As a College community, we have been excited to have a full week of learning, faith and wellbeing experiences provided for our young people. Our students have returned both excited and challenged to be part of our Damascus community. We have worked together to provide the foundations of a positive academic year where we have clearly established high expectations about behaviour and learning routines.

Some people believe that once a child enters secondary school, we do not have to be active, watchful or engaged as guides for our people. I would like to challenge this thinking; as an educator and father of two young people, this is far from my reality. Young people in secondary school need their parents and caregivers to be active, alert and engaged in their student's education. I encourage you to take an active part in the education process. Ask your child what they are learning, what has challenged them and what they are working on. Inevitably you will get the grunt of ‘nofin,’ but ask and ask again. Students will rise to high expectations and will value your presence and care.

Life habits take forty days to be developed and formed. The best gift we can provide young people is an education that challenges the growth of the academic, social, physical and faith aspects of ourselves. Each one of us is on a journey of continual growth. I am a strong advocate for partnerships between family and home. l seek your support in helping your young person develop regular routines, study habits, work, sleep and eating habits. As family, we have clear routines, we are all busy, but we need to try to create habits in our home that support our young people to achieve their best. Each year we would revisit study habits, sleep hygiene and eating habits with our sons. We would ensure that they went to school having had breakfast, a healthy lunch and a clean and crisp uniform. Once our boys came home, we established homework or study rituals based around their co-curricular activities or commitments. I found that once these habits were established in term one, the remaining terms were set. I urge you to regularly visit the Parent Access Module (PAM), so you can see what tasks are due and the results of assessment tasks.

The most successful students are those who participate in the fullness of College life. Busy people are the happiest people. At Damascus College, we have a plethora of co-curricular activities, from drama, debating, public speaking, Minecraft, sport and music. Each student should commit to undertaking at least one co-curricular activity each term; it is a wonderful opportunity to meet students in their year level and across the College – it is the best form of peer mentoring. If you have a rostered day off from work, try to get to BAS sport early and watch your child compete or sit down in the back and watch the performance.

This year the College has trialled a week of Year 7 events – we have paused the teaching and learning program and have fully engaged in a transition program. We launched our first retreat at the St Brendan’s site and we are excited to see this space evolve. On Monday evening l had the privilege of attending the Year 7 Rice Camp at Log Cabin Camp in Creswick. Camp provides a wonderful opportunity for our young people to connect with their teachers and new friends. Students who remain at the College are participating in important Reading, Writing and Numeracy assessments that will help inform our learning and pedagogy. Furthermore, students will participate in additional transition activities to ensure a successful entry into College life.

On Tuesday evening, our Leaders hosted a VCE/VM Information night. There have been many changes in this space since last year and these evenings are a fabulous opportunity to help make informed decisions in relation to the best pathway for your student.

Next week we have a number of key events on the College calendar that l extend a warm welcome.

It has been a busy time in our rowing regattas, and many events have been held. I encourage you to come along, support our athletes and register to volunteer to assist at one or some of these events.

Damascus College Opening Mass

Parents and carers are invited to attend our annual Damascus College Opening Mass.

Date: Friday 23 February 2024

Time: 11.15am for an 11.30am start

Venue: Damascus College | John Shannon Centre

If you would like to attend, please RSVP to principal@damascus.vic.edu.au by Thursday 22 February.

Last week each family received a list of our staff, their emails and respective roles. I encourage you to reach out to our staff if you have concerns about your student. Damascus College prides itself on our relationships; please continue to work in partnership with us. We also supplied another document advising key dates; I encourage you to print the handout and place it on your fridge so you can be reminded of our key events.

As we navigate through the challenging second week in the quest to find Samantha Murphy, I ask you to embrace the Murphy family with the strength of your prayers for a positive resolution.

We understand that this is a distressing time for many in our school community and I encourage any family who feels they or their children would benefit from our College support services to contact their student’s Teacher Advisor, House Leader or Counselling Team on 5337 2222.

I would like to acknowledge the staff and community support through ongoing search parties as we hope and pray for a positive outcome.

