Mr. Matthew Byrne - Principal
There have been some really great happenings across the College over the past week, and the engagement of students and families in the great Aussie Adventure has been a treat. So far the community has collectively travelled almost to Halls Creek, WA, a total of 6831.76km I encourage families to support students to get out and active and to send details in to be recorded. The details of The Great Aussie Adventure can be found here.
Families will have received communication over the past week regarding the process for re-enrolment for 2021. As a school community, this information is very important to our planning and preparation for 2021. We recognise that some families may be uncertain about employment or what the future looks like. If you do have concerns as a family, we are committed to ensuring that Damascus student’s education must not be the victim of this pandemic, so please reach out to the College about your situation moving forward. Equally, we recognise that students, particularly in the senior school, may not be sure whether they are returning next year at this stage. If you are unsure, please keep the College in the loop and indicate this in the re-enrolment form. We do have resources through our Careers Team, to be able to support students and families who are unclear about the best future pathway for young people. Re-enrolment forms are due back at the College no later than Friday 11th September.
Our Year 11 students were introduced to the student leadership discernment process yesterday with some insightful reflections from our College Captains Hannah and Will and House Captains Jack and Paris. Year 11 students will now work with the House Leader team to progress this process over the coming weeks.
St Martin’s House celebrated St Martin’s Day yesterday. Our green students celebrated the great House spirit they enjoy, and there was an awesome showcase of some of the talents of the young people of the House. I really appreciated that within the reflection for the day, was an account of St Martin’s de Porres as a contemporary religious figure. St Martin was a person repressed by our Church and society because of his racial difference. Our world needs models of equality in times where we can be divided by our differences rather than united by our similarities. Accounts reflect St Martin kept “the other” at the heart of his actions and perhaps we would see more compassion and empathy in the world if there was a greater willingness to try and see things as others may see them. It was lovely to see members of the House draw parallels between our House founder and things happening in the world today.
If your student or family are finding this current period of isolation difficult, please talk to the College about the support that we can provide here at school. It may be some short term respite for your student if that is what your family needs. The following links are provided by the DHHS (Department of Health and Human Services) for youth-focused mental health and support services:
• Headspace - Call Headspace on 1800 650 890 or online at www.headspace.org.au
• Kids Helpline - Call 1800 55 1800 or kidshelpline.com.au
• ReachOut - Online at reachout.com.au
• SANE Australia - Call 1800 187 263 or online at sane.org
• Orygen Digital - Call 1800 888 320 or online at Moderated Online Social Therapy platform
The Victorian Government is helping parents and carers manage home learning and staying resilient during the coronavirus pandemic by providing a range of free online resources. On Tuesday the 15th September 7:30pm, Child Psychologist Dr Michael Carr-Gregg will provide a webinar that will focus on strategies and tools to help families manage their wellbeing, including establishing a supportive parental role and dealing with uncertainty and disappointment. Families will have an opportunity to ask Dr Carr-Gregg questions. In the event that there has been some relaxing of restrictions and remote learning requirements the skills Dr Carr- Gregg can offer are transferable are still very pertinent in supporting the wellbeing of adolescence. For more information and to register click here.
SchoolTV has generously shared a special report video with the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria as part of their Coronavirus series. In this presentation, Riding the Corona Coaster, Dr Michael Carr-Gregg explores how the uncertainty of not knowing what will happen next may impact students, families and staff in school communities. He examines increasing concerns regarding mental health issues such as anxiety, depression and substance abuse amongst young people and emphasises the importance of promoting help-seeking behaviour and reducing stress levels at home. Dr Carr-Gregg provides tips for parents/carers on looking after their wellbeing during this challenging time. This presentation is available by clicking on Riding the Corona Coaster.
Yesterday was the 1st Day of Spring, although I am aware that there are some in our community who do not recognise Spring until the pending equinox. Sister of Mercy, Veronica Lawson introduced me this week to the broader Christian celebration of creation in these early days of Spring. Pope Francis urges us to take action in care for our common home and encourages the joining of other Christian traditions in celebrating the festival of creation. As Spring begins this week, there are wonderful writings such as Laudato Si, to celebrate our planet and encourage conversations within the family about daily actions we can take to ensure we care for the planet and all those upon it, to sustain it into the future.
I remind families that next Wednesday, 9th September is a non-teaching day – there will be no classes. This day is to provide students and staff with a chance to catch up within their learning program or just take a break. Year 12’s and Unit 4 students will be supported to continue their learning independently on this day; there will be no expectation of planned learning for students in other year levels on this day.
Next Wednesday the College will also conduct a webinar for families seeking enrolment of students for 2022. Information regarding the webinar and the registration process can be found here.
We remember and pray for all those who are lonely, sick or suffering grief. We especially pray for those who are victims of the pandemic, for those in public service and our front line workers.
