Week 10, Term 3 | 26 September 2024

‘Mosman Prep punches well above its weight!’

This is a commonly expressed adage, which references our School’s inter-school competition success (considering our relative size in comparison).

While it is not uncommon that our boys experience a great deal of success across multiple disciplines, this term has seen some truly exceptional achievements.

Let’s start with the prestigious ‘Bear Pit Public Speaking Competition’ hosted in NSW Parliament House, where we received 1st place in the Year 3 and 4 competition and 2nd place in the Year 5 and 6 competition (only two 1st and two 2nd places are on offer altogether), against nine much larger Independent and Public schools in our region (including a selective school).

Our Year 6 English Challenge boys performed so well in the ‘Future Problem-Solving Australia Competition’, that they have been invited to represent NSW at the National Finals in Melbourne.

Mosman Prep has twice the number of IPSHA debating teams than any other school in the competition, and our Year 5 team (quite new to debating) won the Lion’s Share of their debates this season.

The School’s A Chess team performed extremely well in the Junior NSW Inter-schools league.

Our Snowsports team achieved an unbelievable 4th place at the State Championships.

The 1st XV Rugby team won the annual Pittwater Rugby Shield against Pittwater House, while our 1st Rugby, Soccer and Basketball teams all defeated the touring Southport School from the Gold Coast at Terrey Hills.

Our 1sts Basketball Team recently won the hotly contested NBA Schools Prep Hoops Tournament held at Cranbrook against much larger Independent Schools.

In addition to these impressive achievements, we hosted three fabulous community events.

1. Our Learning Celebration allowed each boy from Early Entry to Year 6 to showcase his learning, with all boys singing, having artwork displayed, and sharing other learning. Years 3-6 performed dances, while all of Years 5 and 6 were involved in musical performances (alongside other musical performance groups).
2. Our Father’s Day Breakfast was very well attended. All the boys sang to their guests and presented them with gifts and messages. We heard from Sydney Football Club CEO, Mark Aubrey, and some young stars of the club, about character and contribution.
3. Staff and boys revelled in the fun and powerful experiences of Book Week, including the creativity and colour of a full school Book Week Parade.
   

To top off a brilliant term, Years 3-5 enjoyed their respective camps, further developing valuable social connections, life skills, character, interests, cultural awareness, and in many cases, overcoming their anxieties and challenging moments.

We welcomed several new boys to Mosman Prep during Term 3, with a total of 17 new students commencing this year after the start of Term 1.

I am so proud of what the boys have achieved and express my sincere thanks to the dedicated staff, and the positive engagement of our parent community. We are incredibly fortunate to be living and learning together, empowering our boys to thrive, in such a vibrant and supportive school community.

Peter Grimes | Headmaster

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We are excited about our upcoming Grandparents and Special Friends Day to be held in the second week of Term 4, on Thursday 24 October.

The day will commence with a special church service in the morning at 8:45am in Mosman Village Church, which will focus on our grandparents, special friends, and the School's anniversary. This will be followed by classroom visits, a book fair and morning tea, with the event concluding at 11:00am.

It would be most helpful if guests could advise their attendance (for catering purposes) via the trybooking link.

Kind regards, 

Peter Grimes | Headmaster

We are so excited about our upcoming Prep Family Fun Day for 2024, in our 120th year!

Along with a free reptile show, there will be games, face painting, a sausage sizzle, balloon twisting, snow cones, icecream, cakes, and super fun basketball competitions. There will even be the opportunity to water dunk a teacher or two!

The day will be held at the Mosman Prep basketball courts and surrounding areas and in the School Hall from 1:00pm to 4:00pm on Saturday 16 November. All fundraising will go towards our new basketball court and play equipment for the School. 

Make sure you buy your tickets via the LINK - Trybooking.

P&F Committee

In the game Guess Who, players flip through a series of faces, asking questions to narrow down their options. “Does your person wear glasses?” “Does your person have brown hair?” As we try to identify who the other person has selected, we often focus on what’s visible—outward appearance.

It’s a fun game, but when it comes to real life, Jesus teaches us that judging others based on how they look is not the way He sees things. In John 7:24, Jesus says, “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.” Jesus is calling us to look deeper than the surface and avoid snap judgments based on things like clothing, hairstyle, or even how someone might act in a moment.

