College Principal Mr Chris Leadbetter presents his final newsletter of the year, due to his secondment, with a Principal's Address to our College community.

Please view the video HERE.

MR CHRIS LEADBETTER

College Principal

International Women’s Day

On Friday 8 March we celebrated International Women’s Day and reflected on the theme Invest in women: Accelerate progress.

Nagle House patron, Nano Nagle - Founder of the Presentation Sisters - challenged injustice in her day by standing in solidarity with the poor and marginalised.

Known as ‘the lady of the lantern’, Nano Nagle risked her own life to include those who had not been included by offering hope, love and compassion through a transformative Catholic education.

Over the course of the day, our students took part in a number of activities including a Mass hosted by Nagle House along with Duhig and Rice where the women on staff were specially invited to celebrate the role of women and the push for equity. Our students also participated in lunches at St James College and at The Greek Club for the Small Steps for Hannah Luncheon.

As we are built on the touchstone of an Inclusive Community, we pray that we are accepting and welcoming, that we foster right relationships and are committed to the common good. May we come together as one to create a society where women feel valued and connected.

• We pray for the nearly one in three adolescent girls around the world who have never been to school. We pray that all women will be blessed with access to education.
• We pray for the 11.8 million women and girls in situations of forced labour on any given day. Make us advocates of the peace that strengthens justice, and the justice that sustains peace.
• We pray for the 342 million women and girls living below the poverty line. Grant us generosity in sharing our gifts and resources with our sisters around the world.
• We pray for women who are not afforded an equal economic opportunity. May the love and equality you show through Jesus inspire us to stand in solidarity with women to fight for just opportunities.
• We pray for the closing of the gender pay gap to reflect Australia’s aspiration to be an equal and fair society for all. We pray that women are valued as people made in the image of God.

RCIA Sacramental Program

We are pleased to announce that in partnership with Liturgy Brisbane and the Dutton Park Parish, we will be offering a Sacramental Program at our College beginning in Term 2. The program will be run at the College in a negotiated time with the students and will allow them to work through key sessions that explore them deepening their relationship with Christ.

A person seeking to join the Catholic Church is usually initiated through the three Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. We understand that students come to us from a variety of different backgrounds and parishes and we want to be able to offer an opportunity for our students to prepare for and celebrate the Sacraments of Initiation.

Some of our students may have been baptised but have not completed their initiation with Confirmation or First Communion, while others may be seeking to join the Church through Baptism. The College-based sacramental program offers students the option to prepare for these sacraments in line with the Archdiocesan Sacramental Policy and to celebrate the reception of these sacraments in the College chapel. If a student has not been baptised, they would be able to go through all three sacraments at once.

Last year, we had over 40 students receive their sacraments and we look forward to offering this again in 2024. If you wish for your son to be part of this please respond to the form HERE.

MR PAUL CORFIELD

Dean of Identity and Community

Staffing Changes

As I am sure you have seen in previous College communication, Mr Leadbetter has been seconded to the Regional Director role for Southern and Western schools. As such, Mr Ben Lowrie will be acting Principal and I am fortunate enough to be serving as the Deputy Principal for the remainder of the school year. I am very grateful for this opportunity and I am lifted by the fact that a very experienced educational leader will be acting for me – Ms Kirsten Wardrop. Ms Wardrop will move from her role as the Dean of Analytics and Logistics and will be acting as the Dean of Teaching and Learning. I know our Heads of Learning and students will benefit from Ms Wardrop’s vast experience. I wish the team well for the remainder of the year.

NAPLAN Online

A reminder that NAPLAN online testing will be conducted next week from Wednesday 13 March to Monday 18 March (main testing window). Year 7 and Year 9 parents have been sent an email detailing procedures and specific information.

The College NAPLAN Schedule can be found here.

Year 7 students will sit their tests in Administration and Period 1 each day with Year 9 students sitting their test in Period 2 and some of Period 3 each day throughout the week. Year 5 students will be sitting their tests in the Primary classrooms in the morning. Catch up sessions for Year 7 and 9 are scheduled for Lesson 4 of each day – up until Wednesday 20 March.

A couple of very important reminders for next week:

• All students must arrive on time (a reminder for Year 7 students to meet at ERPAC and not go to Admin class),

• Laptops must be fully charged each night,

• Please bring 2 x sharp led pencils,

• Please purchase and ask your son to bring wired ear/headphones,

• Please ask your son to bring their laptop charger.

