Welcome to Damascus College for the 2022 School year! It is genuinely a delight to welcome everyone into the school, something that we may have taken for granted prior to the last two years.

I welcome all those who are new to our community and congratulate you on your efforts over recent days to make a positive start at Damascus. I thank families for your support of our Teacher Advisor Program on Friday and Monday that were conducted online. The relationship between the College and the family through the Teacher Advisor Program is one of the key partnering dimensions between the College and your family in supporting your young person/people’s growth. This is critical for us whether the student is in Year 7 through to Year 12. As school staff, seeing the growth in our young people over the summer is another of the great joys of being in a secondary school.

Damascus News is published weekly on a Wednesday and has information from the Principal, members of the College Leadership Team and general school community events and news. It can be accessed through the College App or the website, and the link is shared by email.

We are always open to feedback on aspects of the weekly communication and value when we can share the joys and challenges of family life. If your family welcomes a new life, if there are bereavements or if you have general pieces of information that you would like to share, I can be contacted at principal@damascus.vic.edu.au.

If families have questions or concerns about aspects of school life, depending on the nature of the query or concern, please work with the respective staff member with the specific responsibility. For example, if there is a concern about your young person’s wellbeing, start with the Teacher Advisor, and they will refer you to our House Leader or Counselling team if they feel it is appropriate. If you have an enquiry about the contents of a particular class, please contact the class teacher. For more general enquiries and daily absences, more information is available at Contact Us - Damascus College.

Naturally, the return of the school year brings with it higher levels of routine for school families following the more casual summer months. It does take a week for students to get back into routine. I cannot understate the value of plenty of sleep, a healthy diet and exercise to fuel good learning and assist your student/s in establishing sound routines from the start of the year. If there have been any concerns over the initial days of your student’s schooling, please talk with your Teacher Advisor, and they will support you to try and navigate solutions.

Each year the College chooses a theme to frame our prayer, reflections and liturgies. This year our theme comes from the first chapter of the Book of John. We have a theme to frame our liturgies and provide a means of grounding our Catholic identity in scripture.

“Abide in my love and you shall bear much fruit.” John 15:5.

It is a positive follow up to the strength and courage we sought in the theme of 2021. God is with us on our journey. We are challenged to remain focused on the light of Christ and so to abide in God’s love. Our faith commitments give soul to restorative justice, student wellbeing, and teaching and learning in an atmosphere of resilience so we may be our best.

The Damascus College 2021 graduates continued to demonstrate remarkable character in working through the unsettling period that was 2021. Mia Lepair was a thoroughly deserving Dux of the College with a very impressive ATAR of 98.2. We also congratulate Olivia King, who was awarded VCAL Dux for 2021. Numbers never measure the achievement of young people, and our community has a collective pride in the achievements of the young men and women who graduated in 2021. This year, we will again take a different approach to our Year 12 high achievers celebration with a family Awards and Achievement event. The highlights of which will be shared with the broader school community. This event will be held on the evening of Monday 21^st February in the Damascus Events Centre for award recipients and their families.

As a College, we are delighted to launch our bold, new Strategic Plan, the focus of which is to ensure that Damascus is strategically positioned now and for the future. The 2021-2025 Strategic Plan is a product of extensive consultation and a reflective process undertaken by the College Board and subcommittees, in collaboration with the Leadership Team, and is informed by community feedback collected throughout the school review process.

The plan is designed to enable each Damascus community member to reach their potential and make every individual an agent of their own future. It is in this context that Be. My. Best has emerged as our aspiration statement.

The plan identifies five core pillars for Damascus College. The five pillars are linked, and each pillar is vital to activating and achieving the Strategic Plan. These five pillars are Faith & Catholic Identity, Learning & Leading, Wellbeing in Action, Community Connection and Future & Stewardship.

You, our Damascus families, are a vital component of the Damascus community, and we invite you to learn more about the Strategic Plan by clicking here, where you can view the video and read through the brochure to learn more about our aspirations from now until 2025.

