At Warrnambool West, every student belongs to a house from their first day to their last. It's one of the threads that connects students across year levels, building friendships and a sense of belonging that goes beyond the classroom.

We have four houses: Weenkeel, Kandabul, Weelan and Koorayn. The names are drawn from local Aboriginal dialect, and each represents a native animal. They were chosen in 2016 as part of our 50th Anniversary celebrations, and the story of how they came to be is one we're genuinely proud of.

Rather than adults deciding, we handed it to our Student Leaders. With no adult influence, they researched, discussed and voted on the names themselves. The result is a set of house names that carry real meaning and genuine student ownership, something you can feel when you walk through the school.