Principals Report 2

When we look back at our school days, many of us might struggle to clearly recall details of the many lessons we took part in. Maybe it’s a sign of old age, but the specifics of our learning tend to fade into our long-term memory and we end up taking so much of our knowledge, skills and understanding for granted. As we grow older, our jobs and lives as parents and carers mean we need to dramatically upskill and the technological revolution has certainly added on an additional layer of things we need to learn just to keep up with our kids! The past sometimes seems like a blur, but every moment is part of us in some way. 

What probably sticks more in our minds are the teachers who taught us - for both good and bad reasons. Successful schools are built on strong and positive relationships and if we think about it, so many of our interactions with the students and staff we shared that journey with are now stored in the DNA of our personalities. Those formative years count for so much of who we are now. Perhaps the distance between our first and last day of high school should be measured in light years because of how far we travel as people in this relatively short space of time. What is certainly true when you are travelling at such speed, is you sometimes need the help of others to navigate your way through high school.  

As I write this article (18/02/22), the Woodmans Hill staff are working with world renowned educational consultant Glen Pearsall as part of a masterclass focusing on how to create the right dynamics to maximise learning and engagement within the classroom. As a community, we are committed to developing partnerships and learning from the very best in order to ensure that we increase our expertise in every area, so that we can become better teachers. As many parents and carers will have experienced through isolation with their children, the route to learning can be challenging for some students and this challenge can only increase when managing the complex needs of 20+ students in a classroom. This professional development, arranged by our Assistant Principal for Wellbeing Shannon Ross, could not have been timelier or more important in our response to the last two years of disrupted learning. If you work as a teacher at Woodmans Hill Secondary College, it is a given that you recognise the truth in Rita F. Pierson’s often quoted ‘every child deserves a champion – an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection, and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be’. High school can be tough in so many unexpected ways, but it is made so much easier if each student believes that they are understood by teachers who can empathise with what they are going through and who believe in them. It was great to see our staff so willing to learn and improve and see the importance of creating the right environment so that every student is encouraged to persist in their learning. 

When we reflect back on our school days, some of the biggest learning that we can all probably recall happened on those occasions when we got to venture out of the classroom and did something extra special. A bit like in the Karate Kid, sometimes we learn the most when we think that we are not learning! At Woodmans Hill Secondary College, we see all extra-curricular activities as not just day-trips or one-offs, but as an opportunity for our students to learn and grow as people. From one perspective, Term 1 can seem very fragmented due to the many events that are taking place, but from another it makes perfect sense as it provides a context for belonging, connection and future learning. As so many of our Year 7s are packing this weekend for camp, Mrs McClure, Ms Beale and the team will be putting the finishing touches to planning for an experience that will form the foundation of their high school days. The camp in Port Fairy always has a special place in the hearts of our students and is often the starting point for friendships that will last a lifetime. It is the first step beyond Fussell Street as Woodmans Hill students and it is always a positive experience that enables us to really live our school values of respect, determination and excellence. Like the Year 12 Retreat, the Year 7 Camp provides a series of experiences that encourage our students to step out of their comfort zones and learn more about themselves and each other.  We hope that we can run similar camps for all year groups this year as we are committed to providing opportunities for enrichment so that our students get to learn beyond the classroom. These things matter.

And that learning beyond the classroom comes in so many different ways. The participation of so many students in the Swimming Carnival this week was so encouraging with the added challenge of stepping up to the 50m Eureka Pool after using the 25m Brown Hill Pool for so long. Our students certainly met the challenge. The day wasn’t just about the competition of the races, but it was more about our students cheering each other on and developing their connection to our House system. The atmosphere on the day was as good as anything that I have experienced as a teacher and it allowed our students to just ‘be’ and be together. That level of connection is something that cannot be underestimated and we need to make sure that we allow our students the chance to have fun as well as holding high academic standards and the promotion of self-excellence. It would be great to see every student get involved in the upcoming Athletics day so that they can feel part of something bigger. We want our students to feel connected and to be proud of their school. This can only happen if they are part of the positive change that we are committed to make happen. 

‘Student Power’ was perhaps most evident in our recent cricket match against Phoenix P-12 Community College. On so many occasions, we have had teams enter into competitions and felt that they hadn’t done themselves justice on their day. What made me so proud was seeing our Sports Coordinator, Claire Blower, hand over the reigns of training to Year 10’s Alex Bennetts who led the team through practice drills and motivated their spirits. To see student leadership on such a level is so encouraging and to see such unity and support for each other within a team was everything that we want at every level at Woodmans Hill. That unity enabled our cricketers to out-perform their opposition on the day, but the result was secondary. There are days when things mightn’t go any team’s way, but if they stick together they will only go from strength to strength and learn to grow.  

Every one of our students can be an agent for positive change if they are prepared to step up and stand together. Our strength lies in our connection to each other and our willingness to get involved and do our best- when we do, anything is possible. That is the lesson I hope all of our students learn in their time at Woodmans Hill. 

Stephen Fields

Principal

Woodmans Hill Secondary College