Principal's Report
With the end of term now here, it is an opportune time to reflect upon what has been a very busy and very rewarding start to the year for students and staff alike. From the initial flurry of excitement at the beginning of the academic year to the diverse range of events that have unfolded for our students, it has been a term filled with opportunity, achievement and growth.
It has been particularly pleasing to witness the successful transition of our Year 7 cohort into the College community. Despite the challenges of transitioning to a new environment, they have shown resilience and adaptability, establishing positive relationships and quickly becoming valued members of our school community. I am equally proud of our VCE students who have approached their studies with purpose and commitment and indeed all year levels who have made such a positive start to the year, engaging positively with their peers and teachers.
I would like to make particular mention of our wonderful staff, both teachers and educational support staff, all of whom work tirelessly every day to ensure that our students are provided with excellent programs and unrelenting support both inside and outside the classroom. Thank you to our families for the support you provide the College as we work in partnership to ensure that our students continue to thrive.
I sincerely hope that all members of our school community enjoy a safe and restful holiday period and make the very most of the opportunity to connect with family and friends. I know that many of our families engaged in Eid al-Fitr celebrations on Monday. I wish peace and blessings to you and your loved ones. Eid Mubarak! For those observing Easter over the break, may this holy time be filled with reflection, renewal, and the joy of new beginnings. May the spirit of Easter bring hope, love, and happiness to you and your families.
End of Term Announcements
A reminder to all families that Term Two will commence on Tuesday 22 April. It will be a short week with ANZAC Day on Friday 25 April.
Staff Farewell
Today we farewelled a number of staff members.
We wish Terrence Yu, Giulia Downes, Kathryn Williams, Katherine Fullarton, Christina Vemis and Jane Denton well as they move on to new opportunities. We thank them all for the contributions they have made to our College.
School Council 2025/26 Office Bearers
In our last Newsletter I was able to announce the composition of our College School Council 2025/26 and welcome our new parent representatives.
Following our School Council Annual General Meeting conducted last week, I now have the pleasure of announcing our office bearers for our current Council:
School Council President – Martin Roche
School Council Vice President – Francis Killackey
Congratulations to Martin and Francis. Their commitment to our school community is greatly valued.
Parent/Student/Teacher Interviews
Last night we conducted our first Parent – Student – Teacher Conferences for the year.
It was pleasing to see so many of our families use this event to reinforce the partnership we share in forming successful learning pathways for our students. From my observations and feedback provided throughout the afternoon, the interviews were valued by parents and students and the atmosphere was very positive.
If parents were unable to attend personally or unable to secure an interview with a particular teacher, could I remind all parents that the COMPASS system allows for ongoing communication via email. I would encourage parents to contact any teacher if they have specific concerns/queries regarding the education of their child.
A special mention is also extended to our Parents and Friends Association for their efforts over the afternoon and evening in selling home-made cakes and hot cross buns and raising funds for their next project. Their presence and assistance is always valued – and the cakes were delicious!
Outstanding Student Achievement
2025 School Sport Victoria Easter Metropolitan Region Swimming Championship
On Friday 28 March our students competed in the SSV EMR Swimming Championships at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre.
Overall, the team finished the carnival in 2nd place. This was a great achievement by the students who proudly represented our College.
Our team had several highlights on the day but the collective team spirit and support from all team members stood out across the day. There were a number of major highlights from an action packed day including the following students who placed first in their events:
Ishaaq 9O
1st - Boys 14 50m Breaststroke
1st - Boys 14 50m Butterfly
1st - Boys 12-15 100m Freestyle
1st - Boys 14 50m Freestyle
1st - Boys 14 50m Backstroke
Courtney 12B
1st - Girls 18-20 50m Butterfly
1st - Girls 18-20 50m Freestyle
1st - Girls 18-20 50m Backstroke
Cally 9M
1st - Girls 14 50m Butterfly
1st - Girls 12-15 100m Freestyle
Leona 9I
1st - Girls 12-18 100m Breaststroke
1st - Girls 15 50m Breaststroke
Sean 8F
1st - Boys 12-13 50m Freestyle
Eugene 9G
1st - Boys 15 50m Butterfly
Eamon 9A
1st - Boys 15 50m Backstroke
In additional outstanding performances, our relay teams also excelled:
1st - Girls 17-20 Medley Relay (New EMR Record - 2:09.20)
Victoria 12k, Cady 11L, Courtney 12B and Leona 9I
1st - Boys 12-13 Freestyle Relay (New EMR Record - 1:57.04)
Sean 8F, Cody 7J, Jaydon 7T, Jasper 7R
1st - Girls 14 Freestyle Relay
Sia 8J, Cally 9M, Rachael 8E, Aliyah 8D
1st - Boys 15 Freestyle Relay (New EMR Record - 1:53.75)
Ishaaq 9O, Eugene 9G, Jayden 9I, Eamon 9A
1st - Girls 18-20 Freestyle Relay (New EMR Record - 1:58.20)
Victoria 12K, Cady 11L, Courtney 12B and Leona 9I
Congratulations to all involved on the day. You have done yourselves and our College very proud!
Traffic Congestion around our College
In readiness for Term 2 I would like to take this opportunity to remind the families of our College community of the need to be cautious when driving and parking at drop off and pick up times each day around our College. As a large Secondary College with close to 2200 students attending on a daily basis, we have many students being transported to our College by car which presents a potential for danger to our students and other drivers.
I’m sorry to have to report that there are still a number of parents who commit traffic violations by either parking in the wrong places or doing u-turns over the continuous white line along George Street at the front of our College. Some parents are driving in and out of the Administration car park, creating danger for students and turning into heavy traffic.
In our Stadium car park on Dryden Street we also witness a great deal of traffic congestion on a daily basis. It is important that traffic management instructions that have been communicated to all families are adhered to. The “drop off/pick up zone” has been created for parents to drive into the stadium car park, pull in parallel to the stadium in the marked space, drop off their children who can then walk to the stadium steps or tennis court paths. The drop off zone has been painted in yellow with additional signage to come soon. A pathway separate to the car park that runs parallel to the stadium should be used to keep students off the road. In the afternoons, the pick up zone will operate in the same manner.
Where possible, it is preferred for parents picking children up from school in the afternoon, that they park further away from the College. The school encourages students to seek opportunities for “active transport” that is, if they do need to be picked up, walk away from the school for a few minutes and then be collected in the car.
The safety and wellbeing of our students has to be the primary concern for us all and I would sincerely encourage all parents to ensure that the busy, crowded, often hectic school drop-off and pick-up periods are managed in a fashion that does not endanger the safe passage of our students.
Karen Boyle
Principal
Parent Payments 2025
Parent payment arrangements for 2025 are now available to view and action in Compass.
We encourage all families to carefully read all the information provided and invite you to plan to make a financial contribution to the school for the 2025 year.
These payments support the objectives of the school, including the enhancement of student learning, access, equity, inclusion and wellbeing. The school ensures that costs to parents are kept to a minimum and are affordable for families.
We appreciate all the support that families provide to make East Doncaster Secondary College a school that is highly regarded for its commitment to excellence.