Illuminating Possibilities Framework

This week, we had the pleasure of meeting the Prep families for 2025. During our presentation, we introduced the exciting “Illuminating Possibilities Framework.” This framework is the result of our dedicated efforts this year to reflect on our Strategic Improvement Plan 2021-2024 and draft the new Strategic Improvement Plan 2025-2028. 

The framework is built on the core pillars of our school: our Vision and the Teaching and Learning Framework. It also incorporates our new Wellbeing Framework, which will significantly influence how we engage students in their learning, address their social-emotional needs, and provide behavior support. 

Our Wellbeing Framework is designed to inspire hearts and minds within a connected learning community. It underscores our commitment to the holistic wellbeing of our students, staff, and community, ensuring that we all grow and thrive together. 

Stay tuned for more information as we roll out this framework in 2025, alongside the launch of our Strategic Improvement Plan 2025-2028. Exciting times are ahead! 

School Events

Firstly, we would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who volunteered their time and talents to make our Kids in Space Musical a spectacular success. The dedication and enthusiasm of our students, teachers, and parent volunteers were truly inspiring.

Additionally, our Mater Dei Long Lunch was a remarkable event, thanks to the tireless efforts of our volunteers. Your commitment to organizing and executing such a delightful gathering is deeply appreciated. The Long Lunch not only provided a wonderful opportunity for fellowship but also helped raise funds for our reading resources.

To all our volunteers, please know that your contributions do not go unnoticed. Your willingness to give your time and energy makes a significant difference in the lives of our students and the overall vibrancy of our school.

Term 4 Week 3

Staffing 2025

We are thrilled to announce the completion of our recruitment process for classroom teachers for the 2025 school year. It is with great pleasure that we introduce Jessica Smith to our community. Jessica is a highly experienced primary educator, joining us from her recent role at St John Vianney’s in Manly. She, along with her family, will be relocating to Toowoomba, with their children enrolling at Mater Dei in 2025. Please join me in extending a warm and enthusiastic welcome to Jessica and her family.

We are also delighted to confirm Tom Dowden, Gabby Brac, Kerri Synders, and Justine Francis in classroom teacher roles for the upcoming school year. Additionally, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to Phebe Slager and Jane Batham for their invaluable contributions to the Mater Dei community. We wish them all the best as they embark on their new journeys.

Class Structures

In 2025 our class structure will be:

3 x Prep to Year 3 classes;

2 x Year 4 to Year 6 classes.

The detailed list of teacher allocations to year levels for 2025 will be shared in the coming weeks.

Term 4 Week 1

Staffing 2025 Update

As we work towards the end of the 2024 school year, we begin to place our focus on preparing for the 2025 school year.

It is with mixed emotions that we announce the retirement of Leigh Lucht after an extraordinary 40-year career in Catholic education. Leigh has spent the last three years as our beloved Art Teacher, during which time our children have created truly amazing artworks. Leigh’s coordination of our 2021 Art Show was a remarkable success, showcasing over 1,000 pieces of student art. We wish Leigh all the best as she embarks on her well-deserved retirement.

We are pleased to welcome Marleisa Connors, who will be taking over the art lessons from 2025. We are confident that Marleisa will continue to inspire and nurture our students’ creativity!

Additionally, we are excited to announce that Rebecca Jones has been appointed as a classroom teacher for 2025 through the Toowoomba Catholic Schools Graduate Teacher Program. Rebecca is well-known to our school community as both a School Officer and a parent. We are thrilled to have Rebecca transition into this new role and continue her professional journey with us.

We also bid a heartfelt farewell to Libby Duggan, who has made the difficult decision to resign from her role at Mater Dei. Libby has been a long-serving School Officer, adored by students and staff alike. We wish Libby all the best as she focuses on her family and health at this time.

Thank you for being an integral part of our school community. Your support and involvement are invaluable to us.

