Term 3, Week 2 (25 July 2023)
CEO'S ADDRESS
Dear Parents, Carers and friends of Mater Dei,
Welcome back to Term 3. I hope that you have all had the chance to enjoy the school holidays and are now settling back into school routine.
As you would all be aware, in recognition of the continued growth of Mater Dei, the Mater Dei Board of Directors, along with Good Samaritan Education, have made the decision to split the role of CEO/Principal into two separate positions.
Whilst currently recruiting for the CEO position, the Board have asked me to step up from my role as CFO/Business Manager to assume additional CEO responsibilities. I am honoured to be given the opportunity to assist in such a position of trust and will do my best to ensure the continued smooth operations of the organisation.
Moving forward, the CEO role will assist all of the Mater Dei Program Managers, including the School Principal, so you may see me present in the School Office or even on Taxi on occasion.
I wish to thank you in advance for your kind support of Jennifer and myself as we navigate our new roles.
Regards,
MELISSA EATHER
ACTING CEO
FROM THE PRINCIPAL'S DESK
During the school holidays, the feast of Saint Benedict was celebrated in the Catholic Church on Tuesday 11 July. When we acknowledge Mater Dei as a Catholic School in the Benedictine Tradition, we are acknowledging the importance of Saint Benedict and his teachings and how these guide and influence us in everything that we do here at Mater Dei. In particular, our School Values are a direct reflection of Saint Benedict’s life and teachings. We will celebrate St Benedict’s Feast Day here at Mater Dei on Friday 11 August.
Following the recent announcement by Mr Michael Lavorato, Board Chair, that was communicated to families during the holidays regarding a restructuring of the position of CEO/Principal, I was honored to have been asked to take on the significant responsibility of Acting Principal for the remainder of this school year. I acknowledge this position as one of great responsibility in both leading and assisting in this wonderful community. I am most grateful for the messages of encouragement and support that I have received. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me if there is anything that I can be of assistance with. I take this opportunity to thank Mr Paul McCann in his role as Interim CEO/Principal for his guidance and support of Mater Dei School in the first half of this school year. I know that he valued and enjoyed the time that he was able to spend in the school.
Our Athletics Carnival at the end of Term Two was a great success and it was pleasing to see many of our families and friends able to join us at our first carnival off site. The overall success of the Carnival was not only in the individual achievements, but in the true sense of community, encouragement and companionship that was evident throughout the day. I thank our staff for all that they do to ensure our students experience opportunities where they shine and their individual talents are celebrated. In particular, I thank Mrs Hanrahan for organising this event and all of the ‘behind the scenes’ preparation that went into making it such a success.
This Term we welcome two new staff members to our school. Mrs Wylie joins our teaching staff and Mrs Mordocco joins our administration team predominantly working in the school reception. Mrs Gallagher has commenced her maternity leave and Mrs Howley is on Long Service Leave during Term 3 and 4. There has also been some movement of staff across classes with Miss Ram teaching Year 3/4 McCabe and Mrs Fogarty moving to Year 7/8 Benedict with Mrs Musso.
The Sisters of the Good Samaritan have gathered at the St Joseph’s Centre, Baulkham Hills for their Chapter Gathering 2023 over the next two weeks. This is a pivotal time for the Sisters as they pause and come together in prayer, community and deep discernment for planning and future directions. Our prayers are requested and welcomed so that the Chapter Gathering may be a time of deep listening and open hearts as they discern the Spirit’s prompting in and through and among them.
CHAPTER PRAYER
O GOD,
Holy Creator,
our very breath, our only hope,
Holy Christ,
our companion on this way,
Holy Spirit,
our wisdom as we dream dreams for our future!We ask,
that with John Bede and Scholastica,
we may be like trees
planted near running water -
connected, rooted, resilient and thriving -
and committed to being neighbour to the whole of creation.We pray,
that we make this Chapter journey
in communion with each other
and the whole of the cosmos,
and that you,
holy and living God,
bring us all together to life everlasting.Amen.
Kind regards,
JENNIFER FOLDES
ACTING PRINCIPAL
SCHOOL NEWS
MISSION & VISION
SAINT BENEDICT'S FEAST DAY
St. Benedict is believed to have been born around 480, as the son to a Roman noble of Norcia and the twin to his sister, Scholastica.
Benedict died on 21 March 543, not long after his sister. It is said he died with high fever on the very day God told him he would. He is the patron saint of Europe and students. After almost 1,500 years of monastic tradition his direction seems obvious to us. However, Benedict was an innovator. No one had ever set up communities like his before or directed them with a rule. What is part of history to us now was a bold, risky step into the future. Benedict had the holiness and the ability to take this step. His beliefs and instructions on religious life were collected in what is now known as the Rule of Saint Benedict -- still directing religious life after 15 centuries. St. Benedict is often pictured with a bell, a broken tray, a raven, or a crosier. His feast day was celebrated on July 11.
