From The Principal

Class Structures 2025
Our teaching staff have gone through a thorough process of allocating students to classes for 2025. Whilst we consider all parent requests, it is the decision of the school to place children in classes based on their academic, social emotional and behavioural needs. We are pleased to announce which teachers will be teaching which grades. We will be sending out class allocations next week as well the Semester 2 Reports. 

Semester 2 Reports   

Next week we will be publishing the Semester 2 reports to the Sentral Parent Portal. This is the time of year that we remind parents to ensure they can log into the Sentral App to access student reports. We also need to remind any families who are leaving Mater Dei, to download the PDF of your children’s reports as your access to Sentral will cease on the 31 December 2024. 

Drama 2025
In 2025 Mrs Amanda Holzheimer will be taking Long Service Leave. We wish her all the best for next year, and she will be very much missed. We are currently in the recruitment process to appoint a Drama teacher for 2025. 

From the Assistant Principal

As I wrap up my first year as the Assistant Principal Administration at Mater Dei Primary School, I am filled with gratitude and pride. This year has been a journey of growth, learning, and community building. Together, we have celebrated many achievements, faced challenges, and created a nurturing environment for our students.

I would like to congratulate all students on their growth and achievements throughout the year, academically, culturally, socially, and in their respective athletics achievements.

I look forward to continuing this journey with all of you, striving for excellence and fostering a love for learning in every child in 2025. I wish everyone a very happy and restful Christmas period with friends and family.

Mr Lawson Short

Assistant Principal 

2024 Learning Excellence Awards

Congratulations to all our students that received Learning Excellence Awards.

Learning Excellence Award for Learning the Mater Dei Way 

Our award recipients from Prep are: 

• Elsie Carrigan 
• Georgie Green 
• Sophie Pascoe 
• Abigail Pope  
• Eliza Still 
• Grace Palmer 
• Eleanor Kirk 
• Byron Taiki 
• Arlee Willis 
• Hannah Martin 
• Daisy Quilty 
• Hattie Hawkins 
• Patrick Roberts 
• Mac Wehlow 
• Lucette Dunn 
• Oscar Dattinger 
• Harper Acquisto 
• Millie Brunner 
• Grace Brennan 
• Maggie Walsh

Our award recipients from Year One are: 

• Savannah Bennett-Walker 
• Elsie Buckley 
• Scarlett Carr 
• Grace Dias 
• Magnolia Ryan 
• Edward Finn  
• Ruby Kath 
• Samuel Odger 
• Lydia Radunz 
• Lilia Rees 
• Theodore Roux  
• Douglas Mansfield 
• Isabella Bino 
• Joyce McCarthy 
• Heidi McDonnell 
• Flynn Connors

Our award recipients from Year Two are: 

• Asha Phoenix 
• Dilshaan Kaur 
• Mira Deglawe 
• Adeline Walters 
• Elsie Brunner 
• Edward Kirk 
• Sally Palmer 
• Florence Bernstone 
• Rosalie Hilton 

Our award recipients from Year Three are: 

• Norah Davenport   
• Rylee Hunt  
• Dakota Koschel  
• Lila Oliver  
• Niamh O’Sullivan  
• Eve Salomon 
• Lachlan McKeiver 
• Maggie Roux 
• Ellen Hann 
• Eden Spry  
• Penelope Craggs 
• Lucy Rickuss 
• Lily Herbert 
• Milla Staib 
• Iyla Cubby 
• Mia Logan

Our award recipients from Year Four are: 

• Janet Manibe 
• Gracie Bennett-Walker 
• Layla McLoughlin 
• Myah Hoad 
• Annabelle Brown 
• Ruby Coughlan 
• Lucinda Gleeson 
• Charlotte Green 
• Ella Schmidt 
• Clara Winterbotham 
• Reginald Mansfield 
• Grace Bradshaw  
• Elke Carroll 
• Maggie Davis 
• Humphrey Hay 
• Rylee Phoenix  
• Charlotte Pope 
• Sam Walsh  
• Nara Willis 
• Lucy Colthup 
• Camilla Davey 
• Lucinda Edge 
• Willow Mackie 
• Linet Manibe 
• Olivia Nairn 
• Jessica Selby 
• Ella Stevenson 
• Edith Wood

Our award recipients from Year 5 are: 

•  Jack Spry 
• Abigail Webster 
• Allegra Pascoe 
• Hudson Koschel 
• Matilda Devey 
• Zara Frame 
• Grace Weller 
• Addelyn Andrews 
• Henry Pascoe

Learning Excellence for Achievement  

Our award recipients from Prep are: 

• Chloe Melia 
• James O’Neill 
• Alex McCullough 
• Poppy Maunder 
• Eleanor Kirk 
• Vincent Leddy 
• Edward Harris 
• Harvie Lees 
• Mac Wehlow 
• Patrick Roberts

