Filter Content
- Principal's Message August 2022
- Parent/ Teacher Phone Discussions
- Moderation Day- Students Not Required to Attend
- 2023 Musical Announcement
- Ena Nichols Wins Tamar Valley Writers Festival Prize
- Exchange Students
- Book Week Review
- Cooking Challenge Winners
- Athlete Development
- Construction Work
- Don College - Subjects App 2023
- PPEP Talk
- Battle of the Bands Cancer Fundraiser
- Student Achievement
- Chocolate Wearable Art
- Flu Shots
- Levies Reminder
As a community we welcome to Don College our international student guests. Some introductions are featured later in this newsletter. Congratulations to our international students for their courage in travelling during these uncertain times and on their efforts made prior to their arrival in Australia developing their English skills. Talking with the students about their experiences of COVID and extended lockdowns demonstrates how fortunate we have been in Tasmania. The students consistently comment on how excited they are to be in Tasmania and cannot believe how much choice they have in subject selections. We are really fortunate at Don College to have our community enriched with this enthusiasm and diversity.
Attendance is essential to success. Many students have had to miss lessons due to illness or other unforeseen circumstances. Community members all have a responsibility to each other to avoid transmission of illness. Don College teachers have worked hard to be flexible in the delivery of course content and assessments to cater for students who have been unavoidably absent. It is important that all students make their best effort to be present and participate in all lessons and learning activities. Relief staff at Don College have also been enthusiastically covering classes to ensure that learning continues. Thank you to relief staff for flexibility and commitment to the success of Don College students.
With just 9 weeks of classes left this year, it is important that students know what they need to do to succeed in their courses. Reporting to Parents and the opportunity to chat with teachers in Student Progress Discussions ensure that students can check their understandings of progress and feedback that will assist them to improve.
Many students of Don College have a broad range of interests where their studies at Don College enhance their engagement in community activities and achievements. This newsletter is a small snapshot celebrating the achievements of some of our students in sport and music and other cultural events. Congratulations to all.
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Instructions for booking Parent/Teacher phone discussions have been sent home with reports and by SMS. These will take place from the 29th August to 1st September, 2022
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29 Aug 2022 - 01 Sep 2022
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On Friday 2nd September, student are not required to attend their normal classes. This is Moderation Day for teachers. Normal classes resume Monday 5th September.
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The long awaited announcement is finally over for the 2023 Musical Prodution. Don College Musical Theatre will present ...(drumroll)...
Musical Theatre 2C will be offered as a year-long level 2 course in 2023. This is an excellent opportunity for students to be involved in the performing arts at Don College.
We thank students and staff for joining in the fun of guessing our title. For those of you trying to work out how the hints matched up, here is the inside scoop!
- ‘School of Rock’ is indeed a book, TV series and stage Musical, originally made most famous by the movie. Who could possibly forget Jack Black’s interpretation of Dewey.
- There was a hint in the opening line of each post… did you pick it? “We can’t wait to ‘mould your minds’”… just like teachers do!
- The fun fact revealed on Tuesday was that in 1970, a teacher in British Columbia recorded a bunch of children at four schools in his district singing choral versions of pop hits of the time. They were re-discovered in an archive in the year 2000 and once released, formed a cult following. This brought forward the idea of the story.
- Wednesday’s hint saw the appearance of a black and white logo that said ‘This is a hint’. Jack BLACK wrote many of the classroom songs that appear in the stage musical and Mike WHITE was the screenwriter who also starred in the film as Dewey’s roommate, Ned Schneebly.
- Andrew Lloyd Webber added School of Rock to his list of composer roles and we are proud to announce that our production will bring School of Rock to the North West Coast for the first time! We love a good Premier!
Why this show? Why now? ‘School of Rock’ will focus on the important theme of ‘be comfortable in your own skin’. After such a challenging few years, particularly for the performing arts, we encourage our students not to conform to societies expectations but to rock your knowledge and share it with anyone who will listen!
We can’t wait! Will you join us?
Above: Children's Book Council of Australia (Tasmanian Branch) president, Steve Martin with recipient of the Grade 10-12 award for short story, Ena Nichols, and Tamar Valley Writers Festival president, Mary Machen.
We are very proud to announce that yesterday, Don College English Writing student, Ena Nichols, was announced as the Tamar Valley Writer's Festival Grade 10-12 winner.
