Adults are not immune to growth. As teachers, we are fortunate to share many of our students’ experiences. Like the students, we often experience growth through those shared experiences. For some families, the experiences extended beyond the classroom and into homes, particularly for our Penbank families, who recently hosted students from Wugularr School as part of the Wugubank Partnership. Many of these families have reached out to me during the past week to express the extent of this experience’s impact on their entire family. These experiences are potentially life-changing.

For me, this has been a term of growth and reflection on many fronts. From my time on the Overland Track in Tasmania to attending an IB conference in Adelaide and hearing from outstanding educators such as Helen Street and Jane Jarvis. We were also very privileged to hear from and spend time with June Oscar AO, who presented on indigenous education and the Studio Schools program in Western Australia. Part of this session involved hearing from indigenous people from Hawaii and New Zealand and the amazing way that they connect with their culture and customs through education, decolonising their curriculum.

Each of these experiences allowed me the opportunity to reflect on our philosophy at Woodleigh and think about how we are preparing students for their future. These were positive experiences, affirming, and also challenging. The opportunities for our school are boundless, and the responsibility of our task weighs heavy on our shoulders.

I hope each of you have experienced growth this term and that, as human beings, we continue to be excited about possibilities and energised about what we can do for our students both now and in the future.

I wish all of our families a wonderful Easter break. I hope you have time together as families, camping or holidaying, or simply relaxing at home.

DAVID BAKER
Principal