Weekly Newsletter #59 - 18 June 2025

Reflection: An Invitation

In light of what is happening in the world this week the following reflection may speak to you.

Let us build school communities and a world based on Jesus' dream mentioned in this piece. Please click here to view the reflective piece for this week. 

From the Executive Director

On Monday, we launched the DOBCEL 2035 Survey – a key step in shaping the future of Catholic education in our Diocese. Today, I want to take a moment to highlight just how important it is that every staff member takes the time to complete it.

This survey will form our 2025 baseline, giving us a clear picture of where we are now as we work towards the aspirations of the DOBCEL Strategy 2035. Your responses will directly inform how we measure progress across our five strategic pillars:

• Collaborative Cultures
• Engagement and Belonging
• School as Community
• Rich Pedagogical Practices for Deeper Learning and Wellbeing
• Sustainable Stewardship

It takes about 20 minutes to complete and is a valuable opportunity for every staff member to be heard, whether in a teaching position or education support role. Your voice matters, and we are relying on your honest and thoughtful input to help guide our shared direction.

To support this, we’ve included in this newsletter:

• A short video message
• A printable flyer to display in staff areas
• A direct link to the survey for those yet to complete it

This week’s stimulus piece is also closely aligned with our strategic direction: School is Broken. This Finnish Expert Might Have the Solution – a long-form interview with renowned education expert Pasi Sahlberg, hosted by Josh Szeps.

It’s a rich and inspiring conversation about the future of schooling – something we are actively shaping through DOBCEL 2035. The full video runs for 1 hour 40 minutes, but it's also broken into shorter segments if you’d prefer to view it over time.

Thank you to those who have already completed the survey, and to those who haven’t yet, please make time to do so. This is a key moment for all of us on our collective journey.

With best wishes,

Tom Sexton, Executive Director  

DOBCEL 2035 Survey – Our 2025 Baseline

We’re pleased to launch the DOBCEL 2035 Survey, marking an important milestone in our shared journey towards the future of Catholic education across our Diocese.

This survey will form our 2025 baseline. It will give us a clear picture of the current landscape across our schools and help us measure our progress in relation to the DOBCEL 2035 Strategy.

What you need to know:

• It will take about 20 minutes to complete. We understand that this is a commitment, but the insight you provide is vital to our long-term planning. Your considered responses are deeply valued.
• The survey will be open until the end of Week 1 in Term 3
• The survey can be accessed via the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/25-DS2035
• All teaching staff and education support roles are encouraged to respond.
  
• Principals of RI/MP JP schools are invited to share the link with their staff and encourage them to complete the survey.
• The survey uses four response options: strongly disagree, disagree, agree, and strongly agree. There are no neutral choices, and each question requires a response. Please answer as honestly and thoughtfully as you can.
• All responses will remain confidential.

A flyer is available to help promote the survey within your school:

Please print and display it in staff areas to help spread the word and encourage participation.

Thank you for your contribution. Your input matters and is deeply valued. The data gathered through this survey will help shape our direction and evaluate our success in the years ahead.

From DOBCEL Board Chair Terry Harney

Term 2 Board Meeting Update – June 2025

I’m pleased to share an update from the DOBCEL Board following our Term 2 meeting, which took place across two days on Tuesday 10 and Wednesday 11 June at St Michael’s Primary School, Daylesford.

We were warmly welcomed by Principal Tim Hogan and the St Michael’s school community, and greatly appreciated the opportunity to connect with staff, students, parishioners and local community members throughout our time there.

On Wednesday morning, we were privileged to be led on a school tour by the School Captains and a Vice Captain, accompanied by Principal Tim Hogan. The tour included the impressive new facilities and learning spaces made possible through a $2.1 million investment. A particular highlight was joining in prayer with the Foundation students – a reminder of the deep faith and joy at the heart of our schools.

We were also delighted to share a meal on Tuesday evening with Tim Hogan, School Advisory Council Chair Andrea Gardiner, and Fr Marcello Colasante, our Vicar General. On Wednesday, Fr Marcello and local parishioners joined the Board for lunch, reflecting the strong and enduring school–parish–community relationships that support our Catholic identity.

