St Anthony of Padua

“The life of the body is the soul, the life of the soul is Christ.”
St Anthony of Padua

Orator. Contemplator. Searcher.

When thinking of St Anthony of Padua, these three words come to mind.

St Anthony travelled tirelessly throughout his life, preaching to many. His sermons often took place in piazzas or large fields due to the size of the crowd he attracted. He physically and metaphorically met people where they were at just as Jesus demonstrated on the Road to Emmaus. St Anthony showed great dedication to his vocation, even in the face of adversity, in which his prayer life enabled him the strength to be faithful to God’s mission. We, too, must persevere in our mission, trusting in the divine and seeking strength through prayer.

In what areas of my life am I being called to more closely imitate Christ?

St Anthony dedicated much of his teaching to the practice of prayer and the importance of prayer as a loving relationship with God. He understood that prayer requires an atmosphere of silence, not just external quiet, but an inner stillness that allows intimate connection with the divine.

How can I cultivate a deeper prayer life, creating space for silence and heartfelt communication with God amidst the busyness of daily life?

St Anthony is thought of by many as being the ‘finder of lost items.’ This relates back to an early time in his life when a novice took his book of Psalms, which was filled with personal notes and commentary for teaching. St Anthony turned to prayer, asking for its safe return. Richard Rohr surmises that when things are lost, we are required to search. Why then do we pray to St Anthony? Is it so that we can enter into a contemplative space — take a breath, be still, and discover what we could not see before?

How can I nurture a deeper sense of ‘seeing the unseen’ in my work, especially when facing challenges or discouragement?

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Image source: St Anthony of Padua Catholic College Austral – History & Charism.

All vacant positions are available on Employee Self Service (ESS) each Wednesday morning before being uploaded to the public website, giving CEDoW staff first priority to view them.

This week, you will find advertised positions for the following schools:

Primary

St Paul’s Catholic Parish Primary School, Albion Park
School Support Officer – Classroom (25-55 hours per fortnight)

St Clare’s Catholic Parish Primary School, Narellan Vale
Classroom Teacher (F.T.E. 0.4-0.6)

Stella Maris Catholic Primary School, Shellharbour
Classroom Teacher – Kindergarten

Secondary

St Joseph’s Catholic High School, Albion Park
English Teacher (F.T.E. 0.4)

Holy Spirit Catholic College, Bellambi
English Teacher
PD/H/PE Teacher

Corpus Christi Catholic College, Oak Flats
English Teacher

St Benedict’s Catholic College, Oran Park
HSIE Teacher (Re-Advertised)

John Therry Catholic College, Rosemeadow
English Teacher

Mount Carmel Catholic College, Varroville
Mathematics Teacher

K-12

St Francis Catholic College, Edmondson Park
Religious Education/HSIE Teacher (Years 7-12)
Science Teacher (Years 5-12)

Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong

Junior In-House Legal Counsel

NCCD Update: Census Reference Period

This is a reminder to schools of the approaching Census Reference period, a key date in terms of evidence collection for the NCCD and student attendance.

The census reference period for students is the 20 school days leading up to and including census day, Friday 1 August 2025.

School holidays, public holidays, weekends and pupil free days (including staff development day(s) are not part of the 20-day census reference period, so the first day of the Census Reference period will look slightly different from school to school.

Further information is available on the SchoolsHUB website.

Review of CEDoW's Instructional Coaching – Survey

The Improvement, Learning and Wellbeing (ILW) service area of Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong (CEDoW), has announced an evaluation of its current model of instructional coaching within its primary, secondary and K-12 schools. 

CEDoW recognises the dedicated efforts of Instructional Coaches (ICs) and remains committed to the methodology of contextualised peer-coaching in pedagogy. It is envisaged that feedback resulting from our evaluation will provide further strength and purpose to the role of the IC and their continued support.

The review of the instructional coaching model will commence in the final weeks of Term 4, 2024 and conclude at the end of Term 2, 2025 to capture the feedback of past and present ICs and broader CEDoW personnel. 

