Weekly Newsletter #13 - 11 May 2022
Reflection
A Reflection this Easter Season
The Spirit of the Risen Christ is all around us…. The following reflection explores the Presence of God in the context of our lives. Many thanks to Jim Quillinan for granting permission to share this wonderful reflection.
From the Executive Director
On 9th and 10th of May, the DOBCEL Board met at St John’s Primary School, Dennington. Thank you to Ben van de Camp and his staff for their warm welcome.
Whilst travelling to Dennington, the Directors stopped to visit several Southern Zone schools. These visits provide great insights and are a highlight for the Directors. Throughout the year, it is the intention to visit as many schools as possible to keep a connection between the schools and the Board.
Over the two days, many topics were covered, with a number of hours dedicated to the Child Safe Standards and new policies being rolled out to all Diocese schools for implementation by 1 July 2022. Much work has been done on these policies by CEB staff including Jacqui Righetti, Ange Jones, Megan Ioannou and Matt Byrne; the Board were grateful for their work.
Another important topic discussed was staff attraction and retention. The Board are very aware of the strain that schools are under with the current teacher shortage and are looking at different and creative ways to combat this issue.
The Southern Zone Principals, Parish Priests and School Advisory Council Chairs were invited to join the Board Directors for dinner on Monday evening. During the dinner, guests were asked to discuss the topic of governance, specifically ‘How has the new governance structure affected your school?’ Conversation was very positive with the majority of the feedback being that schools are comfortable with the new structure, schools are grateful that another body are handling and reviewing policies and that School Advisory Councils are happy with how DOBCEL is working.
I am looking forward to seeing all Principals at next week’s Leadership Gathering in Horsham. The agenda will be sent out to Principals within 48 hours.
Tom Sexton
Executive Director, Catholic Education Ballarat
Central Zone Primary Principals Gathering
On Friday 6th of May, Executive Director Tom Sexton and Education Consultant for the Central Zone Jo-Anne Bond welcomed the Primary Principals of the Central Zone for both a gathering and tour of the Catholic Education Office at 200 Gillies Street, Ballarat.
With the challenges inherent with meeting in person for the past several years, the opportunity to gather with fellow peers was a most welcome one.
Catholic Identity & Mission Update
Enhancing Catholic School Identity Professional Learning.
The Enhancing Catholic School Identity (ECSI) Intensive program will introduce participants to current research and learning for ECSI across the categories of Scripture, Mission, Virtue Ethics and Recontextualisation.
It will run every Tuesday for 4 weeks commencing 31 May. Please click here to view the flyer for more information and here to register for the course.
Please email Gina Bernasconi for more information.
Teacher Accreditation Platform - REL’s and Principals.
Now that more of you are becoming familiar with TAP, it has been requested that we provide another TAP demonstration. To ensure the right content is covered, can you please submit any questions you may have in the attached Google Doc.
This online session will be run via this Zoom link on Wednesday 25 May at 3.30 until approximately 4.30 and be recorded for those of you unable to participate. All RELs and Principals at both Primary and Secondary schools are most welcome.
Please note attendance at this session is completely voluntary but we hope to answer as many of your questions as we can and demonstrate how to do things on the platform that you may be struggling to get your heads around, giving priority to the questions submitted before the session.
Please email Sarah Johnson if you have any queries.
Stewardship Update
DOBCEL representation on VRQA focus group research.
CECV is seeking a small number of volunteers to participate in VRQA regarding focus group research being conducted to obtain insights into what resources and support schools need to transition to Victoria’s new Child Safe Standards and comply with Ministerial Order 1359 – Implementing the child safe standards – managing the risk of child abuse in schools and school boarding premises (MO 1359).
The focus groups will run for 90 minutes and be held online in the late afternoon on a date between 25 May and 7 June 2022.
Should you wish to participate please email Susan Kern by Thursday 12 May.
Learning & Teaching Update
Country Education Partnerships (CEP).
CEP’s purpose is to support and challenge rural education settings to ensure all children and young people have access to high quality education.
DOBCEL is a financial member of CEP to enable them to provide a voice for regional and rural communities. One of the initiatives called Rural Youth Ambassadors has created an exciting new website https://ruralinspire.org.au/ full of inspiring stories from young people.
Rural Inspire is one way to take advantage of our partnership with CEP.
EAL Reporting and SIMON.
Rory (SIMON) and Meagan (CEB EAL Officer) are teaming up on Wed 18th May (3.45 – 5pm via Zoom) and 27th May (3.45 – 5pm CEB office) to bring to you more information on EAL reporting and using SIMON to generate an EAL report.
In this workshop we will cover:
- EAL reporting requirements. (and some discussion around those sticky situations such as students who have been incorrectly on a mainstream report and now need to change to an EAL report)
- Data management using SIMON. (what information is currently accessible for schools)
- Step by step guide in generating an EAL report.
We are encouraging anyone who is interested to register, and particularly hope that principals and administrators will come along to learn some of the more nitty gritty elements of the SIMON process.
Please contact Meagan at mbecker@ceob.edu.au or on 0416232696 for more information and to register.
Early Careers Teachers – PETAA.
A new initiative from the Primary English Teaching Association Australia provides support information, articles, instructional video examples and classroom teaching and learning materials for primary teachers, particularly those who are new or early career, in the fields of literacy and English for Early Career Teachers.
PETAA Literacy Resources Portal for Early Career Teachers.
PETAA is a resource for Primary Literacy educators with subscriptions available for individuals and school teams.
Professional reading, archived articles, teaching resources and reduced fee (and free) professional learning are all accessible as part of a subscription.
Learning Diversity Update
NCCD Quality Assurance.
- Please refer to the communications regardinging the NCCD quality assurance process here.
