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.

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.

NORTH CENTRAL DISTRICT SWIMMING SPORTS

Our school had 11 students represent us in the North Central District Swimming Sports on Tuesday 24th February at the Boort Swimming Pool. Well done to all of the students that attended on the day for their willingness to step up and compete to their best in events on the day. There were some great individual and relay performances on the day. A complete wrap up of results is available later in this newsletter. A big thank you to Mr. Tatchell for his organisation of the team for the day and to Mrs. Battersby and Miss. Cavanagh for assisting with the students and on jobs at the carnival.

SCHOOL COUNCIL 2026

Just a reminder that our School Council AGM is scheduled for Tuesday 17th March. 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 are now available from myself or the General Office.

NEW EDUCATION SUPPORT STAFF STARTED LAST WEEK

We had another new Education Support staff member commence with us last week. Past student, Miss. Laila Reilly has joined us to work with students and support teaching staff in classes. We welcome Laila to our staff and wish her well for her time spent at our school.

YEAR 7 CAMP TO BOORT LAKE 

The Year 7 students and staff attended the Boort Camp from Wednesday 25th February – Friday 27th February. The students were involved in a variety of activities including swimming, wake boarding, knee boarding, water biscuit riding, nature walking and utilising the caravan park facilities such as paddle boards and canoes throughout the 3 days of the camp. Our day trip to Bendigo enabled the students to participate in ten pin bowling, mini golf, laser force and roller skating / blading. Everyone involved appeared to have an enjoyable time and staff and students got to know each other better in a different setting away from school. Thanks to Mrs. Battersby, Ms. Cavanagh and Mr. Tatchell for their support in coordinating and running this camp and to our Year 7 students for getting actively involved in the camp. A big thank you must go to Sam Goldsmith and Dion Hawkes who as parents of our community that had students actively involved in the camp, were good enough to give up their time for the day to allow our students to have a fun afternoon doing water skiing activities by providing their ski boats, setting up skiing equipment, and driving and packing up of Sam’s boat. Your time and effort must be acknowledged, hasn’t gone unnoticed and is very much appreciated!!

YEAR 11 WORK EXPERIENCE WEEK

All of our Year 11 students have ventured to Ballarat or stayed locally this week (Monday 2nd March – Friday 6th March) to complete work experience in their preferred field of work. We hope to hear of many positive experiences from our Year 11 students when they return. Thanks to Mr. Rigby, Mr. Potter and Mrs. Griffiths for their organisation and coordination of this valuable week for our students and to Mr. Bott and Mrs. Goode for their organisation, coordination and supervision of our students during this week.

YEAR 7 PARENT INFORMATION & NEW STAFF DINNER EVENING

Our school welcomed our new Year 7 parents to an information evening and we joined our new staff into the night for dinner on Tuesday 3rd March. It was great to be able to share our experiences with the Year 7 students so far with their parents, and talk to them about what to expect throughout the remainder of the year. It was also a great way to talk to and socialise with most of our new staff who were present to enjoy the welcoming evening.

NAPLAN TESTING 2026

NAPLAN Testing for our Year 7 & 9 students will be held from Wednesday March 11th at various times over Weeks 7, 8 & 9 this Term. Please note the scheduled NAPLAN sessions table when it is sent out and be aware if your child is absent or late to a scheduled session, they will be required to complete a catch-up session(s) up until Monday 23rd March. 

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.