Significant Events
Finalist for The Victorian Global Learning Awards (VGLA) 2025
The annual Victorian Global Learning Awards celebrate the excellence of international students while recognising schools and homestay families for their outstanding contributions to global learning and engagement. These awards highlight the strength of Victoria’s international relationships and our esteemed reputation for fostering intercultural understanding. Most importantly, they honour the students, teachers, parents, principals, and homestay families who play a vital role in creating a diverse and inclusive educational community.
We are thrilled to extend our heartfelt congratulations to Meyly (Elly) TE, an international student at our college, who has been selected as a finalist for the Year 11 Academic Excellence Award at the VGLA! This is an incredible achievement — and even more exciting because it’s the very first time our school has entered the Academic Excellence category.
Elly’s achievements have been widely recognised. In Year 10, she received the school's Merit Award for outstanding academic performance. In Year 11, she was honoured at the College Awards event with multiple distinctions, including the International Student Award, Academic Excellence in General Mathematics and Year 12 Chinese Second Language, Personal Achievement in Accounting, and the Subject Award for Chinese Second Language.
Beyond academics, Elly is a dedicated leader, making significant contributions to both the school and broader community. She represented the college at the Global Youth Forum, hosted by the Asia Education Foundation, collaborating with fellow international students on cross-cultural issues. She also initiated and led the International Student Maths Mentoring Program, providing invaluable support to her peers. Additionally, Elly plays a key role in organising cultural celebrations at the college and has been actively involved in the International Student Voice Forum team. Her leadership and creativity were further recognised when she won the International SSS Video Competition, facilitated by the International Education Division.
Elly deeply understands the challenges faced by international students and is committed to supporting her peers in both their academic and personal journeys in Australia. Her exceptional academic achievements, leadership experience, and dedication to helping others make her a highly deserving finalist for the Academic Excellence Award.
Elly’s remarkable success would not have been possible without the unwavering support and dedication of our exceptional school community. I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to those who have played a significant role in helping her achieve these outstanding accomplishments.
A heartfelt thank you to Elly’s Year 11 subject teachers from last year, particularly those who generously dedicated their time and effort to writing her reference letters: Gary Rule, Marianne Yang, Ning Zhang, Josh Cowling, and Robbie Gedge. Your support and belief in Elly have been truly instrumental in her journey.
I would also like to extend my sincere appreciation to College Principal Team members Glenn Morris and Belinda McGee for their invaluable assistance with Elly’s nomination application.
Once again, congratulations to Elly—we are incredibly proud of you. And to everyone who has supported her along the way, thank you for your dedication and encouragement.
Here is her reflection and appreciation for being selected as a finalist for this award:
I am incredibly honoured to be selected as a finalist for the Victoria Global Learning Award under the Academic Excellence criteria. This recognition is a reflection of the support, encouragement, and opportunities I have received throughout my journey.
Being an international student comes with its challenges, from adapting to a new environment to overcoming language barriers. However, these challenges have shaped me into a more resilient and determined learner. Through my academic journey, I have not only strived for excellence but also dedicated myself to helping others, especially through initiatives like the Maths Mentoring Program. Supporting fellow students and fostering a collaborative learning environment has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my experience.
This achievement would not have been possible without the incredible support from my school. The welcoming environment, dedicated teachers, and various academic and leadership opportunities have played a crucial role in my growth. My teachers have guided me every step of the way, offering valuable feedback and encouragement that helped me refine my skills. The school’s commitment to celebrating diversity and supporting international students has made me feel truly included and empowered to pursue my goals. From academic mentoring programs to cultural celebrations, these experiences have enriched my learning journey and inspired me to give back to the school community.
I extend my deepest gratitude to my teachers, friends, and family who have supported me along the way. Their unwavering belief in me has fuelled my passion for learning and growth. This nomination is a testament to the power of perseverance, community, and the belief that education can transform lives.
Norouz
On Monday 24th March we were privileged to have members of the local Persian Community put on a cultural display at lunchtime. The display included a Haft-Sin table, a calligrapher (who was writing students names), a fabulous dance display and music, to recognise, celebrate and build awareness of Norouz (Persian New Year). Norouz, which means "new day" in Persian, is a time of renewal and joy, celebrating the arrival of spring. This traditional festival, celebrated for over 3,000 years, is observed by various ethnic groups around the world, including those in Iran, Central Asia, and the Caucasus. The event at our school was a wonderful opportunity to raise awareness of this important cultural celebration, allowing students and staff to experience and appreciate the beauty of Norouz firsthand. The College would like to thank staff members Sahar Hassani and Maliheh Panahi along with the members of the Persian Community who visited the College to present the fabulous display that was enjoyed by many members of the College community.
