Whitsunday Anglican School is incredibly proud of its students from the Class of 2019 and their fantastic OP results.

Four of our students attained an OP 1 which equates to an impressive 10% of students. The OP 1-5 percentage was 33%, indicating that 1 in 3 students attained an OP 1 to 5. This resulted in the School being named in the Sunday Mail yesterday as being amongst the schools in Queensland with the most students with an OP of 1 to 5.

Whitsunday Anglican School Principal, Mr Andrew Wheaton, said under the leadership of Mrs Natalie Sunner, Head of Curriculum, and Mr David Pritchard, Dean of Teaching and Learning Data Analyst, the School’s Heads of Faculty and teachers, the students performed at a high level on the QCS test external assessment.

“We are incredibly proud of our students. These results are testament to our outstanding teachers, strong culture of learning and the balanced educational programs that challenge our students to realise their aspirations,” he said.

“Our students’ efforts and commitment will now provide them with the opportunity to seek their chosen university and career pathways, where they can enter the world confidently knowing that the strong foundations of Whitsunday Anglican School have contributed to their bright futures.”

Mr Wheaton thanked the Whitsunday Anglican School community for their support and believes this support will also result in a successful transition to the ATAR system moving forward.

“The students’ performance on the QCS test provides the School and our community with confidence as we prepare our future cohorts for the new external examination system of the Queensland Certificate of Education and ATAR system,” he said.

“We thank our parents and our School community for their support of all our students, because it is this relationship which ultimately sees our students to be the best they can be.”

The post Whitsunday Anglican School 2019 OP Results appeared first on Whitsunday Anglican School.

The post WAS again named Finalist in Australian Education Awards appeared first on Whitsunday Anglican School.

Congratulations to Class of 2018 School Captain and Old Scholar Imaan Ashraf for being named the winner of the Regional Achiever Award at the recent Seven News Young Achiever Awards Qld.

Imaan wants to create awareness that wearing a hijab should not hold her back from contributing to her community.

She organised "Let's Talk About", a forum attended by prominent Muslim speakers which raised $2,800. Imaan was also the emcee at the Mackay Mosque Open Day. She organised the medical chapter of the Mackay Homeless Expo where GPs provided free healthcare.

Imaan's other achievements include being nominated for Outstanding Young Achiever at Queensland Government Multicultural Awards. She received the Australian Defence Force Youth Leadership Award, Rats of Tobruk Roll of Honour Award and CQU Change Maker Award.

The full list of winners for the awards is available HERE.

The post Old Scholar and 2018 School Captain Named Regional Achiever Award Winner appeared first on Whitsunday Anglican School.

A number of Whitsunday Anglican School’s past and present students have been announced as semi-finalists for the Regional Achiever Award, as part of the Queensland Seven News Young Achiever Awards.

Three current students and one past student were nominated for the award which aims to recognise regional and rural community contributors who demonstrate dedication, commitment and leadership in their chosen area.

Whitsunday Anglican School Class of 2018 graduate and former School Captain Imaan Ashraf has been nominated for her work within the Mackay Muslim community.

“I was surprised to find out that I was named a semi-finalist for the award,” Imaan said.

“It always feels good to be recognised for something that you feel passionate about and it is great to see us all being nominated for such unique community causes.”

Current Year 11 student and entrepreneur Thomas Stolberg has also been nominated for his work within the community with his businesses Make it Now and Boaties Bait, as well as his trip to the United States last year as a ‘Futurepreneur’, in collaboration with innovation hub Split Spaces.

While Year 10 students and Project Sk8 Parks founders Flynn Bushell and Ethan Laval have been nominated for their hard work and persistence when it comes to making the Sugar Bowel Skatepark a reality for the Mackay community.

Whitsunday Anglican School Principal Mr Andrew Wheaton said it was exciting to see so many past and present students recognised for their work within the Mackay community.

“At Whitsunday Anglican School, we value our students serving others in the community and it is great to see our students being recognised for the dedication, innovation and entrepreneurship they have demonstrated in relation to their chosen cause,” he said.

The purpose of the Seven News Young Achiever Awards is to acknowledge, encourage and most importantly promote the positive achievements of all young people throughout Queensland up to and including 29 years of age as of 31st December each year.

The winners of the awards will be announced at the Awards Gala Presentation Dinner which will be held in Brisbane on Friday 3 May.

Further information on the awards can be found at https://awardsaustralia.com/young-achiever-awards/qld.

The post WAS Students Past and Present named Semi-Finalists in Awards appeared first on Whitsunday Anglican School.

Dear Parents and Students

I wish to welcome you all to the 2019 school year and I trust that you have enjoyed your holidays with family and friends.

It is with great pride and excitement that I write this letter of introduction to you as the newly appointed Principal of Whitsunday Anglican School.

It was wonderful to see the students at school, meet the parents and to have our school community back together again. As educators, it is a rewarding feeling to know that we are part of the start of many new schooling journeys and the continuation of many more.

Throughout my career, I have been privileged to have worked in a diverse range of independent day and boarding schools in Australia and the United Kingdom. Further to this, having lived over half of my life in rural and regional communities, I am confident in leading the School community.

My educational philosophy revolves around the importance of children receiving a holistic education and supporting students to realise their potential through excellence and personalised learning, where each student is encouraged to reach their personal best.

Further to this, I would like to see all our students nurtured in a safe and supportive community, where they can express their creativity and innovation to solve the world’s greatest challenges; to be globally minded in their outlook; to develop resilience and strength of character through cocurricular pursuits and our leading pastoral care programs; and to be able to serve others in the community, humbly putting self before others. Along with the teachers and staff, I am looking forward to leading the School in this next stage of its development and contributing to and building on the School’s outstanding reputation.

