We have enjoyed a very positive start to the new school year. There have been many moments of joy watching our students stride back into school life and participate actively in their learning.

The beginning of a new school year is an important milestone. Whether a student is starting their first year of Secondary or moving into their last year of Secondary or exploring learning somewhere in between, the new year presents an opportunity to embrace new challenges, new subjects, new friendships and enjoy new learning.  

In the first 5 weeks of this year our college has:

• Welcomed a new cohort of Year 7’s into the Secondary school. Our new Year 7’s have come from a variety of feeder schools, and we are incredibly excited to welcome them into our community and watch them develop into a unified cohort. Their enthusiasm, curiosity and energy have been a highlight of start to school life in Secondary. Year 7 camp in week 6 promises to be an event that our Year 7’s will remember for many years to come. 
• Welcomed new students in Years 8 to 11. Starting at a new school is a challenge with many mixed emotions.  When you are not part of a whole new cohort such as the Year 7’s, navigating a new environment can be tough.  At WHSC we pride ourselves on making sure that every new student regardless of their year level feels like they belong and have a strong network of support around them. 
• Welcomed new staff and embraced the opportunity to share and reinforce our commitment to our CARES philosophy. We work together each day to display our CARES values in our school community. 
• Continued our connection with The Resilience Project (TRP) school wellbeing program, as a shared commitment to supporting the wellbeing of every member of our college community. We want our students, staff, and wider community to have strong values, feel positive about their learning and wellbeing and be grateful, empathetic, and mindful in the world. During Year 7 to 12 PDP lessons students will participate in research-based activities that will provide them with the knowledge and skills to act towards building their resilience and positively influencing their mental health. 
• We have enjoyed events such as International Women and Girls in Science, Secondary Swimming Carnival, and our Leadership Investiture, during our first few weeks.  In the coming weeks we look forward to highlighting International Women’s Day and Harmony Week.  At our leadership investiture we launched the 2025 leadership theme of, ‘Together WE Achieve’. 
• We continue to support our students to display our Standards for Success. Standards for Success are expectations for every student that support their success in school, for example attendance and behaviour appropriately. Our Standards for Success help provide students with clarity around expectations at WHSC. Our Culture and Engagement Coordinators (CEC) work closely with students to support the formation of habits and values that will create a strong foundation for future student success. 

We are encouraging our students to focus on the tiny gains each day that have a big impact on their growth over the long-term. Becoming the best version of ourselves does not happen in an instant but happens in the tiny moments each day.  These tiny moments of growth add up across the days, weeks, months, and years and eventuate in the realisation of personal milestones, goals, and achievements.  Every individual student at WHSC has the capability and capacity to achieve their personal best, and our community is ready and willing to support them to reach their potential. James Clear, author of the popular leadership book ‘atomic habits’, writes about continuous improvement; how it works and how to master it and the power of tiny gains and aiming to get 1% better every day.  

We look forward to supporting every student to continue their learning and growth this year. Thank you, students, parents and staff, for a fantastic start to the school year in 2025.

Samantha Hawkins
Head of School - Secondary