Partnered with families. Welcoming friends.
There is something special about the way people respond to each other at Woodleigh. We have our own special character.
Ours is a community where laughter, diligence, curiosity, scholarship, kindness, honesty, excitement and an occasional touch of magic thrive.
While the tangible outcomes of a Woodleigh education can be seen in our excellent Year 12 results and tertiary placement record, the daily rewards experienced by each student continue year after year.
Education at Woodleigh has always been a partnership between school and families. We work with families to raise young adults who have a well developed sense of themselves and a true understanding of their values.
Our current and past parent groups work to support and represent the school. A growing program of past student events give past students many opportunities to re-connect with their old school.
Thirteen years is a long time to spend in any one place. That’s how long we spend at school. So it’s pretty special when people willingly choose to come back to a place they’ve grown out of.
Classes of 2003, 2011 & 2013 it's time to GET BACK to Woodleigh on Saturday 7 October at 3pm!
Join us in the Bush Chapel at our Senior Campus for drinks and nibbles whilst reminiscing about your time at Woodleigh with old friends.
Classes of 2003, 2011 & 2013 - Let us know you're comingAfter a two-year pause, we're delighted to be reinvigorating our alumni program!
We've got big plans, but first things first, we need to stay connected!
Please update your details using the form below, and share with your Woodleigh friends and encourage them to reconnect.
Flipping the Script: Students to Staff
WOODLEIGH'S 2022 YEAR 12 TRAINEES
Being big believers in helping young people get job ready through meaningful on-the-job education, Woodleigh has offered traineeships through the AFL SportsReady traineeship program for many years. AFL SportsReady is a national not-for-profit that has launched the careers of thousands of young people in fields as diverse as IT, Media, Visual Arts and Sport. In 2022 all three of our trainees were past students. We had a chat to Harrison Robertson (2021) Anika McClean (2020), and Aidan Bolch (2021) – to hear about their experience.
Read the full article
2022 Reunion Reflections
IT WAS THE PERFECT DAY TO COME BACK TODAY IN WOODLEIGH'S BUSH CHAPEL
When you leave Woodleigh, the Woodleigh stays with you. We spoke to Three Woodleigh alumni about what it felt like returning to campus for Reunion in late 2022, and the Woodleigh qualities they carry with them to this day.
Jess Miller (2001), Ryan Wheatley (2002), and Gabi Stanszus (2012) reflected on their time at Woodleigh School.
Apart from my friendships, probably the biggest lesson I took away from Woodleigh was the understanding that fitting in is boring. Caring about the things you actually care about – no matter how niche – is the best ticket for a life well lived. Gabi Stanszus
Read the full article
Making a Difference in the Community
WE LOVE IT WHEN PAST STUDENTS COME BACK TO SHARE THEIR STORIES!
Tahnee Burgess (2011), Dylan Bolch (2019), Caitlin Russo (2012) and Vanessa Weir (2011) returned to Senior Campus for our ‘Making a Difference in the Community’ Careers Assembly in Term 2. Addressing a crowd of Year 10 to 12 students, they spoke of their post-school journeys through tertiary education, employment progression and the twists, turns and reinventions that make up the passion and purpose-finding process that is building a career.
Read the full article
Mother's Day Out
IN WHAT IS BECOMING A MUCH-ANTICIPATED STAPLE IN THE WOODLEIGH CALENDAR, MUMS, GRANDMAS AND SPECIAL WOMENFOLK ENJOYED A LEISURELY LONG LUNCH AT MERRICKS GENERAL STORE BACK IN MAY IN CELEBRATION OF MOTHER’S DAY.
During the lunch, guests were treated to a Q & A with two well-respected and 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!
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International Women's Day Luncheon
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY THEME WAS 'BREAKING THE BIAS', AND WE WERE BLESSED TO HAVE CURRENT RICHMOND AFLW PLAY & 2016 GRADUATE MEG MACDONALD AS OUR GUEST SPEAKER AT THIS YEAR'S LUNCHEON.
My Woodleigh experience was so rewarding and I feel it supported shaping who I am today. The teachers were quite remarkable, there was so much diversity throughout the school, and you could always find someone you connected with.
Read the full article
We'd love to hear your latest news so that we can share it with our community. If you’re about to start an exciting job, accomplish something inspiring, undertake further study, or have recent family news, please complete this form!
We love having past students and staff back on campus, sharing their wisdom and passion.
Careers, the Camps and Activities Programs, the Visual and Performing Arts, Sports and cultural events – there are so many opportunities for our community to be involved in Woodleigh life after leaving.
Pop your details into the form below and we look forward to having you back at Woodleigh!
It was lovely to have our creative alumni back for this year's Arty Market.
We were delighted to have some 1,700 visitors join us at the 2022 Arty Market with many buying Christmas presents, listening to the student bands, and grabbing some yummy food. It was fantastic to see the creative juices flowing within our community.
