End of Year Message from Chris Woolley, Chief Executive Officer EREA Colleges Ltd | November 2024

Key Messages

As we approach the end of another year, the EREA Colleges (EREAC) Leadership and EREAC Board have recently reflected on an incredibly active period for the entity since its inception in 2023. 

We are proud to be associated with the achievements of our entity, schools and centres including: 

1. Working with the Board and other EREA entities to implement a new EREAC governance structure to support the enactment of the EREA Charter within our schools.  This has included establishing a team and recruiting new senior roles to build our support mechanisms and capability in important areas such as educational and school leadership, safeguarding and student protection, financial management and stewardship, capital assurance and strategy, governance, compliance and risk, professional standards, human resources and legal and corporate support, to name a few.  
2. Supporting enrolment growth of more than 2.3% across the network in 2024, ensuring our schools and centres remain a viable option for a diverse range of families.   
3. The appointment of nine new Principals or Directors in our schools and centres, representing a generational shift in leadership across our network. 
4. The development of the EREA Colleges Strategic Plan and the approval of several new Master Plans and Strategic Plans across our colleges. 
5. Supporting the assurance and approval of more than $160M in new capital works projects across schools and centres. 
6. Significant property acquisitions supporting the growth of our educational bodies. 
7. Managing external audit and budget programs across the network, ensuring the financial stewardship and sustainability of our schools remains a key focus. 
8. Supporting schools and centres with complex financial and educational challenges and exploring opportunities to grow the network.  
9. Transitioning our compliance, policy and risk programs to the governance of the EREAC entity. 
10. Introducing a new service model, reducing overall per/student service fee costs, and successfully advocating for greater equity in rent arrangements. 
11. Supporting continued governance renewal in partnership with our Member, TEREA, and supporting TEREA’s leadership of the EREA Charter renewal process.

The support provided by EREAC is hopefully assisting schools and our leaders to remain focussed on our core priority: the enactment of the EREA Charter and charism through the provision of high-quality Catholic education to young people. 

Many Principals attended the launch of the Charter for Catholic Schools in the Edmund Rice tradition at Waverley College last week.  

The EREA Charter is the contemporary educational expression of the charism of Blessed Edmund Rice in Australia.  The EREA Charter is informed and enriched by the Scriptures, First Nations Knowings and Catholic Teaching. These three sources of wisdom, woven dynamically through our Charter, call us to both faithfulness and transformation.  

Dr Michael Slattery shared at the launch:  

“What is the Charter for? Its more than just a tool to guide the EREA Trustees and five Governing Boards in designing strategy for the future. Its more than a guide for Principals and their Leadership Teams to gauge the progress of their schools. Its more than a way for Student leaders to promote the Touchstones with the student body, or an information pack for parents. It’s a blueprint and our most seminal document, a guide providing strategic instruction, and perfect for School Improvement Renewal processes. The Charter sets us apart and our Touchstones guide us on how to respond!”  

The Charter and resources to support its implementation will be sent out next Monday to schools from the National Office.  

As we prepare to bid farewell to the 2024 school year, I want to again thank you all for your inspirational leadership of your communities. I also particularly thank Chris Mayes, Ann Rebgetz, Paul Belton, and Joe Zavone who are retiring in 2024 and Amy Mosquito who has led ERC Bindoon during a significant period of change.  We will miss your collegiality, service and commitment to the work of your communities and EREA more broadly.  Most of all we will miss your friendship. 

I also acknowledge and thank my team who inspire me every day in the way they remain committed to the important job of supporting our schools and centres. Their work helps to create environments that allow young people to learn and grow in a safe and supported manner and with a focus on equity and excellence. 

Wishing you all a safe, holy and restful Christmas. 

Mr Chris Woolley
Chief Executive Officer

Charter for Catholic Schools in the Edmund Rice tradition at Waverley College last week.  

Updates

EREA Colleges Ltd logo update 

The EREAC Board has approved a new EREAC logo (below). It has been developed in consultation with EREA Victorian Schools Ltd which has adopted the same logo theme, building on the existing EREA national logo, and aims to achieve consistency in branding across the new EREA entities.  

Work is underway to develop and update existing EREA Colleges Ltd collateral and it is anticipated the new logo will be introduced in early 2025.  

The logo is designed for EREA Colleges internal use, and we plan to develop a guide to assist schools to understand when and how it might be used. The EREA national logo will remain the principal logo in use at schools.  

