Principal's Update

Welcome

Term 4 has commenced extremely well, the tone around the college and the focus of students on their learning is to be congratulated.  Similarly the commitment and willingness of students to participate in the many co-curricular activities on offer, including the District Athletics and the Junior Performance ‘Fight with all Your Might the Zombies of Tonight’, has been outstanding.  The course counselling procedures for determining student courses in 2018 is now complete and the construction of next year’s timetable in preparation for JumpStart has begun.   I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the work of our Year 12 teachers in providing holiday revision classes to help further prepare students for their final assessments.  The attendance rate of VCE students over the holiday period culminating in a 3 hour English exam on Friday October 6, combined with daylight savings, was fantastic. Thank you and well done to our teachers of Year 12 students and the Senior School Team for the impeccable organisation of the program.    

Arthurs Seat Challenge

The annual Arthurs Seat Challenge will again take place this year on Sunday 12 November. The event is a major fundraiser for the ‘Fit to Drive’ campaign, which educates young people on the perils they can encounter on our roads and promotes positive driving habits. I would like to acknowledge all of our participants.

Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL)

Thank you to our Year 12 Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) students on completing their secondary schooling and for allowing senior school representatives to join them for a farewell lunch held at Whispering Vines, organised by the Student Leaders and their coordinator, Ms Jaimie Watts. There were a few tears at the realisation that secondary schooling was coming to an end, and the routines of the last six years were about to change. Leaving the security of a routine is daunting, however I know that all of our students are well prepared and capable young people with goals and ambitions.  Our community should have great confidence in the futures of all of our graduating students.

Our Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) students are continuing to work hard and preparing for their performance exams in the Performing Arts and Languages. The students are practising past exams and finalising study routines in anticipation of their final externally written assessments.  This is an anxious and stressful time of the year for our senior students, we know they want to do their best and I believe each and every one of our Year 12 students will do their best.  At Dromana College we are fortunate and proud to have an amazing cohorts of students who embrace our values of respect, responsibility, integrity and personal best.  The graduating class of 2017 has certainly led the whole school community in making these values an everyday part of college life; and I would like to take this opportunity, on behalf of our community, to wish all of our students the very best for their upcoming final assessments, and thank them for their contributions to the college. I look forward to sharing their success at our Valedictory Dinner on Wednesday 20 December 2017.

10th Annual Peninsula Teenage Art Exhibition and Fashion Show

The annual Peninsula Teenage Art Exhibition and Fashion Show was held on Monday 23 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: hosting,  liaising, catering, rehearsing and particularly our Parents and Friends Association for organising and driving this event - well done.

Junior School Play

Students in Years 7 and 8 have been rehearsing the play ‘Fight with all Your Might the Zombies of Tonight’ over the past ten weeks. Thank you to Ms Carole Patullo for her excellent work with our students in bringing this performance to light. I thoroughly enjoyed the evening performance and would like to congratulate all the cast and crew on a wonderful show which took place in the College theatre on Friday 20 and Saturday 21 October.  Well done.

Bushfire Preparedness

The Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) of the college 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 college on high risk fire days.

Building News

The college has been offered the opportunity to reconfigure some of its existing portables to create a second learning space similar to the Year 7 area.  The works required will commence at the end of November.  All going well there will be minimal disruption to the college program.

JumpStart Program

Our well established JumpStart Program which sees eligible students promoted to the next year level at the conclusion of the formal examination period, is a very productive time, and a fantastic opportunity for students to put forward their best efforts in all of their 2018 classes. JumpStart commences on Monday 27 November and concludes on Friday 15 December 2017.

Alan Marr

PRINCIPAL