Term 4 Week 2 Newsletter 2024

Principal's Messages

YINDYAMARRA: A PLACE OF RESPECT, HONOUR AND CONNECTION

Significant progress has been made on the redevelopment of Yindyamarra, our Yarning Circle and Indigenous Garden Space. Yindyamarra, a Wiradjuri word meaning "a place of respect and honour," now features a full yarning circle designed to accommodate an entire class, complete with comfortable seating.

The redevelopment includes beautiful timber features, totem poles that are ready for decoration, and a variety of native plants. A stunning mural titled 'Unite Together, Share With Each Other, Grow Together', created by local artist Hayden Wood - Bokhara Dreaming, enhances the space and provides a vibrant backdrop for learning.

This project has benefited from the exceptional work of Creative Spaces Landscaping and the invaluable collaboration with our Aboriginal students and families. We are excited to see Yindyamarra become a vibrant hub for learning and connection within our school community.

CELEBRATING ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE: HARRY'S ACHIEVEMENT IN MATHS

We are delighted to announce that Harry from Year 6 has been awarded a special prize as a high performer in the 2024 Newcastle Permanent Primary School Mathematics Competition! His outstanding achievement is particularly noteworthy, as he was the only student in the district to receive this prestigious award.

This recognition reflects Harry's hard work, dedication, and passion for mathematics. We commend him for his exceptional efforts and are incredibly proud of his accomplishments. Congratulations, Harry - you are an inspiration to us all!

OUR SCHOOL WINS GEORGE THE FARMER BOOKS!

We are thrilled to share that our school has won a set of George The Farmer books through the Rabobank Community Fund competition! These engaging stories are an excellent resource for our young readers, particularly those with rural backgrounds. Additionally, they provide an opportunity for urban children to connect with the world of farming.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Rabobank for this wonderful addition to our library. These books will undoubtedly enrich our students’ reading experience and foster a greater understanding of agriculture.

PROMOTING INCLUSION: 'JUST LIKE YOU' DISABILITY INCLUSION WORKSHOPS FOR K-6 STUDENTS 

Our K-6 students recently participated in the 'Just Like You' Disability Inclusion workshops, facilitated by the exceptional team at Variety. These engaging sessions were led by facilitators with lived experience of disability, providing a unique perspective that enriched the learning experience.

The workshops focused on important themes such as positive language, inclusion, and breaking down barriers. This initiative proved to be a fantastic opportunity to promote kindness, diversity, and accessibility within our school community. We are grateful to Variety for their impactful contributions and look forward to continuing our efforts in fostering an inclusive environment for all students.

HELPING OUR CHILDREN MANAGE ANXIETY

The topic of anxiety in children and how we, as a community, can provide support in helping them navigate situations that might trigger anxious feelings is gaining more recognition. As educators, we understand that anxiety is a natural part of being human, and it's something we all experience at some point. The following article, How To Respond When Your Child Is Anxious About Challenges At School, explains that it's essential for us to help our children move towards their anxiety rather than away from it. This approach builds resilience and teaches them valuable life skills. We need to encourage them to tackle challenges that may cause anxiety because, with each experience, their anxiety "muscles" grow stronger. I encourage you to read the full article on this topic (linked above) for more in-depth insights and practical tips on managing anxiety in our children. It provides valuable guidance and strategies that can make a significant difference in supporting our children's emotional well-being. Remember that anxiety is a new experience for our children, and they may find it confusing and unsettling. It's crucial for us to share our calm with them generously and offer our own stories of dealing with anxiety to show them that it's something they can navigate. At St Laurence's, our priority is to ensure high levels of learning and wellbeing for all students. We are always proactively working towards collaborating with parents to ensure that we provide our students a nurturing and supportive environment.

100, 150 & 200 NIGHTS OF READING SUPERSTARS

More students happy to be checking off 100, 150, and now 200 nights of home reading last week! 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.

WELCOME NEW FAMILIES

We welcome two new families to St Laurence's. Nerissa and Arnel Cunanan join us with their son, Caleb (Year 2), and Adelyn and RJ Macalandag also join us with their daughter, JD Mirah (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. 

WEAR A HAT FOR WORLD TEACHERS DAY NEXT MONDAY!

Australia and St Laurence's will celebrate the teaching profession on World Teachers Day this Monday 28th October. Happy World Teachers' Day to all the educators who shape our future. Thank you for lighting the path of knowledge for us. Your influence goes beyond books. You have taught us the valuable life lessons that will help us become a better person. We invite all the students to wear a hat to school on Monday - it can be a funny hat, favourite hat, crazy hat, special hat, handmade hat, any type of hat! - so that we can tip our hats to our teachers to say thanks for all that they do!

KEEPING OUR CHILDREN SAFE IN THE ROAD ENVIRONMENT

Religious Education

Gospel Focus

Go; your faith has saved you
In Mark 10:46-52, we hear the story of Bartimaeus, a blind man who calls out to Jesus despite the crowd trying to silence him. His faith and persistence are rewarded as Jesus restores his sight. This story reminds us that even when we face challenges or feel ignored, God is always ready to hear our prayers. Just like Bartimaeus, we are invited to trust in Jesus and call out to Him, knowing that He listens and responds to our needs with love and compassion. Let us have the courage to seek Jesus in our daily lives, just as Bartimaeus did.

Year 2 Reconciliation

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

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

Nomination notes for the upcoming Bathurst Diocesan Sports Trials were sent home last week. 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 being held 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. 

Notes must be returned by Monday 28th October 

League Stars

Last week all year groups participated in a short League Stars session at school. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed running through skills with Development Officers from the National Rugby League.

League Stars is a program run by the NRL and in Term 4 will be held at St Laurence's Primary from Week 3 through to Week 8 on Tuesday afternoons from 3pm to 4pm.

If your child is interested in participating in the program please see the flyer and link below for registration.  Please note these sessions are open to St Laurence's Students only.

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 Engine Room Area.

Being respectful in the Engine Room means:

• We play quietly in this space
• We include others in our play
• We play fairly and take turns
• We solve problems calmly together
• We ask if we want to share items

Being responsible in the Engine Room means:

• We share the equipment and toys with others
• We put our equipment away when we have finished playing with it
• We pack up when the music plays
• We keep food out of this space

Being safe in the Engine Room means:

• We are sensible and use the furniture and equipment in a safe way
• We tell the teacher if things are not safe

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

Curriculum Corner

Year 1 Observatory Excursion

At the end of last term, Stage One visited the CSIRO Parkes Observatory. As part of their Earth and Space unit, they’ve been learning about the changes in the land and the sky, and how the Earth’s resources are used and conserved. This trip was a fantastic way for them to explore astronomical events and deepen their understanding of our planet and beyond.

Year One have begun learning about Creation, the beauty of the world that surrounds us and how it reflects God’s love and creativity.

This week in Maths we have been using concrete materials to model half of a collection and show the relationship between the half and the whole.

Awards

SUPER SPELLER AWARDS

Happy Families

Community News