In recent times we received the sad news that three men who have made an outstanding contribution to Catholic education have passed away. These men include Father John Boyd-Boland (OFM), Mr Bob Out and Dr Alan Druery. Father John and Mr Bob Out have both been instrumental in the growth and development of Padua College. With both men serving as Rector at Padua, their contributions have been outstanding.

I attended the funeral of Dr Alan Druery at St Barnard’s Church this week. Alan is an Old Boy, a former staff member and a former Director of the Queensland Catholic Education Commission. He was able to unify and lead our schools during difficult times. Alan was Executive Director from 1983 until his retirement in 2001. Many Old Boys spoke to us at the funeral and remember Alan as an outstanding teacher and a pioneer of advocacy for Catholic Education in Queensland. All three men will be remembered fondly.

At St Laurence’s College, it is clear that many have contributed to the College in significant ways. It is always important to be respectful of those who go before us. We need to understand that Catholic Education owes its existence to women and men who have sacrificed much for others.

Rest in Peace Fr John, Bob and Alan.

Leave

During Term 2, I will take professional renewal leave from Week 2. This will be for a period of six weeks. Mr Ben Lowrie has been appointed Principal for this time and Dr Liam Herbert will assume the role of Deputy Principal. I thank Ben and Liam for accepting these roles and I know that the College will continue to flourish under their leadership.

Year 12 Assessment Block

I wish our Seniors well as they begin their assessment period for Term 1. This assessment period is most important for their overall outcomes at the end of the year. The term will culminate with the Year 12 Formal at the end of next week.

Primary School Camps

I thank Mr Wigan, Mr O’Toole and Ms Sheehan for co-ordinating the Primary Outdoor Education experiences next week. This is the first camp for many of our Year 5 students. We wish them well next week.

Parent Meeting 2 Learn

On Tuesday evening Dr Andrew Fuller presented to our Primary and Middle School parents to assist them to navigate the Middle School years with their sons. This evening was most well received. I thank Ms Bell and Mr Pike for co-ordinating the information evening.

Term 2 Sport

We are well and truly moving into Term 2 sports of Rugby, Football, Chess and Cross Country. In Term 2, we will have 1,400 students participating. This is our busiest term for sport. Once again, I thank all coaches and managers who all this to occur. 

MR CHRIS LEADBETTER

Principal

Staff Twilight Meeting

Monday this week we welcomed expert academic staff from the University of Queensland to conduct workshops on High Impact Teaching Strategies or HITS. These 12 teaching strategies have been identified as the most effective for teachers to use to ensure our teaching and classroom practice is as effective as possible. HITS have been researched extensively and used by many schools to enhance learning. After the workshops had concluded, teachers met with colleagues from their own faculty to discuss learnings and key takeaways. We will enter the ‘Teaching Sprint Cycle’ next term, where teachers follow a process of Prepare, Check-In and Review. The main intent of this project is to enhance teaching across the College. I thank Mr Neill Smith and the team leaders for their enthusiasm in implementing this project.

NAPLAN Online

Congratulations to our Year 5, 7 and 9 students who completed their NAPLAN Online Tests this week. We have had our best test completion ever, with around 14 tests still to be completed across Year 7 and Year 9, which is an outstanding effort. The preparation workshops and practice tests helped to increase student efficacy in test procedures. I particularly thank again the NAPLAN Team – very ably led by Ms Zofia Kentrotis, the IT Department led by Mr Nick Lieschke, Mr Will Pike, the Maintenance team and Ms Samantha Harris for their work.

Year 12 General Subject Provisional Results

Next Wednesday, the College is submitting results to the QCAA (Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority) for Year 12 students who completed the first Internal Assessment item for Unit 3 – Year 12 General Subjects. We pray that these results are confirmed, as they appear to be very strong. A reminder to students and parents that student results are only provisional, until they are confirmed. Confirmation decisions are not published until Monday 15 May.

Year 12’s finishing strongly

Mr David Knight (Dean of Senior School) and I spoke to the Year 12 cohort on Thursday this week about finishing the term well. By that I mean we challenged students to increase their time studying and reinforced the notion that every mark counts, and that every minute of study matters. We also outlined assessment block expectations for students and encouraged them not to be distracted by external events, such as formal and co-curricular sport. I am very confident that our students will exceed College standards and focus on their study when needed. From all reports, our Year 12 cohort is an outstanding group of young men – I wish them the very best with their study and assessment.

