Principals' Message

Prep 100 Days of school 

Happy 100th Day of School to our Prep Students! Congratulations on reaching this important milestone in your educational journey. We are all incredibly proud of each of our Prep students and look forward to seeing photos of the celebrations in the coming days.

Naplan 2024

We are excited to share that the 2024 NAPLAN results have been released that include the state and national comparison.  At Donvale Primary School, we are delighted to report favourable outcomes when compared to similar schools within our network and across the state.  As you will note we have outperformed similar schools and network on many measures particularly in Year 3. Please see snips below for Year 3 and Year 5 respectively. 

While NAPLAN is an important measure to gain insight into our impact on student learning at Donvale Primary School, it is essential to remember that it is not the sole assessment tool we rely on. We utilise a range of assessment methods to monitor and evaluate student progress continuously. However, we use this data as a tool to continue to drive improvement at all grade levels. 

At Donvale, we take great pride in the collective responsibility shared by all teachers, Education Support staff, and the leadership team when it comes to student learning and well-being. The support of families and the strong sense of community spirit within the school also play a crucial role in our students' success. We are grateful for the efforts made by everyone involved in achieving positive outcomes for our students.

Curriculum Day 

Speaking of collective responsibility of student learning we spent considerable time unpacking Student Attitude to School Survey Data to understand trends in the school related to student learning, engagement, wellbeing and connectedness to school.  There are often correlations between factors on student wellbeing survey data and learning data. Analysing trends and discussing strategies to support students is central to our work on these days. 

Animal Assisted Therapy Program

For the next few weeks we are very fortunate to be trialling an Animal Assisted Therapy program here at Donvale Primary School. The beauty of Animal Assisted Therapy lies in its engaging and non-confrontational nature, enabling students to engage in self-reflection and gain diverse perspectives to bolster the development of their emotional intelligence.

We will be working with Aarti Roxanne Rodricks from Huemankind, and her dog Quincy - a ten year old whippet x staghound accredited therapy dog. 

The aim of the program is to aid students to develop skills in emotional articulation and emotion regulation. Not all students will be involved in the program, however we have selected some grades and students to be part of this trial. This program is part of a departmental initiative that allocates funding to schools for engaging services that enhance students' social, emotional wellbeing, and engagement.

Mrs Larissa Vesdrevanis                                                                               Mrs Michelle Rassias

Principal                                                                                                           Assistant Principal