Pray for Renewal and Fresh Beginnings

Dear God,

As I return to school for another year,

Help me to be curious about the world around me.

Help me to be prepared for the challenges I face each day.

Help me to be open to difficult tasks.

Help me to be determined to complete my work.

Help me to be responsible in all I do.

Help me to be accepting of people’s differences.

Help me to be kind in my thoughts and words.

Help me to be aware of my talents.

Help me to be myself – to be the best that I can be.

Amen.

Welcome to our first edition of Damascus News! I hope you have had a restful Christmas, where you have been able to connect with family and friends and were nourished by the Spirit of the Holy Season. Christmas is a time to celebrate our families, friends and loved ones. May you be blessed with a year filled with much joy, growth and sustainable relationships.

This year the College is trialling a new format for Damascus News; it will be published fortnightly and will contain important information from all members of our College Leadership Team, Learning Areas, Faith and Wellbeing. It is each of these spheres that contribute to the growth of our wonderful community. We have been privileged to continue the work of our pioneering schools and the dedication and commitment of the Sisters of Mercy, our Diocesan parishes, and the Greater Ballarat community.

As a leadership team, we continue to honour and respect our founders but challenge ourselves to continue to be leaders in the education of young people. Our Founders and pioneers challenged the status quo and valued the place of learning and working in partnership with families to provide learning that is relevant, enriching and sustaining to one’s mind, body and faith.

The College Leadership Team began this year with a three-day Leadership Retreat with Dr David Paul, a lecturer and consultant in Change Management from New South Wales. David has worked with many state, national and international organisations promoting growth, challenge and innovation. As a Leadership Team, we have a mandate to continue to work at the edges to further promote and develop a faith-learning community that ensures each community member is named, known and respected. David and the Leadership Team have worked tirelessly to ensure that we are able to be our best! Our Leadership Team will continue to model best practices and to grow as leaders in learning, faith and wellbeing.

At the start of the year, the staff were involved in two days of professional learning. I thank our community for working with us and enabling us to have this privileged time. Our staff participated in several workshops that explored our faith, contemporary student wellbeing, using data to inform our classroom practice and how our staff can construct learning experiences that meet the needs of all learners in the classroom. I thank the staff who led the workshops and shared their wisdom and craft with our staff.

Tuesday morning was both exciting and exhilarating for our community, where we welcomed our Year 7 and 12 students. The day enabled our Year 7 students to settle into the College and be inducted into our practices and the demands of secondary school. I am grateful for the work of all staff, but l would like to acknowledge the work of Ms Laura Kimm, who developed a wonderful transition program for our Year 7 students.

Wednesday we welcomed the entire community and began our day with a student-led assembly. Again l was filled with pride to see how our students returned with Damascus energy, humility and joy. At the assembly, l introduced a new ritual – a contemporary song that would stimulate and motivate us to explore our College theme and be inspirational. With our student leaders, we chose Sarah Blasko’s song, “We Won’t Run.” I invited our College Captains – Sophie Busitill and Xavier Byrne, accompanied by Carina Drake, who spoke about how the song resonated with them. I was so impressed by their insights and their willingness to share their thoughts with 1300 people. The song is about challenge, believing in oneself and starting each day anew. The students were able to articulate how one needs to stop doubting themselves to genuinely be their best every day. I have even attached the link for you to view here

At the Assembly, l spoke to our students about being their best, to celebrate their gifts, to remember the basic tenets of respect for self, respect for others and respect for their school. As a community, our focus is to harness student pride, achievement and excellence in ourselves, whatever that may be. Each year presents new beginnings and the chance to start afresh. I encourage you to work with your young person to view life as a challenge, a gift and an opportunity to stand tall.

Last year, I set Maria Russell the challenge of choosing a song to begin our first College Assembly. I only spoke to Maria in the last week of term 4. Yet, the highlight of Wednesdays Assembly was our Music students performing the Coldplay song, Viva La Vida. So capably led by Alex Weston, Carina Drake and Akaisha O’Keefe. The students rehearsed, rose to the occasion were able to get the entire school community to stand and sing the chorus. I encourage you to see the energy, passion and pride of our school community in the below video: -

This we have welcomed a number of new staff to join our dynamic team.

