Principal's Report
Principal Report
Distinguished Visitor to the College
We were very honoured this week to host a meeting with the newly elected member for the State Parliament electorate of Warrandyte, Nicole Werner.
Nicole, who has strong connections with our College, having attended weekend language school here as a young student, was very complimentary of the progress we have made with upgrading facilities in recent years. She also canvassed our immediate short and long term needs and priorities of the College in a wide-ranging discussion. Finally, Nicole generously provided a new flag for our flagpole display at the front of the College.
We look forward to hosting Nicole once again in the very near future and congratulate her on her recent electoral victory.
Senior School Student Leadership in 2024
As we move through the extremely busy Senior School examination period, I wanted to report to our College community that we have completed the process to elect our senior school student leaders for 2024.
After addressing their peers in an assembly shortly before the commencement of our Year 11 exams, we had several prospective candidates deliver high quality speeches outlining their visions for student leadership at our College.
I was impressed with the messages that conveyed a focus not just on the leadership of our Year 12 students for next year but their vision for what student leadership opportunities will be possible from a whole-College perspective. We heard clear messages of inclusion, responsibility, opportunity and student connection.
We are very proud of these students and are looking for them to be highly influential in leading our student body in 2024.
It is my pleasure to announce that our School Captains and our School Vice-Captains for 2024 are:
School Captains
Mia and Shaun
School Vice-Captains
Vrinda and Abhishek
International Captains
Casper and Angel
International Vice-Captains
Richard, Freya and Chloe
We are very fortunate to have an outstanding group of committed students to move us forward in 2024. I warmly congratulate them and wish them all the very best in the challenges they will face in a unified and determined fashion next year.
VCE Exams Conclude
The final of the Year 12 VCE examinations was conducted on Wednesday 15 November.
I would like to congratulate our Year 12 cohort for the manner in which they conducted themselves, not just during the exam period but certainly over the course of this busy and challenging final term of their secondary schooling.
We all now wait with a sense of anticipation until the VCE results are published on Monday 11 December.
An update on those results will be communicated in the final Newsletter of the school year.
Our Year 11, 10 and 9 examinations were also completed yesterday. Our teachers are in the process of assessing the examination papers and the results will be reflected in the Cycle 6 reports available on Thursday 14 December.
Year 12 Final Assembly
Last Friday we celebrated the graduating class of 2023 with our Final Assembly, involving many parents and family members of the Year 12s. It was wonderful to see this event was so visibly supported by our College community.
I felt privileged to have the opportunity to address these senior students and their families at the commencement of the assembly. Apart from congratulating and thanking our students, their parents and our teachers, I took a final opportunity to share with the cohort how proud we were of them and how we collectively wished them all the very best for the exciting challenges and pathways that lay ahead
As I addressed the Final Assembly, my concluding message was;
To our Year 12 students – the class of 2023, I think we can all appreciate what a significant time this is for you, and we hope that our assembly and celebrations today are something to remember and cherish…
As your secondary education comes to a close and the next chapter of your life is about to unfold, today presents a great opportunity for you to reflect upon on what you have achieved thus far, how you have grown individually and collectively as students of EDSC.
And yours has been a journey not without its challenges.
Your experiences, those very formative experiences, in Year 9 and 10 were impacted greatly by the COVID pandemic.
The fact that you are sitting here today graduating from secondary school and your VCE program is a testament to your resilience, your perseverance and your character.
And as you depart the school gates for that last time, I trust that you will have fond, life-long memories of our College, of your school, of your teachers, your friends and the individual learning and growth we have sought to foster.
I hope that you will have pride in the fact that you will always be a member of the East Doncaster Secondary College extended community.
I would like to leave you with the celebrated words of the iconic American author, Mark Twain who wrote:
“The most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why”
Year 12s, it goes without saying that the first of those days has come and gone – now it is your time to go and find out your WHY, if you have not already done so…
And as you leave us to be the authors of your own destiny, do so with humility, gratitude, courage and wisdom.
Year 7 2024 Parent Information Evening
On Monday evening we hosted our future students and their parents for an information session as part of a successful transition process from primary to secondary school. Our large audience appeared both excited with the prospect of starting secondary school and eager to gather as much information as possible in all aspects of this transition period.
A highlight was listening to our current Year 7 students; Joshua Chow who delivered the Acknowledgement of Country and Charlotte Yong who spoke with great confidence about her experiences transitioning to East Doncaster. We were also entertained by the Chamber Strings ensemble under the guidance of Carl Williams at the beginning of the evening.
