On Friday 8th May Wyvern boys from K-6 dressed up for the Literature Festival Book Character Parade with the theme being ‘Immortalised Characters‘. This means that the character has been ‘bestowed with unending fame‘ in the hearts and minds of their readers. Boys raised $1,382.00 to support the organisation ‘Room to Read‘ and also to support our brother school in Nepal which is recovering from the terrible earthquake of a few weeks ago.
The authors have flown home, the posters have been taken down, the Book Fair is packed up and the Book Parade costumes have been put away to recycle for the next book parade but the memories, the authors’ insights and our students’ enthusiasm for reading live on. The 2015 Literature Festival has indeed been a tremendous success. Literature Festival successes, however, do not happen without the continued support and enthusiasm from the Wyvern students, teachers, administration and parents, particularly the P&F. On behalf of the Newington Literature Festival Committee, I would like to say a big thank you to everyone for helping to make this year’s Literature Festival an event to be remembered.
Our Book Character Parade raised $1382 for the Room to Read organisation. This generous support from Wyvern parents, students and teachers will allow Room to Read the opportunity to purchase 1382 books. These books, written in the country’s native language, will be given to libraries built by the Room to Read foundation in developing countries such as Nepal, Cambodia, Zambia and India, for children to borrow from these libraries. What a wonderful gift our school community has been able to give during the celebration of our own Literature Festival.
Please enjoy some of the highlights of the Literature Festival in these images.
Joanne Barnes
Librarian – Wyvern House
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Please be aware that Marrickville Council does enforce traffic regulations in relation to school zones. Please be considerate of our neighbours at all times when entering and leaving the school premises.
Thursday 28 January to Friday 8 April
Classes commence Thursday 28 January
11 week term followed by a 2 week break
SPD Day – Thursday 24 March
Good Friday Public Holiday – 25 March
Easter Monday Public Holiday – 28 March
Tuesday 26 April to Friday 24 June
Classes commence Tuesday 26 April
Anzac Day Public Holiday – Monday 25 April
SPD Day – Friday 10 June – No students
Queen’s Birthday Public Holiday – Monday 13 June
10 week term followed by a 3 week break
Monday 18 July to Friday 23 September
Classes commence Monday 18 July
9 week term followed by a 2 week break
Monday 10 October to Thursday 8 December
Classes commence Monday 10 October
Annual Prize Giving 3-6 – Thursday 8 December
Each year much thought goes into term dates to ensure the most appropriate balance across the year with a focus on the boys’ learning from Kindergarten to Year 12. This process, conducted by the College’s Senior Executive, takes many hours to ensure all options are considered. By now, you have probably realised that next year we have only a 2 week break between Terms 2 and 3 and a 3 week break between Terms 3 and 4.
Every year the calendar gets challenged by a number of factors. They include when Australia Day lands, when Easter lands, not wanting to start too early when it is hot, not wanting to finish too early at the end of the year with working parents, ensuring state school holidays coincide with our holidays, getting a balance of days between each Semester right (the aim is for 92 in one and 93 in the other), and finally getting maximum time possible for Year 12 for Terms 1, 2 and 3.
This balance is illustrated in the following summary:
2014 – Semester 1: 92 and Semester 2: 93
2015 – Semester 1: 93 and Semester 2: 92 (based on 3 week break between Terms 3 and 4)
2016 – Semester 1: 92 and Semester 2: 93
2017 – Semester 1: 93 and Semester 2: 92
Given the unusual situation of 2015, if we had a 3 week break between Terms 2 and 3 it would have resulted in 88 days in Semester 1 and 97 days in Semester 2 and Year 12 would have effectively lost a week.
It is important to understand that each school has different organisational and learning structures and requirements, thus the difference between other independent schools next year.
Please note that the change in holidays is only for 2015. In 2016 we will return to a 3 week holiday break between Terms 2 and 3.
Thursday 29 January to Thursday 2 April
Classes commence Thursday 29 January
10 week term followed by a 2 week break
Monday 20 April to Friday 26 June
Classes commence Monday 20 April
Staff PD Day – Friday 5 June – No students
Queen’s Birthday Public Holiday – Monday 8 June
10 week term followed by a 2 week break (for 2015 only)
Tuesday 14 July to Friday 18 September
Classes commence 14 July
Staff PD Day – Monday 13 July
10 week term followed by a 3 week break (for 2015 only)
Monday 12 October to Tuesday 8
Classes commence Monday 12 October
Annual Prize Giving 3-6 – Tuesday 8 December
Wyvern’s Before and After School Care Program is run by OSHClub. Enrolment for all students is recommended and allows parents to easily manage their before and after school care needs via an online account. Visit www.oshclub.com.au to use the free enrolment service.
