School Leaders Edition, Week 1, Term 2, 2025
Dear Colleagues,
Welcome back to Term 2, 2025.
I hope the break offered you a valuable chance to rest, connect with loved ones, and reflect on the Easter message. Our Director of Schools, Peter Hill, is currently undertaking a period of renewal leave overseas until 23 May and we wish him well for this formative experience.
As a Catholic community, we continue to deeply feel the passing of Pope Francis as we mourn the loss of a true servant of God, while giving thanks for all he did for our world, and rejoicing that he is now enjoying his eternal reward with Jesus, Mary, and the saints. During his funeral Mass on Saturday, Pope Francis was recognised as a leader who was, like Jesus, out amongst his people with an ‘open heart to everyone’.
Despite the sadness we feel, we should be deeply encouraged by Francis’ constant message to continue looking forward with anticipation to what God will accomplish with us and through us, particularly in this Jubilee Year of Hope. With this as inspiration, I am pleased to share with you the progress we are making as we work together to realise the mission of the Church through our Catholic schools.
We're progressing Lighting The Way, our strategic plan centred on the concept of Connected Autonomy. Ultimately, it's about empowering your school to lead improvement based on your unique context and helping all of us to achieve student faith, learning, and wellbeing outcomes more effectively and sustainably than we could on our own, as one united community of schools.
Our main CEO objectives this year are designed to make Connected Autonomy real and meaningful:
- Making data useful: We're refining data systems so they are genuinely user-friendly and provide valuable insights to support school and student improvement.
- More relevant support: We're re-imagining how schools access support from the CEO or other schools. This means resources going where they’re needed most, and ensuring professional learning is practical, relevant to school goals, and directly applicable to your work in faith, learning, and wellbeing.
- Ensuring thriving schools: By focusing on enrolment growth and workforce planning, we're working to ensure all our schools remain vibrant, well-resourced places with the staff needed to serve our communities now and into the future.
Of course, everything the CEO team does should ultimately support your work in schools. The upcoming 2025 CEDoW Employee Engagement Survey is a direct way to share feedback on how each of our schools, the CEO, and the system as a whole can keep improving. Please be frank and fearless—your insights genuinely shape our priorities and help us understand what you need.
Thank you for your professionalism, your passion for the faith, learning and wellbeing of students, and the hopeful spirit you bring to our Catholic school communities every day. Your work is foundational to our Catholic mission in action.
Tim Gilmour
Acting Director of Schools
The CEDoW Employee Engagement Survey will open next Monday 5 May 2025.
The survey, developed in collaboration with XrefEngage, is research and evidence-based, designed to take around 20 minutes to complete.
It will remain open for three weeks, closing on Friday 23 May 2025.
As we approach the launch, your role as a leader is instrumental in encouraging participation across your school or service area. The survey offers staff a valuable opportunity to share honest and thoughtful feedback about their workplace experience. The feedback received via the survey will be used to enable continuous improvement of staff engagement and wellbeing, organisational culture, and performance over time.
Your role (principals and leaders): We ask for your support in promoting the survey in the week leading up to the launch and encouraging your staff to complete it when able.
To help you communicate the details of the survey, we have developed some resources:
- 2025 Engagement Survey: Leaders Talking Points
- 2025 Engagement Survey: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
- 2025 Engagement Survey: Poster 1
- 2025 Engagement Survey: Poster 2
Your support makes a difference. By actively promoting the survey and encouraging participation, you help ensure that every voice is heard and that the insights we gather genuinely reflect the experiences of our staff.
If you have any questions regarding the Engagement Survey, please contact Rochelle Borg or Susan Phillipson, Workplace Safety and Wellbeing Team, whs@dow.catholic.edu.au.
For CEDoW’s full range of workplace, safety, and wellbeing resources, please visit the Workplace Safety and Wellbeing Hub on Gateway.
