Term 1, Week 2 (7 February 2022)

CEO/PRINCIPAL'S ADDRESS

Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome back to 2022. There is strangely familiar feeling as we once again navigate our way through COVID-19, however, this time there is a more positive sense that this will be temporary. Let us hope and pray that things will return to normal as quickly as possible in coming weeks.

Last week a very special member of the Mater Dei community was buried at St Paul’s Catholic Church, Camden. Kevin Lawler was an original Board Member of Mater Dei and you will see his name on the Honour Board in the school hall as the recipient of the 2010 Benedict Community Award. A number of Mater Dei staff attended his funeral last week to celebrate his wonderful life and the enormous impact he had upon our community.

Kevin served on the Mater Dei Board from 1994 until 2010. A local chemist, Kevin was heavily involved in all manner of local business, sporting and cultural groups, and assisted Mater Dei students with work placements at his pharmacy. The Mater Dei vineyard was an inspiration of his and he religiously tended the grapes and helped produce many years of Mater Dei Chardonnay, a fund-raising initiative for our Foundation. He was an incredibly generous and kind man and supported Mater Dei in so many ways. Today we enjoy many of the benefits his efforts and vision created, so on behalf of the Mater Dei community it is fitting to thank Kevin and his large family, and pray that he may rest in peace after living such a good and generous life for others.

Kind regards
MARK RAUE
CEO/PRINCIPAL

GENERAL

COVID SAFETY AND MATER DEI

COVID SAFE SMART MEASURES

As per Compass Communication Term 1, 2022

Mater Dei is operating as per Catholic Schools NSW advice with a layered approach to COVID-smart measures that have been developed in partnership with NSW Health to help to minimise transmission of COVID-19 while keeping our schools open for teaching and learning.

These key measures include:

• Rapid Antigen Testing
• Mask Wearing & Checking In
• Vaccinations
• Cohorting of Staff & Students
• Limiting Visitors on-site
• Cleaning, Hygiene, Distancing and Ventilation
• Staying home if unwell

POSITIVE COVID CASE – ACTIONS

Notify the School

Any staff (including contractors) or student who tests positive to COVID is required to follow NSW Health requirements under the Public Health Order for testing positive including:

• Immediately notify the school of any positive result to a COVID test (PCR or RAHT) by emailing schooladmin@materdei.org.au or contacting School Reception on 4655 7481 during school hours.

Ensure an attendance note is then added to Compass as “Medical – Illness”

• Report a positive RAHT result to Service NSW

Self-Isolate

Currently, the requirement is:

• isolate for 7 days following the positive test
• leave isolation after 7 days (and can return to school) unless symptoms are still present (including, a sore throat, runny nose, cough, or shortness of breath).

If symptoms are still present, remain in isolations until 24 hours after symptoms have resolved. If a person continues to have symptoms, they are able to leave isolation with a medical clearance.

School Actions

A generic letter is distributed to alert the school community that there has been a case and to monitor for symptoms. Depending on circumstances, and the movements of a positive individual in the two days prior to the positive test or symptoms, this notification may go to the entire school community or to particular cohorts. Upon notification of a positive case who attended the school within the two days prior to positive test or systems, an additional regular clean will also take place.

If those in contact with the positive case (e.g. staff and students in the same class) have no symptoms, they can continue to attend school in line with NSW Health advice.

CLOSE/HOUSEHOLD CONTACTS – ACTIONS

Close contacts are now household contacts only. A household contact is a person who lives with someone who has COVID-19. Household contacts are required by NSW Health to isolate for 7 days unless the person has previously tested positive to COVID and ended their isolation for this in the past 28 days.

If a student is absent from school due to isolating as a close contact, ensure an attendance note is added to Compass as “Other explained absence”.

Further details regarding each measure are available on Compass.

STAFF UPDATE

Kerrie Borthwick has resigned from her position as Registered Nurse at Mater Dei School. Kerrie has served Mater Dei for 14 exceptional years, providing care in all forms to our students. Mater Dei School has been the lucky recipient of her dedication and commitment to her work, her profession and our students. Kerrie has also been a treasured staff member by all and I am sure she will continue to be connected to us and to our School in the future.

EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES

Welcome back to 2022. We are excited that many of our school activities have resumed, however some restrictions are still in place for the first four weeks with the following activities on hold until Week 5:

• Community Access
• Choir
• Assemblies
• Canteen
• Off-site Sport

Please note: A reminder that students are not allowed to share food which includes for birthday celebrations. If your child has a birthday, only individually pre-packaged items can be sent in to be shared. 

STUDENT ATTENDANCE

We thank families for continuing to follow the NSW health advice by keeping the child home if they are unwell.  Any students who present unwell at school, will be isolated in the first aid room and families contacted to come collect.

Please continue to add an Attendance Note if your child is unwell. If you require an Attendance Note to be changed, please email schooladmin@materdei.org.au. School Executive and Administration staff are regularly checking Compass communications and emails and are updating as required

PBIS

The PBIS Weekly focus is on returning to school and how we can follow our school’s behaviour expectations - Be Kind, Be Safe and Be a Learner. Stay tuned as something VERY exciting is coming to Mater Dei!!

GOOD SAMARITAN EDUCATION

Welcome to Mater Dei!

Enriched and inspired by the Parable of the Good Samaritan, the Rule of Benedict and the Sisters of the Good Samaritan, the mission of Good Samaritan Education is to sustain and nurture communities of learning in the Catholic tradition.

Good Samaritan Education (GSE) is responsible for ten incorporated schools throughout the east coast of Australia, Mater Dei is one of these schools.

Catholic education in the Good Samaritan Benedictine tradition is committed to developing students who will engage with today’s world as grounded, hope-filled young people who are equipped to lead wisely, to listen deeply and to treat their neighbour and their environment with justice, love and the compassion of Christ.

Each GSE school is marked by its own distinctive spirit and character, and its strong connection to the Church. At the same time, each school identifies with and is enlivened by its membership of Good Samaritan Education. Our school communities work together to ensure an educational culture where all are safe, valued and welcomed.

Good Samaritan Education was established by the Sisters of the Good Samaritan of the Order of St Benedict, we share a vision of Catholic education that is:

• Impelled by the Parable of the Good Samaritan
• Guided by the Role of St Benedict
• Inspired by the Sisters of the Good Samaritan

Throughout the year, Mater Dei will celebrate a number of special events that encompasses and reflects our Benedictine Values through GSE.

“Listen with the ear of your heart”   Rule of Benedict

Mrs Jacqueline Gorey
Middle Leader of Mission and Vision

UPCOMING EVENTS

PARENT TEACHERS CONFERENCES

Parent Teacher Conferences will occur across five days from Monday, 21 February to Friday, 25 February from 3:30-6:30pm (Week 4). Due to current COVID requirements it is preferred that Conferences take place via online Zoom Meetings otherwise phone calls.

Bookings must be made online via Compass and will open on Monday, 7 February 2022 at 4pm. A Compass notification will be posted once open.  Instructions on how to book will be posted on Compass.

The above is all subject to change based on current COVID guidelines from NSW Government and any changes will be posted on Compass.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact school between 8:30am and 4pm.    

Our Mater Dei Teachers are looking forward to meeting you.

YEARS 7 & 8 SPORT

Year 7 & 8 students participate in Sport off site alongside students from Magdalene Catholic College. Throughout the year our students will have the opportunity to play Lawn Bowls at Camden Sports Club and martial arts at Bujutsu. We are hoping to commence in Week 5.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR 2022

YERONGA SPECIAL ORDERS

Blazer orders begin on 28 February 2022 and the final day for ordering is 19 March 2022. 

Special orders for girls winter trousers begin on 28 February 2022 and end on 12 March 2022.

UPDATE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION REMINDER

Any families who have not yet completed their Personal Details Update 2020 insight or form, can you please complete as soon as possible and return to the school.  Additional copies of the Personal Details Update form can be located on Compass using the following steps (Steps 1-3 are for App users only)

1. Click on the student
2. Click on the 3 lines in top left corner
3. Click Open in Browser
4. Click on Community Icon (2 heads)
5. Click on School Documentation
6. Click Parent Forms
7. Select Personal Details Update form

AFTERNOON ARRANGEMENTS

Anyone needing to advise the school of changes to afternoon arrangements 2022, please download the Changes to Afternoon Arrangements form on Compass, complete and return to schooladmin@materdei.org.au

Parent Forms can be located on Compass using the following steps (Steps 1-3 are for App users only)

