 Dear Parent/Caregivers,
Welcome back to Term 3. I have received a wonderful welcome of smiles to the term with students sharing their readiness to return to school life, enthusiastic about setting new learning goals for this semester. I extend a particular welcome to new families and students as they join our College community. Here at Dianella Secondary College, we recognise you, as parents and carers, as the most powerful educative influence in the life of your child and we look forward to working with each family to support students to achieve our Vision Statement; “Inspire, Create, Achieve!”. As the incoming Principal of the school, I am enthusiastic about the prospect of continuing the outstanding work that has come before me under the direction of Mr Wayne Austin. Mr Austin has for 9 years, lead Dianella Secondary College staff and students with compassion and a vision to achieve positive outcomes. I wish him the best as he starts his semi-retirement adventures. The legacy that he leaves is significant and he will be fondly remembered by all members of our community. I come to Dianella Secondary College with 20 years of experience in public school education, where I have had the great fortune of working in a range of schools spanning both the UK and WA, plus Northern Suburbs Secondary Schools and Central positions. Most recently, I had the pleasure of working at Swan View Senior High School and at Gingin District High School as Principal and am passionate about ensuring that our students are at the centre of our decision making. I am tremendously excited about joining the highly experienced team of teaching and non-teaching staff at Dianella Secondary College, a school that has a strong reputation for inclusivity and supportive pathways that address the needs of individual students. I look forward to supporting students throughout their six-year journey at high school, and in celebrating their success as they each leave school at the end of Year 12, proud of their achievements and with a clear pathway beyond school that prepares them for an ever-changing world. I ask that you support your children’s success by promoting regular attendance and punctuality throughout the year and I encourage you to contact the school should you have any queries. Maintaining open and respectful communication with our staff will assist us in providing a supportive and caring learning environment in which our students thrive. Dianella Secondary College provides a comprehensive range of academic, sporting and cultural opportunities both in and out of the classroom. I encourage your child to engage with the full range of activities available to enhance their high school experience and broaden their skillset. I look forward to getting to know you and your children throughout the year. I also encourage parents to become involved and to keep up to date with what is happening at our college, by liking our Facebook and Instagram pages (@dianellasecondarycollege). If you are visiting the school for any reason, please do not hesitate to introduce yourself. I look forward to enjoying a productive year with the students, staff and families of Dianella Secondary College. Yours faithfully, Debra Unwin PRINCIPAL July 2021  As a Year 10 student, you may have a clear idea about the courses you plan to choose and of the career pathway you hope to pursue. It is just as possible that you may be less certain and feel you need to keep your options open. You may have family or friends who have completed Years 11 and 12 recently and, therefore, have a sense of what the final years of secondary schooling involve. It could all be a complete mystery. Whatever your situation, this is a time for you think about your future and what you hope it will be.
This handbook contains information for those students currently enrolled in Year 10 and aims to help you prepare and make decisions for Years 11 and 12. As you read through, you will find information about course types, general advice for students, further resources and much more. If you already have some information about studying in Years 11 and 12, you should confirm what will be involved for students achieving a WACE in 2023. This handbook is a starting point for that process of confirmation. Students entering Year 11 in 2022 must meet a number of requirements in order to be awarded a Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE). These include a set of general requirements about course completion, demonstrating the literacy and numeracy standard, the breadth and depth requirement and the achievement standard requirement. Further information about the WACE requirements can be found in this handbook. Seeking advice from people who know you is an important part of your movement into these final years of your secondary education. As you begin selecting your courses for Years 11 and 12, take time to talk with your parents and teachers about the pathway that will work best for you and that meets your needs, interests and goals. The choices you make are a starting point as you move towards the end of your secondary schooling. I urge you to look to your strengths but also consider the part that challenges can play in leading you to success. With that in mind, take the opportunity to enrol in courses and programs that challenge you to achieve the best you possibly can and which will provide you the best possible outcome for your senior secondary studies and post-school choices. The next two years will be challenging and exciting. While November 2023 might seem a long time away, the time will go quickly. I wish you all the best with your studies. ALLAN BLAGAICH EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SCHOOL CURRICULUM AND STANDARDS  Dear Parents and caregivers,
In what has been an incredibly difficult decision, I would like to inform you of my impending retirement from Dianella Secondary College, effective from the end of Term 2. This is a decision that hasn’t been taken lightly, and I am sure that I will have some moments of regret, however I believe it is time for the school to have a new Principal, one who will provide some renewed enthusiasm and fresh ideas. That person is Ms Debra Unwin, a well-respected and experienced educator who brings a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm. I have been extremely fortunate to be a member of such a rich and vibrant school community where I have never stopped learning. I speak of pride when people ask me about Dianella Secondary College and the journey I have been on for the past nine years. I speak about the qualities of our students, friendly, resilient and respectful. I talk about our supportive and caring parents and caregivers and a wider school community that has played a part in supporting our goals and aspirations. I hope that I have been able to play a small part in shaping Dianella Secondary College into a school of choice for this community, a school that responds to the needs of the students and a school that shapes a positive future for them. Education has certainly changed over the years, but one thing remains the same; care, respect, resilience and high expectations are critical elements of a successful school. Additionally, it is the strong relationships between the school and the community that binds us, I believe we have that in abundance. I leave knowing that our school has a bright future with a new six million dollar Performing Arts Centre to be completed by July 2022, a one-million-dollar STEM Centre, rising enrolments and improving academic results. So in closing I would like to thank you all for making me feel welcome, for supporting our school and caring about the future of your children. It has been a journey I will never forget or take for granted. Best wishes Wayne Austin Principal  National Sorry Day is held each year on May 26. It was on this day in 1997 that the Report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of First Peoples children from their families was tabled in Federal Parliament.