• Sharon Lehtonen – Assistant Principal Catholic School Culture

• Ligia Lupoiu- Co-Curricular Music program Coordinator & Music Tutor

• Hamish McCrum – Mathematics Learning Area Leader

• Kahlia McDaid – Learning Support Officer- Extensive Needs

• Michelle Jans – First Aid

• Bridget Prunty – Learning Support Officer- Extensive Needs

• Cindy Reus – Parent Reception

• Marcus Ryan – Teacher of Drama & Humanities

• Brianah Walsh – Teacher of English

• Anton Wilson – Teacher of Systems & Materials

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. If you have misplaced it or need a new copy, please click on the links below: -

2023 Staff and Roles Contact Sheet

Key Dates Semester 1 2023

Next week our Year 12 students head off for the Annual Retreat to Angelsea; l look forward to spending time with our students and developing a deeper awareness of our young people. I wish our rowers well this weekend with the Regatta at Lake Wendouree. I encourage our families to come down to the lake to cheer and support our teams.

2023 has been established to be a year of change and growth; my hope is that we work together to build an even more dynamic faith-learning community.

With every blessing

Steven

I welcome all those who are new to our community and congratulate you on your efforts over recent days to make a positive start at Damascus. Our opening College assembly held on Wednesday was a fantastic start to our 2023 school year, with a reminder of what it meads to Be our Best in all that we do. The assembly concluded with a engaging, inspiring and uplifting performance from our music students, Mrs Russell and Mrs Withers, and set such a positive tone for the year ahead.

Naturally, the return of the school year brings with it higher levels of routine for school families following the more casual summer months. It does take a week for students to get back into routine. I cannot understate the value of plenty of sleep, a healthy diet and exercise to fuel good learning and assist your student/s in establishing sound routines from the start of the year. If there have been any concerns over the initial days of your student’s schooling, please talk with your Teacher Advisor, and they will support you to try and navigate solutions.

To support Year 7 Students in their start at Damascus, Year 7 students will be dismissed from class at 3.10pm each day until Friday 10th of February, to allow them to get to their lockers and the buses before the rest of the students leave class.

The ongoing safety and wellbeing of all children and young people is the primary focus of care and decision making at Damascus College. Particular attention is paid to the cultural safety of Aboriginal children and children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, as well as the safety of children with a disability. Protecting young people from abuse is critical for Damascus College. Our Child Safe and Safeguarding Children and Young People policies and procedures can be seen on the College website here. Families are encouraged to engage with our policies and procedures and ask questions or suggest improvements. In partnership with our families, Damascus College ensures children and young people are engaged and active participants in decision-making processes, particularly those that impact their safety. This means that the views of staff, children, young people and families are taken seriously, and their concerns are addressed in a just and timely manner. For further information, please contact the College’s Child Protection Officer’s, Hannah Keating, Andrew Robertson, or myself on 03 5337 2222 or visit Child Safety on the Damascus Website here for more information.

If you are a current family who has a child in Grade 6 this year and are seeking a Year 7 placement in 2024, please complete your enrolment form before this coming Friday, 3^rd of February, as the demand for places is high. More information about enrolments and School tours can be found here.

Can I please remind Families that if your student(s) has an appointment, needs picking up prior to the end of the day or has a holiday coming up, that you contact the Front Office with this information in advance. This can be done via phone, PAM, or the App. Student's are unable to leave class without prior notification to the office.

We are excited about 2023 and the educational journey, and we look forward to sharing that journey with you.

Chris

It is with great joy that I am able to say ‘Hello’ for the first time. It is indeed a privilege to be a part of the Damascus community. I am truly looking forward to the opportunities that lie ahead and in particular the opportunity to get to know you all.