Yesterday, we conducted the Academic Assembly for 2023 VCAL and Unit 3/4 students in the Damascus Events Centre. Senior VCE and VCAL students who achieved outstanding results in both programs were recognised and celebrated in front of the College community. We congratulate all Graduating students from our class of 2023 on their individual achievements and successes.

Today (Wednesday, 15 February 2024) is Ash Wednesday, and globally, the Catholic community are being marked with ashes from the Earth as a sign of humility. From Ash Wednesday, Lent is the 46 days that follow until the blessed celebration of Easter, the zenith of belief for Christian people.

Here at Damascus College, we look to the period of Lent to support the fundraising activity for Project Compassion across the College. The College has a wonderful reputation as supporters of social justice. Project Compassion is the annual appeal for Caritas Australia, which is the Catholic Church’s International Aid Organisation. The community’s support of Project Compassion throughout Lent has been very generous over recent years, and we hope to continue that in 2024.

Lent is a time of preparation for Easter. We encourage our students to reflect on how they can give time, talents or treasure over this period.

Time in prayer or personal reflection about their relationship with God

Talents; the sharing of their personal gifts or talents to benefit others

Treasure; charity or almsgiving to support those in need

At home, you may like to engage in the conversation about how this Lent as a family, you may be able to give Time, Treasure or Talents.

Catchup student photos were held on Friday, 9 February 2024. If your student has not had their photo taken, please contact MSP Photography directly on 5333 5577 to arrange a time at the studio for your student’s photo to be taken.

The annual House Swimming carnival will be held on Thursday, 29 February 2024 at the Eureka Swimming Pool. Students must wear their PE uniform to school but may wear an appropriate House coloured top, supporting their House. Students will be transported by bus to and from the venue, are expected to attend TA in the morning and return to the John Shannon Centre (JSC) at the conclusion of the day for announcements, before making their way home in the usual means. As with every school day, the Swimming Carnival is a compulsory activity for all students and provides an excellent opportunity for students to Be.Their.Best! Not everyone is a talented swimmer, but there are a diverse range of activities to encourage student participation. We remind families that the College encourages students to be Sun Smart for this event, in that they wear a hat and use and reapply sunscreen throughout the day. We would encourage families to reiterate this message with their students on the day.

It is not uncommon for students to pressure parents and carers not to attend school on sports days, but it is imperative that parents/carers stand firm and point out that community events are an important opportunity to learn and build both team and school spirit. Our focus throughout our sports program across the College is on participation. The team with the greatest level of participation has invariably been recognised as the overall winner at the carnival. Students who do not attend school on Thursday, 29 February 2024 without a legitimate reason may not be eligible to attend College formals or extracurricular activities. We look forward to welcoming our families to the pool as spectators. We do ask that you sign in and out when visiting. As mentioned above, students will be brought back to school for regular dismissal.

At last, the College has been greeted by the gentle breeze of summer. Our Year 7 students will enjoy a beautiful week of weather in their transition program of Camp, Reflection Day and College based activities.

Our prayers and thoughts continue to go out to the Murphy family and the many volunteers that are assisting in the search for Sam. The College is aware of the feelings of uncertainty that many members of our community are currently feeling. In our Mercy tradition and faith-based approach to trauma, the College Chapel has been open for students and our Counselling Team continue to offer supports for those students that require it.

I have included below information provided by the Diocese of Ballarat Catholic Education Limited on how communities, parents and families can support each other after a distressing event has occurred. I would encourage you to use this document to open conversations with the young people around you. Please feel free to reach out to your student’s TA if you require additional information or have concerns on the wellbeing of your student.

After a distressing event has happened

Information for communities, parents and caregivers

Is this a common reaction?

It is common to feel upset. It’s important to talk to people you trust about how you are feeling, and take extra care of yourself. Acknowledge that you have been through a highly stressful event, and notice how you are feeling. Try and get good sleep and rest, eat good food and try to make time for things that make you feel safe.

