Helen Telford (Donvale staff, 1992-2001) was appointed the second Head of Donvale in 1992, following the death of the founding Head, Don Brown, and played a very significant role in the on-going development of this young campus.

During the period of her Headship, Donvale was restructured from being a single stream P-8 Higher Elementary School, to become a K4 to Year 6 predominantly double-stream Primary School. She played an important part in the planning and implementation of a strongly child-centred curriculum, and sought to staff Donvale accordingly.

Helen always emphasised the primary importance of student welfare, and led staff at the Donvale campus to seek to ensure that all decisions and all changes were directed to this end. Similarly, she strongly encouraged the professional development of her staff, and built a very competent team to support the Donvale community. Students, staff and parents were directly involved in innovative approaches to education, including engagement in artistic and creative improvements to the physical appearance of the campus.

Helen also had a very productive partnership with the Carey Donvale Parents Association, who worked to add value to the learning environment of the School, particularly in the provision of playground equipment, evaporative cooling in classrooms, and the management and operation of the canteen.

She served as President of the Junior School Heads' Association of Australia, and was a member of the Board of IARTV (Independent Association of Registered Teachers of Australia).

Helen competed her Doctor of Education degree after her appointment, and published a text entitled: Transforming Schools Through Collaborative Leadership. She was a regular contributor at Junior School educational conferences and workshops.

Adapted from: The Carey Chronicle, 2001, p. 22