Our Headmaster, Mr Ramos, recently shared an article from The Australian about children openly admitting to mobile phone and social media addiction. Many of them want to spend less time online, but simply don’t know how.

The journalist interviewed students aged 10 to 19 from private, public and disadvantaged schools across three states. Almost every child interviewed admitted to being addicted to their phone—without hesitation. Likewise, the majority of parents said they felt “helpless” when trying to separate their children from their devices.

At PARED schools, mobile phones have not been permitted during school hours for many years—well before similar policies were adopted by state schools and other independent schools. The ongoing support from our community has been outstanding. While a few students occasionally test the system, the reality is that boys at Wollemi are phone-free from 8:40 am until 3:25 pm.

Without phones at school, our boys:

• experience fewer distractions

• engage more deeply with their learning

• listen actively

• enjoy face-to-face conversations with peers

• communicate more openly

• take part in sports and physical activities during recess, lunch and before school

• are free from social media use

We are in the last week of August. During this month, we have been looking up to Our Lady in Heaven, on the Solemnity of the Assumption and on the celebration of her Queenship. She is the Queen and Lady of all created things!!

Father Felix Navarro, College Chaplain

Term 3 Progress Check

As we pass the halfway point of Term 3, it is important to take a breath and assess your son’s mindset, energy and wellbeing. Term 3 can be a challenge for many students as fatigue, frustration and a range of other emotions may begin to set in. Holidays seem like a distant memory and the Term 3 break seems so far away!

This week, take a moment to check in with your son, celebrate his successes of the term and make a plan to finish Term 3 well. Ask if he has any concerns or challenges with school work, friendships or extracurricular commitments. Allow him to communicate openly and take action if things are becoming too much.

A restorative break (e.g. a night off from homework) and a good conversation (ensuring your son feels heard and supported) can do wonders to help him push through Term 3.

A focus on reading - The Final Push!

Congratulations to the students who have already completed the Challenge.

Last Wednesday night, about thirty musicians performed for the very supportive audience and created an exciting evening full of culture and expertise.

Congratulations to all the performers, you should be very proud of yourselves. It is not an easy task to play in front of your peers and other people you don’t know.

Special thanks to Mr Tolentino for creating the perfect atmosphere for the evening by surrounding the audience in student art and Mr Williamson for his behind-the-scenes organisation. Thanks also to Andrei Jambalos for the programme, James Gilbert for the sound, and Raphael Aldous, Kabeer Arora and Jagath Kiran for their hilarious MCing.

It was great to see Mr Dickson win the Lucky Seat Prize!

Looking forward to next year’s event.

Thank you to Mr Ramos for taking such great photos – enjoy!

Melissa Lamrock, Head of Music

On Friday, 25 July, the Year 12 Biology class went to the Museum of Human Diseases. By both train and light rail, the class, with Mr. Capistrano and Mr. Meyer, made headway to Kensington, Sydney’s campus for UNSW. For some of us, this would have been the first experience of "The Uni Life!” Which entails overpriced food, a twenty-minute walk from one building to the next (UNSW owns its own postcode!), and seeing hundreds of people, none of whom you would recognise. This was all a snippet of the excitement that is yet to come next year.

After the hour and a half journey together from Werrington Station to campus, we were welcomed into a lecture from the Museum Team Leader looking at case studies of different infectious and non-infectious diseases. In fact, the lecturer had written past HSC questions for the biology exam.

The Year 11 Biology class of 2025 travelled to the Penrith Lakes Environment Education Centre to explore the sustainable ecosystems that were recovered after being used for mining of rocks and agriculture for crops in the past. Through the downpour of rain, with the help of gumboots and excitement, we still managed to have great fun testing the quality of the water along with the many other factors that have to be kept in check for the lakes to stay healthy, including the measuring of pH levels, water temperature and many more.

Additionally, we had the chance to capture small organisms that inhabited the Lakes with fishing nets. We even had some boys dip themselves into the lakes to have an even greater chance of capturing any tiny invertebrates or fish.

Towards the end of the day, we were shown the small pets that the organisers of the excursion held, which included a snake that we fed a little mouse to.

Even though we thought the heavy rain was going to ruin the day, we were still able to have a great time outdoors exploring a different ecosystem and learning new things.

Abel (Year 11 Biology Student)

As we near the end of this Term, we would like to invite you to a special Key Parent Function by Dr Judith Locke on Helping your child become confident and capable. 