Safeguarding

Mandatory Training (2025): Staff 

Communications regarding the 2025 training requirements will be issued in the first week of December. A reminder that if staff are attending the face-to-face safeguarding and/or Code of Conduct offering in 2025, then they are not required to complete the equivalent online course. Please direct all queries to Shannon O’Gorman (shannon.ogorman@erea.edu.au). 

Mandatory Training (2025): Volunteers and Contractors 

As previously communicated, volunteers and contractors are required to complete annual training. A reminder that Colleges and Early Learning Centres can now support volunteer and contractor self-sign on to mandatory modules. To assist with and improve the administration of this process, each College or Early Learning Centre is able to set up a CompliLearn Community Learning portal that enables individual volunteers and contractors to register themselves via a QR Code/link.  

This CompliLearn Community Learning portal is an additional platform and separate from your existing College/ELC CompliLearn platform. The benefits of having the CompliLearn Community Learning Platform separate to your main CompliLearn portal are: 

• Ability to have a self sign-up option enabled for volunteers and contractors (ie volunteers and contractors do not have to be added by the College/ELC as a learner) 

• Ability to only share the Volunteer/Contractor course to the portal (i.e. so they cannot see courses irrelevant to them) 

• Ability to have the course automatically assigned once the learner signs up to the platform 

• Allows you to have an admin who will only see Volunteers/Contractors learning records and not all staff learning records when reporting 

Should your College/ELC wish to discuss this option for your community, please contact Shannon O’Gorman (shannon.ogorman@erea.edu.au). This portal can be setup and ready to use for the 2025 Volunteer/Contractor Training should you wish to opt in. 

Around the Grounds

The EREA Colleges Leadership team has been fortunate to attend various end of year celebrations across the network. We applaud and celebrate our students for their academic, sporting and cultural accomplishments and recognise the expertise and commitment of our Principals, leadership teams, teaching and non-teaching staff and volunteers who work tirelessly for the benefit of the young people in our communities.  

Edmund Rice College Bindoon  

Following consultation with the EREA Colleges Board, earlier this year, in October we announced the decision to pause normal school operations from the beginning of 2025 to consider a future educational model at Edmund Rice College Bindoon in Western Australia. Despite what has been a challenging year for the community, it was humbling to be part of the Edmund Rice College Presentation and Awards Ceremony last week, highlighting the great work and resilience of staff and recognising the achievements of students.     I acknowledge Principal Amy Mosquito who has led the community very well at this difficult time. I also thank Tracey Crisp who acted as Principal of the College in Terms 2 and 3 and Mr Robert Cooper who assumed the role as Acting Deputy Principal.

EREA Charter Leadership Awards 

Last week the recipients of EREA Charter Leadership Awards for 2024 were honoured at the EREA Thanksgiving event. These awards recognise the outstanding contributions made by staff members in the service of our school communities and in support of the vision of the Charter of EREA. They celebrate the diverse ways in which the Touchstones are brought to life in our schools and exemplify the very best of what a Catholic education in the Edmund Rice tradition can be. 
 
We congratulate the following EREA Colleges Ltd recipients for 2024:  
 
Gospel Spirituality- Sean Carr - CBC Adelaide SA 

Justice and Solidarity- Maria Mavritsky - St Laurence’s College South Brisbane QLD 

Vatican International Photography Contest Sport in Motion 

In the context of the Jubilee of Sport for the Year 2025, the Dicastery for Culture and Education (Vatican) is promoting an international photography contest, under the title: ‘Sport in Motion’. The contest is aimed at young photographers, professional or amateur, under the age of 25. 

The contest includes 5 categories of photography: sport and hope (sport as a message of hope to society), sport and family (sport as a moment of family life), sport and disability (sport as a platform for inclusion), sport and politics (sport as a resource accessible to all), sport and ecology (the relationship of sport with the elements of nature). 

The deadline for participation ends on 30 April 2025 and the winners will be announced at the Jubilee of Sport (14-15 June 2025). The winners will be awarded a meeting with the Holy Father, a visit to the Vatican Museums, a workshop in the Osservatore Romano newspaper and the international dissemination of the photos in the Holy See's media. 

Entries can be made by e-mail (sportinmotion@dce.va) and further information (entry form / rules / jury) can be found on the Dicastery's link (www.dce.va): https://www.dce.va/it/news/2024/concorso-di-fotografia.html  

Javale Morato update 

Many of you will be aware from media reporting that CBC Adelaide Student Javale Morato was tragically injured in a track and field accident earlier this year.  Javale suffered a significant head injury.  We acknowledge the strength of the community and the College Leadership Team in supporting the family during this difficult period.  Javale continues to improve through his own resilience, the power of prayer and with the support of his family and then community. We continue to pray for Javale and his family. 

