Catholic Education Office, Sydney

38 RENWICK STREET, LEICHHARDT NSW PO BOX 217, LEICHHARDT 2040 PH (02) 9569 6111 FAX (02) 9550 0052

PERFORMANCE REVIEW AND RE-APPOINTMENT PROCESS

FOR
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION CO-ORDINATORS

SELF-REVIEW STATEMENT
PERSONAL DETAILS
Name of REC:

Brett Salakas

Name of school:

St. Kevins, Eastwood

Number of years as REC at current school:

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE AS RELIGIOUS EDUCATION CO-ORDINATOR

School:

Years:

School:

Years:

REVIEW
Details of the Review Process:

Survey data collected from students, parents & staff

Self-Review written
On the day interviews with:

Fr Lyne (Parish Priest)

Parents

Selection of Student Leaders/MAG members

Class Teachers

Concluding meeting

Review Panel:

Diane Carolan and Mandy Westgate

Date of Review: 21st August 2013

Signature:

Date:
REC

DISTRIBUTION:

ORIGINAL TO BE RETAINED BY RELIGIOUS EDUCATION COORDINATOR

TWO COPIIES TO PRINCIPAL TWO WEEKS BEFORE REVIEW DATE.
REC Self Review 2010 1/6

OUR MISSION CELEBRATING BEING CATHOLIC IN AUSTRALIA ENSURING QUALITY TEACHING AND LEARNING MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN OUR WORLD

SELF-REVIEW STATEMENT

Performance Review/Reappointment Process - Religious Education Co-ordinator

Introduction

I am currently in my sixteenth year of teaching in the Catholic Education System. I have also taught abroad for a
number of years and as a result I have had experience teaching a large range of grades from K-8.
During my time as an educator I have held the positions of both Co-ordinator 1 & 2 and Curriculum Co-ordinator. I
am currently in my second year as the Religious Education Co-ordinator at St. Kevins, Eastwood. I am about to
begin my Masters of Religious Education at ACU Strathfield.
Since commencement in the role of Religious Education Coordinator I have been through the CSLP process. I have
gained great insights into the role of Religious Education Coordinator through my participation in Professional
Development offered at both the Regional and Archdiocesan level. My personal development as a leader, has been
greatly supported by the mentoring from my principal, Mandy Westgate, from the Assistant principal Adam Nolan
and my RE advisor, Diane Carolan. This team has modelled leadership and allowed me to develop my own
leadership style under their guidance, by questioning, challenging and affirming me when appropriate. We have a
relationship based on trust, with open communication and professional dialogue pertaining to the core dimensions of
the Leadership Foundations. This relationship and mentoring has attributed greatly to my personal growth and
confidence in the role.
On reflection, I am whole-heartedly committed to the core purpose of the Catholic School and exercise this in my
role at St Kevins. I believe I am an authentic teacher and leader; my strength lies in the personal dimension. I have
developed strong relationships with students, staff, parents and community. In my role, I support teachers
professionally and personally, mentor them as practitioners, communicate openly, affirm, recognise their strengths
and develop them as leaders of learning. I display optimism and hope, with staff, to overcome obstacles and solve
problems.
I nurture a sense of shared responsibility and ownership through team building. My effectiveness is witnessed
through the ongoing development of a strong Faith community that lives out our schools Mercy Values. I build
leadership capacity by providing teachers with opportunities to take on areas of responsibility. I believe this shared
leadership, creates a positive school culture where learning is enhanced and people feel valued.
I am reflective and strategic in my efforts to improve student learning and teacher effectiveness. I can articulate and
follow school and system processes with the executive team and staff as a whole, in order to develop a strong sense
of shared leadership and accountability. I feel that I am respected by the school community as teacher and leader.
I strive to bring this wonderful community together through compassion and a sense of humour, always being
mindful of the needs of others.

