Message from Tania & Mal
I would like to begin by extending my sincere gratitude to our school community and staff for the incredibly warm and generous welcome I have received this week. Having the opportunity to visit classrooms and witness the rich learning experiences taking place each day has been a genuine highlight of my first week. Equally memorable has been the kindness, support and enthusiasm shown to me by students, staff and families alike, which has already given me a strong sense of the vibrant culture that exists within our school community.
I would also like to take this opportunity to extend my heartfelt thanks to Malinda Vaughan for her outstanding leadership of the school across the first two weeks of this term. Her deep knowledge of the school, its learners and the broader community has ensured a smooth and positive start to the term, with the school continuing to thrive during this transition period.
It is already evident to me that there is immense pride, care and commitment within the DCC student, staff and family community. I feel both privileged and honoured to have the opportunity to lead such a vibrant, inclusive and child-focused school, and I look forward to working alongside you all as we continue to build on the many strengths of DCC together.
A word from Mal
As we move through the first few weeks of Term 2, it has been wonderful to see students settle back into learning routines and reconnect with their classmates and teachers.
Another big congratulations to all of our students who represented the school at the District Cross Country Championships. We are very proud of how the students showed pride and resilience on the day. The effort was rewarded by placing first in the district! Thanks to Nev, Christian and Victor for supporting our students.
Our secondary students have also begun participating in the Man Cave and Flourish programs this term. These programs support students to build wellbeing, resilience, connection and self-awareness, and we look forward to seeing their positive impact across our school community. Throughout our very short term so far, students have also engaged in a range of rich learning experiences, including the Year 6 excursion to the Immigration Museum, Year 5 students participating in the ‘History Box’ incursion, Year 4 students attending their swimming program, and our Year 7–9 students representing Dohertys Creek in district netball competitions. Thank you to our teachers and Educational Support staff for their ongoing support in making these opportunities possible for our students.
Thank you to Tupou and our volunteers for supporting the running of our Mother’s Day stall. We love seeing our members of the community be a part of our school operations. We cannot hold events like this without you. Thank you Venkata Triveedhi, Saima Shabeer, Dhanya Nair, Prathibha Karolly, Selvana Salman, Asian Hussain, Poonam Kaur, Veena Bodla and Aaron Enares.
Next week, our year sevens are off to Camp Jungai. Our camping program is a key activity to support our students to build resilience, relationships, leadership and problem solving skills outside of the school and home environment. We wish our campers all of the best and look forward to their stories upon their return.
As part of our ongoing work to strengthen learning outcomes for all students, staff continue engaging in professional learning focused on effective classroom practices, student wellbeing and high-impact teaching strategies. During our Curriculum Day, the primary team explored assessment and feedback with Mel Graham, while the secondary team focused on high impact teaching strategies. Our Educational Support staff participated in learning focused on communication, language development and child safety.
The Community Hub has had a strong start to Term 2, with programs such as the Food Pantry, Toy Library, Playgroups and Sewing Group continuing to support and connect families within our community. The Hub also provides opportunities for community members to give back through volunteering and involvement in programs. Our Huddle UP group is preparing for a community basketball gala in June, while the Paediatrician Clinic remains fully booked for Term 2. To find out more about volunteering or participating in programs, please contact Morwenna at morwenna.petaia@education.vic.gov.au.
Finally, we have a number of new staff members who we are very excited about. Welcome to Juvy, Michelle, Rebecca, Richa, Sumita, Jun and Zarn to the DCC team. We welcome the return of Noah, one of our Primary Assistant Principals, as well as Hayley Stack, one of our classroom teachers.
Thank you for your continued support and partnership. We look forward to another positive and productive few weeks ahead at Dohertys Creek P–9 College.