It was wonderful to be able to gather on Friday for our Opening School Mass and Acknowledgement of Student Leaders with our Year 12’s and Student Representative Council members. Bishop Paul led a lovely Mass formed around our 2022 College theme – “Abide in my love and you shall bear much fruit.” It was a great acknowledgement of our Colleges Student Leaders for 2022. We extend our appreciation to Angela Carr and Tony Haintz for their preparation of the Mass and Maria Russell and the choir for their joyus contribution. I also thank and acknowledge our IT and Maintenance teams and all who supported the liturgy preparation.

Tomorrow evening (Thursday 17th), there will be an information evening for families of VCAL and VCE students. Both events will be live-streamed, beginning with VCAL at 6:00pm, followed by VCE at 7:00pm. If you have a student in VCE or VCAL, you are strongly encouraged to attend these events. More information can be found here.

All students by now should have received their next box of 5 Rapid Antigen Tests that will see them through the final two weeks of the Victorian Governments Return to School Plan. We are unsure at this stage if this initiative will continue beyond these two weeks, but we will certainly keep you updated on developments.

It has been great to get out to Log Cabin Camp at Creswick this week to see our Year 7 McAuley and Xavier students. Rice and St Martin students head out today and tomorrow, and I look forward to seeing them. It is a very busy two days for our youngest students. They all appear to be having a fantastic time with their new classmates. I thank Ann and Brendan Bawden and the House Leaders and teachers for facilitating this opportunity.

Year 7 students will be undertaking their PAT Reading and Writing assessments in the Damascus Events Centre throughout this week. These assessments are intended to support the learning and teaching process by providing insights into student progress through standardised tools.

Next Monday evening from 5:00pm (21/02/22), we are conducting the Academic Assembly for 2021 VCAL and Unit 3/4 students in the Damascus Events Centre. Senior VCE and VCAL students who achieved outstanding results in both programs will be recognised and celebrated, and we will record key elements to share with students at other levels.

Catchup student photos will run on Wednesday, 23rd February, for any students who could not attend the first photo session at the beginning of the year. Students must be in summer uniform with blazers, and they will be called to the Damascus Event Centre at the beginning of the day.

Next Thursday, 24^th February, will be the annual House Swimming carnival. This carnival will be conducted at the Eureka Swimming Pool. Students must wear their PE uniform to school but may wear an appropriate House coloured top, supporting their House. Students will travel by bus to and from the venue; however, to alleviate the pressure on buses, students will have the opportunity to make their own way to Eureka Pool. This will need to be recorded when you complete the PAM permission that will be sent to families shortly. As with every school day, the Swimming Carnival is a compulsory activity for all students and provides an excellent opportunity for students to be their best! Not everyone is a talented swimmer, but there are a diverse range of activities to encourage student participation. 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 Thursday without a legitimate reason will not be eligible to attend college formals or extracurricular activities. Unfortunately, due to social distancing requirements, we are unable to have parents attend the event. If parents would like their student to be dismissed from the pool, they must tick the box in the PAM permission form to indicate this; otherwise, students will be brought back to school for regular dismissal.

As announced last week, Damascus College will be participating in the Enhancing Catholic School Identity Project (ESCIP). ESCIP offers a tool to help us understand Catholic culture of our College. More information on ECSIP can be found here in the lead up to the release of the survey to families.

It has been a big week in rowing with our girls performing well on the Barwon River in Geelong. Our boys also experienced some strong results at the Victorian School Boy Championships on Lake Wendouree; both events were held on Saturday. Thank you to Paul Blanchfield, Georgia O’Leary, Hamish Walsh, Claudia Griffin, coaches and families who volunteered their time over the weekend to support our crews.

We keep the Watts family in our thoughts and prayers on the passing of their Grandfather over the weekend; Current student Phoebe (Year 9) and former students Trent, Zoe and Skye. May he rest in peace.

Until next week…Chris

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

Congratulations to Year 9 student Shona Wills for placing second in the Junior Girls Ballarat Gift 100m on the weekend.

Fantastic effort Shona!

All Year 10, 11, 12 students completing a VCE subject or VCAL, and their parents, are encouraged to tune in to the VCE and VCAL Information Evening this week. Due to COVID-19 this will be conducted remotely and there will be opportunities for parents and students to ask questions throughout the presentation, and have them answered through the Q and A function.

The purpose of the evening is to make families familiar with the Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority (VCAA) rules and regulations and the expectations of Damascus College, as well as give strategies and tips for parents and students to help minimise stresses and maximise results.

