Weekly Newsletter #15 - 25 May 2022
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Reflection
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From the Executive Director
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Condolences to the Damascus College Community
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National Sorry Day
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Diocesan Leadership Gathering
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Opportunity to meet with and hear from Dr Miriam Rose Ungunmerr Baumann AM
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Catholic Identity & Mission Update
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Learning & Teaching Update
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People & Development Update
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Career Opportunities in the Diocesan Education Community
Reflection
How are we different?…
This week, as we celebrate Catholic Education Week, the following thoughts may inform, form and transform the work we do as we continue to “Share The Good News”.
“As educators we deal with people's dreams - their individual and personal visions - and because of this, every day we are in the realm of the sacred. We are involved with forces and energies larger than our own. We are engaged in a sacred transaction of which we know only a little: we see the shadow, never the shape” - Ruth Stuart Starratt
“A passionate longing to grow, to become, is what we need.
There can be no place for the anaemic spirit,
The sceptics, the pessimists, the sad of heart,
The weary, the immobilists.
Life is a ceaseless discovery
Life is movement” - Pierre Teilhard de Chardin SJ
“Let every word
Be the fruit
Of action and reflection
Reflection alone
Without action
Or tendency towards it
Is mere theory, adding its weight
When we are overloaded
With it already….
Action alone
Without reflection
Is being busy
Pointlessly.
Honour the Word Eternal
And speak
To make
a new world possible." - Dom Helder Camera
“What is greater work than to
educate young people properly, we must love them all:
We must love them all equally. To love young people Is to devote yourself completely to them and to take all the means that a keen imagination can think of, to form them in Gospel values” - St. Marcellin Champagnat
A prayer for Catholic Education Week
Let us pray...
Loving God,
Open our hearts,
So that we may feel the breath and play of your spirit.
Unclench our hands
So that we may reach out to one another,
And touch and be healed.
Open our lips
That we may drink in the delight and wonder of life.
Unclog our ears
To hear your agony in our inhumanity.
Open our eyes,
So that we may see Christ in friend and stranger.
Breathe your Spirit into us,
And touch our lives with the life of Christ, Amen
From the Executive Director
The week beginning 22 May sees the Diocese of Ballarat celebrate Catholic Education Week, with a renewed focus on the powerful proclamation; “Share the Good News!”
This statement, inspired by Mark 16:15; “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole of creation” invites us to reflect on how we individually interpret and spread the good news within our own communities.
The disciples as depicted in Mark’s gospel are full of enthusiasm to follow Jesus, but have so many misunderstandings and failures in doing so. This was reflected in Marks’ community as it is in ours as we are human and repeat the same. The resurrection of Jesus as announced through Mark, is the offering of Jesus’ forgiveness and the hope of following his way again in the remembering of “Who do you say I am?”
Tomorrow, Australia commemorates National Sorry Day. This day provides us with the opportunity to reflect upon past policies but just as importantly, provides us with a chance to focus on healing and working towards just and respectful relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people.
This coming Friday, many of us will come together to recognise and celebrate two special groups of people in our Catholic Education community at the 2022 Diocesan Leadership Dinner. We will honour and acknowledge those staff who have reached the remarkable milestone of 30 years of service to Catholic Education, in addition to presenting the 2022 Diocesan Leadership Awards. These awards underline the importance that both DOBCEL and our school communities place on the outstanding service, leadership, and innovation that the awardees have contributed to Catholic Education.
Tom Sexton
Executive Director, Catholic Education Ballarat
Condolences to the Damascus College Community
We keep the Damascus College community in our thoughts and prayers as they grieve the sudden and unexpected passing of long term staff member Jeff Simpson. Jeff was the System Technology teacher at the College since June 1995 (27 years). He had a great passion for his subject area and the young people in his care. Everyone loved “Simmo” and he was a great character. His service to the armed forces was something that he shared generously with the College community and inspired ADF pathways for several Damascus graduates.
National Sorry Day
Each year Australia commemorates National Sorry Day on May 26. This important event was first observed in 1998, exactly one year after the landmark Bringing Them Home report was tabled in Federal parliament.
Between 1995 and 1997 the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (now called the Australian Human Rights Commission) conducted a national inquiry into the separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families. The Commission’s findings detailed the trauma and grief experienced due to the forced disconnection from kinship and community systems, cultural practices, languages and Country.
Diocesan Leadership Gathering
On 19 and 20 May, Diocesan Principals and CEB Leadership staff came together in Horsham. The agenda was engaging with a variety of sessions covering a range of topics. One such session titled ‘Dealing with Challenging Scenarios’ and facilitated by Ben Tallboys of Russell Kennedy Lawyers, provided Principals and CEB leaders strategies on how to avoid conflict or how to minimise impact when confronted with a situation.
