Assistant Principal
Jacky Guardascione
November - A Month of Remembrance
In the Catholic Church, November is known as the Month of Remembrance. It’s a special time dedicated to praying for people who have passed. The month begins with two important days: All Saints’ Day on November 1st, which celebrates all the saints in heaven and All Souls’ Day on November 2nd, which focuses on praying for the souls of the faithful departed. We then remember at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month for Remembrance Day.
Throughout the month, as Catholics, we are called to remember those who have gone before us. Remembering is a powerful action as it allows us to inform the present and shape the future from learning from the past. By recalling special people and experiences, we can deepen our connections, gain self awareness and find hope during difficult times.
The Church teaches us that we are all connected through the Communion of Saints and November is a time to show love, offer hope and trust in God. It allows us to honor those
who came before us and to live with faith in the life to come. This November, remember someone that you have lost. You may wish to write their name down and place this on your bedside table, thinking of them before you sleep or when you rise. You may wish to light a candle in memory of a passed loved one. However, you remember them, know that while they may not be with us in a way that we know, when we remember them they are in our hearts always.
Social Media Minimum Age Changes - 16+
As you would be aware, the Australian Government is taking world-leading action to reduce online harms experienced by young Australians by introducing a minimum age to access social media.
From 10 December 2025, a new law will require social media platforms to take reasonable steps to prevent Australians under 16 from having a social media account, and deactivate or freeze existing accounts held by people under 16.
Delaying access to social media accounts until the age of 16 hopes to protect young Australians at a critical stage of their development, giving them 3 more years to build real world connections and online resilience.
This change will reduce access for young people to some of the harmful aspects of social media, such as algorithms that recommend content, infinite scrolling and other features designed to keep users continuously engaged. The law is intended to capture social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, X, Facebook and YouTube.
But it won’t stop young people from staying in touch with friends online, playing games, learning new things and being entertained. In fact, they will still be able to access messaging apps, online gaming, professional networking and development services, and services that are primarily for the purposes of education and health support.
This delay to social media will give young Australians more time to develop real world connections and digital literacy skills before they join global platforms. For more information please see the fact sheet from the eCommissioner.