Weekly Newsletter #1 - 3 Feb 2021

Reflection

From the Executive Director

Welcome back to the new school year, in particular our 13 new principals, all our new staff and students. May 2021 be a calmer year than 2020!

2021 is a historic year for our 56 parish schools as they have transferred their governance from our parish priests to DOBCEL. These governance arrangements date back to 1849 when our first Catholic schools where established: Portland, May 1849 and Port Fairy, July 1849 some 172 years ago.

2021 is also an historic year for Catholic Education in Australia, as we celebrate 200 years of Catholic Education. We will provide more information about this national celebration in the near future.

First Leadership Gathering for 2021

It will be exciting to see all DOBCEL principals at our first Leadership Gathering for 2021. This is the first opportunity that I will have had to meet you all in person as the one group since I began in August 2020. As I stated to all DOBCEL principals in 2020 I expect all DOBCEL principals to attend all Leadership Gatherings from now on. I firmly believe that all principals, new and experienced, can make a valuable contribution to their colleagues and our system of schools at these gatherings. It will also enable more consistent communications between us all as we strive to provide the best possible educational opportunities for our system of schools. If you experience an exceptional circumstance, are ill or on leave and are unable to attend you will need to advise me personally of your absence. Further details, the agenda and booking link for the Leadership Gathering are below. 

Ash Wednesday

In view of the coronavirus pandemic, the directions for the distribution of the ashes has been adjusted. Bishop Paul Bird has provided the below note from the Congregation for Divine Worship about the celebration of Ash Wednesday this year. He asks that school communities who celebrate Ash Wednesday with school groups use this as a guide.

Vale Sr Rose Glennen and Sr Kathleen Grant

This Institute of Sisters of Mercy of Australian and Papua New Guinea (Ballarat Office) have advised that two of their community members have passed away since Christmas.  Sr Rose Glennen and Sr Kathleen Grant were farewelled in separate funerals in the first week of February.  Please remember them, and those who will miss them, in your prayers.

Condolences and Prayers for Colleagues

We keep the following colleagues in our thoughts and prayers on the loss of their loved ones: 

John Meneely and family, on the passing of John’s father Col. 

Liz McIntyre and family, on the passing of Liz’s father Graham. 

Robyn Cranage family, on the passing of Robyn’s mother-in-law Joyce.

Tom Sexton
Executive Director, Catholic Education Ballarat

Our New Newsletter Format

You will notice that our newsletter looks different. We have done some consolidating, changed our communications schedule, and adapted a new platform for 2021. Here are the details:

• Our new schedule is as follows:
  • Weekly Newsletters (blue)
    Sent weekly on Wednesdays and includes news from the Executive Director, announcements, policy updates, appointments, service area updates, funding opportunities, leadership opportunities, employment opportunities, news and events.
  • Executive Director’s Update to Principals (maroon)
    Sent periodically to Principals only for urgent updates and announcements (eg. COVID and Principal appointments). Principals can forward these on to the appropriate staff. These updates will be added to the Archive after 24 hours.
  • DOBCEL Board Update (purple)
    Sent out periodically after board meetings and policies are ratified.
• Our newsletters are now sent out on the Schoolzine platform so you will receive an email containing a link to the newsletter.
• You can view archived newsletters through the Newsletter Archive link in the menu. In the near future, you will be able to search archived newsletters (we will announce this feature).
• You can search the current newsletter using the search icon in the top menu or holding down the CTRL button and pressing F.
• Weekly Newsletters and DOBCEL Board Updates will eventually be sent to all school staff. Please add staff members to the recipient list via the below form. Note that only school email addresses can be used.

Leadership Gathering – 18 and 19 February

The first Leadership Gathering for 2021 will be held on Thursday 18 and Friday 19 February. 

The agenda and booking link are below. Please register for by Friday 5 February to secure your spot.

Our 8 RI/MPJP principal colleagues will note that the agenda is essentially DOBCEL business. This is due to our change in governance as there are a number of crucial operational matters that DOBCEL schools will need to discuss and implement as we begin our new governance arrangements. While our 8 RI/MPJP principals would be very welcome to attend this Leadership Gathering it is understandable if you choose not to attend on this occasion. Our future Leadership Gatherings will be relevant for all 64 Catholic schools in the diocese, as we continue to work in partnership.

DOBCEL Policy Implementation and Timeline

On 1 January 2021, the DOBCEL Board received endorsement from VRQA to govern 56 schools within the Diocese. The VRQA requires all DOBCEL Schools to implement the policies and procedures by mid-2021. All policies have been ratified and implementation will ensure consistency across all DOBCEL schools. Information on the policy roll-out and timeline is available below. 

