From the Principal

I am delighted to welcome you all back to Semester 2, 2024. A special welcome to our new students, families and staff who are joining the Dandenong High School community for the first time.

Term 3 has started with a flurry of activity, including our Professional Learning Day with Professor Lea Waters on the first Monday. The sessions focus of “building positive relationships” to maximise learning opportunities and strengthen individual wellbeing resonated with all of us. Staff were highly engaged during the session and many left excited with plans for introducing some of the strategies shared with their classes.

Students have started the term positively. All year levels attended an assembly with the Executive Leadership team during the first two weeks. Each year level was introduced to the coaching concept of “the half time huddle” and the importance for each learner to genuinely reflect on their progress so far this year, as well as identify the areas where they could make positive change to influence their success.  I would encourage all families if they haven’t already had the opportunity to do so, to have a conversation with their child about their Semester 1 report and encourage them to set specific, achievable learning goals for the term. There will also be an opportunity for families to attend our parent teacher conversations later in the term, detailed information will be sent out shortly.

A priority at this time in the year, as always, is course counselling, our pathways program and subject selections. Students and their families, beginning with Year 10 and 9, are invited to a personalised interview with a member of their House leadership team. If you have a student in Years 9 or 10, please check compass for the relevant information. 

Finally, it is with pleasure that we welcomed visitors from our sister school Sakuyakonohana High School in Osaka, Japan last week. This is the first time we have been able to hold our Japanese exchange program since the pandemic and it was wonderful to meet the 17 students and 2 staff members who joined us on 24th July for their week-long visit.

I would like to thank the staff and our host families who welcomed students into their homes.  Everyone was excited to get to know each other during the welcome event and the group, including Dandenong High Students, had an action-packed itinerary beginning on Thursday of Week 2 with a trip to Sovereign Hill, Ballarat. I encourage you to read the article further in the newsletter to see the different  “Aussie experiences” our visitors engaged in during their time in Dandenong.

Welcome once again to our friends from Japan.

日本の姉妹校の友人の皆さん、改めて、ようこそ　DHS　へ！

Nihon no shimaikou no yuujin no minasan, aratamete youkoso DHS e!!

Susan Ogden

Principal