Woodleigh School is quite different from most “traditional” independent schools. It provides a number of very important dimensions that prepare students for the challenges of life in the twenty-first century. The Activities Program is one dimension that provides us with a very real opportunity to affirm openness, independence, self motivation, and initiative. Occurring in the middle of the day, Activities also offer a refreshing break from academic studies and provide a satisfying rhythm to the day.
The Activities Program at Woodleigh has as its principle objective the intention to broaden and deepen the daily experience of young people. Staff, parents, instructors and people with expertise outside of the immediate school community offer Activities about which they are enthusiastic and have a sense of commitment.
The Activities Program aims to:
- widen and deepen the range of experiences offered to students beyond the traditional academic subjects.
- provide additional opportunities for academic enrichment, remediation and challenge.
- provide students with the opportunity to make real decisions involving their education and take responsibility for these decisions.
There are 8 separate units across the year, with 2 units per term. Some Activity units are compulsory, such as the “Preparation for Hattah” unit for all Year 10 students, and those where specific preparation for Activity Week Camps is required. However, in general, Activities is an elective based program over which students have the chance to ballot for the Activity of their choice with guidance from their parents and tutor teachers. (The ballot form requires a parent signature.)
For each unit, an Activity booklet and a ballot form is provided to students before the unit starts. The booklet provides information about the dates of the unit, the balloting timeline and details about each of the Activities on offer. (More than 30 are on offer for each unit.) Students are then required to complete the ballot form with their first 6 preferences and return the form by the due date. By balloting for Activities of their choice students learn to deal with the meaning of choice and its consequences. For example, students are expected to stay with an Activity for a whole unit even if their interest wanes.
Some Activities have associated costs. For example, where specialist coaching is provided, or when special equipment, materials, outside venues or transport is required. The cost for each Activity is set out in the Activity booklet and this is charged to the term account. As parents are required to sign the ballot form they are able to discuss costs with their children and maintain control over these charges.
Why Do We Have Activities?
Some of the many features and benefits of the Activities Program are:
Wider Learning Allows learning
Especially hands on style learning, in a much wider range than could be provided in a program with normal class sizes and restrictions. Staff are also able to contribute to learning in areas of interest and expertise wider than their normal teaching areas. Outside experts and students also contribute areas of learning not covered by staff.
Extension / Remediation
Allows alternative grouping of students with common interests or needs, enabling them to more readily pursue those needs.
Education for Leisure
In our increasingly technological age people experience more and longer periods of leisure. Many activities provide students with the type of skills that can later be used to meaningfully fill their leisure time.
Choice
Decision making is an important life skill. New activity units each half term provide students with frequent opportunities to make informed choices, and to reflect on and live with the consequences of those choices. Doing something fairly often that they have chosen to do also makes for happier students.
Careers
Some students have pursued careers they first became interested in through an Activity eg. jewellery making, photography, social welfare, horticulture.Extra Career Guidance can be provided in the Activity Program for those who desire it.
Cross-Age Contact
Many activities cater for and attract a wide range of ages of students and the contact across the ages helps offset the artificial break up into year levels that the academic curriculum requires.
Pastoral Care
The more relaxed relationships possible between staff and students in most Activities and with smaller groups assists the development of our friendly staff / student relationships.
Self Esteem
Success in chosen activities helps students self esteem and is especially helpful for some students who are not very able in other areas of the curriculum, but do find themselves excelling at some specific activities.
A Break in the Day
A break from classroom style learning is refreshing for students and staff and helps renew motivation for afternoon classes.
Voluntary Sport
By placing sport, both competitive and social, within the Activities program it is possible to make it voluntary and thus avoid the worst aspects of compulsory sport that many other schools experience.
Woodleigh Development
Some Activities allow students to play a part in developing the school, particularly landscaping, thus giving them a sense of ownership of the school.
How do we do it ?
The Activities program takes place in three 80-minute sessions on Monday, Wednesday and Friday during Lesson 3. Some Activities also make use of lunch, thus allowing up to 2 hours of Activity time. Units are usually between 10 and 12 sessions in length over 4 to 5 weeks, with 2 units occurring each term. The range of Activities on offer varies throughout the year and double units can run for special projects such as preparation for drama productions and ongoing skill development.
Activities are categorised into the following groups:
- Academic Enrichment
- Visual and Performing Arts
- Sport and Physical Development
- Health, Lifestyle and Practical Skills
- Technology
- Community and School Service
A sample unit could include:
Academic Enrichment – debating, extension mathematics, private study, creative problem solving, forensic science, the hospitality industry, poetry on wheels, Tournament of Minds.
Visual and Performing Arts – ceramics, pottery, calligraphy, guitar, drama production, chamber music, bandstands, drama games and theatre sports, dance, woodwork, film making.
Sport and Physical Development – baseball, outdoor pursuits, camping skills, tennis, volleyball, swimming, soccer, football, aerobics, lawn bowls, squash, SIS training, kayaking, mixed sports, ultimate frisbee, judo, fencing.
Health, Lifestyle and Practical Skills – vegetarian cookery, country crafts, creating and make your own clothes, decoupage, mah-jong/chess, yoga, crazy games, tote bags, the model club, fishing.
Technology – webteam, electronics, music technology, robotics, linux, photoshop and the digital camera.
Community and School Service – Homestead improvement, library assistants, community awareness, landscaping, RACV Challenge, quilts of love, organic farming, introduction to flash.
Students are encouraged to choose from as wide a range of Activities as possible, however, at its core, Activities is an elective program and a key element of its success is student choice. (Students in Year 7 and 8 are, however, expected to select at least one Sport and Physical Development Activity across the year as part of the Federal Government’s Physical Activity Initiative.)
