For many years l have been influenced by the writing of Joan Chittester, an American a Benedictine Sister, a modern theologian of our time. Chittester challenges our thinking as modern believers and brings a contemporary lens and interpretation of Scripture. I subscribe to a weekly reading from Chittester, as she inspires my thinking and provides nourishment to my faith. This week l have included a passage from last weeks writing, l too hope it nourishes your faith and helps you reflect on your thinking and your relationships.

The Prophetic Task

Unfortunately, the vision of Jesus the Prophet has become quite domesticated over the centuries. As life got more comfortable from generation to generation, prophecy became reduced to Christian rituals, to public “witness” of our own private spiritual lives. We learned that the good life was about saying our prayers regularly.
As time went by, the spiritual path came to be more and more about us: our salvation, our public identity, our eternal rewards, our very special, very safe institutional ministries. Gone were the grubby and the outcast around us, gone were the forgotten or forsaken. These kind, we figured, should do it for themselves. After all, we had.
Yet the truth is that in every period, the prophetic task was the same: to interpret the present in light of the Word of God so that new worlds could be envisioned and new attitudes developed that would eventually make the world a better place.

The needs of God’s people today are no less pressing, no more acceptable today than they ever were before. Destitute immigrants languish on our borders begging for help. They risk their lives, their families, and even their children to live a decent and dignified life. In the United States, (and Australia) not one state offers a two-bedroom apartment cheaply enough for families who earn a minimum wage to rent it. Which is why, of course, so many young families live in their cars these days waiting to hear a prophet’s cry in their behalf.

It is now our task, as individuals, as intentional groups, wherever we are on the social spectrum, to shine a light on their lives and to insist that others see it, too. It is the task of each of us to be their voice until they can be heard themselves. It is the individual prophet’s task, whatever we do and wherever we are, to point out their absence in society, their needs, the inequities they bear. It is our task to give them hope, to give them possibility, to help the outcasts to fit in.

But prophets are never mainstream. They hold a completely different vision of life than do most. In fact, they hold the rest of the vision of holiness, the part that seldom is taught in the same breath as charity or morality or good citizenship. They are the other half of Christianity, the forgotten half of the spirituality of the Christian world. They see what’s missing in the world around them and set out to see that the world supplies it for those who need it most. They value other ends in life than the ones toward which most of the world strains—for too much wealth, too much power, and too much distance from the dailiness of the daily.
The prophet in this day—facing a world where rugged individualism reigns and those who can’t make it on their own are easily forgotten—now must do more than simply serve. They must lead this world beyond its present divisions of race and gender, of national identity and economic class. Yes, the prophet is always out of step with the average response to pain or want or loss or oppression. They are always disturbingly different, always stirring up the consciousness of those left behind, always confronting a world that obstructs them, always on a path toward the Kingdom rather than the palace.” —from The Time Is Now: A Call to Uncommon Courage (Penguin Random House), by Joan Chittister

The challenge therefore for us at Damascus are to be people who push the boundaries for the marginalised in our community and to be a people who do not accept the status quo. We are people who demand inclusion and rights for all. Using our voice and opportunities to educate to shape a world that enables all to participate and to live in a world that accepts and promotes their human dignity.

As people of faith, we celebrate and embrace each opportunity to build a better world, being open to learning and to the other enables each one of us to be models of the prophetic Jesus. The challenge for each of us is to continue to respect the dignity of all and to recognise the dignity of all people in our classrooms, in our social groups and in our society.

At Damascus, we are working with our young people to support and model how they can express their ideas, emotions and feelings in a respectful manner – one that promotes independence and self-respect. Our continued focus on social-emotional learning is designed to develop an awareness of their feelings in times of change and to explore the opportunities to learn and grow in a faith community. The same opportunities exist for us as adults; for us to stop and reflect on how we are feeling and to take the time to see if there are alternate ways for us to respond, our response in modelling for young people provides their greatest learning opportunities.

