Dates for your Diary
First day for Year 7 in 2022 is Monday 31 January at 9am
First day for Year 11 and 12 students is Monday 31 January at 2pm (this does not include Year 10 students who are studying one or more Year 11 subjects)
First day for Year 8, 9 and 10 students is Tuesday 1 February, 2022 at 9am
First day for all SPORTS ACADEMY: Basketball and AFL students is Tuesday 1 February at 8.15am
From the Principal and Assistant Principal
What a year 2021 was. Remote Learning returned with a vengeance. We are so proud of our students, staff and families – together we persevered during what was a challenging period.
We farewelled recently our Class of 2021. Our awesome Year 12 students were unable, due to Covid restrictions, to have the traditional Celebration Day here at school to mark their final day as a high school student before the commencement of their final exams. We were so pleased, however, when it became possible to proceed with our annual Valedictory tradition. Later in this edition, more on this, is available.
Celebrating student success and achievement is very important to us. Recently all year levels have participated in a Final Awards Assembly. It is an occasion in which we formally acknowledge the excellence displayed by students at each year level. Later in this edition, you can learn more about this.
Speaking of normality gradually returning, we are pleased to announce that school tours are once again allowed. Although please note, you need to be fully vaccinated. If this requirement changes, we will let you know. Simply contact the front office if you wish to book in for a school tour. It will be our pleasure to show you around. Come and see us in action!
With extreme excitement, we look forward to our Learning Excellence Accelerated Program (LEAP) for 2022. We are indeed committed to extended and challenging all of our strong academic performers. No coasting allowed here!
Our Sports Academy in 2022 is set to continue to go from strength to strength. Our excessively exciting breaking news is our recent appointment of our 2022 AFL coach: a former AFL player with over 200 AFL games to his credit. Who can he be? Indeed later in this edition there is more on this exciting development.
Laptops – we remind our wonderful parents that in 2022 we are no longer leasing laptops. This is due to an Education Department policy no longer allowing any school to do this. Hence from 2022 we are a fully Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) laptop school.
Recently we were thrilled and excited to host our incoming 2022 Year 7 pupils for a day as part of our Orientation Day initiative. Our wonderful incoming students were treated to a host of mini high school lessons designed to them a taste of high school life. We treated all of our new school members to a barbeque lunch at our amphitheatre which added to the fun. We look forward to a wonderful new year with our new students and families.
We have been successful in acquiring a sun shade grant of $25,000. In the new year, we expect a dazzling new sun shade to provide a new outdoor, sheltered learning area which is most exciting.
Having been awarded 3.54Million earlier this year for Stage 1 major upgrade funding, meetings with architects have been happening recently which has been very exciting. A master plan is being developed also. The school’s future is looking very bright with a serious capital investment upgrade about to commence. Stay tuned!
If you haven’t already done so, please check out our official Facebook Page. Updated almost on a daily basis, it gives you an even greater insight into our wonderful school.
We wish all of our school community, teachers, students, support staff, parents, guardians and friends a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful new year. Stay safe. See you in 2022
Dr Stephen Parkin – Principal
Joseph Caruana – Assistant Principal
Bushfire Evacuation Drill
On December 6, 2021, we successfully conducted a Bushfire Evacuation Drill which involved our Year 7 and 8 students.
We first went into Alert Mode (this involves staying in the classroom and proceeding as normal) and then we evacuated into our Shelter-in-Place building. This building has been especially designed and upgraded to be the best location in which to seek shelter in the event of a looming bushfire threat.
The drill was part of our ongoing emergency management focus.
Congratulations to the graduating class of 2021!
We couldn’t be more proud of what our amazing Year 12s accomplished this year.
Despite lockdowns, remote learning and all of the associated challenges, our Year 12s have displayed perseverance, maturity and optimism. They were unable to have a Celebration Day due to Covid restrictions but they were able to experience a stunning Valedictory dinner celebration.
Celebrating Student Success
The months of November and December is when all year levels have their own specific awards ceremony to celebrate outstanding student achievement. We acknowledge student excellence at all year levels. Areas of excellence we celebrate include academic excellence, artistic and sporting excellence.
After each individual Year Level Final Awards Assembly, comes the final formal Awards Night, this is where the best of best from each year level is formally recognized. Sponsors, including the Warrandyte Rotary Club and Lions Club make this night particularly memorable.
Capital Works Upgrade
We have been successful in acquiring a sun shade grant of $25,000. In the new year, we expect a dazzling new sun shade to provide a new outdoor, sheltered learning area which is most exciting.
