Head of Senior School - Edition 5 - 2021

Westventure

Westventure Camp 4 returned on Thursday of Week 9 and marked the end of the Westventure experience for the Year 10 students in 2021. Westventure is a key feature of a Westminster education and has been experienced by students for almost as long as Westminster has existed. The benefits to students in experiencing life outside of their comfort zone and working through problems with others to achieve a solution is invaluable and one which today employers are looking for in prospective employees.

The encouragement that each student receives from their peers and the instructors allows them to achieve things that they would not have normally considered possible. A strength of our program is that all of the instructors are Old Scholars and have been through the Westventure experience and understand the philosophy and benefits of the program. The Head of Westventure, Mr Sam Ferguson ('10), ensures the program is delivered in a supportive yet challenging atmosphere to ensure that each student grows over the two weeks.

This is a poem about Westventure from a student which shows how Westventure is similar to life as there are ups and downs and successful people learn the strategies to work their way through difficult times with a sense of confidence and a growth mindset.

The Westventure Ride

Westventure is like a rollercoaster.
It has its highlights and lowlights.
It has smooth paths and rocky paths.
It can go super fast and it can go super slow.
It can show your strengths and it can show your weaknesses.
The headspace that you enter, determines your journey.
Enter with positivity, despite your negativity.
What you put in, is what you get out.
Most importantly exit with a smile.

Sports Day

On Thursday and Friday of last week, the Senior School held our annual inter-House Athletics Carnival using the realigned track which proved successful. The level of competition and support that was exhibited by the students showed the sense of belonging that students feel for their Houses. Although there were some showers on the Friday, it did not dampen the level of enthusiasm although some field events were not able to be completed on the day. As a result, some events will be completed this week and the results announced next term.

I would like to thank everyone involved in making the event such a success and in particular, Mr Darren McLachlan for all his organisation that went into making it run so smoothly.

School Musical

This week we have been fortunate to witness the talents of many of our performing arts students in this year’s musical, School of Rock. It is an occasion where the music, drama and dance come together to produce high-quality entertainment. There was a real sense of enjoyment amongst the cast and crew and a realisation that if you put in the time and effort, good things can happen.

Such a production could not happen without the guidance, organisation, expertise and passion from a number of staff. Whether it was the choreography of dancers, the musicianship of the musicians or the acting from the cast, there was a large number of staff who were there to encourage and support the students. I would like to specifically mention Kat Elliott for her directorship of the musical and the countless hours she invested in ensuring the production was successful. She was able to work through the challenges of not having the usual facilities and her positivity was appreciated by the other staff and the students.

I am sure everyone involved will enjoy some time over the holidays to take a breath and reflect on what they achieved.

Reflections 2019

During this week, we are distributing the School’s yearbook Reflections (2019 edition). This magazine is being distributed to any family with a student at School in 2019, via their youngest child at Westminster in 2021 (Reception to Year 12; not Early Learning). If you meet this criteria (particularly if your family was at Westminster in 2019) and do not receive a copy, please check with your child or children first. If it has not been received, please contact the School, E: ws@westminster.sa.edu.au or T: 08 8276 0276, so that we can arrange a copy for you. Our apologies for the lateness in distributing this yearbook, which was delayed by the events of last year.

End of Term

The end of term is an opportunity for students to measure their performance with the goals they set themselves at the beginning of the year. I would encourage all students to reflect on their academic performance this term and if you have not achieved your goals seek advice and guidance from your teachers.

This term has been a busy one for the Houses with the Swimming and Athletics Carnivals along with a variety of welcome functions for new and existing families. I would like to thank all of the House Heads and student leaders for making these activities successful occasions. The Year 7 students have fitted in very well and I have been impressed by their friendly and cheerful manner.

I wish all the Senior School students and their families a relaxing and enjoyable Easter and holiday.

David Wallage
Head of Senior School