- Today's World is Full of Complexity
- Year 11 Exams
- Year 8 Community Partnerships
- Year 9 and 10 Textiles
- La Gastronomie française. Year 9 French
- Almost, Maine – Dialogue
- 2023 Subject Selection Information Night
- Homestead Cross Country
- Basketball – Victorian College Championships
- Bush Week Traditions
- Christmas Down Under!
- Woodleigh School National Reconciliation Week Gathering
- Broadening Horizons Information Night 2022
- Almost, Maine – Tickets on Sale
- CONVEYANCE ALLOWANCE TERM 2 2022
- Important Message re. Travelling on myki Buses
Today's World is Full of Complexity
A summary look at the news of the past 12 months presents an interesting time in our history. This time has been marked by natural disasters and pandemics, global conflict and significant shifts in the political landscape both in Australia and abroad. It may be that these are unusual times, out of the ordinary, or perhaps this is the new norm. Our world is incredibly complex, filled with challenges at all levels of society and in all areas across the globe. Most of these challenges and complexities come about at the hand of man; others are part of the natural cycle of change outside of human control.
Photos from the Senior Campus Bush Week Planting Session with Year 7s and Year 12s
As an educator who started his career in the 90s, I have spent most of my career talking about my students' need to develop 21st-century skills. Well, we are well and truly embedded in the 21st Century, and these skills are needed now more than ever.
Young people need the ability to unpack complexity to make sense of the many issues facing our world. They need to become innovative and creative problem solvers with high-level interpersonal skills that enable them to lead social change and enterprise.
Photos from Penbank's Prep Science Incursion
Learning Our Way Out of Problems
Recently, our research partnership with the University of Melbourne took several Woodleigh staff members and me to a workshop led by Tony McKay. Our partnership is investigating new ways of assessing learning in our schools and, by definition, new ways of teaching children, and Tony, one of the most prominent educational advisors and leaders in Australia, spoke about the complexities and problems in our world. He also spoke about the importance of education and the possibility that, as a race, humans could learn ourselves out of the complexities and the challenges we face into a positive collaborative future.
His is an incredibly optimistic view of how we can approach the challenge which exists for our planet, yet it holds enormous weight and, in many respects, may be our only option. However, to do so requires a shift in the way we do things. This shift requires us to think deeply about what we are teaching our kids, how we engage them in their learning and what capabilities they will need to make a difference to our future.
We are the current stewards of our planet, and education needs to think about how we can prepare future generations for this stewardship. This is not a project or a bespoke interest that we have, but a fundamental shift required in how we do things. This is fast becoming a national imperative. Our partnership and work with the New Metrics team at Melbourne University will significantly influence how this transformation will occur across Australia and the globe.
Photos from Minimbah's Reconciliation Week Assembly
Building a Better Measure of Success
The starting point for us as a collective of schools is to redefine the way we define excellence. We currently have such a narrow band to define what we consider good learning or understanding. Historically, this has been based upon a traditional interpretation of education as a sorting mechanism that helps society decide who works where. We need to broaden our definition to a strengths-based model where students can understand and manage complexity, develop self-awareness, and collaborate with others to innovate and create.
There are several models of learning that support this process. They all have a sense of student agency or designing student learning to allow students to have agency about how they approach their learning.
Agency is more than simply voice and choice; agency is taking responsibility for how they learn and, in many respects, where they take their learning. In short, these models encourage students to act with purpose, reflect on their actions and understand learning at an individual, collaborative and collective level. Students need to know how to have agency on a moral level, a creative level, and how to add value with their actions.
Our work with the University, as part of the New Metrics program, is supporting our school to develop new metrics (funnily enough) that define success in a much broader and more sophisticated manner and in a way that honours the strengths of our students and promotes and supports student agency. These new metrics will redefine how we design learning in the classroom and, most importantly, how we support genuine, authentic and deep learning.
Later this year, I look forward to sharing our new strategic plan with the School community. This plan will be underpinned by student learning and our desire as a school to purposefully develop each student so that they can thrive in an ever-changing and complex world. It will also be a plan that captures our planet's need to learn our way out of complex problems and into a positive and collective future.
Take care,
DAVID BAKER
Principal
Year 11 Exams
The Year 11 Unit 1 Examination period will begin on Monday 6 June and conclude on Friday 10 June.
All exams will be based in Senior Homestead, but some exams require a separate room due to specific requirements.
For this exam week, students in Year 11 are required at school only when they have examinations. We accept that some students study better for examinations at home; thus, we ask these students to sign out in Senior Homestead and that they are collected from school by parents or guardians. Students who wish to remain at school must sign in at Senior Homestead and may study in the Senior Common Room or V1 and V2. They may also organise to meet with available staff for additional study assistance. Any issues with clashes must be resolved with Mr Bowen as soon as possible so that rescheduling can occur wherever feasible.
