The month of November is the month of Remembrance in the Catholic Tradition and we begin the month with All Saints Day on Friday 1 November. All Souls Day, observed on Saturday 2 November, is part of a three-day tradition that begins with Halloween and culminates in All Saints Day. Last week l was struck by the acceptance of Halloween rituals in Ballarat, l was reminded each time l entered a supermarket or walked down Sturt Street. I was wondering how can the significance of Halloween be understood on our Catholic Tradition. While Halloween is often celebrated with costumes and the American notion of ‘trick or treat’, it is rooted in the deeper meaning of “All Hallows’ Eve,” the night before we honour saints who have lived lives of faith and virtue. But on this day we remember close family and friends who are saintly in our eyes, they may not be revered like the Saints of the Church, but they are people of hope, love and humility who share in God’s Kingdom.
On All Souls Day, we pause to remember and pray for the souls of our loved ones who have passed. We remember those we have loved who have filled a special place in our lives, in our homes and in our family’s journey. We prayer for those departed but we ask those who have died to prayer for us. This day emphasises the communion, of people of the past, present and future. We share with those who came before us, reinforcing our belief that the living and deceased remain connected through faith, love, and prayer.
This year at Damascus many families’ have experienced grief, loss and uncertainty and today we continue to prayer for strength and courage to support those who have died and support one another.
Students are currently in the middle of a very heavy assessment period. I encourage families to engage with the Parent Access Module (PAM) to support your student in fulfilling the learning demands of their respective subjects and to affirm students endeavors. There are many exams taking place currently and this does cause anxiety. Keep reminding students that our exams are an opportunity to learn and refine technique. It is important to keep looking for growth for students and to take a growth mindset in seeing the opportunities that they present.
Next week the College offers diverse learning opportunities to students of Year 9 and 10 with the Year 9 camp to the Strathbogie Ranges and the Year 10 week of work experience or retreats. I would like to remind our families that participation in camps and retreats is compulsory for all students and contact needs to be made with the relevant teacher organisers, if your child is unable to attend. If your student is experiencing anxieties or concerns about any of these experiences, please know, the College goes to great lengths to ensure appropriate adjustments are made to enable students to access this important learning. Please liaise with us if there are concerns. It is not helpful to anyone for students to ‘just stay home’ – as adults we often have our own concerns about experience which we are unfamiliar, so please talk to us about the planning that is in place to enable students to attend.
I look forward to hearing the stories from our staff and students upon their return. I would like to thank the many staff who have generously given of their time and who have sacrificed their own family time to be with our students.
Our Unit 3 students continue to participate in the VCAA examinations and l am in awe watching our students enter the examinations with confidence, comradery and a sense of excitement. We continue to support and prayer for our young people.
Tonight the College will host all our Year 7 families as we prepare for the St Brendan’s Experience for Year 8 2025. I would like to thank the team of dedicated staff who have worked enthusiastically to prepare the program which will commence in Term 2 for three of our Year 8 classes. By the end of 2025 each Year 8 will spend a term at St Brendan’s – supporting them to be lifelong learners, open to new experiences and challenged to be their best in a new environment.
We remember all those who need our prayers at this time.
With every blessing,
Steven