drouin secondary college news SECONDARY C O L L E G E EDITION: 55 PAGE 10 DATE: TUESDAY 22ND AUGUST 2017 Popstars! Rocks the Stage PAGE 18 Bridie Treks Kokoda PAGE 4 We value: Achievement, Respect, Commitment, Community Principal Team Report Deb Gentle Michael Wilson Rebecca Williams Rob Monk POPSTARS! Hayley was always determined to achieve her goals both in and out of the classroom. But one strong memory I have It was wonderful to begin this term with two weekends devoted of Hayley is her passion for football. Hayley is an inaugural to the performance of “Popstars – the 90s Musical”. Students member of the Women’s Australian Football League, playing and staff worked together to produce a very entertaining for – The Western Bulldogs. Her message was never to lose and talent packed production. On the final night the joy sight of your goal, but be prepared to work hard for it and and goodwill amongst all who participated was obvious. don’t be discouraged by setbacks. Collaborative projects like this are hugely beneficial to the learning of students and to the formation of positive PROGRESS REPORTS relationships within our community. Congratulations to the students, Ms Amy Moss and the many staff and volunteers who Students & teachers are now well into Semester 2 classes and gave your expertise and time. And thanks to the parents who learning activities. The first Progress Report for Semester 2 will supported our students and staff over the many months this be available this week. This will give students and parents an production was in the making. opportunity to discuss learning progress and to identify areas students can focus on to continue improving. Students will also JAPANESE STUDENTS have an opportunity to discuss their reports with their Learning Group teacher. We have had the pleasure of hosting students from Miki Kita Senior High NAPLAN School. The Principal Mr Fuji and teachers Ms Akamatsu and Miss NAPLAN results will be released to schools soon. This Duong accompanied the students on information will provide teachers with information to use in the first visit from Miki Kita to Drouin conjunction with our own assessments to assist each student. Secondary. Everyone involved in the The Leadership Team will also look at trends in this data when activities over the four days learnt planning the development of teaching strategies. Individual from their experience and I believe student results will be sent home as soon as possible. many friendships were formed. Thanks to the families who hosted COURSE SELECTION our visitors – you very generously Course Selection is a very important process for students and opened your homes and made the Japanese students feel a time when the conversations about planning each individual very welcome. Also a huge thank you to Mr Scott Hasley for student’s pathway with parents and teachers can be very organising the exchange and to the many teachers who helped helpful. If students have any questions or concerns they should provide activities and support for the program. consult their Learning Group Teacher or the Pathways Team. CELEBRATION ASSEMBLY PARENT SURVEY A highlight of our term so far was the Celebration Assembly Many parents will have received an email inviting you to held on Thursday 11th August. Congratulations to all students participate in the DET Parent Survey. This survey is online for who were acknowledged, I hope we can all be inspired by the first time this year, which hopefully will be more convenient your example to do our best to keep learning and improving. for parents. We encourage you to complete the survey, your We also had the pleasure of hearing from two young people feedback is valued and assists the college in planning for who have achieved something exceptional. Bridie Farrar has continued improvement. recently returned from Papua New Guinea, after completing an amazing feat. As a recipient of the George Collins Kokoda 60TH ANNIVERSARY Award she walked the very challenging Kokoda Track. Bridie shared a little of her experience and highlighted how she had Finally a Very Happy 60th Anniversary to Drouin Secondary to be resilient, have a positive mind-set and work with others to College! We have included a special feature in this edition to achieve her goal of completing the trek. remind us of the origins of our wonderful College and to reflect on all the progress made over the past 60 years. The other speaker was Hayley Wildes. Hayley graduated Deb Gentle (on behalf of the Principal Team) from DSC just 2 ½ years ago in 2014. She is in the final “Educating the mind without educating the heart is year of her studies in Sports no education at all.” Aristotle. Media at Deakin University. During her years with us, 2 DROUIN SECONDARY COLLEGE - E-NEWS FROM THE GENERAL OFFICE FAMILY STATEMENTS Family statements for this term will be emailed out over the next week for those who have provided email addresses. For other families statements will be posted home. If you wish to organise a payment plan please contact the Business Manager in the general office. SIGNING STUDENTS IN & OUT To avoid interrupting class time and the inconvenience incurred by parents having to wait unnecessarily, the College asks parents/guardians to follow the sign in/out procedure during school hours as outlined below:- • Signing In Late –Students are to sign in at the Learning Culture Centre with a note from parent/guardian explaining the reason for being late. The student will be issued with a Late Pass to go to class. • Signing Out Throughout The Day –Please provide your child with a signed note explaining the reason and time to leave class. The student is to take this note to the Learning Culture Centre and place it in the IN tray in the morning for verification by Coordinator. Students may collect their note at recess or lunchtime so that he/she may leave class and take the note to the Learning Culture Centre to sign out. If you unexpectedly need to collect your student, please phone the office so we can call the student up at recess or lunchtime. Announcements will not be made over the PA system during class times. Homework Club Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 3.45 to 4.45 in E3 Just want to do homework in Supervised a quiet, friendly place? by tutors and teachers to help support your learning 2 3 DROUIN SECONDARY COLLEGE - E-NEWS DROUIN SECONDARY COLLEGE - E-NEWS BRIDIE TREKS KOKODA The George Collins Award be “a typical hill on the Kokoda Track”. 3:00, depending on how long it took Of course, the experience of it once on us to get there. Each lunch we would My name is Bridie Farrar. Late in the track, was quite different to Gentle have either a pasta or a rice dish, tea/ 2016 I applied for the George Collins Annie. coffee/milo, as well as crackers and Award which is a sponsorship awarded spreads. to 3 students going into year 11 at The first training session had me schools in the Baw Baw Shire area to thinking the whole time “what have I On day 4 we were expecting a trek the Kokoda Track and become gotten myself into? Why am I doing this ‘halfway drop’ – a helicopter full of ambassadors for Kokoda Track’s story. to myself?” Needless to say, I battled food, snacks and clean clothes for the through that one a bit, but managed rest of the trek. Upon arriving in the To apply, I was required to write an to get to the top and back down again village where we would be having essay explaining what the Kokoda with the support, encouragement and lunch, there were only crackers and Story means to me, and what it advice from Gary and Bernie. spreads because our lunch was in the means to Australia. I was a successful halfway drop which was at the day 4 Over the next few months, Gentle applicant and was offered an interview campsite! before being selected along with two Annie became a little easier on me other students to travel to Papua New as we continued to build strength and A camp fire during the evening was Guinea to complete the trek. endurance in the legs and lungs. a luxury on the nights we had it. The Trek Everyone jumped on the opportunity George Collins is a local man and to dry wet clothes; even though they’d a veteran, serving in the 2/14th smell like smoke the next day. Battalion in Papua New Guinea during the Kokoda Campaign. Every year People since the sponsorships had begun 10 years ago, George has presented the recipients with a certificate and made a speech. I was fortunate enough to be one of the last students to be presented the award by George before he sadly passed away in June 2017 at 96 years of age. Parliament House We trekked from Ower’s Corner into Kokoda which meant our first four days We three students were privileged to were full of steep climbs – or pinches, be invited to attend the annual Kokoda as we called them – in heat and dinner held at Parliament House in humidity. At each river or waterhole Both the group of Australians and the April where we first witnessed how that we could swim in, almost every Papuan people we met along the way special this place and this trip would person would jump in, clothes and all, were amazing. Beautiful people who really be. To see how passionate the for a few minutes before continuing on.