Dr Judith Locke is a clinical psychologist, former School Counsellor, and author of The Bonsai Child and Raising Anxiety. She runs a successful private practice and delivers parent-focused training in Australia and internationally, aiming to promote long-term psychological well-being and resilience in children and families.

This KPF is exclusively for Montgrove and Wollemi staff and parents from Years 7-12, and will be held at the Montgrove COLA on Thursday, 28 August (7pm for a 7:30pm start). 

A separate KPF will be held for Kindy - Year 6 staff and parents on 27 August. 

Parents with children in both groups are welcome to attend twice if they want to. Please see the attached flyer for more details.

Please RSVP for the Years 7-12 Term 3 KPF using this LINK.

Please pray for our sick Wollemi family and friends:

Carol Gonzales,mother to Gena and Alan Soriano, grandmother to Matthias (12G), Ignatius (8B) and Lorenzo (7B); (4B);Joseph Valladores,father to Jose (9G);Carol Alvarez,grandmother to Ramon (9B) and Vincenzo Zamora (5B); Emmanuel Hanna,brother to George (8G); Victor Sciberras,father to Marianne and Carmel Spiteri, grandfather to Justin (9B); Mariano Valladores,father to Ela and Will O'Neill, grandfather to Michael (11B) and John-Paul (7B); John McAuley(101 yo) great-grandfather to Max Horsfall (5B) and Joseph McAuley (3G); Zoey de Villiers,sister of Jayson de Villiers (6G) and daughter of Mr Jean Pierre de Villiers(Wollemi Teacher).

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

We believe this book is a meaningful way to honour and celebrate our school's legacy for years to come. Additional copies are available for purchase at the Front Office, enabling you to share this cherished keepsake with extended family and friends. We deeply appreciate your continued support and hope this special book inspires you.

To order your copy today, click here.

Wollemi is excited to offer a range of commemorative merchandise, including custom-designed hoodies, beanies, caps, cufflinks, and ties. These items feature unique artwork inspired by Wollemi's motto and vibrant community.

Visit the front office today to secure your favourite items, as they are in limited supply.

Wollemi College is delighted to announce that Dion Palumbo will be teaching the guitar on Wednesdays in the Music Centre.

He has vast experience performing and teaching, including in London.

A career highlight was performing at the 2012 London Paralympic Games. He has conducted and arranged music for the British National Youth Jazz Orchestra and won best EP in the Jazz/Funk/Fusion section of the 2014 Independent Music Awards.

Dion is also a highly qualified Music Therapist and the College is in discussions with him to obtain his services in this area. Watch this space!

If you wish to start lessons with Mr Dion Palumbo, please contact Ms Melissa Lamrock, Head of Music – melissa.lamrock@wollemi.nsw.edu.au  

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

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

The safety and well-being of our students are of paramount importance at Wollemi. As you would appreciate, with the commencement of a new school term, and the continued growth of the school population, the volume of traffic in and around the College has increased during afternoon pick-up.

As a result of this, we have taken some measures to improve the parking at the College with the expansion of the overflow car park. To help ensure the effective traffic flow and our Wollemi community's safety, I take this opportunity to remind you of the College’s pick-up procedures...

The WBC Cup match between the BNSW Team, coached by Earl Kabiling, and the Wollemi All-Star Team, coached by Rob Centeno, was a huge success. Both teams played with passion and intensity from start to finish.

Throughout the school term our opening hours are 1:00pm – 4:30pm on Fridays.

Jesus Youth, a Catholic movement with canonical approval and active presence in Sydney,  other cities in Australia, and around the world, is offering an incredible opportunity for teenagers (Grade 7 to 12) to deepen their faith and experience spiritual growth. It promises to be an enlightening experience for all who attend. This retreat offers them the opportunity to step away from the daily hustle and immerse themselves in a nurturing environment where they can connect with God, strengthen their faith, and build lasting friendships with peers who share their values. It will feature engaging talks on topics relevant to teenagers, uplifting and vibrant music, reflective discussions, and interactive, fun activities designed to deepen their understanding of the beauty of living the Catholic faith. The program includes daily Holy Mass, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and opportunities for Reconciliation. This will be a precious chance for teenagers to explore their spiritual identity, confront the challenges of the modern world, and grow closer to God.

Here is the Registration form to confirm seats. Please feel free to pass this to any other parents/teenagers who might be interested.