Yesterday we celebrated our Numeracy Challenge Day, whereby Grade Four students from Emmaus, Lumen Christi and St Alipius Primary Schools were welcomed to the College by our Year 9 Maths Extension class. The day was a celebration of all things numeric and mathematical. It provided a wonderful opportunity for our students to host, coach and mentor younger children from our parish primary schools. Young people enjoy being given the opportunity to lead and demonstrate their gifts and talents. I was so impressed by the leadership of our Damascus students, who were able to engage and work with the young people on their teams. I walked around each of the groups and asked the primary students to provide feedback to our Damascus Learners. I was delighted that the primary school students rated our students at Damascus 10 out of 10. Our VCAL students contributed to the day's success by providing valuable hospitality and tours.

Learning at Damascus College provides great depth and breadth. Today l visited our Technology and Arts Department. The tradition of our founding St Paul's College was evident and so alive. Our students can 'be their best' through the Technology or Arts Learning Areas being both creative and practical. The calibre of our student's work was so striking. I could see our students contribute to their chosen careers, whether in the area of apprenticeships – carpentry, electrical or even cabinet makers, but l could also see these skills in enabling our students to express their creativity and passion. It was refreshing to see students use their hands to produce great pieces of furniture that will be shared with their families in many years to come. Art provides our learners with the chance to express their dreams, realities and their beliefs. Let us continue to celebrate each learner's creativity and gifts, whether it be employing our hands or minds.

A number of weeks back, l had an appointment to meet one of our Senior Students - Luke Borg, who was proposing a Breakfast Club as part of his VCAL Studies. Luke has modelled the values of the Mercy Sisters by supporting those around him. He has meticulously planned our breakfast club for our student body and the organisation of many donations. Tuesday morning saw the Inaugural gathering, and Luke's hard work had paid off. We had a number of students in attendance, and Luke modelled how we all can be a beacon of Christ's light.

It was fantastic to be able to meet with representatives of our Year 12 cohort Monday afternoon as we worked through the planning for the end of their year. Planning is such a challenging concept in the current environment. I admire our Year 12 students who are emerging as the future leaders of our society with this new competence of dealing with and responding to regular and unplanned change. These are valuable skills that they are drawing upon as we progress through our planning of how they approach their final weeks and days at Damascus College.

The College Leadership Team is keen to continue to engage with our families and to seek feedback about our practices and culture. As part of this focus on continued improvement, we seek your feedback on the recent Teacher Advisor Interviews that focused on Subject Selection. We invite you to complete the following survey. The feedback will support the College in harnessing our partnership with families.

https://forms.office.com/r/AJgq60A8Ze

Each year since 1945, the Children's Book Council of Australia has brought children and books together across Australia through CBCA Book Week. During this time, schools and public libraries spend one glorious week celebrating books and Australian children's authors and illustrators. This year's theme, 'Dreaming with Open Eyes,' resonated with each one of us at Damascus. It is a rich theme that connects us with our Indigenous brothers and sisters, connects us with country and has deep connections to our faith. Reading provides great joy and helps us understand our world and to see new and different perspectives. As an English teacher, l urge you to keep encouraging your young people or person to read. Through literature, we learn much about ourselves and of different perspectives. We thank our library team as this week we have had a raft of different opportunities for students and staff made available by the St Martin's Resource Centre staff team and the English staff team.

Employing the book week theme of Dreaming With Open Eyes, I pray that we may see the beauty of the world, challenge the injustices we see and the gift of our relationships. May we continue to see and hear the face of our God in one another.

Uniform expectations - nose piercing

As a result of COVID and students being required to wear masks previously at school, we have seen an increase in nose piercing. We ask for parents' support in regards to this uniform expectation. Students are asked to refrain from getting nose piercing while attending Damascus College.

As per our guidelines - 'Body piercing, other than in the ear, (e.g. nose piercing) is unacceptable. Please note that should a student have a nose piercing, it is to be removed during the school day. Failure to observe the jewellery expectations will result in the excess jewellery being confiscated until the end of term.

