CEB Staff Newsletter #75 - 31 October 2025

Celebrating World Teachers’ Day – Friday 31 October

This World Teachers’ Day, we celebrate and thank all teachers across CEB for the care, expertise and dedication you bring to your work each day. Teaching is a profession grounded in service — one that reflects the call to guide, nurture, and inspire others.

Our CEB teachers create learning spaces where curiosity, hope, and belonging flourish. Through their daily actions, they bring to life the values of compassion, respect, and integrity, helping both teachers and students to see the light of their own potential. In doing so, they embody the spirit of our catholic tradition, which calls us to serve others with love and purpose.

Today, we offer our heartfelt thanks to every teacher for their leadership, commitment, and compassion. Your dedication strengthens and empowers our schools to thrive. Together, we share in the mission of shaping lives, strengthening communities, and creating the conditions for every learner to flourish. Your collective work is a true act of service — forming not only minds, but hearts and communities.

CEB 2025 Christmas Decorating Competition

There are only seven Fridays until the end of the school year, the beginning of gifted leave, and Christmas. The inaugural 2024 Christmas Decorating Competition was well-received across the organisation, participated in by all sites, and an incredible source of joy and comradery. So it’s happening again!

Details are still being worked through, but at this stage the four categories are: best individual, best tree, best team, and best recipe. If you’re a baker, your time to shine is coming!

Catholic representations of Christmas i.e. nativities will not be judged but are heartily encouraged inclusions in your festive displays.

Further details to follow. We look forward to all of the upcoming sparkle and shine.

An Invitation this November

The month of November is a time in which the Catholic community remembers those who have died. The month begins with the Solemnity of All Saints on 1 November (for more see All Saints Day)  and the commemoration of the All the Faithful Departed (for more see All Souls' Day), on 2 November. 

The reason for a special time of remembering  taking place in November is that it is linked to the fact that at the end of November, the Liturgical Year concludes with a new Liturgical Year starting on the First Sunday of Advent – the four-week period of preparation before Christmas. Themes such as life cycles, endings and beginnings, hope,  life, death and resurrection and offering prayers for loved ones who have died are prominent in the life of the Church in November. 

You are invited this November to join The CEB community in remembering and praying for those who have died. You are welcome to:

1. Write the name of the person/people you would like to remember and pray for in the Journal of Remembrance  that is placed on the table near the altar in the chapel.
2. If you have their funeral booklet or a symbol that reminds you of this person, you might like to place it with the others in the chapel as a way of inviting others to pray for this person.
3. “Light” an electronic candle and place it in the Space of Remembrance as a symbol of this person.
4. Take a moment for reflection or prayer in the chapel remembering a person/people who have died during the past year.
5. Pray the prayer that is placed on the chairs in the chapel.

Calling for New Warden Team Members

As part of our ongoing commitment to maintaining a safe and well-prepared workplace, we are looking to expand our Warden Team here at the DOBCEL Ballarat Office.

Our Warden Team plays an important role in ensuring the safety and wellbeing of everyone in the building during emergency situations such as evacuations, lockdowns or shelter-in-place events. Wardens assist in guiding staff and visitors to safety, checking designated areas, and supporting the coordination of emergency responses under the Chief Warden’s direction.

We’re seeking a few additional team members who are interested in getting involved. It’s a great opportunity to:

• Gain practical emergency management experience,
• Potential to access free warden and emergency management training
• Build confidence in responding to real-world scenarios,
• Contribute to a culture of safety and preparedness across our workplace, and
• Work collaboratively with colleagues from different areas of the organisation.

The Warden Team meets once a month for short planning sessions to review procedures, coordinate upcoming emergency drills, and discuss any updates or improvements to our emergency arrangements. Each term, the team will also take part in organising and running an office-wide emergency drill, helping ensure our processes remain effective and that all staff know what to do in various scenarios.

If you’re interested in joining the team or would like to learn more about what’s involved, please get in touch with Tom Kernick - Emergency Management Advisor:

• Phone: 0436 312 624
• Email: tkernick@dobcel.catholic.edu.au

Your participation and enthusiasm would be a huge help in keeping our workplace safe and prepared.

