Principals' Message

Farewell from Mrs Vesdrevanis

It has been an incredibly gratifying experience and honour to serve this community. As this will be my last snippets article, I want to simply say a big thank you to the beautiful students at Donvale Primary School for brightening my day with their smiles, enthusiasm, and kindness. It has been my absolute privilege over the past two years to work with our fabulous teachers and parents to provide our children with the best learning opportunities that not only support their academic progress but also develop their well-being and emotional growth. I will miss you all immensely. 

We are all lead learners in our lives, and there are times when it is important to take risks and lean into change. Education has been an integral part of my whole life and my purpose. I can remember from as young as 8 years old spending my lunch and recess in the kindergarten room at my primary school in Canada helping the teachers. I have moved forward in a full arc in my career, from and my time as education support to now a systems leader, and I am grateful for every opportunity and the support of my leaders and mentors. I wish for our students to know that learning, growth and change are essential to a fulfilling life and that my next step can serve as an example of this. 

The community at Donvale is in good hands with Mrs. Rassias and the incredible team of teachers and education support, and I wish you all the best for Term 2. Have a wonderful and safe holiday. 

Warmest regards, 

Larissa Vesdrevanis

A message from Mrs Rassias

It’s amazing how quickly the first term has flown by! One of the standout moments was the Welcome Back BBQ—it was wonderful to reconnect with our community, chat with students, their families, and watch our students light up the dance floor.

Looking ahead, we’re excited to celebrate Education Week in May—a fantastic opportunity to showcase everything that makes Donvale Primary School special. Keep an eye out for more details as the date approaches!

Digital devices and School Holidays

The school holidays are here and we need to ensure that our kids are engaging in safe screen time activities. We understand that many parents still need to work or manage other activities and there may be some increase in the time children spend on screens. 

However we need to be mindful of what kids are doing online – what sites are they accessing, who they are messaging, the language they are using and what they are chatting about. Generally online conversations are quite innocent and appropriate, however we have had instances where inappropriate language and cyberbullying has occurred. As adults, we need to be aware of what is happening online. 

Clinical Psychologist Dr Alan Ralph from the Positive Parenting Program says:

“Living in a digital age has lots of upsides for families and can be useful in situations where adults are busy or concentrating and need to give children something interesting and engaging to do. However, there are a range of concerns around cyberbullying, identity theft, online addiction, and sexual predation, that are important to address. 

A recent E-Safety Commissioner report revealed that half of the parents surveyed underestimated the prevalence of children’s negative online experiences and alarmingly, more than half of children admitted to communicating with strangers online, yet only one in three of their parents were aware.

“The good news is, parents and carers can take a proactive, positive approach to help make sure their children’s online world doesn’t end up impacting their health and wellbeing in the real world. This includes problems with sleep, behaviour, as well as their social and emotional development.”

Screen time for your child – 7 tips

Parents and carers can make the most of their time together these holidays while promoting a healthy relationship with technology. The e-Safety Commissioner recommends the 7 tips

1. Be involved
2. Work with your child to set boundaries for screen use
3. Be clear about the consequences of not switching off
4. Set device free zones and times at home
5. Ask your child to explain their screen use
6. Use tech tools to help manage access
7. Lead by example