It has been great to welcome students and staff back today and to see the efforts that families have gone to make sure students have their masks and are wearing them. The state governments guidance has reinforced the need to have students and staff wear masks at all times. I will further emphasise some of the requirements that we are required to observe through this newsletter.

The presence of face masks and social distancing remain stark reminders of the time in which we live, but the resilience of the Damascus community members in their positivity at being back together has been heartwarming. I thank families for your enormous efforts throughout remote learning and for having students appropriately attired and supported to return to school today. I congratulate our amazing students and staff on the spirit with which they have embraced the return to onsite learning.

Currently, there can be no non-essential visitors onsite. I ask that if parents feel they need to come to the College, please contact the College office so we can determine the best support available. Please stay in your car if bringing students to and from school. It will be great to have face to face conversations when we are allowed.

Here at school, we are progressing the work done with families in Teacher Advisor Interviews over the past two days, and I thank everyone involved for making the time to participate in these conversations. Students in Years 8 – 11 will select their 2022 subjects during our TA lesson next Tuesday, 3^rd August. In the lunch break from today until Friday, students have the opportunity to speak with teachers in the Damascus Event Centre regarding their selections for next year. Families are also reminded of the broad range of resources to support students to make their selections on the College website. The information can be accessed through Learning & Teaching - Pathways - Damascus College. Planning for the future is an exciting opportunity. If you are having difficulty with your student’s selections, encourage them to speak with our Careers team based in the St Martin’s Resource Centre here at school.

We are working through a range of alterations to our calendar as a result of this next phase of Government restrictions. I am not looking at events beyond this fortnight, which is the time we understand these restrictions are in place, and we all appreciate that things may still change.

For parents of Year 7 students undertaking swimming this semester, we have been advised that this can commence from next week, so Year 7 students down to swim are advised to bring their swimming gear for PE lessons from next Monday.

For those involved in our production of Spelling Bee, it appears patience is a virtue. We are looking at a planned performance schedule following this current cycle of restrictions in the hope that there will be further easing.

At this stage, there will be no BAS interschool sport for this cycle of restrictions.

VET classes and VCAL work placement are able to proceed. Belinda Dwyer, Applied Learning Coordinator, will work with students if there are specific adjustments to their programs. Students attending VET classes must be very mindful of hygiene and mask requirements when mixing with other schools.

There is a Rowing Parent Information meeting scheduled for next week. This meeting will be conducted virtually, and we hope that families of students seeking to row this season will join that opportunity. For a number of year levels, rowing training will commence over the coming days, and we look forward to students beginning this next exciting opportunity.

Last week, we were notified that the General Achievement Test or GAT had been rescheduled from tomorrow, 29^th July, until Thursday 12^th August. Senior students will have classes as planned in their timetables.

Instrumental classes can resume and will from tomorrow, Thursday, observing Department of Health guidelines.

The College is continuing with increased cleaning regimes of classrooms and high touch surfaces.

As we continue to support one another, I am reminded of the words of Catherine McAuley, the founder of the Sisters of Mercy, who are so much a part of our story for the past 140 years. Catherine’s words apply to us as a Catholic education community; “It is not sufficient that Jesus Christ be formed in us, He must be recognised in our conduct”. As a community, it is how we welcome and support one another that is the testament of our Christian identity, and in that spirit, I thank you all for your continued care.

In our prayers this week, we remember Brayden (Year 9) and Jarrod (Year 9) Joyce and their family on the passing of their loved paternal grandmother. May she rest in peace.

Until next week …

MATT

Please click on the relevant link below to open and or save a copy of the SAC & SAT Timetables: -

Year 11 SACSAT timeline Semester 2 2021

Year 12 SACSAT timeline Semester 2 2021

If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Matt Hallowell at the College.

On Wednesday August 4th a free Parent Webinar will take place around Technology and Devices and how parents can navigate the complexities of managing their children's use.

To register for this free event please click here.

Congratulations to Year 10 student Breanna Gale, for recently being nominated for the City of Ballarat, Youth of the Year Awards, under Leadership in Sport.

Towards the end of last year, Breanna was coaching a junior basketball team – the Ballarat Wildcats, through Zoom and they have since nominated her for this very special award.

Breanna said that she feels very grateful to be nominated and will continue to contribute to the community and her basketball club.

“I created the online coaching clinic during lock-down to keep kids active and happy,” she said.

“I first got involved in basketball five years ago when I joined an under 14 team and two years after that I began coaching. Since then I have coached from ages U/8’ s – U/16’s.”

"After I finish at Damascus, I’m hoping to go to Uni to study teaching, as being a teacher is something I’ve always wanted to do and coaching kids has definitely contributed to that."

Good luck for the award ceremony in mid-August Breanna, and keep up the fantastic work.

Year 10 student Imogen Kors recently performed with the Brisbane City Youth Ballet, from the 21st June to 9th July.

In preparation for training in Brisbane Imogen had to learn choreography via video and had a few zoom classes with the ballet teacher prior to attending classes. Once in Brisbane she had training most days from 9am till 4pm and was then able to perform at HOTA (Home of the Arts) on the Gold Coast.

On top of the training Imogen performed in two full dress rehearsals and three live shows. The performance this time was the “Snow Queen”.

Imogen had numerous dances and many costume changes, and she thoroughly enjoyed this experience once again and looks forward to preforming on the stage again soon.

Well done Imogen, such a wonderful achievement.

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 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;

• Be an eligible beneficiary within the meaning of the State Concessions Act 2004, that is, be a holder of Veterans Affairs Gold Card or be an eligible Centrelink Health Care Card (HCC) or Pensioner Concession Card (PCC) holder, OR
• Be a temporary foster parent, and;
• Submit an application to the school by the due date.

* 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).

Payment amounts

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.

Welcome back to campus to all students and staff.

Our beautiful winter weather is still really chilly outside, and the good news is that we have just released our newest Damascus uniform item – a woollen scarf!

As pictured our College Captains, Shaun and Maya are enjoying the added warmth they provide.

These scarfs are on sale now at the Crockers Uniform Shop in Armstrong Street North, for $35 each and you can order them online below.

https://www.noone.com.au/school/damascus-college/product/damascus-college-scarf

Stay safe and well.