Principal Report

Over the course of the next two weeks, we finally sign off on our new Performing Arts auditorium which incorporates a Food Technology room and undercover cafeteria for our school community. At times, this stage of the building program has felt like it would never end - possibly due to the size of the task and the dramatic transformation this part of the school has undergone. As it reaches its conclusion, it reminds me how far we have come and how exciting the future is for Woodmans Hill Secondary College. Like the architects, we have a clear plan on what the learning in our school will look like and I believe that our students deserve the best facilities; the best opportunities; and the best teaching possible so that they have the best chances in life. As I am often reminded, hope is not a strategy: we need to plan for success and hold high expectations in all things if we are to achieve the aspirational goals that we set for our school.

A key message throughout my first 6 months as principal at Woodmans Hill has been the importance of what we stand for as a learning community. Our students need to have the self-belief to push themselves to match our high expectations so that every student experiences success and growth. We need our students to feel connected and have pride in their school, understanding their role in developing and maintaining a culture of excellence. It saddens me when students do not recognise the opportunities that they have; the dedication and support of the staff that they can access; and the potential for learning that our improving facilities offer. Damage to our school property sets us back on our journey and we need all of our students to challenge their peers when poor decision making damages our school. We are better than that. This is also true in terms of students optimising learning time in class and it always encourages me, when visiting classrooms, just how engaged in their learning our students are. We need to grow into our new facilities and maintain our environment so that our students can compete with their peers throughout Victoria when it comes to their future pathways.

Our teachers are also on a learning journey themselves and understand that they can continue to improve when they seek feedback from their students and their peers. At Woodmans Hill, we recognise that getting things wrong is not a sign of failure but an opportunity to learn. Our professional learning in Term 3 will focus on improving assessment and moderation so that we can design assessments that help us identify your child’s learning needs. The attitude that our students have shown in their recent semester exams indicates how far they’ve come in recognising the importance in doing their best. As parents, it is all we can ask for from our children: that they try their hardest and continue to learn and grow. The next step for our students is to realise that exams and assessments are not the end but the starting point in the process of learning. What students don’t know now they can learn in time and it is the asking for -and acting on- feedback that is the most important part of the process. When your son or daughter receives their reports, please ask them ‘how did you go and what do you need to do to improve?’ It is that second question that great schools are clear on. If we can create a learning culture that uses feedback to improve, then we can ensure that every child grows and develops.

As I reach the ‘half-time’ point in my first year as principal at Woodmans Hill, I am reminded of how far we have moved and grown. I am incredibly excited by the challenge ahead and feel driven by the achievements of staff and students in such a short period of time. This belief that we have everything that we need within our community in order to achieve great things continues to inspire me and I am looking forward to what I know will be an incredibly rewarding second half of the year.

Stephan Fields

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