In addition to our formal agenda, the Board travelled through the region, visiting several of our schools including:

• St Brigid’s Primary, Ballan
• St Patrick’s Primary, Gordon
• St Mary’s Primary, Clarkes Hill
• St Patrick’s Primary, Stawell
• St Mary’s Parish Primary, Ararat
• Marian College, Ararat

These visits offered a valuable opportunity to witness firsthand the vibrant learning environments and deep commitment of our school communities.

Key items discussed during the Board meeting included:

• A compelling presentation on Artificial Intelligence in education by Coby Reynolds, which explored the opportunities, challenges and ethical considerations of emerging AI technologies in Catholic school settings.
• A discussion of the ACU Australian Principal Occupational Health, Safety, and Wellbeing Survey, which provides important insight into the complex and demanding role of school leadership. The Board remains committed to understanding and supporting the wellbeing of our school leaders.
• Endorsement of the 2024 Modern Slavery Statement, reinforcing our collective responsibility to uphold human dignity and ethical practice across all areas of our governance and operations.
• An update on the continued implementation of the DOBCEL Strategy 2035, delivered by Dave Runge, who joined the meeting remotely. The Board remains focused on progressing this long-term strategic vision for Catholic education in our Diocese.

On behalf of the Board, I thank the St Michael’s community for their generous hospitality, and all the schools who welcomed us during our travels. It is always a privilege to witness the passion, leadership and faith that characterise our Catholic schools.

With best wishes,

Terry Harney
DOBCEL Board Chair

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Showcasing our Catholic Schools in Action

Leading with Kindness: OLHC Students Inspire Through Prayer

Last Friday, students from Our Lady Help of Christians School, Wendouree, led their whole school in a beautiful and heartfelt prayer focused on random acts of kindness.

With confidence and sincerity, these LG1 students reminded everyone that even the smallest gesture can brighten someone’s day. The school community is incredibly proud of how they shared their voices, their faith, and their kindness with others.

Grace, Grit, and Glitter: St Paul’s Dances to Victory

Congratulations to the talented dance groups from St Paul’s Primary School, Mildura, who recently took the stage at their local eisteddfod.

The Junior and Middle units danced their way to an impressive 2nd place, while the Senior team delivered a standout performance, earning a fantastic score of 84/100. A wonderful achievement and a celebration of creativity, teamwork and school spirit - well done to all involved!

Warm Hearts, Warm Milos: St Alipius Kicks Off Winter Giving

St Alipius Parish School launched their first winter social justice initiative, Milo Monday - this week, despite the chilly weather.

Students brought in a gold coin donation and were treated to a warm Milo, thanks to the support of generous parent helpers. Funds raised will go towards purchasing toiletries for the Ballarat St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal - a wonderful act of giving to support those in need.

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Damascus College Debaters Keep Their Winning Streak Alive

The Year 9 and 10 debating team from Damascus College, Ballarat recently took part in their first secret online debate through the Debaters Association of Victoria. Given the topic just one hour before the event - “That the government should penalise individuals who take more than two flights per year” - the team argued the negative case.

Competing against Gleneagles Secondary College, Damascus secured a narrow one-point victory, keeping their undefeated record intact.

Congratulations to Isabeau Turner (Year 9), Bronte Jarvis (Year 10), and Emily Meade (Year 10) on their impressive teamwork and critical thinking under pressure!

Student Involvement - Speaking to Country and Art submissions

Catholic school students from all across Australia are invited to contribute to the 2025 Australian Catholic Education Conference through contributions through Speaking to Country recordings and Art submissions.

1. Speaking to Country recorded submissions

Schools are invited to create a short (less than 15 seconds) Speaking to Country in collaboration with their local Traditional Owners. These contributions will be edited into a film that may be included in the Welcome to Country led by Yidinji Elders.

Recordings must be submitted by 25 July 2025.
Access criteria, submission form and media consent form here.

2. Student Art Submissions on our theme ‘hope, anchored in faith’

School communities are encouraged to support student participation in an artistic reflection on our conference theme, ‘hope, anchored in faith’. Students can submit creative works—visual art, photography, sculpture, music, or film—that explore our conference theme and key areas of focus - Faith, Excellence and Access. Selected artworks will be displayed in the conference Chapel.

Submissions must be received by 25 July 2025.
For more information download the full criteria and entry form.