Having been awarded 3.54Million earlier this year for Stage 1 major upgrade funding, meetings with architects have been happening recently which has been very exciting. A master plan is being developed also. The school’s future is looking very bright with a serious capital investment upgrade about to commence. Stay tuned!
Sports Academy in 2022
The 2021 Basketball + AFL Sports Academy is drawing to a close. A huge thank you is extended to Brad Waters who has been our amazing Basketball Program Coach this year. We are excited to announce that Brad will continue as our Basketball Sports Academy Coach in 2022.
Hugh Schaeche has also done an awesome job as our AFL Sports Academy Coach this year. Hugh has decided to pursue other career options next year and we wish him all the very best. He will be missed.
And now, it is with great excitement that we are able to announce our 2022 AFL Sports Academy Coach: David Mackay. David is a highly experienced AFL player who played 248 games for the Adelaide Crows. He announced his retirement from the AFL earlier this year and he is very excited to be our new AFL Sports Academy coach in 2022. I know, what exciting news!
The 2021 Valedictory
Recently at the Karralyka Centre in Ringwood, our impressive graduating class of 2021 were the star attractions at their Valedictory.
It was a magical night, made more so by the fact that it was actually allowed to proceed, so soon after the end of Lockdown 6.0. Families, Year 12 students and teachers alike came together to share in this memorable evening. Students’ achievements were celebrated on this night. Ms Fall and Ms Zammet did a wonderful job making the night memorable. The Principal formally reflected on the year that was, and indeed on the Class of 2021 having reached the zenith of their secondary education. VCE Leader, Ms Fall, similarly reflected and celebrated formally the extraordinary achievements of our senior students.
International Fairy Bread Day
On Tuesday 24th November we celebrated International Fairy Bread Day. Back in the day, November 24, 2014 to be precise, the founder Adam Schell, whilst enjoying a snack of Fairy Bread, jokingly said, “There should be a day to celebrate this!”
And so it became an annual event.
In 2020 Fairy Bread Day announced its partnership with Australia’s leading online mental health service, ReachOut, raising$30.9K to help support Australia’s youth. Continuing our partnership in 2021, Fairy Bread Day is dedicated to Sprinkling Kindness and hosting space for important conversations around mental health.
Indeed we seized the opportunity to encourage everyone to ‘Sprinkle a Little Kindness’ and promote positive Mental Health.
Fairy Bread was handed out at Recess and indeed quickly devoured by students. A big thank you to IGA in Warrandyte for donating 20 loaves of bread,
Promoting Positive Mental Health
Jo Miller
Well Being
Year 12 Studio Arts
Each year we are incredibly proud of the work produced by our Year 12 Studio Arts students. This year, despite the return to remote learning, was no exception. Enjoy a selected collection of the student work from this year.
Year 7- 9 Activities
Recently our Year 7 and 8s went to Fun Fields as an end of year treat. The Year 9s went to Luna Park!
Well done to our Junior and Middle School on a fantastic year!
Taking The Challenge – Year 9 – Colour Explosion!
Taking the Challenge is a unique program specifically designed for our Year 9 students. To mark the end of 2021, the Year 9 students participated in a COLOUR Run which was so much fun.
This excessively enjoyable day was put together to celebrate and recognise the amazing efforts of our Year 9s in what was a year of lockdowns, remote learning and other memorable moments.
Orientation Day 2021
On Tuesday 7th of December, Warrandyte High School was able to showcase an engaging Orientation Day session for the class of 2022 Year 7’s.
Grade 6 students from a wide range of primary schools including Wonga Park PS, Warrandyte PS, Anderson’s Creek PS, Research PS and Kangaroo PS were buzzing with excitement on arrival and were eager to visit their new school.
Students participated in a range of mini lessons that covered some of the many subjects offered at Warrandyte High School. Students were able to compete in some sporting activities, cook in our kitchen facilities, art whilst science, English and maths also featured.
The fun filled day of engaging activities concluded with a barbeque lunch which was enjoyed in our amazing amphitheatre.
Year 10 students are trained each year to be Peer Support leaders, a mentoring and pastoral care program aimed at further enabling Year 7s to transition smoothly into high school. 14 of our awesome Year 9’s who have volunteered to be a part of the peer support group for 2022 assisted greatly on the day, making Orientation Day even more successful.
They certainly began building a lovely rapport with our incoming Year 7 students.
The Peer Support crew for next year will undoubtably be an asset to the school and will assist these future year 7’s, ensuring a successful transition from primary to high school.
I would like to extend my gratitude to the many staff members who helped make the day a success. Teamwork at its best
Luke Mason
Junior School Leader