Penbank Letter Home
- From the Head of Penbank
- The Nature of Expectations
- CONVEYANCE ALLOWANCE TERM 4 2022
- Virtual Campus Tours Online Now
- Early Learning with Tracy and Lacey
- Britt's Prep Group
- Year 1 and 2 with Mieja and Olivia
- From the Year 3 and 4 Team
- Year 5 and 6 Homestead
- On the Dance Floor with Sarah
- Pete’s Sports Report
- Music Notes from Andy
- Calling all Woodleigh Artists, Makers and Market folk!
- Pinch-A-Poo to help vulnerable families
From the Head of Penbank
Welcome to the term families and friends,
We launch into the term with excitement about Woodleigh Arts, which includes a culmination of programs and experiences from all campuses. But before we head into what’s next, I wish to say how fantastic it was to bring our campus community together during the last weeks of Term 3. There was something for everyone – such a celebration of learning and fun for families.
Book Week
Book Week always inspires our imagination. The theme, Dreaming with Eyes Open created the opportunity for us to engage with a wide variety of literature, and everyone loves the opportunity to dress up for our Book Week School Meeting!
Rock Quiz
Rock Quiz was a tremendous night for parents and friends. A full house, the guests were entertained by hosts for the evening, Adam Liddiard and Pete McGettigan. Dressed in 80s style, everyone delighted in the atmosphere, and danced the night away to the band, The Overhead Projectors. Comprising our extraordinarily talented music staff, we thank you for your generosity to come together as an amazing band. Many thanks to our hosts, Pete and Adam, and also to the school’s Events Director, aptly named for the occasion, Cindy Laura! Thank you too PFG for supporting the night and to all families who joined us for this delightful occasion.
The Soiree and Wugubank Expo concluded Term 3. Both events showcased the learning of students. The Soiree highlighted numerous ensembles and individuals, and we were delighted to see the return of some of our former Penbank students who have progressed into amazing musicians at the Senior Campus.
Expos for all groups were held in the last weeks of term. They are wonderful opportunities to share the learning with parents and students at the school. We were also pleased to share the learning with our Minimbah friends.
The Wugubank Expo brings together the incredible learning that comes from the Wugubank experience. Warmly welcomed into the Wugularr/Beswick community in August, children were able to build relationships through a community and school environment of two-way learning.
As a school, for all students, we create opportunities. Wugubank has done that for many young people. We also know that education is key, and support and sharing encourage our young people to be brave and courageous.
Ultimately, this relationship is real and heartfelt and opens our eyes to other ways. It is the same for the children and community of Beswick. The parents too, want their children to be educated, and a part of the bigger world. Us being there, and the Wugularr children coming to Penbank creates possibilities and opportunity because it is real. It gives purpose to our quest to strive for a better world for all through real experiences and understanding. We gratefully appreciate how Wugubank impacts our lives.
Bit by bit, Wugubank will continue to thrive with us coming together in the many ways that connect us across the year. It is always a pleasure to see the togetherness of our communities. We will be very excited to welcome the Wugularr mob to Penbank in March next year.
General Notices
Second-hand uniform
Across the year, we collect second-hand school clothing that is sold at a very reasonable cost. The proceeds go to the PFG and contribute to special projects. The collection of second-hand uniform is managed by representatives of our PFG. If your child has outgrown any items such as Winter school uniform, we would love your donations to add to the second-hand stock. Please bring any items (in good condition/no stains) to reception. With Orientation coming up, there are many prospective families interested to purchase second-hand gear.
Orientation
We are in the final stages of securing enrolments for 2023. I am delighted we have many new families joining our school including a majority of our families moving from Early Learning to Prep. We have a number of new children joining us in Year 5 and in other year levels too. At this time of the year, we also consider requests from teachers concerning a change in year level and the group arrangements. We will keep you posted!
Calendar Update
WEEK 3
Y3 to Y5 Swimming Program commences – Tuesday 18 Oct
Regional Aths @ Casey – Wednesday 19 October
Incursion Dion Drummond – all students – Thursday 20 October, 10.00 am
Year 2 Sleepover – Friday 21 October
WEEK 4
-
WEEK 5 – Cup Week
Mid Term Break – Monday 31 October
Melbourne Cup Holiday – Tuesday 1 November
Report Writing Day (No students P to 6) – Friday 4 November
WEEK 6
Year 8 Community Partnerships -Tuesday 8 November
Indonesian Pesta with Y9s – Thursday 9 November
WEEK 7
Year 12 Valedictory – Friday 18 November
WEEK 8 – Orientation Week
New Parents Evening - Tuesday 22 November 7.00pm
Student Orientation –Wednesday 23 November 10.00am – 11.00am
Penbank EOY Finale – Thursday 24 November, 7.30 pm
WEEK 9
Perberkoong – Wednesday 30 November, 7.00 pm
PE Teachers Planning Day – Thursday 1 December
Arty Market, Senior Campus – Friday 2 December, 4.00 pm
WEEK 10
Year 7 2022 Orientation Morning – Monday 5 December
Year 6 Graduation – Wednesday 7 December
ELG/4 Break-up Party – Thursday 8 December
ELG/3 Break-up Party – Friday 9 December
Term 4 Ends – Friday 9 December
Staff PL Day – Monday 12 December
Staff PL Day – Tuesday 13 December
Last day for staff – Wednesday 14 December
Office closes 4.00 pm – Wednesday 21 December
All the best for a great term ahead.
Kind regards,
VIVIENNE WEARNE
Head of Penbank Campus
The Nature of Expectations
As we enter the final term of the school year it is not uncommon to see a spike in anxiety in our students, particularly in relation to assessments and exams. As a community we all want the best for our young people however, in this context it is helpful for all of us to be mindful of the nature of the expectations we hold and how we may project these expectations onto our young people, consciously or unconsciously.
