Today we launched Project Compassion with our student population.

Damascus has a focus each year on supporting Caritas Australia for awareness and fundraising. Caritas is the international aid and development agency of the Catholic Church in Australia. Each Lent, Caritas launches its Project Compassion appeal- a practical way of bringing to life our campaign of Christian service. Lent sharpens our awareness of prayer and the importance of doing good work and acting selflessly and with compassion. The attached presentation by College Captains Shaun and Maya, developed with the support of Liturgy Leader, Cathy Prunty, brings the Damascus focus to this year’s Project Compassion appeal.

Representatives of each TA will work to bring Project Compassion to life in our community in 2021 and seek the support of students and families as Lent progresses.

On Sunday, our young Damascus rowers proudly represented their College in the Head of the Lake regatta. Students got off the water proud of their best effort, each acknowledging that they had done their best. Many of them rowed up in classifications to races they would have rowed in other regattas throughout the rowing season, and several crews achieved personal best times. Rowing Coordinator, Paul Blanchfield and Rowing Logistics Coordinator, Hamish Walsh and the exceptional team of Damascus coaches have built this awesome culture around students doing and being their best, and this was very evident on Sunday. I thank our Damascus families for your support of the regatta proceeding under the changed conditions and on such short notice for the rescheduling. I also thank those staff who undertook roles on Sunday to enable the regatta to proceed; Daniel Jans, Sue Ellen Jirik, Gavan Walsh and Georgia Shillito. This week our junior and intermediate boys compete in the school-boy championships on Lake Wendouree, and our senior boys and girls travel to Nagambie for the State Titles. We wish you all well.

As we pause this week and look back on the unusual week last week was with the snap lockdown across the state, it was lovely to be able to hear the stories of our Year 7 students and their enjoyment of the activity days that occurred on Thursday and Friday of last week. Students and staff thoroughly enjoyed the chance to be together on a series of outdoor activities at Log Cabin Camp at Creswick after the days of remote learning. I thank Ann and Brendan Bawden, House Leaders, Andrew Robertson and attending staff for their efforts to bring this revised experience to students at the end of what was a most unusual week!

Year 7 students have undertaken their PAT Reading and Writing assessments in the Damascus Events Centre yesterday and today. These assessments are intended to support the learning and teaching process by providing insights into student progress through standardised tools.

Tomorrow evening from 5.00pm, we are conducting the Academic Assembly for 2020 Unit 3/4 students in the Damascus Events Centre. Senior VCE and VCAL students who achieved outstanding results in both programs will be recognised and celebrated, and we will record key elements to share with students in other levels.

Next Wednesday, 3^rd March, will be the annual House Swimming carnival. This carnival will be conducted at the Eureka Swimming Pool. Students will travel by bus to and from the venue, however to alleviate the pressure on buses, students will have the opportunity to make their own way to Eureka Pool. This will need to be recorded when you complete the PAM permission 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.

It is not uncommon for students to put pressure on parents and guardians not to attend school on sports days, but it is imperative that parents 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 that do not attend school on Wednesday without a legitimate reason will not be eligible to attend College formals or extra-curricula activities. Unfortunately, due to social distancing requirements, we are unable to have parents attend the event. If parents would like their student to be dismissed from the pool, they must tick the box in the PAM permission form to indicate this, otherwise students will be brought back to school for regular dismissal.

On PAM parents will now be able to find a copy of the slide shows used for the respective VCE and VCAL information evenings. Along with Policy and Procedure handbooks for both and the VCE SAC and SAT timelines for Year 11 and 12 studies. This information can be accessed via PAM > Knowledge bank > VCE / VCAL information.

For those parents who were unable to join the information evenings the live stream videos can be accessed through the following links;

VCAL information evening

VCE information evening

Please note as the video is recorded stream there is a black screen for the first 20 or so seconds in both presentations. So the video will work, if you have any further questions about VCE they can be directed to Matthew Hallowell (m.hallowell@damascus.vic.edu.au) and VCAL/applied learning questions to Belinda Dwyer (email: b.dwyer@damascus.vic.edu.au)

We continue to keep the students and families of St Aloysius Primary School in our thoughts and prayers as they continue to observe their 14-day quarantine due to an excursion to the Victoria Market in Melbourne, declared a tier 1 COVID-19 site. Siblings of St Aloysius Grade 5/6 students also have isolated, and I thank class teachers and Sarah Lammana for their support of those siblings while learning from home.