No timetabled classes will be running for any Year 11 subjects during the exam period – any student undertaking a Year 12 subject(s) will need to make arrangements to attend those classes as required, wherever possible.
Year 10 Exams
The Year 10 Examination period will take place during Weeks 7 and 8 of this term. However, only year-long subjects: English, Mathematics, and Indonesian/French, will have a formalised exam.
All semester-based subjects will have an examination-style task administered during class at a time organised by their respective teachers.
The examination timetable for English, Maths and Indonesian/French is as follows:
- English: Thursday 9 June 8:55am-10:40am
- Indonesian/French: Friday 10 June 8:55am-10:40am
- Mathematics: Tuesday 14 June 8:55am-11:10am
All students are expected to be at school for full days during this exam period. Normal classes will be running as per usual, with the exception of the times listed above.
Should there be any clashes, any student completing a Year 11 subject exam will take that as their priority and their Year 10 subject exam/task will be rescheduled wherever feasible.
BRYN BOWEN
Acting VCE Coordinator
Year 8 Community Partnerships
Asylum Seekers Centre
TODAY WE LEARNED… it’s very difficult to get into Australia, people really care about refugees, people do lots of volunteer work, how important it is to have a place in a community, how many different needs there are to be met, sometimes not a profitable thing to help asylum seekers
3 IDEAS OF HOW WE CAN HELP
- Helping people to learn English, donating food, water and sanitary items to charities where they are distributed straight into the community.
- Learn more about the background of refugees.
- Educate ourselves and others about the issues that are happening at that time.
Tobi Chivas and Jessica Lang Y8
Mornington Special Development School
Going into community partnerships I was excited yet also very nervous. I didn’t know what to expect from the experience, I help with a nipper’s program at lifesaving for differently-abled kids, but I knew that a school environment would be a lot different.
We met before going into the school – everyone filled with nerves and excitement and went over how we were going to approach this as a team to give as much as possible and get as much as possible from the program. I instantly felt relieved once we met the teachers, all of whom were so sweet and caring and you could tell how much of a passion they all had for their jobs which was very inspiring.
The students were all amazing. Some were non-verbal others very verbal! Each child was so unique and different, yet all were learning something new each day. The most rewarding part for me was when I was working in the junior’s classroom (all of which are non-verbal) and was able to communicate with a student and calm them down so that they could re-enter the classroom just by using little laminated cards with pictures on them. In that moment it became very clear to me that anyone can do anything they just might all do it differently.
Overall, I had a wonderful experience and am so eager to go back and spend more time with the kids next term!
Maya Wishart Y8
What I did: I helped out the students at the Mornington SDS. I helped out Ms Sue and her class for the day and I really enjoyed the day. We had dance breaks and it was very relaxed, and I felt very involved and had a feeling that I actually helped out a lot of people that day. I loved hanging out with everyone and connected with a lot of people and I’m sure I will be even more interactive next session.
Expectations going into it: My Expectations were very different to what actually happened, on the bus, I started getting butterflies and wasn’t really prepared for the experience that I was going to board and felt that I would be up-front teaching and taking the whole class. But after 10 minutes I started feeling comfortable and realised I just need to be myself and talk about things I liked.
I started really bonding with one kid who also liked mountain bikes and at lunch, me and him were riding around the basketball court on bikes and really connected. Next session I feel that my connection with him will only grow every time I see him.
Angus Singleton Y8
Year 9 and 10 Textiles
Last term, Year 9 and 10 students studying Textiles explored the growing fashion trend of upcycling. The students re-purposed second-hand pairs of denim jeans into bags. They experimented with embroidery, beads, inside lining, and refined their skills in using a sewing machine. This resulted in a variety of successful designs, unique to each student, as well as a keepsake.
La Gastronomie française. Year 9 French
For our second MYP Unit, both Year 9 French classes have been exploring 'La Gastronomie française.'
The Statement of Inquiry was that
"Les pratiques culinaires d’un pays reflètent son contexte géographique, sa culture et son identité."
(The culinary practise of a country reflects their geographical context, culture and identity.)
Students initially read a text about the ten most 'must-try' foods if they went to France and answered some questions about this text to show their understanding and to learn some language models to produce their own work. (10 Aliments Français Incontournables.)
Students were asked to prepare a PowerPoint presentation about the "10 Must-Try Australian foods" – all in French.
These presentations were all presented to their class peers, and everyone kept a record of what each student deemed the most important “must-try” Australian Food. All students also completed a Poll in order to predict the outcome of the food they had all chosen.
On the whole, their predictions were mostly wrong. When we did a tally of what the students had presented, their predictions were way off.
In terms of real-world learning, this was a great experience – our students explored their own cultural norms and were able to shed some light on cultural differences regarding food choices between France and Australia.
Well done Year 9 French!
AILSA STUART French Teacher
Almost, Maine – Dialogue
As Woodleigh celebrates this year’s Language and Literature Festival, we wanted to write an article that described how we have approached the text in this year’s Senior Production.
