Principal's Message

Welcome to our final term for 2015, which is a vital time for all students to focus on realising their  learning goals for this year. In the lead up to Semester 2 Examinations, I encourage all students to commence the term with a strong commitment to their class work, assessments and home study. The beginning of Term 4 is an excellent time to review study organisation and timetables and Homegroup and class teachers are available to provide individual support to students in these areas. 

In Year 7, Student Led Learning Conferences are taking place this week, as a culmination of a process that has been developed throughout the year. Traditionally, teachers lead Parent/Teacher meetings to report on student learning but in this approach it is the students who take a lead role in reflecting on their learning and communicating their strengths and the areas for improvement in their learning.

A key feature of each Conference is the capacity of the student to confidently articulate their own awareness of their learning. This invaluable skill allows students to give feedback on their learning in many forms and contexts within small groups with peers, in class and year groups and through formal meetings such as this week’s Conferences, where both parents and the teacher are present.

Organised by the Year 7 TED Team as a part of the ConnecTED Learning Program, the Student Led Learning Conferences are an example of the College’s ongoing commitment to placing each student at the heart of their learning. This reflects contemporary educational research which shows that developing a student’s understanding of how they learn best, results in greater awareness, engagement, capacity and commitment to lifelong learning.

At the same time as Year 7 are reflecting on their learning, our Year 12 students are focused on the final phase of their secondary education with the HSC Examinations began this week. Please keep our Year 12 students in your prayers during these coming weeks. I have copied the prayer created by Ms Michel and sent to all Year 12 students from the College Leadership Team last week, as they were making final preparations for the examination period:

Heavenly God,  

Let us especially pray for the young men and women of Mater Dei Catholic College as they begin the Higher School Certificate.  

Let your Holy Spirit be with them as they prepare for exams, guiding their studies, and giving them insight so that they can perform to the best of their ability. 

Please grant them the strength to handle the pressure of these final days, the confidence to feel secure in their knowledge, and the ability to keep an appropriate perspective through it all. Give them calm hearts and quiet confidence in the knowledge that you hold them in the palm of your hand.  

Help them to keep in mind what is truly important, even as they focus time and energy on these exams. Finally, may they sense your peace in knowing that they applied themselves to the challenges of this day. 

We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen. 

Mt Erin Boarding Captain 2016

Congratulations to Georgina Grant, who has been appointed as Boarding Captain at Mt Erin Boarding School in 2016. Georgina will be installed into her leadership position with the 2016 House Captains and College Captains.

 Families and ‘The Joy of the Gospel’

Families are a great source of support and joy. Through the XIV Ordinary Synod of Bishops this month, Pope Francis reminds us of the importance of families and family life as he gathers with Bishops from around the world to discuss issues facing the Church. The Pope sees sharing ‘the joy of the Gospel’ as both affirming the goodness of faith-filled families and welcoming in a non-judgemental manner those who live outside these families.  His words capture the importance of families:

“God chose to come into the world in a human family in a remote village of the Roman Empire”, and the first 30 years of his life were spent in the mundane things of family life. “Our society might say, ‘What a waste!’ But what was important there was the family! And this is not a waste! Each Christian family can first of all – as Mary and Joseph did – welcome Jesus, listen to him, speak with him, guard him, protect him, grow with him; and in this way improve the world”. - Pope Francis

Love is our mission … the only way we can be fully alive and be who we were created to be. This love should be taught, shared and communicated in and through the family, the domestic church (Catechesis, VIII World Meeting of Families 2015)

May God bless our Mater Dei families as this new term begins and walk with them through the joys and the challenges that lie ahead.

Mrs Val Thomas

Principal