Last week the Universal Church celebrated the Feast of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven. This feast celebrates Mary as the mother of Jesus, and currently, it enables us to celebrate the importance of our families. Family support and partnership in education is critical. The Holy family provides a model of family, but we celebrate and recognise the diversity of family within our community, and we pray for the blessing and challenges that family provide.

The College continues to work in partnership with our families; to redirect inappropriate behaviour and to learn from our mistakes. I want to again thank and extend my gratitude for your understanding in these confronting conversations. No doubt there are a range of needs out there within our community, and if you feel the school can provide some support, please reach out to your child’s Teacher Advisor or House Leaders

Last week the College hosted our Annual Secondary Education Experience Days for our Catholic Primary Schools. I was so impressed by the leadership of our students and staff who were excited to share their schooling experience here at Damascus. I would like to acknowledge and thank Laura Kimm for her leadership and organisation in these events, six days with over 500 hundred children visiting the College. Our student ambassadors were humble and proud showcasing their school and welcoming the Grade 5 students and their teachers. We have so much to be proud of at Damascus; our young people have a strong sense of themselves and what it means to live in community with a genuine sense of humility and trust. Let’s continue to build on this sense of humility and openness to the other.

With every blessing

It’s hard to think that we are now in the latter part of the term, working towards the end of term, and importantly, the end of content for our Year 12 students. Final SAC’s will be occurring over the next three weeks and I wish our senior students well as they work toward the end of their High School journey.

The Junior School formal will be held this Friday 25 August 2023, in the Damascus Events Centre from 6.30pm to 8.30pm. This is a social opportunity Damascus College facilitates for our Year 7 and 8 students. It has always been a very positive event on our calendar, but it is important that I reiterate that normal school rules apply. This is a smoke, drug, alcohol and vape free event and if students are found in possession or have consumed any of the above, parents will be called to collect their child immediately. There are no pass-outs through the evening. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the evening, please contact your House Leader. Students are encouraged to bring a plate of food to share. A Try Booking link for tickets has been sent out to Year 7 & 8 families and remains open until 9.00am on Thursday 24 August 2023.

The senior student leadership journey will commence next Tuesday for our Year 11 students during lesson 5. I encourage families to talk with their Year 11 student about the privilege of leadership, the contribution they may be able to make next year and the possibility of making an application for student leadership.

Next Tuesday will also see us run our quarterly emergency management drill. As an education facility, and in particular our location in the beautiful bush setting, we are required to run 4 emergency management drills per year. So far we have completed evacuation (term 1) and Lockdown (term 2). This term we will be completing a Shelter-in-Place, which will occur during TA Period 4, at 12.30pm on Tuesday 29 August 2023.

Shelter-in-Place (SIP) refers to both a process and a location. It is an emergency response option that allows everyone to remain inside the school on the basis that an evacuation might reasonably expose people to a greater level of danger, should they attempt to evacuate the facility.

In this instance, all students will be sheltering in either the Damascus Events Centre (McAuley & Xavier Houses) or Building 5 (St Martin and Rice Houses) for a short period of time for the drill to occur. It may be advisable that you speak with your young person about the importance of these drills in readiness for next Tuesday. Please note that no cars or visitors will be permitted to enter the site during this time (12.30pm to 12.50pm on 29/08/23). If you have any concerns about your child’s possible reaction to this event, please speak with your Teacher Advisor or the Student Growth and Engagement Team.

Can I please remind families of the importance of wearing the correct College uniform. Appearing a lot over the winter months, has been hoodies worn underneath the PE jumper. This is not a piece of uniform and should not be worn. Please discourage your young person from wearing a hoodie to school. Year 12 students may continue to wear their Year 12 Damascus College Hoodie each Friday.

Chris

Last Thursday I had the opportunity to attend the Ballarat Diocesan Wellbeing Conference in Mildura. The conference is open to all secondary schools in the Ballarat Diocese where wellbeing leaders discuss issues that are impacting the wellbeing of young people in the communities that we work. It was interesting to hear that most of the schools in the Diocese are experiencing similar issues that young people are presenting with. I found the last presenter of the conference to be incredibly engaging with many of her observations resonating with our Damascus community.

