players, has been selected to travel to Ireland to play with the Australian Raptors Rugby Academy. What a great opportunity!

As our year comes to a close, I wanted to take this opportunity to wish you and your family a blessed Christmas filled with every happiness and joy, and I look forward to seeing you all in 2024. 

It is good that we start our summer holidays getting ready to celebrate Christmas! Here you have a suggestion from Pope Francis:

“If we want it to be Christmas, the Birth of Jesus and of peace, let us look to the face of the Child who is born for us! And in that small, innocent face, let us recognize the faces of all those children who long for peace in every part of the world”.

Have a Holy and Happy Christmas!

Fr Felix, Chaplain

'Tis the season to be grateful, and with this in mind, I would like to take this opportunity to outline my highlights of gratitude!

Throughout 2024, our Primary students have participated in numerous excursions, camps, and events. From the Zoosnooz, Year 6 Canberra Camp, Pilgrimages, Year 5 fun day, Father and Son Camps, Kurrambee Carols night, Christmas Cards to residents in nursing homes, sports carnivals, Hills Zone Carnivals, Rugby at Wollemi, Zoo excursions, RUOK Day, Yr 12 Primary Fun day, various excursions and incursions, New Student Orientation, WOLCAN, mufti days, Futsal and Basketball competitions, the visit of Japanese exchange students, Book Week and Family picnic, Love for Lahaina, Chess Competition, SCOPE IT, and many other events that I may have inadvertently omitted. I am exceedingly grateful for these enriching experiences that our students have had access to and for the involvement of staff and parents in bringing these events to life!

I am grateful for the exceptional dedication of our amazing teachers to our boys. The staff at Wollemi wholeheartedly enjoy teaching here. I ascertain this not solely from their words but from witnessing their professionalism, their interactions with our students, and their collaborative and collegial nature. A school's culture is transparent in settings like the staff room during recess and lunch. Wollemi's staff room embodies inclusivity, warmth, care, and a healthy dose of humor. Our students are exceptionally fortunate to be under the guidance of staff members who consistently prioritise their students' best interests and are unified in their pursuit of excellence. I am immensely grateful to work alongside this inspiring team.

I have expressed the following sentiment numerous times to my family, friends, and prospective families during enrollment interviews: the Wollemi community is unparalleled. Having previously worked in other schools beyond the PARED group, I am aware that teaching can often feel unappreciated. However, this is certainly not the case at Wollemi. I am incredibly grateful for the Wollemi families. I've received innumerable emails and phone calls expressing gratitude and appreciation from parents across the school. It deeply warms my heart when they acknowledge the profound impact our teachers have made on their sons' development. Our community is generous, supportive, and exceptionally kind, and for this, I am truly grateful.

I am immensely grateful to collaborate with an exceptional executive team who embody selflessness, and genuineness, and serve as inspirations to all. I appreciate the leadership of James Ramos. James demonstrates incredible diligence and tirelessly works to meet the needs of our staff, students, and parents. The departing Deputy, David Vassallo, is one of the most energetic and organised individuals I've encountered. His energy, organisation, and caring disposition are truly remarkable. Both men serve as inspirations, and I am genuinely thankful for the opportunity to learn and grow in my leadership under these two exceptional individuals. I wish David the very best at Redfield and I look forward to working closely with James.

I am also very grateful for the gifted ladies in the office. They are the heartbeat of the College and without their hard work and expertise, we would struggle to function.

Lastly, I am ever so grateful for the resilient, fun-loving, hardworking, charitable, and caring Wollemi students! The future shines brightly with these young men of character, supported by a wonderful group of parents, making a difference in the lives of all they encounter.

Merry Christmas and have a wonderful break. See you all in '24!

 Scott Williamson,  Head of Primary

And so we come to the end of our school year for 2023. As always, it is a time of special celebration for students (and staff) as it signals the start of a much-needed break from work. With the end of the school year, it is a good time for us to look back on our performance and our efforts this past year.  I encourage us all to set aside some time in this holiday period to reflect upon this year and to learn and see what could be done better on our part.

Tuesday's Presentation Night was a fantastic way to cap off the year. The night was filled with various performances and recognition for hardworking students who received awards for their dedication. Congratulations to you all. It was also a time to express our gratitude to our parents, staff, and each other for making this school year a success.