Download teacher preparation/student reflection powerpoint

World Refugee Day - This Friday, 20 June

Finding Freedom: Diversity in Community

This Friday, 20 June, we mark World Refugee Day, a global event that honours refugees and promotes solidarity for a world where everyone is welcomed.

Pope Francis encourages us to welcome, promote, accompany, and integrate those seeking refuge, praying that all may find humane conditions and true belonging.

As Catholic school communities, we’re invited to reflect, pray, and act in support of refugees. Whether through classroom learning, prayer, or special activities, your efforts matter.

Click here to access resources from the Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office (ACMRO).

📸 Share Your Celebrations!

If your school is marking World Refugee Day, we’d love to see it!
Please send any photos or highlights to comms@dobcel.catholic.edu.au

2025 Australian Catholic Education Conference

The Countdown Is On!

We're counting down to the 2025 Australian Catholic Education Conference, from 20–22 August at the Cairns Convention Centre! With the theme ‘Hope, Anchored in Faith’, the conference will explore Catholic education through the pillars of Faith, Excellence, and Access.

The program features inspiring keynote speakers, including Sr Nathalie Becquart, Prof Dylan Wiliam, Dr Steve Constantino, Dr Simon Breakspear, and Dr Jordana Hunter, with Philippa McDonald as MC. Sessions will cover Catholic identity, teaching, leadership, community engagement, and resourcing. We look forward to welcoming you to this national celebration of Catholic education and leadership!

Watch the video message from Executive Director, National Catholic Education Commission Jacinta Collins, Bishop of Cairns, Joseph Caddy AM and Executive Director, Catholic Education Diocese of Cairns Durm O’Riordan.

Click here to register!

People and Development Updates

People and Development - Professional Learning Opportunities 

The following people and development professional learning opportunities are available for staff to attend. 

Wellbeing Updates

Central Highlands New RR Schools Induction 

The Central Highlands Respectful Relationships team will be hosting a half-day induction session for Catholic and Independent schools on Wednesday, 25 June from 9.30am - 12.30pm. Location Mackillop and Glowery Room 3 Lyons St South Ballarat.  Attendees will have the option of attending face to face or online (via webex). 

This session will provide a comprehensive overview of the Respectful Relationships curriculum, covering the "what, why and how" of the RR initiative. It will support participants to understand more about what drives Family Violence, how it can be prevented and how this relates to the Respectful Relationships initiative in schools.  
 
Schools are encouraged to attend as an RR team. Please share this forms link to each person planning to attend so we have accurate details for all participants. 

Out of Home Care Notification 

Upcoming surveys in Term 3  

Students in Out-of-Home Care (OoHC) are a priority cohort across our Diocese. We are committed to ensuring that all available supports are in place to foster a strong sense of belonging, promote engagement, and enhance learning outcomes.  

Schools will be contacted to complete an online data survey. This is a twice-yearly collection of data relating to the education status of students in formal statutory OoHC, conducted externally of CEB. The data is collected via an online survey. Data collection occurs in Term 1 and Term 3, looking back on the previous semester.  

Schools are verified through data matching and are emailed via the school email address with a personalised link to a web-based home page with a list of student IDs for their school. Each student ID is linked to a survey. There is a feature for schools to report on additional students that were notified about as being in formal statutory OoHC or believed to be in OoHC.  

Data collection will include  

• enrolment at the school or Flexible Learning Option 
• attendance 
• First Nations status and Cultural Plan 
• Learning Mentor 
• Student/Program Support Group 
• Education Needs Analysis 
• Individual/Personal Education Plan 
• DHHS notification 
• suspensions 

To support schools to monitor your own student OoHC data, a template has been developed to utilise and adapt as required.    