From the Principal

Staffing and Classes for 2025

Preparations for the 2025 academic year are well underway. Our staffing and budget allocations are based on student enrolments. If your family is relocating from Toowoomba or if your child will not be returning to Mater Dei in 2025, please inform the school via email at your earliest convenience. This information is crucial for finalizing class sizes and assigning staff to specific grades.

Additionally, a reminder to parents of Year 3 and Year 5 students: you should have received information regarding the Year 4 1:1 Devices and Year 6 Leadership Shirt orders.

ICAS Assessments

We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to  the students of Mater Dei who participated in the ICASS assessments.  We are incredibly proud of the effort you have put into preparing for and completing these assessments. By taking part, you have not only challenged yourselves, but also contributed to a culture of academic excellence within our school. Thank you for your commitment and for striving to achieve your best. Your perseverance and determination are truly inspiring. Results will be received within the coming months, and awards and certificates will be presented at assembly. 

Term 3 Week 7

An Evening with Sue Chandler

We were delighted to host an evening with Sue Chandler last night. The event was well attended, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Sue encouraged us to reflect on our reactions when communicating with our children and emphasised the importance of 'co-regulating' with them. It was an enlightening and enjoyable evening for all who participated.

Student Learning Conferences

Our student learning conferences are scheduled to begin on Wednesday, 4 September. A booking form will be sent to all families on Tuesday 27th August at 9:00am, via the Sentral Portal, these bookings will close on Friday 30th August at 3:00pm. We strongly encourage all families to attend and discuss their child's learning and growth. The partnership between home and school is one of the greatest influences on student achievement, and these conferences provide a valuable opportunity to foster this collaboration.

Summer Uniform

Due to the warmer weather expected next week, we will transition to the Summer Uniform starting Monday 26th August. Students may choose to wear either the correct Summer Uniform or the correct Winter Uniform until the September Holidays, depending on the weather. We kindly ask parents to assist the school in maintaining the following uniform expectations:

• Nail polish is not to be worn to school at any time by any student.
• Earrings should be simple studs or sleepers.
• Hair to be neat and tidy, tied back if necessary, no tracks/mullets/mohawks, no shorter than a 2 blade.

We appreciate your cooperation in this matter.

Chewing Gum

We have noticed an increase in the amount of gum being cleaned from our concrete walking paths. Please ensure that students do not bring gum to school or chew it upon arrival. Your support in maintaining a clean and pleasant school environment is greatly appreciated.

Term 3 Week 5

An Evening with Sue Chandler                            

The school and the Parent Engagement Network (PEN) are looking forward to our Term 3 Event, an Evening with Sue Chandler. Sue has a diverse professional background across teaching, educational leadership, counselling, coaching, conflict resolution and workplace wellness design. She is the founder of Transformative Schools, a company who consults with schools to design, develop and reinvigorate their wellbeing strategies.

The evening is aimed at helping parents understand current theories and practices regarding children’s mindsets. We look forward to seeing as many parents and friends as possible joining us. The PEN will be providing drinks and nibbles for all in attendance. Please see the flyer attached to register your interest.

Instrumental Music Showcase

The PEN is seeking volunteers to assist with the creation of the Cheese and Nibbles boxes for the Instrumental Showcase on Friday 30 August 2024. If you can spare some time on the Friday afternoon (exact time to be determined), please let the school know so Michael can coordinate a team.

ICAS

Thank you for all those who have registered to take part in the ICAS English and Mathematics assessments. The registration period for these tests has now closed. We will begin the ICAS assessments next week, with students sitting the English test next Tuesday, 13 August. The Mathematic assessment will take place in Week 8, 26-30 August. Good luck to all those participating in ICAS over the coming weeks! 

Term 3 Week 3

NAPLAN Results 2024

We have received our Year 3 and Year 5 results for NAPLAN Writing. The students participate in a test (Year 5 Online, Year 3 Handwritten) where they are asked to write to a stimulus. This year the students wrote a narrative.