1. Click on the student
2. Click on the 3 lines in top left corner
3. Click Open in Browser
4. Click on Community Icon (2 heads)
5. Click on School Documentation
6. Click Parent Forms
7. Select Changes to Afternoon Arrangements

EXEMPTION FORMS FOR 2022

Any families who wish to apply for exemptions for therapy services in 2022, please download the Application for Leave Exemption form on Compass, complete and return to schooladmin@materdei.org.au

Parent Forms can be located on Compass using the following steps (Steps 1-3 are for App users only)

1. Click on the student
2. Click on the 3 lines in top left corner
3. Click Open in Browser
4. Click on Community Icon (2 heads)
5. Click on School Documentation
6. Click Parent Forms
7. Select Application for Leave Exemption form

REGULAR REMINDERS

STUDENT SPECIAL EVENTS AND BIRTHDAYS

A reminder to families, we are currently not able to share any food at school including birthday cakes.  If your child is celebrating a special event, we kindly ask families not to send in homemade treats or birthday cakes. In additional we are unable to sing happy birthday due to COVID guidelines. 

We understand these are important milestones and are more than happy to distribute individually wrapped, pre-packaged items such as lollipops, freddo frogs and cake bars.

SCHOOL DOCUMENTATION

Just a reminder that Compass now has a range of forms and Compass support documents for parents to access.  These are available through the Community Icon (2 heads) then by clicking on School Documentation.  This will be updated with additional information over time.  Forms currently include:

• 2022 Parent Handbook
• Update of Personal Details
• Consent to Obtain/Release Information
• Application for Leave/Exemption
• 2022 Changes to Afternoon Arrangements
• Photography/Video Permission
• Health Care Plan examples
• Parent Form – Medication Agreement

COMPASS CALENDAR TO YOUR PHONE

Any parents or carers wishing to sync the School Compass Calendar to their iPhone will need to set up a Google account and then following the below steps:

You can sync Google Calendar with the Calendar app that comes on your iPhone or iPad.

1. On your iPhone or iPad, open your device settings.
2. Scroll and tap Passwords & Accounts.
3. Tap Add account Google.
4. Enter your email address Next.
5. Enter your password. If you don't have the latest operating system and you use 2-Step Verification, enter an app password instead of your regular password.
6. Tap Next.
7. Emails, contacts, and calendar events will now sync directly with your Google Account. To sync only your calendar, turn off the other services.
8. Open the Calendar app on your iPhone to find your Google Calendar events.

To sync with an existing account, tap the account and turn on Calendars.

MEDICATION MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK

Mater Dei School’s Medication Management Framework can be viewed on Compass. The Parent Form – Medication Agreement is now the only documentation required when a student requires medication to be administered at school, including for transport. This form is located and accessible on Compass under ‘School Documentation’.

Please contact the school if you require any further information via schooladmin@materdei.org.au 

CHANGES TO AFTERNOON PICK UP ARRANGEMENTS

We are aware many families may have modified afternoon arrangements as we try to return to some normality in school routines.  Parents/Guardians are the only people who are authorised to collect students without prior permission. 

In the event of either of the following:

• Student to be collected by a different family member or family friend over 18 years of age
• Student to be collected at Parent Pick up INSTEAD of usual taxi arrangement for specified day

Parent/Guardian is required to advise the school of the change, and MUST include the full name of person collecting, PRIOR to 2:30pm on the day of the change. This may be done via one of the following options:

• Noting change in student diary
• Accessing the Changes to Afternoon Arrangements form via Compass (School Documentation) and returning to schooladmin@materdei.org.au
• Phoning School Reception on ph. 4655 7481
• Emailing schooladmin@materdei.org.au

STUDENT ABSENCES

If your child is not well and will not be attending school, please jump onto Compass and add an Attendance Note before 9:15am. You can enter Attendance notes in Compass in advance for single or multiple days. 
 
Steps for adding an Attendance note in Compass

1. Click on Add Attendance Note
2. Select reason from drop down menu (Self-isolation for remote learning during COVID)
3. Description - Write brief reason
4. Change start date to first day of leave
5. Change end date to last day of leave

Once added families are unable to make changes so if you need to modify or delete an attendance note please email schooladmin@materdei.org.au or call school reception.

Medical Certificates

Compass has added a new feature for families to attach their medical certificate to the attendance note, however this is currently only for web browser users only.  Alternatively, you can send in via the diary or email schooladmin@materdei.org.au