Upcoming Virtual Parent/Teacher Interviews

Early next term on Monday 24 April, the College will be conducting online parent teacher interviews. I encourage all parents to read and unpack the Term 1 Interim Report with your son/s and schedule an interview if desired. This is an excellent opportunity to connect with your son’s teachers through the comfort of your own home, and discuss any concerns you may have. It is also a great opportunity to celebrate and highlight strengths of your son. More information will be forthcoming from the Administration Team.

Live Jesus in our heart. . . Forever!

DR LIAM HERBERT

Dean of Teaching and Learning

Health and Physical Education provides students with the opportunity to acquire knowledge, understanding and skills that can be applied in a real-world context, to improve their own health and the health of others. Within the HPE department, staff embed learning experiences that promote creativity, collaboration and critical thinking to ensure that students are engaged and active participants in their own learning journey. This edition of the Lauries Learning Hub will spotlight the excellent teaching and learning that is occurring at either end of our Senior School – Year 7 and Year 12.

Year 12 - Constraints Based Learning 

Constraints-based learning incorporates the Dynamic Systems Theory, whereby the learner self-organises in response to a stimulus within their environment. Our Year 12 students have been applying this principle in their unit on Tactical Awareness and Badminton. Through participation in a range of constraints-based games, the boys identified a deficiency in their game and subsequently, developed a tactical strategy that aimed to improve their performance in authentic environments. Within the HPE Department, we utilise lab lessons which combine practical and theoretical concepts to ensure that students can demonstrate and apply their knowledge and understanding. Below students can be seen engaged in a lab lesson and using Game Performance Assessment Instruments (GPAI), to collect and analyse performance data. Hear from a few of our Senior students about their experiences in Senior PE.

I have thoroughly enjoyed gaining insight into how Constraints-based learning can develop my performance in the chosen sport of badminton. As a high physical performer in the class, I have implemented the ecological model and dynamic systems theory into my gameplay to enhance my skills and understanding – which can further be transferred into my core competitive sports. I consider this approach to learning unique, as it contradicts the traditional ‘set in stone’ drills, and rather helps us to develop authentic, decision-making skills.

• Mackenzie Douglas – Year 12 PE Student & College Captain

Tactical awareness this term has bettered both my mental and physical state in the game of badminton, creating an in-depth understanding of how to be proficient in executing skills within game-based environments. Alongside the enjoyment of participating with my friends, the concepts of the ecological model have allowed me to interpret information from the environment, understand opportunities for an action provided by the environment, and familiarise the process of becoming increasingly aware of these affordances. The topics taught, both in theory and practical, have allowed me to grow as an athlete in all facets of sport, identifying deficiencies and strategies to consistently improve. 

• Knightley Patterson – Year 12 PE Student & College Vice Captain

Year 7 - Components of Fitness

As an introduction to Middle School HPE, our Year 7 students are taken through a battery of fitness tests to develop their understanding of fitness components and to bring awareness to the depth and complexity of the term “Fitness”. The students are provided with their results and a range of normative data for comparison. They are then required to identify their strengths and areas for improvement for their selected sport. Evidence shows that when learning is personalised and relevant to students, they are more likely to engage with the content and develop the requisite skills that support this learning. Our Year 7 teaching team has been focussing on the development of writing skills through Claim, Evidence, Reasoning (CER) paragraphs. The student samples below demonstrate some of the outstanding teaching and learning that has been occurring in Term One. 

MR JOSH BEATTIE

Head of Faculty - HPE

At Lauries, we value the professional development of our teaching staff and recognise the importance of developing teacher efficacy in pedagogical strategies to improve a student’s learning experiences in the classroom and assessment outcomes. During our Twilight Personal Learning Teams (PLT) meeting on Monday, key Laurie’s staff and the University of Queensland’s Critical Thinking Project—led by Dr Peter Ellerton—delivered High Impact Teaching Strategies (HITS) workshops to our College teaching staff. Considering some of the ideas presented in the workshops, staff will then research, design, and implement a HITS using Simon Breakspeare’s Teaching Sprint Cycle framework on a class of their choice across a term 2. 

