From the Principal

The moments I remember most at Dandenong High School, are those that bring our diverse community together in celebration or for a shared purpose. Three such occasions took place in the final weeks of Term 2 and incapsulate for me both the successes this semester and the reasons why our school is so special.

In 2026, for the first time since the pandemic, we acknowledged Africa Day and African culture in style. Over Wednesday 27th and Friday 29th May, staff and students celebrated in the green space led by the Mael Dancers of Africa and the Asanti African Drummers. It was wonderful to see everyone united in music and dance, even I “busted a few moves”. Students also had the opportunity to participate in the “Tapped in” Podcast Pop-up Activation, where they could share their voices, stories and culture. The canteen served authentic “jollof rice” and African heritage students attended a presentation by Segali Omer of Shooters Shoot and the Mayor of Maribyrnong, Mohamed Semra. Both shared their experiences of arriving and living in Australia. It was a fantastic occasion that brought staff and students together while capturing the dynamic spirit and colour of the African continent. Congratulations to our new School Community Liaison Officer Eyerus Hawkins who organised the events.

Dandenong High School came together once again, on the 10th and 11th of June, when we held our very own “Big Freeze” to raise money and awareness for MND.  This became an incredibly popular whole school event, and I do want to thank the 11 staff who took part and agreed to take an ice bucket plunge. The creative costumes added to the excitement, establishing a fun and memorable atmosphere for our students while supporting an important cause. The school raised $1,841 towards research to find a cure for this terrible disease and I would like to thank all staff and students who contributed, especially Aaron Green, who organised everything on the day.

Very rarely am I lost for words, but the Dandenong High School Chorales evening was such an occasion. It was a privilege to be in the audience together with families and students and listen to the choirs present a song they had selected to best reflect the theme of community. The quality of the performances including our engaging MCs and Choir Announcers and the sheer joy and excitement on the faces of our students, was incredible. Congratulations to Dimitrios Sotirakis and House Leadership, staff and students who contributed to a very special night. All the choirs were strong especially Hakea, Darwinia and our champions, Eucalyptus. Their performance, and song choice, an indigenous lullaby “Inanay”, moved me and many others to tears.

Finally, I wish you a restful holiday break and look forward to welcoming you back to Term 3, on Monday 13th July.

Susan Ogden

Principal