Assistant Principals' Report

A Strong Start to Term 2 

Term 2 is off to a fantastic start, with students enthusiastically participating in a wide variety of co-curricular activities. Highlights so far have included: 

• Interschool Sports 
• Year 7 & 8 Alternate Program Day 
• Year 9 Cluster Day 
• Year 10 Revive Day 
• Senior Student Study Skills Sessions 

These events play a vital role in enriching our students’ school experience. They provide meaningful opportunities to build friendships, strengthen personal and social capabilities, and foster a sense of connection within our broader school community. 

Importantly, these activities also help students begin to explore pathways beyond school, developing the skills and confidence they’ll need as they prepare for future study and the world of work. 

We’re proud of the way our students have embraced these opportunities and look forward to more exciting events as the term continues. 

ANZAC Day Commemorations 

The term began with a moment of reflection and respect as we commemorated Manningham City Rotary ANZAC Day school ceremony. We are incredibly proud of our student leaders and school captains who represented DSC at the local community schools ceremony in Templestowe, as well as leading our school-wide service. Their leadership and maturity were truly commendable. 

A special thank you goes to our Music Department—particularly Mr. Nick Dean and Ms. Wendy Howes—whose guidance and support were instrumental in the success of these ceremonies. Their dedication ensured that the music added a meaningful and respectful tone to the commemorations. 

Music Camp at Mt Evelyn 

This week, our music students had the exciting opportunity to attend their annual music camp at the Oasis campsite in Mt Evelyn. Under the leadership of Mr. Dean and Ms. Howes, students from across year levels came together to collaborate, build friendships, and refine their musical skills. The camp was a fantastic experience that fostered both personal growth and a strong sense of community among our talented young musicians. 

A heartfelt thank you to all our music teachers and students for their commitment and creativity! 

Student Parliament  

Last week we ran our very first Student Parliament. We were very fortunate to the Deputy Mayor Andrew Conlon open the event with our school captions. Andew shared his experience in community leadership, the importance of our young people having a voice and what it means to contribute to a community, this was important part of establishing the purpose of the Parliament. Councillor Conlon’s close statements were about sharing with the group the value in democracy and how it enables different perspectives to be heard with public debate.  

We had representation from all year levels, and this included students from School Improvement Teams, SRC and our clubs. The students were able to debate a range of topics including learning behaviours, uniform, learning expectations and ways to improve the school culture. Students were able to share their solutions with practical solutions and forward-thinking improvements for our school. A huge thank you to Jonathon Tennant who worked with each the student groups to plan the day ensure students voice was heard and valued.  

Attendance  

We are implementing a range of processes to ensure that students and families are supported by the school to maximise learning growth. Attendance is a part of this important work.   

If your child has been away for more than eight days, you should expect contact from the respective Year Level Team, regarding supports and interventions as required. Attendance is linked to key educational and life outcomes, and we wish to partner with all families to support each child’s attendance. We also know that students are healthy and happier when they have the routine of school. Our Wellbeing Team is extensive and here to support students and families that need it to keep attendance percentages positive. 

90% attendance is required for students to achieve a satisfactory result in all units and subjects across Year 10 to 12. The 90% attendance standard will continue to be reinforced throughout 2025. If your child is absent from school, a medical certificate is required. Please note that attendance below 90% without medical documentation in 2025 may impact a student’s subject selection options across the College.  

Social Media and Respectful Behaviour – A Community Reminder 

As we continue to foster a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment at DSC, we’d like to remind our school community about the importance of respectful behaviour—both online and in person. 

We strongly advise students not to participate in unofficial “DSC class” group chats. These chats can often lead to inappropriate interactions that may negatively impact student wellbeing and the positive culture we are building together. We encourage all parents and carers to actively monitor their child’s device usage and social media activity. 

How Families Can Support Safe Online Habits 

Here are some practical tips to help families guide their young people in navigating social media responsibly: 

• Set Clear Ground Rules: If your child uses platforms like Snapchat, Instagram, or TikTok, ensure you have access to view their accounts. Open communication is key. 
• Stay Involved: Regularly check your child’s social media profiles. Talk to them about their online friends and remind them not to accept requests from strangers. 
• Protect Privacy: Review the photos your child shares to ensure they don’t reveal identifiable locations (e.g. school uniforms or sports team logos). 
• Manage Screen Time: Collaborate with your child to set healthy limits on phone use. Tools like OurPact can help manage screen time and app access. 

