Around the College

Year 10 Debaters Competition

Do you have an interest in broadening your knowledge of the world around you?  Do you want to develop skills in research, analysis and communication?  Do you want to become so advanced in the art of argument structure, that even your own parents will say yes to that second helping of ice cream? 

Well, maybe learning to debate is something you might be interested in.  Recently, several of our Year 10 students took part in a debating competition and one of our year 10 students wants to share their experience with you. 

This year, Jo, Daiyan and I participated in the Debaters Association of Victoria (DAV) debate competition for the Year 10 group. The competition consisted of 5 rounds and we were very fortunate to make the top 5 in our rankings.  

The debate competitions were run very differently this year in that most of the debate rounds were done via the zoom platform, rather than face-to-face. We were placed against many opponents mainly from independent and private schools.  Some of the topics debated were on the use of plain packaging, mandatory military service, whether the government should protect endangered species and topics on economy and education. 

Debating is a great way to further refine your public speaking skills, gain confidence and work as a team member. It is an exciting opportunity to improve your critical thinking  skills,  deal with pressure, and helps you to form arguments for or against an idea. 

The highlight of our debate was the secret debate topic in which debaters have only one hour to prepare and present their arguments.  

We all look forward to a VST development day at Fintona Girls School in which we will watch some exhibition debates, develop some new techniques and participate in some debates during the day. Overall, it was an exciting debate season.

Betty Z., 10A

Homework Club

When students return to on-site learning, the Homework Club will be starting up once again for this term on Thursdays at 3.30 pm in the A Block. Students are welcome to join and get support with their homework.

Meet your Newsletter Editor

Hi!  My name is Lisa Fairweather and I am the new Marketing Communications Officer at Doncaster Secondary College.  My role here is to positively build our community by sharing our College's news, activities, achievements and announcements with you.  I will do this through our College newsletter, our website and our Facebook page, although I will always be seeking out new ways to connect our community.

This is my first time working at a school!  I come from the corporate world, with a majority of my time spent in the pharmaceutical industry.  I am what you would call a 'Career Changer', having shifted my qualifications from Applied Chemistry to Communication Design.  Believe it or not, there are a lot of transferable skills between the two professions (hello analytical mind!).  Despite the challenges of a career change (thank you COVID), it's never too late to try something new career-wise.  I am so grateful for this opportunity to work with you all at Doncaster Secondary College.  I have been blown away by our school's culture of sharing, support and enthusiasm to learn. 

One challenge I do find working for such a large school is trying to keep abreast of all our school's activities.  Students & parents, if you would like me to report on a particular event or share information about a certain topic, please reach out to me on this email:

lisa.fairweather@education.vic.gov.au

I will see you around campus!