Ena worked incredibly hard to produce their short story in the theme of "The Good Life with a Tasmanian vibe" which will also be submitted as part of the folio for their English Writing assessment. Ena interviewed their mother to form ideas, then read work by Ellen van Neerven and Adam Thompson before forming their own concept for a fictionalised piece of work. Ena's work explores the concept of a disconnection from, and reconnection to, Indigenous culture.
As well as the award they received, Ena was also awarded $150 and a $100 book voucher. Congratulations Ena, this is an amazing achievment.
We featured this piece as part of a NAIDOC Week article last term, and here it is again in case you missed it!
You can also check out the entries and media coverage on social media using: #tamarvalleywritersfestival
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The Midden
Jack’s steps were clumsy, slipping on every wet rock and root possible, but Darcy moved as if he had studied the grooved track his whole life. On walks like this, Darcy would tell childhood anecdotes. His memory was impressive. Every branch reminded him of how trees spoke to one another and every bush, the story of why Tassie devils sound the way they do, which his uncle would tell. Jack hung onto every one of his words. Darcy began to speak of his time out on country with his folks.
“Did you ever—?”
“No.” Jack replied sharply, the mix of jealousy and yearning clear in his voice. His throat tightened and stomach clenched; if he spoke another word, he wouldn’t have been able to hold back tears. Darcy paused for a second, the only silence for that whole walk, but it didn’t last long.
“No worries, I’ll have to take you,” he responded with his usual enthusiasm.
“Alright.” Jack could have cracked a massive smile, but he didn’t want Darcy to see his desperation.
The walk continued with Darcy’s stories, Jack found it hard to tell if Darcy was oblivious to his ‘outburst’ or if he was intentionally not addressing it. He was glad that Darcy continued.
It began to spit. Light drops made the leaves tremble. They began to make their way back to the car park, but despite his best efforts, Jack still tripped on every branch, slipped on every rock and almost collided with a fleeing wallaby.
* * *
The sun was like an alarm; Jack’s eyelids glowed orange as if at boiling point; this morning starkly contrasted last week’s damp weather. He began his usual commute to university, deciding to take advantage of the good weather and walk along the patchwork path by the road. The uni came into sight; on the rooftop, a refuge of shrubs and grasses praising the sun. His phone vibrated; it was Darcy. He asked Jack to go up to Woolnorth with him to check out the coast; of course he would go.
The road was secluded and long, but Darcy kept the conversation going the whole way. They were going to visit the middens along the back of Woolnorth. Darcy had been there many times, but for Jack, this was completely new. Once they got to Bluff Point, they met with Darcy’s uncle who worked at the place. He warned the two to be careful; the property was privately owned, and he was not meant to let them wander alone. He made them promise to stay on track, leaving them to go back to work. Darcy began to lead the way to an overgrown track in the bush surrounding the wind farm, this was the closest Jack had come to turbines; a strange horror and excitement fell on him as they passed the towering, white pillars. The surrounding land was fields of green and yellowed grass, littered with patches of dense bush and trees.
The coast was walled by the same dense bush that was further inland, and past the wall was a thin strip of sand against the water. The midden was massive. Shells littered the ground. The abalone shells were bigger than anywhere else; Jack was careful not to tread on any. The area felt strangely comforting, familiar. It was his history, despite only hearing it through Darcy’s stories.
“You know, the women used to get the shellfish. All this woulda been their work,” Darcy said, making a grand gesture toward the midden, “bones here too.” He tiptoed over the bits of shell and bone and picked up a massive abalone shell that was the size of his hand. He swiftly made his way back to Jack and handed him the beauty.
“You found this?” Jack asked as he cradled the shell in his hands.
“Yeah, just over there.” Darcy replied triumphantly, his arm stretched out.
“Could I keep it?”
Darcy hesitated at the thought, noticeably avoiding eye contact for a few seconds. Darcy rubbed at his neck and looked back to Jack.
“Aw yeah, guess so. Should be right, I reckon.” He replied with uncertainty woven between each word. They gathered a few more shells that were intact, but none the size of the first one.
Once Jack got back to his house in the late afternoon, he fetched some old string and driftwood from his small shed. He decided to make a wind chime with the shells collected from the midden earlier, something to hang outside his bedroom window. He finished the piece after a couple hours of delicate work and went to bed early.
