On Friday, I had the great privilege of accompanying our Year 10 students on their excursion to the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo. This experience was both enriching and deeply reflective—not only for our students, but for me personally. Standing within such a sacred space, surrounded by symbols of peace, mindfulness and compassion from another faith tradition, I was reminded of the profound ways in which learning extends far beyond the classroom. The Great Stupa is one of the largest Buddhist temples in the Southern Hemisphere and provided our Year 10 students with a valuable opportunity to deepen their understanding of world religions, cultural diversity and respectful dialogue.

Experiences like this help our young people grow in awareness and understanding. They encourage students to approach others with curiosity and kindness and to recognise the value of different cultures and beliefs. When students step beyond the familiar and encounter new perspectives, they learn to appreciate difference and to respond with empathy and respect.

I thank our dedicated staff who organise these formative experiences and our parents and carers who support them. Together, let us continue to provide opportunities where our young people can be challenged, inspired and transformed—so that, in embracing Christ’s mercy, they may go on to transform the world.

As I reflect on this experience, I am mindful of the many ways learning is unfolding across the College this week.

Our Year 9 students and staff are currently away on camp. This is an important milestone in the middle years and supports independence, teamwork and respect for one another. I thank the staff who give so generously of their time to make this experience possible.

For our Year 10 and 11 students, this week marks the beginning of Revision Week as they prepare for their end of year examinations. We encourage them to plan well, seek support and approach this period with confidence.

We also hold in our prayers all students completing Unit 4 studies, including Year 12 students and a number of Year 11 students. Their commitment to study has been commendable. As they move through their examinations, we remind them that their worth is far greater than any single result.

Our students are also active in BAS sport, rowing and a range of summer co-curricular programs. These activities strengthen teamwork, discipline, respect and school pride. My thanks go to the coaches and staff who support students in both skill development and character formation.

In a complex world, these experiences help shape young people who can build bridges, foster peace and serve the common good. Through the lens of Christs mercy, we are invited to meet others with openness and love and to recognise the dignity of every person.

During this time in our liturgical calendar, we also pause to mark All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, followed soon after by Remembrance Day. These occasions call us to remember all those who have gone before us and to reflect on the faith, sacrifice and love that have shaped our shared story.

We give thanks for their teachers and families, who have walked beside our young people. May the gifts of the Holy Spirit, including wisdom, understanding and courage guide our community in the weeks ahead.

With every blessing,

Steven

Our Year 12 students are nearing the conclusion of their exam period, with French and Indonesian scheduled for next Wednesday — the final exams within the College’s offerings. Our Year 12 cohort has been an outstanding group of young people, and their Graduation event on Monday, 24 November promises to be a very special occasion — a fitting celebration and acknowledgment of their secondary school journey. For parents and carers unable to attend the Graduation Mass in person, a livestream link will be shared with Year 12 parents and carers in the coming days.

Students in Years 10 and 11 (2025) will commence the Early Start Program beginning the week of Monday, 24 November. Year 10 into 11 students will begin on Monday, 24 November, and Year 11 into 12 students on Tuesday, 25 November. During this time, students will begin their new subjects and start their learning for 2025. The purpose of the Early Start Program is to ensure that learning opportunities are maximised through to the final days of the school year and that students experience a smooth and purposeful transition into their new year level.

Students in Years 7–9 (2025) will continue in their current classes until the final day of term, Friday, 5 December. Please note that, due to the merging of the 2025 and 2026 timetables, there will be some changes to class schedules for students in Years 7–9. Updated student timetables will be available via SIMON and PAM from the end of the day on Friday, 21 November. Parents and carers are encouraged to check which days students have PE to ensure they are appropriately equipped for their classes.

Within the Year 11 and 12 Early Start Program, where new staff members are joining the College, we have endeavoured to involve them in this transition period. Where this has not been possible, existing staff have been allocated to ensure that students begin their studies with consistent, high-quality teaching, ready for a seamless handover to their new teachers.

Important Information - School Canteen Closure

Please note that due to circumstances beyond our control the Canteen will be CLOSED for the small (2nd) break on Monday 17 November. They will be open on the first big break and re open as normal the following day.

It has been great to hear positive updates from our Year 9 Camp, as students enjoy their week-long adventure. We look forward to welcoming them back on Friday afternoon.

Looking ahead, Tuesday, 2 December is Orientation Day for our incoming 2026 Year 7 students. Please note that Unit 1–4 classes and VCE/VM (2026 Year 11 and 12 students) will still run on this day. For students currently in Years 7–9 (2025), this will be a student-free day. We are very much looking forward to welcoming our new Year 7s to Damascus on this important day.

Finally, I wish our Year 10 and 11 students all the very best as they enter their exam period over the coming week.