As you probably know by now, tickets are on sale now for Almost, Maine.
The play centres on people falling in and out of love under the enigmatic glow of the northern lights. It’s a quintessential ensemble piece, created by a series of duologues. Usually, school plays call for a cast of 10 or 11 roles, with four leads and the remaining parts as minor or ensemble. In contrast, Almost, Maine has 19 significant lead roles.
Click image to purchase tickets
In most productions, the cohesion of the overall piece is often considered the most important aspect for actors and directors. They generally prioritise the bigger picture when it comes to learning lines. Focus is placed on responding to cue lines. Actors often fall into bad habits of reordering statements or substituting words, rather than speaking the line exactly as it’s written.
The play, Almost, Maine is highly text-driven. This has required a different approach to line learning and delivery. Our priority has been to honour the playwright, and so it has been critical to interrogate the text.
We have realised that grammar, word order, punctuation and italics all hold significant clues to understanding the playwright’s intention. John Cariani has provided specific directions in the script regarding delivery. This allows the cast to recreate the energy of real speech and moments of overlapping dialogue. Commas are employed to encourage pace and keep things moving; brackets often follow partial sentences to specify an unspoken thought. The symbol “>” is also used to show that a character should continue talking and not wait to speak.
The most interesting device in Almost, Maine, however, is the “//”. This shorthand symbol indicates the moment when two people speak at exactly the same time, and their dialogue overlaps. Navigating overlapping dialogue was a first experience for many of us. We were accustomed to the typical back and forth pattern found in standard play dialogue, even though it is a rather unnatural speech habit.
Working with staff, we found that using breath as a cue for each overlap boosted the intensity of the scene. This allowed the natural rhythm of the lines to emerge and the energy, particularly in arguments, to build. Relying on the speech rhythms and natural accents found in each line was also invaluable, especially when these lines had phrasing quirks which made them difficult to speak without getting tongue tied.
Actors have also had to work hard on building their muscularity so that they can resonate all the constants. Although we will be using microphones in the performance, we have learned that mics are not the answer to poor or mumbled speech. Microphones only amplify the sound they are given, making articulation especially important.
The production staff created a Covid contingency plan last year, as they wanted students to be able to have a finished product that could be viewed by audiences. As a result, Almost, Maine was cast late last year, giving the cast the summer holidays to learn their lines.
Working in a completely new way has been tiring, invigorating and rewarding. I know that the skills we are building through this process will help us as Year 12 Drama students, as well as in the future as public speakers. These approaches to dialogue and staging have come with their own share of challenges. However, they have helped us find authenticity and power in our performances…and we can’t wait to share this work with an audience.
BRIDGET RICHARDS & ALEX MATTHEWS Y12
Photographs by Lou Lou Burton Y12
2023 Subject Selection Information Night
Year 8-11 Students and Families! Save the Date!
Tuesday 14 June 6-9pm @ Senior Campus.
More detail will follow soon.
Homestead Cross Country
The 2022 Homestead Cross Country saw the introduction of a new course and a change in distance for some events, with all races now being run over 3km. The conditions were cold, dry and windy, which made for a challenging run.
It was pleasing to see many students embrace the challenge, take on the new course, and finish with a sense of pride as they passed the finish line knowing that they had given it their all. Congratulations to all students who embraced the event and finished the course inside the time limit on the day. Top 10 finishers in the Year 7 & 8 races were offered the opportunity to assist as Hares at Penbank and Minimbah’s District Cross Country events. Well done to these students who not only ran well in our event but went on to to help our primary schools with the running of their carnivals.
The results across the day were evenly shared, with four different Homestead’s winning the four Tutor Group awards on offer. Overall, Homestead 4 was victorious on the day, and Homestead 7 achieved their best result for several years finishing in 2nd place. The best-performed runners at the Homestead Cross Country will now proceed to the SIS Division A Cross Country Carnival, at Baxter Park on Tuesday, 31 May. Spectators are welcome to come along and support our students at this event.
