Principals' Message

Last week Mrs Hodgson and Mrs Rassias had the pleasure of taking our School Captains and House Captains to the GRIP Student Leadership Conference. The conference was a practical and interactive training day aimed at Primary School leaders.  Please head over to the Captains Corner page to read about our day.

As we come to the end of Term 1 we are so grateful to all our staff  for providing our students (and their families) with a calm, settled and welcoming start to the year. What a wonderful way to start first term!  These past 10 weeks have produced a number of highlights and we look forward to what the rest of the year brings. 

Term One Highlights

New Student Faces

From our newest prep learners to our inter-school enrolments, we are so proud of how our new Donvale additions have settled into life at Donvale Primary School. They have quickly learned our school routines and are living by our school values of Gratitude, Respect, Resilience, Compassion and Responsibility each and every day.

New Staff Faces

Furthermore, we are so grateful for the way in which our staffing additions have fitted into our beautiful community. Each member of staff has brought with them a sense of grace and calm, expertise and a keen desire to learn, contribute and build on our already fantastic school culture. We would like to thank each and every one of them for their efforts in fitting into Donvale so seamlessly.

The Welcome Back BBQ

What a beautiful night this was to welcome back (or to) Donvale Primary for the start of the school year. There were smiles all round (some even covered in ice cream!) and we were all blown away by the dancing of all of our students. Darcie, from STOMP, really did a great job at teaching our students their dances so they could perform them for us in the evening!

Intervention Programs

We have been so pleased with the rollout of the MiniLit and MacqLit literacy intervention programs. Mrs Dorman and Miss Innes are to be both thanked and congratulated for the work, passion and dedication they have put into making the launching of these programs such a smooth success.

Enrichment Programs

It has been equally pleasing to see so many students around the school engage in Enrichment Activities. The Future Problem Solvers have successfully completed their first booklet on Invasive Species and will begin to explore the topic of Space Exploration in Term Two. Similarly, the Maths Olympiad teams have been working hard on their problem-solving skills in readiness for the first competition on May 6. Congratulations also to Lily and Shuyuan who have successfully completed VHAP writing this term!

Extra-curricular fun!

Donvale Primary students were treated to an array of extra-curricular activities this term. The Preps enjoyed a "Kick-Start: MiniBoss" incursion to celebrate their start to school while 1/2s had a wonderful visit to MoPA as part of their Humanities topic learning. The 3/4s explored how democracy  works and gained a deeper understanding of the decision-making processes that shape our communities. 

The 5/6s also utilised MiniBoss to explore the concepts of news reporting and investigation and were all captivated and moved by the stories heard in the Courage to Care: Be an Upstander incursion. Our 5/6s have been praised by teachers from other schools, as well as parents and even bus drivers for how well they have participated in Round Robin events. They have been complimented on the way they have played the game but also, more importantly, how they have played the game - with great spirit and great ambassadors of Donvale Primary and our school values. 

Finally, how could we not mention our swimmers and runners? Donvale swimmers made us so proud with their efforts in the water and, just this Tuesday, all of our runners did an amazing job for their efforts to run 1, 2, 3 or even 4(!) laps of our Cross Country Course. We would like to thank all of the staff for their efforts in coordinating these events and for all of the parents who have supported them - we are truly grateful.

Mental Health and Wellbeing Lead and Disability Inclusion Coordination

Sarah Hodgson and Charlotte Maskell must be thanked for the way they have stepped into these roles seamlessly, connecting with families and going above and beyond in their roles already to help and support the students, families and staff of Donvale. We are so lucky to have them doing this important work.

Building staff culture with Tracey Ezard

The staff curriculum day in February on "Building the Buzz" with Tracey Ezard set the tone perfectly for our staff to work collaboratively with passion, interest in each other, determination to improve and a willingness to engage in challenging conversations for the betterment of our practice. Tracey's wonderful presentations and activities ignited our Professional Learning and will continue to be a cornerstone of our work in 2026.

Celebrating Student Voice

This term we also welcomed a new role to our school, an important role that aims to elevate student voice at Donvale Primary School. We, again, congratulate our student leaders on their elections. The SVLs have already been running class meetings. Class meetings have a focus on gratitude for what we have at school and begin with celebrating and congratulating classmates on recent achievements. Leaders then collect information about what is working well and finally look to what their peers would like to improve in the school. Next term, we are excited to hold our very first Donvale Democracy where SVLs in grades 3-6 will read a "bill" about something we can change to make our school even better. Watch this space!

Facility upgrades

During the term we have 

• upgraded our security cameras. The improved coverage and clearer imaging will better support us in maintaining a safe and secure environment.
• completed maintenance on the tiger turf area, including the removal of burn marks and the application of new sand. This has helped to “fluff” the surface and improve its softness, making it a safer and more comfortable space for students to play.
• ordered the Gaga Ball Pit and Shop fronts. We look forward to these additions enhancing our play and learning spaces in term 2
• organised for the prep play equipment near the passive area to be sanded and repainted.

Second Hand Uniform Sale

A big thank you to Sarah, Miranda, Marthe and Sasha for organising the Second Hand Uniform Sale on Tuesday. It was great that families were able to purchase uniforms at an affordable price ready for the upcoming colder winter months. Please keep an eye out for a donation drive early Term Two as families start to sort out what still fits and what doesn't any longer.

Easter Raffle

Thank you to everyone who bought tickets or donated chocolates for our Easter raffle. We raised over $1000 with winners being drawn at our end of term assembly. Special thanks to Miranda, Natalie Brown and Mandy for creating the Easter hampers from our donated goods. 

Attendance Update

Congratulations to 5/6D who recorded the best attendance for the month of March - it's great to see they have overcome their early challenges with colds and flu.

Further congratulations to Grade 2 for taking out the best year level attendance for the month - their second in a row!

We look forward to continuing to improve on our attendance numbers and ask families to book holidays during school holiday times where possible, stay home if sick to prevent the easy spread of illness and establish positive home-school routines to ensure for smooth entry to school each day.

Thank you, Happy Easter and have a safe and happy holiday

To each member of the Donvale Primary School community, we thank you for your hard work, dedication and wonderful spirit you have shown throughout Term One. We hope you all manage to enjoy a restful and enjoyable break and we look forward to seeing you rested and ready for a big Term Two!