ST PATRICK'S COLLEGE
Term three is off and racing! We will continue to have our Year 10 St Patrick’s girls coming to Mater Dei every Tuesday afternoon as part of their community service. During Week one, we had three, Year 11 students Ava R, Meghan W and Vienne S visit us for two days as part of their Community Service program. The students enjoyed their time both in the classrooms and out on the playgrounds.
ST GREGORY'S JUNIOR SCHOOL
We will be continuing this wonderful relationship with the Year 5 students from SGJS. The students will continue to visit us for Maths and PDHPE this term.
PROPHETIC VOICES
This Thursday, our School and House Captains will attend Mount Carmel Retreat Centre with students and staff from all the Good Samaritan Education Colleges. The day will involve discussing current social issues that affect our society today. In conjunction with this day, is this Friday, when Mater Dei will welcome fifteen staff and thirty-five students from GSE. The group will visit the classrooms and also tour the buildings on the Mater Dei site, such as Wivenhoe and the Chapel to gain a deeper understanding of the significant history of Mater Dei.
CURRICULUM
The year 12 students have successfully completed the Barista Course, which they thoroughly enjoyed. This course was designed to enhance their employability skills by providing hands-on training in operating an industrial coffee machine and mastering the craft of creating a wide range of delicious drinks. These new found skills will be out to use by the Year 11 and 12 Students in our very own Mater Dei Cafe, as well as in their everyday lives.
WELLBEING
TIME ONLINE
Help your child achieve a healthy balance in their online and offline activities.
How much is too much? There is no magic figure. The right amount of screen time can depend on a range of factors like your child’s age and maturity, the kind of content they are consuming, their learning needs and your family routine. It can be easy to focus only on the clock, but the quality and nature of what they are doing online, and your involvement, are just as important.
Signs to watch for:
- less interest in social activities like meeting friends or playing sport
- tiredness, sleep disturbance, headaches, eye strain
- changes in eating patterns reduced
- extreme anger when being asked to take a break from online activity
- appearing anxious or irritable when away from the computer.
Help your child manage their online time
- Stay engaged and encourage balance — keep an eye on the games, apps and devices your child uses by sharing screen time with them. Help them stay aware of their important offline activities, like hobbies and sports.
- Create a plan — involve your child in creating a family plan that balances time spent sitting in front of screens, with a variety of offline activities.
- Use the available technologies — parental controls and tools to monitor online time allow you to measure and set time limits on device use or internet access. But be honest and open with your children about why you want to use these technologies.
PEDAGOGY
On Monday 26th June 2023, Mrs Jen Twine, Leader of Pedagogy, presented at the Successful Learning Conference which is hosted by The University of Sydney.
Mrs Twine’s presentation outlined achievable teacher practice for planning lesson content and delivery from NSW Syllabus for students with intellectual disability. She shared real world examples to show how teachers can ensure they are providing access to curriculum for all students in their classroom. Her presentation focused on the implementation of Universal Design for Learning Framework, UDL, which reinforces legislation to ensure all students are provided access to education on the same basis as their peers. Mrs Twine also shared a range of evidence-based practices, research-based practices, High Leverage Practices to highlight their role in classroom teaching and learning.
Mater Dei School is supporting Matt Thompson for his research project.
Matt is currently a PhD candidate from the School of Education at Western Sydney University under the supervision of Professor Catherine Attard and Distinguished Professor Katheryn Holmes from the Centre of Educational research.
The project title is; A study of the mathematics experiences of students with Down Syndrome in Australian primary school. Matt is interviewing parents, students, teachers and teacher assistants to gain first-hand information related to his study focus. He is also observing mathematics lessons in action not only at Mater Dei School but at other schools across Australia.
The study has been approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee at Western Sydney University.
Mater Dei is proud to support Matt and thankful for our volunteer parents, students, teachers and teacher assistants.
YEAR 7 AND YEAR 10 VACCINATIONS
In Year 7, students are offered free vaccines for diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (dTpa) and human papillomavirus (HPV). From February 2023, children in year 7 will now only need one dose of HPV vaccination. This change has been endorsed by the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) based on evidence showing that one dose provides the same level of protection against HPV as two doses.
In Year 10, students are offered the meningococcal ACWY vaccine.
Public Health Unit Liverpool will be at the school on the 14th of August to administer Year 10 students their meningococcal ACWY vaccine and to administer any catch up vaccines to students in Year 7.