Resignation – Anthony McElhone, Principal, St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Parish Primary School, Bowral
The Principal at St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Parish Primary School, Bowral, Anthony McElhone, has been appointed to the position of Principal at Our Lady Queen of Peace, Greystanes, with Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese. Anthony has accepted the role and will commence at the start of Term 3, 2025.
Read the full announcement here.
Tim Gilmour
Acting Director of Schools
Diocese of Wollongong
On behalf of the Acting Director of Schools, I wish to announce the following:
Christine Meharg, Religious Education Coordinator at Mount Carmel Catholic College, Varroville, will be taking leave from 19 May to 27 June 2025. Following a recruitment process, Kristina Borg is the successful applicant for the position of Acting Religious Education Coordinator at Mount Carmel Catholic College during Christine’s leave.
Kristina currently holds the position of ML1 – Assistant REC at Mount Carmel Catholic College. Kristina is a member of St Mary MacKillop Parish, Oran Park.
Natasha O’Donoghue
Assistant Director – People and Culture
Bishop Brian's statement on the passing of Pope Francis
For: Principals/SSSOs
Due: Now
Contact: Strategy and Communications at communications@dow.catholic.edu.au
First notice
Bishop Brian Mascord on the passing of Pope Francis
We join Bishop Brian Mascord and the entire Catholic Church in mourning the passing of Pope Francis. We give thanks for his compassionate leadership and unwavering commitment to the Gospel, which continue to inspire the mission of our Catholic schools here in the Diocese of Wollongong.
Actions: Guidelines for mourning Pope Francis' passing at school.
- It is recommended that a black ribbon be attached to any portraits of Pope Francis as a mark of respect during the mourning period. This can be a simple black ribbon attached to the corner of the frame, or a larger piece of black cloth draped over the edges of the portrait.
- Flags should be flown at half mast.
Help your school families make an informed decision this election
For: Principals/SSSOs
Due: This week (before Saturday’s election)
Contact: Strategy and Communications at communications@dow.catholic.edu.au
First notice
To ensure parents/carers at our schools understand where the major political parties stand when it comes to Catholic education, please take the following two actions this week, ahead of Saturday’s Federal Election:
Action 1: Share the election scorecard in your school’s newsletter.
Please share the PDF below, accompanied by this text:
Before you cast your vote this Saturday, it’s important you know where the political parties stand when it comes to Catholic education. While both Labor and the Coalition support Catholic schools and our priorities, that’s not true of all candidates running in this election.
To help you understand the views of the major parties, the National Catholic Education Commission has prepared this helpful scorecard.
Action 2: Like and share our CEDoW Facebook post to your school’s Facebook page.
Please click here to view CEDoW’s post, then reshare it to your school’s Facebook page with the caption: “Make your vote count this election”.
Clergy and Principal Day – Thursday 29 May 2025
For: Principals
Due: RSVP by Friday 16 May 2025
Contact: Tim Gilmour at gilmourt01@dow.catholic.edu.au or Jo Kenny at kennyj02@dow.catholic.edu.au
First notice
The first Clergy and Principal Day for 2025 will be held on Thursday 29 May 2025 at the Campbelltown Catholic Club (10.00 am - 4.00 pm). Calendar invitations were shared with all principals at the end of last year.
Bishop Brian has invited Richard Rymarz, PhD, EdD, Professor of Education at the University of Notre Dame to be the guest speaker. Professor Rymarz has a long standing interest in how Catholic schools situate themselves in secular cultures with a particular focus on religious education.
Morning tea will be made available on arrival between 10.00 and 10.30 am with registrations being open from 10.15 am. We would greatly appreciate it if all participants would sign-in and be seated at the allocated table, ready to commence at 10:30 am.
It is an expectation that principals will prioritise this day and be in attendance. If you are unable to attend for a necessary reason, please contact Tim Gilmour or Jo Kenny.
Action: Please RSVP here by Friday 16 May 2025.
CEDoW 2025 Christmas Story Art Exhibition and Competition
For: Primary Principals and Primary RECs
Due:
Contact: Kate Jennett at jennettk01@dow.catholic.edu.au
First notice
Stage 3 students from diocesan schools will be invited again this year to participate in the 2025 Christmas Story Art Exhibition and Competition which will be held at the Wollongong City Art Gallery. Students will work on their artworks and descriptions during Term 3.