For further information, checklists, and resources, please visit our OoHC SharePoint. Note: Please see your Learning Diversity Leader for your school’s SharePoint username and password  

To assist schools in adopting a whole-school approach to supporting students in OoHC, a checklist has been developed and can be adapted to meet your school's specific needs and is available here 

OoHC School Student Monitoring TEMPLATE 

OoHC Whole School Approach Checklist TEMPLATE 

Out-of-Home-Care (OoHC School Reference Guide (2025)

Please reach out to the student wellbeing team if you have any clarifying questions or seek further information: 

Anne Ruddell (Senior) aruddell@dobcel.catholic.edu.au  

Brooke Nestor  bnestor@dobcel.catholic.edu.au  

Jane Bennett jbennett@dobcel.catholic.edu.au 

Monique Ryan monryan@dobcel.catholic.edu.au 

Learning and Teaching Updates

Early Career Teacher Professional Learning - Term 3 2025

*SAVE THE DATE*

EARLY CAREER TEACHER'S FORMATION RETREAT - Halls Gap

Wednesday 13^th - Thursday 14^th August 

This retreat experience is designed for all teachers in their first, second and third year of their careers. Content is organised on a three-year cycle ensuring participants are offered formation in a sequential and systematic way.

The event is designed to nurture and nourish the spirituality and wellbeing of our early career teachers. There will also be a formation component to the experience as participants will explore themes related to the Jubilee Year theme, Pilgrims of Hope such as pilgrimage, hope, journey and transformation. 

As part of the retreat, investigation will also take place regarding the deep connection between The DOBCEL Strategy 2035 and how the strategy is underpinned by the Catholic story and vision.

Venue: Country Plaza Halls Gap, 141 Grampians Road, Halls Gap Vic 3381
      -    Catering will be provided.

• Accommodation at the venue to be organised by the school.

Booking Link:  https://www.trybooking.com/DASUR

If you have any queries about the program, please contact Julie Cooper  jcooper@dobcel.catholic.edu.au or Fiona Murphy  fmurphy@dobcel.catholic.edu.au 

ACER is pleased to offer a series of webinars targeted to schools using, or about to use, the PAT Progressive Achievement suite online.   

For further information refer to ACERS’s School Engagement Events Brochure. Link here

Webinars Term 3:

1. PAT interviews: ACER leaders discuss PAT. Wednesday 23 July 4pm AEST (30 minutes) Registration link http://acer.ac/leaders25
2. Understanding PAT Norms Wednesday 20 August 4pm AEST (30 minutes) Registration link https://acer.ac/patnorms25
3. New assessment: PAT Maths 5th Edition Thursday 28 August 4pm AEST (30 minutes) Registration link ac/newmaths
4. Analysing and interpreting ACER’s reports for linear assessments Wednesday 3 September 4pm AEST (45 minutes) Registration link ac/linear25
5. Analysing and interpreting ACER’s reports for adaptive assessments Thursday 4 September 4pm AEST (45 minutes) Registration link ac/adaptive25
6. What’s new in the PAT Teaching Resources Centre: resources, navigation and more! Wednesday 10 September 4pm AEST (45 minutes)

 Registration link acer.ac/newpattrc25

Expression of Interest - UFLI Professional Learning 

Following the recent Systematic Synthetic Phonics (SSP) Forum, a number of schools have expressed interest in participating in UFLI professional learning. If there is sufficient interest across the diocese, we have the opportunity to host regional workshop/s with a certified UFLI trainer.

To help us gauge demand and plan accordingly, please complete the Expression of Interest form via the link below:

👉 Click here to complete the form

For further information please email Julie Cooper jcooper@dobcel.catholic.edu.au

Story Shelf is now LIVE!

Story Shelf website is now live and ready for your school to access ahead of Term 3!

Via the website, schools are now able to:
- Browse selection of books that are available
- Connect with other schools
- Arrange their own book exchanges
Perfect timing to help plan for Term 3!

Click here to access Story Shelf (and be sure to bookmark the page!)

It's not too late to get involved!

Just take a very quick minute to fill in the form below. We’ll follow up with next steps!

🔗 REGISTER YOUR SCHOOL'S INTEREST HERE

For further details please reach out to

Belinda Chiswell – Education Officer: Learning & Teaching

✉️ bchiswell@dobcel.catholic.edu.au | 📱0484 641 997

English Curriculum Network: Planning for Your Unit 4 Text

VCE English Curriculum Network: Planning for Your Unit 4 Text

Join Kirstin for a live session to discuss all things text-related—including both general and text-specific questions.

Date: Wednesday, 19 June
 Session Options:

• 3:45pm – 4:30pm → Register here
• 7:30pm – 8:15pm → Register here

Come along with your questions, ideas, and classroom reflections.

