Weekly Newsletter #8 - 22 March 2023

Reflection

From the Executive Director

School Visits

On Friday last week I had the pleasure of visiting St Mary’s PS Ararat, St Patrick’s PS Stawell, St Patrick’s St Arnaud and St Augustine’s PS Maryborough. It was great to see the students and staff celebrating St Patrick’s Day with activities and morning teas.

I am looking forward to visiting the students and staff at Edenhope, Casterton and Portland tomorrow.

Recently I came across an article about the balance between play, formal learning and school furniture. This article will affirm the practice of many of our schools and I highly recommend you to read it.

Preparations for our second recruitment trip to Ireland are well underway. This is a joint initiative of DOBCEL and Catholic Education Sandhurst to address staff shortages. Maree Baker, Manager: Human Resources and myself along with two colleagues from Sandhurst will be in Ireland and Northern Ireland from 19 April until 5 May. 

Next week we will provide a link to our itinerary and strongly encourage anyone with links to Ireland and Northern Ireland to spread the word of our upcoming trip.

Executive Director, Catholic Education Ballarat

Condolences

Sister Sheila Belleville died peacefully at Mercy Place, Ballarat in the early hours of 20 March .

Sheila had been a teacher since 1951 in various locations within the Diocese, including Ballarat and Charlton and was Principal in Mortlake, Robinvale and Ballarat. 

Over the past weeks, Sisters in her community have supported Sheila in prayer and through loving visits as she prepared for the final stage of her life journey.

A Requiem Mass will be held on 30 March at 10.30am at St Alipius Church, Ballarat East.

May Sheila rest in peace in the eternal embrace of her loving God.

Principal Appointment

In light of his recent commissioning, we introduce Steven Mifsud.

Student Lent Artwork - St Augustine's Primary School, Creswick

Students at St Augustine’s Primary School, Creswick have been creating some great artwork in recent weeks as part of their Lenten celebration and recognition of Harmony week.

You can see the lovely creations below!

CSPV Parent Connect News

The Catholic School Parents Victoria, March update is now available.

This issue includes:

• Advocacy - CSPV survey for parents to share what's important to them in education
• Advocacy - CSPV opportunities for parent members
• Wellbeing - CSPA survey for parents to share views for a national review on classroom disruption
• Curriculum - MACS invitation for parents to participate in a forum to share views on technology in education
• Parent Engagement - Webinar with Anne T Henderson
• Child Safety - Vaping Webinar for parents
• Curriculum - Premier's Reading Challenge resources

CBCA Representatives Meet and Greet - Warrnambool

Loretta Kaval and Ruth Oppenheim, Ballarat Regional co-directors for Children’s Book Council of Australia, Vic are holding a 'Meet and Greet' event in Warrnambool next Wednesday, the event will be part of a scheduled SLAV ( School Library Association of Victoria) meeting.

All are welcome , members or not, to find out what CBCA can offer all schools, big and tiny.

• Host: St Joseph’s Primary School, Botanic Road, Warrnambool
• Date: Wednesday March 29
• Time: 4.00- 5.30
• Meet and Greet with Loretta Kaval and Ruth Oppenheim, CBCA
• Afternoon tea supplied

Article Submitted by Loretta Kaval.

Catholic Education Update

eSafety Free Professional Learning.

The office of the eSafety Commissioner is providing free professional learning designed for educators and others working with children and young people. The learning includes webinars and online modules.

 eSafety's professional learning covers the latest online safety research, case studies and teaching strategies. It aims to support educators and those who work with young people to integrate online safety into their programs and student wellbeing planning

Sessions include;

• Responding and reporting: Critical online incidents in school settings
• Digital rights and responsibilities of students and educators
• Online harmful sexual behaviours, misinformation and emerging technologies
• Online modules for lower primary teachers

Article Submitted by Matthew Byrne.

Connect with Caritas Australia.

To celebrate the Feast Day of St Oscar Romero, Caritas Australia invites the wider community to connect with our staff and partners and discover how our work is making a difference now and for all future generations.  

‘Connect with Caritas Australia’ is a unique opportunity to ask questions about our programs in Africa, and to dig deeper into the work of our partner in Zimbabwe. 

• Date: Thursday, 23 March, 2023 
• Time: 7.00-8.00pm AEDT 
• Register for this Zoom event: www.caritas.org.au/connect 

Article Submitted by Dr Susan Crowe.

Aggiornamento Series in Open Learning ECSI101.

As part of the Professional Formation Activities in Theology and Catholic Identity 2023, Australian Catholic University is offering engagement through the Aggiornamento Series.

If this is of interest, please contact Kate Lawry or Gina Bernasconi.

Article Submitted by Kate Lawry.

Holy Week & Easter Season Resources

Easter Hope 2023.

