Principal's Report
From the Principal
Our College Newsletter this week witnesses us all in a bit of a holding pattern as we all do our best to support each other and move forward in this unwelcomed (and all too familiar) environment created by the current level of COVID-related restrictions.
I remain proud that all members of our College community have risen admirably to meet the challenges we all face at the moment.
Well done to our students who have embraced their remote learning program with resilience and application – all the while understanding that such an environment is not the preferred option of anyone. I once again acknowledge the commitment of our teaching staff who are working in difficult circumstances to ensure that our remote learning program continues to meet the needs of our students. All the while our educational support staff have continued to ensure that the service provision for the College community has not been severely interrupted.
Thank you to all of you for your ongoing support and agility as we work together to adapt to the ever-changing circumstances we face in our daily existence. Without a doubt these are challenging times and amidst our frustrations we are called to be patient, resilient, kind and empathetic. Difficult times call us to find moments of joy and laughter, to be thankful for our families and friends, to know we are supported and cared for.
I also wanted to take this opportunity, given the circumstances unfolding internationally, to express our concern and support for our students and families of Afghan background and to their loved ones still in Afghanistan. Our College enjoys a richly multicultural composition and we think it is important at this time to turn our thoughts to our small group of local community members of Afghan heritage.
The images we have seen on the news have been distressing, especially for our young people. Our Wellbeing team have offered the following strategies that may assist your discussions at home relating to these issues.
Please refer to the following steps you can take to support your child during this time:
- Talk to your child in an open, honest, age-appropriate way, allowing them to talk about their feelings and ask questions. Acknowledge their feelings and reassure them that they are in a safe place.
- Limit their exposure to the news. We now live in the era of the 24-hour news cycle, and it can be incredibly distressing to see these images over and over.
- Ensure your child is participating in positive activities that they enjoy. Whilst this may be difficult during the current lockdown restrictions, it is critical that young people stay socially connected with their peers (FaceTime, etc.), and get outside for some fresh air and exercise.
- Seek support. It is normal for you or your child to feel overwhelmed during this time and we encourage you to reach out for support. The EDSC Wellbeing Team are available for student counselling and support.
Student Wellbeing Support
As mentioned above and in full recognition of these present times, there is little doubt that this period of time has been extremely challenging for many of our students. Our staff are very aware of this and will do all they can to identify students in distress and support student wellbeing and learning. Parents and students are encouraged to reach out to our Wellbeing team, Year Level Coordinators and subject teachers for support and advice during this time. An email to the College communicating your concerns would be encouraged if any parent or student wished to do so.
To our Year 12 students and their families, in particular, I am well aware of the challenges you are facing as we enter the second half of this term before the important exam-preparation that commences in term 4. My best wishes are extended to you, along with my hopes that you are able to maintain a healthy balance in your studies in this busy time. Whilst it may not seem possible, I would encourage all of our Year 12 students to ensure that they are able to think carefully about what a healthy and balanced lifestyle may look like over this period of time, made all the more challenging by the COVID restrictions. Yes, there will be a significant amount of time devoted to study and revision – as there should be at this stage of the year. However, I would further encourage you to ensure that you are able focus a on exercise, diet and getting enough sleep.
Experience leads me to observe that those who cope best with these significant challenges are usually those who have found a reasonable balance in their busy life as students.
I recently participated in a Department of Education seminar on Wellbeing – an important topic made all the more crucial in these current circumstances. In order to stimulate some thought on this matter, please see below for a simple reference text from that session for your consideration:
Alone, and in a straight line, you will not get very far
With so much fear and despair in the world, so many evil things happening, you may easily lose heart. You will be tempted to feel sorry for yourself, to settle for less, to go it alone. But think again! This is the time for courage, for hope, for determination. It is the time to lean on your friends, to reach for help, to be openly needy. This is the natural way of restoring your positive energy, your confidence. It is so easy to get depressed. But look around you at all the examples of trust and strength in those you respect and love. And find something uplifting to reflect on: those who trust and believe in you, your special memories, your favourite films and poems, a nature path to walk mindfully with a good friend. In your new wisdom you will quickly regain your essential harmony.
