From the Principal

A highlight in Term 1 every year, is our annual Badges Assembly, where we recognise student achievement from the year before and present our newly appointed student leaders with their badge of office. 

This year was no exception. It was a pleasure for me to congratulate the high achieving Year 12 students and their parents from the Class of 2025, including our dux Ibrahim Al-Azzawi and the recipient of the VCE/VM Excellence Award William Danielson. Staff and students also had the opportunity to witness the excitement and enthusiasm of our student leadership team and listen to the powerful words of our School Captains and SRC Presidents, as they addressed the student body for the first time.  

I was impressed by our leaders' simple but relevant message to all year levels. They emphasised, the importance of persistence, courage in the face of challenges and taking small steps towards big improvement. The assembly was well attended by families and representatives from the Ex-Student Association, and student behaviour was excellent throughout.

In 2025, a welcome addition to the Senior Program has been the introduction of two new Certificate II VET subjects that are taught at school. 16 Year 11 students are currently enrolled in electrotechnology auspiced by Apprenticeships Group Australia and for the first time, 15 students are training in VET Hospitality on site. While we provide this subject in partnership with William Angliss Institute, Mr Mullen, one of our Food Technology staff, teaches the program. I would like to thank him for his commitment to the rigorous training he undertook last year and congratulate him on successfully completing the exacting course.

Both of these subjects have been successful from day one, with students highly engaged in their learning. They provide real world experience that prepare students for future employment opportunities, as well as help build the skills they will need to be successful beyond school. Our student hospitality team will be catering for our ANZAC assembly in Term 2, something to look forward to.

Finally, there are many more exciting experiences for our students currently underway. I would encourage you to read through this latest edition of our newsletter to uncover further information about the amazing things taking place at Dandenong High School.

Susan Ogden

Principal