Yesterday we came together as an entire school to celebrate St Martin’s House Day. It was a wonderful showcase of young people’s capabilities and courage. If any of us were asked to get up and sing, dance, play an instrument, talk about our skills and talents in front of over 1,250 peers, many of us as adults would seriously stop to consider whether that was within our capacity. Over twenty of our young people shared their talents with the school community yesterday. They were all well prepared and their delivery was excellent. My pride in being a part of this community was enormous for both the courage and work of the presenters, but also for the appreciation from the broader student and staff cohort! I congratulate St Martin House Leaders, Daniel Jans and Karen Goonan, and the team of Teacher Advisors and other staff who supported them.

I also acknowledge the work of Humanities Leader, Gerard Macklin and the College’s student leaders for the reverent celebration of ANZAC Day that took place here at school on Friday. School Captains Maya Tolliday and Shaun Leonard laid a wreath at the Buninyong commemoration with the support of staff member Adrian Newman and Tony Haintz accompanied student leaders; Payton Overall and Erica Webb to lay a wreath at the Ballarat commemoration. Student reverence and respect was again a highlight of this time of reflection.

Our Year 11 VCAL students have been on camp at Cowes this week and all reports have been of a positive learning experience for the team. I congratulate all students involved and thank the staff team led by Applied Learning Coordinator, Belinda Dwyer for their planning and facilitation.

Students are required to be in full Winter uniform on Monday, 3^rd May – this means long pants for boys, Winter skirts and tights or long pants for girls and track pants with the PE uniform for both. It is not uncommon for students to have grown and this requires skirts and pants to be let down. Skirts should be to knee length. Following up uniform infringements takes valuable school resources away from the core business of learning and teaching and creates awkward and unnecessary conversations with students and families. Please ensure all students come to school each day in the correct school uniform.

Parents may also be pressured to purchase a rain jacket. This item of uniform was introduced to cover the expensive blazer, as students walk to and from school or as they wait at rural bus stops. Students are allowed to wear the rain jacket in Terms 2 and 3 at lunch time and recess, while they are outside, as another layer and to encourage student activity. It does remain an optional item of uniform.

If you have a child in Year 10 who has work experience coming up and the paperwork has not been returned to the College, could you please attend to this as a matter of urgency?

This Friday evening, April 30^th the Senior School formal will take place from 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM. This is a social opportunity that Damascus College facilitates for the Year 11 & 12 students of our community. It has always been a very positive event on our calendar, but it is important that I reiterate that normal school rules apply. It is an alcohol, drug and smoke free event, any student who is suspected of having consumed alcohol, will not be let in. There are no pass-outs through the evening. Year 12 students are permitted to bring a guest on the condition that they arrive with the Damascus College student and that the guest abides by Damascus College rules. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the evening please contact your House Leader. It is a social activity and hair and make-up appointments are not more important than school on Friday. Any student who is away on Friday will not be able to attend the formal. I must reinforce my encouragement that parents support one another by not condoning after parties. If you say no to requests from your child, you’re actually supporting other Damascus parents who are going to receive the same pressure from their student. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the evening please contact your House Leader. Students are encouraged to bring a plate of food to share.

Our interschool athletics will take place next Tuesday at Llanberris Oval. As with other carnivals between schools this year, it is a schools only event. I wish athletes well for their participation throughout the day.

This week where we celebrate St Martin de Porres we remember the importance within our Christian calling for inclusivity and diversity. St Martin was raised by a single parent, he was of mixed race in a time that saw him subjected to racial discrimination and yet, he chose to lead from his place of diminishment. We ask God to give us the courage to be the voice for those repressed and vulnerable and to continue to work to bring forth the dignity of all. We ask this of our loving God? Amen.

We keep in our prayers the Wallace family, Mia (Yr 12) and Ava (Yr 10) as they mourn the passing of their loved grandmother. We also remember Meg (Yr 12) and Abbey (Yr 12) Wallace and their family as they also mourn their loved grandmother. We pray that the God of peace is with all those who grieve.

Until next week …

MATT

Please see below a list of valuable Parent Webinars:-

• May 5^th - Time Management techniques to align the family expectations on homework and achieve school-life balance.
• May 19^th - Memory and effective revision. Why rote learning is ineffective and our top strategies for effective revision.
• June 2^nd - Exam Preparation to ensure students are prepared and confident going into the exam room.
• June 16^th - Stress and Wellbeing. How parents can support their child in tougher periods and manage school-related stress.

Please click here to registrar for any of the above events.

Yesterday our College gathered to celebrate St Martin's Day.

The St Martin's house group celebrated the life of St Martin de Porres, where Year 7 students enacted a play to tell the story of his life. A life well-lived, where Martin was beatified in 1837 and canonized in 1962.

Those assembled were then treated with a wonderful celebration of the gifts and talents of students within the St Martin House. Students sang songs, played the guitar, danced, played the drums, the keyboard and many students spoke and shared their experiences in achieving within their chosen hobby including boxing, drafting, ballet, bike riding and many more.

Well done to the students and staff of St Martin's, you inspired and uplifted our community, especially after a year where we haven't been able to celebrate as a whole community.

The talent on display was inspirational.

After the disappointment of missing Anzac Day celebrations in 2020, the whole College Community celebrated Anzac Day 2021 on Friday 24^th April. The day started with the flag at half-mast.

