International Student News

International Student VCE Forum with Ms Scott

On Tuesday 12th of March, all Year 10 & 11 international students received a great VCE information session from the Head of Senior Years, Ms Allira Scott. During the annual international student VCE forum, students grasped a good understanding of the term of VCE and its related terms such as VACC, VTAC, SAC, GAT etc. Ms Scott led the students to have a good plan for VCE studies and study life beyond VCE. Students also learnt that school has rich resources and comprehensive support measures for VCE students to achieve success. Ms Scott highly praised international students’ track record for being high achievers during their VCE years at Northcote High School. International students are grateful to Ms Scott for delivering such informative and fun session.

Birthday Celebration for International Students born in March

The International Student Office celebrated all 'born-in-March' international students’ birthdays at lunch time on Thursday, 14th of March. There are 12 international students who were born in March. They are:

Jason Dao, Cynthia Nguyen, Monica Jang, David Li, Isa Pham, Gloria Zhao, Jocelyn Huang, Richard Liu, Lily Tran, Cynthia Dou, Lester Li and Marcus Vo.

The International Student Office arranged for a huge birthday cake which had all 12 birthday students’ names on it! Each of the birthday students invited their best friends to join the celebration and enjoy the delicious cake.

Thanks goes to LiMin Bao and YiZhen Li from year 10 for decorating the room.  

International Student Debating and Public Speaking 2019

In 2014, for the first time, our Year 10 and 11 International students became involved in the NHS debating and public speaking program. This initiative culminated in a night-time debate held in the Northcote High School library on September 6th on the topic, “Should eating dog meat be allowed in Australia?”

Since then we have run the program each year to give International students the same opportunities as our local students, to learn debating skills such as; how to brainstorm, research and write their arguments. Unlike local students, however, International students have to do all of this in a second language! An amazing commitment.

In a new development, in 2018, Year 11 International students were encouraged to take on the role of team leaders to teach Year 10 team members, the skills they need to be successful debaters. Team leaders also adjudicate the debates so they can give teams feedback on their progress. This allows them to develop leadership skills as well as the opportunity to teach the skills necessary to be a good debater.

Finally like our local students, our International students are encouraged to live by our motto: WIN LOSE OR DRAW, WE LIVE TO FIGHT ANOTHER DAY!

International Student Debate Team Leader Profile 2019

Dao Phuong Dung (Isa) PHAM

As an international student, I believe that it’s very important to have a good relationship with friends, teachers and staff. I’m confident that I have good communication skills.

For my goals as a team leader, I would like to bring more activities to the International Student program. I would like to organise events such as Halloween, April Fools’ Day, and an end of year party to help international students improve their English skills.

Zhaoying (Helena) GE

As a team leader, my idea is to encourage International students to be more active in school activities and clubs. This will help them to connect more with local culture and the Northcote High School community.

In 2018, I took part in the International Student Debating competition and I was the best speaker for our team!

Duong Minh Chau NGUYEN

English speaking is an incredibly vital skill in the international community. All students should be encouraged to use their English skills to build a vibrant international student community. This will enable them to have their own voice. When every student in the Northcote High School community has a voice, we will truly be an inclusive school.

Bao Anh (Mia) DO

I have been a class monitor from primary school to high school. Now I have the honour of being selected as an International Student captain. I have made speeches in front of my peers a number of times so I feel confident enough to lead the international students. As an International Student captain, I want to commit myself to support each and every International student so that their experience is as positive as mine.

Mariah MILLA

My name is Mariah Milla, I am a local student currently in Year 12. I have participated in debating programs such as the DAV competitions and International Student Debating Program for the past three years.

As a Team Leader for the International Student Debating Program, I hope to inspire my fellow peers to enjoy debating and/or public speaking. Furthermore, I would like to be able to bring a new perspective to the program. The most important thing for a “Team Leader” to do is to “support” the team members.  Without supporting each other, a team has very little chance of achieving success. This is what I want to bring as a Team Leader.

Xiaoxuan (Anthony) YE

As an international student captain, I want to spread positive energy and kindness. I want to be approachable and easy to talk to. I want to help others. Mostly, I would like to take this opportunity to improve my leadership skills and contribute to the whole school community.

International Student Office