News

At Wenona there are always interesting and exciting stories to tell and achievements to celebrate - involving our students, our staff, our school and our community.

Keep up to date and visit this page regularly.

Water and snow sports champions

Four Wenona students are at the top of their chosen sporting fields. Phoebe Cater of Year 12, as captain of the NSW swim team, leads a group of more than 100 swimmers. She recently won the national 200m butterfly championship, breaking a national record in the process.

Australian snowboarding BoarderX under 15 champion, Annabel Tudhope, 14, who is in Year 8, describes her sport as “like floating on a cloud”. “You can go anywhere and everywhere,” she said.

In water polo, Hannah Buckling has represented Australia several times, most recently playing for the Under 20s junior women's water polo team which toured the UK, Spain, Greece and Italy earlier this year. “The best thing was the pride I felt standing at the side of the pool in my Australian uniform, while the national anthem played,” Hannah said.

Fellow Year 12 student, Emily Scott, has also just toured Europe, competing and training with Australia’s national water polo under 18 team in Greece, Italy, Spain, Hungary, Russia and Kazakhstan.

Emily said she loved “playing against and becoming friends with people from all over the world, being coached by an Olympic Gold Medallist and of course, the actual water polo”.

Jungle quest for old girls

A number of Wenonians are heading to Ecuador in the New Year to help build a water pipeline for a village and upgrade its primary school.

The old girls, who graduated from Wenona last year, are volunteering for two weeks in Pucaurcu with Volunteer Eco Students Abroad (VESA).

“It will be completely life-changing,” said Emma Fulton, pictured right, now studying nursing at UTS. “To make a difference, even in a small community, is personally rewarding.”

Other Wenonians heading for the Amazon jungle in January with Emma include University of Sydney liberal studies student Camilla Hanson (left), Toni Adolfson, University of Sydney health sciences student Hannah Coffey and Sarah Dennis. Telephone (0403) 966 539 to help sponsor their trip.

Ella Geddes, who also graduated from Wenona last year and is now studying science at the University of Sydney, will take part in a similar VESA quest in Ecuador a few weeks later.

Photo: Paul Melville, North Shore Times

Global good sports

A friendly international hockey match between Wenona and Hutchesons’ Grammar School from Glasgow, Scotland, at Homebush Olympic Park has led to a fresh challenge.

Girls from both schools will meet in Scotland in September 2010 to compete at hockey, netball and soccer, when Wenona tours the UK and Ireland.

“The Scottish team were a very talented squad with many having played at national age group level for Scotland,” said Wenona Director of Sport and Co-curricular Activities Ms Carolyn Shaw. “Although losing 4 to 1 to the Scots, the Aussie side had many things to be proud of and came off the pitch tired and disappointed but happy with their performance against an experienced side.”

Wenona students enjoyed hosting the Hutchesons’ players, some showing their guests around Sydney Harbour by sailboat. One Wenona student even convinced her guest to run in the City to Surf with her.

“This was an excellent opportunity to show the Wenona Community at its best and I look forward to developing our relationship with Hutchesons’.”

The tour is expected to include Glasgow, Edinburgh, Cheltenham, Oxford, London, Belfast, County Antrim and Dublin. Interested girls are invited to contact Ms Shaw for details.

Insight and friendships in Vanuatu

Amelia and Amy, pictured below, were among 14 Year 8 and Year 9 Wenona students to make friends with students of Wenona’s sister school in Vanuatu during a recent service learning trip to Vanuatu.

The Wenona students planned and delivered art, science and PDHPE lessons to students from Year 1 to Year 8 at their sister school, Erakor Bilingual School, overcoming language and cultural barriers through music, sport and sign language.

“The kids were shy and quiet at first but by the end of the week they became more confident with us,” said Laura of Year 9. “When we gave them the pencil cases we’d put together for them all last term, they treasured them. One even held on to it while playing soccer! It was cool that we could experience the way they live.”

“It was a life-changing experience,” said Wenona’s Acting Head of Messiter House Mr Steve Kapsalis.

Wenona infants' teacher Ms Jane Edgecombe was impressed with the Wenona girls’ responses to unfamiliar situations and challenges.

“I was impressed by their humour, resilience and support of each other,” Ms Edgecombe said. “The trip has given all of us an insight into the value of the opportunities we have here at Wenona.”

The Wenona students noticed the contrasts between the resorts and the local communities, remarking on the warmth, generosity and happiness of the people despite their lack of material wealth.

Many ni-Vanuatu students asked about friends they had made when other Wenona students visited their school last year, and many plan to keep in touch with their new friends as pen pals.

 

Melodic medalists

Wenona’s Orchestra and Wind Symphony both achieved Gold Awards at the recent Yamaha Music Festival held at UTS Ku-ring-gai campus in Lindfield.

“From the new Year 7s through to girls who have been in these ensembles for six years, everyone gave their best effort,” said Wenona Director of Music and Performance Ms Melinda Sawers.

“Congratulations also to the Camerata girls who played with great precision and achieved a Silver Award and to the Junior School Concert Band who received a Bronze Award.”

Cherene Ma of Year 11, pictured, played in both the Orchestra and Camerata.