Principal's Report
From the Principal
It seems as if we have just successfully negotiated the start of the school year and now the Easter Term Holiday break looms large on the horizon.
My observations would be that this term has been marked by the energy found in the first hectic weeks of a new school year, by the range and diversity of College events already completed, the significant progress and connection already noted in our newest students, our Year 7 cohort and the focus of senior school VCE students who appeared to have grasped the magnitude of the challenges they face this year and the effort and application required to meet those challenges in a unified fashion.
Thank you to all of our parents for the many ways that you have supported your sons and daughters and their teachers throughout Term One. Our students are to be commended on the positive way they have approached this term.
A reminder to all families that Term 2 will commence on Monday 24 April (with Tuesday 25 April a public holiday to commemorate ANZAC Day).
I sincerely hope that all members of our school community enjoy a safe and restful holiday period and make the very most of the opportunity to connect with family and friends.
Vaping in our Schools and in our community
It has come to our attention that some students are participating in vaping at school. Indeed, at a recent Department of Education state-wide briefing to Principals, it was shared that this issue is now one of real concern at many, many secondary schools throughout our state and nation.
The College is concerned that young people do not fully understand or appreciate the harmful impact of vaping upon their health and the addictive nature of vaping. Additionally, we are concerned that young people under the age of 18 years are gaining access to vapes when it is illegal for them to undertake the activity or purchase the products associated with vaping.
Naturally, vaping is not allowed at school. Should a student be found vaping or with vapes/e-juice, the items will be confiscated, parents will be notified and consequences will be enforced.
Our priority and focus with any such matter is to educate and guide students towards making informed choices. To this end, we have included the study of vaping in our curriculum.
Parents, carers, schools, and community all play an important role in protecting children and young people from, and educating them about, the harmful effects smoking and vaping.
Research from the Royal Children’s Hospital shows that many parents and carers are not aware of the harmful effects or how their views about smoking and vaping can impact the likelihood of a young person taking up smoking or vaping.
The Department of Education and Training has developed resources to help you learn more about the health risks of smoking and vaping, and some suggestions about how to talk to children and young people about vaping, and where to get support. To access such resources, go to https://www.vic.gov.au/smoking-and-vaping-advice-parents
https://www.rch.org.au/kidsinfo/fact_sheets/E-cigarettes_and_teens/
You can also view this video on smoking and vaping from experts at the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne for health advice and tips for starting a conversation with young people.
According to Alcohol and Drug Foundation (https://adf.org.au/talking-about-drugs/vaping/vaping-youth/vaping-australia/)
- In Australia, around 14% of 12 to 17-year-olds have ever tried an e-cigarette, with around 32% of these students have used one in the past month.
- Students who had vaped most commonly reported getting the last e-cigarette they had used from friends (63%), siblings (8%) or parents (7%). Around 12% of students reported buying an e-cigarette themselves.
Impact of Vaping: (https://www.verkada.com/au/blog/vaping-school-affects-teachers-classroom/#:~:text=When%20students%20vape%20in%20school,didn't%20use%20tobacco%20products.)
- Increased youth vaping creates distractions in the classroom.
- E-cigarette use can lead to lower academic performance.
- Student-teacher relationships suffer, and so does schoolwide culture.
- As young adults continue to vape, it threatens public health and safety.
This information highlights the facts around vaping and e-cigarettes and what the potential risks are.
We thank you for working with us to educate your children about this matter. If you have any queries or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the College (9842-2244)
Parent/Student/Teacher Interviews
On Wednesday afternoon and evening last week, we conducted our first Parent – Student – Teacher interviews for the year.
It was pleasing to see so many of our families use this event to reinforce the partnership we share in forming successful learning pathways for our students. From my observations and feedback provided throughout the afternoon, the interviews were valued by parents and students and the mood was very positive.
If parents were unable to attend personally on Wednesday or unable to secure an interview with a particular teachers, could I remind all parents that the COMPASS system allows for ongoing communication via email. I would encourage parents to contact any teacher if they have specific concerns/queries regarding the education of their child. Alternatively, parents may contact Year Level Coordinators to arrange meetings and discuss overall performance or other issues.
A special mention is also extended to our Parents and Friends Association for their efforts over the afternoon and evening in selling home-made cakes and hot cross buns and raising funds for their next project. Their presence and assistance is always valued – and the cakes were delicious!
Outstanding Student Achievement -Eastern Zone Swimming
Last week our students competed in the School Sport Victoria Eastern Zone Swimming Championships at the AquaNation pool in Ringwood.
Overall, the team finished the carnival in 2nd place. This was a great achievement by the 29 students who proudly represented the College!
Our team had several individual highlights on the day but the collective team spirit and support from all team members stood out across the day. Although not all students received medals for their efforts, a number of our students swam personal best times that allowed our team to score points in every race we were represented in throughout the days program.