Chris

Next week marks an important milestone for our Year 10 and Year 11 students as they commence their Semester 2 and Unit 2 examinations. This period represents both the culmination of semester learning and an opportunity for students to demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and understanding in a formal assessment environment.

For our Year 11 students, exams will take place from Tuesday 18 November to Monday 24 November.

Our Year 10 students will also complete their Semester 2 examinations next week, from Wednesday 19 November to Friday 21 November.

Detailed communications regarding examination timetables and procedures have been emailed directly to students and parents/carers.

These exams are an essential part of each student’s academic journey at Damascus College. They not only allow students to consolidate their learning and identify areas for growth, but they also play a vital role in building confidence and resilience under timed conditions. Educational research consistently highlights that regular exposure to formal examinations enhances long-term memory, improves retrieval of knowledge, and reduces anxiety in future high-stakes assessments. Studies show that students who engage in structured revision and practice exams perform significantly better when they reach their final senior assessments.

Exam periods also provide valuable opportunities for students to refine important lifelong skills, such as time management, independent study, focus, and organisation, all of which are crucial for success in Year 12 and beyond. Learning how to plan revision, manage nerves, and reflect on feedback are skills that will serve our students well in their VCE or VCE-VM pathways.

We encourage parents/carers to support their student/s by providing a calm study environment at home, ensuring good rest and nutrition, and reminding students that exams are not only about results, they are a step toward developing strong habits and a positive mindset for learning.

We wish all our Year 10 and Year 11 students the very best as they prepare for and complete their examinations. Their dedication, persistence, and growth as learners are something to be truly proud of.

At last week’s Community Child Safe meeting, a significant portion of time was dedicated to discussing the new national social media laws set to take effect next month. While much of the conversation focused on how these laws aim to protect students from potential harm, there was also acknowledgment of the vital role social media plays in helping young people feel connected. Hannah Keating, our Leader of Student Wellbeing, captured the essence of this discussion in the media, and I’ve provided a summary of her account below.

From 10 December 2025, new national laws will require social media companies to take reasonable steps to prevent children under 16 from creating or maintaining accounts.

This is a positive move, one that prioritises safety, wellbeing and balance for young people. However, it also means many of our students will lose access to popular platforms like Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat at the same time they’re stepping away from the social rhythms of school life.

At Damascus, we know that for many adolescents, social media isn’t simply a pastime, it is a space where friendships are built and maintained. As these online spaces change, some students may feel disconnected, particularly over the holidays when transport, distance or work routines make it harder to see friends face-to-face.

Our shared focus, as parents, carers and educators, is to help young people feel seen, supported and connected: both online and in the real world.

What Parents and Carers Need to Know

The age restriction, led by the eSafety Commissioner, will apply to:
Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, Kick, and Reddit.

WhatsApp and Messenger will not be restricted - allowing young people to stay in touch privately with close friends and family if parents/carers choose.

The regulation is designed to limit exposure to harmful content, addictive design features and online bullying, while encouraging young people to develop digital literacy skills in safer, age-appropriate spaces.

For more information, visit the official site:
🔗 www.esafety.gov.au/about-us/industry-regulation/social-media-age-restrictions

Concerns About Connection Over the Holidays

The summer break can be a wonderful time to rest, but for some young people it also brings new challenges:

• Reduced contact with school friends and teachers who provide daily interaction and structure.
• Limited transport options for those living outside Ballarat, making meet-ups harder.
• More time alone at home while parents/carers work.
• Adjustment to digital change, as familiar apps become restricted.
• Feelings of boredom, frustration or isolation, particularly for students who already struggle socially.

By recognising these challenges early, we can help young people plan for connection, routine and enjoyment before loneliness takes hold.

How Parents and Carers Can Support Their Young Person:

Here are practical ways to nurture connection and confidence through the holidays:

1. Talk Openly About the Change
3. Explain that the new laws are about protection, not punishment. Listen to how your student feels about losing access to social media and validate their frustration or disappointment.
   
   
4. Encourage Real-World Connection

• Arrange in-person meet-ups — short, local get-togethers, picnics, sport, or shared movie nights.
• Support them to host friends at home or join community activities.
• Suggest phone or video calls instead of relying solely on messaging apps.
• Encourage them to plan one social catch-up per week to stay connected.

1. Model Balance
2. Young people learn from what they see. Keep mealtimes screen-free and spend time together doing something simple: cooking, walking, or watching a film.
   
   
3. Notice Emotional Shifts
4. Look out for signs of loneliness: changes in sleep, irritability, loss of motivation. A gentle “You seem a bit quiet lately, how are you feeling about the holidays?” can go a long way.
   
   
5. Promote Local Involvement:

Encourage engagement in youth programs, volunteering, art workshops, or sports. Community connection builds confidence and belonging.

