Term 3 Week 7 Newsletter 2025

Principal's Messages

YEAR 2 EXPLORE ANCIENT EGYPT

Year 2 have been busy on an exciting learning journey into Ancient Egypt! As part of their History unit, students used their new knowledge to write detailed information reports about Tutankhamun, which they were very proud to share with me.

The adventure didn’t stop there - our young historians also rolled up their sleeves and became archaeologists for the day! Digging through the sandpit, they uncovered hidden treasures and experienced the thrill of discovering artefacts, just like real archaeologists.

Their learning has even extended into play time, with many students building pyramids and recreating scenes from Ancient Egypt in the sandpit at lunch.

It has been a wonderful mix of writing, creativity, and hands-on learning. Year 2 are now looking forward to their next history adventure as they begin exploring the wonders of Ancient Greece.

IMPORTANT MESSAGE – FITZROY & JUBILEE STS PICK UP

Parents bringing or collecting children by car are asked to use the Fitzroy Street or Jubilee Street entrances.

In the afternoon, parents can pick up their child/children at bell time in the COLA area. Any time after the bell, students will be waiting on the seat outside Year 3 under the verandah.

Jubilee Street / Back Gate Pick Up is the preferred pick up zone for students. Please note: this is a Pick Up Zone only, as indicated by the signs, so parents cannot leave their car. To help staff identify families quickly, parents are asked to place their family name on the back of the visor.

Students will meet the teacher at the multipurpose court and move to the shelter, sitting with their siblings. Staff will walk students to the car for safe pick up.

Traffic and Safety Reminders:

• Do not park on the opposite side of the road and walk your child between cars — this is not safe.

• No student is to wait for parents at the bottom gate in Fitzroy Street (outside the hall) as we cannot supervise students in this area.

• Cars must not queue across the intersection or around the corner from Jubilee Street to Tamworth Street. If the queue reaches the intersection, we ask that you either:

  • Do a lap around the block,

  • Park further up Jubilee Street (south of Tamworth Street) and move down when the line shortens, or

  • Arrive a little later than 2:50pm to avoid the initial congestion.

• Pick up at Jubilee Street closes at 3:05pm.

• Please be aware that police do regularly patrol this area, and some drivers have been booked for queuing across the intersection or blocking traffic around the corner.

Thank you for helping us keep student pick up and drop off safe and organised.

YEAR 2 FAREWELL MISS CLARK 👩‍🏫

Year 2 recently said goodbye to Miss Brianna Clark, who has been completing her third-year teaching placement with us over the past four weeks. The students really enjoyed having Miss Clark in their classroom and appreciated the energy and care she brought to her teaching.

At St Laurence’s, we are proud to support the development of future teachers by providing valuable placement experiences. Working alongside expert and experienced teachers like Mrs Claire Bynon allows our student teachers to grow in confidence and skill as they prepare for their own classrooms.

We thank Miss Clark for her contributions to Year 2 and wish her every success in the remainder of her studies and in her future teaching career.

YEAR 5 & 6 DEBATING TEAMS IN ACTION

Our Year 5 and Year 6 debating teams have been preparing for their first debate in the Interschool Debating Competition, which will take place in Week 7 against St Mary’s Catholic Primary School. Each year, the Catholic primary schools in Dubbo come together to compete in this exciting competition, giving students the chance to develop their skills in public speaking, critical thinking, and teamwork.

As part of their preparation, our Year 5 and 6 teams recently held a practice debate against each other on the topic of the use and benefits of Artificial Intelligence. Both teams presented strong arguments and demonstrated excellent research, confidence, and persuasive speaking skills.

We are very proud of their efforts and look forward to seeing them shine when they represent St Laurence’s in the upcoming debate.

YEAR 1 STUDENTS FORECAST FUN AS WEATHER REPORTERS 🌦️🌞

Year 1 students recently enjoyed stepping into the role of weather reporters as part of their Science learning. Each student had the opportunity to present their own weather report to the class, demonstrating their understanding of observable changes in the sky and land, as well as the effects of seasonal shifts on living things.

This hands-on activity brought their learning to life, with students confidently sharing their knowledge while having plenty of fun along the way. It was a wonderful way to see their curiosity and enthusiasm for science shine.

100 & 150 NIGHTS OF READING SUPERSTARS

More students happy to be checking off 100 and 150 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.

IN MEMORY OF PETER FAHY

It is with great sadness that we share the passing of our much-loved groundsman and maintenance man, Mr Peter Fahy. Peter passed away unexpectedly following surgery, and last Friday he was farewelled at a funeral that celebrated his friendly and fun-loving character.

Peter had been a valued member of our St Laurence’s staff for almost ten years. He took great pride in his work, ensuring our school grounds were always well cared for and welcoming for our students, staff, and families.

