For those of you who missed our recent Learning to Thrive Strategic Plan launch events, here is a video upload of the Senior Campus event on 5 September.

Please note, in line with our Terms of Business, a full term’s notice of withdrawal from the School is required, otherwise a term’s fees will be charged in lieu of notice.

DAVID BAKER
Principal

It's a meaningful initiative, this year taken up by senior students to reduce stigma, encourage help-seeking behaviour and promote positive mental health and wellbeing.

To extend this conversation and create a meaningful and personalized resource, I want to share with you (an edited) article by Linda Stade:

Every child needs a Toolkit for Positive Mental Health.

What's in it?

Every day, our kids go off to school with a backpack full of all they need for the day. There will be books, possibly a device for schoolwork, and food or money for the canteen. Some days, there may also be special clothes for sports or after-school activities. Our children leave home seemingly ready to face the day.

All this equipment is important. However, it is nowhere near as important as the invisible toolkit our kids need to carry into school and life beyond school. They need a positive mental health toolkit and parents have the privilege of helping kids pack that toolkit over the course of their development.

Why is a mental health toolkit so important?

In Australia, research confirms 75% of mental health issues begin before the age of 25. More surprisingly, 50% begin before the age of 14. These facts are confronting but the intention here is not to scare parents. This knowledge should mobilise us into action.

By ensuring our kids are developing a well-equipped mental health toolkit, we can support them in building the resilience they need when facing the inevitable challenges life presents.

What belongs in your child’s mental health toolkit?

Trusted adults who listen

One of the greatest protective factors a child can have against poor mental health is at least one adult who is trustworthy, deeply present, listening, and who believes in them. Whether you are a parent or a trusted adult outside of the child’s home, like a teacher, counsellor, family friend, or an extended relative, you have the potential to make a significant difference.

Exercise

Exercise releases feel-good chemicals like endorphins and serotonin. They can improve mood and decrease anxiety and depression. Exercise improves self-esteem which is vital during the vulnerable years of adolescence. It also has the potential to connect kids with different groups of people which decreases feelings of loneliness and isolation.

A balanced diet

Our kids’ diet is everything they put into their bodies. It is the food they eat, the television they watch, the social media they absorb, and the conversations they have. The health of our kids’ bodies and minds relies on balance in all things.

Wide emotional vocabulary

Clinical psychologist, Kristina Morgan says, “Being a human means we ALL have the full range of emotion. No one is happy all the time. No one is nice all the time. We all get sad, disappointed, hurt, and angry. The broader the emotional language you use with kids, the more space you can provide to express emotions effectively.”

Freedom to express emotion

Children who live in a home where all emotions are allowed and valued are more likely to express and process their emotions in a healthy way.

“A child needs the opportunity to practice how to live with and respond to, their entire range of human emotion while they have you as their safety net. That way they can learn to respond in a way that’s healthy for themselves, and respectful of others.”

All emotions are acceptable, all behaviours are not; our kids need the opportunity to recognise that difference.

Emotional regulation strategies

Emotional regulation is the process of recognising, labelling, and then soothing emotions. Some self-regulation occurs naturally. We might sigh more when upset as it allows more oxygen which is calming. Crying is another natural self-regulation tool; it is an emotional release. Other regulation strategies can be learned. For example, exercise, enjoying music, focusing on the mind-body connection, or connecting with people they love and trust. Working with you, kids will be able to identify what works for them.

Gratitude

Gratitude is proven to change the way we mentally and emotionally approach life. Noticing the positive things that are in each day, even on the worst days, buffers your child against the times that are uncomfortable and difficult.

Humans have a natural negativity bias which was designed to keep us safe in our early evolution. It paid to be suspicious when there were sabretooth tigers wandering around! However, today we need to challenge our automatic negative filter and look for the good. Teach kids to acknowledge the good in their life by starting and ending every day with an acknowledgment of at least three things for which they are grateful.

Mindfulness practices

Mindfulness is the process of consciously listening to your thoughts and being aware of which ones are useful and which ones aren’t. Mindfulness practices keep the mind in the present and stop us from worrying about the future or dwelling on the past. Meditation, yoga, journaling, body scanning, colouring, and breathing exercises are all useful. There are also excellent apps like Smiling Mind.

Quality sleep

An action we can take immediately to improve the mental health of young people is to ensure they get enough sleep. Our kids need undisturbed, restorative sleep every night to cope with the ups and downs of their days. It’s a no-brainer, yet large numbers of Australian kids are not even getting the minimum for mental health, growth, learning, and development. As a guide, a primary school student needs between 9 and 11 hours of sleep, and a secondary school student needs between 8 and 10 hours.

