Parent Correspondence  Aug 2023

Good Afternoon, 

At Mater Dei, we follow best practices and utilize two "Codes" that limit movement within the building. We practice our codes in the same way we practice fire and tornado drills.

We use a Code Yellow to restrict students to their classrooms.  We use a Code Yellow if there is a medical emergency in our building, if there is a police presence in the general area of our campus, or if we need to address a situation that is not appropriate for students to see or hear.

We use a Code Red to lock and hide, if there would be an imminent danger to our students, such as an intruder. 

Today, we took our building to a Code Yellow.  There was a non-violent situation that briefly required police presence on campus and we wanted our students to remain in their classrooms.  At the same time, there was work being completed on the building just to the east of us (across the alley)  and it involved a sledge hammer, which made a loud noise. Some students thought the two things were related.    

We are working to make sure that our students understand what a Code Yellow is and that there was no danger to them, we just wanted them to stay in their rooms.  They may need some additional support from you, so I am sharing this information.

As always, the safety of our students is our first priority.

Your 10-Day Forecast and Fall Sports Schedules will be emailed tomorrow.

Thank you for all you do and God bless you, 

Andrea Hillebert

Good Morning!

Action Items:

• Tonight is the Join Scouting Event at 6 PM in the Mater Dei Parish Hall.  Please note the change of venue! If you have any questions, Please contact the Jayhawk Area Council at 785-354-8541.

• Please click here to sign up to work Bingo - each Mater Dei family is asked to work 3 Bingo sessions a year.  

  • There is NO MATER DEI BINGO on Monday, September 4!  

• Check the Correspondence Page of the Website for Friday's 10-Day Forecast.  It has more detailed information about what is happening this week!

Upcoming Events:

• Wednesday’s Mass at 8 AM is prepared by 5th Grade

• Thursday is our PTO Back to School Bash from 5PM - 8PM at Sports Center!  Please see the flier below for all the details!  We hope to see you there! Your first round of golf is on us and there will be Frito pies, cotton candy, and - of course - G’s Custard! Additional rounds of golf are $4 per person, so stay a little longer, if you would like!

• There is NO SCHOOL on Friday, September 1, or Monday, September 4.  Our teachers have School of Faith on Friday and Monday is Labor Day.

Counselor’s Corner:

Reach out to teachers

It’s natural for you to have questions for your child’s teachers, and teachers want to help. When you communicate:

• Be patient. Busy teachers may need a day or two to respond.

• Be open-minded. Expect to hear about your child’s strengths and weaknesses.

• Be positive. You and the teacher both want your child to do well.

#MDStrong

Thank you for all you do, God bless you, and have a great day!

Andrea Hillebert

PTO Back to School Bash! 

Good Afternoon!

Happy Friday! We sent home trash bag order forms yesterday and they are due back on September 7.  If this is your first time participating, please know that these are great trash bags and once someone purchases from you, they will be a repeat customer!

Here is our 11-Day Forecast for August 26 - September 5, 2023

Monday, August 28, 2023

• 6th grade volleyball coaches run practice from 3:15 - 4:30 in the Mater Dei Gym

• 7th grade volleyball coaches run practice from 4:30 - 5:15 in the Mater Dei Gym

• Mater Dei Bingo at Hayden Catholic High School.  Please click here to volunteer.

• The Assumption Celebration Committee meets in the Mater Dei Parish Hall from 6:30 - 8:30. 

  • If you have not heard, we are reopening the Assumption Church and celebrating the 100th anniversary of this Assumption Church (the third Church, built in 1923).  Please click here to volunteer to help prepare the Assumption Church for re-opening.

Tuesday, August 29, 2023

• 6th grade volleyball coaches run practice from 3:15 - 4:30 in the Mater Dei Gym

• Soccer Practice from 5:30 - 7:00 at the soccer fields just east of the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center in Gage Park

• Race to Scouting Event in the Mater Dei Cafeteria at 6:00

• 8th grade volleyball practice from 6:00 - 7:00 in the Mater Dei Gym.

