On Saturday evening, we gathered together to celebrate our rich and proud 140-year history. It was a beautiful celebration of what has been over our past 140 years, a lovely farewell to the community to our long-standing Principal Mr Matthew Byrne, and a positive introduction to the future with our new governing authority, the Diocese of Ballarat Catholic Education Limited (DOBCEL). Showcased on the evening was a thank you video to the Sisters of Mercy and Priests of the Diocese for co-governing Damascus College for the last 27 years since the 1995 amalgamation. Additionally, a further video highlighted our community reflections on the 140-year contribution of our founding colleges to Damascus College.

You are invited to view the two videos at the following links;

• Thankyou video to the Sisters of Mercy and Priests of the Diocese
• Community reflection on the 140-year contribution of our foundation colleges

It was a lovely evening with great company, great entertainment, great food, and of course, in a beautiful venue! I thank our student and staff performers, Maria Russell and Andrew Seeary, student waitresses and waiters, our IT and Maintenance teams, Damascus staff who assisted and were present on the evening, and of course, our Marketing and Development Team, led by Sarah Boswell who put this evening together - well done, and thank you.

To our community members who joined us in this significant celebration – I sincerely thank you for your attendance and hope you enjoyed your evening.

In our Teacher Advisor lesson yesterday, students were taken through a presentation on the changes to the Mobile Phone policy at the College, beginning in Term 2 this year. Mobile phones brought to school must be switched off and stored securely in student lockers without use during the entire school day.

Our collective aim in enacting this policy is to provide;

1. A safe environment to learn without inappropriate mobile phone use (including cyberbullying) or distractions.
2. Greater opportunities for engaging relationships with social interaction and physical activity during recess and lunchtimes.
3. Improvements in student achievement.
4. Increase in student wellbeing and decrease in mental health concerns.

Students have been encouraged to talk with their parents/guardians about these upcoming changes. To enable a smooth transition to the new policy, we kindly ask for your support at home in encouraging students to make appropriate adjustments and choices. Families are invited to view the new mobile phone policy documents by clicking on the links below:-

Mobile Phone Policy

Communication to Parents

We will come together as a whole school community next Thursday, 7th April, for our Easter liturgy. It has been a significant number of days since we have all gathered in the John Shannon Centre, and I am excited that it is in the context of Easter that it will occur next Thursday morning. Contingencies will be put in place, including air purifiers and the encouragement for all students and staff to be wearing masks. I acknowledge the work of our Liturgy Leader, Ms Angela Carr, and Assistant Principal Catholic School Culture, Mr Tony Haintz, for their preparation of our liturgy.

The End of Season Rowing Dinner will take place on Tuesday 5th April, in the Damascus College Events Centre from 6:30pm. Tickets can be purchased through the College office.

As the seasons begin to change and the end of term rapidly approaches, it is timely that I remind parents/guardians of the importance of supporting the school’s uniform policy. While students should be responsible for presenting themselves for the school day, we look towards parents to reinforce uniform standards.

House Leaders and staff have found that when students are wearing their school uniform correctly, there are fewer behavioural issues and greater connectedness to their learning environment. When lines start to be blurred, such as wearing incorrect socks, the incorrect hair ribbon, no blazer and incorrect skirt lengths, students may sense a drop in standards and, in turn, expectations of them. This can then infiltrate into the classroom, where students begin to accept standards that are not reflective of their potential learning ability.

The uniform is the public façade of how the community see our College. Wearing the uniform with pride confirms Damascus is a learning environment that students are proud to be part of and where personal pride and presentation is valued. Damascus College uniform expectations can be found at https://www.damascus.vic.edu.au/enrolment/uniform.

I remind families that next Friday, 8th April is the last day of term, and school will finish at the earlier end of term time of 2.18pm. We will work on an adjusted, shorter lesson timetable throughout the day, with six shorter lessons.

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

Until next week…Chris

Last Saturday 26 March, the Damascus College community joined together to celebrate the rich 140-year history of the College dating back to 1881, at the 140 Year Anniversary Gala, at the Damascus Events Centre.

The evening commenced with canapes and drinks in the DEC foyer, followed by a full schedule of celebration and entertainment in the event space.

Guests enjoyed a sumptuous sit-down two-course meal, whilst taking a step back in time as numerous speeches and videos celebrated the history of the three foundation colleges, Sacred Heart College, St Paul's Technical College, St Martin's in the Pines and the amalgamation to Damascus College, in 1995. What a rich, long and proud history!