Being impacted by distressing events can impact our bodies, our brains and our relationships. While some people experience a range of reactions, it’s important to remember that most people recover well from distressing events over time with support from their family, friends and community.

Some of the physical impacts of stress that you may experience can include:

• Trouble sleeping
• Muscle tension
• Exacerbation of pre-existing conditions (such as arthritis or asthma)
• Headaches and nausea
• Feeling restless
• Finding it hard to concentrate or problem solve
• Feeling a wide range of emotions, like anger, sadness, fear, helplessness and guilt

These are common reactions to the types of stress that disasters cause. For most people, these effects will fade over time, but if they are still present 4-6 weeks after the event it is important to seek help.

Should I watch the news?

During and after a distressing event, it’s natural to want to access as much information as possible.

However, it’s a balance to make sure you’re getting the information that you need without over exposing yourself to harmful effects of repeatedly seeing or hearing stressful information. For many people, too much media exposure can increase feelings of distress.

Minimising exposure to stressful or traumatic images and sounds is particularly important for children.

Some tips for limiting your exposure to stressful media include:

• Video and photographic footage can be especially distressing
• Don’t watch stressful footage repetitively
• Use news sources which are more likely to provide you the information that you need, rather than news sources which are repeating distressing stories or footage
• Children may misunderstand information that they have seen in the media. Talk to your children about what information they have seen in the news, and help explain the information they have heard in an age appropriate way.

How can I help my friends and family?

Distressing events can feel very overwhelming. Despite the enormity of the impacts, most people recover well from a disaster with the support of their friends, families, colleagues and neighbours.

When wanting to help loved ones, some people feel unsure about how they can best help, and worry that they may do the wrong thing. There are some simple things that you can do to support your friends and family members.

• Spend time with your family and friends.
• Offer support and listen.
• Be patient with people who have been impacted.
• Give people the time, space and patience that they need.
• Don’t be afraid to ask people how you can help.

How can I look after myself?

Helping and supporting others through distressing events such as disasters can be stressful in itself.

Communities, volunteers, friends and family members who are helping those who have been affected by a disaster also need to take care of themselves.

Some tips:

• Get good rest.
• Watch your diet and physical health.
• Look after your relationships. Communicate with people close to you and accept or ask for their support if it helps you or your children.
• Do things that make you happy. As much as possible, take part in activities and interests that make you feel good.
• Stay connected with your community, neighbours and other groups. Don’t become isolated, as an individual or as a family.

What do I tell the kids?

It’s very common for parents to worry about their children after a distressing event. Most parents worry about whether the behaviours their children are showing are commonly felt, and how they can best support them.

While a range of reactions in children is common, the strongest predictor of how children will recover is how the important adults in their life recover, so it’s important that adults look after themselves. Think about it like putting on an oxygen mask when you’re on a plane – you have to look after yourself first so that you can help other people.

How can I help my children cope?

After distressing events parents want to support their children in responding to and dealing with the events. Here are some tips.

What might be helpful:

• Make sure you take care of yourself
• listen to what they have to say. Answer their questions
• help children understand what happened. Be honest. Use information based on facts, not rumour or hope
• reassure them about the future
• re-involve children in chores and responsibilities as soon as they can cope with them again
• try to keep a regular routine (reading before bed, eating dinner together, watching TV together)
• encourage play and fun
• make time for the family to be together and enjoy each other's company. Laugh
• be open about your thoughts and feelings. Children will be aware of them anyway
• allow emotions to be shared in the family but in a way which does not overwhelm
• let children cry, hang around you or the house, be clinging or physically close
• and praise children when appropriate.