To Live by the Light of Christ is the theme for 2023. What a beautiful energizing theme to underpin our work together this year. With energy and renewed enthusiasm, we can use our talents and gifts to bring the light of Christ to all whom we encounter. Drawing on the creative inspiration of Dr. Seuss, ‘Today is our day. We can move mountains!’

The symbol of light promotes a beautiful image that has been the inspiration for many stories that remind us that, like Christ, we too can be a light in a world that is in need of hope for a brighter future.

I invite you to light a candle as you read the story of the lamplighter.

In the years before electric lights lined our city streets a lamplighter would travel each street lighting the gas lamps at dusk.

People would watch him doing his job illuminating the streets until the sun went down and they could not see him anymore. At dawn he would return to extinguish the gas light as the new light of day came forth for all to embrace.

As Christian people, like the lamplighter, our challenge is to continue to illuminate new paths to follow and live by the light of Christ.

Next week, the Year 12 students will have an opportunity to go deeper into their spiritual and reflective practice as they go off on Retreat to Anglesea from 8-10 February.

We wish them well.

To get us started this year, below is a snapshot of events organised through the Catholic Culture team to celebrate our faith.

A warm welcome to everyone and especially to our new parents and guardians.

As parents and guardians of our students, we would like to partner with you in this critical transition time, whether students are beginning, continuing or finalising their education at Damascus College. We will continue to work with you throughout this year to ensure that our students succeed in their academic goals. We acknowledge that a strong academic foundation and well-developed character strengths are necessary for success. These are interconnected, and one cannot be compromised for the other. These strengths are acquired through mindful practice.

As part of our commitment to working together, we ask students and parents to read through the College Agreements in the College Diary. Students have been asked to sign the diary with their parents and Teacher Advisor.

Learning and Teaching Focus:

In multiple studies and policy reports, the development of literacy and critical and creative thinking skills have been closely linked to success in social and emotional development, employability, further education and 21st-century skills.

Over the past few months, various groups within Damascus College have discussed how best to support students to improve their social, emotional and academic outcomes. With the recent support of our POL 4 leaders, Alysoun Smalley (Curriculum and Assessment), Hannah Keating (Wellbeing) and Matthew Hallowed (Student Growth and Engagement), we will be rolling initiatives/programs that focus on strengthening and stretching student growth in the classroom.

In 2023, The College Learning and Teaching programme will build on the deeper learning competencies through the engagement of the 5Es, and its relationship with the High Impact Teaching Strategies (HITS); see below.

How will we get there?

Professional Learning Communities are proven ways for schools to increase student learning and outcomes by creating a culture focused on continuous improvement by linking the learning needs of students with explicit and anchored, high-impact strategies and practices. (Framework for Improving Student Outcomes: DET 2018).

Over the years, the College has invested time and resources into working with staff, students and families to enact the strategic priorities of the College, particularly in improving student outcomes. Over the course of Term 1, 2023, Sarah McKnight (Instructional Development Leader), Angela Crebbin (Literacy Lead), Rod Mathews (Leader of Data Analytics), Alysoun Smalley (Leader of curriculum and Assessment), Middle Leaders and teachers will work together in their respective areas to engage in strengthening three critical areas;

1. Introducing and embedding Learning Intentions and Success Criteria for all Topics/Units

1. Ensuring Tasks and Rubric focuses on engaging all learners using the 5Es/HITS approach and a rubric that differentiates skills (subject-specific and SEL) and knowledge

1. Improving the Reading culture among our students, allowing them to confidently access information, make sense of it, express their thoughts and emotions, evaluate, and present ideas and opinions through interaction with others.

Our College Vision states the importance of inspiring and challenging our students to reach their potential. To encourage this, an intervention group will also be formed and meet regularly to support all our students to reach and exceed their potential. The support will involve using evidence-based, time-bound intervention strategies to engage our learners who need additional/alternative instruction or extension. The group is fluid and will apply initially to the Leader of Student Growth and Engagement, Principal and Assistant Principal L&T; fluid members may include a member of the Student Growth and Engagement team, Learning Area Leaders, House Leaders, Wellbeing Team or teaching staff.

