Hooray! We are able to come back together tomorrow! I want to extend my appreciation of the support right across our community as we have adapted to the challenges of the last few days. Our students and staff, with family support, have adjusted to this snap lockdown remarkably. Tomorrow, Thursday 17^th, we return to onsite learning.

It appears that most things will resume as planned; however, the wearing of masks will be a requirement of all secondary students both when inside and whenever social distancing cannot be maintained outside. Please talk with your young person about this as the concept of social distancing is challenging for adolescents.

I ask families to please ensure students attend school wearing a mask and with spares (in the event theirs breaks) unless your student has an exception under the guidelines. This includes students who are over the age of 12 and are unable to wear a face mask due to the nature of their disability. This also includes students or staff who have a medical condition, such as problems with their breathing, a serious skin condition on the face, a disability or a mental health condition. Where medical conditions prevent a community member from wearing a mask, we ask that families provide documentation from their treating health professional, please.

Students are required to wear masks when travelling on and waiting for buses.

We are going to emphasise again the importance of hand sanitising regularly with students.

The most important action school communities can take to reduce the risk of transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19), is to ensure that any unwell staff and students remain at home, even with the mildest of symptoms. If a household member is unwell and displays COVID-19 symptoms, that person should undertake testing. All members of the household should observe isolation until a negative COVID test is returned.

I thank Ann and Brendan Bawden, House Leaders and Assistant Principal Andrew Robertson for the work that has occurred to facilitate Year 7 activity days for Rice and Xavier House students on Thursday and for St Martin and McAuley students on Friday in lieu of Year 7 camp. Could Year 7 parents please go into the PAM module to complete the student permission forms prior to your child’s activity day. Students will travel to Log Cabin camp for a day of activities and relationship building each day.

Year 7 students will also undertake rescheduled standardised PAT Reading testing next Tuesday and Wednesday. This is a standard benchmarked assessment that we undertake with students to target specific learning support. A formal letter will be sent out to Year 7 parents and guardians outlining further information regarding the PAT tests.

We extend our thoughts and prayers to the St Aloysius community whose Grade 5 and 6 students visited the Queen Victoria Market last Thursday. Many of these families are members of our own community. The timing of their visit has resulted in staff, students and families who cannot isolate away from attendees, needing to observe a two-week isolation period. Damascus College has a support plan in place for those secondary students from St Aloysius families who need to continue to observe the isolation for the next week. I will communicate with families who have listed St Aloysius as their primary school directly. If you have a child in Grade 5/6 at St Aloysius and do not receive a communication from the College today, could you please contact principal@damascus.vic.edu.au

If you have a concern about your young person being able to attend onsite (unless you are a St Aloysius family), please contact the College for support.

As we understand it, there is no limitation on parents coming onsite, beyond the requirement to wear a mask and access through the College office.

To ensure appropriate social distancing, while the weather remains pleasant, we ask students to take their breaks outside. The canteen operators have moved lunch ordering to the cashless QuickCliq online ordering platform as the only way to order lunches. Parents, students or staff will need to visit the website www.quickcliq.com.au to sign up and register. Lunches will be able to be ordered up until 9:00am on the day required. Students need to order their lunch by 9.00am daily.

We are currently awaiting directions from Rowing Victoria regarding regattas. I will communicate specifically regarding the Head of the Lake, once more information is known for Friday’s planned regatta. The training schedule for tomorrow is available on the Team app.

Today is Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent. The forty days preceding the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Our Liturgy Coordinator, Cathy Prunty, shared this 3’40” reflection with staff and students to centre us on this most unusual Ash Wednesday. Our College Captains; Maya Tolliday and Shaun Leonard, with the beautiful support of Year 7 student, Meg Mason and Cathy Prunty created this reflection. I encourage families who may have had no other opportunity to reflect this Ash Wednesday to take this opportunity to reflect and perhaps enter into conversation with your young people of the significance of the Lenten period. The reflection can be seen below:-

As I indicated in my communication on Monday, if your family is struggling in any way in relation to your young person’s education with Damascus College, please reach out to your TA, House Leader, counselling team, finance team or member of College Leadership. We are here to support your family.

As a community, we are proud of our ability to respond agilely to change this past week, and we are well-positioned if we need to respond to change again in the near future. Well done and thank you!

Until next week…

MATT

VCE Information Evening for Parents/Guardians and Students

All Year 10, 11 and 12 students completing a VCE subject and their parents/guardians, are encouraged to tune in to the VCE Information Evening. Due to COVID-19 this will be conducted remotely and there will be opportunities for parents/guardians and students to ask questions throughout the presentation, and have them answered through the Q and A function.

The purpose of the evening is to make families familiar with the Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority (VCAA) rules and regulations and the expectations of Damascus College, as well as give strategies and tips for parents/guardians and students to help minimise stresses and maximise results.

Link: Please click HERE to access the Information Evening

When: Thursday 18^th February

Where: Remotely – Link to live stream to be emailed to families closer to the date

Time: 6:00pm – 7:00pm

Who: Year 11 and 12 students completing VCE and their parents/guardians

Year 10 students completing a VCE subject and their parents/guardians

VCAL Information Evening for Parents/Guardians and Students

All Year 11 and 12 students undertaking VCAL and their parents/guardians are encouraged to tune into the VCAL Information Evening. Due to COVID-19, this will be conducted remotely and there will be opportunities for parents/guardians and students to ask questions throughout the presentation, and have them answered through the Q and A function.

The purpose of the evening is to make families familiar with the Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority (VCAA) rules and regulations and the expectations of Damascus College, as well as give strategies and tips for parents/guardians and students to help minimise stresses and maximise results.

