CEB Staff Newsletter #73 - 17 October 2025

World Mission Sunday - 19 October

This coming Sunday, 19 October is World Mission Sunday.  

Each October, we come together with Catholic Mission to honour and support the vital work of missionaries here in Australia and across the globe. There are many ways you can get involved:

• Give through your local parish appeal
• Volunteer as a Mission Ambassador to help spread the word in your community
• Learn and donate online to support life-changing projects
• Pray for missionaries and the communities they serve

Your support plays a crucial role in helping missionaries meet both the spiritual and practical needs of people around the world.

A Message from Bishop Paul
Please take a moment to watch Bishop Paul's special message below:

Reminder for Annual Formation Survey

Thank you to everyone who contributed to and participated in the recent CEB Formation experience. Our particular thanks to the facilitators and group leaders, to the providers who hosted us, and to CEB Directorate for their generous support of this offering. 

Your feedback is invaluable for shaping future Formations. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey, even if you did not attend or attended in part. 

Thanks,
Elise

Pilgrims of Hope – Staff Pilgrimage

For those staff who wish to claim accreditation hours for the recent staff pilgrimage experience, please use the following information.

Title: CEB 2025 Pilgrims of Hope

Code: REC-022957

If you are having any difficulties with TAP, please do not hesitate to contact the CI & M team.

Enterprise Bargaining Offer for Staff - Survey link shared this morning, Friday 17 October

Your voice matters – help shape the outcome.

Employees have now been sent an email with a unique link to vote in the survey and indicate their support for the enterprise bargaining offer for staff.  

This crucial survey will decide whether VCEA and Catholic school employers progress the EB25 offer. If employees want the opportunity to take a formal vote on the offer later this year, with entitlements flowing from January, now is the time to indicate their support by saying YES now.

The email with the unique survey link was sent: Friday 17 October
Time: 11.00am
From: Victorian Catholic Education Authority vcea@vcea.catholic.edu.au
Subject line: Your Survey Link – Vote Now

Key Points

• This is the largest first-year pay increase in Catholic education in 25 years.
• All staff receive a minimum 7% pay rise from January 2026.
• There’s a $1,500 bonus before Christmas 2025 (pro-rata for part-time) – this is a reward and acknowledgement for our employees.
• Pay parity with government schools is guaranteed for the life of the agreement.
• Teachers get five full days of Time in Lieu each year for out-of-hours work that sits outside their directed duties.
• Enhanced leave: longer parental, menstrual, menopause, compassionate, and natural-disaster leave.
• No one loses pay or status – salary tables are modernised, not downgraded.
• The offer was shared directly with staff to avoid delays and give everyone a say.
• Completing the survey is critical – it’s your chance to have a say and move the process forward.
• The survey is anonymous and confidential.
• Taking the survey does not commit you to the offer; it simply allows us to progress to the next stage and keeps the offer on the table.
• If there isn’t enough support at this survey stage, the offer comes off the table, and we return to the traditional bargaining process that follows on from the Government Agreement. This would likely delay an outcome until late 2026 or beyond.
• A Cooperative Agreement means all Catholic school employers choose to bargain together voluntarily for unity and consistency; an SIA is a Fair Work Commission mechanism that compels employers to bargain together. The reason the unions have declined to meet with us is because they are focused on the type of agreement (SIA). The type of Agreement however, does not and will not deliver better outcomes for employees.
• Due to the timing of the state election in late November 2026, it’s unlikely our people will see any wage increases for at least a year – at best – if we wait for the state sector Agreement to be resolved.
• There is no need to wait for increased pay or improved conditions – why wait, when you can have the benefits sooner?
• More info is at eb.catholic.edu.au.

Birthday Celebrants of the Week

Collaborative Innovation Research Prototypes

Invitation for Schools to Participate - Grow an Idea into Action!

In the latest weekly newsletter, schools were reminded about Collaborative Innovation Research Prototypes (CIRPs) - an opportunity to work towards strategic and recommended solutions that can create new possibilities for  learners and educators across our system.

We call them prototypes because that’s what they are: first versions designed to test and evaluate new ideas. Innovation is about bringing ideas into action, fostering curiosity, and creating space for creativity. CIRPs provide a resourced opportunity to explore new ways of addressing shared educational challenges. Some prototypes will work better than others – and that’s okay. Each one contributes to collective learning that our other schools can build on over time. 

