Woodleigh Messenger
Returning from Camp Week
As I write this week’s Messenger article, I have been madly checking my gear, my pack, my boots, and all of the paperwork before I head off on the Overland Track in Tasmania for Senior Campus Homestead Camp. I have an early departure from the airport and am looking forward to meeting my 10 fellow trekkers from Year 11 and 12.
We have been talking about and preparing for the trip for many weeks, sharing stories of blisters, dehydrated meals, and enough gear to survive the biggest snowstorm Tassie can throw at us in Autumn.
I am aware that at this moment the students accompanying me will be doing the same, checking gear, wondering if they have everything? Will I have enough food? Will I be warm enough? They will also be filled with excitement as the departure day has finally arrived.
All of our Senior Campus students and staff will have similar feelings over the next few days as they also put in place final arrangements for their trips, wherever they may be going. For many, this will be their first trip away with Woodleigh, and for some their first trip away camping and looking after themselves.
It is through these experiences that staff can build relationships with our students and see them through a different lens to that we see at school. We can see strengths that we may not have known existed, vulnerabilities that help us to see the real person, and most importantly, we can share with them the story of Woodleigh; our culture, and our values.
This week I have had three separate discussions with people about Woodleigh students and the sense of character people see in our graduates and alumni. Two of these discussions were with alumni, and another with a prominent member of our local community who described her experience developing relationships with ex-Woodleigh students. They all talked about a sense of independence, confidence, being grounded and having strong values, being people of character.
These characteristics are the hallmarks of the experiences Woodleigh students have during their time at our school and they are also strongly aligned with a community that has a strong sense of self.
I can’t wait to head off on my trek early tomorrow morning, to meet my fellow travellers and begin our adventure together. I am looking forward to learning about who they really are, their views about our world, their aspirations for the future, and hopefully their optimism as well. We will share challenges along the way, and I know they will see all of my vulnerabilities, especially after the first big hill we climb.
Sending our entire Senior Campus off on camp or work experience at the same time requires a huge effort from our staff and everyone involved in the preparation and planning for these trips. People at Woodleigh give of their time because they value the experiences we will all have together next week, and they understand the importance of these experiences to the personal development of our students, their sense of connectedness and belonging to each other, and to the School.
My best wishes to all our travellers returning home this week. I hope your journeys were full of joy and wonder.
Take care,
DAVID BAKER
Principal
Vale Michael Norman
Late on Wednesday 1 March, just before I left for Tasmania, I received the news that Michael Norman, the Founding Principal of Woodleigh School, had passed away. Michael led the development, establishment, and early years of Woodleigh School from 1974 to 1980, as it expanded from a thriving, small co-educational primary school (now known as Minimbah) into secondary education.
Leading a passionate and involved community of parents and educators, he set the school on this new adventure with vision, energy, and purpose. He took what he saw in the Minimbah learning community - a community not bound by tradition, open to the future – and transplanted those values, ideals, and philosophy into the Woodleigh flower farm here on Golf Links Road.
Every choice made in the design and building of Woodleigh was informed by a deep understanding of the difference between ‘education’ and ‘schooling’. His move away from institutionalised, post-industrial ‘schooling’ allowed adolescents to develop, find their passions and grow – as learners and human beings – gaining an education that was both academic and personal. In their six years of growth at Woodleigh, students would leave this place knowing themselves and the world, and understanding their place in it.
Fifty years have passed since Woodleigh was a dream in the minds of the Minimbah community. What exists today is as much Michael’s legacy as it is a school that continues to strive to meet the contemporary needs of young people. His big-picture thinking – grounded in research, community engagement and a deep-thinking, philosophical approach - saw him guide generations of young people to find balance – balance between personal development, social responsibility, academic achievement, and practical competence. His development of cross-age learning opportunities are legendary. Perhaps his biggest legacy is the Homestead system, where students co-habit with younger and older students, learning to be responsible for and respectful of themselves, each other and the environment.
Professionally, he has inspired generations of teachers to put the needs of students and young people ahead of the needs of ‘the institution’.