Support Services in Ballarat

Even though Damascus College will be closed over summer, several local and national supports are available to young people and families:

Local Youth Services

City of Ballarat Youth Services
The Phoenix, 25 Armstrong Street South, Ballarat
(03) 5320 5500 | ballarat.vic.gov.au/youthservices
Workshops, youth events and leadership opportunities for ages 12–25.

Y Ballarat Youth Programs
Barkly Square, 25–39 Barkly Street, Ballarat
(03) 4311 1500 | youth@yballarat.org.au | yballarat.org.au/youth-programs
Holiday activities, ReCranked bike recycling, wellbeing and inclusion programs.

CAFS (Child & Family Services Ballarat)
115 Lister Street, Ballarat
(03) 5337 3333 | cafs.org.au
Counselling, youth care and family support services.

Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY) Ballarat
25 Armstrong Street North, Ballarat
(03) 9340 3700 | cmy.net.au/ballarat
Social connection and mentoring for young people from diverse backgrounds.

National 24/7 Supports

• Kids Helpline – 1800 55 1800 | kidshelpline.com.au
• Headspace – 1800 650 890 | headspace.org.au
• Lifeline – 13 11 14 | lifeline.org.au
• ReachOut – reachout.com

Please ensure that you reach out to your students House Leader should you require additional information.

In Nostra Aetate, The Church’s Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions, the document states, “The Catholic Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions” (p.2). Furthermore, The Church strongly encourages dialogue and collaboration with followers of other religions. With this in mind, it was a wonderful experience for all who attended the Year 10 Reflection Day held at The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion last week. First and foremost, The Great Stupa is a Buddhist temple regaled in magnificent artworks, mosaics, sculptures and relics. At its heart, though, is the longing for harmony and dialogue among all faiths. One of the first examples depicting this was a sculpture of the Menorah, the seven branched candelabra associated with the Jewish festival of Chanukah, placed in a garden surrounded by fruit trees of great spiritual and symbolic significance to Islam.

“She [the Catholic Church] regards with sincere reverence those ways of conduct and of life, those precepts and teaching which, though differing in many aspects from the ones she holds and sets forth, nonetheless often reflect a ray of that Truth which enlightens all.” (NA, P.2)

While being guided around the grounds and the temple of The Great Stupa, these rays of Truth were beaming forth from many angles. Listening to the stories of the Buddhas throughout the ages and what they stood for. Having the many sculptures and statues being explained to us. Being led in meditation. All these experiences helped to spark the light of this Truth that can be presented in different ways but is always constant.

November is the month of remembering. The month begins with All Saints and All Souls Day. Days where we remember and pray for those special people who have gone before us, both known and unknown. This week Australia, along with many countries, observes Remembrance Day with one minute’s silence at 11am on the 11^th day of the 11^th Month. Remembrance Day commemorates the day, November 11, 1918, when the guns of the Western Front fell silent after four years of continuous warfare. Throughout history there have been conflicts between people of differing faiths fuelled by economic interests, thirst for power and geopolitical plans often hiding behind a veil of religion. According to Pope Francis in his autobiography “Hope”, faith fosters dialogue, service, solidarity and hope and he criticises those who try to misuse religion to seek power.

This November, let us all remember to enter into dialogue with open hearts and open minds with those whom we disagree with. Let us remember those who we hold dear, whose memories will always be with us. Let us remember those who make the ultimate sacrifice for their loved ones and for their homes. Let us remember to make time for others, especially when we seem to have little time to spare. And we pray that in our times of need, God will remember us.

Prayer of St Francis

Loving God,

Make me an instrument of Your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

Where there is sadness, joy.

O, Divine Master,

Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

To be understood as to understand;

To be loved as to love;

For it is in giving that we receive;

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

It is in dying that we are born again to eternal life.

Amen.

Visiting the Great Stupa was such an amazing experience. I learnt so much and was able to really connect and emerge myself in the cultures. The tour showed us around the gardens and taught us about the meanings of certain statutes and their history. For example, I saw the swastika during the tour and my mind immediately went to how it was the Nazi symbol, however, the tour guide explained that this symbol is actually a Buddhist symbol representing good fortune and good luck.

The whole reason for going to the great Stupa was to learn about interfaith. Naturally, that means that not just Buddhism was represented there, but also Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, and so much more. Our tour guide said, "The point of any faith is to help you become the best version of yourself that you can possibly be" and I thought that this encompassed the meaning of interfaith so well. I believe that we can all learn a lot from every religion and that each has its own truth.

Going to this magical place really showed me just how true this is and that it is possible to understand and respect everyone's beliefs. You can’t be afraid of something that you understand, and I don’t think a lot of us do truly understand other's beliefs are or bother to learn about them.