What is less helpful:

• demand that children be brave or tough
• expect them to 'get over it' quickly
• expect them to take on responsibilities beyond their capability
• get angry if they show strong emotions
• force them to tell their stories or probe for personal details
• make promises you might not be able to keep
• bottle things up - try to express emotions openly, without overwhelming children
• pretend that you are okay

These agencies may be able to provide additional help if you are experiencing difficulties coping after a distressing event has happened:

Contact your local doctor /GP Phone Lifeline on 13 11 14

Phone Beyondblue on 1300 22 4636

Phone Kids Helpline on 1800 551

Children of the AI Revolution: Rethinking Education from the Ground Up

The rapid pace of AI development promises to fundamentally reshape society in the coming years. As AI transforms how we work, socialise and even think, today's students will come of age in a world altered in ways we can barely envision. Education systems now face an unprecedented challenge: not only preparing young people for an AI-powered future but nurturing them to help ethically shape its trajectory for the common good. Successfully steering the seismic societal shifts of the AI revolution requires developing both students' humanity and their technical capabilities in a holistic manner. This begins with courageously re-examining ingrained assumptions and structures in order to re-centre human relationships, wisdom and agency at the heart of education.

The standard model of schooling largely evolved to meet the needs of the industrial era by delivering factory-line workers prizing obedience and routine skills. While once effective, this outdated approach now stifles the very creative, collaborative, and social aptitudes that will be increasingly critical in the AI age. The pandemic has further strained this precarious model to a breaking point, disrupting essential human connections and leaving many students stressed, disengaged, and emotionally distressed.

Rather than simply restoring this status quo, we have an obligation to dig deeper and reimagine education for the AI era and beyond. This could include rethinking ingrained structures like the conventional academic calendar, subject silos, standardised curricula and overemphasis on ATAR scores as the key measure of success. More flexible, passion-driven learning approaches like micro-credentialing provide promising pathways to empower personalised learning aligned with students' interests and future prospects. Mainstreaming social-emotional learning across all interactions is equally vital to nurture the ethics and humanity that technology cannot replace.

Well-designed technology can support more personalised learning if guided by humanistic aims, not efficiency or scale. However, we must be cautious about over-relying on AI in the classroom. Machine tutors cannot cultivate the profound social-emotional wisdom essential to human development. The deepest gifts of education come through relationship-building, developing agency and purpose, and mentoring the human spirit - not content delivery.

Redesigning education to empower learners requires boldly re-envisioning schooling centred on human relationships and wisdom. This begins with trusting young people's agency and potential. Our students will inherit enormous opportunities and risks. By instilling social-emotional intelligence and sound moral judgement, we can empower youth to direct the AI revolution toward promoting justice, sustainability and human dignity. Therein lies our hope for the future.

Watch this space for how Damascus College will contribute to this necessary reimagining of education to prepare our students for the opportunities and responsibilities of the AI era!

Preparing for the Season of Lent

This week we prepare for the Season of Lent. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent and is always 46 days before Easter Sunday. The day gets its name from the ancient tradition of using ashes to draw a cross on the forehead of people attending Church as a sign of mortality and sorrow for transgressions. This day marks the first step in preparing our hearts to commemorate Christ’s death and celebrate his resurrection.

On Ash Wednesday the College will gather for a liturgy and the distribution of ashes. The Year 7 students on Camp or Reflection Day will also gather in their respective spaces for an Ash Wednesday liturgy.

Project Compassion Diocesan Launch

On Sunday, 11 February 2024 our College Captains, Paris Govan and Lucas Wells, attended the 2024 Project Compassion Launch with Mrs Cathryn Prunty. Bishop Paul Bird commissioned the student leaders as Project Compassion Ambassadors.

This is the first of many activities to support the work of Caritas in their global mission of caring for people less fortunate us.

Year 7 Reflection Days

This week marks the start of the Year 7 Alternative Program at Damascus College, where students go on camp to Creswick and the Year 7 Reflection Days are held across the week at Dunnstown.

Pictured here are the Year 7 St Martin students at Dunnstown. These students are the first Damascus students to use the St Brendan’s site for learning since St Brendan’s Primary School closed at the end of 2023.

The morning commenced with presentations on the long and proud history of Damascus College, dating back to 1881 with the commencement of Sacred Heart College, St Paul's Technical College and St Martin's in the Pines. Many wonderful questions were asked by the Year 7 students, as it was a chance for our newest members of the community to understand the College history and develop a sense of pride in a tradition of which they are now a part of.