How can we help? 
We encourage you to keep your eye out for ideas that might be shared with schools. Imagine joining colleagues of schools you frequently visit to approach a new challenge and spark an idea. CIRPs are about learning together, informed by research and supported by resources.  

Key considerations for the application: 

• Schools can collaborate with at least one other school. 
• Align your project to our strategic pillars. 
• Collect baseline data and reflect contemporary educational research. 
• Submit an estimated budget (up to $30,000) to cover staff release time, equipment, expert presenters, catering, and travel. 
• Share their findings. 

Applications for the final round of funding for 2025 close in Week 5.  

For details on the process, visit dobcel.catholic.edu.au/cirp or contact Julia Petrov, Strategy Implementation Manager at simanager@dobcel.catholic.edu.au to discuss.

Hats Off to Teachers!

In celebration of the World Teachers' Day this coming 31 October, the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) is once again leading the “Hats Off to Teachers” campaign, celebrating the remarkable work of Australia’s educators who inspire, support, and educate children and young people every day.

Following the success of last year’s campaign—which reached millions across the country—AITSL aims to make an even greater impact in 2025.

Support and Share

AITSL invites organisations and individuals to support the campaign by sharing it widely with their networks and stakeholders.

The World Teachers’ Day campaign website has now launched, along with a refreshed celebration kit designed to help communities get involved and show appreciation for teachers.

For more information and access to campaign materials, visit the AITSL website.

People & Development Updates

DOBCEL is proud to offer Early Career Incentives bonus payments for graduate teachers commencing their careers in DOBCEL schools. 

What’s on offer?
✅ $5,000* graduate sign-on bonus
✅ $10,000* graduate sign-on bonus in identified remote or small schools
*Pro-Rata payment for part-time

Additional for remote and small schools:
✅ $5,000 relocation support 
✅ $9,629 annual remote allowance (paid fortnightly for 3 years)
       - Equivalent to POL 3 (CEMEA)
       - Indexed annually

Limited funding available. 

Application Link: ECIP2026

Applications open 17 October - 14 December 2025.

For more information, kindly contact James Murphy (JMurphy@dobcel.catholic.edu.au) or Vicki Dekker (VDekker@dobcel.catholic.edu.au).

DOBCEL & Simon Breakspear People Leader - Pilot Program 2026

DOBCEL is pleased to partner with Simon Breakspear to deliver a practical people leadership program to help build essential people leadership skills.

The program covers –

• Cultivating psychological safety
• Clear communication and deep listening
• Giving effective feedback.

For further information on the program please click here.

For questions, please contact Fiona Murphy on FMurphy@dobcel.catholic.edu.au

Free Access to Cairns Closing Keynote: AI in Catholic Schools

The keynote linked below was presented as the last session of the Australian Catholic Education Conference in Cairns. The majority of delegates had not snuck off to hit the beach or catch an early flight home and all were glad they stayed.

This was a thought-provoking and sobering presentation imploring educators to consider AI in learning carefully. 

It explores how educators can respond to the rise of generative AI - not with fear, but with wisdom. Rather than asking “what is AI?”, it challenges us to consider if, when, and how AI should shape learning. Drawing on cognitive science and human development, it offers practical insights for using AI to enhance - not replace - the timeless practices that form capable learners and connected communities. 

As we navigate the fast-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence, the DS2035 Strategy reminds us that the future may be uncertain, but our purpose is clear: schools must deepen their humanising role. 

Watch this keynote to discover how schools can lead with discernment, avoid past EdTech pitfalls, and ensure that in an age of machines, we remain more human than ever.

2026 Professional Learning Guide - First Release Now Available!

We’re pleased to share the first version of the 2026 Professional Learning Guide, featuring a wide range of professional learning programs, events, and networks for all DOBCEL team members across our schools and offices.

Click HERE to access the 2026 Professional Learning Guide – Version 1.1 (October 2026)

You can access our site via SIMON School Links or by clicking here .

Please share this guide widely so all DOBCEL team members can explore upcoming opportunities. Updated versions will be released as new programs are added or details change.

In the coming weeks, events will be added and available on the PL Program and Calendar page on the DOBCEL website for easy registration via TryBooking. Please check dates, times, and venues before booking.

For questions, contact pl@dobcel.catholic.edu.au.

