Principal's Report
From the Principal
Within the defined stages of a school year, we reach this point of Term Two where there is a clear changing of the seasons, the weather becomes more unwelcoming and throughout the College, the focus in our classrooms is sharpened towards crucial elements of student application, achievement and assessment.
Commencing June 9, our senior school students undertake mid-year examinations, requiring them to have a deep understanding of their learning, and the capacity to solve challenging problems. This is a term where significant coursework is completed by students requiring both collaborative and independent work, organisation and the ability to review, revise and correctly apply content and concepts in a meaningful and correct fashion.
To find success in these elements, our students are encouraged to be active learners in the classroom, completing all assessment tasks to the best of their ability and to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding directly to the teacher. Taking responsibility for their learning, students are encouraged to ask questions of their teachers when they are unsure of content and concepts and to approach their classes with a sense of curiosity and commitment.
Our Cycle Two reports will be published today
I would encourage all students to reflect on these reports as a means of checking the progress benchmarked in the first cycle reports and ensuring that the academic year is progressing in a positive and productive fashion that will lay a platform for continued academic progress and growth in 2023.
A major element of producing Cycle Reports is the crucial role that feedback plays in the learning process. This is applicable to all learning at all year levels. This is applicable in classrooms and outside of classrooms, on the sporting fields and in the workplace.
Part of our collective challenge, as a College community, is to seek this feedback, to reflect, to question, to clarify and to move forward on the basis of this feedback. I would strongly recommend that parents discuss these reports with their children, explore the areas for improvement – both across and within subject areas, and seek agreement on where the next layer of improvement can be achieved. If there is still uncertainty after such discussion, I would recommend that students have a detailed discussion with their classroom teacher on the key areas for growth and progress in that subject.
So much of the work undertaken in a school setting involves mastering the sequential building blocks of concepts and skills. Making the links matter. Doing the work matters. Understanding that the lessons of today and tomorrow lead directly to the successful learning outcomes of next term, next year and throughout the VCE journey, all matters.
I hope and trust that our students can reflect on this, their responsibility and challenge as learners and the vast opportunities that a broad, rewarding education can offer within the pathways that await.
Big Freeze at EDSC Special Event
I am very pleased to announce that the East Doncaster Secondary College community is once again involved in raising funds for the Fight MND campaign this year.
A team of students and staff are working behind the scenes to raise funds for this great cause. As has become a College tradition, the top fundraisers and some special guests on the day will be invited to complete the ‘Ice-Bucket Challenge’ on our Big Freeze Day – Tuesday 13 June 2023.
Motor Neuron Disease is an incurable neurodegenerative disease that causes difficulty functioning. There is no prevention and currently no cure. Our College has a long-standing relationship with Fight MND and is committed to raising funds to help find a cure.
Join our team at:
https://hub.fightmnd.org.au/diy-big-freeze-9/edsc (click 'Join Us' if you would like to be part of the Ice Bucket Challenge) or donate by clicking 'Donate'.
The top 10 fundraisers will then be invited to complete the 'Ice Bucket Challenge' on our Big Freeze Day - Tuesday 13 June at lunchtime. These lucky participants will then also have the opportunity to meet Isaac Quaynor (former student), from the Collingwood Football Club, who is also a big supporter of this important cause.
Fight MND Beanies are already available for sale at Coles Supermarkets around Victoria for $25. Students will be able to wear these beanies (only) at school from Monday 5 June to Friday 16 June 2023.
We look forward to another fun year of freezing!
Exam Period
A reminder that the Semester 1 Exam period will commence in week 7 of this term on Friday 9 June. Exam timetables will be published for all students on COMPASS within the next weeks.
Year 11 Exams will be conducted from June 9 - 21
Year 10 Exams will be conducted from June 15-21
Year 9 Maths and English exams will be conducted on June 22.
Please note that the GAT (General Achievement Test), will this year be conducted on Thursday 15 June at 9.00 a.m. for all students completing a Unit 3/4 VCE subject and for senior Vocational Major students.
Exams are an opportunity for students to challenge themselves to do their best and identify areas to work on in the future. I wish all students well during this period.
This will leave the last day of term – Friday 23 June as a student free Assessment & Reporting Day. This is not the College’s preferred option, but we are presented with a 9-week term and it is difficult to find a more suitable fit for that necessary day.
Education Support Staff
It was Educational Support Staff Day on Tuesday 16 May.
At our College, to mark this day and as a tribute to all our Education Support staff, we celebrated with a morning tea in our Library this morning.
This occasion was a great opportunity to thank the staff who quietly, efficiently and collaboratively ensure that the College functions smoothly and allow our teachers to maximise their focus on our students.
One of the generalisations about schools sits within the focus solely on the crucial role upon the teachers of the organisation. Our support staff, in varied and valued roles, play a vital part in the collective work we undertake to improve student outcomes and take enormous pride in and reward from their work.
Thanks to our Education Support staff!
Account Security
Given the recent media coverage of email and credit card scams and related fraudulent activity – it is timely to remind all parents that East Doncaster Secondary College or Compass employees will never request your username, password or credit card details via email. Please do not click on any links or open attachments in suspicious emails, simply press delete.
