Moving Forward
Dear Mater Dei Community,
Year two is in the books! We are grateful and blessed as we head into summer and begin preparations for year three. In our final May/June edition of Mater Dei Annunciations for the school year, we'll share about the busy days leading up to summer break, including a recap of two events: our recent virtual benefit event with Anthony Esolen and our first annual Mater Dei in the Night for the students. We'll also share three specific ways you can support the needs of our apostolate moving forward. Wishing you happiness and joy in these summer months! May God bless you.
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Ad Jesum Per Mariam
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam
Day-to-day at Mater Dei
Students in our visual arts elective course had the opportunity for several hands-on learning experiences from experts within our community. Peter Specht, a local artist and seminarian, taught a unit on painting to close out the semester. The previous unit on videography was taught by local videographer, Max Haben. The purpose of this course is to expose students to a variety of visual arts in different mediums. Through exposure and hands-on experience, students may discover a creative outlet that develops into a lifelong passion.
Newly learned videography skills came in handy for students in their literature courses. For an end-of-the-year project, they were split into groups and assigned a Shakespeare play to read and synthesize into a five minute presentation. They were then instructed to adapt that synthesis into a five minute play, which they acted out, recorded, edited and presented to the whole class. It was a grand premiere event!
One of the great joys for our biology students (well, most of them) this year was the opportunity for dissections and interactive labs. For their final lab of the year, students dissected pig hearts to observe the chambers, valves, and major blood vessels of the heart as part of their unit on the cardiovascular system. We are so grateful for the passion and expertise of our biology instructor, Mr. Bennett, and for all of our instructors at Mater Dei.
Virtual Benefit Recap
We were blessed to host Dr. Anthony Esolen in May for a virtual benefit event. His keynote address was filled with inspiring words of wisdom spoken with the eloquence and refreshing candor he is well known for. He spoke on the importance of a classical Christian education in these times, highlighting that true education should appeal to the deep needs of the human heart and soul. After his talk, Dr. Esloen took questions from live viewers on a broad range of topics relating to Catholic education.
There were technical difficulties with the livestream that prevented us from beginning the event on time. We apologize for any inconvenience and invite you to watch the recorded (edited) video HERE if you missed the livestream. It is also posted on the home page of our website. Dr. Esolen's presentation should not be missed.
We are excited to announce that Dr. Esolen will be assisting as the Curriculum Consultant for Mater Dei Apostolate going forward! His input and guidance on the development of our curriculum will be invaluable. With his help we look forward to restoring all that is good, beautiful, and true in our culture through the classical Catholic education of our high schoolers. We are truly blessed to have his support in this mission.
Mater Dei in the Night
To celebrate a successful school year, Mater Dei students attended a dinner party at Greysolon Ballroom….with a twist. The evening was like a live-action version of the game Clue!, with a mysterious murder at the center of the story. Each student was assigned a fictitious character and instructed to remain “in the personality of their character” throughout the evening, which consisted of guided activities and clues to potential motives of various guests. Part way through the evening, one guest was revealed as the murder victim. Thereafter, the sleuthing commenced to figure out “who done it”. It was a fun and memorable Mater Dei in the Night!
Service Project
One week before their event, the students visited Greysolon for an etiquette lesson with Jax Eisenmann, Director of Sales. They learned about place settings, table manners and dining decorum. More importantly, they were taught about the importance of making others feel welcome in their presence and about how to carry themselves with confidence and poise.
After the etiquette lesson, the guys and ladies were split into separate groups for a presentation on proper attire for a semi-formal event. Guys learned practical things like how to tie a tie. They also received instruction on how to be chivalrous. Ladies received tips and guidance on how to dress beautifully and modestly for a night on the town.
For our final service project of the year, the students then assisted Greysolon staff in preparing and setting the room for their event the following week. They polished silverware, moved furniture, set tables and helped with all the behind-the-scenes preparations for hosting an event. Short on staff during these tough post-covid times, Greysolon was grateful to have the extra help. Please pray for our family owned small businesses!
Moving Forward
As we move forward, we reflect with gratitude on the blessings received and anticipate with hope the blessings to come. Our apostolate is laboring tirelessly to provide families with a flexible and affordable option for Catholic high school education, which is the first step towards rebuilding authentic Catholic culture in our society.
We're paving the way forward with an innovative education model that has the potential to be replicated nationwide. But we need your help. Please prayerfully consider making a gift to support the work we are doing for the salvation of souls and the good of the Church.
There are three ways you can help us to get year three successfully underway:
One-time gifts are gratefully accepted for our many short-term needs as we plan to add an additional grade. We are in need of lockers, classroom furniture, laptops and technology equipment for a third virtual classroom, among other essential items as we grow.
Help us to access money in our Partner Fund. When we recruit recurring monthly givers to sign up in the program at $50/month or more, each of these monthly donations will automatically trigger a match from the Partner Fund. The Monthly Match Program provides a steady source of income for our apostolate but we need your help to access the funds. Participation from the greater Catholic community is needed to sustain and grow this program.
Finally, if you have the means and you wish to support our apostolate in a way that will have a substantial impact on our development, then we invite you to consider naming a room at the Mater Dei education center. Rooms can be named in honor of your family, a loved one or a saint. The name and legacy will remain with Mater Dei Apostolate indefinitely, even as we expand and if we outgrow our current facility. We pray for your openness in considering this possibility, as a gift of this magnitude can only be facilitated by the Holy Spirit. We await with anticipation that command from the Lord to put out into deep water and lower our nets.