There’s a powerful story in the Old Testament when the prophet Samuel was sent by God to anoint the next king of Israel. Samuel went to the house of Jesse, who had many sons, and when he saw the oldest, Eliab, he thought, “Surely this is the Lord’s anointed!” But God said something surprising: “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart”.
(1 Samuel 16:7)

As we go through life, it’s easy to be like players in Guess Who, focusing on appearances and making decisions based on what we see. But God invites us to look deeper, just as He does. Instead of making quick judgments based on how someone looks or acts, we can seek to understand their heart—their character, their kindness, their love for others.

Just like in Guess Who, the true identity of someone can’t be found in a few quick details. Let’s be people who, like Jesus, take the time to see others for who they truly are.

Have a safe and refreshing holiday break with the family!

Blessings,

Rev. Daryl Diener | School Chaplain, Deputy of Pastoral Care

Enter an epic world of fantasy and adventure with knights, castles and adventurous quests at our one-day Village Kids Holiday Club on the final Friday of spring school holidays (11 October).

Your child will enjoy a creative and imaginative day of fantasy and adventure themed activities, games, crafts and stories from the Bible.

9:00am – 3:00pm on Friday, 11 October 2024

Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea are fully provided.

Just $25 per child

Register online at: https://www.mosmanvillage.church/holidays

Mosman Village Church

Year 4H Camp Reflections

Eat, sleep and listen. This was our mantra going into camp at Lake Macquarie. We knew if we nailed these things, we would really get the best out of this amazing experience. We focused on our School’s 4 learner attributes and reflected how we demonstrated these throughout camp. We made new friendships and pushed each other out of our comfort zones and demonstrated courage in lots of ways.

Prepared: I was prepared for camp in lots of ways. We had talked about it beforehand and I knew what was expected once we landed on the shores of Lake Macquarie. When my friends went to have their shower, I used the time to organise my belongings and get my clothes out ready for the next day. I arrived at each activity with my suncream applied, my hat and full water bottle. I tried to think ahead so I was ready and able to make the most out of the time we had on each activity.  By Lucas Li 

Innovative: I showed innovation throughout camp as we faced challenges. There were times when we had complicated issues to manage and resolve ourselves. We established a shower roster, so everyone knew their place and time to shower and keep our cabin calm. Lining up to have your turn in activities could cause arguments and we needed to manage these scenarios by listening to our friends and being respectful. There were team challenges and we needed to cooperate and think creatively to achieve the challenge. The first afternoon provided us with lots of tasks requiring teamwork and adaptability.  By Liam Koo 

Curious: I was curious on camp. There were so many new things for us to enjoy: archery, rock climbing, sailing and new meals. We had to listen carefully and ask lots of questions to know what we had to do to be successful. It was hard. I worried about embarrassing myself in front of my friends. What if I said the wrong thing? I didn’t want to be laughed at. I gave everything a go and was grateful for the support of my teacher and leaders to ensure we all learn new skills.  By Hugh Riding 

Collaborative: We were collaborative on camp. We had to help each other and push through our comfort zones in each activity. We supported our friends when they were struggling. We were kind and managed our emotions so we could all enjoy the new experiences.  By Khaled Alassaf 

The four Mosman Prep Learner Attributes supported us to have the best time ever. It was the best camp we have ever had and we loved stepping out of our comfort zones and flourishing.

Year 4A Camp Reflections

Year 3 and 4 had a wonderful 3 day experience on 18 September 2024 at Lake Macquarie, enjoying many activities such as sailing, rock climbing, canoeing and more. We had the best food I've eaten at camp, including french baguettes, pasta, waffles and more. We also participated in some extremely fun night games. I was really sad when I heard we had to leave because our experience was great. This was my second time going to Lake Macquarie and I think this year was better than last year.  By Luke Yates

