Weekly Newsletter #39 - 11 December 2024

A Collection of Advent Reflections...

This week our Advent reflection comes from The Mercy International Association. In this reflection Sr. Patricia O’Donovan rsm, introduces and explores some key themes of the Advent Season, through the lens of Mercy. 

An Advent Reflection from Sr. Patricia O’Donovan rsm, Mercy International Association

For further reflections for Advent from The Mercy International Association see:

Advent Reflections for each week of Advent  through the lens of Mercy

These are released on each Sunday during The Advent Season.

Invitation to prayer…

God of Love

In the name of love, we have come.

To birth Jesus Christ into the world each day
In the name of love, we are here.
And, in the name of love we will go.

We will go to all creation
Knowing in our hearts and in our souls
that what we have experienced is truly divine.

We do not merely wait in this Season of Advent

We strive to continually make Jesus known.

Amen

Adapted from Dennis Yount

From the Executive Director

I know many school communities are still very busy with transition programs, graduation ceremonies, and forward planning. However, I trust you are able to see the finish line and can soon begin winding down from another busy year.

Here at CEB we have continued to finalise development of the DOBCEL 2035 Strategy materials which will be distributed to schools over the Christmas break and be ready for deeper consideration among staff teams in the new year. If you haven’t done so already, I encourage you to read the letter provided to our DOBCEL community in recent days outlining the intent and directions of the new Strategy.

Please also note there is a range of vacancies still available for some system Strategy activation activities available early in 2025. I particularly draw your attention to the Andy Hargreaves keynote presentation Leading from the Middle (registrations have been extended to 20 December 2024) and the associated 12 month mentoring program opportunity with Pasi Sahlberg and Dave Runge. In addition, I commend the keynote on School Improvement by David Hopkins. More details about these activities and links to registration etc are available in the article below. 

Once again, I add my thanks, appreciation and best wishes to all teachers and staff who are retiring or departing this year, and particularly those who have served in the diocese for long periods. 

As referenced in today’s reflection, ‘we do not merely wait in this Season of Advent, we strive to continually make Jesus known.’

Best wishes

Tom Sexton, Executive Director

Strategy 2035 – System Initiatives

Andy Hargreaves keynote presentation: Leading from the Middle

(registrations extended to 20 December 2024)

This keynote, by Andy Hargreaves, will focus on how leadership from the middle becomes a driver of transformational change.  How can leaders enable their schools and communities to be adaptive, safe and effective places of learning that help young people develop the knowledge and character that will empower them to shape their futures?

Event Details

• Date and Time: 7 February 2025 (1.5 hours)
• Format: Available in-person at Ballarat (venue TBC) or via video conferencing (VC).
• Audience: Open to anyone who is interested in the content.

Registration

To register, click here  

Registration Deadline

Friday, 20 December 2024 (extended)

Leading from the Middle: The Beating Heart of Educational Transformation

Expression of Interest (EOI): 12-Month Program

Following on from Andy Hargreaves’s keynote, continued by Pasi Sahlberg, and Dave Runge (EOIs extended to 20 December 2024)

This program is designed to develop aspirant ‘middle’ leaders and foster collaborative cultures through:

• Action research projects tailored to school-specific challenges.
• Mentorship by Pasi Sahlberg and Dave Runge.
• A combination of in-person and virtual workshops.
• This program will be co-designed and developed with the participants.
• It will include conversations with global thought leaders (such as Michael Fullan and Alma Harris).
• Where possible, Pasi and Dave may schedule school visits to support the action research initiatives.

Program Details

• Duration: 12 months (February 2025 – February 2026)
• Session Schedule:
  • Term 1 in-person session: 7 February 2025, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
  • One additional virtual session per term (2 hours).
  • Terms 2, 3 and 4 will include one in-person session and one virtual session (dates TBA)
• Team Composition: Each school nominates:
  • 1 Participant: Aspiring leader.
  • 1 School Leadership Mentor: Principal or senior leadership representative.

Eligibility

• Open to a maximum of 10 schools.
• Small Schools: May apply collectively, pooling staff from multiple settings.

Mentor’s Role

The role of the school leadership mentor is to support the aspirant middle leader through the program to lead transformation from the middle.

Expression of Interest Requirements

To apply for this 12-month leadership program, schools must submit an EOI via this link providing details of their school team composition and rationale for participation.

The selection process may include a brief (15-minute) VC interview to understand your aspiration and intent to be involved and how this may support you in progressing the DOBCEL 2035 Strategy and evolving your school.

Cost – All program costs are covered by DOBCEL (any travel/accommodation-related expenses and backfill costs are to be covered by individual schools).

