CEB Staff Newsletter #63 - 25 July 2025

Welcome to Term 3

Welcome back! Hopefully the first week of the school term has been enjoyable for everyone and the school holidays provided a chance to pause, reflect, and recharge after a busy Term 2. 

Our Staff Day last week offered a fantastic opportunity to connect as a group and commence this term in a meaningful way. The day created space for reflection, connection, and renewal, anchored in this year’s NAIDOC Week theme of Strength, Vision & Legacy. It was also a special moment to formally welcome and commission new colleagues into our DOBCEL community.

Through shared prayer, rich dialogue, and purposeful activities, we explored the meaning of Catholic identity in our work and deepened our understanding of the DOBCEL Strategy 2035. These moments help to align our efforts and remind us of the broader intentions that unite us.

As we step into Term 3, thank you for the continued commitment and professionalism you bring to your roles in support of Catholic education across our Diocese. Executive Director Tom Sexton returns from personal leave on Monday. We look forward to welcoming him back and to the opportunities the coming weeks will bring.

Term 3 Staff Day

DOBCEL Strategy 2035 Updates

Have Your Say in the Future of DOBCEL

As we continue to bring the DOBCEL Strategy 2035 to life, there are several important opportunities for you to contribute and help shape our direction. Your voice matters and your insights are essential to our shared progress.

CEB Staff Day Reflections – Strategy 2035 Sense Making 2025

If you joined us for the Term 3 CEB Staff Day, we’d love to hear your thoughts. Please take two minutes to complete a quick feedback survey. Your reflections on what resonated (and what support you need next) will directly inform our planning.

The survey closes on Wednesday 31 July.
🔗 Staff Day Survey Link
Thanks to those who have already shared their reflections!

CEB DOBCEL Strategy 2035 Baseline Survey – Now Open

Earlier this week, all CEB staff were invited to complete the CEB DOBCEL Strategy 2035 baseline survey. This is separate from the school-based version and tailored specifically to those in education support roles.

The survey takes about 20 minutes and plays a key role in understanding where we’re starting from in 2025, laying the foundation for how we track impact and progress over the coming decade.

🗓 Open until Friday 8 August
🔗 CEB DOBCEL Strategy 2035 Baseline Survey
Please take the time to complete it, your contribution helps shape where we go next.

Nearly 1,000 School Survey Responses – One Week to Go!

We’re thrilled to share that we’ve received 985 responses to the DS2035 Survey sent to schools. With just a week remaining, we’re on the brink of hitting our 1,000-response milestone!

If you're heading out to schools and it's appropriate to do so, please encourage any staff who haven’t yet responded to take a few minutes to complete the survey. Every voice helps us build a more complete picture.

Quick Links – Stay Connected to the Strategy

🔗 DOBCEL Strategy 2035 – Full Document (PDF) – Check out pages 7–11 for our long-term aspirations.
🔗 Strategy Portal – Resources, videos, and key messages.
🔗 CIRP Page – Details and application form.

Thank you for your continued engagement and the role you play in shaping our collective future.

Formation - Year of Jubilee

In the Catholic Tradition, today, 25th July, is The Feast of St. James. St. James is the patron saint of pilgrims and pilgrimages. A patron saint is usually understood as a holy person who is considered a special protector or intercessor for a particular place, group, or activity. In The Roman Catholic, Anglican and Eastern Orthodox Christian Traditions, patron saints are believed to advocate or intercede for a certain group occupation or community etc. They are often chosen based on a real or perceived connection to the area, people or group or cause that they are the Patron Saint. For example St. Francis of Assisi is the Patron Saint of Ecology, as he had a deep connection to animals and the environment.

What’s the connection between St. James and Pilgrimages?

St James is regarded as the patron saint of pilgrims and pilgrimages because after he established the Christian community on the Iberian Peninsula, modern Galicia, he returned to Judaea by pilgrimage. The scallop shell became the recognised symbol of all pilgrims as it’s found on the shores of Galicia. Traditionally, when returning to their own countries, pilgrims displayed the scallop shell on their hats to show they had participated in a pilgrimage, particularly The Camino de Compistela (a famous pilgrimage that predominantly takes place in Spain). You may have noticed that in the foyer of The Ballarat Office, we have on display some scallop shells. This is to indicate that this year is The Jubilee Year with the theme Pilgrims of hope. It is a special pilgrimage year for our community, culminating with our formation experiences on the 1st and 2nd of October. 