We wish all students the best of luck with NAPLAN.

QTAC Scaling Report

QTAC has recently released the subject scaling report for 2023. The report is publicly available and can be found here.

A couple of points to note:

• While the report is interesting, it should be read with an understanding of its limitations.
• Scaling can change for each cohort, and subject selection should not be based on subject scaling.
• The distributions are for statewide percentiles, not based on St Laurence’s College percentiles.

Please note the following communication from QTAC with regards to the scaling report:

When reading this report and interpreting the data, it is imperative to observe the following:

• Inter-subject scaling is the process undertaken to map each QCAA subject and completed VET qualification to a common scale. This allows raw results in different subjects to be compared fairly.
• Subject Scaling is a comparative measure based on actual subject achievement data and is expected to be different from one year to the next based on the capability of the student cohort for each year. QCAA subject results are the true achievement levels.
• The performance of students in each subject, each year determine the scaling of a subject. Students should not select subjects based on predicted scaling outcomes but should choose subjects they enjoy, are good at and which meet any prerequisites for courses they want apply for.
• Schools, students and parents are advised not to use historical scaling data to predict future outcomes.

The above reiterates our message that subject selection should based on:

• Likelihood of student success,
• Student interest in the content,
• Pre-requisites/suggested learning for university/career pathways.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact a member of the Teaching and Learning Team.

SLConX – Tuesday 12 March

In conjunction with the St Laurence’s Old Boys’ Association, the Careers Office will be hosting the first 2024 SLConX networking event for students in Years 10 -12 and their parents to interact with SLC Old Boys about their career pathways.

The purpose of SLConX is to allow current students to hear about the career journeys of some of our alumni and for our current students to network and create connections with people working in industry. At this event, each presenter giving a brief overview of what they do and what their career journey has looked like, before moving into a less formal networking opportunity, where students and parents will liaise with presenters to ask any specific questions around their future career.

The event details are:

Date: Tuesday 12 March 2024

Time: 5pm – 6:30pm

Venue: ERPAC Level 5

I encourage those interested students and parents to attend as it is a fantastic opportunity to network and build connections with people who are working in these industries.

Study Starter

A reminder to parents that Study Starter is continuing for students. It is a free tutoring service conducted in the Library every Monday and Wednesday after school until 4:30pm. The intention is to support students who need extra help with their studies, and also provide an environment where quiet study and assignment work can occur. All students are welcome.

Live Jesus in our hearts. . .  Forever!

DR LIAM HERBERT

Dean of Teaching and Learning

Career Counselling

For any students wanting to discuss career information, post-schooling pathways, job skills etc. please see Ms Amy Dyer in the Careers Office.

Phone: (07) 3010 1158 

Email: adyer@slc.qld.edu.au

Careers Website 

For the latest information, we recommend visiting our Careers Platform. There, you can access up to date resume and cover letter templates, gain insights into work experience opportunities in 2024, explore presentation slides used in information sessions for both students and parents, make a tax file number application and explore university study options while still in school.

University Showcase

The University Showcase came to St Laurence’s College this week. Over 12 tertiary institutions gathered onsite, presenting to Year 12 students about funding, pathways, scholarships, campus life and more. An invaluable opportunity for students to explore their next chapter.

University College London (UCL)

University College London (UCL) and Brisbane Boys’ College is hosting an information session aimed at students from Years 9-12 to discuss exciting international pathways and opportunities. Ms Jo Turner from UCL will talk about unique course details and studying in the UK. UCL has a history of academic excellence and is consistently ranked among the top 10 universities in the world. Renowned for its world-class research, global influence and impact across a broad range of subjects, UCL also offers a vibrant lifestyle, given its central London location.

Event details:

Thursday 14 March, 6PM, Brisbane Boys' College

Brisbane Boys College

ADF GAP year opportunities

You can apply for the 2025 Australian Defence Force (ADF) Gap Year and experience life in the Navy, Army or Air Force without committing to a longer period by 'signing up'. An ADF Gap Year is a way to have an adventurous year, gain valuable skills and work experience and get paid for it. Currently there are 18 roles to choose from for your 2025 Gap year experience including administration, cabin crew, artillery operator, driver, engineer and more. You must be an Australian citizen, aged between 18 and 24 years on admission and have completed Year 12 (required passes vary by job). Click here to find out what jobs are available, how to apply and answers to frequently asked questions.