Successfully, the teaching staff completed a Teaching Sprint cycle in Term 1 and were able to share their experiences with colleagues in a review meeting. Overall, the feedback from staff was very positive, and they enjoyed the time to discuss pedagogical practices with peers. Others enjoyed the opportunity to ‘step outside their comfort zone’ and try a strategy they would not usually consider for a variety of reasons including being ‘time poor’. While teachers do have short, ad-hoc professional conversations during a busy week, PLT meetings create a weekly dedicated session to have those in-depth conversations about developing classroom practices, which in-turn have a direct effect on results. 

MR NEILL SMITH 

Head of Pedagogy

Year 12 Exams

The block exams for Year 12 began yesterday and goes through until next Thursday.  

Sincere best wishes to our Year 12 students for their exam block. Our hope is that they manage their time, stress and well-being effectively over the course of the block. Sleep, good nutrition and keeping anxiety in check are essential ingredients for this period, rather than an overloaded diet of sugary foods and caffeine. We also hope that students are well prepared for these exams and prioritising their time for study and revision. Time management is essential during this time and students are encouraged to decline extra shifts at their parttime jobs and be disciplined around extraneous activities that take their attention. We wish them every success. Good luck gentlemen. 

Year 12 Formal

The Formal will be held this Thursday evening and we look forward to celebrating this significant milestone with our Year 12 students and their partners. Preparations are in place for the evening and I’m sure that the Senior cohort is excited to attend.

Week 10 

Our first term concludes at 3pm this Friday 31 March. Whilst some students may want to ‘pull up stumps’ early and finish before this time, I would ask for your support in ensuring that your son sees the term through to the end. This includes being present for the House time and locker clean out on Friday afternoon.

Seeing things through to completion is an important skill for our students to learn so I would ask that you don’t give your son permission to sign out early and leave after an exam.  

Middle School Parent M2L

Well-known clinical psychologist Andrew Fuller joined our Middle School and Primary parents on Tuesday night to present information about ‘Building Healthy Teens’. The presentation was enjoyable and informative, giving insight into a variety of topics pertaining to teens. Topics such as the correlation between anger and grief, sleep and rhythms, talking to your teen, peak learning time and alertness were just some of what was covered. 

Unfortunately, I cannot share Andrew’s PowerPoint from the evening, but he very generously promised to send through some resources. 

The first of these resources is, ‘Wean Your Teen off the Screen’ and is available HERE.

I will provide further resources as they become available. Also, remember to add a save the date to your calendar for our next Parent M2L which occurs on the evening of Thursday 3 August. Sincere thanks to all who attended.

Vaping

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the dangers of vaping. Since then, the Queensland Government has released a campaign aimed at explaining the dangers of vaping which we intend to use with our Middle School students during their Year Level Assemblies. You can find a link to the campaign HERE should you wish to view the short videos and continue discussions with your son. 

Best wishes for the week ahead.

MS VANESSA BELL

Dean of Middle School

On Tuesday and Wednesday this week, we held our informal Breakfast Concerts to display the progress made by our junior ensembles; Treblehood, Concert Band 3, Big Band 3 and String Orchestra 3. An audience of family and friends enjoyed their first performances this year in the ERPAC foyer.  

Congratulations to all of these students on their entertaining performances. We look forward to their next performances at the Junior Ensembles Concert in Term 2 on Thursday 18 May.

On Saturday 18 March, many of our Year 9 - 12 Music students attended the Queensland Symphony Orchestra concert featuring Edvard Grieg’s Piano Concerto and Brahms Symphony No. 1. This was a great opportunity for the students to not only engage with the curriculum but also to see professional musicians working at a very high standard in the heart of our state’s artistic and cultural precinct. 

If you are looking for a fun night of free music for the family, you may wish to go along to Symphony Under the Stars at the Roma Street Parklands on Saturday 25 March at 6:30pm to enjoy performances by the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. Details are via the link below:

Symphony under the Stars

CONCERT DATES – Term 1

Thursday 30 March | Voices of Birralee - Mansfield State High School Concert @ 6:30pm

Little Brotherhood has been invited to perform at a concert at Mansfield State High School. 

This concert will feature selected Brisbane schools and is organised by internationally acclaimed Voices of Birralee.

