Significant Events
ANZAC Day Commemoration
Congratulations to all staff and students who assisted with Doncaster Secondary College ANZAC Day commemorations this year.
Commemorations started with Elina Jayamanna singing the National Anthem, Advance Australia Fair at the Doncaster Sharks football club on Saturday 24th April at an ANZAC ceremony at the beginning of the seniors game, as part of the Doncaster RSL’s ‘Mates Matter’ function. Elina is to be congratulated for her professionalism and fabulous rendition of the Anthem at this service which was livestreamed as an EFNL sporting broadcast. You can watch Elina sing the National Anthem in the link below:
https://youtube.com/.../UgkxLiCLmq5fhtazfNAD6_PBAxTmgB-sl48A
On ANZAC Day the College was represented at the Doncaster RSL Dawn Service by Jordan Moll, Elina Jayamanna and Mr Morris. Elina and Jordan laid a wreath on behalf of the College community and Elina closed the service with a moving rendition of the National Anthem. I thank Elina and Jordan for representing the College so well at his event.
During period 3 on the first day back of term 2, our Senior students from the Student Representative Council (SRC) presented our ANZAC Day Commemoration event, which was live-streamed to our community. Members of the SRC and Peer Leaders also attended while the event was streamed to all classrooms.
The wreath was laid and we listened to readings by our Senior students.
This year we welcomed bugle player, Mr Brodie, onsite to play the Last Post. A live bugle only intensified our feelings of reflection and even roused our school's neighbours to stand on their front porch and join in our minute of silence. A huge thank you to Mr Brodie for playing the Last Post. Thanks also to Mr Sprigg, Howin Tan, Tom and the technicians for setting up and running the live stream.
Thank you to Jasmine, Vicki, Zach, Kelly, Elina, Jordan, Abbey, Oliver and Sarah for their contributions to the commemorative service
Wendy Howes
Significant Events Coordinator
National Reconciliation Week
Next Friday 27th May is the start of National Reconciliation Week. National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.
The dates for NRW are the same each year; 27 May to 3 June.
These dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey— the successful 1967 referendum, and the High Court Mabo decision respectively.
27 May 1967 On this day, Australia’s most successful referendum saw more than 90 per cent of Australians vote to give the Australian Government power to make laws for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and recognise them in the Census.
3 June 1992 On this day, the Australian High Court delivered the Mabo decision, the culmination of Eddie Koiki Mabo’s challenge to the legal fiction of ‘terra nullius’ (land belonging to no one) and leading to the legal recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of lands. This decision paved the way for Native Title.
To recognise NRW, our student leaders in Year 9 are organising our bell music to be all Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander artists. They are also facilitating a minute of silent reflection in the classes on National Sorry Day - Thursday 26 May - and learning about the significance of Reconciliation Week and the apology in DiSCovery classes.
We will also be having Clothing the Gap in for an assembly to run a Free the Flag workshop and we hope to have some students and Alumni host a musical performance
Reconciliation must live in the hearts, minds and actions of all Australians as we move forward, creating a nation strengthened by respectful relationships between the wider Australian community, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.