Senior School
Senior School Presentation Night
On Thursday, 28 November, the college held its Senior School Presentation Night.
It was a lovely evening and it's always a pleasure to see students being celebrated for their achievements.
The musical items were delightful. The jazz item, in particular, was a big hit with one younger sibling in the audience having a ball, dancing away the entire time.
Our special guests gave the evening the prestige it deserved and were very generous with time allowing families to take photos of their students with them afterwards.
Overall, it was a night to remember for everyone involved. Special thanks to Rowan Hore who coordinated it all.
Ty Dennis
Senior School Leader
Congratulations to all our award winners
Year 10 Merit Award - Jess R (10I) & Emma M (10H)
Year 11 Merit Award - Lloyd L (11H) and Charlotte W (11E)
Doncaster Secondary College Values Award - Thomas S (11C)
Ted Czochralski Award - Jordan L (10I)
ADF Long Tan Leadership Award - Giverny W (10I)
Donvale Lions Club Citizenship Award - Jimmy S (11V)
Doncaster Rotary Club Citizenship Award - Dylan C (10A) & Sarah V (11A)
University of Melbourne Kwong Lee Dow Young Scholars Award - Ethan J (10A)
Valedictory Award Winners Q&A
Congratulations to all our wonderful award winners for 2019! Here are some recipients' thoughts and plans for the future. Stay tuned for more inspiration from our award winners in the next edition of the college newsletter.
Taylah E (12C):
Q: To what do you attribute your good results?
A: I always did my homework and studying directly after school. This meant that I could relax after dinner and meant I wasn’t going to bed late. Studying like this meant I was productive and I believe this is why I have done well.
Q: What did you do for down time (hobbies, work, social)?
A: I exercised and saw my friends when I could. I think students should enjoy the social life that comes with Year 12 also (all the 18th birthdays) – don’t miss out on them. I worked casually as well. I think two shifts a week is the perfect amount.
Q: What are your goals for the future:
A: I hope to attend university and travel as part of my course.
Selina C (12H):
Q: To what do you attribute your good results?
A: I have found that having a healthy diet, getting enough sleep and exercising regularly has helped me to stay positive with my studies. Sleep was especially important because a few times I stayed up late to finish homework, but I found that this wasn’t a good idea as I ended up more tired and unproductive for the next couple of days.
When I didn’t understand something, I didn’t ignore it, I asked lots of questions. I found that my teachers were very supportive and encouraging and made time to answer my questions.
During VCE, school was often stressful, so I made sure that I balanced studying with things I enjoyed doing. At times, this meant that I had less time to complete my homework, but I was happier and more productive when I did study.
Q: What did you do for down time (hobbies, work, social)?
A: I love being outdoors, going to the beach and playing sport. My favourite sports are cricket and AFL and I play tennis regularly with my friends. I also enjoy reading and once I start a book, I can’t put it down until it’s finished!
I also volunteer weekly in my local area as a Bible teacher and have found this to be very rewarding.
Q: What are your goals for the future?
A: To find an interesting job. I aim to spend more time teaching others about the Bible and possibly even helping out with the construction of our places of worship, particularly in remote areas or overseas. I would like to travel as well, preferably to Europe.
Wilson C (12E):
Q: To what do you attribute your good results?
A: I credit my good results to concentrating in class, consistently completing homework and making time for my friends.
By having focused during class, I absorbed the teachers’ detailed explanations and asked for clarifications immediately. This helped me to leave the classroom with key knowledge already consolidated in my brain.
Consistently completing homework allows the skills and knowledge learnt in each chapter to be practiced and memorised. I found myself still quite familiar with questions from the start of the year when I started my final revision.
I also found that teaching my friends was a good way to test my own knowledge. This was because I had to explain the contents and skills, and they came up with some aspects that I hadn't thought of which added to my own knowledge.
Q: What did you do for down time (hobbies, work, social)?
A: I am pretty much an indoor person so I do read a lot of novels or watch video clips during my free time. I have started to try cooking Japanese food this year as well. Although I don’t really like moving around, I still try to keep myself active by going to the pool every Sunday to maintain a healthy body. I have stated to socialise a bit more this year by going out with friends for dinner or going to their houses to do a bit of cooking together!
Q: What are your goals for the future?
A: My goals for the future are obtaining my Australian citizenship (because I still an international student (TuT), becoming a teacher and living an ordinary but happy life. I don’t really expect myself to become a “future world leader (LOL)”, but I do want to live a life with someone I love who loves me as well, own some cats and dogs, and earn a steady income. That’s what I think happiness is all about. Career is really not that important to me, but happiness and family are!
HeadStart - Get Ready for 2020!
We have been running the Headstart Program in the Senior School since 2008, with the purpose of preparing students for the next academic year.
During the Headstart week (December 2 - 6), students are scheduled to attend up to three lessons of each subject. Attendance is compulsory.
This is a great opportunity to transition the whole school community in readiness for the 2020 mobile phone ban.
Student timetables for Headstart will be available on the Compass Portal from Monday, 2 December.
The program during Headstart is an excellent introduction to the learning and assessment program, with opportunities provided for students to build their skillset in preparation for the next year.
Students will be given tasks that will require them to do some learning at home during the Headstart week or over the holiday break in readiness for 2020.
Subject resources and associated learning tasks will be available via the Compass Portal.
Belinda McGee
Assistant Principal