The major highlights from an action packed day were the following students who received gold medals and a place in the SSV State Finals;
Leona LOH-HERMANS
Girls 12-13 50m Breaststroke
Charlie MCKENZIE
Boys 17 50m Breaststroke
Courtney MUDGE
Girls 12-18 100m Butterfly
Girls 16 50m Butterfly (New EMR Record 29.61)
Girls 16 50m Freestyle
Cady YEUNG
Courtney MUDGE
Megan ANG
Victoria MCKENZIE
Girls 15-16 Medley Relay (New EMR Record – 2:12.
These students will represent the College in the SSV Swimming Championship in the first week of Term 2. We wish them well!
For a more detailed report on the Carnival, please refer to a later section of this Newsletter.
Congratulations to all competitors for their contributions to individual and team success.
We are very proud of your effort !
Whilst on the subject of outstanding individual achievement can I take this opportunity to remind the families of our school community that we are always willing to hear and share the deeds of our students in their sporting, academic, performing arts or community-based pursuits external to our College. We have, on a regular basis, students who are involved in a quite extraordinary array of activities and it is always a pleasure to share those with our wider school community.
John Roberts
Principal
Curriculum Contributions Year 10-12 Subjects
Curriculum Contributions for Year 10-12 subjects are on Compass and we invite parents to support our extensive electives program which provides options and opportunities for those in our Senior School.
East Doncaster Secondary College provides classroom consumables, materials and equipment for items and activities that students use, or participate in, to access the curriculum and we invite you to make a contribution for the elective subjects that your child is studying.
Please refer to the attached document for instructions on how to do this:-
Your financial assistance enables us to enrich and extend the learning experiences of our students.
We thank you for your generous support.
Parent Payment arrangements for 2023
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Please find attached the Parent Payment arrangements for 2023. They are available for payment via Compass on your home page under “Course Confirmation/Payments”.
Alternatively, payments can be made directly to the College via credit card or cash using the College Payment Envelope. Please ensure you download the attached form for the appropriate 2023 year level. Payment envelopes can be dropped off at the College in the locked drop box at Reception.
Your ongoing support of the College allows us to continue to offer a broad range of programs and enhanced curriculum experiences.
Please refer to the attached Parent Payments Policy and further links to information via https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/parent-payment/policy
Advertise in our College Newsletter
Do you have a business or are you part of a community organisation?
Do you want to reach over 1,000 families in the area every fortnight?
Our fortnightly e-newsletter has space available at either A5 or full page and can include direct links to your website (no social media sites).
Pricing:
$25 - A5 size per edition
$50 - A4 full page per edition
$10 – for community groups A5 size per edition
$200 - per term
$700 - per year
Email the attached form to
east.doncaster.sc@education.vic.gov.au or contact us on 9842-2244 for more information.
College Philosophy
At East Doncaster Secondary College we have a strong tradition of academic excellence and we aim to promote and sustain a reflective learning culture. We want students to experience a sense of achievement and growth in their academic, personal, social and emotional development. We have high expectations of our students’ commitment to being mutually supportive and striving for success as learners. We are proudly multicultural with a student population from 43 nationalities including a number of International Students. 68% of our students speak a language other than English at home.
A student’s life at school is full of opportunities, being rich and varied with a range of co-curricular activities in music, sport, productions, debating, clubs as well as camps and international experiences for the educational and personal development of students. Our students are vibrant, energetic, and talented young people. There are many student leadership opportunities and we aim to continue to increase student access to decision-making and self-determination as learners.
We endeavour to create a "Culture of Curiosity" with goals of ensuring learning improvement for every student – every student, every period, every day.
Our school’s purpose is to develop passionate learners who are critical thinkers with the confidence and capability to engage in the global community.
Care and Compassion, Curiosity, Excellence, Fairness, Resilience, Respect and Teamwork are the core values that underpin the culture of our school as we embrace the challenges of 21st Century learning.
We aim to sustain a learning culture that provides every student with a sense of achievement and of being their best in their academic, personal, social and emotional development.
Privacy and Data at East Doncaster Secondary College - Reminder
Our school collects, uses, discloses and stores student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ Privacy Policy.
Please take time to read our school’s collection notice, found on our website on the Policy Documents page. We ask parents to also review the guidance we provide on how we use platforms such as Compass, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace for Education safely at the school and what parents can do to further protect their child’s information. If after reviewing the guidance, you have any questions or concerns regarding your child using Microsoft 365/Google Workspace for Education, please contact the school. For more information about privacy, refer to: Schools’ Privacy Policy — information for parents. This information is also available in ten community languages:
* Amharic
* Arabic
* Dari
* Gujarati
* Mandarin
* Somali
* Sudanese
* Turkish
* Urdu
* Vietnamese