Issue 13

Principal’s Report – 21 August 2026

Congratulations to the cast and crew of Backstage Pass.

Last week we were thrilled to celebrate our students as they hit the stage in our 2026 whole school production Backstage Pass.

After a truly energising dress rehearsal performance for an audience of Doncaster Gardens Primary School students on Tuesday 11 August, our production ran for two show nights in our Performing Arts Centre on Thursday 13 and Friday 14 August. The reviews are in – it was brilliant!

Our students certainly wowed the audience of each performance with their talent. While the overwhelming response was one of joy – no one left without a smile on their face. There were also some emotionally charged moments in the show that I believe may have led to a teary eye or two in the theatre.

The Performing Arts are a vital part of our school community and are such an important avenue for our young people to develop confidence and embrace being a part of a community. The cast and crew of this year’s production brought together students from across all year levels. Over the last few months they have had the opportunity to discover hidden talents, challenge themselves, build confidence and create something unique together. They have grown as performers and as individuals. And importantly, our students have created memories and friendships that they will carry with them long after the final curtain.

There are many staff that assisted our students behind the scenes but a very special thank you must go to the amazing Kate Barresi; this show would not have happened without her drive and commitment. To Norm Grimmett, Megan Thompson and Kerryn Murray whose tireless efforts are appreciated by all. And to our directors, the phenomenal Deon and Maddie Nuku, thank you for your support of our students and your creative vision that brought this show to life.

As we celebrate this production, we also look to the future with optimism. May this year’s production mark the continuation of a vibrant tradition of school productions at East Doncaster Secondary College, providing many more opportunities for students to shine, connect and create unforgettable memories for years to come.

2026 NAPLAN update

Our Year 7 and 9 families should have received this year’s NAPLAN results in the mail. Once again, I remind families to file their results in a secure place as the school cannot replace these if misplaced.

Our NAPLAN results once again highlight the exceptional literacy and numeracy abilities of our students with a significant number of our students achieving in the exceeding or strong proficiencies. More importantly, we are also seeing significant learning growth between Year 7 and Year 9 outcomes which we are very proud of.

Once again, our Year 7 NAPLAN data highlights the strengths of our newest cohort to the College. Year 7 Reading results showed that 84% of our students are in the Exceeding or Strong Proficiencies (compared to 81% in similar schools and 64% in the state). In Writing, 85% of our students are in the Exceeding or Strong Proficiencies (compared to 81% in similar schools and 62% in the state). In Numeracy, 95% Year 7 students are in the Exceeding or Strong Proficiencies (compared to 85% in similar schools and 66% in the state).

Our Year 9 cohort also reveals that our students are performing above similar schools and state. Year 9 Reading results showed that 83% of our students are in the Exceeding or Strong Proficiencies (compared to 77% in similar schools and 62% in the state). In Writing, 82% of our students are in the Exceeding or Strong Proficiencies (compared to 78% in similar schools and 62% in the state). In Numeracy, 91% Year 9 students are in the Exceeding or Strong Proficiencies (compared to 81% in similar schools and 62% in the state).

This year is the first year since the change to the NAPLAN measurements that we are able to track Year 7 to 9 growth. 81% of our Year 9 students have achieved High and Medium Growth in Reading (compared to 77% in similar schools and 74% in the state), 83% have achieved High and Medium Growth in Writing (compared to 80% in similar schools and 73% in the state) and 85% achieved High and Medium Growth in Numeracy (compared to 78% in similar schools and 75% in the state).

We are incredibly proud of our students for their commitment to learning and personal growth. While it is rewarding to see their efforts reflected in NAPLAN results, it is the growth we see in their learning every day that we take the most pride in; their willingness to take risks, learn from mistakes, collaborate with others and seek feedback for future learning improvement.

Student Free Day – Monday 24 August

A reminder that on Monday 24 August our teachers will be engaged in a professional learning day. All our teachers will be undertaking extensive professional development that will support our work on School Wide Positive Behaviours, with an explicit focus on student voice and agency.

We are excited to have our College Captains present to staff in the morning, where they will be sharing student insights into effective classroom strategies. Following on from this  student led workshop, our teachers will also be undertaking professional learning on the value of student voice and agency in the classroom and strategies for strengthening avenues for student to become more active in their learning.

The activities undertaken on this day will enable all our teachers to grow professionally and strengthen their ability to cater to the varied needs of our students.

Parent- Student- Teacher Conferences

A reminder to all families that our Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences that will be taking place on Thursday, 10 September.

As per my previous communications, after seeking feedback we have made changes to our format.

Interview Times are:

Interviews 9.00am – 10.30am

Interviews 10.45am to 12.30pm

Interviews 1.15pm – 3.00pm

Interviews 3.10pm – 4.30pm

The Parent -Student – Teacher Conferences Booking System will be accessible from:

Year 12 Student Bookings – 12.00pm Wednesday 26 August until 12.00pm Wednesday 9 September.

Year 7 to 11 (including Year 11 students doing a Unit 3/4 subject) Student Bookings – 12.00pm Friday 28 August until 12.00pm Wednesday 9 September.

Please note that bookings are essential – there will be no opportunity for unscheduled interviews.

Please refer to Compass Newsfeed for full details.

East Doncaster Secondary College 2026 – 2027 Policies Draft, including Child Safe Policies – Community Consultation

East Doncaster Secondary College has reviewed and updated our policies to reflect changes implemented by The Department of Education. This update is to ensure we meet Department policy requirements. Our policies are available to view on the College website: Click here to access: 2026-2027-Policy-Handbook-DRAFT Or download the PDF version: 2026 2027 Policy Handbook DRAFT.pdf

Child safety and wellbeing at East Doncaster Secondary College: information for families and the school community

East Doncaster Secondary College is committed to providing an environment where students are safe and feel safe.

Our child safety framework includes policies, codes and procedures that explain how we support and maintain the safety and wellbeing of our students and protect them from harm. These documents are available on our website: https://www.eastdonsc.vic.edu.au/our-college/documents-policies-reports/

We are also committed to continuous improvement of our child safety framework. We are currently reviewing our child safety policies and practices to ensure they are up-to-date and effective.