Results
Individual: Girls
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
Yr. 7 | Aggie D’Antoine | Juliet Whinney | Moriah Elphinstone |
Yr. 8 | Tilly Boadle | Daisy Black | Esse Foley |
Yr. 9 | Lily Reynolds | Amelia Bam | Annabella Cripps |
Yr. 10 | Milly Baxter | Charlotte Gow | Imogen Tabacco |
Yr. 11 | Millie Evenden |
|
|
Yr. 12 | Lila McDonagh |
|
|
Individual: Boys
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
Yr. 7 | Alby Moorehouse | Barnaby Jeffs | Fergus O’Connor |
Yr. 8 | Orlando Clarke | Harvey Bedford | Bayley Medlin |
Yr. 9 | Miller Virtanen | Tom McKee | Griff Matthews |
Yr. 10 | Ted Meysztowicz | Taj Woolard | Kieran Marshall |
Yr. 11 | Harry Lawson | Luka Williams | Noah McDonagh |
Yr. 12 | Benny McConnell | Rhett Clark | Nick Gordon |
Homestead Results: Tutor Groups
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
Yr. 7 | Homestead 2 | Homestead 4 | Homestead 3 |
Yr. 8 | Homestead 6 | Homestead 2 | Homestead 3 |
Yr. 9 | Homestead 7 | Homestead 1 | Homestead 4 |
Yr. 10 | Homestead 4 | Homestead 7 | Homestead 3 |
Overall (lowest score accumulated is the winner)
1st | Homestead 4 | 407 points |
2nd | Homestead 7 | 424 points |
3rd | Homestead 3 | 425 points |
BEN DAVENPORT
Director of Sport
Basketball – Victorian College Championships
Term 2 has seen our strongest basketballers competing in the Victorian College Championships (VCC). Our teams have entered the VCC Qualifying at Frankston Basketball Stadium, with our Senior Boys and Intermediate Boys playing in recent weeks. The day-long Qualifying events consist of round-robin matches followed by finals, all played over 12-minute halves for a fast-paced day of high-quality basketball. So far, the standout performance has come from our Senior Boys team.
Our Senior Boys team started their VCC Qualifying day strongly in ‘friendlies’ against Division 1 teams, coming away with a 1-1 record. Friendly by name, enthralling by nature.
Coming into our matches for points against fellow Division 2 teams Hallam SC and Flinders CCC, it was all to play for. A big win against Hallam, followed by a narrow loss to Flinders, was enough to secure a place in the Division 2 Final against Hallam.
The Grand Final was a high-intensity encounter in which Hallam took control early on. However, our Woodleigh team made a mighty surge to take the game into the final play, narrowly falling short by 1 point.
Congratulations to our team of Noah Barnes, Jacomo Dwyer-Morris, Seb Ginsberg, Rory Goding, Nick Gordon, Zac Nelson and Ilan Umansky, along with coach Liam Doyle-Toombs.
While narrow margins can be cruel, our Senior Boys team qualified for a place in the VCC Finals at the State Basketball Centre on June 1. They will also be joined by our Senior Girls at this event. Our Intermediate Boys recently competed in their VCC Qualifier and qualified for the semi-finals before being knocked out, while the Junior Boys VCC Qualifier will be held on June 7.
Further congratulations are also due to Seb Ginsberg, Noah Barnes, Rex Thorpe and Ryan Drenkhahn (with past student Walter J), whose self-made team, the Ancient Dinosaurs, won their recent Championship.
Well done!
TOM ANGELICO
Assistant to the Director of Sport
Bush Week Traditions
Schools have some interesting traditions.
For example, at Westminster School in the UK, a tradition known as “The Greaze” began in 1753 and is still celebrated on Shrove Tuesday each year. It involves the cook tossing a 'horsehair reinforced' pancake over a high bar, and the pupils then fight over the pancake for one minute.
At Woodleigh, in Bush Week, we plant trees.
Every year, the Bush Week Homestead Session sees Year 7 and Year 12 students band together to give hundreds of new plants a new home, and this year was no different.
950 plants were added to Woodleigh's green mass, and here is the proof!
Christmas Down Under!
Last night the Year 12 Drama Class sat us down in the Hall for 'Christmas Down Under', and the experience of live theatre was just the balm our culture-starved souls needed.
Like many family Christmas tables, there was a mix of humour, sadness, pathos, insight and empathy on display as the self-devised ensemble pieces unfolded on stage.
The creativity, stagecraft and smarts employed to put together two mature and nuanced pieces of theatre were unmistakable, and our congratulations go to all students and staff involved.
Woodleigh School National Reconciliation Week Gathering
In the spirit of Reconciliation, Woodleigh School welcomes all community members to join us for the 2022 National Reconciliation Week School Gathering.
Featuring guest Speakers Eva Jo and Monica Weightman, the 2022 event will also feature the presentation of the Woodleigh Reconciliation Action Plan.
We are delighted to be sharing our RAP with the school community as we continue to be brave and make change in our school and community.
Catering on the night is by Cooee Cafe. Please RSVP by Friday 27 May for catering purposes.
BOOK NOWBroadening Horizons Information Night 2022
Woodleigh's Broadening Horizons Program is open to students in Years 10 and 11. It provides students with a real-world experience, enabling them to develop a real understanding and unique educational experiences that are tailored to developing relationships.
Students who attend our Broadening Horizons Program will:
- Develop greater awareness and understanding of global issues
- Gain attention to life outside of the safe and secure environment of the Mornington Peninsula
- Practical opportunities to further develop independence, resilience, and initiative in more challenging environments
- Experience and be inspired by how individuals can make a difference
- Develop life skills through experiences that will require courage, generosity, imagination, and resolution
- Tangible ways to embrace the importance of service to others, global responsibilities, and cultural understandings
- An opportunity to co-develop projects and tackle global issues
- Challenge and confront tokenism and the belief in the superiority
- Foster understanding, goodwill, respect, and friendship
Intercultural Opportunities
- Cambodia Partnership
- French Cultural Visit
- Round Square School Visits
Students are required to register their interest and we look forward to sharing this real-world experience with the selected Year 10 and 11 students.
