Principal's Report

Welcome

The commitment and participation during Term 2 has been exceptional. The tone around our school and the focus of our students on their learning is to be congratulated. Similarly, the commitment and willingness of our students to participate in the many extra curricula activities on offer, including sailing, swimming, cycling, athletics technology, and arts enhancement classes, just to name a few, has been outstanding. 

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the whole school community for your support during the government extended lockdown in June.  Our school through its structure, programs and high expectations, creates safe and predictable routines for our whole community.  The efforts made in maintaining this focus on learning through the period of remote learning is commendable.  Well done to the whole college community on this achievement.

Year 7-9 Careers and Pathways

This year has seen a focus on Career Portfolios across our junior school. This will support every student to develop their Career Action Plan (CAP). All students are expected to have a CAP that sets out their goals and aspirations for the year, and these will help inform our Managed Individual Pathways (MIPs) interviews going forward with regard to subject selection and pathways. As part of our Careers and Pathways program, Year 9 students completed the Morrisby profile questionnaire in Term 1 and attended interviews with externally provided careers consultants. These interviews provide a great opportunity for our students to access advice that will inform their senior school pathways. 

Congratulations to all involved with this program.

The Careers Day organised by Ms Julie Clough was a great success and the feedback provided by the professionals and exhibitors regarding the way our students participated and presented themselves was most pleasing. I would like to take this opportunity to also thank and congratulate our Year 9 and 10 students for being outstanding ambassadors for the school. The evening information sessions for parents were very well attended, as were the learning area displays.  These evenings provide fantastic opportunities for parents and students to work collaboratively with teachers in making subject selection choices for the future.   Thank you to staff for making themselves available to support our families in making these important decisions. 

Open Night Tuesday 27 April

The annual Dromana College Open Night was held on Tuesday 27 April with all teaching and support staff present.  The event was very well supported with a high number of families in attendance. Our guest speakers were very well received, and I would like to take this opportunity to recognise and say thank you to all involved.  Open Night, in my opinion, is a fantastic evening designed primarily to share the pride of our students, our programs and our teachers with the wider community. We are not a school that needs to increase or compete for enrolment. Open Night is a significant logistical task, and we constantly seek feedback on how the evening can be improved to meet the needs of prospective families and students.  The community feedback has been very positive. 

NAPLAN

I want to take this opportunity to say congratulations to all students in Years 7 and 9 who undertook the literacy and numeracy national assessments in the week of May 10, 2021. I had the privilege of supervising some of the assessment sessions and was incredibly proud of the commitment to personal best being exemplified by all students.  Well done to all students who participated, I am looking forward to celebrating your achievements with you later in the year.

Sporting Success 

Our College is well regarded in all sports and it has been a significant year of achievement in this field.  For the first time in the school’s history, Dromana College has won all three championships in Swimming, Athletics and Cross Country.  An even greater achievement as no school has achieved this before. Well done to all our athletes.

Bushfire Preparedness

It seems strange to be discussing Bushfire preparedness in such cold weather. Dromana College BAL (Bushfire Attack Level) has been lowered which means we will most likely only close on code red days in 2022.  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.