College Newsletter

Assistant Principals' Report

Assessing Personal and Social Capabilities: Supporting Your Child 

The Personal and Social Capability curriculum aims to develop knowledge, understanding and skills to enable students to: 

  • recognise, understand and evaluate the expression of emotions
  • demonstrate an awareness of their personal qualities and the factors that contribute to resilience
  • develop empathy for and understanding of others and recognise the importance of supporting diversity for a cohesive community
  • understand how relationships are developed and use interpersonal skills to establish and maintain respectful relationships
  • work effectively in teams and develop strategies to manage challenging situations constructively.

The challenges that we have faced this term have highlighted the importance of these capabilities. Over the last two weeks, all students have completed a flagged Learning Task called Assessing our Personal and Social Capabilities. The task required students to reflect on their experience during the transition to remote learning.

 

The Learning Intention of the task was for students to explain and reflect on how they would utilise their personal strengths and support networks to work through a challenging situation.

 

To support the learning opportunity provided through the completion of this task, I encourage you to discuss the following with your child:

  • What are their personal strengths and how do they use them?
  • Who is in their support network and how do they access them?
  • What is the thought process that they use for dealing with a challenging situation?

Helpful Resources

 

The following resources are useful for supporting this discussion:

P.O.O.C.H.-visible-thinking-routine.pdf

 

Glenn Morris

Assistant Principal

Student are Back... and So Is Wearing the School Uniform 

At Doncaster Secondary College, it is expected that the correct uniform is worn by all students in Years 7-12. No non-uniform items are to be worn at any time.

 

Why Doncaster Secondary College has a Uniform

 

Wearing a uniform can:

  • assist in the development of self-discipline by specific attention to dress;
  • help reduce social and economic differences between students;
  • assist in the provision of a safe and secure environment through immediate identification of unauthorised people in the College buildings and grounds;
  • foster a positive image of Doncaster Secondary College in the local community

Any student wearing non-regulation items of clothing as a replacement for uniform must present a note from home to the sub-school office, at the start of the day. A Uniform Pass, which can be shown to teachers during the day, will then be issued.

 

The transition back to school has been challenging for everybody and the positive vibe in the yard at recess and lunchtime has been amazing.

 

One of the key indicators of a student’s readiness to learn is often demonstrated through their organisational skills and how they wear the College uniform.

 

The majority of students have been wearing the College uniform with pride. We do have a small number of students choosing to breach the college uniform policy. Students who breach the uniform policy are followed up by classroom teachers, DiSCovery teachers and members of the relevant sub-school. 

 

Appropriate consequences are applied and the school often seeks the support of parents and guardians, through contact via Compass, email, phone calls and currently video conferencing. 

 

If you are unsure about the uniform and whether or not your child is wearing it correctly, please contact the relevant sub-school and Year Level Coordinator. 

The uniform is clearly defined in the 2020 Student Planner. The Uniform Policy can be found using this link. 

 

Areas that often require clarification include:

  • All students must be well groomed and tidily dressed in full College uniform while travelling to and from College, whilst at the College and while on excursions.
  • Extreme hairstyles/colour (i.e. outside the normal range of colouring for human hair) and facial hair are not acceptable.
  • Facial hair, closely trimmed and neatly maintained.
  • Only clear nail polish is permitted. This also applies to acrylic nails.
  • Any jewellery must be discreetly unobtrusive. Ear studs and sleepers are acceptable, however, other facial piercing is not permitted.
  • Students are not permitted to wear makeup. Ribbons, scrunchies and hair clips/bands should be consistent with the College colours: black, green or burgundy.
  • T-shirts if worn, must be white and not visible

Belinda McGee

Assistant Principal