Parent Access Module (PAM) and Procedures:

A PAM tutorial will be sent to parents over the week. PAM can track and monitor your child’s assessments, class work, reports, procedures and interviews and receive formative feedback through the Student Digest. Several College Academic procedures have been updated and can be accessed through PAM. These College procedures include the ‘Late Submission Procedure’, ‘Plagiarism Procedure’ and correspondence encouraging homestudy. I encourage Parents/Carers to read these procedures as it clarifies the Academic expectations.

Welcome again to our 2023 school year! Our College considers it a tremendous responsibility and an honour to be part of your student’s story. We look forward to working with you to meet the needs of our school and our multi-talented student body. Best wishes to all for a productive and successful school year. It is my hope that this will be your best year ever!

A reminder that Year 7 2024 Enrolment Applications at Damascus College through Damascus College Enrolments for students currently in Grade 6 (2023) close 3rd February 2023.

When completing your online application, you will need to have the following documents available to upload:

• Birth Certificate
• Grade 5 Semester Report
• Grade 5 NAPLAN
• Certificate for Sacraments or other Religious Certificates (if applicable)

How wonderful it was to welcome back our students this week. I especially welcome our new families to our Damascus College Community. It is a privilege to have an input into the academic, spiritual, and social and emotional development of your student. On Monday I conducted a Wellbeing for Learning workshop for our staff. The focus on the workshop was addressing how good mental health leads to improved student outcomes. The link between mental health and academic performance is undeniable, supported by rigorous research. I spoke of the importance of developing strong relationships with our students. Reminding staff that the identity and character of our students is paramount in establishing a classroom where students want to learn and feel safe. There were other elements to this conversation that were unpacked using the most recent ACER student survey to guide our discussion.

As parents and carers there are number of habits that I would hope that you are encouraging as your students return to the formalities of the school day. The Catholic Education Commission of Victoria has provided a series of guidelines that provide a useful reference point how parents and carers can support the wellbeing of the young people under their care. These guidelines include

1. Encourage healthy eating, sufficient sleep and regular physical activity.

It is recommended children and young people do at least 60 minutes each day of moderate to vigorous physical activity that makes the heartbeat faster. Children aged 5 to 13 years should be getting 9 to 11 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Young people aged 14 to 17 years get 8 to 10 hours of uninterrupted sleep.

1. Encourage positive attitudes, values and behaviours like courtesy, confidence, persistence, and doing your best.

The development of students Social and Emotional Learning skills is clearly linked to improved student outcomes. As a college we acknowledge students are progress with these skills. Parents/ Carers should be encouraging resilience, persistence, organisation, team work and confident behaviour. When you see your student demonstrating these skills praise and acknowledge them

1. Celebrate your child’s successes.

Young people thrive on affirmation and recognition of success. Take the opportunity to label their achievements. Go beyond the ‘well done’ and label the success. “Well done on your result in mathematics. I know you have put a lot of work in nailing how the area of a circle is measured”.

1. Help your child balance the amount of time spent in school work and play.

Encourage your student to get involved in activities that allow them to flourish in a variety of settings. Exposure to a variety of activities allows students to cultivate a variety of skills.

I look forward to working with you all throughout the year,

At Damascus College, we are extremely lucky to offer a diverse and innovative curriculum that caters to the needs of all students, whether our young people are interested in art, technology, a language, science, photography, maths, the list really does go on and on, and lucky for us, all these subjects and more are available at Damascus.

This video has been developed showcasing a snapshot of the artwork created by Year 12 students this year, through their studies in VCE Art, Studio Arts – Photography, Visual Communication Design, Media and Technology. This video celebrates the achievement, dedication, talent and creativity of our Year 12 students, and we wish to congratulate each and every one of them for their innovative creations, that have formed part of their senior studies this year.