When we came up to the centre temple, I was overwhelmed by its size, we were told that it is just two meters shorter than the middle pyramid in Egypt, Khafre. Prayer wheels encircled the base of the temple, and each had a different meaning and purpose, we were encouraged to send our love to anyone who may need it at the moment, whether that be our family or people around the world.

After a group photo in front of the temple, we entered to find a giant room with 7 massive statues, each was pure jade, and each was filled with prayers written down and holy items inside. We had a short history lesson about the Buddhist religion and what their plan is for the temple. The plan goes over 100 years and aims to bring 100 Buddhist statues into it. They are currently in year 25 with 7 of these statues.

Once the small history lesson was finished, we had a meditation session for about 5 minutes. The whole room went silent as we were guided through the meditation, and for a year level that is usually hyper and loud, the silence was a pleasant surprise. We were then sent on a scavenger hunt around the temple, which taught us even more about each statue and their history.

The entire experience was very interactive and interesting. I honestly wish we were there for longer, but I am so grateful for the opportunity to stay as long as we did and to learn about so many different faiths.

On Tuesday our Damascus College community gathered on the lawn in front of the Catherine McAuley Building to pause for Remembrance Day. With the flags lowered to half mast, Learning Area Leader for Humanities, Gerard Macklin, guided the ceremony, which was conducted by student leaders from a range of year levels and house groups. Their thoughtful leadership set the tone for a calm and reflective moment shared across our entire school.

Remembrance Day marks the end of the First World War and calls us to honour the lives lost and acknowledge the deep and lasting impact of conflict on individuals, families and communities. It is a reminder of the human stories that sit behind the history, and of the responsibility we carry to learn from the past. At Damascus, we do not approach this day as a celebration. Instead, we remember with dignity, gratitude and respect. This reflection aligns closely with our Vision and Mission, inviting us to be a welcoming and inclusive community, inspired by Christ’s Mercy and committed to compassion, justice and peace.

Throughout today, our student leaders also represented Damascus College at Remembrance Day ceremonies across Ballarat. Their presence within the wider community offered a quiet and meaningful act of respect, standing alongside others in acknowledgement of service and sacrifice.

As we move through the week, may this shared moment of remembrance encourage us to value peace wherever we can foster it, listen deeply to one another, and contribute to a world shaped by hope, understanding and care.

Conveyance Allowance – Last Claim for 2025 – Families who have not yet submitted their claim for this year please note the cut-off date to claim Conveyance for 2025 is 12pm Friday, November 21.

To be eligible for a conveyance allowance, individual students will be assessed under the following criteria:

1. Attend a school/campus located outside the metropolitan conveyance allowance boundary
2. Attend the closest appropriate school/campus at which admission is permissible
3. For students attending specialist schools, this will be determined by the specialist school’s Designated Transport Area (DTA) in which the student resides
4. For students attending government schools, this will be the closest school/campus appropriate to the age and gender of the student (e.g. primary, secondary, single sex)
5. For students attending non-government schools, this will be the closest school/campus of the recognised denomination for conveyance allowance purposes.
6. Reside 4.8km or more from the school/campus (shortest practicable route calculated by the school attended at the time of application from the student’s home to the school/campus)
7. Be of school age (between five and 18-years-old at the time of application), and a resident of Victoria
8. Be enrolled and travelling to school three or more days per week.

Students’ circumstances can change during their school years (e.g. moving residence or changing schools/campuses). Change of circumstances affects eligibility and a new application must be submitted with each change of circumstance.

Private car
A private car conveyance allowance is not available if the journey could have been made using a public transport service or free school bus.

• Where there is more than one student in the vehicle, there are two rates claimable: ‘furthermost’ and ‘additional.’
• Where there is more than one student in a vehicle, and they attend different schools, the amount claimable is based on the distance travelled to school by each student. That is each student must be the subject of a separate application and the student attending the furthermost school is identified as the ‘furthermost’ student; each of the other students must be claimed as ‘additional’.
• Rates are calculated according to the distance (measured in kilometres) from home to the campus attended using the Department’s standard measurement method; for details of the rates claimable, refer to Appendix 1 Conveyance Allowance Rates
• It is assumed that all students from the same family will travel in one car therefore only one family member may claim furthermost student allowance.

Pro-rata adjustment of reimbursement (time fraction)

Where students change school, transport mode and/or address that affect the payment of conveyance allowance, pro-rata payments are made, having regard to the number of days of actual attendance. It is the responsibility of each school to report any mid-semester student changes and the required pro-rata adjustments that are required.

Late payments
Late (past year) applications cannot be accepted or paid.

Any inquiries relating to this allowance or to any bus travel matter may be directed to Tracey Williams at the College office Phone: 5337 2236.