Please see below for documents containing key information:
- Letter from Jo Kenny, Assistant Director, Catholic Life, Education and Mission
- Information regarding the 2025 Christmas Story Art Exhibition and Competition Handbook is housed within the CLEM intranet site on Gateway. This site contains key information and dates for the exhibition and competition, as well as details and forms required for artwork submission.
Action: Please share this information with the appropriate members of your school community, including Stage 3 teachers and others who may be involved in the process.
Reporting to Parents Semester 1 2025 (Primary)
For: Principals
Due: Monday 5 May 2025
Contact: Genevieve Cook at cookg02@dow.catholic.edu.au or Patricia Foster at fosterp02@dow.catholic.edu.au
First notice
School reports are now available to access via Compass for all primary schools.
Reports available include:
Kindergarten: An academic report with a three-point scale for each KLA with a comment section for Religious Education, English and Mathematics.
Years 1-6: An academic report that uses the Common Grade Scale for each KLA with a comment section for Religious Education, English and Mathematics. The Common Grade Scale describes performance at each of five grade levels.
Off-level reporting: An academic report for off-level reporting will be available, where appropriate, for students with a diagnosed or imputed intellectual disability that inhibits them from accessing outcomes at their stage level.
This applies when:
- Students are accessing outcomes in SOME or ALL Key Learning Areas (KLA) below the stage level of their cohort
- Students are accessing outcomes below the stage level of their cohort in most focus areas/strands within a KLA.
Note: The use of an off-level report must be a collaborative decision made between the school and parents/carers of the student. For further information on Off-Level Reporting, see here.
Action: Schools are to complete the Reporting Adjustment Spreadsheet for off-level reports by Monday 5 May 2025.
Partial or Non-graded reporting: These reports are available in exceptional circumstances and in consultation with the school principal and parents. For further information on partial or non-graded reporting, see here.
A Guide for Schools: Assessment and Reporting (updated April 2025) has been created to support schools in developing consistency across their school in assessment and reporting.
CEDoW Off-Level Reporting Guides:
- How to record off-level reports for students
- How to enter students' off-level results into Compass
- Off-Level Reporting Quick Reference Guide PDF.
For further information, contact Genevieve Cook or Patricia Foster, ILW Learning K-12.
For Compass support, contact Michael Norris or Anthony Rooskie.
So, You’ve Watched Adolescence... Where to Turn for Advice
For: Principals/SSSOs
Due: Now, as relevant
Contact: eSafety Commissioner – Contact Us
First notice
Image courtesy of Netflix
Action: Where relevant, please consider sharing this update from the eSafety Commissioner, eSafety News, in your newsletter or via a COMPASS alert to parents.
For any parent who has watched the Netflix drama Adolescence and was left highly disturbed by the harmful impact that social media is having on young men and boys, you are not alone.
It’s hard to think of a show that has captured the world’s attention so fully and shone a much-needed light on the dangerous impact of misogynistic content, algorithms and influencers on the minds of young men and boys.
Shockingly, despite our best efforts as parents to raise great kids, it is not a fair fight when tech companies and algorithms can influence our teenagers within seconds.
As Australia’s national online safety educator, nothing is more important to us than ensuring young people are safe to create, connect and explore the wonders of technology and the internet.
It’s what motivates us in every aspect of our work, whether we’re connecting with educators, parents and young people to develop digital literacy and resilience resources, encouraging the tech industry to take a Safety by Design approach by putting safety at the forefront of the design, or developing guidance to prevent under 16-year-olds from having accounts on certain social media services.
eSafety Resources
eSafety resources to help you and your community navigate the risks facing young people online:
- Register for our free 45-minute parent webinar, exploring the online experiences of boys and young men, to understand the impact of social media, gaming, and influencers on attitudes, behaviours and sense of identity
- Listen to ABC Fran Kelly and eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant unpack the themes of Adolescence, including toxic masculinity and the online manosphere
- Listen to ABC Big Ideas! to hear eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant and other experts in their fields discuss how parents can better support young people to navigate the risks and threats online
- Read our blog about how eSafety is shining a light on the dark forces manipulating our teenagers
- Read eSafety's young men online research series which explores young men's experiences and how they can be supported to develop healthy and positive masculinities
- For the young person in your life: explore our resources for young people.