Courage is not about having no fear at all; rather it is feeling the fear and doing it anyway.
Susan Jeffers, in 'The Happiness Habit',
Daniel O’Leary, 2015
Parent Teacher Student Interviews
I wanted to take this opportunity to inform our College community that we have commenced planning for alternative arrangements for our Parent/Teacher interviews that are scheduled to be conducted on Thursday 9 September.
Rather than hope that the current restrictions of visitations to the College are lifted, we have made the decision that all Parent/Teacher interviews will be conducted online, via MS Teams on this date. I expect to be able to communicate details of Parent/Teacher interviews to all students and parents next week, including a confirmation of that date.
As we found last year, our interviews conducted via Microsoft teams on student devices managed to provide a valuable opportunity for parents and students to engage with teachers in discussing student performance and plans for future improvement.
These conversations complement the ongoing dialogue teachers have with students during (virtual) classes and the feedback provided to students about their learning and performance on the Compass Learning Management system.
Given the logistics of not all parents being able to speak with all teachers on this day, I would remind our parents that they are able to keep abreast of student progress by consistent discussions at home and through regularly accessing Compass. Parents are also able to email individual teachers via Compass if they have specific questions related to student learning and progress.
I would finally encourage any parent who has heightened concerns of student learning progress in our current remote setting to email specific teachers or Year Level Coordinators as soon as possible and not wait until September to access valuable feedback.
Student Reports
A reminder that our cycle four student reports will be available via COMPASS on Friday 3 September.
John Roberts
Principal
Census Data Collection – Student Family Occupation and Updating Family Details
Every year the Department of Education and Training (DET) conduct a census which helps determine the level of our schools’ student-based funding.
To ensure that the College is able to continue to provide quality programs and an efficient learning environment for our students it relies on being supported by Department funding. Student Family Occupation details are an important component used by the DET to formulate our correct level of funding. These details are originally collected on your child’s enrolment form but are often not up to date.
For this census to be accurate we ask that all family details are up to date, including parent occupation and occupation code, employer and all contact details. Please complete the data collection form, even if you believe your details have not changed, and return to the College General Office as soon as possible. For assistance with identifying what occupation code to use please refer to the attached document.
It is also vital that families maintain up to date contact information. If your details change we ask that you please complete the Change of Details Form and return to Reception or via email to east.doncaster.sc@education.vic.gov.au
This form is published in each edition of the College Newsletter.
College Philosophy
At East Doncaster Secondary College we have a strong tradition of academic excellence and we aim to promote and sustain a reflective learning culture. We want students to experience a sense of achievement and growth in their academic, personal, social and emotional development. We have high expectations of our students’ commitment to being mutually supportive and striving for success as learners. We are proudly multicultural with a student population from 43 nationalities including a number of International Students. 68% of our students speak a language other than English at home.
A student’s life at school is full of opportunities, being rich and varied with a range of co-curricular activities in music, sport, productions, debating, clubs as well as camps and international experiences for the educational and personal development of students. Our students are vibrant, energetic, and talented young people. There are many student leadership opportunities and we aim to continue to increase student access to decision-making and self-determination as learners.
We endeavour to create a "Culture of Curiosity" with goals of ensuring learning improvement for every student – every student, every period, every day.
Our school’s purpose is to develop passionate learners who are critical thinkers with the confidence and capability to engage in the global community.
Care and Compassion, Curiosity, Excellence, Fairness, Resilience, Respect and Teamwork are the core values that underpin the culture of our school as we embrace the challenges of 21st Century learning.
We aim to sustain a learning culture that provides every student with a sense of achievement and of being their best in their academic, personal, social and emotional development.
Privacy and Data at East Doncaster Secondary College
East Doncaster Secondary College uses a number of digital platforms to support your child’s education, such as Compass, Google Drive and Office 365.
The College has an Information Security Policy and complies with the Department of Education and Training Privacy Policy. Click on the below link to access these documents.