It is wonderful to see the commencement of a much larger journey for the Damascus community in Dunnstown.

The College Auditorium was a buzz earlier this week as the Performing Arts Department launched this year’s school production.

This year the Department aims to present three separate opportunities for performance with this first show ‘The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon being open to students of all year levels.

‘The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon is a wild, free-form comedy with lots of audience participation and madcap fun. Two narrators attempt to recreate all 209 of the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm in a wild, fast-paced extravaganza. To make it more difficult, they attempt to combine them into one gigantic fable using Rapunzel, Rumpelstiltskin, Hansel and Gretel, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and other more obscure stories like Lean Lisa and The Devil's Grandmother.

An ensemble cast of successful auditionees will zip from story and on the way discover the origin stories of some of literature’s most well-known characters. The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon is an ideal option for this year’s School Production due to its flexible casting, inventive storytelling and good roles for strong comedic actors.

There were many reasons for this year’s choice said Performing Arts Coordinator and production director Andrew Seeary

Primarily it will be fun. While the ultimate goal is directed to a season of live performances to an audience it is the process, which is often overlooked as far as its importance. The act of simply auditioning is a game changer for some students sense of self and emerging confidence. It is in the environment of the rehearsal room where students not only learn new skills and techniques but can learn the power of teamwork and collaboration. The barriers of year levels are often quickly forgotten as new friendships are created in an environment that is both supportive and nurturing.

Auditions will be held over the next week. Once cast rehearsals will take on Tuesday and Thursday afterschool for the remainder of Term 1

Languages Learning Area Leader Report

French and Indonesian are the two Languages other than English that are offered here at Damascus College. Both are truly international languages, with Indonesian emerging just recently as being declared one of the ten official language of UNESCO. Of course, French has already been deeply entrenched as a top global language for centuries. It is hoped that students continue their studies in language beyond the compulsory years and take their language study on as elective beyond Year 9.

Historically, students who have graduated with language all the way to VCE have been truly top students, both academically as well as outside of the classroom. The VCE class of 2023 is to be congratulated upon their success; and eleven students completed VCE French or Indonesian. Out of six students of French, half the class scored study scores of 40 or above, which is a magnificent effort. I congratulate in particular, Madame Alysoun Smalley, for her expertise at teaching the Year 12s in 2023, with all the other teachers of both languages who have shaped the students’ journeys over the years.

Something big that is happening in Indonesia at the moment…

INDONESIA’S MASSIVE 2024 GENERAL ELECTIONS

Indonesians are going to the polls on February 14 in what is dubbed a “festival of democracy”. They will be choosing not only a new president and vice president but also parliamentary and local representatives in the world’s largest single-day election.

More than 204 million of Indonesia’s 270 million people are registered to vote, and while voting is not compulsory, election day is a public holiday so turnout is generally high. There are 18 national political parties across Indonesia, with 575 parliamentary seats up for grabs.

Who are the key candidates?

The current Indonesian president, Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, has already served the maximum two five-year terms in office, so this year’s election will mark the first change in leadership in 10 years. The three candidates for the new presidency are:

• Prabowo Subianto, 72. Indonesia’s current defence minister. Prabowo is widely regarded as the frontrunner in these elections. Controversial history as a former military strongman.
• Ganjar Pranowo, 55. The former governor of Central Java is also a member of the PDI-P, a political party that is headed by Megawati Sukarnoputri, the nation’s fifth president and daughter of Indonesia’s first president, Sukarno.
• Anies Baswedan, 54. The former governor of Jakarta running an independent was educated in the US, entered academia before politics and later became an education minister.

What are the key issues in these elections?

Basically: cost of living, employment and human rights.

As in many countries around the world, Indonesians’ main concern is the cost of living and being able to provide for themselves and their families. Economic growth has slowed in 2023 compared to the year before, mostly as a result of weak exports and lower commodity prices.

