School Leaders Edition, Week 5, Term 2, 2025
On behalf of the Director of Schools, I wish to announce:
Following a recruitment process, Alexandra Mediati is the successful applicant for the position of Education Officer - Primary (CLEM).
Alexandra brings a wealth of school leadership experience to the role, having most recently held the positions of Assistant Principal - Religious Education, Identity and Mission at St Francis Catholic College, Edmondson Park (2022 - current), Acting Head of Department - Religious Education at Santa Sabina College, Strathfield (2021), and Acting Religious Education Coordinator at Christian Brothers High School, Lewisham (2018-2020).
Alexandra is committed to her ongoing professional development and has acquired qualifications including a Master of Education (ACU), Graduate Certificate in Catholic Thought (UND), Graduate Certificate in Inclusive Education (ACU), Graduate Certificate in TESOL (ACU), Bachelor of Primary Education (UTS), and a Certificate in Religious Education (CEO, Sydney Catholic Schools).
I take this opportunity to congratulate Alexandra and wish her every success and fulfilment in this position.
Natasha O’Donoghue
Assistant Director - People and Culture
This week, the following leadership vacancy is available:
St Joseph’s Catholic High School, Albion Park
Acting Religious Education Coordinator (Secondary)
Order your school’s Pope Leo XIV portrait
For: Principals and SSSOs
Due: Tuesday 3 June 2025
Contact: Steve Testa at testas01@dow.catholic.edu.au
First notice
Costs will be covered for ONE (1) framed print per school. Any additional portraits will be at the cost of the school.
Action: There are four options to choose from. You must choose the option that matches your existing portrait of Bishop Brian Mascord beside which the papal portrait will be displayed.
Most schools will have a SMALL portrait of Bishop Brian, per the sizes below. Please ensure the colour and size of the frame you order matches your school’s existing portrait of Bishop Brian.
SMALL (Frame Size: 38cm x 48.5cm)
⚫️ BLACK: Pope Leo XIV Framed Print (Frame Size: 38 cm x 48.5 cm)
⚪️ WHITE: Pope Leo XIV Framed Print (Frame Size: 38 cm x 48.5 cm)
LARGE (Frame Size: 49cm x 63.5cm)
⚫️ BLACK: Pope Leo XIV Framed Print (Frame Size: 49 cm x 63.5 cm)
⚪️ WHITE: Pope Leo XIV Framed Print (Frame Size: 49 cm x 63.5 cm)
Claiming reimbursement for your school’s portrait
Purchases through the links above must be made with a credit card. When reconciling in Promaster, please code all the costs through the general ledger account “Clearing – Other Reimbursements,“ and Finance will process the entries appropriately.
Attendance update
For: School leaders
Due: Now
Contact: CEDoW Attendance Team (see details below)
First notice
Minor amendments to the Attendance Procedure
Minor amendments have been made to section 8 of the Attendance Procedure. These reflect Principals’ requests to have a uniform process for parents and schools to follow in relation to the exception to compulsory school-age requirements. These amendments are supported by:
- a new ‘Exception to compulsory school-age’ form
- two template letters to parents (documents accepted / not accepted by the Principal)
The amendments will come into effect on 2 June 2025.
Actions for secondary schools: Please take the time to familiarise yourself with these changes.
Additional amendments
Extended absences - Stage 6
Optional letters have been added to the Attendance - Extended Absence templates in Compass, reflecting Principals’ requests. The templates are:
- 04 Communication - Accepted - Stage 6 Acknowledgement of Extended Absence
- 04 Communication - NOT Accepted - Stage 6 Acknowledgement of Extended Absence
Exemption from Attendance form
Details of ‘exceptional circumstances’ (from the Attendance Policy section 3.1(b)) have been added to the Application for Exemption from Attendance form.
A Notes/Details box has been added to PART D Head of Wellbeing and Student Support to complete in 02 Principal Consideration - Application for Exemption from Attendance, which will provide information to the school about the approval process.
Actions: Please take the time to familiarise yourself with these changes.
Questions? Please contact CEDoW Attendance Team: Samantha McGarrity - samantha.mcgarrity@dow.catholic.edu.au, Stacey Walsh - stacey.walsh@dow.catholic.edu.au, Sandra Michielin - sandra.michielin@dow.catholic.edu.au or Anthony Kenna - anthony.kenna@dow.catholic.edu.au.
