"Mater Dei Matters"

Principal's Address

Welcome back to Term 3. 

I hope that all our families have enjoyed a relaxing break and stayed COVID safe. 

We received advice from CS NSW last week encouraging school communities to be vigilant with handwashing/sanitising, physical distancing where possible and RAT test and stay home with symptom respiratory illness. Wearing a mask on site is also strongly encouraged. 

 

At this stage, we are still able to hold gatherings on site and it was wonderful to have Year 10 parents at the College last week for the Year 11 2023 Subject Selection Night, mentors here for our Girls’ STEM High Team and invited guests present on site for the Founders' Day Mass this week. We also look forward to hosting the NEAA National Student Conference at Mater Dei next month.

 

As we navigate life during these COVID times, one constant is our commitment to fostering strong communication between home and school. We are grateful to our families for attending the face to face meetings/events that we can take hold and for being actively involved in College life through other important ways such as zoom meetings, emails, phone calls and responding to Compass notifications. In response to parent/carer queries about who to contact with a question or concern, I am re-publishing the link to the College Guidelines here. This flowchart sets out the Lines of Communication for all areas of College life. Please do not hesitate to contact the appropriate staff if necessary.

 

Congratulations To Semester 1 Award Winners

Last Tuesday students who achieved outstanding academic results in Semester 1 were recognised. I would like to congratulate those students whose grades and efforts were acknowledged. At Mater Dei we place a high priority on strengthening student achievement and fostering a love of learning and engagement with each course of study. The follow ‘learning tips’ capture the characteristics of successful learners:

  1. Successful students persist. They concentrate on the task and work on it until they have completed it successfully. They ask for help when they get stuck.
  2. Successful students have self-control. They act thoughtfully.
  3. Successful students listen with understanding. They are open to hearing another point of view.
  4. Successful students think flexibly. They are able to view a situation from many perspectives and their minds are open to change. 
  5. Successful students use problem-solving and decision-making skills. They can make a plan, monitor their thinking, evaluate their progress and work out new ways to proceed and learn.
  6. Successful students strive for accuracy and precision. They know what level they need to reach and are not satisfied with sloppy work.
  7. Successful students ask questions. They are curious and seek evidence. They analyse ideas. They use lots of strategies to solve problems.
  8. Successful students think and communicate clearly and accurately, both in speech and in writing. They avoid dismissing new ideas.
  9. Successful students create, imagine and innovate. They look for different ideas and can think of original ideas of their own.
  10. Successful students respond with wonderment and awe. They are fascinated with the world around them and are open to discovering new things.
  11. Successful students co-operate. They know how to work together with others.
  12. Successful students are open to continual learning. They admit when they do not know something and are eager to find out. They are always growing and learning.

This is a time for all students to reflect on the achievements of Semester 1 and to make a recommitment to goals set earlier in the year. The Semester 1 Reports provide clear areas of focus for improving results in each course of study. Research shows that student learning outcomes are improved when parents and teachers work in partnership to support learning. We know that parents play a vital role in complementing and reinforcing classroom learning by encouraging their children to develop effective research, organisation skills and self-discipline and study habits. Thank you for your support during these tough times. 

 

Celebrating our Foundation and Spirit

Last Tuesday’s Founders Day Mass, which was celebrated by Fr Paddy, was a beautiful recognition of the heritage of the Presentation Sisters and Christian Brothers and the formative role that both have played in developing our Mater Dei spirit. 

 

The College received the following message from the Director CEDWW in acknowledgment of this special day;

 

Dear Staff and Students of Mater Dei Catholic College, 

 

On behalf of Catholic Education Diocese of Wagga Wagga I wish you all a wonderful day as you celebrate MDCC Founders Day. 

I hope it is a day of great celebration and reflection of the work of both Nano (Presentation Sisters) Blessed Edmund Rice (Christian Brothers).

 

Dr Andrew Watson 

Director of Catholic Education 

 

We give thanks for the role of all men and women who have contributed to Catholic education and especially those whose spirit has breathed life into our Mater Dei community.

 

We pray that all who lead and learn, 

All who teach and serve,

Those who seek goodness, truth and beauty

Will know great inspiration, caring community

 And deep, abiding hope. 

May we all continue to respond steadfastly each day 

To the call that our founders heard to be people of action in love and mercy.

Through Christ our Lord we pray. Amen.

 

We were grateful to have a number of Sisters with us on Tuesday morning for the liturgy. A special part of the celebration was the launch of the new College Reflection Walk, which pays tribute to our founders and the spirit that Venerable Nano Nagle and Blessed Edmund Rice have brought to our College since its foundation. Arranged as a journey through the College site, the Reflection Walk encompasses six stations:

  • Oak Tree - this is a special symbol shared by all Presentation Heritage Schools
  • Mural - created by staff and students, this impressive painting traces the story of the founders and their two Religious Orders to Mater Dei
  • A’flame For the Future - this garden sculpture captures the theme of the NEAA National Student Conference to be hosted by Mater Dei in August and is a visual reminder of the call to be “people of the lantern”.
  • Celtic Cross - created on site by staff and students, this imposing cross stands proudly in the central courtyard as a focal point for the community
  • Wiradjuri Garden - the beautiful garden and its totems are a visible connection to the traditional lands and the dreaming; calling us all to be people of Reconciliation in the footsteps of the Sisters and Brothers.
  • Marian Centre - the icons of Nano and Edmund in the Marian Centre are a point of reflection and contemplation and a call to entwine their spirit into the everyday of our own lives.

The six stations include information, prayers, reflections, songs and stories, which are accessed through a QR code.

 

I thank all who have been a part of its creation; a fine tribute to our Founders and their spirit which remains an integral part of our College today.

 

On Tuesday afternoon, the celebration of Mater Dei Day was a fun filled Homegroup trivia experience and enjoyed by staff and students alike.

 

Year 11 Enrolments for 2023

The Year 11 2023 Subject Selection Evening was well attended by students and parents alike. It was wonderful to have parents with us in the hall after an absence for so long due to COVID.

 

Enrolment interviews for new students to Year 11 next year are underway and are scheduled now to ensure that incoming students have the opportunity to participate in the Year 11 Course Selection processes at the same time as our Year 10 students. 

 

Prospective families for Year 11 are asked to contact the College as soon as possible to ensure that they are included in this process. There are limited places in some other year groups for 2023 and applications should be submitted now.

 

 

Mrs Val Thomas | Principal