The first eleven weeks of the year have been a whirlwind of enriching experiences and poignant moments as we navigated the academic term with zeal and purpose. The Acquaintance Evening, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Vietnamese Family Night, International Women’s Day, Open Day, Harmony Day, Old Scholars Association AGM provided opportunities for families to connect with staff and students at Woodville High School. All our celebrations and events provide an opportunity for you to experience our story, our journey and understand our purpose, and who we aspire to be for our community.
Now, a quarter of the way through the academic year, it’s crucial to recognise that education extends beyond the confines of textbooks, laptops, teacher instruction and classrooms. Co-curricular activities such as music, drama, art, and sports, play an integral role in shaping well-rounded individuals and fostering holistic development. At Woodville high School, we firmly believe these activities complement academic pursuits in students’ growth and development. They are essential components of a comprehensive education that help students develop crucial life skills, discover their passions, flourish and forge lifelong friendships.
Our Music Evenings and Community Music Events are not just about learning notes and rhythms; it’s about fostering creativity, discipline, time management, emotional expression, courage to perform and character to take risks and challenge yourself. Research has shown that involvement in music and the arts enhances cognitive abilities, boosts academic performance, and cultivates a sense of cultural appreciation and empathy. The stage is a powerful platform for students to explore their imaginations, develop confidence, and hone their communication skills. Drama provides opportunities for students’ self-expression, empathy-building, and understanding diverse perspectives. Likewise, visual art nurtures creativity, self-expression and critical thinking skills. Students learn to explore and understand diverse perspectives and innovative problem solving skills while fostering cultural appreciation, overall wellbeing while learning how to communicate ideas. Participation in sports not only benefits students’ health and wellbeing, but fosters teamwork, resilience, leadership, and sportsmanship. Students learn to set and strive for goals, manage success and failure gracefully, and collaborate effectively with peers. Moreover, sports instils important values such as discipline, perseverance, and respect for rules – qualities that are fundamental to personal and professional success.
Educators and parents must support and encourage our students’ participation in these enriching experiences, recognising that they are integral to nurturing well-rounded individuals who are prepared to thrive in an ever-changing world.
Harmony Day
Given we are part of an international family it is most appropriate that we acknowledge and celebrate Harmony Day together. On Wednesday of week 8, we celebrated Harmony Day, which is a celebration of our diversity regardless of gender, race, ethnicity or religion. The day promotes inclusiveness and respect as well as a sense of belonging and community. The community we have at Our Woodville consists of over 80 language groups, making our school one of the most diverse in South Australia. We value this diversity and are deeply aware of the need for respect between the different cultures that make up Our Woodville community. We acknowledge that diversity as a fact, inclusion as an action and belonging as the outcome. Deep discussions took place across every year level to unpack what it means to belong and how each one of us is able to play a role in making sure that everybody belongs. Our Woodville’s cultural diversity is one of our greatest strengths and it is what makes us who we are. Harmony Day really does encapsulate what it means to embrace the Woodville High School values of Diversity, Integrity and Resilience.
Open Night
Open Night in week 8 was a wonderful opportunity to experience and celebrate the diverse and vibrant school community in action. Visitors observed and interacted with the staff and students in our creative learning environment. Our students showed confidence and leadership and created a strong sense of welcome to our current and prospective families.
Thank you to all staff and Students for their incredible work to prepare for Open Day and in particular Sam Tuffnell and Milena Popov who coordinated this significant event.
To continue to improve this evening where we welcome family and friends to an evening where they can experience the richness of community and participate in a tour; where our students, with pride, showcase the many opportunities the school has to offer from Year 7 to 12, I invite families to provide me with feedback by emailing anna.mirasgentis953@schools.sa.edu.au
Sports Day
I wish to thank all staff for their tireless efforts in making Sports Day on Wednesday such a success! In particular, I want to recognise the enormous amount of time invested by Braden Collins, Ryan Vivian, Paul Bates and all the HPE Staff to create such an enjoyable event that builds House spirit, identity, collegiality and community.
It was wonderful to see all students getting into the spirit of the day with a variety of creative costumes and House colours. Sports Day is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the many athletic abilities and community spirit of our School.
Congratulations to Sirius for winning the annual Spirit Award and for taking out the overall Championship Shield. The energy that Sirius house brought was palpable, a win that was well deserved!
Events such as these highlight the benefits of our House system at Woodville High School. Students build positive relationships, feel supported and valued, and there is a true sense of identity and belonging.
Thank you to all staff for their support in making this day so memorable and so much fun!
Laureate Assembly
The Laureate Assembly is a special occasion where Our Woodville comes together to celebrate and showcase the academic and vocational achievements of the 2023 Laureates.
Our 2023 DUX, Phong, addressed our community, highlighting the importance of finding one’s own self-worth, purpose and not overthinking things. His inspiration for doing well in his high school journey is that he wants to make an impact on the world as he embarks on a double degree of Law and Business. He also emphasised that a key factor in being able to reach a high standard of learning is being the best version of yourself and being able to openly engage with peers and teachers as well as being open to receiving feedback.
The achievements were exceptional by the 2023 graduating class and I would like to commend all staff members who have contributed to their individual stories.
Human Resources
We would like to warmly welcome Victoria McKinlay to Our Woodville Community. Victoria commenced work with us in the Finance Department as a Finance Officer.
Victoria joins us from managing an ecommerce business, retail businesses and has held roles in business management, leadership, administration and customer service. In her spare time she is involved in her local baseball club as a player and volunteer and loves camping and anything outdoors related.
SEQTA Academic Reports
Your child’s Term 1 Academic Report will be available via the SEQTA Engage application from Friday afternoon. From the main menu on the left-hand side of the app, please select ‘Reports’. See screenshot below. Read full letter to parents during Week 11 HERE
Happy Holidays
I wish all the Families, Staff and Students of this vibrant community a wonderful holiday and hope it brings renewal of spirit and many special memories with family and friends. This opportunity for rest and recuperation, alongside our loved ones, will hopefully serve as a time for us to reflect on life with gratitude. No matter our beliefs or faith as a community, let us maintain optimism, compassion and hope for the future. I look forward to working with all members of our community to create a school of excellence and choice.
