International Students

Outcome of The Victorian Global Learning Awards 2023

The Victorian Global Learning Awards are a celebration and recognition of what brings us together, the strength of Victoria’s international relationships and the esteem with which we are held internationally for global learning and engagement. But most importantly it is a celebration of our students, teachers, parents, principals and homestay families, and the contribution they make to our schools and community.

On the 8th June, school principal Glenn Morris and I attended the Victorian Global Learning Awards Ceremony. Our international student Berry Eain has been selected as the winner of the Y11 Student Leadership Award. Each year in Victoria, one international student from year 11 and one from year 12 will receive this award which recognises outstanding leadership. Berry is a great contributor to both our school and the wider community. Big congratulations to Berry!

Last year's winner of the VGLA Global Citizenship Award & 2022 International Student of the Year, DSC Alumni Harry Bui, also presented (via video) at the award ceremony. You can find his speech and video below. As always, Harry delivers a speech from the heart and he offers so much encouragement for our international students.  

The Department’s official recognition of our international student achievements, which include Harry BUI and Berry EAIN, has made our international student program and our school a very attractive destination in the market! So well done to our international students and well done to DSC!

Ms Sally Huang

Director of the DSC International Student Program

Harry Bui's video and speech at the 2023 VGLAs:

Good morning everyone,

I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land we are meeting on today, the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. I pay my respects to their Elders past and present, and to emerging leaders. I extend that respect to all Elders and Aboriginal people here today.

 

It is my absolute honour for me to deliver this video address at the Victorian Global Learning Award 2023 celebrating the transformative power of education and reflecting on the incredible journey that many international students including myself get to experience. My time here in Victoria for the last 4 years from high school to University, has been truly a life-changing experience.

 

When I first arrive at Melbourne Airport, I was a fifteen-year-old boy who was filled with ambition, curiosity and a strong desire to explore the world outside of my comfort zone. The moment I saw Ms Huang, my international student coordinator, I instantly felt this sense of a nurturing and supportive environment that soon paved the way for my personal growth and success both academically and personally. I’m so fortunate always to be surrounded by amazing people who challenged me, inspired me and encouraged me to reach my full potential.

 

I carried with me all the lessons I learned and the self-confidence I had gained as I transitioned from high school to university. Again, I was fortunate enough to receive the Chancellor Scholarship to continue my study at the Swinburne University of Technology under the Bachelor of Commerce program, majoring in Accounting and Finance. This allows me to learn more about the world of finance, engage in thought-provoking discussions and meet many amazing people with similar interests.

 

I would not have made it here if it was not because of a strong network that has always supported me to overcome all the challenges on my journey.

I want to extend my deepest gratitude to the teachers at Doncaster Secondary College, who laid the foundation for my success and planted my love for learning. 

Thank you for your patience, guidance and encouragement which have had a lasting impact on my life.

 

To all of my friends, who have been with me every step of the way, thank you. The friendship we had, the laughter we shared and all the precious memories we created together will forever stay in a small corner of my heart.

 

Finally, to my parents, who have been my rock through this entire time, thank you. Your love, support and belief in me have been the fuel that has driven me to achieve my goal.

 

Standing here today, I am filled with immense gratitude and pride for my journey. All the opportunities and challenges on the way have shaped me into who I am today and I never once regret my decision of coming to Victoria.

 

To the new international students who recently started on their journey here in Victoria, please embrace every opportunity and learn from every challenge that comes your way. Remember that no mountain is too high and the sky is the limit so try your best and you will get everything you want.

 

Once again, thank you for honouring me as the International Student of 2022. I’m truly grateful for this recognition and I’m looking forward to writing the next chapter of my life as I continue my journey. Thank you.

Tien Hieu (Harry) Bui – 2022 VGLA International Student of the Year, 2022 VGLA YEAR 12 Global Citizenship Award, 2021 VGLA YEAR 11 Global Citizenship Award

VCE Mentorship Program

Our international student and school captain, Berry EAIN, has been working tirelessly with her co-captains and SRC members to support her peers through various projects and programs. One of these projects is the VCE Mentorship Program (VCEM). VCEM is an exclusive program organised by 2023 SRC for Units 1&2 and Units 3&4 students to receive additional academic support and an opportunity to build leadership skills. 

Any VCE students undertaking one or more Units 1,2,3 & 4 are welcome to participate in the program. VCEM will be run entirely by students with the assistance of the SRC for admin work, the current Units 3 & 4 students mentoring each other and to those undertaking Unit 1 & 2 subjects. Mentors are also able to get assistance in subjects or areas they would like to focus on. 

