CLEF

CLEF is a new Year 9 program, designed at Mater Dei to suit the needs of our students. Each term the course focuses on one of the pillars - Community, Learning, Elective and Formation - to educate the whole person, and to develop knowledge and skills that can be integrated and transferred into other areas of the curriculum and students’ lives.

TERM 1 in CLEF: Formation

Our Term 1 program ‘Good People’ culminated in the Year 9 Community Building Retreats. Throughout the term we focused on developing our practical understanding of virtuous behaviour - demonstrating fortitude, justice, temperance and prudence in everyday life. 

Students worked in tribes to build stronger connections and to take on a variety of challenges, including trust, leadership, creativity, humility and grit. All our activities were based on a foundation of psychological safety and authenticity. We were also thrilled to welcome Tommy Herschell from "Find Ya Feet" to speak with both Year 9 girls and boys. Tommy helped students appreciate that everyone has their own “stuff”, so we need to speak up and hold out a hand to those in need of help. 

Student Feedback from the program has been very positive: 94% of students felt they personally benefited from the "Good People" program, with students saying “our year group has come a long way” by being “more including of each other”, “more comfortable” and “more friendly”. One student noted, “we have all come together and I feel like I can sit with anyone and be able to have a conversation with them”.

TERM 2 in CLEF: Community

For the ‘Community’ pillar, students are engaged in Project Wagga.  We are looking at the Wagga community - including the parts outside of our own bubbles. To do this, we have been fortunate to have fantastic guest speakers from various organisations including St Vincent de Paul, the NSW Reconstruction Agency, and the Multicultural Council of Wagga Wagga, as well as a Social Worker and an Aboriginal Mental Health worker. 

Students are taking inspiration from these people to dive deeper into the issues, and to identify practical ways that individuals in the Mater Dei community can make a difference. Using the design process, pairs will design and prototype their idea, and then pitch it to a judging panel. 

18 CLEF students also had the opportunity to contribute to Wagga Wagga City Council youth policy consultations.  Our students shared valuable ideas about how young people engage with the community, explore local spaces and discover opportunities. Council staff were delighted and grateful for their thoughtful contributions. 

We look forward to sharing the results of Project Wagga, as well as more information about the Learning and Elective programs, later in the year.

Ms Anna O’Brien | Leader of Learning - Data and Pedagogy