Week 9, Term 1 | 28 March 2025

When planning a community event last year with some Prep mums, one of them mentioned that their son’s grandparents really appreciated Rev. Diener’s ministry. Whether it’s grandparents, boys, parents, staff, Old Boys, or other members of the community, Daryl has found a way to endear himself across our community.

On 1 January 2017, Mosman Prep secured Daryl as its first School Chaplain, and, through his faithfulness to the Gospel, what a legacy he has established!

The School was set up by arrangement between the Parish Council of St Clement’s Church, and the Council of Shore, leading to its Anglican foundations. A significant ‘object’ of the School was to develop its student’s spiritual understanding and activity.

The Chaplain’s job description states, ‘An innovative leader with energy, initiative and vision. They have the responsibility to authentically integrate the Christian faith so that the community would see the beauty and wisdom of the School’s Faith Foundations, and the positive impact Jesus has in the lives of individuals and communities. The Chaplain is an outstanding pastoral leader, who actively initiates, ministers and upholds the School Mission and Vision, providing strong Christian leadership across the School”.

By all measures, Daryl has done an exceptional job.

Whether through his Chapel and community services (including his crazy character ‘alter egos’), Christian Studies lessons, CRU Lunchtime clubs and holiday camps, attendance on school camps and adventurous trips, running various support small groups with school counsellors, mentoring students, or sports coaching, Daryl has managed to maintain an impressive and unique energy, coupled with significant creativity, and an incredible capacity to love others and to serve them.

His more recent coordination of the Pastoral Care Committee and eventual role as Chaplain/Deputy of Pastoral Care has seen him connect even more deeply with the boys, parents and staff. His strategic thinking, patience and deep love of our community has shone through, as has his heart for service, both in his day-to-day interactions, and in supporting our GoodCHAP Service Learning Program across the School.

His warmth, skills, commitment, and faithfulness to God’s Word and our Christian foundations will be greatly missed as he embarks on a new season as an Associate Minister in a parish.

As communicated previously, following the Easter Service at Mosman Village Church on Thursday 10 April at 6:00pm, parents and other guests are invited to farewell Rev. Diener in the School Undercroft from 7:00-8:30pm. Light refreshments will be provided for adults and children. During the farewell, students will be supervised as they watch an age appropriate movie (Junior Primary and Senior Primary supervised separately. Siblings are also welcome).

For catering and student supervision purposes, please register your attendance to Farewell Rev. Diener via the Trybooking link

We would love you to join us as we celebrate the impressive contribution to Mosman Prep of the School’s first Chaplain, Rev. Daryl Diener.

Peter Grimes | Headmaster

Easter Service

We look forward to seeing you at our annual Easter Service at Mosman Village Church on Thursday 10 April at 6:00pm.

During the service, we will enjoy wonderful performances from our K-2, 3-6 and Canrobert Choirs, and reflect on the good news of Easter. 

This is a compulsory event for all boys from Kindergarten through to Year 6. 

Location: Mosman Village Church 
Time: 6:00-7:00pm (Your son will need to arrive at 5:45pm)
Dress: School uniform without jacket (polished shoes, please)

Early Entry boys and their families, grandparents, siblings and friends are also warmly invited.

Rev. Diener's Farewell

Following the service, parents and other guests are invited to farewell Rev. Diener in the School Undercroft from 7:00-8:30pm. Light refreshments will be provided for adults and children. During the farewell, students will be supervised as they watch an age appropriate movie (Junior Primary and Senior Primary supervised separately. Siblings are also welcome).

For catering and student supervision purposes, please register your attendance to Farewell Rev. Diener via the Trybooking link. RSVP by Monday 7 April.  

We look forward to seeing you at what promises to be a meaningful and uplifting evening of reflection and celebration.

Peter Grimes | Headmaster

As communicated previously, we are excited to share our P&F whole School Mother's Day Breakfast invitation to be held on Friday 9 May at 8:15am.

Please register via the Trybooking Link - Mother's Day Breakfast

Have you ever been in a completely dark room? No windows, no light—just total darkness. It’s confusing, even a little scary, because you can’t see where to go. But the moment someone turns on a light, everything changes. Suddenly, you can see clearly.

In John 9, Jesus met a man who had been blind from birth. He had never seen light—not the sun, not his family’s faces, not even his own hands. People thought his blindness was a punishment, but Jesus explained that God was going to show his power through this man. Then Jesus did something unexpected—he spat on the ground, made mud, and put it on the man’s eyes. He told him to wash in a pool, and when the man obeyed, he could see for the first time in his life!

This miracle wasn’t just about one man’s sight. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world” (John 9:5). Just like he brought light into the blind man’s life, Jesus brings light into our lives too. Jesus helps us see clearly by revealing what is true, what is good.

So what is so good about following Jesus, the Light?

