Significant Events

Kyle TE's Outstanding Speech at the 2024 Australian International Education Conference (AIEC)

The 2024 Australian International Education Conference took place in October in Melbourne, drawing nearly 2,000 international education professionals from around the globe.

We are incredibly proud that our Year 10 international student, Kyle TE, was selected as the student speaker representing the Australian Government school sector. This year marked the first time the high school education sector was part of the opening and welcome speeches at this prestigious event.

On Wednesday, 23 October 2024, Kyle, proudly wearing our school uniform, took the stage after an introduction by renowned MC, Stan Grant. In his exceptional welcome speech, Kyle shared his personal journey with the audience, representing the Australian Government school sector with great poise and confidence. It was an incredibly proud moment!

Following his address, Deputy Premier of Victoria, Ben Carroll, personally congratulated Kyle and me, and the Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, Tim Watts, commended Kyle, calling him an “amazing international student.”

Throughout the morning tea, numerous delegates approached Kyle, expressing their admiration and calling his speech the “highlight of the day.”

Kyle’s participation in this event was an exceptional opportunity to highlight our school and showcase the achievements of our International Student Program.

Please find Kyle’s reflection below: 

The 2024 Australian International Education Conference (AIEC) was an incredible experience where I had the privilege of opening the event with a speech about my journey and insights as an international student in Melbourne. Addressing such a diverse audience of educators, policymakers, and prospective students was an honor, and I knew my role in setting the tone for the conference was important.

Preparing for the speech offered me a chance to think deeply about what makes Melbourne unique. Initially, I thought writing the script would be the hardest part; being new to this, I expected it to take weeks. However, with the dedicated support of Ms. Huang, my international student coordinator, I finished the draft within days. Mr. Matthew Flemming from IED even praised it as "excellent," which felt incredibly rewarding.

As it turned out, delivering the speech was much more challenging than writing it. The practical instructions—chin up, back straight, and speak clearly—were difficult to execute, especially before an audience of thousands. The real challenge came in memorizing every word of the 500-word script by heart, but thanks to the Term 3 holiday break, I had plenty of time to prepare.

When the moment arrived, and Ms. Huang gave me a nudge to step forward, I was filled with nerves but also a sense of purpose. Sharing the stage with another student speaker, I had a moment to compose myself before beginning. Standing there, I realized this wasn’t just about me or my school; I was speaking on behalf of all government school international students across Australia. With renewed confidence, I delivered my speech with pride.

Returning to my seat, I heard the reassuring words, "That was great, Kyle." At first, I wasn’t sure if people were just being polite, but soon it became clear that my speech had resonated with the audience. Deputy Premier Ben Carroll’s kind words and acknowledgment of my presence added to the surreal nature of the experience, and when he shook my hand, it felt like a culmination of all my hard work.

The feedback I received afterward was overwhelming. Several attendees shared that my speech was the highlight of the day, and even the entire conference, leaving me feeling immensely proud. Reflecting on the entire process—from drafting and practicing the speech to presenting it before such a prestigious audience—taught me the value of stepping out of my comfort zone. Learning to write, prepare, and confidently deliver a speech was empowering, and representing government school international students was a responsibility I took seriously.

In hindsight, I am immensely grateful to Ms. Huang, who practiced with me daily and was my constant source of encouragement. Special thanks also go to Ms. Belinda McGee, our Assistant Principal, for her feedback during my lunchtime practice sessions. I’m grateful to my homestay family, who listened to my speech countless times, and to Ms. Fields, who coordinated with IED and arranged additional coaching sessions. Lastly, my heartfelt thanks to Victoria IED and the AIEC organizing committee for giving me this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

In the future, if someone asked if I would do it all over again, my answer would be yes—1000%.

Attached below is Kyle’s speech.

Toby Smith’s Success at the Victorian All Schools Track and Field Championships

We are thrilled to share the incredible achievements ofToby Smith, a Year 8 student, who represented Doncaster Secondary College at the Victorian All Schools Track and Field Championships on Saturday, 2nd November.

Toby competed in the Under 15 Javelin event and delivered a stellar performance, finishing in 1st place with a personal best throw of 39.59m. His impressive result not only earned him the gold medal but also set a new benchmark for his personal achievements in the sport. Toby is immensely proud of his performance, and we couldn’t be more excited for him!

As a result of his outstanding performance, Toby has been nominated to join the Victorian team at the Australian All Schools Championships, to be held in Brisbane from Friday,December 6th to Sunday, December 8th. This is a fantastic opportunity for Toby to represent our school and state on the national stage, and we wish him all the best as he prepares for this next exciting challenge.

Congratulations, Toby—your hard work, dedication, and talent have truly paid off, and we look forward to following your journey in Brisbane!

Y9/10 Virtual Maths Games Day Competition

On Monday 14th of October some of our top year 9 Maths students competed in the Y9/10 Virtual Maths Games Day competition as part of The Victorian Challenge and Enrichment Series. DSC teams won first and third prize! A special congratulations to Oscar Chen, Helen Lac, Olivier Ramos and Karin Rostami who worked well together to win the competition! We also congratulate Esther Aixinjueluo, Hayden Chan, Jae Hee Han and Hirad Keynazhad for finishing third. 

On Monday 21st of October some of our year 7 and 8 students competed in the in the Y9/10 Virtual Maths Games Day competition as part of The Victorian Challenge and Enrichment Series. One of the DSC teams won first prize, with a second DSC team missing third by 1 point! Congratulations to Ivana Un, Natalie Lim, Chara Sklavenitis, Tinnie Diu and Tina Cheng on doing Doncaster proud and winning first prize!Thank you to all the students who proudly represented Doncaster Secondary College in Mathematics.

Year 9/10 Intermediate Girls Basketball Team Shines at Manningham District and Regionals!

Congratulations to Doncaster Secondary College's Year 9/10 Intermediate Girls Basketball team for their outstanding performance in Term 3! The team claimed the title at the Manningham District competition, showcasing incredible teamwork and determination.

On October 18th, the girls went on to compete at the regional level, where they faced off against Templestowe College in a thrilling match. Though they narrowly lost, the team put up an incredible fight against the eventual regional champions, who advanced to the state finals.

The girls' achievements are a testament to their hard work, dedication, and sportsmanship throughout the season. Well done to all players and coaches involved — we are incredibly proud of your efforts and look forward to seeing more success in the future!