Submission Deadline

Friday, 20 December 2024 (extended)

Confirmation

Successful schools/participants will be notified of their acceptance before the start of Term 1, 2025.

Contact Information For inquiries please contact: Fiona Murphy or Ange Jones

 Other Leadership Development Opportunities facilitated by the Brown Collective:

1. Leading with Integrity for Excellence

(registration due by Friday 13 December 2024)

2. 6R Program – Experience Principal Program 

(registration due by Friday 13 December 2024)

3. Expressions of Interest (EOI): Pathways to Principalship

(EOIs close Friday 13 December 2024)

Contact Information For inquiries please contact: Fiona Murphy

Showcasing our Catholic schools in Action

This section will highlight the wonderful holistic learning opportunities happening in our Catholic schools throughout the Diocese. The DOBCEL marketing and communications team is always looking for positive stories to share with our community. Please email your stories for consideration to: comms@dobcel.catholic.edu.au.

Great Transition Day at Trinity College Colac

The Class of 2030 spent a fun-filled and fascinating day yesterday as they prepare for their next step on their learning journey. The Year 6 primary school leavers were introduced to their Trinity teachers and student leaders, spending quality time getting to know the layout of the campus and making new friends.

Well done to all the amazing students for showing their younger peers the ropes! Well done to Trinity College, Colac for facilitating such a wonderful transition day.

Prev

Showing images 1 - 8 of 9

Next

Well done also to Monivae College, Hamilton for facilitating a great transition day.  One of the largest incoming Year 7 groups Monivae has had, spent yesterday getting to know each other, their teachers, the 2025 student leaders, and the campus.

Prev

Showing images 1 - 8 of 9

Next

St Joseph's Primary School, Red Cliffs - Year 6 Graduation

Warmest congratulations to all the St Joseph's Primary School Grade 6 students on your Graduation yesterday! Completing Primary School is such a huge milestone and you have all finished a significant life chapter. DOBCEL wishes you all the best for your transition to Year 7. 

Prev

Showing images 1 - 8 of 11

Next

Catholic Education Updates

Enter the ResourceSmart School Awards 2025 - closing 28 February

Make sure you get your entry in by 28 February 2025 - that's just one month after the start of the new school year, so don't delay. Remember that every effort counts when we are ‘working together’ – and you are more eligible than you think for winning an award. 

Top tip - Take 10 minutes to reflect on your year and the RSS Module activities or Green Team initiatives you undertook.

Click here to find out more information about the ResourceSmart School Awards 2025. Additional information can be read here. 

Catholic Dialogue School Consortium - February 2025

The Catholic Dialogue School Consortium - Pilgrims of Hope sessions will run between 24-26 February 2025.

Registrations are due by Friday 7 February 2025.

Please click here to view the flyer. 

Wellbeing Updates

Embracing Inclusion Is Fundamental to Who We Are As a Catholic Community

Last Tuesday, on International Day of People with Disability, Oskar's mother, Sallie posted a wonderful reflection about her son's educational and inclusion journey at Ss. Michael's and John's Primary School in Horsham on Instagram (@lessonsfromoskar).

This is a wonderful example of the inclusive philosophy of all DOBCEL schools. 

Final Reminder - Positive Partnerships, Professional Learning

Positive Partnerships is delivering a free government-funded autism professional learning workshop in Hamilton, on the 25th and 26th of March 2025

This workshop will provide a unique opportunity for teachers to increase their knowledge and skills in supporting autistic students. 

It is designed for school staff to attend in teams of up to three teachers/school leaders. Positive Partnerships provides a nominal amount of resource funding to support schools' attendance at the workshop.

For more information about the workshop, including topics covered, please see the flyer below or visit the Positive Partnerships website .

If you are interested in attending, please contact Sally Midwood,via email smidwood@positivepartnerships.com.au or by phone 0461 324 758. 

Please provide the following information for the 2-3 staff wishing to enrol:

• Names:
• Emails:
• Roles: (please note, this workshop is for teachers/leadership, teacher assistants are not eligible to attend).

Places are expected to fill quickly, so please contact us as soon as possible to secure your place.

Final Reminder - Dr Shelley Moore, Melbourne Sessions in April 2025

Dr Shelley Moore will be travelling to Melbourne in April to present a series of workshops exclusively with Illume Learning.

Please click here for the Dr Shelley Moore session details and registration. For any queries, please email admin@illumelearning.com.au.

Learning and Teaching Updates

FIRE Carrier Program

Friends Igniting Reconciliation through Education

The FIRE Carrier Program is a way that schools can show their outward commitment to authentic reconciliation and their support of self-determination in education for First Nations students and their families. All members of a school community are encouraged to share reconciliation with others under the lead of the Commissioned Staff and Student FIRE Carriers.