SAVE THE DATES – Term 2

• 10 May – St Joseph’s Primary School (Kangaroo Point) Combined Concert @ 2- 5pm (ERPAC) – Guitar Orchestra 2 & Concert Band 3
• 18 May – Junior Ensembles Concert (ERPAC) – Concert Band 3, Big Band 3, String Orchestra 3, Treblehood, Percussion Ensemble 2/3 & Year 5 Ensembles
• 24 May – Invitational Guitar Concert (St Rita’s College) – Guitar Orchestra 1
• 2 June – Cabaret Concert (ERPAC) – Concert Band 1, Big Band 1, String Orchestra 1, Fellowship of the String, Guitar Orchestra 1, Percussion Ensemble 1, Brotherhood, Big Brotherhood
• 25 June – Confraternity Rugby League Competition - Mass choir & musicians performing
• 7 -9 July – Pemulwuy National Male Voice Festival – Brotherhood Choir

LMSG Meeting | Term 2 - Tuesday 9 May | 6pm 

Our next Lauries Music Support Group Meeting will be held in Term 2 on Tuesday 9 May in room MU1 (Top floor VAPA building). A great way to support your son at Lauries is by joining the parent’s music support group. Meetings are once a month on the second Tuesday of each month (term time). 

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

Queensland Debating Union Competition, Round 1

The start to the 2023 season can only be described as choppy, but our prospects were brightened by a couple of absolutely incredible victories, which lifted the spirits of those being pummelled by the rough seas of that fierce and robust fixture that is competitive debating.

Unfortunately, our Senior teams (10-12) and our Year 8 teams all went down in round 1, but not without doing Lauries very proud. The lion spoke valiantly indeed, but apparently the adjudicators did not clearly hear its fierce, guttural language on those humid summer nights.

Conversely, both Year 9 teams and our Year 7 team absolutely dominated. 9.1 – Lorenzo Kleynendorst, Mason Wills, and Cohen Dangaard, with Lachlan Wintour as timekeeper – bested Loreto College, and 9.2 – Ewan Thomson, Lewis Head, and Kyle Abasolo, with Lachlan Wintour as timekeeper – similarly out-debated Iona College.

 While Loreto and Iona are formidable opponents, nothing prepared us for the total and utter brilliance demonstrated by the Year 7 team. Mikhael Mendis, James Meikle, and Liam Pipia, with Henry Skerman chairing, convincingly defeated the debating powerhouse Anglican Church Grammar School. Churchie, obviously, struggled to believe it, but, to their credit, they remained outwardly civil despite the drubbing.

Stay tuned for the round 2 report, released next week. 

MR JOEL GLAZEBROOK

Head of Digital Pedagogy

Term 1 Sport

Term 1 has flown by, with the conclusion of Term 1 Sport last weekend. For many of the staff it really does only feel like last week that the Term 1 sporting seasons began- and now we are already in the thick of Term 2 Sports trials this week.

Congratulations to all students who participated in Term 1 Sport. Thank you to all parents who supported their sons during the AFL, Cricket, Swimming and Volleyball seasons. Thank you to all of our coaches who volunteered their time to mentor and develop our students, not only with skills and game plans but as Lauries gentlemen. Special thanks to each of the directors of each sport- Sam Wiltshire (AFL), Josh Ferguson (Cricket), Danny O’Sullivan (Swimming) and Anthony Bird (Volleyball). Also special thanks to each of our First Team Coaches and Managers who go above and beyond to ensure our premier teams in the College are ready for the strong competition of AIC Sport. These are- Rory Lake, Travis Hubble, Jack Lake, Andrew Newcombe (First XVIII AFL); Cameron Wigan (First XI Cricket); Rick van der Zant (Elite Swimming Coach); and Jonah Pearce, Jimmy Kiteau, Kristy Carroll (Volleyball).

Our results overall were again very strong across Term 1 sport. Congratulations to our AFL teams who secured the AIC Aggregate Shield again. There is still one final AIC fixture to be played by two other schools-so the result is not official yet, but our mathematicians have calculated that regardless of this result St Laurence’s College will be crowned AFL aggregate champions for the fourth year in a row. Combined with premierships for the First XVIII (shared) and the 9/10B team, and a number of teams finishing runners up, it was a wonderful term for our AFL community. Our overall Volleyball result was also excellent – second in the aggregate championship with premierships to the 9A and 10B teams and a large number of teams all finishing in the top three schools. Our Cricket teams finished sixth in the overall aggregate, with an overall improvement in wins for our Year 7-10 teams compared to the previous two years. With continued improvement, our Cricket program will push the schools at the top of the cricket aggregate.

Congratulations to everyone for a very big, busy term of sport.

