DOBCEL is delighted to share the wonderful news that Cathy Duynhoven, Business Manager at St Joseph’s Primary School, Warrnambool, has been named the winner of the 2025 Dunlop Sisters Professional Development Award, presented by Enquiry Tracker. Now in its second year, the Enquiry Tracker Dunlop Sisters Award recognises the leadership, service, and professional growth of women in education across Australia. The award honours the legacy of the four Dunlop sisters – lifelong educators and the inspiration behind Enquiry Tracker founders Antony and Gregory Campitelli. Cathy’s recognition is a testament to her unwavering commitment to Catholic education, her deep care for her school community, and her leadership that consistently reflects the…

On Thursday, 8 May, educators from across the Diocese of Ballarat gathered both in person and online for a professional learning session focused on supporting schools in the selection of a Systematic Synthetic Phonics (SSP) program. With representation from each of the four zones, the session aimed to deepen understanding of effective phonics instruction and its vital role in early reading success. The session aligned with DOBCEL’s commitment to a 10-year Primary Literacy Strategy, delivered through Flare. This strategy supports schools by providing: Tailored professional development for primary educators A knowledge-rich literacy curriculum with aligned resources and assessments Systems to track student progress and provide effective interventions Strong literacy leadership…

Today, school leaders from across the Ballarat Diocese took part in a dynamic full-day workshop focused on building confidence and capacity to lead Consent and Respectful Relationships education. Hosted by the VCEA in partnership with Jesuit Social Services, the session offered practical tools, rich discussion, and a shared commitment to fostering respectful, inclusive school cultures. Held at Red Lion, the event brought together leaders from both primary and secondary schools. DOBCEL Deputy Director: Catholic Education, Matthew Bryne, says “This professional learning is another great opportunity to grow our capacity to respond to complex questions about relationships and sexuality from the perspective of the Catholic tradition. Educators do amazing work in educating to…

DOBCEL’s 2025 Network Collaboration Days are off to a powerful start, with two energising sessions already held in the Central and Southern Zones — marking a significant milestone in our journey toward DOBCEL 2035. Last Thursday, nearly 500 staff gathered at the Mercure Ballarat for the first session in the Central Zone. Just days later, staff from across the Southern Zone came together at St Joseph’s Primary School in Warrnambool. Both events centred around the themes of connection, collaboration, and reimagining the future of education through the bold vision of the DOBCEL 2035 Strategy. Participants were inspired by the insights of educational leaders and thought partners — Professor Pasi Sahlberg…

Three local schools have been named as finalists in the prestigious 2025 ResourceSmart Schools Awards, recognising their outstanding contributions to sustainability. Siena Catholic Primary School (Lucas), St James’ Parish School (Sebastopol), and St Patrick’s Primary School (Port Fairy) are among the inspiring finalists announced across eight award categories. DOBCEL School Names and the Award Categories below: Siena Catholic Primary School (Lucas) – Emerging school of the year Siena Catholic Primary School has made significant strides in sustainability through its EarthCare program, introduced in 2024. St James’ Parish School (Sebastopol) – Primary school finalist At St James’ Parish School, sustainability is woven into the curriculum. This 3 Star school draws on storyboard…

This week we join together in heartfelt remembrance and deep gratitude for the life and legacy of Pope Francis. His unwavering commitment to compassion, justice, and the transformative power of education has inspired countless lives across the globe. With humility and love, he called upon each of us – students, educators, and leaders alike, to walk gently with one another and with God. Pope Francis reminded us that education is not only about knowledge, but about forming hearts capable of understanding, peace, and empathy. His messages to young people were always filled with hope and encouragement, urging them to be builders of bridges, not walls. His life was a living testimony…

The DOBCEL Board gathered this week at St Mary’s School in Robinvale for an important meeting focused on key areas such as risk management, the DOBCEL 2035 Strategy, policy development, child safety, and Catholic culture. These discussions are essential in guiding the future direction of Catholic education across our Diocese. As part of their visit, Board members also had the opportunity to connect with school communities across the region, visiting schools in Merbein, Mildura, Red Cliffs, Donald, Charlton, Hopetoun, Swan Hill, and St Arnaud. These visits provided valuable insights into the great work happening in our schools and reinforce the Board’s commitment to supporting schools in delivering high-quality Catholic education.…

Last week, the Pedagogical Coaching Program took place in the Catholic Education Ballarat Conference Room and at Red Lion, Sovereign Park Ballarat. Aligned with “Teach Like a Champion,” this program focused on empowering Middle Leaders, Deputy Principals, Assistant Principals, and Principals to enhance their coaching skills so they can review, reflect, and plan for sustained improvement in teacher capability and student learning. Coaching skills were developed through the essential elements of coaching (affiliative, instructional, and didactic), feedback, emotional intelligence, and professional conversations. Huge thanks to DOBCEL Strategy Implementation Manager, Julia Petrov, for orchestrating this impactful experience.

101 years after it first opened, St Patrick’s Primary School has been enhanced with a $2.1M upgrade from the Albanese Government’s Capital Grants Program. Last Friday, Catherine King officially unveiled the new facilities, including a redesigned reception, improved classrooms, and The Madden Hall, named in honour of beloved teacher Clare Madden, whose kindness and passion for music left a lasting legacy. Bishop Paul Bird blessed the school, while DOBCEL Executive Director Tom Sexton thanked the community for their support. Special recognition was given to Deputy Director of Stewardship, Megan Ioannou, Principal Ben Shields, former Principal Mark Hogbin, and Business Manager Michelle Cushing for their tireless work in bringing this project to life.…

The Catholic Education Ballarat (CEB) Speech Pathology team is trialling a different approach to support students’ communication skills through the AllReady Project. The project focuses on speech pathologists and classroom teachers working together collaboratively to respond to whole-cohort speech and language screening data. This project, lead by Miranda Pearse and Rebecca Free, will continue throughout 2025. This year, St Augustine’s, Creswick and Our Lady Help of Christians, Warrnambool are the schools participating in the AllReady Project. Initial screening of 81 Foundation students has been completed, with results aligning with national and international trends of increased communication difficulties in cohorts significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic (Zuniga Montanez et al., 2025). Research shows…