Damascus College

Damascus College
Damascus College
Address
	1412 Geelong Road, Mount Clear; Ballarat, Victoria, 3350; Australia
Coordinates	37°36′42″S 143°52′7″E / 37.61167°S 143.86861°E
Information
Type	Independent, co-educational, day school
Motto	Latin: Luce Christi Vivere; (To live by the light of Christ)
Denomination	Roman Catholic, Sisters of Mercy
Established	1881 (Sacred Heart); 1948 (St Paul's); 1968 (St Martin's in the Pines); 1995 (Amalgamation)
School board	Berenice Kerr RSM and Adrian McInerney
School number	265
Principal	Matthew Byrne
Staff	129
Teaching staff	86
Years offered	7–12
Enrolment	approx. 1,000
Colour(s)	Gold, navy blue and maroon;
VCE average	28
Website	http://www.damascus.vic.edu.au/

Damascus College is the only Catholic high school in Ballarat that teaches both males and females. The school started in 1995 when three different Catholic schools, St Martin's in the Pines, Sacred Heart College and St Paul's College joined. The school is in Mount Clear, 7 km from the heart of Ballarat. Damascus College is a school for high school children in years 7 to 12.

Origins

Sacred Heart College

In 1881, the Sisters of Mercy started Sacred Heart College in Ballarat East for children from Prep to Year 12. The younger students were moved to St Francis Xavier College in 1906.

St Paul's Technical College

The Bishop of Ballarat James O'Collins started St Paul's Technical College in 1948. The Christian Brothers controlled the school.

In 1987 the school moved from Lydiard Street to the old Ballarat Orphanage on Victoria Street.

St Martin's in the Pines

Miss Alice Fanning gave her land in Mt Clear to the Sisters of Mercy on her death in February 1960. The nuns used the land to farm vegetables and cows. In 1967 the land came to be a school for the Year 11 and 12 girls from Sacred Heart College. The school was named St Martin's in the Pines. In 1988 boys started at the school. Most of the boys were from St Paul's Technical College.

Damascus College

In 1995 Sacred Heart College, St Martin’s in the Pines and St Paul’s Technical College joined into the only male and female Catholic high school in Ballarat. Year 7 to 9 children studied in Victoria St at the old St Paul’s school and Year 10 to 12 children studied in Mt Clear at the old St Martin's in the Pines. In 2011 all children started studying in Mt Clear. Damascus College is jointly supported by the Sisters of Mercy and the parish priests of Ballarat, Ballarat East, Ballarat North, Bungaree, Cressy, Creswick, Daylesford, Gordon, Linton, Redan, Sebastopol, and Wendouree.

Education

The school's educational program is supported in the College Vision and Mission Statement, the Teaching and Learning Policy, the Australian Curriculum, the Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS), the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) and the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority.

The children can learn French or Indonesian from Year 7 to 12. Physical Education (PE) and Health are taught in years 7 to 10. Religious Education (RE) is taught in all years. Damascus College gives the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE), Vocational education Training (VET) and the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) to Year 10, 11 and 12 children.

Extracurricular activities

Mercy and Justice

Timor-Leste Immersion Program - pupils can to get money to help and visit the sister school Santa Maria in Ainaro, in Timor-Leste
Edmund Rice Camps - pupils can help with camps for poor children and families
Seeds of Justice - pupils learn about justice
Mercy Works - pupils help others from Australia and overseas
Justice Action Group (JAG) and Making A Difference (MAD) - social justice groups
Christian Personal Development Award (CPDA)

Energy Breakthrough Team (EBT)

Since 1998 Damascus College pupils have built Human Powered Vehicles (HPVs). The group trains and competes every year in the RACV Energy Breakthrough Challenge in Maryborough. EBT is a Year 9 subject.

The school won the World Future Cycle Challenge in 2005 and 2007. The group drove 1200 km from Ceduna to Adelaide.

In March 2008 Damascus College rode 1009 km in under 24 hours from Sydney. In 2009, EBT drove 3775 km by solar vehicle from Darwin to the Victorian State Parliament in Melbourne. They helped raise awareness about climate change and how people can lower their environmental impact.

Drama

Students can join the senior or junior Drama Club, can participate in the annual production and the biannual Easter production the Final Hours.

Year	Production	Year	Production
1995	Children of Dust	1999	Animal Farm
2001	Sunrise Sunset	2002	Little Shop Of Horrors
2003	Foreigners From Home & Henry	2004	Fame
2005	Small Poppies	2006	Seussical
2007	Così	2008	The Wiz
2009	A Midsummer Night's Dream	2010	Footloose
2011	Beach	2012	Annie
2013	The Diary of Anne Frank	2014	Superman
2015	The 39 Steps	2016	Grease

Sport

Each year school swimming, athletics and ball sports carnivals are held for all pupils. Damascus College is a member of the Ballarat Associated Schools where students can choose to play for the school in:

Athletics
Badminton
Baseball
Basketball
Cricket
Croquet
Cross Country Running
Football
Golf
Hockey
Lawn Bowls
Netball
Racquetball
Rowing
Soccer
Softball
Squash
Swimming
Table Tennis
Tennis
Volleyball

Other

Debating
SRC (Student Representative Council)
French and Indonesian language trips
Ski trips
Youth-Tutoring-Youth program
Green Group
Book Club

Buildings

Damascus College is divided into different school areas

Bishop Connors Wing – Year 9 and 10 classrooms named for Bishop of Ballarat Peter Connors
Catherine McAuley Wing – Year 7 and 8 classrooms named for Sister Catherine McAuley
Genevieve McDonald Wing – Science classrooms named for Sister Genevieve McDonald
John Shannon Centre – gymnasium named in for the first Damascus principal, Mr John Shannon
Mercy Wing – offices named for the Sisters of Mercy
Our Lady of Mercy Chapel
St Martin's Resource Centre – the library, named for St Martin's in the Pines
St Paul's Arts and Technology Wing – art, metal and woodwork rooms named for St Paul's Technical College
Valda Ward Auditorium – Drama rooms named for Sister Valda Ward

Houses

McAuley – Sister Catherine McAuley started the Sisters of Mercy in Ireland in 1831. The Catherine McAuley and the sisters helped and educated poor girls and young women.
Rice – Brother Edmund Ignatius Rice started the Christian Brothers in Ireland in 1802. He helped educate the sons of poor Catholic families.
Xavier – Mother Xavier Flood helped start the Sisters of Mercy in Ballarat East and was the first principal of Scared Heart College.
O'Collins – Bishop James O'Collins was the Bishop of Ballarat and started St Paul's Technical College in 1948.

Principals

Period	Name
1995–2004	Mr John Shannon
2005–2010	Mr Tony Duggan
2011–	Mr Matthew Byrne

Notable alumni

Sacred Heart College

Karen Overington (1969), Member of the Victorian Parliament for Ballarat West
Judith Myrea Brewer (1979), Officer of the Order of Australia

St Paul's Technical College

Mick Malthouse (1971), AFL footballer and coach
Val Perovic (1971), AFL footballer
Maurice O'Keefe (1972), AFL footballer
Geoff Cunningham (1977), AFL footballer
Daryl Cunningham (1978), AFL footballer
Sean Simpson (1987), AFL footballer
Anthony McDonald (1990), AFL footballer
James McDonald (1992), AFL footballer

St Martin's In the Pines

Rachael Taylor (1994), olympic medalist for rowing

Damascus College

Darren Jolly (1996), AFL footballer
Ash Lieb (2000) Artist, writer and comedian
Shayne Reese (2000), Olympic swimmer
Cameron Richardson (2005), AFL footballer
James Frawley (2006), AFL footballer
Jordan Roughead (2008 school captain), AFL footballer
Aislinn Prendergast (2009), orienteer for Australia
Shaun Reeves (2011), member of band Kuchi Kopi

References

↑ "About Us - Governance". Archived from the original on 2016-06-10. Retrieved 2016-05-28.
↑ "State Register - Provider details".
↑ "Resources Hub - Key Personnel". Archived from the original on 2016-05-06. Retrieved 2016-05-28.
1 2 "Home - My School".^{[permanent dead link]}
↑ "Life @ Damascus - Curriculum Overview". Archived from the original on 2016-06-10. Retrieved 2016-05-28.
↑ "Life @ Damascus - Learning and Teaching". Archived from the original on 2015-09-23. Retrieved 2016-05-28.
↑ "Life @ Damascus - Timor-Leste Immersion Program". Archived from the original on 2016-06-10. Retrieved 2016-05-28.
1 2 3 4 "Life @ Damascus - Mercy and Justice". Archived from the original on 2016-06-10. Retrieved 2016-05-28.
1 2 MATT COUGHLAN (20 November 2013). "Damascus College students ready for RACV Energy Breakthrough challenge". The Courier.
↑ "Life @ Damascus - Energy Breakthrough Team". Archived from the original on 2016-06-10. Retrieved 2016-05-28.
1 2 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-03-08. Retrieved 2016-05-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
1 2 http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/special-features/place-in-the-sun/story-e6frf7nf-1225799664955
↑ Fairfax Regional Media (22 August 2007). "Damascus students looking to future cycling glory". The Courier.
↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-03-20. Retrieved 2016-05-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
↑ "Performing Arts". Archived from the original on 2016-06-10. Retrieved 2016-05-28.
↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-03-08. Retrieved 2016-05-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
↑ "News and Events - Grease". Archived from the original on 2016-06-03. Retrieved 2016-05-28.
↑ "Sports". Archived from the original on 2015-07-25. Retrieved 2016-05-28.
↑ "Life @ Damascus - Enrichment Opportunities". Archived from the original on 2016-06-10. Retrieved 2016-05-28.
↑ "Autumn 2016". The Road. Mt Clear, Victoria, Australia: Damascus College. 2016.
↑ Retrieved 30 June 2015
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Archived 2016-03-20 at the Wayback Machine Damascus College, The Road, Autumn 2010. Retrieved 30 June 2015
1 2 3 4 5 6 Archived 2016-03-20 at the Wayback Machine Damascus College, The Road, Summer 2010. Retrieved 12 April 2013
↑ Lieb, Ash (2013). Funny Guy. Black Shadow Books. ISBN 978-0-9874931-0-1.
↑ "Positive Is The Way For Shayne - Upstart". upstart. Archived from the original on 2013-11-10. Retrieved 2016-05-28.
↑ Damascus College, The Road, April 2013. Retrieved 30 June 2015
↑ http://www.unisport.com.au/HighPerformance/WUC/Pages/AislinnPrendergast.aspx^{[permanent dead link]}. Retrieved 30 June 2015
↑ "Kuchi Kopi". triple j Unearthed. 14 January 2016.

