Updates
Recommendations and actions arising from the Review into CEO Accountabilities
As part of the CEO’s 2024 strategic objectives, a working group was established to “review CEO services and functions to ensure accountabilities (i.e. who is responsible for what) are defined and clearly understood by both CEO and school staff”.
At the end of 2024, the working group provided a report that identified the areas where accountability for key functions was missing or unclear, and provided recommendations to address their findings. Throughout 2025, the Strategy and Communications service area will work with the relevant CEO staff to coordinate the timely implementation of accepted recommendations.
To help you understand what this will involve, a document has been prepared that provides a summary of the endorsed recommendations and the actions required to implement them.
If you have any questions, please contact communications@dow.catholic.edu.au.
Naming, Blessing and Opening of a CEDoW Facility Policy
The Naming, Blessing and Opening of a CEDoW Facility Policy (NBO Policy) and supporting Naming Procedure are a revision of the previous Blessing and Opening of School Buildings Policy, last reviewed 11 March 2020. The approach to naming, blessing and opening CEDoW facilities has evolved since then, and this review was driven by a need to align our documents with current practice.
The purpose of the NBO Policy and Naming Procedure is to set out the principles and processes that apply when naming (or rescinding the name of) a CEDoW facility and when planning and conducting a blessing and opening ceremony in respect of a new or refurbished CEDoW facility.
As the revised policy is a codification of existing processes, there is no anticipated change to current practice. The Director’s Office, as well as the Strategy and Communications, Finance, Facilities and Planning, and Catholic Life, Education and Mission service areas will continue to support schools as they plan for namings, blessings and openings.
The policy has been approved by the Director of Schools, and will come into effect on 11 March 2025.
Actions: For staff involved with namings, blessings and openings, please take the time to familiarise yourself with the updated policy and its supporting procedure.
If you have any questions about the NBO Policy or Naming Procedure, please contact Matt Baxter, Assistant Director - Strategy and Communications (baxterm04@dow.catholic.edu.au), or Josephine Cooks, Senior Strategy and Communications Officer (cooksj01@dow.catholic.edu.au).
Jacqueline Wilkinson Appointed Acting Director of Catholic Schools, Maitland-Newcastle Diocese
On 26 February 2025, Bishop Michael Kennedy announced that Sean Scanlon had departed as CEO and Director of Schools for the Maitland-Newcastle Diocese, and that Jacqueline Wilkinson, currently Acting Head of Catholic Schools, has been appointed Acting Director of Catholic Schools for the Maitland-Newcastle Diocese.
Appin and Sorry Day Events (Winga Myamly)
For: Principals and SSSO’s
Action: For inclusion in your school’s newsletter and/or parent communications.
This year marks the 209th Anniversary of the Appin Massacre. The memorial service will be held on Sunday 13 April 2025 at Cataract Dam from 11:00 am – 3:30 pm, with a free sausage sizzle.
We encourage staff, students, and their parents, to attend the Appin Memorial as a sign of respect for the Dharawal people who were killed in the Massacre at Appin on 17 April 1816.
Council of Catholic School Parents NSW/ACT
For: Principals and SSSO’s
Action: For inclusion in your school’s newsletter and/or parent communications.
Tell us about your experiences as a Catholic school parent and what you'd like to know more about.
We value every parent's thoughts and opinions!
Council of Catholic School Parents (CCSP) NSW/ACT would like to know how involved/engaged you feel you are in your child's learning at a NSW/ACT Catholic school, how connected you feel in your child's school, and your thoughts on how schools could enhance family-school partnerships.
This data informs our parent learning program and provides us with valuable information about how our dioceses and schools are engaging with families.
Thank you so much for taking time out to give us your feedback.
Please use the following link to access the survey: https://ccsp.schoolzineplus.com/survey/71.
SafeWork Wrap February 2025
Welcome to the latest SafeWork Wrap.
Have Your Say
In this edition, we invite you to have your say on two important consultations on workplace health and safety:
- Remaking the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2017
- Safe Work Australia’s public consultation on the engineered stone ban.
You can find more information here.
Seesaw Instruction and Insights Pilot
Seesaw is expanding its offering to include more valuable features to support teaching and learning. Schools will find the following additional features:
- NSW Standards are built-in and lessons are available
- Assessment Activities
- Reading fluency Assessments
- Engagement Dashboards (Seesaw for Schools)
- Learning Insights Dashboard (Insights + Instruction)
- 500+ Lessons in Early Literacy.
Watch this short video for more information.
If you are interested in being included in this pilot, please contact Ben Woods (benjamin.woods@dow.catholic.edu.au).
Shape the Path Forward: Life To The Full Framework Feedback Form
The Life To The Full Framework—A Framework for Respectful Relationships, Child Safety and Human Sexuality (RRCSHSE) was initially launched in 2020 and remains a strategic priority of CEDoW.
