Family & Home
Information.
Key Days & Dates in the SSL Program.
Key Term Dates for 2024
Don Valley Campus
| Term | DET Staff Start | SSL Staff Start | DET Students Start | SSL Students Start | Visiting Weekend | CLP Day - Friday | Student Departure | SSL Staff Finish | DET Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29 JAN | 29 JAN | 30 JAN | 4 FEB* | 2/3 MAR | 22 MAR | 28 MAR | 28 MAR | 28 MAR |
| 2 | 15 APR | 15 APR | 15 APR | 21 APR* | 25/26 MAY | 14 JUN | 22 JUN | 22 JUN | 28 JUN |
| 3 | 15 JUL | 15 JUL | 15 JUL | 21 JUL* | 24/25 AUG | 13 SEP | 21 SEP | 21 SEP | 20 SEPT |
| 4 | 7 OCT | 7 OCT | 7 OCT | 13 OCT* | 16/17 NOV | 6 DEC | 14 DEC | 16 DEC | 20 DEC |
2024 Public Holiday Considerations:
Labour Day 11 March
ANZAC Day 25 April
Kings Birthday 10 June
Melbourne Cup Day 5 November
Lieu days 17, 18, 19, 20 December.
DET: Department of Education & Training
SSL: School for Student Leadership
CLP: Community Learning Project
{UPDATED: 30 JAN 2024}
Don Valley Campus Handbook
School & Program Information Booklet for Parents and Guardians
[Updated: February 2023]
Arrival Day.
Parents may need to plan ahead and perhaps car-pool to deliver students to the Don Valley Campus on the starting date.
Schools may wish to coordinate or support a coordinated travel arrangement to assist parents and students.
Arrival
Families should plan to arrive between 10am and 11am.
There is often a rush after 11am, so it is more relaxing to arrive early.
Welcome & Lunch
On arrival, students will meet and be briefed by the student’s Don Valley Campus teacher.
At 12pm there will be a short welcome for all families, which will be followed by lunch.
Time to Say Goodbye
Parents will be required to depart by 1.30pm.
Departure Day
At the conclusion of the School for Leadership term program, guardians are requested to be at the Don Valley Campus by 9.30am, to participate in the departure program organised.
If you are delayed, please call ahead, as waiting can cause considerable grief for your child who may think the worst.
Departure Day Program
Specific details of the departure program will be sent out to families at a closer date during the term.
The Importance of Closure
It cannot easily be appreciated the importance of closure and departure for the students. Please avoid the temptation to pick-up your child early as they will miss an important part of the ceremonial conclusion of the program.
Visiting Weekend
What:
The Visiting Weekend is a vital component of the SSL experience as it draws the family into the experience of the student. The Session takes place midway through the term.
Why:
Separation anxiety is often revisited for both students and parents. We feel it is worth the effort, as it achieves a shared understanding of aspects of the SSL experience for immediate family that needs to be shared face-to-face. This is a vital insight into your child’s experience which will assist you with the reintegration process upon their return home. We ask you give this session the highest priority in your family’s planning!
When:
Fourth weekend of program
Where:
Who:
The Visiting session is for immediate family members only.
The School for Student Leadership experience is about an intense learning experience for the students. As such, parents and siblings, as the usual primary support for students, are really the most appropriate invited guests. Grandparents are welcome and we often see the bridging of significant generational gaps.
What if:
If any families are unable to attend the session, please advise SSL staff as soon as possible. Special arrangements will be made. In the past, some families have shared lifts or even accepted responsibility for a student if their family is unable to attend. We do, however, ask and strongly recommend, for your child’s well-being, that every effort is taken to participate.
Mobile Phone
Free Zone
Our program is designed for students to not have phones.
It is a big part of the experience.
To step away.
To connect with the people and place you are in.
A unique education
experience for
year 9 students.
Students live and work in a very close environment with up to 45 of their peers;
they sleep, eat, shower and work under the one roof.