All stakeholders now have an opportunity to contribute to our inquiry through a range of processes, including this survey.

In an effort to establish a thorough understanding of our model of instructional coaching, we welcome honest and transparent feedback. For this reason, we are not collecting respondents' email addresses.

Contact: Sharon Gilbert, K-12 Instructional Coach Lead at gilberts02@dow.catholic.edu.au.

Closure of the Lismore Diocese Online Education Centre

Secondary school leaders are advised that the Diocese of Lismore will cease operations of its Online Education Centre at the end of 2026. Currently enrolled Preliminary and HSC students will continue to be supported through to the HSC of 2026, however, no further enrolments will be accepted (official notice of closure attached for your reference). 

Please make any necessary changes to your Subject Selection processes for students of Year 10, 2025. 

Russell Newman
Head of Learning K-12

CEDoW Library – Resource of the Week

ACEN eBook 

This week’s Sora eBook edition is Books You Count Four-get About.

Use the link here to explore the eBook titles for primary, secondary, and staff through the Australian Catholic Education Network (ACEN). To sign in to Sora, select "ACEN" as your school.

ClickView Highlight

This week’s ClickView highlight is Real-life Problem Solving and Oxford University Press. Access the series using the link here. 

If you have any questions, please contact Jim Gallagher, Library Services Manager, at gallagherj01@dow.catholic.edu.au. 

Reminders

Your Voice. Your Story. Your Stand Against Bullying.

Be part of CEDoW’s “Fix You” Student Anti-Bullying Campaign!

We’ve already heard about some amazing initiatives happening in schools to support the revamped “Fix You” campaign. If your school hasn’t started yet, there’s still time to get involved! Whether it’s a video, poster, podcast, presentation, or even just a pitch, we’re excited to see what your students will bring to this important initiative.

Don’t miss the chance to be part of it. For full details and how to get involved, refer to the Gateway News communication from Week 2.

Need help?
Check out the original Fix You 2012 resource to see where it all began.

Questions?
Reach out to Jennifer Sharp at sharpj05@dow.catholic.edu.au.

Catholic Business Connections – June Luncheon

We’re pleased to share the details for the upcoming Catholic Business Connections (CBC) luncheon.

Please feel free to share this information in your school newsletters and communications.

CBC provides an opportunity for professional and business women and men, both active and retired, who share common values to network and engage with one another and leaders across our Diocese. The group meets three times a year for lunch and to hear from guest speakers who share inspiring stories and reflect on the connection between their work, faith, and life in today’s world.

School Leaders' Breakfast Expo 

Join us for the School Leaders’ Breakfast Expo at Macquarie University on Tuesday 17 June 2025. Please register as soon as possible.

The morning will include a light breakfast, short presentations, and an expo of services offering information and support for students and schools. Presentations include:

• Emotional Health Clinic, Macquarie University – Cool Kids and Study Without Stress programs

• Harrison Riedel Foundation – YourCrew App, YourCrew Classroom, and the new Transition to High School program

This is a valuable opportunity to connect with service providers and learn how they can support your school community, both internally and externally.

We especially encourage Principals and Deputy/Assistant Principals to attend, and welcome all school leaders.

Registrations are required ASAP for this event. 

Date: Tuesday 17 June 2025
Time: 7.30 am – 10.00 am
Venue: Lakeside Conference Centre, Macquarie University
Register: Further information and registration are available here.

Blended Online Learning – Semester 2

Upcoming courses in Term 3 – Flyer link here.

• Understanding and Supporting Behaviour [Zoom]
• Speech, Language and Communication Needs [Zoom]
• Understanding Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder [Zoom]
• Supporting Student Wellbeing and Mental Health [F2F]
• Attachment and Trauma Theory [F2F]

Enrolment in only one course at a time. See the flyer above for registration links.

Reminder to participants who undertook Semester 1 courses: Understanding Autism, Understanding Behaviour, and Dyslexia & Significant Difficulties in Reading — the completion date is 3 July 2025.