Today, I am heading off with our 2022 Year 12 students on their retreat experience to Anglesea. I’m certainly looking forward to the privilege of being able to spend this significant time with our senior students, although the beach weather is looking like it will be under 20^o for the remainder of the week.

We welcome a number of new staff to our Damascus team after very rigorous recruitment activity through 2021;

• Isaac Bramble joins the ICT Help Desk
• Michelle Botheras takes on her new role as Learning Support Officer
• Alexandra Crowe joins the Performing Arts team as an Education Support Officer
• Mitchell Jolly, teaching Digital Tech, PE & Science
• Stephanie Kerwan teaching ESTEEM, Science, Maths, RE
• Fiona Latrobe - Maths (Neale Thompson Term 1 replacement)
• Georgia O’Leary - PE, Junior Maths, Rowing
• Naomi Olthof - Media & Learning Area Leader: Arts
• Cameron Ross - Technology (Wood/Metal) & VCAL
• Natalie Ventra - ESTEEM, Science, Maths, RE
• Joseph Carmody - Learning Area Leader (HPE)
• Vicki Williams - Learning Support Officer
• Le’Anne Smith – Languages (French)
• Joel Cassidy – Music

Since the start of last year, we have welcomed a number of staff into our ranks, and they are also extended a special acknowledgement as they begin Term 1 2022;

• Jane Barker - Tutoring
• Jasmeyn Brookes - VET Allied Health
• Jennifer Casey - Humanities, English, RE, French
• Leighanne de Zoete-Spiero – English & Humanities
• Leigh Denning - Tutoring
• Claudia Griffin - College Counsellor
• Justin Marson - Leader of Business Services
• Neville Monson - Property Manager
• Leanne Perks - Humanities / Tutor
• Craig Roberts - Finance Manager
• Min Myers – Languages
• Jane McKendrick- rejoining us for Term 1 to take Sally Balson’s English classes while Sally is on Long Service Leave
• Carley Young – Science

We send our best wishes to Neale Thompson on his continued recovery following an accident late in 2021, and we welcome back Matt Hallowell from his Long Service Leave taken in Term 4 last year.

We are delighted with the calibre and commitment of the staff who have joined Damascus College over the past 12 months, and we are confident they will be great additions to our College community.

At the leadership level, Matt Byrne is working between Damascus College and Catholic Education Ballarat. I have been appointed Interim Principal while the Diocese of Ballarat Catholic Education Limited recruit to the Principal position for our College community. I will manage the day to day operation of the College, and Matt will provide mentoring and support to the Leadership team while completing a range of activities to support the transition of leadership. Matt will be co-located between the two organisations over first term.

Ashwin Pillai commences the year as Interim Deputy Principal, and Alysoun Smalley has assumed the interim appointment of Assistant Principal of Learning and Teaching. Daniel Jans and Hannah Keating have assumed senior Leadership appointments to the College Leadership Team for this transition time. They are being backfilled in their respective House Leader roles by Karen Goonan and Karen Hocking. We are very fortunate to have such an experienced and committed team of senior leaders to support the College through this period of change.

The ongoing safety and wellbeing of all children and young people is the primary focus of care and decision making at Damascus College. Particular attention is paid to the cultural safety of Aboriginal children and children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, as well as the safety of children with a disability. Protecting young people from abuse is critical for Damascus College. Our Child Safe and Safeguarding Children and Young People policies and procedures can be seen on the College website here. Families are encouraged to engage with our policies and procedures and ask questions or suggest improvements. In partnership with our families, Damascus College ensures children and young people are engaged and active participants in decision-making processes, particularly those that impact their safety. This means that the views of staff, children, young people and families are taken seriously, and their concerns are addressed in a just and timely manner. For further information, please contact the College’s Child Protection Officer, Interim Deputy Principal, Ashwin Pillai, on 03 5337 2222 or visit Child Safety on the Damascus Website here for more information.

