Damascus News - Term 2 Week 6
2021T1W6 - Principal's Update
From the Principal
Welcome to Catholic Education week! It is a week where we are taking the opportunity as a community to celebrate our 140-year history of Mercy and Diocesan Catholic education here ...
2021T2W6 - Drama Ensemble
College Information & Events
This year's Drama Ensemble is set to kick off tonight at 7.30pm in the Valda Ward Auditorium. The ’Lost & Found’ performance structure is a new and yet untried structure that wa...
2021T2W6 - McAuley Day Assembly
College Information & Events
On Tuesday 25 May Damascus College came together to celebrate McAuley Day with an all-school assembly in the John Shannon Centre. The event was designed as a celebration of McAu...
2021T2W6 - Damascus Events Centre - upcoming Bright Futures Breakfast
College Information & Events
Our new Damascus Events Centre is a beautiful venue to host an event, and we are excited to soon be welcoming guests to our upcoming Bright Futures Breakfast rescheduled to Thursda...
2021T1W6 - Seeds of Justice Conference
College Information & Events
On Friday 21st May we attended an online Seeds of Justice conference, hosted by Bernadette Hogan, a former Damascus student. The theme was, “Mercy Empowering Women” and the Key G...
2021T2W6 - Careers News
Careers
Please see following the latest edition of the Careers News for Term 2. Careers Newsletter Term 2 1
2021T2W5 - Conveyance
College Information & Events
To be eligible for a conveyance allowance, individual students will be assessed under the following criteria: Attend a school/campus located outside the metropolitan conveyance al...
2021T2W3 - CSEF
CSEF eligibility Below is the criteria used to determine a student’s eligibility for the Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF). Criteria 1 – Eligibility To be eligible* for t...
2021T2W5 - Guest Speaker Event - Luke Kennedy
College Information & Events
From the Principal
26 May By Mr. Matthew Byrne, Principal
Welcome to Catholic Education week! It is a week where we are taking the opportunity as a community to celebrate our 140-year history of Mercy and Diocesan Catholic education here in Ballarat. Each morning this week, students and staff are gaining a broader insight into the foundations of Damascus as we know it today through the history of the founding colleges. Sacred Heart College, St Paul’s College and St Martin’s in the Pines were each schools that evolved to meet the needs of students and their families for their times. That is what we hope Damascus is today – a school responding to the needs of our students and their families. Our celebration of 140 years coincides with 200 years of Catholic education in Australia. On Monday, five students, Zoe Newman, Sophie Busuttil, Zac McCarthy, Charlie Cahir, and Jonah Skewes-Clinton, accompanied Cathy Prunty and I to Mass at the liturgical heart of our Diocese, St Patrick’s Cathedral. We joined with other schools from across the diocese to celebrate 200 years of Catholic education in Australia. It was a lovely celebration, and I congratulate our students on their ambassadorial roles.
Families may like to take a look at the histories celebrated this week, as it may reflect something of your own association with the College or provide you with the chance to grow your understanding of the College and its foundations. One video has been shared in TA each day.
Our 140-year history timeline https://youtu.be/dRQfMWL8gr4
Sacred Heart College https://youtu.be/7s57yfRlxhk
St Paul’s Technical College https://youtu.be/cyekb4pNxXs
St Martin’s in the Pines https://youtu.be/3CEDELwhiWs
Damascus name and campus consolidation https://youtu.be/5S625rQ5m8w
I thank and acknowledge Sarah Boswell, Korina Hegert, Jamison Thomas and Natasha Adam for the work that has gone into bringing these resources together. On Friday, students who sought a Damascus 140 year badge will be presented with them in TA, and we hope that they will wear them with pride as a symbol that together, we are Damascus!
On Friday, I shared with the staff team the exciting news that College Business Manager, Paul Jans has been appointed to the role of Assistant Director: Business Services for Catholic Education Ballarat. Paul has been an amazing servant of Damascus College for the past 13.5 years. Over that time, the College has secured its place as a leading provider of Catholic education within Ballarat, with excellent facilities and grounds. We acknowledge Paul, his wife Michelle and their family for their commitment and faith-filled contribution to this community. We will commence recruitment for Paul’s successor over the next week and celebrate Paul’s contribution appropriately as the term draws to a close.
It was great to have such positive engagement from families with our TA process last week. If, for any reason, you were unable to connect with your TA, please reach out to them this week to provide the best collaboration between school and home for the young people of this community.
