From the Principal

Dear Parents and Carers

Term 1 is an actioned packed time, full of a variety of events, activities and opportunities. We welcome our Year 7 students and staff back from their Encounter program, thanking our wonderful staff for their commitment across those three nights and four days, and congratulating our Year 7 cohort on their engagement across a very hot and busy week.

You will also see a report on our wonderful results at the ACC Inter-School Swimming Carnival. I would like thank all involved in the day, particularly acknowledging the significant preparation that goes into training and building our squad by our wonderful staff. Our strong second place finish was built on solid performances across the age groups, but a special mention must go to our Junior Boys (Years 7, 8 and 9) who topped their category – the future of swimming at JWACS is in good hands.

The Great Check-In: Supporting Our Senior Students

Over the past two weeks, our Year 11 and Year 12 students have enthusiastically participated in The Great Check-In. This valuable initiative, introduced by our new Dean of Teaching and Learning, Mr Scott Robertson, gave every student the valuable opportunity to have a 10-minute meeting with a Head of Department to reflect on their academic progress and review their chosen pathway.

Timed thoughtfully ahead of the official SCSA deadlines—before subject or pathway changes are no longer possible—The Great Check-In ensures our senior students are well-positioned for graduation and confident in their next steps, whether that be university, TAFE, or employment.

I extend my sincere thanks to Mr Robertson for his excellent coordination of the program and for the genuine care he shows for each of our students. I would also like to thank our dedicated Heads of Department who generously gave their time, as well as Administration Staff Shelley Bydder and Rochelle Buttigig for their invaluable support.

NAPLAN

Across the last two weeks, our Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 students have been undertaking the annual NAPLAN assessments. I would like to acknowledge all these students for their preparation, patience, flexibility and hard work during this time. For our Year 3 students, it was the first time taking these assessments and from the reports received, indicate they ‘took it all in their stride’. I am also deeply appreciative of the staff who ensured the NAPLAN process was caring and smooth, with teaching staff and education assistants ensuring that our young people are prepared and supported during this time. I would also like to thank our Administration, Information Technology staff, Head of Primary and Dean of Teaching and Learning for their organisation and investment of time during the testing window, in particular acknowledging David Crawford, our Dean of Operations, for his oversight of this huge undertaking.

Code of Conduct for Parents and Guardians

We are very proud of the strong community that we have at John Wollaston, built on our shared values of Respect, Responsibility, Honesty, Commitment and Inclusion. I would like to thank all members of the community for their ongoing support of our wonderful culture.

In support of that culture of care, the School has Codes of Conduct for our students, staff and wider community, which we regularly share. Please see the link below to access our Code of conduct for the wider school community, which can also be found under Plans and Policies on our website.

Community Code of Conduct

Bingo Night

Last Friday, our community came together for a fabulous night of Bingo in support of our FIRST Lego League students, who are fundraising for their upcoming trip to the World Championship in Houston. We are thrilled to announce that a total of $6200 was raised from the evening - a remarkable effort! Thank you to the many individuals who contributed to such a wonderful evening:

• Our fantastic JWACS staff for coordinating ticket sales, event logistics and set up
• Generous families and businesses in our community for donating prizes
• Everyone who purchased tickets to support our students

Final preparations are underway, with only two weeks until team Narwhal leaves for Texas. We are very proud of our students and look forward to sharing their journey with you!

I hope you enjoy the fourth edition of Wollaston’s Wrap for 2025 and have a fantastic final two weeks of Term 1.

With best wishes

Tim Russell

Principal

Principal's Commissioning