Junior School

Congratulations to all the year 7 and 8 students for a successful second term. Students are to be commended for their persistence to the end of a long term.

Thank you to the students for their outstanding commitment to their learning. Teachers have sung the praises of Junior School students who have shown respect, readiness to learn and developed strong connections as a Junior School cohort. There is a big sense of pride, teaching a group of students who are interested in learning, showing kindness towards others and making the Junior School a great place to be. Thank you to each individual student that has embodied these behaviours.

To our Year 7 students and families, well done for completing their first semester in High School! From the start of the year, there was a positive energy from our Year 7 students who have adapted into High School routines and explored more of the college. As Term 2 progressed, we saw our students embrace many opportunities from attending the inter-school sport, music camp, cross country, geography walks to Ruffy Lake and completing the Attitude to School Survey all before the famous end of term celebration assembly led by Ms Mills and Ms Cipolato.

Year 8 and their families are to be commended for thriving through the changes of this term. It was wonderful to see students embracing changes to routines and developing new strategies and friendships to positively cope during change. Staff have witnessed and expressed to the Junior School that students are engaging in learning with new energy and receiving positive results. Congratulations to Year 8 students!

Thank you to the families for your guidance and support at home. We know that the successes of our cohort come from the values that our families instil at home. Over semester 2, we look forward to continuing our partnerships with families, embracing warmer weather and continuing the learning growth of our young people.

We want to wish all the students and families a wonderful, adventurous, warm and safe term break. We look forward to making Term 3 another success.

- Junior School Team

Aiming High in Maths

On Thursday, 27th of June, 16 students from years 7 & 8 went to Box Hill High School to compete against other schools in 'Maths Games Day'. Students had fun collaborating to solve problems and meeting students from other schools.

Thank you to Ms. Yang for organising, Ms. Hassani for helping and to all the students for participating.

- Tass Sgardelis, Specialist Teacher

AFL Year 7 Boys are the Champs!

Our Year 7 Boys AFL superstars have brought home the premiership title after a dominant display against Camberwell High School (CHS), Balwyn High School (BHS) and Kew High School (KHS) on Wednesday, May 29th! Under the exceptional leadership of Captain Cooper B and Super Coach Declan the boys displayed not only impressive skills but also incredible teamwork and sportsmanship.

The opening game against CHS was a nail-biter. Our boys held their own defensively, with Daniel S. shutting down attacks with precision. Seb HR demonstrated his dominance in the ruck and forward line while Archer displayed his exceptional intercepting marking skills (which continued all day).

The second match against BHS was a true display of DSC talent. Ethan G. dominated the midfield, while Archer held his ground in the ruck. Harry rocketed up forward, putting pressure on the BHS defence and scoring numerous goals. Cooper continued to shine in the midfield, showcasing his hard work and dedication. Alex F. used his attacking skills to his advantage, while Aiden impressed everyone with a spectacular goal on the run.

Our final match for the day against KHS was a must-win. With a 4 goal breeze we kicked away in the first half. Our midfield dominance led by Cooper, Ethan G. and Jude meant our forwards had plenty of opportunity. Seb E. scored twice and Jeet showcased his attacking prowess with a hard-fought free-kick goal and an impressive banana on the run. Special recognition goes to Thomas for his unselfish play and team-first attitude.

In the second half, our defence was under pressure with Dean, Howard, Ev, Zac G. and others standing tall against the barrage. KHS got within two goals before Captain Cooper streaked out of the middle and scored the sealer. This victory wasn't just about individual talents; it was a testament to the team's incredible collaboration and unwavering support for one another.

Congratulations to all the players. We are incredibly proud of your dedication, sportsmanship, and teamwork. We also should mention the eagle eyes of Goal Umpire Mr Hanna as a highlight of the day.

Good luck at Regional!

Drew Hanna

Year 7 Positive Climate for Learning and Community Engagement

Dragon Boat Festival

To understand and experience the significance of food in Chinese cultural celebration, Year 7, 8 and 9 students participated in this special event of making ‘Zongzi’ in their Food Tech classroom during their Mandarin classes. Before this, students have explored the narrative behind this traditional Chinese festival ‘Dragon Boat Festival’, researched facts about why people eat ‘Zongzi’ today, and created posters to show their understanding.

- Ms. Katrina Jing, Chinese Mandarin teacher

Students’ reflection:

Food is important to culture as it shapes traditions, helps to enhance connections with friends and family and adds to celebrations. Through food, we gain insights into the culture as it usually has stories behind it and food represents our daily needs. To learn about The Dragon Boat Festival, we made zongzi and learnt about the traditions that come with the celebration. Even though not all of our zongzi were perfect, it was a great way to experience making it and trying a custom dish in Chinese culture.