With every blessing

Scholarship applications open on Monday 22^nd August

Applications for a variety of scholarships will be open on Monday 22^nd August. Students have been emailed details of each scholarship and a link to submit applications will be made available on Monday. This is an opportunity to get a head start on planning applications.

The available scholarships, and the eligible year levels, are:

Damascus College scholarships (Academic, Sport, Arts) – students currently in year 7 to 11 can apply (3 scholarships available).

• Provided by Damascus College. Criteria relates to excellence in either academic pursuits, sporting achievements or the arts.
• Value: $2,000 towards the fees for the following year.

Dorothy Griffin Scholarship – students currently in year 10 can apply (2 scholarships available)

• Provided by the Institute of Sisters of Mercy of Australia and Papua New Guinea. Criteria relates to all round excellence in school achievement and participation in range of school activities.
• Value: $500 awarded to the successful students.

Dorothy Irene Ellis-Thomas Scholarship – students currently in year 12 can apply (2 scholarships available)

• Provided by the Dorothy Irene Ellis-Thomas Foundation. Students should be completing VCE or equivalent and wishing to pursue a course at a University or other tertiary education institution. Criteria relates to all-round academic endeavour and excellence and participation in range of school activities.
• Value: $2,000 each.

Diocese of Ballarat Scholarship - students currently in year 10 can apply (1 scholarship available)

• Provided by the Ballarat Diocesan Finance Council, this scholarship is awarded to one Year 10 student who is moving into Year 11. Criteria involves demonstrated leadership potential and student advocacy, community involvement and a commitment to study.
• Value: $1,000

Applications Open: Monday 22^nd August 2022

Applications Close: Friday 2^nd September 2022

Further details will be emailed to students next week. Scholarship information can be found on the Damascus College website.

The Justice Action Group (JAG) is beginning the raising of awareness of CATHOLIC MISSION.

Our WINTER WARMER held on 23^rd August raised almost $350 for needy people around the globe.

But who are we helping?

In Bangkok, Thailand Catholic Mission have established a Day Care Centre, created as a haven for children of women who attended the Fatima Training Centre (FTC). It has now grown to accommodate children from poor families in the neighbourhood whose parents need to go to work and cannot care for their children during the day. Additionally, those who live at the Mother and Baby Home who already have young children can relax knowing their children will be safe and cared for while they focus on their pregnancy. Each child is provided with a safe space to access education, health care, and nutritious meals.

The Day Care Centre assures mothers that their children will be cared for while they work, and/or recover. The Centre aims to build a foundation for children to develop positive self-worth in an environment where they can learn and grow safely.

"The project has greatly helped the centre to continue school for vulnerable kids to access education. They play, sleep, eat, snack, dance together with other kids"

In coming weeks we will be focused on supporting Catholic Mission. Our major effort will be on the Final Day of Term 3 with a sporting colours casual day for Catholic Mission.

Damascus College was thrilled to welcome Grade 4 Students from Emmaus CPS, Lumen Christi and St Alipius Parish school on Tuesday for the Annual Numeracy Challenge Day.

Visitors were welcomed by participating Year 9 students, who also acted as team helpers throughout the event. Upon entering the Damascus Events Centre the teams took their seats, put their thinking caps on and started working their way through the six activities. Points were awarded for each activity, with the Damascus student helpers offering guidance and help, but never providing the answer.

The hard work going on inside the Centre was rewarded with a delicious morning tea and lunch that was catered and served by a delegation of Year 11 VCAL students.

At the end of an amazing day of competition and camaraderie, College Principal Mr. Steven Mifsud was on hand to present the medals. It was St Alipius who took the hat trick taking 1st, 2nd and 3rd place, but huge congratulations to all students who participated, it was a very tightly run competition.

#DamascusCollege #DamascusPride #BeMyBest #ImReadyToTakeOnAnything

The GAT and Trial Exams

The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) will conduct the General Achievement Test (GAT) on Wednesday, September 7, 2022. The GAT is compulsory for any student undertaking the senior VCAL or at least one Unit 3-4 sequence (this includes some students completing a second year VETiS program). Even if a Year 12 student doesn't intend to sit the end of year exam, instead completing school-assessed VCE, they are required to complete the GAT. The GAT will be held at Damascus College in the Damascus Events Centre (DEC). Students are asked to arrive no later than 8:50am, meeting in the courtyard upon their arrival. They will be given entry into the exam hall at approximately 9:15am for Section A and 1:00pm for Section B.