Updated Contracts of Employment Templates

Following the successful transition of governance into the new corporate entity of Diocese of Ballarat Catholic Education Ltd, from 1 January 2021 all DOBCEL schools will, in their contracts of employment, need to reference Diocese of Ballarat Catholic Education Ltd (DOBCEL) as the employer and the School name as the location of employment.  

To assist schools to meet this new obligation, new contract templates have been created and made available on the CECV website. Please see below the Contract template quick links below.

All DOBCEL school employment contracts must now include:

1. a disclosure statement for new staff to disclose any prior or existing relationship with any students or the school and the nature of that relationship (included in the template)
2. the DOBCEL Child Safety Code of Conduct (attached to the contract)
3. the DOBCEL Child Safe Policy (attached to the contract)
4. a role description (attached to the contract)
5. a disclosure of Pre-existing Injuries/diseases (included in the template)
6. an updated Fair Work Information Statement (included in the template)     

For any questions relating to the contract template please contact Michael Trainor, Human Resources Manager on 03 5337 7109.

Contracts Templates

Tutor Learning Program Funding

Last year the CECV advised schools that schools would be provided with a minimum of $5,000 or $20 per student, whichever was greater. The Victorian Government has since confirmed that reallocation is not permissible and allocation to schools in accordance with the funding from Government is a condition of the funding payment to the CECV. All Diocesan schools will receive at least the allocation as previously advised, with the majority of schools receiving an increase of 1.33% to their original amount. Further information will be provided in a CECV Circular on Friday.

Below is an FAQ on the employment of tutors.

EMP Bushfire Preparedness Update

The below 2020–21 Bushfire Season Update is for Principals and Compliance & Risk Support Officers.

Call for Grant Funding Applications for Major Capital Works

Please view the COMS below which provides important information below about the Victorian Government Capital Funding Program (VGCFP) 2019–23 – Round 3 and the Australian Government Capital Grants Program (CGP) – 2021 Round. 

Applications for grant funding for major capital works projects may include requests for the construction of new facilities to cater for approved enrolment growth, and the refurbishment or demolition of existing facilities.

Applications are now open and will close on Friday 15 February.

Please contact Ashley Wiseman via email or on 5337 7133 for further assistance.

Professional Standards Requirements

A reminder of Professional Standards requirements for any clergy that may be visiting from outside our Diocese. No matter the reason, all clergy that are not Ballarat diocesan MUST seek permission and receive Faculties in writing from either the Bishop or Vicar General prior to their arrival. For further information, please refer to DOBCEL Engagement with Priests and Parishes Protocol 20201010. 

Introducing our new EAP – Converge International

In November (Director’s Update 16 November 2020 #34/2020), we announced a change to our Employee Assistance Program (EAP).  I am pleased to confirm that Converge International has commenced working with Catholic Education in the Ballarat Diocese, supporting our wellbeing, effective 1 January 2021.

Converge International’s People Assist EAP Program is a holistic, customer-focused, and quality-assured service delivered within a contemporary health and wellbeing framework. The Converge International People Assist program provides short-term and solutions-focused counselling that aims to support and empower employees and members of their families through various best practice counselling approaches and frameworks to assist in resolving personal and work-based issues.

To help create awareness of the program and Converge, you may like to share the video, handout and poster below. The poster may be useful to pin up in your staff/lunch room. When contacting Converge, staff should note that they are employed in Catholic Education in the Ballarat Diocese to access this service.

We also encourage you to share the January and February’s editions of Converge’s Flourish Magazine with staff.  It covers a broad range of wellbeing topics from healthy recipes, exercise, relationships, and resilience to topical areas such as living and working through a pandemic.

Through the latter half of 2020, due to COVID, it had been difficult to access hard copy, printed materials from providers. Welcome 2021! EAP brochures are being printed for us now. These materials will be shared with Principals at the Leadership Gathering on 18 and 19 February.   

Election of Health and Safety Representatives

The implementation of the DOBCEL governance model which came into effect 1 January 2021, requires a new framework for OHS Consultation. A central component of this consultation will be a new DOBCEL Health and Safety Committee consisting of equal membership of DOBCEL Management and Employee representatives. This Committee will be chaired initially by the Catholic Education Ballarat (CEB) Human Resources Manager. It will be accountable to the Executive Director of Catholic Education, via the CEB Directorate and; the DOBCEL Board, via the Audit Risk and Finance Committee.

Nominations are now open to join this committee to provide advice and feedback regarding health and safety strategic initiatives, policies and procedures.

See details below. 

