I hope you have been able to find some time to reconnect as a family during our circuit breaker weekend. I am conscious that many do not work in schools, but l am hoping that your children have been able to have some time to reset, recharge and relax. These days would have been an excellent opportunity for our senior students to take stock and prepare their materials for the upcoming exams. A gentle reminder that our Unit 4 students will have their trial exams during the September holidays.

At Damascus, we are trying to work with our young people to be able to express their ideas, emotions and feelings in a respectful manner – one that promotes independence and self-respect. Our continued focus on social-emotional learning is designed to develop an awareness of their feelings in times of change and to explore the opportunities to learn and grow. The same opportunities exist for us as adults; for us to stop and reflect on how we are feeling and to take the time to see if there are alternate ways for us to respond, our response in modelling for young people provides their greatest learning opportunities.

This Sunday is the Feast of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven. This feast celebrates Mary as the mother of Jesus, and currently, it enables us to celebrate the importance of our families. With the in and out of lockdown, family support and partnership in education is critical. The Holy family provides a model of family, but we celebrate and recognise the diversity of family within our community, and we pray for the blessing and challenges that family provide.

I want to again thank and extend my gratitude for your understanding in these times of change. No doubt there are a range of needs out there within our community, and if you feel the school can provide some support, please reach out.

I encourage families to reach out to the school if you are concerned about your young person.

Students have submitted their subject selections, and we continue working through the blocking processes regarding what subjects are able to be run and those that cannot.

Last week l attended two of the Year 11 Retreats. I was so impressed by our young people’s willingness to share their faith, their stories and what genuinely made them appreciate the other. We have so much to be proud of at Damascus; our young people have a strong sense of themselves and what it means to live in community with a genuine sense of humility and trust. Let’s continue to build on this sense of humility and openness to the other.

With every blessing