I feel very fortunate to be a resident of Tasmania, particularly at this point of time. 2020 has been a disrupted year but thankfully, Tasmania has had less disruption than other states of Australia. Many students and staff have family members and loved ones who live interstate and overseas and are experiencing the current pandemic firsthand. We must be mindful of the circumstances of others and my thoughts extend to local health care workers who face increased daily uncertainty.

Term 4 is only 4 weeks of classes followed by the TASC Written Examination Timetable – from Monday 9th November to Friday 20th November for TASC Level 3 and 4 courses. The TASC Examination Timetable is included in this publication. We encourage all students to work with their teachers and ensure they are fully prepared for Assessments.

Students in Level 2 classes and VET Courses are strongly encouraged to maintain participation in all of their classes and take this opportunity to complete all Work Requirements. Teachers will work closely with students to ensure all students are aware of Work Requirements.

Term 4 is also a time to celebrate the achievements of our students and acknowledge their learning. Some practical subjects allow tangible outcomes such as artwork, physical objects that have been designed and produced, written work, food and performances. As a member of the Don College Community I feel privileged to be able to celebrate student achievements and observe these artefacts of learning.

Our staff have been working closely with students to develop plans for 2021. These plans include transition to year 12 at Don College, employment, apprenticeships and traineeships and further training or education.  Most importantly we encourage students to make informed decisions. Our teachers are available to talk with students and families and assist with referrals to our Career Advisors or external agencies and support transitions. Please feel free to make contact with the college if you require any support.

We wish all students a safe and restful holiday break in preparation for the final term.

Enrolment is well underway for 2021. There is lots of information to help make informed choices. You can go to our website or download our Subject Information App. There is information, contact details etc. so please have a look through and get in touch with any queries.

Our Videographer

The introductory videos for our Learning Areas have been filmed and edited by Tom Siely, a graduate of Don College in 2019. Tom blossomed in his time at Don and developed skills to help him move onto the next phase of his life. He is currently studying at the Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne where he is pursuing a career in film making and screen production. Thanks, Tom.

Don Dance Department performed ‘Feel Your Way’, a celebration of contemporary dance, to an appreciative audience on Wednesday night.

It was wonderful to see a few of our prospective future dance students join our audience from our surrounding high schools.

The program consisted of a selection of dance performances that students have been using to strengthen their technique, along with a reflective piece presented by Dance 2 Students titled ‘2020, The Year So Far’. We celebrated Zali and Courtney’s solo works in progress as they put the final touches on their external exam performance pieces, along with professional work by our Artist in Residence, Sofie Burgoyne.

Don College prides itself on our strong relationships with industry professionals and have long been an active and supportive participant in the Arts Tasmania Artist in Residence Program. As Sofie nears the conclusion of her final week with us, we thank her so much for her energy, wisdom, knowledge, patience, time, inspiration and friendship. Despite that fact that 2020 has been incredibly tough for Arts professionals, we hope that Sofie has gained as much through our partnership as we have. Thank you, Sofie, for all that you have shared with us.

Our students have done themselves proud with some wonderful designs for their Object Design course this year.

The theme this year was 'Transmogrify' meaning change. The designs range from textile creations to benches, cabinets, lamps and even animations.

Some of the students' work is on display to the public at the paranaple arts centre in Devonport. We are super proud of what was achieved this year.

It is FREE entry to the display and it's there until the 12th Oct. Open everyday except Sunday. Here are just a few of their designs that have been displayed here and at the paranaple.

This year's KAKKA Challenge was a little different to previous years. We would usually organise for the local schools to come and compete in this fun, outdoor challenge. Alas, due to the current situation with Covid this year we weren't able to do this. So instead we had the challenge involving teams of our own students.

The event consisted of a 3 legged triathlon style challenge; a kayak leg on the Don river, a run surrounding the campus and a mountain bike leg through the Don Reserve, ending with a muddy obstacle course. There was also an added rock wall challenge. The teams were mixed and consisted of 3 people from either year group.

KAKKA challenge is all about having fun and getting outside and this was certainly achieved by all!

Thanks to Dane Stredwick for the photos.

https://www.facebook.com/DanesPhotography54

TASC has recently released the External Written Exam Timetable for 2020. Please click the button below. If there anre any issues please make sure you see your support/subject teacher.

Term 4 commences Monday 12th October with formal classes ending on Friday 6th November. External Written Exams start on Monday 9th November through until Thursday 19th November. Check your exam timetable carefully.