Current students entertained the audience including: the College Choir, the String Ensemble, Acafellas, a student band, and past students shone brightly with beautiful drama and musical performances.

A special 140-year anniversary publication was distributed on the night, full of wonderful memories of years gone by.

It truly was very special to see the Damascus community come together to celebrate the history of the College. Throughout the night, the current principal, Mr Matthew Byrne was farewelled, our own 'Mr Wonderful!'

Special memories were made on the night, and there was a great sense of pride amongst the guests, as the community now looks forward to what the next 140 years may hold for Damascus College.

Below you will find a video history of Damascus College: -

View the Thank You Video to the Sisters of Mercy and Priests of the Diocese as we move to a DOBCEL governance below:-

Last week Year 7 students participated in their annual Reflection Days.

Students were guided during the day so that the day culminated in their participation in the class presentation of the events of Holy Week/Stations of the Cross.

This can take the form of groups of students’ role playing each of the major events of Holy Week/Stations of The Cross in a prayerful and respectful manner.

These reflection days are a wonderful way for our new Year 7 students to forge new friends, but to also time some time to reflect on what is important in life.

A big hearty Damascus welcome to our new Year 7 students.

The Damascus College Principal, Mr Matthew Byrne has 1.5 weeks left at Damascus, before moving on to his new role as Deputy Director of Catholic Education at the Diocese of Ballarat Catholic Education Limited (DOBCEL).

Matthew started his career as a teacher in 1991 in Swan Hill at St Mary Mackillop College and was appointed to the Deputy Principal’s role at Mercy Regional College Camperdown in 1997.

In 2008 Matthew was a member of the leadership team at St Joseph’s Catholic Secondary College in Echuca and commenced employment at Damascus College in 2009 as Senior Campus Coordinator. Later that same year he took on Co-Principal responsibilities where he led the Senior campus in Mt Clear and Sr Marie Davey led the Junior Campus in Victoria Street. In 2011, when the two Damascus campuses consolidated on the one Mt Clear location, Matthew was appointed the Principal.

As principal, the leadership Matthew offered through the subsequent 13 years was outstanding. He was able to bring a positive sense of what a Catholic school is called to be, to the daily workings and long-term plans of the College. A strong partnership with Sr Marie Davey throughout the early years of Matt’s principalship, was instrumental in this success. This is work continued by the existing leadership team of the College.

Matt said that he will miss being an active member of the Damascus community, and deeply values the relationships formed with students, staff and families over his time in leadership at the College.

“It has been a great privilege to be given the opportunity to lead a community where Christian identity is explicit in the education, action and relationships of all community members,” he said.

“The extraordinary beauty of the Damascus College site extends to the people and work of those associated with the College. I am very proud to have been a part of the journey that has seen the College become a school of choice within the greater Ballarat region.”

“I thank the members of the Damascus community for their belief, support and trust over these past 13 years and I remain invested in the future growth of the College and the journey of those who have attended our community.”

The Damascus community wishes to thank Matthew for his tireless commitment and contributions to developing Damascus College into the school it is today. His compassionate and kind leadership style has been a beacon for the students, staff, and families within the community, that he loves so dearly.

The Diocese of Ballarat will benefit greatly, as Matthew will now be able to share his considerable gifts and talents beyond the Damascus grounds, to the wider Victorian regions ranging from the Murray to the Sea.

The Enhancing Catholic School Identity Project (ESCIP) is with us, but time is running out to complete the survey. ESCIP offers a tool to help us understand the Catholic culture of our college. The survey will close shortly and while we have had a positive response, we can certainly use more parents to jump on line.

This process is explained in the document that has been emailed to parents. Please make time as soon as possible to complete the survey and contribute to our understanding of Catholic identity.

Thanks to those who have already completed the survey and to those who will take the time this week.

Next Webinar – Wednesday 30th March @ 7pm

Essay Writing Masterclass​​​​

Here’s what we will be showing on tonight's night:

✅The importance of goal-setting in essay writing
✅How you can provide real-time support & feedback to speed up the process of improvement
✅How students can begin to self-assess their work so they can become independent writers

Please click here to register.

Please help Damascus College Rowing raise funds towards purchasing new oars and a bear for the 2022 / 2023 season.