For all late bookings, please contact the Coordinator, Eleanor, on 0428 131 700. OSHClub’s head office number is (03) 8564 9000 Click here for the OSHClub Information Flyer.
OSHClub Newsletter Term 2 – Week 5, click here
Kind regards
OSHClub Team
Monday 11th May 2015
I remember waking up on my blue and red bed, then I went downstairs surprised to look outside the windows and see it was dark outside. I was the only person awake in our house because I did not want to miss the bus for camp. It was different driving to school at an earlier time than usual. When we got there, there were no parking spaces and when dad found one near the high school it was twenty minutes to walk to school.
In the front of Wyvern there were two buses and each one looked like it was the size of three cars together. On the bus it was noisy, I couldn’t even hear myself thinking. Most boys were chatting to each other while I read my book for a while. I must have woken up really early because I fell asleep on the bus. Then when I woke up again we were in Kincumber. I saw a sign for The Great Aussie Bush Camp and when we got there it took the bus driver 10 tries to get into the driveway.
Kincumber was a lot calmer and quieter. I could hear the gum tree leaves rustling which was very soothing. At the camp they use logs as chairs and a fire as a heater. Some of the activities were canoeing, pioneering, dodgeball, rock climbing, giant swing, mud run, high ropes, bush craft and archery. My favourite was the giant swing because it was the only activity that pushed me out of my comfort zone. The reason why they do canoeing in a dam is because they used to do it where the beach was but the instructor and Ann told a boy not to capsize and the boy did and he got carried away by a bull shark. So now they do it in the dam where there are no sharks and and we played games in the canoes which was fun.
Mum does not know but I did not shower for the whole time I was at camp or brush my teeth either.
Photo captions from L to R: Dinner on the first night and this is where the bull shark was
Tuesday 12th May 2015
I actually had a good sleep on the first night even though I am not used to having such little light in the room and ten other people snoring like a chorus. It was ten times louder than a mammoth put together. The first activity was high ropes.To move around in high ropes we had two carbinas and if one fell off, the other one would lock. This is a safety thing. Instead of getting on a flying fox we had to attach to a flying fox and hold on to the top of it. Up next was the mud run. I was planning not to do the mud run but then when I saw that Lewis was doing it I decided I was going to do it as well. When I plunged into the mud it was freezing! There was a part in the course where we had to all get down and wait for 20 seconds, if felt like we were in the war crouching down in the trenches. Next was rock climbing and we were responsible for our partner who was climbing as we had to heave him up, there was a group of six boys and five of them heaved the climber up the wall. I trusted my group of five boys even though I was nervous. My hands were still shaking after I came down. In bush craft we were given dough to put on the end of a stick and then put if over the fire. We could tell when it was ready because it was a golden rich colour. We pulled the stick out from the damper and we put maple syrup in the hole where the stick was. It tasted like pancakes but even better. One of my favourite things about camp was the county fair. County fair was basically like a shop where our group had face painting and we had certain money to spend but I didn’t get to spend any money because I had to run the business the whole time while everyone else spent their money. Other shops were a bakery which sold buns and fairy bread, a goal where you could get someone arrested and a bush camp FM where you could request a song or you could get your nails painted, I really didn’t sleep well on the second night as there was a scary story after county fair and my eyes were like spotlights looking for the ghost all night.
Photo captions from L to R: Camp Fire, Lewis and myself at the camp fire
Wednesday 13th May 2015
On the last day of camp we had two activities. The first one was the giant swing and my favourite of the camp. It was different from last years camp because there was three people and a bar which you held on to. Even though it keeps you safe, it gives you a huge wedgie and takes a long time to go away. I think if you are older it doesn’t hurt as much as for kids. Mr Cross went on the giant swing and he loved it. It was really hard to pull up the teachers when they went on the giant swing, My last activity for Year 4 camp was pioneering. We did this on the oval and we had six poles and we had to make a triangle and a cross in the middle that held somebody whilst they picked balls off the ground. Whoever had the most balls at the end won.
After that we got our bags and bot on the bus. I sat up the front with Lewis and had a great view. I guess the activities were really tiring as I fell asleep on the bus home. When I saw mum, my heart went crazy. I was so happy to see her again. I loved camp!
