Assistant Principals' Report

Celebrating Achievements and Looking Ahead 

As Term 2 comes to a close, we mark the halfway point of the academic year. For our Year 12 students, this milestone brings them just one term away from completing their curriculum and assessments before their final exams. It’s been a busy and rewarding term, filled with memorable events and important milestones. 

We’re proud to celebrate several highlights from this term, including: 

• Athletics Day – a spirited display of teamwork and sportsmanship. 
• Music Camp – a fantastic opportunity for students to deepen their musical skills. 
• Winter Music Concert – showcasing the incredible talent across our college. 
• Interschool Sport Competition – where our students represented DSC with enthusiasm and excellence. 

Our Careers Program has been a standout this term, providing valuable guidance and support to students as they plan their future pathways. A heartfelt thank you to our amazing careers and pathways experts for their dedication and leadership in delivering this essential program. 

Highlights from the Careers Program include: 

• Year 9 Morrisby Career Profiling – helping students make informed course selections early in Term 3. 
• Year 10 Work Experience – currently underway, offering students real-world insights and skills. 
• Careers Expo – a key event supporting all year levels in preparing for 2025 course selections, scheduled for Week 3 next term. 

Senior Students in Years 10 and 11 have completed their Semester 1 examinations. While exams can be challenging, they are a vital part of preparing for Year 12 and beyond. We strive to replicate the conditions of VCAA exams to help students feel confident and prepared. We commend our students for their focus, respectful behaviour, and adherence to uniform expectations throughout the exam period. 

Supporting Student Success Through Attendance 

At Doncaster Secondary College, we are committed to helping every student thrive. Regular school attendance is the foundation for academic achievement, strong friendships, personal growth, and wellbeing. Each day at school offers opportunities to learn, connect, and build the skills needed for a successful future. 

Being present consistently helps students feel safe, supported, and empowered. It allows them to build trusted relationships, understand their rights, and gain the confidence to seek help when needed. 

Why Every Day Counts 

Missing even one day every fortnight adds up—resulting in four weeks of lost learning each year. Over a student’s school life, this can mean missing an entire year of education. Research shows that frequent absences, especially when unexplained, can negatively impact academic performance, friendships, confidence, and future opportunities. 

The Benefits of Regular Attendance 

Students who attend regularly: 

• Learn more and achieve better outcomes 
• Build stronger relationships with peers and teachers 
• Develop habits that support lifelong learning, wellbeing, and resilience 

Everyday matters. That’s why we set high expectations for attendance and work closely with families to support students at risk. 

If your child is facing challenges—academic, social, or emotional—please reach out to their Year Level Coordinator, a trusted staff member, or our wellbeing team. We’re here to help. 

Family Monitoring: Building Responsibility Together 

As students grow, developing strong self-management routines is key. Our attendance monitoring process encourages families to regularly check in with their child’s progress. Weekly conversations can include: 

• Attendance 
• Work completion 
• Wellbeing at school 

How to Check Attendance on Compass: 

• Go to the Attendance tab 
• Review class attendance percentage and number of days absent 

Understanding the Data: 

✅ On Track 

• Attendance above 90% or fewer than 10 days absent per semester 
• Great progress—keep it up! 

⚠️ Needs Attention 

• Attendance below 90% or 10+ days absent this semester 
• You may be approaching chronic absenteeism (20+ days/year). Let’s take action. 

Steps for Students to Improve Attendance 

1. Talk with Parents/Carers 
2. Identify reasons for absences 
3. Discuss learning, relationships, and wellbeing 
4. Explore strategies to improve attendance 
5. Speak with Your Teachers 
6. Reach out in person, via Teams, or email 
7. Ask for help or adjustments if needed 
8. Make a plan to catch up on missed work 
9. Connect with Mini-School Leaders or Wellbeing Staff 
10. Access school-based supports and resources 

Let’s continue working together to ensure every student can learn, grow, and succeed. 

Semester 1 Examinations 

The end of Semester 1 has meant examinations for Senior students in years 10 and 11. 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, and we congratulate them on their efforts! 

Year 12 students and any student completing a unit 3 and 4 subject engaged in the GAT. This is a gruelling task but essential for our Senior students and we are proud of them for pushing through. For more information around the importance of the GAT and how it’s used, please peruse VCAA’s website: https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/assessment/general-achievement-test/general-achievement-test  

Focus on Exit Routines 

Planned classroom management creates safe and supportive learning environments for all students. Building positive connections and reinforcing the expectations, routines and rules of the classroom are key to a calm learning environment. Our Year 7 students, teachers and leadership team have been focusing on the classroom exit routine over the last 4 weeks. 

An exit routine at the end of a lesson provides a safe, predictable and organised end to learning. It’s important to plan dedicated time at the end of a lesson to ensure a consistent exit routine can take place every time students leave the classroom. 

There has been a significant lift in classroom behaviour, entry and exit routines across the year 7 classes which is evident in the way students are caring for their homerooms. Congratulations to the Year 7 students, teachers and leaders for your commitment to doing the very best you can, every day in the classroom. 

Child Safe Standards 

Child Safe Standards is an important policy and framework for ensuring that we create a school environment that is Safe, welcoming, diverse and considers the needs of a broad range of students and staff who are part of our College Community.  We have zero tolerance for child abuse. 

Every staff member at the College is responsible for the care and protection of children and reporting information about child abuse. The College has a duty of care to provide safe, open and supportive environments that protect our students. 

Creating child-safe school environments is a dynamic process that involves active participation and responsibility by the College, families and our community. It is marked by collaboration, vigilance and proactive approaches across policies, procedures, curriculum and practices. 

Every person involved in the Doncaster community has a responsibility to understand the important and specific role he/she plays individually and collectively to ensure that the wellbeing and safety of all children and young people are at the forefront of all they do and every decision they make. 

We have been consulting and upskilling the School College Council with each standard this year and this will continue as the year progresses. Our staff will participate in their annual training of how to maintain the Child Safe Standards through our practice everyday at the College and throughout the rest of the year we will consult our student body to ensure they understand their role in supporting this policy and maintaining a safe and inclusive school environment.  

If you would like to read our polices, please follow this link to our school website.  

Child Safety – Doncaster Secondary College (doncastersc.vic.edu.au) 

Reports 

On Friday 4th July, Semester Reports will be available to families. These reports should be read in conjunction with teacher feedback on Compass Learning Tasks, to support students and families to have a strong picture of how their student is growing and performing this year. 

The Semester Report offers a formal reflection on achievement and learning progress. It is a time for families and students to celebrate successes and reflect on new goals to stay motivated and focused on career pathways. Our students have had an excellent semester, and we are proud of their achievements – they should be proud of themselves as well.  

On the cover page of each student’s report, there are descriptions of the key reporting frameworks and some explanations to help you understand what you’re reading. The Five-Point-Scale appears in years 7-10 reports and is an Age-Related Performance Indicator that lets you know how your student is progressing over all in each subject, compared to similar aged peers. For students in years 10-12, they will receive an overall S or N, indicating the successful completion of the semester in each subject or not. If you see an N on your child’s report and it is unexpected, please review your child’s Compass immediately to see explanations as to how and why this has occurred.  

If you have any general questions around your reports, please reach out to your year level coordinator when term 3 commences. 

We wish you a wonderful break,  

Cheers from the Assistant Principal Team, 

Wes, Elisha, Belinda and Kristin.