Term 1, Week 7 (12 March 2024)

PRINCIPAL'S ADDRESS

Dear Families,

It was with immense pride and commitment that I stood in front of our school community during our opening Mass recently to be commissioned as Mater Dei Principal. It was an honour to be joined by guests from our extended Good Samaritan community, including Governing Council, Board Members, and Principals.  It is always a joyous occasion for me when our school comes together in celebration, where the Benedictine values of Prayer, Hospitality and Community are experienced in abundance. I am grateful for the parents, carers and family who were also able to join us in celebration of the Eucharist to mark the beginning of the school year together. 

I have been contacted by a few parents asking about changes that have been made to our scheduled professional learning days and assemblies in 2024. It is hoped that moving these days from a Friday will ensure less of an interruption to the timetabled learning where several other whole school events are held across the year. The inclusion of assemblies on a Tuesday and Wednesday may also provide opportunities for other parents and carers to attend. The dates are published in the newsletter and are in the calendar to enable parents and carers to plan ahead. 

Our recent swimming carnival at the Mt Annan Leisure Centre proved to be another successful event for our students in Years 3 to 12. The participation in the pool and in the cheering was certainly testimony to this. I believe that the water fun day for our Infants students back at school was met with the same level of enjoyment, perhaps due to the opportunity of being able to spray the staff with water. These days are never taken for granted in the level of organisation, coordination and staff involvement on the day to ensure it is both enjoyable and safe for our students.     

The Parents and Friends AGM was postponed from Monday 4 March and has been rescheduled to Monday 25 March. The meeting will be held in our school hall starting at 6:30pm for light refreshments, with the AGM commencing at 7pm. I do encourage all parents who are interested in being involved in the P&F and/or helping out with any of the events and activities that our P&F run to please come along. The outgoing 2023 committee will present reports from the previous year and elections will be held for the following positions for the 2024 committee:

• President
• Secretary
• Treasurer
• Canteen Coordinator
• Country Fair Coordinator  

Further information or any questions can be directed to pandf@materdei.org.au. 

The Term One School Fees have now been posted to parents and carers. If you have not received these in the mail please contact our School Office. Importantly, if there are any changes to your mailing and/or email address please advise the School as soon as possible. While the prompt payment of these fees is appreciated, I remind parents and carers to please contact me without hesitation should you need to discuss the payment of your fees. 

Last Friday we acknowledged International Women’s Day with the 2024 theme “Count Her In: Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress”. We proudly acknowledge the commitment, courage and tenacity of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan, in responding to the call in 1857 to establish the first congregation of Catholic religious women to be founded in Australia.  The work and legacy of the Sisters, for and with women and girls, established the path that we at Mater Dei are called to continue today. May we all be inspired by their continued example of 'counting her in: investing in women and accelerating progress'. 

International Women’s Day in Australia 

Australia’s first International Women’s Day was held in 1928 in Sydney. Organised by the Militant Women’s Movement, women called for equal pay for equal work, an 8-hour working day for shop girls and paid leave. The next year the event spread to Brisbane. In 1931, annual marches were launched in both Sydney and Melbourne and both marches continue to be held today. Since these early days, International Women’s Day has continued to grow. It is a day to celebrate women’s achievements and both highlight and work to address barriers that continue to perpetuate gender inequality.

International Women’s Day today 

International Women’s Day has become a time to reflect on progress, to call for change and to celebrate the courage and determination of the women who changed history, and those who will advance gender equality into the future. International Women’s Day is an occasion to review how far women have come in their struggle for equality, peace and development. It is also an opportunity to unite, network and mobilise for meaningful change.

No country in the world has achieved gender equality. International Women’s Day puts the spotlight on global issues that perpetuate gender inequality and highlights actions we can all take on the path to a gender equal world.

As we continue to move through this season of Lent towards the death and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ, I offer this prayer for all families:

Trusting that God knows all our needs, we pray:

Have mercy, O God, in your kindness.

For peace among the world’s nations and peoples, we pray:

Have mercy, O God, in your kindness.

For the gift of prayer among God’s people, we pray:

Have mercy, O God, in your kindness.

For those who are frightened, poor and hungry, we pray:

Have mercy, O God, in your kindness.

