Term 1 Week 2 Newsletter 2025

Principal's Messages

KINDER'S FIRST DAY

Last Thursday, we had the pleasure of officially welcoming our Kindergarten class to their first full day of school. It was wonderful to see their excitement as they settled into their classroom, already familiar with their teacher and surroundings thanks to last year’s transition days. Their confidence and enthusiasm were evident as they embraced this new chapter with curiosity and joy.

For our newest families, thank you for entrusting us with your child’s learning journey. We look forward to partnering with you to nurture their growth, spark their imaginations, and create a warm and supportive start to their schooling adventure.

Here’s to a year filled with wonder, discovery, and many happy memories in Kindergarten!

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THURSDAY 13TH FEBRUARY - ANNIVERSARY OF NATIONAL APOLOGY DAY

This Thursday marks a significant day in Australian history—the anniversary of the Australian government’s formal apology to the First Nations Peoples, particularly to the Stolen Generations. The Stolen Generations refers to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who were forcibly removed from their families and communities as children. Many survivors of this painful chapter in Australia’s history have carried their experiences in silence for years, but through sharing their resilient stories, there is a growing willingness for Australians to join in the healing journey and contribute to meaningful solutions for the future.

At St Laurence’s, we are committed to recognising and fostering Aboriginal culture and history as part of our ongoing journey toward reconciliation. We aim to provide students with a deeper understanding of the significance of this history and the resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. As part of this, we honour stories like that of Florence Onus, a descendant of the Birri-Gubba and Kairi/Bidjara clans of north-east Queensland. Florence’s story is a powerful reminder that behind the policies of the Stolen Generations were individuals—children—whose lives were torn apart, and who still require our support and understanding. Through initiatives such as 'Yindyamarra - A Place of Respect and Honour', our Yarning Circle and Aboriginal garden, and partnerships with local Aboriginal communities, we continue to build respectful relationships and ensure that the voices of Aboriginal peoples are heard and valued in our school.

Click here to watch video > TELLING OUR STORIES- OUR STOLEN GENERATIONS (FLORENCE ONUS)

OPENING SCHOOL MASS & LEADERS INDUCTION

PARENT INFORMATION SESSIONS & WELCOME BACK BBQ

This year, the P&F Welcome Back BBQ and the Parent Information Nights will be combined into one special event! This will be held on Thursday 20th February (Week 3), providing a fantastic opportunity for families to connect with one another while also receiving important information about the year ahead. RSVP and Volunteer notes will be sent home with your child shortly, giving you the chance to register your attendance and nominate yourself for a role to assist with the event. More details about the evening’s format will be shared in next week’s newsletter and via Compass. We look forward to seeing you there!

STUDENT SAFETY ONLINE - SAFER INTERNET DAY

Safer Internet Day, celebrated on Tuesday 11th February, is a timely reminder of the importance of keeping our children safe online. As a school community, we regularly share information with parents to support this shared responsibility. One challenge we all face is the increasing use of social media. While platforms like TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook, and Instagram have a recommended minimum age of 13, many younger children are accessing and using these sites.

To help protect children from harmful online content, the team at eSafety.gov.au has developed practical tips for parents:

• Engage in your child’s online activities—ask what apps, sites, and games they are using and ensure they are age-appropriate.
• Use parental controls on devices to help limit exposure to unsuitable content.
• Teach your child how to report and block upsetting content on social media.
• Encourage open communication, so they feel comfortable coming to you about anything they see online.

Together, we can work to create a safer and more supportive online environment for our children.

STUDENT ACCEPTABLE USE OF TECHNOLOGY AGREEMENT - TO BE COMPLETED ON COMPASS

We use COMPASS to distribute the Student Acceptable Use of Digital Technology Policy to parents and students to sign off. By digitally accepting this agreement you are stating that you agree to the terms in the policy. You will receive an alert in the next week or so, which will present as a green bar with the words, Course Confirmations. PLEASE NOTE there will be no payment or service charges required to complete this agreement. If you have any trouble with accessing or completing the agreement, please contact the school for assistance.

1. Select the green alert bar
2. Select 2025 Student Course link
3. Select NEXT
4. Select the blue document link and read through the policy WITH YOUR CHILD, then close the document and go back to COMPASS
5. Select the relevant selections for parent and student agreement
6. Completed

STUDENT HEALTH PLANS & MEDICATION AT SCHOOL

We have several students with school health plans, and it is essential that these plans are kept up to date. If there are any changes to your child’s ongoing health plan, we kindly ask that you inform us promptly. Having the latest medical advice ensures we can provide the best care for your child. Please contact the office or your child’s class teacher to update any details.

For students requiring regular medication during the school day, we request that medications be provided in Webster packs. This system ensures a safe and reliable process for administering medication and helps us manage it effectively. Thank you for your cooperation in supporting your child’s health and wellbeing at school.

LEAVING SCHOOL GROUNDS DURING SCHOOL HOURS

For the safety and security of all students, children are not permitted to leave the school grounds during school hours without prior permission. If a student needs to leave the school, a note or email from the parent/guardian must be provided to the teacher, indicating parental consent. Additionally, parents/guardians are required to complete a 'Sign Out' on the electronic roll located in the front office. Children should be collected from the Front Office foyer. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in helping us ensure the safety of all our students.

CREATIVE PLAY SPACE - DONATIONS WELCOMED

Our designated creative play space has become a popular and valuable area for students during playtimes. This space plays a crucial role in helping children develop social, physical, and emotional skills through imaginative play. It encourages exploration, cooperation, activity, and creativity, allowing students to engage in spontaneous and meaningful learning experiences.