As with everything our children do, something is only a problem if it’s causing a problem. Depending upon circumstances, some students will internalize expectations to motivate them to do “their best” whilst others will want to be “the best”, or in other words to be “perfect”. This second contention often referred to as “perfectionism” is unrealistic and can lead to well-being issues including anxiety, depression, and burnout that can impact their confidence and capacity to fully engage in their learning.
What does perfectionism look like?
The behaviours that drive perfectionism might be different depending on the child, but here are some of the common ones:
- Refusing to try anything new or unfamiliar (to avoid failing or making a mistake).
- Difficulty completing work or being slow to finish (because of constant checking or repeating to make sure there are no mistakes).
- Procrastination – because it’s easier sometimes not to start than to face the possibility of failure.
- More likely to ask for help rather than try it themselves first. Asking for help is a strength, and we don’t want to discourage that, but if the request for help is driven by a fear of getting it wrong, it can be stifling and get in the way of being brave and taking life-giving risks.
- Giving up or becoming distressed, angry, irritable, or upset if they make a mistake, or if they believe that whatever they are working on might be less than perfect.
- Tendency to think in all-or-nothing terms – if it isn’t perfect, it’s bad/wrong/stupid.
- Tendency to be self-critical.
On the flipside
Beneath perfectionist tendencies will be the makings of character strengths such as grit, determination, and courage for that can be channelled into how we respond to what’s important to them (and us) in a manner that reframes the nature of expectation into character strengths that can be nurtured, whilst simultaneously dialing down the behaviours that stifle them. Here is where you come in.
1. Let it be about being brave, rather than being right/ brilliant/ excellent (because brave is all those things). Don’t base their worth on how they perform instead make it about their character strengths that you observe eg. kindness, teamwork, perseverance, courage, hope, humour, creativity, self-regulation and so on.
2. No one is perfect. Hard things take time to learn and to master and even when the skills are there, the polish can take longer. Praise effort outcome. This can help strip away any fear or shame that can come from failing to meet expectations.
3. The most potent way to dissolve shame is to bring the story into the open. Shame thrives on secrecy. Encourage conversation around challenges and imperfections, and hold back from judgment, criticism, or helping them to feel better. Let them sit with how it feels to own their imperfections in a safe, secure, loving environment – without self-blame, without pity, and without being talked out of how they feel. This will help them learn that imperfections don’t change how great they are, how loved they are, and how capable they are.
4. Let their imperfect moments connect with yours. When the people we most adore are struggling, it is understandable that we want to “fix” things. Sometimes the best thing we can do is keep our own anxiety and discomfort in check for long enough so they can find their own way forward. This may or may not include their need for us to help, but always can always be with our support and encouragement.
5. When young people have a fixed mindset of how things “should” be in terms of expectations, things can begin to unravel. The antidote is to encourage self-compassion and this requires courage. Responding to unmet expectations with self-compassion turns down the volume on perfectionism and anxiety, theirs and our own.
6. Learning how to respond to the highs and lows life presents opportunities to foster resilience.
7. Getting things done is better than getting things perfect. Encourage them not to put things off; once it’s done, it's done.
And finally …
As parents and educators, it’s important that we keep our own expectations in check. Young people will always learn more from what we do rather than what we say. When we, as the trusted adults in young people's lives, show them that we lovingly accept the ebbs and flows that will come with life’s journey, we give them the power to do the same. This freedom and safety to be where they are and not where we expect them to be, exploring their place in the world, learning from their mistakes, and being curious to explore their own interests and passions will enhance their capacity to flourish and thrive in an ever-changing world.
In kindness & optimism,
DONNA NAIRN
Director of Counselling
Acknowledgements & further reading/ resources
https://www.heysigmund.com/anx...
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/Year-12-exams-managing-stress
https://headspace.org.au/explo...
https://darta.net.au/wordpress-content/uploads/2017/03/PARENTS-2017-INTRODUCING-CHILD-TO-ALCOHOL.pdf
https://darta.net.au/wordpress-content/uploads/2022/02/PARENTS-VAPING-FS-FINAL-2022.pdf
https://darta.net.au/wordpress-content/uploads/2022/03/DoingDrugsPodcastS01E03.mp3
CONVEYANCE ALLOWANCE TERM 4 2022
The Student Conveyance Allowance only applies to students attending the Woodleigh Campus located at Langwarrin South and students attending the Penbank Campus located at Moorooduc.
The allowance allows families in regional areas to receive help with the cost of transporting their children to their nearest school or campus. The conveyance allowance is a contribution towards transport costs and is not intended to cover the full cost and is available to students travelling by public transport, private car and private bus.
Completed applications are due by Friday 11 November, 2022. This is your LAST CHANCE to submit your application for any travel in 2022.
For further information, read on:
The Victorian Minister for Education has amended the definition of the closest appropriate school/campus (Instrument of Specification). This may impact some of our families who have been unable to make a claim in the past or deemed ineligible.
Both Woodleigh School and Bayside Christian College are registered the same and classified as same type schools. Therefore, previously if you lived closer to Bayside Christian College you would have been deemed ineligible to receive the conveyance allowance. However, parents can now apply for consideration by providing a “signed letter” to the school why the closest school of the same denomination is not appropriate for their child. You must include your child’s name and demonstrate the below points:
- The student does not belong to, or associate with, the school’s particular religion, or engage in religious activity associated with the school’s religious doctrines; and
- The relevant school’s compulsorily requires its students to engage in religious activity associated with that religion or religious doctrines.
The Department of Education and Training will review individual applications on their merits. Please note that you must still meet the main criteria listed below.
Completed conveyance application forms must be signed by the parent or guardian (page 4) must and submitted to the School.
If you have previously submitted a form and there is no change to mode of transport or address details you are not required to complete a new form for 2022.
New forms must be completed for students attending the School for the first time or existing conveyance allowance claimants who have a change of circumstances affecting eligibility. For example:
- Moving residence or changing their mode of transport;
- Changing schools/campuses. Ie Penbank Campus to Senior Campus
The Department of Education and Training’s main criteria for student eligibility is:
- The School attended is the nearest appropriate school. (or attach a supporting letter as per above)
- The student resides more than 4.8kms from the school by the shortest practicable route.
