Secondary Happenings

Have You Met Stacey?? 

Name: Stacey Finger

Role: Secondary Teacher & Timetabler

What do you enjoy most about working at DCC?

The people. I began teaching here in 2009, and this community has played such a significant role in shaping both who I am and the way I teach. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside many wise and inspiring staff, students, and parents who have encouraged me, challenged me, and taught me so much. It’s been a joy to share life with this community. 

What do you love most about your role, and why?

I teach Chemistry and Mathematics and being in the classroom helping students learn is what brings me the greatest joy and energy each day. I also manage the Secondary School timetable and student subjects, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the school in a different way through that role. I especially enjoy any opportunity to help students and staff have a more positive and enjoyable year.

How does your faith shape the way you approach your role?

Each day, I simply try to approach my work in a way that reflects Jesus. Of course, I don’t always get that right, but I hope that through my actions I can show God’s love, kindness, and grace to others. At times, the pressures and responsibilities of the role can be challenging, and in those moments, I try to remind myself that God is with me and to keep humbly and faithfully doing the work he has called me to do.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work? 

Most of my time outside of work is spent with my three girls, taking them to their various sports and activities. If I can fit in some sport for myself — usually a racquet sport — that’s always a bonus. During the holidays, I’m happiest when I can spend some time at the beach.

What are you most looking forward to for the rest of 2026?

I’m especially looking forward to journeying alongside another Year 12 cohort as they complete their final year at Donvale. It’s always a very special and rewarding time, celebrating with students after such a challenging and significant year. Seeing so many wonderful young adults leave the College with a love for God and a desire to follow Him is a real blessing. And, of course, having the 2027 timetable completed will also be a pretty great feeling!

Year 11 Formal

Elise Ridgway, Year 11 Student

The Year 11s recently celebrated their formal evening at The Karralyka Centre, Ringwood. The night was filled with food, dancing, photos and fun, and everyone had a brilliant time.

It was lots of fun to get dressed up for "A Night at the Oscars", have a laugh and enjoy some funny awards. It was a great opportunity for us to build community, spend quality time with friends and bring everyone in the year together for a night.  We really enjoyed getting dressed up, chatting with friends, and the delicious food provided to us by Karralyka. 

A huge thank you to FOD for decorating and packing down, and for their incredible decorating to the theme. Thanks also to Karralyka for their amazing function room, staff and chefs, the teachers that gave up their Friday night and the rest of the formal committee for their work in helping the night come together. We couldn't have done it without you all!

We ended the night with dancing to some favourites, including lots of praise music, which got everybody involved and singing. The night was one to remember and was enjoyed by all.

Careers Week

Emily Gosbell, Head of Career Pathways

We recently celebrated National Careers Week for the first time at DCC. We launched the week with a whole-school dress-up day, encouraging students and staff to come dressed as their “dream job,” whether that reflects their current aspirations or something they dreamed of when they were younger.

This simple yet engaging prompt set the tone for an inspiring and thought-provoking week. We saw a wonderful variety of costumes, including health professionals, zookeepers, scientists, race car drivers, lawyers, back-up dancers, chefs, emergency service workers, tradespeople and teachers, just to name a few. It was a fantastic opportunity for staff and students to share a moment of fun together while celebrating future endeavours.

The purpose of the initiative was to encourage students to think about their future, share their ideas with others and broaden their awareness of possible career pathways - including occupations they may not have previously considered.

Throughout the week during home group, students engaged in a range of future-focused activities including prompts, challenges and discussions. These experiences were complemented by panel sessions where teachers and alumni shared their career journeys and insights. We also hosted a “Discerning Your Direction” seminar, and prayer spaces were made available across the week.

The feedback from both staff and students has been overwhelmingly positive, highlighting that the week sparked meaningful conversations, broadened perspectives and strengthened connections within the school community. We are already looking ahead to 2027 with excitement, exploring how we can build on this success and continue to grow the initiative.

To learn more about the Careers Program at Donvale Christian College, feel free to reach out via careers@donvale.vic.edu.au. 

Da Vinci Decathlon 

Michael Llewellyn, Secondary Teacher

On 7 May three teams from DCC competed in the Da Vinci Decathlon. Students were competing against more than 30 schools from across Melbourne in categories that included Maths, Science and English, as well as more varied areas such as Ideation, Creative Producers and Art & Poetry.

These students have been participating in after-school training sessions since the middle of Term 1, working in groups across Year Levels to share their experience from previous competitions and develop their ability to work as a team. It has been really encouraging to see how the students have supported each other and created a positive environment at these training sessions.

Each team had 8 members, ranging from Years 7-9. Our DCC teams achieved some impressive results. 

Year 7: 

1st place in Cartography

6th for Art & Poetry  

6th for Science. 

Year 8:

3rd place in Art & Poetry

5th in Creative Producers 

5th in Engineering 

7th place in Maths. 

Year 9: 

3rd place in Maths

4th in Cartography 

8th in Ideation

These results demonstrate the varied skills and interests of students at DCC, with high results in both traditionally academic domains, as well as more creative areas.

Congratulations to the following participants:

 Year 7:

• Nikita Perera
• Timothy Mitcell
• Ella Yau
• Eden Hahn
• Isabelle Fang
• Elizabeth Michael
• Damian Bartzis
• Naomi Hoh

Year 8:

• Caleb Burt
• Eli Birt
• Scarlette Goh
• Parthenia Morkos
• Tristan Ang
• Lorena Zhang
• Caleb Lewis
• Amelie Gill

Year 9:

• Lucas Chan
• Zachary Chen
• Eden Ma
• Amy Ng
• Abrielle Ku
• Alessandra Rozul
• Josiah Durrmeier
• Janek Sandanayake

Special thanks to Caleb Schulz and Leanne Benson who attended as supervisors.