Hakea House
Welcome back to Dandenong High School for the start of the 2024 school year! It has been wonderful to see the excitement and buzz from students and staff alike after the summer break.
Our Year 7 students have taken their transition to high school in their stride and are already starting to settle, find their way around their new school and build fantastic relationships with their peers and teachers. Year 7s engaged enthusiastically with Welcome Week, starting their first day with meeting some of their teachers, tours around the school and spending some time with the Hakea Year 12 students. Year 7s also represented their House in some fun activities and competitions on the excursion to Lysterfield and a great time was had by all.
While we are proud of all of our Year 7s and their engagement in the Hakea community, I would like to say a special congratulations to our ‘Transition Allstars’: Keren I, for her enthusiasm and zest, and Dianne B for demonstrating compassion and encouragement to other students. Well done to you both.
Year 12s have also had a busy start to the year, diving straight into the final year of their studies. After an initial assembly with Mrs Ogden and the Senior Studies Team, students got straight to business, attending classes and 'making every minute count'. I know I speak on behalf of all of the Hakea staff when I say we were very proud of the way our Hakea Year 12s engaged with and supported our Year 7 students on that first day and the role models they have become. Year 12 students also enjoyed challenging themselves and building relationships with their peers and teachers at Melbourne Cable Park. I was particularly proud of the way these students conducted themselves and the respect they demonstrated throughout the day.
I would like to congratulate the Hakea House Captains, Junior L and Zainab Z. The application process for the Hakea SRC is well underway and I look forward to working with this incredible group of young leaders throughout the year.
Our year’s focus at Dandenong High School is making 'every minute count' and both students and staff have certainly been working to make the most of our time, both in the classroom and also with the fantastic activities that students have been able to engage with so far.
I would like to thank all staff and students for a fantastic start to the school year and look forward to what the rest of 2024 holds for Hakea House.
Charlotte Davison
Hakea House Leader