I want to take the time to focus on one particularly exceptional member of our staff, who finished his last year at Wollemi. Mr Vassallo, your hard work and endeavours at our school have not gone unnoticed. Your presence at Wollemi and the boundless energy you bring will be sorely missed and we wish you the best of luck in your future endeavours at Redfield, our brother school.

As we head into the holiday break, I hope each of you have a blessed Christmas and enjoy this time with family and friends.

Peter W., School Captain

Congratulations to the Class of 2023 for the strong HSC results they have received today. It has been the culmination of 13 years of hard work and dedication.  We celebrate and congratulate each and every one of them for their amazing effort and diligence across the year. We are also thankful for all the support and prayers they have received from the entire Wollemi community. These are some of the highlights:

• In 2023, 28 students sat a total of 150 examinations. 
• A substantial number of students (83%) scored Band 5 and 6 results in one or more of their courses.
• 15 Band 6s or E4s (90% or above) were achieved. That is 10% of our course results.
• 55 Band 5s or E3s (80% or above), or 37% of our total course results.
• Amongst the top HSC results were Alex Woolnough who achieved the top two marks with 97% in Ancient History and 96% in Modern History and Filip Grus achieving 95% in Polish Continuers. Special mention also to Benedict Cabrera who achieved 95% in Mathematics Advanced as an accelerated student while in Year 11.
• 13 out of 21 Subjects achieved Band 6 results.
• Of 150 examinations, 79% of all our results were above 70%.

Wollemi continued to have strong overall results with 13 of our 21 subjects achieving Band 6s. In addition to this, History Extension, PDHPE, and Polish Continuers achieved a Band 6 for the first time in the history of College, thus broadening our successful academic pool. We continue to exceed the state averages. Of particular note are Biology (12.5% above state), Modern History (10.22%) and Ancient History (10.06%).

At an individual level, eight of our students were Distinguished Achievers, scoring in the top band (90% or above) in at least one subject. A special congratulations to Alex Woolnough with five listings and Gabriel Gil with three. Congratulations to three of our students - Gabriel Gil, Sourav Suresh and Alex Woolnough - who achieved an ATAR above 92. 

There are many other individual success stories amongst these results that do not appear in the rankings. These boys have applied themselves to reach their personal best. We congratulate all of them. While I am obviously pleased with our HSC results, I take this opportunity to reaffirm that our purpose at Wollemi is to work in partnership with our parents to form men of good character and virtue. These HSC results are a testament to our success in this endeavour. The HSC is a long and gruelling race in and of itself.  All finishers are to be thoroughly commended.

Thank you to all the teachers and mentors who have supported the boys over the years and the entire Wollemi community for their family prayers for these boys. Please continue offering the same support for our current Year 12 students. 

To the Class of 2023, we wish you the very best in your future studies and careers. We look forward to hearing about all the great contributions I know you will make to our society as you ‘put out into the deep’.

Duc in Altum.

James Ramos, Headmaster

Our Year 4 boys, along with their teachers, spread holiday cheer by singing carols at Kurrambee School, our neighbouring Special Needs school. To begin the event, Logan S (Year 12), uncovered his remarkable D&T HSC project – a brand new lectern for Kurrambee! This is a true testament to our commitment to service and community.

Kudos to Mr Johnson for leading the boys on stage, Mr Biliniewicz for the musical accompaniment, Mr Reyes for teaching the carols, and Mr Breen and Mr Berryman for their support! 

This marks the beginning of a meaningful partnership between Wollemi and Kurrambee, with endless possibilities to support these incredible kids.

Last week, the secondary boys participated in Activities Week, which is an essential part of the formation here at Wollemi! This week aims at making sure the boys finish their school year using their time well. Since the boys have finished their exams, we don't want them to waste time, playing games or watching movies, but instead to do some meaningful learning.

With this in mind, we launched ourselves into a huge variety of activities, in the middle of these scorching summer days. The boys enjoyed a Surf day in Manly to one of the most beautiful bushwalks in Wentworth Falls, from a drama day to robotics. The year 9s had a skills day where they learnt how to cook an omelette, how to change a tyre and how to iron a shirt. I hope the boys got a lot out of it!

All students also participated in a variety of community service activities this week. The Year 9 boys went to St Joseph's parish to help with their annual clean up. The Year 8 boys went to Thorndale, where they helped people with disabilities pack their products or enjoyed a nice boot/dancing camp with them. The Year 7 boys helped to put together snack packs for the homeless as well as writing personalised Christmas Cards for them.

