Middle School

Celebrating the Success of Our Final Cluster Day!

We’re excited to share the fantastic success of Doncaster Secondary College’s final Cluster Day! The event was packed with engaging activities, hands-on workshops, and an inspiring guest speaker, making it a memorable and enriching experience for all.

This year’s Cluster Day featured three insightful workshops that offered students the chance to explore crucial life skills:

Optus Digital Thumbprint: This workshop focused on how to manage a positive digital identity in today’s online world. 

Together For Humanity: In this session, students delved into the importance of cultural awareness and inclusivity.

Speak & Share: Emphasising the significance of open communication and mental well-being.

In addition to the workshops, students were treated to a delicious BBQ lunch, providing a great opportunity to relax and socialise with friends and peers.

A highlight of the day was an inspiring presentation by a YouTuber guest speaker who shared valuable insights into building a digital business and developing key entrepreneurial skills. The speaker's journey served as a motivation for students looking to pursue careers in digital media or entrepreneurship, showing them that with passion and perseverance, they too can turn their ideas into a successful business.

We want to extend a huge thank you to everyone who contributed to making Cluster Day a success. Your continued support is crucial in providing these incredible learning opportunities for our students, helping them grow both personally and socially.

Looking forward to the next Cluster Day and the many more exciting events to come!

Kai Hong (Tony) Leung

Biology, Science & MYSELF Teacher

Middle School Excellence in Teaching & Learning Leader

Year 9 MyCity Planning Class Hosts Successful OP Shop Pop-Up for Eye Care Foundation!

On Wednesday, 27th November, the Year 9 MyCity Planning class at Doncaster Secondary College organised a one-day-only OP Shop Pop-Up outside W Block, bringing a unique shopping experience to our school community and drawing a big crowd and creating an exciting atmosphere at lunchtime. The event not only offered students and staff the chance to grab some amazing second-hand bargains, but also provided an opportunity to give back to a worthy cause — the Eye Care Foundation.

While the OP shop featured a variety of pre-loved clothes, accessories, and more, each item was available for a reasonable price, offering students a sustainable shopping option. From gently used clothing to accessories, there was something for everyone. The students did an excellent job of sourcing and organising the items, which offered a sustainable and affordable shopping option for all.

The real crowd favourite, however, was the $2 sausage sizzle. Delicious and affordable, the sausage sizzle not only satisfied appetites but also raised vital funds for charity. $1.50 from every $2 sausage went directly to the Eye Care Foundation, supporting their efforts to provide eye care and vision-saving treatments to those in need.

The students in the MyCity Planning class worked hard to organise this event, showcasing their creativity, teamwork, and commitment to social responsibility. By hosting the OP shop and sausage sizzle, they promoted both sustainability and charity, helping raise important funds for a cause that has a significant global impact.

A massive thank you to all the students, teachers, and members of the school community who supported the event. Your generosity and enthusiasm helped make the Eye Care Foundation donation a great success!

We’re looking forward to seeing more initiatives from theMyCity Planning class in the future, and we are proud to be part of such a compassionate and community-driven school.

Why I Learn Chinese - Peiyi Li

I started learning Chinese when I was first in year 1 and until I’m nearly year 10 now, there was never a split second that I regret learning this language.  

Personally, learning Chinese for me wasn’t only about learning how to write or speak this new language, it’s more like a flashback of the entire Chinese history. From the oracle bone script to modern simplified Chinese, every stroke in every Chinese character took the ancient Chinese people thousands of years to link over 70,000 characters together. It’s so broad that there’s 15 terms to just describe the moon. If a person doesn’t know Chinese, just by looking at the character it could be guessed quite easily, like the character 伞 indicates umbrella.  

Moreover, some four word phrases in Chinese that only use four characters would need at least 2 sentences to understand the same thing ; for example, 过犹不及 translated to English is “going beyond the limit is as bad as falling short; excess is just as bad as deficiency; too much is as bad as too little”. Isn’t Chinese such a beautiful language!? 

Chinese is such a delightful language and I really do love studying Chinese history and characters.  As a student that came to Australia at the age of 3, learning Chinese also meant I could get in contact with my relatives in China, and according to a Canadian psychologist, learning Chinese can even prevent dyslexia!  In essence, I really recommend Chinese as a subject to learn of your interest.

                                                         By Peiyi LI 9B