2024 Spirit of Catholic Education Awards
Nominees Announced
The Spirit of Catholic Education Award is aimed at continuing to recognise the outstanding service and leadership within Catholic education throughout our Diocesan school communities, and Catholic Education Office.
It is with great pleasure that the nominees for the 2024 Spirit of Catholic Education Award are shared with our communities.
Congratulations to the following nominees:
- Christina Sofis (Loreto College) – Fostering Inspiring Leadership
- Sharon Dwyer (OLHC Warrnambool) – Empowering all to Flourish
- Kevin Brodie (DOBCEL Ballarat Office) – Empowering all to Flourish
- Finance and Compliance Team (St Brigid’s College) – Enhancing Family Engagement, Governance and Stewardship
- Cynthia Maiden (St Joseph’s, Hopetoun) – Enhancing Family Engagement, Governance and Stewardship
- Olga Lyons (St Patrick’s, Port Fairy) – Fostering Inspiring Leadership
- Breeana Wade (DOBCEL Mildura Office ) – Empowering all to Flourish
- Caitee Carter (St Alipius School) – Enhancing Family Engagement, Governance and Stewardship
- Simone Jans & Sarah Goodburn, Da Capo Instrumental Music Program (Loreto College)– Achieving Best Practice
- Eliza Dwyer (St Patrick’s, Port Fairy) – Building Inclusive Catholic Learning Communities
- Brooke Nester (DOBCEL Ballarat Office) – Empowering all to Flourish
- Bernadette Lynch (St Aloysius’ School) – Building Inclusive Catholic Learning Communities
- Mark Vanderkley (SIMON) – Empowering all to Flourish
- Tony Haintz (Damascus College) – Building Inclusive Catholic Learning Communities
- Lindy Crowe-Procaccino (Loreto College) – Empowering all to Flourish
- Religious Education Curriculum Team (DOBCEL) – Achieving Best Practice
(Bernie Tolan, Justin, McInerney, Jo-anne Van der Voort, Kim Hawkes, Bernadette Luckman) - Cathy Prunty (Damascus College) – Empowering all to Flourish
Award recipients will be presented during the Catholic Education Week Dinner on Friday 3 May and all nominees will be acknowledged in some way.
Award Details
DOBCEL is proud to continue sponsoring an award aimed at continuing to recognise the outstanding service and leadership within Catholic education throughout our Diocesan school communities, and Catholic Education Office.
In 2024, the refreshed awards align with the DOBCEL strategic priorities, which are positioned to support the DOBCEL vision “as partners in Catholic Education and open to God’s presence, we pursue fullness of life for all.”
All Catholic education communities are encouraged to nominate an individual or team who consistently performs in an exemplary way. Nominees can be from a school in the Diocese of Ballarat or Catholic Education Ballarat.
Nominations can be submitted for any of the following five categories –
- Building inclusive Catholic learning communities.
- Empowering all to flourish.
- Fostering inspiring leadership.
- Achieving best practice.
- Enhancing family engagement, governance, and stewardship.
At least one award recipient will be selected, with a maximum of three awards each year. Award recipients will be presented during the Catholic Education Week Dinner. All nominees will be acknowledged in some way.
Award criteria
Nominations can be submitted for any of the following five categories –
- Building inclusive Catholic learning communities.
- Empowering all to flourish.
- Fostering inspiring leadership.
- Achieving best practice.
- Enhancing family engagement, governance, and stewardship.
Each award category has a series of criteria based on the opportunity questions detailed in the DOBCEL Strategic Directions 2020-2024 document.
Key Dates
- Nominations open – 14 February 2024
- Nominations close – 1 March 2024
- Nominees announced – 6 March 2024
- Judging panel convene and recipients selected – 11 March 2024
- Winners announced – Catholic Education Week Dinner – 3 May 2024
Selection Panel
The task of the selection panel is to research each nomination and identify the most outstanding candidate/s in the five categories. All recommended award recipients will be forwarded to the Executive Director.
The panel will consist of –
- Manager Organisational Development – Panel Chair (no voting rights);
- Catholic Education Team representative – panel member;
- Stewardship team representative – panel member;
- Business Services representative– panel member; and
- Optional – Education Consultant or Principal representative.
Nominations
Nominations are now closed for 2024.
Tips for Nomination
A well-crafted nomination that effectively highlights the nominee’s achievements, leadership qualities, and impact against the award criteria is crucial to understand how the nominee is exemplary in the award category.
To best represent the achievements and contribution of your nominee the following tips are recommended –
