In addition to core curriculum areas including English, Science, Mathematics, PE & Health and Humanities, the following areas offer students a range of opportunities to develop skills and build career pathways.
Technology
Design and Technology has a unique focus on creativity, innovation and the successful implementation of new ideas. Students investigate the importance of evaluation, the role of computer-based technologies, management of projects, communication and collaborative design, as well as exploring current and emerging technologies. Through the completion of quality design projects, students are provided with the opportunity to develop specific production and manufacturing skills.
Our Technology and Science Centre allows students to fully explore their potential by providing an extraordinary array of equipment and processes for cutting, welding, bending and stitching. This also provides our students with the opportunity of learning to work with a range of materials, including fabrics, plastic, metal and wood. Electronic and Robotic Systems are introduced enabling students to further explore additional technologies and enhance problem solving. Computer labs and other outstanding Information and Communication Technologies assist students’ conceptual understanding and help students to creatively apply these to specific technological endeavours through design projects.
Our relationship with Box Hill Institute of Technology is developing into a powerful educational partnership as they help us provide quality programs such as VET Information Technology and Building and Construction.
This is complemented by our own outstanding Food Technology facilities where the essence of understanding the importance of food and nutrition stimulate great interest and excitement in our students. Students also develop competence in experimentation and design, preparation, implementation and evaluation of solutions to a range of food situations.
LOTE
Learning a “Language Other Than English” is an essential tool for life in the 21st Century. Our LOTE subjects of Chinese and Italian not only open career pathways but also provide our students with a deeper understanding of the culture of people in other countries. To support our studies of LOTE we have developed rich relationships between students and teachers connected to schools in both Italy and China. This is particularly valuable in developing the language skills of our students.
A biennial educational study tour to Italy gives students of Italian the opportunity to enrich their understanding of both the culture and the language in the Italian context.
Apart from visiting many of the places that students learn about in class (Rome, Venice, Florence, Pisa), they will also have a homestay experience with our sister school (Biagio Pascal in Novara, near Milano) where they gain a real insight into both Italian school life and home life.
China provides an equally exciting language and cultural experience. Homestay with our partner school in Suzhou in Jiangsu Province can be complemented with time in Shanghai, Nanjing and Beijing as students are exposed to an amazing cultural experience.
These international travels provide invaluable experiences that students remember for the rest of their lives.
Visual Arts
Visual Arts includes a wide variety of art forms and skills including painting, printmaking, drawing, photography, ceramics, video and visual communication and design.
Student involvement in the Visual Arts is highly valued and an essential part of developing self-discipline, organisation, persistence, communication and social skills. Students are prepared for the visual world through structured tasks, trial and error with materials, planning for artworks and discussing the art, media and design world.
Our teachers enable students to be confident and experimental through their art and readily encourage students to display their work with pride. Students are encouraged to be creative, enthusiastic and individual through their visual explorations and aspire to be articulate and motivated artists.
It is with great pride that we often have our students acknowledged as exhibitors at the annual VCE Top Designs for their superb talent during their VCE studies.
Drama and Theatre
Creativity, confidence and individual expression are all valued attributes at East Doncaster Secondary College. Drama and Theatre Arts is a thriving and active department that encourages student involvement and promotes both independent and collective learning.
Students are given opportunities to experience both professional and amateur theatre and are offered in-class tutorials, not only in acting but in other stagecraft disciplines such as set design, costume and make-up. Theatre history and acting styles are actively explored from Year 7 through to Year 12.
An accelerated learning program is available for very able students and outstanding performers are given the opportunity to study advanced skill disciplines and begin VCE Theatre Studies in Year 10. Opportunities are also made available for students to extend their learning in programs outside of the curriculum. A large proportion of these students continue further studies in the field of performing arts when they leave the College.
East Doncaster Secondary College has a long established reputation for the excellence of its College productions. All elements of performing arts are incorporated and students across all year levels are offered challenging roles and encouraged to adopt leadership positions in all stagecraft areas.