Jacqui Righetti, Manager: Safeguarding and Standards spoke to the new Child Safe Standards, specifically around Standard 1. Principals or their delegates are expected to attend the weekly online sessions that Jacqui is providing, going through each Standard. Gina Bernasconi, Education Officer: ECSI for School Improvement also spoke about Catholic Identity Professional Learning and the Accreditation opportunities of REAP.
The afternoon session of Day 1 was dedicated to collegial sharing, allowing Principals to share current practice or increase knowledge of how others facilitate processes. Topics discussed included:
- Getting the most out of your Consultative Committee
- 2023 Learning and Teaching initiatives
- Leadership and PoL structures
- Setting up ARMs
- Planning for scheduled class time under the new Agreement
- Fulfilling NCCD requirements
- Working with the School Advisory Committee
- Expectations for recruitment of overseas teachers
Day 2 was dedicated to our Primary Principals, allowing them time to break into their Zones with their Education Consultants for planning purposes.
We look forward to presenting another engaging agenda for our Diocesan Primary and Secondary Principals on 4 and 5 August.
Opportunity to meet with and hear from Dr Miriam Rose Ungunmerr Baumann AM
Catholic Education Ballarat is excited to offer the opportunity to meet with and hear from Dr Miriam Rose Ungunmerr Baumann AM during National Reconciliation Week.
This event is to be held at the St Patrick's College Pavillion on Wednesday 1st of June.
Please view the flyer below for more information, and reserve your place via this link.
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.
Learning & Teaching Update
2022 National Reconciliation Week Resources.
This year’s National Reconciliation Week theme challenges us to Be Brave. Make Change. We can do this in many ways and in many places, including our schools, workplaces, community centres and online to name just a few. The theme builds on last year’s one, where we were reminded that Reconciliation is not just a word, it also takes action to bring about. The high quality of work focusing on this topic grows in strength every year and is a testament to the ongoing commitment of our school communities.
The CECV Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Working Party has created a document of websites and other resources that may prove valuable in celebrating this week.
For more information about this and other resources: https://hive.ceob.edu.au/atsi
People & Development Update
Flourish Health and Wellbeing eMag – May edition.
The May edition of Flourish health & wellbeing eMag is now available. In this issue:
- National Sorry Day 26 May
- Exercise Right Week 23-29 May
- Heart health
- Nutrition and your immunity
- Work life balance
- … and more
Staff wellbeing support through Converge International.
Catholic Education Ballarat, on behalf of the Diocese of Ballarat Catholic Education Limited (DOBCEL), has contracted services with Converge International to support staff wellbeing.
The contract provides a range of services under an Employee Assist Program, commonly referred to as the EAP. For information about these services and how to access them, please review Staff Wellbeing Converge International Services.
For school leadership, there are options to support you in your leadership and caring for the wellbeing of your staff. These services may be beneficial in addition to the other services and support available in partnership with Catholic Education Ballarat.
We encourage you to access the services as they may be helpful. For information about these services, costs and how to access them, please review Converge International additional services.
Need EAP promotion materials?
If you would like to access additional EAP brochures or wallet/business cards for your school, please submit your request by the end of Term 2, via this form (only one request per school please).
Note you can also provide an email address for digital resources.
Career Opportunities in the Diocesan Education Community
Principal Vacancies.
- Emmaus Catholic Primary School, Mt Clear - to commence mid-Term 3 or by negotiation (closes 13 June)
- St Francis Xavier Primary School, Ballarat East - to commence mid-Term 3 or by negotiation (closes 13 June)
- St Alipius Parish School, Ballarat East - to commence January 2023 (closes 13 June)
- St Aloysius Primary School, Redan - to commence January 2023 (closes 13 June)
- St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, Warracknabeal - to commence January 2023 (closes 13 June)
School Vacancies.
- VET Trainer in Beauty – St Joseph’s College, Mildura – fixed-term at 0.79 FTE (closes 20 May)
- Teachers of English, Psychology, Religious Studies, and Dance – 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)
- Director of Community Engagement and Marketing – Emmanuel College, Warrnambool – ongoing position at 1.0 FTE (closes 26 May)
- Performing Arts Teacher (Dance, Drama and/or Music) – Sacred Heart Primary School, Mildura – fixed-term position at 1.0 FTE (closes 27 May)
- Classroom Teacher – St Patrick’s School, Camperdown – fixed-time at 1.0 FTE (closes 27 May)
- Art Teacher – Marian College, Ararat – ongoing position at 1.0 FTE (closes 27 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)
Leadership Opportunity - Diocese of Armidale, New South Wales.
- Deputy Director: Catholic Education - Diocese of Armidale NSW – commencement date negotiable (closes 8 June)