Term 4 Week 1 Newsletter 2024

Principal's Messages

KINDER'S CLEVER WRITING 

At the end of last term, some Kindergarten students visited my office, proudly presenting their impressive informative writing and artwork about emus. With great confidence, they explained subject-specific terms such as "omnivore" and "native," and shared fascinating facts - like the discovery that emus have two eyelids: one for blinking and one to keep out dust. They also told me that the emu is the second-largest bird in the world, after the ostrich, and explained that emus cannot fly because their wings are too small. It was a delight to witness their growing knowledge and enthusiasm for learning.

DRAWING US TOGETHER PRESENTATION

Congratulations to our four talented artists, Charlotte, Ellie, Sophie and Harriet, whose illustrations were selected by public vote to be featured in the Charter Hall Shopping Centres NAIDOC Week Community Storybook, Five Hearts, One Flame, a collection of short stories written by Aboriginal authors from across the country. These skilful students were presented with a framed copy of their artwork and a copy of the book at a special ceremony at Dubbo Square at the end of last term. Commendations to all the students who participated in this wonderful community project. Please see our Facebook page for more photos.

GERARD YEO SHIELD: A FRIENDLY COMPETITION UNITING OUR SCHOOLS

At the end of last term, our Year 6 students eagerly participated in the Gerard Yeo Shield, a lively competition between Dubbo's four Catholic Primary Schools. Competing in league tag, soccer, netball, chess, and an academic challenge, the event fostered camaraderie and friendly rivalry. Held in memory of Gerard Yeo, a former St Mary's student who tragically lost his life in the 2002 Bali bombings, the competition encourages students to build lasting friendships. The day concluded with a liturgy focused on the values of the event, bringing the spirit of the day to a meaningful close. Congratulations to St Mary's on their impressive victory in this year's competition. Please see our Facebook page for more photos.

PLAYGROUND UPGRADES TO ENHANCE OUTDOOR LEARNING AND PLAY SPACES

The newly upgraded Jubilee Street field, now featuring a lush Tif Tuf lawn, was recently cored and top-dressed by Western Plains Turf during the first weekend of the holidays. This upgrade will make the field even more inviting for students to enjoy in Term 4. A new plaque has also been installed, commemorating the generous donation from our Parents and Friends Association, whose fundraising efforts made it possible to install new stadium seating at the end of the field. A big thank you to Western Plains Turf and our school community for their contributions to enhancing this space.

WELCOME NEW FAMILIES

We welcome two new families to St Laurence's. Josmy and Biby Paul join us with their children, Eldho (Year 4) and Elaine (Year 1), and Sabitha & Anoop Joseph also join us with their daughter, Michaella (Kindergarten). We know that they will feel very happy at St Laurence's and the students and teachers have already made them feel very much a part of the school community.

ADMINISTRATION STAFF FAREWELLS AND WELCOMES

At the end of last term, we sadly farewelled Ms Sarah Irvine from the Administration team, and we are truly grateful for her presence at the school over the past couple of years. Sarah brought a warm and welcoming atmosphere to our school, always greeting students, staff, and visitors with her beautiful smile and friendly nature. Her dedication and attention to detail were invaluable, and she played a key role in supporting our community. We will greatly miss her contributions and the positive energy she brought to the office. We are pleased to welcome Mrs Cara Grey, who has been with us during Term 3, and Mrs Kelly Mackintosh, who will be starting with the team this week. The administration staff now consists of Mrs Susan Alley (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday), Mrs Cara Grey (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday), and Mrs Kelly Mackintosh (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday). We are thankful for our two new staff members and are excited to have them join our team.

STAGE 3 CANBERRA EXCURSION WEEK TWO

Students from Stage 3 will soon be undertaking an education tour of the national capital, Canberra. Students will be given the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational programs with a focus on Australia's history, culture, heritage and democracy. The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion, the Australian Government is contributing funding of $30 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards those costs. The rebate is paid directly to the school upon completion of the excursion. This amount has already been deducted from the excursion fees.

100, 150 & 200 NIGHTS OF READING SUPERSTARS

More students happy to be checking off 100, and now 200 nights of home reading in Week 10 last term! We love celebrating reading at St Laurence's and encourage our students to develop a love and enthusiasm for reading. When students achieve 100, 150, 200, 250 and 300 nights of Home Reading they are rewarded with a special book prize from my Book Box.

SCHOOL DROP OFF AND PICK UP

As we commence Term 4, please remember our car park is to be avoided for dropping off or picking up students. The drop off and pick up zones on Jubilee and Fitzroy Streets are the safest places for students. Please ensure that you display your surname on your vehicles visor when picking up from the back gate in Jubilee St. If you have someone else picking up your child, please ensure that they have your surname displayed (even if it's written clearly on a piece of paper). Please let the admin staff know if you have lost your name to display so that we can arrange a new one.

NO MOBILE PHONES AT SCHOOL

Students are not to have mobile phones at school. If there is a special circumstance where a child may need a phone at school, please contact the principal so we can discuss this and make relevant arrangements.

ATTENDANCE MATTERS

We all want our students to get a great education, and the building blocks for a great education begin with students coming to school each and every day. If students miss school regularly, they miss out on learning the fundamental skills that will set them up for success in the later years of school. There is no safe number of days for missing school - each day a student misses puts them behind, and can affect their educational outcomes. Each missed day is associated with progressively lower achievement in numeracy, writing and reading. If you are having troubles with getting your child to school, please contact myself or Mrs Harvey so we can assist you. Please take some time to review the information in the image below about how much learning is missed when your child is late or absent from school.

STUDENT SAFETY ONLINE

The recommended age for being on social media sites such as Tik Tok, SnapChat, FaceBook, Instagram etc. is 13, but many of our children are accessing and using these sites at a much younger age. www.esafety.gov.au has developed a series of tips for parents to help limit young people's exposure to harmful content online:

• engage in your child's online activities - ask what apps, sites and games they're using and make sure they're age appropriate
• use parental controls on devices to help limit what your child is exposed to
• help them report and block upsetting content they see on social media
• let them know they can come to you about anything they see online

SUMMER UNIFORM TERM 4

All students are now expected to wear their summer uniform. The school uniform is a distinguishing symbol of belonging to St Laurence's and it is expected that students wear it with pride at all times. The assistance of parents and staff is sought in maintaining a high standard of dress and presentation by all students.

UNIFORM REMINDERS FOR BOYS AND GIRLS

• Hat - Navy/Sky bucket hat with school logo
• Black shoes - leather, polishable, classic style, low heel - no boots or black joggers
• Socks - no sportlet (no show) or cutaway styles
• Shorts - no cargo, corduroy, jeans type, Canterbury or polycotton/cotton shorts
• Long hair must be tied back
• Maroon ribbons/scrunchies are acceptable
• Nail polish & makeup are not acceptable
• Earrings - 1 pair of sleepers or studs
• Bracelet - 1 medical or solid bracelet only
• Rings - signet or plain band
• Neck chain - single with religious cross or medal
  

HAIRSTYLES AND ACCESSORIES
Hairstyles for both girls and boys should be neat and appropriate for school. Long hair for both girls and boys (including mullets), that touches the shoulders or covers the face, should be tied back with a navy, pink or maroon clip, ribbon, band or scrunchie. Nail polish and makeup are not appropriate. Jewellery should be simple - sleeper earrings or studs and one per earlobe. Medical, gold or silver bracelet and signet rings only. No other jewellery should be worn.

PACKING A HEALTHY LUNCHBOX

With the unpredictable nature of our day to day lives, preparing and packing a healthy lunchbox can be a difficult task. Finding time to shop and prepare interesting and healthy meals for school lunches can be stressful. But the foods we send to school with our kids can contribute up to 1/3 of their daily intake of nutrients. So its important to pack a balanced lunch to ensure they’re getting the nutrients they need.
There are many ideas for a healthy lunchbox that kids will love. If you've got time time, why not encourage your child to help you prepare their lovely lunches?

