Student Involvement & Academic News 

ROAD TO ZERO

On Wednesday the 22nd of May, our year 11 HHD and Global Health students, ventured to Melbourne Museum to participate in the “Road to Safety” program. The Road to Safety is an immersive experience that combines the latest in technology and educational theory to create an impactful learning environment. This program aims to build knowledge and awareness in pre-learner drivers, to give them skills to make safe decisions on the road. Each station is meticulously designed to offer insights into various aspects of road safety, from the dangers of distracted driving to the physics of crashes.

Here is some of the feedback from our students about their experience:

“I think the quiz you can do with your friends is the most successful in promoting road safety because it makes you guess the answer to the shocking statistics and then explains the answer, educating people and therefore developing personal skills.” – Lani

“I think the activity where you had to choose things to improve roads was my favourite as it made you aware of the elements that make roads safer”. – Asher

“I enjoyed the body-built activity as it made you realise that the human body is too fragile to survive collisions at a high speed”. – Ella

“The virtual reality interactive puts you in a virtual car and talks about car crashes and general road safety rules, such as speed limits, car technology and pedestrian crossings to promote road safety. I found this experience fun and enjoyable”. - Tessa

Students left the excursion with a better understanding of their responsibilities as future drivers and pedestrians in addition to the health promotion approach to road safety. The program plays a crucial role in shaping the attitudes and behaviors of the next generation, paving the way towards the ultimate goal of zero road fatalities and serious injuries. As road safety continues to be a paramount concern, programs like Road to Zero are essential in fostering a culture of safety and responsibility on our roads.

Chelsea Farmer 

Selamat Datang ke Minggu Asia! 

Welcome to Asia Week! 

Asia Week ni youkoso!

For 2024, Asia Week took off with our Year 8 classes to experience lessons in Japanese and Indonesian cultures. Some classes, including our Year 12 Indonesian class, got the unique opportunity to learn the Saman Dance. Ari, an Indonesian Language Assistant, visited the school especially to teach it to our students. Students were able to get dressed up in the traditional attire for the dance and then learn the movements and perform the dance as a class.

In regards to Japanese culture, some of our classes took part in lessons based around Hiroshima and the making of “One thousand Cranes”. This was an interesting historical lesson, where students learnt about the atomic bomb and then took part in a lesson of origami, teaching the students the symbolic nature of the “Crane” and how to make it! Overall the Year 8 cohort made over 400 cranes and these will be taken on the Japan Tour next year and placed at the Peace Memorial Park. 

A couple of classes also learned about Children’s Day. Children’s Day is a day to celebrate the children and pray for their growth! Children's Day was originally known as Tango no Sekku (usually translated as ‘Boy’s Day’)and was a celebration for boys. The holiday was officially changed to celebrate the health and growth of both girls and boys in 1948.  Kodomo no hi is particularly well known for the unique traditions and decorations that are associated with the celebration of the holiday.

Another favourite activity amongst our students was learning how to play Congklak, an Indonesian board game using a special board and shells. The player with the most shells in their store at the end of the game wins! This became very competitive in some classes with students competing to become the overall champion of their class!

We also ran activities at lunchtime, including a table tennis championship for Year 8s run by our language captains and Anime was very popular at lunchtime on Wednesday!

Thank you everyone for participating in this year's Asia Week

Lions Youth of the Year State Final

In April, Fenella Collins in Year 11 competed in the state final for Lions Youth of the Year in Maryborough. She competed with four other students from the state. Fenella participated in an interview answering questions as well as responding to impromptu questions in front of an audience and lastly, she presented her prepared speech on youths’ attention spans. Fenella didn’t take out the win to compete in the grand finale, but she did a spectacular job and did Dromana College extremely proud. Well done Fenella! 

Model United Nations - McKinnon Secondary College 

Dromana was well represented at Model United Nations, hosted by McKinnon on Friday 10 May. All four year 11 global politics students worked collaboratively with the other schools, representing Mexico, on the topic of Artificial intelligence and Human rights. The day modeled a special calling of the UN General assembly including position statements, moderated and unmoderated caucus sessions and a final vote, in which amendments and new clauses were finalized. The students had to consider the 17’s United Nations Sustainable Development Goals along with their own countries views to present them on the global stage. The two working documents of the day, the preamble and operative documents, included many points that discussed the impact of Artificial Intelligence on human rights which were effectively voted on and amended into a final document. Overall, the Dromana students all enjoyed the days events and represented the college exceptionally at Model UN all looking forward to future opportunities to extend their knowledge on the different global democratic processes. 

Thankyou,

Archie McMullin

Year 11 Student Leader

Model United Nations - Monash University Law School 

On Wednesday 29 May, 10 students attended the Model United Nations hosted by Monash University Law School. The students were in years 11 and 12 and represented three countries, The United Kingdom, Bolivia and Samoa. The topic was Hear My Voice: Recognising The Rights of Indigenous Peoples and explored debate and discussion regarding state responsibilities towards this outcome. Throughout the day the students interacted with students from other schools to work towards an outcome which was a successfully passed resolution. The students worked to amend the two documents, the preamble and operative to ensure their state’s values were reflected in the final document. Students used diplomatic and negotiation skills to seek support and provide support to fellow states in the pursuit of a final resolution all participants could agree on. The resolution was passed with a majority and a final document was created from this. Special thanks to Mr Gardner for driving the mini-bus and supporting the students during the day. Finally, Dromana College will be hosting an inter-school Model United Nations on Friday 6 September. All students interested are encouraged to attend an information session that will be held during the first week of Term 3. 

