Term 2, Week 6 (30 May 2022)
CEO/PRINCIPAL'S ADDRESS
Dear Parents and Carers,
This week is National Reconciliation Week, a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. As we ponder how to make Australia a more just and reconciled nation, I would like to share with you the following Prayer For Reconciliation:
Creator God, God of all who gave the Dreaming,
You have journeyed with your people through the ages.
You have spoken to us through the land, through story, through culture, through people, and have made your love clear to us through the person of Jesus.
Confirm our resolve to honour the dignity of all people who are one in God’s Spirit, especially our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sisters and brothers.
Give us courage to speak out against injustice and to right the wrongs of the past as we seek to build right relationships with one another.
Empower us, to honour the history of this Great South Land, to remember the stories and all those who have gone before us as we walk together in a spirit of true reconciliation, respect and love. Amen
Kind Regards,
MARK RAUE
CEO/PRINCIPAL
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL'S UPDATE
Dear Families,
Congratulations to Jack, Zach and Cooper on their fantastic effort at Wollongong Diocese Cross Country held last week at Narellan. Thank you to Mrs Hanrhan, Sport CoOrdinator, for organising for our students to participate in these events, we are grateful for all you do to encourage and support our students to showcase their talents outside of Mater Dei.
Last week sadly Mr Elvin departed Mater Dei. Currently we are undergoing the recruitment process but in the interim Mrs Croft will be the Stage Leader for Years 3 and 4, and Mrs Twine will be the Stage Leader for Year 5 and 6. Should you have any questions or concerns, please see your class teacher or contact the office to discuss with your stage leader.
We are excited to welcome families back to Mater Dei over the next two weeks on Fridays for our Celebration of Learning events in Primary and Secondary. Please see Compass Posts for more details.
Kind Regards,
Kylee Laugesen
Assistant Principal
COVID-SMART MEASURES
Please see the attached updated letter regarding COVID measures for Term 2, 2022.
The following updated advice was received:
Staff and students who have had confirmed COVID-19 themselves within the previous 12 weeks from the date of a new household case, do not have to isolate (as per disability settings). They are not required to self-isolate or test unless they develop new COVID-19 symptoms.
SCHOOL NEWS
NATIONAL RECONCILIATION WEEK
National Reconciliation Week is a time to educate, celebrate and build on the respectful relationships shared by our community and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. We began by recognising National Sorry Day last week on Thursday. Students learnt about the history of the Stolen Generations and the multitude of injustices faced by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in the years prior. Today, students engaged in a live interactive performance consisting of traditional dance, storytelling and music. In the next few days, students will participate in various craft activities, traditional games, storytelling and literacy activities to continue to build their understanding, appreciation and respect of the First Nations People. We hope that the students share with you their positive experiences and knowledge gained throughout the upcoming week.
PBIS FOCUS
This term’s lessons have a focus on teamwork. Each week students are learning explicitly skills required to be a good team player. They work together to complete a fun challenge then reflect on their performance.
Pictured: Each team of students with the same colour dot on forehead must find each other without speaking.
The PBIS team is also focusing on an on-going system for rewarding the behavioural expectations of being a safe, kind learner. Our school wide documented system is the Behaviour Check In Chart. Students receive feedback by their photo or name being moved along the continuum. Free and frequent rewards (as well as verbal praise) to students for expected behaviour is decided by class teams. This may include stickers of our PBIS school mascot Sammy the Kookaburra.
Staff and students at Mater Dei are also encouraged to refer frequently to signage that outlines the behavioural expectations for that setting or activity.
Photo: Each team of students with the same colour dot on their forehead must find each other, without speaking.
MISSION & VISION
Sacramental Lessons will begin this coming week. Students will be engaged in small groups focusing on their Sacrament/s. Students will be completing a workbook at school and will bring it home prior to the Sacramental Mass.
The Sacramental Mass will be held in the Mater Dei Chapel on Saturday 13 August at 11:00am.
PEDAGOGY
Key Word Signing
Sign language is another option for communication. Research shows that sign language may help with speech development, social interaction and learning new words. Many signs are visually associated to the object they are referring to. These visual associations can help people communicate.