Education Officer: Formation for Mission

We welcome Jim Waight to the role of Education Officer: Formation for Mission. Jim will partner with all schools across the diocese to support the crucial work of staff formation and opportunities to explore spirituality. Find out more about this new role below. 

Education Updates

Record of Student Adjustment and Evaluation (ROSAE) Update

The Record of Student Adjustment and Evaluation (ROSAE) is a newly developed online portal for schools to record all the evidentiary requirements for NCCD.

World Safer Internet Day 2021

This year we’ll celebrate World Safer Internet Day on Tuesday 9 February. The theme for 2021 is start the chat. The Office of the eSafety Commissioner has developed several engaging activities for students and their parents/carers in support of this important celebration. 

Electronic Change Table Needed

We have a Ballarat school who urgently needs an electronic change table for a student with attendant care needs. If any schools have one they are no longer using can they please contact Susan Rampling on 0418 173 543. 

Project Compassion for Lent 2021

CARITAS is introducing a new initiative with a Virtual Immersion program for Project Compassion for Lent 2021. Further information is below.

2021 Directory

The 2021 Directory will be available in next week's newsletter. In the meantime, the 2020 Directory is still available via the link below. If your school requires any changes, please contact Emma Newman. 

Professional Learning Opportunities

Oral Language Supporting All Learning (OLSAL - B) Sustainability 

A key learning strategy aligning with the Diocesan Vision "Fullness of Life" for Foundation to Grade 6, with potential for secondary students. 

Thursday 4 - Friday 5 March

Reading Recovery

Reading Recovery is a key literacy intervention for Year One students in the Diocese of Ballarat, designed to build teachers’ capacity to make a difference for all students. In 2021, CEB will offer professional learning for new Reading Recovery teachers. 

Preventative Behaviour Management Strategies Workshop

Workshop with Dan Petro focusing on engaging and re-energising positive behaviour management strategies for new staff and current teachers around the school priority of SWPBS.

Thursday 18 February and Thursday 4 March

Addressing the Needs of English as an Additional Language (EAL) Students in Primary Classrooms

This course is designed to provide mainstream primary school teachers with useful knowledge and skills that will help meet the language-related needs of learners whose main language is not English. There is also a course planned for secondary teachers of EAL students though no date is set yet - see website for contact details.

To be held online through Monash University on Thursday 3 - Friday 4 June 2021

VicTESOL PD Events 

VicTESOL has various PD events scheduled for 2021. If schools are members, teachers have access to past online EAL PD/resources and 2021 PD.

PETAA Webinars for Teachers of EAL Students

PETAA are offering a series of 3 webinars for teachers of EAL students which should give your teachers a good introductory overview. They also are offering webinars on using a functional approach to the teaching of grammar, language and literacy of genre-based texts and joint construction of text – all important aspects of using a Teaching and Learning cycle approach for EAL planning developed by Beverly Derewianka and advocated on DET Literacy Teaching.

VATE – Meet the Assessors

VATE’s annual Meet the Assessors is an opportunity to hear from some of the people responsible for managing the assessment of VCE exams for English, EAL, English Language and Literature.

Languages and Multicultural Education Resource Centre

Schools are encouraged to subscribe to LMERC's newsletter to stay informed re latest PL/resources in EAL.

VCAA Supporting Transition to School

VCAA Supporting Transition to School has some excellent information for early years teachers.

Diocesan News and Events

Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)

The latest updates regarding COVIDSafe practices are available in the News section of the Diocesan website – see below. 

Year of St Joseph

Pope Francis on 8 December 2020 published an Apostolic Letter Patris corde (With a Father’s Heart), commemorating the 150th anniversary of the declaration of Saint Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church. To mark the occasion, the Holy Father has proclaimed a “Year of St Joseph”, running from 8 December 2020 to 8 December 2021.  A number of resources have been developed by the ACBC to encourage and support the celebration of the Year of St Joseph.  

Word of God Sunday – 7 February 2021 

The Australian bishops have designated the first Sunday in February as “Word of God Sunday”.  Resources are available below and include homily notes, liturgical notes, prayers of the faithful, musical recommendations, reflections, bulletin notice and images.

World Day of Prayer for the Sick – 11 February 2021 

An information letter and prayer card are available for the World Day of Prayer for the Sick.

Ballarat Diocese Lay Pastoral Ministry Virtual Learning Program

Our partners, Dayton University offer low-cost online study and formation for employed or volunteer lay workers in parish and other ministries. Study subjects over 3 and 5 week cycles. Study Cycle 2 begins 21 February. Registrations for this cycle are now open for new and returning participants. For more information visit the Diocese website below, email djurdja.klaric@ballarat.catholic.org.au or phone 5337 7121.