That night, the wind was harsh. His windows rattled in place, and the wind chime clacked violently. Clack clack clack, like the sound of bones, lasting the whole night. The next night was the same, clack clack clack, continuously echoing through the night despite the wind being completely still.
For the following week, the clacking was constant, wind or not, the sound of colliding bone rang in Jack’s ears all day and night. That evening, the shells were still, their clacks dulled. His stomach sank. The biggest abalone shell was broken. A bit of the thin rim had broken off and fallen to the ground. The horrid feeling, almost like the guilt of breaking someone else’s belongings, sat in the back of Jack’s mind for the rest of that evening. The feeling was like a weighted blanket, tiring him out and lulling him into restless sleep.
Jack’s blackwood door creaked open, followed by the silhouette of a looming figure. It was tall; an elongated body that was humanoid, long spindly limbs, and ears that drooped almost to its shoulders. Jack heard the groan of the door and woke up. It was just there, standing at the end of his bed, but he wasn’t frightened. He acknowledged it was there, he knew he had disturbed it. It was like it was curious, Jack understood what it wanted, as if it was saying ‘gonna fix this?’ He knew.
There was still that sense of dread the next morning, but it was met with relief too. Jack now understood Darcy’s hesitation when he asked for the shells; he wished he hadn’t asked at all. Jack grabbed a musty old shirt from his drawers and carefully wrapped the shells as if they were discs of the thinnest glass. He called Darcy and told him that he needed to go back to Woolnorth. So, they made their way to Bluff Point, Jack nursing the folded shirt in his lap, his hands cupping the sides as he retold the dream in vivid detail on the long drive.
“Sounds like a quinkan I think, a mischievous spirit, seen it in a book back at mum’s. Funny, they are.” Darcy concluded, his tone wasn’t dismissive, but understanding. They met the uncle at the gate again.
“Back already, boys! Trying to get me fired, are yous?” the uncle said with a comforting smile.
“Something like that.” Darcy chuckled, ‘Jack seems pretty fond of this place.’ He glanced beside him and smirked. Jack’s face started to burn. He struggled not to feel affronted, but Darcy’s words were true.
“Aw nice, the midden really is amazing, huh?” The uncle stretched out his arm and waved it in the direction of the turbines. “Right on the other side of the farm you’ll find another gate, through that is the coast, very rocky. You’ll see some hut depressions. You might take an interest in it, Jack.”
Jack smiled and firmed his grasp on the wrapped shells.
“Definitely, thank you.” Jack beamed; he could’ve gone in to hug the uncle if he was willing to put the shells down. Darcy glanced at Jack, then turned to his uncle.
“Well,” he started, slipping his hand across Jack’s shoulder, “reckon we should get to it, Uncle. Shouldn’t be too long, right Jack?” Jack nodded.
“Alright boys, I’ll see you later then.” The uncle turned to leave. “Ah right!” he exclaimed, swiftly spinning back to look at the boys, “Jack, make sure you don’t hesitate to ask anything, right? You’re keen to learn, keep at it.”
By the time they got to the beach, the sky had shifted from clear to a blanket of grey. The midden was there waiting, the uneven ground flowing beneath Jack’s feet. I’m here, he thought as he kneeled slowly, the shirt cradled delicately in the crook of his arm. He slipped the shells out and onto the mixture of fine sand, shell and bone. Above, the turbines rotated under the pressure of the maelstrom winds, and the land sat as it always had.
Since the start of Term 3 Don College has privilege of hosting exchange students from across the globe. If you see them around the college, please don’t hesitate to say a welcoming hello and get to know them. Don student, Abby, has had the privilege to get to know them a little bit more by interviewing each one of them.
On behalf of the staff and students at Don, Abby hopes the exchange students enjoy the rest of the year and stay safe!
Francisca (Chile)
Why did you choose Tasmania?
I chose Tasmania because I wanted to explore an Island and something not too different from Chile
How is life different here from your home country?
It’s not very different but it’s different in the stuff such as the houses, as everyone has a big house compared to Chile
What is one thing you really want to do while in Tasmania?
I want to do a lot of hiking and go to places like the waterfalls
What is your impression of Don College?
It’s very huge and has a lot of different subjects to choose from
Julia (Switzerland)
Why did you choose Tasmania?