9 Polding students and their class team have been learning how to use sign language across their day during a variety of subjects as well as for general conversation. The students and staff have been signing colours for sport groups and taxis. They have been signing key words during Acknowledgement of Country, Science, Food Tech and Religion lessons. The photos show Mrs Andersen demonstrating signing during Acknowledge of Country, Zack signing ‘s’ for slime with Tyler and Ryan, Eli and Kim signing ‘yellow’ for the colour slime they made in science and Pius signing ‘green’ for his taxi colour.
The class have been accessing their signing techniques from https://auslan.org.au/
Well done 9 Polding for showing enthusiasm to learn how to communicate beyond verbal means.
SPORT
On Monday 23rd May, Mater Dei was represented by Jack C, Zac L and Cooper C at the Wollongong Diocese Cross Country Carnival.
All three boys had to run the 3km course at the Narellan Sports Hub. Jack finished in first place almost 10 mins faster than Zac who finished in second place in the seniors. Cooper finished first in the junior boys.
Congratulations to the boys, we are very proud of this wonderful achievement.
3/4 MCCABE
Last week Miss Paroz invited Mrs Twine to visit 3/4M for an English lesson. I was very excited to see every student so engaged in this lesson about text prediction. The students were focusing on making relevant predictions. Their Big Idea was, predictions are guesses that make sense.
Miss Paroz started her lesson by reviewing their previous understanding about how they can make a prediction using pictures and text. Miss Paroz provided many examples and opportunities for students to respond through visual response boards, writing and drawing worksheets as well as AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) device response modes.
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
UNIFORM
Thank you parents and care-givers for dressing our Mater Dei students in full school winter uniforms for their school photographs. They certainly looked amazing.
Please continue to encourage full winter uniform, including school ties for both girls and boys, V-neck woolen jumpers on cold days (and /or school blazers for Year 7-12). Please note that zipper sports jackets are to be worn on sport uniform days only for K-12.
STUDENT BIRTHDAYS AND SPECIAL EVENTS
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.
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.
EVENTS
PAST EVENTS:
Friday 27th May was Staff Development Day. Staff participated in a refresher on our policy platform and Code of Conduct.
Teachers were involved in an opportunity to discuss and share important programming documentation and planning processes. We reviewed the NESA requirements with regards to programming and planning lessons to address individual student goals as well as Syllabus Outcomes. Our teachers continue to explore opportunities to engage students and to offer multiple means of representation with interactive lessons designed, created and implemented using Prowise.
Our Support Staff participated in Professional Development on Effective Teacher Aide Practices (eTAPS) on activating prior knowledge and the use of Learning Intentions and Success Criteria.
The day finished of with a reset of staff working parties in the areas of Technology and Innovation, Sport and Physical Activity, Student Wellbeing, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, Cultural recognition and engagement and Environment and Sustainability.
NATIONAL SIMULTANEOUS STORYTIME
On Wednesday 25 May students in Kindergarten to Year 2 participated in National Simultaneous Storytime. All three classes had spent time prior to the event reading the picture book and then loved watching an Auslan video of the story on the day. Students then decorated pots and planted seeds that they can watch grow, just like in the story!
SHARED LEARNING WITH ST GREGORY'S COLLEGE
5/6 Gibbons and 5/6 MacKillop hosted some Year 5 students from St Gregory’s College Junior School as part of a shared learning experience. All students were excited to meet new friends and to learn their names while they engaged in Mathematics tasks together. They focussed on learning about money through games, Bee Bots and ‘active maths’ with an obstacle course. There were plenty of smiles and cheering when completing the games. We look forward to hosting some more St Gregory’s students in another fortnight.
MATER DEI 13th LADIES ANNUAL LIPSTICK LUNCHEON
On Friday 6 May, the 13th annual Ladies Lipstick Luncheon was held at The Cube, Campbelltown with the theme ‘Dare to Dream’. Together we dreamed big, and collectively an incredible $113,000 was raised.
