From the School Board

A message from our School Board Chair, Peter Anderson.

Hi Everyone,

Just wanted to give you a quick update on what’s happening in the Board space. We had a meeting last week. With expectations of moderate budget surplus at year end the Board unanimously approved funding for an additional school counsellor for 2021. This will improve access to counselling services and provide much needed additional support to our large student population. Wellbeing in one of the key priority areas in the DHS Strategic Plan.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) committee reported on the development of the Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) which has been taking shape through this year. A RAP workshop was also held on Thursday where 16 students were in attendance to help identify and guide us in the priority areas for the RAP. I hope this can be a foundation for building a greater sense of belonging for our ATSI students and lifting the “cultural competency” of the school community.

A range of other topics and activities were reported and discussed, including early thinking about the re-introduction of a House system, approving the subject elective fees, bring your own device (BYOD) suppliers, progress on the canteen upgrade planning, and upcoming graduation and awards night events.

This month the school business management team will be considering the draft 2021 budget with the Finance committee. We are also conducting a survey on the effectiveness of the Board itself, looking for ways to improve our processes and contribution in the future.

It’s a busy time of year for students and teachers. Hang in there on this final stretch, put in your best effort, and be proud of that.

Cheers,

Peter Anderson, DHS Board Chair