Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Welcome to the “face to face” start of the 2022 school year.  I particularly welcome those boys and families starting their Lauries Journey this year. I hope that the extended school holidays were an enjoyable and relaxing family time for you all and that the modified program for last week was easy to manage and gave the boys a supported start.

I would also like to welcome Mr Reece Carlton to the Primary team this year.  He is teaching in Year 5 White, and returns to Lauries after being a student here some years ago. 

The College theme for this year is “One in the Spirit”.  This theme is a celebration of the many individual and collective gifts we bring to the Lauries community. We are all challenged to be the best we can also to be welcoming to others in our community and beyond. We are encouraged to contribute, and more importantly, we are inspired to be good people. The theme is aligned to the EREA touchstone of “Inclusive Community”.

To demonstrate this and be inclusive, we must accept the gifts and flaws in each individual.  We need to focus on developing boys who are outward looking and committed to building community. This can be achieved by striving for personal excellence, while serving the community and helping others. We look forward to students, teachers and parents all working together to support each other to make 2022 a great year.

The boys have started the year with a lot of enthusiasm. It has been very pleasing to see them return to school looking neat and tidy, reflecting their strong school pride. I thank you for your support in ensuring the boys look their best. I firmly believe a neat appearance has a positive impact on how they engage and learn at school. It also helps them build self-respect and personal pride.

The teachers and support staff have been back at work for over two weeks, busily planning for a modified Term I.  I thank them in advance for the professionalism, energy and care they will show each of the boys this year. 

I know that your son/s will already feel very welcome and important in each of the classrooms. I also particularly mention the following teachers, Michael Sharkey (Head of Year 5) Danny O’Toole (Head of Year 6) who have the added responsibility of being Heads of Year. They are the second port of call, after your son’s “Home Class Teacher” if you have an issue you would like to discuss pertaining to school related concerns or family matters that are impacting your son. They are responsible for the daily curriculum and pastoral leadership of their respective year level. I am sure you will find them, and all of the staff very approachable and professional should you require their assistance this year.  All teachers can be contacted on (Primary Office-3010 1142) or via their email addresses, To view the “ Primary Staff Contact List” please click on the link  Primary Staff Contact List.  If you would like to discuss any school or family issues directly with me, I can also be contacted through the Primary Office.

Parent Contact Information (phone numbers)

All parents are asked to please ensure contact information, including work telephone numbers and mobile phone numbers are current. It is a very stressful time for the boys when we only have access to old numbers and a parent needs to be contacted. Please ensure your son has alternative numbers listed in his mobile phone, wallet or student diary should we need to call someone during the day.

Student Absentees

Please note, should your son be absent from school, it is essential for parents to notify the Primary Office.  If the boys are away sick or forced to be home due to isolation as a close contact, they should keep up with classroom lessons via class “OneNote” pages (if they are well enough to do so).  They are also encouraged to email their teacher if they need further explanation or assistance.  Please keep in mind that a reply might not be immediate as they will still be responsible for boys at school.  I ask parents to please keep their son’s home if they are unwell to give the best chance of preventing any illness being spread.

Co-Curricular Activities

Co-curricular activities for Term 1 are already well underway. I encourage all of the boys to engage in this aspect of school life this year.

Each week, Co-curricular information and the College Newsletter will also be available to all families via the College APP.  The Primary Newsletter will also be posted to the APP each fortnight.

Tuesdays: Change in Uniform (ALL Year 5 and Year 6)

Please note:

All boys should wear PE uniform to school every Tuesday during Semester 1.  Tuesdays will be the day we run activities and sport. Please note that boys need to wear their day uniform every other day, even if they have PE on their class timetable. I explained this in more detail to the boys this week, but from next Tuesday (February 15) please send your son in PE uniform.

General Information

The start of the school year can be daunting and the information stream overwhelming. Organisational issues  such as pencil case equipment, transport, music lessons and co-curricular activities will take time to sort out. I encourage all parents not to stress about such things; staff will be very understanding and helpful. In the first couple of weeks, you will receive lots of information to keep you informed of upcoming events.

