HAVE YOU CONSIDERED CHRISTIAN EDUCATION FOR YOUR CHILD?
Prep to Year 12 | Co-educational | Ecumenical

DCC MISSION STATEMENT
Donvale Christian College is a Parent Controlled school which serves the Christian community by providing Christ-centred education. Through high quality teaching and learning in a nurturing, stimulating and Biblically directed environment, students grow in their understanding of God's world and in their commitment to serving Christ in all areas of life.

What are the general aims of DCC?
DCC sees itself as serving, in a very appropriate way, the fundamental aims of Christian parents. Good education is about developing the discernment to make worthwhile and discriminating choices in life. In 1975 the school was established by parents who wanted to provide their children with a framework for making choices that was built upon a personal commitment to Christ and around the fundamental Christian principles and values - compassion and mercy, critical discernment, a concern for integrity and justice, the courage to pursue what is good and to resist what is harmful, a care and appreciation for God's world, and a commitment to a life of service for the betterment of the community and the world.

This is the framework of thinking that the college wants to develop as it prepares students for a technologically sophisticated but value-uncertain 21st century. From a Biblically-directed foundation which pictures the whole of life as being a response to God's love in Christ, DCC attempts to provide students with the intellectual, practical, moral and spiritual tools necessary to contribute enthusiastically and positively to the building of a more just, compassionate and peace-loving world.

How big is the College and where is it located?
The college is situated in a beautiful bushland setting of 15.38 hectares in Melbourne's suburban Donvale. Buses servicing the College cover a wide area of the eastern suburbs including Eltham, Templestowe, Doncaster, Blackburn, Box Hill, Glen Waverley and Mitcham.

What is the difference between a 'Christian' school and other independent 'Church' schools?
DCC is a Christian community. The college sees itself as an extension of the Christian home, and the Christian church; a school that is in harmony with the values and attitudes that parents would want to encourage in their children. To that end, all teachers in the school must be practising, committed Christians. In every family associated with the college, too, at least one parent must be a practising Christian. The teaching staff commit themselves to being part of a learning community which attempts to develop a broad and challenging curriculum that is distinctively 'Christian' in its approach. Not in a contrived or 'forced' manner, but as an expression of a Christian community which sees all of life as a gift from God to be explored and enjoyed. The Bible is taken seriously as the source of truth and a guide for all of life.

Are children at DCC 'closeted' and 'protected' from the 'real' world?
The answer to that question is 'no' and 'yes'. No, in the sense that the college aims to prepare students for the world. The educational environment is open, questioning and ecumenical in its approach. The students come from a wide variety of Christian homes and from different social and ethnic backgrounds. Nearly all our students move on from DCC to university or some other tertiary institution and the experience of our graduates is that they are well prepared for their future places in society. Yes, however, in the sense that DCC has a warm, supportive, informal culture in which strong relationships are built among students, and among staff and students. DCC does not exhibit, then, the more extreme or rugged behaviours that are sometimes found in school settings. Students at DCC have the opportunity to develop and mature in a nurturing and generally happy community.

Which Christian denominations are represented at DCC?
Nearly all the Protestant denominations are represented and we also have some Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Coptic families. The Biblical principles and theological understandings upon which the college stands might be described as representing the 'main-stream traditional' approach. DCC, then, has broad theological appeal to a wide variety of Christian families.

What is the college's attitude to academic excellence? How good are your academic results at VCE level?
The College sees academic excellence as a natural outcome of a Christian approach to education. If our talents and abilities are gifts from God to be used in service to God and to the world in which he has placed us, the pursuit of excellence in all that we do is the only appropriate response. Academic results at VCE have been of a very high standard for a number of years. Nearly all the graduating students move on to university or other tertiary courses. There is opportunity for Year 10 students to undertake some Unit 1 and 2 VCE studies and for Year 11 students to complete some studies at Unit 3 and 4 level, prior to commencing Year 12. Students perform very creditably in inter-school sporting competitions, and musical and other creative arts activities are strongly encouraged.

How does the DCC curriculum differ from the state curriculum?
The College teaches the same sort of curriculum that you would find in other schools. We respond to educational initiatives such as the Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) and in-service our staff appropriately. All staff members are well qualified and are members of professional networks with teachers from state and other independent schools. Where the College differs is in the way that it approaches the curriculum. We come to all aspects of the curriculum as a community of Christian people, wanting to understand more of God's world and to discover our own place and purpose in that world. In addition, there are appropriate Christian Studies programs taught throughout the College, covering such things as Bible stories, theological concepts, ethical issues and Church history. Each morning the student day begins with a short devotional time in their homeroom class.