From the feedback that I received from the boys and the staff, all the boys stepped up to the occasion and wonderfully represented Wollemi. After this week, we can say Wollemi finished 2023 in an amazing strong way. I would like to thank Mrs Reid, Mrs Aguilar Mrs Wiggins, and all the staff who were willing to make this week happen, for their help during this week. We couldn't have done it, without their help. Have a Holy and Merry Christmas everyone!

Jack Johnson,  Director of Personalised Formation

A MASSIVE THANK YOU to all Wollemi students and families for their support of our St Vincent De Paul ‘Care and Coin’ Appeal. The generosity of our students and their families was overwhelming. We were inundated with donated items with each class’s boxes overflowing with a range of items from poppers and chips, muesli bars and Le Snaks, to biscuits and noodles. It was a truly amazing effort by everyone. We collected enough items to make over 850 snack packs for the homeless! 

A big thank you to Wollemi SRC, led by Mr James, for their help in organising this appeal, Year 9 Ignite classes for collating and stock-taking all the donated items and Mrs Aguilar for counting the money donated. During Activities Week, our Year 7 students bundled everything into individual snack packs as part of their community service. These snack packs, each with a handwritten Christmas Card from our students, will now be distributed by St Vincent De Paul to the homeless.

In addition to the donated items, the School raised over $850 for St Vincent De Paul through our mufti day. This is an extraordinary effort by the School Community and is indicative of the tremendous generosity and care of Wollemi families. Well done to everyone.

On Wednesday 29 November, we welcomed our newest members to the Wollemi Secondary School with our Year 7 2024 Orientation Day. It was great to officially welcome our Class of 2029, which is currently made up of 32 boys from our Year 6 Wollemi class as well as 23 new boys to the College. It was also lovely to be able to meet their parents and to be able to share a morning tea together.  

Orientation Day gave these boys an opportunity to see the secondary school up close, to learn about and ask questions about how high school operates, and more importantly, to begin to forge lasting friendships with other members of the Class of 2029. 

The boys were engaged in a range of activities on the day. From “getting to know you” activities to participating in a range of team building and hands-on activities to help better acquaint themselves with their new school environment and build camaraderie amongst the class. This included taking part in a School Tour with a Twist – in the form of a Wollemi Scavenger Hunt, group problem-solving activities and a range of initiative games; including “Raging River”, “Blindman’s Bluff”  and “Argog’s Spider’s Web.” The boys also participated in a discussion workshop led by our Year 12 men. This workshop helped explain and answer any questions our newest Year 7 Wollemi students had in relation to beginning life in secondary school. The boys also had the opportunity to meet and be addressed by key members of the School Leadership team including the Headmaster, Director of Personalised Education, The Director of Teaching and Learning, our School Counsellor and the Head of Middle School. 

It was a great day. 

A big thank you to our School Captains, House Captains and all our Year 12 men who gave up their time to help out on the day, as well as all the staff who helped with the planning and running of the day; especially Mr Weber – Head of Middle School, Mrs Mildred Yap, Mrs Bless Aguilar and Mrs Camille Wiggins – for all their help preparing the information booklets and name tags and liaising with parents in the lead up to the day. Most importantly, to our Class of 2029. If the energy and enthusiasm you showed on our Orientation Day are an indication of the passion and effort you are going to bring to the secondary school, then we are set for some extraordinary things. 

I wish the very best to all of our Year 7 Wollemi men on their first day next year. May their journey be full of happiness, hard work and success. 

David Vassallo, Deputy Headmaster

The 2023 Wollemi End of Year Presentation was held at the Evan Theatre last Tuesday evening. followed a similar format with prize giving and some musical items interspersed throughout the ceremony. The event acknowledged and celebrated student achievements. 

Congratulations to all award winners for their mighty efforts this year! 

The amazing photos were taken by Mr Jeffrey Dohnt (Archer Y6 and  Braxton Y8). 

Last Friday, we said farewell to our Year 6 boys at their Graduation Mass and luncheon. The event was not an authentic farewell in the pure sense of the word, it was more about wishing them luck in the next chapter of their journey at Wollemi College, as they prepare for life in High School - the land of the long pants! The day was an amazing success and this can be attributed to a variety of contributions made by Mr. Iain Fraser and the Year 6 parents.