Once again, we are extremely impressed by what our students have been able to achieve. Like the other assessment results shared previously, the student’s achievement are separated into 4 categories: Needs Additional Support, Developing, Strong and Exceeding.

In Year 3 we had 70% of our students in the Strong classification and 20% in the Exceeding, a staggering 90% of the students achieving these two classifications. In Year 5, 71% of the students achieved a Strong classification, and a further 22% achieved an Exceeding classification. This is an extremely pleasing result to which the students should be extremely proud.

We have included the previous information shared in Term 2 for your reference.

Preliminary NAPLAN Results 2024 (From Week 7 Term 2 Latest News) 

Schools have been provided a preliminary look at their NAPLAN Data for this year. Individual student performance is not available, and Writing Assessments are still being finalised. We are still unsure when families will receive the student’s individual information.  

From the data we have been provided, it is evident that Mater Dei has once again performed extremely well as a school. The student’s achievements are classified into 4 categories: Needs Additional Support, Developing, Strong and Exceeding. Mater Dei strives for 80-90% of their students to achieve in the Strong to Exceeding category as an indicator of quality academic performance.  

Our data shows that we have achieved this in Year 3 Reading Test and Year 5 Reading, Grammar and Punctuation, Spelling and Numeracy Tests.  

This is an amazing effort considering we also had over 70% of our Year 3 students placed in the Strong and Exceeding category for their Grammar and Punctuation, Spelling and Numeracy Tests.  

While NAPLAN Results are subjective, they are an external validator of the work our staff, students and families do to achieve positive academic results. We should be very proud of these results and proud of the work we are doing as a community! 

The following table shows the percentage of students in the Strong to Exceeding Category based on the Preliminary NAPLAN Data.  

Term 3 Week 1

Welcome back everyone, we hope you all had a restful break and are ready for another busy Term.

Master Plan Update 

In 2021, the school begun a process to create a Master Plan to shape the future facilities of our school. Through this process, parents, students and staff were consulted and the design received in 2022 was created based on this feedback. A major part of the Master Plan, was the relocation of the Years 1-3 classes (and Prep classes if a Kindergarten could be built in Prep’s current location) from the current PJ Doyle precinct, to the area behind the hall where the current ‘White House’ stands now.  

In 2023 the school submitted a Development Application for our Master Plan to Toowoomba Regional Council which included the removal of the White House. The White House currently has a ‘Character Overlay’ and all concerns by council have been addressed. In the coming weeks, our DA will be open for public feedback and submissions.

Semester 1 Reports

This week we will publish our Semester One Reports for our students. This is our reminder that these reports will be linked to our Sentral Parent Portal. If you have not logged into your portal recently and need assistance, please contact the office if you request any assistance. 

Pick Up Zone - After School

As the year progresses, more students are being picked up from the Pick Up Zone off Campbell Street. I would ask that we refresh how we can best utilise this area. 

1.  Please display your family name as you enter the school. If you require a name tag please contact the office and one will be provided for you. 
2. 4 cones are placed with the numbers 1-4 labelled on them. Please proceed as far down towards cone Number 1 as possible as we aim to get 4 cars parked at once. This increases the rate of students being collected and minimises wait time for those behind you. 
3. Please do not use the pick up zone if you are required to get out of the car to assist your child. This holds up the line and can lead to other cars pulling out of the line which increases the risk of accidents in the Pick Up Zone. 
4. Please speak to your child to reinforce the expectation that they are actively looking for their car while waiting and actively listening for their names when the teachers call it. 
5. If grandparents or friends are using the pick up zone, please explain to them that they are not to get out of the car. 

We thank you all in advance for your assistance in assuring all of the students are collected in a timely and safe manner.  

Preliminary NAPLAN Results 2024

Schools have been provided a preliminary look at their NAPLAN Data for this year. Individual student performance is not available, and Writing Assessments are still being finalised. We are still unsure when families will receive the student’s individual information.