The Camino de Compistela is also known as the Way of St. James, this is a network of pilgrimage routes across Europe leading to the shrine of St. James (where he is believed to be buried) in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Historically, it has been a religious pilgrimage, it now attracts people for various reasons, including spiritual, cultural, and for the physical challenges. 

Today’s Feast of St. James may be a prompt or invitation for us to reflect on our hopes and purposes for our upcoming pilgrimages in October.

Final Call - Master of Ed Research or PhD Opportunities

Are you interested in pursuing a Master of Education (Research) or a PhD connected to an aspect of our DOBCEL Strategy 2035?

Expressions of Interest close today, Friday 25 July. At this stage, all that’s needed is your name, simply email Tina Munro to register your interest.

This is a unique opportunity to explore postgraduate study aligned with our strategic priorities. Once we gauge interest, we’ll schedule an information session for those wanting to learn more.

Staff AFL Footy Tipping – Round 20 Update!

We’re officially into Round 20, and that means the home stretch is well and truly here… just four rounds to go after this one! It’s been a rollercoaster season so far, with upsets, nail-biters, and plenty of movement on the tipping leaderboard.

Whether you've been strategising each week or just trusting your gut (or your favourite colours!), every tip now counts more than ever. With the leaderboard tightening, there’s still time for a late surge or a slip-up that could shake things up completely.

Last Joker Round - Round 21 🏉

Check out the current leaderboard below to see where you stand...

People and Development Updates

During the term break we welcomed two new staff to the Ballarat Office, Annie Brown, Payroll Officer and James Murphy, HR Generalist.

Annie Brown joins us from Brandt and brings with her more than a decade of experience in payroll, finance & administration.  In addition to her work at Brandt, Annie has also supported payroll for small businesses as well as spending several years at the State Revenue Office where she built a strong foundation in customer service and data management.

We’re excited by not only the technical expertise that Annie brings, but also her personal qualities and passion for supporting her colleagues.

James Murphy has spent the last 19 years working at Grampians Health where he built strong relationships with stakeholders across the organisation.  Most recently he worked as a HR Business Partner where he worked closely with managers to deliver strong business and people outcomes through expert advice and coaching. 

We’re thrilled to welcome James and his wealth of experience in employee relations, workforce planning and talent acquisition to the team.

Please make sure to introduce yourself to Annie and James and welcome them to DOBCEL.

Professional Learning Proposals - Now Open!

The People & Development team are pleased to inform all CEB team members that they can now submit proposals for 2026 professional learning events via the Professional Learning Proposal Form.

To support early planning, please aim to submit proposals by 31 July. This helps us prepare a first version of the 2026 PL Calendar for schools by September. Proposals will still be accepted after this date and added throughout 2025–26 as needed.

Before submitting, please review the DOBCEL Professional Learning Coordination Process (linked below) and the Professional Learning Proposal Form to prepare details such as learning objectives, expected impact, and estimated costs.

For multi-session programs (e.g. Early Career Teachers), only one form is required - just include all session dates.

Once submitted, your proposal will go to your team leader for approval. If submitting multiple requests, you may wish to give them a heads-up.

For any further information please speak to Matthew Watson – LMS Administrator.

