Principal's Report
Principal Report
It is hard to believe that we are past the halfway point of Term 3. As the weather starts to turn with the promise of spring weather, our students are also being energised by a range of highly anticipated events that are finally upon us.
Our Year 11 students have revelled in a range of experiences this week. Our annual Year 11 camp week has been thoroughly enjoyed with many students experiencing the snowfields of Victoria whilst others elected to sign up for the warmer weather (and the theme parks) of the Gold Coast. For others, the opportunity was seized to engage in our Job-Skill training course or work experience placements. We look forward to hearing more about our travellers’ experiences upon their return.
In the not too distant future, our NASA Space Camp in 2024 will take flight for what I know will be an incredible experience for all involved. Our Year 8 cohort will also embark on their camp experience in South Gippsland in a few weeks’ time.
For our Year 12 students, the end to their secondary schooling is fast approaching. They are working very hard to complete their final major assessment tasks over the remaining weeks of term and will then turn their attention to exam revision at the start of Term 4.
STEAM at EDSC
Last week we celebrated National Science Week; an opportunity to acknowledge the contributions of Australian scientists to the world of knowledge. It also aims to encourage an interest in science pursuits among the general public, and to encourage younger people to become fascinated by the world we live in.
Our staff and students embraced the opportunity to get involved with many activities on offer. I would like to acknowledge our STEM and Art Captains who organised a range of lunchtime activities, ranging from randomising artworks with electrical tape and programming spheros to 3D printing workshops and a Film festival. It was also wonderful to welcome back Justin Doery, a past EDSC student, who is a geotechnical engineer. During Positive Futures he presented to a group of students about his field of work.
A highlight of the week was Thursday’s- The Amazing STEAM Race!
Book week
This week was a highlight for the avid readers in our community, both students and staff, as we celebrated Book Week.
Our week began with visiting author, Kate Constable, who addressed all Year 7 classes. This was particularly captivating for our students who study her novel ‘Crow Country’ as part of their English studies.
The hype built further on Tuesday with our book themed dress up day. It was wonderful to see the creativity of so many students and the joy they exhibited when sharing their favourite books and characters. Many of our teachers also got into the spirit with "Macbeth", "The White Queen from Narnia" and the characters from Mary Poppins making an appearance. The week continued with a mystery reader competition, a visiting magician and our annual bookmark competition.
Book Week is an opportunity to ignite imaginations, inspire young readers, and celebrate the powerful role that books play in our lives. I thank our library staff for being such a driving force of this week and for the ongoing love and enjoyment of reading that they nurture in our students.
Whitehorse Division Track and Field
I was fortunate on Wednesday 21 August, to see some of the EDSC Athletics team in action in the Whitehorse Division Athletics Carnival held at the Tom Kelly Athletics Track.
Overall, EDSC placed second in the team competition which was a valiant effort in such a competitive field. I extend my congratulations to all students involved and to our incredible staff that make these events possible. I encourage you to read Michael James’ report later in this newsletter for full details.
Outstanding Student Achievements
I would like to take this opportunity to wish Vinceman all the best for his upcoming figure skating events. He is about to embark upon the Asian Open Trophy in Hong Kong representing Australia. Later in the year he will also be competing in China, representing Australia at the Junior Grand Prix Figure Skating Championships. Vinceman’s dedication to his figure skating is truly inspiring. I know that I am not alone in wishing him well in these upcoming events. We will be cheering him on from afar!
I would also like to share with our school community the incredible talents of Donna. Donna is a first-level fencing coach certified by the Australian Fencing Federation and an excellent young coach at Kirin Fencing Club. She has trained 4 Gold Medallists in Victoria, and was appointed as an assistant coach to assist the head coach in leading 11 students to participate in the International Regional Qualifying Tournament (IRC) held in Wuxi, China from July 31 to August 8, and one of her students won a bronze medal for Australia in the UI 2 Women's Epee Competition. An outstanding achievement!
Student Free Day - Monday 26 August
A reminder that on Monday 26 August our teachers will be engaged in a professional learning day. All of our teachers will be undertaking extensive professional development that will support our work on School Wide Positive Behaviours.
The activities undertaken next Monday will enable all our teachers to grow professionally and strengthen their ability to cater to the varied needs of our students.
Student Reports
A reminder that our cycle four student reports will be available via COMPASS on Friday 23 August. Our progressive reports provide a crucial layer of feedback to parents and students, ensuring that ‘in-time’ feedback is provided for ongoing learning improvement.
I will also take this opportunity to encourage parents to avail themselves of the opportunity to discuss their students’ progress at the upcoming Parent- Teacher- Student Conferences on Wednesday 18 September. Please refer to Compass for information on bookings.
Census Data Collection – Student Family Occupation and Updating Family Details
Every year the Department of Education conduct a census in August which helps determine the level of our schools’ student-based funding. To ensure that the College is able to continue to provide quality programs and an efficient learning environment for our students it relies on being supported by Department funding. Student Family Occupation details are an important component used by DE to formulate our correct level of funding. These details are originally collected on your child’s enrolment form but are often not updated. For this census to be accurate we ask that all family details are up to date, including parent occupation and occupation code, employer and all contact details. Please complete the data collection form, even if you believe your details have not changed, and return to the College Reception as soon as possible. For assistance with identifying what occupation code to use please refer to the attached document.
It is also vital that families maintain up to date contact information. If your details change we ask that you please complete the Change of Details Form (below) and return to Reception or via email to east.doncaster.sc@education.vic.gov.au
Karen Boyle
Principal