With people under 40 making up about half the total number of registered voters, employment is a key concern. The unemployment rate has been increasing again. In August 2023 it was at 5.32 percent.

Other issues include human rights and democratic decline in Indonesia, with student protests flaring across university campuses in recent weeks as staff and students at some of Indonesia’s largest and most prominent universities have spoken out about the need for fair and transparent elections.

What happens on Election Day 14 February?

Any Indonesian citizen who is 17 or older can vote. All voters will be given five different ballot papers to choose presidential and vice presidential candidates, as well as representatives at national, provincial, regional, and regency and city levels. Depending on the area, some polling stations are likely to see long queues as voters turn out early in an effort to escape the searing Indonesian heat that builds throughout the day. Once they have voted, every voter dips their little finger in indelible ink to guard against casting multiple votes. Members of the Indonesian police and the military are banned from voting.

What happens after 14 February?

Presidential candidates need 50 percent of the overall vote and at least 20 percent of votes in each province in order to claim victory. Political parties need four percent of the vote in order to enter parliament. For example, Prabowo who is leading the polls may not be able to claim an outright win in the first round. If no single candidate passes the 50 percent threshold, the top two candidate pairs will go into a second and final round on June 26.

The new president will be inaugurated in October. We might have to wait until then to find out!

Adapted from: Aljazeera News Service https://www.aljazeera.com

At Damascus College, we believe that education is a partnership between families and the school. We want all our students to reach their full potential and Be.Their.Best.

That's why we have partnered with Elevate Education to provide workshops for our VCE students in Years 11 and 12. Elevate helps students develop critical skills like study habits, motivation, and exam preparation.

But we can't do it alone. Parents/carers play a huge role in supporting their student’s education. So, we are excited to invite you to join Elevate's free parent webinar series this term!

These interactive webinars will give you insights and practical tips to help your student succeed. You'll learn how to motivate them, manage their time, make technology an ally, and improve their memory.

Let's partner together to help them Be.Their.Best. Register now for the webinar series, and let's do this.

At the end of the session, Elevate will also be running a live Q&A. This will give parents/carers the chance to ask any questions they have about helping their student start the new school year with a positive attitude.

Elevate Education delivers high-impact workshops to our students that help to develop their study skills, motivation, and exam preparation. Over the next term, you're invited to join their parent webinar series, where you can help support your student at home by reinforcing the skills they're learning at school.

Elevate Education's Term 1 Parent Webinar Series:

Webinar 1: How to Get (and Keep!) Your Child Motivated

Date: Wednesday, 14 February 2024

Time: 6:30pm - 7:30pm

Webinar 2: How You Can Help Your Child Manage Their Time

Date: Wednesday, 28 February 2024

Time: 6:30pm – 7:30pm

Webinar 3: How You Can Make Technology an Ally

Date: Wednesday, 13 March 2024

Time: 6:30pm – 7:30pm

Webinar 4: How You Can Help Improve Your Child's Memory

Date: Wednesday, 27 March 2024

Time: 6:30pm – 7:30pm

Register today at https://go.elevateeducation.com/auschoolwebinars

Hi everyone and welcome to 2024. It was fantastic to see all those new Year 7 faces on the first day. As well as those new to mainly Year 11 and 12. It is great to see them finishing the secondary schooling in the best school in Ballarat!

2024 sees a number of new staff in the Humanities learning area. A great mixture of graduate and experienced teachers. We have some experienced teachers coming into our VCE classes and lots of enthusiasm for our Year 7 to 10 classes. Jasmine Beaumont, Narelle Dixon, Andrea Hadley, Tegan Heinrich-Morrison, Alan Ng, Jessica Simon, Rachael Thompson. We couldn’t forget Adrain Newman who finally comes into Humanities from Science/Re. Welcome one and all.

In Year 7 our students are introduced to values and the Australian Identity. This fits in beautifully with their camp this week and their introduction to Damascus College. Year 8 are continuing to look at Geography and megacities. The Year 9 students are Investigating the Industrial Revolution of the 17 and 1800’s. They will go to Sovereign Hill to see how the Industrial Revolution impacted the Goldfields in such a short time. The Year 10 students should be finishing their Careers work ready for Work Experience in term 2.

