Term 1 has passed. We have had some challenges with unavoidable interruptions to student attendance and participation and also some teacher absences. In this current climate of change, resilience, or the capacity to bounce back, is essential. Thank you to all the students who have committed to their learning and pushed on to the best of their ability. Thank you also to our staff for your flexibility and adaptability to daily uncertainty.

Student perception of themselves as a learner influences achievement. Positive expectations increase achievement, and negative expectations decrease performance. For example, a student who has a pervading thought, “I suck at maths” or, “I can’t write an essay”  will most likely not do well at these tasks.

Teachers, parents and carers have a role to state positive expectations that will positively enhance student self-perception and learning. This builds rapport too.Using a range of strategies such as breaking a task down to small steps, providing clear instruction and ensuring students understand skills required and have the background knowledge will build confidence and self-perception will grow. Removal of distractions and encouraging focussed time is key. As a parent or carer, a key strategy you can employ is to talk with students about what they are learning. Listen to their responses and ask questions. Take the challenge to learn alongside our students and maybe delve deeper with questions. The challenge for us is to listen, restate what we have been told to check our own understandings and ask questions. A student will know they understand a concept when they can teach this to someone else.

The culture at Don is defined by respectful relationships. I celebrate the diversity of our college community and the harmonious co-existence of young people with vastly different cultural backgrounds and life experiences. For me personally, working and learning at Don College is a great experience with daily reward.

These pages inform and celebrate the achievements of our community members. This is only a snapshot acknowledging the achievements of our staff and students in Term 1, 2022. We wish you all a safe and happy holiday break and look forward to resuming work in Term 2 on Monday, May 2.