Our students and families are important partners in this process. We welcome your feedback or ideas on ways we can improve our approach to child safety and wellbeing. If you have any suggestions or comments, please contact Assistant Principal, Cameron Campbell, at east.doncaster.sc@education.vic.gov.au

Selected updated policies requiring School Council approval will be tabled at our September School Council meeting.  We welcome feedback from families and members of our school community on all our school policies. If you have any suggestions, comments or questions, Assistant Principal, Cameron Campbell via email at east.doncaster.sc@education.vic.gov.au prior to 4 September.

Annual privacy reminder for our school community

CCTV at our College

East Doncaster Secondary College has recently upgraded the closed-circuit television (CCTV) system at our school.

Our school has an obligation to ensure the school environment is safe and secure, and fulfil our duty of care to students, staff and visitors. The CCTV system assists our school to fulfil these obligations and to prevent and manage other inappropriate behaviour on school grounds. CCTV will also provide enhanced capability to protect our school’s assets against vandalism and theft.

We will follow Department of Education policy requirements for the design, installation, management and use of the CCTV systems. This policy is available at: CCTV in Schools – Installation and Management.

We will also place a CCTV Privacy Notice on our school website with more information about our school’s use of CCTV.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Reception on 9842 2244 or via email: east.doncaster.sc@education.vic.gov.au

East Doncaster Secondary College Policy Handbook 2025/2026

Our School Policy Handbook has been updated and approved by School Council.

For further document information and the College’s policies, please follow the below link:
School Documents and Policies

Please find below the link to the East Doncaster Secondary College Policy Handbook which is also available on our website.
2025/2026 Policy Handbook

Cameron Campbell
Assistant Principal

Please click on the links below for more information about EDSC

Camps, Sports and Excursions (CSEF) Fund

For further information on applying for 2026 Victorian Government CSEF Fund assistance please see the below links

Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund CSEF information

CSEF Resources and Information in different languages

College Philosophy

Compass Parent Guide

Compass allows you to access up to date and meaningful information about our College and your child’s progress.  

Compass Education Website Guide

Compass Parent Guide

Compass Parent Passwords

Cyber Safety and Responsible use of digital technologies

Kids Helpline

E-Safety – Young People

E-Safety – Counselling / Support Services

Child Safety and Wellbeing at EDSC

Damage to Students’ Personal Items/Property

Parent contact details

Have you moved house, changed phone numbers, email address?

If so, please remember to fill in the attached ‘Change of Details’ form. Please return this form as soon as possible. 

Change of details form

School Saving Bonus

Paying for school activities in Compass using outstanding SSB Funds from previous years.

Second-hand Textbooks and Uniforms

Sell and Buy Textbooks and Uniforms with Sustainable School Shop

EDSC – Second Hand Uniform Shop

EDSC – Second Hand Textbooks Shop

Sustainable School Shop

Student Absences

If a student is unable to attend school, is going to be late or needs to leave early, the school must be informed of ALL absences.

Compass Login

Student Absence Notification Form

Entering an Attendance Note for Your Child

Chinese – Student Absence Notification form

Fact Sheet for Parents and Carers

Student Lunches

Student Medical Expenses

Uniform Group – Product and Size Availability

EDSC Uniform Price List

Privacy reminder for our school community

Schools’ Privacy Policy

Schools’ Privacy Collection Notice – VIC Government

Schools Documents – Policies – Reports — Information for parents

Compass

Microsoft 365

Google Workspace for Education 

Office 365, Edapt, Oliver Library Management System and Halaxy

School Production

Many of our talented Middle School students were involved in our school production this year, with performances of the show “Backstage Pass” taking place last week. The cast and crew worked tirelessly for months in the lead up to the main shows, with a full-dress rehearsal last week followed by a matinee performance that was attended by students from local primary school, Doncaster Gardens. These rehearsals geared the cast and crew up for their Thursday and Friday night shows which were attended by family, friends, staff and peers.

The wonderful staff at Doncaster Gardens Primary School were kind enough to pass on reflections of the Grade 5 students who attended the matinee show. Many of the DGPS students were inspired by the performance and excited to participate in the DGPS production next year and in high school productions in the future because of what they saw on the EDSC stage! Some special messages from the DGPS students were that, “your play was spectacular and we are so thankful that you invited us”, “the costumes were beautiful and dazzling. The singing was spectacular!” and “you have really inspired many students to start acting. Thank you! We hope to become like you one day.” We are glad the Grade 5 students enjoyed the show as much as they did.

To all of our amazing Middle School students who put their heart and soul into this production, we are so proud of you and can’t wait to see you back up on stage next year!

2027 Course Selection

Middle School students have now concluded their 2027 course selection process. This comprised of submission of elective subject selections for our Year 7 and 8 students and Course Counselling for our Year 9 students. This time of the year gives all students the opportunity to reflect on their academic progress and attitude and effort so far this year. Reflections on interests, strengths and the areas in which they can improve should inform goal setting for the remainder of Semester 2.

As we move forward, we encourage families to continue to engage in discussion at home around students’ curiosities and aspirations. As always, connect with year level coordinators if you have any queries. We also remind students and parents to keep an eye on their Compass newsfeed for notices and information regarding course selection confirmation next term.

Giulia Catalano
Assistant Principal of Middle School

Uniform

The East Doncaster Secondary College Student Dress Code aims to foster a sense of community and belonging and encourages students to develop pride in their appearance, support East Doncaster Secondary College’s commitment to ensuring that our students feel equal and are dressed safely and appropriately for school activities. Our dress code also aims to reduce student competition on the basis of clothing and enhance the profile and identity of the school and its students within the wider community.

Recently, there has been a notable increase in items being worn to school that are not in line with the EDSC Student Dress Code. These items include branded and plain black tracksuit pants (mostly Elite Eleven), runners (mostly black Nike Air Force 1 and Nike Low Recraft Grade), branded socks (mostly white Nike), hoodies and large and oversized hoop earrings. Please see the visual attached to this newsletter for examples of these non-uniform items.

As the cold weather sets in this winter, please be reminded of our uniform expectations particularly regarding layering for warmth. Students are not permitted to wear any of the listed items above to school or during school events.

