Daylesford Dharma School

06/09/2026

Through our Compassionate Communication practice, we help students discover the power of their words and the importance of deep listening.

In class, sharing circles give children space to connect with their feelings and needs, speak with kindness and listen deeply to others. They learn that the words we use have the power to heal, bridge our divides and bring us closer together.

By cultivating loving speech, deep listening and honesty, we build trust, strengthen relationships and empower children to make a positive difference our community.

04/09/2026

*Frogland Project update*

We recently returned to our site at Cornish Hill to find that heavy rains had destroyed our original wetlands frog habitat…BUT they didn’t wash away our students' determination!

Our incredible teachers used their students’ motivation and momentum to turn this setback into a learning experience. Together, we focused, got really wet and muddy and worked in the creek to rebuild our gabions and water buffers - this time we designed them to be stronger, smarter and more flexible.

By building and re-planting this way, we hope that Frogland is future-proofed against unpredictable climate events and forms a resilient habitat for our local wildlife.

A big shout out to our enthusiastic teachers, our star students who did the heavy lifting and the camp fire crew for helping keep us warm.

And sincere thanks to the and Junior Landcare

30/08/2026

How we speak to ourselves shapes how we connect with the world. Positive self-talk and self-kindness are an important part of how we practise Compassionate Communication at our school.

We help children develop self-awareness rather than self-judgment, learning to meet difficult emotions with empathy and understanding.

When we cultivate kindness towards ourselves, we build patience and emotional resilience, creating the space for genuine empathy, deep listening and kinder relationships with others.

28/08/2026

FREE Bike Skills Sessions - September School Holidays! See dates below. LIMITED SPOTS, BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL 📞 Call 5348 3112

Session Times:
Monday 21 Sept
9–11am — Level 1
12–2pm — Level 1
Tuesday 22 Sept
9–11am — Level 1
12–2pm — Level 2
Wednesday 23 Sept
9–11am — Level 2
12–2pm — Level 2

Thursday 24 Sept
JOURNEY RIDE - put your new skills into action for a family supported ride to Leitches Creek, testing skills and confidence on the trail.

What to bring:
Roadworthy bike (no training wheels)
Australian-standard approved helmet
Water bottle & healthy snacks
Weather-appropriate clothing & enclosed shoes

Proudly supported by Community Bank Daylesford, Hepburn Shire Council &
Daylesford Dharma School 💜

27/08/2026

Everyone loves Book Week! Today we had Darth Vader, Pinocchio, Dumbledore (and Harry Potter), the Mad Hatter and the cast of Alice in Wonderland appeared…but Where’s Wally?

Our School Captains beautifully led the parade and supported our younger students.

So many amazing costumes to backdrop a day of reading, puppetry shows and writing activities. It is after all the festival!

23/08/2026

If we want children to be peace makers and have the courage to resolve their conflicts and misunderstandings, we can start with developing their positive and thoughtful speech. This awareness helps them to experience more positive interactions and creates a sense of confidence and agency.

Developing positive speech can be a stepping stone to deep listening. Deep listening is the foundation in every beneficial communication, whether it is during conflict, as a support for someone in need or just having fun with friends - we are listening deeply so that our communication that follows is on point, clear and connected.

19/08/2026

Each term, our Year 3/4 and Year 5/6 students dive into a novel study, building their reading, writing and analytical skills through rich, creative learning.

The students are encouraged to engage deeply with their books before starting their culminating task. They predicted stories, explored characters and created illustrated Acrostic poems about a character from the novel.

This work has also connected beautifully with our U3A Writers Circle and the Words in Winter writing that they’re developing.

A big shout-out to our teachers Rachel and Annshar for thoughtfully weaving learning across the curriculum and creating rich, engaging experiences for our students!

16/08/2026

Our Frog-land Wetlands Project is taking shape! Our Bush School students have been busy bringing the project to life, with 75 plants already in the ground and only a few hundred more to go!

This Junior Landcare Grant Project is a wonderful achievement for our students and teachers, alongside the Friends of Cornish Hill Daylesford.

With thanks to the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action and Junior Landcare

14/08/2026

Did you know Australia is home to the world’s loudest bug? The Double Drummer! This week our Prep/1 students headed to the Melbourne Museum to explore the world of bugs. From watching bugs devour a carcass and getting up close to cockroaches, to learning how insects are classified, seeing spiders build webs and discovering incredible butterfly specimens! We had such a great time and will definitely be back!

12/08/2026

Thank you to The Daylesford Foundation for your generosity and continued support! We are so grateful for all you do for our school and community 💜

What a year it has been for The Daylesford Foundation.
From distributing $67,000 in FY2020 (our first full year of operations), to $325,000 distributed in our community this year, The Daylesford Foundation has become a key provider of support to residents of Hepburn Shire.
Structured giving via many community partners including all 13 schools in the region ensures funds go precisely where they are needed.
Our Local Impact fund provides food and fuel vouchers and essential items, delivers practical, timely and compassionate assistance to people in times of crisis.
Our Student Support Program not only provides financial support but also dignity and opportunity to children and families who might miss out on experiences many of us take for granted.
Our early intervention program helping students struggling with literacy is so important, it prevents students from falling behind in later years and disengaging from education.
Literacy is more than just the ability to read; it’s a key that unlocks access to opportunity, empowerment, and lifelong learning.
Scholarships, since commencing the program in 2022 the foundation has awarded 34 scholarships to local students for either university, TAFE apprenticeships, traineeships, or direct assistance to employment. Plus 69% of University scholarships are first-in-family to go to University, an achievement we're especially proud of.
It gives us great heart to see the foundation flourish to help so many people in our community. There can be no greater investment!
Since inception the foundation has invested over $1.2M into our community and provided over 9,700 instances of assistance around Hepburn Shire.
And, as we have done from the start, we will continue to pay all business/admin expenses of the foundation so that every cent of every dollar donated reaches those who need it.
We would like to sincerely thank the tireless members of the board who freely give of their time and expertise.
To our donors, volunteers, and community partners our heartfelt thanks, without you all our vision would not have become a reality.
And, if you want to get involved and help The Daylesford Foundation help our local community, please reach out. we'd love to hear from you.







https://thedaylesfordfoundation.org.au/get-involved/single-donation/