Term 4, Week 4 (31 October 2022)

Dear Parents and Carers,

The rain fell, the mud grew and the storm lingered menacingly, but in spite of all that we got through the Country Fair and the Charity Golf Day. The Country Fair was extraordinary and showed the true spirit of the Mater Dei community. Parents, volunteers, staff, students and members of the community all rallied together to bring about a wonderful event in very difficult conditions. The Parents and Friends were brilliant, and I particularly want to acknowledge the President Karen Witherspoon and the Country Fair Coordinator Mel Pascoe, who both worked tirelessly to bring the event to life. 

Similarly, the Mater Dei Charity Golf Day was finally held after two postponements. The Committee and the Mater Dei Development Team brought together one of our best ever days, and I must pass on a special thank you to the Chair of the Committee, Paul Wakeling, who has been associated with Mater Dei for many, many years. His dedication to supporting us has been immeasurable. The money raised will provide outstanding resources for our therapy team.

You should have already noted my previous announcement of Mater Dei’s new Deputy Principal for 2023, Mrs Jennifer Foldes. Jennifer is currently the Assistant Principal at Magdalene Catholic College, Narellan, where she has worked for seven years. Prior to that she worked for four years as an Education Consultant in the Catholic Education Offices in Wollongong and Sydney, and prior to that held a number of positions in multiple Catholic schools in the south-west of Sydney. Jennifer is highly qualified and will be warmly received as a new senior staff member in 2023. On behalf of the entire Mater Dei community, I congratulate Jennifer on her appointment and look forward to introducing her to our community in coming weeks.

I would also like to inform parents that our current Assistant Principal, Mrs Kylee Laugesen, will not be returning to Mater Dei in 2023. Kylee, who is currently on leave, will be very missed at Mater Dei. I particularly remember with gratitude how brilliant Kylee was in leading the Mater Dei staff in responding to the initial waves of COVID-19 and our remote learning strategy. They were difficult days, and Kylee rose to the challenge with diligence, creativity and, above all, great love for the students and families of Mater Dei. We wish her well in her future career in education.

MARK RAUE
CEO/PRINCIPAL

MISSION & VISION

Before we know it, 25th December will be here!  Christmas is a time of hope, joy, and of giving from the heart.  This year, many of us have been reunited with loved ones. We have ventured into our communities and beyond, celebrating connectedness as we transition into life beyond the pandemic. This Christmas, we have much to celebrate.

Yet as we know, Christmas can be challenging for many. The last two years have not been easy. They have deepened the pockets of disadvantage within our communities as the cost of living continues to rise.  The Mater Dei School Staff 2022 Vinnies Christmas Appeal is in support of those impacted by inflation – those who were already struggling to make ends meet.

As we approach the Christmas season, the Mater Dei Staff will join the Vinnies Youth team in making things a little brighter for those who are doing it tough.   This is a Staff appeal only.  We’ll keep you informed of the joy and goodness we spread within our community; one of our favourite Benedictine Values!

PEDEAGOGY NEWS

Recently Mrs Jody Musso attended the The NSW Catholic Schools Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander State Conference on Darug and Gundungurra Country in the Blue Mountains. The following are her reflections.

The Conference began with a moving smoking ceremony with Elders, Aunts and Uncles, and ‘Allies’ alike. We moved inside to participate in a solemn Liturgy, where we explored this year’s theme of ‘Transforming with the Spirit’. Over the next two days, I listened to inspiring keynote speakers and participated in specialised sessions exploring Cultural awareness, responsiveness and competency. There were also invaluable ‘On Country’ experiences, where Aunts and Uncles shared with us their connections with both Country and Culture and a rich collection of stories from both the Dreaming and their families. A highlight for me was watching Indigenous students from across the state present Traditional Song and Dance with us. They were empowered with the spirit and shared their culture with such pride. It was truly a transformational week for everyone who participated in the conference, and I cannot wait to share my knowledge and experiences within our Mater Dei community.

SPORTS NEWS

NSW PSSA Athletics Championships

On Wednesday 19th and Thursday 20th October, Austin, Maria, Marco, Corrado and Ian represented Mater Dei at the NSW Primary Schools Sports Associations Athletics Championships at Sydney Olympic Park.
All of the students were amazing with Maria walking away with four 'finalist' pins and Ian winning a 'finalist' pin in the 100m, finishing in 5th place in a very strong field. Maria has also been selected in the NSW team to compete at the Australian Championships in long jump.

GOLF DAY 2022

After two false starts, and a nervous week leading up, we finally got out on the course to hold this year’s Golf Day event on Friday 21 October. It may have been a little rainy on occasion, however, that did not dampen the spirits of all who attended, who were happy to play and support Mater Dei.

The highlight is always the Chair of the committee, Paul Wakeling, driving the School Captains around the course on a golf cart (sometimes flying fast over the bumps!). Ella and Wade were great representatives of Mater Dei.

At lunch, Christy & Jeremie from the NPA&T team presented to our guests, the incredible work the therapy and assessment staff provides to our families. This presentation provided some valuable insight some supporters were not aware of.

Overall, we are delighted the day went ahead, as we set a new record, raising $129,000!   The committee were relieved that we got there in the end!

INFANTS PLAYGROUND OPENING

The upgraded Infants Playground was officially opened on Tuesday 25 October with much anticipation. The students kept an eager eye on the demolition and construction over the past few months, with 2 Gregory the first class to road test the new equipment.

We were joined by special guests Peter Sidgreaves MP, State Member for Camden, Nathaniel Smith MP, State Member for Wollondilly, representatives from Ingleburn RSL and Wests Leagues Club who were generous donors towards the project.

Special mention to Michael Reynolds for all his hard work repairing the grassed area and ensuring the playground space looked perfect for our visitors, especially after a huge week with the Country Fair.

It will be fun to watch the infant students explore the new equipment with some dry days forecast ahead! 

2023 STUDENT LEADERSHIP ELECTIONS

It is a very exciting time for Mater Dei, as we have started our 2023 Student Leadership Elections. On Friday 28 October, our Year 11 and 12 students presented a speech or answered interview questions with Mrs Gorey. Students engaged with the audience or answered questions. Some questions were about new ‘improvements’ for Mater Dei, for example, a soft drink machine for students!  Students also talked about their favourite teams and sports. Well done to all students who presented their intentions for being a 2023 Captain! A big thank you to the class teams that assisted with the students’ presentation.

Early next week students (in this year’s Year 6 to 11) and staff will vote in an advisory election for their preferred nominated students for the School and House Captains. Students in Years 5 and 6 in 2023 (i.e. this year’s Year 4 and 5 students) and staff will also vote for Primary School Leaders at the same time. The CEO/Principal will then discern the results of each of these advisory elections to make a decision about who next year’s leaders will be.

We look forward to announcing the Mater Dei Student Leadership members in the coming weeks.

YEAR 12 END OF YEAR IMPORTANT DATES

Monday 28th November | Year 12 Lunch with Mr Raue (student only event).

Friday 2nd December | Year 12 Graduation and End of Year Mass starting at 9:30am.

Friday 2nd December |rSecondary Assembly 11:30am - 1pm

Friday 2nd December | Years 11 and 12 last day of school for 2022.

Monday 5th December | Year 12 Formal - Rydges Campbelltown
(More detailed information will be distributed this week). 

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.