Please note that whilst the pants/shorts/skirt are not required to have the EDSC logo, the expectation is that the STYLE, COLOUR and MATERIAL are a close match to those sold at PSW, our official unform supplier. Black flare pants, wide-leg pants or leggings are not permitted to be worn at school.

If families have any questions about this, they should contact Year Level Coordinators for advice prior to purchasing.

If tracksuit pants without the College logo are worn as part of the PE Uniform, they must not contain any visible branding. Only plain navy-blue tracksuit pants are acceptable. These tracksuit pants should also be cuffed for safety reasons.

Students are welcome to wear additional layers underneath their uniforms although they should not be visible. These layers must be plain white, with no logos, and covered by the school shirt, jumper or jacket. These additional layers should not replace any official school uniform items. If students choose to remove an outer layer, any non-school items must also be removed and kept out of sight.

Other clothing accessories, religious or otherwise, should be plain black or navy, including scarves, hats and beanies. These items can be worn to and from school when it is particularly cold although are not to be worn indoors. Hair colours should be natural.

PE uniform should only be worn on days when Middle School students have a PE or Sport class. Wearing the PE uniform on non-PE days does not align with our uniform guidelines. For Senior School students, PE uniform is only to be worn on designated PE practical days, not every day students have PE. Colder weather in the winter terms does not permit students to wear the PE uniform as an alternative to the formal school uniform.

We kindly ask that parents and carers review their child’s full school uniform and sport uniform to ensure that each item aligns with the East Doncaster Secondary College Student Dress Code. Middle School students have been reminded of uniform expectations regularly throughout the year, including during Term 1 and 2 Values Assemblies and during classroom visits by their Year Level Coordinators.

Students have been constantly reminded of the consequences for being out of uniform. Students should expect to be issued a lunch time detention if they are not in the correct school uniform. We ask that parents and carers support students in being in correct school uniform. There is no reason for a student to be out of uniform. Should families require support with uniform items, please reach out the Year Level Coordinators who will assist you to ensure your child is in full school uniform every day.

Giulia Catalano
Assistant Principal of Middle School

For Term 2 and Term 3 only, please refer to the Winter Uniform requirements.
The expectation is for students to wear the dress and shorts only in Term 1 and 4 and the Winter skirts are for Winter Term 2 and 3.
Shorts and Pants must be tailored and Navy. Please refer to the College Price list and new PSW Canterbury location details.

East Doncaster SC – Uniform Price List

Student Lunches

A reminder to parents that we are unable to deliver lunches to students during school time.  It is the student’s responsibility to come and collect their lunch if it has been dropped off at Reception. We will not accept fast food take-away or any hot (warm) food. Hot (or warm) food is not suitable to be left at Reception due to food safety regulations regarding temperature control.

Students will be notified by email if their lunch is to be collected at Reception. If lunch is not collected by the end of the day, it will not be kept.

As a part of being prepared for the school day, it is important that students remember to bring their lunch. If a student forgets to bring their lunch, food is available from the Student Wellbeing Centre or available to purchase from the Canteen.

PLEASE NOTE: Take-away food is not allowed at the College during school hours.  Under no circumstances are students to be ordering take-away food to be delivered to the College.

Student Attendance / Absence Reminder

The school must be informed of ALL absences, whether it be illness, appointments, holidays or any other reason. You can do this via the following options.

The easiest way, is to login to Compass with your Parent Login and add submit an ‘Attendance Note’ for the time of absence

Calling the Absence Line BEFORE 8:30am on the day of the absence. Phone: 9842 2244 (dial option 1)

Sending a note with the student for early departures. Teachers will not allow students out of class without a note or an approval on Compass

Fill in a ‘Student Absence Notification’ form for any extended length of absence including holidays, overseas travel etc. (The College must have any extended leave submitted in writing)

If you have any attendance concerns or questions regarding an SMS message you have received, please call the College absence line and leave a message with your child’s details and we will follow up your enquiry. Please do not reply to the SMS as this service is not available.

Please remind your child/ren that they must sign out at the Middle School (Years 7,8,9) Compass Kiosk machines if they arrive late to school or have to leave early.

Unwell

Please remind your child/ren not to contact you directly during the day to let you know they are unwell.  Instead, if they are feeling unwell, they need to ask the teacher to visit our Sickbay and our First Aid Officer will contact you accordingly.  If you need to pick them up this will be organised via Sickbay.

Extended Absences

Please remember to fill in and return a ‘Student Absence Notification Form’ (Please see below) for any extended absences over 3 days.  Please ask your child to drop a copy into Reception or you can email this form to our school email address east.doncaster.sc@education.vic.gov.au

VCE students

Please remember to provide Medical Certificates for VCE students for any medical absences.  This is to help maintain their VCE Attendance requirements for all students who are in Year 11 and Year 12 and students that are in Year 10 and completing a Year 11 or 12 subject.  Please forward certificates to our school email address east.doncaster.sc@education.vic.gov.au

Student Absence Notification Form

Mandi Pigdon
Attendance Officer

Student Compass ID / Library / PTV Cards

Please remind all students that they must carry their Student Compass ID/Library/PTV Cards with them at all times.

ALL students must sign in with their card at the Middle School Office when they are arriving late and sign out at the Middle School Office when they are leaving early for any reason.

The cards are also used for any student photocopying that is done at school. The EDSC Student Compass ID/Library card can be used as ID for student PTV (Public Transport Victoria) travel. They are required to carry this card as student identification while travelling on public transport.

If a student loses their card, parents/guardians are able to re-order a replacement card via the Compass parent portal.

Uniform

The East Doncaster Secondary College Student Dress Code aims to foster a sense of community and belonging and encourages students to develop pride in their appearance, support East Doncaster Secondary College’s commitment to ensuring that our students feel equal and are dressed safely and appropriately for school activities. Our dress code also aims to reduce student competition on the basis of clothing and enhance the profile and identity of the school and its students within the wider community.

Recently, there has been a notable increase in items being worn to school that are not in line with the EDSC Student Dress Code. These items include branded and plain black tracksuit pants (mostly Elite Eleven), runners (mostly black Nike Air Force 1 and Nike Low Recraft Grade), branded socks (mostly white Nike), hoodies and large and oversized hoop earrings. Please see the visual attached to this newsletter for examples of these non-uniform items.