• He shows us the right path – Like a torch on a dark road, Jesus helps us make wise choices. He teaches us to love, forgive, and be kind.
• He brings us peace and hope – Just as light drives away darkness, Jesus brings joy and comfort even when life is hard.
• He helps us see the truth – When we follow Jesus, we understand that God loves us, we are valuable to him, and he has a good plan for our lives.
• He never leaves us in the dark – No matter what happens, Jesus is always with us, guiding and helping us.

Blessings,

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

On Wednesday, Year 5 went to the Terry Hills campus. When we got there, we separated into our three house lines ready for the fun, unique activities ahead. 

My house, Macdougall, first went to the cooking station where, with help from the teachers and helpers at Terry Hills, sculpted scrumptious chicken nuggets and learned to prepare herbs and other ingredients. 

After, we went to the gardening station and we learned about plant adaptations and the sunflower adaptation of heliotropism. This is when flowers shift with the sun. We then went and did some helpful gardening jobs like weeding the shed, spraying for pests and more. 

Our final station was a drama activity where we wove in our termly theme of chaos and order. We were handed a picture and three words on a slip of paper (which was confusing) and had to create a short piece of writing and some drama to perform in front of our entire house. We needed to demonstrate leadership, organisation and collaboration to take something confusing and turn it into order. 

Next, we had lunch for 45 minutes and played sports like soccer, rugby and cricket before finishing an excellent day with 100 metre sprints in preparation for the athletics carnival next term.

By Jed Achterstaat

On Tuesday, Year 4 went to the Maritime Museum in Darling Harbour. First, we explored The Endeavour. The Endeavour was the ship that Captain James Cook sailed on to Australia in 1770. While on the boat, we explored the upper and lower decks, learned about life on the ship and different areas of the boat.

To begin our tour, we went to the front of the ship on the upper deck. The guides thoroughly explained what the different parts of the deck were. Next, we went to the lower deck and sat on the sea chests where the sailor’s clothes and belongings were kept. Down there, we saw barrels of food, a cat that would chase the mice, and a hatch to the hull.

Then we went to the marine’s cabins. The roof was very low, so it was very hard to manoeuvre ourselves down there. Next, we went to the kitchen and the guides explained what happened there. We got to see fake bread and cheese. After that, we went to Joseph Bank’s cabin. We got to see many artefacts, such as a wooden turtle, a boomerang and some shells. We even got to touch a wooden nail that went to space on the Space Shuttle Endeavour. Lastly, we went back to the upper deck and learned about the sailing mechanisms that they used. Overall, we learned so many things about the ship.

After that, we explored the actual museum. We got to see many First Nations artefacts, such as a map drawn on possum skin, bark canoes and old maps of the Murray River. The guides also explained about other artefacts, such as an anchor from the flagship from the First Fleet (The Sirius) and a cannon from the Endeavour that was thrown overboard when it ran aground on the Great Barrier Reef.

By Eric Sun and Leon Baker (4G)

Our year is off to a fantastic start, with Mrs Emma Paul joining us and fitting in so beautifully from Day 1.

This week, several of our Year 5 and 6 English Challenge boys took part in the Junior Ethics Olympiad training day, via Zoom to prepare for the official event in June. The boys were guided by experts such as Theodore Stapleton at Cambridge University, UK and Dr Daniel Burkett Bingham University, New York on implementing ethical theories and forming strong arguments. The students are to be congratulated on their focus and openness to learning, during this event. They were well engaged and made copious notes.

On Wednesday and Thursday, our Year 3-6 Maths students wrote the Kangourou sans Frontieres (KSF) Maths competition, set by the Australian Mathematics Trust. Students spent rich collaborative time solving questions typical of this paper in a few lessons and welcomed the challenge on the day. We look forward to the results in a few weeks’ time.

Early next term, Years 3-6 students will participate in another competition, the Bebras Computational Thinking Challenge, working in pairs or groups of 3. Also, in Term 2, Grades 1-6 will be involved in different levels of Maths Olympiad during some of their lessons; the focus being developing above-level problem solving skills and in Year 5 and 6, competing against other schools nationally.

In Junior Primary English Challenge, we have some budding poets. The students are experimenting with Poetry writing to enter into the Mosman Writing Competition. They have delightfully creative ideas and are enjoying implementing poetic techniques to create wonderful imagery. Here are some haikus that are under construction.

Ms Colleen Elkins | Director of Gifted and Talented Education

Mosman Church of England Preparatory School has been invited to participate in the “Hello Mandarin” Recitation Competition 2025. The competition is hosted in partnership with the Chinese Language Teachers Association NSW and The Sydney Recitation Art Group. If you would like your child/children to participate in the individual competitions, please see the attached flyer and contact the Hello Mandarin Organising Committee directly.