Titled the Bringing Them Home report, it acknowledged with unquestionable evidence the forced removal of thousands of First Peoples children from their families and communities. Sorry Day was born out of key recommendations made by the National Inquiry into the Separation of First Peoples children from their families in the Bringing Them Home Report that was tabled in Federal Parliament on 26th May 1997. At the request of the National Sorry Day Committee, the Australian Parliament passed a motion in 2010 recognising 26th May as National Sorry Day, and as a day to be commemorated annually, as a way of achieving greater healing for the Stolen Generations. The first Sorry Day was held in Sydney on 26th May 1998, and has been commemorated nationally on 26th May each year since then, with Australians from all walks of life participating in memorial services, commemorative meetings, survival celebrations and community gatherings, in honour of the Stolen Generations. It is a time for all Australians to reflect on the profound grief and trauma experienced by First Peoples, particularly members of the Stolen Generations. This grief and trauma is still played out in community today. Importantly it is an opportunity to celebrate and connect with the strength and resilience of First Peoples, and to reaffirm our shared commitment to healing and reconciliation. We believe strong relationships foster respect and create opportunities. Dear Parents and care-givers,
At Dianella Secondary College we want your child to grow into becoming a well-regarded member of our community. It is vitally important that they spend their teenage years practicing being Calm, showing Care towards others and above all else, demonstrate Respect, not only for their teachers and peers, but for themselves as well. As they grow and develop their independence, they will be required to participate more in the broader community. How they are regarded by others largely depends on how they choose to conduct themselves. When they put on our uniform, they represent our school to our entire community. Their behaviour affects each and every one of us. School is a valuable framework for how the world operates and we as teachers do everything that we can to prepare our children for the real world. As such, it is important that students show up fresh and ready to learn each and every day that they are able to. It will help if they:
Any students seen play fighting will be disciplined accordingly. Remember everyday matters and every moment counts. Please call the school for any support you may require. Yours sincerely, Wayne Austin Principal All students return to school on Monday (8th Feb) with both staff and students to wear masks. This is mandatory until 14th February.
For those students who do not have a mask, one will be provided.  As you may be aware of the WA Government's recent lockdown announcement, all public schools in Perth, Peel and South-West of WA will be closed from Monday 1 February as part of the 5-day lockdown restrictions for these areas.
This will be an extension of the school holidays and no lessons or supervision will be provided. Term 1 will commence Monday 8th February. We are monitoring the situation and will do our best to provide further updates to our school community as information becomes available to us. In the meantime, we hope you all take care of one another, stay safe and enjoy the extra holidays. Welcome to the 2021 school year with an extra special welcome to those families who are new to our school. I am delighted that you have chosen Dianella Secondary College for your child’s educational journey and that you have put your faith in us in looking after their needs. We are all looking forward to another year where we can build on our previous success. Dianella Secondary College prides itself on the opportunities we provide our students. With over 60 different cultures attending each day, we are extremely fortunate that this rich and vibrant community gives students a range of experiences seldom found in other schools. We often use the saying “because we are all different, we are all the same”. It is an incredibly important message and one that we actively promote.
I would like to encourage parents and caregivers to be active partners in your child’s educational journey. By working together, we can make a difference for students. You can do this by providing quiet places for them to study, minimise their time on social media, ensure that they are eating well and they are coming to school regularly and on time. The research is very clear that parents who actively engage with a school will enhance a student’s ability to be successful. I am looking forward to a successful year ahead and playing my part in helping our school be the very best we can. Again we are very fortunate to be at a school that values diversity, student success and helping to shape our students to be successful lifelong learners.
Superstars! A big thank you to our students Yen Pham, Sara Al Hilaly, Sonaa Aneja and Claude Ishimwe for taking a central part in the
Department of Communities #16DaysInWA campaign. Our newly graduated year 12s returned to meet with Amber-Jade Sanderson, Simon Millman MLA and Basil Zempilas - Lord Mayor of Perth to commemorate the launch of the campaign at the newly opened WA Museum Boola Bardip. Also featured in the video is our Head of Science, Mr Saso Cvetkoski, advocating and encouraging change to stop violence against women. The annual 16 Days in WA – Stop Violence Against Women campaign takes place from 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, to 10 December, which is Human Rights Day.  Hon Sue Ellery, the Minister for Education and Training recognised Dianella Secondary College's improved NAPLAN results in a letter addressed to our Principal, Mr Wayne Austin. Ellery, who had visited our school earlier this year with WA Premiere Mark McGowan, remarked that results had improved considerably well for our school, and that student progress from 2017 to 2019 had shown "above or well above the national average of students from similar backgrounds." Dianella Secondary College would like to congratulate all staff on receiving the recognition they all deserve and would like to thank them for their continued efforts in improving our school. See below to read the full correspondence 
Dear Wayne Austin
The past few months have been a complex and challenging time for schools and the community, and I very much appreciate the extraordinary efforts of our public schools to ensure continuity of education for Western Australian students. Having reached what seems to be a more settled point in managing the pandemic, I wanted you to know your school's 2019 NAPLAN results did not pass unnoticed. As you would be aware, the 2019 NAPLAN results have been released on the My School website and Dianella Secondary College has been identified as demonstrating levels of achievement in 2019 NAPLAN and student progress from 2017 to 2019 above or well above the national average of students from similar backgrounds. Successful schools do many things in order to achieve the best outcomes for their students, and NAPLAN results provide just one important measure of achievement. There is nothing more fundamental to education than supporting students to acquire the literacy and numeracy skills that will set them up for future success. I take this opportunity to acknowledge and commend you, your staff and your students on achieving such pleasing results. Yours sincerely Sue Ellery MLC Minister for Education and Training |
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