Wednesday, August 30, 2023

• Mass at 8:00 AM for grades K-8, prepared by the 5th Grade 

• 6th grade volleyball coaches run practice from 3:15 - 4:30 in the Mater Dei Gym

• 7th grade volleyball coaches run practice from 5:00 - 6:00 in the Mater Dei Gym

• Soccer practice from 5:30 - 7:00 at the soccer fields just east of the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center in Gage Park

Thursday, August 31, 2023

• Mater Dei Drumline plays at the Overland Park Convention Center

• 6th grade volleyball coaches run practice from 3:15 - 4:30 in the Mater Dei Gym

• 8th grade volleyball practice at 6:00 - 7:00 in the Mater Dei Gym

• PTO Back to School Bash at Sports Center.  More information to follow!

Friday, September 1, 2023

• NO SCHOOL for our Knights!  Teachers participate in School of Faith.  

Saturday, September 2 - Monday, September 4, 2023

• Happy Labor Day Weekend!  

• Opportunities to help clean the Assumption Church - see the link above!

• NO MATER DEI BINGO on Monday, September 4, at Hayden Catholic High School

Tuesday, September 5, 2023

• 6th grade volleyball coaches run practice from 3:15 - 4:30 in the Mater Dei Gym

• Soccer Practice from 5:30 - 7:00 at the soccer fields just east of the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center in Gage Park

• 8th grade volleyball practice from 6:00 - 7:00 in the Mater Dei Gym

Save the Dates (More Info Next Week)!

• September 6 - Mass prepared by 7th Grade

• September 7 - Trash Bag Orders are due

• September 8 - Mass prepared by 4th Grade 

#MDStrong

Thank you for all you do, God bless you, and have a great day!

Andrea Hillebert

Two things!

(1) Soccer Practice for our 6-8 soccer team has been cancelled tonight due to extreme heat.

(2) If your 6-8 grader is interested in soccer and you have NOT joined the Group Me, please click here!  Coach Tyler and Coach Lindsey use Group Me to communicate reminders quickly, so please join the group!

#MDStrong

Thank you for all you do, God bless you, and have a great day!

Andrea Hillebert

Good Morning!

That subject line has absolutely nothing to do with today's Messenger, but you can impress your friends with your knowledge!

Action Items:

• Please turn in any outstanding forms - birth certificates, school entry physicals, sports physicals.  We are working to email people directly for outstanding items.  

• Please click here to sign up to work Bingo - each Mater Dei family is asked to work 3 Bingo sessions a year.  Bingo is our parish’s largest fundraiser and we appreciate your help making it a success! It is a ton of fun, so please join us!

Upcoming Events:

• Wednesday, August 23, at 8:15, we are “Knighting” our transfer students in the gym!  All are welcome to join us.

• Friday, August 25, is our first All School Mass, prepared by the 8th grade.  Students in grades K-8 will attend this Mass.  All are welcome!

• Also on Friday, August 25, we will have hearing and vision screenings.  While these screenings do not take the place of a thorough examination by your ear or eye care professional, they are a good “check in” to ensure that your student’s eyes and ears are working properly and their eyeglasses or hearing aids are offering the necessary support.

• The Halfway to St. Patty's Day Golf Tournament is scheduled for Thursday, September 21, at noon!  Lunch will be served at 11:00.  We are playing on the beautiful course at Great Life - Shawnee Country Club. Please consider entering a team, sponsoring, donating a raffle prize, or sharing with the avid golfers in your life! For more information, contact the Mater Dei Parish Office at 785-232-7744

Counselor’s Corner:

Let your child lend a hand

It’s easy to get caught up in meeting your child’s needs. But it’s also important to ask your child to do something for you sometimes. Pick an age-appropriate task and explain the steps. Kids develop traits like self-reliance when they do things for others. These feelings are motivating, at home and at school. So whether you need a hand unpacking groceries or measuring for a new shelf, ask your student to help!

#MDStrong

Thank you for all you do, God bless you, and have a great day!

Andrea Hillebert

Good Afternoon!

Happy Friday! Here is our 10-Day Forecast for August 19 - 28, 2023!