Regular contact with nature

Regular time in nature has been shown to evoke positive emotions as well as developing individual resilience. It can also be useful as a way of counteracting some of the symptoms of mental ill-health. Both green spaces and aquatic spaces produce well-being benefits. More remote and biodiverse spaces have a greater impact, but even your local parks and trees can lead to positive outcomes.

Healthy friendships

Good friends, who respect boundaries and behave in a supportive way, provide connection and companionship. They are strong protective forces in our young peoples’ lives. There is no magic number of friends that a child needs. Some may need very few friends, while others will need many.

Access to professionals

It’s 2022 and so hopefully we are past the belief that talking to a good friend is just as good as seeing a psychologist. It isn’t. A psychologist, counsellor, or other mental health professionals have the training, skills, and experience to help our kids reflect, explore, come to realisations, and then employ strategies for growth. They are also able to recognise mental health disorders that require more specialised treatment. Please normalise seeing mental health professionals. There should be pride in that kind of self-care.

Helplines

Often kids don’t have the skills or confidence to arrange to see a health professional, but they do know how to use a phone. There are helplines for kids manned by trained staff who can listen and guide. EVERY child should have these numbers in their phone’s contact list. Have that conversation and help them enter these numbers today.

Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (telephone and online counselling for ages 5 - 25)

Lifeline 13 11 14

They should also bookmark these websites:

eheadspace to chat online

ReachOut.com (youth mental health service) Visit the website for info or use the online forum

A sense of meaning and purpose

When our kids have a sense of meaning and purpose, spiritual or otherwise, they feel grounded and as though they are part of something bigger than themselves. Research shows that this sense of meaning can be correlated with greater levels of positive mental health.

Final thought…

If parents, and all significant adults, truly recognised their impact on children’s emotional development, we would be humbled, honoured, and deeply cognisant of our responsibilities. We can help kids face the world with a mental health toolkit that will give them the best possible chance of living their best lives.

In kindness,

DONNA NAIRN
Director of Counselling

Acknowledgements & further reading:

Every child needs a toolkit for mental health

R U OK?

The Resilience Project

Woodleigh had 26 students compete at the Victorian Interschool Snow Sports championships from 23 August to 28 August in a range of ski and snowboard events. All students did a fantastic job representing the school and their efforts were rewarded as Woodleigh came in third position overall out of all the Co-ed schools that competed.

The highlights of the week were Joe and Esse Foley being crowned Division 3 (Y7 & 8) individual Mogul champions along with the Division 1 (Y11 & 12) Boys Snowboard team that were champions in the snowboard event, Division 2 (Y9 & 10) Boys Ski team that were champions in the slopestyle event and Division 3 (Y7 & 8) Girls Snowboard team that were champions in the snowboard event. All the results are listed below for each day of competition.

Thank you to all the parents who helped out at the championships as team managers, course volunteers and supporters without your efforts and commitment we would not be able to field a team.

BILL HIGGINS
Snow Sports Coordinator

Wednesday August 23

Division 3 Boys Alpine GS team - 202 competitors in the field

Owen Clark – 22^nd place, Joe Foley – 52^nd place, Tom Mildren – 159^th place and Brett King – 168^thplace

Team result - 20th place out of around 60 teams. Each team consists of three best combined times.

Division 3 Girls Ski Cross team - 201 competitors in the field

Iz O’Connor – 6^th place in qualifying and placed 4^th in final missed third place by 0.06 sec, Alannah Dietrich - 86^th place, Tilly Rodgers-Wilson – 116^th place

Team result - 10th place out of around 60 teams. Each team consists of two best combined times.

Division 3 Girls Moguls - 38 competitors in the field

Esse Foley – 1^st place

Thursday August 25

Division 2 Boys Alpine GS team - 208 competitors in the field

Finn Jacobsen – 12^th place (qualified for National Championships), Digby Taylor – 27^th place, Ajax Calligeros – 115^th place

Team result - 12th place out of 32 teams. Each team consists of three best combined times.

Division 3 Girls Alpine GS team - 229 competitors in the field

Esse Foley – 12^th place (qualified for National Championships), Iz O’Connor – 33^rd place, Alannah Dietrich – 98^th place, Daisy Black – 102^nd.

Team result - 11th place out of 60 teams. Each team consists of three best combined times.

Division 3 Boys Moguls - 68 competitors in the field

Joe Foley – 1^st place (qualified for National Championships), Owen Clark – 20^th place (qualified for National Championships)

Team result – 1^stplace out of 20 teams. Each team consists of two best combined scores.

