Around the Grounds

Happy Friday, everyone,

Another week, with plenty to share. See what's been happening across our three campuses and, if you can, take a moment to read some insights into our teaching and learning — from the inside. 

To Read: James Clapham, Deputy Head of Minimbah Campus, puts pen to paper beautifully — and he's done it again, with his newest piece, 'Now, More Than Ever, Let's Practice Being Human'.
To Donate: Please help Wugularr families and school staff rebuild after severe flooding in the Katherine and Big Rivers region! 
To Know: Term 1 finishes in 13 days — Thursday 2 April at the regular campus finishing time. 

Year 8 Peasantry doth survive another Medieval Day

Are those Vans upon thy feet, Lord Ryan? Worn beneath thy medieval garb?  Mr Ryan is nothing, if not, everything. On the off chance you have forgotten his general way of being, a reread of Why History Matters is time well spent. Then come back because it was Medieval Day on Monday, and, as ever, it was a riot.

Pelting rain only added to the atmosphere. It mattered not; at times, one must simply take the swordfight indoors

Photography at Minimbah

We’re lucky enough to have some very skilled photographers here at Woodleigh. Seeing as we're a School, passing on skills is part of the job. As part of our Activities Program at Minimbah, a small group of students had the opportunity to learn from one of our own, Alex Fregon — photographer, alumni and Woodleigh parent, the hat-trick — gaining hands‑on experience and insight into the craft behind the lens.

So you’re in Grade 5 at Minimbah and recently you…

…headed off to Wilson's Promontory for camp. You learned a lot in your unit inquiry, Who We Are, by doing things for yourself, helping others and taking on new challenges. You organised tents, took responsibility for daily jobs and supported your friends when things felt unfamiliar.

You hiked, swam and explored, discovered confidence you didn’t always know you had. Each day ended with time to sit together and share stories about what you'd done that day. Back at school, those connections continue through your Homestead activities with the Year 6s, who had the same adventure last year. It's been a pretty good start to the year!

To Read

Minimbah Cinema

Cinema? If only. We’d love to do this every Friday night.
The Lego Movie is always a crowd‑pleaser — whether you’ve seen it once or it played on repeat for years at your house, you’re still up for a rerun, right? Popcorn, choc tops, no rain and a beautiful night sky last Friday night — it was the perfect end to the week, and Everything was Awesome.

A Big Goodbye

It has been a privilege to host the Year 5/6 students from Wugularr at Penbank Campus, sharing our school and the Mornington Peninsula environment. Now in its 17th year, the Wugubank program continues to offer a meaningful opportunity to share culture and ways of being. We extend our sincere thanks to the Penbank and Wugularr staff who made the week possible, and to the generous host families who welcomed students with such care.

The week concluded with Josh West in a Bunurong Smoking Ceremony and Welcome to Country, followed by thoughtful reflections from the Wugularr students and their Penbank host brothers and sisters. We now look ahead to the next chapter, when our Year 6 students travel to Bagala/Jawoyn Country in August.

Wugubank Reflections 

To Donate

Flooding in the Katherine and Big Rivers region.

The Wugularr region is currently impacted by significant flooding. Many students and staff that we hosted from Wugularr have yet to be able to return home after flood damage has made them unlivable. Clean‑up and recovery will take time. After speaking with School Principal, Stephen Hill, we are collecting donations to support the families and staff most affected. 

So far, the generosity of the Woodleigh community has amassed $8,320 in donations, which is an incredible result!

Please read more about the current issue, and if you're able to make a contribution, follow this link

Measured Success

Ethan (Year 9) has achieved strong results at recent state and national sporting events.

At the State Kayaking Championships, he won gold medals in the K2 200m and K2 500m events, along with a silver medal in the K1 1000m and a bronze medal in the K1 500m. He also competed in the 5000m event for the first time. Late last year, Ethan won gold at the National Long Distance Kayak Championships. He will next compete at the National Life Saving Championships on the Gold Coast, followed by the 200m Butterfly event at the National Swimming Championships over the holidays. 

Such outstanding accomplishments, and we wish him all the best in his competitions ahead.

Until we go Around the Grounds again next time....