- Students are of school age 5 – 18 years and enrolled at school for 3 or more days per week.
To apply for a conveyance allowance, parents are required to complete the appropriate forms.
- Travel by contract bus: “Conveyance Allowance Application – Private Bus Travel”
- Travel by myki bus: “Conveyance Allowance Application – Public Transport Travel". Must provide prove of purchase ie copy of receipt or ticket.
- Travel by car: “Conveyance Allowance Application – Private Car Travel” will need to be completed for each student, listing all students travelling in the nominated vehicle.
- Combined travel: Each appropriate form will need to be completed as above, e.g. drive further than 4.8km to catch public transport (Private Car/Public Transport).
Please note for Woodleigh Campus families: If you live within 4.8km of public transport (ie one of our Myki buses) and choose to travel by private bus or car you will not be eligible to claim the conveyance allowance.
The School will lodge 4 claims a year (1 per Term) with the Department of Education and Training. The Department will reimburse the school and the allowance will be credited to your fee account in instalments. Completed applications need to be received by Friday 12 August, 2022 to be included in the claim.
- Contract Bus Reimbursement is determined on the basis of the shortest practicable route from the student’s residence to the school and not the actual distance travelled in the bus.
- Public Transport The cost of fares is fully refundable.
- Private Car Reimbursement is made on the basis of the one-way distance travelled per vehicle and the number of students in that vehicle. Payment is made to the family operating the vehicle.
If you have any queries please contact Robyn Kent on 5971 6100 or email rkent@woodleigh.vic.edu.au.
Virtual Campus Tours Online Now
Ever wanted to let your friends and family know what Woodleigh is like on the ground? Ever wanted to show off a bit, and let them see just how green the grass is on the other side of the fence? Well, now you can!
Just give them a holler and tell them to head over to the Woodleigh You Tour, and they can traipse around the place to their heart's content. Minimbah, Penbank, and the Senior Campus are all accessible, all the time, from anywhere in the world.
So, have a look yourself, and pass the link on, let everyone know what we’re up to, learning to thrive tucked away in our havens, here on the Peninsula.
ADAM LIDDIARD
Director of Community Engagement
Early Learning with Tracy and Lacey
“We explore and make sense of our world through the narratives we create.”
Term 4 in Early Learning has begun with a flourish of creativity and storytelling as we launch into our new Unit of Inquiry: How We Express Ourselves
Our learning engagements and investigations will allow the children to explore and express themselves using a wide range of creative, playful, and engaging ways! The focus will be on observing, experimenting, discovering, and learning about the world around us through active exploration.
We will be learning about:
• Physical movement through dancing, singing and music making
• Expression and communication at groups times and when we share during our activities and play
• Expressing ourselves when we speak, draw, and share our ideas
• Storytelling and expressing ourselves through our interests
This Unit of Inquiry is always a joyful, magical learning experience as the children design and create using the visual arts, music, and creative movement. We are looking forward to seeing where the children’s inquiries and interests take us this term and to a visit by our grandparents. It will be end of year celebrations before we know it!
TRACY and LACEY
ELG Educators
Britt's Prep Group
Term 4 is a wonderful time to celebrate our little people. It’s a time to reflect on the growth and development of your child and be proud of all they have achieved this year. As we start looking ahead, we are beginning to prepare for our end of year celebration. It’s called the Penbank Finale and fits perfectly with our next unit of inquiry.
The Preps have started inquiring into the role of storytelling through dramatic play, music, art and dance. We have been exploring the structure of stories by investigating characters, settings, plots, and story sequencing. The learning environments in the classroom encourage the children to explore characters and settings, acting, performances, storytelling, writing, illustrating and sensory play. It’s a wonderful unit to encourage creative writing and inventive spelling as they apply their knowledge of phonograms learned throughout the year.
The children have started creating a class story about the animals found at Penbank. They have worked collaboratively to create story illustrations and written the story as a class. We can’t wait to share our finished story with you all at the end of year Finale!
In maths we have worked hard all year on counting, place value, addition and subtraction concepts. With great foundational skills, the Preps have now joined children across Prep, Year 1 and Year 2 for weekly maths problem solving sessions. This gives the children the opportunity to work and build relationships with different children and teachers. These sessions provide open ended problems and use a range of different strategies to show and record their processes and thinking. This is a great opportunity to develop new connections as the children start getting ready for Year 1.
Have a great term!
BRITT
Prep Teacher
Year 1 and 2 with Mieja and Olivia
We have been exploring creative and innovative ways in which forces can be used in a Rube Goldberg-style machine. A Rube Goldberg machine is a chain reaction type of machine. The goal of our machine is to deliver a letter to the Prep classroom. Stay tuned to see how they go - it will be posted on Seesaw!
Our next Unit of Inquiry – Sharing the Planet lends itself well to the Penbank Finale. We’ll be exploring how people can work together to create sustainable practices and solutions for our world. As a part of our investigation, we’re looking at how Australian Aboriginal people have sustained themselves for thousands of years by propagating and collecting food, hunting animals, fishing and managing land. This exploration will be reflected in our end-of-year Finale.
In Maths the children have been busy problem-solving through thinking and collaboration. Our problem-solving lessons aim to engage students in active participation. The students work collaboratively to solve problems and work through concepts in small groups. It has been great watching the children develop relationships and build confidence in their problem-solving abilities, as well as working with children from Prep to 2.
MEIJA and OLIVIA
Year 1 and 2 Teachers
From the Year 3 and 4 Team
We have had an excellent start to Term 4. We have enjoyed welcoming students into the learning environment, seeing their smiling faces and hearing about their holiday adventures. Upon our return we welcomed Sebastian (Year 4) to Penbank.
