As another busy week draws to a close, there is much to celebrate across DOBCEL – from the international stage to the everyday work happening within our schools and communities.

Our DOBCEL team is wrapping up its time in Finland and beginning the journey home after an incredibly valuable period of learning, presenting and connecting with education colleagues from around the world. Their participation in the Education Systems Summit in Turku and the European Conference on Educational Research in Tampere has provided an important opportunity to share our work internationally, while also bringing home new thinking and perspectives to inform our own practice. We look forward to hearing more from the team as they reflect on the experience and what it might mean for DOBCEL.

This week we also recognise Speech Pathology Week and, importantly, the contribution our Speech Pathologists make across DOBCEL. Their work extends well beyond speech and language – supporting communication, learning, participation and inclusion, and helping ensure every student has the opportunity to engage fully in school life.

Across our schools, collaboration continues to demonstrate what can be achieved when we work together. This edition highlights the partnership between St James’ Parish School Sebastopol and Emmaus Catholic Primary School Mount Clear, alongside the results emerging from our Student Agency Forums. Hearing directly from students about their experiences, priorities and ideas gives us valuable insight into how we can continue to create learning environments where young people know their voice matters.

We also share information about applications for the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership, providing another opportunity for our people to extend their professional learning and leadership.

Together, these stories capture something important about DOBCEL: we are learning from the world, contributing to the wider education conversation and, most importantly, continuing to translate that learning into meaningful experiences for the students, staff and communities we serve.

With best wishes,
Megan Ioannou
Acting Executive Director