Saturday, August 19, 2023

• The Mater Dei PTO is excited to host the Half Way 1/2K! This adults only event will begin at 6:30 and the race starts at 7:00 (and will be finished by 7:05).  Follow your tough run with some yard games, food, and drinks! 

Sunday, August 20, 2023

• Knights of Columbus Breakfast! The K of C is hosting breakfast after the 8:00 and 10:30 Masses.  All are welcome at Mass and the Breakfast.  The K of C will accept a free will donation for breakfast.

• PreK Preview! We invite all of our Preschool Parents to visit the classroom, meet the teachers, and get comfortable before starting school on Monday! Doors open at 6:00, we will begin at 6:15, and we will be finished by 7:00.  #greattobeasquire

Monday, August 21, 2023

• Fall Sports begin.  Mater Dei will have:

  • 1 Co-Rec Soccer team, coached by Tyler and Lindsey Bradney.  Practices will be Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 5:30 - 7:00 at the soccer fields just east of the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center (10th and Civitan in Gage Park).  Games are played Friday evenings at Topeka Collegiate School.

  • 1 C Flight (6th Grade) Volleyball team, coached by Elizabeth Morstorf, assisted by Morgan Ijams.  Practices will be Monday through Thursday from 3:15 - 4:30 in the Mater Dei Gym.

  • 1 B Flight (7th Grade) Volleyball team, coached by Angelica Prieto and Raquel Salazar.  We will share practice dates and times when they are confirmed.

  • 1 A Flight (8th Grade) Volleyball team, coached by Caitlin LaMarr, assisted by Camille Cushinberry. Practices will be Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:00 - 7:00 in the Mater Dei Gym.

  • All athletes must have a sports physical on file in order to play or practice.

  • Game schedules will be released as soon as we have them.

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

• We will “Knight” our transfer students at 8:15 in the gym.  All are welcome.  

Friday, August 25, 2023

• Our first All School Mass will be prepared by the 8th grade and celebrated at 8:00 in the Church.

• Vision and hearing screenings.  Please make sure that your student has his/her eyeglasses, contacts, or hearing aids so that we have an accurate screening

• Invitation to Scouting.  Representatives from Boy Scouts will be in the building to invite our students to consider scouting! 

Save the Dates (More Info Next Week)!

• August 29 - Race to Scouting at 6:00 in the Cafeteria

• August 30 - All School Mass Prepared by 5th Grade

• August 31 - PTO Back to School Bash!

• September 1 - NO SCHOOL - Teachers participate in School of Faith; Mater Dei Child Care Center is offering School Day Out services

• September 4 - NO SCHOOL - Labor Day

• September 6 - All School Mass prepared by 7th Grade 

#MDStrong

Thank you for all you do, God bless you, and have a great day!

Andrea Hillebert

Good Afternoon!

Thank you for all your help making our first day so special for our Knights! And for helping us make everything run smoothly around here!

On a regular schedule, I send two emails each week.  

• On Tuesday’s, we will share reminders about action items and ways to be involved in our school and parish.  Ms. Gowen, our counselor, will also share her weekly Counselor’s Corner

• On Friday’s, you will receive a “10 Day Forecast” with all of the events that are happening in the next 10 days.  You will receive that tomorrow!

• All of our communication is available to you at all times.  Please visit our materdeischool.org website.  In the upper right hand corner of the page, there is a link titled “Correspondence.”  When you click that, you will be able to choose either the lunch menu or a month of the year.  Within that month, all of our communication is listed from the most recent to the earliest.  Please keep that tab handy and you will not have to scroll through emails!

Today’s message will review some of our regular procedures, so please give this a read!  And please remember, the first of the year always seems a little confusing.  Just be patient, and in 2 weeks, everything will feel “settled.”

Drop off:

• Our students may be dropped off as early as 7:15 AM and they will wait in the foyer until 7:25, when we head outside to walk and talk.  We walk if the “feels like” temperature is above 25 degrees.

