The 2022 school year started with a distinct difference this year with the return of Year 7, 8 and 12 students on Wednesday 2nd February (Week 1) for face-to-face learning. Year 9, 10 and 11 accessed online learning from home until Monday 14th February (Week 3). This provided both challenges and opportunities as we began our Term 1 learning program with a difference.

The Year 7 and Year 8 students who were all new to the school began their school year with a ‘Woodville Week’, aimed at supporting their transition into ‘Our’ Woodville High School. Activities included team building workshops, a school tour, an introduction to ICT, learning about identity, wellbeing and the development of a learning profile. Feedback from the week was extremely positive and the students did a remarkable job transitioning into high school for the first time. The additional time in the school without Year 9, 10 and 11 students enabled both cohorts to feel more comfortable for when all students returned for face-to-face learning at the beginning of Week 3.

The Year 12 students began their final year of high school by being assigned to their mentor teacher who will support them throughout the academic year. In the morning, each mentor teacher began to develop the relationship, support structures and routines required to ensure a smooth start to the year for every student. Year 12 subjects began on day one to maximise the time the students have with their subject teachers. Students have been automatically assigned a Home Study after lunch on a Wednesday afternoon and before recess on a Friday to support them to work flexibly from home. Students may be allocated further Home Study lessons later in the year if they are progressing well for each of their subjects. There is a lot of excitement coming from the senior learning space in the Lower Penny Building and overall the cohort have started the year positively.

We are now nearly halfway through Term 1 already, with Term 1 Snapshot Reports being completed shortly, on Monday 7th March (Week 6). The reports will be posted home later that week. These reports will inform families if their child is not on track to pass one or more of their subjects. Students who receive a Snapshot Report are encouraged to communicate expectations with their subject teacher and utilise the schools’ Study Centres, which are open during break times and after school. Learning Area leaders will be rostered into the Lower Penny Building for recess and lunch time to provide one-on-one tutoring support for students who require it.

This year we have continued the school’s investment into Studiosity, which is an online learning platform, connecting students in real-time with live experts to get writing feedback and 24/7 support with subject specific questions. The school has invested in a pilot program with Studiosity for all Year 11-12 students to support them with their study until the end of Term 3. The Year 12 re-launch of Studiosity occurred on Wednesday 16th February during their Pathways lesson. The re-launch for Year 11 students will occur later in the term. Students are now able to submit their written work into Studiosity for feedback from a literacy expert, which is sent back to them within 24 hours. The feedback is focused on grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure. Students can also log into their Studiosity account and ask a subject expert how to solve a problem or answer a question specific to the subject they are learning. The Studiosity tutor will provide support until the query has been resolved. Studiosity provides a fantastic opportunity for students to access 24/7 support and feedback on their written tasks prior to submitting them as a draft for content specific feedback by their subject teacher.

From a curriculum perspective, Learning Area teams will continue to review, improve and innovate their curriculum as part of our curriculum review planning days throughout the year. This year there will also be a targeted approach to improve our assessment task design to ensure tasks are accessible to all students and provide them with the opportunity to achieve at the highest level.

Some of the key dates in Term 1 to add to your calendar include:

  • Monday 7th March (Week 6) – Sports Day
  • Monday 14th March (Week 7) – Public Holiday
  • Tuesday 15th March (Week 7) – Student Free Day
  • Monday 21st March (Week 8) to Friday 25th March (Week 8) – Harmony Week
  • Friday 1st April (Week 9) – end of Term 1 assessment window
  • Thursday 14th April (Week 11) – last day of Term 1
  • Friday 15th April (Week 11) – Public Holiday

If you require any further information about the content of this update, or if you would like to learn more, please contact the school on (08) 8445 9833.

Luke Smith

Deputy Principal