From the Princpal's Desk:

Principal Report

  It’s not every day that you get a visit from our Premier, Daniel Andrews, and our MPs, Michaela Settle and Juliana Addison… But it is every day that I get to walk around a school that is bursting with potential and full of amazing staff and students.

  The Premier’s visit came as a big surprise, but it wasn’t difficult for us to be able to find some pretty exceptional things for him to see in order to gain a flavour of what Woodmans Hill Secondary College is all about.

  First and foremost, we are a community school serving the diverse needs of all our students and their families. Our belief is that all students can grow academically, socially and emotionally as long as they show respect, determination and excellence and they are provided with quality teaching and feedback.

  The first stop on our tour was Learning Support where we were fortunate to sit in on a small Y7 group who were kicking goals with their literacy. Students come to Woodmans Hill at different stages of learning and some find reading and writing more of a challenge than their peers. We are committed to supporting every child and we use research driven practice to meet each child at his or her point of need. This semester, we have been trialling Fountas & Pinnell assessments to identify the level where we can best challenge our students. As a staff, we have focused a great deal of our professional learning on assessment and moderation and this is a further example of our teaching staff’s desire to improve practice. I was so proud of the learning culture that I observed, the support that students were giving each other and the growth that they were making.

  It was then onto our Senior Centre to show our visitors the first stage of what has been a far reaching building program. Our student leaders spoke so passionately about the impact that this building has had on them and how much they appreciate a space in which they can study and interact with their peers. Listening to them share their stories and the ambitions that they have for the future really struck home how important it is for us to have the best facilities for our students. It is important that our students have access to the learning spaces and equipment that their peers across the state have access to. As I reflect on how our current Y12s have been well supported by their teachers as they enter trades or face the final VCE examinations, I know that the learning culture that we have created together has been an important part of this preparation.

  Whilst we may be fortunate to have four fully refurbished science rooms, it is what we do in them that makes the difference. At Woodmans Hill we have a clear commitment to STEM education and we know we have the capacity within our student body to produce the innovators, engineers and problem solvers of the future. How fitting it was for the Premier to get the chance to listen to the team’s presentation that recently won the Thales Design Competition in conjunction with the Ballarat Tech School. Woodmans Hill scored first and second place in the competition, (earning $3000 in prizes for the school) and the boys will go on to represent Ballarat in the state final. Our guests were enthralled as they explained the engineering science behind their sensor that can be attached to a drone and can remotely measure the depths of potholes that plague Victorian roads. I was lucky enough to see our teams present and whilst I was blown away by the thinking behind each product, I was more impressed by the confidence with which they spoke. I know the visiting politicians could see the enormous potential in this innovation as I saw the enormous potential in our students. Amazing stuff.

 Our journey then took us to the PAC to observe a Food Technology lesson in full flow. It was great to see so many of our students eagerly learning important life skills and I hope (but doubt) that some of the delicious looking trifles made it home so that some lucky parents got a taste test! If not today, then I’m sure that our budding cooks can contribute to your Christmas dinners.

  And finally, the Premier got the chance to sit in on a presentation in our PAC: our students deserve top quality environments in which to learn. Already, the PAC has rocked to performances, housed information evenings, supported assemblies and was the setting to quite an emotional Class of 2019 Graduation. We do not take for granted how fortunate we are to have such a space and it provides limitless opportunities to support learning. Today we witnessed a presentation from a refugee who came to Australia from Africa. Durenka’s story helped inform our Year 10s as they prepare an oral presentation on immigration. It is important that our students make their own mind up about world issues and that they realise that they are lucky to live in the country that they do and in a community that cares.

Daniel Andrews and our local MPs were incredibly impressed by what they saw and who can blame them: we are a school on the rise and a community that works together.

Stephan Fields

2020 Student Enrolment Applications: