In recent weeks the Ballarat community has experienced much grief and pain, I understand that this is a distressing time for many in our school community. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Murphy Family and those impacted by the tragic events.

As a faith community we continue turn to our God for guidance and love. We are living in times of much uncertainty and ambiguity. Let us travel gently with one another, remembering we are all made in the image and likeness of our God. May we hold one another with compassion and listen with deep yearning to seek understanding.

I encourage any family who feels they or their children would benefit from our College support services to contact their student’s Teacher Advisor, House Leader or Counselling Team on 5337 2222.

Recently our community participated in the Annual Swimming Carnival which provided our students with an opportunity ‘to just be,’ to live in community and to be with their peers in the joys, competitiveness and fun of a swimming carnival. I congratulate the many, many students who participated who had the courage, the sense of fun and team spirit to compete in the Carnival. Congratulations to all Houses but in particular a huge shout out and congratulations to the students of St Martins’s and House Captains, Lucy Leviston, Ella Turpie, Zoe Newman and Macy Donaldson along with House Leader Dan Jans who led with passion and gusto.

Damascus College has played host to 11 students and a teacher from St Benoit in France. The students emersed themselves in our local culture and were welcomed and by supported by our students who demonstrated our Mercy values of hospitality, service, courage and respect whilst participating in various learning activities.

On Friday 8 March we took part in the celebrations of International Women’s Day. Hosting a breakfast for our community with speakers Sister Veronica Lawson and alumni and Julie White who spoke about their life experiences and values. I for one was left feeling inspired, with a renewed sense of focus. Our students were also involved, attending an interactive talk with past student Ebony O’Doherty-Bowmen. Ebony spoke about her experiences moving from school into an apprenticeship. Our students were engaged and energised by Ebony’s story, a most impressive and inspiring young lady.

NAPLAN testing commences this week. Students in Years 7 and 9 will participate in the program, which will assess students' ability in the domains of literacy, reading, writing and language. Parents and carers can access additional information regarding NAPLAN, what’s involved and the purpose here.

Tuesday 19 March 2024 is the annual Damascus College Athletics Carnival. The Athletics Carnival, like the Swimming Carnival is an opportunity for students to celebrate their talents, participate and support each other as well as celebrate in their House groups. Like any weekday, the Athletics Carnival is compulsory school day for all students. We appreciate that competing is athletics events isn’t for every student and so have scheduled a diverse range of activities to engage all.

The Damascus College School Advisory Council (SAC) is actively seeking new members to contribute to the continued growth and development of the College. If you possess a genuine interest in playing a pivotal role and are available to attend approximately six evening meetings per year, we invite you to submit your expression of interest by emailing principal@damascus.vic.edu.au no later than Friday, March 22, 2024.

With every blessing

It was fantastic to see so many Year 7 families at the Welcome BBQ yesterday evening enjoying a sausage, a chat and meeting some of the Year 7 teachers. In speaking to all families, I highlighted the significance of commencing Secondary School:

“Entering secondary school marks a pivotal moment in your lives. It symbolizes the transition from childhood to adolescence, from dependency to independence and from familiarity to exploration. It is a time when you step out of the cocoon of primary education and spread your wings to soar into the vast expanse of knowledge and experiences that await you”.

Additionally, the importance of partnering with families in the education of young people should be fostered and maintained:

“Partnering with families in a child's education fosters a strong support system that enhances the child's learning, emotional wellbeing and overall development. It's a collaborative effort that benefits everyone involved”.

This Sunday is St Patrick’s Day; a day within the Catholic tradition full of fun, friendship and lots of Irish music, dance, literature, drama, food and more.

The following little Irish blessing marks the day and celebrates the humble gratitude of the Irish this St. Patrick’s Day.

May there always be work for your hands to do, May your purse always hold a coin or two. May the sun always shine warm on your windowpane, May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain. May the hand of a friend always be near you, And may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

Next Tuesday, we will move to the Llanberris Reserve for our annual House Athletics Carnival. The Athletics Carnival is a great opportunity for our young people to team together in their Houses to compete. As with any school day, this is a compulsory school day for all students. There are a broad range of events to engage students of different abilities. We look forward to welcoming our families to the carnival as spectators and please ask that you sign in and out at the entrance gate. Similar to the Swimming Carnival, students will not be permitted to arrive at the athletics track, or depart from there at the end of the day – all students will be bussed from and to school, and the track.

