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 2025

As part of our new Annual Implementation Plan for 2025, and as part of the findings from our school review at the end of 2023, our school has identified a number of key priorities we will be focussing on next year in 2025. These include:

1. Striving for improvements in Literacy and Numeracy with a particular focus on Writing.
2. Continuing to get our teaching staff to teach according to our Donald High School Instructional Model, focussing on explicit teaching and learning, 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. Using student voice as a source of feedback inside and outside the classroom with a view to improving student engagement and connectedness throughout the school; and
5. Striving for improvements in student mental health and wellbeing, 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.

NEW WEBPAGE TO HELP FAMILIES AND STUDENTS PREPARE FOR A NEW SCHOOL YEAR

A new school year is an exciting time for students and families, but it can be a big step – particularly for those starting Prep or moving to secondary school.

The Department of Education has published a webpage with resources and information to help you prepare for the new school year.

During the school holidays, please consider reading the resources, which include:

· tips to help transition between kinder and Prep and primary to secondary school

· what to expect at school

· help with school costs and fees

· health and wellbeing guidance to support children’s mental health. Please refer to the New year of learning webpage A new year of learning | vic.gov.au

STAFFING UPDATE

Please note that we have appointed Mr. Chris Rodger into an ongoing English and Humanities Classroom Teacher position and re-contracted Miss. Olivia McKay to work in the English and Humanities Key Learning Area also. Both staff have been able to develop strong working relationships with students and colleagues. We welcome both Chris and Olivia back to work at our school. 

We currently have a substantive Leading Teacher position advertised for the next 3 years (2025 – 2027 inclusive). Applications for this position close next week.

We are also in the process of appointing / re-contracting Education Support Staff to work with many of our students in the classroom and the library. 

ACTIVITIES WEEK (MONDAY 16th –> WEDNESDAY 18th DECEMBER)

A reminder to all Year 7 – 9 students that the Activities Week is on from Monday 16th -> Wednesday 18th December. All Year 7 – 9 students are welcome to attend this fun week to finish off the school year. Activities include Lawn Bowls, organising and preparing for Awards Night, Swimming at the Donald Pool, Craft Making and Movie time.

DONALD HIGH SCHOOL AWARDS EVENING

All students, parents and staff are encouraged to attend our annual end of year awards evening at the Donald Hall from 8pm on Tuesday 17th December. Many students will be acknowledged for their academic and extracurricular achievements particularly in sport and music. The academic awards will include the Dux of each class and year level, as well as some special awards and scholarships in the senior years. There will also be awards for some student’s adherence to our school values via our merit system. The extracurricular awards will include acknowledging all our high performers in sport and music throughout the year. We will also farewell a number of staff that have made significant contributions to our school over the course of many years, with some staff soon to retire from work and others moving on to other positions. The evening will be a celebration of a successful year for our school for all involved but will also a little bit sad that some staff and students are leaving. 

SCHOOL SAVINGS BONUS

We acknowledge that many parents have not been able to claim this bonus for schoolbooks through the Donald Newsagency yet. This has been an oversight from the Department of Education. We have contacted the Department of Education and hope to have this situation rectified by having the Donald Newsagency added as a preferred supplier in the near future, so parents can use their School Savings Bonus for the purchase of schoolbooks, as well as uniforms through Donald Mensland and The Clothes Bin.

SCHOOL TV

Please note that our school community now has access to a website called SchoolTV.

This website provides all members of our school community with a wide range of information and resources both in text and video form as well as asks people to complete surveys on a variety of topics on Mental Health and Wellbeing. It is a website that is used as a preventative measure to educate all people on the various topics and is a fantastic resource I recommend people access whether you are a parent, teacher or student.

The topics are conveniently arranged into a number of series. Topics feature interviews with leading youth wellbeing experts and researchers from around the world offering hours of relevant and practical information. Additionally, each topic includes a compilation of related resources from key organisations providing a comprehensive stream of content. Resources include informative fact sheets, articles, apps, books, podcasts, websites, and other videos - all related to a single topic, in one place for easy access!!

The website is found at donaldhs.vic.schooltv.me

Some of the most recent special reports on the SchoolTV website include: Eating Anxiety, Healthy Study Habits, The Cost of Living Crisis, Navigating AI Relationships, and Confidence & Motivation.

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 15 days of school (some students over 20 days). Some students this year have already had over 20 unexplained absences (half or full days). Everyone should be prioritising education and learning for all 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 entire 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.

SEASONS GREETINGS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS

As this is our last school newsletter for 2024, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of our students, parents and staff a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and I hope that the holidays are enjoyable and a chance for everyone to relax and enjoy a break for a few weeks. I look forward to seeing everyone and working with you all again in 2025, starting with staff returning on Tuesday 28th January and the students returning on Wednesday 29th January.

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.