Peter’s presence around the school will be deeply missed, and we hold his family and friends in our thoughts and prayers at this difficult time.

Attendance

Religious Education

Gospel Focus

In this week’s Gospel, Jesus teaches us that God’s law is meant to help us, not to make life harder. When the disciples were hungry, they picked grain to eat, and Jesus reminded everyone that caring for people is really important. God wants us to live with love, mercy, and compassion. At school and at home, this means remembering to be kind, to look out for one another, and to place love at the centre of all we do.

SACRAMENT INFORMATION

FIRST RECONCILIATION

Reconciliation is an important sacrament because it allows individuals to experience God's mercy and forgiveness, restoring their relationship with Him. This act of reconciliation not only heals us spiritually but also strengthens our bond with the Church and the wider Christian community.

1st Reconciliation Enrolment Weekend Masses:

End of Week 7: Saturday 6th September 6pm OR Sunday 7th September 9am or 6pm      

End of Weeks 9: Saturday 20th September 6pm OR Sunday 21st September 9am or 6pm

NOTE: This year St Brigid’s will hold a Parish Picnic on Sunday the 21st of September after Mass. This will also be a whole school Meet 4 Mass for St Laurence’s. 

FIRST EUCHARIST

Mass Options:

13th/14th September – St Mary’s

• • Mass times: Saturday 6pm, Sunday 9am or 6pm
    

CONTACT:
Fr Greg or Rosalie
Parish Office Open: Mon - Fri 9am - 1pm & 2pm - 4:30pm
Ph 6882 4233

Rosalie is available on Wednesdays 9-5pm ( Rosalie only works part-time so email is the best form of contact).         

Email Rosalie sacraments.dubbo@cdob.org.au 

🔗 IMPORTANT: Please book your preferred date/time using the following link:

TERM 3 EVENTS

PARISH ANNOUNCEMENTS:

BEAUTIFICATION AND TIDY UP OF CHURCH GARDENS

Saturday 13th September. All help is greatly appreciated. Please BYO garden tools, commencing at 8:30am. Any inquiries call Neale 0429 687 937 or Chris 0427 751 461

PARISH PICNIC – SUNDAY 21st SEPTEMBER

You’re warmly invited to our Parish Picnic on Sunday 21st September, 10:00am–12:30pm in the church grounds.

Join us for a relaxed morning of fun, friendship and community with:

• Morning tea and a sausage sizzle

• Jumping castle, face painting and lawn games

• Live band music

• Tea, coffee and cordial provided

Please bring along:

• A picnic rug

• A plate to share for morning tea (if you are able)

Please note: East side parking will be closed on the day.

If you are able to help, kindly add your name to the sign-up sheet on the noticeboard in the foyer of St Brigid’s Church.

All are welcome — we look forward to seeing you there! 🌸

TRIVIA NIGHT

Saturday 18th October. See Parish Bulletin for more information.

PRAYER DAY

11th November. See Parish Bulletin for more information.

CHANGES TO MASS TIMES
Due to Fr Nam not being replaced, there will be a couple of changes to weekday Mass. From 1st July there will be no Mass on Mondays. Saturday morning Mass will only be celebrated on the 1st Saturday of the month. These small changes allows for Fr Greg to have a day off each week.

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

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

Sports

YEAR 2 LEAGUE TAG GALA DAY

Students in Year 2 will participate in the NRL Stage 1 Mixed League Tag Gala Day this Wednesday 3rd September at the Apex Oval Junior Rugby League Fields. Students will travel by bus from school and return at the conclusion of the day. 

Games will be played in 2 x 10 min halves with 6 players from each team on the field. The aim of the day is fun, participation and new skills. The event is for all levels and experience.

TERM 4 SWIMMING LESSONS

In Term 4 all students will participate in swimming lessons at the Dubbo RSL health club. In order to plan for these lessons a compass event will go home this week to families, please complete the event and questions to assist us in determining what group your child is in. 

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 creative play area.

Being safe in the creative play area means:

• We keep the equipment in the spaces provided
• We are sensible and use the equipment for building in a safe way
• We tell the teacher if things are not safe

Being responsible in the creative play area means:

• We pack up when the music plays
• We share the equipment with others
• We work together as a team
• We dismantle our structures at the end of the week

Being respectful in the creative play area means:

• 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
• We use items from the area provided for unused items

Canteen

Dates to remember

Birthdays

Curriculum Corner

YEAR 6

Year 7 Orientation:

Year 6 students attended St John’s College to engage in their first Orientation Day in preparation for High School. The students participated in a range of activities including Sport, Music, Woodwork and Visual Arts. These days are important for our students to develop a sense of comfort in their soon to be new environment and develop relationships with students from the other Catholic primary schools. 

Awards

Happy Families

Community News