As the cold weather sets in this winter, please be reminded of our uniform expectations particularly regarding layering for warmth. Students are not permitted to wear any of the listed items above to school or during school events.

Please note that whilst the pants/shorts/skirt are not required to have the EDSC logo, the expectation is that the STYLE, COLOUR and MATERIAL are a close match to those sold at PSW, our official unform supplier. Black flare pants, wide-leg pants or leggings are not permitted to be worn at school.

If families have any questions about this, they should contact Year Level Coordinators for advice prior to purchasing.

If tracksuit pants without the College logo are worn as part of the PE Uniform, they must not contain any visible branding. Only plain navy-blue tracksuit pants are acceptable. These tracksuit pants should also be cuffed for safety reasons.

Students are welcome to wear additional layers underneath their uniforms although they should not be visible. These layers must be plain white, with no logos, and covered by the school shirt, jumper or jacket. These additional layers should not replace any official school uniform items. If students choose to remove an outer layer, any non-school items must also be removed and kept out of sight.

Other clothing accessories, religious or otherwise, should be plain black or navy, including scarves, hats and beanies. These items can be worn to and from school when it is particularly cold although are not to be worn indoors. Hair colours should be natural.

PE uniform should only be worn on days when Middle School students have a PE or Sport class. Wearing the PE uniform on non-PE days does not align with our uniform guidelines. For Senior School students, PE uniform is only to be worn on designated PE practical days, not every day students have PE. Colder weather in the winter terms does not permit students to wear the PE uniform as an alternative to the formal school uniform.

We kindly ask that parents and carers review their child’s full school uniform and sport uniform to ensure that each item aligns with the East Doncaster Secondary College Student Dress Code. Middle School students have been reminded of uniform expectations regularly throughout the year, including during Term 1 and 2 Values Assemblies and during classroom visits by their Year Level Coordinators.

Students have been constantly reminded of the consequences for being out of uniform. Students should expect to be issued a lunch time detention if they are not in the correct school uniform. We ask that parents and carers support students in being in correct school uniform. There is no reason for a student to be out of uniform. Should families require support with uniform items, please reach out the Year Level Coordinators who will assist you to ensure your child is in full school uniform every day.

College Uniform

For Term 2 and Term 3 only, please refer to the Winter Uniform requirements.
The expectation is for students to wear the dress and shorts only in Term 1 and 4 and the Winter skirts are for Winter Term 2 and 3.
Shorts and Pants must be tailored and Navy. Please refer to the College Price list and new PSW Canterbury location details.

East Doncaster SC – Uniform Price List

Student Lunches

A reminder to parents that we are unable to deliver lunches to students during school time.  It is the student’s responsibility to come and collect their lunch if it has been dropped off at Reception. We will not accept fast food take-away or any hot (warm) food. Hot (or warm) food is not suitable to be left at Reception due to food safety regulations regarding temperature control.

Students will be notified by email if their lunch is to be collected at Reception. If lunch is not collected by the end of the day, it will not be kept.

As a part of being prepared for the school day, it is important that students remember to bring their lunch. If a student forgets to bring their lunch, food is available from the Student Wellbeing Centre or available to purchase from the Canteen.

PLEASE NOTE: Take-away food is not allowed at the College during school hours.  Under no circumstances are students to be ordering take-away food to be delivered to the College.

Student Attendance / Absence Reminder

The school must be informed of ALL absences, whether it be illness, appointments, holidays or any other reason. You can do this via the following options.

• The easiest way, is to login to Compass with your Parent Login and add submit an ‘Attendance Note’ for the time of absence
• Calling the Absence Line BEFORE 8:30am on the day of the absence. Phone: 9842 2244 (dial option 1)
• Sending a note with the student for early departures. Teachers will not allow students out of class without a note or an approval on Compass
• Fill in a ‘Student Absence Notification’ form for any extended length of absence including holidays, overseas travel etc. (The College must have any extended leave submitted in writing)

If you have any attendance concerns or questions regarding an SMS message you have received, please call the College absence line and leave a message with your child’s details and we will follow up your enquiry. Please do not reply to the SMS as this service is not available.

Please remind your child/ren that they must sign out at the Senior School (Years 10,11,12) Compass Kiosk machines if they arrive late to school or have to leave early.

Unwell
Please remind your child/ren not to contact you directly during the day to let you know they are unwell. Instead, if they are feeling unwell, they need to ask the teacher to visit our Sickbay and our First Aid Officer will contact you accordingly. If you need to pick them up this will be organised via Sickbay.

Extended Absences
Please remember to fill in and return a ‘Student Absence Notification Form’ (Please see below) for any extended absences over 3 days. Please ask your child to drop a copy into Reception or you can email this form to our school email address east.doncaster.sc@education.vic.gov.au

VCE students
Please remember to provide Medical Certificates for VCE students for any medical absences. This is to help maintain their VCE Attendance requirements for all students who are in Year 11 and Year 12 and students that are in Year 10 and completing a Year 11 or 12 subject. Please forward certificates to our school email address east.doncaster.sc@education.vic.gov.au
Student Absence Notification Form.

Mandi Pigdon
Attendance Officer

Student Compass ID/Library/PTV Cards

Please remind all students that they must carry their Student Compass ID/Library/PTV Cards with them at all times.

ALL students must sign in and out with their card at The John Landy Centre (Senior School Building) when they are arriving late or leaving early for any reason.

The cards are also used for any student photocopying that is done at school. The EDSC Student Compass ID/Library card can be used as ID for student PTV (Public Transport Victoria) travel. They are required to carry this card as student identification while travelling on public transport.

If a student loses their card, parents/guardians are able to re-order a replacement card via the Compass parent portal.

EDSC Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP)

 Last week, members of the EDSC RAP committee met and sent our Action Plan to Reconciliation Australia as a formal commitment to reconciliation within our school and community. Our RAP covers a variety of commitments including those involving curriculum, school and community events, school grounds, and teacher and student development. We look forward to the future in this regard at our college.

What is a RAP?

A Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) is a formal, strategic framework used by organizations in Australia to advance reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It documents how your school will strengthen relationships, respect and opportunities in the classroom, around the school and with the community. Schools can develop a RAP using the Narragunnawali platform to register and extend on existing initiatives, or to begin their reconciliation journeys.

