2011 Newsletter 26 - Doncaster Primary School

“No one can make you
feel inferior without your
consent.”
Eleanor Roosevelt
attributes are necessary due to
Australia’s social, cultural, linguistic
and religious diversity and the fact that
major changes in the world are placing
new demands on Australian education:
• Global integration and international
mobility have increased rapidly in
the past decade
• India, China and other Asian nations
are growing and their influence on
the world is increasing (which
requires Australians to be Asia
literate)
• Globalisation and technological
change are placing greater demands
on education and skill development
• Complex environmental, social and
economic pressures that extend
beyond national borders pose
unprecedented challenges, requiring
countries to work together in new
ways
• Rapid and continuing advances in
information and communication
technologies (ICT) are changing the
ways people share, use, develop and
process information and technology
• These unique national and
international contexts constitute the
drivers for an intercultural
understanding field trial.
Doncaster Primary School’s school
vision, mission and values create a
culture in which all children are
engaged: behaviourally; emotionally;
cognitively. The author, Sergiovanni,
asserts that schools must be ‘caring
and learning communities’
(Sergiovanni 2000). The objectives of
our learning community are reflected
in the Strategic Plan, Annual
Implementation Plan, Team Charters
and Performance Plans for all staff,
plus Term planners and Individual
Learning Plans for children.
‘Living the Values – the Ways We
Want to be Treated’, is a ‘Values
Program’ that builds trust and
understanding. It transcends culture,
gender, disability, economic and
social status.
Building a sense of belonging and
connectedness to the school has been
achieved through this ‘Values
Program’. It also builds the capacities
of all and creates shared school-wide
agreed practice in all areas of school
life. We have been vigilant in
addressing the hidden curriculum that
is the way people treat each other and
how this is reciprocated.
Celebration of diversity, in all its forms,
has been demonstrated through the
breadth of the curriculum. The Arts
includes: Chinese Music, Dance and
Drumming; African Drumming; Artist in
Residence; Extensive Clubs program,
calling on community support from
Doncaster Community Church of
Christ, St John Ambulance and
Doncaster-Templestowe Badminton
Association. Hosting of overseas
students and involvement in NALSSP
to develop an Asia inclusive curriculum
have also enriched the school culture.
Building relationships between all,
students, parents and staff, is the
glue that holds us together as a strong
learning community. The values and
intercultural understandings provide
the structure in which we build
relationships, through which we
support and challenge each other to
learn and grow.
It is within this context that we happily
worked with 89.9 LightFM to host a
birthday party for Annie. Annie and
her family have had a very challenging
time in the last few months. Her
birthday party was cancelled due to
the death of her grandmother. Her
mother has been in hospital for two
weeks. Annie needed to know that
she is part of a school community that
cares, not only about her, but about
every single child, parent and staff
member. E ach one is special and
amazing! Enormous thanks to Mr
Wic her for liaising with Linda Bailey
(our former School Chaplain) to make
this special event happen. Highlights
from the morning are on the LightFM
website - www.lightfm.com.au .
When we celebrate in such a way, as
we did this morning, it builds our
relationships with each other, makes
us stronger as a community and
makes each one of us feel special.
ANOTHER SPECIAL and
AMAZING PERSON in OUR
COMMUNITY
It saddens me to report that our much
admired and loved crossing supervisor,
Matt, is finishing his role tomorrow,
Friday 2n d September.
We are most grateful to him for the
dedicated, enthusiastic and reliable
service he has provided at Doncaster
Primary School for over a decade. His
humour and knowledge of the children
and their families will be sorely missed.
We will farewell him at tomorrow’s
Whole School Assembly, at 2.45pm in
our gymnasium. Please be there to say
‘thank you’!
OUR PRODUCTION - ‘HIGH
SCHOOL MUSICAL, JR’
As you will be aware, our students in
Grades 4 to 6 are busy rehearsing for
the production. Everyone is thoroughly
enjoying the experience!
All children in Grades 4 to 6 are
involved in the production.
Page 2
Children in Grades Prep to 3 will walk to
Doncaster Secondary College to watch
the matinee performance on Thursday
15th September. A notice will be sent
home shortly.
Information regarding ticket sales and
performance dates are included on
page 7 of this week’s Bulletin.
If you have any queries, please phone
the Office on 9848 1122.
Thank you to those families who regularly return the ‘I Have Read the Bulletin’ Reply Slip. Unfortunately, due to lack
of interest, this will not longer appear in the Bulletin.