Unfortunately, a shorter week does not mean a shorter newsletter. It is a very busy place here at school, with students undertaking key assessments and finishing off work for Semester 1. Students will commence their Early Start program next Monday, 21^st June.

A timetable for the new semester will be on SIMON for students from Friday afternoon. Please encourage your student/s to log into SIMON and check that their PE days have not changed. Pathways and elective subjects will change over Monday, and it will be important for students to note these changes. Students who are changing electives or Year 7 students’ changing their pathways subjects are encouraged to bring along the resources for those subjects. For example, if your student has textiles in the second half of the year and they kept their textiles kit at home early in the year, now would be the right time to send it along. VCE and VCAL students will make the transition into Unit 2/4 on Monday. I acknowledge the enormous amount of work that goes into our timetabling by Melissa McLachlan, Chris Grant, Ashwin Pillai and the Learning Area Leaders.

It is an exciting time for Year 10 students next week as they move into specific pathways to support their movement into VCE or VCAL. This is a new initiative for the College, and we hope it will enable students a more thorough preparation for their final years.

As families, it is quite reasonable to recognise that as the term break approaches, we may experience some fatigue from our young people (and recognise it in our own behaviours too). This can manifest as anger, tears or frustration, and it will regularly come about through some almost trivial challenge; Have you finished your homework? Can you pick up the towels off the bedroom floor? For the umpteenth time, could you please unstack the dishwasher? You may be getting an insight into the domestic disharmony of our family home, but my intention is to bring recognition to the need for us as adults to pause in our own response and consider what may really underpin the behaviours of our young people.

As is broadly recognised, the last 15 months have been unprecedented, and the further we are along life’s journey, the more able we are to reference this experience as abnormal. For young people, they have less life experience to reference their experience against. So as families, we continue to provide the buffer for the media saturation of all that is wrong in our world. It is important that we continue to express gratitude, love and highlight the things that are going right in our lives.

Continuing to take time to be present to our young people and families is important. Engage with your student and ask if there are any elements of their school work that they are worried about, and if concerns present – talk with your TA about what support may be available. We are pleased to be at school, but we recognise that there is still a lot that is not normal, and the Damascus community is here to support those experiencing challenges over this time. I encourage you to please reach out if you feel your family needs support in your educational journey; our support of one another is at the heart of what it means to be a Catholic Christian community.

Can I continue to implore families that if your young person is not well, please keep your student/students home until they are symptom-free for everyone’ safety. Also, we need families support in making sure young people have masks so that they can wear them at school. It is a requirement that we are obliged to follow up. Damascus students, on the whole, have been remarkable in their adherence to mask requirements, and I thank families for your support.

We are welcoming a number of new staff to coincide with the new semester. Laura Kimm, returns from Parental Leave and will be teaching Maths, HPE and Assistant House Leader of McAuley whilst Isabelle Miller is on Parental Leave.

Maureen (Min) Myers will be teaching Year 9 and 10 French for Semester 2. Min is a former staff member, and we appreciate her returning to enable Alysoun Smalley to take up a semester two appointment to the Leadership Team. Carley Young, who has been with us before, is now joining the ESTEEM team, teaching Year 8 ESTEEM and Year 7 Science for Semester 2. Carly is enabling Sarah McKnight to also take up a role on the College Leadership Team for second semester.

Jennifer Casey begins at the College today, having taught at Salesian College most recently. Jennifer will be teaching English and RE for Semester 2, backfilling Isabelle Miller, who commences parental leave.

Sarah Ruddick commences next week, teaching Food Technology for Term 3, backfilling Angela Hoban’s Term 3 Long Service Leave.

Leighanne de Zoete-Spiero, will formally start from next term, teaching English and Humanities at the beginning of Term 3, for Semester 2, backfilling Ashleigh Brown whilst she is on Parental Leave.

Leanne Perks, who has been with the College casually, will commence teaching Foundation English and will be part of the Student re-engagement Tutor program for Semester 2. Leanne’s appointment allows Rebecca Chadwick to continue and import strategic English and literacy projects undertaken by the College.

This week we have opened tickets to the College production of Spelling Bee. This first offering of tickets is consistent with current restrictions, and we hope to make more tickets available if restrictions are eased. I do ask families to be mindful of the limited number of seats available when booking.

We received the sad news of the death of Sr Rosemary Kelly RSM. Sr Rosemary (Sr Basil as I knew her in my youth) was a key contributor to the education here as St Martin’s in the Pines transitioned to Damascus. She lived here on site for a number of years. We remember Sr Rosemary, her family and her Mercy Sisters as they celebrate her life and grieve her passing.

We also remember the family of Isaac (Year 8) and Caleb Inglis (Year 9) on the loss of their grandfather. We keep them in our thoughts and prayers at this time.

Until next week…

MATT

Students in year 10 have just completed their term 2 study of the Eucharist. Students were able to experience a Year Level Mass with Fr John McKinnon early in the term which was a wonderful celebration of community.

During their studies the year 10 students explored the history, the symbolism and religious significance of the symbols of the Mass.

Part of their assessment task was to create a visual representation of the symbol they chose to do their research on.

Here are a few amazing examples of the terrific work the students were able to do!

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;

A third eligibility date has also been added - On the first day of Term three – 12 July

• 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.

On Wednesday 9^th June, students from the Damascus College Green Group and Sustainability Committee conducted a waste audit of a section of the College. We audited the General Waste and Paper Recycling bins. The information collected as a result of the audit will be used by the Sustainability Committee to formulate approaches to waste management and recycling for the College community.

Damascus College has a long and proud tradition, commencing with our three foundation colleges, Sacred Heart, St Paul’s and St Martin’s in the Pines.

As we celebrate our 140 year history, we asked our proud alumni to reflect on why they chose Damascus College for their children, the next generation.

It is heartening to hear that past students want to continue the Damascus tradition of their child experiencing the same education they received, what a wonderful legacy to pass on to our young people.

At Damascus, we pride ourselves on providing a holistic education, where we value the whole person; we meet the young person where they are at and move them forward. Damascus provides opportunities that develop our young people academically, emotionally, spiritually, and socially.

2021 marks the 140 year anniversary of our college, and we joyfully commemorate this milestone throughout the year, as we continue to build on our shared history, since 1881.