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SELF-REVIEW STATEMENT

Performance Review/Reappointment Process - Religious Education Co-ordinator

RELIGIOUS LEADERSHIP

Father, make of me a crisis man. Bring those I contact to decision. Let me not be a milepost on a single
road; make me a fork, that men must turn one way or another on facing Christ in me.
Jim Elliot
As a new REC, in a school which had previously had a long term REC, I have nurtured my ministry of
leadership through religious readings, network meetings and relationship building.
I have demonstrated my religious leadership by raising the Catholic identity of St Kevins through
evangelising our School Mission. This has been achieved by:
Developing the charism of the school (which is one of the key components of the Archbishops
Charter).
Promoting our Mercy Values, which highlight our link to the Sisters of Mercy.
Evangelising our Mission and Mercy traditions through the establishment of a system wide Mercy
Summit, the establishment of our Mercy Action Group at school (where we have successfully
altered the school culture and replaced an intrinsic SRC with an extrinsic Social Justice group) and
the support of a number of worthy charities be the Mercy Works, Project compassion, St Vincent
dePauls or SSEG (South Sudan Educates Girls).
Praying together as a school community. This has been evident through our whole school Rosary
initiative, praying novenas, praying together through the Year of Grace and the many special
liturgies of the word that we celebrate as a community.
Inviting the Parish Priest to speak at staff meetings to build a common language and develop a
common set of expectations where the school can better link with the Parish.
LEADERSHIP FOR LEARNING
Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.
Benjamin Franklin
As a leader in the school I have developed a whole school approach to improve the quality of teaching and learning
of Religious Education, and other areas of curriculum and pedagogical change, in order to enhance student
outcomes.
I have been able to demonstrate my leadership for learning by:
Planning and facilitating a number of staff meetings that provide opportunity for professional dialogue in
contemporary pedagogy in Religious Education. As well as organising and hosting a staff retreat to the
Marist Hermitage Mittagong, as part of our school commitment to the ongoing Spiritual Development and
Religious Instruction of the staff.
Analyse the Year 6 test results and create actions plans which are followed through with fellow staff
members to target the needs of the students. In 2012, we targeted Boys Education and student engagement,
which resulted in the development of an engaging, contemporary pedagogy interactive ibooks in 2013 (and
became part of our Religious Education IW Reflective Inquiry Project). In 2013 we have targeted students
who are new to our school/system. [*The ibooks have been shared in our own school but and are being used
in a number of schools across the Inner West.]
Planning and supporting the roll-out of information of the Australian National Curriculum, including hosting
Module 6 for our cluster of schools.
Assisting with staff PD through the support of ICT SMART goal development.
Continuing my own learning by enrolling in (and being accepted by ACU) to study my Masters of Religious
Education.

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SELF-REVIEW STATEMENT

Performance Review/Reappointment Process - Religious Education Co-ordinator

HUMAN RESOURCES LEADERSHIP

Good leaders make people feel that they're at the very heart of things, not at the periphery. Everyone feels
that he or she makes a difference to the success of the organisation. When that happens people feel
centered and that gives their work meaning.
Warren G. Bennis
As an executive member at St. Kevins Eastwood I have attempted to develop a culture of dialogue, mutual respect
and professionalism. I feel that I have contributed to building a workplace that offers support and encouragement to
all staff by:
Supporting new teachers in their initial planning, programming, understanding of the Year 6 RE test, by
having them attend the CEO new teachers in-services and inducting them into the Mercy tradition by
attending workshops run by the Sisters of Mercy.
Empowering staff to take on Religious Education responsibilities through running their own class masses
and reconciliations, organising selected whole school events and becoming team leaders of various MAG
events.
Promoting leadership in others by seeking those with a particular interest in future leadership roles within
Religious Education and support them by allowing them to develop their skills and knowledge. This is
evident in the tasks taken up by a number of staff, particularly one teacher who is currently completing a
cataloguing and organising resources.
Supporting the executive team and the staff as a whole by contributing to the organisation of relief teachers
for sick staff and for RFF, etc.
Building relationships; in the form of professional relationships with staff, positive relationships with
students built through class visits and playground presence as well as healthy relationships with parents
established through attending school functions, before and after school interaction or formal P&F meetings .

STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP
If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language,
that goes to his heart.
Nelson Mandela
As an executive member I have been a part of articulating, formulating and evaluating the schools
Strategic Plan for the past two years. This process has allowed me to:
Collaborate with the executive team and take on responsibility for the identified components of the
Annual Improvement Plan in order to develop a culture of continuous improvement.
Establish three tiers of Religious Education organisation. I.e.1. RE 2013-2016 Master Plan
2. Annual Liturgy Roster Plan
3. Termly class mass and reconciliation roster.

Analysis of RE test results and developing a strategic response based on identified target areas.

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Performance Review/Reappointment Process - Religious Education Co-ordinator

ORGANISATIONAL LEADERSHIP
In organisations, real power and energy is generated through relationships. The patterns of relationships
and the capacities to form them are more important than tasks, functions, roles, and positions.
Margaret Wheatly
As an REC I have exercised organisational leadership to effectively support St. Kevins by not only
implementing school and system policies or meticulously adhering to my budget but by:
Establishing a prayer space and an RE communication area.
Co-ordinating and/or supporting unexpected events such as Fr. Lynes retirement.
Streamlining communication with the office staff over the employment of casual teachers in a
cloudshare environment.
Developing charism branding through the establishment of; our Mercy Values, MAG (Mercy
Action Group), MAP (Mercy Action Plan) and co-ordinating renaming of the colour houses to
highlight our school heritage.

PERSONAL DIMENSIONS OF LEADERSHIP

Managers are people who do things right, while leaders are people who do the right thing.
Warren Bennis
In my personal interactions, I give witness to the teachings of the Church by treating all equally and with
justice while engaging staff, parents and importantly, the students in authentic relationships. This is
achieved by:
Promoting a sense of hospitality, warmness and a sense of welcoming.
Establishing high expectations of the school, teachers, students, behaviour and performance.
Ascertaining a visible presence with the school community which has been crafted by taking a high
profile role in the Confirmation celebration, as well as the Parish Thanksgiving and Welcoming
Masses, helping out at the St. Kevins Annual School Fete as well as being regularly present on the
playground before and after school as well as occasionally at P&F meetings, etc.

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Performance Review/Reappointment Process - Religious Education Co-ordinator

CONCLUSION
Religious Education Co-ordinators Suggestions towards the Review Recommendations
1.

2.

What personal and professional development will enhance my leadership in current and future
performance?

Attendance at Conferences, pertaining to any of the Leadership Foundations and mentoring from the
Principal, Assistant Principal and RE Advisor will build skills and understandings of the role leadership.

Continued experience in the role of REC will further enhance my leadership. One of the personal
challenges of leadership is being skilled in the many procedural components around school organisation,
this includes financial management.

Undertaking my Masters degree in the second part of this year will broaden my perspective as an
Educator.

I would like to look further into doing a course in conflict resolution in 2014.

Liaising with and establishing a relationship with the new Parish Priest and building on the existing
relationships with the staff as a whole, the P&F and wider community will continually extend my
development in this leadership role.

The role of REC is demanding, but extremely rewarding. It allows me to reach out to others in a
much greater and wider capacity and has provided me with the opportunity to deepen and value
my own Faith journey.

What extensions to my current active role description are necessary to enhance my performance and
impact as a leader?

To enhance my performance as a leader I realise that my development in curriculum is essential. I will

continue to work closely with our Stage 3 teachers directly (and the wider staff as a whole) to develop my
digital pedagogy across the curriculum.
I need to challenge myself as a leader of learning. I see myself working closely in a mentoring capacity with
staff to develop rich, Teaching and Learning programs that are stimulating and rich for our diverse learners.
To extend my career as a leader, I will be working closely with our Principal and Assistant Principal, with the
view to a greater understanding of their roles and as a potential career move in the future.

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