BOOK NOWAlmost, Maine – Tickets on Sale
Almost, Maine (PG)-is a series of loosely connected stories about the residents of a fictional remote town in Maine called “Almost.” Each scene happens at exactly 9:00PM in the middle of winter, as the northern lights hover in the sky.
Relationships end, begin, or change beyond recognition, as strangers become friends, friends become lovers, and lovers turn into strangers.
“Well, I can’t help it. It just came over me…I’ve fallen in love with you…”
At times realistic and at times absurd, Almost, Maine is mostly very funny with an element of sentimental “magic.”
Experience the life-altering power of the human heart and have your heart touched and warmed in the process.
Note: Almost, Maine will be streamed to ticket holders in the event that a live performance is unable to go ahead due to Covid.
BOOK NOWCONVEYANCE ALLOWANCE TERM 2 2022
Conveyance Allowance only applies to students attending the Woodleigh Campus located at Langwarrin South and students attending the Penbank Campus located at Moorooduc. These families can get 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.
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 May 20, 2022 to be included in the first 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 are 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.
Important Message re. Travelling on myki Buses
All Woodleigh School students travelling on these buses must have a valid myki card. Students 17 and over are also required to carry a valid VPT School Student Id card or government-issued proof of age (ie Drivers licence, learners permit) to travel. It is the student’s obligation to touch on with a valid myki when boarding. Fare evasion is a serious offence and can incur substantial fines.
These buses are not free and noncompliance could also result in the service of these buses being withdrawn by PTV (Public Transport Victoria).
More information and application forms are available on the PTV website http://ptv.vic.gov.au/tickets/concessions/students/
Please note that pickup times are given by Ventura Bus Lines as approximates only so students need to be at their stop at least five minutes prior to the pickup time listed on the timetable. Also, to help Bus Drivers distinguish between Woodleigh School students and the general public, the Bus Lines recommend our students flag their bus down.
If you have any queries please contact Robyn Kent at Woodleigh Campus on 5971 6100 or email rkent@woodleigh.vic.edu.au
The Year 11 Unit 1 Examination period will begin on Monday 6 June and conclude on Friday 10 June.
All exams will be based in Senior Homestead, but some exams require a separate room due to specific requirements.
For this exam week, students in Year 11 are required at school only when they have examinations. We accept that some students study better for examinations at home; thus, we ask these students to sign out in Senior Homestead and that they are collected from school by parents or guardians. Students who wish to remain at school must sign in at Senior Homestead and may study in the Senior Common Room or V1 and V2. They may also organise to meet with available staff for additional study assistance. Any issues with clashes must be resolved with Mr Bowen as soon as possible so that rescheduling can occur wherever feasible.
No timetabled classes will be running for any Year 11 subjects during the exam period – any student undertaking a Year 12 subject(s) will need to make arrangements to attend those classes as required, wherever possible.
Year 10 Exams
The Year 10 Examination period will take place during Weeks 7 and 8 of this term. However, only year-long subjects: English, Mathematics, and Indonesian/French, will have a formalised exam.
All semester-based subjects will have an examination-style task administered during class at a time organised by their respective teachers.
The examination timetable for English, Maths and Indonesian/French is as follows:
- English: Thursday 9 June 8:55am-10:40am
- Indonesian/French: Friday 10 June 8:55am-10:40am
- Mathematics: Tuesday 14 June 8:55am-11:10am
All students are expected to be at school for full days during this exam period. Normal classes will be running as per usual, with the exception of the times listed above.
Should there be any clashes, any student completing a Year 11 subject exam will take that as their priority and their Year 10 subject exam/task will be rescheduled wherever feasible.
BRYN BOWEN
Acting VCE Coordinator
Asylum Seekers Centre
TODAY WE LEARNED… it’s very difficult to get into Australia, people really care about refugees, people do lots of volunteer work, how important it is to have a place in a community, how many different needs there are to be met, sometimes not a profitable thing to help asylum seekers
3 IDEAS OF HOW WE CAN HELP
- Helping people to learn English, donating food, water and sanitary items to charities where they are distributed straight into the community.
- Learn more about the background of refugees.
- Educate ourselves and others about the issues that are happening at that time.
Tobi Chivas and Jessica Lang Y8
Mornington Special Development School
Going into community partnerships I was excited yet also very nervous. I didn’t know what to expect from the experience, I help with a nipper’s program at lifesaving for differently-abled kids, but I knew that a school environment would be a lot different.