Mrs. Portelli and Mrs Japon, along with their dedicated team of parents spent the afternoon before transferring the B Block classrooms into a facility fit to host the King! A big thank you to Mr Jeff Dohnt for taking the magnificent photos to capture the event.

After lunch, Mr. Fraser, as has been done for many, many years, delivered his speech about his Year 6 class. For the past 5 years, I have heard Mr. Fraser speak about his Year 6 classes and while it is labelled a speech, it really is a roast; a light-hearted and very funny take on the Year 6 cohort and the year that was. As a result of the copious amount of laughter, there was not a dry eye in the house! Congratulations, Year 6 for your amazing contribution to the Primary school. We wish you all the very best in your secondary schooling! 

Please pray for our sick Wollemi family and friends:

Vince Sammut, grandfather to  Lucas in 9G; Mary Powell, Mother of Jacob (2), auntie to Gerard & Gabriel Karam and Michael Roberts (2); Christopher Bonanno, uncle to Jacob Powell (2),  Gerard (10) & Gabriel (8) Karam and Michael Roberts; Jason Japon, father to Zachary (6B),  Luke Japon (3G Teacher); Igor Mileusnic, uncle to Hugo Giles; Alex Borg, grandfather to Nicholas Cassar (6B).  Joanne Pang, mother to Ian Chia in 4G;  Maria Mendoza, mother to  Noah in 7B; Joseph Valladores, father to Jose in 7B; 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;   Mariano Valladores, father to Ela and Will O'Neill,  grandfather to Michael in 9B and John-Paul in 4B.

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

Chris Dowsett, grandfather to Max in 2B and Noah in 4B; Aurea Ingco,  Great Grandmother to Romeo Kottatis 8B, Austin Kottatis 5B; Mariamma Thomas, grandmother to Roshan in 11B and Rahul, (Class of 2023); Wilma Wright, mother to Brett and Alyson Wright (Head of Senior School); Joan Mary Milosev, grandmother to Daniel and Pam Milosev, great-grandmother to Zack in 11G, Max in 9B and Oliver in 4B; Godofredo Verceles,  father to Janet and Rey Esteban, grandfather to Reuven in 8B and Ram in 4B;  Jun Ravalo; father to Mildred and Anton Yap; grandfather to Andrei in 10 B and Josef in 7G; Alexander Federigan; uncle to Ian Ison (Secondary teacher), great uncle to Lucas Ison 10G; 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.} 

Congratulations to John McDonald on his success at the Australian All Schools Athletics Championships over the weekend in Perth.

John was part of the NSW 4x100m relay team who finished 2nd in their event. He also placed 2nd in the 100m final, running a new personal best time of 10.61secs.

 Post HSC Breakfast was held yesterday as our Alumni welcomed the Class of 2023 to the Wollemi Old Boys Association. 

Wollemi College Fitting Range will open in the January holidays for Appointments Only 

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

Opening Hours by Appointment Only:

Friday 19th January 9:00am – 3:00pm

Wednesday 24th January 9:00am – 3:00pm

Monday 29th January    1:00pm – 4:00pm

Normal Trading Hours resume on Friday 2nd February.

Normal Trading Hours are Friday’s 1pm – 4:30pm Email: wollemi@midford.com.au

The Pared Academy is pleased to invite you to 'Pay Cheque with a Purpose', a one-night event with renowned speaker Alexandre Havard at The Concourse, Chatswood on Wednesday, 28 February 2024! He spoke at the 2021 Term 2 KPF, and the feedback was so positive, we're bringing him back!

Click here to book your tickets now!

Alex wants to help you:

• Discover how to break free from the mindset that is dominated by the vision of unfulfilling work
• Learn how to attain a new vision of life and of self, and gain a better understanding of your unique talents
• Build stronger relationships, attain confidence to lead others, and find a greater focus on your purpose and mission

This event is open to the general public but, and seats are already going fast.

Don't miss out - BOOK NOW

Wollemi Holiday Surf Camp for 2023 during the summer holidays will be running on 14 and 15 December.

There is a fee of $150 for 6 Hours of Surf Lessons, BBQ Lunch and Transport. All equipment provided 

As we near the end of term 4, Mr Tu'ipulotu and I (Mr Uyeda) are excited to announce our  Wollemi Primary Summer Sports Camp.  

When: Monday 18th - Wednesday, 20th December

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 Tu'ipulotu.   dustin.uyeda@wollemi.nsw.edu.au or samuel.tuipulotu@wollemi.nsw.edu.au