Assistant Principals' News

2025 Course Selection

I wanted to take the opportunity to inform students, parents and carers that the start of Term 3 will see us starting our planning for 2026. Students will be presented with many options and decisions regarding their studies for next year.

Decisions around course selections can be complex. With this in mind, we encourage students to pursue passions and talents and keep their options open for future pathways. As a College we pride ourselves on the support and direction we provide students and parents with during this time.

To assist with this, we are planning to conduct parent information evenings to provide further direction and information:

Thursday, July 24: Information Evening for Year 9 students moving into Year 10

Tuesday, July 29: Information Evening for Year 10 students moving into Year 11

All current Year 9, 10 and 11 students will also have a meeting with a course counsellor to discuss suitability of choices. These course counselling interviews will take place via Microsoft Teams and parents are most welcome to attend with their child. Further communications regarding this will be provided to parents and students via Compass early next term.

The dates for course counselling are:

Year 12 2026 - Thursday, July 31

Year 11 2026 - Tuesday, August 4

Year 10 2026 (Current 9A-9H) - Wednesday, August 6

Year 10 2026 (Current 9I-9P) - Thursday, August 7

Over the holiday break, students are encouraged to read through the College handbooks:

2026 VCE VM Course Selection Handbook

2026 Year 10 Course Selection Handbook

2026 Year 9 Course Selection Handbook

2026 Year 8 Course Selection Handbook

Course Selection Information: For students entering Year 12 in 2026

Monday, July 21: Interview times for course counselling emailed to students.

Monday, July 28: Online Course Selection Submission Deadline. A hardcopy of the selection form signed by a parent/guardian must be returned to the Senior School office no later than this date.

Thursday, July 31: Course Counselling Interviews are conducted. Interviews will be conducted remotely via Microsoft Teams. No Year 11 classes will be conducted on-site on this day; lesson plans will be placed on Compass. Students who have a Year 12 class on this day are to attend that class. Their interview can be conducted on site if needed.

Course Selection Information: For students entering Year 11 in 2026

Monday, July 21: Interview times for course counselling emailed to students.

Tuesday, July 29: Subject Expo and Parent Information Evening

Friday, August 1: Online Course Selection Submission Deadline. A hardcopy of the selection form signed by a parent/guardian must be returned to the Senior School office no later than this date.

Friday, August 1: Applications for VET subjects Deadline.

Tuesday, August 5: Course Counselling Interviews are conducted. Interviews will be conducted remotely via Microsoft Teams. No Year 10 classes will be conducted on-site on this day; lesson plans will be placed on Compass. Students who have a Year 11 class on this day are to attend that class. Their interview can be conducted on site if needed.

Friday, August 8: Vocational Major applications to be submitted.

Course Selection Information: For students entering Year 10 in 2026

Monday, July 21: Interview times for course counselling emailed to students.

Wednesday, July 23: VCE Acceleration forms due to the Senior School office.

Thursday, July 24: Subject Expo and Parent Information Evening

Thursday, 31 July: Online Course Selection Submission Deadline. A hardcopy of the selection form signed by a parent/guardian must be returned to the Senior School office no later than this date.

Wednesday and Thursday, August 6 - 7: Course Counselling Interviews are conducted. Interviews will be conducted remotely via Microsoft Teams. No Year 9 classes will be conducted on-site on these days; lesson plans will be placed on Compass.

Course Selection Information: For students entering Year 8 and Year 9 in 2026

Wednesday, July 2: Course handbooks published via the newsfeed.

Friday, August 8: Online Course Selection Submission Deadline. A hardcopy of the selection form signed by a parent/guardian must be returned to the Middle School office no later than this date.

Brett Lamb

Assistant Principal - Teaching and Learning

School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS)

School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) is an evidence-based framework that has been implemented in many Victorian schools over the past 5 years. A number of our local primary schools have been using this approach so the terminology may be familiar to many. The SWPBS approach aims to foster positive, safe, and supportive learning environments.

In 2024, East Doncaster Secondary College started to explore this framework as a means to explicitly focus our attention on supporting positive behaviours. At our school we call them expected behaviours. We aim to create a predictable learning environment and ensure that our learning areas remain safe, calm and dignified. The SWPBS model brings together students, teachers, and families to promote a culture where positive behaviour is explicitly taught, acknowledged, and celebrated.

What have we done so far?

Last year, teachers and student focus groups collaborated to develop the EDSC School Wide Positive Behaviour Support matrix. This matrix identified a number of areas within the College where an explicit focus on how students and staff interact with each other and their community. We developed a number of statements that describe behaviours we want to see and we aligned these to our existing College values. The end result is a set of expected behaviours that guide how we do things at EDSC “at all times”, “in the classroom”, “in the yard”, “out in the community” and “while online”. A copy of the matrix is attached to this newsletter and can also be seen on the Compass newsfeed.

What does this look like?

SWPBS is a whole-school approach designed to improve social, emotional, behavioural, and academic outcomes for all students. By establishing clear behavioural expectations and consistently reinforcing them, our aim is to create an environment where positive behaviours are the norm. In class and during Positive Futures sessions, teachers are explicitly teaching the behaviours expected of our students in various settings, ensuring clarity and consistency.

When staff see students meeting these expectations, they post a chronicle which triggers an email to students and their families outlining what the staff member has observed. The College leadership team continues to reinforce the power of promoting expected behaviours and we are seeing a decrease in negative student interactions. The SWPBS approach combined with explicit classroom entry and exit routines and a consistent approach to managing student misbehaviour, is having a positive effect on our students. By establishing clear behavioural expectations and consistently reinforcing them, we are creating an environment where positive behaviours are the norm.

How can parents and carers get involved?

Engagement from families is crucial for the success of SWPBS. Parents and students can:

Stay informed: Understand the school's behavioural expectations and positive reinforcement systems.

Reinforce at home: Encourage and acknowledge positive behaviours at home that align with school expectations.

Communicate: Maintain open lines of communication with teachers and school staff regarding behavioural expectations and student progress.

We will regularly update families on our progress with SWPBS via the Compass newsfeed so please keep an eye out. By embracing SWPBS, we aim to create an environment where positive behaviour is the foundation for academic success and personal growth.