Celebrating National Book Week across our schools
Book Week came to life across DOBCEL schools as students and staff celebrated the joy of reading, storytelling and imagination through a range of creative activities, colourful costumes and literary adventures.
From dress-up parades and classroom activities to shared reading experiences and library events, students embraced the opportunity to explore new stories, favourite characters and the power of books to inspire learning and creativity. The celebrations highlighted the important role reading plays in developing curiosity, confidence and a lifelong love of learning.
National Book Week also provided an opportunity for school communities to come together in celebration of literature, with students proudly sharing their favourite books and engaging in activities that fostered imagination, connection and a deeper appreciation for storytelling.
Thank you to our schools for sharing these wonderful moments. We invite you to enjoy the photo gallery below, showcasing the many ways our students and staff brought Book Week to life across the Diocese.
Happy National Book Week! 📚✨
[Photos sourced from Facebooks posts of St Brigid's Primary School, Ballan | Emmaus Catholic Primary School, Mt Clear | St Patrick's Parish Primary School, Ballarat | SMJ Horsham | St Patrick's Primary School, St Arnaud | Lumen Christi Primary School, Delacombe]
Loreto College student awarded 2026 Premier's Spirit of Anzac Prize
Congratulations to Bilyana Holloway of Loreto College Ballarat, who has been named one of the recipients of the Premier's Spirit of Anzac Prize 2026.
Bilyana recently received her award from Minister for Veterans Natalie Suleyman at Parliament House and will join 11 fellow recipients on a nine-day study tour of Vietnam this September. The tour will provide students with the opportunity to explore Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War while visiting significant historical sites in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Hoa Long and Nui Dat.
For Bilyana, whose family has a strong history of military service, the experience holds special significance.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I am so grateful for. I recognise my ancestors and relatives who went through the hardships of war and sacrificed their lives and families to protect future generations.
“Being able to learn about the history and conflict of war while being present in the country where they were fighting is incredibly significant and valuable to me as a young Australian Aboriginal woman.”
Bilyana's achievement reflects her commitment to learning, reflection and understanding Australia's history. The opportunity will provide a unique perspective on the service and sacrifice of those who served during the Vietnam War while deepening her appreciation of the stories and experiences that have shaped our nation.
The DOBCEL community congratulates Bilyana on this outstanding achievement and looks forward to hearing about her experiences following this remarkable journey.
[Photo sourced from Facebook post of Loreto College Ballarat]
Amazing transformation of St Paul's "Friendship Bench"
Student leaders at St Paul's Primary School Mildura have recently completed the transformation of their Friendship Bench, bringing it to life with bright colours and a more welcoming design.
Led by their Student Agency project and supported by Mrs Maryanne Heeps, the student leaders turned their vision into reality, creating a space that encourages inclusion, connection, and friendship within the school community.
But why is a Friendship Bench so important?
The student captains recognised that many students and families were unaware of the bench's purpose. They wanted to raise awareness of its role as a place where students can seek friendship, feel supported, and know they are not alone.
While it may seem like a simple addition to the playground, the Friendship Bench is a powerful symbol of belonging, kindness, and student wellbeing. Through this project, St Paul's students have demonstrated how student voice and agency can make a meaningful difference in their school community.
[Photos sourced from Facebook post of St Paul's Primary School Mildura]
Student voice and choice bring learning to life at OLSH Merbein
This year, we have continued our electives program at Our Lady of Sacred Heart in Merbein as a way to give our students new and different experiences, while also providing opportunities for them to spend time doing something they already enjoy. Most importantly, our electives give students greater voice and agency in their learning and allow them to explore their interests in a fun and engaging way.
Our Junior students have been busy exploring a range of exciting activities:
👩🍳 Cooking
🔬 Science experiments
🎨 Paper mâché
🖌️ Art
🌄 Landscapes
🏗️ Building challenges
💻 Coding
Our Senior students have also had the opportunity to get involved in:
📚 Reader’s theatre
🧵 Sewing
🔨 Woodwork
🎨 Art
🔬 Science
It has been wonderful to see our students trying new things, developing new skills and, most importantly, enjoying learning in ways that reflect their interests and strengths.
We look forward to continuing to grow our electives program into the future and providing even more opportunities for our students to choose, explore, create and learn! 💙
[Content and photos shared by Narelle Gallagher, Principal at OLSH Merbein]
OLSH Merbein unveils refreshed website
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (OLSH) School, Merbein is excited to officially launch its refreshed website today, offering an improved online experience for current families, prospective families, staff and the wider community.
The new-look website features a modern design, streamlined navigation and updated content that better reflects the vibrant learning environment, faith-filled culture and strong sense of community at OLSH Merbein. Visitors can now more easily access information about enrolment, learning and teaching, student wellbeing, school events, news and employment opportunities.
Developed with accessibility and user experience in mind, the refreshed website provides a welcoming digital gateway to the many opportunities available at OLSH Merbein.
The launch marks an important step in strengthening communication and engagement with families and the broader community, ensuring that key information is easy to find and showcases the wonderful experiences enjoyed by students every day.
Here is a short message from Narelle Gallagher, Principal at OLSH Merbein:
We are very excited to launch our new school website which is often the first place families visit when they are looking to learn more about our school, so it was important to us that it truly reflects who we are at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. The new design is professional, modern and easy to navigate, and we hope it makes it easier for our families to find the information they need.
We are really happy with the finished result and look forward to sharing our new website with our community!
We invite everyone to explore the new website and discover what makes OLSH Merbein a special place to learn, grow and belong.
🔗 Visit the new website: https://olsh-merbein.catholic.edu.au
Learning together through play and place
St James' Parish School's staff were excited to continue our collaboration with Emmaus Primary School, sharing knowledge, ideas and approaches to teaching and learning for our second Collaboration Day together.
The day began with prayer and a grounding session in our Learning with Place space, providing an opportunity to connect with one another, our environment and the purpose of our shared learning.
Throughout the day, staff examined the different types of play and how purposeful play can support children's social, emotional and cognitive development. This included a look at play-based methodologies as a tool for religious education, considering how symbol, story and imaginative play can open up faith and scripture for young learners in ways that feel natural and engaging. Staff also considered eco-design principles, thinking through how classroom environments can be intentionally designed to encourage curiosity, creativity, independence and optimal learning.
A particular area of interest was the use of mini worlds and storyboards, where concrete objects and symbols allow students to represent their thinking, engage with concepts through stories and make their learning visible. These approaches can be used across different curriculum areas, helping students make connections, deepen their understanding and transfer knowledge from one context to another.
The collaboration provided time for teachers from both schools to learn from each other and build a shared understanding and common language around play, learning environments and intentional teaching practices. Through professional conversations, shared examples and reflection, staff were able to exchange ideas, challenge their thinking and consider new possibilities for their own classrooms, with a strong emphasis on innovation grown from within our own communities, rather than borrowed wholesale from elsewhere.
St James' staff valued the opportunity to connect and collaborate with Emmaus staff, recognising that learning together and from one another strengthens our collective practice and supports engaging, meaningful and inclusive learning experiences for all students.
[Content and photos shared by Viv McLoughlin, Deputy Principal/Learning Diversity Leader at St James' Parish School Sebastopol]