Each school creates a School Covenant that emphasises the ethos and faith belief of Catholic schools and the social justice responses they are committed to make as part of their Catholic identity. The school covenant focuses on the three core values of Spirituality; Cultural Recognition and Awareness; and Practical Recognition and Justice. Schools commit to actions that meet each of these values. This is a living document that is referred to throughout the year and has the input from the school community including staff and students. First Nations students and families are also invited to contribute if they would like to part of the program.

The FIRE Carrier Program provides a framework for addressing School Compliance including Child Safe Standards and the VCEA Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Action Plan. It is a great opportunity for student leadership, voice and action for social justice.

We look forward to your school becoming a FIRE Carrier School in the future!

For more information about the FIRE Carrier Program send an email to firecarrier@openingthedoors.org.au

You can visit our New FIRE Carrier School Information folder containing our Information Booklet, PowerPoint presentation, Fee Schedule and Expression of Commitment Form ready to share the FIRE Carrier Program with your school leadership, staff and students.

Opening the Doors Foundation

Financial Grants for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students

The Opening the Doors Foundation provides grants to families to assist with the extra costs incurred in the schooling of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary or secondary school students. The 2025 Grant Round is now open, with a closing date of 14 March 2025. For students to commence the 2025 school year with the necessary items, the ideal time to apply is now or before the start of Term 1.

Please note that due to a substantial increase in applications, the Foundation’s Trustees have had to modify the eligibility criteria. The updated criteria and guidelines are outlined on both the Opening the Doors Foundation website and the Opening the Doors Foundation Application. Please contact the Foundation (details listed below), Helen Christensen (0467 415 768) or Jeanette Morris (0408 360 098) for further information.

Pertinent information:

Website: Opening the Doors Foundation; Foundation Application Criteria and Guidelines

App link: Opening the Doors Foundation Application

Phone: 0401 487 414 or 1300 236 356

Email: applications@openingthedoors.org.au

Closing date: 14 March 2025 (applications will not be accepted after this date)

Victorian Curriculum F-10 Implementation

The graphic below displays the expected implementation of the Victorian Curriculum 2.0 within DOBCEL schools.

More information regarding familiarisation and implementation can be accessed here.

2025 Pathways and Transition Funding 

The Victorian Catholic Education Authority (VCEA) has released the 2025 Funding Arrangements for Vocational Education and Training (VET) and the Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC).

• As the 2025 arrangements differ from those of 2024, it is recommended that schools review these carefully.
• To be eligible for funding, schools must enrol students on the Victorian Assessment Software

System (VASS) by Friday 2 May 2025. After this date, VASS will not allow schools to:

− enter or withdraw enrolments for Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE), including VCE

Vocational Major (VM), Unit 3–4 sequences

− enter enrolments for units of competency for VCE VET scored Unit 3–4 sequences.

For all enquires please contact Carmel Clarke, Education Officer: Applied & Vocational Learning cclarke@dobcel.catholic.edu.au or 0419 534 355.

English Curriculum Project 

Backward by Design Assessment Seminar recording and resources available

Our final seminar for the year looked at the Victorian Curriculum modes as a means of thinking about assessment and retrieval. We talked about the challenges of knowledge that the skills we test rely upon, as well as the possibilities for a reading unit or reading activities that we could consider using in the classroom. There was a quick dip into AI (what did and didn’t work!) and a sample lesson plan to show how to use models to scaffold student writing. Access Seminar Eight here.

Forum 4 – Linking the Victorian Curriculum 2.0 with the VCE - Thursday, 5 December at 3.30pm.

We will focus on two key areas that link the Victorian Curriculum 2.0 and the VCE.

1. What place do audio visual texts have in the 7-10 space now that the VCE no longer requires an analysis of them? They are part of the requirement for the Victorian Curriculum 2.0 but do they have to be used or created as part of a backwards mapping from VCE process now?

Kirstin will suggest how and when we can create and analyse these texts.

     2. Forms of writing. In the light of VCE changes, it is clear that students need as much opportunity as possible to create a range of texts using different forms and for a range of purposes before they begin Years 11 and 12. Kirstin will explore the teaching possibilities of this writing and also how we might do this without resorting to miniature versions of VCE units in 7 – 10.

ECP in 2025

As part of the ECP subscription, participating schools will automatically be added to the VCE English Catholic Network at no extra charge.  Further details and dates can be found here.