When: Thursday 17th February

Where: Remotely – Link to live stream below

Time: VCAL: 6:00pm – 6:45pm

VCE: 7:00pm – 7:50pm

Who: Year 11 and 12 students completing VCE and VCAL and their parents

Year 10 students completing a VCE subject and their parents

Links: VCAL information evening: Link

VCE information evening: Link

Both sessions will include the following information;

• Outline of VCE and VCAL programs along with key information and details
• College Counsellors to discuss support
• Careers to discuss support
• Past students to discuss experience
• Parent of a past student to discuss how parents can support their student.

As announced last week Enhancing Catholic School Identity Project (ESCIP) is coming soon to Damascus College. ESCIP offers a tool to help us understand Catholic culture of our college. But how is Catholic identity described in the tool? Last week I introduced the scale that compares belief and non-belief with literal and symbolic ways of thinking.

Another approach of ECSIP is to compare the degree of Christian connection that evident in the school (high or low) with how open and welcoming of diversity the school is (high or low). As a result of this comparison it is possible to characterize a school. There is a short YouTube animation that explains this.

The description of the final scale and the detail of how the complete the survey will be sent to families next week.

Last Friday we celebrated our Opening School Mass with a limited congregation, a reflection of our changing world. Our Year 12 and SRC students, together with the choir, represented the whole student body with reverence and a sense of pride. The leadership team and house leaders represented the staff and community of Damascus College. We were very fortunate to have Bishop Paul celebrate Mass as we focused on our scripture verse for the year from the Gospel of St John, “Abide in my love and you shall bear much fruit.” Bishop Paul reminded us that by doing two things: loving our God above all others and treating our neighbour as we would like to be treated, we are able to keep the faith and grow with the Spirit, so that God’s love can be revealed among us in many diverse and fruitful ways.

Toward the end of Mass, Bishop Paul blessed the school badges that were distributed at the assembly that followed to the Year 12s and SRC members as our new school leaders. Chris Grant commissioned our new school leaders to go forth to serve their House, their Year Levels, and their College community, with faith as they pursue their education and live the motto Be.My.Best., in the name and in the spirit of Jesus. Mr Grant asked our school leaders to lead quietly, being examples of courage and commitment, generosity and creativity, sensitivity and compassion and wisdom.

An event such as this requires the teamwork of various staff members and students. A huge thank you is extended to all those involved, people who form the branches of the vine, who abide in Jesus, thus delivering much fruit.

This week in Studio Arts - Photography Year 11 students were introduced to two techniques to enhance their understanding of how photographers from different historical contexts worked.

One group explored our traditional darkroom, using the gelatin silver process and analogy materials, and they saw the magic of images appearing on light-sensitive paper in a bath of developer, under the red-light.

Meanwhile in the studio a group of boys were exploring three-point lighting techniques with the strobe studio lights, a white backdrop and Canon 6D mark 2 DSLR.

Students documented their findings in their visual diaries and planned further exploration based on their interests.

It is wonderful to offer our students the opportunity to get hands-on practical photography experience, whilst at school.

Damascus College has an innovative Year 8 STEM program called ESTEEM, which is a hands-on, project-based learning environment encompassing science, mathematics and digital technologies.

This week 's ESTEEM activity was titled Collaboration, Creativity and Cardboard.

Our Year 8 students once again stepped up to the design challenge and provided a range of unique and versatile prototypes for their flat-pack chairs.

Students were given 90 minutes to research, plan, construct and test, students produced designs that conformed to the client brief of being:

1) A flat Pack Design

2) Include legs and a back rest

3) Assembled in 60 seconds

4) Able to hold a Yr 8 student

Find out more about the Damascus Year 8 ESTEEM program at: https://www.damascus.vic.edu.au/about-us/the-damascus-difference

What wonderful creativity, well done Year 8 students.

The 2022 SRC Office Bearers have been announced.

Congratulations to these senior students:

President: Tiarna Parry

Vice President: Daisy Simpson-Kerr

Secretary - Laura Lee

Treasurer - Thomas Ashley.

The College community welcomes these students into their respective leadership roles, as we know they will be terrific leaders of our student body.

Well done Tiarna, Daisy, Laura and Tom.

Maths tutoring in the library on Wednesday from 3:30 to 4:30pm

This will begin on Wednesday 23 February.

Students can either bring work to complete and seek assistance as needed from one of the floating teachers.

Students needing specific help in an area can arrange individual or small group assistance from the following teachers but it needs to be booked by email before Tuesday 4pm.

Year 7 - Keran Mewett

Year 8 - Sarah McKnight

Year 9 (upwards) - Teachers will be rostered on according to demand but contact Caroline Nolan

Please indicate what it is you would like assistance with.

There will also be structured Unit3/4 revision sessions on Thursday mornings. Initially, we will alternate weeks between Mathematical Methods and Further Maths starting next week. Topics covered, time and rooms will be advertised through TEAMS.

For more information please your Maths/ESTEEM teacher.

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

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)