From the data we have been provided, it is evident that Mater Dei has once again performed extremely well as a school. The student’s achievements are classified into 4 catagories: Needs Additional Support, Developing, Strong and Exceeding. Mater Dei strives for 80-90% of their students to achieve in the Strong to Exceeding category as an indicator of quality academic performance.

Our data shows that we have achieved this in Year 3 Reading Test and Year 5 Reading, Grammar and Punctuation, Spelling and Numeracy Tests.

This is an amazing effort considering we also had over 70% of our Year 3 students placed in the Strong and Exceeding category for their Grammar and Punctuation, Spelling and Numeracy Tests.

While NAPLAN Results are subjective, they are an external validator of the work our staff, students and families do to achieve positive academic results. We should be very proud of these results and proud of the work we are doing as a community!

The following table shows the percentage of students in the Strong to Exceeding Category based on the Preliminary NAPLAN Data.

PEN Update

Parent Social Event Term 4 2024

A massive thank you Marnie Johnson who has volunteered to begin the coordination of this event. It will require help along the way so if you are able to assist in anyway, please let Marnie or the office know. Marnie will be meeting with Michael the week after next to begin to look at options for the event and discuss ideas. We all look forward to what we are sure will be a fantastic event.

PEN Term 2 Forum

On Thursday 6 June we will be hosting a Parent Information Night about the Australian Curriculum Version 9 with a particular focus on the teaching strategies for Synthetic Phonics. We are creating hands on experiences for parents to participate in to understand how the children learn in class. We will even be including some nibbles and a refreshment to help make it an even better night. 

From the Principal

It has been a busy start to the Term so far, we are excited to be meeting new families and catching up with existing families during our Prep 2025 interviews.  If you are needing to enrol your child for 2025, please get in contact with the office.

2024 Australian Early Development Census

From the Principal

Welcome Back for Term 2

After a wet and wild end to Term 1 we hope you had an amazing Easter and holidays with your loved ones. It was so nice to converse with many parents as they attended our Student Learning Conferences last term. Those conversations are vital to continuing the ongoing partnership between school and home. The process of students identifying their Grows and Glows, as well as establishing their learning goals is the one of the skillsets required for them to be successful learners for the rest of their lives. We encourage you to always converse with your children's teacher if you have any questions or concerns about their progress. 

Term 2 will be just as busy as the other terms. We begin our community events with our Mother's Day Breakfast and Liturgy on Friday 3 May. Yesterday we sent out a Portal Feed to encourage families to volunteer for different events. We ask you to think about a time or event you can help with and email the materdei@twb.catholic.edu.au to express your interest. From there the PEN Executive or the school will be in touch with more details. 

We also wish to resend our Mater Dei Communications Guidelines that was sent out at the start of the year. After speaking to some parents, they thought it might be a good reminder as the start of Term 1 feels like so long ago. It provides a one page guide to how we will be communicating with our wider community and where you can look to find the information you require. A reminder of just how important it is have the Sentral App or you Sentral Portal Login details working especially before Semester One Reports are published at the end of this term.  

Parking and Fines

As is always the case, the council is again on the look out for cars parked incorrectly around our school. We have had one family fined last term for parking at the entrance to the oval on Campbell Street. Another family was fined for parking with 2 tyres up in the bus zone, again on Campbell Street. We cannot police the streets and can only ask you to please be aware of the road rules in our area.  We don't like to see any of our families fined during drop off and pick up times. 

We also have a special request, from the Crossing Supervisors, to not park next to the crossings unless they are designated parks. By doing so you limiting their visibility as they try and navigate the traffic and allow our families to cross safely.

Thanks for your assistance with this. 

ICAS Information for Years 3-6

Once again this year we will be offering ICAS Academic Competition tests to students in Years 3-6 in the subject areas of Mathematics and English. For more information please see the attached information letter, and instructions on how to register. 

