Camps
A highly successful Camps and Tours Program provides the opportunity for all Year 7 students to participate in an orientation camp during Term 1 to assist in their transition to Secondary school. In December 2015 one group of Year 9 students enjoyed the outdoor recreational camp at Wilsons Promontory National Park and another group enjoyed six days in Tasmania. In 2016 students in Year 11 travelled to the Central Australia Trip departing on Friday, 17 June, 2016. We visited Coober Pedy, Uluru, Kata Tjuta, Kings Canyon, Alice Springs, Simpson’s Gap, Darwin and other amazing places before returning on Monday, 27 June, 2016.
Outdoor Education
The Outdoor Education Program, which is offered to Year 10 students, provides an avenue for personal development and the learning of survival skills through their involvement in adventure and sporting pursuits such as canoeing, kayaking, abseiling, hiking and camping.
Central Australia Tour 2016
Year 11 students are offered the opportunity to take part in the Central Australia Tour. In 2016 students in Year 11 enjoyed the Central Australia Trip departing on Friday, 17 June, 2016. Students experienced the wonder of the Outback and had the opportunity to participate in outdoor activities such as bush walking through some desert terrain and camping. They learned more about the culture and traditions of our indigenous people in their own setting through excursions to their homeland, they visited the Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre and listened to Aboriginal presenters explain bush medicine and folklore through traditional dance. Students also had the opportunity to see first hand the striking landscape from which natural riches such as opals are mined, experience the rich and unique landscape that is Central Australia and learn about the contributions of early pioneers and Aboriginal people to our Australian history. We visited Coober Pedy, Uluru, Kata Tjuta, Kings Canyon, Alice Springs, Simpson’s Gap, Darwin and other amazing places before returning on Monday, 27 June, 2016.
International Study Tours
Students studying a Language other than English have the wonderful opportunity to participate in an overseas study tour. The LOTE teachers at Doncaster Secondary College have run successful tours to Indonesia, Malaysia, New Caledonia, France and Italy. The Italian Study Tour in particular, attracts a healthy number of eager participants, and highly successful tours have run since the year 2000.
Italian and Art Tour 2017
Students studying Italian and/or Art in Years 10, and 11 and 12 took part in the Italian and Art Study Tour in 2017.
The LOTE Faculty were pleased to offer an Italian and Art Study Tour, for three weeks in March, 2017. Students travelled by private coach across Italy and stayed in 2-3 star hotels with private ensuite facilities. On tour, they visited many of Italy’s most famous and beautiful cities and landmarks and also attended daily classes in a school in Milan where they undertook language and cultural activities with Italian students of similar age.
An International Study Tour and school component is the best way for students to develop a real interest in speaking another language and allows students to establish a direct and durable link with the culture and language of the country through personal interaction.