Alumni Market Stallholders
Citrus Splash- Growing Sustainably Together
Hand-poured soy wax, essential oil candles with cotton wicks, use the best nature can provide. Candles are a symbol of all that is good in life. They encourage us to see things in a different light. Briony Morgan (1993)
Chloe Sophia Jewellery
Creating unique handcrafted jewellery imbued with character and life. Chloe Smart (2012)
Kii-Una Botanicals
A range of essential oils, facial serum, skin food (eczema balm), roller bottles, room sprays, lip balm, and candles. Ruth Ogier, nee Steckyj (1994)
Koa by Kaitlin
A range of handmade ceramics. Colourful ceramic vases, cups, candles (poured into our ceramic cups) bowls, and pots. Kaitlin Liddell (2007)
Lumiere Art + Co.
A range of prints, handprinted and dyed homewares. Established an online business selling accessible heirloom goods and artworks. Emma Cleine (1997)
M&M Craft
A range of personalised pencil cases, unique yarn crafts - beanies, face washers, make-up pads, etc. Miffy Farquharson (1983)
Mumma Made
A range of relishes, pickles, jam, marmalade, and mustard. Louise Evenden (1989)
Sarah Dingwall
A range of handmade glass pieces for everyday delight. Sarah Dingwall (2005)
Tina Origami
A range of origami including paper cranes on strings, individually, earrings, bracelets, and cards. Pia Murray (2021)
Webby’s Woodwork
A range of wooden indoor plant stands, indoor pots, wooden display units, and small wooden picnic tables. Kelsie Vickery (2016)
Thirteen years is a long time to spend in any one place. That’s how long we spend at school. So it’s pretty special when people willingly choose to come back to a place they’ve grown out of.
On Saturday 8 October, former students from 2001, 2002, and 2012 came back to Senior Campus for a Reunion in the Bush Chapel. The sun was shining, the frogs were ba-bonking, the drinks were cold; it had all the makings of a fine afternoon lolling about. But it would have been nothing without the folks who came on down, with their partners and kids, to chat, reconnect and reminisce about their time in this very special place.
It was great to see you all.
Woodleigh School Alumni aims to maintain and enhance a vibrant community of alumni and friends worldwide.
The purpose of the Woodleigh School Alumni is to promote the welfare of Woodleigh School and to establish a mutually beneficial relationship between Woodleigh School and its alumni.
Woodleigh helps alumni connect with the school and with fellow graduates through a range of different events, services, and activities.
These days it is all too easy to stay up to date with what’s happening at Minimbah, Penbank, and Woodleigh.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and of course, make regular visits to the news sections of this site.
Of course, there's always 'Namalata,' the school's publication for current and past families, which is full of updates and stories of what Woodleigh folks are doing.
Namalata is nothing without your news – and whilst we have a good, functioning grapevine, we’d hate to miss anyone or anything. So let us know what you’re up to! We love hearing the news and stories of our past students and staff members.
We love receiving photos, stories, and other tidbits, please share with us at alumni@woodleigh.vic.edu.au or give us a call on 5971 6147.
We invite you to reconnect with Woodleigh. To update your contact details simply complete the form above.
Welcome back to Namalata, Woodleigh's Community Magazine.
If you have any exciting stories to share, please reach out to Laura Maasburg, Alumni and Community Manager, or Adam Liddiard, Director of Community Relations, or call 5971 6100.
Enjoy the Semester 2, 2022 Edition of Namalata
Download MagazineEnjoy the Semester 1, 2022 Edition of Namalata
Download MagazineTo update your contact details simply complete the form below.
Woodleigh School challenges the Adventurous Minds of students when Wugularr School and the Penbank Campus meet in Beswick
Dear Friends,
Your support of the Wugubank Partnership is immensely important to us.
This newsletter is about our recent adventure to Beswick involving Wugularr and Penbank Year 6 students. Growing from strength to strength, the Wugubank Partnership enables children to learn together.
Two-way learning at its best!
Over the years, the Wugularr mob and Penbank mob easily slip into gear when they meet. Whether it is on the Peninsula or at Beswick, it is two-way learning at its best. There is no judgement, simply so much to learn from our very diverse and amazing environments.
To see children sharing their worlds and culture, from the Bottom End to the Top End of Australia, is truly remarkable. Students explored an area known as Top Yard with Aboriginal Elder, Uncle Tango (Frankie Lane). They swam in the pure waters of the Waterhouse River system that runs through the community of Beswick and walked along its banks to see Rock Art created centuries ago by the Aboriginal people of this spectacular land. Children covered themselves in mud and danced around the rocks and the waterways. Such fun was had by all!
