Middle School News
Year 7 to 9
Year 8 Camp
Year 8 Camp Compass posts paint a picture of what the students did whilst on camp. Refer to attached PDF document below for details that were posted at the time on the Compass Newsfeed during camp week.
Year 8 Camp Student Reports
Overall, my camp experience was full of laughter and fun activities throughout the day.
My favourites would be The Giant Swing, canoeing and raft building – even though I fell into the river! I really enjoyed the small experiences such as being in a cabin with my friends, having meals with them, and especially the night-time activities for example, the Passport to the World. I was able to explore the campsite in the spooky darkness, screaming and running with my friends, I definitely made some great memories!
Although camp food is said to be terrible, I liked eating a lot of the meals, my favourites being the baked potato, chicken burger, the breakfasts and desserts!
I hope everyone gets to experience this camp and make lots of memories!
By Olivia 8K
Year 8 camp was a fun experience. I liked the Mud Run, Leap of Faith, canoeing and the Giant Swing. Participating in the Mud Run was a fun messy challenge. The Leap of Faith was scary and I was full of adrenalin. Too bad I couldn't make it to the top and jump off. Canoeing was one of my favourite activities, being able to control your own canoe with up to three people. I liked it because I was going faster than some people probably because I had done it before. The Giant Swing is also one of my favourites because you get filled with adrenalin as you help lift or get lifted 15 meters up a hill and you pull a string that drops you and you swing as if you’re on a normal swing. I even saw some kangaroos.
The cabins are good they were big and had two showers and bathrooms. The cafeteria food was good as well, and the view was great I could even see the ocean.
By Ayden 8K
Grade 5 Visits
Throughout the last week of term, we have been visited by several local primary schools and their Grade 5 cohorts.
Organised by Leanne Kaufmann who is the Transition Coordinator at EDSC, these students are treated to what it is like at high school. With visits from Milgate, Serpell, Doncaster Gardens and Donburn Primary Schools we had approximately 500 students and their teachers come and visit.
Students participated in a number of mini classes which were organised by staff from a variety of domains. As a treat students were also given a pizza snack before heading back to their primary schools.
The feedback from the staff and students was they had a really great experience and they thanked Leanne and the College for putting on this event.
Justin Bond
Head of Middle School
Term 3 VHAP Masterclass
On Tuesday 17 of September, East Doncaster Secondary College students from Year 7 and Year 8 went to Koonung Secondary College to complete a series of activities as part of the Victorian High Achievers Program (VHAP) Masterclass.
In our English VHAP activity program, students completed three events. These were an Escape Room, Flash Fiction and completing an anthology of dystopian fiction writing pieces that they had written over a series of VHAP classes.
The Maths VHAP activity program consisted of playing card games in the Koonung A-block. They also competed against each other to stop a fake bomb from exploding using maths. Lastly, they did a series of activities that corresponded to numbers in a jar.
The day was a big success for both students and teachers.
The students from EDSC would like to thank the KSC students and faculty for giving them such a fantastic opportunity and a welcoming environment.
Year 8 EAL Poetry
As part of the Year 8 EAL study of the novel ‘No Words’ by Maryam Master, both classes have been involved in the unit of work: Slam Poetry.
Students studied and viewed a variety of poems both in written and spoken form, they then wrote their own pieces. This work was then presented to the class with a focus on rhythm, and the use of face, voice, and body expression. Below are two poems written by students in Ms James’ class:
The End of Life
The last ray of twilight falls quietly,
The world continues to spin, and we gradually fall asleep.
Death may not be a terrible thing,
After a busy life, it is time to rest.
We are born into this world crying in the morning,
but leave this world with a smile at dusk.
Our parents welcome our arrival with a smile,
but our children shed tears for us.
We race through the days, our hearts are surging,
chasing dreams, like restless children.
But will there be comfort in the last breath,
or just a clear silence?
So, the end will come,
Let us embrace this tranquillity and that silence.