Until next week …
MATT
Damascus College has a commitment to social justice and helping others in the world. Our environmentally responsible and sustainable practices also ensure a commitment to the care of the earth. These are philosophies that we develop and nurture within our community.
#ImPartOfSomethingGreater
Have you registered for Socktober yet?
If not Click here and do it now.
We are very excited to be participating in Socktober this year and helping our students to Sock it to Poverty! We need your help!
We’ll be kicking off our activities soon, so we invite all parents to register their children as Socktober Stars at the link above so they can be part of it.
Should you choose, please consider helping your child set a target and fundraise for vulnerable children to fulfil their basic needs. Once registered, students can ask their friends and families to sponsor them in tackling each week’s activities and kicking goals for kids around the world.
This week we head north to Nagaland, a state in northeast India, and visit the children at the Eden Gardens Children's Home in Khuzama. How have they been affected by COVID-19 and what are they doing to show stewardship for the environment and their own futures? See the video here.
After the first round of remote learning, as a community we received feedback from staff, students and parents for the College to consider incorporating a set time for students to have regular breaks from the demanding routine of online learning.
This is why during R2 we have a weekly time for students, most staff and families to focus on their own self-care. Self-care refers to the activities and practices that we deliberately choose to engage in on a regular basis to maintain and enhance our health and well-being. Whether this be through physical activity, reading for pleasure, connecting with peers or watching a Netflix series, personal self-care contributes to a positive functioning individual.
The well-being team at Damascus have shared some of the activities to promote their own self-care, while our Sports Coordinator, Nicole Hexter has set us all a challenge to get team Damascus circumnavigating Australia.
On Tuesday 1st September as a community we celebrate St Martin Founder Day. House Leader Mr Dan Jans challenged us all to call to mind our presence and action in a world where prejudice and injustice needs us as a voice to break it. "Let’s use this day to be people who want to be more informed, more educated, and more engaged in challenging racism."
St Martin de Porres was born in 1579 in Lima, Peru, Martin was the illegitimate son of a Spanish conquistador and a freed slave woman from Panama who was African or Native American. Because of his ‘tainted’ heritage, Martin was ridiculed throughout his childhood. His mother brought him up as a Christian, and at age 15 he began work as a lay helper at the Dominican Convent of the Rosary. While Martin was close to God, Peruvian law stated that no mixed-race person could become a full member of religious orders. Nevertheless, he continued volunteering at the convent as a jack-of-all-trades, from nurse to cloister sweeper. His charity, obedience and humility impressed the community such that after nine years of service, they insisted the racist rule be dropped and he be accepted as a Religious.
After that, Martin founded an orphanage and a children’s hospital. He also worked on the streets, caring for victims of the bubonic plague. In his religious life, he would show care and compassion to everyone regardless of their race.
Please take a few minutes to watch and consider this video
Happy St Martin's Day Damascus
#ImPartOfSomethingGreater
With very litlle students and staff on campus at present, we thought our community would be interested to see the wonderful progress of the Examination Centre & Gathering Space.
This new state-of-the-art facility is really starting to take shape, and the excitement is absolutely building with its completion firmly in sight.
See below a collection of Spring Poems from Year 9 Students:-
S unny days
P ungent smelling flowers
R elaxing sound of the birds chirping
I ncredible to look at
N ew animals being brought to life
G reen grass just waiting to be played on
By Abbey Thorne
Springtime poem
I love spring
For every day
There’s something new
For there is sun
That has come to stay
Another bud
Another bird
Another blade
The sun stirred
By Jet
Blossom
The birds are chirping,
The bees are working,
Flowers blossom and bloom,
The sky no longer looms.
Sunshine pushes through,
Everything so fresh and new,
Chicks hatch and waddle,
The foal try and topple.
Now the sun begins to flee,
The horse prance with glee,
It’s time to go and hit the hay,
If only this could stay.
By Alisha Shillington
SPRINGTIME
The softness of the blue of the sky
As it carries the clouds passing by
Light falls onto the daisies growing on the concrete
And onto the grasslands surrounding me
Life feels like a dream right now
I feel like a kid again
By Alexandra Lockhart
Spring
Spring is the time of year when everything grows.
The leaves are starting to grow on the trees.
People are happy and running around.
People are rolling on the ground.
With tears of joy.
This is spring.
By Tayg Thorne
Spring, Spring, Spring
Everyone’s favourite season
The sun is out; the birds are circling overhead,
The flowers are blooming and the cicadas are chirping
The grass is greener and everyone is happy
Spring, spring, spring
Everyone’s favourite season
By Bree Gale
Spring
The big and the yellow sun,
The big and round yellow sun,
It is telling me to have some fun,
To go out and indulge in things
That I have been looking for,
To spread my wings in the air
And look at the lovely colourful flowers,
Spring is the most amazing time,
When you feel so happy,
Like the amazing sound of the chime,
Happy spring season to you!
By Grace Organ
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