Term 2

Term 2 sport trials are now well underway. With continued registrations this week, our Term 2 participation numbers now are at record levels with over 1,400 boys across the school participating in Chess, Cross Country, Football and Rugby. These are incredible numbers! This weekend we continue our trials for Chess, Football and Rugby with both trial games against Villanova and internal trial games. It has been and will continue to be a challenge to work through the initial selections of teams with such large numbers. Thank you to all boys for their efforts throughout the trials, and thank you to all coaches, coordinators and directors for taking on this challenge. 

MR EDDIE WALLACE 

Head of Sport

DO YOU NEED A BLAZER, TIE OR TROUSERS FOR TERMS 2 & 3?

It is compulsory during Terms 2 and 3 that all students wear the College Blazer to and from school each day. The College tie is also to be worn all day.

It is compulsory for Years 10, 11 and 12 to wear Grey trousers during these terms as well. Grey or black socks are to be worn with trousers.

If you have any questions about St Laurence’s College uniforms, contact The Lauries Shop on (07) 3010 1100 or email uniform@slc.qld.edu.au

The Lauries Shop term-time opening hours are Monday-Friday from 7.30am-1.45pm

Students are expected to be at school and moving to class by 8.30am. If a student is going to be absent from school (for the whole day or part of the day) parents are asked to notify the College.

 Notification can be provided by:

1. Parent Lounge Attendance tab
2. Calling Pastoral Precinct on 30101130 (Secondary) or 30101142 (Primary).

Our preferred method is through the Parent Lounge Attendance tab. This tab allows you to notify us of part day, single day or extended absences.

To use this option, log into your Parent Lounge and select Attendance from the menu. From here you can select your child and complete the options regarding reason and timing of absence.  

Step-by-step instructions can be found HERE.

2023 Next Step Year 12 Completers Survey

All our students who completed Year 12 last year will soon receive an invitation to do the Next Step survey. The short five-minute survey asks graduates about the study and work they have been doing since finishing school. The results from the survey help our school improve our senior programs and prepare students for work and further study.

We ask parents, siblings and friends to encourage our graduates to complete the survey. If their contact details have changed, please assist survey interviewers with their updated details or forward the survey to their new address so they can participate. Graduates may receive an invitation by mail, email or phone. The survey can be completed online or by phone. For more information about Next Step, including previous results, visit www.qld.gov.au/nextstep

Please see attached information from Yeronga AFL Club here.

As you may be aware, the College will be proudly hosting the 2023 Confraternity Rugby League Carnival from Sunday 25 to Friday 30 June.

The Carnival presents a unique opportunity for the Lauries community to secure state-wide exposure for their businesses. We are excited to announce that Silver and Bronze Sponsorship Opportunities are still available.

If you are interested in learning more, please contact the College Director of Communication, Development and Events, Helen Turner on (07) 3010 1178 or development@slc.qld.edu.au. 

Further information regarding the carnival can be found HERE.

Enrol into our Speech and Drama Program for Term 3.

Does your son love Theatre Sports? Drama games? Acting and public performance?

More importantly do you want your son to improve his presenting skills in all their classes? Expand their debating skills?

Would you like your son to learn how to breathe properly to reduce stress, anxiety, and speak with confidence.

We also offer Trinity Guildhall and AMEB exam which improve ATAR scores, recognised practical exams that add to your university application?

If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, Speech and Drama is for your son! Contact the Music Department for enrolment information and forms – music@slc.qld.edu.au

Email lduggan@slc.qld.edu.au for more information.

Please see the attached flyer from The Athlete's Foot HERE.

With everyone gearing up for football and rugby next term, The Athlete's Foot has a great selection of football boots. Every purchase results in $5 being donated to the College for every footwear purchase.

Please see attached HERE a notice from the Department of Education regarding the 2023 Student Residential Address Collection

Even if you can't make it to the Lauries Autumn Lunch, you can still be involved in our amazing raffle and support the College! 

Check out the great prizes and get your raffle tickets HERE!

You've got to be in it to win it!

Tickets for the 2023 Sports Lunch close Monday 24 May 10am! Don't miss out!

Purchase your tickets HERE!

We are so excited to announce our amazing panel: 

- Australian Rugby League Immortal and Australian Kangaroos Head Coach Mal Meninga

- Brownlow Medallist and AFL Hall of Fame Inductee Simon Black

- Former Wallabies Captain Stephen Moore 

- Former Australian Wallabies Representative and Class of 1988 Old Boy Mark Connors