Updates

Annual Hazard Inspection Calendar

In response to feedback received following WHS onsite visits, Workplace Safety and Wellbeing has developed an Annual Hazard Inspection Calendar, to support ongoing safety and efficiency within CEDoW schools.

Can you find all the hazards?

To help identify some everyday safety hazards within the workplace why not try Safework’s Interactive Activity?

If you have any questions regarding the Annual Hazard Inspection Calendar, please contact the Workplace Safety and Wellbeing Team at whs@dow.catholic.edu.au.

For the full range of CEDoW’s workplace, safety and wellbeing resources visit the Workplace Safety and Wellbeing Hub on Gateway.

Benedictine Abbey – Mother Hilda Scott OSB

Please see the memorandum from Bishop Brian Mascord regarding the Benedictine Abbey and Mother Hilda Scott OSB.

Updated Mailing Address for Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong

From 2 January 2025, please use the new mailing address for Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong:

Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong
Level 5, 280–286 Keira Street
Wollongong NSW 2500

Important: Please ensure all mail is addressed to Level 5, as this will be our reception area.

Temporary Phone Number for Keira Street

During the transition period as the Catholic Education Office relocates from the Marian Centre to Keira Street, please call (02) 4250 9005 to speak directly with CEDoW Administrative (Reception) Services at Keira Street. The Marian Centre will remain open until the end of March 2025.

For any questions, please contact Yvonne Keary, Acting Manager of Administrative Services – Marian Centre and Keira Street at kearyy01@dow.catholic.edu.au.  

Rescission of Best Start Kindergarten Assessment Procedure

For: Primary school principals and school leadership

As schools are now able to opt-in to the Best Start Kindergarten Assessment (BSKA), the Best Start Kindergarten Assessment Procedure (which required use of the BSKA in all schools) has been rescinded.

Please contact learningk-12support@dow.catholic.edu.au for further information.

Minor amendments to New Arrival Student Identification and Assessment Procedure

Minor amendments have been made to the New Arrival Student Identification and Assessment Procedure to reflect updated processes regarding student Visa checks and the Whole School Profile of English Language Proficiency (WSPELP).

Please contact Crystal Ash at 0437 173 976 (Primary) or Sharon Gilbert at 0408 904 183 (Secondary) for further information.

Expression of Interest – Principal Representative for Support Class Placement Panel

For: Principals

Link: Expression of Interest

As you are aware, a new CEDoW Support Class Procedure is in the final stages of review. It is intended that semester one of 2025 will be used as a familiarisation phase for this procedure. With this in mind, we have a perfect opportunity to begin to work with the structures outlined in the procedure, allowing time to make any final necessary adjustments prior to its date of implementation.

Therefore, we are seeking support from our principal colleagues. As part of the procedure, principal representation is required for the Support Class Placement Panel. Panel meetings are scheduled in weeks 3 and 7 of each term, with additional panel meetings being scheduled (if required), during the peak enrolment period. If you are interested in this role, we are asking for a commitment of one semester (either Terms 1 and 2 or Terms 3 and 4).

Sections 5.4 and 5.5 of the Procedure (still in draft) provide an overview of the responsibilities of the Support Class Placement Panel and have been extracted below:

5.4. The Support Class Placement Panel, upon receipt of a placement request, must consider the placement request and assess:

(a) whether there are any available places within the support class (see further, section 5.6) [section 5.6 sets out the general maximum places for each category of support class]

(b) the student’s individual needs and support preferences;

(c) whether the student’s needs are reasonably likely to be met by placement in the support class having regard to, amongst other things, the size and composition of the support class;

(d) the complexity of needs of all support class students, prospective and current; and

(e) the context of the school as a whole.

5.5. The Support Class Placement Panel must determine the outcome of a placement request on the basis of the assessment carried out under section.

5.4. The possible outcomes of a placement request are that the request is supported, deferred or declined.

You are welcome to contact Katie Carroll for additional information via email or phone at carrollk02@dow.catholic.edu.au or on 0418 620 219.

CEDoW 2025 Timeline: NCCD and Personalised Planning

Key dates and activities are outlined in the linked CEDoW 2025 Timeline: NCCD and Personalised Planning document. School NCCD teams are invited to make a copy of the document and store it with their NCCD data to guide the 2025 NCCD process.

Changes may be made to the master copy throughout the year. CEDoW will inform schools of these changes via Gateway.