To purchase tickets click here or scan the QR code below. There are some great prizes to be won as seen below:-

In 2022 Damascus College will be governed by the Diocese of Ballarat Catholic Education Limited (DOBCEL). During this change in governance, the College wishes to share this video as a thank you to the Sisters of Mercy and the Priests of the Diocese for co-governing Damascus College for the last 27 years, since the 1995 amalgamation.

Thank you.

On Monday the St Martin's Resource Centre launched the 2022 House Reading Challenge. Students from all year levels are encouraged to sign up, read as many books as they can until September, and earn points for their house. Bonus points are awarded to those who complete additional challenges such as convincing a staff member to read a Young Adult novel, or signing up to the State Library of Victoria. Whether you prefer paper, audio or eBooks, start reading today!

Damascus College class of 2021 College Captain Maya Tolliday and current College captain Megan O’Beirne will take to the Playhouse stage at the Arts Centre Melbourne as part of the Top Class 2022 concert series, with performances on Monday 28 March and Tuesday 29 March 2022.

Maya and Megan were invited to audition for Top Class based on their 2021 VCE Drama performance examination score. Both students had received outstanding scores over 40. Based on their audition, they were two of the twenty students from the whole of Victoria to secure a coveted slot on the stage.

Damascus College Performing Arts Co-ordinator Mr Andrew Seeary said that this is a fine example of our students being their best.

“Our school is being represented at a state level not once but twice in the Melbourne Arts centre in front of sell-out crowds who are there to witness the best of the best in VCE Drama excellence.”

“Being invited to audition for Top Class is an honour that only a small percentage of VCE Drama students get to experience. Gaining a spot on the stage is an even rarer accomplishment, especially when you consider the number of students from the state who are vying for a slot. But to have not just one, but two students excelling in this way, and for them both to also be leaders within our College community is a one-off honour that we are not likely to see again.”

The Top Class audience will enjoy original solo performances and scripted dramatic monologues and production design demonstrating the imagination and originality of emerging actors and theatre makers.

Both Maya and Megan have been enthusiastic and outstanding actors on the Damascus College stage in various productions while also finding time within their busy academic schedules to take on the significant duties of being a school leader.

Since graduating from Damascus College Maya has begun studying Biomedicine at Deakin University. For Year 12 Megan is undertaking subjects in English, Science, Maths, Religious Education, and Languages.

Wednesday 23 March was National Eucalypt Day and in recognition of this day, Lachlan Andrews from Civica-ArborSafe (Arborist company) donated 20 trees and recyclable tree guards to Damascus to raise awareness of this icon group of Australian trees.

Students spent their Horticulture class planting these native trees with Lachlan’s assistance and guidance, along the Commemorative Walk, located out back of the campus. During the planting, students dug holes and gained a greater insight into how large the trees might grow and their uniqueness to this area.

Big thanks to Civica-ArborSafe for their generosity, this gift and the work the students did yesterday, will improve the natural environment at Damascus, and engage staff and students in the numerous, positive physical, mental and environmental aspects they foster.

The species planted yesterday was Eucalyptus aromaphloia (Scent-bark). This species is a small to medium-sized tree endemic to Victoria, occurring roughly west from a line between Daylesford and Anglesea, and west to about Casterton. It has a small natural distribution but is locally common in several areas in and around Ballarat such as Mount Helen, Mount Clear, Canadian and Creswick. The species is also common across the Damascus College campus, hence its selection for planting today. In natural ecologies it can form pure stands, but is often seen growing in association with other Eucalypts such as Eucalyptus obliqua (Messmate Stringybark) and Eucalyptus dives (Broad-leaved Peppermint).

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)

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

EXTENDED ORDERING TIME - NOW OPEN UNTIL FRIDAY APRIL 1

Please return to the Office ASAP

Damascus College is raising money for Project Compassion this term by running a Baker’s Delight Hot Cross Bun Drive. The College makes $2 from each bag sold which goes straight to Project Compassion.

Flavours include Traditional Fruit, Choc Chip, Fruitless, Mocha and the ever-popular Apple and Cinnamon. Orders are due back on Friday April 1st (no not an April Fool's Day Joke). and delivery is on Wednesday 6^th April. McAuley students received an order form during TA this week. Forms can also be collected from the foyer in student reception.

If you missed out on a form please click on the link below to download a copy.

2022 DMAC Hot Cross Bun Order Form