Photo captions from L to R: Camp fire in the morning and upturned tree roots
As our sturdy bus nipped through the isolated bus lane I imagined what camp would be like after having a conversation about it with Matt Potter. Seb shouted, “Go faster!” to the bus driver as the other bus strayed out into the lane in front of us. After a tedious journey we pulled up at The Great Aussie Bush Camp. It was a struggle to get into, such a vast bus fitting up the skinny driveway but we managed! Everyone’s head blurred for a moment until Seb shouted that we won the bet with the other bus and we started singing We Are The Champions.
The mood was buzzing as a busload of optimistic boys sat peacefully chatting around the charred ashes of what appeared to be the last bush fire. Then our instructor Rachel went through the cabins, in mine I had ten others including Max Franco, Matt Potter, Johnno T., Issac Z., Jett L., and Ryan L.. Our first activity was rock climbing. I was hopeful about this, as scary as it was, and was happy with my result. Next we had lunch. I remember pioneering, making damper, which was fun then shower hour and free time. After that we had dinner then went onto the oval to have a game night, then supper and bed.
In the morning we had free time and then the ‘Mud Run’ activity, up to our necks in icy water, slopping through the mud like pigs and staying in the water on your knees in Antarctic conditions. We had to have showers as our faces and clothes and hair were caked with mud. An expressionless tawny shirt turned as black as the ace of spades. We had an hour of games to warm up after that.
We finally had my favourite, the high-ropes, a course with a variety of different activities including a barrel, a wooden plank and a huge flying fox. After that we had shower hour, dinner, free time and then one of the best nights of my life, the Country Fair. We all got stalls and about $800 and we painted nails, drank milkshakes and played sock wrestling on a mat without shoes, the aim being trying to get your opponent on the floor. In the morning we had clean up time, we had to bring our backpacks and roller bags up into a room to be put on the bus. Our second last activity was bush craft when we made a shelter like the ones semi-nomads would build. Finally came the time for our last activity. After being strapped into harnesses, swinging, turning around in the motion of a sheer drop, now was time to say goodbye. As we boarded the bus I realized why the camp had great in its name, because it was.
Year 5 and Year 6 boys are working hard on Language Perfect. Keep up the good work boys.
Excellent work!
Athena Spiroglou
Language Teacher
On Friday 8th May Wyvern P & F hosted a Mother’s Day breakfast for all mums, aunts and grandmothers of Wyvern students.
The Wyvern P&F 2015 Years 3 – 5 Father & Son Camp which will be held at Berry Sport & Recreation Centre on 19–21 June is now fully booked.
Please note that some activities are age dependent. For more information visit http://www.dsr.nsw.gov.au/camps
Medical consent forms
The Berry Sport and Recreation Centre must have a medical and consent form for every camp participant by Monday, 1 June 2015, which can be completed online at http://www.dsr.nsw.gov.au/groupgetaways/consent.asp .
To complete the medical consent form you will need the following information:
Camp booking number: 0454285
Booking Start Date: 19/06/2015
Booking Venue: Berry Sport and Recreation Centre
This camp is organised by parents for parents. We would like to thank David Hewish for volunteering to help organise this camp. We also need other volunteers to act as age group coordinators during the weekend, so please contact Paul Cartwright on paulani4@bigpond.com if you can assist.
More information about the Year 3-5 Father and Son Camp will be provided at a later date. In the meantime, should you have any questions, please email Paul Cartwright.
On Monday 11th May our Year 4 students and teachers embarked on a three day camp to the Great Aussie Bush Camp, Kincumber NSW. Whilst there, they were engaged in various outdoor activities collaborating in team building exercises which required some to step out of their comfort zone. From all accounts this camp proved to be a great success.
There are a range of crested ware on offer at the Black and White shop. They range from memorabilia, clothing, keepsakes as well as an exclusive Sesquicentenary line which can be found on the Sesquicentenrary site. For more information about crested ware, please contact Kylie Ann Mayer at kylieann@mayhemcorp.com.au
To download the crested ware catalogue and price list click here
To view the crested ware page on the public website, click here
Martial Arts
Clubs and Co-curricular Activities at Wyvern
Football
Rugby
Speech Pathology
Hopalong
The Summer Sport Photos are now available for online purchase from Advancedlife Photography
4 Easy Steps to Online School Photos Ordering
Step 1: Go to www.advancedlife.com.au and enter your school code Z4L MJR RWN
Step 2: Select “GROUPS’ and choose the images you would like to purchase
Step 3: Enter your Students Details (all orders will be returned to the school for collection)
Step 4: Pay for the photos via the shopping cart (upper right corner of the page).