Other websites

Damascus College website^{[permanent dead link]}

[1] "About Us - Governance". Archived from the original on 2016-06-10. Retrieved 2016-05-28.

[2] "State Register - Provider details".

[keypersonnel-3] "Resources Hub - Key Personnel". Archived from the original on 2016-05-06. Retrieved 2016-05-28.

[myschooldc-4] 1 2 "Home - My School".^{[permanent dead link]}

[5] "Life @ Damascus - Curriculum Overview". Archived from the original on 2016-06-10. Retrieved 2016-05-28.

[6] "Life @ Damascus - Learning and Teaching". Archived from the original on 2015-09-23. Retrieved 2016-05-28.

[7] "Life @ Damascus - Timor-Leste Immersion Program". Archived from the original on 2016-06-10. Retrieved 2016-05-28.

[mercyjustice-8] 1 2 3 4 "Life @ Damascus - Mercy and Justice". Archived from the original on 2016-06-10. Retrieved 2016-05-28.

[courierenergybreakthrough-9] 1 2 MATT COUGHLAN (20 November 2013). "Damascus College students ready for RACV Energy Breakthrough challenge". The Courier.

[10] "Life @ Damascus - Energy Breakthrough Team". Archived from the original on 2016-06-10. Retrieved 2016-05-28.

[roadjune2011-11] 1 2 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-03-08. Retrieved 2016-05-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[hearldsundc-12] 1 2 http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/special-features/place-in-the-sun/story-e6frf7nf-1225799664955

[13] Fairfax Regional Media (22 August 2007). "Damascus students looking to future cycling glory". The Courier.

[14] "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-03-20. Retrieved 2016-05-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[15] "Performing Arts". Archived from the original on 2016-06-10. Retrieved 2016-05-28.

[16] "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-03-08. Retrieved 2016-05-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[17] "News and Events - Grease". Archived from the original on 2016-06-03. Retrieved 2016-05-28.

[18] "Sports". Archived from the original on 2015-07-25. Retrieved 2016-05-28.

[19] "Life @ Damascus - Enrichment Opportunities". Archived from the original on 2016-06-10. Retrieved 2016-05-28.

[20] "Autumn 2016". The Road. Mt Clear, Victoria, Australia: Damascus College. 2016.

[21] Retrieved 30 June 2015

[theroad2010autumn-22] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Archived 2016-03-20 at the Wayback Machine Damascus College, The Road, Autumn 2010. Retrieved 30 June 2015

[theroad2010summer-23] 1 2 3 4 5 6 Archived 2016-03-20 at the Wayback Machine Damascus College, The Road, Summer 2010. Retrieved 12 April 2013

[24] Lieb, Ash (2013). Funny Guy. Black Shadow Books. ISBN 978-0-9874931-0-1.

[25] "Positive Is The Way For Shayne - Upstart". upstart. Archived from the original on 2013-11-10. Retrieved 2016-05-28.

[26] Damascus College, The Road, April 2013. Retrieved 30 June 2015

[27] ttp://www.unisport.com.au/HighPerformance/WUC/Pages/AislinnPrendergast.aspx^{[permanent dead link]}. Retrieved 30 June 2015

[28] "Kuchi Kopi". triple j Unearthed. 14 January 2016.

Damascus College

Address

1412 Geelong Road, Mount Clear Ballarat , Victoria , 3350 Australia
Coordinates	37°36′42″S 143°52′7″E / 37.61167°S 143.86861°E / -37.61167; 143.86861
Information
Type	Independent, co-educational, day school
Motto	Latin: Luce Christi Vivere (To live by the light of Christ)
Denomination	Roman Catholic, Sisters of Mercy
Established	1881 (Sacred Heart) 1948 (St Paul's) 1968 (St Martin's in the Pines) 1995 (Amalgamation)
School board	Berenice Kerr RSM and Adrian McInerney
School number	265
Principal	Matthew Byrne
Staff	129
Teaching staff	86
Years offered	7–12
Enrolment	approx. 1,000
Colour(s)	Gold, navy blue and maroon
VCE average	28
Website	http://www.damascus.vic.edu.au/