We remind families that the College encourages students to be SunSmart for this event, in that they wear a hat and use and reapply sunscreen throughout the day. We would encourage families to reiterate the message with their students on the day.

It is not uncommon for students to pressure parents and guardians not to attend school on sports days, but it is imperative that parents stand firm and point out that community events are an important opportunity to learn and build both team and school spirit. Our focus throughout our sports program across the College is on participation. The team with the greatest level of participation has invariably been recognised as the overall winner at the carnival. Students who do not attend school on Tuesday without a legitimate reason will not be eligible to attend College formals or extracurricular activities.

Following the conclusion of the Athletics Carnival, announcements will be made back at school of the age group champions and the winning House.

We pray for all those who need our prayer at this time.

Chris

The Feminine Genius

Last week on 8 March 2024, we celebrated International Women’s Day. It is an opportunity to think globally about equity and equal opportunity. In another way it is an opportunity to celebrate the dignity of women as seen through a Christian lens.

Women have distinctive qualities with which to enrich society, qualities Pope John Paul II called the “feminine genius”.

The feminine genius can be understood as the full and authentic spiritual, ethical and interpersonal response to the given of being a particular female person, a physical, emotional, historical, and spiritual whole. It is present in the heart of women like a seed. It needs to be respected, nourished and allowed to develop in each woman according to her talents, personality and most importantly, according to her free response.

In the Apostolic Letter Mulieris dignitate 31 Pope John Paul writes “the Church gives thanks for all manifestations of the feminine ‘genius’ which have appeared in history in the midst of all people and nations….she gives thanks for all the fruits of feminine holiness”.’

St Edith Stein, otherwise known as Sister Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (1891—1942), a Carmelite nun and martyr in Auschwitz, wrote on the dignity and vocation of women. Her writings encourage us to re-discover in the pages of Scripture and in the riches of our tradition the prophetic shape of Mary mother of God and her feminine genius.

Mary, our mother in faith, is God’s valiant woman, - “a sign from heaven” for men and women, hospitable to salvation, radiant in her strength and daring, unfailing in her discipleship, self-giving in her maternity, blessed in her faith and eloquent in her contemplative silence.

Mary, a model for all to celebrate.

It has been a pleasure greeting students in the warmer conditions which have presented themselves over the last week. The mornings are often my favourite part of the day where you get the opportunity to have informal chats about what is happening in the lives of our students. The mornings also provide an opportunity to observe the pride in how students present themselves in wearing their school uniform.

This week I was questioned by several students when I approached them for wearing the incorrect socks to school. The students politely questioned how a pair of “black globe socks” was going to impact on their ability to learn in the classroom. A reasonable question which is often used by students when they are present in incorrect uniform.

Damascus College is a proud community which continues to evolve as an inclusive, progressive and innovative learning environment. The uniform is an internal and external representation of the community in which our students belong. House Leaders and Year Level Coordinators have found that when students are wearing their school uniform correctly, there are less behavioural issues and greater connectedness. When lines start to be blurred such as wearing incorrect socks, the incorrect hair ribbon and incorrect skirt lengths, students sense a drop in standards and, in turn, expectations of them. This can then infiltrate into the classroom where students’ standards are not reflective of their potential learning ability. As parents and carers we are all aware when we take shortcuts in one area, we generally see repercussions in another. Wearing the uniform with pride represents our place in the broader community. The uniform is the public façade of how the community sees our college. Wearing the uniform with pride confirms that Damascus College is a learning environment that students are proud to be part of and where personal pride and presentation is valued.

I would ask that, as parents/carers, you too share the same values that we ask of our students. Accepting close enough is good enough when you see your child leave for school can commence a cycle which is difficult to break, and potentially go well beyond secondary school.

The two boys who I spoke with earlier this week were gracious enough to admit that they had been apathetic in preparing themselves for school and could sense their motivation was waning. It was pleasing to see that the following day they presented themselves immaculately ready to prepare for the final weeks of classes.