Our current Unit of Inquiry, How the World Works, has continued from last term, with students researching systems, particularly systems relating to human health e.g., body systems - cardiovascular, integumentary, digestive, and the nervous system. Students are learning to create well-structured information reports. We have discussed the components of this text type, including headings, imagery (illustrations, photos, diagrams, charts, tables), paragraphs, supporting details, and topic sentences. Students are writing information reports with familiar subject content that will incorporate fact-finding research informed by their personal interests. We would like to welcome families to view the students work during Week 4 – more details to come!
Maths is all about fractions! Students are viewing fractions as parts of a whole, recognising that fractions are equal parts, seeing different ways to name fractions (common, decimal, percentages), naming, comparing and renaming, making, ordering, and much more. As well, we play games to develop strategies when working with numbers. It is so exciting to hear students talk about their strategies, questions, and elaborations when involved in math games. Although we work towards developing conceptual understandings with maths, quick recall of number facts helps a great deal. So, creating drills with your kids with spontaneous multiplication questions, as well as addition, subtraction, and division (sharing) problems can be a great help.
We see children who are happy each day, and eager to attend school every morning! We value open communication with you, so please reach out if you have any questions or simply want to check in and say hello.
KATHERINE, JUSTIN, GAYLE and SALLY
Year 3 and 4 Teachers
Year 5 and 6 Homestead
The Year 5s and 6s have been getting straight into their respective inquiry units for How the World Works. The Year 6s are looking at structures and the environment. This has included delving into the history of man-made structures up until the present day and the phenomenon of modern-day Megastructures. From huts to huge shopping malls and cruise shipbuilding yards and even rocket manufacturing factories the design ideas and concepts are amazing. With these design and technology concepts in mind, we will be designing and constructing bridges and buildings and thinking about how these structures meet their purpose and how they are influenced by their environment.
The Year 5s Central Idea is How scientific principles and knowledge can be used to understand and solve problems. Students have explored scientific principles such as surface tension, reaction times, and kinetic energy to understand how the world around them works. They have participated in a wide range of experiments investigating real-world problems using the scientific method to record their observations. Learning will culminate in a Science Fair where students will present their findings about their own experiments, and endeavour to prove their hypothesis right or wrong and generate new problems to solve.
Homestead is a collaborative time where staff and students are sharing the learning. Through maths projects, literacy workshops, class meetings, and our community engagement sessions, our time together is creative and productive.
We are all looking forward to the end-of-year celebrations that include the Year 6 Graduation and Perberkoong.
On the Dance Floor with Sarah
Term 4 is a very exciting time in the Performing arts world. All the classes are now working hard to collaboratively create their own home-grown end-of-year performance for our Penbank Finale – Dreaming with Open Hearts. The performances will vary between acting, dancing, music, movement, and storytelling. This experience is aimed to enrich and extend their skills in the performing arts. Our performances will culminate in an expo derived from the unit of inquiry, How We Express Ourselves.
Our Finale will be a wonderful family event. The evening will begin at 5pm, when we invite all families to come and picnic on the Bunjil play area. Food trucks will provide delicious options of food however families are welcome to bring their own picnic. Students will head to their classrooms at 6:30 pm to prepare and change into costumes before our Finale begins at 7 pm. We anticipate this relaxed and social atmosphere will be a wonderful way to conclude the year with a celebration of the Arts at Penbank. Keep Thursday 24 November free!
Consistent attendance is very important for each child’s success on the night. If your child is unable to attend on the night, we would love to know in advance. Your child will still be entirely involved in the program; however, we will purposely choose a role or position that is not critical to the performance.
SARAH
Dance Teacher
Pete’s Sports Report
As always, very busy and wonderful moments in Physical Education and Outdoors. Term 3 saw all our students display outstanding sportsmanship, resilience, and persistence in their sporting endeavours. Major events included the Penbank Year 3-6 Athletics Day, Camps (Sovereign Hill, Wugubank and Alexandra), AFL Roadshow clinics, Fathers and Friends Breakfast, and the Mornington District Athletics Carnival.
Term 4 will see some more exciting occasions at Penbank. Prep to Year 5 students have commenced swimming lessons at Pelican Park Recreation Centre.
Physical Education will focus on net sports (volleyball, badminton, table tennis), golf and invasion games. Friday afternoon sports sessions will include the much-anticipated Friday Frenzy, which is an internal friendly sport-based round robin competition.
It has also been amazing to see the development of the Prep and Year 1s in their weekly PMP lessons.
I would like to congratulate our wonderful Athletics Team who participated in the Mornington District Athletics Carnival. Special mention to Mavis Laverty (1st U11 Shot Put and 200m), Mimi Pullar (2nd U11 Hurdles), Max Rogut (2nd U9/10 MC Long Jump) and Sammy Nyguen-Brown (7th U9/10 Triple Jump) who represented Penbank at the Southern Peninsula Division Athletics Carnival. We wish Mavis, Mimi and Max all the best at the South East Regional Athletics Carnival this week.
It is wonderful to feel our community coming back together at all these events.
Thank you to everyone who has assisted, supported, contributed, and encouraged our Physical Education and Outdoors programs. I cannot put into words how much I appreciate the support.
Go Penbank!
PETE McGETTIGAN
PE Teacher
Music Notes from Andy
Hearing students singing and playing instruments together again this year has been so wonderful! The students and teachers have been extremely motivated to be a part of the face-to-face experiences, playing in bands, ensembles, choirs and having private music tuition. Harmony Day Picnic was a celebration of diversity and community, song and dance, food, and connection. Bunjil Concerts have given all our budding musicians a chance to build confidence and showcase new skills, whilst our Soiree displayed the results of many hours of rehearsals by each of our ensembles, culminating in an outstanding evening of teamwork and music. The end of the year will see the whole of the Penbank campus creating their own performances for the Penbank Finale, a showcase of our Unit of Inquiry, How We Express Ourselves. We continue to be very proud of the passion, commitment, and heart that students and teachers contribute to our music program.
