Dear Parents/Carers,

Welcome to the first days of Spring. I know that many of us are ready to leave wintry weather behind and take advantage of the balmy days that lie ahead.

Thank you to our Mater Dei families for your wonderful support during this period of remote learning. We appreciate your commitment to overseeing learning at home and again remind you to reach out to our staff if we can assist in any way. Your feedback about the flexible approach to the Wellbeing/Choice day scheduled each fortnight has been overwhelmingly positive. Families have appreciated the acknowledgement of the day to day pressures many are facing, especially those with younger siblings, limited bandwidth and learners who work at a slower pace. That time to “take a breath” is an opportunity to focus on wellbeing and self care. Of course, students can continue independent learning on the day if that is the preference. Monday, 6 September is a designated Wellbeing/Choice Day. Homegroup will commence at the usual time of 8.45am via zoom and is the only scheduled activity for that day.

As this newsletter is being published, we are unable to provide any further update about the plan for learning in the last week of term. It is our greatest hope that we will all be on site in Week 10 but like everyone else, we are awaiting advice from NSW Health about the opening up of our region. Updated dated information will be shared via Compass as it becomes available.

In preparation for the return to site and HSC exams, CEDWW has arranged Pfizer vaccinations for Year 12's next week. Thank you to CEDWW and Glenrock Country Practice for helping to keep our graduating class safe.

NESA has advised that the HSC will now commence later on 9 November and a new examination timetable will be released in early September. Once this has been received, we will be more able to confirm the final arrangements for the Year 12 Graduation, with any gathering ultimately dependent upon COVID requirements.

Year 11 have concluded their Preliminary Course, with the lockdown preventing the scheduled examinations. The cohort are commencing the HSC Course early to maximise the use of available learning time prior to the end of term.

Year 12 Exit Survey

Year 12 students completed the survey on Tuesday morning. Thank you to parents/carers who have completed the online survey. A reminder that it closes tomorrow, Friday 3 September.

RUOK Day and Child Protection Week

Both RUOK Day on 9 September and Child Protection Week provide us all with a reminder about the importance of safety and wellbeing for the young people in our care. As well as focusing on their safety, there is an even more pressing need for us to collectively monitor, support and care for our young people during these COVID times.

The following information is a timely reminder of our responsibilities:

Young people’s mental health is influenced by many factors. Throughout anybody’s life course there are a range of influences and events – both positive and negative – that impact an individual’s mental health. These influences and events are known as risk and protective factors.

Risk factors increase the likelihood that children will experience mental health problems, and protective factors decrease the likelihood even when risk factors are present.

What are Mental Health Risk Factors?

Risk factors for young people’s mental health and wellbeing increase the likelihood of mental health issues developing during childhood and beyond. These include internal (biological and psychological), family or environmental characteristics, and experiences that challenge social and emotional wellbeing.

Protective Factors for Young People’s Mental Health

Protective factors decrease the likelihood of mental health issues and build and maintain resilience, even when risk factors are present. Enhancing individual, family and environmental protective factors means children are less likely to be vulnerable because they receive the acceptance, warmth and support required for learning, social and emotional development, and resilience.

What we can do is focus our effort and attention on protective factors. For example, we might seek to improve our physical health, we can be more active in our community, put time into our relationships and practice mindfulness to increase our emotional competence. When we increase our own protective factors, we will then be able to help those in our families, College and communities increase their protective factors and strive for better wellbeing.

We place a high priority on student safety and wellbeing. During these COVID times and especially throughout periods of home learning the College has put into place processes to support our students in a holistic way. These include access to our College Counsellor Ms Emma Shearer as well as contact with House Leaders and specialist staff at Mater Dei.

Celebrating Father’s Day on Sunday 5 September

Happy Fathers’ Day to all our dads. We thank God for the gift of fathers and those who nurture and guide in a fatherly way and pray:

God our father, we give you thanks and praise for fathers young and old.

We pray for young fathers, newly embracing their vocation; may they find courage and perseverance to balance work, family and faith in joy and sacrifice.

We pray for our own fathers around the world whose children are lost or suffering; may they know that the god of compassion walks with them in their sorrow.

We pray for men who are not fathers but still mentor and guide us with fatherly love and advice.

We remember fathers, grandfather, and great grandfathers who are no longer with us but who live forever in our memory and nourish us with their love. Amen.

Appointment of New Parish Priest at Sacred Heart Kooringal

Fr John recently made the following announcement to parishioners:

We are pleased to announce Fr Joel Wallace currently of St Patrick's Albury, will be the Parish Priest of Kooringal commencing 19 January, 2022. In addition to Kooringal Parish, Fr Wallace will be Moderator of the Curia and will drive one of the Diocesan Pastoral priorities. To enable this to happen, an Assistant Priest will also be stationed at Kooringal.

We look forward to welcoming Fr Joel and to thanking Fr John for his much appreciated contribution to our College before he departs at the end of 2021.

Commencement of Term 4

There is no Staff Professional Learning Day to begin Term 4. Students and Staff return on Tuesday, 5 October (presuming we are not in lockdown) as Monday 4 October is a Public Holiday.

Please keep all our students, families and especially dads in your prayers as they manage the day to day challenges of remote learning. In a special way please pray for our Year 12 students whose practical/performance assessments and last weeks of study in the HSC Course have been impacted by the lockdown. We pray that they receive some certainty about their upcoming HSC examinations soon and for their calm and focused preparations.

Mrs Val Thomas | Principal

Academic Care and Wellbeing