All of us at Whitsunday Anglican School are eager to begin what promises to be another great year at the School.

At Whitsunday Anglican School we recognise our role, in partnership with parents and the community, in assisting our young men and women to develop the School’s core values that will enable them to continue their pursuit of Spiritus Scientiae – ‘ the Spirit of Knowledge’.

We look forward to working in partnership with you, to help each student at Whitsunday Anglican School to achieve their goals, realise their potential and have a successful school year!

I look forward to meeting you all soon.

Best wishes

Mr Andrew Wheaton

Principal

The post Welcome from the New Principal Mr Andrew Wheaton appeared first on Whitsunday Anglican School.

Congratulations to Year 12 students Tara Stokes and Lachlan Iturbe who recently attended the ABSA CASE Space School Expedition in the United States!

Our students spent the two weeks in Houston with incredible access to NASA.

They visited areas not accessible by the public; and engaged directly with NASA experts to design and plan their own space mission within a given budget.

For more information on the ABSA CASE Space School Expedition visit http://www.actura.com.au/case-senior-space-school/.

The post Students attend Space School Expedition appeared first on Whitsunday Anglican School.

Whitsunday Anglican School’s Year 12 students have again achieved outstanding OP results with five students receiving an OP score of 1 in 2018.

Alexandra Wilson, Fariha Mazumder, Deepak Koshy, Danya Bushell and Megan Morris all received the news of their results on the weekend.

The OP eligible cohort size for 2018 was 58 with 19% of the cohort achieving an OP of 1 to 3 as compared to 11.6% state wide as indicated in the below graph.

The Sunday Mail also named Whitsunday amongst some of Queensland’s top schools for the percentage of OP-eligible students who earned a score from 1 to 5.

Source: The Sunday Mail, 16 December 2018.

Whitsunday Anglican School Principal Mrs Maria McIvor said this year’s OP results were a testament to the outstanding team effort by the Whitsunday community.

“Our success is always the result of meaningful relationships between students, staff and parents, supporting one another so our children can reach their full potential and be the best they can be,” she said.

“I am particularly thankful to our dedicated teachers who demonstrate, on a daily basis, their commitment to their students from Kindergarten to Year 12. We can all be proud of what we have accomplished together.”

Whitsunday Anglican School remains committed to providing opportunities for all students to excel in their chosen pathways.

We wish our graduating students of 2018 all the best as they embark on their next educational journey.

The post Whitsunday Anglican School Achieves Outstanding 2018 OP Results appeared first on Whitsunday Anglican School.

Whitsunday Anglican School staff and students’ art work is now on display at the Mackay Rehabilitation Hospital, adding a splash of colour to the recently refurbished hospital walls.

The art pieces depict work from the School’s youngest students through to the School’s Year 12 cohort, as well as staff members Mrs Charlene Slack and Ms Donna Free who are both artists in their own right.

Whitsunday Anglican School Principal Mrs Maria McIvor said the arrangement between the School and Mackay Rehabilitation Hospital provided both organisations a number of benefits.

“We were delighted to be asked to provide student and staff art work to go on display at the Mackay Rehabilitation Hospital,” she said.

“This has given us the opportunity to showcase the talent of our art students and staff while also giving the hospital community something to appreciate also.”

Mackay Rehabilitation Hospital CEO Mr Chris Walsh said the hospital was thrilled to receive the collection of student and staff art work which has been mounted in the hallway off the main hospital entrance.

“This art is a wonderful showcase of some very talented students’ work and we are so grateful Whitsunday Anglican School has shared it with our hospital community. It will be much appreciated by staff, patients and visitors alike,” he said.

“I would welcome anyone wanting to view the collection to stop by the Mackay Rehabilitation Hospital and take a look.”

The post WAS Art now on display at the Mackay Rehabilitation Hospital appeared first on Whitsunday Anglican School.

The Whitsunday Anglican School community came together recently for the 2018 Awards Ceremony to celebrate the achievement of our Middle and Senior School students!

Congratulations to all of our awards winners, our Office Bearers for 2019 and our graduating Class of 2018!

The ceremony was also followed by a final farewell for Principal Mrs Maria McIvor.

Thank you to Bonnie McEvoy Photography for the great photos!

The post 2018 Awards Ceremony appeared first on Whitsunday Anglican School.

Whitsunday Anglican School has been named one of The Educator’s Innovative Schools for 2018.

The Educator’s report profiles Australian schools leading the way in their efforts to best prepare students for tomorrow’s world.

Whitsunday Anglican School was recognised for its Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) elective subject, which was introduced this year, and the exciting educational opportunities its students have experienced in this area so far.

Whitsunday Anglican School Principal Mrs Maria McIvor said it was an honour to be recognised as an “Innovative School” and highlighted the importance of our children developing 21^st Century skills in schools.

“It is an honour for the School to be recognised for innovation in the area of STEM,” she said.

“As part of our STEM elective, our students engage in project and challenge-based learning activities that align with 21^st Century learning and focus on creative solutions. This will in turn give them the best chance to succeed when exploring career pathways after completing school.”

One such example of these type of learning activities is the CoDrone Educational Program which Middle School students recently engaged in.

This involved a search and rescue mission where students planned and coded a rescue mission using the CoDrone unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

The Educator’s Innovative Schools report has been published in issue 4.3 of the magazine and online at https://www.theeducatoronline.com/au/rankings/innovative-schools-2018.

The post WAS Named on Innovative Schools List 2018 appeared first on Whitsunday Anglican School.