For those searching for hope and meaning, we pray:

Have mercy, O God, in your kindness.

For all who have died, and for all who mourn, we pray:

Have mercy, O God, in your kindness.

God of life and all that is good,

We long for you and seek to know the way that leads to you.                             

Open our hearts to welcome the message of Jesus

And so receive the life he brings,

For he lives and reigns forever and ever.

Amen.

JENNIFER FOLDES
PRINCIPAL

FROM THE DEPUTY PRINCIPAL'S DESK

NAPLAN:

This week some of our students will be sitting the NAPLAN tests. NAPLAN is a Literacy and Numeracy test that all students across Australia participate in when they reach Year 3, 5, 7 and 9. 

NAPLAN is now an online adaptive test with the exception of Year 3 writing. NAPLAN online reading, numeracy and conventions of language use a tailored test design. The tests automatically adapt to a student’s test performance and ask questions that match the student’s achievement level. Tailored testing allows all students to demonstrate their knowledge and encourages students to stay engaged with the test. Tailored testing also provides teachers and schools access to more targeted and detailed information on students’ performance in the assessment. 

Selected students in Years 3, 5, 7 & 9 will be completing the test at various times across the next week.

UNWELL STUDENTS AT SCHOOL:

As we approach the cooler months we will also see the students experience periods of sickness. It is very important for the health and safety of all students and staff by keeping sick children home when they are unwell.

By keeping your child at home when they are unwell you are:

Preventing Spread of Illness: Sick children can easily spread germs to other students and staff members, leading to outbreaks of illnesses within the school community. By keeping sick children home, we can minimize the risk of contagious diseases spreading and protect the health of everyone in the school.

Ensuring a Faster Recovery: Rest is essential for a speedy recovery from illness. By allowing sick children to stay home and rest, they can recover more quickly and return to school when they are fully healthy, ready to participate in learning activities without compromising their well-being.

Protecting Vulnerable Individuals: Some students and staff members may have compromised immune systems or underlying health conditions that make them more susceptible to severe illness. Keeping sick children home helps protect these vulnerable individuals from potentially serious health risks.

Maintaining a Positive Learning Environment: A classroom filled with healthy, engaged students is conducive to effective teaching and learning. When sick children attend school, they may be too unwell to participate fully in class activities, disrupting the learning environment for themselves and others.

DROP OFF AND PICK UP SAFETY:

School grounds must be safe for all students, staff and visitors. Drop off and pick up times are extremely busy times at Mater Dei, with pedestrians and vehicles moving around in front of the school, including a large fleet of Assisted Travel vehicles. It is extremely important that the safety of our students is considered at all times.

We can all be responsible for the safety of ourselves and others by:

• Ensuring all vehicles adhere to the displayed speed limit at all times and take special care when driving on school grounds. 
• Turn off car engines when students are entering or exiting cars
• Ensure plenty of time for your schedule for drop off and pick up, remembering school begins at 9am

Thank you for keeping Mater Dei a safe place for all!

Road Safety Quiz!

Trafficquiz.com is a free-to use website developed with the aim of spreading awareness regarding traffic rules and road safety rules. Through trafficquiz.com, students can learn and test their knowledge about traffic and road safety rules in an entertaining way, i.e., by playing quizzes. Teachers and parents can also use trafficquiz.com regularly to refresh their knowledge about traffic, road safety, and child safety rules. School bus drivers can also regularly use it to learn and be conscious about following traffic rules. The benefit of being online is that trafficquiz.com can be used anytime, anywhere, on any device.

You can take your child through a fun quiz to support their knowledge of the road and being safe around cars.

The links are as follows:

1.   For Age group (5 to 9 years):

 https://trafficquiz.com/road-safety-quiz-junior-level-1/

1.   For Age group (10 to 15 years):

https://trafficquiz.com/road-safety-quiz-secondary-level-1/

TONI SILLIS
DEPUTY PRINCIPAL

SCHOOL NEWS

MISSION & VISION

Lent

We are now well into the season of Lent - a time for us to prepare for Easter and the rising of God to new life.

​​This period of Lent is also about acknowledging and working through  the sufferings that may be present in our lives. When you think about it there cannot be  new life, or changes cannot be made, without some suffering along the way. With all that is happening across our world community, we are certainly confronted with heart wrenching images of suffering.