With thanks
Wyvern Office
SEMESTER 1 – Terms 1 and 2
| Representative 1 | Representative 2 | |
| YEAR 1 | ||
| 1P | Benjamin Chau | Zachary Messis |
| 1W | Charles Auld | Toby Tran |
| YEAR 2 | ||
| 2H | Sebastian Reinitz | Adam Williams |
| 2S | Anthony Gregoire | Jasen Begetis |
| YEAR 3 | ||
| 3B | Oscar Neale | Joshua Ibrahim |
| 3G | Lewis Saupin | Benji Burshtein |
| 3M | Jonah Ioannou | Toby Torrible |
| YEAR 4 | ||
| 4C | Nicholas Maratos | Edward Haslem |
| 4P | Matthew Potter | Richard Hunt |
| 4V | Dean Xistouris | Henry Cooper |
| YEAR 5 | ||
| 5B | Louis Bertrams | Nicholas Wandmaker |
| 5D | Darwyn Scott | Andrew Peng |
| 5P | Nicholas Tucker | Louis Anderson |
| 5R | William Douglas | Tunui Jorgensen |
| YEAR 6 | ||
| 6B | Thomas Oates | Oliver Kleppich |
| 6H | Max Jablonski | Joshua Smith |
| 6K | Angus Montrose | Hugo Stanleick |
| 6R | Sachin Spencer | Hamish Thompson |
Wyvern Uniform Roster Term 2 Weeks 6 and 7 Click here
Wyvern Uniform Shop Order Form, Click here
Wyvern Uniform Shop Winter Price List 2015, Click here
Dear Parents,
As a parent volunteer working in the Tuckshop can you please make sure that you adhere to the rules and regulations regarding appropriate footwear – closed in footwear with a rubber grip sole (ideally leather trainers). No sandals, thongs, open toe shoes or fabric trainers (fabric shoes may bring bacteria) may be worn.
If your son suffers from an allergy it is imperative that you advise the Wyvern Office and the Tuckshop so that we are aware of it. Click here for the ‘Alliance Catering – Food Allergens Advisory Statement’.
Please click here for the Spotless Food Safety Information for Volunteers Guidelines
Tuckshop Menu and Roster for Term 2 Weeks 6 and 7, Click here
Everyday Menu and Price List, Click here
Online Ordering Instructions, Click here
Online Ordering FAQs, Click here
For all Saturday morning sport at Newington Senior School, parents are requested to park off site along the street. The schools onsite car park is maintained for officials, emergency vehicles and staff only. With the summer sport season upon us, the car park area can become very busy early in the morning. Please consider this simple request to ensure the smooth management of Saturday morning sport at Newington.
Sports Draw – Round 4, Click here
Sports Results and Match Reports, Click here
Wyvern Sport Newsletter Term 2 – Week 5, Click here
Sporting Venue Addresses, Click here
2015 Sports Handbook, Click here
| WEEK 6 | |
| Mon 25 | Wvyern Shop 8.00am – 9.30am |
| Winter sport training, 1.40pm | |
| Tue 26 | Wyvern Shop 2.30pm – 3.30pm |
| Year 6 Excursion to the National Maritime Museum and IMAX, 8.30am | |
| K-2 Chapel, 12.30pm | |
| 3-6 Chapel, 2.40pm | |
| Wed 27 | National Simultaneous Story Time – Kindergarten, Senior School Library |
| National Simultaneous Story Time – Years 1 & 2, Wyvern Library | |
| Winter sport training, 1.40pm | |
| Thu 28 | Wyvern Shop 8.00am – 9.30am |
| da Vinci Decathlon at Knox Grammar School for years 5 & 6 (selected students) | |
| AFL Paul Kelly Cup – Round 2, Centennial Parklands | |
| Fri 29 | Wyvern Shop 2.30pm – 3.30pm |
| K-2 Assembly, 9.00am | |
| 3-6 Assembly, 2.30pm | |
| Sat 30 | Winter Sport Round 5 |
| Sun 31 | |
| WEEK 7 | |
| Mon 1 | Wyvern Shop 8.00am – 9.30am |
| CIS Rugby Trials | |
| Winter sport training, 1.40pm | |
| Tue 2 | Wyvern Shop 2.30pm – 3.30pm |
| CIS Rugby Trials | |
| K-2 Chapel, 12.30pm | |
| 3-6 Chapel, 2.40pm | |
| Wed 3 | ICAS Science Competition |
| No sport | |
| Wyvern Music Showcase rehearsal, Centenary Hall, 8.30am | |
| Wyvern Music Showcase Concert, Centenary Hall, 6.00pm | |
| Thu 4 | Wyvern Shop 8.00am – 9.30am |
| Year 6 French Breakfast, 8.30am and 10.30am | |
| Fri 5 | Staff Day – Pupil Free Day |
| Sat 6 | No Sport |
| Queen’s Birthday Weekend | |
| Sun 7 | |
| WEEK 8 | |
| Mon 8 | Queen’s Birthday Public Holiday – Pupil Free Day |
Dear Parents,
Click here for the Clubs and Co-curricular at Wyvern 2015 – Term 2.