We hope you enjoy the video, and encourage you to also visit the Damascus website to view the full range of the 2022 artwork, by taking a 3D virtual tour which was developed by the Arts and Technology Department, as part of the celebration of this year’s VCE Visual Arts and Technology Exhibition.

We are excited to inform you that Class of 2022 Finn Maurik’s Unit 3 Artwork Jandamarrah has been accepted for the prestigious Next Gen 2023 exhibition at the Art Gallery of Ballarat.

In his Unit 3 folio, Finn explored the cultural suppression of Indigenous people in Australia. The title “Jandamarrah” refers to the Bunuba warrior Jandamarrah who turned against his European captors and fought a guerrilla campaign against White Settlers in the Kimberley region. The etching is a collection of landscapes within Bunuba territory that represent the ancient landscapes and its untouched quality free from European destruction.

You can view Finn’s work now, virtually, as part of the 2022 Year 12 Visual Arts & Technology exhibit https://www.damascus.vic.edu.au/2022-Visual-Arts-Virtual-Tour/

Congratulations Finn!

Congratulations to Year 9 student Jasper Govan on his recent victory at the Victorian Boxing Association State Championships. Jasper started boxing at age 10 and has been dedicated to his sport ever since. Training through the difficulties of covid was challenging, however this championship victory brings Jasper one step closer to his goal of representing Australia at the Commonwealth Games.

Year 12 student Leah Stevens spent her school holidays getting a head-start on her chosen career, after Damascus College.

Leah was part of the Step Up Into Teaching program at Australian Catholic University (ACU) Ballarat Campus, where she completed two university level units in teaching.

This unique opportunity has confirmed her passion to become a teacher, and having an unconditional offer to the course next year, is an amazing benefit of this fast track program.

Well done Leah, you are proof that putting in the hard work, can pay off in spades. Congratulations.

Please click here to view the recent front page Courier article.

As we are approaching the hot summer months, we would like to remind students and families within the Damascus College community or the procedure for bush fire preparedness.

Fire danger ratings and warnings are used in Victoria to provide clear direction on the safest options for preserving life.

Schools and children’s services listed on the DET Bushfire At-Risk Register (BARR) will be closed when a Catastrophic fire danger-rating day is determined in their Bureau of Meteorology district. Our school has been identified as being one of those at high bushfire risk and is listed on the BARR.

Where possible, we will provide parents with up to four days’ notice of a potential Catastrophic day closure by letter and SMS. A Catastrophic day will be determined by the Emergency Management Commissioner no later than 1.00 pm the day before the potential closure. Once we are advised of the confirmation of the Catastrophic day we will provide you with advice before the end of the school day.

Once confirmed, the decision to close will not change, regardless of improvements in the weather forecast. This is to avoid confusion and help your family plan alternative care arrangements for your child. It is also important to note that:

• No staff will be on site on days where the school is closed due to a forecast Catastrophic day.

• Any planned after school activities at the campus will be cancelled.

• School camps will be cancelled if a Catastrophic fire danger rating day is determined for the Bureau of Meteorology district in which the camp is located.

• As a bus co-ordinating school all bus routes will be cancelled.

• Depending on which Bureau of Meteorology district is impacted bus route cancellations may affect our school.

On these Catastrophic days families are encouraged to enact their Bushfire Survival Plan – on such days children should never be left at home or in the care of older children.

For those of us living in a bushfire prone area, the CFA advise that when Catastrophic days are forecast, the safest option is to leave the night before or early on the morning of the Catastrophic day.

As part of preparing our school for potential hazards such as fire, we have updated and completed our Emergency Management Plan and our emergency evacuation drills will be conducted as scheduled.

Please note that we have not had a Catastrophic closure to date, a ‘Catastrophic’ is only used for days of extraordinary and extremely dangerous conditions.

What can parents do?

• Make sure your family’s bushfire survival plan is up-to-date and includes alternative care arrangements in the event that our school is closed.

• Ensure we have your current contact details, including your mobile phone numbers. Keep in touch with us by reading our newsletters, by checking our website http://www.damascus.vic.edu.au and facebook page.