• If you need to drop your child off earlier than 7:15, please contact Ms. Virginia at the Mater Dei Child Care Center, 785-232-1603.  They are providing before school care from 6:30 - 7:30.  The cost is $5/day and includes a small breakfast

• When dropping off, the cutaway parking on Clay Street is a drive through zone.  Please DO NOT make U-Turns on Clay.  

• Or, you may park in the lot between the Church and the Child Care Center and walk your student across the street at the crosswalk.

• More detailed information about drop off and pick up can be found in our Parent Handbook on page 24, Parking Before and After School.

Pick Up:

• At pick up time, you may park in the cutaway parking on Clay or in the parking lot between the Church and the Child Care Center.  

• You may pull onto the playground and park your vehicle.  When you have collected your student, please pull through the parking lot and exit to the alley just east of the school.

• Please follow all instructions from school personnel so that we can keep our students safe

Lunch: 

• Mater Dei participates in the National Hot Lunch Program.  Our menus meet the nutritional guidelines set forth by the State of Kansas.

• We allow 25 minutes for lunch each day.  At the beginning of school, it takes us a little time to learn how to go through the line, and how to pace ourselves (finding the balance between eating time and talking time).  Your students may have felt rushed today while they were eating.  Again, we ask that they just keep working at it and in 2 weeks, they will have it down!

• Lunch accounts must be paid in advance.  On the last Thursday of each month, we will send an email statement to every family which includes how much you should add to your account if your student(s) eat lunch every day in the next month.  

• Your lunch balance is up to date in the online portal and can be accessed using your family login.  

After School Study Hall (After Care):

• After Care begins today!  If your student attends after care, he or she will have the opportunity for a snack, time for academic work (a little homework time), and play time.

• The cost for After Care is $10/day per student.  We send statements on Mondays and you can pay the office when you receive your statement.

• If you know that you will use After Care 4-5 times each week, it is beneficial for you to level pay through FACTS.  There is a small discount, you are charged the same amount each month, and it is automatically deducted from your account, so you do not need to send a check to the office.

• When you are picking your child up from After Care, please pull into the small lot on the southeast corner of 10th and Clay (the teacher parking lot).  Then come to the southeast door (nearest the alley).  You will need to ring the top door bell and a member of our After Care staff will let you in to sign out your student. All outside doors to the building are locked and this is the only door that is monitored after school.

Hoodies:

• Students are allowed to wear hoodies that are purchased through the link to Lands End on our website.  

• Hoodies may be worn inside the building when the outside temperature is below 75 degrees.

• We keep our school building at 74 degrees when running the air conditioner and at 70 degrees when we run the boiler.  We try to open windows and let fresh air into the building when the temperature is moderate (and the allergen level is not in the very high category)

Forms:

• Birth certificates and School Entry Physicals (for new students) are due tomorrow, August 18.

• Sports physicals must be submitted before a student can practice or play a sport.

• We will send a fall sports update tomorrow.

#MDStrong

Thank you for all you do, God bless you, and have a great day!

Andrea Hillebert

Good Afternoon!

Happy Feast of the Assumption of Mary! 

Tomorrow is the BIG day for our students in grades K-8! Here is what you can expect!

• Drop off: please remember that the cutaway parking on both sides of Clay are drive through drop off zones in the morning!  DO NOT pull in and park in those spaces, please!

  • You may park in the lot between the Church and the Child Care Center

  • If you are planning to stay for our opening Pledge and Prayer, with the traditional entrance under the swords, please park your car and walk over to the playground

  • We will have three photo areas for you to "capture this moment" and multiple props for our students. If you post on social media, please tag us! (see below)

• Boohoo/Yahoo Reception - for our Kindergarten parents! 

  • Please join us in the library to celebrate this special day!  We will meet from 8:00 - 8:15 and then you can return to your regular schedule!

• Dismissal: we will dismiss on the regular, staggered schedule, adjusted to noon:

  • K will dismiss at 12:02

  • 1st Grade will dismiss at 12:04

  • 2nd Grade will dismiss at 12:06

  • 3rd Grade will dismiss at 12:08

  • 4th Grade will dismiss at 12:10

  • 5th Grade will dismiss at 12:12

  • 6th, 7th, and 8th Grades will dismiss at 12:15

  • We will have plenty of people directing that dismissal traffic!