We met before going into the school – everyone filled with nerves and excitement and went over how we were going to approach this as a team to give as much as possible and get as much as possible from the program. I instantly felt relieved once we met the teachers, all of whom were so sweet and caring and you could tell how much of a passion they all had for their jobs which was very inspiring.
The students were all amazing. Some were non-verbal others very verbal! Each child was so unique and different, yet all were learning something new each day. The most rewarding part for me was when I was working in the junior’s classroom (all of which are non-verbal) and was able to communicate with a student and calm them down so that they could re-enter the classroom just by using little laminated cards with pictures on them. In that moment it became very clear to me that anyone can do anything they just might all do it differently.
Overall, I had a wonderful experience and am so eager to go back and spend more time with the kids next term!
Maya Wishart Y8
What I did: I helped out the students at the Mornington SDS. I helped out Ms Sue and her class for the day and I really enjoyed the day. We had dance breaks and it was very relaxed, and I felt very involved and had a feeling that I actually helped out a lot of people that day. I loved hanging out with everyone and connected with a lot of people and I’m sure I will be even more interactive next session.
Expectations going into it: My Expectations were very different to what actually happened, on the bus, I started getting butterflies and wasn’t really prepared for the experience that I was going to board and felt that I would be up-front teaching and taking the whole class. But after 10 minutes I started feeling comfortable and realised I just need to be myself and talk about things I liked.
I started really bonding with one kid who also liked mountain bikes and at lunch, me and him were riding around the basketball court on bikes and really connected. Next session I feel that my connection with him will only grow every time I see him.
Angus Singleton Y8
Last term, Year 9 and 10 students studying Textiles explored the growing fashion trend of upcycling. The students re-purposed second-hand pairs of denim jeans into bags. They experimented with embroidery, beads, inside lining, and refined their skills in using a sewing machine. This resulted in a variety of successful designs, unique to each student, as well as a keepsake.
For our second MYP Unit, both Year 9 French classes have been exploring 'La Gastronomie française.'
The Statement of Inquiry was that
"Les pratiques culinaires d’un pays reflètent son contexte géographique, sa culture et son identité."
(The culinary practise of a country reflects their geographical context, culture and identity.)
Students initially read a text about the ten most 'must-try' foods if they went to France and answered some questions about this text to show their understanding and to learn some language models to produce their own work. (10 Aliments Français Incontournables.)
Students were asked to prepare a PowerPoint presentation about the "10 Must-Try Australian foods" – all in French.
These presentations were all presented to their class peers, and everyone kept a record of what each student deemed the most important “must-try” Australian Food. All students also completed a Poll in order to predict the outcome of the food they had all chosen.
On the whole, their predictions were mostly wrong. When we did a tally of what the students had presented, their predictions were way off.
In terms of real-world learning, this was a great experience – our students explored their own cultural norms and were able to shed some light on cultural differences regarding food choices between France and Australia.
Well done Year 9 French!
AILSA STUART French Teacher
As Woodleigh celebrates this year’s Language and Literature Festival, we wanted to write an article that described how we have approached the text in this year’s Senior Production.
As you probably know by now, tickets are on sale now for Almost, Maine.
The play centres on people falling in and out of love under the enigmatic glow of the northern lights. It’s a quintessential ensemble piece, created by a series of duologues. Usually, school plays call for a cast of 10 or 11 roles, with four leads and the remaining parts as minor or ensemble. In contrast, Almost, Maine has 19 significant lead roles.
Click image to purchase tickets
In most productions, the cohesion of the overall piece is often considered the most important aspect for actors and directors. They generally prioritise the bigger picture when it comes to learning lines. Focus is placed on responding to cue lines. Actors often fall into bad habits of reordering statements or substituting words, rather than speaking the line exactly as it’s written.
The play, Almost, Maine is highly text-driven. This has required a different approach to line learning and delivery. Our priority has been to honour the playwright, and so it has been critical to interrogate the text.
We have realised that grammar, word order, punctuation and italics all hold significant clues to understanding the playwright’s intention. John Cariani has provided specific directions in the script regarding delivery. This allows the cast to recreate the energy of real speech and moments of overlapping dialogue. Commas are employed to encourage pace and keep things moving; brackets often follow partial sentences to specify an unspoken thought. The symbol “>” is also used to show that a character should continue talking and not wait to speak.
The most interesting device in Almost, Maine, however, is the “//”. This shorthand symbol indicates the moment when two people speak at exactly the same time, and their dialogue overlaps. Navigating overlapping dialogue was a first experience for many of us. We were accustomed to the typical back and forth pattern found in standard play dialogue, even though it is a rather unnatural speech habit.
Working with staff, we found that using breath as a cue for each overlap boosted the intensity of the scene. This allowed the natural rhythm of the lines to emerge and the energy, particularly in arguments, to build. Relying on the speech rhythms and natural accents found in each line was also invaluable, especially when these lines had phrasing quirks which made them difficult to speak without getting tongue tied.