Division 2 Boys Ski Cross - 181 competitors in the field

Finn Jacobsen – 11^th place (qualified for National Championships), Digby Taylor – 52^nd place, Ajax Calligeros – 148^th place

Team result - 13th place out of around 53 teams. Each team consists of two best combined times.

Division 3 Boys Ski Cross - 214 competitors in the field

Owen Clark – 11^th place (qualified for National Championships), Tom MIldren – 151^st place

Team result – 29^th place out of around 70 teams. Each team consists of two best combined times.

Friday August 26

Division 2 Boys Moguls team - 51 competitors in the field

Digby Taylor – 12^th place Qualified for National Championships), Finn Jacobsen – 21^st place

Team result – 5^thplace out of 32 teams. Each team consists of two best combined scores. (Qualified for National Championships)

Division 2 Girls Alpine GS team - 186 competitors in the field

Nina Kostka – 54^th place and Annabella Cripps 104^th – place

Division 3 Boys Boarder Cross - 38 competitors in the field

Monty Dentry – 13^th place (Qualified for National Championships), Charlie Pullar – 15^th place (Qualified for National Championships)

Team result – 2^nd place. Each team consists of two best combined qualifying times. (Qualified for National Championships)

Division 3 Girls Boarder Cross - 32 competitors in the field

Chilli Stanton – 7^th place (Qualified for National Championships), Issy Cameron – 10^th place (Qualified for National Championships)

Team result – 3^rd place. Each team consists of two best combined qualifying times. (Qualified for National Championships)

Division 3 Girls Slopestyle - 20 competitors in the field

Iz O’Connor 13^th place (Qualified for National Championships)

Division 2 Boys Slopestyle - 25 competitors in the field

Finn Jacobsen – 2^ndplace (Qualified for National Championships), Digby Taylor – 14^th place (Qualified for National Championships)

Team result – equal 1^stplace. Each team consists of two best combined scores. (Qualified for National Championships)

Saturday August 27

Division 2 Girls Ski Cross - 145 competitors in the field

Nina Kostka – 68^th place and Annabella Cripps 127^th – place

Division 1 Girls Ski Cross - 135 competitors in the field

Sassy Taylor – 33^rd place, just missed finals by 0.06 sec.

Division 1 Girls Alpine GS - 142 competitors in the field

Sassy Taylor – 52^nd place.

Division 1 Boys Snowboard Cross - 51 competitors in the field

Rhett Clark – 3^rd place (Qualified for National Championships), Tom Connell – 9^th place (Qualified for National Championships), , Seb Ginsberg 18^th place (Qualified for National Championships),

Team result – 2^nd place. Each team consists of two best combined scores. (Qualified for National Championships)

Division 1 Boys Snowboard - 51 competitors in the field

Rhett Clark – 3^rd place (Qualified for National Championships), Tom Connell – 12^th place (Qualified for National Championships), , Seb Ginsberg 13^th place (Qualified for National Championships),

Team result – 1^stplace. Each team consists of two best combined scores. (Qualified for National Championships)

Division 1 Boys Slopestyle Snowboard

Rhett Clark – 4^th place (Qualified for National Championships), Seb Ginsberg 11^th place (Qualified for National Championships),

Team result –3^rdplace. Each team consists of two best combined scores. (Qualified for National Championships)

Division 2 Boys Snowboard - 39 competitors in the field

Ted Meysztowicz – 19^th place

Division 3 Boys Snowboard - 40 competitors in the field

Monty Dentry – 7^th place (Qualified for National Championships), Charlie Pullar – 20^th place (Qualified for National Championships)

Team result – 3^rd place. Each team consists of two best combined qualifying times. (Qualified for National Championships)

Division 3 Girls Snowboard - 34 competitors in the field

Chilli Stanton – 3^rd place (Qualified for National Championships), Issy Cameron – 4^th place (Qualified for National Championships)

Team result – 1^stplace. Each team consists of two best combined qualifying times. (Qualified for National Championships)

Division 3 Girls Slopestyle Snowboard

Chilli Stanton – 5^thplace (Qualified for National Championships), Issy Cameron – 8^th place (Qualified for National Championships)

Team result – 2^ndplace. Each team consists of two best combined qualifying times. (Qualified for National Championships)

