Assistant Principals' Reports 

DREW KING

Assistant Principal | Junior School

With the welcome arrival of spring, it’s time to reflect on the swift passing of Term 3. Our wonderful Year 7 cohort started the term with a bang, with students having the opportunity to voice their opinions on topics of their choice in a presentation to families and teachers. The talent and bravery of so many young students standing up and presenting to a full house was incredible.

Students also had the opportunity to get involved in inter-school sports days. These events were well attended and yielded positive outcomes in sports such as futsal, basketball, table tennis and hockey. Other remarkable achievements included students getting involved in the vocal soiree and in Wakakirri, the group made it all the way to Moonee Ponds for finals. Dromana won best historical story and Mr. Marr mentioned, “Our students by far were the best dancers.” 

Senior Constable Matthew Merifield, in collaboration with the Victorian Police, paid a visit to our Year 7 students to address the critical topic of unauthorised photography and filming of fellow students. This enlightening discussion then transitioned into a broader conversation about the dangers of cyberbullying and other cyber-related issues. These discussions emphasised the collective commitment required from students and parents to ensure the safety of all students, as to foster a positive learning environment.

Year 8 was also full steam ahead. Our students exhibited tremendous enthusiasm and commitment. Our exceptional Year 8 student leaders came together to conceive and implement a wonderful initiative called the ‘Clean Up’ program. Under this program, each week, a different form takes on the responsibility, [all students generously dedicating one of their lunchtimes during the term] to beautify not only the Year 8 area but also, its surrounding spaces.  

 In the second half of the term the focus shifted to picking subjects for 2024. The students were very excited about having so much agency in their education, and the positive and mature conversations facilitated by the process have been very rewarding. 

The coordinating teams continued to reward forms and individual students for high achievement in effor on the Progress Report effort, to increase recognition for students who embody the school values. 

Term Three for Year 9 has had a significant focus on respect and the students’ upcoming transition into the senior school. The students were given the results from their Morrisby testing, which gave them an insight into possible career pathways they would be suited to. The year level also reached their goal of 2000 collective merit points for 2023 a term earlier than we had aimed for, which is a huge achievement!  Year 9 students can sign up for the Year 10 Central Australia Camp now, which it is filling up fast. 

Finally, I would like to thank all the dedicated teachers and supportive parents who tirelessly prepare their children for success by ensuring they have the essential classroom resources, all within our fantastic learning environments. Wishing you all a great spring break! We look forward to welcoming everyone back for Term 4. 

SIMON JONES 

Assistant Principal | Senior School 

The year is moving forward rapidly. Our Year 12 Vocational Major students will be finishing their school lives at the end of term and as such have only 5 weeks left, which is a mere 15 days on-site for most. They will be the first cohort to graduate with the new VCE Vocational Major certificate. They have been a great group of students who all have very bright futures. We thank them all for their individual and collective contributions and wish them happiness and success beyond school.

Similarly, the year 12 VCE students are now working towards the completion of coursework and will then focus on the upcoming exams. Practice exams will again run in the first week of the holidays and are an essential part of the preparation for the VCAA exams. Students need to factor this into their planning and ensure that they attend all exams.

All students have now made their pathways and elective choices for 2024 and we are now preparing the school timetable for Jumpstart which begins on the 13th of November. This is the date that students roll into the next year's level and commence classes with new subjects and teachers. In recognition of the increasing numbers of students who are seeking an unscored VCE pathway, we have introduced the Further Learning program in Years 11 and 12 for 2024. It has proved to be a popular choice with strong numbers choosing this pathway. It combines VCE studies with vocational learning.

It is important, however, that all students continue to deliver their best effort for the remainder of this year to ensure that they are as prepared as possible to face the challenges that will come with the next level of learning in 2024.

STEPHANIE PEARCE

Assistant Principal | Teaching and Learning

It is hard to believe we are at the end of Term 3! It has been a productive term filled with great achievement and progress.