ANDY KHOZA
Music Teacher
Calling all Woodleigh Artists, Makers and Market folk!
The Arty Market is back in 2022, and we need you!
Thought about starting a little creative side hustle? Got a killer cordial recipe? Need an excuse to get started? We need Arty Market stallholders for our upcoming whole-school event.
The Arty Market is a quintessentially Woodleigh occasion; a celebration of handmade, artisanal, quirky products, artworks, jewellery, food, and homewares designed and/or made by YOU!
We welcome stall holders who are students, staff, parents, and alumni. If you've been thinking about it, now's your chance! We will support you with signage, a trestle table, and assistance with setup.
The market will be held on Friday 2 December from 4pm - 8pm at Senior Campus, in the Visual Art Centre and Agora areas of the campus. Pop that date in your diaries folks!
It's free to have a stall at The Arty Market, however, a $20 stall donation would be welcomed. This donation contributes to the materials used for our student stalls; any profits on the day will be carried over for next year's event.
We look forward to seeing you there!
KAREN CHARLTON-MILLS
On Behalf of the Arty Market Committee
Pinch-A-Poo to help vulnerable families
Hi, I’m Phoebe Azzopardi, I am a Year 10 student in Homestead 1. You might remember last year I did a fundraiser for Pinch-a-Poo. I collected donations from across all 3 campuses and I collected over 700 hundred toiletry and sanitary products. This year I am hoping to achieve the same thing.
Pinch-a-Poo is an organization that supports the 1 in 5 Australians families who have to make the choice of buying food or personal hygiene products each week. Their vision is to make sure that every Australian has access to basic hygiene products. Pinch-a-Poo is run by an amazing lady, Kate Austin. Kate was a part of a domestic violence situation and had to leave immediately. Her first instinct was to grab her toothbrush and run. She knew that wherever she went, at least should could brush her teeth.
Click here to hear more about Kate’s story.
How you can help
I will start collecting donations from Tuesday 11 October. I am hoping to have all of the donations collected by 25 November. There will be a box at reception for all of the donations. Pinch-a-Poo is a really easy way to help out the less fortunate. All you need to do it pick up an extra toothbrush, toothpaste or some other toiletries when you go shopping.
Please only donate unopen items.
Items that they are in desperate need of include:
· Roll on deodorants
· Toothpaste
· Toothbrushes
· Face washers
· Singe Use Soaps
· Hairbrushes
Other items to donate:
· Shampoo/conditioner
· Body wash
· Body Lotion
· Deodorants
· Kids Toothbrushes
· Kids Toothpaste
· Razors
· Dental products (floss, mouthwash etc)
· Hair ties
· Sanitary Products
· Hand Sanitiser
· Skin care
· Hair care
· Makeup
· Lip Balm
· Fragrance
· Shaving cream
· Baby care
If you have any questions or would like to know more about the cause visit me in Homestead 1, email me at azzop24@woodleigh.vic.edu.au or visit Pinch-A-Poo.
Thank you in advance,
PHOEBE AZZOPARDI
Year 10
As we enter the final term of the school year it is not uncommon to see a spike in anxiety in our students, particularly in relation to assessments and exams. As a community we all want the best for our young people however, in this context it is helpful for all of us to be mindful of the nature of the expectations we hold and how we may project these expectations onto our young people, consciously or unconsciously.
As with everything our children do, something is only a problem if it’s causing a problem. Depending upon circumstances, some students will internalize expectations to motivate them to do “their best” whilst others will want to be “the best”, or in other words to be “perfect”. This second contention often referred to as “perfectionism” is unrealistic and can lead to well-being issues including anxiety, depression, and burnout that can impact their confidence and capacity to fully engage in their learning.
What does perfectionism look like?
The behaviours that drive perfectionism might be different depending on the child, but here are some of the common ones:
- Refusing to try anything new or unfamiliar (to avoid failing or making a mistake).
- Difficulty completing work or being slow to finish (because of constant checking or repeating to make sure there are no mistakes).
- Procrastination – because it’s easier sometimes not to start than to face the possibility of failure.
- More likely to ask for help rather than try it themselves first. Asking for help is a strength, and we don’t want to discourage that, but if the request for help is driven by a fear of getting it wrong, it can be stifling and get in the way of being brave and taking life-giving risks.
- Giving up or becoming distressed, angry, irritable, or upset if they make a mistake, or if they believe that whatever they are working on might be less than perfect.
- Tendency to think in all-or-nothing terms – if it isn’t perfect, it’s bad/wrong/stupid.
- Tendency to be self-critical.
On the flipside
Beneath perfectionist tendencies will be the makings of character strengths such as grit, determination, and courage for that can be channelled into how we respond to what’s important to them (and us) in a manner that reframes the nature of expectation into character strengths that can be nurtured, whilst simultaneously dialing down the behaviours that stifle them. Here is where you come in.
1. Let it be about being brave, rather than being right/ brilliant/ excellent (because brave is all those things). Don’t base their worth on how they perform instead make it about their character strengths that you observe eg. kindness, teamwork, perseverance, courage, hope, humour, creativity, self-regulation and so on.
2. No one is perfect. Hard things take time to learn and to master and even when the skills are there, the polish can take longer. Praise effort outcome. This can help strip away any fear or shame that can come from failing to meet expectations.
3. The most potent way to dissolve shame is to bring the story into the open. Shame thrives on secrecy. Encourage conversation around challenges and imperfections, and hold back from judgment, criticism, or helping them to feel better. Let them sit with how it feels to own their imperfections in a safe, secure, loving environment – without self-blame, without pity, and without being talked out of how they feel. This will help them learn that imperfections don’t change how great they are, how loved they are, and how capable they are.
4. Let their imperfect moments connect with yours. When the people we most adore are struggling, it is understandable that we want to “fix” things. Sometimes the best thing we can do is keep our own anxiety and discomfort in check for long enough so they can find their own way forward. This may or may not include their need for us to help, but always can always be with our support and encouragement.