Sunday August 28

Division 1Boys Alpine GS - 141 competitors in the field

Finn Loader 72^nd place, Blake Fleiszig – 94^th place

Division 1 Boys Ski Cross - 127 competitors in the field

Finn Loader 89^th place, Blake Fleiszig – 105^th place

Champion Secondary Schools

1. Geelong Grammar School (Senior)
2. Wesley College
3. Woodleigh School
4. Carey Baptist Grammar
5. Caulfield Grammar School
6. Geelong College
7. Peninsula Grammar
8. Ivanhoe Grammar School
9. Mansfield Secondary College
10. St Leonard's College
11. Firbank Grammar School
12. Yarra Valley Grammar School
13. Bacchus Marsh Grammar
14. Mentone Grammar
15. Mansfield Rudolph Steiner School
16. St Michael's Grammar School
17. Toorak College
18. Albert Park College
19. Mount Beauty Secondary College
20. Kardinia International College
21. St Mary's College
22. Eltham College
23. Ballarat Grammar School
24. Braemar College

Students Qualified to compete at National Championships

· Digby Taylor – Division 2 (Y9&10) Moguls and Ski Slopestyle

· Joe Foley – Division 3 (Y7&8) Moguls

· Owen Clark – Division 3 (Y7&8) Moguls and Ski Cross

· Rhett Clark – Division 1 (Y11&12) Snowboard GS, Snowboard Cross, Snowboard Slopestyle

· Tom Connell – Division 1 (Y11&12) Snowboard GS, Snowboard Cross

· Chilli Stanton – Division 3 (Y7&8) Snowboard GS, Snowboard Cross, Snowboard Slopestyle

· Issy Cameron – Division 3 (Y7&8) Snowboard GS, Snowboard Cross, Snowboard Slopestyle

· Monty Dentry – Division 3 (Y7&8) Snowboard GS, Snowboard Cross

· Charlie Pullar – Division 3 (Y7&8) Snowboard GS, Snowboard Cross

· Esse Foley – Ski Moguls and Alpine GS

· Finn Jacobsen – Ski Slopestyle, Moguls, Ski Cross and Alpine GS

· Iz O’Connor – Ski Cross

· Seb Ginsberg – Division 1 (Y11&12) Snowboard GS, Snowboard Cross, Snowboard Slopestyle

On August 25, all Year 11 students participated in our Career Development Immersive Industry Tour Program. We are incredibly grateful to the following organisations for being so willing to share their knowledge and expertise.

· BUSINESS / ENTREPRENEURSHIP – NAB Mornington and Smart Business Solutions

· ARTS / DESIGN INDUSTRY – Collingwood Yards and Millie Savage Studio

· ENGINEERING / IT- SAS and EmTek

· HEALTH / HEALTH SCIENCES – Endota, The Alternative Health Clinic & Dietician Edition by Millie Padula

· STEM INDUSTRIES – MiniFab and Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute

· SERVICE / SOCIAL ENTERPRISE – CERES and HoMie

· SPORT AND EXERCISE SCIENCE – Richmond Football Club and Victorian Institute of Sport

Students were privileged to visit your workplaces and listen to various experts who generously gave advice on preparing for the future. The consistent messages shared were: building your skills and capabilities, enjoying the moment you are doing, not feeling pressured to have it all figured out, letting your visions and passions guide you and don’t be afraid to change your direction.

GINA BOLCH
Director of Careers

Through today’s experience, I learned:

Every new person you meet has a story to tell, something valuable to learn from, and a lesson to carry with you so that you don’t have to make those mistakes yourself, whether in business, personal life, or career paths. If you mess up, you can assure yourself it will be ok because someone else has been through your situation.

Secondly, there’s always more than meets the eye, anyone, regardless of your difference or prejudices, is worth listening to, and it’s those who are ‘poles apart in their position to ours in life who we should strive to hear their voices.

By speaking to numerous people in the social enterprise industry, they all had one message, you don’t have to have it all figured out. In fact, it’s a little unusual if you know exactly what you want to do for the rest of your life at the age of 17.

Upon reflection, two things I want to know more about include:

• How did the students who started CERES gain approval for their project?
• How do CERES monitor their impact?
• Does HoMie have any programs to employ individuals with disabilities, indigenous heritage, or people from the LGBTQIA+ community?
• What kind of support does HoMie need to expand onto the Mornington Peninsula?

From today’s experience:

• I would like to see visually appealing rubbish catchments around Woodleigh’s Watson’s Creek, similar to what CERES has implemented
• Establish a transparent composting system in the senior homestead as an expansion of our composting. Follow HoMie on Instagram
• Add to the conversation and take action surrounding ethical fashion into the Year 9/10 textiles curriculum.

RUBY REYNOLDS
Year 11

During this term, my peers and I were lucky enough to explore and be educated by the people at CERES and HoMie’s Fitzroy store on Thursday for our industry tour excursion.