Year 8 Catholic Student Leadership – Illawarra Cluster
For: Secondary RECs/Leaders of Mission based in the Illawarra and South Coast
Due: Tuesday 6 May 2025
Contact: Matt Turner at turnerm12@dow.catholic.edu.au
Second Notice
The Student Leadership Formation Program has been extended this year to include Year 8 students. Participants are selected based on their commitment to their school’s mission statement, as well as their demonstrated relational qualities, such as teamwork and leadership potential. Attendance is not limited to members of a Student Representative Council.
A teacher or year coordinator from each school who works most closely with the Year 8 cohort is invited to attend the day, along with 6–8 student representatives. The event will challenge students to create and plan a project that will benefit their year group at their school or contribute to a broader Macarthur/Illawarra initiative launched on the day. One example of such a project is a "digital discipleship" initiative.
This day has been rescheduled for the schools in the Illawarra Cluster—St John’s, Nowra, Corpus Christi, Oak Flats, St Joseph’s, Albion Park, and Holy Spirit, Bellambi.
The new details are as follows:
Date: Tuesday 13 May 2025
Venue: The Xavier Centre, 38 Harbour Street, Wollongong
Time: 9.30 am - 2.15 pm.
Action: Please register using this form no later than Tuesday 6 May 2025.
Request for Payment Without an Invoice
Following the 18 March 2025 announcement of the new online 'Request for Payment Without an Invoice' TechOne form (Gateway > Our Administration | Finance | School or CEO Forms), we would like to encourage all staff to ensure they are familiar with the new process as per the instructions.
If you would like any further clarification on the process, please call 4250 9620 or email accounts@dow.catholic.
From 31 May 2025, we will no longer be accepting the PDF form.
Principal Reference Group Meeting Term 1 – Summary of Discussion Items
The Principal Reference Group met on 24 March 2025. Below is a summary of the key discussion items, outcomes, and decisions from the meeting for your information.
Key Outcomes and Decisions:
Revised Anti-Bullying Procedure: A new, simplified Compass template and flowchart for managing suspected bullying have been introduced to improve documentation and response processes. Feedback was generally positive with some suggestions for refinement.
Support Class Placements: Challenges in balancing support class enrolments with mainstream capacity were discussed, with a focus on principals considering flexible placement options.
2025 Recruitment Strategy: New initiatives to attract and retain staff were outlined, including sign-on bonuses and relocation packages. A streamlined, diocese-wide recruitment calendar is being developed.
Key Next Steps:
- Feedback on the anti-bullying procedure will be reviewed
- Staffing numbers for 2025 will be provided after the August census
- Feedback on the recruitment strategy is being sought.
For Information:
Upcoming meeting dates:
- Term 2 - Friday 13 June 2025 - 10.00 -11.30 am
- Term 3 - Monday 25 August 2025 - 2.45 - 4.15 pm
- Term 4 - Friday 14 November 2025 - 2.00 - 3.30 pm
Contact: Jo Cable at cablej01@dow.catholic.edu.au.
2025 National Excellence in Teaching Awards (NEiTA)
Attention: Principals, school leaders and teachers
The 2025 National Excellence in Teaching Awards (NEiTA) are now open for nominations. The National Excellence in Teaching Awards is a community-centred awards program, started by NEiTA Foundation in 1994. Supported by Futurity Investment Group, the awards honour exemplary teaching in Australia and New Zealand. Parents, students, principals and teachers are encouraged to nominate CEDoW’s exceptional educators who are deserving of this recognition - see award categories below. Schools are encouraged to share this information with their school community and promote the awards program.