- Naomi, 8E

We connect culture to food because we have to eat food every day and each culture has its own unique type of food. When making zongzi, it was hard to make a nice pyramid shape, which made some of my zongzi look irregular. I didn't eat my zongzi, but I shared them with my parents. My mum was okay with the zongzi, but my dad didn't like it because he likes savoury zongzi more than sweet zongzi.

- Isabelle, 8E

Food is important as it connects people to their culture. Food is something we eat every day, and sometimes doing things hands-on can help us gain more knowledge about the background and how the food is made. Although my zongzi was not perfect, I found that it was a very valuable experience. Every culture has unique and different food, and some may share some similarities. Food can be something that keeps people connected with their hometown, and it's just simply good!

- Ayaka, 8E

Managing Me Feedback from the Community

As we close the first two terms of Managing Me in Junior School we would like to highlight some of the feedback that students, parents/carers and staff have identified. Some of the feedback includes (note: the more blue, the more favourable!):

Students have identified that Managing Me has help them develop learning habits:

Students have identified that they understand the purpose and topics covered:

Other Comments:

Students have enjoyed Emotions/Emotion Regulation activities, Team Building Activities, and Mindfulness activities.
Students report that the most important thing learned was emotional regulation and organisation.
Teachers report they feel comfortable and confident in delivering the content to their classes.
Parents/Carers report they have noticed that Managing Me is helping students:

Bring their planner home regularly
Use ICT effectively for learning
Keeping on top of schoolwork
Seeking support when required
Build their organisation skills

As we move into term 3 with Managing Me we will continue to focus on building students Personal and Social Capabilities particularly through the practicing and development of organisation, emotional regulation, learning reflection and ICT skills.

We will be communicating and asking Parents/Carers to follow up with their children about the ‘Conversation Tasks’ that are allocated each week as this is an important element for the continued development of personal and social capabilities.

Drew Hanna

Year 7 Positive Climate for Learning and Community Engagement

Eyes set on the world stage

As reported previously, our Year 7 karate super star, Jayden S. of 7F, has been achieving great success at the Victoria Karate League (VKL) tournaments. On June 16th, Jayden attended the final VKL Shukokai Cup tournament and we are pleased to share that Jayden achieved 2nd place in both the Elite division and Development division. Although Jayden came close to securing a gold medal in the Development division, it was a highly competitive contest.

Notably, Jayden's hard work paid off as he redeemed himself by advancing to the final of the Elite division earning a silver medal. Last month, he was knocked out in the first round of Elite division, making this achievement even more impressive.

This marks the conclusion of this year's VKL tournaments, where Jayden's dedication and training clearly paid off with significant improvements. Looking ahead, the focus will be on continuing to practice diligently, striving for further improvement, and preparing for the Japan Karate Association (JKA) World Tournament scheduled for October 2024 in Japan.

For those interested in viewing Jayden's performances, you may subscribe and like his YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/@j-karatedo

Year 7 Jump Rope For Heart Term 3

Doncaster Secondary College is taking part in Jump Rope for Heart during term 3 – a skipping and fundraising program aimed at getting everyone physically active, whilst learning about how to keep their heart healthy.

As we take part in the program we will become a Heart Hero, raising funds that will go towards helping powerful new research to help end heart disease.

What’s involved? Jump Rope for Heart is a fun way for everyone to be more physically active, leading us to a future of better health outcomes and reducing our risk of heart disease in adulthood. Your teacher will organise skipping activities during PE lessons and encourage your child to skip at home by using online resources!

How do I get started?

Visit this link for all the information: jumprope.org.au/parents

Set your fundraising goal Show everyone what you’re aiming to raise.
Make the first donation It helps get things moving and sets the bar for others.
Share your child’s page with friends and family and ask them to donate to support your child’s effort.
Every dollar you raise will help fund vital research, support and programs that help save lives.
Log your child’s skipping activity so they track their progress, earn virtual badges and unlock accessories for their avatars.

This year, we have extra prizes (for parents and guardians!) to be won. For every $40 you raise, you’ll go in the draw to win a $300 VISA e-Gift Card*.

As part of our Heart Health unit our year 7's will also be participating in an Australian-first pilot program that teaches Year 7 Victorian students how to save lives. The Kids Save Lives program aims to improve cardiac arrest survival rates by teaching students how to give life-saving cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and use an automated external defibrillator (AED).

It is a great opportunity over the holidays to get moving and practicing! While every year 7 student will be participating in the Heart Health unit and the Jump Rope for Heart Program the fundraising component is optional. It would be fantastic if everyone could get involved. Your PE teacher will discuss this with you in class so make sure you ask them if you have any questions.

Katharine Anderson

Health and Physical Education teacher