To further enhance this space, we hope to add more everyday and recycled materials for the children to design and build with. Items such as pool noodles, ropes, crates, large cardboard appliance boxes (e.g., dishwashers or refrigerators), fence palings (nails removed), offcuts, or any other materials that can be repurposed would be greatly appreciated. If you have any items you would like to donate, or if you need more information, please contact the school. It is truly wonderful to see how our students use these everyday objects to create and explore.

Religious Education

Gospel Focus

Happy are you who are poor, who are hungry, who weep
In Luke 6:17, 20-26, Jesus turns the world’s expectations upside down, blessing the poor, the hungry, and those who weep, while warning the rich and comfortable. His words remind us that true happiness is not found in wealth or popularity but in living a life of faith, love, and service. At school and in life, we are called to see with God’s eyes—to be kind, to lift others up, and to trust that even in struggles, we are deeply blessed. May we find joy not in what we have but in how we love, and may we always seek to bring God’s hope to those in need.

Term 1 Events

MASS TIMES: St. Brigid’s: Saturday - 6:00pm, Sunday - 9:00am and Sunday - 6:00pm.

St. Laurence’s Church: Monday- 9:30am, Wednesday - 9:30am, Friday -12 noon and Sunday - 7:30am

Sports

Polding Selection

A huge Congratulations to Uriah who was selected in the Polding basketball team at the Tamworth trials on Friday.

Over 40 girls from across the state were at the trials where a team of 10 were selected.

Uriah will now go on to represent Polding at the NSW PSSA State carnival in Sydney in June.

Congratulations Uriah, this is a testament to your hard work and dedication.

SWIMMING CARNIVAL

We will be holding our school swimming carnival on Monday 17th February (Week 3). Students from Year 2 through to Year 6 will participate in the swimming carnival. Students in Kindergarten and Year 1 will come to school as normal. 

We encourage all students to attend the carnival as we have events that cater for all swimming abilities including our non swimmers. Please make sure you let your classroom teacher know if your child is a non-swimmer. 

Children are asked to be at the pool by 8.50am as the carnival will begin at 9am. Children will need to make their own way to and from the pool. The carnival will conclude at 2.50pm, please ensure you sign your child out before leaving. Children will need to be collected from the pool at this time. 

No child will be allowed to stay in the pool unless they have been signed out and supervised by a parent. If someone else is picking up your child please provide a note to the class teacher so we know they have your permission to do so.

The carnival will commence with the 100m events followed by the age 50m freestyle races. Before each 50m event, there will be a 25m race for each stroke and noodle races for the non-swimmers. We cannot provide a more detailed outline with a time frame as it is difficult to tell how many heats will be run in the various age groups.

Children who come first, second or third in their individual events (not heats) will move on to the next carnival, which will be held in Gulgong on Tuesday 25th February. The relays will be made up of the four fastest swimmers in the junior and senior divisions. 

Lunch will be at 12 noon. Canteen will be available at allocated times throughout the day. We will hold the highly anticipated Belly Flop competition during the lunch break. This is where the Year 6 students have the opportunity to make a big splash and participate in a noodle race which is always a highlight!

We do require assistance from parent helpers as we need more time keepers. If anyone is available to help please send me an email. m.donoghue@bth.catholic.edu.au or meet at the pool by 8:45 am on the day. 

We hope you can join us. If you have any further enquiries please do not hesitate to contact the school.

DATE: Monday 17th February

WHO : Yr 2 - 6 

WHERE: Dubbo Aquatic and Leisure Centre

WHEN : 8:50 - 2:50 

COST - Covered in class charges - you do not need to pay pool entry

What  to wear:- Children wear their sports uniform but are encouraged to wear a shirt with their house colour;

Norton - Red
McAuley - Yellow
Mackillop - Blue

Please pack sunscreen, hat, water, recess and lunch. The canteen will be available.

Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL)

As part of our ongoing commitment to Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) each class spends time reviewing and learning about the expectations in specific areas. The focus can be developed from feedback and data. This week our focus is before and after school.

Being respectful BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL means:

• We follow the teacher’s directions
• We are polite to the bus driver

Being responsible BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL means:

• We move to the correct area quickly after the bell

Being safe BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL means:

• We remain seated until the teacher is on duty
• We wear our hats 
• We walk to our set lines
• We stay in our set lines
• We keep our hands and feet to ourselves

Library

Canteen

Our canteen reopens for business TODAY - Monday 10th February 2025.

Canteen is open on Monday and Friday . Lunch orders can be placed via the munch monitor website.

If you are able to assist in our school canteen in Term 1 please complete your information by clicking the link below:

Helping in the canteen involves serving students at the canteen window, helping sort and organise the lunch orders, cooking food for lunch orders, washing up and cleaning up.

Our meal break times are:
Recess 10:50 - 11:10am;
Infants Lunch 12:40 - 1:20pm;
Primary Lunch 1:10 - 1:50pm.

Any assistance will be much appreciated to ensure our canteen is able to continue functioning for our students.

Dates to remember

Birthdays

Curriculum Corner

Year 1

Year One has been busy becoming experts with our ‘Zones of Regulation’ program. We have had a fabulous time during discussions about emotions, role playing and drawings.

Year One have also been busy sharing their exciting holiday stories. We were excited to do some Writing about our favourite part of our holidays.

Awards

Happy Families

Community News