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

2026 Professional Learning Guide

Be sure to check out our CEB Professional Learning site via Sharepoint for new events and updated details in our Learning Guide and calendars!

• New! – Principal Induction 2026
• New – Additional FLARE Primary Literacy Strategy events have been added following popular demand and feedback!

• Update! – The Safeguarding Masterclass sessions have been updated with new details for the first two sessions including an expertise guest speaker who will be presenting for the Term Two session.
• Update! – New Learning Outcomes have been included for various FLARE Primary Literacy Strategy events

We encourage all CEB teams to visit our SharePoint page invite team members to explore the many opportunities available for professional growth and collaboration in 2026.

Over the coming weeks, events will progressively be added to the Professional Learning Program and Calendar page on the DOBCEL website, where registrations will open via TryBooking.

Link to 2026 Professional Learning Guide

12-Month Self- Reflection/Annual Review Process - goes live Monday 3rd November

The 12-month self-reflection process for the CEB office opens on Monday 3rd November 2025. The self-reflection process aims to ensure an opportunity for conversation to affirm and reflect on your achievements to date in 2025 and provide space to discuss and capture any support or growth and development opportunities for delivering on the goals you set for 2026.

Each person will receive an email from Culture Amp (notifications@cultureamp.com) containing a link to complete the self-reflection. You can access your self-reflection via the email or by logging into your Culture Amp account. The link to the self-reflection is located on the home page.

Before completing your self-reflection, you should update the status of your goals.

Once you’ve completed the self-reflection, submit it to your team leader; and expect to have a meeting to discuss your reflections.

12-month self-reflections and meetings should be completed by Friday, 12th December 2025.

Instructions for updating the status of goals and completing the self-reflection can be found here.

If you have any questions about Culture Amp please speak with James Murphy.

Professional Learning Opportunities

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

Blended Work Arrangement

As the end of the 2025 School Year comes to a close, current Blended Work Arrangements (BWA) are due to expire.

Staff are now invited to apply for a new Blended Work Arrangement for 2026.

To access a copy of the Operating Procedure, Health and Safety Checklist and Application Form please visit via Knowledge Banks. These resources will provide all the necessary information and guidelines for submitting the BWA application.

Applications must be submitted to Team leaders for approval, no later than 30 November 2025.

Please ensure you send through the following documents as part of your application:

1. Completed Application Form
2. Completed Health and Safety Checklist
3. Photo of your Home Office working environment – capturing both desk and chair.

Please note, approval of a BWA request is conditional on the home office endorsement by the OHS Coordinator, Leah Crough.

For any queries or questions please contact James Murphy or Emma Baldwin.

Teaching and Learning Update

CET Team Flare Presentation

Thursday 13th November 12pm - 2pm

Online via the 'Join Flare VC' - access here. All are welcome.

If you are joining us, please print or save a copy of this document to bring along to the meeting.

Pastoral Ministry Office Updates

Jubilee of the World of Education:  October 31 – November 2, 2025

The Jubilee of the World of Education celebrates all forms of education – early learning, school (both primary and secondary), and tertiary education.  Further resources for the Jubilee of the World of Education are available from the diocesan website. 

DOBCEL Canva Webinar Series

Final Session Next Week – Don’t Miss Out!

Boost your work creativity and digital confidence with our Canva Webinar Series – designed especially for educators. Whether you're just starting out or keen to explore Canva’s AI-powered features, this final session will help you create engaging content and collaborate with students and workmates more effectively.

🗓️ Wednesday 5 November
🕒 3:45 PM – 4:30 PM
📍 Via MS Teams
Topic: Student Collaboration, Activities & Lesson Plans

Register or catch up on previous sessions: Click here
Questions? Contact Coby Reynolds at creynolds@dobcel.catholic.edu.au

Career Opportunities

CEB

• Manager: Policy, Risk and Compliance – ongoing position at 1.0 FTE (closes 9 November)
• Education Officer: Wellbeing Secondary – fixed-term at 1.0 FTE (closes 9 November)
• Education Officer: Learning Diversity – ongoing position at 0.6 FTE (closes 9 November)
• Speech Pathologist – fixed-term position at 0.5 FTE (closes 9 November)