Bishop’s Zoom with Year 12 Captains and Vice Captains – Wednesday 4 June (Week 6)
For: Secondary Principals, Religious Education Coordinators, and Leaders of Mission
Due: Before 4 June 2025
Contact: Matt Turner or Claire Cooney
First notice
Principals are invited to attend the Bishop’s Term 2 Zoom with Year 12 Captains and Vice Captains, Wednesday 4 June 2025 (3.15 - 4.00 pm) along with the staff member who has accompanied—or will be accompanying—the student leaders to Catholic leadership events, such as last year’s Bishop’s Retreat and the Bishop’s Mass and Lunch to be held on 9 September 2025.
Action: Please refer to this list and advise/check that the staff member listed is the appropriate representative from your school to be invited to the Zoom on 4 June and the Mass and Lunch on 9 September.
Questions? Please contact Matt Turner at turnerm12@dow.catholic.edu.au or Claire Cooney at cooneyc02@dow.catholic.edu.au.
2025 System-Wide Strategic Professional Learning
For: Principals
Due: Registrations close 6 June 2025
Contact: Anna Jones at annalouise.jones@dow.catholic.edu.au
Second notice
Link: System-Wide Strategic Professional Learning site.
Action: Registrations are now open for the 2025 System-Wide Strategic Professional Learning.
The two dynamic days of collaborative professional learning will be held on Monday 16 June and Monday 11 August 2025 at St Paul’s Catholic Parish Primary School, Albion Park.
The days will focus on instructional leadership, complex collaborative problem solving, and will be led by guest facilitator Dr Jacqui Patuawa.
For more information and to register, please go to the System-Wide Strategic Professional Learning site linked above. For any inquiries, contact Anna Jones, Team Leader – Leadership and Professional Growth.
2026 ICLT Capital Budget Submissions – Due 6 June
For: Principals
Due: 6 June 2025
Contact: ICLT at help@dow.
Reminder
Action: This is a reminder that 2026 ICLT Capital Budget submissions are due to be completed by 6 June.
If you require any assistance, please contact ICLT at help@dow.
Preparation for Clergy and Principal Day
For: Principals and CEDoW Leadership Team
Due: Friday 16 May 2025
Contact: Tim Gilmour at gilmourt01@dow.catholic.edu.au or Jo Kenny at kennyj02@dow.catholic.edu.au
Reminder
Action: A reminder that the presenter, Professor Richard Rymarz, has provided two readings (see here) that Clergy, Principals and the CEDoW Leadership are requested to read as preparation for the day.
2025 CEDoW Employee Engagement Survey – Now Closed
A big thank you to everyone who actively promoted the 2025 CEDoW Employee Engagement Survey within your school or service area. Your efforts were instrumental in encouraging participation and highlighting the importance of staff voice.
The survey officially closed on Friday 23 May 2025, after being open for three weeks. We’re pleased to share that a strong response rate was achieved, thanks to your continued support and commitment.
What’s Next?
Responses are now being analysed by Xref Engage, the third party research and consulting company engaged to run the survey.
Initial reports prepared by Xref are expected to be shared with school and service area leadership during the week of 2 June 2025. Broader access to the Xref portal, offering more detailed insights and data, will be made available shortly after.
Members of the WSaW team will meet with school and CEO Leadership throughout June, July, and August to explore the results in greater detail. The scheduling of those meetings is currently underway.
If you have any questions regarding the Engagement Survey, please contact Rochelle Borg or Susan Phillipson - Workplace Safety and Wellbeing Team, at 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.
Catholic Education Office Strategic Planning Procedure
The new Catholic Education Office Strategic Planning Procedure will come into effect on 2 June 2025. It can be accessed here.
The document was developed as a codification of current practice and includes procedural direction related to overarching CEO and service area level annual planning. The Strategy and Communications team will continue to support staff during its implementation.
If you have any questions about the Catholic Education Office Strategic Planning Procedure, please contact Matt Baxter, Assistant Director - Strategy and Communications (baxterm04@dow.catholic.edu.au).
Library Resource Management Procedure
The Library Resource Management Procedure and supporting Information Sheet: Library Resource Management will come into effect on 21 July 2025.
The documents were developed to replace the Learning Resource Management Policy and its five supporting procedures. The review was driven by a need to align our documents with current practice and to reduce the compliance burden for staff. There is no anticipated change to current practice.
The Library Services Manager will continue to support the library network to implement the procedure.
If you have any questions about the Library Resource Management Procedure, please contact Jim Gallagher, Library Services Manager, at gallagherj01@dow.catholic.edu.au.
Tell Them From Me (TTFM) 2025 Closes This Friday
For: Principals, Assistant Principals and Coordinators
Thank you for participating in Tell Them From Me® in 2025. The survey window for CEDoW will close this week.