How do I nominate? Follow the link here and register. It takes 3-4 minutes to complete your nomination form. Nominations close on 27 June 2025.
Categories
Seed Teams Award
Awards early childhood teams from Australia and New Zealand for foundational teaching, providing $10,000 for a professional development grant.
Apple Award
Recognises Australian and New Zealand primary and secondary teachers who exceed expectations, with the winners receiving a $5,000 professional development grant.
Leadership Award
Honours outstanding leadership by a principal or school leader awarding a $10,000 grant for advancing educational excellence.
The Terry O’Connell Regional and Remote Teachers’ Award
In memory of former NEiTA Foundation Chairman, this award is given to those who go the extra mile for their students in remote and regional areas of Australia.
NEiTA Trustees’ Alumni Award
An opportunity for a NEiTA past winner to win a further $10,000 professional development grant.
Powering Potential Award
In partnership with The Smith Family, awards teachers from The Smith Family partner schools who aide students experiencing disadvantage. A prize of $10,000 is awarded to the winner.
Please contact Anna Jones at annalouise.jones@dow.catholic.edu.au if you have any questions regarding the program or how to nominate.
NCCD Reminder: Date for Adjustments to be in Place
Consultations with parents about adjustments need to take place up to and including this date if students are to be included in the 2025 NCCD.
PPSD Phase 2 Continued Improvements
Signature on Goals and Adjustments/Summary
- You will notice that there is an optional signature on the 3 PPSD reports when they are printed.
- Please note that for our diocese, we DO NOT require signatures.
Goals and Adjustments/Summary Reports: Print Out
- Please note that only current or achieved goals in the current census period will print.
- Archived goals will not be printed unless you select unarchive.
Edit Plan Button
- This button is a new feature of the plan
- The feature has been added to stop the apparent loss of data and to reduce the risk of overriding of data
- See the linked document for the Edit Plan Button.
Troubleshooting
Please remember to contact the DLN contact from your school if you have any issues with the tool.
NESA: Changes to Some Assessment Certification Examination Rules
NESA has made changes to some Assessment Certification Examination (ACE) Rules that are effective immediately.
NESA has made changes to the ACE Rules for:
- Achieving the RoSA
- Formal assessment programs and tasks
- Retaining student work samples and assessment activities
- Course eligibility
- Course entries, changes and exclusions
- Requirements for SDBECs and UDBECs
- Life Skills in Stage 5
- Life Skills in Stage 6
- VET entries and exclusions
- VET assessment activities
- VET credentialling.
A summary of the changes for each of the above ACE Rules themes can be found in the ACE Record of Changes.
NESA will continue to update the ACE Rules periodically, including for obvious clarifications and corrections.
Resources to Celebrate a Millennial Saint
Did you know that Carlo Acutis, the inspiring teenager who used his computer skills to share his faith, will be officially canonised as a saint in 2025? The original date of 27 April has been postponed following the death of Pope Francis.
To mark this special celebration, CEDoW has developed digital resources that embrace Carlo's tech-savvy spirit and his passion for evangelisation. Created using apps and AI, these resources are perfect for exploring Carlo's life with your students:
- For primary students: An interactive digital school magazine. Access the magazine via Publuu here.
- For secondary students: A thought-provoking podcast and discussion guide. Access the guide via Publuu here.
These resources, inspired by Carlo's own use of technology to spread faith, demonstrate how to engage with and share faith in the digital age and can be explored for learning activities across Religious Education, English, ICLT, HSIE, Music and Art, and Civics and Citizenship.
The CEDoW resources for Carlo Acutis can be accessed here.
Save the Date: CEDoW NCCD Cross School Moderation
Attention: School Leaders of Diverse Learning and Pastoral Care and NCCD Teams K-12
To support accountabilities relating to NCCD, an online cross school moderation opportunity has been scheduled.
Focus: Imputed Substantial/Extensive or SOCIAL and EMOTIONAL.
