From the Principal

As Term 4 is almost concluded, it is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the year. 2022 is the first year that we have been onsite, learning and connecting together again, since 2019. It has been a highly successful year, with our students excelling in a range of areas, including in their academic pursuits, STEM, Sport, Visual Art and Design and Performing Arts.

Dandenong High School was one of just twenty schools selected to compete in the Horizon Hydrogen Grand Prix. The Design Engineering Academy students competed in the Vernier Foundation STEM Challenge and our Year 9 STEM students participated in the Bees with Backpacks Challenge through Swinburne University’s KIOSC. As always, our students demonstrated incredible creativity and skill in developing truly innovative solutions. In other pursuits of academic excellence, our students competed in the Debating Association of Victoria Competition, the University of Melbourne Maths Competition, the VCAA’s Plain English Speaking Competition, the UN Youth Voice Public Speaking Competition and the Model United Nations event. Our students were highly competitive and demonstrated an extraordinary level of knowledge, maturity and depth in their presentations. Our students have also excelled in the sporting arena, with a particular highlight being the Melbourne Victory Program, which was introduced this year, with Dandenong High School being one of the first Secondary Schools in Victoria to engage in this partnership. We have had many teams progress to District and Regional competitions, including the Volleyball, Soccer, Basketball and Futsal teams. 

The second half of Term 4 has been highly productive, with our Year 10 and 11 students embarking on the Exam program, which is an important opportunity to help our learners experience the expectations that the formal exam process involves. Following this, our senior students then commenced with SmartStart, which included a Senior Studies and Learning Excellence Program Induction before beginning their VCE learning with their teachers.

I would like to acknowledge the extraordinary work of this year’s Year 12 Student Leadership Team who were responsible for re-developing the criteria and process for applying to be a Student Leader at Dandenong High School, moving away from traditional gender-based expectations to a values-driven set of criteria. This new process has been introduced this term and has resulted in the election of highly committed, compassionate, courageous and influential student leaders for 2023. Congratulations to our new School Captains, Rachael Borg and Madina Menhaj, our Vice Captains, Chloe Ioelu and Rishika Gurram and SRC Presidents, Anahita Jalili and Peter Mitrousis Kothe.

Our Year 7-9 students have finalised their Semester 2 learning and commenced the Junior Smart Start this week, before they engage in a very fun End of Year Activities program in the final week of school. 

Finally, I would like to congratulate every Year 12 student and acknowledge the courage and commitment that each of them has demonstrated this year. We are very proud of what you have achieved and I wish you all the luck in the world with your continual learning and studies. Please do come back and visit at times, no matter where your paths may go.

I have felt deeply privileged to lead our school community during Term 4 and am enormously proud of who we are and what we stand for at Dandenong High School. I hope you all have a wonderful summer break and I look forward to welcoming you all back in 2023, including our incredible Principal, Susan Ogden.

Katie Watmough 

Acting Principal