In 2021, Damascus College is proudly celebrating 140 years of Catholic education, building on our shared Mercy and Diocesan history since 1881.

Throughout that journey, one of the hallmarks of our community has been a willingness to adapt and change to meet the needs of the times.

Modern and innovative educational governance has seen the current Co-Governors of Damascus College; the Association of Canonical Administrators of the Parishes of Greater Ballarat, and the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of Australia and Papua New Guinea, invite the Damascus College Board into a process of discernment on the future governance for the College.

Following a thorough process of discernment, the Board has made a recommendation to the respective entities that the future governance of the College be transitioned to the Company formed by the Bishop of Ballarat, titled Diocese of Ballarat Catholic Education Limited (DOBCEL). DOBCEL is a team of professional and committed directors who govern the schools of the Diocese for whom the Bishop of Ballarat, Rev Paul Bird, has civil responsibility.

Damascus College will continue to honour the joint charisms on which it has been founded. The place of the Sisters of Mercy here in Ballarat and the legacy of Catherine McAuley will continue to underpin the spiritual and educational offerings available to the Damascus College community. This will continue in collaboration with the spirit of service of the parishes from which students enrol.

For staff, students and families, a change in governance will not materially impact the College experience; however, it formally provides the College with the local experience of the DOBCEL Board and the support of the broader network of schools in the Diocese of Ballarat.

A working party will be formed to address the specifics of the change in governance, and these changes will be communicated to the College community as the year progresses.

As we celebrate our 140-year history throughout 2021, we look forward to recognising the extensive contribution of the Sisters of Mercy and the parishes of greater Ballarat that have led the transition to DOBCEL, the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Damascus College.

We had an awesome day at the Swimming carnival last Wednesday, and today we send off those students who experienced success in their races to the Ballarat Associated Schools Swimming Carnival at the Eureka Pool. I thank Sports Coordinator Nikki Hexter and the staff who support her in preparing for these carnivals in such quick succession.

From this Friday, the Head of School Girls Regatta will take place on the Barwon River in Geelong. This regatta will bring the 2020/21 season to a close for the girls in our program. I reported last week that there were to be no spectators at the regatta, but as is the case in modern times, there has been a change - please see below a statement from the Head of School Girls Regatta Committee around spectators:-

The Head of the Schoolgirls’ Regatta Committee is pleased to announce we have accepted a proposal from Rowing Victoria which allows a limited number of spectators on the south bank of the Barwon River.

A key consideration for the committee in planning a safe event has been ensuring there is no cross-over between competitors and spectators. The updated site plan adheres to this, retaining free movement of athletes and staff on the north bank. It will permit approximately 1800 spectators, the maximum number allowed in line with the geographical space available and keeping within the parameters of our permit application under a tier 2 category event. The number of spectator passes allocated to each school will be reflective of their entry numbers. Further information about this will be communicated to each school’s regatta contact person.

The safety and experience of each schoolgirl remains a priority for the committee, in line with our statement of purposes.

For more information on how to attend and to obtain tickets please click here.

The End of Season Rowing Dinner will take place next Tuesday evening, March 16^th, in the Damascus College Events Centre from 6:30pm. Tickets can be purchased through the College office.

This Friday, we have the Opening Mass. In order to conduct a COVID safe event, we will conduct our Mass with Year 12 students and SRC representatives in attendance. Bishop Paul Bird will celebrate Mass, and we look forward to welcoming Bishop Paul on Friday.

There are a diverse range of excursions to support classroom learning taking place over the next week, and I encourage families to check PAM permissions and take a look at your student's progress while there.

Monday was International Women's Day, and while we enjoyed the Labour Day holiday and the celebration of the Labour movement in achieving an eight-hour working day, we acknowledge that there is still work to be done in achieving equality and safety for women in our global community. We have been fortunate to have so many women work to progress our community and society, and we acknowledge those who came before us, those amongst us and those in the future. Many of these women in this community have been nurtured by the Sisters of Mercy, who celebrate 140 years of faith-filled ministry in Ballarat. In recognition of 2021 International Women's Day, a group of staff have prepared Lapel Pin Ribbons and made these available to other staff for the purchase price of $2. All proceeds will be donated to McAuley House Ballarat.

McAuley House Ballarat is another ministry of the Sisters of Mercy and opened in 2019. McAuley House offers support and accommodation services for women facing homelessness in Ballarat. Please see the following link for further information about the additional support challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as innovative ways people can donate and support this wonderful Centre.

McAuley House Ballarat - McAuley Community Service for Women (mcauleycsw.org.au)

We extend a prayer of gratitude for all the women in our lives, for their strength and courage and inspiration, and we pray that we can continue to develop as a society with just and safe equality for all.

We also pray for staff member Deb Glasson, whose mother is very unwell. We also pray for the continued recovery of staff member Kirsten Phyland.

Until next week….

MATT