A lot is going on this week with Year 8 Reflection Days, Year 7 and Year 10 Masses, students undertaking the “Try a Trade” program, gallery visits and Music and the Year 12 Drama ensemble performances on Wednesday to Friday evening. I thank everyone organising these rich learning activities.
Next Thursday is our “Bright Futures Breakfast” in the Damascus Event Centre. It will be a beautiful breakfast with an engaging speaker, Jocelyn Bignold (OAM), and the $30 cost supports vulnerable young people in receiving the gift of secondary education. More information is available here.
Families would be acutely aware of the recent cases of COVID-19 within the media. The announcements of the State government have seen the postponement of the Music workshops that were to take place this week, with over 50 students due to visit from Melbourne. My own conference scheduled to take place in Healesville this week has been switched to an online format. It is foreseeable that there may be greater changes and restrictions over the coming days, and we will keep the community posted if these impact the Damascus community. Can I please ask families for support to ensure that young people are equipped with facemasks to travel on buses to and from school and for school excursions.
Yesterday we celebrated McAuley day. Catherine McAuley was the foundress of the Sisters of Mercy and a great servant of Christ in her work to support the most vulnerable of our society. We pray this week that Catherine’s legacy and the work of the Sister’s of Mercy continues to inspire our community response as Gospel people. We make this prayer of our loving God – Amen.
Members of our community have been hard hit with bereavements this week, and we include in our prayers Alex Logan (Year 10) and his family on the death of his maternal grandmother. Caleb Smith (Year 8) and his family are also grieving the passing of his maternal grandfather. Alana Agnew (Year 11) and her family also grieve the death of her grandmother this week. We pray for all these families in this time of deep loss and pray that the gifts of their lives and the love of God bring them comfort as they grieve their deaths and celebrate their lives.
Until next week…
MATT
College Information & Events
26 May
This year's Drama Ensemble is set to kick off tonight at 7.30pm in the Valda Ward Auditorium.
The ’Lost & Found’ performance structure is a new and yet untried structure that was developed and agreed to in the later stages of 2020. The students have embraced this complicated task that has become the launching pad for these students to create an original dramatic piece. It has provided rich opportunities for research, discussion, and creativity as they have built, developed, and refined a performance that reflects the nature of things that are lost, things that are found and all things in between.
The project is real and has significant and meaningful outcomes for these students. It has set goals and a structure, but the results can vary according to the day-to-day challenges (and there have been a few!) that come from working with other people who you must depend on. This of course correlates so strongly with the current and future corporate and workplace reality.
This task has been, as always, a long road travelled and has tested the students' concepts of hard work, commitment, professionalism, and humour in the face of adversity. It requires students between 17 and 18 years of age to become playwrights and to perform their own material. But it is so much more than that. It requires each student to work in a collaborative process, that must depend on open communication and working side by side in the good times and the bad, to produce a final result.
Get along and see them if you can and enjoy the rewards of their journey.
College Information & Events
26 May
On Tuesday 25 May Damascus College came together to celebrate McAuley Day with an all-school assembly in the John Shannon Centre.
The event was designed as a celebration of McAuley House and featured the history of Catherine McAuley, her life in Ireland and the formation of the Sisters of Mercy. The presentation outlined the five values that McAuley House holds most dear: Justice, Compassion, Wisdom, Faith and Strength.
The achievements and talents of McAuley students were celebrated throughout the assembly. A slide show featured the students and their achievements from all year levels. It was delightful to see the genuine warmth and respect that the students present demonstrated as they cheered and celebrated their fellow students’ victories both large and small.
The event kicked off with a riotous dance performance by the McAuley Year 12 students. Other entertainment at the assembly included passionate talks about hobbies, live musical performances, and an impassioned speech from the Green Group Leaders about the importance of recycling correctly. As the rest of the school headed out of the JSC, the McAuley students were treated to pizza and juice boxes as they celebrated McAuley Day in their TA groups.
College Information & Events
26 May
Our new Damascus Events Centre is a beautiful venue to host an event, and we are excited to soon be welcoming guests to our upcoming Bright Futures Breakfast rescheduled to Thursday 19 August, which is open to the public to attend.
Guests will be treated to a tasty sit-down breakfast prepared by caterers in our new purpose-built commercial kitchen, served by our VCAL students, including poached and scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, pancakes, toast, yoghurt and fruit.