Please note two significant activities in Term 1:

• Schools should communicate the commencement of the 2025 NCCD to the broader school community. A National Fact Sheet is available in the NCCD portal should schools choose to direct parents to this resource and/or use some or part of the content in school newsletters.
• Staff should engage in professional learning related to the Disability Standards for Education (DSE). Every three years, staff should complete the 8 DSE lessons appropriate to their role, located in the Professional Learning section of the NCCD portal. (registration is required) Refresher training is available in LMS for years two and three of the three-year professional learning cycle under the following titles -
  • Disability Standards for Education Refresher Module - Teaching Staff
  • Disability Standards for Education Refresher Module - Non-teaching Staff

As School NCCD teams commence this year’s process they should also familiarise themselves with the 2025 NCCD Guidelines now available in the NCCD portal.

DOW Lenten Program – 50% discount available for CEDoW 

For: Principals and RECs/Leaders of Mission

The Diocese of Wollongong's 2025 Lenten Program book and CD, METANOIA, are now available for purchase via the DOW website.

As in previous years, the book and CDs are available at 50% off for DOW parishes, schools and religious communities.

To take advantage of the special price on the website, select the purchase option Australian Catholic Religious Group, enter ABN, and then apply the coupon code: dowspecial during checkout.

Any questions please email orders@dow.org.au or call (02) 4222 2411.

Jubilee 2025 Year 

For: Principals and RECs/Leaders of Mission

2025 is a Jubilee Year, where the Church will celebrate the theme Pilgrims Of Hope, encouraging young people and everyone to find hope in God during tough times. During this time people focus on renewal, forgiveness, and a fresh start.

This is a significant celebration for the global Catholic Church where all communities of faith are highly encouraged to participate.

To assist school communities in their celebration of the Jubilee Year, a CEDoW Guidebook will be available to schools in the coming weeks.

Further information regarding the Year of Jubilee can be found at the Office of the Bishop Jubilee website see here.

Catholic Life, Education and Mission (CLEM) – 2025 Secondary information

For: Secondary RECs/Leaders of Mission

Please find here a communication from John Coppola requesting Secondary RECs/Leaders of Mission to nominate a date for a one-on-one meeting with him during Term 1. The latest schedule of CLEM secondary dates is also included.

Cancelled: A Day with Fr Laurence Freeman – Thursday 13 March 2025 

For: Principals and RECs/Leaders of Mission

Unfortunately, Fr Laurence Freeman will no longer be travelling to Australia this year. The day that was planned for Thursday 13 March 2025 for Diocese of Wollongong personnel has been cancelled and removed from all CEDoW Calendars.

It is hoped that Fr Laurence's visit to Australia will take place in 2026 instead.

Tell Them From Me 2025

Please see the information below received from The Learning Bar, providers of the Tell Them From Me surveys, which will be administered in all CEDoW schools in 2025.

The 2025 implementation schedule is as follows:

• Monday 28 April 2025: Soft launch, surveys open for one week for schools to set up and prepare usernames and passwords.
• Monday 5 May 2025: Surveys open for participation.
• Friday 30 May 2025: Surveys close and reports are regenerated.
• Monday 16 June 2025: Regenerated school and region-level reports are released.

For further information, we invite you to explore their FAQ articles or please contact Genevieve Cook at cookg02@dow.catholic.edu.au or Lyndal Murphy at murphyl11@dow.catholic.edu.au should you have any questions.

NAPLAN 2025 Information

Students in Years 3, 5, 7, and 9 will sit NAPLAN between 12 and 24 March 2025.

NAPLAN assesses literacy and numeracy skills that students are already learning at school. It is not a test that requires preparation, and students are not expected to study for it.

NAPLAN forms part of a school’s assessment and reporting process but does not replace ongoing teacher assessments of student performance. Individual results can be a helpful resource for students and parents to discuss progress with teachers.

For more information, visit the Parents and Carers page on the NAP website and download the NAPLAN Information Brochure for Parents and Carers. You can also visit the Public Demonstration Site page to explore the test format.

Why NAPLAN is now held in March

This is the third year NAPLAN will be conducted in March, having previously taken place in May. The change was introduced to provide schools with results earlier in the year, helping inform teaching and learning plans for the remainder of the school year.

Why NAPLAN is conducted online

Since transitioning from paper-based to online assessment between 2018 and 2022, NAPLAN has offered:

• More precise results through tailored (adaptive) testing, where questions match students' abilities, allowing them to better demonstrate their skills.
• Enhanced accessibility options, enabling students with disability to participate.
• A more engaging experience for students, based on their feedback.

For more information about online assessment, visit the Understanding Online Assessment page on the NAP website.

Schools can access the NAPLAN 2025 Information Resources Kit for further details.