Aquinas College Music School and Recital Hall 

Mr Robert Henderson has recently led the development of the Colleges new master Plan. I thank Rob and his team for progressing one of the new building projects under this plan which begins in 2025 and will provide a new Music School and Recital Hall.  

St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace – New Primary precinct 

Work on the College’s new Primary Building continues. This will be a significant addition to the College, and I thank Principal Michael Carroll and his team for their stewardship of this project. 

St Edmund’s College, Ipswich – Introduction of Years 5/6 

The College will reintroduce years 5 and 6 from 2025.  I thank Ray Celegato and his team for the work that has been completed in 2024 in readiness for this next chapter in the history of St Edmund’s College. 

St James College - acquisition 

The College has recently entered a significant acquisition of a building at 88-96 Warren St, Spring Hill, on a 2500/m2 site which will support the College to manage its continued growth.  

St Brendan’s College - acquisition  

The College has recently acquired a 4000m/2 block adjacent to the school to support it with future staff accommodation needs. 

Staffing Updates

It has been a busy year for recruitment with EREA Colleges facilitating 30 recruitment processes in 2024 for positions including Principals, Deputy Principals, Business Managers and entity staff.   

As 2024 draws to an end, we farewell our retiring Principals – Mr Paul Belton (St Paul’s College, Giles Plains), Ms Ann Rebgetz (St James College, Brisbane), Mr Joe Zavone (St Edmund’s College, Canberra) and Mr Chris Mayes (St Patrick’s College, Shorncliffe). Over these last few months, it has been a privilege to be able to join others to celebrate the contributions each Principal has made to education and their respective Colleges.  With these retirements, we welcome our new EREA Colleges incoming Principals – Mr Patrick Harmer (St Paul’s College, Giles Plains), Mrs Andrée Rice (St James College, Brisbane), Mr Tim Cleary (St Edmund’s College, Canberra) and Mrs Amber Hauff (St Patrick’s College, Shorncliffe).

Marie Previte 

Marie will be taking on a full-time role as National Educational Officer – Skills, Pathways and Advocacy at EREA Flexible Schools Ltd from January 2025. I want to acknowledge the outstanding leadership and service that she has provided in Skills & Training (previously VET) and Careers & Pathways at EREA Colleges Ltd.  Many students and members of staff have benefited greatly from her deep knowledge and broad network in this ever-changing area of education.  

Senior Education Officer (EOI) 

EREA Colleges is seeking Expressions of Interest for a one-two year secondment, starting in term 2, 2025, from our Queensland schools. Please note, the length of time would be negotiated with the school involved. Applicants would currently be, at least, in a middle leadership position or a role with added responsibility. For further information about the role, please visit the EREA Colleges website and view the Position Description under ‘Work with Us’.  

Expressions of interest close 5pm on Monday, 16 December.    

Taking Leave 

Jon Franzin – Principal of St Virgil’s College, Hobart Jon Franzin will be taking some professional renewal leave in Term 1 of 2025.  In his absence, Mr Daniel Lapolla will be Acting Principal and Mrs Kim Mooney will be Acting Deputy Principal from 3 February 2025 to 11 April 2025.

Policy and Publications

EREA Colleges is currently reviewing the Workplace Discrimination, Harassment and Bullying policy suite, with a particular focus on the positive duty for employers to eliminate, so far as possible, sexual and sex-based harassment and discrimination in the workplace and hostile work environments on the grounds of sex. The policy and procedure content will be reviewed in the context of the standards outlined in the Guidelines for Complying with the Positive Duty under the Sex Discrimination Act 1984, developed by the Australian Human Rights Commission. It is anticipated that further communication around the policy suite and implementation processes will be communicated to Colleges and Early Learning Centres in January 2025. 

Upcoming Events

• 6 January 2025 – EREA Colleges and EREA National Office re-opens 
• 21-24 January 2025 – National Young Leaders’ Conference (hosted by EREA Colleges at St Joseph’s Nudgee College, Brisbane) 
• 6 February 2025 – EREA Colleges Audit and Risk Committee Meeting (Virtual) 
• 10 February 2025 – EREA Colleges Ltd Board Meeting (held at St Edmund’s College, Canberra) 

Retiring Principals of 2024