The Wugularr mob’s confidence has grown incredibly. At Nitmiluk the children taught the Penbank mob how to dance to prepare for a corroboree. They freely sang together and knew the songs that had been learnt in previous years. There was no shame. These were just a couple of examples that demonstrated how relationship building develops confidence and trust. It was a pleasure to see.
Education beyond and keeping connected
We are always very excited to see the Wugularr and Penbank mob get together. As students move into the secondary years, a number of them are choosing to attend school in Darwin or even in Melbourne. Recently we were very pleased to have Kenita B visit Salwyn currently living in Mt Eliza. Kenita is in Year 7 at MITS (Melbourne Indigenous Transition School) and Salwyn is past student of Woodleigh. Both Kenita and Salwyn enjoyed the opportunity to catch up with Penbank and Woodleigh friends for a Saturday BBQ.
Thank you
Special thanks are extended to David Quin for leading the Wugubank expeditions, the teachers and staff involved from both Penbank and Wugularr School, and importantly, the Beswick community for including us in their lives. It is truly a unique experience and privilege to be involved in this partnership fondly known as Wugubank!
MOPS (Mothers of Past Students) is a group of people, who have been associated with Woodleigh as mothers, staff, sometimes ex-students, and even fathers. We enjoy supporting Woodleigh events such as the vibrant Homestead Night and ever-creative Arty Market, and we love getting involved with the energy of the School.
Membership is purely casual – turn up when you can, even if it is only a few times a year. We gather for dinner at the Canadian Bay Hotel in Mount Eliza on the first Wednesday of each month at 7pm, and new faces are always welcome.
If you have any queries, please get in touch with Peta Gogan at petagogan@bigpond.com or call our Community Relations team on 5971 6100. We would love to see a few new faces there!
Peta Gogan
MOPS Coordinator
Respect for ourselves, for others and our environment.
For over 40 years, Woodleigh School has relied on the generosity of our community to make our school be the best it can be. This aligns closely with our school’s values – respect for self, others and the environment.
When you give to Woodleigh, you are supporting life-changing scholarships, incredible support programs and investing in state of the art facilities across all of our campuses. School fees alone do not provide the capital needed to shape the future of Woodleigh School.
Every gift makes a genuine difference to the lives of students who attend Woodleigh School.
Woodleigh School Community Fund
Donations to the Woodleigh School Community Fund are not tax deductible.
Woodleigh School’s Community Fund continues to promote respect, understanding and appreciation of others within our community. The Community Fund helps support Woodleigh School’s Community Programs and Partnerships including links with Wugubank, Ampilatwatja, Miwatj and the Sudanese Homework Club. These programs and partnerships provide valuable experiences for a wide range of students including those from local and remote communities across Australia.
Woodleigh School Scholarship Fund
Donations over $2 to the Woodleigh School Scholarship Fund are tax deductible.
Our scholarship program continues to be vitally important for all within our community. This fund provides opportunity to students who in normal circumstances would be unable to attend Woodleigh School. With your help, we can continue to make scholarships available to deserving students from across Australia who we believe will thrive in the Woodleigh environment and in turn make a significant contribution to the life of our school.
Bursaries also provide assistance to Woodleigh families who would otherwise not be able to continue to attend Woodleigh School without financial support.
Woodleigh School Building Fund
Donations over $2 to the Woodleigh School Building Fund are tax deductible.
The Woodleigh School Building Fund provides support for capital work.
It supports the maintenance of existing buildings, the redevelopment of older buildings and construction of new buildings according to the school needs.
Masterplans for all campuses at Woodleigh School are large scale, ambitious and long-term. We are committed to providing state of the art facilities in which to teach and learn.
To assist the Principal and the Board realise the exciting plans outlined in the Woodleigh School Masterplan at a pace not otherwise possible, we seek the generous financial and philanthropic support of our community.
For more information about how you can support Woodleigh School, please contact the Community Relations Department – communityrelations@woodleigh.vic.edu.au or phone 5971 6100.
Woodleigh’s iPhone/iPad App is now available from the App store as a free download. Go here: http://tinyurl.com/woodapp1
It is also available for Android devices here: http://tinyurl.com/woodapp2
The app is designed to allow Woodleigh School parents to access information about events and daily activities at the School. It will be updated daily to ensure that the information provided is the most current and up-to-date available.
You do not need to receive everything!
One of the features of this app is that you can sign up for only those notices and events that you wish to know about. So, if your child is in Year 5, you can choose to receive only Junior Campus information on the app, and not any information for Senior Campus parents.
There is a notice on the app to assist you with setting up this feature – just look at the notice section!
We trust that you will enjoy the convenience that this app will bring you. If you have any queries, please see below.
Application Support
We welcome any feedback and suggestions you may have, as the information available will continue to grow with time.
Please contact Adam Liddiard by email at aliddiard@woodleigh.vic.edu.au or by phone on (03) 5971 6100 with any enquiries.