Principal's Report

Principal Report

With Term One coming to a close and the holiday break fast approaching, I would like to reflect upon the vibrant energy that has emanated across our College over the last eight weeks.  From the initial flurry of excitement at the beginning of the academic year to the diverse range of events that have unfolded for our students, it has been a term filled with opportunity, achievement and growth.

It has been particularly pleasing to witness the successful transition of our Year 7 cohort into the College community. Despite the challenges of transitioning to a new environment, they have shown resilience and adaptability, establishing positive relationships and quickly becoming valued members of our school community. I am equally proud of our VCE students who have approached their studies with purpose and commitment.

All students are to be commended on the positive way they have approached this term. I would also like to thanks our parents for the support provided to your sons and daughters and their teachers throughout Term One.

Term One 50th anniversary celebrations

During the week, our students have been involved in a range of activities to celebrate the College’s 50th Anniversary.

On Monday we were please to invite Aboriginal artist, Simone Thomson, to our College. Simone is the artist behind the beautiful mural ‘Welcome to Country’, that you can see from George Street. 

A second piece, ‘Bullum-Bullum Butterfly Dreaming’, adorns a prominent wall in our Philip Gardner Student Wellbeing Centre.

It was wonderful to have the opportunity to officially launch these beautiful additions to the College and share the stories behind them. The lunchtime celebration was accompanied by two gelati vans in our Middle Courtyard; the perfect treat for such a warm afternoon!

On Tuesday we celebrated Harmony Day with an out of uniform day. Students contributed a gold coin donation, with funds going to CAMFED (Campaign for Female Education). The charity focuses on supporting female education in Africa. Our student leaders were also selling roses on the day with proceeds supporting Operation Smile.

Wednesday saw our College Captains and Vice Captains bury two time capsules with the hope that students of the College in 25 years will gain some insight into the cohorts that came before them. I would like to thank our Humanities Domain Leader, Michael Perks, and Humanities teacher, Nicola Ritchie, for their efforts in working with students and staff to put together a variety of artefact that tell the present story of our College community.

On Thursday our Middle School Leaders hosted a down ball competition in the Middle Courtyard. It was wonderful to see so many of our students getting involved in the friendly competition.

To close the week, Friday lunchtime provided an opportunity for our students to engage in party games with the order of the day being good old fashioned fun!

We look forward to further celebrations for our 50th Anniversary Celebrations as the year progresses. Stay tuned!

EDSC win 2024 Whitehorse Division Swimming Carnival

It is with great pride that we announce that EDSC have won the 2024 Division Swimming Carnival once again this year.

Held on Friday 18 March at Aquarena (in Lower Templestowe), our swim team, comprising of 32 students, took out the 2024 championship:

Overall Team Scores from the carnival:

923 - East Doncaster SC

614 – Kooning SC

566 - Blackburn HS

555 – Box Hill HS

Congratulations to the following students who were awarded age champions:

Girls 12-13 – Cally

Boys 12-13 –  Ishaaq

Boys 14 – Eamon

Boys 18-12 – Flynn

Ishaaq broke three records on the day, all previously held by EDSC students! The boys 14 Medley Relay team also broke a 23 year old record!

This qualifies are successful team members to advance to  the Eastern Metropolitan Swimming Carnival on March 26, where we will have a number of individual swimmers and eight relay teams participating – we wish our team all the best for this next challenge.

Outstanding Student Achievement 

We were very proud to recently learn that our Year 8 student Leona - 8I competed at the Tasmanian Open Long Course Swimming Championships over the long weekend achieving fantastic results.

Her impressive accomplishments included: 

Gold - 12-13 200 breast stroke 

Silver - 12-13 100 breaststroke 

Silver - 400 IM medley relay 

Bronze -  Open 50 breaststroke 

An incredible achievement, we wish Leona every future success!

Year 10 Performing Arts

A warm congratulations to Evan Jones’ Year 10 Performing Arts' class who last night hit the Performing Arts Centre Stage with their performance ‘Stage & Screen’. This student devised performance showcased a variety of screen texts they have brought to life on stage, with a focus on acting, lighting and costume. 