5. When young people have a fixed mindset of how things “should” be in terms of expectations, things can begin to unravel. The antidote is to encourage self-compassion and this requires courage. Responding to unmet expectations with self-compassion turns down the volume on perfectionism and anxiety, theirs and our own.
6. Learning how to respond to the highs and lows life presents opportunities to foster resilience.
7. Getting things done is better than getting things perfect. Encourage them not to put things off; once it’s done, it's done.
And finally …
As parents and educators, it’s important that we keep our own expectations in check. Young people will always learn more from what we do rather than what we say. When we, as the trusted adults in young people's lives, show them that we lovingly accept the ebbs and flows that will come with life’s journey, we give them the power to do the same. This freedom and safety to be where they are and not where we expect them to be, exploring their place in the world, learning from their mistakes, and being curious to explore their own interests and passions will enhance their capacity to flourish and thrive in an ever-changing world.
In kindness & optimism,
DONNA NAIRN
Director of Counselling
Acknowledgements & further reading/ resources
https://www.heysigmund.com/anx...
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/Year-12-exams-managing-stress
https://headspace.org.au/explo...
https://darta.net.au/wordpress-content/uploads/2017/03/PARENTS-2017-INTRODUCING-CHILD-TO-ALCOHOL.pdf
https://darta.net.au/wordpress-content/uploads/2022/02/PARENTS-VAPING-FS-FINAL-2022.pdf
https://darta.net.au/wordpress-content/uploads/2022/03/DoingDrugsPodcastS01E03.mp3
The Student Conveyance Allowance only applies to students attending the Woodleigh Campus located at Langwarrin South and students attending the Penbank Campus located at Moorooduc.
The allowance allows families in regional areas to receive help with the cost of transporting their children to their nearest school or campus. The conveyance allowance is a contribution towards transport costs and is not intended to cover the full cost and is available to students travelling by public transport, private car and private bus.
Completed applications are due by Friday 11 November, 2022. This is your LAST CHANCE to submit your application for any travel in 2022.
For further information, read on:
The Victorian Minister for Education has amended the definition of the closest appropriate school/campus (Instrument of Specification). This may impact some of our families who have been unable to make a claim in the past or deemed ineligible.
Both Woodleigh School and Bayside Christian College are registered the same and classified as same type schools. Therefore, previously if you lived closer to Bayside Christian College you would have been deemed ineligible to receive the conveyance allowance. However, parents can now apply for consideration by providing a “signed letter” to the school why the closest school of the same denomination is not appropriate for their child. You must include your child’s name and demonstrate the below points:
- The student does not belong to, or associate with, the school’s particular religion, or engage in religious activity associated with the school’s religious doctrines; and
- The relevant school’s compulsorily requires its students to engage in religious activity associated with that religion or religious doctrines.
The Department of Education and Training will review individual applications on their merits. Please note that you must still meet the main criteria listed below.
Completed conveyance application forms must be signed by the parent or guardian (page 4) must and submitted to the School.
If you have previously submitted a form and there is no change to mode of transport or address details you are not required to complete a new form for 2022.
New forms must be completed for students attending the School for the first time or existing conveyance allowance claimants who have a change of circumstances affecting eligibility. For example:
- Moving residence or changing their mode of transport;
- Changing schools/campuses. Ie Penbank Campus to Senior Campus
The Department of Education and Training’s main criteria for student eligibility is:
- The School attended is the nearest appropriate school. (or attach a supporting letter as per above)
- The student resides more than 4.8kms from the school by the shortest practicable route.
- Students are of school age 5 – 18 years and enrolled at school for 3 or more days per week.
To apply for a conveyance allowance, parents are required to complete the appropriate forms.
- Travel by contract bus: “Conveyance Allowance Application – Private Bus Travel”
- Travel by myki bus: “Conveyance Allowance Application – Public Transport Travel". Must provide prove of purchase ie copy of receipt or ticket.
- Travel by car: “Conveyance Allowance Application – Private Car Travel” will need to be completed for each student, listing all students travelling in the nominated vehicle.
- Combined travel: Each appropriate form will need to be completed as above, e.g. drive further than 4.8km to catch public transport (Private Car/Public Transport).
Please note for Woodleigh Campus families: If you live within 4.8km of public transport (ie one of our Myki buses) and choose to travel by private bus or car you will not be eligible to claim the conveyance allowance.
The School will lodge 4 claims a year (1 per Term) with the Department of Education and Training. The Department will reimburse the school and the allowance will be credited to your fee account in instalments. Completed applications need to be received by Friday 12 August, 2022 to be included in the claim.
- Contract Bus Reimbursement is determined on the basis of the shortest practicable route from the student’s residence to the school and not the actual distance travelled in the bus.
- Public Transport The cost of fares is fully refundable.
- Private Car Reimbursement is made on the basis of the one-way distance travelled per vehicle and the number of students in that vehicle. Payment is made to the family operating the vehicle.
If you have any queries please contact Robyn Kent on 5971 6100 or email rkent@woodleigh.vic.edu.au.
Ever wanted to let your friends and family know what Woodleigh is like on the ground? Ever wanted to show off a bit, and let them see just how green the grass is on the other side of the fence? Well, now you can!
Just give them a holler and tell them to head over to the Woodleigh You Tour, and they can traipse around the place to their heart's content. Minimbah, Penbank, and the Senior Campus are all accessible, all the time, from anywhere in the world.
So, have a look yourself, and pass the link on, let everyone know what we’re up to, learning to thrive tucked away in our havens, here on the Peninsula.
ADAM LIDDIARD
Director of Community Engagement
“We explore and make sense of our world through the narratives we create.”
Term 4 in Early Learning has begun with a flourish of creativity and storytelling as we launch into our new Unit of Inquiry: How We Express Ourselves
Our learning engagements and investigations will allow the children to explore and express themselves using a wide range of creative, playful, and engaging ways! The focus will be on observing, experimenting, discovering, and learning about the world around us through active exploration.
