Updates

Ageing with Confidence – A CatholicCare Initiative

Friday 13 June 2025, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
The Fraternity Club, Fairy Meadow

Schools may wish to share this information with their parents and carers.

Join Robert Fitzgerald AM, Age Discrimination Commissioner, as he explores the critical issues facing older Australians today—including elder abuse and ageism—while offering practical insights and strategies for ageing with dignity, purpose and positivity.

To register for this free community event (including morning tea), scan the QR code below, call 02 4227 1122, or click here.

For further information, please contact Jane Hollier on 0417 018 152 or at janeh@catholiccare.dow.org.au. 

Reminder: Salary Packaging Explained – Presented by Smart

If you would like to learn more about salary packaging, please join us for a virtual information session on Monday 26 May 2025 at 3:30 pm, presented by Smart, our salary packaging provider.

Join here: Smart – Virtual Information Session.

New K-12 Curriculum Reform Material

More than 20 new resources are now available to support teachers delivering reformed syllabuses:

• K–10: English and Classical Languages
• 7–10: Visual Arts, History, Engineering Technology, Aquatic Technology, Commerce, PDHPE and Science
• 11–12: Ancient History and English Life Skills.

Resources include sample scopes and sequences, sample units, outcomes worksheets, teaching advice and sample formal assessment tasks.

Available here.

New 2025-2026 Statement of Expectations

In May 2025, the Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning, Prue Car, attended the NESA Board meeting and presented her Statement of Expectations (the Statement).

The expectations are designed to support teachers in ensuring that all students in NSW, regardless of their location, have access to quality schools, teaching, syllabuses and assessment. NESA's progress on each of the areas identified in the Statement will be evaluated in the first half of 2027.

In summary, the expectations focus NESA's efforts on:

1. Lead a statewide approach to anti-bullying for all schools in NSW
2. Continue to deliver the Curriculum Reform rollout as scheduled
3. Successfully deliver and improve the Higher School Certificate (HSC)
4. Implement changes to the regulation of Section 83C of the Education Act
5. Action recommendations from the Teacher Education Expert Panel
6. Commitment to Aboriginal Education

The key directions in each Statement of Expectations inform the Board's strategic priorities and policies. The Board, in turn, sets the strategic direction for NESA, guides it in fulfilling its functions, and delivers policy directions set by the Board and the Minister.

A copy of the Statement is available here.

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, Team Leader – Leadership and Professional Growth, at annalouise.jones@dow.catholic.edu.au if you have any questions regarding the program or how to nominate. 

Explore Sustainable Food Production: From Paddock to Plate

Australian Good Meat Education offers free access to engaging, cross-curricular resources for Kindergarten to Year 12. These materials connect classrooms with Australia’s cattle, sheep and goat industries, supporting real-world learning about innovative and sustainable meat production.

Students from Kindergarten to Year 10 can explore sustainable supply chains, technology and innovation, food security, nutrition, and marketing. Senior secondary students can access elective-style resources based on real-world research case studies, building skills in analysing, interpreting and communicating evidence-based investigations.

Curated by teachers for teachers, these high-quality resources align with all dimensions of the Australian Curriculum—supporting key learning areas, general capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities. They include lesson plans, student activities and classroom materials.

To learn more and access your free resources, click here.

CEDoW Library

ACEN eBook of the Week

This week’s Sora eBook edition is Sora Sweet Reads – Reading Program.

See the link here to explore the eBook titles 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.

ClickView Highlight

This week’s ClickView highlight is Reading Australia Resources – curriculum-mapped units of work. You can view it here.

If you have any questions, please contact Jim Gallagher, Library Services Manager, at gallagherj01@dow.catholic.edu.au. 

This week from the CEDoW Resource Centre

Please click here to access a range of resources to support the Social Emotional Learning classroom.

For further details, please contact Anne Russell, CEDoW Resource Centre Manager, at russella01@dow.catholic.edu.au.