For parents new to our school, we have many wonderful community events throughout the year to celebrate special milestones such as Year Level Liturgies, Mother’s Day,  Father’s Day etc. Please look for these in the calendar and attend if possible. We love having big celebrations for these occasions and we will strive to run them all even if the format needs to be modified. Some of the upcoming events for parents to attend are listed in the “Upcoming Event Section” of this Primary Newsletter each fortnight.

I look forward to continuing the strong sense of community and partnership between school and home this year as we work together to provide the boys with the best possible learning experiences and pastoral support. We will again be running some parent workshops this year, covering key topics. Please keep an eye out for these and attend where possible.

REMINDER: We also encourage parents to download the College APP for all up to date information.

Finally, I would like to thank all the Senior boys who have helped with “Transport Buddies” this week. They have been amazing again and make a huge difference to our Year 5 and Year 7 boys.  Thank you to those parents who have emailed a vote of thanks, I have passed them on to the older boys on your behalf.

Welcome again to 2022 and best wishes for a continued positive start to the year.

Regards

Cameron Wigan
Dean of Primary

Lauries Primary Curriculum Update

Teaching Learning Dispositions in the Primary School

As we begin a new school year, it is important for us to teach the boys the ways in which they can successfully engage in, and relate to, the learning process. At St. Laurence’s Primary, we believe that all students are active participants in their learning: building, rather than simply absorbing knowledge.

The learning dispositions nurture the students’ willingness to solve problems, and build their capacity for demonstrating hard work and persistence. The SLC Primary learning dispositions are:

RESILIENCE: Resilient learners ‘bounce back’ from challenges, issues and mistakes. They strive to repair relationships when things go wrong. Resilient learners own their behaviour, choices and responsibilities. They are willing to try new things.

PERSISTENCE: Persistent learners stay calm and focused, and learn to ‘tough it out’. They recognise that challenges help them to grow. Persistent learners are determined to reach their goals and recognise that learning collaboratively can help them to achieve success.  

REFLECTIVE: Reflective learners understand what they are learning, why they are learning it, and what success looks like in their learning. They are flexible with their thinking. Reflective learners set goals and work towards them. They adopt a ‘growth mindset’ towards developing as learners.

ENGAGED: Engaged learners can work both independently and collaboratively. They actively participate in their learning. Engaged learners are organised and ready to learn. They remain focused and avoid distractions.

SELF-DIRECTED: Self-directed learners show initiative and own their learning. They look for solutions to problems and understand themselves as learners.

In the first two weeks of the school year, classes engage in the explicit teaching of these learning dispositions. The language and behaviours associated with these dispositions are continuously encouraged and celebrated as the boys progress through their Primary Lauries Journey.

PRIMARY MUSIC- Ross Capern       

Welcome to all new families and welcome back to continuing students.  We are looking forward to a great year of music making.

Year 5 Music Ensembles Program

It is exciting to see so many Year 5 students taking up the opportunity to learn a musical instrument at St Laurence’s! We are looking forward to our new Lauries musicians begin their musical journey over the next few weeks.

Treblehood (Year 5 and 6 singing group)

Any students interested in joining the Treblehood, please see Mr Brown in the Music Department or just turn up to rehearsal next Tuesday morning 7:15am in ERPAC backstage music room. Meet outside the back area of ERPAC.

Lauries Music Support Group- Meeting Tuesday 9 February 6pm in the Music Department/Room Mu 2

It’s a great way to support your son at SLC by joining the Parent’s Music Support Group.  Meetings are held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month (Term time).  Meetings are informal, approximately an hour long and a great way to hear the details and help with the planning of upcoming music events!  If you are unable to make the meeting’s but are available to help at Concerts/Events, join the group so you can be on our email list and be kept up to date. Please contact the Music Department music@slc.qld.edu.au  or telephone 3010 1138 if you have any questions regarding the music program.

Queensland Conservatorium’s State Honours Ensemble Program

SLC students & staff also participated in the Queensland Conservatorium’s State Honours Ensemble Program over the holidays. Congratulations to the students who represented Laurie’s and to our own Ms Ellis and Dr Young who among the eminent conductors involved.

Strike up the Band!

Ross Capern
Director of Instrumental Music