Here's a few to get you started:

• Make fruit fun and easy to eat by chopping it into small pieces and including a spoon. You can stop fruit such as apples and bananas from going brown by tossing them in a little water mixed with lemon juice and storing in an airtight container. You can also use cookie cutters on fruit that can be cut into larger slices, such as melon or pineapple.
• You can make sandwiches more interesting by using different types of breads - try tortilla wraps, pita or bread flavoured with herbs, seeds or cheese. It's also fun to use cookie cutters to cut sandwiches into different shapes.
• If your child is bored of sandwiches, try making a colourful pasta or rice salad, or you could send them with a dip such as hummus and a handful of breadsticks and veggie sticks.
• Try not to include foods high in fat and sugar on a daily basis in your child's lunchbox. Instead, aim to have healthy swaps, such as crunchy carrot sticks instead of crisps, or a fruity yoghurt instead of a cake.
• Chiller packs are readily available at the supermarket - pop a couple in the freezer so you'll always have one ready to slip into the lunchbox to keep things cool and fresh. Alternatively, you could freeze juice boxes and pop one of those in the box - by lunchtime it will have defrosted, all the while keeping the lunch fresh.
• Don't forget your leftovers. If you've had a pasta meal, for example, the leftovers can quickly be turned into a nutritious pasta salad with the addition of a few chopped fresh vegetables. Leftovers from the Sunday roast also make fantastic sandwich fillings.
  

'JUST LIKE YOU' DISABILITY INCLUSION WORKSHOPS

We are excited to announce upcoming workshops scheduled for Friday of Week One, facilitated by the team at Variety. Just Like You (JLY) is an evidence-based, curriculum-aligned disability awareness program that will be delivered to our students from Kindergarten to Year 6 by facilitators who have lived experience of disability. These workshops aim to foster empathy, promote positive language, celebrate diversity and inclusion, and break down barriers to make spaces more welcoming for everyone. We look forward to seeing our students engage with this valuable program and learn from it.

Religious Education

Year 2 Reconciliation

Year 2 First Reconciliation is fast approaching. All students wishing to receive this Sacrament must attend three preparation sessions with a parent.

Please note the session times below 

If you have any questions about Reconciliation, please contact Rosie Hosking via email at sacraments.dubbo@cdob.org.au

Term 4 Events

Gospel Focus

The Son of Man came to give his life as a ransom for many
In Mark 10:35-45, two of Jesus' disciples, James and John, ask for special places of honour next to Him in heaven. Jesus teaches them that true greatness doesn’t come from having power or high positions, but from serving others. He explains that just as He came to serve and give His life for many, those who follow Him should also be willing to serve and care for others. This passage reminds us that in God's kingdom, humility and kindness are more important than seeking recognition or personal gain.

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

St. Laurence’s Church: Sunday - 7:30am

Sports

Summer Sports Trials
This term we have the Bathurst Diocesan Sports Trials coming up. These trials are open to students in Year 4 and Year 5. The sports that students have the opportunity to trial for are Touch Football, Cricket, Softball, Basketball and Tennis. These trials are at the end of Week 5 - Touch Football, Cricket and Softball will be on Thursday 14th November and Basketball and Tennis will be on Friday 15th November. Nominations for these sports trials will be going out next week.

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 the playground.

Being safe on the playground means:

• We use equipment for intended purpose
• We stay in bounds 
• We keep our hands, feet and other objects to ourselves
• We wear our hats

Being responsible on the playground means:

• We put our rubbish in the bin
• We put our equipment away when we have finished playing with it

Being respectful on the playground means:

• We follow adult directions
• We play on the fields allocated to us
• We play by the rules of the game 
• We play fairly, take turns and share
• We include others in our play
• We speak kindly to others
• We solve problems calmly together

Library

Canteen

Thank you to our wonderful parent helpers who have heard our call for help and put their hands up to volunteer on Friday's in our school canteen.

The roster for Term 4 is available by clicking the link below: CANTEEN VOLUNTEERS ROSTER - TERM 4 2024

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.

Birthdays

Awards

Community News