I didn’t choose Tasmania. I wanted to go to New Zealand, but I couldn’t go, so I came to Tasmania.
How is life different here from your home country?
It is a lot more calm and not as stressful at school as you don’t have as many subjects you have to do like I do in Switzerland.
What is one thing you really want to do while in Tasmania?
I want to see all the different animals.
What is your impression of Don College?
It’s really fun, because I get to choose all my classes.
Luca (Germany)
Why did you choose Tasmania?
I chose Tasmania because when I thought about going on an exchange year and I thought about Australia and talked about it back in Germany, people told me that when they were in Australia they thought about going to Tasmania. They didn’t as it was more expensive and Australia is huge and they didn’t have time to do everything, but now I am here exploring Tasmania.
How is life different here from your home country?
The first thing you realise is that the people here are way nicer then back at home. What you realise is that the trees are different then back in Germany. It is way more relaxed then at home, as in Germany it is very stressful and it’s all time as for when we must do stuff. Here is Tasmania you can relax more, and school isn’t as stressful.
What is one thing you really want to do while in Tasmania?
One thing I really want to do in Tasmania is go fishing with my host parents, as they really want to do that with me and I really want to experience that as my family at home aren’t really into it.
What is your impression of Don College?
It’s really huge but it’s good as I can find my classes. The people are nice and I am allowed to call my teachers by their first name, which I’m not allowed to do in Germany.
Teresa (Italy)
Why did you choose Tasmania?
I chose Tasmania because it’s really different from Italy and it’s also a very long trip as well as wanting to learn a different a culture
How is life different here from your home country?
Everything is so different, like the side of the road is different and the people, culture and food is all so different.
What is one thing you really want to do while in Tasmania?
I would really like to visit Hobart as I know it’s different from the rest of Tasmania.
What is your impression of Don College?
Don College is a really great environment, and the people are so nice and I love the subjects that I am doing here.
Facu (Argentina)
Why did you choose Tasmania?
I chose Tasmania as I wanted to do an exchange in a country where the language is English, and I wanted something different.
How is life different here from your home country?
It is very, very different and quieter and calmer and I like the way everything goes here.
What is one thing you really want to do while in Tasmania?
I would really like to go to Hobart and other cities and other places.
What is your impression on Don College?
It’s amazing and I really like it here and it has everything I need, and I love my subjects.
Don College is proud to offer Tasmanian Aboriginal Studies in 2022 for the first time, taught by Adele Geard. Student, Caitlyn Lomman, has reviewed the following book which was released during NAIDOC Week this year and is authored by local Indigenous elder, Dave mangenner Gough. We hope you enjoy the review.
luwa tara luwa waypa, written by Dave mangenner Gough and illustrated by Samantha Campbell, is an enchanting book that tells the story of a young palawa warrior’s journey to manhood through courage, family, and ancestral bonds. The young palawa, niyakara, is rather reserved, but when his family and the women of his village are threatened he is thrust into a difficult position. As an intense beat thrums through his mind, he must choose his actions carefully, for the fate of both himself and those he loves is placed in his hands. He calls to moinee, his creation spirit, for help and discovers connections previously untold.
This story is not just charming, it is an excellent tool to use among others to learn about Tasmanian Aboriginal culture. niyakara’s transformation displays the rich relationships that the palawa have with their ancestors, and features bonds with figures such as the tara (male kangaroo) that are vital to the heritage of the Tasmanian Aboriginal peoples. His journey is imbued with vivid information about palawa culture, and the use of palawa kani (Tasmanian Aboriginal language) creates an engaging and beautiful text with a wonderful rhythm. It is a delicate story of growth and connection, with a message that is both distinctly unique to the palawa, yet also relatable to many others. Dave mangenner Gough has created a lovely text that is of great educational worth to a young audience, and perhaps even for those who are older.
Regardless of the target audience, it is certainly a gorgeous book that would be a valuable read to everyone who picks it up. luwa tara luwa waypa was clearly created from a place of passion, and through the author's desire to create an engaging and immersive text we have been provided with a beautiful palawa story.
Congratulations to Don College students Elouyra Hoving on being the Term 2 overall winner of the Tasmanian Hospitality Association (THA) school cooking challenge. Elouyra planned, baked and decorated an amazing croquembouche.