Tackling Literacy Challenges at Damascus College: Insights from the Grattan Report and the SRA Corrective Reading Program

Damascus College is implementing several initiatives to improve literacy:

• The evidence-based SRA Corrective Reading program
• A Year 8 literacy implementation program across all subjects
• A Years 7-9 enrichment literacy program

These address key issues highlighted in the Grattan Institute's The Reading Guarantee report:

• 1 in 3 Australian students are not achieving reading proficiency
• the need for phonics instruction and knowledge-building curriculum
• gaps in higher-order skills like making inferences and analysing language

Damascus College aims to build consistency in literacy strategies schoolwide. Families are encouraged to support reading habits, discussions and vocabulary exposure at home.

Introduction

The ability to read proficiently is a fundamental skill that underpins academic success and personal growth. In today's rapidly evolving world where technology and new forms of communication are ever present, the importance of literacy cannot be overstated. The Reading Guarantee report has shed light on the pressing literacy challenges faced by Australian students, with approximately one in three failing to achieve reading proficiency. This alarming statistic underscores the urgent need for systemic change. At Damascus College, a proactive approach to addressing literacy challenges has been adopted through the implementation of the SRA Corrective Reading program and English enrichment initiatives for Years 7-9, the implementation of the Year 8 literacy programme and the Year 7-9 enrichment in literacy programme. This article aims to delve into the essence of The Reading Guarantee report, reflect on Damascus College's efforts in this domain and offer practical tips for families to support literacy development at home, while emphasising the importance of social-emotional learning skills and critical and creative thinking.

The Reading Guarantee: Highlighting the Issue

The Reading Guarantee report paints a concerning picture of the literacy landscape in Australia. According to the report, approximately one-third of Australian students fail to achieve proficiency in reading, a statistic that demands immediate attention. The report advocates for a national strategy to ensure that at least 90% of students attain reading proficiency by implementing a phonics-based approach to decoding skills in early education. Additionally, the report emphasises the importance of a knowledge-rich curriculum to enhance vocabulary and comprehension, which are essential components for successful reading throughout a student's academic journey.

The report also highlights the specific areas where students struggle the most, such as higher-order comprehension skills like making connections between ideas, interpreting language and tone, developing interpretations by making inferences, comparing and contrasting texts. According to the report, scores were lower on items requiring critical analysis and synthesis of information across sentences and paragraphs than more basic retrieval of directly stated facts. Furthermore, the report identifies gaps in skills like summarising key ideas, understanding how language choices shape meaning, and analysing how events and characters are represented. These findings underscore the need to focus on teaching higher-order comprehension strategies and critical thinking skills.

Damascus College's Literacy Initiatives

In response to these challenges, Damascus College has taken proactive measures by adopting the SRA Corrective Reading program, an evidence-based literacy intervention programme, a Year 8 multi-disciplinary literacy programme and introducing English enrichment activities for students in Years 7-9. The SRA Corrective Reading program, with its structured approach to decoding and comprehension, offers a comprehensive solution for students struggling with reading. Its focus on direct instruction, skill development, and cumulative learning aligns with the report's recommendations, reflecting Damascus College's commitment to evidence-based practices.

Damascus College's English enrichment initiatives further reinforce its dedication to literacy development. These activities are designed to engage students in a variety of reading experiences, fostering a love for literature and cultivating critical thinking skills. By incorporating diverse texts and interactive learning experiences, Damascus College aims to provide a well-rounded approach to literacy education.

One of the key initiatives is the Reading Program, which involves direct, explicit instruction in reading skills and strategies. This co-planned and co-taught session allows the teacher librarian and English teacher to provide targeted reading instruction to students in Years 7-9 during their English classes. The program focuses on modelling reading strategies, providing guided and independent practice, and giving students time to apply their learning, thereby improving their overall reading abilities.

For the 2024 academic year, Damascus College has placed a specific emphasis on Year 8 students to address the literacy challenges identified in the report. The goal is to improve reading comprehension skills, as measured by growth in PAT R scores for the 2024 Year 8 cohort. To achieve this, a comprehensive plan has been developed for implementing a Year 8 literacy implementation programme.