We started at CERES, which used to be a landfill but was turned into an “environmental education centre, community garden, urban farm and social enterprise hub” in 1982 by students from a nearby school. We were informed about their sustainable practices and new technology they’re testing, such as sculptures designed to filter rubbish out of the local Merri Creek, pathways made from recycled materials, and the use of plants to de-chemicalise water. CERES has created multiple ways for all people in the community to be involved, whether gardening, looking after chickens, shopping at their own grocery/bakery and café, or building and fixing bikes at the bike shed. The people who work there were extremely welcoming, sharing about their careers and the various jobs they’ve pursued, leading them to CERES, whether travelling with Circus Oz or working in mental health.

We were gifted the advice of the Japanese concept ikigai meaning “reason for being”, which includes four components:

• your passions
• what you enjoy
• what you’re good at and
• what the world needs, as well as volunteering, as it gives you experiences for the next job to inspire and encourage you.

My highlight was having the privilege of meeting two people from HoMie’s team in the afternoon. HoMie is a social enterprise streetwear store that aspires to “break down the stigma attached with homelessness and those experiencing it rough on the streets”. The idea blossomed from having a pop-up store moving through the CBD of Melbourne, selling and trading clothes to give to the homeless, then expanding to owning a shop in Fitzroy and the development of HoMie Pathway Alliance. The program starts in February, where young people from ages 18 to around 25 apply through partnered community support services and participate in an 8-month paid retail internship at the store. The internship includes a certificate III in retail operations, six months of paid practical work experience, eight months of paid personal development training to build confidence and skills, and a permanent place in the HoMie alumni community. When HoMie was established in 2015, 17% of people experiencing homelessness were between 19-24. Now in recent years, 84% of participants go on to succeed. Although already accomplishing much, HoMie has high hopes for the future to become independently financial without relying on donations. One thing they learned when adapting their business model was to question and listen to the customers about their needs instead of deciding what’s best for them.

I am incredibly grateful for both experiences, as they have inspired me to continue to tailor my aspirations.

ASHLYN MARCHANT
Year 11

We had to do a range to tasks in preparation for UN day: choose a country, research it and its climate change progress with our group, and then read through all the clauses in the UN Resolution to see which ones our country agrees with or doesn’t agree with.

I chose Spain because when researching climate change, I saw how much it has affected them. However, in terms of their progress compared to other EU countries, they actually haven’t achieved as much of their climate goals as others. (Plus they have a very vibrant and interesting culture).

On the day, I really only planned to read out our Position Statement (a quick speech you deliver at the beginning to show where you are at, and what you plan on doing on the day), and then I thought that Spain would just silently vote on things for the rest of the day. However, after hearing everyone’s Position Statements and opinions, I knew that as a country we had many thoughts on what everyone had just said.

During the day you get the opportunity to speak to other countries and get them to sign off on something called an Amendment, which you put forward to show any changes you want made to the clauses in the UN Resolution. As Spain, we disliked the wording of one of the clauses, specifically 2.5, which stated that all countries should work towards plant-based diets because farming is a large contributor to carbon emissions. Because of our culture, which eats pork as a celebration of freedom, and with meat being our largest export and therefore a major source of income, we knew it needed to be changed. We reworded this and included exemptions to any religious reasoning or for economic reasons and got 8 countries to sign, including the UK, Germany and the USA (who, at the last minute, pulled their support mid-vote).

Even after the USA disaster, we managed to get it through with a close vote, as well as speaking up many times during the amendment voting section with other amendments. The hardest part of the day was making sure what you were arguing wasn’t your opinion, but was what your country would do or say in the situation. In the end, as Spain we made a large contribution to the day, ended up learning a lot about how the UN works, learned tonnes about which international areas climate change is affecting, and also had a lot of fun while doing it.

TABITHA PLUMMER
Year 10

Activity: Clay Pots

The Clay Pots Activity has offered us the opportunity to develop our hand and wheel potting skills.

We learned how to centre the clay on the pottery wheel, that air bubbles lead to explosions in the kiln, and that clay feels good on the hands. We have had the chance to make many items and there have been a few laughs over unbalanced projects with the occasional flying clay!

It has been great to meet and work with new people, especially the student leaders. We would certainly recommend this Activity to others and would love to do it again ourselves.

Activity: Barista & Café Experience

I did the Barista & Café Experience Activity back at the start of Term 3. It was an eye-opener and a great experience. At the start of our Activity, we were told to always “respect the bean”. At first, I didn’t know what he meant by this but after time we started to understand. We need to not see the coffee bean as just a way for us to get some caffeine but instead to understand the process of the bean. We learned that all beans taste different, some have a stronger taste, but some have more of a chocolaty taste with hints of caramel, vanilla, and more. We learned not to rush it, but to take your time and make sure it’s perfect. We learned how to work the espresso machine and how to make great coffee shots. When we became comfortable with making the shots, we then moved to foaming the milk and then practicing latte art.