Perks of being a mentor at VCEM:

- Certified acknowledgment AWARDED by the SRC and Y12 coordinators

- Exclusive events organised for mentors E.g. Mentor breakfast, Meet & Greet with local celebrities 

- Mentor training will be provided 

- Building hours of 'tutoring' in your resume

- Sharing resources with other mentors and mentees

- A valuable opportunity to challenge your depth in knowledge

- Teaching your peers is the best way to revise!

Berry is the main driving force of VCEM and there are around 30 mentors and 30 mentees signed up for the program. On 29 May 2023, Berry also organized the first meeting for both mentor and mentee and it was a great success. 

Art Competition Award Ceremony

The International Student Learning Hub hosted the "YOUR CULTURE, OUR CULTURE" Art Competition Award Ceremony on Tuesday 13th June. The 2023 International Student Forum Team, competition Judges, College Principal Mr. Morris, Assistant Principal Ms. McGee, Director of International Student Program Ms. Huang, and the award winners joined together to celebrate the achievements of our outstanding artists.

We are delighted to share ‘YOUR CULTURE, OUR CULTURE Art Competition AWARD Exhibition’ with our DSC community. Please find below a display of the award-winning artwork.

Merit awards:

• Parmis G. (Year 7). Representing Persian culture and the Persian New Year, Nowruz. The Haft Sin table is the symbol.

• Diba T. (Year 8). The artwork is a bouquet of flowers from Iran, New Zealand, and Australia, and features Bote-jeghe symbol and Aboriginal art from Australia.

• Ruby Y. (Year 9). Ruby drew Victoria Harbour of Hong Kong, her hometown. She selected this scene for its iconic, beautiful and special tourist attraction. It also holds a special place in her heart for being a place she spent lot of time with friends and family.

• Abbey M. (Year 10):  Abbey has travelled her whole life, and this picture represents spending time with her family, exploring new places around the world. Abbey and her family have spent time walking in national parks across many different countries, and each has delivered new plants and animals, while they all have things in common, such as mountains and rivers.

• Linya H. (Year 11): The painting features giant pandas, China's national treasure, ancient-style clothes and background decorations, inspired by fish scales.

• Aiden R. (Year 12): Aiden's artwork is a clown lady with bright orange hair and red teardrops, representing Venetian performance culture.

Student Winners: 

3rd place – Nikta R. (Year 10). A painting on canvas representing Iranian culture. 

2nd place – William W. (Year 11). The painting "Spring Snow" depicts the arrival of spring, with the gray sky covered with flying snow and the red walls and green tiles being warm and harmonious. The poem "Spring Snow" by Han Yu describes the flowers that have not been fragrant in the New Year, making people anxious. The snow is full of joy looking forward to spring.

1st place - Claire S. (Year 8). Dunhuang culture is the result of the long-term integration of various civilisations, resulting in Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes and colourful Dunhuang culture.

Teacher Winner:

1st place – Mr. Simon Tay. Mr Tay's artwork symbolises his country of origin - Malaysia. Showing off the cultures Malaysia has, such as food and other things, particularly Chinese culture.

Congratulations to all the students and teachers who showcased the uniqueness and beauty of your own culture through the amazing artwork! 

Great Success of "Your Culture, Our Culture" Art Competition

Big congratulations to 2023 International Student Forum Team for successfully running the "Your Culture, Our Culture" Art Competition. As a team, they have been working tirelessly on promoting and organizing this great event promoting multiculturalism and global engagement at DSC community. 

2023 International Student Forum Team members are:

• Shin Thant (Berry) EAIN - Voice Ambassador and forum guest speaker 
• Meyly (Elly) TE 
• Leapreaksa (Lisa) CHEA 
• Hong Yuet (Venus) FUNG 
• Giorgio HEWA ATHAPATHTHUGE
• Kelly SUN 
• King Chee (Christy) KWAN 

2023 International Student Forum Team’s Thank-you Message to DSC

Special thanks to our judges Mr Glaubitz, Mr Nye and, Mr Tay for selecting our final winners. We are grateful to have Ms Huang leading our team to the success of hosting the competition. Last but not least, a big shout out to all participants who showcased the uniqueness and beauty of their own culture through the wonderful artwork.

Reflection from 2023 International Student Forum Team

I was amazed to see the number of participants increasing, and the artworks submitted were truly exceptional. It was fascinating to see the vast knowledge and creativity from different cultural backgrounds in the artworks. For instance, one of the contestants described how "The Chinese lion and the qilin are symbols of Chinese culture when I was growing up in Hong Kong." The competition provided a platform for artists to showcase their talent and express their cultural identities.