We will be learning about:
• Physical movement through dancing, singing and music making
• Expression and communication at groups times and when we share during our activities and play
• Expressing ourselves when we speak, draw, and share our ideas
• Storytelling and expressing ourselves through our interests
This Unit of Inquiry is always a joyful, magical learning experience as the children design and create using the visual arts, music, and creative movement. We are looking forward to seeing where the children’s inquiries and interests take us this term and to a visit by our grandparents. It will be end of year celebrations before we know it!
TRACY and LACEY
ELG Educators
Term 4 is a wonderful time to celebrate our little people. It’s a time to reflect on the growth and development of your child and be proud of all they have achieved this year. As we start looking ahead, we are beginning to prepare for our end of year celebration. It’s called the Penbank Finale and fits perfectly with our next unit of inquiry.
The Preps have started inquiring into the role of storytelling through dramatic play, music, art and dance. We have been exploring the structure of stories by investigating characters, settings, plots, and story sequencing. The learning environments in the classroom encourage the children to explore characters and settings, acting, performances, storytelling, writing, illustrating and sensory play. It’s a wonderful unit to encourage creative writing and inventive spelling as they apply their knowledge of phonograms learned throughout the year.
The children have started creating a class story about the animals found at Penbank. They have worked collaboratively to create story illustrations and written the story as a class. We can’t wait to share our finished story with you all at the end of year Finale!
In maths we have worked hard all year on counting, place value, addition and subtraction concepts. With great foundational skills, the Preps have now joined children across Prep, Year 1 and Year 2 for weekly maths problem solving sessions. This gives the children the opportunity to work and build relationships with different children and teachers. These sessions provide open ended problems and use a range of different strategies to show and record their processes and thinking. This is a great opportunity to develop new connections as the children start getting ready for Year 1.
Have a great term!
BRITT
Prep Teacher
We have been exploring creative and innovative ways in which forces can be used in a Rube Goldberg-style machine. A Rube Goldberg machine is a chain reaction type of machine. The goal of our machine is to deliver a letter to the Prep classroom. Stay tuned to see how they go - it will be posted on Seesaw!
Our next Unit of Inquiry – Sharing the Planet lends itself well to the Penbank Finale. We’ll be exploring how people can work together to create sustainable practices and solutions for our world. As a part of our investigation, we’re looking at how Australian Aboriginal people have sustained themselves for thousands of years by propagating and collecting food, hunting animals, fishing and managing land. This exploration will be reflected in our end-of-year Finale.
In Maths the children have been busy problem-solving through thinking and collaboration. Our problem-solving lessons aim to engage students in active participation. The students work collaboratively to solve problems and work through concepts in small groups. It has been great watching the children develop relationships and build confidence in their problem-solving abilities, as well as working with children from Prep to 2.
MEIJA and OLIVIA
Year 1 and 2 Teachers
We have had an excellent start to Term 4. We have enjoyed welcoming students into the learning environment, seeing their smiling faces and hearing about their holiday adventures. Upon our return we welcomed Sebastian (Year 4) to Penbank.
Our current Unit of Inquiry, How the World Works, has continued from last term, with students researching systems, particularly systems relating to human health e.g., body systems - cardiovascular, integumentary, digestive, and the nervous system. Students are learning to create well-structured information reports. We have discussed the components of this text type, including headings, imagery (illustrations, photos, diagrams, charts, tables), paragraphs, supporting details, and topic sentences. Students are writing information reports with familiar subject content that will incorporate fact-finding research informed by their personal interests. We would like to welcome families to view the students work during Week 4 – more details to come!
Maths is all about fractions! Students are viewing fractions as parts of a whole, recognising that fractions are equal parts, seeing different ways to name fractions (common, decimal, percentages), naming, comparing and renaming, making, ordering, and much more. As well, we play games to develop strategies when working with numbers. It is so exciting to hear students talk about their strategies, questions, and elaborations when involved in math games. Although we work towards developing conceptual understandings with maths, quick recall of number facts helps a great deal. So, creating drills with your kids with spontaneous multiplication questions, as well as addition, subtraction, and division (sharing) problems can be a great help.
We see children who are happy each day, and eager to attend school every morning! We value open communication with you, so please reach out if you have any questions or simply want to check in and say hello.
KATHERINE, JUSTIN, GAYLE and SALLY
Year 3 and 4 Teachers
The Year 5s and 6s have been getting straight into their respective inquiry units for How the World Works. The Year 6s are looking at structures and the environment. This has included delving into the history of man-made structures up until the present day and the phenomenon of modern-day Megastructures. From huts to huge shopping malls and cruise shipbuilding yards and even rocket manufacturing factories the design ideas and concepts are amazing. With these design and technology concepts in mind, we will be designing and constructing bridges and buildings and thinking about how these structures meet their purpose and how they are influenced by their environment.
The Year 5s Central Idea is How scientific principles and knowledge can be used to understand and solve problems. Students have explored scientific principles such as surface tension, reaction times, and kinetic energy to understand how the world around them works. They have participated in a wide range of experiments investigating real-world problems using the scientific method to record their observations. Learning will culminate in a Science Fair where students will present their findings about their own experiments, and endeavour to prove their hypothesis right or wrong and generate new problems to solve.
Homestead is a collaborative time where staff and students are sharing the learning. Through maths projects, literacy workshops, class meetings, and our community engagement sessions, our time together is creative and productive.
We are all looking forward to the end-of-year celebrations that include the Year 6 Graduation and Perberkoong.
Term 4 is a very exciting time in the Performing arts world. All the classes are now working hard to collaboratively create their own home-grown end-of-year performance for our Penbank Finale – Dreaming with Open Hearts. The performances will vary between acting, dancing, music, movement, and storytelling. This experience is aimed to enrich and extend their skills in the performing arts. Our performances will culminate in an expo derived from the unit of inquiry, How We Express Ourselves.
