Requisite for Relaxation
Dear Mater Dei Community,
It's been a busy start to the year for us academically, but it's been balanced with opportunities for fun. In this newsletter we share a glimpse into the past month for our students which includes fun in the snowbanks, fun in the kitchen and fun behind the camera. As St. Thomas Aquinas says, "It is requisite for the relaxation of the mind that we make use, from time to time, of playful deeds and jokes." We hope you all find time to play in the snow this month! May God bless you.
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Ad Jesum Per Mariam
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam
Day-to-Day at Mater Dei
After enjoying a two week long break to celebrate the birth of our Savior, students and instructors got right back to work. January was a busy month of studying and preparing for midterm exams to close out the first semester. To release the tension of upcoming midterms, and to take advantage of a rare day with above-zero temperatures, the students spent some time in the massive snow banks of our parking lot. It was a joy to see their energy and excitement and a good reminder that teenagers are still kids and they love to play in the snow.
Service Project
Our January service project was a last minute improvise. We were planning to do cleaning and maintenance projects at Holy Family Church on the Fond du Lac Reservation with the middle schoolers from Queen of Peace Catholic School. Unfortunately, due to illness and staff shortages, the project had to be canceled. Instead, we took the morning to bake Christmas cookies and bars for the students and staff of Queen of Peace. It was a great way to continue the celebration of the Christmas season. As Catholics, we know that Christmas doesn't end on December 25th, it only begins! After baking and arranging the treats onto platters to be delivered, we gathered into the church to pray the rosary for the health and well-being of the students, staff and families at Queen of Peace Catholic School.
Open House
Our open house for prospective families is scheduled for Thursday, February 17th, from 7:00-8:30pm. Please spread the word to families with high schoolers of any age—next year we will have a full 9-12th grade! Transferring to Mater Dei from public school is a simple process. At the open house, families will learn about our program, tour the school and meet the instructors. We are located in the lower level of Holy Family Church in Duluth. Guests should park in the parking lot on 2nd street to come into our main entrance.
With busy schedules, we know an open house is easy to miss, so we are working to create an informational video as a resource for families. We recently completed the “tour” portion of the video with our visual arts class. The students had a lot of fun developing and producing the video and they did a great job! Check out their masterpiece and then look for the full informational video to be posted on our website by the end of February.