Dr Helen Cahir is one of the authors of Resilience, Right and Respectful Relationships. The Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships (RRRR) learning materials cover 8 topics of Social and Emotional Learning across all levels of primary and secondary education. Years 11 and 12 include the relevant topics of goal setting, time management and safer socialising in place of emotional literacy.

Dr Cahir provided a summary of the 8 modules in RRRR with most of the discussion focused on the 6^th topic, Help Seeking. This topic area is designed to help students discuss the importance of seeking help and providing peer support when dealing with problems that are too big to solve alone. This helps to normalise and destigmatise help-seeking behaviour. Dr Cahill emphasised the importance of students learning to extend their repertoire of coping strategies, to benefit from critical reflection on their own choices and be exposed to alternate options. Dr Cahill encouraged us to promote to students the concept of self-talk, and practice using positive self-talk, to approach and manage challenging situations. Positive self-talk is a key strategy for coping with negative thoughts, emotions and events. It is associated with greater persistence in the face of challenge and can be learnt or strengthened through practice.

All conference attendees felt that since Covid-19, some students have lost the capacity to manage their coping skills. It is indeed a complex situation allowing students to work it out for themselves or reach out to a trusted adult to intervene. As a College, we always encourage students to talk to a trusted adult however we do encourage these adults to empower students to develop their coping strategies. At times this does involve adults stepping back and allowing their student to ‘work things out for themselves’, provide some perspective on what needs to be addressed and consider advice that allows students to work on their own coping strategies.

Social and emotional skills are the foundation of healthy levels of wellbeing and are clearly linked to higher levels of academic achievement. Developing students’ skills in their capacity to cope will allow students to develop skills in resilience, building relationships and communication.

The recent Faith Formation Day for staff was a day to embrace faith, hope and love: the foundations of Christian life and our work. Time was devoted contemplating what respect, justice and compassion can look like, enacting service and hospitality as a community, and reflecting on our connection with the planet as Christian people and our place in the Earth’s challenges.

The day began with a Liturgy to gather us as a community in prayer. The staff then engaged in the practice of Wayapa. This is an Earth connection practice that is based on ancient Indigenous wisdom that focuses on taking care of the Earth as the starting point for creating Earth Mind Body Spirit well-being.

From here, the focus was on the Mercy values of compassion, respect, justice, service, hospitality and courage. These values underpin our work as a community, living and working in the Mercy tradition. As values reflect who we aspire to be, the day was an opportunity to break open what these values mean to us at Damascus in continuing to be a community that encourages each individual to “Be.My.Best”.

A quote from the foundress of the Mercy Order, Catherine McAuley, was highlighted to connect us with our mission: “we stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us and carry the flame of Mercy for a new time with new needs in a new moment in history”.

In another session, staff explored ways of caring for God’s creation in responding to the challenges of climate and waste management. This was led by Inga Hamiliton from ResourceSmart. As a ResourceSmart school, we will continue to work in partnership to actively make a difference by engaging sustainable practices in our school.

A Mercy Blessing

Mercy

May you meet Mercy each day:

In the light of your heart,

At the hands of your loved ones,

In the eyes of

The stranger and the needy.

And if by chance you do not at first meet it,

Then search your heart for it,

And it will tap you on the shoulder,

A quiet surprise,

A small gesture,

The tender look, given and received

In the encounters of your day.

Navigating Towards Success - Recap of the 'Towards the Finishing Line' Session

Celebrating Student Commitment and College Dedication

We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to those who joined us for our recent 'Towards the Finishing Line' session on Tuesday 8 November in the Damascus Events Centre. Your presence, alongside your dedicated students, reinforced our shared commitment to ensuring the best possible outcomes for our graduating class of 2023.

We understand that some of you were unable to attend the session, and we want to assure you that your connection to Damascus College is still deeply valued. We appreciate your continued support and engagement in your student's educational journey.

Empowering Excellence: A Recap of the Session

The 'Towards the Finishing Line' session was an evening brimming with valuable insights and strategies aimed at equipping our students with the tools they need to thrive in their final academic journey. Our esteemed presenters shed light on various aspects of this preparation, encompassing academic, physical, and emotional well-being.

