We are approaching the middle weeks of the term. Despite the lingering impact of COVID across our student cohorts and staff, many of our traditional Term 2 events and activities are taking place, albeit in a condensed or modified form, if that is required. As a community, we are learning to very agile and flexible as COVID impacts team numbers in inter school sporting events, our College Musical and day to day teacher availability.

It is certainly a challenge and I am very proud of the professionalism and dedication shown by our staff, who are going above and beyond every day to ensure learning continuity. I am equally proud of our students, who are responding with patience and understanding when changes to plans are required. They continue to work with their teachers with a strong commitment to learning.

Lastly, I thank our parent community for your continued support during these unprecedented times. We were delighted to have Year 12 parents join their sons and daughters for breakfast with the staff earlier this month. We have missed having parents on site as partners in their children's education and were so appreciative of the large turnout for breakfast in the cafe, signalling at least some return to the "normality" we enjoyed regularly before COVID 19 turned our world upside down.

Celebrating The Easter Season

Fortunately, in these times of change we can turn to our faith with its celebrations and seasons and find comfort in its constancy. We are in the midst of Eastertide or the Easter Season, the period of fifty days from Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday.

It's a time to remember that Jesus wasn't in a rush to ascend, but that he spent time appearing to his disciples and preparing them for Pentecost. This is an extended time, then. to joyfully celebrate the resurrection. After all, the resurrection changes everything. St. Paul even writes, “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:14). Easter is a big deal. Consider what Pope John Paul II said,

“Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song.”

And in these times, as we anticipate life after COVID, we all benefit from cultivating all the joy we can. In a world abundant with uncertainty and confusion, the surprising, unexpected joy of the resurrection can be our antidote. Using the words of the American author Lysa TerKeurst, we pray:

He has risen. God, the fact that Jesus is risen

should lift my head, my heart and my attitude.

Help me to live today as if I really believe this

With every part of my life. Amen.

NAPLAN and Its Value in Guiding Learning

NAPLAN 2022 is officially over and we, like every other school community in Australia, will await the test results next term. Many parents/carers will have experienced the media frenzy around the tests and the desire in some quarters to highlight NAPLAN’s capacity to compare schools and quantify student achievement; but this focus diverts attention from the real function of the tests, which is to offer another set of data to schools to assist their analysis of what is working well with learning and to identify priority areas for improving learning.

At Mater Dei, we focus on improving student learning outcomes and student engagement on an ongoing basis so NAPLAN results just represent one of many ways that we use data and evidence to inform teaching and learning. The National School Improvement Agenda, which is a core part of our improvement frame, points to the need to be explicit with our improvement goals.

Our results at Mater Dei are strong in external testing, with HSC performance across a range of rigorous courses consistently above state average, year after year. However, we are always focused on further improving student achievement and results.

We know that the best ways to support learners include adopting a consistent approach to learning across all years and subject areas and our teachers work in teaching teams to achieve this goal. We have had the benefit of expertise from our College’s Leaders of Learning, who bring specialised knowledge to strengthening cross curricular focus areas such as literacy and numeracy. This focus is a part of the two year system project to improve writing skills. Utilising the expertise of our Literacy Instructional Teachers Mrs Larkin and Mrs Lutze, the Leader of Pedagogy Mrs Sadler, has led the KLA teams in collaboratively building their professional knowledge and teaching skills.

NAPLAN analysis forms a part of this focus. The College receives a comprehensive report package each year for Year 7 and Year 9 from NESA and this allows data to be analysed within and across Year Groups. NAPLAN is valuable as one of many tools used at Mater Dei to improve the learning outcomes for all students so that they are well prepared to meet the demands of the curriculum today and in their world as next generation learners.

Rock of Ages

Final preparations for our Musical are underway and the creative talents of our students can be enjoyed from Opening Night on 20 May through to the final performance on 28 May at the Civic Theatre.

I am indebted to the staff who have given their expertise, energy and vast amounts of time to its preparation and invite all our families to come along and be entertained by the talented cast as they showcase their musical, dance, acting and production skills. We wish everyone involved all the best for the 'Rock of Ages' Musical. A full report will be provided in an upcoming edition of the Newsletter.

Sport News

Wishing our Open Girls Tracey Gunson netball team all the best in the upcoming final next Tuesday against TRAC. Best of luck also to our junior girls who will play off for 3rd and 4th position.

An exciting match will take place next Wednesday for the Carroll Cup. Our senior boys will play off against an inform Kildare team. Best of luck also to our Open's Girls AFL and Currie Cup Teams as they progress through the competition.

Prayers Please

We keep the members of our College community who are unwell in our prayers and ask God to heal and comfort them. In this month of May we pray that Mary, our spiritual Mother and patron of our College, guides and protects us all.

Mrs Val Thomas | Principal

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