At the end we went to Home Ground Café in Mornington, and we got to really see how cafes are run and how to be a real barista. Making our own coffee in a real café environment was a great experience. Overall, the Activity was a great way to get into the café industry learning skills that can help us get part-time jobs.

CHARLIE STEVERING
Year 10

Activity: Basketball Academy

The Basketball Academy has been my favourite Activity so far.

It gives people who are passionate about basketball a chance to go to a professional basketball gym and learn skills to dominate on the court. One of my favourite things about this Activity is the 4-on-4 games.

I recommend this Activity to every basketballer out there to give it a go.

WILL MUIR-SIMPSON
Year 7

In Year 10 French class, students have been learning how to formulate the future tenses in French, comprising of ‘futur simple’ (simple future) and ‘futur proche’ (near future). The students comprise of James L, Phoebe A, Gabe F, Tabitha P and Hudson M.

To contextualise these tenses, students wrote sentences in French about what they would like to do in the future by using both the future tenses, which was uploaded on the website, ‘Dotstorming’. Their responses were all anonymous, and the website enabled students to log on anonymously, and create their own usernames.

Each student had to guess who wrote which responses. This led to an animated and a lively lesson in French and English, whereby students each took turns translating the sentences, and trying to work out who wrote what sentences. Such is an example of the powerful integration of technology in the teaching of languages in the classroom.

MADAME KAWASHIMA
On behalf of Year 10 French

This term, 7A completed their wire stocking sculptures. They explored the art elements of shape, form, colour, and pattern by developing a variety of decorative designs. The Year 7s began by moulding their wire coat hangers into their desired shape, followed by stretching a nylon stocking over the top. They then applied paint, Poscas and metallic markers to create their eye-catching sculptures.

LISA McDONALD and ANIKA McCLEAN
Visual Arts

The camp started with a bang! The first day skiing up at Mount Buller was horrible and we were all soaked through after an hour of skiing.

Despite the bad start to the camp, it was an amazing experience, and I enjoyed every minute of it, especially being at my home mountain that I have skied at for the last 5-years of my life.

One of my favourite days was the second day, the weather was way better, it was still a little foggy from the day before, but the snow was so soft and powdery it made up for the conditions from yesterday. The Wednesday night we went night skiing and it was amazing, being able to ski down Bourke Street without the crowd and the lift at the bottom and without having to be non-stop dodging first-timers.

My experience at Mount Buller was an unforgettable one and the best camp that I have ever been on. I have made lots of new friends and have met lovely people and teachers on the way.

The week after camp most of us headed back up to Mt Buller for the Victorian Interschools Championships to compete in either Moguls, Skiercross or Boardercross and Giant Slalom. Everyone did a great job with many students competing for the first time. Digby Taylor, Joe Foley, Essie Foley, Owen Clark, Rhett Clark, Tom Connell, Chilli Stanton, Issy Cameron, Monty Dentry, Charlie Pullar, Finn Jacobsen, Izzi O’Connor and Seb Ginsberg all performed exceptionally well and made it through the Nationals Competition at Perisher in New South Wales.

ALANNAH DIETRICH
Year 7

Activities week 2022 was one we’ll never forget.

On day one we had an amazing time at the O’Brien Skate House, where we learned to ice skate. After that we had a great time taking photos at ArtVo, where we saw some art works that took 800 hours to paint. The last thing we did was an MCG tour with our passionate tour guide Richard.

On day two we were lucky enough to have a foodies tour at the box market and got to try all the different kinds of food that most of us haven’t yet like kangaroo, chicken, Manchego, feta, and a few dips that were amazing. After the foodies tour we had a food challenge that was delicious and fun.

After we are the delicious food we walked to Hard Rock rock climbing. Even though the harnesses were a bit uncomfortable, the overall experience was awesome.

Day three was a bit hard for most of us because we did a 30km bike ride that made our legs very sore. We had many stops and we could buy lunch near Luna Park and everyone went to the McDonalds for lunch.

On day four we when to an escape room and it was so fun to try and get out and work together and find out who did it and get out. There were different levels of escape rooms.

We then had some fun at MSAC doing the wipe-out program. In that we did an inflatable course, then we went on the diving boards and after we did a 3-metre dive. We also did the wave pool and played with some balls that were in the pool.

Day five we went to Eureka Sky Deck and did a virtual tour of the city because we couldn’t do The Edge experience. Then we went to the top and looked out at the city. After we got some lunch and we’re on our way to Bounce in Glen Iris. At Bounce we played dodgeball and the X park, then we had some free time and did our own thing. Then sadly we had to go, and that was the end of our amazing camp.