With safety in mind and living in COVID-19 normal times, Damascus will continue to prioritise safety and trust in the advice of the Victorian Government and their return to school plan. Much has been communicated regarding our return to school and advice on supports in place. This communication can be found in the document linked below:-

Return to School Information

We have moved from outbreaks of COVID to living with COVID.

There will be an email that will be sent from the College each day when we are aware of a confirmed positive case that has been at school over the previous 24 hours. This is not to alarm you, but templated communication will be provided to families to alert you to be on the lookout for symptoms of COVID-19 for year levels and cohorts that may be at increased risk. Students are encouraged to complete your twice-weekly Rapid Antigen Tests advisably on Monday and Thursday mornings, and if your young person returns a positive result, you must:

• quarantine your child for seven days
• advise the school about the positive result
• your child must stay home until their symptoms have resolved and they are well
• everyone in your household is a close contact and must isolate for 7 days

The College has also received a number of enquiries as to whether a household contact needs to begin their 7-day quarantine again if another person in the household tests positive during this period. According to advice for contacts on the Victorian Government Coronavirus website, this is not required.

Specifically, the advice provides: 

If another person in your household tests positive: 

• If another person in your household tests positive during your 7-day quarantine period as a household contact (in addition to the initial case), your 7-day period doesn’t start again. 
• You can complete the rest of that 7-day quarantine period, and you are cleared from quarantine if you have a negative result from a test taken on Day 6. 
• However, if you test positive on Day 6 (or on any day of your 7-day quarantine period) your quarantine period will start again because you are now infectious with the virus. You must isolate for another 7 days following your positive result. 

The Damascus College 5 S’s remain a key guiding document for our community. The key to everyone’s safety is that if students, family members or staff are feeling unwell, please follow the most important “s” of our 5 S’s “Sick – Stay Home” (and get tested).

There are a number of key College events scheduled to occur in Term 1 that we have reviewed and made adjustments to in support of providing a safe environment for all whilst preventing the need for large community gatherings. Further details will be provided regarding these upcoming events.

Tomorrow (Thursday), there is a Virtual Open Morning of the College for prospective future students. If you are a current family who has a child in Grade 6 this year and are seeking a Year 7 placement in 2023, please complete your enrolment form before this coming Friday, 4th February, as the demand for places is high. More information about enrolments and School tours can be found here.

Damascus Rowers should be congratulated for their efforts at last weekend’s Barwon Regatta. It was a new experience racing over 1500m for several crews and everyone performed extremely well! A special shout out to the Senior Girls 1st Crew on winning their event. The weekend prior, the senior and intermediate rowers capped off their week-long training camp with a regatta on Lake Wendouree. Congratulations to the intermediate girls crew who were successful in both of their events, coming away with two sets of medals. It is going to be a busy few weeks in the lead up to the Head of the Lake on February 27. I thank Rowing Coordinator Paul Blanchfield, Hamish Walsh, and Head of Sport, Nikki Hexter, for their coordination and support of these events. Many other staff and volunteer coaches have played pivotal roles, and I acknowledge their efforts as we move into the key competitive time of the rowing season over the coming weeks. I also thank and acknowledge our parent volunteers for their catering and regatta organisation efforts over the weekend.

Can I please remind Families that if your student(s) has an appointment, needs picking up prior to the end of the day or has a holiday coming up, that you contact the Front Office with this information in advance. This can be done via phone, PAM, or the App. Student's are unable to leave class without prior notification to the office.

We congratulate Dan Cook, our Damascus Office Manager, who has been awarded the Ballarat Citizen of the Year for his tireless administration of the Ballarat COVID Info Facebook group, which has provided residents with critical information on the ever-changing COVID restrictions, testing, vaccinations and more. Fantastic job, Dan!

