Yesterday we met as a leadership group and our Leader of School Development, Sarah Boswell, led us in our reflection. Sarah drew on this poem from the Sisters of Mercy website, and it resonated strongly with me. I have taken only the first and the last stanza, but what appealed to me was that our experience of the storm in which we currently exist is being experienced very differently by everyone. Also, the reminder that judgement is not helpful, as we so rarely know the full story. I include the link for the full version of the poem which, I think, brings a perspective to our different experiences of this time.
https://institute.mercy.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/We-are-not-in-the-same-boat_-A-poem-about-COVID-19.pdf
“I heard that we are in the same boat.
But it’s not like that.
We are in the same storm, but not in the same boat.
Your ship can be shipwrecked and mine might not be. Or vice versa…..
….Do not underestimate the pain of others if you do not feel it. Do not judge the good life of the other, do not condemn the bad life of the other. Don’t be a judge. Let us not judge the one who lacks, as well as the one who exceeds. We are different ships looking to survive. Let everyone navigate their route with respect, empathy and responsibility.”
One of the challenges of 2020 is determining adjustments to the College calendar and trying to pace breaks and well-being activities. Two things on the horizon that we are not able to plan for with any confidence are Damascus Day and the Year 12 (and Year 11’s undertaking a Unit 3/4) General Achievement Task, the GAT.
The GAT was scheduled for 9th September and has been pushed back to 7th October. We are going to take the 9th as a non-teaching day still to provide students and staff with a chance to catch up within their learning program. Pending the Government’s announcement about what is to happen for the last week of term, we will have the day to prepare. This will be important regardless of whether some or all students are to return onsite for the last week, or if we are to continue remote learning. Year 12’s and Unit 4 students will be supported to continue their learning independently on this day; there will be no expectation of planned learning for students in other year levels on the 9th September.
At this stage, it is very difficult for us to prepare for Damascus Day. We do not know who will be onsite. Regardless, we will try and bring a spiritual element to the day, but it will be very different from any other Damascus Day we have had in the past. I will continue to keep the school community informed as I become aware of Government announcements relating to onsite arrangements and the implications arising for the last week of term and beyond.
With the GAT testing day moved back to 7th October, we are mindful of juggling the learning needs of senior students’ onsite with those of the rest of our student population. For students to have the optimal conditions for the GAT, Damascus will conduct a day of remote learning on 7th October, regardless of other factors. This allows us to create the optimal exam environment for a test that will be more important in 2020 than it has been in other years and maintains the learning program for students in other courses and year levels.
We have also been looking at the implications of the move of the Ballarat Show Day holiday to the date of the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday 3rd November. Damascus will now take the fourth term holiday on 3rd November, as a result of country buses not running on that date.
Our Year 12’s final day of classes will be Friday 30th October. We were scheduled to have a full day of TA interviews on Wednesday 28th October, but we will move that day of interviews to Monday 2nd November to optimise (hopefully) on-campus class time for our Year 12’s.
I apologise for these changes to our calendar, which we typically work very hard to avoid, but 2020 is demanding that we approach so much of our program differently.
Tomorrow is our condensed timetable for this week and the times can be found on student messages in SIMON or PAM. Nicole Hexter has developed the following activity; The Great Australian Adventure, to encourage our school community to get active during the next fortnight and we encourage our families to support students to take part in the challenge. More information about the challenge and the support families can offer can be found here.
Nicole Burness has been reminding junior students through the daily messages that the Drama Club continues to meet through Microsoft teams on Wednesday and Thursday during lunchtimes. Students start off as one group then break out to work on sections of their script. If there is any student who would still like to be a part of Drama club, please send a message in MS Teams to Miss Burness, this week will be the last week for any new members to join in the Remote Drama Club.
Each year the College produces an annual report on the achievements of the College community for the preceding school year. The 2019 annual report can be found here and is located on the College website.
We keep the family of Rory Sheridan (Year 8) in our prayers and thoughts, as Denise, Craig, Rory and Brayden mourn the loss and celebrate the life of Rory’s Grandfather. May he rest in God’s loving embrace.
May the sun come out after one of the bleakest winter periods of recent times …
Until next week…
MATT