At VCE we offer Legal Studies, Geography, Business Management and History.

Anyway have a great 2024 – remember without Geography you’ll be lost…without History you will have no past…without Business Management you’ll have no money and without Legal Studies you might just have no rights whatsoever. Good luck for 2024 and work smart and hard.

What a busy start to 2024 it has been for Technology students and staff at Damascus College. We welcome Amy O'Loughlin teacher of Textiles and Food and Peter Hexter teacher of Woodwork and Metalwork. They make up part of our wonderful team of 17 teaching staff and 3 teacher assistants.

Why is the Technology Learning Area important?

(According to Hodson 1990) "Practical work can motivate students, stimulate their interest in learning and teaching, enhance the learning of scientific knowledge, give them experience in using scientific knowledge and widen their way of thinking".

In today's world, Technology subjects play an essential role in providing students with 21st-century skills that will help professionals now and in the future better navigate a career in the modern workplace. These skills include;

• Critical thinking and problem-solving
• Creativity and innovation
• Collaboration and teamwork
• Communication
• Information literacy
• Media literacy
• Technology literacy
• Flexibility and adaptability
• Leadership and responsibility
• Initiative and self-direction

The Technology Learning Area is made up of a range of subjects, including Textiles, Metal, Wood, Food, Electronics and Digital Technologies. Students experience each of these subjects in years 7-8, before selecting subjects to further explore as part of their pathways in years 9-10. Technology subjects also offer a practical hands-on experience as students undertake VCE.

Over the initial 2 weeks students have begun work on completing relevant safety modules. Students have also been keenly investigating and designing in preparation for practical activities.

One of the highlights of the start of this year has been the purchase and commissioning of a Laser cutter. This piece of equipment will provide students with the opportunity to use a valuable tool for precise design work that is commonly used in industry. Staff are participating in training this week and will incorporate this resource into classes over the semester.

Matt Allan - LAL Technology

Reaching the end of Week 3, we are reminded of the quick pace of school life here at Damascus. Already it feels like we’ve befriended our new colleagues in the English department, and it has been thrilling to hear such positive feedback from students and staff about the wonderful new members of the English team. We officially welcome Jess Simon; Tegan Heinrich-Morrison; Steven East; Andrea Hadley; Mikhaila Picone; Alan Ng; Rachael Thompson; Jazz Beaumont and Geraldine Ewing to our 2024 team. Some of these staff have already worked with us in 2023, making a strong impression. All of these staff bring energy, vibrancy and a fresh perspective on how we can enliven our English curriculum.

Because it is a short term, I want to take the opportunity to remind parents and students of the essential need to cultivate good habits of organisation and time-management in English. We need parents’ support to ensure English folders are stocked with looseleaf, textbooks are being used for home study, diaries are being checked regularly and students are asking for help with early practise writing pieces. As supportive parents, it’s a fabulous idea to read the set texts to your own offer insights and ensure students can ask for assistance when they need it. I remind students to consult the College Diary to see our recommendations around the duration of home study at each Year Level.

This year, we will offer English Enrichment classes for a select group of students in Years 7, 8 and 9. We aim to have the program up and running in the not-too-distant future to address the learning needs of everyone in English. And, for the first time, we have book-listed Education Perfect which is a very useful tool for revision and consolidation of core language skills. Please encourage students to ask their teacher for guidance on how to log in to Education Perfect. Finally, it’s worth noting that our first Year 12 English Enrichment classes started this week with a healthy turn out. Please come along, if interested: 8am Wednesdays in 4309.

We are full of optimism about the year to come.

Student Growth and Engagement Team Notice

RE: Academic concerns of your child and new diagnosis

As we settle in to the first couple of weeks at Damascus College we thought it would be a good opportunity to introduce the Student Growth and Engagement Team.