Actors have also had to work hard on building their muscularity so that they can resonate all the constants. Although we will be using microphones in the performance, we have learned that mics are not the answer to poor or mumbled speech. Microphones only amplify the sound they are given, making articulation especially important.
The production staff created a Covid contingency plan last year, as they wanted students to be able to have a finished product that could be viewed by audiences. As a result, Almost, Maine was cast late last year, giving the cast the summer holidays to learn their lines.
Working in a completely new way has been tiring, invigorating and rewarding. I know that the skills we are building through this process will help us as Year 12 Drama students, as well as in the future as public speakers. These approaches to dialogue and staging have come with their own share of challenges. However, they have helped us find authenticity and power in our performances…and we can’t wait to share this work with an audience.
BRIDGET RICHARDS & ALEX MATTHEWS Y12
Photographs by Lou Lou Burton Y12
Year 8-11 Students and Families! Save the Date!
Tuesday 14 June 6-9pm @ Senior Campus.
More detail will follow soon.
The 2022 Homestead Cross Country saw the introduction of a new course and a change in distance for some events, with all races now being run over 3km. The conditions were cold, dry and windy, which made for a challenging run.
It was pleasing to see many students embrace the challenge, take on the new course, and finish with a sense of pride as they passed the finish line knowing that they had given it their all. Congratulations to all students who embraced the event and finished the course inside the time limit on the day. Top 10 finishers in the Year 7 & 8 races were offered the opportunity to assist as Hares at Penbank and Minimbah’s District Cross Country events. Well done to these students who not only ran well in our event but went on to to help our primary schools with the running of their carnivals.
The results across the day were evenly shared, with four different Homestead’s winning the four Tutor Group awards on offer. Overall, Homestead 4 was victorious on the day, and Homestead 7 achieved their best result for several years finishing in 2nd place. The best-performed runners at the Homestead Cross Country will now proceed to the SIS Division A Cross Country Carnival, at Baxter Park on Tuesday, 31 May. Spectators are welcome to come along and support our students at this event.
Results
Individual: Girls
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
Yr. 7 | Aggie D’Antoine | Juliet Whinney | Moriah Elphinstone |
Yr. 8 | Tilly Boadle | Daisy Black | Esse Foley |
Yr. 9 | Lily Reynolds | Amelia Bam | Annabella Cripps |
Yr. 10 | Milly Baxter | Charlotte Gow | Imogen Tabacco |
Yr. 11 | Millie Evenden |
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Yr. 12 | Lila McDonagh |
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Individual: Boys
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
Yr. 7 | Alby Moorehouse | Barnaby Jeffs | Fergus O’Connor |
Yr. 8 | Orlando Clarke | Harvey Bedford | Bayley Medlin |
Yr. 9 | Miller Virtanen | Tom McKee | Griff Matthews |
Yr. 10 | Ted Meysztowicz | Taj Woolard | Kieran Marshall |
Yr. 11 | Harry Lawson | Luka Williams | Noah McDonagh |
Yr. 12 | Benny McConnell | Rhett Clark | Nick Gordon |
Homestead Results: Tutor Groups
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
Yr. 7 | Homestead 2 | Homestead 4 | Homestead 3 |
Yr. 8 | Homestead 6 | Homestead 2 | Homestead 3 |
Yr. 9 | Homestead 7 | Homestead 1 | Homestead 4 |
Yr. 10 | Homestead 4 | Homestead 7 | Homestead 3 |
Overall (lowest score accumulated is the winner)
1st | Homestead 4 | 407 points |
2nd | Homestead 7 | 424 points |
3rd | Homestead 3 | 425 points |
BEN DAVENPORT
Director of Sport
Term 2 has seen our strongest basketballers competing in the Victorian College Championships (VCC). Our teams have entered the VCC Qualifying at Frankston Basketball Stadium, with our Senior Boys and Intermediate Boys playing in recent weeks. The day-long Qualifying events consist of round-robin matches followed by finals, all played over 12-minute halves for a fast-paced day of high-quality basketball. So far, the standout performance has come from our Senior Boys team.
Our Senior Boys team started their VCC Qualifying day strongly in ‘friendlies’ against Division 1 teams, coming away with a 1-1 record. Friendly by name, enthralling by nature.
Coming into our matches for points against fellow Division 2 teams Hallam SC and Flinders CCC, it was all to play for. A big win against Hallam, followed by a narrow loss to Flinders, was enough to secure a place in the Division 2 Final against Hallam.
The Grand Final was a high-intensity encounter in which Hallam took control early on. However, our Woodleigh team made a mighty surge to take the game into the final play, narrowly falling short by 1 point.
Congratulations to our team of Noah Barnes, Jacomo Dwyer-Morris, Seb Ginsberg, Rory Goding, Nick Gordon, Zac Nelson and Ilan Umansky, along with coach Liam Doyle-Toombs.