On 18 September Year 3 and 4 had the opportunity to go to Lake Macquarie from Wednesday - Friday. On camp we participated in many different activities and challenges. My personal favourite was sailing and rock climbing. The food at Lake Macquarie was really good. Some of the foods we had were waffles, hash browns, bacon, toast, scrambled eggs (breakfast). Lunch meals were rolls with salads, cheese, coleslaw and ham. For lunch we also had wraps and French fries. For dinner we had butter chicken and spaghetti bolognese. We played night games, one was in a dark hall, with chairs, tables and other things blocking around paths and you had to freeze, if a flashlight caught you! If you didn’t you had to start again. The next game we played you were holding a tray and you had to run around trying to keep yours safe but knocking other people’s out of their hand. Another game was shoe tossing, where you had to toss the shoe from the chair and hit the water bottle to get a point for your team, the team with the most points got cabin points, the team with the most cabin points won a CRU squishy ball. I had a fantastic time, I’m pretty sure most students did too.  By Felix Kahlbetzer

One of my favourite things about camp was the food. The food was so good, probably some of my favourite foods ever. We all enjoyed it. One of my favourite activities was canoeing. I liked it because my canoe capsized! Something I would do to make camp better would be trying to get more sleep. The CRU staff members gave out cabin points and whoever had the most cabin points would get a prize in the end. In the end, our cabin got the most points and won! The prize was a CRU ball. Finally, when we got back, our parents were waiting for us and were happy to finally be able to go home.  By Marcus Mao

Caitlin Hayman, Genevieve Anderson, Chris O'Loan | Year 4 Teachers

Year 5 Camp, the best one so far! The best day was when we played Z Ball and the 220m zipline! I loved the mud mile, giant swing and Gaga ball. The food was so delicious! Most importantly we raised money for Kulai Preschool and gave them spades, sand toys and toy Australian animals. The only downside was the 6.5hrs bus ride!  By Henry Ridalgh

Camp was an extraordinary event and everyone enjoyed this amazing experience. We did fun, fearful activities that involved bonding with friends and teachers. Some examples were giant swing, Z-ball, survivor, capture the flag, daring commando course and more. Another one of the highlights was going to Kulai Preschool where we made friends with the tiny Kulai kids. But one of my favourite days was going out to Muttonbird island because we saw multiple colossal giants, the humongous whales. All of Year 5 really enjoyed this spectacular camp.  By Jonty Bleach

Camp was one of the best moments of my life and I will remember that camp for a long time. It started off with the worst thing, a 6.5hrs bus drive and we left at 6:30am but I won 3/3 chess games against my mates.

As soon as we arrived Ranger Matt gave us an Aboriginal welcome (Darrugung). We then took a bush walk and Ranger Matt also let us try some berries from multiple trees. Then the camp got better from the second we arrived at the Coffs Coast adventure Centre (CCAC) and I got the top bunk! I had yummy pasta and we played a night activity (capture the flag) which was sooooo fun.

I had a wonderful sleep and the bed was so comfortable. On the second day we went surfing and bodyboarding and they even provided us with wetsuits.

We went to Muttonbird island and saw a Humpback Whale and her calf as well as tens of thousands of muttonbird holes. Island Ranger Matt told us that one muttonbird was over 60 years old! We then made ochre and finished that day with dream time stories and dinner.

On Thursday we had turns on the giant swing which dropped us 10 metres! We also played Survivor, which is a bunch of activities, then watched a movie.

On Friday we got in a giant ball and rolled around. We then did a 220 metre zip line. It was so fun and then we had fish and chips for lunch and we departed for Mosman Prep having Maccas on the way.  By Lewis Barrett

Brian Gigner and Dan Brown | Year 5 Teachers

Who doesn’t love watching movies? They’re fun right? But guess what? Reading a book can be even better! 📚

Here’s why:

1. Use Your Imagination!
   When you read a book, your mind creates pictures of the story. You get to picture the characters, the places, and the action in your own way. It’s like being the director of your very own movie, where you control how everything looks!
2. More Details to Enjoy
   Books let you dive deeper into the story because they have so much more detail! You get to know the characters better, understand their thoughts and feelings, and discover hidden details that movies sometimes leave out.
3. Go on Amazing Adventures
   With books you can travel to different worlds, times or magical places without ever leaving your house! Plus, you can read a book anywhere and anytime.
4. Brain Boost
   Reading helps you grow your vocabulary and strengthens your focus, making you smarter. It’s like exercising your brain muscles!
5. Take Your Time
   Unlike a movie that speeds through the story, when you read, you are in control. You can read as fast or slow as you want, re-read your favourite parts or even take a break whenever you like. With a book, you’re the boss!