The following resource has been designed for use in the Season of Easter. It has been created for staff prayer time.

There is a focus on entering into dialogue around the themes of resurrection, struggle and 'the fleshing of God's beauty' Included are reflections by Richard Rohr OFM, Joan Chittister OSB and Daniel O'Leary.

Catholic Agency for Overseas Development - Holy Week Prayers.

A collection of Holy Week prayers from CAFOD.
Holy Week Prayers

A Prayer/Reflection for Good Friday.

This resource refers to a Church space but it could take place in a variety of settings.
Good Friday Prayer Around the Cross

JRS - Stations of the Cross.

A guide for prayer and reflection to accompany Jesus on his journey as we pray for renewal of our earth and for those forced to flee from its destruction.
Stations of the Cross focusing on climate change and the impacts on the world

The Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross is a traditional way of praying during Lent. We pray this familiar prayer to be with Jesus Christ who walked this journey, carrying the Cross, the instrument of his death, out of love and commitment to us.  
Way of the Cross

CHA - Easter Reflections.

The Catholic Health Association in the United States produced these reflections in 2022. They may be useful for staff prayer and reflection during the Easter Season.
Easter Reflections

Diocese of Sandhurst - Leaflets.

Each year The Diocese of Sandhurst creates leaflets to assist prayer and reflection during Lent/Easter. The Following two leaflets are for Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday 2023.

• Palm Sunday Sandhurst Leaflet
• Easter Sunday Sandhurst Leaflet

Ignatian Sprituality - Reflection.

A reflection on Holy Week from Ignatian Spirituality.
How to Do Holy Week 

The Great Triduum of the Church Begins.

This resource was developed to be used during the pandemic. It provides a good structure for a staff prayer for Holy Thursday.
Holy Thursday

Easter Sunday.

This is an excellent prayer for staff to celebrate Easter Sunday.
An Easter Sunday Reflection

Jesuit Resources - Easter Prayers.

A list of prayers that may be suitable for use in your context during the Easter Season. Please personalise them for your setting.
Easter Prayers

Resources Submitted by Jim Waight.

CRT Primary School Program

The CRT Primary Schools Program provides a gift of $2,000 to twenty-five Parents & Friends Associations (or equivalent) which support a rural or regional primary school in an area within the stores footprint.

This will assist the work of these important volunteer organisations and recognise the part they play in supporting the success of the next generation in growing and learning.

For more information and how to enter, see attached documents below.

Student Wellbeing Team Update

Out-of-Home Care Data Collection.

As part of the Out-of-Home Care Education Commitment, biannual reporting is undertaken to monitor students’ educational progress and engagement.

Principals of Catholic schools that had students in statutory OoHC enrolled during Semester 2, 2022 (11 July – 20 December) will receive an email from Australian Survey Research (ASR) by Tuesday 14 March 2023 requesting they complete an online report by Friday 24 March 2023.

The online report will be open from Tuesday 14 March to Friday 24 March 2023 and schools must complete the report for each student listed by Friday 24 March 2023.

For general enquiries please contact Ms Liz McIntyre on 03 4344 4350 or email.

Wellbeing Leaders Network.

Secondary Wellbeing Leaders Network

• Registration Link
• Date: 30^th of March 2023
• Time: 9:30am – 2:30 pm
• Venue: Damascus College, 1412 Geelong Road, Mount Clear
• Participants/Target Audience: School Wellbeing Leaders and members of their school teams (wellbeing coordinator/counsellors/pastoral care workers/psychologists/allied health professionals etc.)

For further information please contact Brooke Nester.

Primary Wellbeing Leaders Network

• Registration Link
• Date: Monday 3^rd of April
• Time: 9:30 – 3:00
• Venue: St Alipius, 106 – 108 Victoria Street, Ballarat East
• Cost: Nil
• Participants/Target Audience: School Wellbeing Leaders and members of their school teams (wellbeing coordinator/counsellors/pastoral care workers/psychologists/allied health professionals etc.)

For further information please contact Brooke Nester.

MTSS Behavour Management Strategies.

We welcome back Dan Petro - Presentation on MTSS towards behaviour. See information attached below.

• Trybooking Link
• Date: 16th of June 
• Time: 9.30am- 3.30pm 
  
• Location : Ballarat / Glowrey Room 
• Cost: $70

Please note registration closes 9 June.

Family and Community Engagement.

An opportunity for you to engage in conversations with Anne Henderson about her new publication "Everyone Wins!".

The attached brochure contains details of these webinars and how to register.

Webinar 1 Spotlight on Children will include reflections of local primary school students in conversation with Anne.

Articles Submitted by Student Wellbeing Team.

Save the Date – SIMON User Conference 8th & 9th of May

SIMON will be holding its User Conference on the 8^th and 9^th of May at the Uni Hill Conference Center in Bundoora.

