CEB Staff Newsletter #76 - 07 November 2025

Remembrance Day Tuesday 11th November

Next Tuesday 11th November, it is Remembrance Day, all are most welcome to gather in the chapel in the Ballarat Office at 10.50am for prayer and a commemorative service. If you are in another office and would like to conduct a service in your location here is an outline of a draft  liturgy that you can use or adapt to your local needs. 

Pastoral Ministry Office Updates

Prayer for Remembrance Day – November 11

Special Masses – November 19 & 20
Invitation from Bishop Paul

Bishop Paul invites all in our diocesan school communities—principals, teachers and staff—to join in prayer and reflection during two special Masses being celebrated later this month.

• Wednesday, November 19 – Anniversary of the Dedication of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Ballarat
  This day marks the anniversary of the dedication of our cathedral, a moment to give thanks for our diocesan faith community and its ongoing mission in education and service.
  •    Mass of the Anniversary of the Dedication of the Cathedral
  •    Prayers: Missal pages 1095–1097
  •    Readings: Lectionary Volume II, pages 1328–1341
• Thursday, November 20 – Mass for Persecuted Christians
  As part of the global observance of “Red Wednesday”, our diocese will pray for persecuted Christians on Thursday, November 20.
  •    Mass for Persecuted Christians
  •    Prayers: Missal pages 1346–1347
  •    Readings: Lectionary Volume III, pages 544–560

Bishop Paul encourages all parishes and school communities to join in these special celebrations.

If your parish is holding a Mass for Persecuted Christians, you are invited to register it with Aid to the Church in Need at www.rednovember.org, where you’ll also find helpful prayer and reflection resources under “Resources.”

Let us come together in prayer—giving thanks for our cathedral and remembering those across the world who suffer for their faith.

Laudato Si’: Everything is connected

Thought and banner for NOVEMBER is:  What communities are you part of?  How can you participate and support others in your community to be more resilient to climate change and to hope and act with creation?  (Catholic Earthcare Caritas Australia Laudato Si Card Set)

Applications open for 2026/27 Young Catholic Women's Fellowship

The Bishops Commission for Evangelisation, Laity and Ministry is pleased to announce applications are now open for the Australian Young Catholic Women’s Fellowship for 2026/2027. More information at this link.

Arrangements for the All-Staff meeting, Mass and End-of-Year Dinner – 11 December 2025

We are currently finalising arrangements for the All-Staff meeting, Mass and Dinner to be held on Thursday 11 December. A schedule and Outlook meeting invitations for the day (and evening) will be released next week as arrangements are finalised.

As a thank you to staff for all that you do and your partners for their support of you in your role with CEB, we extend an invitation to your partner to attend this evening also.

All staff are asked to please complete the link by no later than Wednesday, 19 November, for attendance and catering purposes.

For staff out of Ballarat who may require accommodation, please arrange through the usual mechanisms via the accommodation booking system.

If you have any questions or wish to discuss, please contact Tina Munro.

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.

CEB 2025 Christmas Decorating Competition

There are only six 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.

Birthday Celebrants of the Week

DOBCEL Strategy 2035 Updates

CIRP Applications: Seven Collaborative Innovation Research Prototype applications have been received for Term 4, 2025. Thanks for your assistance with their encouragement and development. 

Student Agency – Schools that Listen: The CEB Steering team had our first meeting with Dr Jean Stiles on Thursday, 6 November 2025 to prepare for the educator sessions in Week 7.  

Jean discussed some of the intended benefits of the initiative: 

• Empowers Student Voice: The program activates authentic student voice, allowing a diverse range of students to contribute to school culture and decision-making.  
• Promotes Equity: It ensures equity by involving students from various backgrounds and achievement levels, not just the top performers or those struggling.  
• Develops Leadership: Both students and educators grow as leaders by engaging in collaborative projects and learning communities, breaking down traditional hierarchies.  
• Enhances Engagement: The program focuses on understanding and improving student engagement, which can positively impact attendance and overall school experience. 
• Supports School Improvement: By co-designing and co-creating initiatives, the program helps schools address real issues, align with school priorities, and foster a culture of continuous improvement.  
• Builds Capacity and Sustainability: The approach aims to build long-term capacity within schools so that the work can continue independently after the initial support.  
• Encourages Reflection and Unlearning: Participants are encouraged to reflect on and challenge their assumptions, leading to meaningful change and innovation.  

For further details about this initiative join the Canvas course here. 

Converge Updates

November Wellbeing Highlights from Converge

November is packed with resources to support your wellbeing—from November, International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and many more.

Converge has curated a rich collection of resources, events, and support services to help.

Mental Health Month: Support for Leaders & Teams

Manager Support + Employee Counselling
Converge’s Manager Support service pairs perfectly with Employee Counselling to guide both leaders and staff.

Explore Manager Support 
Employee Counselling

World Menopause Month: Dedicated Support Line

Staff can access expert care via Converge’s Menopause Support Line:

Webinars for Staff & Leaders – Explore Creating Safe Spaces

• Transforming Lives (Leaders)
• Awareness Sessions

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

The 12-month self-reflection process for the CEB office opened 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.

e-Safety Professional Learning

The following short professional learning opportunities outlines webinars, other training and tips to help you protect your school from cybercrime.

Webinar for school leaders and staff

• Social media age restrictions explained
  • Hosted by the e-Safety Commissioner
  • Date: Various available
  • Time: 3:45 PM to 4:15 PM
  • Register at any time before the webinar, at Social media age restrictions explained – a guide for educators and youth-serving professionals

Tips for boosting cyber safety and password protection

To learn more about your cyber safety strengths and to receive a tailored plan to increase your individual cyber safety, complete this 5-minute cyber safety check.

We encourage all staff to change your passwords regularly. A strong, unique and unpredictable password is the first line of defence against a cyber security attack. To check the strength of your password and find out if it has been leaked, refer to the Password strength tester.

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)