Our Penbank Year 5s did a stellar job of asking all the right questions, and then sharing their discoveries when they were visited by our Minimbah 5s at a recent Science Fair.

Join us at 7.30pm next Thursday 3 November for the legendary, Woodleigh Spring Musicale!

Heroes and Villains is the theme, and will feature music by David Bowie, No Doubt, Herbie Hancock, The Clash, Rage Against the Machine, Spiderbait, Danny Elfman, to name a few! Come along to hear performances from bands, soloists, ensembles, and orchestras from Year 7 to 12.

Tickets are free, with a gold coin donation on entry with all funds raised going to our friends and community partners at Chumkriel Language School in Kampot, Cambodia.

This was the vibe at the Penbank ELC last week as we welcomed Grandparents and Special Friends for a session of flower crown making and painting, a beautiful day shared by all.

Thanks for coming on down!

During the lunch, guests were treated to a Q & A with two well-respectedand admired Woodleigh alumni; Mel Gleeson, Founder & CEO of Endota Spa, current Woodleigh parent and Woodleigh Board member; and Emma Cleine, Founder & Owner of Lumiere Art & Co, current Woodleigh parent and Leader of the Arts Learning Area.

Through an engaging conversation, Mel and Emma challenged Woodleigh women to take risks, to back themselves, and do something they are passionate about. Thank you so much for sharing your story with us!

MEL GLEESON (1992)

Looking back at my Woodleigh experience as a student, I wasn’t awareof the profound impact the school had on my confidence and outlook on life. This understanding didn’t come until after I finished school, and I could reflect on the learnings and friendships.

The natural environment at Woodleigh provides the setting for deeplearning to occur. Woodleigh is a values-led education, and the three Rs really gave me a solid grounding for life. They cover everything, respect for self, others, and the environment. This is GOLD.

Woodleigh is able to recognise individuals’ strengths and builds on those. It allows for creativity, creative thinking and gives a sense of place and belonging.

Woodleigh is a place where, as a student, you felt safe to not only express who you are but to learn who you are. This changes as you grow through those critical years.

Woodleigh gives you the space to figure it out, try things, fail at things,and win at things, all in a caring environment.

The camps and activities were a highlight. The resilience and life skills you acquire through experiential learning serves you well in the real world.

I am so appreciative of the time I spent a Woodleigh and the friendships I made. They have helped shape me into the person I am today.

EMMA CLEINE (1997)

Why Woodleigh? This question was asked at this year’s Mother’s Day Out. Without hesitation, I knew the answer. Woodleigh isn’t paralysed by its traditions; its values align with my family’s values and, it’s a truly contemporary education.

I started at Woodleigh way back in 1985 in Prep. I’ve come full circle. I had 13 years here as a student and this year is my third as a teacher.

Before I commenced here as a teacher, I decided to scale back my artwork,put our furniture business into hibernation and sell my third business. I also realised that the Mornington Peninsula was my home and I decided to settle into a familiar life for my children. I have embraced that I am a teacher and the ‘Woodleigh way’ has helped me become who I am.

Through my experiences I have realised that my purpose is to encourageyoung people to question, try, succeed, and reinvent, just like my teachers at Woodleigh did for the 13 years I was here. My experiences and education gave a me a unique outlook. Whilst I was not the most consistent student at school, I learned how to persist, be experimental, treat people with respect and apply my love of the environment and culture to everything I do.

I am so lucky to now work and inspire on this beautiful Bunurong / Boon Wurrung land. So, why Woodleigh? I will always have my art practice and I will lean into it again down the track. However, to properly feed my creativity, I need the three R’s. Woodleigh is where I’m supposed to be in this time and place and it feels right.

Most of us know instinctively that music is good because it just feels good. But did you know it does you good too? Science has shown us that music engages every part of your brain, much like a full-body workout. And the more you practice music, the stronger those neural connections become. Musicians are known to have bigger, better connected and more sensitive brains, tuned into rhythm, timing and rhyme, with strong memory recall and well-developed language skills.

Musicians are probably the most fun to have around too. Bring the noise!

The Class of 2022 took to the stage – and the bleachers – in the Hall to lead the school in their final Woodleigh assembly. In true Woodleigh style, the songs were their songs, the gowns, though delightful, were not academic, and the badges they wore were not as elected officials; it was a 100% student-powered event, where everyone had a shot at holding the mic.

Then it was on to carnival rides, food and good – mostly clean – fun on the old school oval, making for a well-earned pumping of tires in that mid-October sweet spot between classes finishing and exams commencing.

Go forth and slay, Year 12. You got this.

It’s a rite of passage for Woodleigh Year 12s each year, and the poignancy never wears off, as students reflect on their educational journey. Whether this journey started as a 3-year-old in Early Learning, or well into secondary school; whether they’re completing a school-based traineeship, or aiming to go on to tertiary study, this place and its culture leave an indelible mark on the young people under its care.

There’s a Chinese proverb that a child’s life is like a piece of paper on which every person leaves a mark. At Woodleigh these marks look like kindness, generosity of spirit, calmness, and curiosity.

They don’t stop being Woodleigh people when they leave this place. They take the Woodleigh with them. And we couldn’t be any prouder of them as they prepare for the final weeks of their secondary schooling.

The task? Design a Rube Goldberg Machine, a contraption designed to perform a simple task with no help from external forces, such as us humans.

Marbles were rolling, water was splashing, cardboard was folding, all in the name of science! Construction started yesterday, and will continue tomorrow. It was great to have parents on campus giving a hand.

In the spirit of learning at Woodleigh, the 2-day conference created a space for dialogue and deep learning through the use of allowing dedicated time for contemplation, collaboration, and co-creation. With our Senior Campus Homesteads acting as conference meeting spaces, the speakers did a stellar job of providing attendees with provocations to encourage thoughts about what education currently is for young people and the potential for what it could be. An integral part of this was the contributions of current Woodleigh School students who were encouraged to use their voices as conference delegates.

The consensus post-conference was that it was hard for many to believe that a school like Woodleigh exists. But the fact that it does is proof that educational innovation is not just possible, it's the way forward.