University Open Days and Careers Expos

All 2024 university open days and careers expos can be found at the following link: Open Days / Careers Expos 2024.

Please mark these in your calendar as they are a great way to experience each campus and see what is on offer.

Start University Early – Student for a Semester experience.

START QUT Webinar

For students in Year 11 and interested in studying a university subject in Semester 2. Students receive a selection rank adjustment and gain potential credit towards a future degree at QUT Webinar is being held on 26 March from 5:30 - 7pm. Click here to register.

MS AMY DYER

Careers Counsellor

In 2024 the Humanities team will continue to build on the Faculty’s Vision – We inspire growth and improvement in our students and in each other through excellence in teaching and learning – by becoming a leader of innovation in the use of Education Technology and Pedagogies. Our innovation track record includes being early adopters of Sharepoint and OneNote, implementation of the Education Perfect learning and analytics platform, formation of agile classes in the Middle School, offering accelerated classes in the Senior School, dabbling with Generative AI for education, and unique learning opportunities for students at The Urban Farm. To progress our focus on innovation, in Term 2 we will introduce our Geography and History students to ClassVR Headsets.

ClassVR is an open platform, supporting virtual and augmented curriculum content, as well as allowing students and teachers to create and share their own content. Specifically designed for students, the headsets provide a safe and secure way to explore VR and AR in the classroom. Term 1 is our preparation and training phase ahead of the ClassVR rollout, ensuring teachers are able to provide students with opportunities to acquire knowledge, learn new skills, develop existing ones, and promote a love of learning in an immersive classroom. The images show our Humanities teachers’ enthusiasm for this exciting innovation in educational technology.

MS NATALEEN KILBURN

Head of Faculty - Humanities

Last week I was invited to Ms Maria Mavritsky’s Year 5 Art class. The focus for the lesson was a recap on colour theory and explicit teaching of subject-specific vocabulary before launching into some practical elements to showcase the students’ creativity in making their artwork.

I was immediately able to feel the engaging environment Maria has established in her classroom. The young boys clearly understood the classroom expectations, indicative of well-established class routines. Students demonstrated familiarity with the process and responded quickly to the directional cues. Lemov refers to this technique as Habits of Attention whereby routines that are established to assist students to focus their attention during class will build stronger attentional habits and long-term success in the learning journey (Teach like a Champion, p398). As Maria transitioned to the main instructional task, she noted the lesson’s what, why, success on the whiteboard and revisited prior knowledge to ensure students were building on their understanding of colour theory and art techniques (Murre & Dros, 2015). Ensuring clarity in the task, Maria introduced new subject-specific vocabulary explicitly, using deconstruction strategies, visual cues, and related word banks to ensure students had clear definitions and examples they could relate to.

Maria checked for understanding by asking targeted questions and encouraging students to elaborate on their answers. She employed Precise Praise by articulating what was correct in the student’s response rather than a general “good answer” or “great work”. These techniques reinforced the positive learning, engagement and opportunities for risk-taking in the classroom. The lesson also included a practical component where students were tasked with implemented their new knowledge into creating a piece of artwork using the frottage technique. Maria skillfully outlined what a successful frottage would look like, both verbally and visually with examples. This hands-on activity not only reinforced their understanding of the subject matter and what they were learning and why they were learning it but also highlighted the effective use of routines in managing materials and cleanup, ensuring that Maria was able to check-in with every student.

I sincerely thank Maria for inviting me to observe her class practices and I look forward to my next visit to see how the art pieces turned out!

References:

Lemov, D. (2021). Teach like a Champion 3.0. Singapore: Jossey-bass, a Wiley Brand.

M Murre, J., & Dros, J. (2015). Replication and analysis of Ebbinghaus' Forgetting Curve. PLOS ONE, 10(7). doi:https://doi.org/10.1371/journa...

MS JENNY KNIGHT 

Head of Pedagogy

In Week 6, we had a number of parents attend the ELEVATE Education seminar on Time Management. The next free webinar will be on Wednesday 13 March and will cover the topic How You Can Make Technology an Ally (& Not the Enemy!). These webinars are designed to assist parents with strategies and best practice for all aspects related to study and schoolwork.

The details of the free webinar are below: 

Webinar: How You Can Make Technology an Ally (& Not the Enemy!

