This week it was fantastic to be able to conduct mock interviews with our Year 12 VCAL students remotely. I was so impressed by the way our senior students were optimising their time in remote learning to refine their interview skills, their resumes and general communication capabilities. I was proud of the achievements of these young women and men who demonstrated that they are ready to take the leap into life beyond secondary school. The engagement of our senior VCAL students reflects the engagement of our entire student community. Students across all year levels are trying their hardest to maintain engagement with their learning. Our amazing teaching and support staff are more equipped this time to understand the achievable volume of work for students and use the technology to better support students. I thank families for your support of students as we continue this journey of remote learning, knowing that it is keeping people safer.

Today we are running our first timetable of condensed classes to allow students some reprieve from screen time. The weather is not particularly conducive to outdoor activity, but we want to encourage students to use the time to free up their availability to extend their physical activity. The College has provided students with a range of opportunities for this time or for them to do their own thing. Our next day of condensed classed will be next Thursday, 27^thAugust.

Yesterday we conducted a briefing for Year 12 regarding what we know at this stage for Year 12 conclusion. We are committed to celebrating the class of 2020, and while we do not know what the format will be it will include a spiritual element, a retrospective element of looking back on their journey and some sources of inspiration to project them forward. We have commenced a series of planning working parties with senior students to begin this process. Careers Coordinator, Georgia Shillito, also facilitated a briefing for Year 12 students seeking to apply for university on Monday. Georgia addressed the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) introduction of the Consideration of Educational Disadvantage process to calculate VCE scores, taking into account disruptions to learning this year.

To ensure the fairness of final results, the VCAA will consider all available information, including the General Achievement Test (GAT) and appropriate comparisons of performance across all assessments and schools. Based on this analysis, disadvantage will be factored into students’ final scores, which will then contribute to the study score calculation. This approach will ensure that Victorian students are not disadvantaged in comparison to interstate students in the calculation of their individual ATAR.

Scholarships for 2021 opened on Monday here at the College. Damascus only offers scholarships to those who are already enrolled at the College. More information about our scholarships and the application process can be found here.

This week is also Science week, and I thank Learning Area Leader Ivanka Saric and the Science team for their work developing the theme; ‘Deep Blue: innovations for the future of our oceans.’ Within the daily messages for students and through TA, there have been opportunities for engagement with information about Science Week.

The Damascus community congratulates maintenance team member, Andrew Curran and his partner, Jenna, on the safe arrival of Peter Curran born late Saturday afternoon. We congratulate Andrew and Jenna on this exciting news.

I also acknowledge and congratulate Mathematics Learning Area Leader, Caroline Nolan on becoming an Australian citizen on Wednesday of last week.

We welcome back Maria Russell from extended leave this week, it is great to have Maria back on deck, and I acknowledge and thank those who were able to facilitate her leave.

We also welcome Emilie Gray this week as she commences teaching rounds remotely.

In the Catholic tradition Monday was the feast of the Assumption of Mary, often referred to as the Feast of the Assumption of Mary or just, The Assumption. So what is the Feast of the Assumption? For Catholics, Mary holds a special place. She was Jesus’ Mother, and she was called specifically by God for this role. The Feast of the Assumption marks the end of her earthly journey, with the belief that she was assumed body and soul into heaven. For us, the Assumption marks an opportunity to celebrate the part that women play in our life. In Church life, there are many challenges in appropriately acknowledging the contribution that women make to our tradition. The celebration of Mary provides an opportunity for us to continue to reflect on the love that existed between Christ and His mother and the hope of eternal reward that was afforded Mary, exists for each of us. The Assumption allows us a chance to celebrate the love of family life, for those of us who have been richly blessed and for those who yearn for richer family relationships we pray especially for during this week.

We also pray for all those who struggle from the burdens associated with this global pandemic!

Winter is throwing us an icy blast over the next few days; I hope you all keep warm!

Until next week …

MATT

This week is National Science Week (15-23 August), so what better time to celebrate Science at Damascus College and learn more about the many opportunities it presents for our students. The motto of Science at Damascus is ‘Inspiring Curiosity.’

Pictured below are VCE Biology students, earlier this term, undertaking a practical investigation of their own design as part of their studies. Some of the questions under investigation this year include: “What is an effective concentration of alcohol in hand sanitiser to prevent bacterial growth?” “Can temperature treatment denature the protease proteins in pineapple and allow gelatine to set?”

