Dimboola Memorial Secondary College was proclaimed in 1921 and moved into the purpose-built Soldiers' Memorial Hall on our 'hilltop' site overlooking the town of Dimboola in 1924. We have been proudly educating our district's young people in the memory of our war fallen for the century since.
DMSC is a traditional secondary college in its curriculum design but prides itself on its broad senior offerings including VET/VCAL and VCE pathways.
Everything we do at DMSC is designed to deliver ever improving learning experiences and outcomes that will enable all students to leave DMSC with the skills, knowledge, behaviours and values that drive quality life experiences.
Year 7 students study a set of core subjects for the whole year and a set of other subjects for two terms each. There are opportunities to pursue further study in the half year subjects in future years.
In every domain of NAPLAN, we continue to "value add" to our students, showing consistently high growth in literacy and numeracy.
In 2019, 38% of Year 9 students showed high growth in their Reading in NAPLAN.
We also have outstanding VCE results with DMSC being the top Wimmera school in 2017, 2018 and 2019 for the all-subject median score.
Students in Year 7 are expected to complete regular homework, including weekly reading, spelling, academic vocabulary and numeracy.
Occasional homework is given in other subjects too.
SMART Sessions are held for an hour every Tuesday and Thursday after school in the library.
They are a great opportunity to catch up on homework or get ahead, with teachers available for with extra tuition and support.
We pride ourselves on working closely with each and every student to ensure the best possible learning outcomes.
Quicksmart Numeracy and catch-up programs are available as needed.
All students in Years 7 to 9 have an Individual Learning Plan, and in senior years students work on a Career Action Plan (CAP) to assist with their journey through their senior secondary schooling.
A wide range of extra-curricular acivities are available to our students, including:
Some of these are expanded upon below.
Students are able to take advantage of lessons in the following aspects of music:
Students are exposed to many different sports through our Physical Education program, and are able to compete at local, regional and state level, including in:
Students studying German in middle- and senior-school are encouraged to take advantage of scholarship and exchange oppurtunities, including a ten-week exchange program.
From Year 10, students have the option to pursue a range of different pathways.
Victorian Certificate of Education
Students have access to a huge range of VCE subjects, taught at DMSC or available through video conferencing from other schools across the region. Subjects are available from a wide range of disciplines including science, humanities, business, information technology and many more.
Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning
Like the VCE, the VCAL is a recognised senior secondary qualification. Unlike the VCE, which is widely used by students as a pathway to university, the VCAL focuses on 'hands-on learning'. VCAL can lead to apprenticeships, TAFE and training courses.
Vocational Education and Training
VET subjects give you the chance to combine job-focused training with your VCE or VCAL studies, and marks from VET courses can count towards VCAL and the VCE.
Our Hands on Learning program provides students with the opportunity to develop skills outside the classroom.
Previous projects by our Hands on Learning students include:
Students all have the same laptops arranged by the school.
We use Edmodo, an online portal, to assist with teaching and learning. Students, staff and parents have access to Edmodo, allowing parents to be in the loop with their child's progress.
We have well-resourced general purpose and specialist teaching and learning spaces.
Students are well supported throughout their time at DMSC.
A highlight of the year for our Year 7 class is the school camp, which in 2020 was to Campaspe Downs in central Victoria. The camp provides a great chance for students to try new things and, being early in the school year, to get to know there classmates better outside the classroom.
We are proud of our status as a memorial school and we ensure that our students leave with an appreciation of our nation's history. Each year, we hold a number of remembrance events:
We have high expectations of our students and exercise a "firm but fair" approach.
We pride ourselves on communicating well with students and parents, including with SMS notifications to parents and carers.
Buses are available from Horsham and surrounding districts around Dimboola:
Tours are available - please call us on 5389 1460 to find out more.
Transition days will take place in November and December this year. We will update our website and Facebook page when these dates are confirmed.
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact Jess Fell, our Transition and Year 7 Coordinator.
Jess Fell
Transition and Year 7 Coordinator
© 2022 Dimboola Memorial Secondary College
Click here to visit the main Dimboola Memorial Secondary College website