Our School

For students from Kindergarten to Year 12 who have been assessed with mild to moderate cognitive disabilities as their primary disability, Mater Dei is a co-educational Catholic Congregational school located in the Wollongong Diocese under the auspices of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan whose ethos is based on the Rule of St Benedict. Our culture is one of peace, prayer, service, social justice, hospitality and stewardship. Our Mission is to offer an individual and holistic education in a safe, non-threatening environment.

The underpinning philosophy of every student's enrolment at Mater Dei is inclusion into the wider community. Inclusion is based on the dignity and uniqueness of each person, self-esteem, respect, equity, independence, interdependence and responsibility. We work collaboratively with parents, carers and advocates of the students entrusted into our care thus providing a student-centred community at Mater Dei. In this way it is our hope that students will live as independently as possible in the least restrictive and most stimulating environment in the wider community.

Mater Dei's programs aim to:
* provide a comprehensive, holistic and individual education for each student
* ensure a safe, non-threatening yet challenging teaching and learning environment for each student
* promote spiritual, personal, social, physical, emotional, academic and vocational development through all school programs
* enable each student to maximise his/her achievements
* encourage each student to take responsibility for his/her own behaviour and to accept the consequences of his/her behaviour
* help each student develop positive self-esteem
* encourage each student to appreciate the worth, equity and needs of others
* develop and maintain a partnership between home and school
* constantly assess and evaluate each student's development, progression and needs
* work with mainstream schools, the wider community and local employers to create experiences and opportunities for each student
* prepare each student for effective transition through all stages of education
* extend each staff member's professional expertise through ongoing training and professional development to ensure best practice as we educate students at Mater Dei.