At our school, we firmly believe in nurturing the leadership potential of every student, providing a plethora of opportunities for them to develop and showcase their leadership skills. One of the most prestigious roles is that of the school captains. School captains are entrusted with the responsibility of representing the student body, fostering school spirit, and serving as a bridge between students and staff. Their role involves organizing events, addressing the school during assemblies, and demonstrating our school values.
Similarly, the house captains play a crucial role in fostering a sense of camaraderie and healthy competition within the school. These leaders are responsible for leading their respective houses in various inter-house competitions, encouraging teamwork, and creating a positive and spirited environment during events like sports days.
For students passionate about the arts, leadership opportunities abound in the realms of music and art. Music and art captains are tasked with leading their peers in creative endeavors, whether it be organizing musical performances, art exhibitions, or other cultural events that celebrate the artistic talents within the school community. Captains of the choir and marimba bands lead their fellow musicians in creating harmonious melodies that enrich the school's cultural landscape. They contribute to the vibrant artistic tapestry of the school, showcasing the importance of creativity and expression.
The Student Representative Council (SRC) is another avenue for leadership. Elected by their peers, SRC members act as advocates for the student body, voicing concerns and ideas to the school leadership team. They play a crucial role in fostering communication and collaboration between students and staff.
In recognition of the importance of environmental stewardship, our school also offers leadership roles as environmental leaders. These students take on the responsibility of promoting eco-friendly practices within the school, organizing environmental awareness campaigns, and initiating projects to make the school more sustainable.
Lastly, the grade 6 peer mediators exemplify leadership through service. These students undergo training to mediate conflicts and offer support to their peers, fostering a positive and inclusive school culture. These leadership opportunities collectively empower students to develop essential skills such as communication, teamwork, and responsibility, preparing them for future challenges and successes beyond their academic journey.
A Word From Our Captains
Leadership Opportunities – Eleanor
At Donvale Primary School there is a wide range of leadership opportunities. We are lucky enough to be a small school, which means lots of students get to have a go at being a leader and work on developing their leadership skills.
Leadership roles include School Captains, House Captains, Music and Art Captains, Environmental Captains and being a part of the Student Representative Council (SRC). In year 5/6 you also get the opportunity to be a captain of Round Robin Sporting teams.
At Donvale, you don’t need to have a badge to be a leader. Students have the opportunity to speak at assembly and talk about things they want to implement or improve at the school. This means that everyone gets a chance to be a leader and develop their leadership skills.
Community/Friendships – Lucy
At Donvale Primary School there are a lot of kids that are kind and friendly so everyone is welcome at this school. Being a new student and trying to make new friends is never easy but in my opinion the teachers will always make sure you have a friend by your side. We may have a small school but everyone gets along and that’s why our community is so friendly and welcoming.
At the start of the year there is an annual Welcome Back BBQ and an Open Day and Night. This year we also had students and grandparents come and do fun activities together. They had scones, tea, coffee while watching students sing and dance.
During the day, parents that are thinking of coming to Donvale Primary School can visit the school and go on a tour. They can watch kids enjoy learning and participate in all kinds of activities. Open day goes for two days. On the second day, the school is open to the community so everyone can see the kids learning with big smiles on their faces.
Specialists – Andre
In the Donvale community there are a lot of great opportunities for students to learn and come together, but my favourite thing to do is to go to specialist classes. You get to do five types of specialists:
Mandarin: In Mandarin we learn all about Chinese culture and language. Mr Kho is the teacher and he is really fun and hilarious. He makes learning Chinese really cool.
PE: In PE we do lots of physical activities and education. Ms Bos is the PE teacher and loves physical activities so you already know you’re about to have the best time.
Art: Art is really calming and relaxing and it has that smooth touch on you. Mrs D is the teacher and she is really cool and has a heart-warming passion for art.
STEM: Stem is really amazing and awesome! Right now the 56s are building with Lego. Miss Wallis is the teacher and she is really good at engineering all kinds of stuff.
Performing Arts: In Performing Arts we learn all kinds of music from around the world and learn how to play all kinds of different instruments. Mrs Keep is the teacher and I think she knows how to play every instrument.
Production/Writers’ Festival – JZ
At Donvale Primary School, we host a biennial Writer’s Festival and Production. These are special events which we do to build up our confidence and sense of community.
The Writer’s Festival is when all the students in the school follow a writing prompt and write a text about it. This helps greatly with our writing skills! The Writer’s Festival is on even years.
Production (which is every second year) is when all students perform an immersive play with the other children in their year level. Production helps build up our confidence, but it’s mainly just about having a great time.
Donvale Primary School hosts these wonderful events which help the wellbeing of the students’ school life!
