Principal's Report

Welcome

The tone around the college and the focus of students on their learning is to be congratulated. I have been very impressed by the senior students approach to the examination period and for the respect displayed by all students in maintaining a quiet, calm atmosphere across the school. I particularly want to wish our graduating class of 2019 all the very best on their final assessments. Similarly the commitment and willingness of students to participate in the many co-curricular activities on offer, including performance evenings, has been outstanding. Thank you to all members of our community for their commitment to these fantastic events.

Award Commendation

Taylah Denning from Year 11 VCAL was nominated and has received a commendation for The Order of Australia Association Schools Project Annual Award for 2019.

Taylah’s project involved fundraising, organising, buying and making essential item packs for the homeless people in Melbourne.

Taylah then went into the city and delivered these items to those ‘living rough’ and donated the remaining packs to the Salvation Army.

Well done Taylah. We are extremely proud of your efforts and contribution to society.

Click the link below to view Taylah delivering her packs to the homeless in Melbourne.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fENHhA1YMH-rLJ5pwLR1aL1JYLUW_Hro/view?usp=sharing

2019 Fashion and Art Exhibition

The annual Peninsula Teenage Art Exhibition and Fashion Show was held on Monday 21 October. I would like to congratulate the Dromana College Parents and Friends Association and the Arts and Technology students and staff for providing this opportunity for young people across the Mornington Peninsula. It was fantastic to see so many of our creative students entering the fashion design competition. Congratulations and thank you to all involved with hosting, liaising, catering, rehearsing and particularly our Parents and Friends Association for organising and driving this event - well done.

Junior School Production - The Snow

The junior students of Dromana College were involved in an amazing production called 'The Snow'. It is a fantastical tale of a boy who proposes a solution to the wall of snow that has imprisoned a small village. 'The Snow' is whimsical and humorous, dark and mysterious, heartfelt and sincere. Our students were superb and I would like to thank all the Dromana College staff who were involved and of course our wonderful parents for all their help and support.

Building News

It is with great excitement I announce on behalf of our college council the complete rebuilding of the “Year 11” area of the school. This project will see the development of facilities costing approximately $3 million dollars, and transform this much-loved area of the school into a state of the art learning space. Our aim is to complete the building works by the end of Semester 1, 2020. The removal of the old buildings will commence in the week beginning 6 January 2020. The college will minimise the impact of this demolition and construction, however with all such projects there will be unavoidable disruption. Plans are well underway on how we logistically manage this relocation, and I would like to thank Mr Liam O’Donnell, Head of Year 11 for his leadership of this process.

School Review

I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank students, parents, staff and the wider Dromana College learning community for their participation in a highly successful and independent whole school review.

This review will be used as the bedrock on which to build our next School Strategic Plan for 2020 – 2023. This Strategic Plan will set out the goals, strategies and targets for the college to ensure we continue to deliver excellent academic outcomes for all our students.

Bushfire Preparedness

Dromana College BAL (Bushfire Attack Level), has been lowered which means we will most likely only close on code red days. Works to create fire breaks in the bushland areas surrounding the college have now been completed adding an additional layer of protection to the students, staff and visitors of the College on high risk fire days.

Mobile Phone Policy

The revised mobile phone policy will be implemented on the first day of our Jumpstart program, the 25th November. The revised policy brings us into line with new Department of Education requirements. Essentially, students who choose to bring mobile phones to school will need to store them in lockers for the duration of the school day, including break times. The policy is available on our website (link below).

A summary of the policy implementation is outlined below.

Phones must be stored in lockers during the school day, including break times (8.55am -3.00pm)

If students are seen with a phone it will be confiscated as follows:

First offence: phone is returned at the end of the day.
Second offence: phone is returned at the end of the day but contact is made to a parent/guardian by Head of Year.
Third and subsequent offences: student is suspended.

Students will be sent home/suspended if they do not hand their phone in when asked by a teacher.

If students have permission to have a phone in class this will be recorded on Compass. Phones will need to be out of sight and turned off when being taken to and from class. They will be confiscated if seen.

This is a statewide policy implemented by the Department Of Education.

Phones and other valuables are brought to school at their owner’s risk and the school bears no responsibility for loss or damage.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Pe78hd1XYZmI9rxthCWM6_-ULD0cQRAw/view