Assistant Principals' Reports 

DREW KING

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL 

JUNIOR SCHOOL 

During the month of March, I knew it was going to be full steam ahead for all the students and staff including myself in taking on the “hot seat”, as Andrew Wynne said to me before departing on leave. Well, he was not wrong. My name is Drew King and I have enjoyed the new challenges of supporting the Year 7-9 cohorts, working with dedicated and supportive staff. What a wonderful term it has been! 

We are now over the halfway mark of Term 2 and despite all the publicity in the media about the ongoing issues with Covid-19 and how it has impacted school operations, I am thrilled to report that Dromana College has been able to continue providing effective teaching and learning along with quality educational experiences.  

Term two has been very exciting for the Year 7 students, as they have completed their first full semester in secondary school. We are very proud of their application and maturity. The Year 7 students have taken up many new opportunities and it has been great seeing their commitment and enthusiasm as well as new friendships being formed.

The first two terms of 2022 have been engaging for the Year 8 students. During Term 1, the Year 8s settled into their new area and enjoyed a variety of different experiences here at Dromana College including incursions like ‘Brainstorm’ and ‘Smashed’ and excursions like the Humanities coastal landforms trip, which took them all over the Mornington Peninsula. Throughout Term 2, the Year 8s completed their careers portfolio which allows them to document plans and goals for their pathway into the senior school. Next term this will be further supported with an exciting incursion ‘Discovery Day’, where the Year 8 cohort will hear from past Dromana College students about where and what they are doing now.

What a semester Year 9 has had! They have certainly made up for lost time with all their experiences during this busy semester and looking towards the future they are not slowing down any time soon. Walking around our Year 9 Centre, it is so rewarding to see our students working hard towards their goals. The school could not be prouder. The Year 9 students also undertook a new initiative called the Empowerment Project where each student is assigned a mentor teacher and together, they write an Individual Learning Plan and set four goals for the coming year. This has been met with great success, with students showing such maturity and capacity to understand their own purpose in school.

Moving forward to Term 3 I encourage all our students to take the many wonderful opportunities offered to them during their journey here at Dromana College. 

Wishing everyone a safe and enjoyable winter break. 

STEPHANIE PEARCE 

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL 

TEACHING AND LEARNING

Term 2 is always a busy and productive term at Dromana College, and this year proved to be no exception. Our College Open night in May was a great opportunity to showcase the incredible breadth of subjects and extracurricular activities we have on offer. We were proud to have so many student ambassadors in attendance, who each enthusiastically engaged parents and prospective students with the learning opportunities available across all our key learning areas. 

Additionally in May, our Year 7 and 9 students undertook the NAPLAN tests. This year Dromana College delivered NAPAN online for the first time and I am particularly proud of how well our students embraced this change. The dedication and commitment to learning shown by both our Year 7 and 9 cohorts during this NAPLAN period is in itself cause for celebration. In the month leading into NAPLAN, our Year 9 students completed practice tests for reading comprehension and numeracy. These tests provided all students with an ambitious goal to aspire to as well as highlighting suggested strategies for success. All Year 9 students engaged thoughtfully with their goals and had productive conversations with their English, Maths, and pastoral teachers. I am confident that this commitment to growth and improvement will see our students once again celebrating achievement above the state. I look forward to sharing the results of these cohorts with the college community later this year. 

We are now in our second year of the Dromana College Merit Program. This program celebrates students who are demonstrating our college values of Respect, Responsibility, Personal Best and Integrity in their learning and extra-curricular pursuits. It is pleasing to see so many students from Year 7-12 receiving recognition daily - a true testament to the great young people that attend Dromana College. At the end of this year, we will again celebrate our top students from each year level. Well done to all students who have received a merit point so far and I encourage you all to continue upholding the college values in all that you do.

For staff, Term 2 has been a significant term for Professional Development. All staff participated in a series of professional learning workshops, in areas such as catering for high ability learners, data informed differentiation, high impact teaching strategies, and support for improving writing in the classroom. All workshops were internally led by staff, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the workshop leaders for their time and dedication to our professional learning culture. 

Looking ahead to Semester 2 students will soon begin the process of selecting their 2023 programs. It is exciting to note that more subjects have been added across 7-12 in response to feedback from students about areas of passion and interest. In 2023 we will now be offering (to name a few) Technical Drawing, Women in Technology, Global Politics Units 1-4, Accounting Units 1-4 and Maths Enhancement electives at Year 10. 

I commend all students for how they completed Semester 1 with focus and purpose. We can collectively look ahead to more success and celebration after the winter break.  Enjoy the holidays and stay safe. 

SIMON JONES

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL 

SENIOR SCHOOL 

As we inch closer to the end of term it is time to reflect on a very busy and productive term. Our senior students successfully completed mid-year practice exams and are to be commended on their application and effort. These exams provide valuable and authentic experience for the final year 12 VCE exams and incremental improvements will help students to do their best when these exams arrive. Our VCAL students are also completing a practice exam covering Literacy and Numeracy to prepare them for the year 12 GAT which they will do this year for the first time. 

Students have also completed the annual Attitudes to School Survey which is an important facet of student voice and provides us as a school with valuable student feedback in terms of what we are doing well and areas in which we can improve.

We are also moving into course selection for 2023 and students have undergone thorough preparation ready for their counselling interviews. The recent information evenings in relation to this for current year 9 and 10 students and families were well supported so thanks to all those who attended. These presentations can be found on Compass if required and parents can contact pathways or student managers if they require any further information.

On a lighter note I very much enjoyed the Year 11 Presentation Ball this term. It is always a great community event and the students have been practising their routines since the beginning of the year. The excitement is building and I’m sure it was great night for all who attended. Similarly the College production of Chicago was simply amazing. It is a marvellous way of bringing students across all year levels together to share a positive and memorable experience. It is the first production that we have been able to do for several years and a sure sign that we are returning to a more normal future.

I wish all students a safe and enjoyable Winter break and hope to see everyone back in term 3 refreshed and recharged. Stay warm!