Format for the GAT

This year the GAT has a new format and has Section A and Section B via the following format;

Section A: Literacy and Numeracy (2 hours + 15 minutes reading time) – 9:30am - 11:45am

Break: 11:45am – 1:15pm

Section B: General Knowledge and Skills (1.5 hours + 15 minutes reading time) – 1:15pm – 3:00pm

Section A: Must be completed by all students. This section demonstrates a student's literacy and numeracy skills – essential skills that show a student is ready to move on to further study, training or employment. It will give students confidence that their skills are at the right level to support them in whatever they choose to do after school.

Section B: Is for all students undertaking at least one Unit 3-4 sequence (this includes some students completing a second year VETiS program). This GAT component assesses mathematics, science, technology, the arts and humanities skills. It can be viewed as an insurance policy in that it is used to verify the reliability of a student's school-based work and end of year exams; it is also used for Derived Exam Scores. In these instances, a student may be unable to sit an exam but still require a score for the subject.

Your student will have received a GAT brochure on Monday, August 22, which explains in some detail the structure of the GAT and the way it may be used in terms of their assessment. The GAT brochure can also be viewed through this link. Further information about the GAT can also be found on the VCAA website through this link.

No special study is required for the GAT, and students are strongly encouraged to attempt the test to the best of their ability. However, it would help if students familiarised themselves with the paper's style and format. Samples from past years with solutions are available from the VCAA website. GAT Past Papers sample questions for the new format can be found here.

Students are required to stay in the exam hall for the duration of the GAT. Therefore, they should utilise the full time the test allows to complete the GAT to the best of their ability.

Rules to be mindful of:

Allowed

• A clear plastic label-free water bottle, no larger than 1.5 litres, is permitted in the exam room.
• A printed dictionary is allowed
• Students are asked to bring a pen, pencil and eraser. (Multiple choice completed in pencil, two written essays to be completed in pen)
• Scientific Calculator

Not Allowed

• No mobile phones and electronic devices that are capable of storing, receiving or transmitting information or electronic signals, such as recorded music and video players, organisers, dictionaries and computerised watches, during the GAT. (If one of these is confiscated, it may be retained for up to 3 months).
• Food is not allowed

Students are expected to wear full school uniform. During the break, students will be provided with appropriate spaces to eat and rest between Sections A and B. If a senior VCAL student is only required to complete Section A, they are permitted to leave the school and go to work placement. At the conclusion of the GAT, at 3:00pm, students are permitted to leave like a normal school day.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call or email me.

Damascus College Trial Exams

The unit 3-4 trial exams are an essential part of Year 12 and are compulsory for all students completing Unit 3 and 4 subjects offered at Damascus College. The trial exams allow students to prepare for the assessments of their VCAA October/November examinations and provide students with the opportunity to look at the timing and knowledge for each subject's exam. Students become familiar with the VCAA exam process, allowing them to be better prepared for the end of year exams. The exams will be assessed, and feedback will be given to the students. Teachers may also use results to assist indicative grade calculations that are required to be submitted to VCAA. VCAA uses indicative grade scores to assist with calculating a derived exam score, should it be needed.

The trial exams will be held on Wednesday, September 21, and Thursday, September 22 in week one and Tuesday, September 27 to Thursday, September 29 in week two of the Term 3 holidays.

This format aims to simulate the end-of-year exams, allowing students to adequately prepare for each trial exam. The format will also give students some opportunity to rest and be fresh for the start of Term 4. Damascus College would encourage students to use the two weeks as revision and exam preparation time. While tempting, the College asks that family holidays should not be considered for this coming break.