Date: Monday 12 May 2025
Option One: 9:30 - 11:30 am via Zoom
Option Two: 1:00 - 3:00 pm via Zoom
Please note that these sessions are being offered instead of usual network meetings.
Why moderation is important?
When moderating school-based decisions for the NCCD, teachers engage in professional dialogue about students’ level of adjustment and category of disability to make decisions that are consistent, reliable and defensible. Professional dialogue is characterised by interactions that are collegial (eg value the input of all), respectful (eg resolve differences in a professional manner) and draw on evidence (eg, informed by data to support decision-making).
Prior to attending this event:
- ONE de-identified student Personalised Plan per participant must be submitted
- Please consider the FOCUS provided above when considering the PP being submitted
- De-identified PPs for moderation are to be included here by 8 May 2025
- Please upload each plan individually and label with the school name and a number per plan (eg, St Nicholas #1, St Nicholas #2)
- Please submit one plan per person who will attend the moderation session.
Leaders of Diverse Learning will have received more information regarding the focus LOA/Category of Disability and timeframes for providing this information in readiness for moderation.
The following link will provide access to the NCCD Moderation Resource for schools. School NCCD Teams are encouraged to review this in readiness for school based moderation.
PB4L K-12 Training Day
2025 Mission – One Heart Many Voices Conference
Attention: Principals, RECs/Leaders of Mission
The seventh biennial Mission: One Heart Many Voices (MOHMV) conference will be held from Monday 19 May to Wednesday 21 May 2025 in Sydney.
This conference supports the learning and expression of mission in many different contexts and vocations, including education. It reminds us that the challenges we face in this area are not isolated to education and places us in the bigger context of our broad Church and society.
Please click the link here to view details of this year’s conference program and registration process.
For further information, please contact Matt Turner at turnerm12@dow.catholic.edu.au.
Event Programme Available Now – 2025 CSNSW Behaviour Symposium
Catholic Schools NSW is delighted to offer you an opportunity to engage in a premium professional learning event that focuses on behaviour and respectful relationships. The 2025 Behaviour Symposium will be held on Thursday 22 May and Friday 23 May 2025 and will feature Tom Bennett OBE, who is a world-renowned expert in behaviour management. Click here to download the full programme.
Subsidised by the Commonwealth Government’s Consent and Respectful Relationships Education funding, this event is not to be missed. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by clicking here.
Day 1 (Thursday 22 May) of the event has a focus suited to Early Career Teachers, as well as experienced educators who are looking to improve their professional practice. Assistant principals will also benefit from the day as Tom Bennett will be facilitating a Masterclass on behaviour management. Finally, other System Leaders who are responsible for consent and respectful relationships education and student wellbeing will also benefit from Day 1 keynotes and workshops.
Day 2 (Friday 23 May) has a focus best suited to System Leaders, such as Diocesan Executive Directors, school principals, other school leadership team members, Leaders of Mission and Evangelisation, Heads of Wellbeing, Child Protection, Safeguarding and School Safety. Those leading consent and respectful relationships education will also benefit from the presentations.
Other speakers at the symposium include Andrew Fuller (Clinical Psychologist), Melodie Wyttenbach (Roche Centre, Boston College), Dr Matthew Tan, Karen Doyle, Alex Kohn and Dr Jacqualine Amos.
Studies in Catholic Thought – The Common Good Professional Learning
Attention: Secondary RECs/Leaders of Mission
Due: Friday 9 May 2025
Contact: John Coppola at coppolag01@dow.catholic.edu.au
Please share with your relevant teaching staff.
Secondary Religious Education teachers have the opportunity to participate in professional learning designed to deepen their understanding of the Year 12 Studies in Catholic Thought course content. This session will also explore teaching and learning experiences, assessment strategies, pedagogy, and resources tailored for the Stage 6 classroom.
For more information, please see the LMS registration link below.
When: Friday 23 May 2025
Where: Emmaus Centre Boardroom, 4 Hyde Parade, Campbelltown
Registration: LMS by Friday 9 May 2025.