  • There is NO AFTER CARE on half days!

• Reminders - please read!

  • We are required to have Birth Certificates and School Entry Physicals (for new students).  Those must be submitted to the office by Friday, August 18.

  • If you are playing sports, we need your sports physical before you are allowed to practice or play.

  • Students should bring water bottles every day.  We have bottle fillers, not water fountains, at Mater Dei.

• Before Care - The Mater Dei Child Care Center will provide before school care from 6:30 - 7:20 (and then they will escort students to school) Monday through Friday.  The cost will be $5 per day.  Please contact Ms. Virginia, if you are interested in using this service on a regular or drop in basis.  You must contact her before your child can participate, as their are certain forms and regulations that are required for the Child Care Center. The phone number for the Child Care Center is 785-232-1603.

• Mater Dei PTO 1/2K - we are so excited for the 0.5K this weekend!  Come enjoy 5 minutes of an intense (?) workout and then an evening of fun with games and music on the playground!  The cost is $20 to participate OR $25 to NOT participate and still get a medal! Please click here to register!

• Social Media

  • Facebook - Mater Dei Catholic School - Topeka, KS for regular school info; Mater Dei PTO for all PTO info; Assumption, Holy Name, and Mater Dei Alumni to view the throwback pics and celebrate our history

  • Instagram - materdeiknights is the one linked to our Facebook.  It has the most followers, so we are keeping it.  We created a back up Instagram, but we are working to get it back to one account!

  • Twitter - MaterDeiKnights

#MDStrong

Thank you for all you do, God bless you, and have a great day!

Andrea Hillebert

Good Morning!

We are excited to welcome you to Back to School Knights on Wednesday, August 9, and Thursday, August 10!

• Tonight, Wednesday, August 9, we welcome our Knights in grades K-2 and their families!

  • We will begin at 6:00 in the cafeteria (in the basement of the school) with a welcome and faculty introductions.

  • We will then knight our new students!

  • After our general sessions, families will be able to visit classrooms and meet the teachers!  We will host two 20 minute sessions.

  • The evening will end at 7:10

• Tomorrow, Thursday, August 10, we welcome our Knights in grades 3-8 and their families!

  • Doors open at 5:30 and we have a super cool activity to help you get to know the lay of the land around here!

  • Our general session begins at 6:00 in the cafeteria with a welcome, faculty introductions, and a little information about our departmentalization approach to education.

  • After the general session, parents and student are invited to visit classrooms and you will have a "schedule" so that you receive information that is relevant to your grade level.

  • The evening will end at 7:30.

• Please join us on Sunday, August 13, for Father Matt's installation as pastor of Mater Dei!

  • All are welcome at 10:30 Mass, which will be celebrated by Archbishop Naumann and include the installation of Father Matt

  • After Mass, the Mater Dei Altar Society is hosting a luncheon in the Mater Dei Event Center - a wonderful opportunity for fellowship, and a chance to meet Father Matt!

  • Please see the attached flier for details!

#MDStrong

Thank you for all you do, God bless you, and have a great day!

Andrea Hillebert

Installation Mass and Luncheon 

Good Morning!

We are looking forward to seeing you at Registration today!

• Registration is in the Mater Dei Event Center, which is just west of the Mater Dei Holy Name Church. Parking is north of the Event Center or in the parking lot between the Church and the Child Care Center

• The first session is from 11:00 - 1:30

• The second session is from 4:00 - 6:30

• Please attend whichever session is more convenient for you!

• It is a drop in format - you do not have to arrive at the beginning of a session and stay until the end

• Children are welcome to attend, but not required to attend - and there will be cookies!!

• We shared a TON of information and assigned some tasks for you to complete prior to registration.  Please click here to access our parent communication; then select July 2023 in the upper right corner; and choose the message "7-26-2023 Final Registration Step 1"

• Middle school parents - please check out that same piece of communication and scroll to the bottom, where there is a link that pertains to only you

#MDStrong

Thank you for all you do, God bless you, and have a great day!

Andrea Hillebert