So next time you want an adventure, grab a book! You might find it’s even more exciting than your favourite movie.

Happy reading!

Dora Kazamias | Teacher Librarian

Our School is committed to providing students with unique learning opportunities, which is why we are pleased to have a subscription to ePlatform, a digital library for students that provides free access to eBooks and Audiobooks.

The benefits of ePlatform:
With ePlatform, students have 24/7 access to eBooks and Audiobooks for free. This is a wonderful extension of our physical school library and allows titles to be checked out at home, over the weekend or during school breaks without worrying about losing or accruing late fees because they automatically return at the end of the loan period. Students of all ages can benefit from ePlatform's reading and comprehension tools. A service like this can benefit struggling or reluctant readers, learning-challenged students, second-language learners as well as gifted readers alike.

• Unique reader customisation with Settings wizard, across all devices
• Introduce students to books above their reading level
• Help busy kids find time to read
• Professionally curated collection with age restrictions set by school staff
• Increase vocabulary and improve pronunciation and comprehension
• User friendly for all types of readers & listeners (eg. reluctant, dyslexic)

How does it work?
Ensure your reader has the ePlatform app which can be downloaded for free from the Apple Store, Google Play Store or visit eplatform.co to begin.

Students use their school email as their username and password to login and access the platform.

Dora Kazamias | Teacher Librarian

Dear Friends,

We hope this message finds you well.

Our family recently travelled to Fiji and had the privilege of connecting with the local communities there. During our visit, we observed that the communities are in need of basic necessities such as clothing, shoes, household items, kitchen appliances, utensils and gadgets.

Inspired by their resilience and the warmth of their hospitality, we have decided to support these communities by organising quarterly donation drives here in Australia and shipping the collected items to Fiji. We would be grateful for any contributions you can make to assist those in need.

We are currently seeking:
• Small kitchen appliances and utensils
• School supplies, bags & uniforms
• Gently used or new clothing, shoes, and toys for children of all ages
• Gently used or new clothing, shoes, and accessories for men and women
• Sporting gear and equipment, including rugby and soccer boots, sports uniforms, and shin pads for all ages & sizes

The preparations for our first shipment are underway. We are accepting donations until Sunday 27 October and will take care of all the shipping logistics to Fiji. If you’d like to contribute, please reach out to Shermineh Hooshmand at 0498 707 708 or via email at sherm.hoosh@gmail.com to arrange your drop-off.

Your support will make a significant difference in the lives of many people in Fiji. Thank you in advance for your generosity and kindness.

Warm regards,

The Hooshmand Family

Exciting news! We're offering a fun-filled Vacation Care program during the September/October school holidays, 30 September - 3 October, for children aged 4-12. See below for all the details:

Program Details:

• Dates: Monday 30 September - Thursday 3 October
• Time: 8:00am - 4:00pm
• Age: 4-12 years old
• Who can attend: Current Mosman Prep students (Early Entry & Primary) and children from other schools (boys & girls) within the age range.

Activities:

• Workshops: Each workshop morning features engaging workshops (subject to change due to COVID). Afternoons are for organised sports, games, cooking, and free play.
• Excursions: Full-day programs are also planned for our excursion days.

Booking & Enrolment:

• Limited spots available, so book early!
• Booking: https://www.trybooking.com/CUQQD
• Enrolment: If your child is not already enrolled in ASC through HubWorks, complete the form here: https://mosmanchurchprep.hubworks.com.au/

Cancellation Policy:

• All bookings are final due to workshop planning.
• For COVID-related cancellations, contact lwestenberg@mosmanprep.nsw.edu.au

We can't wait to make your child's school holidays unforgettable!

Contact us:
Leonie Westenberg | Director ASC & Vacation Care lwestenberg@mosmanprep.nsw.edu.au
Phone during Vacation Care & ASC: 0412 229 164

Huge congratulations to our 1st Basketball team who last Saturday, won the NBA Schools Prep Hoops Tournament held at Cranbrook!

Our team won all of their group games against St Augustine’s, Scots and St Aloysius, going on then to beat St Aloysius 37-34 in the final. Adam Shih won the MVP award for the tournament.

Special thanks to our 1sts Coach and Basketball Coordinator, Mr Tom Giles, who flew back from a family holiday in Queensland to coach the boys!