In any community, there are joys and losses that occur over the summer period. We keep Addie Wilson (Year 7, St Martin), who lost her grandmother recently, and we keep the Wilson family in our prayers. We ask also that you keep Leanne Perks and her husband Brock in your thoughts and prayers as they support Brocks mother, who is significantly ill.

We are excited about 2022 and the educational journey, and I look forward to sharing that journey with you.

Until next week......Chris

Year 7 2023 Enrolment Applications

A reminder that Year 7 2023 Enrolment Applications at Damascus College through Damascus College Enrolments for students currently in Grade 6 (2022) close 4th February 2022.

When completing your online application, you will need to have the following documents available to upload:

• Birth Certificate
• Grade 5 Semester Report
• Grade 5 NAPLAN
• Certificate for Sacraments or other Religious Certificates (if applicable)

This week we are excited to welcome our new Year 7 students to campus, and it was plain to see that the new faces were a mix of excitement and nerves, as they were welcomed to campus by Damascus staff.

Also, on-site to welcome new students was our new assistance dog, Remi. She is a new addition to the Damascus community with the aim of assisting students wellbeing at various events throughout the year. She even wore her version of a Damascus school dress with her name on it – welcome Remi.

We wish all new students to Damascus the best of luck as they embark on their new educational journey at our College. We trust you will Be Your Best during your time on our beautiful campus.

As a College, we are delighted to launch our bold, new strategic plan, the focus of which is to ensure that Damascus is strategically positioned now, and for the future.

The 2021-2025 Strategic Plan is a product of extensive consultation and a reflective process undertaken by the College Board and Sub-committees, in collaboration with the leadership team, and is informed by community feedback collected throughout the school review process.

It is designed to enable each Damascus community member to reach their potential and to make every individual an agent of their own future. It is in this context that Be. My. Best has emerged as our aspirations statement.

The plan identifies five core pillars for Damascus College. The five pillars are linked, and each pillar is vital to activating and achieving the strategic plan. These 5 pillars are: Faith & Catholic Identity, Learning & Leading, Wellbeing in Action, Community Connection and Future & Stewardship.

You, our Damascus students and families, are a vital component of the Damascus community, and we invite you to learn more about the Strategic Plan via our website, where you can view the video and read through the brochure, to learn more about our aspirations from now until 2025.

Click here to find out more:

https://www.damascus.vic.edu.au/about-us/strategic-plan-2021-2025

Below are the criteria used to determine a stud ent’s eligibility for the Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF).

Criteria 1 – General eligibility

To be eligible for the fund, a parent or carer of a student attending a registered Government or non-government Victorian primary or secondary school must:

• on the first day of Term one
• on the first day of Term two

For the list of eligible financially-means tested cards refer to the CSEF Policy:

https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/camps-sports-and-excursions-fund/policy

Parents who receive a Carer Allowance on behalf of a child, or any other benefit or allowance not income tested by Centrelink, are not eligible for the CSEF unless they also comply with the above.

Criteria 2 - Be of school age and attend school in Victoria

For the purposes of CSEF, students may be eligible for assistance if they attend a Victorian registered primary or secondary school. CSEF is not payable to students attending pre-scho ol, kindergarten, home schooled, or TAFE.

Special Consideration

A special consideration category exists for

• Families on a bridging visa, temporary protection visa, in community detention or are asylum seeker families
• Student’s in temporary out of home care arrangements, including statutory kinship care

For more information, see https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/camps-sports-and-excursions-fund/guidance/eligibility

Eligibility Date

For concession card holders CSEF eligibility will be subject to the parent/carer concession card being validated successfully with Centrelink on the first day of either term one (31 January 2022) or term two (26 April 2022).

PAYMENT AMOUNTS

CSEF payment amount

The CSEF is an annual payment to the school to be used towards camps, sports and/or excursion expenses for the ben efit of the eligible stud ent.

