The June Solstice has passed and each day we are seeing slightly more daylight. June also marks Mid-Year Assessment at Don College. Feedback from Mid-Years will provide students with an understanding of what they need to do to improve their learning. Feedback can be confronting, but responding positively and taking action can accelerate student achievement.

Different people flourish in different circumstances. “Flow” is where you get completely immersed in an activity, the focus is intense, creativity increases and time just disappears. We encourage all students to explore their strengths and find what it is that allows them to achieve this state of flow. We need diversity in our community. We need people with a range of interests and strengths. At Don College, we value achievement across a full range of activities and most importantly we value respect and kindness to others.

Listening to the diverse goals and aspirations of the Don College students is a highlight of working at Don. For some, dreams will take them across the globe, some will remain close to home. Some will excel in the arts, in a trade, in academia or in communications. Just this week, two local past students have achieved their dream of being drafted to AFLW teams. Congratulations to Meghan Gaffney and Lily Johnson.

2022 has been a challenging year. In the midst of a pandemic, we are experiencing an outbreak of influenza. We appreciate everyone’s efforts to stay well and keep others safe. Getting vaccinated, wearing facemasks, physical distancing, hand-washing, and staying home and testing for COVID if you have symptoms, are our best protections. We understand that COVID has created a number of unavoidable absences. We urge students to attend all lessons if they are well enough to do so. Whilst teachers will support students to learn at home if they are unwell, physical presence and participation in the classroom is the best place for learning.

We wish all students and their families a safe and restful holiday break.