Additional Resources 

• School Planner – See page 10 and 11 for more on digital safety. 
• eSafety Commissioner – Visit www.esafety.gov.au for expert advice and resources. 

Together, we can help our students build positive digital habits that support their wellbeing and academic success. 

Disability Inclusion 

Doncaster Secondary College is excited to introduce Disability Inclusion, a new approach to help us improve support for students with disability and build a more inclusive school for all our students. 

Inclusive schools have better outcomes in learning, engagement and wellbeing for all students. 

Disability Inclusion will help our school better understand what our students need to help them learn, through:  

1. a new funding model with more investment  
2. a new strength-based process called the Disability Inclusion Profile to help identify the student’s goals, needs and adjustments we can make to assist students’ learning, participation and engagement at school.  
3. more training and coaching for teachers and school staff about the best ways to support student learning.  

A new funding model with more investment 

The new funding model provides additional investment that our school can use to support many students including those with autism, dyslexia and other learning difficulties.  

This additional investment will provide more support for students with disability, including students who have not been eligible for individual funding through the Program for Students with Disabilities (PSD) in the past.  

Our school can use this funding for a range of activities including: 

1. more training and professional development for teachers and school staff 
2. getting expert advice about disability 
3. hiring teachers or other staff to help plan and deliver teaching and learning programs and adjustments for students 
4. equipment and resources to support learning. 

The Disability Inclusion Profile 

The Disability Inclusion Profile will help us find out more about your child’s strengths and needs. It will inform personalised funding allocations and help us plan student learning and any adjustments a student may need to learn and participate at school.  

The new Disability Inclusion Profile process will replace the Educational Needs Questionnaire used as a part of the current PSD.  

As we transition over the next three years, families of students who are part of the PSD will be asked to attend a meeting to complete a Disability Inclusion Profile. 

People who know your child will be involved in the meeting, along with an independent, trained facilitator who will help our school and families complete the profile. 

If your child is part of the PSD, we will work with you to find the most suitable time to complete their profile.  

The profile will also be available to a broader group of students with disability.  

We will identify students who are not currently part of the PSD, who may benefit from a Disability Inclusion Profile. If we consider that your child’s education will benefit from having a profile, we will contact you.  

More training and coaching for teachers and school staff  

Disability Inclusion will give more teachers and support staff a better understanding of disability and how to respond. This could include access to: 

• more professionals in schools who are experts in disability 
• coaching 
• professional learning 
• evidence-based guidance and resources 
• scholarships. 

More information  

Visit www.education.vic.gov.au/disabilityinclusion to find out more about Disability Inclusion.  

If you would like to talk about your child’s needs at school, or if you need translation or interpreting assistance, please contact your child’s Year Level Co-ordinator.  

Uniform 

A reminder that DSC has a uniform policy that is designed to keep our classrooms positive and equal. It also supports students to be ready for the workplace where specific uniform requirements are often expected – whether it be formal suits or protective equipment, specific shoes or lab coats. Additionally, it helps create pride and connectedness between students. If students have concerns around the uniform, we encourage them to approach their Student Representative Council members to productively pass these concerns along. 

The winter months can sometimes see students popping hoodies or other non-uniform items on. The school has jackets and jumpers in all sizes, which when worn correctly, will keep students warm as they move between classes and during break times. Students who wear the uniform incorrectly, will continue to receive consequences from the school to help support them in building their resilience and understanding of proper attire in certain places.  

Students and families are encouraged to consult their study planners to remind them of expected uniform, if there are any concerns. 

External Assessments for 10s, 11s and 12s 

The end of Semester 1 mean examinations for students in years 10 and 11 are close at hand. This can be daunting for students but is essential for preparing them for end of year exams in year 12. As much as possible, we attempt to emulate the environment and expectations of VCAA examinations, to support students to be as comfortable and as ready as possible for their final examinations at the conclusion of their high schooling. Our students have done well to meet our expectations around uniform and behaviours during the examinations in the past and we know that this year will be the same, with support from our amazing parents and carers.  

The General Achievement Test (GAT) is also close for our students completing Unit 3 and 4 subjects and now is a critical time to remind students around VCAA’s mobile phone policy. Last year a few of our students struggled to adhere to the mobile phone policy during their GAT, which created problems for them during the testing with some students having their phones confiscated by VCAA. Though no cheating occurred, the repercussions for this choice are immense for students we so we remind families to speak with their students about this VCAA policy and DSC policy, to ensure they are never compromising their learning or achievement. 

Cheers from the Assistant Principal Team, 

Wes, Elisha, Kristin and Belinda.