Mr. Christopher Grant - Interim Principal
This week, we have Year 7 and 9 students undertaking NAPLAN. Year 10 students are engaged in Work Experience or their retreat and CPDA learning opportunities. Year 8 students have been camping at Anglesea and building their friendships, knowledge, and skills. The diversity of learning and the strength of engagement has been wonderful to witness, considering over the last two years, not all of these activities could occur.
Next week we have TA interviews. The Damascus College Teacher Advisor program is one of the key mechanisms that we use to partner with families in educating young people. The College, the student and the family, need to work together to maximise the learning opportunity for each young person in this community.
These interviews are at the forefront of our spiritual, pastoral and academic communication with families. It is expected that students and parents engage with this opportunity. The interview next week will include a review of movement towards achieving goals set in the first term and acknowledging any concerns to this point and navigating the educational experience over the next few months.
We believe the best engagement is face to face. Being onsite allows the ability to support families to check lockers or gain IT assistance if devices need updating. We are also refining our learnings from 2021 to best support maximum family engagement and connection. Therefore, the MS Teams software will continue to be an option for this interview cycle. Provision has been made for the option of online interviews through the MS Teams software on the student devices as per previous interviews.
Information will be sent to families regarding booking through the Parent Access Module (PAM). I remind families that next Wednesday, 25th May, is a non-teaching day and students are only required to be at school with their families for their interview.
Next Tuesday, our Ballarat Associated Schools Athletics carnival will be held at Llanberris Oval. I thank Rod Matthews, Nikki Hexter and the PE team for supporting our students to attend. I wish all our athletes well for their participation throughout the day.
The Victorian Government will continue to provide Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) for use by students and staff for the remainder of Term 2. However, from Monday 23rd May 2022, it is recommended RATs are used by students and staff only when symptomatic. From Monday 23rd May 2022, it is not recommended that non-symptomatic students or staff continue to conduct RATs twice a week in schools. Students and staff must continue to notify the Department of Health and their school if they return a positive RAT result. Face masks can also continue to be used by any staff or students who wish to do so, including medically at-risk students.
Can I please ask families for your support for your young person when returning to school, where there is a positive case within the house. Students and staff who are household contacts of a COVID-19 case are no longer required to quarantine. They can return to school as long as they undertake rapid antigen tests (RAT) 5 times within their 7-day period and wear face masks indoors if they are aged 8 and above unless they have a valid exemption.
If any household contact returns a positive RAT result during this period, they must isolate for 7 days and not attend school.
We keep Lillian Richardson (Year 7) and her family in our prayers on the passing of her grandfather this week. May he rest in peace.
Until next week… Chris
The 17th of May is International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHoBIT), The day is marked worldwide, including in 37 countries where same-sex acts are still illegal. It was created in 2004 to raise awareness of the violence and discrimination faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, including all people who have diverse gender identities or gender expressions.
The date of 17 May was chosen for IDAHoBiT as this was the date in 1990 when the World Health Organisation finally declassified homosexuality as a mental illness. Despite this, LGBT+ people across the world continue to face hate, discrimination and violence.
This week students and staff of Damascus College have had a range of activities that they can participate in to show their support for this. Throughout the week the DEC sign has shuffled through the colours of the rainbow, SRC member Isla Casey provided information that was shared in TAs on Monday. On Tuesday there was an opportunity in the courtyard to have fingernails and faces painted and to sign a pledge board as a show of support. On Wednesday a specific Book club lunchtime session dedicated to books and resources will be run by Sharen Hayes and senior book club members to provide insight, to help educate and support. The activities of Tuesday will be run in the courtyard again on Friday.
Throughout this week we are celebrating a world of increased positive change in prejudice and discrimination and the road toward a more inclusive and accepting world for all, as we are all created in the Image of God.
This year's Senior VCE Drama Ensemble is the Seven Deadly Sins, and will kick off tomorrow, from 18-20 May, at 8pm in the Valda Ward Auditorium at Damascus College.
The performance is designed within the Unit 3 study to assess students on their abilities to create and work within an Ensemble performance.
Each student within this year’s task is responsible for the development of at least one substantial character. The complex task challenges them to master the skills required to both create and perform their own work. The play will be a strong blend of both comedy and drama and will be presented within an eclectic theatrical style. The performance will run for approximately forty minutes and will incorporate the use of a dynamic soundtrack and creative use of lighting and projection.
It has been two years since drama student's have performed to an external audience, so we encourage our Damascus community to get along and support these students and their creativity.
Seating is unreserved and no booking is required over the 3-night season.
Venue is the Valda Ward Auditorium, Damascus College, and entry via gold coin donation.
For a number of years now, Damascus College has supported the FIGHTMND cause, especially with VCAL students raising funds for the cause with their “Ice Bucket Challenge” event. This term the College will continue its support for people who suffer from Motor Neurone Disease and their families by selling “Big Freeze 8” beanies to students and staff.
Beanies will be sold for $25.00, cash or card payments will be accepted. Beanies will be on sale in the Damascus College courtyard during recess and lunch from Wednesday the 18th of May until Friday the 20th of May or until sold out.
Thank you to everyone for supporting this very worthy cause.
Do you have some spare time to help out in the College Canteen? Do you like having fun with great people and making a difference?
If so, the staff would like to hear from you....interested parties must hold a valid Working with Children's Check (which is free to apply online for) and meet Vaccination requirements.
Please click here to email the canteen and being the process.
Below are the criteria used to determine a student’s eligibility for the Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF).
To be eligible for the fund, a parent or carer of a student attending a registered Government or non-government Victorian primary or secondary school must:
For the list of eligible financially-means tested cards refer to the CSEF Policy:
https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/camps-sports-and-excursions-fund/policy
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 the above.
For the purposes of CSEF, students may be eligible for assistance if they attend a Victorian registered primary or secondary school. CSEF is not payable to students attending pre-scho ol, kindergarten, home schooled, or TAFE.
A special consideration category exists for
For more information, see https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/camps-sports-and-excursions-fund/guidance/eligibility
For concession card holders CSEF eligibility will be subject to the parent/carer concession card being validated successfully with Centrelink on the first day of either term one (31 January 2022) or term two (26 April 2022).
The CSEF is an annual payment to the school to be used towards camps, sports and/or excursion expenses for the ben efit of the eligible stud ent.
The CSEF is paid directly to your child’s school and will be allocated by the school towards camps, sports and/or excursion costs for your child.
For ungraded students, the rate payable is determined by the student’s date of birth. For more information, see: www.education.vic.gov.au/about/programs/Pages/csef.aspx
Make sure that the Surname, First Name, and Customer Reference Number (CRN) details match those on your concession card. You will also need to provide your concession card to the school.
If you are claiming as a temporary Foster Parent or a Veteran Affairs Pensioner, you will need to provide a copy of documentation confirming your status as a temporary Foster Parent or provide your Veterans Affairs Pensioner Gold card to the school.
If you are seeking special consideration, mark this in the form and provide a copy of the relevant documentation.
Forms are available through the front office or online Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) application form (education.vic.gov.au)