- You will note there is a slight change to the requirements this year. Schools will select 4 students to quality assure along with 4 students randomly selected by your NCCD Key Contact. It is recommended that moderation occurs prior to your quality assurance session.
- We encourage schools to book their QA two-hour session with their NCCD Key Contact (LD Education Officer) early to ensure that you have time to complete the process prior to August census (5 August 2022).
For those who would like to review what moderation and quality assurance is, please find links to the recent New LDL NCCD Moderation & Quality Assurance presentation and recording. An NCCD Moderation and Q&A Briefing for New Learning Diversity Leaders is scheduled for Tuesday 17 May (2pm to 4pm). All Learning Diversity Leaders are welcome.
During our briefing resources with be shared and we will watch the presentation embedded in this COMS with the opportunity to ask questions. Please register via the Eventbrite link here and a VC link will be forwarded to you.
Sound Scouts Webinar.
- For those of you unable to attend the Sound Scouts webinar - please find attached a copy of the presentation here.
- If you would like to access the online self-guided training or further information, please contact Lisa Teager (Partnerships Manager, Sound Scouts) on lisa@soundscouts.com.au or 1300 424 122.
Who will be 2022 Australian Teacher Aide of the Year?
The annual Australian Teacher Aide of the Year awards are an opportunity for school leaders to recognise the outstanding work of teacher aides. Nominations for the 2022 awards are now open. Schools have until Thursday 30 June to nominate a teacher aide, or teacher aide team, making a significant difference to the learning and wellbeing of students.
Last year, Aiden Sing, an Assistant Teacher at Belyuen School, in the Northern Territory, was named the 2021 Australian Teacher Aide of the Year for being an inspirational role model, and an outstanding educator who is making a real difference to the education and wellbeing of Aboriginal Australians.
Australian Teacher Aide also introduced a Team award last year, which was won by the Bilingual School Support Officers at Centre of Deaf Education, Avenues College, in South Australia, for providing essential access for deaf students by interpreting and facilitating inclusion across all subject areas.
“The Australian Teacher Aide of the Year Awards, which are in their fifth year, showcase the many ways teacher aides support students, colleagues, and the wider community. What makes these awards unique is that they are a national award, and nominations can be made by schools from all sectors.” said Mandy Bell, Director and Co-Founder of Australian Teacher Aide.
State finalists will be published on the ATA website on 18th August, and the winner will be announced on 1st September, during Australian Teacher Aide Appreciation Week.
Gifted Awareness Week. (21 - 29 May 2022)
Information regarding the Gifted Awareness Week Competition will be distributed this Friday 13 May 2022.
People & Development Update
New Salt compliance training platform has landed!
The CCI Learning Manager Platform for compliance training was decommissioned in Term 1. DOBCEL’s new, alternate online compliance training platform delivered by GRC Solutions is called Salt.
In the Weekly Newsletter # 10 (6 April 2022) we let you know that all DOBCEL employees will receive a “Welcome to Salt” email in Term 2 with details of how-to login in for the first-time.
While this is an important step, you do not have to jump in and do anything immediately. You will have plenty of time to complete the first 3 courses.
We've simplified the compliance training cycle.
The revised compliance training cycle means most courses only need be repeated every three years balancing compliance obligations and individual time commitments.
For 2022 you will be enrolled in the following courses:
- Cyber Security for Schools;
- Privacy for Schools; and
- Whistleblower training.
You will have 180 days (about 6 months) from the date of enrolment (11/5/22) to complete the course.
For those who may have already completed these units in CCI Learning Manager in Term One of 2022 this information has been transferred to Salt, and you will not need to complete the above courses again for 3 years.
What happens next?
On the morning of Thursday, 12 May, all staff at each DOBCEL school, and Diocesan schools participating in the new online learning platform, Salt, will receive an automated welcome email with the subject: "Salt login details."
This email will contain the web address to access Salt, your Username and instructions on how to set your initial password.
If you do not receive this email in your Inbox, please check your Junk mail folder and if it does not appear there, please contact admin via salt@dobcel.catholic.edu.au
Information for local (school) administrators.
More information will be shared with local (school) administrators in the coming days, and via the CARSO network in Term 3.
In most cases the local (school) administrator is the same person who was the local administrator for the CCI Learning Manager platform.
Career Opportunities in the Diocesan Education Community
Education Officer: Learning Diversity.
We are delighted to welcome Nicole Jenkins to the role of Education Officer: Learning Diversity this week. Nic is working 0.8 FTE in the Ballarat office, on secondment from Emmaus Primary School where she has been a Learning Diversity Leader. She will be with us for the remainder of this year.
School Vacancies.
- Classroom Teacher – St Mary’s, Swan Hill – fixed-term position at 1.0 FTE or part-time (closes 13 May)
- Classroom Teacher – St Alipius Parish School, Ballarat East – fixed-term at 1.0 FTE with possibility of extension into 2023 (closes 13 May)
- Rowing Coordinator – Loreto College, Ballarat – ongoing position at 0.6 FTE (closes 18 May)
- VET Trainer in Beauty – St Joseph’s College, Mildura – fixed-term position at 0.79 FTE (closes 20 May)
- Teaching Positions – St Joseph’s College, Mildura – ongoing positions at 1.0 FTE (closes 20 May)
- Director of Faith and Mission (POL 4) – St Mary MacKillop College, Swan Hill – ongoing position at 1.0 FTE (closes 23 May)
- Classroom Teacher – St Mary’s Primary School, Ararat – ongoing position at 1.0 FTE (closes 31 May)
- Casual Relief Teachers – St Alipius Parish School, Ballarat East (closes 30 June)
- Casual Relief Teachers – St Francis Xavier, Ballarat East (closes 9 December)