ISABELLA STEWART and RHIANNON SALLENGER
Year 7

Recently I had the fantastic opportunity to partake in the teaching of an Activities Week camp, specifically the Game Design camp. It was a very tiring but very rewarding experience to see how everyone learned the tools used throughout the week, and we ended up making some fantastic games (some of which I nearly couldn’t believe came from people who, at the start of the week, didn’t know anything about Bitsy as a tool).

It was a very different experience from being on a camp and helped to give me a very unique perspective as to how much effort goes into the camps for Activities Week: from plans for each day to dealing with challenges that came up throughout the week (such as differences with computers and how they handled Bitsy) and ideas that are only just doable! I’d have to say it’s probably my favourite camp I’ve been on, seeing all of the creativity we have here at Woodleigh, and how quick people were to adjust to the limitations of the game engine we were using.

I’m looking forward to seeing what many of these people will create in the future! Special thanks to Mr Donaldson, Ms Farquharson, Mr Peach, and all of the other staff that helped make this wonderful experience possible (including the very patient IT staff).

JAKE ARONLEIGH
Year 11

As a new year 9 Woodleigh student, this was my first activities camp. I was lucky to be allocated to ski camp at Hotham and I had an absolute blast.

My favourite moment was definitely boarding at the Orchid with Mr Baker, the school principal. This was my highlight for a few reasons. Firstly, Orchid had lots of cool jumps - big and small - which I loved trying. And secondly, boarding with the Principal was great fun as he was really funny and an excellent skier who was willing to wait for us at the bottom of each run. It was great getting to know Mr Baker and the other Hotham teachers, and build up boarding skills at the same time. It was also a really good opportunity to make new friends. Hotham was a great experience, and I am so grateful for this opportunity.

WILL KUFFER
Year 9

This was to be my first ever Activities Week due to Covid, and I was very excited to see what I was in for! There were a dozen students and three teachers on the camp, so we all got to know each other very well over the week. The camp was based in and around the Bright area (Wangaratta, Bright, Beechworth), and we would do 300km (give or take) of riding.

We were told that the weather would be very wet throughout the week, and I was worried during the whole 3-hour bus ride up to Wangaratta. This worry was accentuated by heavy clouds in the skies, two punctures, and a few wrong turns that ended up adding many kilometres to what was supposed to be an easy first day. Due to all this, we had to call the 45km ride early, 8km before we arrived in Beechworth, due to darkness at 6:00 pm.

I went to bed that night feeling very anxious about Tuesday’s 75km ride.

When we woke up, we were greeted by a nice breakfast made by the teachers, giving the day a good start. We were then told that we would be going down the massive 20km hill that had defeated us yesterday, giving the day a great start.

That day went by very quickly, and we ended up finishing our 75km ride (to Bright) a lot earlier than the 50km ride that we had called short yesterday. I went to bed that night feeling much more confident and excited for tomorrow.

On Wednesday, we didn’t do much riding (35km or so), but we did get some good bonding time; having a relatively slow, lazy ride up towards Harrietville – the base of Mt. Hotham – that gave us plenty of time to chat with one another. Then came the fast, exciting race back to Bright, which added a bit of competitiveness to the day. We finished the day at 3:00 pm and got the chance to chill at our Bright accommodation.

That night we were told that Thursday was definitely going to be our most challenging day; the reverse of Tuesday, 75km finishing uphill to Beechworth. When it came around, we found it was also our best day from a riding point of view. We managed to stick together more than other days and rode at a solid pace most of the way.

We eventually returned to the hill we had failed to complete on the first day, and everyone was nervous. We knew we only had a few hours before darkness and impending rain, and we didn’t think we were going to make it. The teachers weren’t too confident either, as they had said the night before that if you were not able to keep going, you would have the option to take the bus up the climb. We started the hill feeling energetic but worried for the next few hours, as we knew it would be tough, but no one was willing to be the first person to go on the bus, and everyone stuck together at the same pace. We ended up finishing the hill with hours to spare and had a victorious night together in Beechworth. I felt very proud of my accomplishment and connected with all my friends who had done the same.

It was a great feeling and a very great camp that I would very happily go on again.

GRIFF MATTHEWS
Year 9

Fishing camp was amazing, with the fantastic skills you learn and friends you make. On the first day we went to Flinders pier with a cold, rainy day ahead of us. First day fishing, we did not have high expectations, but we were excited since we had no school. We walked down the pier almost falling off because of the wind. First cast in, we wait and wait and wait with the wind and rain not stopping.