‘Rainbow’s End’ Incursion

Early August, Eagle’s Nest Theatre Company visited our school to conduct a workshop focused on the current Year 12 EAL text, ‘Rainbow’s End’. The EDSC students were joined with Year 12 EAL students from Koonung Secondary College and Brunswick Secondary College. This text was assessed last week in a SAC and is a text option for the end of year exam. Shiralee and James from the company engaged the students and staff enthusiastically and shared their insightful understandings of the text. It was fantastic opportunity for all to dive into First Nations’ cultural understandings, key ideas, and themes.

Brenda James
Marrung Lead

Homestay experiences

Here are some photos that one of our long term homestays shared with us when they celebrated a homestay reunion with previous EDSC students from a few years ago with birthdays from current students! We love it and are so grateful when our homestays work so hard to build a second family away from home for our international students!

Simon Veerhuis
International Student Coordinator

Trivia Night

The Interact club hosted the annual trivia night, and it was an amazing event held at the John Landy Centre, where students, parents and even teachers came together to put their knowledge into the trivia and enjoyed a night full of excitement and enthusiasm. It was my first time participating in the trivia night and I enjoyed every moment of it. Each and every participant worked in groups to figure out the answers across a variety of categories during the night. One of the unique categories was EDSC, which was fun testing how well we knew our own school. Another highlight of the night was the raffle. Excitement filled the room as everyone waited in anticipation for the winners to be announced. It was my pleasure to be part of such a fantastic night, and I can’t wait to participate in the next one!

Karine – 8D

Book Week at EDSC – 25 – 28 August 2026

Book Week 2026 is nearly here! The library team is very excited with a full week of bookish activities and fun. This year’s Book Week theme is ‘Symphony of Stories’.

Visit the EDSC Library website for the full Book Week program. Library staff and our student Library Leaders have planned a week of activities celebrating books and reading, with lots of prizes to win. Here’s some of what’s planned:

Tuesday 25 August – Dress Up Day
Dress up as your favourite book character and join the lunchtime costume parade. There are lots of individual and group prizes to be won, as well as a reward for the class that makes the most effort.

Wednesday 26 August – Big Book Quiz & Book Swap

Test out your literary knowledge and get rewarded with prizes in the Big Book Quiz or swap your old books for new and used ones in the book swap.

Thursday 27 August – Scavenger Hunt

Grab an entry form and follow the clues around the school yard to find mystery readers, Book Week characters, and other rewards.

Friday 28 August – Year 7 Author Visit & Book Debate

Year 7 students will be treated to an inspiring talk by writer and performance poet Solli Raphael, while EDSC’s sharpest minds and most enthusiastic readers will take part in a literary discussion at lunchtime.

The library team can’t wait to celebrate Book Week with the EDSC community.

Last chance to join the Reading Challenge Pizza Party

Students have just over a week to enter their books into this year’s Reading Challenge and to secure their invitation to the EDSC Pizza Party.

All books need to be submitted by Tuesday 1 September. To submit books, students just need to log in to the VPRC website with their Edupass details (@schools email and password). They can then search for and add any books that they have read since January 1^st 2026. Students should then mark books as ‘finished’.

Any student who reads 15 or more books will be invited to our pizza party in October and will receive a certificate from the Victorian Premier. We will also be awarding prizes to students who have made exceptional efforts during the Reading Challenge.

Students can include any books they like (excluding children’s picture story books, dictionaries and textbooks). Students can include graphic novels, manga, English/EAL class novels, poetry, non-fiction, eBooks, audiobooks, and more!

There are more details on the EDSC Library website. Students who need help submitting their books should bring their laptop into the library before September 1^st and library staff will assist.

We can’t wait to celebrate all our amazing EDSC readers at the pizza party in October.

Year 7 Author Talk with Solli Raphael

Award-winning poet and spoken word artist Solli Raphael will be EDSC’s visiting author during Book Week.

Solli will talk to Year 7s students about his writing on Friday 28 August in the Performing Arts Centre. Solli will inspire Year 7s to write their own poetry, and students will have the chance to ask him questions on the day.

The session will also feature an introduction to the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book of the Year Awards by former CBCA judge, teacher librarian, and bookseller Erin Wamala.

Year 7 students will take part in one of two Author Talk sessions on the day:

Session 1 (Periods 1 and 2) – 7C, 7D, 7I, 7J, 7M, 7N, 7O, 7P and 7Q

Session 2 (Periods 3 and 4) – 7A, 7B, 7E, 7F, 7G, 7H, 7K, 7L and 7R

Please see Compass for more details.

EDSC is very lucky to have booked the in-demand Solli who has performed his work around the world. He came to prominence after winning the Australian Poetry Slam at the Sydney Opera House when he was just 12 years old! Students can find out more about Solli on his website, and can borrow his books from the EDSC library. Students are also welcome to bring their own copies of Solli’s books for signing.

Emily Andersen
Library Coordinator

Victorian School Music Festival Performances

Term 3 is our busiest term for Music performances, with a number of performances at the Victorian School Music Festival throughout August and September. Please stay up to date with consent as these events appear on Compass and meet deadlines for Parent consent to help us ensure we are organised and able to look after your children.

Participation in these events is required as part of the commitment to the Music program, if any students will be away and unable to attend, conductors need to know immediately. Performances are listed below in ‘Upcoming Events’.

Vocal Soiree

Our Vocal Soiree will be held on Tuesday 1 September, starting at 6:30pm in the Performing Arts Centre.

Featuring a variety of solo and small group items, and our choirs ‘Colla Voce’ and ‘Euphonix’.

Tickets available from: https://www.trybooking.com/DOZUW

Uniform Reminder

We have strict requirements for our Performing Arts uniform just like other options of the school uniform. This includes the required black shirt, straight black ‘business’ style pants, black socks and black dress shoes (including school shoes).

The Performing Arts uniform does not include white socks, sneakers or barrel-style pants.

Students who do not have the correct uniform will be given out-of-uniform reminders and may not be allowed to perform.

