News from School Council

Please welcome our 2025 School Council Parent Members!

Leah Martini - School Council President

Hi, I’m Leah Martini and I am the school council president for 2025. 

I have two kids at DPS, Campbell in 1/2A and Samantha in 5/6B. My husband Chris and I have our own business, I’m a Commercial Photographer and Producer and he is a Media Producer (video, tvc, radio etc). We largely work from home so we are lucky to often have the flexibility to help out at things like canteen, BBQ’s and athletic carnivals. We feel lucky to be part of such a wonderful school and have such kind and skilled teachers working with our kids.

This is my second year on school council (SC) and I’ve now taken on the extra role within the SC of president. Our principal moving on right at the start of my term was unexpected, but I am quickly getting up to speed with the ins and outs of the president role and I’m ready to tackle what is ahead of us. I hope to make a positive impact during my time as SC president. I welcome you all to come and introduce yourselves, and please feel free to share your thoughts with me throughout the year.

Sam Chun - School Council Vice-President

Hi! I am Sam and excited to continue the DPS School Council for the 2nd year. We are looking forward to connecting with as many parents and families at DPS to work together and collectively continuously improve our lovely school!

Shorts about us!

- Julianne and I have two daughters, Alannah loving Grade 1 and Adelene creating mayhem in kindergarten.

- I work in Education Management and Julianne works in Taxation and Finance

- We love our Donvale area and living here since 2010

Please feel free to reach out to Julianne and myself for any positive and constructive feedback that I can present to the School Council. Of course, as parents we should talk to our Teachers directly as much as we can and if there are any items that we can fundamentally improve, we are all ears!

We are looking forward to all DPS community events this year and we hope to see you all there too! 

Amelia Davatzis

I’m thrilled to be on the Donvale Primary School Council for the second time this year. Over the past five years, I’ve been an active part of the school community through the Parents Association, and my husband Emmanuel and I have loved volunteering wherever we can.

We are proud parents of Emily in Grade 1 and Harvey in Grade 5. As a family, we feel deeply connected to the vibrant and welcoming spirit that makes Donvale such a special place.

I’m looking forward to gaining a deeper understanding of how the school operates and contributing meaningfully to its ongoing development. 

Being involved at Donvale has not only strengthened our sense of community but also helped us build wonderful friendships. We are passionate about giving back to a school we truly love and supporting the best possible environment for all our children to thrive. 

Danielle Svede

I’m Danielle and this is my 2nd year on the DPS School Council.

This is my families 4th year as part of my he DPS community. William is in Grade 3 with Miss Flack and Anna is in Foundation with Miss Valentine. You might see my husband Michael helping out on the BBQ at one of the school’s  events. We chose DPS for our children because we value being part of a close knit community, and being a smaller school we believe in the importance of contributing to this in any way we are able.

I work part time as a criminal lawyer representing children and young people across Gippsland but when I’m not working I like to make it to school pick up so I can catch up with other families. I absolutely love seeing all of the happy faces of the kids as they run out of class at the end of the day. 

As a parent of a neurodiverse child I have a particular interest in ensuring inclusion and support for neurodivergent kids and their families in our community. I am keen to hear from any parents/carers who have any ideas about how we can further this at DPS. 

I look forward to meeting more of you this year! Please feel free to say ‘hi’ if you see me at school.

Sarah Lacy

Hello DPS community, I’m Sarah and this is my first year on School Council.

My beautiful son Xander is in grade 3 with Miss Flack and his little sister Amaya is jumping with joy to start school next year. She thoroughly enjoyed attending the recent Step into Prep sessions.

I have been an active member of the school community, volunteering when I can at the canteen, on school excursions, as parent class rep, and even sewing costumes for the last school production.

The school council is a great opportunity for me to learn more about DPS, to connect with a wider diversity of families and to make a positive contribution to the school. I’m there most mornings and afternoons waiting where the 3/4 grades line up so feel free to say hello and share any thoughts on how we can make the school even better 

Justin Cavenagh

Hi! I'm Justin, a proud parent of three wonderful kids currently attending our school. I’m passionate about music and the arts, and I love being involved in the school community wherever I can. With a strong interest in technology and all things digital, I'm excited to contribute my skills and energy to the school council. I'm looking forward to supporting initiatives that enrich our kids' learning experience and help our school thrive!