The ECP Canvas site can be accessed here. 

https://ceob.instructure.com/

For further details, please contact Julia Petrov, Learning and Teaching Education Officer (Secondary) on jpetrov@dobcel.catholic.edu.au or 0432 499 683.

Flare ‘Aurora’ Coach Appointed

An important element of Flare Primary Literacy Improvement in 2025 will be the Aurora Project, a partnership between DOBCEL, La Trobe University and the Bertalli Family Foundation. Aurora will place a layer of support around literacy improvement in ten of the smallest and most remote primary schools in the Ballarat Diocese.

Mel Fox (St Patrick’s Camperdown) has accepted a 12 month seconded position as a coach to work exclusively with the Aurora schools. Mel will assume her new role in January 2025.

Flare Primary Literacy Update

Click here to access the answers to the most Frequently Asked Questions about the Flare Primary Literacy Strategy.

To access the 2025 Flare PL Calendar, please click here.

To access the 2025 Flare PL Syllabus, please click here.

We suggest that all Guided Literacy Improvement Schools (and anyone working in support of these schools) bookmark these documents.

(To bookmark - click the star at the end of the address bar)

Primary Leaders of Learning Meeting Schedule 2025  

Our Primary Leaders of Learning network aims to provide a platform for open dialogue, sharing of evidence-based teaching practices, and collaboration among primary school leaders.   

By coming together, we can leverage our collective knowledge of learning and experiences to enhance the quality of education we provide to our students.

PLOL Meeting Dates 2025 and Agenda Items for Term 1

Term 1: Wednesday 5^th March 1:30 – 3pm

Agenda Items: 

Educational leadership

Curriculum updates

Reporting to Mathematics V2.0

Term 2: Wednesday 28^th May 1:30 – 3pm

Term 3: Wednesday 27^th August 1:30 – 3pm

Term 4: Wednesday 22^nd October 1:30 – 3pm

Mathematics Professional Learning for 2025  

Engaging Primary Students in their Mathematical Learning.     

Online Professional learning facilitated by Michael Minas the founder of Love Maths.  

Michael has worked in education for over 25 years and his areas of interest include problem solving and student engagement.   

Rationale:    

To impact on teacher practice through planning for and teaching of engaging Mathematical learning experiences.  

Focus / Learning Intentions:    

• Identify Mathematical tasks which are engaging for ALL students.   
• Enhance participant’s knowledge of the F-6 Mathematics Curriculum.
• Develop a student-centred approach to the teaching of Mathematics.

Read more  

Please register via the Trybooking link here. 

Career Opportunities in the Diocesan Education Community

Catholic Education Ballarat Vacancy

• No vacancies

Principal Vacancy

• No Principal Vacancies

School Vacancies

• Classroom teacher – St Patrick’s School, Camperdown – fixed term position at 1.0 FTE (closes 11 December)
• Instrumental Tutors – Woodwind/Cello/Piano – Damascus College, Mount Clear – fixed term position at 0.4 FTE (closes 11 December)
• Mental Health & Wellbeing Leader – St Patrick’s Primary School, Ballarat – fixed term position at 0.4 FTE (closes 11 December)
• Mental Health Wellbeing Leader – Sacred Heart School, Casterton – fixed term position at 0.4 FTE (closes 13 December)
• School Wellbeing Officer/Counsellor – St Columba’s School, Ballarat North – fixed term position at 0.4 FTE (closes 13 December)
• Classroom Teacher – St Joseph’s School, Charlton – fixed term position at 1.0 FTE (closes 13 December)
• Full Time Classroom Teacher 2025 – St Francis Xavier School, Ballarat East – fixed term position at 1.0 FTE (closes 13 December)
• Learning Support Officer – St Brigid’s College, Horsham – ongoing position at 0.45 FTE (closes 16 December)
• Music Teacher – St Patrick’s School, St Arnaud – fixed term position at 0.4 FTE (closes 18 December)
• Classroom Teacher – St Partick’s School, St Arnaud – fixed term position at 1.0 FTE (closes 18 December)
• Sport/Classroom Teacher – St Patrick’s School, St Arnaud – ongoing position at 0.6 FTE (closes 18 December)
• Learning Support Officer – St Paul’s Primary School, Mildura – fixed term position at 0.79 FTE (closes 18 December)
• Grounds and Maintenance Assistant – Trinity College Colac Inc, Colac – ongoing position at 1.0 FTE (closes 19 December)
• Human Resources Manager – Trinity College Colac Inc, Colac – ongoing position at 0.6 FTE (closes 19 December)
• Classroom Teacher - Part Time (0.6 negotiable) or Full Time – Our Lady Help of Christians School, Murtoa – ongoing position at 0.6 FTE (closes 20 December)