Upcoming Events

Friday 21 August – Vivo Band at VSMF, depart 8am

Tuesday 25 August – Concert Band at VSMF, return 4:00pm

Wednesday 26 August – Symphonic Band at VSMF, return 4:40pm

Tuesday 1 September – Vocal Soiree, PAC 6:30pm

Monday 7 September – Euphonic at VSMF, return 4:15pm

Carl Williams
Instrumental Music Coordinator

Diversity and RRRR Calendar dates

• 28 Aug: Wear it Purple Day
• 7-11 Sept: Women’s Health Week & Body Image and Eating Disorders Awareness Week
• 10 Sept: R U OK? Day & World Suicide Prevention Day

The Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships (RRRR) and the Building Respectful Relationships (BRR) learning materials are designed for primary and secondary school teachers to develop students’ social, emotional and positive relationship skills.

Share the Dignity

Menstruating isn’t a choice, but those experiencing period poverty often must choose between period products and other essential items just to get by. We’d rather they didn’t. Access to period products is a right, not a privilege. But 1 in 5 Australians have been unable to afford period products at some point in their life. That’s why for the month of August, East Doncaster Secondary College is collecting period products to help those in need this month, as part of Share the Dignity Australia’s Dignity Drive. We accept all products in original packaging, including pads, tampons, maternity pads, period undies, menstrual cups and incontinence products. We would love our EDSC School Community to get involved by donating. If you can help, please make your donations in the box at the front office.

Thank you to members of our school community who have already donated.

If you would like to know more about Share the Dignity’s goal to end period poverty, please go to their web page: https://www.sharethedignity.org.au/

Manningham Youth Events

RR Novel of the Week – Welcome to Friendship!

From the best-selling authors of Welcome to Consent and Welcome to Your Period comes this warm, funny, indispensable guide for tweens and teens on navigating the highs and lows of friendship – including making friends, keeping them and what to do when things get tricky!

In this primer on all thing’s friendship, journalist Yumi Stynes and adolescent health expert Dr Melissa Kang demystify the world of friendship with their characteristic warmth, kindness and no-nonsense advice. Welcome to Friendship is the perfect resource for any young person wanting to level up their social skills, whether they’re starting a new school, changing friendship groups or widening their social circles.

With a focus on building self-confidence, self-awareness and respect, Welcome to Friendship breaks down the basics and digs into tough topics, including:

• Some actual ways to make new friends
• Friendship groups and besties
• AI and online friendships
• Friendship and romance
• Conflict and disagreements
• Being a good friend during the hard stuff
• How to spot when someone is being a bad friend

With plenty of real-life examples, first-person accounts and questions from real teens and tweens, Welcome to Friendship covers everything you need to know about finding friends and being a great friend yourself.

What is Respectful Relationships?

Respectful Relationships education is a core component of the Victorian Curriculum from foundation to year 12. It is all about embedding a culture of respect and equality across the entire school community.

The Respectful Relationships program supports schools and early childhood settings to promote and model respect, positive attitudes and behaviours. It teaches our children how to build healthy relationships, resilience and confidence.

While many different strategies are needed to contribute to this population-wide approach, the Respectful Relationships initiative is a key example of successful primary prevention work to prevent gender-based violence in education settings.

Schools are unique as a setting in which primary prevention, early intervention, response and recovery operate alongside and in connection with one another. To be effective, Respectful Relationships must take a whole-of-school approach that works with leadership, systems and practices to support positive school cultures, age-appropriate curriculum delivery, policy development and community engagement.

What is taught in the Secondary Years?

Respectful Relationships in the secondary years focuses on treating everyone with respect and dignity and teaches students about the relationship between gender and power.

The RRRR teaching and learning resources provide tailored materials for years 7 to 12, including age-appropriate lesson plans and activities that help students learn new skills and build empathy, confidence and resilience.

What are the benefits of students learning about Respectful Relationships?

We know that a good education is about more than simply getting good marks. It is about supporting children to become contributing members of our communities, with productive and healthy adult lives.

Evidence shows that respectful relationships education:

• helps to equip children with the skills to communicate positively and respectfully, build positive relationships and challenge stereotypes that don’t support equality.
• positively impacts academic outcomes, mental health, classroom behaviour and student-teacher relationships (Our Watch, 2016).

Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability

Every year, EDSC, along with all schools in Australia, participates in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD). The NCCD process requires schools to identify information already available in the school about supports provided to students with disability. These relate to legislative requirements under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education 2005, in line with the NCCD guidelines (2019).

Information provided about students to the Australian Government for the NCCD includes:

• year of schooling
• category of disability: physical, cognitive, sensory or social/emotional
• level of adjustment provided: support provided within quality differentiated teaching practice, supplementary, substantial or extensive.

This information assists schools to:

• formally recognise the supports and adjustments provided to students with disability in schools
• consider how they can strengthen the support of students with disability in schools
• develop shared practices so that they can review their learning programs in order to improve educational outcomes for students with disability.

The NCCD will have no direct impact on any child in the school – there will be no additional testing, only collection of information from enrolment documents, reports provided by parents to the school, and assessments of data and programs being conducted at school. Parents should be aware that any information they have provided to us in relation to their children with a disability, will be included in this national survey.

The NCCD provides state and federal governments with the information they need to plan more broadly for the support of students with disability. The Australian Government ensures that the privacy and confidentiality of all students is protected. All information is protected by privacy laws that regulate the collection, storage and disclosure of personal information. To find out more about these matters, please refer to the Australian Government’s Privacy Policy (https://www.education.gov.au/privacy-policy).

Further information about the NCCD can be found on the NCCD Portal (https://www.nccd.edu.au).

If you have any questions about the NCCD, please contact the school.

Anna Kissane
Disability Inclusion learning Specialist

Everyone in our community deserves to be respected, valued and treated equally. We know that changes in attitudes and behaviours can be achieved when positive attitudes, behaviours and equality are embedded in our education settings.

Respectful Relationships is about embedding a culture of respect and equality across our entire community, from our classrooms to staffrooms, sporting fields, fetes and social events. This approach leads to positive impacts on students’ academic outcomes, their mental health, classroom behaviour, and relationships between teachers and students.

Together, we can lead the way in saying yes to respect and equality and creating genuine and lasting change so that every child has the opportunity to achieve their full potential.

