Steven Mifsud - Principal
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Christopher Grant - Deputy Principal
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Sharon Lehtonen - Assistant Principal - Catholic School Culture
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Andrew Robertson - Assistant Principal - Student Wellbeing
Supporting Our College Process: A Unified Approach
At Damascus College, we strive to maintain a learning environment that is conducive to academic success and personal growth. Key to this effort is our partnership with parents and carers. The wellbeing team regularly encourages teachers to reach out to parents and carers to have transparent and open conversations on how students can be supported in their academic growth and social and emotional development. Often, these conversations are challenging for staff to initiate and for parents and carers to hear. Rest assured, these calls are made because staff value the opportunity to discuss how their interactions with students can be positive and can improve outcomes.
I wanted to take this opportunity to share a recent incident that highlights the crucial role parents play in supporting our College processes. Earlier last week, a student was found using a mobile phone during class, which is against our College policy. When informed, the student's parent not only supported the College's decision to impose a temporary ban but also extended this ban at home. This action underscores the importance of a unified approach in reinforcing our rules and College expectations.
Additionally, we have had many families who continually support the processes the College puts in place to ensure our students arrive at school in the correct uniform. This makes it much easier for the staff to follow up on uniform matters and maintain a consistent standard.
When parents/carers reach out and engage with us, it strengthens the relationship between the College and families. This partnership is essential for creating an environment where students can thrive. We seek the support and understanding of all families regarding our processes and policies. Together, we can ensure that our students are not only academically successful but also respectful and responsible individuals.
Thank you to all our parents and carers for your continued support and collaboration. Let's keep working together to make our College a place where every student can Be.Their.Best
Ashwin Pillai - Assistant Principal - Learning and Teaching
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Jaz Beaumont - Staff Member
On Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, our Year 7 students embarked on an educational excursion to Sovereign Hill, a museum in Ballarat that brings the history of the Australian gold rush to life. This visit was not only a step back in time to the bustling era of gold mining but also an opportunity to delve into the rich cultural history of the Aboriginal people, particularly the Wadawurrung, who lived in the region before, during and after the gold rush.
During the excursion, the students participated in a 50-minute lesson
conducted by the Sovereign Hill Education Centre, focusing on the Aboriginal
people in the goldfields. This informative session provided invaluable insights
into the lives of the Wadawurrung people, the traditional custodians of the
Ballarat area.
The lesson began with an exploration of how the Wadawurrung people lived before the arrival of European settlers. Students learned about their sustainable way of life, intricate knowledge of the land, and the importance of natural resources for food, shelter, and cultural practices. This foundation set the stage for understanding the dramatic changes that occurred with the discovery of gold in the region.
As the lesson progressed, the students examined the impact of European settlement on the Wadawurrung people. They discussed how the influx of settlers during the gold rush led to significant disruptions in the traditional ways of living. The settlers' activities, including mining, land clearing and farming, severely affected the natural environment, depleting the resources that the Aboriginal people relied on for survival. The lesson highlighted the struggle for the Wadawurrung to maintain their cultural identity and sustain their communities amidst these challenges.
Through engaging discussions and an interactive tour, the students gained a deeper appreciation for the resilience of the Wadawurrung people. They also developed a broader understanding of the historical context and the lasting effects of the gold rush on Aboriginal communities.
Overall, the Year 7 excursion to Sovereign Hill was an enriching experience that extended beyond the typical history lesson. It fostered a sense of empathy and respect for the Aboriginal people's history and culture, while also providing a comprehensive view of the gold rush era from multiple perspectives.
Our students have a few busy weeks ahead of them as they complete assessment tasks and prepare for exams. This week we will show students have engaged in practical work.
Year 7 students have been completing a Chemistry unit on Mixtures. Here we see students conducting a prac on ‘Heating and dissolving.’
Students were given a mixture of sand, sawdust, salt, iron filings, nails, pebbles and marbles. Using the properties of each pure substance and various separating mixtures techniques, studied in class, students were given the challenge to separate the various components of the mixture as part of a student design assessment task. Let’s have a look at some students of students with the equipment.
Students in ESTEEM have been given the challenge of creating an experimental procedure to work out the ratio of two chemicals needed to elicit a colour change at exactly 60 seconds. There were a number of successes, although students found repeating their results (a must for good scientific experimentation) was more difficult than expected!
In this experiment orbies (expandable water toys) are place into a 0%, 10%, and 20% saltwater solution for 30 minutes to find the percentage change in weight, in order to replicate similarities on how a red blood cell would act in a hypertonic solution (solute in the external environment being higher than in the internal environment). Due to osmosis, it is hypothesised that water will move out of the orbies to reach equilibrium causing them to shrink in size, as salt particles are too large to enter through the membrane.
Year 10 students have been studying chemical reactions as part of their Chemistry unit.
Please see following information on a local Homework Club: -