• Most importantly at this time of year, if you’re planning a holiday or short stay in the bush or in a coastal area, you should check warnings in advance of travel and remain vigilant during your stay.

• Talk to your children about bushfires and your family’s bushfire survival plan.

• You can access more information about children’s services closures on the Department of Education and Training website – see http://www.education.vic.gov.a...

For up-to-date information on this year’s fire season, visit the CFA website at www.cfa.vic.gov.au or call the 24-hour Victorian Bushfires Information Line on 1800 240 667.

Below are some relfection from our new Year 7 Students on starting their journey at Damascus College: -

I arrived at Damascus and all I could see was awesome uniforms and inspirational older students, that made me even prouder to be a Damascus student. I made it to my TA and when I entered all the nervous emotions that I felt immediately left my body. The TA teacher, year 12s and year 10s had the most smiley faces and happy voices. I am so happy that I could feel in my place really fast and that everyone was really happy and supportive. Next time I tell someone I go to Damascus I will say it with pride, and I will mean it.

-Ruby Townsing

My first day was terrific! I was extremely nervous when I got off the bus and saw all the older students around me, but when I found my TA, I realized that these year 12's were very helpful and were a massive help and very welcoming, making my first day an incredible experience. I thought I would struggle getting to class each period, but the staff made this a breeze, and the teachers are understanding. I can't wait to accomplish my goals this year!

• William Geurts

Be. My. Best. As soon as I walked through the doors of Damascus Collage, I knew that this school would help me be just that. The year 12s were really welcoming and made sure I got to all my classes with ease. As I came to each class I was welcomed with a smile from the teachers and LSOs, my classmates were super friendly and helpful! My first day made me even prouder to be a Damascus student.

• Polly Dawson

Hi, my name is Reuben Carter and I’m here to share what my first day in Damascus was like. I was so nervous I couldn’t make any friends, but the teachers were so welcoming to me. Then I met a few mates and everything was so cool. I wasn’t used to the massive buildings, and I got lost alot but I didn’t mind asking for directions because everyone had a friendly face. I love it here so much and I’m proud to say that I’m a part of the Damascus community.

• Reuben Carter

My first day at Damascus was a wonderful experience.

It was fun to meet my TA groups. It was fun to find our lockers and our way to all our classes. It was nice to meet some of the teachers that I will have throughout my Damascus life. Overall, I had a great day and can't wait to see all the opportunities that Damascus will give to me throughout my Damascus life.

• Bella Boadle

My first day was great we all got to know our teachers, but it was only 7s and 12s at school.

I loved my day at Damascus it was amazing we even got 5 classes and 1 hour of TA!

the best part of my day was meeting new people friends and teaches alike.

• Cooper Grime

My first day at Damascus was one of the scariest but most exciting days that I have ever experienced for the past few years of my life. All the staff members I have met so far are very funny, supportive and respectful. The students are quite mindful of the year 7's just like the staff. Overall, I felt very supported, I had gotten lost once but was guided to the right space quickly.

Thank you everyone for being mindful, supportive and caring of mine and several others first days at Damascus.

• Jaylin O’Connor

My first day at Damascus was lot's of fun. I enjoyed seeing my friends. In the morning I was nervous but once I got here I realized that everyone was really nice and super helpful. I was excited to come back the next day.

• Ava Mende

On my first day at Damascus, I had an amazing time I enjoyed playing with my friends, meeting new people, Meeting the teachers and my T.A

Overall, I had a blast.

• Harry Elliot

Please click below to access information on how to order your 2023 school photos. For any issues or questions please contact MSP on 5337 5577.

MSP

The 2023 school year commenced on Wednesday with a whole school assembly where we gathered together to proudly celebrate all that it means to be a part of the Damascus community.

It was wonderful to see everyone in the John Shannon Centre again, ready and motivated to begin Term 1!

We wish everyone the best of luck as you embark on the 2023 school year, remembering to encourage yourself and those around you to Be. My. Best.