As a Christian school, we seek to live every day in 'common unity' – as a community of God’s people with our hope fixed on Christ, sowing God’s love in, among, and beyond our students, staff and families.
Relationships between students and staff
One of the best things about Donvale is the strong relationship between staff and students - there certainly isn’t an ‘us and them’ mentality. Instead, as you walk through the school you’ll notice how staff and students are members together of the whole community, whether learning or teaching - or landscaping the grounds! Every student is valued and cared for which enables them to develop a real sense of belonging through this nurturing environment.
At Donvale, staff and students share a mutual respect for one another. Because there is respect, a level of trust grows as students realise that staff really care about the way they learn, as well as valuing them as a unique person created by God.
Respect, nurture and belonging – it’s the kind of setting where students thrive. Positive expectations are set – and welcomed – by all, whether students or staff. With the help and support of caring staff, students can grow in their understanding of who they are and what they can achieve.
Relationships between the school and parents
Right from before the first brick was laid nearly half a century ago, the approach to the education provided at Donvale Christian College has been a partnership between parents and teachers. Practically, each day, this takes the form of open, engaged conversations between parents and teachers centred on the focus of their energies – their child and her/his progress at any given stage of their schooling. More formally, Friends of Donvale is our constituted parents’ association, which plays an important part in the life of the school. It exists to bring families together to support each other and the work of the school in a Christ-centred environment.
Here’s a little of what Friends of Donvale do.
We connect – through the volunteer class representatives we support and strengthen the community of parents at every year level.
We pray – for teachers inside and outside the classroom; for families through the changing years of school; for students of all ages as they study and grow into young adults.
We serve – at special occasions such as Open Day, the welcome dinner for new parents, the Mothers’ Day gift fair or even at a jazz night, you’ll find us there, working to draw the community of parents, students and staff together.
In everything we aim to model family values - love, goodness, integrity, respect, tolerance and compassion.