The Year 8 literacy implementation programme is a commitment made by all learning areas involving teachers from various subject areas, including English, Mathematics, Science, Health and Physical Education, Humanities, Arts, Technologies, Religious Education, and Languages. Throughout the year, teachers will explore PAT R data, identify specific comprehension skills that require focus, provide professional development on evidence-based literacy strategies, develop a bank of reading strategies and cues for Year 8 students to use across subjects, and expand reading strategy instruction to include interpreting language choices, text features, and literary devices.

By the end of the year, the leaders will analyse the final PAT R testing data for Year 8 students to identify growth, gather student feedback on reading confidence and strategy use, and document learnings and recommendations for future planning. Damascus College also plans to expand the model and tailor literacy interventions for other year levels, aiming to build whole-school consistency in literacy strategies and increase the reading focus across all learning areas.

Engaging Families in Literacy Development

Recognising the pivotal role of family involvement in a student’s literacy development, Damascus College encourages families to support their student's reading journey actively. Here are some practical tips for families to enhance literacy at home:

• Encourage reading habits – establish a daily reading routine and make reading an enjoyable experience by allowing student to choose books that pique their interests.
• Discuss books - engage in discussions about the books your student is reading, encouraging them to share their thoughts, make connections, and ask questions.
• Create a rich language environment - expose students to a diverse range of vocabulary by incorporating new words into everyday conversations and explaining their meanings.
• Integrate technology responsibly - utilise educational apps and audiobooks as complementary tools to traditional reading methods, ensuring a balanced and engaging approach.

The Importance of Social-Emotional Learning and Critical Thinking

Literacy extends beyond mere text decoding; it encompasses the ability to understand, interpret, and engage with content in a meaningful way. Social-emotional learning skills and critical thinking are essential in this process, enabling students to navigate complex narratives, understand diverse perspectives, and develop empathy. Through discussions, group activities, and reflective practices, Damascus College aims to cultivate these vital skills, further enriching students' reading experiences.

Strategies such as Socratic Seminars encourage students to engage in critical thinking, comprehension and effective communication skills. These student-led discussions provide a platform for exploring complex ideas, asking open-ended questions, and supporting responses with textual evidence. By implementing such strategies across all learning areas, Damascus College creates a consistent approach that helps students enhance their comprehension, critical thinking, and communication skills, regardless of the subject they are studying.

Conclusion

The Grattan Institute's The Reading Guarantee report and Damascus College's literacy programs offer valuable insights and practical solutions to the pervasive challenge of literacy education in Australia. By fostering a collaborative environment involving schools, families and communities and emphasising the importance of comprehensive skill development, we can ensure that every student has the foundation to succeed in an increasingly complex world. As we move forward, let us embrace these challenges as opportunities for growth, innovation, and collaboration in our collective pursuit of Being.Our.Best.

References

The Grattan Institute's The Reading Guarantee report

SRA Corrective Reading program

As mentioned in previous newsletters the Technology Learning Area comprises a range of subjects.

Today's article focuses on Food Technology.

Food Technology has constantly been a popular choice amongst students at Damascus College. Learning to cook has many benefits for people of all ages. Cooking helps people eat healthier, save money and develop many life skills. Cooking also teaches people about nutrition, planning, making choices, math and self-esteem. Cooking can be a fun and creative activity that involves the whole family.

It is always great to enter the cooking rooms and smell the aromas of the delicious dishes that students are preparing. Students are enthusiastic about trying new recipes and tasting their creations in all Food Technology subjects. It's commendable to have a dedicated teaching team consisting of 8 teachers who engage with students and two food assistants, Lisa and Mary, who work closely with the staff and students to ensure a smooth learning experience.

Year 7 students have been busy in the first few weeks of Term, producing Apple pikelets and Banana berry muffins with a focus on safety in the kitchen.

Year 8’s have been busily cooking delicious berry pancakes, meatball salads and pear teacakes so far this term. They started the year recapping important safety and hygiene practices in the kitchen and are now working on their first design brief assessment. Students have been researching various flatbreads in different cultures and cuisines and are now in the process of designing and producing a flatbread that could be sold in the school canteen.