At Damascus, our young scientists study scientific knowledge and develop inquiry and practical skills, analytical skills including critical and creative thinking, and communication skills in the areas of biological, chemical and physical sciences from Years 7-10. Students are given great opportunities to participate in a variety of classroom and extra-curricular activities which are all designed to extend and complement the skills and knowledge gained in each of the science units studied.

Our Year 8 students complete an Esteem program which integrates Science, Maths and Digital Technologies and challenges students to think critically and creatively, problem solve and implement solutions involving digital technology.

In Year 9 students can choose one of our STEM electives – Horticulture or Food and Consumer Science. In Year 10, students can further extend their scientific knowledge and skills by completing electives which may include Biology, Chemistry, Physics and / or Psychology as well as an elective which explores science in our everyday lives. Year 10 students can also choose to study VCE Science as part of accelerated access.

In the senior years of school, Damascus students can choose from a range of VCE Science subjects including Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Physics and Psychology.

These subjects are a wonderful stepping stone to a wide range of careers including but not limited to: Dentistry, Engineering, Horticulture, Sports Science, Medicine, Geology, Psychologist and many, many more.

The theme for the 2020 Science Week (15-23 August, 2020) is ‘Deep Blue: innovations for the future of our oceans.’ Students have the opportunity to participate in the daily quiz and have been provided with links to National Geographic documentaries. As a family you might like to celebrate Science Week at home so I have also included links to these below. During morning TA students have talked about their favourite Ocean animal and why? This may be a great conversation over the dinner table sometime this week as well.

Another fun activity could be viewing short clips such as:-

‘Finding Nemo’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EchU-2S4SwA

‘Dolphins from Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy “Goodbye and thanks for all the Fish” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bG6b3V2MNxQ

National Geographic : Hostile Planet: Oceans
https://clickv.ie/w/ucZn

Going places with Ernie Dingo: The Great Barrier Reef
https://clickv.ie/w/3cZn

Scope: Science in the ocean
https://clickv.ie/w/8cZn

Davis Attenborough’s Blue Planet II: One Ocean
https://clickv.ie/w/DcZn

National Geographic: In their own words: Deep Water Horizon
https://clickv.ie/w/XbZn

The Great American Oil Spill
https://clickv.ie/w/QcZn

Due to COVID19 NAIDOC Week has officially been postponed until early November.

However a group of Damascus Students have put together some Art Work to acknowledge and celebrate now.

NAIDOC Week 2020 acknowledges and celebrates that our nation’s story didn’t begin with documented European contact whether in 1770 or 1606 - with the arrival of the Dutch on the western coast of the Cape York Peninsula. This year’s theme of Always Was, Always Will Be acknowledges that hundreds of Nations and cultures covered this continent. All were managing the land - the biggest estate on earth - to sustainably provide for their future.

NAIDOC Presentation

Click the link above to view a NAIDOC Week PowerPoint presentation created by Year 7 Student Presley Duncan

We are excited to advise that scholarship applications opened this week for Damascus College students, as per info on the flyer below.

We encourage Damascus students to read over the various scholarship opportunities and apply by the closing date, Thursday 10 September.

Further information and application forms are available at: https://www.damascus.vic.edu.au/prospective-scholarships

As part of Remote Learning 2.0, there are so many students and staff doing amazing things to help each other through this difficult time.

So we thought it was time to shine a light on some of our students and their nominations for their Remote Learning Hero.

We caught up with Year 12 student Jack Davidson, and he shares with us his hero and how they have made an impact on his life and the lives of his classmates.

Thanks for participating Jack and his hero – Mr Andrew Seeary!

Our annul Information Evenings and Open Mornings are being transformed for 2020 due to COVID-19.

Instead we are hosting Information Webinars and Guided Virtual Tours.

We encourage all prospective families that are looking to send their child to secondary school in 2022 (Grade 5 this year) to register for an upcoming Info Webinar and Guided Virtual Tour.

All attendees will be sent a private online link to the activity you have registered for, the day prior to the event.

We look forward to seeing you at these events.

Register here: https://www.damascus.vic.edu.au/prospective-visit-us

Please see below the latest Careers News:-

Careers News 18 August 2020