My message to the parents and families joining our College for the first time was an invitation to them to be an active participant in their child’s education here at East Doncaster Secondary College and to feel that their aspirations can be realised by our joint capacity to educate and develop the personal growth of their sons and daughters.
We look forward in anticipation to have our new Year 7 cohort join us in December for their Orientation Day.
Year 9 Performing Arts Production
Congratulations to the Year 9 Performing Arts Semester Two class for putting on two entertaining theatrical shows last week, in their stage performance of Wolf. Wonder. Whimsy. It was wonderful to see the progress the students had made in this subject in just one semester and the confidence and stagecraft they had developed in such a short space of time – and they looked like they were really enjoying themselves!
A special mention to Mr Evan Jones for his teaching and leadership of the event.
Year 7 2024 Orientation Day
We will be conducting our Orientation Day on-site at our College for all our Year 7 students in the class of 2024 on Tuesday 12 December.
College Presentation Night
An early reminder that on Thursday 14 December, the College will hold our annual Presentation Evening.
Venue: New Hope Community Centre
3 Springfield Rd
Blackburn North VIC 3130
Time: 7.00pm
This event is an important opportunity to celebrate student aspiration and achievement and we would hope that they will be well supported by our College community. Further details and booking for this event will available shortly on the Compass portal.
ELC Graduating Class of 2023
I was very pleased and proud to have been able to address our English Language Centre students yesterday at the College as they participated in their graduation celebration.
It is very rewarding to see how much these students have learnt and grown in their relatively short stay thus far at our College.
We look forward to them (or most of them) joining our VCE classes in 2024.
College Arrangements for next week
From next Monday 27 November, the College will roll over to a new timetable for our 2024 Advance Program.
The year level teams and College timetabler, do an enormous amount of work to have the program ready so that we can get a ‘head start’ on next year. Sometimes, students are uncertain about or unhappy with the class they have been allocated to or a subject they have been given. We ask that if you have any concerns with the 2024 program that you contact the relevant Year Level Coordinator during the Advance Program period. Some changes may be possible but many may be unlikely due to the complexity of the timetable.
On Monday 27 November, our Year 11 students become Year 12s and our Year 10 students become Year 11 students for the one-week VCE Orientation Advance Program. Students will start their 2024 program. The last day of the year for Year 11s and 10s is at the end of this Advance week (Friday 1 December from 3.15pm). Students will be given some holiday homework to prepare for next year.
Middle School Students
From Monday 28 November to Friday 9 December, students in Years 7-9 will work to their 2024 timetable as part of the two-week Advance Program. The formal educational program will conclude on Friday 8 December at 3.15pm.
Student Achievement -Spirit of ANZAC Prize
We were delighted to be informed last week that our Year 10 student, Disha, was one of only 12 students (state-wide) to be awarded The Premier's Spirit of Anzac Prize.
This prestigious prize is an annual competition open to Victorian students enrolled in Years 9 to 12 and offers these young students the opportunity to:
- explore Australia's wartime and peacekeeping history
- join a fully funded study tour to significant war heritage sites
- connect with veterans and the ex-service community
- understand and remember the contribution of Victorian service women and men.
This prize connects young Victorians with the legend of Anzac, which was born on the beaches of Gallipoli, Türkiye on 25 April 1915 and grew to symbolise the courage and sacrifice of Australian service women and men. The Prize encourages students to explore the Anzac legacy post-World War I and its relevance in our diverse, multicultural twenty-first-century society.
Winners will embark on an unforgettable study tour to Türkiye to retrace the experience of Australian men and women at war on the Gallipoli Peninsula and learning about the making of the Anzac legend.
Congratulations Disha!
State Champions
Congratulations to the Year 7 Boys Hockey Team for winning the State title last week after defeating Hume 5 - 2 in the Grand Final. Special mention to Krish and Kryshant who scored a combined 20 goals over the course of the day.
Well done Noah, Jayden, Aydan, Aqeel, Tom, Kryshant, Kriish, Kingsley, Aakif, Ammaar, Eddric, Sahil, Ryan, K.J. and Rohaan.
Well done to the team – a wonderful effort!
Victorian All Schools Track and Field Championships
Congratulations to Allegria, a student mentioned quite regularly in our College Newsletter for her athletic achievements, for her successful participation in the recent Victorian All Schools Track and Field Championships. Held at Lakeside Athletics Stadium, Allegria represented EDSC with great merit. She achieved a pole vault personal record of 3.10 metres, and in doing so, came first in the Under 14s Age Group across the whole state. She will again represent East Doncaster Secondary College in Perth, WA, in early December at the National Championships.
An outstanding effort from a very talented athlete – we congratulate Allegria and wish her all the very best in Perth.
John Roberts
Principal