In the school's food technology class, students in years 7 and 8 always cook in pairs, ensuring that they have someone to work with when reading recipes and working through the steps. However, things are different for the year 9 students, as they are required to cook all their recipes individually. This is where the ability to make informed decisions and work through the recipe on their own becomes vital. At first, the year 9 students were nervous and apprehensive about cooking alone, but as the weeks went by, confidence and competence steadily grew. Recently, most classes completed their practical cooking assessment, which required them to plan and prepare a complete chicken parmigiana meal. For many students, chicken parmigiana is a popular dish when eating out, so it was nice to see the success and sense of achievement across the board. The students' culinary skills were put to the test as they cooked savoury muffins with ham, cheese, and carrots, Oreo cheesecake, chicken and pasta salad, hummingbird cakes, spicy curry puffs, yo-yos, and the chicken parma assessment cook.

Year 11 Students are currently completing their SAC for the first outcome of Unit 1. Students are making products that incorporate ancient grains, such as Teff pancakes with poached apple and pear and Ancient grilled salad with grilled halloumi. This has given the students a greater understanding of how agricultural farming has developed over the centuries.

Year 12 Students are focusing on their SAC for Outcome 1 of Unit 3. Students have been completing a range of practical activities focusing on nutrition, digestion and dietary requirements. They have made an Apple tart, Tuna mornay and a Prebiotic/Probiotic salad focusing on the nutritional values of the meals and how the ingredients assist digestion and a healthy diet while also looking at how ingredients can be changed in a recipe to accommodate food allergies and intolerances.

It is great to see how the students' culinary skills are put to the test as they cook a range of meals. I am sure parents/guardians are experiencing and tasting the benefits of cooking programmes offered at Damascus College.

Friday 8 March was International Women's Day, and it was fantastic to welcome three inspiring women to Damascus College, to present to students, staff, and families.

At the breakfast Sr Veronica Lawson and Julie White nee Brookman, Class of 1994 were the special guest speakers, who shared their journey as a woman and their perspectives on women in leadership in the current society. All attendees enjoyed a beautiful continental breakfast and walked away with a feeling of empowerment and inspiration.

At the lunchtime event Ebony O’Doherty-Bowman, Class of 2019 presented to students, and all in attendance were energised and interested to hear how she became an Electrician at Powercor. Amongst many other messages, Ebony shared that she was the only female in a job like hers, and told the students to believe in themselves, and to surround themselves with those that believe in them.

Much gratitude to Sr Veronia, Julie, and Ebony for attending Damascus today, and sharing your insights and wisdom with the Damascus community.

‘Bonjour et Bienvenue’ to our Sister school from Angers!

At Damascus College, the dedication to language education goes beyond mere linguistic proficiency. The school’s innovative language program, cultural initiatives, overseas study tours and sister school partnerships foster a rich and immersive environment.

Our Damascus community have been very fortunate in past years to have developed positive partnerships with a number of French speaking schools both in Switzerland and France; and during the past two weeks (3–15 March) the school welcomed another exchange from the Saint–Benoît School in Angers, France. The group of eleven students, accompanied by their teacher, Jean–Philippe Le Clair are completing a Study Tour of Australia; and will call Ballarat home for the first two weeks of their time in the country. Their beautiful home city of Angers boasts an historical town centre in the heart of the magnificent Loire Valley.

The two week homestay and school experience of the group from Saint–Benoît while at Damascus is certainly a calendar highlight for both schools. There has been much excitement in anticipation of the visit and although students had been communicating for a few months with home stay families, there is always some tentativeness from staying with a new family and immersing in a new culture. However, as they met for the first time in person, the nerves quickly dissipated.

The language department have organised a wonderful school program, including excursions to the MCG and Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne as well as to local places of interest, namely Sovereign Hill, the Art Gallery and Ballarat Wildlife Park. There have been opportunities to attend a range of speciality sessions from a host of learning areas while at school, to improve their English skills as well as enrich their cultural immersion in Australian school culture. The Saint–Benoît visit was marked on 14 March with a special dinner to bring all host families, students and staff together to celebrate and share insights and experiences. It was with a tinge of sadness that we bid farewell the next day, 15 March as Saint–Benoît continue their Australian experience in Sydney.