Our award recipient from Year One is: 

• Lilia Rees 

Our award recipients from Year Two are: 

• Edward Kirk 
• Sally Palmer 
• Thomas Stevenson 
• Adeline Devey 
• Owen Pascoe 
• Asha Phoenix 
• Dilshaan Kaur 
• Joshua Lax

Our award recipients from Year Three are: 

• Margaret Carr 
• Rylee Hunt 
• Maru Jee 
• Niamh O’Sullivan 
• Eve Salomon 
• Jace Saroa 
• Lachlan McKeiver 
• Maggie Roux 
• Eden Spry 
• Jackson Baker  
• Mia Logan 
• David Rees 
• Lucy Rickuss 
• Samuel Weller 
• Amelia Henry 
• Hamish Grady

Our award recipients from Year Four are: 

• Charles Angus 
• Lucinda Gleeson 
• Janet Manibe 
• Reginald Mansfield 
• Layla McLoughlin 
• Grace Bradshaw 
• Penelope Egan 
• Rylee Phoenix  
• Charlotte Pope 
• Olivia Nairn 
• Ella Stevenson 
• Lucy Colthup 
• Camilla Davey 
• Eli Walker

Our award recipients from Year Five are: 

• Maximilian Bracey 
• Jack Spry 
• Everett Davenport 
• Zara Dampney 
• Oscar Rickuss 
• Henry Pascoe 
• Matilda Devey 
• Zara Frame 
• Patrick James

Our award recipients from Year Six are: 

• Charlie Bradshaw
• Ella Colthup
• Edward MacManus
• Gemma Montgomery
• Adelaide Wilson
• Gabriella Dull
• Blake Logan
• Cormac Lowry
• Neve Oliver

Learning Excellence Award for Academic Growth 

Our award recipients from Prep are: 

• Harry Volz 
• Hector Balsillie
• Sullivan Larter 
• Alex McKenzie 
• Amelia Kereczko 
• Archibald Craggs  
• Olivia Lloyd 
• Ettore Reynaud Martinez 
• Israya Matthews 
• Maggie Still 
• Darcy Johnston 
• Verity Hay 
• Piper Pettet 
• Oliver Pettman 
• Hattie Hawkins 
• Oscar Dattinger 
• Yuta Ishikawa 
• Patrick Roberts

Our award recipients from Year One are: 

• Elsie Buckley 
• Savannah Bennett-Walker 
• Patrick Broadbent 
• Lucy Byrne 
• Scarlett Carr 
• Edward Finn  
• Lilia Rees 
• Julian Rendle-Short 
• Blake Richardson 
• Aria Scarinci 
• Francesca Teys
• Rupert Carrigan
• Carter Neuendorf 
• Jackson Duggan
• Avery Harber 
• Freya Walker 
• Douglas Mansfield 
• Hannah Mathieson 

Our award recipients from Year Two are: 

•  Harrison Towler
• Cosima Ferry 
• Jack Grady  
• Ronan McInnes 
• Sally Palmer 
• Archer Richardson 
• Macey Shinohara 
• Owen Pascoe 
• Lucy Brennan 
• Rocco Carlon 
• Harvey Gray  
• Walter Hay 
• Patrick Leddy 
• Theodore Metzroth 
• Louisa Scotney 

Our award recipients from Year Three are: 

• Lucy Donaldson 
• Pax Howden 
• Georgia Roper
• Maggie Roux
• Eden Spry 
• Chloe Ebzery 
• Lachlan McKeiver 
• Ellen Hann 
• Penelope Craggs 
• Samara Dyer 
• Jackson Sheather  
• Bianca Svendsen 

Our Award recipients from Year Four are: 

• Lucinda Gleeson 
• Myah Hoad 
• Reginald Mansfield 
• Patrick Towler 
• Flynn Bowdler  
• Penelope Egan  
• Travis Milligan  
• Isla Buckley 
• William Dau 
• Jack Gabler 
• Leo Giuffrida 
• Willow Mackie 
• Linet Manibe 
• Olivia Nairn 
• Arabella Venter 
• Lucinda Edge 
• Isla Kath 
• Narah Weier 
• Eli Walker 

Our award recipients from Year Five are: 

• Eva Alsop 
• Emily Longmire 
• Eden Cubby 
• Ruby Byrne 
• Allegra Pascoe 
• Angel Dias 
• Joshua Paterson 
• James Primus 
• Nell Rennick 
• Hudson Koschel  
• Jackson Smyth 

Our award recipients from Year Six are: 

• Flynn Spry 
• Charles Edge 
• Samuel Mullins 
• Graziella Augusto 
• Adelaide Wilson 
• Gabriella Dull

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.