Alex Woolley

Director of Student Voice, Agency and Leadership

Term 2 Casual Dress Day – IDAHOBIT Day

The Student Leaders ran the Term 2 casual dress day and this was held on Thursday 16 May to raised money for Headspace Rosebud. The day was rainbow themed to acknowledge IDAHOBIT Day to raise awareness against homophobia, biphobia and transphobia. Headspace Rosebud attended to provided giveaways and information for youth mental health support and programs on offer for young people. The Music Department and Arts Department help provide some wonderful live music and art activities for students to engage in and prizes were awarded to students who got in involved. The Student Leaders did a fantastic job across the day and as a community we raised $1000 for Headspace Rosebud for them to use to further support youth mental health. Thank you to all those who participated and supported this cause.

Alex Woolley and Mitch Gardner

Director of Student Voice, Agency and Leadership

Teach the Teacher 2024

On Monday 24 June the Year 9 and 10 Student Leaders ran the 2024 Teach the Teacher Program. This program empowers students to lead staff in professional development on a topic of their choosing. The students focused on the concept of ‘student belonging in the classroom’ as their topic for 2024. The students spent 5 weeks of regular meetings planning, discussing and preparing resources to run the meeting with staff in classrooms around the college. The students provided an engaging and interactive meeting with staff and encouraged some rich and positive discussions to identify strategies to help students feel connected in the classroom.  Staff received the students very warmly and appreciated their effort and time to put together such a professional and thoughtful meeting and also provided some great feedback to direct the focus on the next session. Notably the staff loved watching the students use strategies they have witnessed their teachers use to engage and provide a lesson back to staff. The students will meet again at the start of Term 3 and begin planning the follow up Teach the Teacher meeting in Week 5. In the next session the students will aim to provide a consolidation of the first and explore some key take aways from staff. The students should be very proud of their work and this is yet another example of the very strong and respected student voice within Dromana College. 

Alex Woolley and Mitch Gardner 

Director of Student Voice, Agency and Leadership

ANZAC Day 2025

On Tuesday 23rd of April, an ANZAC Day whole school assembly, organized and led by student leadership, was a poignant commemoration of remembrance and tribute. At the beginning of the assembly there was a touching slideshow with images of relatives of staff and students who bravely served Australia, fostering a sense of pride and gratitude within the school community. Student leaders provided insightful accounts of war history and Australia's role, deepening understanding among peers. As well as Savannah Coghlan, one of our college captains speaking "The Ode," and the school choir, who delivered a heartfelt rendition of "In Flanders Fields," stirring emotions among the majority in attendance. A moving tribute was also provided by a past Dromana College student who played "The Last Post" on trumpet, honouring fallen soldiers. 

On ANZAC Day, myself and the five other college captains, Natalia Fakos, Emrick Fornoles, Taj King, Savannah Coghlan, and Amira Dika, as well as Mr Woolley and Mr Gardner attended the Dromana dawn service, honoring the sacrifices of our servicemen and women. Following this solemn event, we joined the annual gunfire breakfast, a tradition where camaraderie and remembrance echo through the morning.

Later in the day, joined by fellow student leaders, we proudly marched in the ANZAC Day procession, marching alongside various groups within the community. During the service, the Dromana College choir once again moved everyone with their rendition of "In Flanders Fields," and together with Dromana Primary School, they united in singing the Australian National Anthem.

As a part of the conclusion of the service, I along with the rest of college captains laid a wreath on behalf of our school, symbolizing our deep respect and gratitude for those who have served. This day of commemoration was a powerful reminder of the bravery and sacrifice that defines our nation's history and spirit.

Charlotte Denman

Year 12 College Captain

Model UN – Monash University Law School

“On the 29th of May, a group of senior students took part in a Model UN hosted by Monash University. The topic was centered around “Recognising the Rights of Indigenous Peoples”,  in which students from across Victoria came together to debate relevant issues and concerns from their respective countries. For the Dromana students, our countries consisted of the United Kingdom, Bolivia, and Samoa. By acting as state delegates in a simulated United Nations conference, we were all able to enhance our public speaking skills and collaborate upon a final resolution, which got passed by the end of the day. The day was filled with a lot of debate and discussion, allowing us to strengthen our cooperation skills with other schools and each other, while also pursuing our interests in global politics. The opportunity also allowed us to explore the Clayton Monash campus, providing us all with stronger insight into our journeys beyond high school. Participating in the Model UN was not only very interesting and educational but also gave us all the chance to create better bonds and connections with each other and other schools. 

In September, Dromana plans to host our own Model United Nations conference, centring around issues regarding Refugees. If anyone is interested in enhancing their confidence with public speaking or has an interest in international relations, participating in Model UN would be highly recommended for all year levels. 

Natalia Fakos & Holly Wild

Year 12 Student Leaders