Principals' Message

On Friday we were proud to formally present badges to our remaining student leaders - Student Voice Leaders, Art Captains, Music Captains and Environmental Leaders. These students play a vital role in enriching our school community. We are confident they will carry out their responsibilities with enthusiasm, integrity and pride.

We were also delighted to welcome our local Federal Member of Parliament, Gabriel Ng, who assisted in presenting the badges. We thank him for taking the time to join us and help acknowledge the leadership and commitment of our students.

At the end of our assembly students enjoyed a Lion dance performance by some of our 5/6 students. In Chinese culture, the lion symbolises power, wisdom and superiority. People perform lion dances at festivals or big occassions to bring good fortune and chase away evil spirits. Our lion was brought to life by Benedict and Ethan, who did an amazing job at entertaining us. They were led out by Alyssa, who was the big, happy Buddha, guiding the Lion through the crowd.  

The Lion dance is accompanied by loud, fast paced drumming, cymbals and gongs to help create a festive atmosphere and help drive away evil spirits. Our musicians were Callum, Biz and Ryan who helped bring the performance to life.

Curriculum Day – Building Our Learning Culture

On our recent Curriculum Day, our staff came together for a highly productive and positive day of professional learning, with Tracey Ezard. The focus of the day was strengthening our collaborative culture, with trust, innovation and authentic dialogue at the centre of our work.

As part of our day, staff explored both the individual and collective opportunities to make a difference within our learning environment. Using the Buzz Culture Ladder and insights gathered from our Buzz Diagnostic, we reflected on three key pillars: Collective Growth Mindset, Compelling Environment and Authentic Dialogue. These pillars will guide how we work together as professionals and how we will continue to improve outcomes for our students.

Importantly, the day was not just about reflection, but about action. Staff identified practical next steps to take back into their teams and classrooms to further enhance teaching and learning across the school.

This ongoing work will help us build a culture where trust, psychological safety and professional courage are present, creating the conditions for continuous growth. When educators are connected and working collaboratively, it strengthens our ability to positively impact student learning and wellbeing.

We are excited about the momentum this work is building and look forward to continuing to grow together as a learning community.

Parent Helpers Course

Last week we ran out first Parent Helpers course. We will be hosting another session this Friday 6th March and an ONLINE session on Monday 30th March at 7pm. If you are interested in the online sessions please ring the office so a pack can be sent home with your child before hand.

This course is designed for parents or carers who would like to assist in classrooms, on excursions, at special events or in other volunteer capacities throughout the year. During the session we will:

• Explain the different ways you can assist at school and support student learning

• Go through our Child Safe policies and expectations to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all children

• Share the requirements needed to become a Parent Helper and Volunteer at Donvale Primary School

Attendance Update

Each month we will provide our school community with an update on our Attendance for the previous month and for the year to date. Pleasingly, we are ahead of all of our goals for the year at this stage. The 5/6 building has been hit hard with flu which has affected students, families and teachers alike. Fingers crossed we have seen the back of it and we can enjoy a healthier second month of the school year.

Decodable Readers Australia

Yes, you read that write. Toowoomba, Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and Donvale. Donvale Primary School is proud to be hosting Decodable Readers Australia for a Professional Development session on March 12th. Over 40 educators from schools in our area will attend the day and learn about implementing Systematic Synthetic Phonics - something Donvale Primary School has proudly implemented for a number of years.

NAPLAN

NAPLAN testing begins next week for students in grades 3 and 5. The Writing assessment will take place first, next Wednesday. Students will be given a narrative or persuasive prompt to base their writing on. Grade 3s will write by hand, while Grade 5s will use a device. The next day, students will complete a Reading assessment before completing a Conventions of Language test on the Friday. The Numeracy assessment will now take place on Tuesday March 17. Please ensure student devices come to school fully charged with headphones and the lockdown browser installed. If you are unsure about any of these requirements, please email myself, Mr Robertson or your child's classroom teacher.

Enrichment

Over the past few weeks, Donvale Primary Students in year 5/6 have excitedly begun enrichment through the Future Problem Solvers and Maths Olympiad programs. The FPS Students have been learning about the 6 step problem solving process, tackling the issue of Invasive Species and learning about how to unpack a future scene. It is team-based and the buzz in the room is thrilling. Similarly, many students have begun exploring question-types from the Maths Olympiad. These provide students with brain-bending questions which require rich mathematical understandings, lateral thinking and quick problem-solving skills. Like the FPS, the Olympiad takes place in a team environment where each student is encouraged to take risks, share ideas, support one another and, in turn, be helped by those around us.