Drawing Carey Donvale Together

The scene was well and truly set by our hard working CDPA who brought the entire community together with their Welcome Event late last term. In the twilight on a Friday night, the Donvale campus came alive with myriad activities as over 300 people indulged in a massive family picnic.

The scale of this event was certainly somewhat unexpected although the ordering of over 100 pizzas should have been a pointer to its popularity. It had a simple but powerful aim: to reunite the Carey Donvale community after months where we have been unable to enjoy that natural sense of belonging that is so innate to our school. This was a celebration befitting of Harmony Day and it tapped into many of our positive learner attributes with ‘Connectedness’ at its heart.

With great expectation, hundreds attended and they were not disappointed. Food and drink, including fresh coffee, fed the masses and people of all ages happily found a spot for a family picnic down on lush grassland affectionately known as The Flat. In fact, this entire area was a hive of activity thanks to a tug of war, petting zoo, ninja warrior course, pony rides and various play equipment on offer. Music drifted across the bushland adding to the atmosphere and Jonathan Walter, our School Principal, addressed the crowd acknowledging this wonderful opportunity to once again get everyone together.

We hope everyone has enjoyed the video reflections posted on Canvas in the last week of school, including a montage of images from this wonderfully successful Welcome Picnic Event courtesy of our photographer on the evening.

Our sincere thanks to the entire CDPA committee, Class Reps and a host of willing helpers for their thorough planning and endless enthusiasm. We are grateful to have parents from across school who are so invested in the wellbeing of their children and indeed the wellbeing of the entire school community. The Mothers Day Luncheon, Mothers Dinner and the CDPA Mothers Day stall are all much anticipated events in coming weeks.

The next major event to put in your diary is the recently announced Carey Whole School Soiree on Saturday 17 July, 7.30pm–11.30pm, to be held in The Melbourne Room and the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Watch out for the TryBooking link in Daily Messages to book your tickets which are likely to sell out quickly.

Steve Wilson
Head of Junior School Donvale