7 minute read
Four Cornerstones
CORNERSTONES spiritual growth. service. academic excellence. social development
SPIRITUAL GROWTH PRAYER CHAIN
Beginning March 30 and ending early May, our school community shared daily prayers via email and social media so that everyone could stay connected to one another and to our faith.
“We are a community of faith, and organization designed by God and a family called to His ministry in our Catholic Schools. For this reason, prayer is important in the lives of our students, but also just as important for all of us, especially when prayed together,” Andy Morris said.
Faculty and staff volunteered for certain days and submitted prayers to Campus Minister Chad Breeden. From original prayers to borrowed prayers, the goal from the beginning was to lessen anxiety and keep everyone connected during global pandemic quarantine.
SERVICE Dennis Niemeier ‘70 Janice (Goebel) Schuble ‘64
On Dec.13, 2020, the MDFAA awarded the first ever Distinguished Service Award to two recipients: Janice (Goebel) Schuble ‘64 and Dennis Niemeier ‘70.
With a deep love for all things red & gold, Janice has volunteered as the concession stand manager at the school for 28 years and plans to start her 29th and final year in the fall. Throughout her years of dedicated service, Janice has raised approximately
$450,000 for Mater Dei athletics. This yearround commitment begins with girls volleyball in the fall and ends with baseball in the spring. She and her husband, Larry, have volunteered thousands of hours over the years and can still be found running the concessions and manning the grill still today.
“Janice is a prime example of why Mater Dei is so special--she works extremely hard, shows up and goes the extra mile, and supports the school and its students any way she can. She and Larry have volunteered thousands of hours over the years, and she expects
nothing in return. She does it all for the love of the school,” Mallory (Goebel) Hertel ‘07 said.
After retiring from Sterling Boiler & Mechanical as the General Estimator/Project Manager in charge of all midwest jobs, Dennis Niemeier ‘70 joined the Mater Dei staff in 2015 and became the Maintenance Manager after years of volunteering at the school. Over the years, Dennis has shared his expertise to some of the campaigns and improvements to the school. Often, he is the first to arrive and last to leave the school grounds for the day.
“Mater Dei High School is so fortunate to have Dennis Niemeier leading the maintenance department. His loyalty and love of our school is evident in how hard he works. He is constantly working to improve the grounds and is always very pleasant and open to new ideas to make Mater Dei better. Mater Dei is a special place because of people like Dennis Niemeier,” Principal Darin Knight said.
Dennis is actively involved in his home parish at St. Joe in the county and has become one of their go-to-guys when they need a handyman.
Mater Dei students are provided a faith-based education rooted in the Roman Catholic tradition. We strive to educate the whole child by blending learning with faith and by making faith an integral part of the school day. This is accomplished through prayer as a fundamental component of each class along with a focus on service to others. Students grow in their awareness of the importance of practicing their faith by participating in Eucharistic celebrations at school as well as in their local parishes, and by participating in and providing leadership for retreat and formation days.
Mater Dei offers a strong educational program which is accredited by the Indiana Department of Education and AdvanceED. The curriculum is designed to recognize the needs and differences of individual students, to develop students’ potential in accordance with ability, and to equip graduates to live and find success in today’s complex world. To assist students in recognizing and developing their full potential, students are taught appropriate methodologies, strategies, and current technologies in all areas of the curriculum to solve problems accurately, effectively, and creatively.
While growing spiritually and academically, students also need the opportunity to develop socially and physically. Students are strongly encouraged to become well-rounded individuals by interacting with others in a variety of extra-curricular and co-curricular activities which serve as an extension of a solid educational program.
Programs of service to others in Catholic schools are a vibrant reflection of the commitment Catholic education has made to live the Gospel as a way of life. Active involvement in service during high school develops a sense of responsibility and a lifetime desire to respond to the needs of the world. In order to strengthen the commitment to be of service to others, Mater Dei provides a four-year service program that challenges students to reach beyond themselves and to touch the lives of others. Because of the importance of service in the teachings of Christ and because of the educational value to students, all students contribute service hours every year as a requirement for graduation. Service may be given to the Church, the community, and the school. Mater Dei also offers a Service Club and other extra-curricular activities that provide volunteer opportunities and serve as a link to community service organizations.
After delivering their speeches to an empty auditorium, valedictorians Kristen Schneider and Xavier Reine have fun social distancing on stage. On May 8, many of the individual parts of the virtual graduation were filmed.
In addition to her academic accomplishments, Kristen Schneider has been very involved at Mater Dei. She is a 4 year member of both cheerleading and student council. She currently serves as clerk of Mater Dei-ville. The daughter of Ken and Teri Schneider, Kristen and her family are members of Resurrection parish. Kristen will attend Murray State University as a Regents Scholarship recipient and will major in speech and language pathology.
During his career at Mater Dei, Xavier Reine was the captain of the varsity soccer team, President of Spanish Club, and historian of the National Honor Society. Xavier is the son of Bev Robbins and Brian Reine and is a member of St. James parish. Xavier will attend Indiana University as a Provost Scholarship recipient and will major in neuroscience.
Attending a school centered around faith would be the most prominent part of Mater Dei that has formed me. It built strong character and morals and put God at the core of my life. I also believe the smaller, strong-knit community allowed me to be my authentic self, and it gave me the support and encouragement I needed to flourish.”
Claudia Duncan ‘18
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT CLAUDIA DUNCAN ‘18
Claudia Duncan ‘18 can now add royalty to her resume. Duncan, a 10 year 4H member, won the Vanderburgh County Queen Contest last summer and defeated 84 other county queens around the state to win the title in January. “There was no greater feeling than being crowned Miss Vanderburgh County and especially Miss Indiana State Fair because it meant that others believed my personal skills and personality would succeed in these opportunities,” Duncan said.
The competition consisted of private interviews, on-stage speeches, modeling business wear, and formal wear, and the top 10 finalists answered impromptu on-stage questions. Contestants were judged on their poise, personality, ability to converse, and public speaking. Skills she credits Mater Dei for shaping. “Attending a school centered around faith would be the most prominent part of Mater Dei that has formed me. It built strong character and morals and put God at the core of my life. I also believe the smaller, strong-knit community allowed me to be my authentic self, and it gave me the support and encouragement I needed to flourish.”
With the pandemic canceling the fairs this summer, there won’t be a chance to choose a new State Fair Queen, so Duncan will actually keep her crown for two years. She is looking forward to visiting many county fairs in the state next summer and acting as the official hostess for the 17-day Indiana State Fair in 2021.