Reminder

Catholic Social Teaching – Scriptural and Theological Foundations

Please register via the LMS link by Friday 18 July 2025.

Date: Wednesday 30 July 2025
Time: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Venue: Xavier Centre, 36 Harbour Street, Wollongong

Targeted Audience: K-12 Religious Education Coordinators, K-12 Classroom Teachers, Team Leaders (e.g., Stage Leaders, Subject Leaders), CEO Staff, School Leadership, Middle Leaders, Student Wellbeing/Pastoral Care.

Facilitator: Professor Gerard Moore, Broken Bay Institute.

Outline

This professional learning day explores the Christian call to cooperate with all people in promoting human flourishing, right relationships, and the common good—key themes that connect deeply with the study of God, religion, and life. Central to the day are the guiding questions: Who ought I be? and How must I respond?

Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the scriptural and theological foundations of Catholic Social Teaching. The day will also offer a solid introduction to the Life to the Full Framework, supporting those seeking to integrate it into curriculum design and pastoral care initiatives.

Additionally, this professional learning experience will enrich the teaching of Religious Education Strand E across Stages 4 and 5, while also providing valuable insights and practical support for those involved in social justice initiatives and youth ministry coordination.

Contact: John Coppola, Education Officer – Secondary at coppolag01@dow.catholic.edu.au.

The World Indigenous Peoples' Conference on Education (WIPCE) will be held in Auckland from 16 to 20 November 2025.

CEDoW is offering sponsorship of six (6) staff members working in CEDoW to attend and participate at the World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education.

The CEDoW sponsorship proposal is set out below:

1. Participants interested in submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI) must have their principal’s approval before submitting the EOI.
   
   
2. Financial commitment must be accepted by the school where the participant is allocated a place to attend. Sponsorship contribution is outlined below:
   • CEDoW will sponsor 50% of the final costing that includes conference registration, airfares, accommodation, travel insurance and some meals. The estimated final overall costing of $5,500.00 per participant.
     
   • School financial contribution will be 40%.
     
   • Individual participants’ financial commitment will be 10% up to and no more than $1,000.00 personal contribution.
     
     
3. Participants offered a place must meet the criteria to be covered by travel insurance before final approval is given. No more than 2 places per school will be sponsored.
   
   
4. EOI applications will be judged by CEDoW's Leadership Team.

Closing Date for Expressions of Interest: Friday 4 July 2025 (Term 2, Week 10).

Please forward your Expression of Interest directly to Lyndal Murphy, Executive Assistant – Learning Improvement, Learning and Wellbeing, at murphyl11@dow.catholic.edu.au.

An example of sponsorship and school commitment is outlined below:

Based on an estimated final overall costing of $5,500.00 per participant:

• CEO Contribution (50%) = $2,750.00
• School Contribution (40%) = $2,200.00
• Participant Individual Contribution (10%) = $550.00.

More Information provided below on WIPCE: 

WIPCE is the largest and most diverse Indigenous education forum in the world – representatives from across the globe will meet in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland, from 16-20 November 2025.

Celebrating Indigenous Excellence

Aotearoa extends a warm welcome to our global Indigenous whānau to the World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Education (WIPCE) 2025, in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland from 16-20 November.

A pōwhiri (traditional welcome) by mana whenua (local tribe) of central Auckland, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei will welcome our manuhiri (visitors) to start the conference which features national and international keynote speakers, academic and community presentations, networking sessions, symposiums, panel discussions, seminars, workshops, cultural excursions, a village marketplace, parade of nations and concludes with a closing ceremony.

WIPCE 2025 Themes

The eight themes of WIPCE 2025 reflect the diverse spaces in which Indigenous peoples live, learn, and lead. These themes will guide the knowledge that will be shared at the gathering, while also acknowledging the connections and synergies between them.

The themes for WIPCE 2025 provide context for Indigenous knowledge as a way of living, while also platforming them as fundamental parts of education as a whole.  

If you have feedback on Gateway News, we want to know. 

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