Vaccination will only be provided at school if consent has been received. To complete online consent for your child’s school vaccinations, visit: https://nswhealth.service-now.com/school
A step by step guide to how to consent can be found here: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/immunisation/Pages/online-consent-school-vaccination.aspx
If you or your child do not have a Medicare card, consent can still be provided by requesting a paper-based consent form directly from your child’s school.For more information on routine school vaccinations, please visit www.health.nsw.gov.au/schoolvaccination or call the Liverpool Public Health Unit on 9794 0855.
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES
Semester Two Parent Teacher Conferences will be occurring during Week 4 from Monday 7th August to Thursday 10th August 2023 from 4:00-6:30pm.
Conferences may take place in person on site at Mater Dei School, via online Zoom Meetings or phone calls.
Bookings must be made online via Compass and will open on Monday 24th July 2023. A Compass notification will be posted once open. Instructions on how to book will be posted on Compass.
If you have any questions or concerns please contact school between 8:30am and 4pm.
P&F COUNTRY FAIR
Please see our Country Fair newsletter. Lots of work has been happening behind the scenes and we are almost ready to send our 2023 online raffle live.
- Please read all the information carefully and think about how your family can assist.
- Our next Mufti Day is Friday 4th August and donations of kitchen and baby items would be greatly appreciated.
P&F FATHER'S DAY STALL
COVID - CURRENT MEASURES IN PLACE
Given we are a high risk, disability setting, we wish to remind families of the mandatory 7 day isolation requirement remains in place at Mater Dei for all staff and students who test positive to COVID (including if you are a close contact).
Students should not attend Mater Dei if unwell or displaying COVID symptoms and only return after completing isolation and/or when symptom free.
2023 SCHOOL DROP OFF / PICK UP PROCEDURES
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.
MAISY'S CORNER
It has been wonderful to have Maisy back at the school this term!
Maisy and Prue have been busy visiting our primary classes to help students settle back in after the holidays.
Maisy has been working hard to develop her skills to be a Canine Good Citizen. A Canine Good Citizen is a friendly, well-behaved dog that we can take virtually anywhere without risk or bother to others - a dog who behaves well in a crowd, has good manners when guests visit our home, is reliable around children, and who doesn't lunge, bark at, or threaten other dogs or passersby.
In the coming week Maisy will be undertaking the Canine Good Citizen Test. The Canine Good Citizen Test is a certification program that tests dogs in simulated everyday situations in a relaxed atmosphere. It identifies and rewards dogs that have the training and demeanor to be reliable family members as well as good-standing community members.
We wish Maisy the best of luck with their upcoming test.
EVENTS
100 DAYS OF LEARNING CELEBRATION
Our Kindergarten students will be celebrating their 100 days of learning on Wednesday 2nd August 2023. This event will take place at school with their teacher Miss Duffy and TA Sophie who are organising some interesting activities based around the number one hundred.
BOOK WEEK PARADE
Book Week this year is between 19-25th August. Our K-6 annual Book Week Parade will be held on Friday 25 August, at 11:30am in the Carmela Ritchie Hall! This event is a highlight in the Mater Dei calendar! The theme for this year is ‘Read, Grow Inspire’. Students are encouraged to wear outfits from characters in books, that are low maintenance and low cost. Everyone is welcome to attend!
"INCLUSION - THE MUSICAL"
Families are invited to attend a free event being held at Macarthur Anglican School in September.
Called “Inclusion – The Musical”, it stars two graduated young adults, Brianna and Tiana.
Brianna and Tianna are both employed at Exploring Tree as early childhood educators, and both also love performing on the stage.
“Inclusion – The Musical” has been created by Dr Red Ruby Scarlet along with Tiana and Brianna and has said “ This musical is especially special because the songs are their own original compositions and the stories will educate educators about how we think about, experience and respond to folks who are diagnosed as neurodiverse.”
FOUNDATION DINNER
The Annual Foundation Dinner is fast approaching, and there are still tickets available for purchase.
The form to purchase tickets went home in students diaries last term. A copy is attached.
The details are: 6pm start on Saturday, 9 September at The Cube, Campbelltown Catholic Club.
If you wish to purchase more than 2 tickets, please reply to Alison McManus by Monday, 14 August 2023.
IMPORTANT DATES
HELPFUL REMINDERS
PARENT FORMS AND SCHOOL DOCUMENTATION
School documentation and common forms are stored in Compass for parents to access at any time. Parent Forms can be found by following these steps on your Compass App:
(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 2023, please download the Application for Leave Exemption form on Compass, complete and return to schooladmin@materdei.org.au
2023 AFTERNOON ARRANGEMENTS
In the event of either of the following:
- Student needs to be collected by a different family member or family friend over 18 years of age
- Student needs to be collected by parent INSTEAD of usual taxi arrangement for a 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 2:30pm 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.
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