The St Brendan's Programme at Damascus College for 2025

The St Brendan's Programme at Damascus College is set to be an innovative and transformative educational experience for our Year 8 students in 2025. Building on the College's commitment to fostering compassionate, engaged, and empowered young people, this program promises to be a pivotal journey in their academic and personal growth.

Vision Statement

The St Brendan's Programme aims to develop students who are empowered, engaged, and energised, ready to make a positive impact on the world. Rooted in the values of the Sisters of Mercy, students will cultivate a strong sense of purpose, self-belief, and hope, seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary. They will be equipped with critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, and communication skills, preparing them to navigate and shape a just, sustainable, and enriching future.

Programme Highlights

• Three Thematic Projects:

The program is anchored in two immersive learning projects focused on Leadership, Stewardship, and Social Justice. These themes align with the values of Mercy and aim to engage students in real-world problem-solving.

• Leadership:

Projects will foster leadership skills through group initiatives, public speaking, and community service, encouraging students to lead with compassion and moral purpose.

• Stewardship:

Students will learn to be responsible stewards of their community and environment through hands-on sustainability and conservation projects.

• Social Justice:

Social justice projects will enable students to analyze societal issues, understand root causes, and develop solutions to advocate for positive change.

• Integrated Learning Spheres:

The programme integrates four key spheres—Focused Learning through Critical and Creative Thinking, Cultural Awareness and Global Citizenship, Mercy Tradition and Transformative Action, and Spiritual Formation—to provide a holistic educational experience.

• Project-Based Learning:

Students will engage in 2 project-based learnings across three domains—Environment (STEM), Culture (Humanities/Language/RE), and Lifestyle (HPE). These projects are designed to align with the Victorian Curriculum standards for Year 8, ensuring a rigorous and relevant educational experience.

Introducing the New Timetable

The programme will run in structured 4-week cycles, with each group of students rotating through the two thematic projects. Each project will run for 8 days in a 10-day cycle, allowing for deep engagement and exploration of each theme. One day in each cycle will be reserved for a discovery day for students focused on respectful relationships, cultural and STEM activities.

Monitoring and Evaluation

To ensure that learning is both meaningful and measurable, the St Brendan's Programme will incorporate various methods of monitoring and evaluation:

• Reflective Journals:

Students will maintain journals to reflect on their learning experiences, enhancing their self-awareness and critical thinking skills.

• Project Evaluations:

Each project will culminate in a presentation or demonstration, providing students with the opportunity to showcase their learning and receive constructive feedback.

• Regular Assessments:

Literacy and numeracy will be embedded in the projects, with regular assessments to track student progress and mastery.

Engagement with Community

The programme will actively engage the Damascus College community, including staff, families, and the Dunnstown and Wadawurrung communities. This engagement will be expressed through family workshops, end-of-term student showcases, and collaborative projects that connect students with their local environment and heritage.

Summary of Key Points

• Vision:
• Empower, engage, and energize students to make a positive difference in the world.
• Core Themes:
• Leadership, Stewardship, and Social Justice.
• Integrated Spheres:
• Critical thinking, global citizenship, Mercy tradition, and spiritual formation.
• Project-Based Learning:
• Three key projects across Environment, Culture, and Lifestyle.
• New Timetable:
• Structured 4-5-week projects rotations with dedicated planning days.
• Evaluation:
• Reflective journals, project evaluations, and regular assessments.
• Community Engagement:
• Collaboration with families and local communities.