Suddenly, we hear, “I’m on, I’m on, I’ve got a fish!" We reel it in and it’s a big squid, caught by Ralph! Everyone now has hope that we may get something. Three-hours go by with no bite, no nothing, then we decide to move to a new location Stony point. We get there, excited for a new location. Jude caught a big Australian salmon, then no fish except a couple of bites.

When we went to Sorrento, which is known for catching good squid, it was an amazing spot to fish since it was covered in seaweed, rocks, and coral. The weather that day was ordinary with winds almost blowing you off the pier. We did not catch much that day since we were right next to the ferry which scared the fish off every 40 mins, which was not ideal.

Since we had had not much luck we decided at the last minute to go to the trout farm the next day, to bring us some joy in catching a fish. First cast in and I’m on, it was pretty satisfying catching a fish that fast but it felt like you were cheating the whole time.

The charter was located at Hastings pier. We went into Western Port Bay and fished around there! First cast in and I’m on, I catch a descent-size flat head with three whiting I caught later in the day. The weather was wonderful; perfect conditions, and everyone came home with a fish except for two people.

Thanks to everyone who helped me and all the students through the week.

LACHIE HOLBROOK
Year 8

Stepping off the bus at Hanging Rock after a 2 ½ hour trip, words of excitement began to buzz around. Due to lockdown, this was the first Activities Week Camp for Year 7s, 8s and 9s, so no one really knew what to expect. As we began to climb the step-like rocks, rain began to bucket down upon us. We stuck together, trying to keep each other’s spirits up as the cold droplets began to penetrate our raincoats, occasionally taking cover under the rocks. After what felt like hours of hiking, we reached the top to be met with a breathtaking view. The hand-painted hills of grassiest green and the hazy outlines of mountains were framed elegantly by the weathered rocks. We stopped to admire the cinematic panorama before heading back down the steep path. After a quick lunch, we file back onto the bus for a smooth journey to our accommodation.

Once we arrived, we quickly realised that this isn’t any old ramshackle lodge, but a beautifully re-furnished traditional house nestled in the quiet suburb of Hepburn Springs. After unpacking our bags and settling into our rooms for the week we begin to work on our passion projects, this could be anything from painting to finger-knitting to Lego building or putting together a puzzle, but for me as an avid lit lover, it was reading & writing! As the sun began to set, we all set to making pizzas for dinner. We were all spoilt for choice when it came to topping but I settled with passata, potato, mushroom, and vegan cheese. We all gobbled down the delicious meal that we had all worked so hard to prepare before playing some group games and heading to bed.

The next day hit Monday right out of the park with a thought-provoking visit to the Rocklyn Ashram. The visit entailed a traditional yoga session, a deep meditation, a relaxing walk around the grounds, and some morning tea to fill our hungry bellies.

Wednesday would have had to be my favourite day overall! We took the bus to Castlemaine before catching a steam train to Moldan. The ride was not only thrilling but a one-of-a-kind adventure. When we finally reached what was once a hotspot for diggers, we all were entertained by the intriguing history of what appeared to us as just any old sleepy regional town. We had the opportunity to explore the original 1800s shopping strip, which was an amazing display of Australian historical architecture.

On Thursday we visited “The Chocolate Mill” Daylesford and walked the Mount Franklin hiking trail. We tasted some of the Mount Franklin water too, which even though some may disagree, I though was absolutely disgusting! In the evening we powered through the rain and went to see “Borealis on the Lake”, a spectacular light and sound show that recreated the Northern Lights above Lake Daylesford.

When Friday finally arrived, we were all disappointed to be leaving. We had all made so many cross-age bonds that we wouldn’t have ever made if we hadn’t come on this camp. We spent our last day at “The Amazing Mill Market” and in and around Daylesford. We were allowed to split into small groups and go and buy ourselves lunch in town, my group all chipping in to buy ourselves some fish and chips to finish this amazing camp experience off.

Stepping off that bus for the last time, bag in hand, I was filled with a sense of joy and accomplishment. I had been a bit apprehensive at first at staying the week away but the feeling that I was feeling at that very moment, that was why I had come on this camp! I would highly recommend Energise and Revive Camp to any student who wants to be challenged in a welcoming and supportive environment!

CHARLIE RUSSO
Year 7

My camp week on Beginners Surf was really fun. We went surfing, kayaking, did some walks and morning exercise. I chose this camp because I like surfing and I wanted to get better and feel more experienced. I enjoyed talking with friends, cooking my own food and, of course, loved the surfing. Whilst it was challenging in the cold water, I had a great time and would love to do it again.

Throughout the week I developed my communication skills and teamwork. My advice for anyone wanting to do this camp next year is that whilst it is cold and a bit tiring, overall you will have a great time.

LEO CHEW
Year 7