The conference sessions and hands-on workshops will provide useful insight and value for Principals, Teaching and Learning Staff, Administrators, Wellbeing and Marketing experts. 

More details here.

Article submitted by Danny Gruber

Learning and Teaching Update

Mathematics Professional Learning.

Intended Audience: EMU trained teachers, primary classroom teachers, leaders of Mathematics. 

• Dates: Monday 1st May and Monday 14th August 
• Location: Ballarat
• Register here 

These 2 connected days of professional learning will be facilitated by Associate Professor Ann Gervasoni (Monash University).

They are designed to: 

• Improve student outcomes with a focus on high quality learning experiences for all students; 
• Build EMU teacher/ classroom teacher / leader capacity 

 Focus/ Learning Intentions: 

• Enhancing participants capacity as an EMU and/or classroom teacher to lead mathematics teaching and learning in their school community; 
• Facilitating dialogue around 3 levels of support for students; 
• Unpacking student data and identifying the key barriers to being Mathematically proficient. 

City Country Partnerships Grants Program.

As part of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, the Australian Government is investing $24.6 million in the City-Country Partnerships (CCP) Program to improve school education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. 

The program supports the establishment of formal partnerships between high-performing metropolitan schools and remote schools with a high proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to boost outcomes of Indigenous students, particularly in reading, mathematics, attendance and school completion. See further information here.

Find Expression of Interest Form here.

For any questions please contact Andrew Lloyd (Director City Country Partnerships Program | Yadha Muru Foundation) via phone 0410 063 871 or email andrew.lloyd@yadhamuru.org.au

Foundations of Learning.

In 2022, an enthusiastic group of educators from St James’ Sebastopol, St Alipius Ballarat East, St Michael’s Daylesford, Lumen Christi Delacombe and members of CEB met to form a Community of Practice around the Foundations of Learning.

The group gathered with a common purpose to collectively understand the learning process in relation to neuroscience, cognitive psychology and sociology. Foundations of Learning recognises the modern mainstream school as a complex organisation. It also recognises that learning is a highly complex process.

The group connected fortnightly at the participating schools on a rotational basis, providing an opportunity to witness the impact of this learning in real time.

The 2022 Foundations of Learning group will continue to learn alongside one another and also have an opportunity to be a part of the Graduate Certificate in Early Childhood Research, a pilot course being run by The University of Melbourne in 2023.

Are you interested in Foundations of Learning 2023?

• To commence Term 2, 2023
• FOL will be run at participant host schools on a rotational basis
• 2 full days per term (6 contact days per year) plus asynchronous contact via Foundations Of Learning site
• Further information to follow.

Expressions of interest for Foundations of Learning in 2023 can be addressed to pfahey@sjsebastopol.catholic.edu.au 

From the Heart: Kerry O'Brien in conversation with Rachel Perkins.

As part of their conversation series A Better Future for All, Griffith University will be hosting an in-person and livestream event From the Heart: Kerry O'Brien in conversation with Rachel Perkins on Wednesday 29 March.

Rachel, an Arrernte and Kalkadoon woman, acclaimed filmmaker, producer and advocate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, will be joining journalist Kerry O’Brien for a candid and powerful exploration of her life in art and advocacy.

Rachel will be discussing the “central role she has taken in the fight for Indigenous constitutional recognition as a key supporter in the creation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart” whilst also providing “real insights to the struggle by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples over generations to be heard in Australia’s corridors of power, leading to the referendum for constitutional recognition of the Voice”.

• Date: Wednesday 29 March 2023
• Time: 6.00 – 7.15p.m.
• Registration: via this link (online is free)

DOBCEL Schools’ Hub: DIBELS 8th Data Collection Tool.

Using DIBELS in your school but cannot work out those lengthy formulas or afford the m-class subscription?

A DIBELS data collection spreadsheet has now been added to the DOBCEL Schools’ Hub for your use, which includes the three benchmarking periods per year and per grade level for all recommended DIBELS assessments. These collection points calculate composite scores automatically and colour code each indicator of achievement according to the benchmarks set by DIBELS, in accordance with DIBELS 8th Edition norms.

If you are looking to use this spreadsheet in your school context and have any questions, please email Breeana Wade. Opportunities also exist for the customisation of this tool to include other assessments outlined in your school’s assessment schedule.

Articles Submitted by Joseph Ewing.

Career Opportunities in the Diocesan Education Community

Principals.

• OLHC Parish Primary School, Murtoa – to commence Term 3 or by negotiation (closes 31 March) 
• St Augustine’s Parish Primary School, Creswick – to commence Term 3 or by negotiation (closes 17 April) – advertising to commence Saturday 18 March 
• Siena Catholic Primary School, Lucas – to commence Term 4 (closes 24 April) 

Article Submitted by Jo Huntley.