Professional Learning Opportunities

The following people and development professional learning opportunities are available for staff to attend:

Developmental Language Disorder and DLD Day

You Can’t See Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) – But It’s Time the World Did

The DOBCEL Speech Pathology team is working to raise awareness of Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) for international #DLDday, which is today, Friday 17th October 2025.

Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) is a hidden but common lifelong disability that affects 1 in 14 people. It causes difficulties understanding and using language for no known reason — and because you can’t see DLD, its impact is often overlooked in classrooms, workplaces, communities, and even within families.

The DOBCEL Speech Pathology team is working to raise awareness of DLD in our work every day in schools across our Diocese.

The 2025 DLD Day theme, "You Can’t See DLD", calls on everyone to speak up for the invisible needs of people with DLD — especially in schools and workplaces, where spoken language is central to participation and success.

DLD often leads to reduced access to education, challenges with employment, and social isolation. Despite being a relatively unknown condition, its hidden nature can have very visible consequences. People with DLD are six times more likely to experience anxiety and three times more likely to experience clinical depression. They are also at greater risk of difficulties with reading, writing, and maths — all of which affect educational outcomes and lifelong opportunities.

“This is where teachers and employers can make a HUGE difference,” said Stephen Parsons, Chairperson of Raising Awareness of Developmental Language Disorder (RADLD), the international peak body coordinating DLD Day. “By creating supportive, inclusive, and language-aware environments, we reduce anxiety and open the door for people with DLD to grow and thrive.”

RADLD encourages educators, employers, and community leaders to access practical resources at RADLD.org to help support people with DLD.

Join the DOBCEL Speech Pathology team to raise awareness of DLD. Developmental Language Disorder Day #DLDDAY, now in its ninth year, is celebrated annually around the world with more than 60 countries involved.

For more information contact:
The DOBCEL Speech Pathologist team member in your region of our Diocese.

Learn more about DLDDAY, DLD & RADLD at:
•    WEBSITE: www.radld.org 
•    FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/radld.page 
•    YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/user/RALLIcampaign
•    INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/radldcam/

150km ‘One Foot Forward’ Black Dog Institute Fundraising Walking Challenge in October

This month, Lauren Gould from the L&T team, is walking 150km in an initiative called ‘One Foot Forward’ to help Australians impacted by mental health issues. She has formed a team with a few old university friends to walk in honour of a dear friend who unexpectedly passed away this year.

Lauren’s goal is to raise funds for the Black Dog Institute to put ground breaking new mental health treatment, education, and digital services into the hands of the people who need them most. She has already completed 111km of her walking goal and is on track but still needs to reach her $1,000 fundraising goal!

If you are able to make a donation, please consider clicking the link below to support Lauren’s walk (you can donate anonymously if you like). Together, we can help to create better mental health for all Australians.

Lauren Gould's Fund Raising Link

Thank you in advance and have a great weekend 😊
Lauren

IOEC's New Publication - "A School for Peace - Towards a Global Educational Fraternity"

The International Office of Catholic Education (IOEC) has recently released a new publication entitled "A School for Peace – Towards a Global Educational Fraternity." It is a call to action for educators across the world who believe in the ability of education to inspire peace and change. It is also a universal appeal to politicians, decision-makers and young people.

The book is inspired by the Global Educational Pact initiated by Pope Francis and continued by Pope Leo XIV. It aims to re-centre peace as the core mission of education, encouraging schools to become “workshops of humanity” where students learn to listen, dialogue, cooperate, and hope.

It features inspiring stories from five continents, highlighting how education can be a path to reconciliation, fraternity, and equality, with a special focus on girls’ access to quality education as a foundation for lasting peace.

Learn more from their website: IOEC

Australian Copyright Council Webinar

The Australian Copyright Council invites everyone to join this upcoming webinar:

Intellectual Property Basics webinar!  
Registrations are now open for the ACC’s popular Intellectual Property Basics webinar in collaboration with IP Australia. 

When: Wednesday 29 October 2025, 1-2 pm AEDT
Where: Zoom 

Register Here

For more details of ACC's current webinar offerings, visit the ACC website. 

Career Opportunities

CEB

• Psychologist – ongoing position at 1.0 FTE (closes 26 October)
• Manager: Policy, Risk and Compliance – ongoing position at 1.0 FTE (closes 9 November)