We invite all principals, assistant principals (primary), REC’s and PDHPE Leaders of Learning to complete a brief Google form to assess the current implementation of the framework and its readiness for further development. Your input will provide feedback and guide future direction for relaunching the framework to ensure it meets the evolving needs of both educators and students.
Please find the links to the forms below:
1. Principals (Primary and Secondary) and Assistant Principals (Primary only)
2. REC (Primary and Secondary)
3. PDHPE Leader of Learning (Secondary)
Questions and enquiries: jennifer.sharp@dow.catholic.edu.au or liam.nicholls@dow.catholic.edu.au.
Case Collaboration Procedure Update
For: K-12 Leadership and leaders of diverse learning and pastoral care
Congratulations on all that you have achieved so far and the positive approach all schools have taken in working to align current structures and processes with the procedure or identifying what areas continue to need an ongoing focus.
This procedure continues to remain in a familiarisation phase, providing schools with the opportunity to work on identifying and embedding processes and structures to enable a gentle transition into the implementation phase later in the year.
In the coming weeks, the Wellbeing and Student Support Team will be reaching out to schools to deepen our understanding of what differentiated support we can provide as we move forward towards the implementation of this procedure.
The Wellbeing and Student Support Team have developed a Case Collaboration FAQ. This document addresses the various questions that have been asked since this procedure was made available to schools. It is intended that this FAQ will be updated as new questions arise.
New Compass Template to Be Released in All Schools
Release Date: Estimated Thursday 6 February 2025
Category: 4a. Collaboration and Consultation
Name: Staff Case Collaboration Record
Users: Any school or CEO staff
Purpose:
- To support compliance with record keeping requirements under the new Case Collaboration Procedure “1.6 All employees are responsible for documenting and recording all aspects of a case collaboration matter with which they are concerned”.
- The template will be used to record collaborations between any staff (school or CEO) that take place in relation to supporting the needs of an individual or group of students; when the activity is not better captured under other existing templates. For example: Parent consultation/meeting templates or school level case collaboration meeting templates, external provider consultation, safety alert and safety record. The collaboration can be between:
- School to school staff (e.g. diverse learning leader and curriculum leader, or class teacher and middle leader);
- School and CEO (e.g. diverse or pastoral care leaders and WSS Education Officer); and/or,
- CEO and CEO (e.g. WSS to GAR)
Reminder: Primary Student WEN Day 2025
For: WEN Contacts
Due: Thursday 13 March 2025
Contact: Beth Riolo (riolob01@dow.catholic.edu.au)
Four Stage 3 students, accompanied by the WEN Teacher Contact from each primary school, are invited to attend a day of eco formation, inspiration and action, Caring for Our Common Home - A Call to Action! Primary Student WEN Day.
Thursday 20 March 2025 at St Brigid’s Catholic Primary School, Gwynneville
Please click on the link below for further information and to register for the Primary Student WEN Day 2025.
This week from the CEDoW Resource Centre
Please click here to access a variety of resources supporting the Primary RE Lenten units from Kindergarten to Year 6.
For further details, please contact Anne Russell, (russella01@dow.catholic.edu.au) CEDoW Resource Centre Manager.
ACEN eBook of the Week
This week’s theme is Magazines.
See the link here to explore the eMagazine titles for primary, secondary, and staff through the Australian Catholic Education Network (ACEN). Click on each image or use the QR code to access further information. To sign in to Sora, select "ACEN" as your school.
If you have any questions, please contact Jim Gallagher (gallagherj01@dow.catholic.edu.au).
Schools Plus Teachers Awards
Each year, national education non-profit Schools Plus, with the support of some of Australia’s leading philanthropists, chaired by David Gonski AC, and in partnership with Commonwealth Bank, celebrates inspirational teachers who are making a transformative impact on children and school communities around Australia.
Twelve teachers or school leaders will be selected to receive a Teaching Fellowship, with the majority being teachers and school leaders who are working in schools in disadvantaged communities.
The Teaching Fellowship Professional Learning Award is valued at $20,000 and includes:
- Attendance at the 2025 Teaching Award Ceremony at Parliament House in Canberra on 3 September 2025
- $10,000 for the awardee’s school to plan and undertake a high-impact school visit program. This will provide in-situ experiential learning at one or more schools/sites and contribute to advancing school improvement and student learning outcomes
- Participation in a 12-month Teaching Fellowship program including a 1.5-day face-to-face collaboration workshop, master classes and networking opportunities
- Invitation to join the Schools Plus Teaching Award Alumni, a network of over 120 teachers and school leaders from across Australia.
From 3 March to 8 April 2025, teachers and school leaders are invited to apply for these awards. More information will be shared next month when nominations open. For more information, contact awards@schoolsplus.org.au.
Start the Year Strong: UniSuper Advice and Tips
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