The EDSC Respectful Relationships Pledge:

“All members of our school community have a responsibility to stand up against family violence and the misuse of gender power and control. We foster relationships that are respectful, caring and fair.”
If you or anyone you know is experiencing domestic violence the following services are available.

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 000 and ask for the police.

For non-urgent help, please contact:

• 1800RESPECT: The national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service. Phone and online services available 24/7.
• Doncare: (03) 9856 1500
• Free From Family Violence Service (FVREE): (03) 9249 4200 OR 0466 748 880
• Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre: 1800 015 188
• Migrant Information Centre support for people from diverse cultural backgrounds: (03) 9285 4888
• inTouch Multicultural Centre Against Family Violence at 1800 755 988
• Men’s Referral Service: 1300 766 491
• Eastern Community Legal Centre: 1300 325 200
• The Orange Door: 1800 354 322
• Rainbow Door: 1800 729 367 Free specialist LGBTQIA+ helpline

More resources/agencies can be found on our Wellbeing, Student Resources page of the East Doncaster Secondary College website
https://www.eastdonsc.vic.edu.au/wellbeing/student-resources

Junior Science Olympiad

This year we had 146 students from years 7-10 participate in the national Junior Science Olympiad. Thank you to everyone’s support of these events as we aim to continue to provide these opportunities to EDSC students.

We would like to acknowledge the achievements of students who achieved distinction and high distinction in the event:

• Years 7-8 distinction: Elina, Rishabh, Jasper, Ciaran, Addison, Ginni, Laurence, Riyaan, Laurel and Ching Shun.
• Years 7-8 high distinction: Henry, Wing Him, Wen, Oliver, Jian Zhou and Tommy.
• Years 9-10 distinction: Eugene, Vish, Stella and Ethan.
• Years 9-10 high distinction: Nidhrti

Well done to all our participants.

Chemistry

Year 11 Chemistry students have been exploring acids and bases via multiple practical experiments. They added universal indicator to different solutions, observed the various colours and used a pH chart to determine the approximate pH.

Intermediate Badminton State Champions

Congratulations to the Intermediate Boys Badminton Team (Shih-Yuan, Jayden, Samuel, Marcus, Lucas and Tobey) on winning the School Sport Victoria State Badminton Finals played at MSAC on Wednesday 12 August. And a top effort from the Intermediate Girls Badminton Team (Sophy, Amanda, Ella, Tanya and Gabby) who finished as state runners-up.

Adam Palma
Interschool Sport Coordinator

R U Ok? Day: Supporting conversations at home

This year, R U OK? Day is on Thursday 10 September. R U OK? Day is an important reminder that meaningful conversations can start at home.

As parents and guardians, you are often among the first to notice when something may be different with your young person. Taking the time to check in, listen and create space for an open conversation can help them feel supported and remind them that they don’t have to navigate difficult times alone.

If you notice a change in your young person, or simply want to check in, R U OK? encourages four simple steps:

Ask – Choose a comfortable moment and ask, “Are you okay?”
Listen – Give them your full attention and allow them time to talk.
Encourage action – Talk about what might help and, where appropriate, encourage them to seek additional support.
Check in – Follow up another day and continue the conversation.

You don’t need to have all the answers. Being present, listening without judgement and showing that you care can make a meaningful difference.

At school, students are also encouraged to seek support when they need it. They can speak with their Year Level Coordinator, a member of the Wellbeing Team, or another trusted staff member.

This R U OK? Day, we encourage families to use the day as an opportunity to start a conversation at home, not just today, but regularly throughout the year.

You can find more information on https://www.ruok.org.au/how-to-ask.

The Wellbeing Team

Community Support Grant makes a difference

East Doncaster SC is thrilled to be the recipient of the Noel Jones Real Estate Community Support Grant.

Daniel and Kristee from Noel Jones recently presented the $1,000 cheque to our Wellbeing Team, supporting our Student Emergency Lunch Program.

The grant will make a genuine difference to students whose families are experiencing financial hardship and who may arrive at school without food. Through the program, members of our Wellbeing Team can provide students with access to a nutritious meal when they need it most. Importantly students can receive this support quickly, discreetly and with dignity. There is no complicated process and most importantly, students do not need to feel embarrassed about asking for help.

The $1,000 grant will provide more than 200 nutritious meals to students experiencing financial hardship throughout the school year, helping ensure that every student has the opportunity to learn and participate at school without the worry of going hungry.

We are incredibly grateful to Noel Jones for their generous support and for helping us make a meaningful difference in the lives of our students. 

Leesa Lewington
Student and Community Liaison

Healthy eating for mental fitness and academic success

Did you know there is a strong link between what we eat and how we feel!

You may have noticed that you feel sluggish and flat after an unbalanced diet. We now know that eating a balanced diet (with a variety of fruit, veggies, nuts and wholegrains) can have a big impact on our mood, our concentration and even our level of happiness.

Eating a balanced diet can:

• help you get a better night’s sleep
• give you more energy
• improve your concentration, this can help with things like work and study
• make you less likely to crave foods with high sugar, salt or fat.
• Improve your mood

Here’s some helpful hints:

• wide variety of food from five food groups focus on beans, vegetables and fruit
• pack your lunch the night before
• aim to eat a variety of colours
• drink plenty of water
• view high sugar and high fat food as sometimes food not part of your regular diet

For more information:

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/food-and-your-mood

https://headspace.org.au/explore-topics/for-young-people/eat-well/

Krissy Veerhuis
Mental Health Practitioner

Connect with Collage

Doncare is running two free drop-in collage workshops for young people aged 13 to 18 looking for a creative outlet or a study break.

Session Details

• Dates: Wednesday, August 26 & Wednesday, September 9
• Time: 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM (drop-in format; young people can come and go as they please)
• Location: 687 Doncaster Road Doncaster, Victoria 3108
  MY Hub, Level 1, MC Square (EACH space above Manningham Library)
• Cost: Free
• Audience: Ages 13–18

What to Expect

• Creative Expression: An hour of hands-on collage and drawing, followed by a short discussion about the process.
• Low-Pressure Environment: Background music, free snacks, and a relaxed space with zero pressure to talk.
• All Materials Provided: All art and drawing supplies are provided on site.

