Principal’s Report

Principal’s Report – 15 May 2026

It is hard to believe that we are already approaching the mid-point of Term 2, it has been wonderful to see our students enthusiastically involved in both their academic pursuits and the many co-curricular opportunities that enrich life at East Doncaster Secondary College.

As we are at the point within the semester where assessments begin to increase, particularly for our Senior School students, I felt it timely to reiterate the importance of the partnership between families and the school. This partnership plays a vital role in student success. Open communication, encouragement at home, and consistent routines can make a meaningful difference as students navigate the demands of the coming weeks.

We are often approached by families who seek advice on how best to support their students with learning at home. Effective revision is not simply about the number of hours spent studying, but the quality of the learning taking place. We find that students often feel that they are being productive when rereading or highlighting notes. Research shows that such activities do not lead to deep learning or lasting retention of information. In fact, revision is most effective when students actively engage with information through strategies such retrieval practice, spacing and reflection. These approaches help strengthen understanding and move knowledge into long-term memory. Throughout the year, students have received weekly evidence-based revision strategies via Compass to build into their study and homework routines. Encouraging students to study in shorter, focused sessions with regular breaks and active recall strategies is far more beneficial than simply staying busy. We encourage families to explore these strategies together so that we can work together on ensuring our students are equipped with the strategies that will help them to thrive.

Families can play an important role by helping students establish consistent routines, minimise distractions, and focus on purposeful revision habits (all year, not just prior to tests or exams) that build both confidence and understanding. Engaging in conversations about their learning at home with their families is also a fabulous way to help transfer knowledge from short term to long term memory. Together, we can help our young people approach their everyday learning and assessment periods with resilience, confidence, and a strong sense of wellbeing.

Inaugural STEM Tour of Japan

We welcome back the twenty students and three staff members who took part in our inaugural STEM excursion to Japan on 17 to 28 April.

Over the duration of the tour, our students and staff immersed themselves in Japan’s unique culture and technological and scientific innovation. From Tokyo to Hiroshima and Osaka, our curious travellers visited interactive science museums, cutting-edge technology precincts and cultural landmarks. The tour offered students a deeper understanding of the important connection between STEM, society and global citizenship. Our students were particularly moved by their visit to Hiroshima and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum; with student written reflections revealing the impact of this experience. I do encourage you to read some of these reflections in this edition of our newsletter.

Students represented our school with curiosity, maturity and outstanding behaviour throughout the tour. We also extend our sincere thanks to the Jasvinder Kaur, Sally Polidano and James Drummond who generously gave their time and expertise to make this incredible opportunity possible.

Athletics Carnival

Our annual House Athletics Carnival took place on Monday in what was a spectacular sunny day for this time of year.

As is an EDSC tradition, our Year 12 cohort arrived to school in an array of inventive costumes, ready to create a vibrant carnival atmosphere to mark their last school sports carnival. I am sure that many drivers did a double take seeing a parade of students walking down George Street in an array of interesting outfits.

Congratulations to all students who participated in events on the day.  You will find a full report from our carnivals coordinator, Michael James, later in this newsletter.

IDAHOBIT

May 17 marks IDAHOBIT- The International Day Against LGBTIQA+ Discrimination.  The day focuses on raising awareness of LGBTQIA+ discrimination and celebrating inclusion through events, education, and visibility.  It is a day for an open acceptance of difference and promoting respectful relationships.

East Doncaster Secondary College celebrated IDAHOBIT today. Our celebration of the day serves to reinforce our commitment to the College values of Respect, Care and Compassion and Fairness. We are proud to be a community where everyone is accepted and treated equitably and with respect regardless of gender, cultural background, religious beliefs, sexuality, race or disability. Creating a safe, respectful, and supportive environment where all students feel they belong is central to everything we do. Every child deserves to learn free from fear of bullying or exclusion. By recognizing this day, the school is focusing on empathy, kindness, and the importance of treating others with dignity – values that benefit every member of the school community and foster inclusivity; qualities and understandings that prepare our young people for the diverse world outside of school.

Thank you to our student leaders and to our Wellbeing Team, led by Maddie Sill, for their organisation of our celebrations. It was great to see so many students and staff mark the day with a visit to our Wellbeing Hub where supportive messages to the LGBTQIA+ community were written and displayed. It is always wonderful to see our school community come together in the spirit of unity and inclusion.

City Experience – Group 2

Student in 9I-9P head into the city on Monday for their City Experience adventure. After the resounding success of group 1 in Week 2 of term, I know that the students are excited to take part and I know they will enjoy the activities and challenges that await.

We wish them well and keep our fingers crossed that Melbourne’s unpredictable weather is kind to them.

2026 Hockey Australia U16 National Team selection

Following on from their recent success at the 2026 Hockey Australia U16 Championships, I am thrilled to share that Kryshant Jiwa Mohan and Kriish Jiwa Mohan have just been selected for the Hockey Australia U16 Squad. This is an outstanding achievement for Kryshant and Kriish and a fitting reward for their unwavering dedication, hard work and passion. Congratulations!

Assessment and Reporting

Our Cycle 2 reports will be published for students and families today. The publication of cycle reports provides the perfect opportunity for conversations at home around positive approaches to learning and the importance of utilising feedback for ongoing improvement. A major element of producing Cycle Reports is the crucial role that feedback plays in the learning process. Students receive feedback on all assessed tasks and explore with their teachers, both at a class and individual level, the key areas for growth and strategies for improvement. I do encourage families to look beyond the Cycle graphs and delve into the learning tasks that contribute to Cycle results. Understanding the types of tasks being assessed provides a fuller picture of your child’s learning progress.

It is important that families regularly log in to Compass as a way to keep up to date with the learning that is taking place in class and the progress students are making. This is an important part of your partnership with us to ensure that we are working together to support our learners. As communicated in our previous newsletter and via Compass newsfeed, language translation is now available when you log in via your desktop browser or when opening Compass in a web browser.

Exam Period

A reminder that the Semester 1 Exam period will commence in week 7 of this term on Thursday 5 June. Exam timetables have been published for all students in Years 10 and 11 on COMPASS.

Year 11 Exams will be conducted from June 4-19

Year 10 Exams will be conducted from June 11-19

Year 9 Maths and English exams will be conducted on Tuesday June 16

Please note that the GAT (General Achievement Test), will this year be conducted on Tuesday 16 June for all students completing a Unit 3/4 VCE subject and for senior Vocational Major students.

Exams are an opportunity for students to challenge themselves to do their best and identify areas to work on in the future. I wish all students well during this period.