Richard Rohr, Franciscan priest and writer from Albuquerque, New Mexico, writes about suffering allowing us to contemplate on how suffering may be seen in our own lives.

Something worth suffering for

Lent, the liturgical year shows us, is about the holiness that suffering can bring. It is about bringing good where evil has been, about bringing love where hate has been. It is about the transformation of the base to the beautiful…

…no one escapes suffering. It is part of the rhythm of life, part of the process of living. The question, then, is, for what are we willing to suffer?

Think about this: The suffering of one person cannot be judged as any greater or any more real than the suffering of another. Your suffering is yours and mine is mine. They are two different things but nonetheless important for both of us. It is in acknowledging the suffering of another that I am able to bring new life to them and may they bring it to me.

CURRICULUM

MATHEMATICS

Miss Duffy has been accessing the new Mathematics Syllabus 3-6 for planning and teaching her 3/4McCabe class. The students have been focusing on representing numbers using place value. Miss Duffy guides the students to understand the size of numbers and how the numbers can be represented in different ways by numeral writing and using manipulatives such as counters. A key learning point is the importance of zero and its place value within a three digit number. Students spend time manipulating numbers and sharing their knowledge of what comes before and after.

SPORTS NEWS

REPRESENTATIVE SWIMMING:

Primary: On Wednesday 28 February, we had three students represent Mater Dei at the Wollongong Diocese Western Region Swimming Championships, at the Gordon Fetterplace Aquatic Centre at Bradbury. Joshua, Marco and Isaac, all swam really well taking away a handful of ribbons each.

Secondary: On Wednesday 6 March, we had seven students represent Mater Dei at the Wollongong Diocesan Secondary Swimming Championships at Corrimal. The students performed well. Special mention to Maya, Aidan and Justin who have been selected to represent the Wollongong Diocese at the Combined Catholic College Championships in April. Maya was awarded Senior Multi Class Female Swimmer of the Meet. The students who represented Mater Dei were Justin, Zack, Maya, Nate, Ian, Charbel and Aidan.

REPRESENTATIVE CROSS COUNTRY:

Secondary: On Thursday 29 February, we took four students to compete in the St Benedict’s Cross Country at the Mount Annan Botanic Gardens. It was a hot day and the students ran a 3km course. All four students qualified for the Wollongong Diocese Cross Country Championships which will be held in May, in Nowra.

SWIMMING CARNIVAL:

On Friday 1 March, we held our Annual Year three to twelve Swimming Carnival at Mount Annan Leisure Centre. It was a great day, with all students being offered the opportunity to participate in both the 25m Freestyle and 25m Backstroke. The students loved being cheered on by both their fellow students and their families and friends. Students from Magdalene Catholic College assisted in both the pool and with the awarding of wristbands.

WELLBEING

As part of our in-class therapy model our staff have been working in partnership with the occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists from NextPath Assessment and Therapy. This collaboration between the school and allied health therapists ensures that we are able to create an inclusive, supportive, and effective learning environment that addresses the diverse needs of all our students. This partnership between school staff and therapists enhances the overall educational experience and contributes to the success and wellbeing of our students.

MATER DEI SITE IMPROVEMENTS

Recently, work has been completed across the Mater Dei site. These works have included:

Chapel Interior Transformation:

The Chapel received a renewed appearance with internal painting, installation of new carpet to the choir loft, and resealing of the floors. This rejuvenation enhances the sacred space for our community.

Early Childhood Outdoor Learning Environment Upgrade:

Highlighting  the importance of early childhood education, we've refreshed the outdoor learning environment. The refreshed space fosters creativity, exploration, and outdoor play, enriching the educational experience for our youngest learners.

Infants Playground Upgrade:

We're excited to introduce a new trampoline and decking area in tine infants' playground. We have also installed buddy benches which were generously donated by the students at Stella Maris College.

Wivenhoe Entry Area Revamp

The entry area to Wivenhoe has undergone a fresh coat of paint, welcoming our Continuous Learning participants, staff, and visitors.

Buddy Bench 

Our students are enjoying the new Buddy Bench and it is a wonderful addition to our lovely playground.  

