Hello Damascus Community.

It has been a very busy few weeks in the Humanities Learning Area. Our senior students have by now all completed a School Assessed Coursework (SAC). There were some very encouraging signs in Business Management. There are 37 students across two classes with Michelle Bodey and myself, and the high standard was very encouraging. In History Revolutions there are 19 students and they are completing their first SAC with Jen Casey as I type. In Legal Studies another 18 students in with Hannah Muirhead. Hannah says there are some very encouraging signs in the class with regards to the work. Finally, we have another Geography class at Year 12 after 3 years. This class is mixing the theory work with Fieldwork visits at the same time. This week we ventured across to Lucas, Ballymanus and Winter Valley to see the expansion of our Ballarat urban growth zone. So, all in all the Senior VCE students are off to a good start to the year.

Our students from Year 7 through to Year 11 are all completing one of their first tasks around about now. The Year 11 students should have completed their first SAC for VCE. This is always telling because the style of assessment can be very different from the lower levels. So hopefully they know what to expect and put their best foot forward from here. An interesting aside here, Chris Grant takes Year 11 Business Management and in the class is his son, Kalan. I hope there is no special treatment when it comes to the SACs, Chris. I’ll finish the Year 11 area with a good luck to Brendan Bawden and the Modern History class. 28 students, wow, but I’m sure Brendan will have them eating out of his hand with his knowledge and expertise.

Year 10 students will have completed their Careers folio and are working on the Geography of well-being. The Year 9 students are heading to Sovereign Hill as you read. Half on Tuesday 14^th and the other half Wednesday 15^th. I should have some good pictures for the next newsletter. Year 8 will have completed a task on Urbanisation and Megacities. While our Year 7 students are completing a Values/Identity task in Civics and Citizenship.

Thanks, and remember history otherwise you are doomed to repeat it.