Because at the end, we may find:
The true meaning of life is to let go of fear.
Below is the Mandarin translation for poem End of Life:
生命的终点
最后一缕暮色悄然落下，
世界继续旋转，我们渐渐入睡。
死亡或许并不是一件可怕的事情，
忙碌了一生，是时候休息了。
我们清晨哭着来到这个世界，
却在黄昏笑着冷掉了身体。
父母笑着迎接我们的到来，
儿女却在最后为我们泪流满面。
我们奔波度日，心潮澎湃，
追逐梦想，像不安分的孩子。
但真到了最后一口气，那会是安慰，
或只是一片无尽的沉默？
所以，生命的终点终会来临，让我们拥抱这份宁静，归于这份寂静。因为在最后，我们或许会发现：生命的真谛，就是放下恐惧。
Year 8 EAL student
Earth
We destroy the Earth,
building steel cities while green areas shrink.
We silence rivers, their voices lost in the noise,
replacing forests with our own choices.
Our oceans are drowning in plastic and trash.
Polar bears float on ice that is melting too fast.
We build towers and reach for the sky,
but at the same time, we let nature die.
We cut down trees and destroy land,
replacing green beauty with our cold, hard hands.
What is the point of a mountain if we flatten it?
What is the point of a forest if we don’t care about it?
We turn vibrant fields into empty fields.
But listen—can you hear the Earth?
Can you feel the forest calling for freedom?
The mountains are still waiting for us to fix our failed ways.
We are supposed to protect this place of life,
but we are the ones accelerating the destruction.
We still have time to turn things around,
repair what is broken and heal the land.
So take action, change your behaviour, and help change the look of this planet! We are not just people live in Earth, we are Leader
Below is the Mandarin translation for poem Earth:
地球
我们破坏地球，
建造钢铁城市，而绿地面积在减少。
我们让河流沉寂，它们的声音淹没在噪音中，
我们用自己的选择取代森林。
我们的海洋正被塑料和垃圾淹没。
北极熊漂浮在融化得太快的冰上。
我们建高楼，伸手触及天空，
但与此同时，我们让大自然死去。
我们砍伐树木，毁坏土地，
用我们冰冷坚硬的手取代绿色美景。
如果我们夷平了一座山，那它还有什么意义？
如果我们不在乎森林，那它还有什么意义？
我们把生机勃勃的田野变成了荒地。
但是听着——你能听到地球的声音吗？
你能感觉到森林在呼唤自由吗？
群山仍在等待我们纠正失败。
我们应该保护这个生命之地，
但我们却在加速破坏。
我们还有时间扭转局面，
修复破损，治愈这片土地。
所以，行动起来，改变你的行为，帮助改变这个星球吧！我们不仅仅是地球上的居民，我们还是领导者，我们有能力拯救这片土地。
Year 8 EAL student
Courtyard Tales 2024
Pre-Orders for the 50th Anniversary edition of Courtyard Tales are now open on Compass. Please go to the event on Compass to purchase: https://edsc-vic.compass.education/Organise/Activities/Events/
Student Lunches
Just a reminder to parents that we are unable to deliver lunches to students during school time. It is the student’s responsibility to come and collect their lunch if it has been dropped off at Reception. Hot food is not suitable to be left at Reception.
PLEASE NOTE: Take-away food is not allowed at the College during school hours. Under no circumstances are students to be ordering take-away food to be delivered to the College.
Student Compass ID/Library/PTV Cards
Please remind all students that they must carry their Student Compass ID/Library/PTV Cards with them at all times.
ALL students must sign in with their card at the Middle School Office when they are arriving late and sign out at the General Office when they are leaving early for any reason.
The cards are also used for any student photocopying that is done at school. The EDSC Student Compass ID/Library card can be used as ID for student PTV (Public Transport Victoria) travel. They are required to carry this card as student identification while travelling on public transport.
If a student loses their card, parents/guardians are able to re-order a replacement card via the Compass parent portal.
