Academic Care and Wellbeing
Following 2 Transition Days to begin their Mater Dei journey, Year 7 students have settled in well. They engaged in a range of activities that stretched them academically and socially and they rose to every challenge.
They have been asking great questions, seem confident with technology and have made new friends including senior students in their Houses.
We know that parents might also need some help transitioning a child to High School and at the College there are a number of supports in place.
Please don’t hesitate to contact the College if you have any questions or concerns. The first point of contact for each child is their Homegroup teacher which is shown on their timetable. House Leaders are also available to assist with all academic care and wellbeing concerns. Please see below contact details:
As much of the College's communication is digital, please reach out if IT support is required. mdcc-helpdesk@ww.catholic.edu.au
Some Key Reminders For Parents/Carers and Students:
- School starts at 8:45am and parents/carers will get a notification if a student is late or absent. All absences must be explained using Compass or contacting the College office.
- Homegroup teachers will speak to any students who are not following the uniform and Appearance policy (which can be found on the College website) and will record whether they have received a note from parents or not. Parents will then receive a notification of this record. For any assistance with uniforms, please contact a Homegroup teacher or House Leader.
- It is recommend that each student's name be clearly labelled on all items of clothing and personal property.
- Students who are buying lunch from the Cafe or Canteen must fill in an order form before school. Orders can be made between 8.20am and 8.45am. The College suggests that all students bring their own water bottle to school to fill up at our bottle stations.
- Finally, please ensure your child is charging their laptop every evening, storing it in the hard case for protection, and if there are any faults or breakages, the laptop must be given to the IT team for solutions.
Reminders About Student Drop Off and Pick Up
Parents/carers are reminded that the only location for drop off and pick up is at the front of the College in the designated drop off area in Plunkett Drive. Drop off and pick up are not permitted in the turning circle and Police frequently monitor this area. As well, access to the back lane (from the Primary School car park) is not available to parents/carers at any time.
Student Attendance
Catholic Education Diocese of Wagga Wagga (CEDWW) remind parents of the following requirements around student attendance:
What if my child has to be away from school?
On occasion, your child may need to be absent from school. Justified reasons for student absences may include:
- being sick or having an infectious disease
- having an unavoidable medical appointment
- being required to attend a recognised religious holiday
- exceptional or urgent family circumstance (e.g. attending a funeral)
Following an absence from school, you must ensure that within 7 days, you provide your child’s school with a verbal or written explanation for the absence. This can be via Compass or by phone, email or in written form. Parents will receive a Compass notification with a link for parents to provide this information in Compass.
Principals may decline to accept an explanation that you have provided if they do not believe the absence is in the best interest of your child. In these circumstances, your child’s absence would be recorded as unjustified. When this happens, the principal will discuss their decision with you and the reasons why.
Principals may request medical certificates or other documentation when frequent or long-term absences are explained as being due to illness. Principals may also seek parental permission to speak with medical specialists to obtain information to collaboratively develop a health care plan to support your child. If the request is denied, the principal can record the absences as unjustified.
Free Webinar - Wellbeing Boost Self Care for Parents
Free seminar Centacare is running on Thursday 14 March, 5:30pm – 7pm. This webinar will focus on giving parents practical skills on how to support self-care when raising children, the importance of self-compassion and the relationship between parenting and patience. Please see the flyer here.
Ms Melanie Cramp | Leader of Students