At 10:30 a.m. the community gathered on the front lawn surrounding the flagpole. The Year 12 SRC, supported by Gerard Macklin, led the commemoration with some explanation of what occurred on that first ANZAC Day April 25, 1915, including the landing on the Gallipoli shores and the issues the ANZAC’s faced. This was followed by a Gospel reading. Then the reading of the Ode while our school captains laid a wreath at the foot of the flagpole. The last post was played followed by a minute’s silence and then the rouse with the raising of the flag. Finally, the National Anthem was played and sung. The respect of the students was palpable in the silence and reverence that the whole student body displayed during the commemoration.

On Sunday 25^th April, Damascus College was represented at two local ANZAC Day Ceremonies, Ballarat and Buninyong. The College Captains, Maya Tolliday and Shaun Leonard attended the Buninyong event at the RSL supported by Adrian Newman, while Payton Overall and Erica Webb were at the Cenotaph in Ballarat, supported by Tony Haintz. Lieutenant Colonel Shaun Richards, commander of Ballarat’s own 7/8 Royal Victorian Regiment, gave the Anzac oration. Damascus College students joined the officer in the laying of the wreath at the foot of the cenotaph.

Lest we forget

After a year of galleries closure creating the need for virtual excursions, it was thrilling for some of our visual arts classes to be able to jump on a train and travel down to Melbourne to see ‘in real life’ the Top Design and Top Art exhibitions. It was also an added bonus to have Damascus finely represented at both exhibitions.

After arriving at Southern Cross Station, the group of 25 students from Media, VCD and Studio Arts caught a tram to the Melbourne Museum to view Top Designs 2021. This exhibition showcases some of the brightest VCE and VCE VET students from across Victoria. With over 1000 submissions, the final selection of 95 works selected by panels of expert educators offers a glimpse into the future of Australian creatives. It was fantastic to see Jack Davidson’s audio work professionally presented in a glass cabinet. The selection of his podcast confirmed the hard work and talent that had gone into this VCE media folio.

All three classes then caught the tram down to Federation Square to visit the Top Art exhibition in the National Gallery of Victoria. This exhibition featured artworks from Studio Art and Art VCE students from 2020. Students saw present folios and show progression in their work. The folios of the students that successfully chosen to be into Top Arts clearly showed how the idea changed through time and most importantly why they changed. The exhibition also provided ideas of what presentation formats they might want to work with next semester. Damascus student Charlotte Grimes inspiring photographic print on glass reminded us of how our life in shut down changed to views seen through windows.

Last year students had to undergo the extraordinary experience of a global pandemic and one of the world’s longest lockdowns in Victoria. The artworks featured in both exhibitions reflected this well in the innovative use of materials and subject matter.

Don’t miss your chance to see the future generation of artists, designers and media makers as they possible take the next step in their creative careers. Both exhibitions run until July 11.

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**

Cyclone Seroja has caused widespread damage to Timor Leste with significant damage to buildings, homes, and infrastructure such as roads in the Ainaro District. As at April 10th the cyclone caused 42 deaths across the Country, 10 of these deaths were in the Ainaro District.

Communication from the Ainaro District has been limited due to infrastructure damage; however, our local contacts report that the District is desperate for relief and recovery aid as landslides and heavy rain has blocked and swept away roads into the District.

The District is also threatened with a new COVID_19 outbreak.

Ballarat Friends of Ainaro Community Committee (BFACC) and other Ballarat organisations including Ryder-Cheshire and Teachers for Timor are working to raise money for immediate relief in the Ainaro district as well at the Klibur Domin Health Facility in Tibar near Dili.

The clean up has begun. There is much to do and our Timorese neighbours need your assistance to rebuild their lives and to keep safe and healthy.

There are two ways to help.

Support the Film Night
There is fundraiser planned, a Film Night on 6th May. Contact Tony Haintz (T.Haintz@damascus.vic.edu.au) or through the College Office 53372222 for tickets that must be paid for by Thursday 29th April. Get a group together and get cash to Tony asap. Trailer link: https://youtu.be/FXn0ryXxfak

Donate directly on the Go Fund Me Page

The Ballarat Friends of Ainaro have created a page with a plan to raise $15000 https://www.gofundme.com/f/ainaro-cyclone-relief?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet

The Damascus Community is warmly invited to our annual Mother's Day Liturgy & Breakfast.

The annual Mother’s Day Liturgy and Breakfast will be held on Thursday 6 May, 7.30am. The liturgy will be held in the JSC, followed by a sit-down buffet breakfast in the DEC.

Due to COVID numbers will be limited. Staff and their children, mothers and grandmothers are warmly invited to attend. This is a wonderful event, so if you would like to attend please book a ticket by Tuesday 4 May.

Book your free tickets here

CSEF eligibility

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

Criteria 1 – Eligibility

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

• on the first day of Term one, or;

• on the first day of Term two;

• Be an eligible beneficiary within the meaning of the State Concessions Act 2004, that is, be a holder of Veterans Affairs Gold Card or be an eligible Centrelink Health Care Card (HCC) or Pensioner Concession Card (PCC) holder, OR
• Be a temporary foster parent, and;
• Submit an application to the school by the due date.

* A special consideration eligibility category also exists. For more information, see: www.education.vic.gov.au/csef

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 one of (a) or (b) above.

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

School is compulsory for all Victorian children aged between six and 17 years of age inclusive.

For the purposes of CSEF, students may be eligible for assistance if they attend a Victorian registered primary or secondary school. Typically, these students are aged between five and 18 years inclusive.

CSEF is not payable to students attending pre-school, kindergarten, home schooled, or TAFE.

Eligibility Date

For concession card holders CSEF eligibility will be subject to the parent/legal guardian’s concession card being successfully validated with Centrelink on the first day of either term one (27 January 2021) or term two (19 April 2021).

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 benefit of the eligible student.

• Primary school student rate: $125 per year.

• Secondary school student rate: $225 per year.