Welcome back to Term 2. I hope the Easter break, along with our ANZAC day holiday on Tuesday, provided some much needed time to rest and re-energise for the busy term ahead.
We have a small number of staff starting with us this term, and I warmly welcome the following staff.
Nicole Burness |
Nicole will be supporting leave replacements this year, commencing with Martin Ryan’s Long Service Leave in Term 2. |
Trish Rowe |
Trish is returning from Long Service Leave this term, and was ably supported by Elise Austin and Stefanie Harper in Term 1. |
Mark Holland |
Mark has a short Term 2 contract replacing Dan Jans’ PE and RE teaching load while Dan is on Professional Development & Long Service Leave. |
Leigh Denning |
Leigh has a short contract backfilling a Year 10 English class from Jayde while she supports the House Leadership role in Dan Jans’ leave of absence |
Katelyn Clark |
Katelyn will be undertaking Adrian Newman’s teaching load in Science while Adrian is on Long Service Leave through to Term 4, week 2 this year. |
Renee Teven |
Renee joins the LSO team for 2023. Renee comes to us with LSO experience supporting students in small group interventions in maths and literacy. |
If you have a child in Year 10 who has work experience next term and the paperwork has not been returned to the College, could you please attend to this as soon as possible.
Students are required to be in full Winter uniform on Monday, 8th May – this means long pants, Winter skirts and tights and track pants with the PE uniform. It is not uncommon for students to have grown, which requires skirts and pants to be let down. Skirts should be knee-length. Following up on uniform infringements takes valuable school resources away from the core business of learning and teaching and creates awkward and unnecessary conversations with students and families. Please ensure all students come to school each day in the correct school uniform.
Parents may also be pressured to purchase a rain jacket. This uniform item was introduced to cover the expensive blazer as students walk to and from school or as they wait at rural bus stops. Students are allowed to wear the rain jacket in terms 2 and 3 at lunchtime and recess while outside as another layer and to encourage student activity. The rain jacket is not to be worn in class. It does remain an optional item of uniform.
You may also be pressured to purchase a rain jacket. This item of uniform was introduced to cover the expensive blazer as students walk to and from school or as they wait at bus stops. It is an optional item of uniform.
If you are an existing family that has received an offer for an enrolment place for Year 7 for 2024, I remind you that the final day for acceptance is this Friday, 28th April.
On the evening of Friday 12th May, the Senior School formal will take place from 7:00pm to 10:30pm in the Damascus Events Centre. This is a social opportunity that Damascus College facilitates for our community's Year 11 and 12 students. It has always been a very positive event on our calendar, but it is important that we reiterate that normal school rules apply. It is an alcohol, drug and smoke-free event; any student suspected of having consumed alcohol will not be let in. There are no pass-outs through the evening. Year 12 students are permitted to bring a guest on the condition that they arrive with the Damascus College student and that the guest abides by Damascus College rules. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the evening, please contact your House Leader. It is a social activity, and hair and make-up appointments are not more important than school on Friday. Any student who is away on Friday will not be able to attend the formal. I must reinforce my encouragement that parents support one another by not condoning after parties. If you say no to requests from your child, you're actually supporting other Damascus parents who are going to receive the same pressure from their student. Students are encouraged to bring a plate of food to share.
Welcome back to Term 2.
Chris