I developed my communication and marketing skills while seeking sponsorships from different companies such as Officeworks, JB Hi-Fi, and Spotlight. I learned how to use different methods such as email, phone calls, and meetings to secure sponsorships. After many efforts, we were able to secure a sponsorship from ZART.

One of the most valuable lessons I learned from this experience was the importance of teamwork. Working with my friend Christy was a great pleasure. We had excellent communication and were able to support each other throughout the competition. 

-Venus FUNG

I have gained so many priceless experiences, from brainstorming what events to hold in order to uphold multicultural values and bring cultural diversity to the entire DSC community, to eventually implementing the art competition and seeing many students apply for the competition and actually display their maximum efforts on representing the beauty of their own country. 

Rewinding the bits and pieces from the process, the happiest and most satisfying moment is undeniably seeing lots and lots of numbers coming up from the Microsoft application form and seeing lots of students submitting their wonderful and amazing artwork, reading their little descriptions of their artwork is also meaningful, when seeing students say "they've travelled their whole life" makes me feel very touched. Without any doubt, hosting the art competition award ceremony and witnessing students' grins and pleased expressions after receiving the awards and prizes that we had planned for is a very unforgettable experience.

-Christy KWAN

Our team has excelled as the organisers of the art competition, showcasing exceptional work. This project has been instrumental in enhancing my abilities in teamwork, communication, and creativity. Furthermore, it has provided me with invaluable insights into various cultures through their art. As a cohesive group, we have successfully accomplished our objective of fostering meaningful connections between international and local students with diverse backgrounds. Anticipation fills me as we eagerly await our next project.

-Elly TE

International Students form a band

Our International students have 'banded' together to form their very own rock band. On the last day of Term 2, our International students entertained students at the Year 7 and Year 8 assemblies.

The Dragon boat festival celebration 2023

The Dragon Boat Festival is a traditional Chinese holiday which occurs on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar. Dragon boat racing and eating Zongzi is a typical celebration activity.  Zongzi is sticky rice stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo leaves. This year’s festival is Thursday, Jun 22, 2023. 

With the support of DSC’s Leadership team, all international students have received a small bag of Zongzi as part of the dragon boat festival celebration. The international students and their families asked me to pass on their deep appreciation for this caring gift, it certainly lifted their spirits and made life away from their home country much easier because they know our school cares about them.

Please find the students’ appreciation below.  

I was thrilled when Ms McGee handed me the Zongzi gift because I had never tried it before. I hurried home and prepared a great Zongzi meal because I was so excited about it. After Taking the first bite, I thought it tasted like heaven and was pleased. I am very grateful to DSC and International Student Program for this tasty gift.

 - Giorgio HEWA ATHAPATHTHUGE

This year, the school was very generous to gift us a Zongzi each and I received the pork rice dumpling, I was over the moon as I didn’t anticipate being able to celebrate the dragon boat festival in Australia. The meal was delicious and savory, I enjoyed it very much. It was an honour to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival in DSC with my buddies.

-Karl NG

Food brings everyone together, doesn’t it? Personally, it was a great experience trying red bean fillings Zongzi for the first time and I would love to try other types of fillings as well. Happy Dragon Boat festival! 

-Lisa CHEA

Reading program support

It takes a village to raise a child. Our school’s librarians have been working with our International team to carefully select picture books to meet the needs of international students who require extra help in their language learning. Teachers often discuss with our team on strategies in working together to support these students. Our team uses recess, lunch, and afterschool times to set up Reading program sessions to continuously to improve their reading skills.

Some strategies we use in our reading program are depicted below:

• Reading a wide range of text types that contain many different words about daily life conversations.
• Letting student read-aloud to extend their knowledge, increase their listening comprehension and learn new vocabulary to form good reading habits.
• Correct their wrong pronunciation by introducing phonetic skills, and analysing features and spelling patterns of different words to improve reading skills. Such as, words from reading book or from previously reading experiences [ire]  “fire, wire”; [ight] “fight, light, night…”
• Encourage the student to use illustrations as prompts or re-read related parts by using context cues to promote vocabulary. 
• After reading, we ask questions to confirm a student’s understanding and if any confusion had occurred, then re-read to make sure they completely understand. 

I believe that through our reading program, the more that they read, the better they become at reading, and the more positive they are likely to feel about reading.

Ning Hong

International Student Program Assistant

Attendance Awards

International Student of Term 2 2023

Congratulations to those students who have achieved 100% attendance in Term 2 study. You have shown us your ability of being resilient and being responsible for your own study.