From the Principal

Dear Parents and Guardians

The highlight of the past fortnight was Founders' Day. The School's 29th birthday, celebrated on Wednesday 22 August, was a very happy day for all involved. We were joined by special guests The Right Reverend Kate Wilmot Assistant Bishop of Perth who led the Founders' Day Service, The Reverend Peter Laurence OAM CEO of the Anglican Schools Commission and Dr Liz Pattison OAM and Dr Ken Mullin, both of the Rotary Club of Heirisson. This year we introduced the Inter-House Rowing Regatta to the busy program which also comprised the Principal's Cup Staff versus Students netball match and the Wollaston Marketplace featuring a plethora of food, entertainment and games stalls. Our charities this year supported the homeless; the Socks in the City Appeal to which we donated in excess of 1700 pairs of socks and  Anglicare WA's Street Connect to which we donated $2900.00. Thank you to all involved in making the day so successful. I know the students thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

My thoughts on the importance of Founders' Day to our school community were expressed in my address to the School.

Welcome to our Founders' Day Service to celebrate the School's 29th birthday.

Today is a special day for John Wollaston Anglican Community School. We continue a tradition started in 2003 where we gather as a whole school to celebrate the foundation day of the School - primarily at this worship service and later through a casual lunch, the opportunity to view the Inter House Rowing Regatta at Champion Lakes, support the Staff vs Students Netball match for the Principal's Cup and participate in the Wollaston Marketplace which transforms our grounds into a range of food, novelty and game stalls.

Traditionally Founders’ Day has enabled us to support a charitable cause and this year it comes with a twist. We have chosen to support the homeless by supporting two complementary causes; the Socks in the City Appeal and Anglicare WA’s Street Connect program. Year 6 students will elaborate on the Socks in the City initiative later in the  Service, suffice to say however, that the several hundred pairs of socks donated by our community in the past fortnight will assist the health and well-being of many homeless people who struggle to find clean, dry socks to wear on a daily basis. All monies raised today will be donated to Street Connect  which is a daily outreach presence on the streets of Perth.  Street Connect is the primary source of support for many  vulnerable, homeless youth providing them with the resources and services they need to get off the streets and into their own home. 

Recently Mr Kilmartin, Mrs Leach and 12 students participated in the annual Street Connect Sleep Out Initiative. I congratulate them on their preparedness to sleep rough and the funds they raised for the cause. 

I would like to think that the opportunity to celebrate the School's 29th birthday as a whole school community is reminiscent of the first thanksgiving service on this site in 1988 when 150 members of the local community proudly gathered with Bishop Michael Challen to celebrate the turning of the first sod and the blessing of the site which was undeveloped farm land.

Much has happened since then, of course, as the School has developed and matured to accommodate enrolment growth and community expectations - much like the local region which continues to undergo significant transformation. From modest beginnings we now have excellent facilities, recreational spaces that are the envy of our inner suburban counterparts, diverse programs and a strong reputation for academic and pastoral excellence.

There is an African proverb that states "If we stand tall it is only because we stand on the shoulders of many ancestors". This morning it is fitting that we give thanks for the work of our forebears, our ancestors, including those who had a vision for the establishment of our school and those who followed: the Anglican Church, the Anglican Schools Commission, community leaders, School Council members, Foundation Principal Victoria Morgan, Chaplains, staff, students and parents who have shaped and sustained the growth of John Wollaston Anglican Community School.

We stand "tall" because of a strong heritage. During the past 29 years we have transitioned from a rather insular little world to one that seeks to provide an enriching, broad education to support young people to be truly global citizens.

I want to thank all of you, too, for the part you are now playing in the development of our school. At most assemblies I urge you to give your best and participate wholeheartedly in school activities and events. Such participation is not only enjoyable at the time, but it creates memories that you will reflect upon years later. Those of you who have run in the Wollaston Dash, performed in Talent Shows, contributed to Chapel Services, held a leadership position, participated in Inter-House activities, represented the School in a cultural or sporting event, hosted a Japanese student, participated in an Encounter experience, the European Cultural Tour, the Canberra Tour or the Year 12 Ski Trip, will know what I mean.

Thank you for the positive spirit, enthusiasm and care that you show towards one another in both good and challenging times. Thank you for welcoming newcomers, for being inclusive and for giving generously to those in need. How you develop as young people is as important to me and my staff as it is to your parents and wider family. I know through my interaction with hundreds of students over many years that a John Wollaston student is a person of good, strong character much like the Anglican priest and local Saint John Ramsden Wollaston after whom our school is named. This is something to be proud of and preserve throughout your life.

Today as we celebrate the people who have shaped the School of today - "those on whose shoulders we stand" - consider in 29 years' time when we are all long gone from John Wollaston Anglican Community School that we will be the 'ancestors' for the community of 2047. Our legacy won't be about the facilities we build, rather our personal qualities that helped shape the positive culture of our great school.

With good wishes.

Anne Ford

Principal

2019 School Council Bursaries

The purpose of a School Council Bursary is twofold. Firstly, to offer financial assistance to an existing school family who supports the values of John Wollaston Anglican Community School and secondly, to provide educational opportunities for an appropriately qualified student who would not otherwise be able to remain at the School for financial or family reasons.

School Council will offer up to five bursaries for 2019. Bursaries are available to current students entering Year 7 to Year 12 in 2019.

Please click on the document attached below for more information about School Council Bursaries being offered in 2019.

Applications should be submitted by 4:00pm Friday 14 September 2018. For further information please contact Karen Ayres, Policy and Programs Coordinator at policyandprograms@jwacs.wa.edu.au or (08) 9495 8100.