• Laura Kimm (Transition and Year 7 Student Growth and Engagement Coordinator)
  l.kimm@damascus.vic.edu.au
• Patricia Brown (Year 8 and 9 Student Growth and Engagement Coordinator)
  p.brown@damascus.vic.edu.au
• Rachel Wallbank (Year 10, 11 and 12 Student Growth and Engagement Coordinator)
  r.wallbank@damascus.vic.edu.au
• Matthew Hallowell (Student Growth and Engagement Leader)
  m.hallowell@damscus.vic.edu.au

For families with educational concerns about their student, please reach out to your student’s Teacher Advisor. The Teacher Advisor can work with the student to develop strategies to use within the classroom. Where appropriate, students will be referred to the Student Growth and Engagement Team, where diagnostic screening may be conducted. From there, appropriate interventions will be implemented, and if necessary, students will be referred to Catholic Education Ballarat to gain more information on how a student can be appropriately supported in the classroom.

The Student Growth and Engagement team would also recommend ensuring that your child’s vision and hearing is not impeding their ability to learn. If you haven’t had these tested in the last 12 months we would encourage you to get these tested. There are a number of optometrists in Ballarat who Bulk Bill. You can also book in a low-cost hearing test with an audiologist to ensure your child’s hearing is not impaired. If you obtain a referral from your regular GP it will be cheaper for you. Should your student be referred to the Student Growth and Engagement team for further testing these reports will be required before we can proceed further.

If your family has received a new diagnosis over the break, kindly contact the respective coordinator to establish a Personal Learning Plan (PLP) for your student. The College is actively addressing social-emotional concerns, such as anxiety. We urge you to initiate this communication promptly for proactive support in your student's education endeavours.

For students previously funded under the NCCD resources will continue to be allocated under the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD). Damascus College will continue to make reasonable adjustments, where needed, to assist students with a disability in accessing and participating in education free from discrimination and on the same basis as other students in line with the Disability Discrimination Act 1992.

The Student Growth and Engagement team looks forward to working with you, your student, teachers and Learning Support Officers (LSOs) to ensure the appropriate supports are in place to assist learning and growth.

If you have any specific questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the relevant Coordinator or Matthew Hallowell, Student Growth and Engagement Team Leader.

The Student Growth and Engagement Team

2024 NCCD Information Sheet parents

At the end of the 2023 school year, the Year 11 Modern History students (including me) were fortunate to hear from Bill Akell and William Dobell (my grandfather) about their experiences of the Vietnam War. Throughout the course of Term Three (2023), the class had been learning about the Cold War from our wonderful History teacher Mrs. de Zoete-Spiero (while Mr. Bawden was on long-service leave). After learning about the Vietnam War, I talked with Mrs. de about having my grandfather and his friend who fought in Vietnam, come to talk to our class.

Mrs. de jumped at the chance when my grandfather said he and his friend were both available to come in. My grandfather and Bill both offered in-depth explanations about their experiences, with Bill talking extensively on The Battle of Long Tan (Australia’s most costly battle in Vietnam) which he fought in. The class and I hung on to their every word as they painted a picture of what life was like for the Australian soldiers who fought in the Vietnam War. I still can’t fathom that they went to war when they were only 2 years older than what I am now.

I think I speak for my whole class when I say that the talk was very enlightening and offered a new perspective on war veterans, the way they fought, and what they gave for us.

Ben Watt

We are desperately seeking support from the greater Ballarat Community to keep Woady with the ability to offer a place for junior kids to play football.

In 2022 our club achieved an affiliated membership within the Ballarat Football League and every year we are required to grow numbers for footballers. This year we need under 13 (both boys and girls) players to keep our place in the Ballarat Football 2024 Winter Competition.

Woady is a club that truly gives all kids a go. All players are treated equal and its a environment that parents can be confident in that their children are valued for their best efforts irrespective of the result when the siren goes. We have created such a wonderful culture but our community is tiny. Our home ground is only 12 minutes away from DTC! We also have the most affordable fees within one of the best competitions with the opportunity to support any families struggling to enrol kids that want to play!