Term 3 holidays tend to have exam revision sessions available through external providers. Damascus College would also encourage students to attend these as they form an integral component of the revision process leading up to their exams. If there is a specific revision lecture that students would like to attend, but it clashes with one of the trial exams, students need to see Matthew Hallowell to organise for the trial exam to be rescheduled. Damascus College's expectation is that every student completes all of their trial exams.

Please note that VCAA has released the VCE end of year exam timetable, which can be found at this link: 2022 Exam timetable

Please find Damascus College's trial exams timetable below.

DAMASCUS COLLEGE

YEAR 12 TRIAL EXAMINATION TIMETABLE

Wednesday September 21 – Thursday September 29

Trial Exams to be held in the DEC and Building 7

Version: 13/07/2022

Note: The session times for the exams below differ from the Oct/Nov Examinations

Be sure to bring the correct resources and materials

School uniform is not required for these trial exam sessions

If a clash occurs, see Matthew Hallowell indicating the (1) Examination (2) Day required and (3) Session

Students are asked to remain for the whole examination time in practice for the October/November Examinations

Last Wednesday the Year 9 Food and Consumer Science students had the privilege to take part in the Bushfood Chocolate Program at the Ballarat Tech School.

The students were immersed in a food design journey based on chocolate and learnt about Indigenous Australian Bushfood flavours and food culture!

Congratulations to Damascus College Year 7 student Kayla McNaulty who won the U13 Netball Best and Fairest Award. Kayla plays for the Carngham Saints and received an impressive 34 votes.

Well done Kayla.

Powerful Insights into Catholic Identity at Damascus College

The Damascus College full staff Religious Education Inservice day was held on Friday 19^th August on campus. The College theme for 2022 was the approach that was taken to the whole day: “Abide in my love and you will bear much fruit. (John 15:5) adapted.” The day commenced with an Acknowledgement of Country. The opening prayer focused on the need to think creatively and metaphorically by being attentive, intelligent, reasonable, and responsible when attending to our personal relationship with Jesus and his inclusive message.

What is the abiding love of God that lies at the heart of Enhancing Catholic School Identity Project (ECSIP)? Our College community has recently completed the ESCIP survey with an excellent number completed. It was most timely to address the question “What is the Spirit of ESCI?” Our guest presenters, Associate Professor Robyn Horner and Dr Teresa G. Brown from Australian Catholic University took up this question with us. Their method was to present the approach of the ECSIP to the nature of Catholic school communities and to observe the results of Damascus College data across time. In the complexities of the secularising processes at work in Australian culture, the Catholicity of our College is under pressure. How can this be identified and what can be done to address these realities?

The afternoon focused on the second clause of our theme and so addressed the question: “How might we bear fruit, fruit that will last?” This took the form of workshops run by members of our Catholic Culture and Religious Education Team and invited guests.

• Youth Ministry in Schools: The Power of Encounter and Witness (Sally Murphy and Jasmina Kirkham)
• Reconciliation Action Plan: The Uluru Statement and us. (Andy Robertson and Claudia Griffin)
• Sustainability: The Cry of the Earth and the Cry of the Poor at Mt Clear (Inga Hamilton from ResourceSmart Schools with Natalie Ventra)
• Sacred Space and Time: Prayer Beyond God in the Sky (Susannah Berens)
• Social Justice in Action: Who are the poor? (Kristen Sheridan from the Salvation Army with Adrian Newman)
• Christian Initiation: What are Catholics saying about being a Catholic (Plenary Council)? (Felicity Knobel, Ballarat Diocese Representative at the Plenary Council with Tony Haintz)

The day was highly participatory and was valued by both the staff and presenters.

Damascus College wishes to invite students, staff, families and the significant men in their life to attend our annual Father’s Day Liturgy and Breakfast, on Thursday 1 September 2022 at 7am.

Please book your ticket online by Friday 26 August, at https://www.trybooking.com/CBKQD

Please note that numbers will be limited and book out fast, so book your ticket/s today. If you are bringing your Damascus student to the breakfast, please ensure you book them a ticket too.

Thanks in advance and we look forward to celebrating Father’s Day over a lovely liturgy and buffet-breakfast.

Please see following information in relation to Junior Tennis at the Buninyong Community Tennis Club.