It is always wonderful to see our students working together and demonstrating curiosity and resilience when embarking upon new challenges as well as embracing creative pursuits.  Well done to everyone involved. 

Parent – Student – Teacher Conferences

I would like to remind families that our Term 1 Parent/Student/Teacher Conferences are to be held next week on Tuesday 26 March.

We encourage parents and students to avail themselves of this important opportunity to meet our teachers to discuss student progress. All bookings must be made via Compass.

Interview Times are:

Interviews 12.30pm – 2.30pm

Interviews 2.45pm to 4.45pm

Interviews 5.30pm – 7.30pm

The Parent - Student - Teacher Conference Booking System will be accessible from:

Year 12 Student Bookings - 12.00pm Friday 15 March until 12.00pm Monday 25 March.

Year 7 to 11 (Including Year 11 students ding a 3/4 subject) Student Bookings – 10.00am Monday 18 March until 12.00pm Monday 25 March.

We acknowledge that the logistics of the afternoon and evening make it difficult for all parents to meet with each teacher, I would therefore advise parents to be selective and prioritise their bookings. 

If parents are unable to attend personally on the day or are unable to secure an interview with a particular teacher, could I remind all parents that the Compass system allows for ongoing communication via email. 

I would encourage parents to contact any teacher if they have specific concerns/queries regarding the education of their child. Alternatively, parents may contact Year Level Coordinators to arrange meetings and discuss overall performance or other issues. 

Please find attached further information regarding Parent – Teacher - Student Interviews and booking information. For further booking instructions please go the following link and click on Parent-Teacher Conferences https://www.compass.education/guide#section-09

Parents and Friends – Annual General Meeting - Monday 22 April

Although detailed information will be posted in another section of this Newsletter, I wanted to take the opportunity to remind our College community that the Annual General Meeting of our wonderful Parents and Friends Association will held at our College in the The John Landy Centre at 7.00pm on Monday 22 April.

The Parents and Friends Committee is a friendly group of interested parents who provide assistance at various school functions throughout the year such as information nights, school production, parent/teacher interview days etc. Our PFA also undertake fundraising activities to raise extra funds to use on worthwhile projects that will benefit the College community.

I would invite any parents, especially those new to the College in 2024, to consider involvement with our vibrant and energetic PFA.

End of Term announcements

A reminder to all families that Term One will conclude on Thursday 28 March and Term Two will commence on Monday 15 April. 

I sincerely hope that all members of our school community enjoy a safe and restful holiday period and make the very most of the opportunity to connect with family and friends.

I would also like to wish the staff and students embarking upon the 2024 Italy Tour tomorrow a safe and enjoyable trip. I know that this three-week experience is invaluable for our Year 10, 11 and 12 students studying the Italian language. I thank Justin D’Andrea for his superb organisation of this incredible experience for our students. We look forward to sharing with the school community some of their highlights upon their return.

As a College, we value and respect the diversity of our community, and we are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where everyone feels supported and understood. 

As the month of Ramadan continues, I extend warm wishes to our Muslim families. Your dedication to fasting, prayer, and community during this sacred time is truly inspiring. May the upcoming Eid al-Fitr bring joy, peace, and blessings to you and your loved ones. Eid Mubarak!

For those observing Easter, may this holy time be filled with reflection, renewal, and the joy of new beginnings. May the spirit of Easter bring hope, love, and happiness to you and your families.

Karen Boyle

Acting Principal

Photographing, Filming and Recording students at East Doncaster Secondary College - Annual Consent Form and Collection Notice 2024

During the school year, there are typically many occasions and events where school staff may photograph or film students participating in school activities and events. These images are used for a variety of purposes including the school newsletters,  (for example, of classroom activities or camps and excursions and events), Compass News Feeds, student identification, College magazine and display in school classrooms. We also arrange for official school photographs to be taken at the start of each year, including a class composite photo which is available for parents to order. 

We ask that all parents please refer to the attached Annual Consent Form and Collection Notice.

Parents or carers can withdraw consent for their child to be photographed or filmed by completing the form on the Annual Consent Form and Collection Notice and returning it to Reception or via email east.doncaster.sc@education.vic.gov.au