Our Finale will be a wonderful family event. The evening will begin at 5pm, when we invite all families to come and picnic on the Bunjil play area. Food trucks will provide delicious options of food however families are welcome to bring their own picnic. Students will head to their classrooms at 6:30 pm to prepare and change into costumes before our Finale begins at 7 pm. We anticipate this relaxed and social atmosphere will be a wonderful way to conclude the year with a celebration of the Arts at Penbank. Keep Thursday 24 November free!
Consistent attendance is very important for each child’s success on the night. If your child is unable to attend on the night, we would love to know in advance. Your child will still be entirely involved in the program; however, we will purposely choose a role or position that is not critical to the performance.
SARAH
Dance Teacher
As always, very busy and wonderful moments in Physical Education and Outdoors. Term 3 saw all our students display outstanding sportsmanship, resilience, and persistence in their sporting endeavours. Major events included the Penbank Year 3-6 Athletics Day, Camps (Sovereign Hill, Wugubank and Alexandra), AFL Roadshow clinics, Fathers and Friends Breakfast, and the Mornington District Athletics Carnival.
Term 4 will see some more exciting occasions at Penbank. Prep to Year 5 students have commenced swimming lessons at Pelican Park Recreation Centre.
Physical Education will focus on net sports (volleyball, badminton, table tennis), golf and invasion games. Friday afternoon sports sessions will include the much-anticipated Friday Frenzy, which is an internal friendly sport-based round robin competition.
It has also been amazing to see the development of the Prep and Year 1s in their weekly PMP lessons.
I would like to congratulate our wonderful Athletics Team who participated in the Mornington District Athletics Carnival. Special mention to Mavis Laverty (1st U11 Shot Put and 200m), Mimi Pullar (2nd U11 Hurdles), Max Rogut (2nd U9/10 MC Long Jump) and Sammy Nyguen-Brown (7th U9/10 Triple Jump) who represented Penbank at the Southern Peninsula Division Athletics Carnival. We wish Mavis, Mimi and Max all the best at the South East Regional Athletics Carnival this week.
It is wonderful to feel our community coming back together at all these events.
Thank you to everyone who has assisted, supported, contributed, and encouraged our Physical Education and Outdoors programs. I cannot put into words how much I appreciate the support.
Go Penbank!
PETE McGETTIGAN
PE Teacher
Hearing students singing and playing instruments together again this year has been so wonderful! The students and teachers have been extremely motivated to be a part of the face-to-face experiences, playing in bands, ensembles, choirs and having private music tuition. Harmony Day Picnic was a celebration of diversity and community, song and dance, food, and connection. Bunjil Concerts have given all our budding musicians a chance to build confidence and showcase new skills, whilst our Soiree displayed the results of many hours of rehearsals by each of our ensembles, culminating in an outstanding evening of teamwork and music. The end of the year will see the whole of the Penbank campus creating their own performances for the Penbank Finale, a showcase of our Unit of Inquiry, How We Express Ourselves. We continue to be very proud of the passion, commitment, and heart that students and teachers contribute to our music program.
ANDY KHOZA
Music Teacher
The Arty Market is back in 2022, and we need you!
Thought about starting a little creative side hustle? Got a killer cordial recipe? Need an excuse to get started? We need Arty Market stallholders for our upcoming whole-school event.
The Arty Market is a quintessentially Woodleigh occasion; a celebration of handmade, artisanal, quirky products, artworks, jewellery, food, and homewares designed and/or made by YOU!
We welcome stall holders who are students, staff, parents, and alumni. If you've been thinking about it, now's your chance! We will support you with signage, a trestle table, and assistance with setup.
The market will be held on Friday 2 December from 4pm - 8pm at Senior Campus, in the Visual Art Centre and Agora areas of the campus. Pop that date in your diaries folks!
It's free to have a stall at The Arty Market, however, a $20 stall donation would be welcomed. This donation contributes to the materials used for our student stalls; any profits on the day will be carried over for next year's event.
We look forward to seeing you there!
KAREN CHARLTON-MILLS
On Behalf of the Arty Market Committee
Hi, I’m Phoebe Azzopardi, I am a Year 10 student in Homestead 1. You might remember last year I did a fundraiser for Pinch-a-Poo. I collected donations from across all 3 campuses and I collected over 700 hundred toiletry and sanitary products. This year I am hoping to achieve the same thing.
Pinch-a-Poo is an organization that supports the 1 in 5 Australians families who have to make the choice of buying food or personal hygiene products each week. Their vision is to make sure that every Australian has access to basic hygiene products. Pinch-a-Poo is run by an amazing lady, Kate Austin. Kate was a part of a domestic violence situation and had to leave immediately. Her first instinct was to grab her toothbrush and run. She knew that wherever she went, at least should could brush her teeth.
Click here to hear more about Kate’s story.
How you can help
I will start collecting donations from Tuesday 11 October. I am hoping to have all of the donations collected by 25 November. There will be a box at reception for all of the donations. Pinch-a-Poo is a really easy way to help out the less fortunate. All you need to do it pick up an extra toothbrush, toothpaste or some other toiletries when you go shopping.
Please only donate unopen items.
Items that they are in desperate need of include:
· Roll on deodorants
· Toothpaste
· Toothbrushes
· Face washers
· Singe Use Soaps
· Hairbrushes
Other items to donate:
· Shampoo/conditioner
· Body wash
· Body Lotion
· Deodorants
· Kids Toothbrushes
· Kids Toothpaste
· Razors
· Dental products (floss, mouthwash etc)
· Hair ties
· Sanitary Products
· Hand Sanitiser
· Skin care
· Hair care
· Makeup
· Lip Balm
· Fragrance
· Shaving cream
· Baby care
If you have any questions or would like to know more about the cause visit me in Homestead 1, email me at azzop24@woodleigh.vic.edu.au or visit Pinch-A-Poo.
Thank you in advance,
PHOEBE AZZOPARDI
Year 10