This year it was wonderful to welcome the School Choir back on stage, singing ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow’ followed by the school Dance Troupe performance to ‘The Greatest Show’. The day was MC’d by local Senator Deborah O’Neill & our guest comedian was Jean Kittson.
A feature of the day was the Q & A on stage that included school parent Janelle, NextPath Assessment & Therapy Occupational Therapist Bec and NextPath Young Adult Kayla, who shared their Mater Dei journey and the impact it makes daily.
Thank you to all who attended, supported and the wonderful parent helpers who ensured the day was as successful as it was.
FUTURE EVENTS:
CELEBRATION OF LEARNING
YEARS K - 6
Mater Dei Celebration of Learning for Kindergarten to year 6, will take place on Friday 10th June. We have added the option of coming for a picnic lunch with your child which will be on the school playground with families and friends from other classes.
All sessions of classroom visits will be an opportunity for guests to spend some time in the classroom, see work on display, view some lessons in action and work with our students. So as to not overcrowd our classrooms, nor overwhelm the students, we kindly ask that visitors be limited to TWO guests per student.
Please complete the Insight located on Compass to select your preferred time by Wednesday 8th June.
YEARS 7 - 12
Mater Dei Celebration of Learning for Years 7-12, will take place on Friday 3rd June. We have added the option of coming for a picnic lunch with your child which will be on the school playground with families and friends from other classes.
All sessions of classroom visits will be an opportunity for guests to spend some time in the classroom, see work on display, view some lessons in action and work with our students. So as to not overcrowd our classrooms, nor overwhelm the students, we kindly ask that visitors be limited to TWO guests per student.
Please complete the Insight located on Compass to select your preferred time by Wednesday 1st June.
P&F KRISPY KREME FUNDRAISER
SACRAMENTAL MASS
Sacramental Lessons will begin this coming week. Students will be engaged in small groups focusing on their Sacrament/s. Students will be completing a workbook at school and will bring it home prior to the Sacramental Mass.
The Sacramental Mass will be held in the Mater Dei Chapel on Saturday 13 August at 11:00am. Mrs Lauren Golden will be taking photos but there will be more information on this closer to the Mass.
HELPFUL REMINDERS
PARENT FORMS AND SCHOOL DOCUMENTATION
Just a reminder that Compass now has a range of forms and Compass support documents for parents to access. Parent Forms are now located on Compass using the following steps:
(Steps 1-3 are for App users only)
- Click on the student
- Click on the 3 lines in top left corner
- Click Open in Browser
- Click on Community Icon (2 heads)
- Click on School Documentation
- Click Parent Forms
ATTENDANCE EXEMPTION FORMS
Any families who wish to apply for attendance exemptions to attend therapy services in 2022, please download the Application for Leave Exemption form on Compass, complete and return to schooladmin@materdei.org.au
AFTERNOON ARRANGEMENTS 2022
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 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
- Phoning School Reception on ph. 4655 7481
- Emailing schooladmin@materdei.org.au
If your child needs to be collected by a service provider, a Parent/Guardian is required to complete a Collection by a Service Provider form (available on Compass) and email it to schooladmin@materdei.org.au
This form must be received PRIOR to 3pm on the day before the new arrangement is to take place.
If unable to provide the full name of the staff member collecting, the Parent/ Guardian is required to arrange the Service Provider to notify the school via schooladmin@materdei.org.au email by 2:30pm on the day the student is to be collected.
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.
- On your iPhone or iPad, open your device settings.
- Scroll and tap Passwords & Accounts.
- Tap Add account Google.
- Enter your email address Next.
- 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.
- Tap Next.
- Emails, contacts, and calendar events will now sync directly with your Google Account. To sync only your calendar, turn off the other services.
- 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.
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IMPORTANT DATES
COMMUNITY NEWS
TREK FOR OPPORTUNITY - New Zealand 2023
Looking to challenge yourself in 2023?
Never been to New Zealand?
Want to make a difference to Mater Dei by fundraising?
In April 2023 Mater Dei is holding the Trek for Opportunity Best of NZ Southern Alps Challenge.
Please contact Sarah Ryan sarahr@materdei.org.au or 4654 8708 for any enquiries, or look through the information booklet attached.