Celebrating Harmony Week at Doncaster Secondary College
Harmony Week – Theme Everyone Belongs
During the week from Monday 17th March – Friday 21st March we celebrated Harmony Week at DSC.
Harmony Week recognises and celebrates diversity and brings together Australians from different backgrounds and cultures.
Currently at Doncaster Secondary College we have students from 35 different language backgrounds.
It is about inclusiveness, respect and belonging for all Australians, regardless of cultural or linguistic background, united by a set of core Australian values.
This year our Harmony Week celebrations included the Slime Club making orange slime, students making orange bracelets and friendship bracelets at CRAFTERNOON CLUB. Thank you to the wellbeing team for helping to make this happen.
Junior school students also had an out of uniform day where they were encouraged to wear the costume or colours of their country of origin and teach each other how to say hello in different languages.
WHY ORANGE? The colour Orange is used to celebrate Harmony week as Orange represents meaningful communication between people.Year 7 & 8 Managing Me classes also completed a Harmony Day Kahoot that included questions about a range of different countries and cultures. Some classes also started with an Acknowledgement of Country on Thursday 20th.
National Close the Gap Day.
The Junior School also held a breakfast and banner making on the Friday also tying in with the National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence.
Thanks also to the library staff for their fabulous Harmony week book display and the canteen for getting into the spirit of things with having orange jelly and cup cakes available for sale.
We are also collecting favourite recipes from members of the College community to make a College Cultural Cookbook the latest date for these submissions is Wednesday 23rd April, please include what makes the recipe special to you.
Jayden's Gold Medal Journey
The last two weekends were quite eventful for Jayden. On the weekend of March 23, he participated in the Victoria Karate League (VKL) at Box Hill, where he finally earned his first Gold medal from a VKL tournament. His perseverance and consistent hard work helped him overcome the challenges he faced in 2024. The following weekend was equally busy as Jayden performed at the debut of a new karate dojo in Doncaster East. Overcoming his nerves, he gained more confidence in his ability to perform. The weekend wrapped up with Jayden winning two gold medals at a competition in Shepparton on March 30. While the gold medals are a great achievement, the real highlight is the improvement in his confidence and the discipline he's built through hard work. We hope his journey serves as an inspiration to others, demonstrating that true success is built on dedication, resilience, and self-belief, rather than the pursuit of recognition.
Checkmate! Our Students Shine at the Inter-School Chess Tournament
Our talented players of the Doncaster Chess Club represented our school in an exciting inter-school chess tournament at Box Hill High School on Wednesday 2nd April, facing off against some of the best players from Box Hill High School and East Doncaster Secondary College.
Fifteen of our best chess minds — Brandon Bach, Shin Chan, Tiam Daher, Oliver Gambis, Shanay Guha, Tony Hu, John Lee, Kaisen Lin, Phoenix Markulija, Sebastian Moore, Soroush Shohani, Luca Smith, James Theoharakos, Elvin Tran, and Edward Zhou — put their strategic skills to the test in a series of intense matches. Each player demonstrated remarkable concentration, sportsmanship, and tactical ability throughout the competition.
The tournament was filled with impressive victories, well-fought battles, and valuable learning experiences. Our students not only strengthened their skills but also gained valuable exposure to high-level competitive play. It was an inspiring display of perseverance and strategic thinking, and we are very proud of their efforts.
We are happy to announce that Doncaster Secondary College won the overall tournament with an impressive winning streak by Tony Hu. Other notable winners were Oliver and Shanay who came second and third out of the Doncaster Team. Well done to all players – we certainly showed the other schools that the Doncaster Chess Club is a team to be reckoned with! Thanks also to Ms Yang for giving up her day to help us run the event.
We are now setting our sights on the next inter-school chess tournament in Term 4, where we hope to build on this experience and achieve even greater success. A big congratulations to all our players for their dedication and hard work—your passion for chess is truly commendable!
Robbie Gedge (Chess Coordinator)
Debate Team
Sienna Margarejo, Arabella Wiseman, Sarah David and Queenie Liu competed in Round 1 of the DAV Interschool Debating Competition at Tintern Grammar on the 19th of March. The Doncaster team won as the negative team for the topic "That all tickets to sporting events should be free" against a team from Yarra Valley. Our first speaker Sienna was awarded best speaker with the highest point score. It was an interesting and passionate debate and we look forward to the next round of the competition.