Survey closes automatically on Friday 30 May 2025 at 4.30 pm (AEST).
Minimum reporting threshold
To receive a report, at least 5 respondents are required. You can track the number of participants who have completed each survey for your school via the monitor progress screen.
The Learning Bar invites you to join our Module 2 Webinar, focused on accessing, analysing, and interpreting TTFM® Reports. This session includes an overview of the Reports available and offers ideas on evaluating and communicating findings to assist with your school's strategic planning.
Please select below for your session:
Module 2 Session 1 - Thursday 29 May 2025 - 8.30 am
Module 2 Session 2 - Tuesday 10 June 2025 - 3.30 pm
Resources in the TTFM platform
To support your school, post-survey resources are available in our Knowledge Base within the TTFM platform, including guides on Using Survey Results to Help Guide School Planning and How to Use Interactive Charts.
Reports available timeline
After the survey window closes, reports will be regenerated to include the region's mean data. The reports are expected to be available on the TTFM platform from Monday 16 June 2025. An email communication will be sent to all schools once reports are available on the platform.
Food Insecurity Survey – Illawarra and Shoalhaven Schools
For: Primary and Secondary Illawarra/Shoalhaven Principals.
This survey takes 5 minutes to complete and will help us understand whether food insecurity is a concern for your school communities and how we can work together to support schools' needs moving forward.
Food insecurity can:
- Make it hard for children to concentrate in class
- Affect their health
- Limit their ability to do well in school and in life
Survey link: Food Insecurity in Schools.
Reminder: Raising Hope – Laudato Si' Week 2025
For: Principals and RECs/Leaders of Mission
Join the global Catholic community in celebrating Laudato Si’ Week, marking the 10th anniversary of Laudato Si’ which Pope Francis signed on the day of Pentecost, 24 May, 2015.
This special week commemorates Pope Francis' landmark encyclical on climate change and care for our common home—rooted in centuries of Church teaching on creation. With this year’s theme "Raising Hope", we come together in faith and action, continuing the legacy of Pope Francis and renewing our commitment to ecological justice and a sustainable future for all.
Please note the global celebration is 24–31 May, but in Australia, many choose to acknowledge Laudato Si’ Week from 16–24 May, so as not to clash with Reconciliation Week.
The following resources may be helpful for you in marking Laudato Si’ Week with your school communities:
- Laudato Si’ Movement Laudato Si’ Week 2025
- Catholic Earthcare Caritas Australia Laudato Si' Week 2025 Resources
- Liturgy for Celebrating Laudato Si’ Week 2025 Word doc and PDF doc.
- Laudato Si’ Week Bookmark and Daily Reflection Posts
- Pope Francis’ Ecological Legacy.
“Let us sing as we go.
May our struggles and our concern for this planet never take away the joy of our hope.”
Laudato Si’ n244
Combined Pastoral Care & Wellbeing / Learning Support Secondary Leading Learning Network (SLLN) Meeting
Secondary Pastoral Care and Wellbeing and Learning Support (Diverse Learning) Coordinators are invited to attend a full-day combined network event on Tuesday 3 June 2025 at St Francis Xavier Cathedral Meeting Rooms, 36 Harbour Street, Wollongong. *Please note the change of date.
Please arrive at the venue at 8.45 am for a prompt 9.00 am start to the first session. The day will conclude at 3.00 pm.
The agenda will include items relevant to both networks, including Case Collaboration implementation, Attendance Procedures, Life to the Full Review and NCCD Collaborative processes. There will also be a final session for the discrete networks to discuss issues pertinent to their participants.
Please register for this event by completing the RSVP form.
Catholicity STUFF (Spending Time Unpacking Faith Foundations)
For: Secondary RECs/Leaders of Mission and Secondary Principals
Contact: Beth Riolo at riolob01@dow.catholic.edu.au
Professional Learning Opportunity for Middle Leaders (KLA Coordinators/Pastoral Care Coordinators and RE Teachers)
Targeting Secondary Middle Leaders and RE Teachers, this course aims to build foundational knowledge and skills in the area of Catholicity, specifically prayer and liturgy, for application across Secondary School celebrations, gatherings and events.
- Thursday 19 June 2025 (9 am – 3 pm)
- Emmaus Centre, 4 Hyde Parade, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia, 2560
- Funding is available for 3 participants per school
Please consider who on your staff may benefit from this one-day professional learning experience. For more information and registration details, click here.
Please register by Tuesday 10 June 2025.