The past fortnight has been one of celebrations, achievements and announcements. Our staff and students have been bustling around campus creating a buzzing sense of excitement, enthusiastically preparing for their upcoming events.
Last Monday evening we celebrated the successes of our Year 12 graduands through Eucharist at our magnificent St. Patrick’s Cathedral, followed by a dinner at the Mecure. I was in awe of these auspicious and extraordinary young adults and will feel an immense sense of pride as we witness their future successes.
Last Wednesday our VCE students sat their final exam as students across all year levels also participated in theirs. This can be an emotionally turbulent time for some students and I applaud each and every young person who showed the tenacity and aptitude to be present and prevail.
Over the weekend our Sustainable Racing Team embarked on an Energy Breakthough, 24 hour event. The team pushed speed limits to a new level as they participated against other students in events designed to showcase the ingenuity of their purpose designed energy efficient vehicle. The team’s hard work paid off as they walked away with second place in their class for the 24 hour event and team Kowalski walked away with a first place in their Hybrid EEV category. Go team DMac, this is a well deserved outcome for our team of committed and passionate students.
On Monday evening I enjoyed a picnic on campus followed by a collection of dazzling performances by our music students in the inaugural Damascus Christmas concert. The audience sat engrossed through the rhythmic sounds of the African drum ensemble to the dulcet tones of both the junior and senior choir. It was a fabulous experience to sit, as part of the audience, as we joined in on several of the numbers – not quite so expertly as our students I might say!
Tuesday saw our new cohort of Year 7 students arrive in a flurry of excitement and nervous giggles for orientation. We have introduced a new stream of Year 7 students for 2024, taking the class count from eight to nine. This has introduced some timetabling challenges however is the first step in growing our college and meeting the needs of the rapidly expanding community. I look forward to seeing so many fresh faces join us next year and to watching them grow and realise their full potential as they strive towards becoming the graduating class of 2029.
As you have heard, we announced that Damascus College have accepted an opportunity to occupy the facilities of St. Brendan’s Primary School in Dunnstown. The facilities are in excellent condition and include four classrooms, a small oval and asphalt courts. In addition, a small church, of the Bungaree parish is located on the site and will generously be made available for use by us. Our staff are busily conceptualising innovative ways we can utilise this space throughout the year and I certainly welcome any suggestions from our broader community. We look forward to working with the Dunnstown community and Bungaree parish as we explore the potential of this new chapter at Damascus College.
I sincerely thank the staff, students, families and volunteers who have worked to assist in bringing these events to fruition at an already hectic time of year.
With every blessing
Steven