While narrow margins can be cruel, our Senior Boys team qualified for a place in the VCC Finals at the State Basketball Centre on June 1. They will also be joined by our Senior Girls at this event. Our Intermediate Boys recently competed in their VCC Qualifier and qualified for the semi-finals before being knocked out, while the Junior Boys VCC Qualifier will be held on June 7.
Further congratulations are also due to Seb Ginsberg, Noah Barnes, Rex Thorpe and Ryan Drenkhahn (with past student Walter J), whose self-made team, the Ancient Dinosaurs, won their recent Championship.
Well done!
TOM ANGELICO
Assistant to the Director of Sport
Schools have some interesting traditions.
For example, at Westminster School in the UK, a tradition known as “The Greaze” began in 1753 and is still celebrated on Shrove Tuesday each year. It involves the cook tossing a 'horsehair reinforced' pancake over a high bar, and the pupils then fight over the pancake for one minute.
At Woodleigh, in Bush Week, we plant trees.
Every year, the Bush Week Homestead Session sees Year 7 and Year 12 students band together to give hundreds of new plants a new home, and this year was no different.
950 plants were added to Woodleigh's green mass, and here is the proof!
Last night the Year 12 Drama Class sat us down in the Hall for 'Christmas Down Under', and the experience of live theatre was just the balm our culture-starved souls needed.
Like many family Christmas tables, there was a mix of humour, sadness, pathos, insight and empathy on display as the self-devised ensemble pieces unfolded on stage.
The creativity, stagecraft and smarts employed to put together two mature and nuanced pieces of theatre were unmistakable, and our congratulations go to all students and staff involved.
In the spirit of Reconciliation, Woodleigh School welcomes all community members to join us for the 2022 National Reconciliation Week School Gathering.
Featuring guest Speakers Eva Jo and Monica Weightman, the 2022 event will also feature the presentation of the Woodleigh Reconciliation Action Plan.
We are delighted to be sharing our RAP with the school community as we continue to be brave and make change in our school and community.
Catering on the night is by Cooee Cafe. Please RSVP by Friday 27 May for catering purposes.
BOOK NOWWoodleigh's Broadening Horizons Program is open to students in Years 10 and 11. It provides students with a real-world experience, enabling them to develop a real understanding and unique educational experiences that are tailored to developing relationships.
Students who attend our Broadening Horizons Program will:
- Develop greater awareness and understanding of global issues
- Gain attention to life outside of the safe and secure environment of the Mornington Peninsula
- Practical opportunities to further develop independence, resilience, and initiative in more challenging environments
- Experience and be inspired by how individuals can make a difference
- Develop life skills through experiences that will require courage, generosity, imagination, and resolution
- Tangible ways to embrace the importance of service to others, global responsibilities, and cultural understandings
- An opportunity to co-develop projects and tackle global issues
- Challenge and confront tokenism and the belief in the superiority
- Foster understanding, goodwill, respect, and friendship
Intercultural Opportunities
- Cambodia Partnership
- French Cultural Visit
- Round Square School Visits
Students are required to register their interest and we look forward to sharing this real-world experience with the selected Year 10 and 11 students.
BOOK NOWAlmost, Maine (PG)-is a series of loosely connected stories about the residents of a fictional remote town in Maine called “Almost.” Each scene happens at exactly 9:00PM in the middle of winter, as the northern lights hover in the sky.
Relationships end, begin, or change beyond recognition, as strangers become friends, friends become lovers, and lovers turn into strangers.
“Well, I can’t help it. It just came over me…I’ve fallen in love with you…”
At times realistic and at times absurd, Almost, Maine is mostly very funny with an element of sentimental “magic.”
Experience the life-altering power of the human heart and have your heart touched and warmed in the process.
Note: Almost, Maine will be streamed to ticket holders in the event that a live performance is unable to go ahead due to Covid.
BOOK NOWConveyance Allowance only applies to students attending the Woodleigh Campus located at Langwarrin South and students attending the Penbank Campus located at Moorooduc. These families can get 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.
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 May 20, 2022 to be included in the first 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 are 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.
All Woodleigh School students travelling on these buses must have a valid myki card. Students 17 and over are also required to carry a valid VPT School Student Id card or government-issued proof of age (ie Drivers licence, learners permit) to travel. It is the student’s obligation to touch on with a valid myki when boarding. Fare evasion is a serious offence and can incur substantial fines.
These buses are not free and noncompliance could also result in the service of these buses being withdrawn by PTV (Public Transport Victoria).
More information and application forms are available on the PTV website http://ptv.vic.gov.au/tickets/concessions/students/
Please note that pickup times are given by Ventura Bus Lines as approximates only so students need to be at their stop at least five minutes prior to the pickup time listed on the timetable. Also, to help Bus Drivers distinguish between Woodleigh School students and the general public, the Bus Lines recommend our students flag their bus down.
If you have any queries please contact Robyn Kent at Woodleigh Campus on 5971 6100 or email rkent@woodleigh.vic.edu.au