VCE and Vocational Major Expectations:

Caroline Nolan, our dedicated VCE Leader, and Belinda Dwyer, Vocational Major Leader, delivered an engaging presentation on the expectations and preparations for the upcoming VCE and Vocational Major exams. Their comprehensive guidance addressed academic readiness and emphasised the importance of effective time management and study techniques.

Conditioning of Body and Mind:

Alysoun Smalley, Leader of Curriculum and Assessment, and Georgia Shillito, Careers and Pathways Leader, delved into the holistic approach Damascus College embraces in preparing our students for their final exams. They highlighted the significance of nurturing both physical and mental well-being, emphasising the symbiotic relationship between a healthy body and a focused mind.

Harnessing Social Emotional Learning Competencies:

In the context of the emotionally charged final exam period, Alysoun Smalley further elaborated on the integration of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) competencies. These skills not only aid in tackling academic challenges but also promote resilience, emotional intelligence, and effective stress management – all invaluable assets for success in both exams and life beyond Damascus College.

Exploring Post-Damascus Opportunities:

The latter part of the session was dedicated to preparing students for life after Damascus College. Our Careers and Pathways Leader, Georgia Shillito, provided insights into the diverse opportunities available post-graduation. From VTAC applications and higher education pursuits to scholarships, traineeships, and special entry access scheme applications, students were equipped with a comprehensive overview of their potential paths.

Access the Presentation:

For those who attended, the session slides and materials are available for review and download here. We encourage you to share these resources with your students and continue the conversation at home.

Material for Access

1. Presentation Slides - Towards the Finishing Line
2. Careers Information (see below)

At Damascus College, our commitment to the growth and success of our students is unwavering. As we approach the finishing line of this academic year, we are confident that our students will rise to the occasion, armed with knowledge, resilience, and a strong support system.

Careers Support for Current Year 12 Students

VTAC – Applying, SEAS, Scholarships

• Application – why everyone is applying (so you know for next year if you change your mind)
• Applying for SEAS
  • Special Entry Access
  • Puts students with any type of disadvantage on the same playing field as everyone else.
  • Categories
    • 1 – Location
    • 2 – Financial Disadvantage
    • 3 – medical conditions
    • 4 – Difficult circumstances
• Evidence…. Support statements
• Scholarships – Big pool of money out there, you have to be in to win it.
• Careers can help!! – Book appointments with us for help and assistance

Offers​ – Once ATAR comes out…you can change preference, can change this another two times after each offer round

What if you don’t want to go to Uni!

TAFE​ – 6 month – 2 year courses

Employment

Traineeships – 1 year – certificate

Apprenticeships – Do a trial

Gap Years

• What does your gap year look like?
• Have a plan…don’t do the same thing you have been doing for 3 years
• RSA, Barista
• New skills, experiences
• Don’t be a couch potato for a year

A reminder to families of current Year 7-11 Students that have not already responded regarding re-enrolment for 2024, could you please ensure you log into PAM at Parent Access Module (PAM) Login and complete by Friday 8th September 2023. You can indicate ‘Yes’ (student returning); ‘No’ (student not returning) or ‘Undecided’. The College Registrar – Erin Marshall will then contact all ‘undecided’ and ‘not returning’ student families (via email) to obtain further details.

If you have any queries, please contact Erin Marshall 5337 2222 (Option ‘4’) or email e.marshall@damascus.vic.edu.au

Students in Year 7 and 8, recently participated in the Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee, as part of their English studies.

This competition is open to students across Australia in years 3-8, where each entrant was required to answer 30 random spelling words within a 25 second timeframe.

Well done to all students that participated, and we wish you well for your potential selection in the State/ Territory Finals in September.

Congratulations to Year 7 student Archer Sutton, as he has recently been selected for the Victorian U13 boys Hockey team last week.

Archer has also participated in the state academy this year, where he has trained twice weekly in Melbourne over the past 7 weeks. He now commences training with the Victorian team twice weekly in Melbourne for several weeks in the lead up to the Championships played in Newcastle in September.