English Curriculum Project Forum Two

Theme: Professional conversations and sharing of resources and ideas
 Register here: Zoom Registration – Forum Two

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Kirstin directly at kirstin@kirstinbourne.com

SIMON: NEW Intellischool features available for SIMON users

Intellischool Cohort Indicators!

Intellischool has launched a new Cohort Indicators page. The redesign allows you to quickly view achievement distribution across different assessment types, identify areas of discrepancy, and filter results to highlight holistic performance for individual students!

• Identify students demonstrating positive or negative growth across semesters.  
• Dive into performance bands in specific subjects.  
• Review a watchlist of students who may be underperforming and exhibiting poor attendance.

Find out more here!

Formal Criteria

Intellischoolers accessing analytics through SIMON can now include formal criteria in their calculations and display them on their dashboards!
You'll need to head to Settings - Assessment category configurations and edit or create a new configuration!

Multi-Conditional Pulse alerts

🎉 One alert, multiple audiences
Create one alert but have it sent to different audiences based on different levels of severity. You can also set a minimum number of incidents to be notified and a maximum up to which you'd continue to be notified.

Find out more here!

If you'd like to know more or looking for some support, don't be afraid to reach out to the Intellischool engagement managers here: help@intellischool.co

Australian Catholic Youth Festival 2025

Catholic schools in the Diocese of Ballarat are encouraged to support the Australian Catholic Youth Festival (ACYF) in Melbourne, 30 November -2 December, 2025.  Participants will register with their local parish (unless traveling with another group). Click here to view the ACYF 2025 letter from Bishop Paul. 

 How could schools support the ACYF?

• Supporting staff members 25 years or younger to be a conference participant or participant supervisor
• Nominate a staff member to work with your local parish to identify and encourage students (Yr 9 and above) to be a participant 
• Schools may look to organise a group of students with staff to supervise (please contact your local parish)
• Promotion of the ACYF in your school newsletter and on socials including circulating the attached letter from Bishop Paul
• Support any staff members aged 25 years plus to be supervisors of our Diocesan participants

ACYF Resources to assist schools

Home - Australian Catholic Youth Festival Melbourne 2025

Resources - Australian Catholic Youth Festival Melbourne 2025

An invitation to the 2025 Australian Catholic Youth Festival - YouTube

Career Opportunities in the Diocesan Education Community

Catholic Education Ballarat Vacancy

• No current vacancies. 

Principal Vacancy

• Principal – St Patrick’s, Port Fairy at 1.0 FTE (closes 15 July)

• Principal – St Joseph’s, Coleraine – ongoing position at 1.0 FTE (closing 1 July 2025)

• Principal – St Joseph’s, Penshurst – ongoing position at 1.0 FTE (closing 1 July)

• Principal – St Malachy’s, Edenhope at 1.0 FTE (closes 20 July)

School Vacancies

• Classroom Teachers – St Joseph’s College, Mildura – ongoing positions at 1.0 FTE (closes 19 June)
• Science Teacher – Damascus College, Mt Clear – fixed term, full or part-time (closes 23 June)
• Generalist Teacher – St Paul’s Primary School, Mildura – fixed-term at 0.48 FTE (closes 27 June)
  
• Classroom Teacher – Sacred Heart Mildura – fixed-term at 1.0 FTE (closes 2 July)
• Business Manager – St Brigid’s College, Horsham – ongoing position at 1.0FTE (closes 4 July)
• 2025 Casual Relief Teachers – Siena Catholic Primary School, Lucas – casual position (closes 4 July)
• Grounds & Maintenance – St Joseph’s – Warrnambool – ongoing position at 1.0 FTE (closes 16 July)
• Maintenance & Facilities Manager - St Joseph’s – Warrnambool – ongoing position at 1.0 FTE (closes 16 July)
• Classroom Teacher- Foundation- St Joseph’s – Warrnambool – fixed term position at 1.0 FTE (closes 1 August)
• Classroom Teacher - St Joseph’s – Warrnambool – fixed term position at 1.0 FTE (closes 1 August)
• 2025 Casual Relief Teachers – St Columba’s School, Ballarat North – casual position (closes 25 November)
• Classroom Teacher 2026 – St Mary’s – Warracknabeal – ongoing position at 1.0 FTE (closes 5 December)