Term 3, Week 6 (22 August 2022)
CEO/PRINCIPAL'S ADDRESS
FAREWELL ERYN LONGERAN
This week is a very significant week for Mater Dei. Eryn Lonergan, the Deputy Principal, will be leaving us on Friday to take up a position with the Association of Independent Schools NSW. Eryn has been at Mater Dei since 2008 and has contributed significantly to our community in so many ways.
Eryn’s great affection for the students and her commitment to bringing out the potential of every student will be sorely missed.
Eryn has given a huge part of her professional life to Mater Dei and we will be forever grateful.
On behalf of the entire Mater Dei community I wish Eryn well in the next phase of her career and know she will make a big impact in her new role.
MARK RAUE
CEO/PRINCIPAL
Dear Parents and Carers,
Mater Dei is a very busy place. Staff are forever looking at ways to provide rich experiences for the students to enhance their learning, socialization and wellbeing; and sometimes it is just to have fun and enjoy the moment. As we gradually return to normal, the activities and events are starting to resurface, and that is great for our whole community.
St Benedict’s Day was a magnificent day, as was the Sacramental Mass that was celebrated the next day. It was great to have Bishop Brian with us for two days, and he showed us why he is such a wonderful Bishop and friend of Mater Dei. This week we have the Book Week Parade, and we are heading towards the Foundation Dinner on 10 September which will involve a number of our students and young adults.
One coming event that is being planned is the Country Fair, to be held on Sunday 23 October. Whilst that might seem like a long time away, the Parents and Friends Association are hard at it planning for what will hopefully be a wonderful day. More details will be provided closer to the event, but we will be looking for a large number of volunteers to help deliver a great community event. The next meeting of the Parents and Friends on 5 September will solely focus on planning for the Country Fair.
In the mean-time I trust that you and your loved ones are getting through the winter period and COVID-19 pandemic as well as can be expected. It will soon be spring when everything starts to feel better and new life is just around the corner.
Kind Regards,
MARK RAUE
CEO/PRINCIPAL
FROM THE DEPUTY PRINCIPAL'S DESK
Dear Families,
For my last newsletter contribution, I wish to take the opportunity to thank our families for working with me since I began at Mater Dei, quite a few years ago! During those years, I was lucky enough to work closely with many families, initially as a Classroom Teacher and some of those students are now graduating this year! It has been an absolute privilege being part of all of our students’ journeys. I will treasure all of the wonderful memories and special times.
I have worked with so many exceptional educators whom I admire and learn from everyday. Their commitment to ensuring the best for our students is evident in the classrooms and on the playground. Working with our very talented School Executive Team brought me such joy. Their sound work ethic, dedication to our students and commitment to innovate and achieve the best for our students is a true testament to our mission.
I am proud of what we have achieved during my time at Mater Dei and look forward to staying connected in my new role at the Association of Independent Schools NSW.
Wishing you all the best,
Eryn Lonergan
COVID-SMART MEASURES
SCHOOL NEWS
MISSION & VISION
2022 SENIOR RETREAT - This will be a wonderful week for our year 11 and 12 students. It will be held during Week Ten this term. Students will be attending two days at Wedderburn Christian Campsite, with fellow Good Samaritan Education students from St Patrick’s College, Campbelltown; celebrate a Liturgy in the Chapel; enjoy an experience with the Sydney Youth Mission Team and finish the week with Celebration of Learning and a Secondary Assembly.
What a way to finish the term! More information to follow.
PEDAGOGY
Explicit Instruction is an evidence-based high impact teaching strategy that is implemented by teachers to provide instruction, demonstrate concepts and build student knowledge and skills. In explicit teaching practice, teachers show students what to do and how to do it, and create opportunities in the lesson for students to demonstrate understanding and apply the learning. Explicit instruction is effective for student growth.
At Mater Dei our teachers implement explicit instruction across all key learning areas.
CURRICULUM
Students in 2 Gregory have transformed into Mechanical Engineers this term as they engage in the adapted Engineering is Elementary unit of work Designing Windmills which has had the principles of Universal Design for Learning applied to ensure access to the content and Learning Experiences for all students. 2 Gregory have been engaging with the Engineering Design Process to assist with solving problems by asking, imagining, planning, creating and improving. Students have started learning about wind catching devices including anemometers, wind turbines and windmills to build their knowledge in preparation for solving their own engineering problem in the coming weeks. Great work 2 Gregory!
