Weekly Newsletter #14 - 18 May 2021
Reflection
A Rushing Wind
Come, Spirit who is our Light.
Shine among the shadows within.
Warm and transform our hearts.
Come, Spirit who makes a home in us.
Draw us to the treasures of your dwelling.
Reveal to us the inner journey of love.
Come, Spirit, consuming Fire of Love.
Fill us with enthusiasm for your vision.
May the desire for truth be vibrant in us.
Come, Spirit of wisdom and insight.
Draw us toward your goodness and light.
Direct our growth and guide our ways.
Come, Spirit, source of our Peace.
Deepen in us the actions of peacemakers.
Heal the divisions that ravage the earth.
Joyce Rupp – A Pentecost Sequence (adapted)
From the Executive Director
Last Friday we celebrated our 30 Years of Service to Catholic Education and Diocesan Leadership Awards. It was a great night of celebration as we recognised the contribution and dedication demonstrated by these exemplary staff. We are grateful for the gifts each recipient brings to our diocesan education community and we ask that they be blessed in the years to come. Further details on the awards and recipients are below.
On Monday the CEB Leadership team met at St Brendan’s Primary School, Coragulac. It was a delight to see this vibrant school in action. Our Leadership Team will meet in a different school for each of our meetings as another way to keep in touch with our diocesean schools.
I am also enjoying visits at the following schools this week:
- St Columba’s School, Ballarat North
- Our Lady Help of Christians School, Wendouree
- St Patrick’s College, Ballarat
- St Augustine’s School, Creswick
- St Michael’s School, Daylesford
- St Augustine’s School, Maryborough
Last Friday at the Faith in our Future Pastor and Principal Forum we launched our Strategic Directions for 2020-24, Partnering: A Step Further, which had been delayed due to COVID. The priorities of CEB’s Strategic Directions are:
- Empowering all to flourish
- Building inclusive Catholic learning communities
- Achieving best practice
- Fostering inspiring leadership
- Enhancing family engagement, governance and stewardship
I commend these Strategic Directions to you, I believe you will find them both powerful and empowering. Future information and our launch video can be found on our website.
Recently the GONSKI Institute for Education published what I think is a very thought provoking paper on NAPLAN and the future of assessment in Australia. “To improve educational performance in Australia, students, schools, parents, and governments need better information about how students and their schools are performing. However, using a single test like the current NAPLAN cannot serve all of these different purposes equally well,” Prof. Sahlberg says. Read more here.
Education Consultant: Northern Zone
We are seeking a collaborative and experienced Educational Leader to partner with our schools in the Northern Zone, and have appointed Executive Recruitment provider, Plato Group, to recruit for this position on our behalf. Further details are in the Career Opportunities section below.
Secondment Opportunities at St Mary’s Primary School, Donald
A reminder that there are two fixed term secondment opportunities at St Mary's Primary School, Donald, one to facilitate a well-earned Long Service Leave break for Principal Anne Anderson and the other a Parental Leave position. This is a unique opportunity to experience a different learning environment and to work with a small team of learning professionals and students. I ask all Principals to make your teaching staff aware of these opportunities to support a fellow Principal in our diocesan education community and to also help provide a unique teaching experience for someone who would benefit. Further details are in the Career Opportunities section below.
Condolences and Prayers for Susan Crowe
We have been advised by Susan Crowe that her father, Thomas Gurrie, passed away on Thursday night following a short stay in hospital. Please keep Sue, her daughters and extended families in your thoughts and prayers as they prepare to farewell Tom. The funeral Mass will be held on Thursday (May 20) at 10:30am at St Christopher's Church, 72 Bingley Parade, Anglesea. A private cremation will follow. May he rest in peace.
Tom Sexton
Executive Director, Catholic Education Ballarat
DOBCEL Policy Implementation Update
The policies and procedures scheduled for release today have been postponed until Wednesday 2 June. Download the updated Policy Implementation Timeline.