Link: Please click HERE to access the Information Evening

When: Wednesday 17^th February

Where: Remotely – Link to live stream to be emailed to families closer to the date

Time: 5:30pm – 6:30pm

Who: Year 11 and 12 students completing VCAL and their parents/guardians, and
prospective VCAL students

Well done to our Damascus community for a successful return to remote learning yesterday. All students and staff have done an amazing job to return to online learning so quickly and efficiently.

Just a reminder that if our parents want to assist their students with using Microsoft Teams and to ensure a seamless transition with setting up home spaces and setting up expectations, please refer to the two videos that have been recently developed to assist our community.

Also available on this web-link is essential resources for remote learning, including the latest Remote Learning Manual, Student Checklist and Principal communications to families.

https://www.damascus.vic.edu.au/news-events/covid-19-updates

The Catholic Church and many other Christian denominations want the faithful to be clear that the resurrection of Jesus on Easter is the most significant feast on the liturgical calendar.

This is achieved by having a season for Lent, 40 days of prayer, fasting and giving, that begins with Ash Wednesday and is anticipated by Shrove Tuesday.

Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday, observed in many Christian countries through participating in confession and absolution, the ritual burning of the previous year's Holy Week palms, finalizing one's Lenten sacrifice, as well as eating pancakes and other sweets. Lent is a time of abstinence, of giving things up. So Shrove Tuesday is the last chance to indulge yourself, and to use up the foods that aren't allowed in Lent. Giving up foods: but not wasting them. Shrove Tuesday gets its name from the ritual of shriving or confession. In shriving, a person confesses their sins and receives absolution for them.

Ash Wednesday comes from the ancient Jewish tradition of penance and fasting. The practice includes the wearing of ashes on the head. All are invited to accept the ashes as a visible symbol of penance. The ashes are made from blessed palm branches, reserved from the previous year's Palm Sunday Mass.

Sadly, in the State of Victoria our regular celebrations are not possible because of Covid-19 restrictions. Our plans, including the school Leaders Mass at Cathedral on Shrove Tuesday and the Distribution of Ashes and Launch of Project Compassion, will not happen in coming days. There will be acknowledgements of the importance of these days in other school communications.

Catholic Education is celebrating 200 years in Australia, marking the bicentenary of the first Catholic school established in Parramatta in October 1820.

First Catholic school

The first Catholic school in Australia was founded in October 1820 by Irish Catholic priest Fr John Therry and run by convict and lay person George Marley. The school, which Catholic historians believe was in Hunter Street, Parramatta, taught 31 students. By 1833, there were 10 Catholic schools in the colony.

Celebrating the legacy

Over 200 years, Catholic schools have grown to become the largest provider of schooling in Australia (outside government) with one in five school age students attending a Catholic school.

About the logo

The Christian cross is the central element of the logo and represents the faith dimension of Catholic schools and our mission of service in Christ. The Southern Cross and outline of Australia represents the Great South Land of Australia. Dots are used as a key design element connecting to the traditional custodians of the land – the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The colours – burnt red and yellow – represent the desert in the heart of the Australian outback, contrasting with the deep blue representing the Southern sky and ocean surrounding our continent.

About the Song and the Video

The National Song is composed by Fr Rob Galea and can be played at Masses, special liturgies, school assemblies and 200 years events. It is featured in a video of images about Catholic Education.

We are thrilled to announce that the 2021 Alumni Artist is Dr Maria Stratford, Class of 1974. The calibre and number of entries received for 2021 was larger and better than ever. Entries included works using diverse mediums including etched and painted glass, paintings, illustrations, photographs and digital art. After careful consideration, and a tough deliberation the winning piece was chosen by the Damascus College Leadership team.

Maria’s piece is a Photograph on Archival Paper that depicts an Ethiopian Priest holding a bible showing the Madonna and Child.

Launched in 2014, this project seeks to engage Damascus College Alumni (including past students/staff from our foundation colleges Sacred Heart, St Paul’s and St Martin’s in the Pines) in the Damascus community through producing a piece of art that explores the school’s motto ‘To Live By the Light of Christ’.

Maria’s art will be on display in the visitor reception at Damascus College for the duration of 2021 and if you are on campus we hope you pop in to see it and read her artists statement.

Entries are now open for the 2022 Alumni Art Prize. Full details and the entry form can be found at https://www.damascus.vic.edu.au/.../alumni/alumni-art-prize

#DamascusCollege #DamascusPride #TogetherWeAreDamascus

Please see following information, from CAFS in relation to Kinship Care Support

The annual VCE Visual Arts Exhibition unfortunately couldn't be on display in 2020 due to COVID restrictions, but as a College we are delighted to have transformed it to be now available and viewed via an online virtual tour. You can access this innovative celebration of our senior students via the ‘Feature News’ on our website homepage, the link is below:

https://www.damascus.vic.edu.au/2020-Visual-Arts-Virtual-Tour/

This is a wonderful celebration and acknowledgement our 2020 senior students and their creative and artistic abilities. Well done to all senior students involved.

Happy viewing.

Each year, Project Compassion runs during the six weeks of the Church season of Lent.

Starting on Ash Wednesday, we invite people across Australia to help us raise awareness AND stand in solidarity with the millions of people in the communities across the world with whom we work.

We ask you to join us in building a more just and fair world: a world in balance, at peace, and free of poverty.

To support Project Compassion in 2021, Xavier will be selling House T-Shirts.

Students will have the opportunity to wear these during House Based Events such as the Swimming and Athletics Carnivals, Lap of the Lake, Xavier Day and Ball Games.

T-Shirts are $20 each, with 100% of the profits of sales going towards Project Compassion. Students will be sent home an order form via their TA teacher.

Check out the flyer following in reference to Tennis for Teens