• Primary school student rate: $125 per year.
• Secondary school student rate: $225 per year.

The CSEF is paid directly to your child’s school and will be allocated by the school towards camps, sports and/or excursion costs for your child.

For ungraded students, the rate payable is determined by the student’s date of birth. For more information, see: www.education.vic.gov.au/about/programs/Pages/csef.aspx

HOW TO COMPLETE THE APPLICATION FORM

NOTE: ALL SECTIONS MUST BE COMPLETED BY PARENT/LEGAL GUARDIAN

1. Complete the PARENT/CARER DETAILS section.

Make sure that the Surname, First Name, and Customer Reference Number (CRN) details match those on your concession card. You will also need to provide your concession card to the school.

If you are claiming as a temporary Foster Parent or a Veteran Affairs Pensioner, you will need to provide a copy of documentation confirming your status as a temporary Foster Parent or provide your Veterans Affairs Pensioner Gold card to the school.

If you are seeking special consideration, mark this in the form and provide a copy of the relevant documentation.

2. Complete the STUDENT/S DETAILS section for students at this school.

3. Sign and date the form and return it to the school office as soon as possible. The CSEF program for 2022 closes on the 24 June 2022.

Forms are available through the front office or online Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) application form (education.vic.gov.au)

We are very excited to introduce our community to our Damascus Assistance Dog, Remi.

She was busy yesterday welcoming new Year 7 students to campus, and this morning, many students flocked to her before the start of the day.

We welcome you to our community Remi, and look forward to the many events throughout the year where you will be present on campus.

Conveyance Allowance

To be eligible for a conveyance allowance, individual students will be assessed under the following criteria:

1. Attend a school/campus located outside the metropolitan conveyance allowance boundary
2. Attend the closest appropriate school/campus at which admission is permissible
3. For students attending specialist schools, this will be determined by the specialist school’s Designated Transport Area (DTA) in which the student resides
4. For students attending government schools, this will be the closest school/campus appropriate to the age and gender of the student (e.g. primary, secondary, single sex)
5. For students attending non-government schools, this will be the closest school/campus of the recognised denomination for conveyance allowance purposes.
6. Reside 4.8km or more from the school/campus (shortest practicable route calculated by the school attended at the time of application from the student’s home to the school/campus)
7. Be of school age (between five and 18-years-old at the time of application), and a resident of Victoria
8. Be enrolled and travelling to school three or more days per week.

Students’ circumstances can change during their school years (e.g. moving residence or changing schools/campuses). Change of circumstances affects eligibility and a new application must be submitted with each change of circumstance.

Private car
A private car conveyance allowance is not available if the journey could have been made using a public transport service or free school bus.

• Where there is more than one student in the vehicle, there are two rates claimable: ‘furthermost’ and ‘additional.’
• Where there is more than one student in a vehicle, and they attend different schools, the amount claimable is based on the distance travelled to school by each student. That is each student must be the subject of a separate application and the student attending the furthermost school is identified as the ‘furthermost’ student; each of the other students must be claimed as ‘additional’.
• Rates are calculated according to the distance (measured in kilometres) from home to the campus attended using the Department’s standard measurement method; for details of the rates claimable, refer to Appendix 1 Conveyance Allowance Rates
• It is assumed that all students from the same family will travel in one car therefore only one family member may claim furthermost student allowance.

Pro-rata adjustment of reimbursement (time fraction)

Where students change school, transport mode and/or address that affect the payment of conveyance allowance, pro-rata payments are made, having regard to the number of days of actual attendance. It is the responsibility of each school to report any mid-semester student changes and the required pro-rata adjustments that are required.

Late payments
Late (past year) applications cannot be accepted or paid.

Any inquiries relating to this allowance or to any bus travel matter may be directed to Tracey Williams at the College office Phone: 5337 2222.

** FAMILIES ARE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT A NEW CLAIM FORM EACH YEAR** FORMS ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE FRONT OFFICE