Stories and highlights

Run Beyond Project

During Term 3, our Run Beyond staff and mentor students participated in the TCS Sydney Marathon 10KM race, where they got the chance to run across the Sydney Harbour Bridge and finish near the Opera House. These students have shown resilience and discipline to show up and train multiple times a week in preparation for not only this event, but also their 10KM run in Huskisson with all Run Beyond students. The school community is so proud of their hard work and commitment to giving their absolute best in all that they do and for the standard they set for their fellow students.

Murat Dizdar & Courtney Houssos

Doonside Technology High School was honoured to host Murat Dizdar, Secretary of the NSW Department of Education, and Courtney Houssos, Act Minister of Education, along with a number of Senior Department staff for a day at our school. The visit provided an opportunity to showcase our outstanding teaching and learning programs, strong wellbeing initiatives, and the incredible achievements of our students and staff. Our guests toured classrooms, met with students and teachers, and experienced firsthand the innovative and inclusive culture that defines Doonside Technology High School. It was a proud moment for our school community to share our successes and highlight the impact of our ongoing commitment to excellence in education.

Explicit Teaching Practice

The What Works Best 2025 – Explicit Teaching Illustration of Practice highlights Doonside Technology High School’s success in embedding explicit teaching across every classroom. Since adopting a whole-school approach in 2021, DTHS has created a structured, engaging and supportive learning environment where students clearly understand what they are learning, how they will learn it and what success looks like. Supported by strong collaboration, mentoring and data-informed practice, teachers deliver consistent, high-quality lessons that build student confidence and achievement. The school’s culture of continuous improvement, professional learning and reflective practice has established DTHS as a model of excellence in explicit instruction and student growth across all areas of learning

Combating Climate Change

Some of our students have been featured in the Sydney Morning Herald for their inspiring efforts in addressing climate change and making a positive difference within our school and local community. Led by the passionate and dedicated Liam Culhane, our students have demonstrated how young people can be powerful agents of change when they combine teamwork, creativity and determination. Their work highlights the impact that student-led initiatives can have in building a more sustainable and inclusive future. This recognition not only celebrates our students’ hard work and commitment, but also reflects the ongoing support, encouragement and guidance they receive from our dedicated staff and the wider school community. It is a proud moment for Doonside Technology High School – one that truly showcases our shared values of leadership, responsibility and care for the world around us.

2025 AFL National Inclusion Carnival in Melbourne, Victoria

A huge congratulations to our students and some of our past students who proudly represented Doonside Technology High School as part of the NSW AFL Inclusion Team in Melbourne, Victoria. Competing alongside athletes with a disability from across Australia, our students showcased incredible skill, sportsmanship and school pride on the national stage. It was also a fantastic opportunity for them to connect with players from other states and even meet former Geelong Cats premiership captain Joel Selwood. We are so proud of their achievements and the way they continue to inspire our school community.

Greening Australia

As part of our ongoing commitment to sustainability and reducing heat across the school grounds, students recently partnered with Greening Australia to expand the microforest between the hockey and soccer fields. Guided by our student leadership group, hundreds of new plants were added to provide extra shade and wind protection, along with plans for new sandstone seating that will also serve as a natural barrier for the area. This initiative continues the legacy of past student groups who began the project in 2022, highlighting our school’s strong focus on environmental stewardship, collaboration and hands-on learning.