This term we celebrated our NAPLAN results for the Year 7 and 9 cohorts, and what a cause for celebration they were! As a learning community, we can be proud of all students, who have collectively achieved results across literacy and numeracy that not only are above like-schools and the network, but are also abovr the state!

Below is a summary of the percentage of Dromana College students who achieved results of an Exceeding or Strong proficiency level (The top 2 proficiency levels) in 2023 and how these results compare to the state.

A special shout-out to our Year 9 Boys who collectively achieved results in numeracy that were 20% above the state average - a phenomenal achievement!

Additionally, it was pleasing to see participation above 80% in all tests. Well done to all and thank you to our Year 7 and 9 families for your support and encouragement.

Another area for celebration this term was the work of our student leaders, under the guidance of Student Leadership Leader Alex Woolley who developed and implemented another successful Teach the Teacher workshop for staff. The students brought their voices into discussions for school improvement in their chosen area: respect. This is one of our school's strategic targets, so it was great having the students so involved in driving improvement in this space. It was a very well-received professional learning opportunity, and I speak on behalf of all staff when I say how appreciative we are for the time and effort the students gave to this meeting. We are already looking forward to the next one!

Our Curriculum Day this term focused on Effective Collaboration and Individualised Learning. We heard from a number of staff about strategies they use to differentiate learning in their classroom, and then had time to work in our domain teams using the Improvement Cycle to evaluate and diagnose areas for growth and plan to and develop an action plan collaboratively with colleagues. It was a positive and productive day for all involved. I would like to extend thanks to our Professional Learning Team for their hard work and organisation in bringing this day together. 

The development of the 2024 book list is currently underway. New subjects and resources have been added to further enrich the breadth of our learning program across Years 7-12. The book list will be available to families on Friday 27th October. More information will be communicated via Compass early next term. Early English access to purchase texts for Year 10 and VCE will be available on Friday 15th September. Please see the Compass newsfeed for updates. 

Lastly, thank you again to the whole college community for your ongoing support during what always proves to be a busy term. Enjoy the break and I look forward to a positive and strong finish to Term 4 once we return. 

MATTHEW MCLAREN

Assistant Principal | Wellbeing

Student Wellbeing at Dromana is not only addressed through individual support but also proactively taught through aspects of our Curriculum across various Domains and the Pastoral Program. Good sleep hygiene is one of the most critical aspects of ensuring students are happy, healthy and active. 

Sleep and Teenagers 

It is recommended that children aged 5-13 years sleep between 9 and 11 hours, per night and adolescents aged 14-17 years between 8 and 11 hours of sleep per night. Recent studies have indicated that around a quarter of 12-15-year-olds and half of 16-17-year-olds don’t get enough sleep on school nights and commonly try to catch up by sleeping longer on weekends. This lack of sleep impacts their academic, physical, and psychological wellbeing. 

Sleep Hygiene 

Sleep hygiene is the quality of habits, behaviours and environmental factors that influence a person’s sleep quality. Sleep Hygiene can be particularly difficult for teenagers, as they experience a hormonal shift that influences their Circadian Rhythm – the body’s internal clock. This often makes teenagers want to stay up later and then want to sleep in during the morning.

Positive  Sleep Hygiene Choices

Whilst we cannot change the hormonal nature of teenagers, we can assist them in making proactive choices to improve sleep hygiene. Advice for students includes: 

Light Exposure

Make sure to get some sunlight during the day. This is most beneficial in the morning hours.

Set and listen to the body clock.

Try to wake and get up at the same time every day, including on weekends. Go to bed if you are tired in the evenings. 

Exercise 

Exercise improves daytime energy levels and mood and lessens the likelihood of being overweight, which is related to about 60 percent of sleep apnoea cases. It also tires you out. Studies show that people who regularly engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise each day report better quality sleep and daytime functioning. This doesn’t have to be high-intensity – walking is excellent.

Limit screen time 

Using smartphones and other screens before bed harms sleep. Having no screen time for an hour before bed rule is vital for teenagers to improve their sleep. In addition, mobile phones should be stored overnight in a common area, not in your bedroom.