It seems crazy that our student population have their last full week of classes this week. We have a busy last couple of weeks before student’s finish - next Wednesday 25^th Nov the staff have a professional practice day and it is a student free day preceding our Early Start Program commencing on Thursday 26^th Nov. Orientation Day for our 2021 Year 7 students will take place on Tuesday 1^st December. This is also a student free day for the College, to enable the optimal conditions for our newest community members to learn about their new school. Students’ final day for 2020 will be Friday 4^th December.

As mentioned our Early Start Program kicks off on Thursday 26^th November for all current students. Within the Early Start Program students will progress to the next year level for the final five school days in 2020. Students will commence their new pathways subjects and will be in their new core groups. I remind families’ that they have been notified of the booklist for English novels for this period. The purpose of the program is to ensure that learning opportunities are optimised to the very last day of the year for all students, and that students are getting the best learning experience possible at Damascus. Where staff are leaving the College they will begin the classes for the teacher who will succeed them in 2021. Where new staff are able to join us, they have been engaged for the Early Start Program. Students of families who are relocating or moving to other schools will be aligned with a class for the last week of the year, and students who are moving off to employment or non-secondary educational settings will conclude classes on Tuesday 24^th November.

Student timetables will be available through SIMON and PAM throughout the day next Wednesday 25^th Nov. It will be important to note the days that students have PE to ensure students are appropriately equipped for their classes.

Senior school exams are in full flight and we keep our Year 11 and 12 students in our prayers. I am aware of the first of the Year 12 students completing their final exam tomorrow and while others still have exams scheduled for up to the next two weeks, I congratulate those whose journey is finished. Our Applied Learning Coordinator, Belinda Dwyer advised me that the last Year 12 VCAL student satisfied their final outcomes this week, so I congratulate the Year 12 VCAL cohort on their success, and thank the staff team for their support.

Assessment is in full swing in all other year levels and I encourage families to talk with your young people about the pressures of meeting deadlines and to use the Parent Access Module (PAM) as a guide to support your young person’s demands.

Year 9 to 11 students are working through a range of sessions next week to support their study habits, as we move into the Early Start Program. Year 9 students are learning about Memory Mnemonics. Year 11 VCE students are focussing on study skills and Year 11 VCAL students are undertaking a session on effective time management.

Year 9 students returned exhausted from camp last week, but full of positive accounts of their experience. I thank Camps Coordinator, Tamzin Perkins and all the staff who facilitated this opportunity for our Year 9 students.

This weekend the Damascus Sustainable Racing Team (SRT) are conducting a COVID safe teams challenge here at school. This event coincides with the weekend where students would typically have gone to Maryborough for the Energy Breakthrough competition. The team have constructed two stationary recumbent trainers with electronic KIKR systems that allow a virtual race to be ridden (riders view a screen). One trainer will be used for the SRT team and the other for the school community to compete against each other in a friendly way. Students have been invited to compete against the SRT team over the 12 hour event on Saturday. I congratulate our sustainable racers and wish them well for this weekend’s event.

Members of our rowing squad are also joining a distance competition around Lake Wendouree this weekend and we wish them well as they take on this challenge.

I have a book currently sitting on my desk by Michael McGirr titled “Finding God’s Traces” the scripture reference for yesterday left me reflecting on the important role of friends. The Scripture came from the Gospel of Mark 2:3-4

³ Some men came, bringing to him a paralysed man, carried by four of them. ⁴ Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on.

McGirr challenged me and I in turn encourage you to reflect on the significant effort of the four men to bring the sick man to see Jesus. They climbed onto a roof with him and removed a section of the roof to lower him down, so the sick man could reach Jesus. The four men clearly had a deep affection for this person, to go such lengths. This led me to think about those friends of mine who I would go to such lengths if they needed it. Equally, it challenged me to flip my thinking and to put myself in the place of the sick man. Who are the people who would put themselves out for me and how would I feel to seek such help? Friendship is very important to our young people (and older people too!). Adolescent peer pressure has its foundation in acceptance and a desire to be liked. In a community we seek to have friends, but to also live in a way that enables us to be friends through our actions and support. In unpacking the pressures young people often face with regard to friendship, it is important to discuss the attributes of friendship and examine how we can develop these throughout adolescence. Also, as grateful people, it is important to acknowledge our friends and let them know how much they mean to us - for any of us may be the sick person needing help one day!

We remember the Sisters of Mercy and the extended McGrath family who are grieving the passing of Sr Kate McGrath. Kate was a former director of Damascus College principal of diocesan primary schools including St James. We remember Sr Kate in our prayers.

We also keep the family of Matilda Lloyd,(Year 12) in our thoughts and prayers as the grieve the passing of Matilda’s paternal grandfather. Our thoughts and prayers also go out to the family of Erynn Vella (Year 12) as they grieve the death of her paternal grandmother. May God’s love bring comfort to all those who mourn.

Until next week ….

MATT