Principal Team Report

Dear Diamond Valley College,

I am thrilled to begin my journey as the new Executive Principal at Diamond Valley College.  My first week has been filled with warm welcomes, and I am truly grateful for the kindness and support I have received from students, staff, and parents alike.

I would like to extend a special thank you to Reg for holding the school steady throughout the principal selection process. I also want to acknowledge the incredible work of Bec and Shona, along with the entire leadership team and everyone else who has contributed to maintaining the smooth operation of our school during this somewhat extended transition period.

Term 3 is now underway, and we are still in the process of finalising our timetable. As you are likely aware, staffing schools has been particularly challenging in the wake of COVID, and Diamond Valley College is no exception. Please rest assured that our team is working diligently to ensure that we have the best possible educators in front of your children. I appreciate your patience and understanding during this time.

I am pleased to announce that we will have a whole school assembly on Tuesday afternoon, providing me with the wonderful opportunity to see the entire school community at once. These assemblies, which are student-led, celebrate the many successes we achieve at our college.

I have already been approached by several students who have shared their ideas and suggestions for the future. I am a strong advocate for student voice and look forward to collaborating with them, as well as with our entire DVC community, to create an educational environment we can all be proud of.

As we move forward, my vision for Diamond Valley College is to build on our strengths and create an even more inclusive, innovative, and inspiring educational environment.  I encourage parents and the broader community to engage with us actively, as your involvement is crucial to our success.  We will soon be rolling out 2025 programs aimed at enhancing student learning and wellbeing, and I look forward to sharing more details with you.

Thank you for making my first week memorable. I am excited about the opportunities ahead and am committed to working with you all to achieve excellence at Diamond Valley College.

Sam Luck

Attendance

As part of our recent College Review in 2023, a key area identified was to improve student attendance across all year levels. We have reviewed our current processes and made changes in order to be more effective in tracking, communicating, responding and supporting student attendance. Our attendance officer will make an initial contact to check in when your child has an unexplained absence and escalate it to our sub school teams if it is ongoing so we can support a return to school.

 Educational research tells us that attending school every day plays a pivotal role in your child’s education. It is key to continuous learning, acquiring new skills and fostering social and emotional growth.

Additionally, by having consistent school attendance it yields lifelong benefits. It contributes to better health, increased job opportunities and higher income potential. Each day missed can impact learning success.

If your child is going to be absent, please log it on Compass. If you have concerns around your child’s attendance or require support, please contact the relevant coordinator or sub school team.

Subject Selection 2025 - Webinar Dates and Year 10 Transition Interviews 

During Term 3 students & families will be presented with information about student course selection for 2025. This is an important process for students and families to engage in as we prepare for the following academic year. Students in years 9 - 11 will participate in information sessions and we will be holding Webinars about the course selection process of an evening for students and families to attend. 

This is important to ensure that students can have choice through our elective program, have the opportunity to apply for Advanced placement subjects and choose subjects that meet University pre-requisites and are aligned with future pathway goals.

Our Year 10 students as part of the application process for VCE/VM for 2025 will participate in a transition interview with their parent/guardians on the 8th of August. Bookings will be open on compass in Term 3 and further information about these interviews will be provided at the webinar.  Year 10 students will only attend school on this day for their scheduled transition interview. Preparation for these interviews and course selection has commenced this term through the careers excursions, Year 10 PDL Aspire subject and year level assemblies. 

Please take note of the following advanced notice dates that are relevant to your child’s subject/course selection for 2025: 

Year 10 (2024) Transition Interviews - Thursday 8 August (1.00pm-7.00pm)

Year 9 2025 Webinar – Wednesday 7 August 7.30pm 

Mobile Phone Policy reminder

As you may be aware, the Mobile Phones – Student Use policy for Victorian government schools came into effect in Term 1 2020. This policy requires students to switch their phones off and securely store them in their locker during the school day.

The policy is designed to support teaching and learning, promoting learning environments that are free from unnecessary distractions. The policy also aims to increase physical activity and socialisation at recess and lunch times. A Review of the policy found that it has reduced the use of mobile phones during school hours, with a range of benefits noted by principals and teachers.

The Department of Education has also published a parent/carer support page on mobile phones in schools on its website. This website includes links to supports for parents/carers on safe and responsible technology use at home.

Our school has its own, local mobile phone policy, which implements the government’s mobile policy in line with our local context. A copy of our policy is available on our college website. I encourage all members of our school community to read our policy, as it outlines the school’s expectations of staff, parents/carers, and students regarding the use of mobile phones and other technological devices including air pods. 

For Duty of Care reasons, we also ask that if communication needs to occur between a parent and student during the school day that is done through the front office and not through texting as this encourages the student to have the phone on them which is a breach of Department and college rules.

Students who purchase food through the canteen must also ensure they have a keycard to make an EFT purchase. As per the mobile phone policy phones are not to be used to make purchases at the canteen. 

Any questions please contact the relevant Assistant Principal.