The College greatly appreciates all families who volunteered to host students in their home. The Exchange program owes its success to the generosity and hospitality of so many of our families. We also thank College staff who have been keen to participate and provide enriching classes and support for our visitors. We also thank our guests from Saint–Benoît for letting our students experience the presence of international visitors, especially to our host families and student mentors.

Sister school partnerships are a great way for schools to deepen their global learning and engagement, expose their students to different countries and cultures and enhance language skills. However, the real highlight of such trips are the lasting friendships made between students, families and staff at both schools. For many it whets the appetite for further travel and encourages confidence and that is something to be embraced.

Our Damascus students are already looking forward to 2025 when a group of students who are currently studying French from Years 9–11 will travel to France and experience school life at the Saint–Benoît School in Angers as well as exploring other highlights in this wonderful country.

With the extensive auditioning and casting of our September production now complete rehearsals for the show began last week. To launch the project the assembled performers from years 7 through to 12 met for the first time for some introductory activities and a full table read of the script Congratulations to the following students who form the cast of this year’s show

NARRATOR 1 - Zoe Newman

NARRATOR 2 - Zac Cripps

GIRL/ WICKED STEPSISTER #1 - India Ellis

DIRT MERCHANT/ GIRL WITHOUT HANDS/ DOCTOR - Mae Reid

ACTOR - Taya Thiele

ENCHANTRESS - Inez Demirceviren

THE DEVIL - Declan Eden

RUMPLESTILTSKIN/ CRAB PERSON 1 - Patrick Warfe

PRINCE 1/PRINCE CHARMING - Marlin Phillips

RAPUNZEL - Lucy Gravell

PRINCE 2 - Elliot West

MOTHER/ TALKING FISH/ WITCH 2 - Adia Carter

FATHER/HOST - Will Hollitt

HANSEL/ WOODCUTTER - Charlie Norman

GRETEL - Izzy Farrah

WITCH 1 /WICKED STEPSISTER #2 - Niamh Seare

FISHERGIRL/DWARF 1 - Freya Bennett

CRAB PERSON 2/ HORSEY - Imi Corcoran

COBBLER ELF/ GRANDMA - Cendrine White

PRINCESS - Megan Robinson

FROG PRINCE - Declan Newman

KING - Ben Casey

SNOW WHITE - Macey Mc Quie

PRINCE 3/ WOLF - Atticus Benjsson

WALT - Finn Dickson

THE DEVIL’S GRANDMOTHER - Bronty Jarvis

LITTLE RED - Emily Meade

CINDERELLA- Lucy Leviston

Congratulations to all involved.

‘The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon is a wild, free-form comedy with lots of audience participation and madcap fun. Two narrators attempt to recreate all 209 of the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm in a wild, fast-paced extravaganza. To make it more difficult, they attempt to combine them into one gigantic fable using Rapunzel, Rumpelstiltskin, Hansel and Gretel, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and other more obscure stories like Lean Lisa and The Devil's Grandmother.

Within the first few rehearsals of the sprawling plot the cast have begun the process of zipping from tale to tale and discovering the origin stories of some of literature’s most well-known characters.

Rehearsals will continue throughout Terms 1, 2 & 3 leading to a performance season in September this year.

Year 9 students have visited Sovereign Hill to conclude their work on the Industrial Revolution. What took 150 years or so in England and Europe changed the course of Ballarat in the space of about 5 years.

During “our” Gold Rush of the 1850’s Ballarat changed from an Indigenous land to pastoral lands to a booming Gold Rush town in the space of a very short time. The Year 9 students investigated Sovereign Hill and how many miners changed the town because of their knowledge from overseas. They implemented these industrial changes to make mining easier and more lucrative. The Year 9 investigation allowed them to complete their assessment task for History

Year 10 students are working on investigating Australia’s Well-being and in History what led to WW2. As a part of History the students have had access to a History World War 2 Memorial Box. Thanks to teachers Steph Macdonald and Rachael Thompson, their classes have experienced the memorial box this term. Hopefully the other classes will get this hands on experience next term.

