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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.

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:

1. How to record off-level reports for students
2. How to enter students' off-level results into Compass
3. 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.