It has been great to welcome students and staff back today and to see the efforts that families have gone to make sure students have their masks and are wearing them. The state governments guidance has reinforced the need to have students and staff wear masks at all times. I will further emphasise some of the requirements that we are required to observe through this newsletter.

The presence of face masks and social distancing remain stark reminders of the time in which we live, but the resilience of the Damascus community members in their positivity at being back together has been heartwarming. I thank families for your enormous efforts throughout remote learning and for having students appropriately attired and supported to return to school today. I congratulate our amazing students and staff on the spirit with which they have embraced the return to onsite learning.

Currently, there can be no non-essential visitors onsite. I ask that if parents feel they need to come to the College, please contact the College office so we can determine the best support available. Please stay in your car if bringing students to and from school. It will be great to have face to face conversations when we are allowed.

Here at school, we are progressing the work done with families in Teacher Advisor Interviews over the past two days, and I thank everyone involved for making the time to participate in these conversations. Students in Years 8 – 11 will select their 2022 subjects during our TA lesson next Tuesday, 3^rd August. In the lunch break from today until Friday, students have the opportunity to speak with teachers in the Damascus Event Centre regarding their selections for next year. Families are also reminded of the broad range of resources to support students to make their selections on the College website. The information can be accessed through Learning & Teaching - Pathways - Damascus College. Planning for the future is an exciting opportunity. If you are having difficulty with your student’s selections, encourage them to speak with our Careers team based in the St Martin’s Resource Centre here at school.

We are working through a range of alterations to our calendar as a result of this next phase of Government restrictions. I am not looking at events beyond this fortnight, which is the time we understand these restrictions are in place, and we all appreciate that things may still change.

For parents of Year 7 students undertaking swimming this semester, we have been advised that this can commence from next week, so Year 7 students down to swim are advised to bring their swimming gear for PE lessons from next Monday.

For those involved in our production of Spelling Bee, it appears patience is a virtue. We are looking at a planned performance schedule following this current cycle of restrictions in the hope that there will be further easing.

At this stage, there will be no BAS interschool sport for this cycle of restrictions.

VET classes and VCAL work placement are able to proceed. Belinda Dwyer, Applied Learning Coordinator, will work with students if there are specific adjustments to their programs. Students attending VET classes must be very mindful of hygiene and mask requirements when mixing with other schools.

There is a Rowing Parent Information meeting scheduled for next week. This meeting will be conducted virtually, and we hope that families of students seeking to row this season will join that opportunity. For a number of year levels, rowing training will commence over the coming days, and we look forward to students beginning this next exciting opportunity.

Last week, we were notified that the General Achievement Test or GAT had been rescheduled from tomorrow, 29^th July, until Thursday 12^th August. Senior students will have classes as planned in their timetables.

Instrumental classes can resume and will from tomorrow, Thursday, observing Department of Health guidelines.

The College is continuing with increased cleaning regimes of classrooms and high touch surfaces.

As we continue to support one another, I am reminded of the words of Catherine McAuley, the founder of the Sisters of Mercy, who are so much a part of our story for the past 140 years. Catherine’s words apply to us as a Catholic education community; “It is not sufficient that Jesus Christ be formed in us, He must be recognised in our conduct”. As a community, it is how we welcome and support one another that is the testament of our Christian identity, and in that spirit, I thank you all for your continued care.

In our prayers this week, we remember Brayden (Year 9) and Jarrod (Year 9) Joyce and their family on the passing of their loved paternal grandmother. May she rest in peace.

Until next week …

MATT