What is DCC's approach to modern science, particularly theories concerning the origins of the universe and of life?
As a Christian community the one thing we all agree on is that God created the world and that we are accountable to him for the stewardship of that creation. How and when he created, however, are matters upon which Christians disagree. As an ecumenical community we recognise that Christians have widely divergent views concerning 'origins' theories. The College expects its students to become familiar with these different understandings and to respect the rights of Christians to hold contrary views.

As an ecumenical community there must be some significant theological differences that could intrude. How are those matters handled at the college?
The College focuses its attention upon those fundamental Christian foundations upon which we, as a community, all agree. Those theological issues upon which we disagree are discussed in the school only by way of explaining and understanding the attitudes of different Christians. On the rare occasion when it is thought that an issue could cause significant division, we exclude it from the College arena.

DCC is a 'parent-controlled' Christian school. What does 'parent-control' mean in practice?
In practice, 'parent-control' means that the broad direction, policy setting, financial control and future planning of DCC rest with a Board of Directors elected by the Parent Association of the College. The school is not controlled by any particular church or denomination but by the Board of the Parent Association of the day, acting in accordance with the Memorandum and Articles of Association which were drawn up when the College was established. Parent involvement in the school is strongly encouraged and many parents actively contribute their time and expertise to a variety of different activities which enhance the life of the college.

The College does not see its role as beginning and ending in the classroom, or even restricted to the immediate College community. As part of the overall College program, regular parent gatherings are held on topics ranging from instruction in particular skills to forums on current issues of relevance to parents.

Do you have 'specialist' teachers in both the Primary and Secondary areas?
In Primary, there are specialist teachers provided for all students in Art, Science, Physical Education and Music. Specialists in Special Education, Reading Recovery and ESL are available for individual and small group tuition. There are opportunities also for instrumental tuition, choir, ensemble, dance activities, and German lessons. The senior Primary students have sports competitions with neighbouring schools and various extension programs are available for the more academically gifted child. Primary students are welcome to join DCC's Basketball Club, the Donvale Dunkers.

At Secondary, of course, teachers are specialist in their area of expertise, covering all areas appropriate to student requirements. Special Education, Welfare and ESL teachers contribute further to individual and small group needs. The timetable is constructed in a way that permits acceleration for appropriately talented students in subjects such as mathematics. Concert band, orchestra, flute choir, instrumental tuition and the regular production of 'musicals' provide significant opportunities in the creative arts area. The Donvale Dunkers Basketball Club encourages student involvement for both boys and girls up to Year 12 and the Secondary school is involved in regular sporting competitions with the Eastern Independent Schools Sports Association.

What computer education is available at DCC?
There are computers provided in every Primary classroom and they are used by all students as an assistance with the established curriculum. Interactive whiteboards are being progressively introduced into Primary classrooms.

At the Secondary level, DCC has chosen to move even more effectively into becoming a computer-assisted learning environment. Since 1997, all Year 7 students have been required to have their own Laptop computer and provision has been made to either lease or purchase the required unit. The Laptop Program now operates throughout the Secondary School. The Secondary section of the College has been remodelled to provide students with individual access to the College's networked software from all classrooms, as well as access to printers, the internal Intranet and to the Internet.

Can DCC provide a sufficient range of subjects at the VCE level?
Yes, DCC offers a range of subjects more than sufficient to satisfy the pre-requisites for any university or other tertiary course. Our course offering has been tailored to the needs of our students, nearly all of whom progress to higher education institutions.

What extra-curricula activities are available?
There are a range of activities available including sport, music, drama, dance, debating and outdoor education opportunities. The College also takes part in the Mathematics, Science, Information Technology and English competitions and other extension programs. Sporting and other activities are not normally compulsory outside of school hours, unless a student elects to join a particular program that requires such a commitment (eg. basketball).

What are class numbers like?
There is a maximum of 28 in classes other than Prep which usually can have no more than 20 in a class. In the VCE years, classes are frequently very small, allowing significant interaction in the group and individual help from the teacher.

The fees are described as 'moderate' and 'accessible' to families. How do the fees compare with other independent schools?
On average, DCC fees are between one third and one half of what is paid at many private schools. In addition, there are generous concessions for families. The second and third children pay progressively lower fees than the first child and all subsequent children enrolled at the same time are free.