Good luck Archer.

Recently, Damascus College year 12 students Corine, Chloe and Nick who are undertaking Product Design and Technology (Wood & Metal) reached a critical point in their projects, the resin pour.

This subject focuses on design thinking, creative problem solving and understanding product design factors. Through this subject, students take on the role of the design maker. It enables students to produce innovative solutions to various set design problems and develop research skills through several investigation assignments. Students work through a series of projects using a range of materials and systems drawn from wood, metal and plastics. These projects are designed to encourage students to develop skills in investigation and technical reporting, designing, manufacturing and evaluation.

Projects being undertaken by the students have presented some challenges, leaks and resin tackiness just to name a few. But these have been taken in stride, and have proven to be teachable moments.

With the resin poured, the next stage in the process is for the resin to cure before sanding, buffing and staining can take place. We are looking forward to seeing the finished products which will be on display at the 2023 Visual Arts & Technology exhibition held next term.

#DamascusCollege #DamascusPride #BeMyBest #FindMyCalling

Tuesday 15 August was a wonderful celebration of St Martin House, and St Martin de Porres, the patron saint of the poor and of social justice; he is also a patron of racial harmony.

Damascus College gathered together in the John Shannon Centre in a sea of green, the house colour; for a special St Martin Day assembly.

There was plenty of entertainment on offer, with a showcase of the talents and achievements of the remarkable students who together make up St. Martin House.

Students opened with an Acknowledgement of Country, followed by achievements, fundraising initiatives, video presentations, musical performances and a very creative Year 12 dance.

A great occasion had by all!

Applications for a variety of scholarships open on Monday 21^st August.

The available scholarships, and the eligible year levels, are:

Damascus College scholarships (Academic, Sport, Arts) – students currently in year 7 to 11 can apply (3 scholarships available).

• Provided by Damascus College. Criteria relates to excellence in either academic pursuits, sporting achievements or the arts.
• Value: $2,000 towards the fees for the following year.

Dorothy Griffin Scholarship – students currently in year 10 can apply (2 scholarships available)

• Provided by the Institute of Sisters of Mercy of Australia and Papua New Guinea. Criteria relates to all round excellence in school achievement and participation in range of school activities.
• Value: $500 awarded to the successful students.

Dorothy Irene Ellis-Thomas Scholarship – students currently in year 12 can apply (2 scholarships available)

• Provided by the Dorothy Irene Ellis-Thomas Foundation. Students should be completing VCE or equivalent and wishing to pursue a course at a University or other tertiary education institution. Criteria relates to all-round academic endeavour and excellence and participation in range of school activities.
• Value: $2,000 each awarded to the successful students.

Diocese of Ballarat Scholarship - students currently in year 10 can apply (1 scholarship available)

• Provided by the Ballarat Diocesan Finance Council, this scholarship is awarded to one Year 10 student who is moving into Year 11. Criteria involves demonstrated leadership potential and student advocacy, community involvement and a commitment to study.
• Value: $1,000 awarded to the successful student.

Applications Open: Monday 21^st August 2023

Applications Close: Friday 1^st September 2023

Further information about each scholarship, including more detailed criteria and application forms, have been emailed to students and are also available on the Damascus College website in the enrolment section https://www.damascus.vic.edu.au/enrolment/scholarships

For further information or queries, contact Jen Montgomery at j.montgomery@damascus.vic.edu.au

37 students representing nine local secondary schools participated in the Mars Wrigley Design Challenge last week, where Damascus College was represented by Year 9 students Imogen Rosenhart, Amelia Bantick, Clementine Griffiths-House, April Miller and Lachlan Reus.

The Ballarat Tech School team along with the professional associates from Mars Wrigley were all extremely impressed with the challenge participants who took on new experiences and opportunities with enthusiasm, respect, and design flair. The professional quality of the final prototype products was outstanding.

Congratulations to Amelia Bantick who was part of the team that were the recipients of the coveted 2023 Mars Golden Ticket and April Miller's team that received Peer Choice Award.

Both students have received a 2023 Mars Golden Ticket to tour of the Ballarat Mars Wrigley site in recognition of their creativity, collaboration and design production.