Career Opportunities

School Vacancies

• Learning Support Officer – Our Lady Help of Christians, Wendouree – fixed-term position at 0.79 FTE (closes 25 July) 
• Administration Officer – College Office Assistant – Damascus College, Mt Clear – fixed-term position at 0.65 FTE (closes 28 July)
• Classroom Teacher- Foundation - St Joseph’s, Warrnambool – fixed-term position at 1.0 FTE (closes 1 August)
• Classroom Teacher – Year 5 - St Joseph’s, Warrnambool – fixed-term position at 1.0 FTE (closes 1 August)
• Operational Teaching Assistant St Mary’s, Robinvale – fixed-term position at 1.0 FTE (closes 1 August)
• Teacher – English/Humanities - Monivae College, Hamilton – ongoing position at 1.0 FTE (closes 3 August)
• Teacher - Music - Monivae College, Hamilton – ongoing position at 1.0 FTE (closes 3 August)
• Teacher Science - Monivae College, Hamilton – ongoing position at 1.0 FTE (closes 3 August)
• Teacher Textiles - Monivae College, Hamilton – ongoing position at 1.0 FTE (closes 3 August)
• Teacher Art - Monivae College, Hamilton – ongoing position at 1.0 FTE (closes 3 August)
• Teacher Physical Education - Monivae College, Hamilton – ongoing position at 1.0 FTE (closes 3 August)
• Teacher Mathematics - Monivae College, Hamilton – ongoing position at 1.0 FTE (closes 3 August)
• Head of School Year 7 & 8 – Damascus College, Mt Clear - POL Appointment (closes 4 August)
• Head of School Year 9 & 10 – Damascus College, Mt Clear - POL Appointment (closes 4 August)
• Head of School Year 11 & 12 – Damascus College, Mt Clear - POL Appointment (closes 4 August)
• Student Life Leader – Damascus College, Mt Clear - POL Appointment (closes 4 August)
• VCE Leader Year 11 & 12 – Damascus College, Mt Clear - POL Appointment (closes 4 August)
• Year Level Coordinator Year 7 – Damascus College, Mt Clear - POL Appointment (closes 4 August)
• Year Level Coordinator Year 8 – Damascus College, Mt Clear - POL Appointment (closes 4 August)
• Year Level Coordinator Year 9 – Damascus College, Mt Clear - POL Appointment (closes 4 August)
• Year Level Coordinator Year 10 – Damascus College, Mt Clear - POL Appointment (closes 4 August)
• Careers Coordinator – Damascus College, Mt Clear - POL Appointment (closes 4 August)
• SGE Coordinator – Damascus College, Mt Clear - POL Appointment (closes 4 August)
• Performing Arts Coordinator (Drama) – Damascus College, Mt Clear - POL Appointment (closes 4 August)
• Instructional Coach (Literacy) – Damascus College, Mt Clear - POL Appointment (closes 4 August)
• Instructional Coach (Early Career Teachers) – Damascus College, Mt Clear - POL Appointment (closes 4 August)
• Instructional Coach (Design & Pedagogy) – Damascus College, Mt Clear - POL Appointment (closes 4 August)
• Performing Arts Coordinator (Music) – Damascus College, Mt Clear - POL Appointment (closes 4 August)
• Community Connection Ambassador – Damascus College, Mt Clear - POL Appointment (closes 4 August)
• Coordinator AI & Future Learning – Damascus College, Mt Clear - POL Appointment (closes 4 August)
• HOLP Ambassador – Damascus College, Mt Clear - POL Appointment (closes 4 August)
• Head of St Brendan’s Campus – Damascus College, Mt Clear - POL Appointment (closes 4 August)
• Learning Area Leader – Damascus College, Mt Clear - POL Appointment (closes 4 August)
• Applied Learning Leader (VCE/VM) – Damascus College, Mt Clear - POL Appointment (closes 4 August)
• Instructional Design & Pedagogy Leader – Damascus College, Mt Clear - POL Appointment (closes 4 August)
• Head of Curriculum & Assessment – Damascus College, Mt Clear - POL Appointment (closes 4 August)
• Student Growth & Engagement Leader – Damascus College, Mt Clear - POL Appointment (closes 4 August)
• Data & Analytics Leader – Damascus College, Mt Clear - POL Appointment (closes 4 August)
• Classroom Teacher - Damascus College, Mt Clear – ongoing positions, full & part-time (closes 4 August)
• Year 3/4 Classroom Teacher Term 4, 2025 – St Colman’s, Mortlake – fixed-term position at 1.0 FTE (closes 8 August)
• Classroom Teacher – St Mary’s Swan Hill – fixed-term position at 1.0 FTE (closes 19 September)
• Casual Relief Teacher – Monivae College, Hamilton – casual position (closes 19 September)
• Casual Relief Teacher – St Mary’s Primary School, Swan Hill – casual position (closes 30 September)
• Volunteer Rowing Coaches – Damascus College, Mt Clear (closes 3 October)
• 2025 Casual Relief Teachers – St Columba’s Primary School, Ballarat North – casual positions (closes 25 November)
• Classroom Teacher 2026 – St Mary’s, Warracknabeal – ongoing position at 1.0 FTE (closes 5 December)