To Woodleigh, the most enduring legacy is the impact he has made on generations of young people who have received their education under him or since him. His oft-quoted, “We ought never to do for young people what they, with a struggle, could be expected to be doing for themselves”, remains at the forefront of what we do in 2023 and will continue to do in years to come.
Michael leaves us, a community of educators and parents, with a question, a challenge:
Long may we continue to struggle and approach education as an adventure.
Our thoughts, love and support go out to Michael’s children, Claire, Mark and Brett, and his extended family and friends.
DAVID BAKER
Principal
Melbourne Zoo Work Experience Reflection
Last year in early December, I got the chance to do work experience at Melbourne Zoo. I got to work with the ZooKeepers and learn about the animals and their needs. On Monday I worked with primates and I made different feeds for the gorillas and arboreal monkeys. Then on Tuesday I was working with the carnivores team I had to help feed the lions/snow leopards. I got to feed the giraffes, I learned about their environment, and how the zoo works with the animals.
On Wednesday I had to feed the sea life animals (seals and birds) and help look after the penguins. Then Thursday I worked with the Australian animals team we worked with feeding schedules and general check-ups. Friday was my last day, and I got to work with insects, specifically the butterflies, and learn how exact the temperature needs to be, how the zookeepers make the nectar, and how they use science to measure every little detail.
Everyone got on well with each other, and even as a work experience student they made me feel a part of the team and included me in conversations. It is a very accommodating workplace, from what I experienced.
The process I had to go through to be accepted was submit an interest to Mr Kirk. Then I did an interview through the school and then I got through and had to submit an application to Melbourne zoo, and wait to hear from them, and I got an email saying I got through. I would highly recommend this Work experience to anyone interested in animals and if you think you would want to work in a thrilling/hard-working and rewarding field of work then definitely consider applying for this experience.
JAMES STUART
Year 11
Join us at the Harmony Day Picnic!
In cultural respect for everyone who calls Australia home, please join us for the 2023 Harmony Day Picnic at the Penbank Campus on Thursday 30 March from 4.45 to 8pm!
Featuring music and dance by:
- Sambado – Spontaneous swinging Brazilian samba
- Asanti Beats – the spirit and joy of West African music and acrobatics
- Indigenous Outreach Project – Hip Hop
All proceeds on the night go towards Woodleigh School’s Indigenous Scholarship Fund.
Federal Government Student Residential Address (and Other Information) Collection
The Australian Government Department of Education has requested for Woodleigh School to provide the residential address and other information for all enrolled students. Under the Australian Education Regulation 2013, the school is required to provide the department with the following information about each student at the school:
• Names and residential addresses of student’s parent(s) and/or guardian(s)
• Student residential address (excluding student names)
• Whether the student is a primary or secondary student (education level)
• Whether the student is boarding or a day student (boarding status).
The 2023 Student Residential Address and Other Information Collection (Address Collection) will open in SchoolsHUB on Wednesday 15 February 2023, with data submitted by Wednesday 15 March 2023.
Please refer to the attached document for full details of the collection.
For further information about the Address Collection, visit the SchoolsHUB Address Collection help and support page or contact the Address Collection helpdesk at SEShelpdesk@education.gov.au or on 1800 677 027 (option 4).
PAMELA GREEN
Data Manager
Late on Wednesday 1 March, just before I left for Tasmania, I received the news that Michael Norman, the Founding Principal of Woodleigh School, had passed away. Michael led the development, establishment, and early years of Woodleigh School from 1974 to 1980, as it expanded from a thriving, small co-educational primary school (now known as Minimbah) into secondary education.
Leading a passionate and involved community of parents and educators, he set the school on this new adventure with vision, energy, and purpose. He took what he saw in the Minimbah learning community - a community not bound by tradition, open to the future – and transplanted those values, ideals, and philosophy into the Woodleigh flower farm here on Golf Links Road.
