Damascus College

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 and Health are taught in years 7 to 10. Religious Education 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.
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:
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.