Principals' Message

Welcome back to Term 4! It is hard to believe we are already in the final term of the year. Term 4 is always one of our busiest, with plenty happening across the school. From our whole-school camping program and swimming, to reports, transition activities, welcoming our 2027 Preps, Grade 6 graduation and our end-of-year celebrations, there is certainly lots to look forward to!

We are excited for another busy and rewarding term as we finish the year together on a positive note.

Writers' Festival - My Three Wishes

Less than one week to go until our Writers’ Festival officially opens! Students are busily adding the finishing touches to their 'My Three Wishes' writing pieces and accompanying artwork, and we can’t wait to share their wonderful work with our school community.

Our Writers’ Festival will officially open with a special assembly on Tuesday, 20 October at 9.15am. Following the assembly, parents and visitors are warmly invited to visit our Writers’ Gallery in the GP Room, where every student’s finished writing piece and artwork will be proudly displayed.

The Writers’ Gallery will also be open Tuesday afternoon, as well as before and after school on Wednesday and Thursday, giving families plenty of opportunities to come along and enjoy our students’ creativity.

This year, in keeping with our 'My Three Wishes' theme, we are proud to support the Make-A-Wish Foundation. We would greatly appreciate a gold coin donation upon entry, with all

 donations going towards helping make wishes come true for children facing serious illness. Keep an eye out for our special Wishing Well, where you can place your donation!

Throughout the week, teachers will also take their classes to visit the gallery, giving students the opportunity to read, admire and celebrate the wonderful writing created by their peers across the school.

We look forward to welcoming our families and celebrating the creativity, imagination and hard work of our wonderful Donvale writers!

Exciting facility upgrades 

There are certainly lots of exciting things happening around Donvale Primary School at the moment! Over recent months, we have seen a number of upgrades across our grounds and facilities, all aimed at improving our school environment and providing our students with safe, engaging and high-quality spaces to learn and play.

Basketball and Netball Upgrade

Over the school holidays, all of our basketball towers, backboards, nets and netball posts were upgraded, giving our courts a fantastic fresh look. While the works took a little longer than originally anticipated, we think everyone will agree that the end result has been well worth the wait! Our students are already making great use of the courts and are loving shooting hoops with the new towers and nets.

Of course, we need to properly test out our new basketball hoops! To celebrate, we will be hosting some Teachers vs Students basketball games over the coming weeks. There may already be a little friendly competition brewing between staff and students, so stay tuned for more details! 

Football Posts and Soccer Goals

Our oval has also received an upgrade, with the installation of new football posts; soccer goals are also on their way. These additions provide even more opportunities for our students to be active, play together and enjoy a range of sports during PE lessons and break times. The new posts are already a fantastic addition to our outdoor spaces.

Toilet Refurbishment – Work is Underway!

Our much-anticipated toilet refurbishment is progressing well, with the existing toilet block now completely gutted and ready for the next stage of works. As you can see from the photos, there has already been plenty of activity on site!

This project has been made possible through almost $500,000 in Capital Works funding and will result in modern, refreshed toilet facilities for our students. While the current works and temporary facilities bring some short-term inconvenience, we know the end result will be well worth it. We look forward to continuing to share photos and updates as the transformation takes place.

Dogs on school grounds

A friendly reminder that all dogs must be kept on a lead at all times while on school grounds, including before and after school.

We understand that many of our families enjoy bringing their dogs along for school drop-off and pick-up, and we are happy for them to be part of our school community. However, keeping dogs on a lead is important to ensure the safety and comfort of everyone.

Even the friendliest and most well-behaved dogs can become excited or react unexpectedly in a busy environment. We also have children and adults who may be frightened of dogs, have allergies, or simply feel uncomfortable around them. With large numbers of students moving through the grounds, particularly at the beginning and end of the day, having dogs appropriately restrained helps prevent accidents or unwanted interactions.

We ask that families please ensure:

• dogs are on a lead and under the control of an adult at all times
• dogs are not permitted to approach students or other dogs without permission
• owners clean up after their dogs.

Thank you for helping us keep Donvale Primary School a safe and welcoming environment for everyone – including our four-legged visitors! 

Hats!

A gentle reminder that ALL students need to wear their school hat this term. As we are a SunSmart school, we take very seriously the need to be sun smart. This includes:

• wearing the approved broad-brimmed Donvale school hat outside.
• encouraging students to come to school wearing a broad-spectrum water-resistant sunscreen (30+) and to reapply it during the day.

If students do not wear or have a hat, they will be restricted to play in the designated shade areas.

Please ensure your child's hat is named clearly so it is easier for them to be found when they are misplaced.