2023 has been the first year in so many that has held momentum, and it has pushed us all to keep pace. After years of stop-start frustration, a prominent and productive year feels like a triumph. Now that it's coming to an end I can look back at the new, the different, and the forward-moving agenda with satisfaction. To do that, however, we must acknowledge the solid Woodleigh culture that rests quietly in the background of all the ‘new.’ Without that, we couldn’t push ahead as courageously as we do.

As Deputy Principal of Woodleigh School, a recent Masters of Educational Leadership and Management graduate, and a former art teacher, I have a unique lens through which I view education and progressive leadership. New and different can feel unpredictable or lightweight without a strong underpinning. I’m proud to lead a school with clear philosophies and an identity as robust as Woodleigh’s. We are a school that can afford to ask questions, always innovative and challenging of the status quo. Confidence in thinking beyond conventional boundaries can be seen in our new Year 10 Regenerative Futures Program—a closed-loop, open-source learning experience and a great example of our courage and commitment to pushing educational boundaries.

Creativity isn’t simple, and it takes courage to be innovative. This ethos extends to our students who, like their school, have the freedom to be courageous. As a community, we create spaces where they can confidently be themselves and not only find - but use their voice. The desire to show ourselves and to belong remains constant, yet the spaces we choose evolve. Finding spaces promoting creativity and learning opportunities could be our music program in the Jago Centre, drama in the hall, digital design in IT, Visual Arts in the Arts Courtyard, Science in the labs, or the quiet of the wildlife reserve.

When students find their place or space, connections naturally develop through incidental meetings, teamwork, and conversation. For our students, finding a space they care about opens opportunities for social-emotional growth, optimism, determination, a sense of balance and perspective, and a growing maturity.

As we look ahead to 2024, we are thinking on our feet and taking purposeful steps forward, grounded in the values of our school. I look forward to making a secure leap into the new year, building upon the foundation we have laid in the year behind us.