Congratulations to Year 11 student Haileigh Buttigieg who was recently selected to participate in the International Day of Women and Girl’s in Science, where she filmed an interview with Laboratory Head Professor Misty Jenkins AO, from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI), and Co-Head of Research Strategy, at The Brain Cancer Centre.

Haileigh was selected for this exciting opportunity due to her involvement as a leader in the Girls in Stem Program with Federation University Tech School.

Through this interview Haileigh learnt so much from Misty about the subject of science and was further inspired to follow her dream of becoming a neurologist.

“Misty taught me to learn how to learn, and to not be afraid to be myself and push for the goals I would like to reach. She is a big idol of mine,” she said.

“I learnt to surround myself with people that support me and that will help me to never give up. The Girls in Stem program was one of the best decisions I have made and has offered me so many opportunities.”

Though understandably awed by the occasion, Haileigh exuded poise and professionalism. Her grasp of the issues demonstrated a wisdom beyond her years. This extraordinary young woman is a role model to all students - especially young women considering careers in STEM. She illuminates a path forward, guiding others to fulfil their potential.

Sincere gratitude to Misty Jenkins and WEHI for the support given to Haileigh throughout this process.

The Damascus College Year 9 Horticulture students held the inaugural Farmer’s Market event in the courtyard on Tuesday 5^th March.

The Horticulture students had been working hard to prepare their produce in the College garden, and then creating ways to market their product ready for sale. Customers of students and staff were delighted at the impressive range of products for sale and thrilled to get yummy produce to take home, with half of the proceeds from sales being donated to the Ballarat Soup Bus.

Congratulations to Mr. Dyer and the Year 9 Horticulture students on a great event, we look forward to the next one.

#DamascusCollege #DamascusPride #BeMyBest #ImPartOfSomethingGreater

Congratulations to year 11 Damascus College Armani Anderson, who raced to victory in the World Athletics Victoria Titles.

Armani won the female 100m, Under 18, at the Lakeside Stadium in Melbourne on 24 February.

Congratulations Armani, we are so proud to see how your hard work, training and commitment are paying off with such impressive results.

#DamascusCollege #DamascusPride #BeMyBest #ImReadyToTakeOnAnything

Congratulations to Year 10 student Quinn Moore who recently won the U17 Women's Australian Downhill Mountain Biking National Series, at Adelaide last weekend.

Quinn competed in Tasmania, Thredbo, and Adelaide to achieve this overall first place result.

Well done Quinn, you are achieving great things in this sport!

Please see following information in relation to a webinar hosted by Headspace centered around young people dealing with loss and grief: -

The annual House Swimming Carnival was held last Thursday at the Eureka Swimming Pool.

The atmosphere was abuzz as students were enthusiastically absorbed in their house spirit, dressed in house colours, shouting house chants, and encouraging each other swimming in races and other activities.

St Martin’s House came away with the win for the day on 1160 points followed by McAuley, Xavier and Rice.

Well done to all on another great swimming carnival.

On Monday 4^th March Damascus College welcomed visitors from our sister school in Angers, France, Saint-Benoit School.

Eleven students and one teacher will spend the next 10 days immersed in student life at Damascus, where they are being billeted with host families from our wonderful Damascus community.

During their visit, they will participate in many excursions, activities, and experiences to give them a taste of Australian life. Upon arriving to the Damascus campus this morning, they were greeted by a group of kangaroos that frequent our beautiful bush setting – perfect timing!

Angers is a city of comparable size to Ballarat, located about 250 kilometres (or 1 hour 21 minutes by fast train) to the west of Paris.

Saint-Benoit School is part of a larger multicampus Catholic institution in the centre of Angers; with an innovative educational structure offering courses that include a strong scientific, digital, and linguistic identity, and optional artistic, sporting, linguistic and technological courses.

Our guests were welcomed today with a special morning tea with Damascus staff, where they were treated to some Australian delicacies, including tim tam biscuits, lamingtons, vegemite scrolls, caramello koalas, and more.

