DMSC is a Child Safe School

We are a Sun Smart School

A reminder that all students must wear a DMSC wide-brimmed hat in Term Four. It is expected that all students will have their hats ready to wear from day one which is Monday October 8. Only DMSC hats are acceptable, no caps can be worn. Hats can be purchased from the office.

Principal's Report - 16th October

Tidiest Town!
What exciting news that Dimboola was named Victoria’s Tidy Town for 2018. The school is proud to have worked alongside The Dimboola Town Committee and in particular, Mrs Jan Ballard, over the recent years, to have Dimboola justly recognised as the great place it is! Jan attended our General Assembly yesterday, and brought with her the Tidy Towns Victoria Shield, already emblazoned with our name. I would like to acknowledge the hard work that has been done by our VCAL students and in the last two years, our Hands on Learning students, all of whom have been involved with projects that have been nominated in the school category. There have been some wonderful improvements made to our grounds as a result of these ongoing projects.

We also congratulate our School Captain, Danni Haebich, who won the Tidy Towns Victoria, Young Achiever Award. Danni is a most worthy recipient of this award as she is a great ambassador for our school and the wider Dimboola community. We wish Danni and Dimboola, all the best at the National titles, to be held in Tasmania!

Academic Awards
Apologies to Ruby Simpson whose name was left off the list of award recipients in last week’s newsletter. Ruby received six Academic Awards which is an excellent achievement.

Year 12 V Teachers Basketball Match!
Today, the teachers showed their sporting dominance on the basketball court! (Actually, I’m writing this just before the event, so I may have to eat my words!) In what has become a fun tradition, the Year 12 students challenge the staff to a match, hoping to exact some revenge for all of the spelling tests, essays, assignments and maths problems they have had to endure over many years. The game is always played in good spirit, however there are always some “interesting” interpretations of the rules! Please see some photos later in the newsletter

School Fees
Over the holidays, we reissued statements to families regarding outstanding school fees. It would be greatly appreciated if these accounts could be settled as soon as possible, as all funds are used to support our great classroom programs in the school. Please remember that Centrepay and other payment plans can be arranged, contact Kaye in the office to discuss various options. Thank you.

Super Effort Sue!
DMSC, Science Lab Technician, Mrs Sue Bell, ran her first (and she claims her last) marathon last Sunday. This is a fantastic effort – 42 km is a VERY long way!

Parent Survey Results
Last week, we received the preliminary results from this year’s Parent Opinion Survey. For a school our size, the Department recommends that we aim for 40 surveys to be completed. This year, 37 surveys were received, giving us a response rate of 93%. We were thrilled with the results, with parents strongly endorsing what is happening here at DMSC. Of particular note, were the very high positive response rates for things such as: ‘The school sets high expectations for success”, “Respect for diversity”, “School connectedness”, “School pride and confidence”, “School support” and “”Parent participation and involvement” among others. Overwhelmingly the results were positive, however this is not to say that there aren’t areas where further improvements can be made. Several parents identified that their child had experienced bullying at school and we are ever-mindful of the need to continue to address this issue. On a positive note, parents were very appreciative of the way the school responds to bullying incidents, with 97% of parents stating that the school manages this issue well. Some parents also identified that their child is not always motivated to learn, again an issue that the school will continue to focus on. I am mindful that this survey represents the views of 37 families – not all of our school population, and I therefore encourage all parents and carers to come and speak with us if there are ever any concerns. We will continue to reflect on our practice and endeavour to provide a high quality education for all of our students.

Hats in Term Four
DMSC is a sun-smart school and as such, the wearing of hats is compulsory in both Term One and Term Four. This term, all students will be expected to be in the correct DMSC hat. A few students have been pushing the uniform boundaries by wearing caps – these are not a part of our uniform and cannot be worn. So too for beanies, only DMSC hats can be worn in Term Four. Can I please ask that families support the school with this requirement and new hats can be purchased from the office for $12.00.

Cambodia Parent Information Evening
All parents and carers of students who are participating in the Cambodia Trip in December are asked to attend an information evening on Monday October 22 at 6.00pm in the Health and Fitness Centre. A significant amount of information will be presented and it is expected that all students and a representative from their family attend.

Anne Gawith

Click here for this week's full newsletter.

eSmart

Click here for
eSmart resources

2018 End of Year Dates

Upcoming Events

Koorie Connections

Read about our Koorie engagement projects by clicking here.