You are strongly encouraged to ensure that you have a complex password for your Compass account.
You can change your Compass password by logging into the Compass portal and selecting 'Change my password' from the Tools menu. As noted by StaySmartOnline, passwords should be a secret known only to you. Strong passwords are difficult to guess and should be:
- greater than 10 characters long
- a mix of upper and lower case letters, numbers and other symbols.
Do not include:
- recognisable words or names, in any language
- repeated characters
- personal information
- anything you have previously used.
My last piece of advice on this matter – if you have any concerns on such related matters, please personally contact the College via our General Office on 9842 2244.
IDAHOBIT Day
IDAHOBIT is a chance for communities to respect Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer and Questioning (LGBTIQ+) equality and to raise awareness of the discrimination LGBTIQ+ people still face. The day aims to coordinate international events that raise awareness of LGBTQIA+ rights violations and raise awareness of LGBT rights worldwide. It is a day for an open acceptance of different self-identified expressions coming together to share pride in oneself, happiness, and love with others as participants take charge against divisiveness.
East Doncaster Secondary College chooses to celebrate IDAHOBIT to demonstrate its commitment to the College values of fairness and respect and to create an environment where all students and staff feel safe, secure and welcome. Thank you to student members of our Pride Club and to our Mental Health Practitioner, Maddie Sill for facilitating the raising of the Rainbow flag and coordinating students while face painting, making rainbow bead bracelets, spraying hair with colour and playing music.
John Roberts
Principal
Curriculum Contributions Year 10-12 Subjects
Curriculum Contributions for Year 10-12 subjects are on Compass and we invite parents to support our extensive electives program which provides options and opportunities for those in our Senior School.
East Doncaster Secondary College provides classroom consumables, materials and equipment for items and activities that students use, or participate in, to access the curriculum and we invite you to make a contribution for the elective subjects that your child is studying.
Please refer to the attached document for instructions on how to do this:-
Your financial assistance enables us to enrich and extend the learning experiences of our students.
We thank you for your generous support.
Parent Payment arrangements for 2023
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Please find attached the Parent Payment arrangements for 2023. They are available for payment via Compass on your home page under “Course Confirmation/Payments”.
Alternatively, payments can be made directly to the College via credit card or cash using the College Payment Envelope. Please ensure you download the attached form for the appropriate 2023 year level. Payment envelopes can be dropped off at the College in the locked drop box at Reception.
Your ongoing support of the College allows us to continue to offer a broad range of programs and enhanced curriculum experiences.
Please refer to the attached Parent Payments Policy and further links to information via https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/parent-payment/policy
Advertise in our College Newsletter
Do you have a business or are you part of a community organisation?
Do you want to reach over 1,000 families in the area every fortnight?
Our fortnightly e-newsletter has space available at either A5 or full page and can include direct links to your website (no social media sites).
Pricing:
$25 - A5 size per edition
$50 - A4 full page per edition
$10 – for community groups A5 size per edition
$200 - per term
$700 - per year
Email the attached form to
east.doncaster.sc@education.vic.gov.au or contact us on 9842-2244 for more information.
College Philosophy
At East Doncaster Secondary College we have a strong tradition of academic excellence and we aim to promote and sustain a reflective learning culture. We want students to experience a sense of achievement and growth in their academic, personal, social and emotional development. We have high expectations of our students’ commitment to being mutually supportive and striving for success as learners. We are proudly multicultural with a student population from 43 nationalities including a number of International Students. 68% of our students speak a language other than English at home.
A student’s life at school is full of opportunities, being rich and varied with a range of co-curricular activities in music, sport, productions, debating, clubs as well as camps and international experiences for the educational and personal development of students. Our students are vibrant, energetic, and talented young people. There are many student leadership opportunities and we aim to continue to increase student access to decision-making and self-determination as learners.
We endeavour to create a "Culture of Curiosity" with goals of ensuring learning improvement for every student – every student, every period, every day.
Our school’s purpose is to develop passionate learners who are critical thinkers with the confidence and capability to engage in the global community.
Care and Compassion, Curiosity, Excellence, Fairness, Resilience, Respect and Teamwork are the core values that underpin the culture of our school as we embrace the challenges of 21st Century learning.
We aim to sustain a learning culture that provides every student with a sense of achievement and of being their best in their academic, personal, social and emotional development.
Privacy and Data at East Doncaster Secondary College - Reminder
Our school collects, uses, discloses and stores student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ Privacy Policy.
Please take time to read our school’s collection notice, found on our website on the Policy Documents page. We ask parents to also review the guidance we provide on how we use platforms such as Compass, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace for Education safely at the school and what parents can do to further protect their child’s information. If after reviewing the guidance, you have any questions or concerns regarding your child using Microsoft 365/Google Workspace for Education, please contact the school. For more information about privacy, refer to: Schools’ Privacy Policy — information for parents. This information is also available in ten community languages:
* Amharic
* Arabic
* Dari
* Gujarati
* Mandarin
* Somali
* Sudanese
* Turkish
* Urdu
* Vietnamese