INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Student-led conferences - A success for our International students
On Tuesday, 16 October we had a morning tea held in the conference room to farewell our Year 12 International students. All Year 12 International students, teachers and education support staff were invited to attend. Ms McMaster spoke to the students to say goodbye and deliver the best wishes to our current Year 12 students.
The International students captains organised a gifts for Ms McMaster and other staff members to show their appreciation for everyone at the College who has made an effort to make them feel welcome at the College.
We would like to say thank you to everyone who attended on Tuesday and wish the Year 12 International students all the very best for their future endeavours.
Sharon Mu
International Student Program Education Support
International Student Program
Doncaster Secondary College has understood the importance of developing global awareness and intercultural understanding for many years. Our Languages program, International study tours and Curriculum programs all play a role in developing the knowledge, skills and attributes required to prepare our students for a globalised world.
Our International Student Program has been running for approximately 20 years and has played an integral role in forging International relationships and understanding. Our current program includes students from China, Korea, Malaysia, Vietnam and Iran. Through studying in Victoria, students and families are seeking educational opportunities, make friends with local and international students, and follow tertiary and career pathways in a safe environment. As is the objective for all of our students, we strive to provide an environment where these goals can be met.
As part of our program, Ms. Chen and I travelled to China and Malaysia to meet with International education agents, prospective students and families of both future and current students. Our travels took us to Guangzhou, Beijing, Fuzhou, Harbin, Shanghai and Kuala Lumpur, where we had the opportunity to provide information to agents and families about the Australian education system and comparisons between China and Malaysia. Understanding these differences provides insight and guidance on how we best support our students through our student management structures, curriculum delivery, wellbeing support and language development. As a result of the feedback provided by families and students, a number of actions have been put in place to better support all of our students including:
- Planned professional learning for staff on supporting language development
- Increased inclusion of International students in extracurricular opportunities
- Extending the peer buddy program for International students
- Strengthening of connections between our student management and wellbeing team and International students
- Improved induction of recently arrived students
- Improving communication between the school and families
It must be noted that the learning which comes from these experiences and interactions with our wider community benefit our whole school community through improved teaching and support for all students.
I would like to acknowledge the work of our International student team, led by Ms Sally Huang for leading a number of initiatives to strengthen our program.
Glenn Morris
Assistant Principal