Date: Wednesday 13 March

Time: 6:30pm – 7:30pm (AEDT)

The webinar will show parents how to:

• Reduce your child’s dependence on technology
• Use apps to prevent your child proscrastinating
• Use technology to enhance your child’s learning

Registration for the free webinar can be accessed here.

MR ANDREW NEWCOMBE

Head of Teaching & Learning (Senior School)

Around the Grounds – Sports Wrap Up, Round 5

In Round 5 our Lauries sport teams played St Edmund's in all sports and supplementary games against Ambrose Treacey in Cricket. The First XI continued their winning ways at Runcorn and the rest of the results were shared throughout the day. A big highlight of the Saturday though was Oscar Santos, who scored an unbeaten 105 against SEC in the 9A’s - a great achievement! In other sports, our AFL teams continued with their winning seasons and in Volleyball, we had a mixed day with the vast majority of our Senior teams winning at home and our junior teams shared the day with Eddies in Ipswich.

This week, the College has another big sporting weekend with games against traditional rival Marist College Ashgrove, where Lauries will be hosting all the Senior games. Best of luck to all teams this weekend.

AIC Swimming Championships

On Tuesday, the Chandler Aquatic Centre played host once again to the AIC Swimming Championships. The College performed exceptionally well, finishing in fourth place overall, with only seven points separating the College from third Place. The Swimming team has been working very hard now for the past four months and this was a great reward for all the hard work they have put in. A special thank you must go to all the Swimming staff, in particular Mr Danny O’Sullivan, Ms Kate Flanagan and Mr Rick Van de Zant for their co-ordination and coaching of the program.

All of our swimmers tried their very best and represented the College with great pride and I would like to thank our Opens Swimmers for their service over the past six years - we all hope you enjoyed your last AIC Swimming Event.

MR PATRICK BYRON

Head of Sport

The Lauries Music Support Group hosted their annual Trivia Night themed Heroes vs Villains last Friday. It was great to see so many new parents attend and was a wonderful way to start our calendar of events. Special thanks to our parent volunteers who assisted on the night.

An audience of family and friends enjoyed our first two concerts for 2024 this week from our Intermediate Ensembles on Wednesday evening and our Senior Ensembles on Thursday evening. Students should be proud of their performances. Special thanks to the parents and members of the Laurie’s Music Support Group who assisted with both events.

UPCOMING CONCERT DATES

Monday 11 March | Old Boys and Community Choir Concert | 7pm St Ignatius Church Toowong

We look forward to everyone coming along to the Old Boys and Community Music Concert @ 7pm on Monday 11 March at St Ignatius Church, Toowong. You will enjoy performances by Old Boys String Ensemble, Old Boys Guitar Ensemble, Old Boys Choir and Community Choir.

Tuesday 19 March | Junior Ensembles Breakfast Concerts | ERPAC

Our informal breakfast concerts for Treblehood, Concert Band 3, Big Band 3 and String Orchestra 3 will take place in ERPAC Foyer on Tuesday 19 March. We invite family and friends to join us before work for tea, coffee, hot cross buns, and music! What better way to start your day?

Note: This concert does not include the Year 5 ensembles. These groups are expected to perform for the first time in Term 2.

Music Communications – Lauries App

The Music Department uses the College App as our main point of contact with families.

We have redefined the groups under Music and do ask you take a couple of minutes to update your preferences to ensure you receive the relevant notifications for this ensemble.

Note: You will receive notifications for all ensembles under the categories you subscribe to, however it will be clear which ensembles that notification relates to. Any events that fall outside the usual ensemble routine may require a parent or guardian consent and if required, an invitation will be sent via parent lounge.

Year 5 parents, please ensure your subscriptions include the Year 5 Music Program under ‘Music.’ Any program updates or performance information will be posted here once available.

If you would like further information regarding any of the above, please contact the music department: music@slc.qld.edu.au or telephone 3010 1138.

Strike up the Band!

MR ROSS CAPERN

Head of Instrumental Music

Volunteer opportunities for "St Laurence's College Canteen Volunteers - Term 1 2024" are now open.

Please click on the web link HERE to go to the signup sheet.

To sign up, just follow the instructions on the page - thank you for volunteering!

Raffle tickets for the Lauries Autumn Lunch are now live! Buy your tickets for a chance to win our major prize - a $2,000 Westfield voucher!

Purchase your tickets HERE!