From the Principal

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:

1. Striving for improvements in Literacy and Numeracy.

2. 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.

3. Using data to inform our teaching and learning for improved student outcomes with a focus on teaching students to their point of need.

4. Increase the active participation of all students in their learning and wellbeing.

5. 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

6. 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.

TEXTBOOKS AND LEARNING MATERIALS

Can all parents please check to ensure their son(s)/daughter(s) have all of their textbooks and learning materials needed for their classes. Orders for textbooks can still be made through Campion Books, Ballarat. If anyone is experiencing any difficulties in doing this, please contact the school on Ph. (03) 5497 1205 for advice or assistance. Learning materials such as workbooks, pens, pencils, etc., can be purchased at most supermarkets and newsagencies.

SAFE TRAVEL TO AND FROM SCHOOL

A safe start for our new families. Congratulations to our new Year 7 families on completing the first month of secondary school! We know this is a big transition, and we’re so proud of how our students (and parents and carers) are settling into secondary school life. As you and your child continue to establish your daily routines, it’s a great time to revisit the safe travel tips and resources available through the TAC’s Safe Migration Project. These practical tools are designed to help students travel safely to and from school, whether they’re walking, cycling, using public transport, or being driven. Here’s what you can do: Watch the short, engaging video that shows the many ways secondary students get to school and highlights the importance of making each journey safe. Watch the TAC’s Safe Migration video here The Safe Migration Project - Starting Secondary School - YouTube Read the fact sheet (available in multiple languages) for practical, easy-to-follow safe travel tips for parents and carers here Starting-secondary-school-fact-sheet.pdf At Donald High School, we’re committed to supporting the safety of every student in our school community. 

HOT WEATHER

With Summer really in full swing now, it is important that we are all vigilant in being prepared and aware of the possibilities as a result of the hot conditions. Students, parents and staff must be aware about wearing a broad brimmed hat, sun smart clothing, sunglasses and sunscreen when outside and also to use shaded and cooler areas when possible. It is also important to drink lots of water to stay hydrated, drinking twice as much on the hotter days than normal. Please also stay aware about the risk of fires in the region and the regular updates on changing weather conditions through the Vic Emergency app., and your preferred weather app., especially when fires are close by. There is also the increased activity of snakes (that have been recently sighted in the school yard). If you see a snake, please leave it alone and move away from it when you can, and then let a staff member know you saw a snake and its whereabouts please, so we can keep people away from it and possibly have it professionally removed from the premises.

INTERHOUSE SWIMMING SPORTS

Our annual Interhouse Swimming Sports were held at the Donald Pool on Friday 6th February. With the introduction of our new 2 House system, we saw most events full of competitors. Well done to all of the students that attended on the day for their willingness to go in events and assist with jobs on the day. There were some great individual and relay efforts with a number of new records set on the day. Thanks also to the parents and grandparents for their support of the day and to the staff for their work on the various roles to make the sports a success. A big thank you also to Mr. Tatchell and Mr. Cashin for their organisation and running of the day. For the record, Buloke (Blue House) were the winners of the House Swimming Sports. 

SCHOOL COUNCIL 2026

Just a reminder that our School Council AGM is scheduled for next month (March meeting). We have a number of people who have another year on their tenure, with some others up for re-election. We have 3 parent, 3 staff, 2 student and 4 community representative positions available for this year’s School Council. We don’t have to fill all of the student and community representative positions, but we’d like some of both and we want to fill all parent and staff positions. Nominations and elections (if needed) for positions will be available in the next couple of weeks.

NEW EDUCATION SUPPORT STAFF STARTING IN THE NEXT 2 WEEKS

We have 2 new Education Support staff members commencing with us over the next 2 weeks. Mr. Brydon Tischler has been appointed as an IT Technician and will work Wednesday to Friday each week supporting staff and students with IT issues. We also have Ms. Jodi Randall starting as an Administrative Assistant in the General Office in the next couple of weeks. We welcome both Brydon and Jodi to our staff and wish them well for their time spent at our school.

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 1.

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 year we had too many of our students missing over 20 days of school (the equivalent of 1 week per Term / 4 weeks for the year = too many days missed) (some students over 25 days - half or full days). 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.