Weekly Newsletter #8 - 24 Mar 2021
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Reflection
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From the Executive Director
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IT Security Alert
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DOBCEL Policy Implementation Update
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Update - Child and Family Violence Information Sharing Schemes
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eSORT User Maintenance
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Professional Learning Opportunities
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Career Opportunities in the Diocesan Education Community
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Schoolzine Website and eNewsletter EOIs Invited - Reminder
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Vicar General Newsletter
Reflection
Why did God let this happen to us?
In the days when Christ Jesus was in the flesh, he offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save him from death. Hebrews 5: 7
In the second reading from Sunday’s liturgy, the writer of the book of Hebrews paints the picture of a very human Jesus in prayer.
Tearfully recounting a young life forced to forage for food from garbage and to sleep outside on cardboard mats, 12-year-old Glyzelle Palomar had a simple but profound question for Pope Francis, when she met him during his 2015 visit to the Philippines: “Why did God let this happen to us?”
The Pope responded both to Glyzelle, but also to the larger crowd gathered:
I invite each one of you to ask yourselves: Have I learned how to weep, how to cry when
I see a hungry child, a child on the street who uses drugs, a homeless child, an abandoned child, an abused child, a child that society uses as a slave? Only when we too can cry about the things that you said are we able to come close to replying to that question.
In light of last week’s Vatican statement, one would hope that the Church, at its best, would include the treatment of the LGBTQ community in this list!
The pope’s challenge to the people of the Philippines is a challenge to each of us in leadership. Have we learnt how to weep, how to share in the sufferings of our most vulnerable, how to ‘die’ with them in the hope of new life. For “unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.” John 12:24
From the Executive Director
I have been enjoying visits with a number of schools in the Southern Zone this week. My school visit schedule is:
- Monday:
- St Brendan’s Catholic Primary School, Coragulac
- Wednesday:
- St Joseph’s School, Coleraine
- St Malachy’s School, Edenhope
- Sacred Heart Primary School, Casterton
- All Saints Parish School, Portland
- Thursday:
- St Patrick’s Parish Primary School, Port Fairy
- Sacred Heart Primary School, Colac
- Trinity College, Colac
- St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, Colac
These visits are an excellent opportunity to understand our school communities in greater depth, which in turn informs how the DOBCEL Board and CEB can support them to thrive.
On Monday night this week the DOBCEL Board hosted a dinner for parish priests, school advisory councils and principals from the Hamilton region. It was a very successful night exchanging ideas, building relationships and learning more about our DOBCEL community. This dinner was preceded by DOBCEL Board Directors visiting schools in the Hamilton region on Monday. Yesterday the DOBCEL Board met for the day at Monivae College, Hamilton, where they also shared lunch with the leadership teams of St Mary’s Catholic Primary School and Monivae College. The Board is committed to replicating this process in various locations around the diocese in the coming years.
Review of Student Wellbeing Service Provision
The Review of Student Wellbeing Service Provision across the Diocese is about to commence. This review will be led by Ian Claridge. Ian is very experienced in the Wellbeing area, for example:
- Ian supported the expert panel, set up by the ACT Education Minister, into students with complex and challenging behaviours which culminated in the Schools for All Report published in 2016.
- Ian acted as a strategic advisor for the review of the Program for Students with Disabilities in Victoria.
The review provides an opportunity to baseline current service provision practices within the Diocese and determine the extent to which the current financial and educational support provided to schools is meeting student needs. As part of this review, a multi-jurisdictional analysis of how system level student wellbeing support funding and services is managed and distributed will be undertaken.
To ensure oversight of the review, I will be establishing a Reference Group. It is anticipated that the group will be representative of the diversity of our student services workforce and the mix of schools that we serve across the diocese. This group will meet regularly to receive updates on the progress of the review and provide input, advice and direction to the reviewer.
Reference Group Expressions of Interest Invited
If you would like to express interest in being part of the Reference Group, I invite you to submit your details to Sandra Harvey via email by Thursday 1 April. It is expected that the review will be completed in the first half of this year.
Further information can be found here.
Tom Sexton
Executive Director, Catholic Education Ballarat
IT Security Alert
When it comes to IT security, users should always take note of any concerns that are communicated to our communities.
In one such case, if you have received an email from Gabrielle O’Brien with a Dropbox attachment PLEASE DO NOT OPEN IT! If you have received such an email delete it immediately, and if you have opened the attachment please contact IT Support at CEB to discuss if any further actions needs to be taken.
