Principals' Message

This past fortnight, we’ve been in full camp mode! It all started with our Prep Breakfast and F–2 Camp Activity Day, followed by the 3/4 Camp at Camp ADANAC, and now our 5/6 students are off enjoying their time at Peninsula Outdoors.

Our school camping program is such a valuable part of every child’s education. It gives students opportunities to take part in experiences beyond the regular classroom—building confidence, teamwork, independence, and social skills along the way. Each camp has a strong focus on culture, the environment, and outdoor learning, and continues to be an important and much-loved part of our school’s educational journey.

Attendance

School is better when you are here! That’s the motto we tell our children and it is true. The learning is richer, the friendships are stronger. Regular attendance at school is beneficial both socially and academically. We aim for our students to attend a minimum of 95% of days, which equates to 190 of the 200 school days per year.

At present, 35% of our students have attended over 95% of days, while 70% have attended over 90%. 

Currently, 30% of students have attended less than 90% of days this year, which is over 20 days of missed learning by the end of the year. While there are many factors at play and every circumstance is different, we encourage families to support getting their child to school wherever possible and not to miss too many days for unjustifiable reasons as these can easily “stack up.” The school has become aware of a number of students wishing to remain home so as to not “miss out” on special events in online gaming, which they would miss out on if they were to be at school.

When planning ahead, please book family holidays during term breaks, where possible, and celebrate your child’s efforts in coming to school.

Some effective tips to make the morning run a little more smooth include:

• Packing school bags the night before
• Providing a consistent bedtime routine which values settling and avoiding screentime before sleep
• Talking positively about school
• Listening kindly and respectful to concerns your child may have and working with the classroom teacher, Mr Robertson or Mrs Rassias to address issues as quickly as possible
• Leaving with enough time so the morning routine is as unhurried as possible.

We love seeing and teaching our students and we want them in our rooms being engaged in their learning and working with their peers. Thank you for all of your efforts to support student attendance.

Remembrance Day

Tuesday marked the 11th day of the 11th month, a sombre time to remember soldiers who have fought in conflicts and given the ultimate sacrifice to our country.

Students marked the day with activities about Remembrance Day, learning of its history and significance. At 11am, our School Captains led a moving observation which all students respectfully acknowledged. They spoke eloquently and powerfully about the history of the war, the impact on the world and read aloud the Ode of Remembrance. Students listened to the Last Post and bowed their heads in a minute’s silence.

Prep Transition

We are all so excited about all of our new friends joining the Donvale Primary School community in prep 2026. The incoming students have now enjoyed two transition sessions. They have met their prep teachers for 2026 (Miss Thomas and Miss Lefebure) and last Friday even got to meet our incredible PE teacher Mr Rodger! The children went to the GP room to play some fun games including balancing, throwing and climbing activities. They even brought out the parachute to practice some team-building and got our boogie on to some dance classics. We are so proud of how positive the students have been coming into their new environments and cannot wait to welcome them back to their third transition session on Thursday, November 20 at 2pm.

Wellbeing

As we near the end of the year, we encourage you to take good care of yourselves and those around us. While there are many exciting events and activities planned and our calendars become filled with social engagements, this can cause a lot of stress an angst for both ourselves and the young people in our households. Routines can be harder to keep, sleep times are less predictable and though we may feel positive about what is to come, the holiday period can come with many mixed emotions.

We ask you to take time to breathe, find some calm where you can and look after your mental health. One useful resource you may like to utilise to support your child’s mental health is the emergingminds website. This website contains many videos, podcasts and factsheets to explore what children’s mental health is and the best ways in which we, as adults, can support it.