Please note that to register your child through the Parent Payment system, you must use the school code: LXG934. 

Parent Payment System: https://shop.icasassessments.c... 

For more information or assistance, please do not hesitate to contact the school. 

Curriculum FAQ's

Important Curriculum Update

This year you will have noticed some changes in practice than you may have been familiar with at Mater Dei in the past. The Australian Curriculum, which is taught at Mater Dei is continually reviewed and updated as new research and learning priorities emerge. Currently, we are moving from Version 8.4 of the Australian curriculum to version 9.0. 

The biggest impact this will have on staff, students and families is within the English Curriculum, particularly around the teaching of reading, phonics and spelling.

Promoting Literacy Development (PLD)

At Mater Dei we have adopted the PLD program- a research based synthetic phonics program.  This program forms the basis of our reading and spelling programs, especially in P-2.
Synthetic phonics is a systematic approach to teaching reading that focuses on decoding words by associating individual sounds with their corresponding letter or letter combinations. Children are taught to blend these sounds together to form words, rather than relying solely on memorization or guessing and other strategies that may have been taught in the past.

Decoding involves breaking words down into their individual sounds, and then blending those sounds together to form a coherent word. For example, when decoding the word "cat," a reader would recognize the letters c-a-t and say the sounds /k/ /a/ /t/ and then blend them together to pronounce the word "cat." Decoding skills are essential for fluent reading comprehension, as they allow readers to recognize and understand a wide range of written words in different contexts.

Synthetic phonics emphasizes the explicit teaching of phonemic awareness, phonics, and decoding skills, providing students with the tools they need to independently read and spell words.

Diocesan Approach to Reading (DAR)

As a consequence of the change in curriculum, the Toowoomba Catholic Schools office is introducing a new approach to the teaching of reading. You will notice changes in the way reading is taught, as well as assessed at Mater Dei.

Students will no longer be tested using the old PM level system that you may be familiar with. Instead, the new assessment tools focus on assessing student knowledge and application of synthetic phonics when reading. We understand that in the past this ‘level’ system may have been easy for parents to ‘track’ student progression, however the new approach will provide a far more accurate assessment of student’s ability to unpack and decode to build words and meaning.

As lifelong learners, teachers are currently adjusting their classroom practice to reflect the new curriculum requirements. We have taken Term 1 to transition from old practices to new practices.  Your classroom teachers will discuss with you your child’s progress and application of reading and phonic skills and how they demonstrate these in the classroom.

Sight Words v High Frequency Words

Previously, students would have been sent home with lists of sight words to memorise by ‘sight’. This is a practice that does not align with the new curriculum or our synthetic phonics approach as it does not teach students the skills, they need to decode words to read and spell. Eventually we want children to say these words with quick fast recall without having to decode or sound out each sound, however, it is vital that students have the building blocks of knowledge of these words before being able to automatically recognise these words.

Instead of Sight Words, students will be learning High Frequency Words, in a sequenced order that aligns to their learning  of phonics in class. These words may form a part of their homework in Term 2, as well as some selected “heart” words, words that cannot be decoded and must be learnt by heart.

Home/Practice Readers

For those who have older children, you would be familiar with the practice of readers coming home for students to practice. We are not sending home these books as we previously had, as currently they don’t align to our synthetic phonics approach to reading. As we adapt our teaching, and students become more familiar with this new approach, we will then begin sending home practice reading texts that align with our new approach.

Given the time delay in sourcing new resources, part of our approach will be to send home some practice readers DIGITALLY. Our preference will always be for physical books, however given the immediate nature of digital resources, we feel this will be a good interim process while we purchase new physical resources. 

Homework

We are currently developing homework practices that align with the new curriculum and way of teaching reading, phonics and spelling. Your class teachers will provide further information around what homework will look like in each year level, with homework being formally set in each class from Term 2.

Thank you for joining us on this exciting journey as we delve into the new curriculum and this exciting new synthetic phonics expedition!