Cup Day or Show Day?
Melbourne Cup Day is a public holiday across all of Victoria unless an alternate local holiday has been nominated by a regional centre’s Local Government Authority (LGA).
Schools can take Melbourne Cup Day as a public holiday or the alternate day, nominated by the LGA in their regional centre.
CEB Updates
CEB Strategic Directions Launch
Catholic Education Ballarat’s Strategic Directions for 2020-24, Partnering: A Step Further, was officially launched on Thursday 13 May at the Faith in the Future: Pastor and Principal Forum (delayed due to COVID-19).
The Strategic Directions were developed in consultation with school communities across the diocese to strengthen the partnerships between individual schools and CEB as we work together to achieve our vision:
As partners in Catholic education and open to God’s presence,
we pursue fullness of life for all.
The Partnering: A Step Further launch video is below, and the document can be accessed on the DOBCEL website.
Why is the CEB Newsletter Purple?
You may have noticed that our CEB newsletter is now purple and has a different logo. As part of our transition to DOBCEL we have updated our DOBCEL and CEB logos, and we have retired ‘Education Blue’. ‘DOBCEL Purple’ is now used for both DOBCEL and CEB, with the logo as the point of difference. You will start to see these changes filter through over the coming weeks and months.
Additional Resources – Information Sharing Schemes (CISS & FVISS)
Please find the following additional resources to assist schools in responding to information sharing requests, making requests and proactively sharing information per the CISS and FVISS to promote child wellbeing or safety and/or manage the risk of family violence.
These additional resources should be used in conjunction with those shared in the Weekly Newsletter #10 – 21 April 2021 to assist schools to manage the Information Sharing Scheme.
- DOBCEL DETAILED RESPONDING TO A REQUEST CISS FVISS (Word doc)
- DOBCEL DETAILED MAKING A REQUEST CISS FVISS (Word doc)
- DOBCEL DETAILED PROACTIVE SHARING CISS FVISS (Word doc)
For enquiries, please contact:
- Tony Perkins, Leader: Wellbeing on 5337 7105 or tperkins@dobcel.catholic.edu.au
- Tim O’Farrell, Manager Safeguarding and Standards on 5337 7175 or tofarrell@dobcel.catholic.edu.au
STEM MAD (Make a Difference) Showcase
Primary and Secondary schools are invited to share student learning during our first-ever STEM MAD (Make a Difference) Showcase. The showcase is designed to celebrate STEM-based learning initiatives that address real-world problems and demonstrate how students in Catholic schools take action that matters.
STEM MAD (Science, Technology, Engineering - Make a Difference) is an acronym that captures anything your students have undertaken through the use of technology - attempting to solve a real-world problem or making a difference for the better.
For more information see The HIVE and our STEM MAD information video. If you have any queries regarding this project, please contact Kevin Cummins on 0400 885 534 for assistance.
We look forward to sharing your STEM projects with other Catholic schools across Australia for the betterment of all.
Draft Wellbeing Framework - Invitation for Feedback
A copy of the draft Wellbeing Framework is available to download. This Framework was developed by Education Officers in consultation with school staff and the Wellbeing Standing Committee (2019-2020). The document is offered as a draft and schools are encouraged to offer feedback to Liz McIntyre via email.
Canvas Update
Email Notification
Some staff have received an unexpected email notification from Canvas over the weekend. Please be assured that this email was caused by an administrative error and was not in any way a security risk.
Canvas is Coming Soon
Canvas is an online learning platform that will provide our teachers with new and diverse opportunities for professional learning.
We will have a small but rapidly growing catalogue of professional learning modules which will be available to our teachers when Canvas is officially launched in the coming weeks.
We are the first diocese in Victoria to offer this and are very excited at the opportunities it provides in meeting the needs of our schools and teachers.
National Reconciliation Week Resources 2021
Reconciliation Australia’s theme for 2021, More than a Word. Reconciliation Takes Action, urges the reconciliation movement towards braver and more impactful action.