How to Join

• Email counselling23@doncare.org.au to register in advance, or simply rock up on the day

Positive Parenting Strategies: Self-Care for Challenging Times

Juggling work, family life, and everyday parenting can sometimes feel overwhelming. If your home has felt a little bit like a battleground lately, or if you feel like you are always running on empty with no time for yourself, please know that you are not alone.

To support our school community, we’d like to highlight an upcoming free online workshop series hosted by Anglicare Victoria.

About the Workshop:

Parenting is one of the toughest jobs out there. This interactive session is designed to give parents a supportive space to share experiences, learn practical tools, and discover how to build self-care into a busy schedule – without making it feel like just another chore on your “To-Do” list. Plus, did you know that children often learn the best habits around boundaries and self-care simply by watching us?

• Time: 12:15pm – 1:30pm, 25 August 2026
• Price: Free
• Location: Online

Here is the link for Registering: https://www.anglicarevic.org.au/events/positive-parenting-strategies-self-care-for-challenging-times-online/

Please have a look and I hope you enjoy it.

Harry Lee
Student Wellbeing Coordinator

Cybersafety and Responsible Use of Digital Technologies

The following resources are available to parents and carers to assist them with guiding their children with the use of digital technology in a safe and responsible way. Parents and carers are their child’s first role model when it comes to online behaviour. Please find information to assist parents and carers when dealing with Cybersafety issues on the following websites:

https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents
https://www.education.vic.gov.au/parents/services-for-parents/Pages/parentline.aspx
https://www.esafety.gov.au/about-us/counselling-support-services

The following fact sheet may assist in encouraging the safe and respectful use of social media and to provide tips to parents for being a positive role model:

https://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/about/programs/bullystoppers/parentsocialmediaschoolcommunity.pdf

If parents/carers have any questions regarding Cybersafety or Digital Learnings in Schools and our Mobile Phone Policy, please contact Reception.

Cameron Campbell
Assistant Principal

Food & Financial Support

As we are all aware, the cost of living is increasing. We realise that this might be causing some distress to members of the EDSC community. If you are experiencing financial difficulties or food insecurity, please look at the website www.askizzy.org.au. This website can help you locate services for food, money, clothing, health and housing in your area.

The College is able to provide a range of food to families within the community. Foodbank Victoria provide EDSC fresh fruit, cereals, milk, different types of ready meals, fruit cups and Messy Monkey snacks. If you and your family are experiencing food insecurity, please contact the school to arrange a food collection. For a confidential conversation, please call Maddie Sill on 9842-2244.

Please also note that if your child forgets their lunch they can come to the Wellbeing Hub to access the pantry.

Child Safety Standards

East Doncaster Secondary College is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people. This will be the primary focus of our care and decision making.

East Doncaster Secondary College has zero tolerance for child abuse.

East Doncaster Secondary College is committed to providing a child safe environment where children and young people are safe and feel safe, and their voices are heard about decisions that affect their lives. Particular attention will be paid to the cultural safety of Aboriginal children and children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, as well as the safety of children with a disability.

Every person involved in East Doncaster Secondary College has a responsibility to understand the important and specific role he/she plays individually and collectively to ensure that the wellbeing and safety of all children and young people is at the forefront of all they do and every decision they make.

In our planning, decision making and operations, all personnel at East Doncaster Secondary College will:

• Take a preventative, proactive and participatory approach to child safety;
• Value and empower children to participate in decisions which affect their lives;
• Foster a culture of openness that supports all persons to safely disclose risks of harm to children
• Respect diversity in cultures and child rearing practices while keeping child safety paramount;
• Provide written guidance on appropriate conduct and behaviour towards children;
• Engage only the most suitable people to work with children and have high quality staff and volunteer supervision and professional development;
• Ensure children know who to talk with if they are worried or are feeling unsafe, and that they are comfortable and encouraged to raise such issues;
• Report suspected abuse, neglect or mistreatment promptly to the appropriate authorities;
• Share information appropriately and lawfully with other organisations where the safety and wellbeing of children is at risk; and Value the input of and communicate regularly with families and carers.

For more information about Wellbeing at the College, please visit the following link: Student Wellbeing Information

24 August 2026 – Next Meeting

The PFA will hold its next monthly meeting on Monday 24 August 2026 at 7.00pm.

As part of our annual requirements, PFA members and regular volunteers are required to complete Child Safe Standards training each year.
Please be advised that the training will take place as part of the next PFA meeting on Monday 24 August 2026.
The training will be conducted via Webex and hosted by Assistant Principal Cam Campbell. It usually takes approximately 30 minutes to complete.
Closer to the date Webex link will be provided to join the training.
Thank you for your participation and support.

Those who have already expressed interest will be sent an email invite. If any more members of the school community would like to join, please email the PFA committee at edscpfa@gmail.com and we will very happily add you on to the distribution list.

A friendly reminder to the new members who have joined this year, if you do not possess a WWCC (for volunteers) please apply for it and once obtained, forward it to the email address edscpfa@gmail.com.

2026 Canteen

Online ordering is through the QKR app. Please find attached the QKR how to brochure. With the QKR app, you can place orders right up until 8.45am. We also welcome lunch orders directly at the canteen before school and at recess. Remember the most efficient way to beat the queue at lunch is to place a lunch order.

We do accept both cash and card as form of payments at the canteen. Please remember phones are not permitted as a method of payment, so please bring your card.

The Department of Education Victoria and East Doncaster Secondary College does not endorse the products or services of any private advertiser. No responsibility is accepted by the Victorian Department of Education and East Doncaster Secondary College for accuracy or information contained in advertisements or claims made by them.

Our focus is always on supporting students through a consistent, balanced approach to learning and wellbeing. This helps ensure that everything we offer remains aligned with the College programs and is in the best interests of our students. East Doncaster Secondary College is unable to promote or endorse external businesses where this may not align with our teaching programs or the wellbeing services we provide.

Advertise in our College Newsletter

Advertise in our College Newsletter

Are you part of a community organisation that services the local community?
Do you want to reach over 2,000 families in the area every fortnight?
Our fortnightly e-newsletter has space available and can include direct links to your website (no social media sites).

Pricing:
$50 – A4 full page per edition
$10 – for community groups
$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.