Principal Report 

As you can see from this edition of our newsletter, the 2022 Athletics Day was a complete triumph due, in no part, to the culture that we have developed over the course of the last three years. The day was defined by some healthy competition mixed with great support with staff and students vocal in their encouragement of one another. The relief of being able to have key events like this again was a contributing factor to having high participation rates amongst students and staff. Whilst the stars of track and field dominated the day, what was happening within the crowd was equally as important in making the day such a success. The support students gave their peers, their positive behavior and interaction with the Llanberris staff and their willingness to get involved was a credit to themselves and our community.  How we are perceived by others matters: when people hear the name Woodmans Hill Secondary College we need this to be associated with well-mannered and well-behaved students who are thoughtful and courteous at all times.  When we are out and about as a school, the eyes of our wider community are on us and it is important to remember that within our community are people who can make a difference in the lives of our students- potential future bosses and mentors who can offer amazing opportunities and pathways that can help our students realise their ambitions. 

In coming to Woodmans Hill, we expect our students to share our positive attitude and unwavering belief that they can be successful in all that they try: if our students can live out loud our values of respect, determination and excellence they will be able to rise to any challenge and fight through any adversity with the supports that they have at their disposal. When students wear our school-uniform they must do so with pride and an awareness that they are representing a school who are trying to build something really special. 

As principal, it is my role to hold each student accountable to these high standards. We have to expect the very best from our students if we are serious in helping them achieve their dreams. We now have a strong reputation within the community and students who are successful in their endeavors- be that on the sporting field, in the classroom or in life. If we let our standards slip, we are doing our students a massive disservice. We have to believe that they can be the very best version of themselves and push them to strive for continual academic, emotional and social growth. Exam results do not define a person, but the qualities of determination, respect for ourselves and others and the pursuit of personal excellence are the key ingredients to a life lived well.  All students make mistakes along the way, but as long as they learn in an attempt to make things right, they can become the person that they want to be.

The version of ourselves that we want to project was evident within our recent Information Evening for prospective future Woodmans Hill students that we ran last week.  With over 300 attendees across two sessions, I got to speak with so many families who have identified our school as the preferred destination for their child’s high school. Our continued growth is not determined by major housing builds in our area, but is, instead, a reflection of the power of word-of-mouth that has been heard beyond our school zone. We have some amazing students and staff who want to make a positive difference in the lives of others and, coupled with our relatively small size, this is appealing to families who have witnessed their children feeling withdrawn and disconnected as a result of remote learning. The appeal of a school strong on relationships and who achieves student outcomes that are the envy of both state and private institutions is something that has increased in the 3+ years that I have been in this role. There is a warmth to our school that is not put-on: on the night, there was a clear connection between staff and students who wanted to share the good things that go on here on a daily basis. Sometimes in life we move too fast to celebrate the things that we are achieving, but I only have to walk from classroom to classroom to see the good stuff that is happening here. We must continue to remind our students how far they have come and how good they can become if we are to support them through their high school journey. Every student has the capacity to make something great out of their lives and it is through maintaining our high standards and expecting the very best of our students that we can ensure that they can be someone they can be proud of: that they can be a Woodmans Hill student. 

Stephen Fields

Principal