Please circulate this message to all staff.
DOBCEL Policy Implementation Update
VRQA requires all DOBCEL schools to implement policies and procedures by mid-2021.
This Summary Document outlines the key points and changes in the below documents, along with actions required by schools by Friday 30 April, and the document locations in eSORT.
- DOBCEL Financial Oversight Policy and Procedures
- DOBCEL Capital Investment School Procedures
- DOBCEL Credit Card Policy
- DOBCEL General Recurrent Grant Distribution Policy and Procedures
- DOBCEL Remote Schools Incentive Policy
- DOBCEL External Financial Audit Policy and Procedures
- DOBCEL Procurement and Purchasing Policy and Procedures
Updated Policy Implementation Timeline
An updated version of the Policy Implementation Timeline is now available.
Update - Child and Family Violence Information Sharing Schemes
eLearning Modules Now Available
Further to the CECV Circular distributed on Friday 12 March, please be advised that the Department of Education and Training’s (DET) Information Sharing and Family Violence Reforms eLearning modules are now available via elearn.childlink.com.au.
School leaders and relevant school staff (eg. designated information sharers) may choose to complete the self-guided eLearning modules instead of DET’s online Leaders Briefing and/or Practical Workshops for Professionals, or use these as a ‘refresher’ at any time. To access the Department of Education and Training modules, each staff member will need to ‘sign-up’ and create an account.
Note: When creating an account, school staff should choose the following options under ‘Department and Agency Information’ and ‘Organisation’:
Should you experience technical difficulties please contact CISandFVIS@education.vic.gov.au or 1800 549 646 (operating hours are Monday - Friday, 10am - 2pm).
In addition, as noted in the CECV Circular distributed on Friday 12 March, a range of additional documentation, including diocese-specific school procedures and policies, will become available to support implementation in Catholic schools. Where Catholic schools in the Diocese of Ballarat are required to update local school policies, CEB will provide policy guidance during Term 2 rather than schools developing their own.
Schools are advised to refer to the CECV Implementation Planning Guidance document included in the Circular which is designed to guide schools to address minimum readiness requirements by 19 April 2021 and consider key actions for ongoing implementation planning.
eSORT User Maintenance
As part of the smooth operation of eSORT schools should always ensure that users are correctly maintained to ensure they receive important information in relation to eSORT.
The following two aspects should be checked periodically and updated if required:
- Check/update your school’s primary eSORT contact
- Check/update your school’s eSORT users
Further information is available in this document.
Professional Learning Opportunities
Leuven ESCI Intensive Online Program
In this Enhancing Catholic School Identity professional learning opportunity, KU Leuven Faculty of Theology staff will lead participants to build upon their roles as leaders in their school communities, offering fresh insights into expressing the school’s Catholic identity in practice, dialogue, recontextualisation and post-critical belief.
This year’s program will be conducted fully online commencing on Tuesday 25 May over four weekly sessions. See the attached flyer for details, including bookings.
Invitation to Collaborate - Online Forum
Strengthening student engagement through student voice and agency is emerging as a growing priority for our schools. CEB invites schools who may be interested in co-designing professional learning in this area to participate in an online forum on Monday 26 April from 2pm - 3pm.
Please contact Susan Kern to register or Sue Paulka for further information.
Mathematics Leaders Newsletter
The end of Term 1 Mathematics Leaders Newsletter is now available.
Reading Beyond the Early Years
88 teachers of Years 3-6 students have begun an exploration into Reading: Beyond the Early Years. They are undertaking this PL, facilitated by the Literacy team at CEB in the comfort of their schools, via the online learning platform, Canvas. Find out more about the program.
Career Opportunities in the Diocesan Education Community
Principal Vacancies
Principal - St Brigid’s College, Horsham
Contract, Full time position
Closes: Monday 19 April
CEB Vacancy
Speech Pathologist
Fixed Term, 0.8FTE Parental Leave replacement for 2021 school year
Location: Horsham
Closes: Monday 29 March
Schoolzine Website and eNewsletter EOIs Invited - Reminder
The opportunity to secure a new Schoolzine website and eNewsletter solution at a special Diocesan price of approximately 50% off is currently available. See our information page and FAQ document for more information on increasing your school’s digital engagement with existing and prospective families.
Expressions of interest for Phase 2 are open until Thursday 1 April. To request a quote and initiate the process for your school, submit an EOI form or contact Emma Newman via email.
Vicar General Newsletter
The Vicar General Newsletter #22 - March 2021 is now available.