Many students at Damascus College carry and use aerosol deodorants. We have asked students that when they use the deodorants at school, if appropriate and possible, to do so outside and away from others. Aerosol deodorants can bring on asthma and respiratory conditions, and we have asked students to think of others when using them.

The Damascus College community extends our congratulations to Greta Ashley (Year 8), who won the U14 three kilometre junior state steeplechase championship on the weekend. An amazing effort, Greta – well done!

I am pleased to announce the appointment of a new member of the College Finance team. Mr Justin Marson will commence as the College’s Finance Manager. Justin has extensive experience in private practice and local government and has broad exposure to our community as a former member of the Damascus College Board. We look forward to welcoming Justin after the Labour Day long weekend.

We keep staff member Kirsten Phyland in our prayers this week as she approaches some significant surgery. We also keep the family of staff member, Maria Russell, and Year 9 student Abraham Russell in our prayers as Abraham’s younger brother continues to battle chronic ill health.

We keep all those families who grieve in our thoughts and prayers.

Until next week …

Matt

Well done to Year 8 Student Gretta Ashley, as on the weekend she became the Victorian Champion in the U15 200m Steeplechase at the Victorian Track and Field Championships.

Gretta will now get to represent Victoria at the Nationals later this year. Congratulations Gretta.

Last week our Year 7 students forged new friendships and made lasting memories, as part of their Year 7 camp experience at the Log Cabin Camp in Creswick.

Due to the snap lock-down the camp was amended to be a daylong activity for each house, which was a wonderful accomplishment in such a short time-frame.

All students and staff had great fun enjoying the many and varied activities on offer, and it was a joyous experience for all involved.

Year 9 student Nathan Magri and his younger brother Ethan have been growing their hair for the last 12 months, in readiness to shave it off to raise money for the leukemia foundation.

They both decided to get involved in the Shave for a Cure as they have family members with cancer.

“It is sad to hear that so many people have it,” said Nathan.

They have already done an amazing job and have smashed their fundraising goal which was to reach $3,000. We encourage our Damascus community to get behind this wonderful cause.

Stay tuned for the ‘after’ photos, as they plan to shave their heads on Wednesday 10 March.

To donate click below:

https://secure.leukaemiafoundation.org.au/registrant/TeamFundraisingPage.aspx?TeamID=123304

There has been some slight changes to the Bus Timetable for Damascus College. Please see below:-

The Secondary School Immunisation Program offers free vaccines to help make sure students and communities are protected from diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, human papillomavirus (HPV) and meningococcal A, C, W, Y.

Local councils deliver the program and schools distribute the information and consent forms.

The Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2019 authorises secondary schools to provide their local council with student and parent/guardian contact information for any student scheduled to receive a vaccination. This information assists local councils to follow-up parents/guardians of students with incomplete or missing consent forms.

What information goes to local council?

Schools provide the following basic student and parent/guardian contact information:

• Student name, gender, date of birth, year level, class, language(s) spoken at home
• Parent/guardian names, phone numbers, email and postal addresses
• To ensure all eligible students are offered the opportunity to access free vaccinations at school.
• To improve communication with parents/guardians regarding their child’s vaccination needs.
• To reduce the administrative burden on school staff to follow-up consent forms.

Why do schools provide this information?

What do I need to do?

Your information will be provided to City of Ballarat in March. If you do not wish for your details to be provided, please advise the school in writing before the last school day in February.

Read the information provided in your child’s consent form booklet and complete all sections, regardless of whether or not you consent for your child to be vaccinated as part of the school immunisation program.

Detach Part A of the consent form with all fields completed and return to school.

Every day vaccination saves lives and makes it possible for Victorians to live free from the illness and disability caused by many infectious diseases. All Year 7 and Year 10 Victorian secondary students can receive these vaccines for free.

For further information please go to the following links:

• Privacy - Click here for the Damascus College Privacy Policy
• https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/immunisation-in-secondary- schools