Izaac Farrell also received a special mention for his Sausage Rolls and Pasties made with home-made puff pastry.
Both Elouyra and Izaac will receive a gift voucher as their prize. Well done!
In Athlete Development each student has developed their own training program suitable for their chosen sport. The aim is to measure improvement across cardiovascular fitness, increased strength or flexibility, or a simple skill improvement. This will help equip students to continue managing their own development, to be able to set goals, and reflect upon them to improve.
The programs have been designed to cover a five week period with the athletes adapting activities due to inclement weather and/or incorporating recovery sessions as required.
Students in Construction Pathways II were tasked with a contract to rearrange the stockyards here at Don to better accommodate some young calves that will be visiting the College as part of the Animal Studies course.
The trailer and yards needed to be dismantled and reassembled to provide some extra space and protection from the elements.
Construction covers a host of learning opportunities, and calculating the space required for the calves using the materials on hand proved to be a really useful practical task.
Michelle from the Period, Pain, Endometriosis Program (PPEP Talk) came to talk to students last week.
With 8 in 10 female teenagers suffering period pain and 1 in 9 female teenagers developing endometriosis in their lifetime, The PPEP talk is a positive, interactive, enjoyable program that demystifies periods and pain.
Michelle was able to provide students with information on how to recognise when symptoms are abnormal, simple ways to improve symptoms through diet, medication and stretching and when to look further for help.
This program is an initiative of Pelvic Pain Foundation of Australia and funded by Federal and State Territory Governments.
For further information, see: www.pelvicpain.org.au
Don College is very lucky to have talented students who are achieving great things in the sporting world, both locally and internationally.
Well done to the following students:
Gemma Collyer travelled to Traralgon to compete in 2022 Australian Netball Championships as part of the Netball Tasmania Team. This is the highest level of netball competition in Australia.
Macey Crawford has been to Atlanta as an Australian representative at the WNBA Academy Games (basketball).
Kye Savage has represented Australia (The Crocodiles) in the Asian Championships in Qatar (basketball).
Nellie Strickland (Tasmanian Open Female Champion) competed in the 2022 Australian Surf Championships (Aug 5 – Aug 22) in Port Macquarie.
Above: Designs by Mia Atkinson, Ruby Palmer, Victoria Simms and Zoe Whish-Wilson.
As part of the Latrobe Chocolate Winterfest celebrations the fashion and design students put together wearable art to enter into the competition.
Eight Don College Fashion Design students have used chocolate as an inspiration to design and make one-of-a-kind wearable art creations.
These designs were displayed in several Latrobe shop windows for Chocolate Winterfest which ran from August 9-21.
Well done to all the students who displayed their work.
Free flu shots until 31 August
It’s not too late to get your flu shot this winter!
Flu may have taken a back seat recently, but it can be serious and it’s back. Some people are at greater risk of becoming severely unwell if they get the flu. Flu vaccines are recommended for everyone over six months of age.
Until the end of August, all Tasmanians can get a free flu vaccine at:
- GPs and state-run community clinics for all people aged six months and over
- participating pharmacies for all people aged 10 years and over.
Speak with your GP, healthcare provider or local pharmacist to book an appointment. Normal Medicare arrangements apply for GP consultations.
To book a free flu vaccine at a state-run clinic, call the Public Health Hotline on 1800 671 738 or visit
If you need support translating or interpreting this information, contact the Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450.
Levies Reminder
Please note levies are due to be paid in full.
If you meet the requirements below, you are eligible to apply for Student Assistance (STAS). This will allow you to have your Levy Invoice cancelled. Please read below and consider your options. The Student Assistance Scheme (STAS) provides assistance to low income families towards the cost of levies for students enrolled in a school from Kindergarten through to Year 12. STAS is provided through School and College resourcing rather than payment direct to families.
Eligibility
Parents who have a current concession card as listed below can apply for dependent students for assistance under STAS:
- Centrelink Health Care Card
- Centrelink Low Income Health Care Card
- Pensioner Concession Card or
- Department of Veteran Affairs Pensioner Concession Card
Payment of 2022 Levies
If you are not eligible for STAS and would like to discuss options for levy payment, please phone the Administration Office on 6424 0200 and ask for Business Support Officer, Rachel Applebee. There are many options available for payment.