Reconciliation is a journey for all Australians - as individuals, families, communities, organisations and importantly as a nation. At the heart of this journey are relationships between the broader Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
National Reconciliation Week will take place from 27 May - 3 June.
Schools are encouraged to use this collection of resources to assist with professional learning and planning learning experiences and activities.
Co-Creating an Educational Landscape
An invitation to participate in this new project with colleagues across the diocese
Co-creating an educational landscape for the diocese of Ballarat is an invitation to participate in a process of reflection and dialogue; an opportunity to learn with and from each other as we ‘.... take a step further and never be satisfied with conventional things.’ (Pope Francis, 2013). And as one principal colleague commented on the opportunity to use this tool:
“We see how this process could enable us to reflect, review and create strategic direction through professional inquiry – it reminds us to take the time to reflect on some simple but important questions.”
Curious about these questions?
- Why this? Where did this come from?
- What is this project?
- How will this happen?
- Why might we be interested?
- What does Pope Francis have to say?
- What are school colleagues saying about it?
- When will this happen?
- How do we register to find out more and to participate?
Find out more about this exciting opportunity to learn from others across the diocese, and register here to participate.
200 Years of Catholic Education Updates
200 Year Celebration Newsletter
The May edition of the 200 Year Celebration Newsletter is available to download.
Request for Photos and Footage of Local 200 Year Celebrations
Is your school holding a celebration of 200 years of Catholic Education? We are compiling a gallery of local celebrations across the diocese to share with our school communities and beyond. The footage and videos will also be shared with NCEC for possible use in a national compilation. Thank you to those schools who have already submitted content.
Submissions Guidelines
- Make sure DOBCEL and NCEC has consent to publish the images/footage you are submitting
- Upload your photos or footage into this google drive -or- iPhone and iPad users: share your files with enewman@dobcel.catholic.edu.au
- Upload the highest quality files you can (largest filesize = best quality)
- Clearly label each file with your school name and location
- Submit your files by 5pm on Thursday 27 May
For enquiries please contact Emma Newman.
Career Opportunities in the Diocesan Education Community
CEB Vacancies
Education Consultant: Northern Zone
Fixed Term: 5 Year, full time contract
Location: A negotiated choice of Mildura, Horsham or Swan Hill office locations
Closes: Friday 18 June
Education Officer Learning and Teaching
2-year Secondment or Fixed-term role, Full-time position
Location: Based in the CEB Warrnambool Office
Closes: 9am on Monday 24 May
Psychologist
Permanent, Full-time position
Location: Ballarat
Closes: 9am on Monday 24 May
School Vacancies
School vacancies are listed here.
Secondment Opportunities at St Mary’s Primary School, Donald
St Mary's Primary School, Donald has two exciting opportunities for an experienced Teacher looking for rural teaching experience.
- Position 1: Fixed Term Secondment for Term 3 2021, Full Time Teacher (Long Service Leave position)
- Position 2: Fixed Term Secondment until January 2022, Full Time Teacher (Parental Leave position)
Applications close Friday 28 May, 9am. See further details here.
From Around the Diocese
Celebration of 30 Years of Service to Catholic Education
DOBCEL was delighted to recognise and celebrate 30 years of dedicated service to Catholic Education for 28 staff from across the diocese at a celebratory dinner on Friday 14 May. The contribution and dedication of these staff has played an important part towards shaping the lives of our future generations and will resonate positively for many years to come. As we work together in partnership to achieve our vision of pursuing fullness of life for all in God’s presence, we acknowledge their contribution to the partnerships between families, schools, parishes, local communities and DOBCEL.
The 30 year award recipients were:
Terry Brennan – St Augustine’s PS, Creswick | Margaret Lyttle – St Francis Xavier PS, Ballarat East |
The Award booklet is available to download on the DOBCEL website.
