We are away!

Well done to all 100 students who have eagerly signed up to represent the college in BAS Term 1 Sport. The respective coaches have run recess meetings, taken lunch time training sessions, been communicating on MS Teams/email and Round 1 matches have been completed. Your parents/carers will have received a PAM letter with all the details for Term 1 Sport, please ensure permission is given in a timely manner so that we are not contacting home on the day of a match.

The morning notices will continue to be full of sport information (key dates, meeting times, weekly fixtures, bus arrangements etc.) and it is vital that you regularly check your emails, MS Teams and the school App for the most up to date sport information. As you will have noted already MS Teams will be the main form of communication on a weekly basis.

See below the BAS Term 1 schedule, a huge thank you to the staff who have offered to coach teams (and those staff who are travelling on busses) and share their expertise. Students need to listen, accept the fact that they will not play every single minute of every single game, being part of a team involves being rotated and spending some time on the bench. Enjoy the challenge and most of all have plenty of fun!

Head of the Lake

Congratulations to our 50 rowers who competed in the Head of The Lake, in this our 10^th year participating in rowing. I would like to thanks Paul Blanchfield and Linda Skidmore and all the coaches for preparing the students as best as possible. The hours of training will have all been worth it and it is a privilege to row at the biggest regatta on the Ballarat calendar. Full results will be published as they come to hand.

BAS Tennis Singles Championships

Monday, February 26 saw the annual BAS Tennis Championships held at the Ballarat Regional Tennis Centre in Wendouree. The following students represented the college and competed against the best that the other BAS schools have to offer. Thank you to Mrs. Sue Leaney, who assisted on the day.

Junior Girls – Alice Glover (Year 8) and Elsie Angove (Year 8)

Junior Boys – Hamish McNaughton (Year 9)

Senior Girls – Keira O’Beirne (Year 10) and Charley Ward (Year 11)

Senior Boys – Jarrod Joyce (Year 12) and Brayden Joyce (Year 12).

Final results will be published soon, with finals to be played on Thursday, February 29.

Clay Target Shooting

Laang Sporting Clays will host the Warrnambool Region Clay Target Shooting Competition on Monday, March 4. Well done to the following nine students who will represent the college, this is a big commitment, with the bus leaving at 7:00am from St. Patrick’s College, as we are sharing a bus with them.

Jack Dwyer, Darcy Smits, Tom Grigg, Denny Mahar, Bella Mahar, Kara Longmire, Imogen Wright, Lewis Carbone and Casey Leonard. Thank you to Mr. Chris Grant for supervising on the day.

Damascus Swimming Carnival & BAS Swimming

On Thursday, February 8 an extended TA was held to enable all students to attend House Meetings and then Year Level sign-ups for the Damascus Swimming Carnival. Well done to all those students who put their hand up and entered into the Heats. For those who are less experienced in the pool there are still plenty of ways to earn points for your House. The 25m pool with host events throughout the day, as well novelty events such as basketball, bocce and volleyball. Thank you to all the staff who assisted with the sign ups, a huge task. The Carnival will be held on Thursday, February 29 at the Eureka Pool. All students are to attend TA and will be bussed down with staff and return to school for dismissal at 3:18pm. No students will be dismissed from the pool, which is a change from last year.

Once final results are in, the squad for the BAS Swimming Carnival will be finalised and published. Wednesday, March 20 is the date, and it will be held at the Ballarat Aquatic Centre, starting at 11:30am. Any inquiries regarding swimming please do not hesitate to contact Patty Dillon or myself via email or drop down to the gym and say hello.

Damascus Athletics Carnival & BAS Athletics

The Damascus Athletics Carnival will be held on Tuesday, March 19 at Llanberis. An extended TA and House Assembly will be on Thursday March 7 to sign up for events. Please note that the BAS Athletics Carnival is at Llanberis on Wednesday, May 1, Term 2 (more information to come).

Term 1 Key Dates

Damascus Sport Uniform

Students need to ensure they are in the correct uniform to participate. Students should check with their coach as to what is required. Also, remember to wear sunscreen at all times if competing outside and bring your own drink bottle.

I wish all students and coaches the best in 2024. Always play the game in the right spirit, wear the correct uniform, respect the umpires, staff in charge and the facilities. You all have an opportunity to add to your school experience by being the best you can be, both in and out of the classroom.

Please do not hesitate to contact myself (g.webb@damascus.vic.edu.au) or Sport and PE Administrator, Patty Dillon (p.dillon@damascus.vic.edu.au) at the College with any questions.

Regards,

Gavin Webb

Sports Co-ordinator