IMPORTANT REMINDERS

YEAR 10 VACCINATIONS

Tomorrow, 13 March 2024 students In Year 10, will be offered the meningococcal ACWY vaccine. Students that are having the vaccine are to wear their sports uniform to school.

Please ensure that you have provided  online consent for this routine school vaccinations. Vaccination will only be provided at school if consent has been received. 

To provide consent visit  https://nexus.health.nsw.gov.au/ 

For more information about how to provide online consent visit 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. Please request this from using your child’s school diary.

BLAZER FITTINGS & ORDERS - Secondary 

Year 7 Students

The Mater Dei School blazer is a compulsory item of the secondary winter uniform.  This year, blazer fittings for students in Year 7 will take place on site at Mater Dei School by the Yeronga Uniforms team Thursday, 14 March 2024.

Details of the size the student requires will be written in the students diary, together with payment and ordering details for Yeronga Uniforms.

Year 8 to 12 Students

Any student wishing to order a new blazer, please advise via the school diary asap so that the student can be fitted next Thursday.

WORLD MATHS DAY

Student only event, on-site Friday 22 March.

EASTER EGG RAFFLE

Feel free to share the Easter Egg Raffle link with your families and friends. 

The raffle will be drawn on Friday 22 March at 9:30am.

Easter Egg donation week continues until Friday 14 March. 

Please only send your donations this week.

Good luck to everyone who purchases tickets and we thank you in anticipation of your support!

P&F ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM)

2024 SCHOOL DROP OFF / PICK UP PROCEDURES

2024 IMPORTANT DATES

EVENTS

SPELD NSW

On Monday 26 February 2024 Kindergarten to Year 6 teachers and teacher assistants participated in a whole day of professional learning presented by SPELD NSW. 

SPELD NSW is a not-for-profit organisation offering support, assistance and advice to children and adults with specific learning difficulties, their families, tutors, teachers and schools. 

The focus for the day was on the new English Syllabus and how teachers can organise their literacy sessions to include the essential elements from the syllabus including reading, spelling, handwriting and writing. 

Teachers and Teacher Assistants were supported in understanding the key metalanguage of the new NSW English Syllabus and explored practical examples of expliciting teaching content and skills for English.

DISABILITY STANDARDS FOR EDUCATION

The Disability Standards for Education (DSE) 2005 (‘the Standards’) clarify, and make more explicit, the obligations of education providers under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) and the rights of people with disability in relation to education. 

The Standards provide a framework to ensure that students with disability are able to access and participate in education on the same basis as other students. 

Recently, all school staff completed a refresher module to maintain awareness and obligations.

MATER DEI GOLF DAY

The sun shone last Friday for our Annual Mater Dei Charity Golf Day, which celebrated its 30^th Anniversary.

With a full compliment of teams playing, and many of our sponsors and supporters returning for another year, it was a fantastic day.

Our School Captains, Torey and Trey accompanied by School Principal Ms Foldes, were wonderful ambassadors greeting the golfers and it was also lovely to have Jack, last years School Captain, in attendance as a volunteer with the NextPath Continuous Learning program. 

The trophy for the winning team found a new home this year, going to Wakeling Automotive team A, which is fitting as they are one of the Golf Day’s inaugural sponsors.

Golf was followed by lunch and presentations where the Golf Day Committee presented Mater Dei CEO, Mr Cleary with a cheque acknowledging the total funds raised of $128,000.

Thank you to our delightful parent helpers for volunteering their time, our School Captains and staff and all the sponsors and supporters for their generosity.  

MAISY'S CORNER

Through the use of Maisy, our school wellbeing dog, we aim to create a calm and positive learning environment for our students. Maisy is a positive influence for students that is used to motivate and regulate our students while providing opportunities for positive interactions and emotional support.

Interacting with a friendly dog has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety levels. The presence of Maisy at our school creates a calming and comforting atmosphere, especially during challenging or high-stress times.

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)

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

ATTENDANCE EXEMPTION FORMS 
Any families who wish to apply for attendance exemptions to attend therapy services in 2024, please download the Application for Leave Exemption form on Compass, complete and return to schooladmin@materdei.org.au 

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