The Road Autumn 2020

FROM THE PRINCIPAL
MATTHEW BYRNE
Welcome to the autumn edition of The Road.
As I sit here writing the Principal’s address, I am struck by the silence
of a school without students and staff. The coronavirus (COVID-19)
pandemic has required the College to end Term 1 prematurely. The
student, staff and family experience of a Damascus education has
been turned on its head over recent weeks and we are all uncertain
about what the coming months will look like. The correlation of this
time of uncertainty with the Lenten period requires me to await the
hope of the Resurrection—the time when we will be free from the
fear and confusion that is rife in our society—as we look forward to
Easter.
Educationally, the College has been challenged to respond to the
prospect of remote learning for students and staff. The short time of
preparation has meant that there will be a great many challenges for
our remote delivery. But, in the tradition of the College, the staff team
has pulled together to work hard in the best interests of the students.
Damascus will maintain our sense of community and our commitment
to high-quality learning throughout these difficult times.
This year Damascus enrolled its largest-ever student population—a
total of 1134 students commenced the year. We have expanded our
staff team accordingly, with increased functions in Diverse Learning
and Careers. We have also commenced a Hands on Learning
Program for selected students in Year 10, and we are excited
about Year 10 students undertaking Content Learning in Language
(CLIL) from the middle of the year. CLIL students study the content of
Humanities in French or Indonesian to complement their language
study. Year 10 students can also fully elect subjects from their second
semester offerings to provide more targeted pre–VCE and VCAL
learning.
Damascus College is very fortunate to have strong governance
through the leadership of Sr Berenice Kerr and Fr Kevin Maloney.
Our College Board, appointed by the Governors, is committed to
the best strategic leadership possible for our community. Michael
Myers concluded two years of exceptional leadership at the end of
2019 and we acknowledge and thank him for his great contribution
to our community. Paulene Barton and Justin Marson will continue
the excellent leadership of the College Board in their respective
roles of Chair and Deputy. We farewell and acknowledge the work
of directors Ray Wright, Marc Amos and Sr Elizabeth Dowling and
thank each of these individuals for their generous contribution to the
College Board and subcommittees over many years. I also thank and
acknowledge the many other generous volunteers to the Board subcommittees
for their contribution
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