The BAS Tennis Singles Finals were played on Wednesday 29 February at the Ballarat & District Tennis Centre in Wendouree.

Year 10 student Keira O’Beirne competed in the Senior Girls Henderson Shield final, and was defeated by her Loreto opponent 6-2, 6-2. Well done to Keira for making the finals.

Year 8 student Elsie Angove competed in the Junior Girls Henderson Shield semi-final. Well done to Elsie.

In the Senior Boys McNeil Cup, Year 12 student Jarrod Joyce defeated his St Patrick’s College opponent 6-1, 6-0. Jarrod defeated his brother Brayden in the semi-final. Well done to the Joyce brothers for such beautiful sportsmanship.

This is the 6th year in a row Jarrod has claimed the title (3 x Rob Benoit Cup – Junior & 3 x McNeil Cup – Senior), which has never been done before. Well done Jarrod!

Damascus College wishes to congratulate year 7 student Lucy Bennett who achieved significant success at the Victorian State Championships, in the Hammer Throw event over the weekend. Lucy received the silver medal for her impressive efforts. Well done Lucy, we look forward to what you throw at us next.

(If you know of other Damascus sporting achievements, please send them to info@damascus.vic.edu.au)

#DamascusCollege #DamascusPride #BeMyBest #ImReadyToTakeOnAnything

For many years, there has been a proud tradition of Damascus College student and staff involvement in local theatre productions. The Ballarat Lyric Theatre production of Annie begins Thursday 29th February at the Civic Hall - Ballarat. Auditions and rehearsal for this classic musical began last year and as the cast and crew move into the theatre this week there is much excitement as the final preparations for opening night begin.

The production will be directed by Damascus College teacher Nicole Burness, who has long been associated with Ballarat Lyric Theatre through various production roles. Other current students and alumni include;

Current Students who have roles as Orphans include Anna Renolds (Yr 7) Annie, Annabelle Lethlean (Yr 7) as July, Josie McGinniss (Yr 8) Duffy and Lilly Retallick (Yr 9) Pepper. Ensemble Roles for Archie Jones (Yr 10) Foley Artist/Cabinet Member, Dana Arber, (Yr 10) Sophie/Rockette, Tilly Jones (Yr 11) Star to Be/ Rockette), Charlie McGinniss (Yr 11) Cabinet member/Sailor, Declan Edan (Yr 12) Cabinet Member/Sailor, and Taya Thiele (Yr 12)-Ronnie Boyland /Rockette.

The production is also supported by alumni Charlotte Doherty, Elarin Johnston as crew, Rose Spencer as Connie Boyland/Mrs Greer, Carlie Steinhuis, Assistant Stage Manager and Aaron Rivet -Sound Engineer.

We wish everyone involved every success.

(If you know of other Damascus performing arts achievements, please send them to info@damascus.vic.edu.au)

#DamascusCollege #DamascusPride #BeMyBest #ImReadyToTakeOnAnything

Congratulations to Damascus College students Jovie Skewers-Clinton and Madison Dixon Yr 11 and ,Charley Gartlan Yr 12 on making the 2024 GWV Rebels U/18 Girls squad for the upcoming season.

During the jumper presentation over the weekend, squad members were presented with their jumper by current AFLW Hawthorn player Kaitlyn Ashmore.

Well done to you all.

(If you know of other Damascus sporting achievements, please send them to info@damascus.vic.edu.au)

#DamascusCollege #DamascusPride #BeMyBest #ImReadyToTakeOnAnything

Congratulations to the following students for yesterday participating in the BAS Tennis Single Championships (preliminary rounds):

Junior Girls: Alice Glover (Y 8 ) & Elsie Angove (Y 8 )

Junior Boys: Hamish McNaughton (Y 9)

Senior Girls: Keira O’Beirne (Y 10) & Charley Ward (Y 11)

Senior Boys: Jarrod & Brayden Joyce (Y 12)

All students represented the college exceptionally well and enjoyed themselves. Elsie, Keira, Charley, Brayden and Jarrod all progressed to the finals, which are being played this Thursday. Good luck to you all!

Ballarat Football Netball Club needs your help: -