SPORT - YOUNG ATHLETES PROGRAM
This term students in K/1 Benedict, K/1 Samaritan and 2 Gregory are participating in the Young Athletes Program, as part of their weekly sports program. The program runs for eight weeks.
The program is based on helping children to interact with each other and develop important communication, learning and self-help skills through participating in physical activity.
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
FATHER'S DAY STALL
PUPIL FREE DAY
Friday 2nd September will be a Pupil Free Day.
Mater Dei Teachers and Teachers’ Assistants will be involved in professional development on this day.
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:
Recently our Teachers engaged in professional learning by Alex Box from the 2022 Australian Maths Teachers Online Conference about Number Talks.
Number talks are short, daily exercises aimed at building number sense. The Teachers then referred to their new resources, Universal Design Daily published by Dr Paula Kluth, to highlight some new teaching strategies to try in their classrooms to promote student engagement, means of representation and opportunities to respond with action and expression.
ST BENEDICT'S FEAST DAY
On Friday 12th August, we celebrated St Benedict’s Feast Day. The day started with a beautiful Mass, celebrated by Bishop Brian Mascord and attended by staff and students from other Good Samaritan Colleges and local Diocesan schools. During the Mass, we recognised Justin Buda, a Year 10 student who was this year’s recipient of the Hospitality Award. Justin demonstrates many Benedictine Values that makes him a worthy recipient of this special award. Long-term supporters of Mater Dei, John and Anne Adam were awarded the Community Award. This award represents many years of service and dedication to Mater Dei School and thoroughly deserved.
After Mass, the students enjoyed a day of celebration. Primary and Secondary students enjoyed a variety of activities including mini golf, side show alley, big foot racers and soccer and basketball goals. Infants enjoyed the playcentre, face painting and a petting zoo. The day finished with a movie for our infants students and a disco for our primary and secondary students.
SACRAMENTAL MASS
On Saturday, 13th August, nineteen students participated in the Sacramental Mass, in the beautiful Mater Dei Chapel. Bishop Brian Mascord thoroughly enjoyed being with our students and their families on this special day. The students had lessons prior to the Mass and all gave their best. It was a wonderful day for everyone in attendance.
NATIONAL SCIENCE WEEK
The school theme for National Science Week this year was Glass: More than meets the eye. It was based on the UN International Year of Glass. National Science Week in schools celebrated the many roles that glass plays in our lives – from phone screens to optical fibre to glassware in labs – plus investigating glass as a part of our sustainable future.
Mater Dei students attended a session in the hall with Mrs Twine this week where they learnt about and explored concepts about glass.
Kindergarten to Year 4 students learnt about bending light and how a magnifying glass is used. The students got to take home a magnifying glass to keep so they can continue to explore at home.
Year 5 to Year 8 students discovered bending light through using mirrors, lenses and the concepts of reflection and refraction. Glass allows people to see the world differently through magnifying glasses and kaleidoscopes. The students got to make and take home their own kaleidoscope.
Year 9 to Year 12 students discovered many technologies around us that use glass, from phone screens to solar panels. The students investigated the role of glass to protect solar panels from the weather. Many of the inside components of solar panels are made from silica, the main ingredient of glass. Glass is used because it is transparent and lets light through to the panel components that generate electricity. It is also durable and can last a long time in wind, rain, hail and sunlight without breaking down. The students constructed a solar powered car to take home.
Another successful National Science Week at Mater Dei, hoping to inspire young people into the world of investigation and problem solving.
100 DAYS OF LEARNING
On Friday 19th August our K/1 class celebrated 100 Days of Learning. What a huge achievement! Students and staff dressed up as though they were 100 years old which was a very funny sight to see. They then spent the day engaging in lots of fun activities related to the number 100.
FUTURE EVENTS:
BOOK WEEK
K-6 classes have enjoyed sharing some of the CBCA shortlisted books for 2022 over the past few weeks including Amira's Suitcase, A Trip to the Hospital and The First Scientists: Deadly Inventions and Innovations from Australia's First Peoples. We can't wait to find out which books win in each category! Students and staff are all very excited for the K-6 Book Week Parade which will be held on Friday 26th August at 11:30am. Parents/carers are welcome to attend and students are encouraged to dress as their favourite book character.
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