1sts Basketball Squad: 1sts- Miles Brown, Will Dixon, Charlie Frankel, Adam Shih, Tristan Skulina, Jakob Stalley, Ed Timmins, George Yorston.
Coach: Mr Tom Giles

Steve Riddett | Director of Sport

Mosman Prep School is excited to partner with Cricket Appeal to offer a two day cricket clinic at Balmoral Oval these school holidays. Cricket Appeal is Sydney’s number 1 cricket coaching program.

Holiday clinics are a great way to learn new skills, improve technique and develop new friendships. For Mosman Prep boys and non Mosman Prep boys and girls School Years Kindy to 6.

COST: $80 per day

TIME: 8:30am to 3:00pm

TO BOOK & LEARN MORE: https://cricketappeal.com.au/coaching-services/holiday-cricket-clinics/

Well done to the below Year 5/6 boys who participated in our optional AFL program this term. The program not only included training sessions but also two games, home and away, against Grammar St Ives. The program concluded on Tuesday this week with the second of these games, a hard fought 52-43 win to Grammar. Huge thanks to Mr Johnston, Rev Diener and Mrs Elvey for giving up their time to make this opportunity possible for our boys!

Year 5/6 AFL Squad: Salvador Apfel, Lewis Barrett, Miles Brown, Tom Flitcroft, Charlie Frankel, Ethan Hanna, Xavier Kahlbetzer, Angus McGuire, Benji Rich, Henry Ridhalgh, Henry Roach, Sebastian Rothwell, Jackson Scoular, Theo Sheridan, Will Simon, Aksel Sprange, Matthew Thomas, Gideon Waker, Mitch Ward, Josh Yates, George Yorston.

Steve Riddett | Director of Sport

Please find below links to further information regarding our Term 4 Sport.

Link: Term 4 Summer Sport Information

Link: Term 4 IPSHA Saturday Sport Fixture List

Steve Riddett | Director of Sport

Menu
Please take note of the following weekly specials we will be cooking up:

• Monday - Upside Down Nachos (with optional extras: cheese salsa and guacamole)
• Tuesday - Pizza (margarita, ham/pineapple or pepperoni)
  
• Wednesday - Sushi
• Thursday - Fried Rice and Dumplings
• Friday - Pasta

All other standard menu items remain the same.

Yellow Slips
Term 4 is always a busy time! Please remember to be diligent about sending your son to school with packed meals or order from the canteen via Flexischools. Yellow slips create significant delays during meal service, and we appreciate your help in minimising them. As a reminder, late recess and lunch orders can still be placed through Flexischools until 10:00 and 11:45am, respectively. Please take advantage of this option if you forget to place an order before school.

Allergies
Where appropriate, menu items on Flexischools have been marked Gluten Free (GF) and Dairy Free (DF).

Volunteers
Volunteering in the canteen is a fun and fulfilling experience. Volunteers are needed daily from 10:20-11:20am. For Term 4, we could really use help on Mondays, but any day of the week we welcome 1-2 parents to volunteer. If you’re interested, just place your name on the date you plan to come using this form.

LINK - Volunteer Sign Up Form

Thank you,

Jeff Brown | P&F Committee, Canteen

Mosman Prep prides itself on its service to community, guided by our motto, Non Nobis Solum – Not for Ourselves Alone. In this spirit, in partnership with the P&F, we are pleased to be able to launch a new school community initiative called ‘Meals with Love’. 

This service will provide home cooked evening meals for Mosman Prep families in times of need. All meals are cooked by parent and teacher volunteers and are available for as many evenings as required. This service is anonymous, so meals cooked by volunteers will be delivered to the office for collection by the family as coordinated by the School. If your family has a need for this service, please contact Julie Shortland at the School Office at ea@mosmanprep.nsw.edu.au.

If you are also interested in being a volunteer and cooking the occasional meal for a family in need, please contact our Meals with Love Coordinator, Rachel Johnson-Kelly at racheljk@bigpond.com. 

Rachel Joshnson-Kelly | Meals with Love Coordinator

The Recycled Uniform Shop is open on Tuesdays 7:45-8:15am.

For the schedule of school events, please refer to the online calendar, which can be found HERE.