Every choice made in the design and building of Woodleigh was informed by a deep understanding of the difference between ‘education’ and ‘schooling’. His move away from institutionalised, post-industrial ‘schooling’ allowed adolescents to develop, find their passions and grow – as learners and human beings – gaining an education that was both academic and personal. In their six years of growth at Woodleigh, students would leave this place knowing themselves and the world, and understanding their place in it.
Fifty years have passed since Woodleigh was a dream in the minds of the Minimbah community. What exists today is as much Michael’s legacy as it is a school that continues to strive to meet the contemporary needs of young people. His big-picture thinking – grounded in research, community engagement and a deep-thinking, philosophical approach - saw him guide generations of young people to find balance – balance between personal development, social responsibility, academic achievement, and practical competence. His development of cross-age learning opportunities are legendary. Perhaps his biggest legacy is the Homestead system, where students co-habit with younger and older students, learning to be responsible for and respectful of themselves, each other and the environment.
Professionally, he has inspired generations of teachers to put the needs of students and young people ahead of the needs of ‘the institution’.
To Woodleigh, the most enduring legacy is the impact he has made on generations of young people who have received their education under him or since him. His oft-quoted, “We ought never to do for young people what they, with a struggle, could be expected to be doing for themselves”, remains at the forefront of what we do in 2023 and will continue to do in years to come.
Michael leaves us, a community of educators and parents, with a question, a challenge:
Long may we continue to struggle and approach education as an adventure.
Our thoughts, love and support go out to Michael’s children, Claire, Mark and Brett, and his extended family and friends.
DAVID BAKER
Principal
Last year in early December, I got the chance to do work experience at Melbourne Zoo. I got to work with the ZooKeepers and learn about the animals and their needs. On Monday I worked with primates and I made different feeds for the gorillas and arboreal monkeys. Then on Tuesday I was working with the carnivores team I had to help feed the lions/snow leopards. I got to feed the giraffes, I learned about their environment, and how the zoo works with the animals.
On Wednesday I had to feed the sea life animals (seals and birds) and help look after the penguins. Then Thursday I worked with the Australian animals team we worked with feeding schedules and general check-ups. Friday was my last day, and I got to work with insects, specifically the butterflies, and learn how exact the temperature needs to be, how the zookeepers make the nectar, and how they use science to measure every little detail.
Everyone got on well with each other, and even as a work experience student they made me feel a part of the team and included me in conversations. It is a very accommodating workplace, from what I experienced.
The process I had to go through to be accepted was submit an interest to Mr Kirk. Then I did an interview through the school and then I got through and had to submit an application to Melbourne zoo, and wait to hear from them, and I got an email saying I got through. I would highly recommend this Work experience to anyone interested in animals and if you think you would want to work in a thrilling/hard-working and rewarding field of work then definitely consider applying for this experience.
JAMES STUART
Year 11
In cultural respect for everyone who calls Australia home, please join us for the 2023 Harmony Day Picnic at the Penbank Campus on Thursday 30 March from 4.45 to 8pm!
Featuring music and dance by:
- Sambado – Spontaneous swinging Brazilian samba
- Asanti Beats – the spirit and joy of West African music and acrobatics
- Indigenous Outreach Project – Hip Hop
All proceeds on the night go towards Woodleigh School’s Indigenous Scholarship Fund.
The Australian Government Department of Education has requested for Woodleigh School to provide the residential address and other information for all enrolled students. Under the Australian Education Regulation 2013, the school is required to provide the department with the following information about each student at the school:
• Names and residential addresses of student’s parent(s) and/or guardian(s)
• Student residential address (excluding student names)
• Whether the student is a primary or secondary student (education level)
• Whether the student is boarding or a day student (boarding status).
The 2023 Student Residential Address and Other Information Collection (Address Collection) will open in SchoolsHUB on Wednesday 15 February 2023, with data submitted by Wednesday 15 March 2023.
Please refer to the attached document for full details of the collection.
For further information about the Address Collection, visit the SchoolsHUB Address Collection help and support page or contact the Address Collection helpdesk at SEShelpdesk@education.gov.au or on 1800 677 027 (option 4).
PAMELA GREEN
Data Manager