Updates

Step into Teaching Scholarship Retreat

Last week, CEDoW hosted the annual Step into Teaching Scholarship Retreat at Mt Carmel Retreat Centre. Approximately 35 scholarship students attended the two-day event, participating in sessions that explored key themes such as Jesus as Teacher and the Mission of the Catholic Church, exploring the roles they play as teachers in a Catholic school.

These sessions encouraged students to reflect on their own personal faith journey and provided them with a greater understanding of the challenges they may face in the contemporary world as Catholic educators.

A standout moment was a deeply moving session led by Father Aloysious Rego, our Scholarship Chaplain, who generously shared his own personal story with the group. This will ultimately help strengthen the relationship between the students and Aloysious as they journey to become teachers in our schools.

One activity for students was the opportunity to ‘get creative,’ where they were challenged to reflect on who or what was their inspiration to choose teaching as their career pathway. Students displayed their thoughts by creating a group bunting, which is now proudly displayed in our new Catholic Education office space in the Marian Centre.

Attention: All Teachers – Action Required: Changes to NESA’s eTAMS

NESA is making eTAMS more secure over the coming months.

From Term 4, signing in will require multi-factor authentication, which is being introduced to keep your account secure.

To prepare for the change:

• Sign in to eTAMS using your current credentials
• Check your personal details, use an up-to-date personal email address* and mobile number
• Confirm any changes.

Note: *Many teachers have used their dow.catholic.edu.au address on eTAMS. This needs to be changed, if you have not already done so.

From Term 4, you will need to:

• Sign in to eTAMS with your email address, not your NESA number
• Reset your password in line with NESA’s updated password policy
• Set up multi-factor authentication for added security.

NESA will keep you updated and provide more information to help you with the change via email.

Important: Wellbeing and Student Support Contacts - Term 3 Update

Attention: Principals, Assistant Principals, Leaders of Diverse Learning and Pastoral Care, School Case Collaboration Coordinators/Managers

There have been so many goings on for our Wellbeing and Student Support team over recent weeks, including team members returning from periods of leave, changes to work days, and new Education Officers joining the team. This has meant that some adjustments have been made to the Wellbeing and Student Support school contacts.

Please refer to this document for the most current allocations.

Term 3 will also see several team members take extended periods of leave. During this time, we are committed to continuing our service to schools with as minimal disruption as possible; however, in some instances, there may be a need to reassign cases. Notifications regarding this will occur through COMPASS.

Non-Government Schools Census 2025 – Privacy Collection Notice for All Staff

Each year, the Department of Education and Training conducts the Non-Government Schools Census to determine a school’s entitlement to recurrent funding and to fulfil national student reporting requirements. Recurrent funding is calculated on a per-student basis, so it is essential that schools submit accurate and complete Census data to remain eligible for funding for the current calendar year.

The upcoming Census will be held on Friday 1 August 2025. This Census is a critical requirement for the release of Government Per Capita Recurrent funding, which is distributed via Catholic Schools NSW. 

The Census process includes the collection and use of certain information about your school, its staff and the student body for reporting to the Australian Government.

Any personal information collected in the Census and NCCD is protected by law under the Privacy Act 1988 (CTH) (Privacy Act), and any use or disclosure of that personal information must be in accordance with the Privacy Act, the Act and Regulations, and any other applicable laws.

Please refer to the linked Privacy Collection Notice for your reference.

Birthday Gifts

The Gifts, Benefits, Gratuities and Hospitality Policy became effective in October 2024 and applies to all staff members. 

An accompanying Information Sheet provides examples and additional notes relating to the Policy. Please note that the use of education funds to purchase individual birthday gifts for staff members is not permitted.

“Birthdays are not considered occasions that merit the provision of a system-funded gift. Colleagues might consider the option of adding funds to a gift pool for this purpose and for similar personal circumstances.”

From the start of Term 3, 2025, staff using a corporate Mastercard to purchase birthday gifts for other staff members will be asked to repay the purchase. Requests for reimbursement for birthday gifts will not be processed.

Thank you for your cooperation.

CEDoW Library – Resource of the Week

ACEN eBook 

This week’s Sora eBook edition is Australian Literature.

Use the link here to explore the eBook titles for primary, secondary, and staff through the Australian Catholic Education Network (ACEN). To sign in to Sora, select "ACEN" as your school.

ClickView Highlight

This week’s ClickView highlight is Spanish and Italian Languages.Access the series using the link here. 

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