Student Involvement & Academic News 

Indonesia's Independence Day Celebration at the Consulate 2026

On Monday the 17th of August 2026, the Dromana Indo Band along with students from Year 10-12 Indonesian classes went to the Indonesian Consulate in the city to celebrate Indonesia’s 81st Independence Day. Our Indo band, consisting of Aubrey, Sienna, Patrick, Casey, Aaron, Zali, Jay, Isla, Ibu Gordon, and Ibu Anggraeni, played 5 songs, including Tanah Airku, Laskar Pelangi, Bendera, and Bagaikan Langit. It was a fantastic day with students being able to mingle with the Indonesian community, enjoy some traditional Indonesian food - bakso, and celebrate Indonesian Independence Day.

Students had this to say about the experience:

Patrick - Very fun! I learned lots of Indonesian and got a better cultural understanding.

Casey - Holly bakso! I didn’t expect to speak in front of hundreds of people with them all staring at me like they expected some life changing speech. Having my good friend Patrick helped calm my nerves a little. Other than that, it was a blast playing for the consulate and we got free food!

Byron - The music was spectacular, and I felt very enthralled by Indonesian culture. It was really fun!

Paddy - I really enjoyed today and being immersed in Indonesian culture.

Aubrey - I loved performing today and getting to learn about Indonesian culture!

Sienna - It was so fun performing today with everyone and experiencing the culture.

Lola - Today was a great day watching the culture of the country that people love, Indonesia.

Sophie - It was amazing to watch the band and speak to lots of Indonesian people.

Isla - Today was so fun, I always love coming to the Indonesian events and seeing how excited everyone is, dancing around. The food was also very good and it was nice meeting so many enthusiastic people.

Aaron - I really enjoyed today’s excursion, I always enjoy playing with the band and meeting members of the Indonesian community, including the Consulate General, whom I have met before.

Nyssa - It was amazing getting to experience Indonesian culture in person and be surrounded by such powerful Indonesian pride.

Amelia - So grateful to have been able to experience such a fun day. I felt so immersed in Indonesian culture like I’ve never felt before and it was so much fun getting to watch the Indo Band perform.

Adya - It was great to experience Indonesian culture and listen to Indonesian music.

Zali - Very happy we could celebrate Independence Day once again this year. Playing with the band was great as always, especially when the crowd sings along.

Jay - Today was awesome. It’s always an honour to play with the band, especially on such an important day!

Indonesian Exchange students:

Aqeela - Such a fun day! I feel like I’m in Indonesia! Also, I never thought I’d eat bakso in Melbourne!

Indira - I had an amazing time! I love all the performances and everyone is very welcoming.

HIDAKA ONLINE JAPANESE EXCHANGE PROGRAM

From Tuesday 28th of July to Friday 31st of July, Year 7 to Year 12 students studying Japanese participated in the Hidaka online Japanese exchange program.

Students had the opportunity to speak to students in Japan in English and Japanese. Overall, the program was a huge success, and all students should be very proud of their efforts.  よくできました!

Model United Nations August 14, 2026

Dromana College held its annual inter-school Model United Nations Conference on Friday 14 August 2026.

The Model United Nations Conference is a simulation of a special hearing of the General Assembly that meets once a year in the New York headquarters of the United Nations. In groups of four, students represent allocated states to debate using the perspective and policies of that country regarding a nominated topic in the form of a draft resolution document.  

This year the topic was, ‘Asylum Seekers and Refugees: A Global Humanitarian Crisis’ and students debated the responsibilities and agreed norms to address this issue and the causes of it.

The schools who attended included: Dandenong High School, Bass Coast Secondary College, Somerville Secondary College, Westernport Secondary College, Rosebud Secondary College, Elwood Secondary College and Birranga College. 

120 students participated during the day which included approximately 40 Dromana College students participating. Dromana College represented the following states: United States of America, Republic of Türkiye, Commonwealth of Australia, Ukraine, The Italian Republic, Commonwealth of Canada and the Bolivian Republic of Venezuela. 

The draft resolution was debated, amended and successfully passed to help support global efforts to address the asylum seeker and refugee crisis that faces states and governments across the world. All students should be congratulated on their effort and preparation in the weeks leading up to the conference. Their diligent research, diplomacy skills and serious application to these real world issues was as always inspiring and an indicator yet again that we have some truly great leaders emerging in our youth. 

Well done! 

Mr Woolley