As we move towards Mother's day on Sunday, we pray this week for our Mum's and the significant women in our lives. We offer a prayer of gratitude and ask that God bless and care for Mums and all women!
We pray for our mothers, who give life and count toes and tend to
our every need; May they be blessed with patience and tenderness
to care for their families and themselves with great joy.
We pray for our own mothers who have nurtured and cared for us;
May they continue to guide us in strong and gentle ways.
We remember mothers who are separated from their children
because of war, poverty, or conflict;
May they feel the loving embrace of our God
We pray for women who are not mothers but still love and shape us
with motherly care and compassion.
We remember mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers who
are no longer with us but who live forever in our memory and nourish
us with their love.
Amen
We will gather tomorrow morning for the Mother’s Day Liturgy and Breakfast beginning in the JSC at 7.00am, then following, in the DEC for a lovely breakfast. I thank in advance Cathy Prunty, Sharon Lehtonen and the Liturgy team, along with Sarah Boswell and the Development team for facilitating this special and very popular event.
We have a very busy couple of weeks coming up at the College; next week Year 9 students will be attending their outdoor adventure camp near Benalla, Year 10 students are engaged in Work Experience or their retreat and CPDA learning opportunities, and the following week sees Year 8 Students attending camp down in Anglesea. The diversity of learning and the strength of engagement in these activities is always wonderful to witness.
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 now required to be in full Winter uniform (as of 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.
The Senior School formal will take place this Friday 12th May, 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.
Well done to our BAS Athletics Carnival competitors who represented the College with absolute distinction at yesterday's carnival. I thank Rod Mathews & Hamish Walsh for their organisation of the event, along with the HPE team for their support of our students throughout the day.
Chris