Diocesan Leadership Awards
The 2021 Diocesan Leadership Awards were presented to three outstanding educators in our community at a celebratory dinner on Friday 14 May. These awards recognise the exemplary service, leadership and innovation of each awardee, and are an acknowledgement their demonstration of one or more aspects of the Diocesan Education Vision.
The Partnership Award
- For commitment to and facilitation of partnerships within the education, parish, diocese and/or the local community that enhance learning for students
- For ongoing witness to partnership in Catholic education and active presence in the education, parish, diocesan and/or local community
- For promotion of Catholic education as partnership in local and/or extended community
Recipient: The Corinthian Project Team
COVID-19 provided many educational challenges in 2020, not the least being the adaptations needed for remote learning. The Corinthian Project offered a focused, coordinated and collegial plan for schools working in a remote learning environment.
This project invited educators to question their practice, to work collaboratively in the shared mission of the Church, and to give of their wisdom and experience for the betterment of the wider diocesan education community. It began as an answer to the challenges presented by remote learning, but will continue to provide a sense of community engagement for teachers in Catholic primary schools in our diocese. The presentation of this award to the Corinthian Project Team recognises the many educators from across the diocese who were behind the inception, promotion and facilitation of this initiative.
The Catholic Leadership Award
- For leadership that provides active witness to God’s presence in the education, parish and/or diocesan community and that enhances the education community’s Catholic identity
- For excellence in leadership around Religious Education, spirituality, liturgy, religious art, social justice, the founding charism, evangelization and/or ecology
Recipient: Eileen Rice, Principal of St Alipius Primary School, Ballarat
As principal of St Alipius Parish School, Ballarat East, Eileen consistently provides active witness to her faith through her authentic leadership and promotion of inclusive practices. She will respectfully challenge concepts or ideas and will stretch people’s thinking to enable a broader and deeply considered perspective on important matters, always grounded in and faithful to the Catholic ethos that underpins the school. For her, relationships within and across the school community underpin the true meaning of “Catholic”, an openness to and invitation in to God’s presence.
The Fullness of Life Award
- For leadership that leads to fullness of life for colleagues and/or students
- For excellence in education, staff formation or professional learning, student learning and/or educational innovation
- For demonstrated commitment to evidence-based practice in education
Recipient: Cheryl Pefanis, Deputy Principal of Trinity College, Colac
Cheryl is an outstanding educator and leader in the Trinity College, Colac community. Cheryl’s service and commitment to others achieving fullness of life was particularly noted during the period of remote learning last year. Trinity College and the town of Colac was impacted significantly as a result of COVID-19 and it was at this time that Cheryl’s care shone. She kept the community updated and informed and provided pastoral care to staff, students and their families, while supporting a newly appointed principal to the school. This award recognises the abundance of life promised through the mission of Christ and it is for her willingness to ensure others are cared for, even if this is at a personal cost to her, that makes Cheryl a worthy recipient.
The Award booklet is available on the DOBCEL website.
L-R: Cheryl Pefanis, Josh McElgunn (representing the Corinthian Project), Eileen Rice, Tom Sexton (Executive Director of Catholic Education)
From Other Dioceses and Beyond
Catholic School Parents Victoria (CSPV) Parent Connection Newsletter
The Catholic Schools Parents Victoria (CSPV) Term 2 newsletter is now available and is sent to schools each term. If parents from your school would like to subscribe to the newsletter or provide CSPV with feedback on State advocacy issues they are most welcome to do so via the subscribe or feedback button on our newsletter or by sending an email to executive@cspv.catholic.edu.au.
Plenary Council Prayer Campaign
This weekend, as we celebrate Pentecost, a national campaign will be launched to support a prayerful build-up to the first assembly of the Plenary Council. The “Fan the Flame” campaign is offered as resources for individuals and groups of various sizes and contexts who are providing essential support by praying for the Council journey and specifically for the Council assemblies, including the members who will participate. Resources are available from the Plenary Council website.