Principal Report

I think that we would all share the view that there have been changes on our young people as a result of the last two years that none of us could anticipate. Whilst there is certainly a renewed search for meaning and connection, there have also been some repercussions as a result of the impact of so much isolation and fracturing of social ties. At the start of the year, I promised myself that I would avoid referencing Covid as I had overused the term throughout 2020 and 2021. However, this was naïve as it is obvious that we will continue to adapt how we live as a result of it for some time yet. 2022 is certainly a time of healing for us as a community and it is evident that this process has not yet fully run its course. 

At Woodmans Hill, we may have planned for this, but there have still been elements of this post-lockdown world that we could not have anticipated. Our Annual Implementation Plan (AIP) is rigorous and gets to the heart of what we are about as a school community: supporting the academic, social and emotional development of our students. Whilst we are enjoying the longest uninterrupted period of teaching and learning that we have experienced since 2019, the term ‘uninterrupted’ must be taken with a pinch of salt. As you will know from my regular updates, reports of positive covid cases continue to be frequently announced.  The fact of the matter is, many students continue to experience disruption to their learning. We must also take into account the classes interrupted for our students by an unprecedented rate of staff absence due to teachers testing positive or being in families that have had to isolate for 7 days as close contact. 

And still we can reflect on a term that has been incredibly successful due to the resilience and determination of our students to reengage with their learning and our community. 

This has been due to increased student voice and agency in creating touchstone events for the school to come together behind a cause, as well as our willingness to ‘pivot’ within our planning to meet the needs of students that could only ever be learned once they were back at school. At Woodmans Hill, we make student centered decisions and this has been critical for us to enable us to plan for this transitionary period. This week’s focus on educating students and families around mental health and wellbeing awareness was by design and reflects the equal importance that we place alongside both their emotional and academic growth.  Thanks to Assistant Principal Shannon Ross, we have been able to prioritize the wellbeing needs of our students at a time when they have needed it most. It is our aim to support our students so that they can better understand and articulate their mental health in order to reach out and ask for help whenever they need it.  

I was brought up in a family where we did not share our feelings, nor had the emotional vocabulary to express when we were struggling. Mine was a generation that needed to ‘toughen up’ and ‘get on with it’. As I reflect on the mental health struggles I have seen many of those who are close to me struggle with for most of their adult lives, I cannot but wonder how different their lives might have been if they had received the mental health education that students at Woodmans Hill experience. The behaviours of the past are inadequate when addressing the challenges of the present and, as a community, it is important that we create a context in which it is ok not to be ok. Furthermore, we need to teach our students a vocabulary to express the complex emotions experienced by all teenagers- emotions that we know have intensified as a result of the last two years. We need our students to feel that they can reach out for support, help and connection at their darkest times and to be there for others, ready to see the signs and know how to intervene. 

We also know the importance of working with our families to strengthen their knowledge of how best to support their child. That is why I was so encouraged by the turnout on Wednesday evening for the parent/carer session with Headspace. Because this is so important it cannot be a one off event and we are keen to hear from you as to what future sessions you would like us to run to provide a community response to the needs of your child. 

As we all know, there is no manual for being a parent: we tend to rely on lessons learned from our own parents, that may have been taught in a different century (and those were lessons we may well of rebelled against when we were teenagers ourselves!). By working together and listening to each other, we can form a solid bond around our students to protect and support them as they face up to challenging times. 

However, if this difficult term has taught me anything, it has taught me never to underestimate the resilience and capacity of Woodmans Hill students.   As I have shared with you previously, our school leaders and senior VCAL students have been the heartbeat of our school throughout this term organizing a wide range of activities to strengthen our culture and increase engagement. Jack, Alicia, Trinity and Peg organised a ‘Great Woodmans Hill Bake Off’ to raise money and awareness for Beyond Blue. Beyond Blue provides information and support to help everyone in Australia achieve their best possible mental health, whatever their age and wherever they live. It is estimated that over 3 million Australians are living with anxiety or depression and this is something that we can see reflected within our own community. As with the Headspace sessions, understanding and knowing there are people and organizations that you can reach out to is critical in supporting anyone who may be suffering. The students raised an amazing $533.85, but what is more important is the awareness that they raised. At Woodmans Hill, no one should ever have to feel alone: it is up to us all to continue to work together to do all that we can to support our students through tough times so that there are better days ahead.