Job well done!

Earlier this month select Damascus College year 10 students took part in the Science and Engineering Challenge (SEC) held at Federation University.

SEC is a nationwide Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) outreach program presented by the University of Newcastle in partnership with communities, Rotary clubs, universities and sponsors to inspire students to consider a future career in science and engineering.

Damascus College placed third overall on the day but took out first place in the prestigious bridge-building challenge thanks to the teamwork, skill and talents of Charlie Snare, Jack Sproull, Liam O’Beirne and Kara Johnson.

Congratulations to all involved.

#DamascusCollege #DamascusPride #BeMyBest #ImReadyToTakeOnAnything

Congratulations to the following Damascus students that recently competed in the Royal South Street Society Debating Competition, held at Australian Catholic University (ACU).

Students represented Damascus with pride and were so enthusiastic to be a part of the public speaking event. Three of our four student groups won their debates and will progress to the finals. We congratulate them on a super job working well as a team.

Year 12-Madeline Coffey, Willow Eden, Drew Davis

Topic: That trade is the best way to tackle global poverty

Year 11-Eli Spielvogel, Lucas Wells, William Hollitt

Topic: That the study of a science subject should be a requirement of all VCE courses

Year 8- Bronte Jarvis, Yolanda Jones, Isabella Coleman, Emily Meade

Topic: Zoos should be closed

Year 7- Isabeau Turner, Ari Jones, Ella Gordon, Tess Fletcher

Topic: Video surveillance in schools

Thanks to staff Alycia Morrow, Steph Macdonald, Hannah Muirhead and Jen Casey, for supporting the students through the process.

The Yr 7 and 8 debaters were in the semi finals for Royal South St debating on Tuesday August 22nd.

Unfortunately both teams lost their debates (to Loreto and Grammar Year 8s)

The adjudicator was impressed with the quality of both debates and all debaters should be proud of themselves.

The students who took place are Tess Fletcher, Ari Jones and Ella Gordon in Year 7 and Bronte Jarvis, Yolanda Jones, Emily Meade and Isabella Coleman from Year 8.

Topics on the day were Year 7 That there should be permanent restrictions on water in Victoria and for Year 8 That the car is a greater cost than benefit to society.

Well done to all involved and representing the College in such great light.

Please see following a link to the July edition for the Our Diocesan Community

Click Here

Damascus College is excited to announce the 2023 recipients of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) Long Tan Future Innovators Awards.

The ADF Future Innovators Year 10 award goes to Billy Gravell. Billy was chosen due to his willingness to learn and contribute positively to Year 10 Electronics where he continues to develop and learn new skills and knowledge and applies these to his learning to enhance his outcomes. Electronics has allowed him to demonstrate strong STEM skills, which will greatly enhance his future career ambitions.

The ADF has developed this award to recognize students who show high levels of motivation, innovation and achievement in STEM related fields (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths), as these are skills and abilities that are highly valued within the ADF program. The year 10 recipient receives a certificate and a prize of $250 and the year 12 recipient receives a certificate and a prize of $550.

Congratulations Billy and Drew.

ReCranked is Y Ballarat’s bike recycling program which is supported by Brydie Collins one of our awesome Year 11 students. ReCranked is where anyone can be gifted a bike (+ helmet + bike lock) and will be fitted up for wheels that suit their age, height, and riding experience. There is NO eligibility criteria – these bikes are for everyone and anyone. The sustainable program produces little waste where all the rubber and metal are recycled. Bikes that need a little bit of fixing are fixed, and unusable bikes are taken apart and are reused for parts to make new bikes where an amazing team of volunteers spruce them up and make sure they’re ready to hit the road again, like new. They’re all refurbed bikes that have been donated that are looking for new riders so please come in!

Donations of unused or old bikes are always welcome! The team is especially looking for unused or old bikes suitable for teenagers or adults.

ReCranked is located at 1 Holly Grove, Wendouree in the new community hub. They’re open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 2-5pm.

For more information checkout the website :) https://yballarat.org.au/recranked/