Organising Committee Contact:

President: Ms Wang 0451 177 678

Assistant Secretary: Ms Zhang 0420 378 779

Ting Wang | Mandarin Teacher

As sent via communication, please see the following information from Midford, formally 'Cowan & Lewis:

"The Turramurra store and the updated Midford (School Uniforms) website have reopened, resuming our normal trading hours Monday to Friday 9:00am-5:00pm and Saturday 9:00am-12:00pm. Please find the attached flyers providing information about the new website and how to log on. We thank you for your patience and understanding" 

Midford

Bookings are open for Term 1 2025, Chatswood route. We are pleased to announce the addition of a stop at Miller St (opp. Abbott St) Cammeray and the option to purchase an Annual Pass. Please see the link below:

2025 School Coach Bookings - Chatswood Route

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

Program Details:

Dates: April 14-17 2025
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. 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/CZORD
• 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

As part of our commitment to student safety and well-being, Mosman Prep adheres to the Child Safe Standards set by the Office of the Children's Guardian. To comply with these standards, all parent volunteers wishing to assist with the Canteen, Terrey Hills, or Excursions must complete the attached Volunteer Information Form.

The form requests the following details:

• Working With Children Check (WWC) number: For verification purposes only.
• Date of Birth (DOB): Required for WWC verification.

Please note:

The form includes references to relevant Mosman Prep policies, accessible on our website.

How to submit the form:

• Email address to send the completed form to volunteer@mosmanprep.nsw.edu.au

Thank you for your time and cooperation in ensuring a safe and supportive environment for all our students.

Julie Shortland | EA to the Headmaster

Please find linked below important Winter Sport information:

• 2025 Mosman Prep Winter Sport Information
• 2025 Mosman Prep Winter Sport Fixture List
• 2025 Mosman Prep Football Information
• 2025 Mosman Prep Rugby Information

Winter Sport (football and rugby) after-school training will continue in Week 11 this term:

• Year 3/4 on Wednesday 9 April (3:00pm-4:30pm) at Balmoral Oval
• Year 5/6 on Thursday 10 April (3:00pm-4:30pm) at Balmoral Oval

Term 2 Saturday Sport: Rd 1 of IPSHA Winter Sport is 3 May (first Sat in Term 2) to Rd 7, 21 June. 
Term 3 Saturday Sport: Rd 8 of IPSHA Winter Sport is 26 July (first Sat in Term 3) to Rd 10, 9 August.

Steve Riddett | Director of Sport

Good luck to our boys who are in the MCEPS Cross Country team to compete at the 2025 IPSHA Carnival on Wednesday 2 April at The King’s Preparatory School (Pennant Hills Road, Parramatta).

2025 MCEPS Cross Country Team

Training for the Cross Country Team (this also includes boys who are already registered in Cross Country enrichment) will conclude at Georges Heights Oval from 7:15am- 8:15am on Tuesday 1 April.

Steve Riddett | Director of Sport

Congratulations to the boys who represented Mosman Prep at the first NSTA Public School Challenge for 2025. All pairs had a positive experience competing against strong opponents last Saturday evening. A special mention to Ben Brown and Max Cameron, who achieved second place overall in their division. Well done to all the boys for their participation.

For those interested, there will be another NSTA challenge held in Term 2. If your son would like to participate, please feel free to reach out to Mr Johnston next term for more information.

Steve Riddett | Director of Sport

Saturdays: On Saturdays the MCEPS Information Line will be updated between 6:30 and 7:00am. This number has the most up-to-date information the School can provide regarding matters of sport and excursions. Parents are to call this number and not the School Office. After heavy rain, Mosman Council often closes its grounds, so please check with this number for all school sport and excursion cancellations.

Weekdays: In case of inclement weather, please ring the Prep Information Line, which will be updated from 1:00pm. Ovals might be closed by Mosman Council on fine days, if the preceding days have been wet. It is therefore advised that parents should ring the School’s Information Line on training days if there has been recent rain. 

PLEASE NOTE:  if the message has not been updated, Sport is ON as scheduled.

Steve Riddett | Director of Sport

Dear Parents 

Canteen Volunteer Opportunity: Daily volunteers are essential to the School maintaining a cost-effective and smooth-running canteen service. As a parent volunteer, you'll work alongside canteen staff and serve the boys during busy recess periods, 10:20-11:20am. No kitchen or cooking experience required. Use this link to sign up for a 1-hour shift any day(s) during school term. Any questions about canteen volunteering, contact Jeff Brown @ 0400 410 737. 

As a matter of compliance, school volunteers must complete the Volunteer Form below, and have a current NSW Working with Children Check (WWCC). Send completed forms to volunteer@mosmanprep.nsw.edu.au

LINK - Volunteer Signup Form

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 2024 in partnership with the P&F, a school community initiative called ‘Meals with Love’ was launched.

This service provides 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 new Meals with Love Coordinator, Georgina Ridhalgh at GRidhalgh@hlbnsw.com.au. 

I'd like to thank Georgina for taking up the Coordinator role and also all the wonderful volunteers who have cooked meals this year. It has been a pleasure to create this service for the Mosman Prep community and have it continue.

Meals with Love Coordinator

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