Joshua Cronin KL
Joshua experimented with drawing furry lines in crayon over his painting of Splat the Cat. It is interesting to note his background of orange tonal scale, using a tint to make the colour lighter and lighter.
Debbie Bourke
K-2 Art Teacher
| 1st May 2015 | |
| 1P | Nicholas Chiew |
| 2S | Andrew Wayling |
| 2S | Orlando Mina |
| 4C | Rocco Vitalone |
| 4C | Stefan Radin |
| 5D | James Linardos |
| 15 May 2015 | |
| 1W | Zack Kristallis |
| 1W | Benjamin Macdessi |
| 2S | Ethan Marriott |
| 3M | Toby Torrible |
| 4P | Jaydan Stanton-Keir |
| 4V | Ryan Palmer |
| 5D | Daniel Maxwell |
| 6B | Vincent de Souza |
| COATES | HOWE | LUCAS | WILLIAMS |
| 33 | 64 | 25 | 29 |
NAPLAN
Much has been reported in the media about NAPLAN. There is an emerging view that some schools are placing a disproportionate emphasise on NAPLAN assessments, especially as a school’s NAPLAN results are used by some branches of the media to form the basis of school league tables. Hence, we hear rumours of some schools bowing to pressure and falling into the trap of excessive preparation or making major changes to timetables in order to ‘teach to the tests’.
At Wyvern we place a strong emphasis on maintaining a balanced and engaging curriculum in both the lead up to, and during NAPLAN testing week. We challenge, encourage and support your son to achieve his personal best in the tests but we do all we can to ensure that the classroom climate is one of low anxiety. Judging from the positive feedback from students and parents about their experience of NAPLAN testing it does seem that our approach strikes the right balance. I congratulate Year 5 and Year 3 students and their teachers for their excellent effort shown during last week’s NAPLAN assessments. We expect the NAPLAN results will be ready for distribution to parents in late August.
WYVERN MUSIC SHOWCASE
We are looking forward to our music showcases this term that will involve every boy in the school. The dates are 3rd June at 6.00pm for students in Years 3-6 to be held at Centenary Hall, and 19th June at 8.45am for students in K-2 to be held in the Wyvern Hall. Students from our major ensemble groups will participate in a Prep School music weekend. I thank the Wyvern P and F and especially the Creative Arts Committee for their strong support of this important event.
WYVERN STUDENTS EXCEL
Congratulations to Christopher Mina who earlier this week won his 12 year 50m butterfly event at the NSW All Schools Championships. By winning this event, Christopher has qualified as NSW fastest butterfly swimmer to contest the National Titles to be held in Adelaide during November. Also well done to Will Rumi, Max Clarke and Rhys Miller who have been competing this week for CIS at the NSWPSSA AFL Championships in Blacktown.
With the winter sport season under way, a reminder to parents that there is an IPSHA Code of Conduct guide on Spaces for spectators. It is important that adults set the appropriate and supportive tone for our sports programs. Adults must lead by example, and as with all other areas of the school, we must set a tone where boys can perform without undue pressure. We should fully support all volunteer officials and regard sportsmanship as a high virtue. The Directors of each sport are happy to respond to any questions about their development programs in the Prep School. For Rugby contact Ben Manion; bmanion@newington.nsw.edu.au. For Football contact Brian McCarthy; bmccarthy@newington.nsw.edu.au
Ian Holden
Head of Wyvern House