Dunhelen

                             Mrs Francis Scuderi

Welcome Back

Welcome to Term 2. I hope that you enjoyed some time with your family and managed to get some rest.

Winter Uniform

Students are now required to be in full winter uniform. While we do have an informal transition period, all students should be in winter uniform as soon as possible in Term 2. I would like to remind parents and students that the parka is an ‘optional’ item of uniform. It is to be worn over the blazer to and from school, it is not a replacement for the blazer.  Students are required to wear the winter shirt and a tie. Girls stockings must be navy blue and in good condition. Boys should be wearing the winter trousers. Make up and jewellery are not permitted with the exception of one stud or sleeper per earlobe and a watch. Please assist us in ensuring your child is attending school in the correct uniform every day.

Dunhelen House Athletics

On Wednesday 8 May the Dunhelen students will be attending the House Athletics Day. Please ensure your child has returned their permission slip as they will not be permitted to attend without this. Parents and friends are welcome to come along and support their child and house. Visitors are asked to sign in on arrival. If you are taking your child home directly from the stadium please provide a written note to the Homeroom teacher before the day. Meadowglen International Athletics Stadium, 146 McDonalds Rd, Epping.

ANZAC Service

Our ANZAC service was held on Wednesday 24 April. As always it was a lovely service. This year, in particular, it was a poignant reminder to reflect and think about how lucky we really are. In light of all the recent news items and the sadness in the world, I thought about the luck that I had to be born and live in this country and how grateful l am to those who gave their lives and who may give their lives in order for us to live the way we do. Lest We Forget.

Our Assembly this week also focused on the spirit of our armed forces. Mr Ian Francis delivered a presentation on why the services we hold are important. He discussed what he saw as the difference between Heroes and Service. Mr Francis highlighted some cases where soldiers were not fortunate enough to make it back home and discussed countries where even education is not ‘a given’. Our national anthem was also discussed. I hope that students came away from this assembly a little more knowledgeable about why these services and our anthem are important to who we are as a nation. Thank you to Mr Francis and to Maryann P and Mikaela D who led the national anthem.

Year 8 yLead

The Year 8 students took part in the yLead program last week. Students move through a series of team based activities that build strong relationships and positive group dynamic. Leadership skills are also explored and students are encouraged to further develop their personal talents. It is hoped that students learnt something positive about themselves through their involvement in the program.

Cybersafety Presentation

The College was fortunate once again to have Brett Lee visit this week. Brett Lee is a former Police Officer and for 16 years he worked as a detective in the field of Child Exploitation. Mr Lee spoke to the students about their assumptions of the online world and delivered to them some information about acting responsibly online. He presented the students with real life case studies and also spoke to them about the legal implications of behaving inappropriately online. Please take the time to chat with your child about what they learnt. As parents, we have a responsibility to ensure our children are safe online and part of that requires that we speak to them about what is happening online and what we can do to keep ourselves safe.

Year 9 Camp Information Evening

Our Year 9 Camp Information Evening was held this week. If your child is attending camp and you were unable to attend, please contact Dunhelen Administration for any information or questions you have. Thank you to Coach Tours of Australia for coming out on the night and their presentation.

Congratulations

Congratulations to Robert W of Year 9. Robert was awarded the Australian Scout Medallion and his green cord in recognition of 4 years of hard work and participation with  1st Tullapark Scout Group. This is the highest individual achievement one can earn in the scout section. Well done and congratulations, Robert.