From the Principal

Mr. Paul Aikman

DONALD HIGH SCHOOL DOINGS – Week 7, Term 2

SCHOOL VALUES

Respect, Responsibility, Resilience and Learning.

Staff, students and parents are encouraged to ensure we all operate and conduct our business at school according to these core values that were established by various members of our school community for the school community throughout the school review process in 2019.

Key focus areas for Donald High School in 2026

As part of our new Annual Implementation Plan for 2026, and as part of the findings from our school review at the end of 2023, our school has recently identified a number of key priorities (main key improvement goals in bold type) we will be focussing on in 2026.

These include:

Striving for improvements in Literacy and Numeracy.
Continuing to get our teaching staff to teach according to our Donald High School Instructional Model, focussing on explicit teaching and learning using the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model (VTLM) 2.0, and re-focussing classroom behavioural and learning expectations.
Using data to inform our teaching and learning for improved student outcomes with a focus on teaching students to their point of need.
Increase the active participation of all students in their learning and wellbeing.
Using student voice and agency as a source of feedback and student choice inside and outside the classroom with a view to improving student engagement and connectedness throughout the school; and
Striving for improvements in student social and emotional learning, and engagement and connectedness at school through specialist programs and support.

There is also an expectation of all students to ensure they continue to grow and develop as learners, and for staff to continue to strive for improvement in themselves and the students.

LODDON MALLEE REGION CROSS COUNTRY

Donald High School had six students represent our school at the Loddon Mallee Region Cross Country event on Tuesday 2nd June. We had some very good performances in this event with Laila G finishing fourth in the Intermediate Girls event for the 3km run, Hugo finishing seventh in the U/16 Boys event and Samuel finishing ninth in the U/15 Boys event being the most notable performances on the day. Good performances against very good competitors from the North-West of the State. Thanks to Mr. Cashin for attending, supervising, coordinating and assisting our students at this event on the day.

SCHOOL ASSEMBLY AND SRC EVENTS COMING UP

We held a School Assembly on Wednesday 27th May to promote some SRC events that have commenced in Week 7 of this term. Many of our students and staff have signed up to do the Push Up Challenge to raise money for and increase awareness of mental health. The challenge is to complete 3307 push ups over a 4-week period. The 3307 figure being the number of people that passed away due to suicide in 2024. It is great to see many people from our school getting involved in this fantastic event.

Our school is also holding a Big Freeze event on Friday 5th June where there will be special food items sold (pies, sausage rolls and milkshakes) and Ice Bucket Challenge activities performed for students and staff, to raise money for and increase awareness of MND. The whole country is mourning the recent passing of a great Australian in Neale Daniher and our own community also lost another great Australian and friend in Tony Goode a couple of years ago to MND, so we have all been touched by the courage, resilience and selflessness of both of these men and know that we need to continue the legacy remaining to raise money for and promote further awareness for this great cause.

STUDENTS RIDING TO SCHOOL (on bikes/scooters including e-scooters)

Please ensure you follow the Road Rules –

Children aged 12 years or older are required by law to ride on the road.

Students are also reminded that the law requires that all riders wear an approved helmet.

USE THE BIKE TRACK through the Goodwin Village where appropriate. Community concern has been raised that pedestrians in the main street have almost been collided with by students travelling on the footpath. Please travel to and from school safely. It is also an expectation that all students will get off their bike/scooter/e-bike/e-scooter if entering or exiting the school from Camp Street. Too many students are entering and exiting the school grounds at speed and we are concerned that an accident may occur, so please get off your bike/scooter/e-bike/e-scooter in the school grounds.

REGULAR ATTENDANCE AT SCHOOL

At Donald High School, we’re excited to welcome your child back into the classroom................

Being at school is critical for your child’s learning and their mental health, physical and social wellbeing.

Every day counts.

You and your child / children are an important part of our school community, and we look forward to welcoming you back to school from the start of Term 2.

We want to support your child / children to have a positive start to the year. We will do this by working with you to help create positive school attendance routines from day 1.

We will also work with you to support your child’s / children's learning and wellbeing, and offer help when required.

We can provide a wide range of support for students................

We understand that the reasons for not attending school can be complex. Schools have access to a range of specialist staff and programs that can provide additional support for your child / children, depending on their needs. For example:

Tutor Learning Initiative – we have tutors at the school to provide targeted small group learning support for children identified as performing below their expected standard in literacy and numeracy for their age;
School Breakfast Club – our school breakfast club provides students with a free, healthy breakfast to positively impact on their learning and attendance, and access to a nutritious lunch if needed;
Specialist mental health and wellbeing teams can provide direct support to students or connect you with relevant external services for additional support;
Your child / children may need an Individual Education Plan which can help everyone involved to understand and implement the goals and strategies to help them with their learning;
Where intensive support is needed to improve your child’s / children's attendance, we can put in place a Student Support Group to work with you and assist with understanding their needs and developing a comprehensive support plan;
We can connect with the department’s Student Support Services who can respond to a range of student health and wellbeing needs; and
We can also help connect you to a range of services outside of school that can assist you and your child / children.

MORE INFORMATION ON ATTENDANCE AT SCHOOL

Can parents and students please take note of the graphic below. Last term we have had too many of our students missing over 10 days of school (the equivalent of 2 weeks per Term / 8 weeks for the year = too many days missed) (some students over 25 days - half or full days last year). Everyone should be prioritising education and learning for all of our students. The more time students spend at school, the greater the outcomes for their learning. All Year 7 – 12 students are expected to be at school for the whole day on a ‘normal’ school day. The only exceptions are for illness, medical appointments, or a family bereavement. Parents are encouraged to adhere to these guidelines for their child’s attendance.

I am available to talk to people at the school to assist you with any enquiries if required and can be contacted to make an appointment or have a discussion on Ph. (03) 5497 1205.

Paul Aikman

Principal, Donald High School