Principal's Report
From the Principal
We have come to the end of what has once again been an extremely busy term, but a term that has offered more than a glimpse of school life returning to a more even basis, after the extreme circumstances of the past few years.
I think that one of the outcomes of this return to normality has been that that there has been a lot of visible activity, energy and commitment over the past few months, and I do believe that it has been noticeable throughout the school in just the past week to discern the fatigue levels of staff and students alike.
So I do believe it is now a great time to draw breathe and take a rest.
At this stage of the year, it is also important that students take the opportunity to reflect upon all they have achieved to date, and what they intend to focus on during Term 4. This is especially the case for our Year 12 students who will now be preparing for their final school examinations. I would like to encourage all Year 11 and 12 students undertaking Unit 3 and 4 subject studies to take the opportunity over the break to prepare for their forthcoming VCAA examinations.
At the same time, it is also important that they afford themselves the opportunity to rest and recharge for the challenges ahead.
It is our hope that all our Year 12 students can say at the end of the year that they have given their best and that they have no regrets.
I wish all students and families a wonderful term break and hope that it provides a great opportunity to spend with family and friends.
NAPLAN Results
Please note that letters containing 2022 NAPLAN results have been posted to families over the course of this week.
The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is an annual national assessment for all students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. All students in these year levels participate in tests in Reading, Writing, Language Conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and Numeracy.
These tests provide parents and schools with an understanding of how individual students are performing at the time of the tests. NAPLAN tests are one aspect of the school’s assessment and reporting process, and are not a replacement of the extensive, ongoing assessments made by teachers about individual student progress.
I would encourage you to read the enclosed Information Sheet as it provides a useful insight into the interpretation and analysis of individual student test results.
Finally, I would also strongly recommend that the student NAPLAN report is kept in a secure location as the College is unable to provide replacement copies.
Parent Teacher Student Interviews
It was great to witness so much support from our parents and students at our Parent/Teacher/Student interviews conducted last week.
With over 3700 individual interviews over the course of the afternoon and evening, it was pleasing to see the level of interaction and connection during these sessions.
The conversations taking place during these sessions, even though they are necessarily brief, complement the ongoing dialogue teachers have with students during classes and the feedback provided to students about their learning and performance in learning tasks. I would further remind our parents that they are also able to keep abreast of student progress by insisting their children bring home the assessed learning tasks, and through regularly accessing the COMPASS Learning Management system.
Alpine School for Leadership
East Doncaster Secondary College has been fortunate enough to once again secure student placements at the recently opened Alpine School, Don Valley Campus next term. The four Year 9 students selected to participate in the program are Damien L, Zoe W, Nathan G and Hani J.
The Alpine School is a Department of Education School, situated in Don Valley within the Yarra Valley region, specialising in leadership and enterprise education for students in Year 9. This placement enables around 30 students from differing backgrounds to share the experiences and opportunities provided through the program. The school aims to develop skills in leadership, enterprise education and team-based learning.
We hope that our team enjoy the experience immensely. Having wished them all the best in a meeting with them yesterday, I noted that they are really positive about meeting the challenges set daily in this exciting environment.
Congratulations to them and it will be great to have them share their experiences with our wider school community upon their return.
Outstanding Student Achievements
Congratulations to Year 11 student Amaaya Jayamaha who was announced as the recipient for Royal Academy of Dance Grades 5 – 8 at the Audrey Nicholls OAM FRAD Awards 2022 last week for excellence in her dancing pursuit.
The prestigious award recognises students in each state who demonstrate exceptional artistry and performance for an audience and was introduced to commemorate the Royal Academy of Dance teaching the world to dance and supporting young dancers’ development for 100 years in 2020. The criterion for this award includes:
- Maintaining confidence and showing responsiveness to an audience in a performance setting
- Awareness and sensitivity to the music through movement and performance quality
- A clear understanding of the genre and style, and demonstration of individuality in their interpretation
- Technical facility, outstanding execution and spatial awareness
What a fantastic honour for Amaaya and a reward for all the hard work and dedication she puts into her dancing.
Year 8 Girls Badminton - State Runners Up
Our stunning run of success on the sporting fields this term has continued with our Year 8 Girls Badminton team competing at the State Finals last week and finishing as runners-up in the competition – another outstanding effort.
Congratulations to Lenny Permana (Coach) and the following Girls; Zoya, Xin, Olivia, Hannah and Chloe.
Please note that Term 4 will commence on Monday 3 October.
John Roberts
Principal
2022 Parent/Caregiver/Guardian Opinion Survey
Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents/caregivers/guardians think of our school. The Parent/Caregiver/Guardian Opinion Survey is an annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of families’ perceptions of school climate, student behavior, and student engagement. We encourage all families to participate in this survey. Our school will use the survey results to help inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.
A random sample of approximately 30 per cent of parents/caregivers/guardians have been selected to participate in this year’s survey, which has been sent via email.
The Parent/Caregiver/Guardian Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday 15th August to Friday 16th September.
The survey will be conducted online, only takes 20 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any convenient time within the fieldwork period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online survey will be available in a range of languages other than English. These include Arabic, Vietnamese, Simplified Chinese, Chin (Hakha), Hindi, Japanese, Somali, Turkish, Punjabi and Greek.
The survey results will be reported back to our school at the end of September. This information is then published in the College’s Annual Report to the Schools Community, which is published on the EDSC website and updated at the end of Term 1 every year.
If you have any further queries regarding this survey, please contact Reception.
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.
Parent Payment arrangements for 2022
The Parent Payment arrangements for 2022 are available via Compass on your home page under “Course Confirmation/Payments”.
Payments can be made through Compass or directly to the College via credit card or cash using the College Payment Envelope (when the General Office re-opens to parents).
If you do not wish to pay via Compass, please ensure you return a copy of the completed form to the General Office, available under “pay in person at the school” link at the bottom of the page in Course Confirmations/Payments, or you can request a copy from the College via
parentpayments@eastdonsc.vic.edu.au
Payments were due by Tuesday 23 November 2021
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
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
East Doncaster Secondary College uses a number of digital platforms to support your child’s education, such as Compass, Google Drive and Office 365.
The College has an Information Security Policy and complies with the Department of Education and Training Privacy Policy. Click on the below link to access these documents.