Principal Report

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, concerned citizens can change the world.  Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. "               

                                                    -- Margaret Mead (American cultural anthropologist)

The power of a united community that works together to serve the needs of its members has taken on greater importance in recent times. The isolation and sense of disconnection we have all experienced over the course of the last two years still leaves its mark. Therefore, 2022 has to be the year when we put in place as many opportunities we can for our students and families to reconnect as a Woodmans Hill community. 

Over the course of the coming term and beyond, you will see a number of information sessions publicised that you will be able to access, aimed at providing support so that we can work together to prioritize the needs of our students. Having the ear of our parents and carers is so important to me as a principal as it helps me understand how to better serve our families. The recent coffee catch-ups with our Year 7 parents and carers was such a positive experience as they provided us with first hand feedback about how transition had gone for our newest students. It was also a great opportunity to gather some ideas about what further support parents and carers might need as they navigate, with their children, the tricky waters of high school.

It is our job to respond to your needs so that we can provide the best support we can. The Head Space workshop that will run on the evening of the 30th March is a great example of how the needs of parents has influenced the support we put in place. I’m sure that it will be a well-attended event as it addresses something that is at the forefront of so many of our minds- how best to support the emotional and mental wellbeing of our children. In all its forms, family participation is incredibly important to us at Woodmans Hill and the upcoming parent/carer elections for our college council is an ideal opportunity for you to help make a positive change in the life of the Woodmans Hill community.

The need to encourage students to be compassionate, empathetic and be forces for good in the wider community is important now more than ever. As we all watch on powerless and horrified at the humanitarian tragedies that are unfolding across globe, we need our students to be aware of their place in the world and be willing to stand up for what they believe is right. Our students need the tools and the confidence to make a massive difference.  As a community, we need to encourage all students to ‘grow their own voice’ so that they can speak up for those who have been silenced and to make a positive difference in the lives that they will lead.  At Woodmans Hill, one of the reasons why there are so many opportunities for authentic leadership is that we understand that student voice and agency are key to continued school improvement. For students to feel connected and feel proud of their school (and themselves) they need to be part of the positive changes we are trying to make. If we can grow the positive student voice in our school, then we can drown out any negativity that leads to poor behavior: if other students see students making a difference, I know that they will want get involved. Our College Captain Leadership Group are already having a profound influence on students and continue to make a massive difference with both Pink Stumps Day (using cricket to have fun and fundraise for the McGrath Foundation – whilst showing support for people in the community experiencing breast cancer) and International Women’s Day being run over the course of the week.  Every other day, our VCAL students are knocking on my door with amazing ideas for school events to raise awareness for so many worthwhile causes.  As we enter into the final stages of the interview process for students wanting to be part of the Student Leadership Group, we have been so impressed by the quality of the applications we have received so far - this is going to be one formidable leadership group! 

We also have a group of four Year 9 students involved in the STEM in India leadership program, which has them working with students across Victoria and in India to learn and connect. This week also saw our Leadership Coordinator, Jess Rainsford, support 23 students in taking part in an online Student Leadership Conference, with all I spoke to enthusing about the experience. Add to all of these opportunities the work our Sports Leaders who have been supporting across wide range of primary school athletics tournaments… you can see how many goals our students are kicking at the moment. 

We can all make an individual difference in our community if we choose to - imagine how big that difference could be if we work together!

Stephen Fields

Principal