Be sure to enjoy a barista made coffee where you can choose your favourites including lattes, cappuccinos and more, whilst taking in the beautiful bush vistas through the floor to ceiling windows.
Guests will be entertained by Damascus students including the Aca-fellas – an all-male acoustic singing group, as well as live music being played throughout breakfast service from our senior student group that will showcase their talents with various musical instruments.
What better way to spend a cold winters morning, in the warmth and comfort of the DEC whilst networking with local community members for a worthy cause.
Tickets are limited, so please book your ticket now at https://www.trybooking.com/BQGKK
College Information & Events
26 May By Emily Crumpler, Year 9
On Friday 21st May we attended an online Seeds of Justice conference, hosted by Bernadette Hogan, a former Damascus student. The theme was, “Mercy Empowering Women” and the Key Guest speaker was Sr. Angela Reed RSM; she is the head of Mercy Global Action and discussed her experiences working with the United Nations and provided insight into Social Justice issues affecting women across the world, in particular domestic violence. The event was attended by Mercy Affiliate schools across Australia. It was great to be able to link in with these schools and recognise the large Mercy family that we are a part of here at Damascus. We also learnt about what other schools offer, that focuses on women empowerment.
As a female student at Damascus, I recognised that our school offers events such as Mother’s Day breakfasts, “Try a Trade day” for women and ensures that all students participate in STEM, Woodwork and Metalwork, which are often areas dominated by males.
Sr. Angela, provided a statistic, that “globally, it will take 170 years for women to have equality with men.” This event has allowed me to realise the importance of female empowerment and equality.
Careers
26 May
Please see following the latest edition of the Careers News for Term 2.
College Information & Events
28 April
To be eligible for a conveyance allowance, individual students will be assessed under the following criteria:
Students’ circumstances can change during their school years (e.g. moving residence or changing schools/campuses). Change of circumstances affects eligibility and a new application must be submitted with each change of circumstance.
Private car
A private car conveyance allowance is not available if the journey could have been made using a public transport service or free school bus.
Where students change school, transport mode and/or address that affect the payment of conveyance allowance, pro-rata payments are made, having regard to the number of days of actual attendance. It is the responsibility of each school to report any mid-semester student changes and the required pro-rata adjustments that are required.
Late payments
Late (past year) applications cannot be accepted or paid.
Any inquiries relating to this allowance or to any bus travel matter may be directed to Tracey Williams at the College office Phone: 5337 2222.
** FAMILIES ARE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT A NEW CLAIM FORM EACH YEAR**
28 April
Below is the criteria used to determine a student’s eligibility for the Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF).
Criteria 1 – Eligibility
To be eligible* for the fund, a parent or legal guardian of a student attending a registered Government or non-government Victorian primary or secondary school must:
• on the first day of Term one, or;
• on the first day of Term two;
* A special consideration eligibility category also exists. For more information, see: www.education.vic.gov.au/csef
Parents who receive a Carer Allowance on behalf of a child, or any other benefit or allowance not income tested by Centrelink, are not eligible for the CSEF unless they also comply with one of (a) or (b) above.
Criteria 2 - Be of school age and attend school in Victoria
School is compulsory for all Victorian children aged between six and 17 years of age inclusive.
For the purposes of CSEF, students may be eligible for assistance if they attend a Victorian registered primary or secondary school. Typically, these students are aged between five and 18 years inclusive.
CSEF is not payable to students attending pre-school, kindergarten, home schooled, or TAFE.
Eligibility Date
For concession card holders CSEF eligibility will be subject to the parent/legal guardian’s concession card being successfully validated with Centrelink on the first day of either term one (27 January 2021) or term two (19 April 2021).
CSEF payment amount
The CSEF is an annual payment to the school to be used towards camps, sports and/or excursion expenses for the benefit of the eligible student.
• Primary school student rate: $125 per year.
• Secondary school student rate: $225 per year.
College Information & Events
19 April
Steven is an innovative and passionate leader and his leadership style is one that is highly relational and visible. His personal educational vision is to work in relationship and in partnership with all members of the community to create a faith learning dynamic that celebrates, affirms, and challenges people to achieve personal excellence.
Damascus College wishes to thank Mr Christopher Grant, Interim Principal for the leadership he has given to the College, since the departure of Mr Matthew Byrne at the end of Term 1 2022.
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