Term 1 Week 4 Newsletter 2025

Principal's Messages

A SEA OF PINK FOR SARAH! 💗 A HEARTFELT DISPLAY OF LOVE AND SUPPORT

Last Friday, the St Laurence’s community came together for our Wear It Pink fundraiser, demonstrating an incredible spirit of generosity and compassion. Through the kindness of our students, staff, and families, we raised an outstanding $2,494.90 to assist Sarah Irvine with the costs associated with her cancer treatment.

Sarah was a valued member of our school office team, always bringing warmth and care to her role. Her presence was deeply appreciated by staff, students, and families alike, and it was with great sadness that she had to step away from her position due to illness.

The overwhelming response to this fundraiser is a testament to the strength and unity of our school community. We do not just speak about love - we live it. Our school continues to embody our motto, Love Is The Way, through actions that reflect the teachings of Jesus.

Sarah has been profoundly moved by this outpouring of support, sharing these heartfelt words:

“Thank you so much, St Laurence’s! 💕 I am blown away by your support, donations, and prayers during this challenging time. Your compassion gives me strength and hope. I am truly blessed by the love, care, and kindness shown by the STL community! It means the absolute world to me. Thank you all! 💛💙”

Sarah’s mother also expressed her gratitude, reflecting on the generosity and kindness of our school:

“What an amazing staff and student body St Laurence’s Catholic Primary School Dubbo has! Sarah worked in the office at the school before having to reluctantly resign due to her illness and mobility issues. Sarah truly loved her time at the school and was so disappointed she could not continue to work. Thank you all for your kindness and generosity.”

On behalf of the school, I extend my deepest appreciation to everyone who contributed to this special day. Your kindness and willingness to support those in need truly define the St Laurence’s spirit.

For more photos from this special event, please see our FaceBook page.

SWIMMING CARNIVAL - A SPLASHING SUCCESS!

Thank you to everyone who was able to join us at the carnival and support our students. A special thanks to our amazing volunteers who were able to assist on the day. Your help makes such a difference. The students respond so well to everyone's encouragement. We had students make great times in the water and students taking the plunge and participating in races that they didn't think they could do. It's so encouraging to see the level of involvement and the support provided. A very big thank you to Ms Donoghue for her organisation and planning. Our students are so fortunate to have the opportunity to get into the water for competitive races, 25 metre races, noodles races and fun for everyone with watching the belly flop and parent/student/teacher races. The students certainly would have slept well that night. We wish all our swimmers who are competing in Gulgong on Tuesday all the very best. See our FaceBook page and the Sports section of this newsletter for more photos.

CELEBRATING A NEW YEAR & NEW LEADERS

The Opening School Mass was a wonderful celebration on Wednesday. We were delighted to see so many families in attendance, creating a sense of belonging and support. Congratulations to all our Year 6 students who were inducted as leaders, as well as our ministers, deputy ministers and SRC who were also inducted at Mass. Congratulations to the following students who were elected as our Ministry Leaders, Deputy Leaders and SRC for 2025. See our FaceBook page for more photos.

Our school community will be enriched as these students live out their roles. We thank them for their commitment and look forward to celebrating their achievements as leaders. We are excited about the possibilities ahead.

 A WARM WELCOME BACK AT THE P&F BBQ AND PARENT INFORMATION SESSIONS

Our recent P&F Welcome Back BBQ and Parent Information Sessions were a resounding success, bringing together families, staff, and students for a wonderful evening of connection and learning.

The event provided a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere, allowing families to reconnect after the holiday break while enjoying a picnic setting. Meanwhile, parents engaged in valuable information sessions led by our dedicated teachers, gaining insights into the year ahead and their children's learning journey. The information slideshows from these sessions were shared with parents on Friday via Compass to be referred to as needed.

A heartfelt thank you to the P&F Executive and all the parents who contributed to making this event so special. Your support and involvement are what make our St Laurence’s community so strong. We look forward to many more opportunities to come together throughout the year! For more photos from the event, visit our Facebook page.

ATTENDANCE MATTERS - EVERY DAY AY SCHOOL COUNTS

If you’re having difficulty getting your child to school on time every day, contact the school so we can work together to find a solution. Reaching out to the school is a proactive and constructive step if you're experiencing difficulties in getting your child to school on time. Contact your child's Principal, Support Teacher or Class Teacher to discuss any specific challenges your child may be facing. Class teachers can provide insights into the classroom dynamics and academic progress, helping to identify potential areas of concern. Collaborate with the school to identify any underlying issues contributing to the difficulty in getting your child to school on time. This could involve academic challenges, social issues, or other factors impacting your child's motivation or wellbeing.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO VOLUNTEER FOR ANY SCHOOL ACTIVITIES THIS YEAR?

Parents and immediate family members who wish to volunteer for any school based support, such as canteen, sporting events or in the classroom, must complete a Volunteers Working With Children form. You do not need a paid Service NSW WWC number unless you are attending an overnight excursion. Please see our Admin staff for the form that immediate family members and parent volunteers need to complete and return to the school.

Religious Education

Gospel Focus

Seeing with the Heart

In Luke 6:39-45, Jesus reminds us that a good tree bears good fruit and that our words and actions flow from what fills our hearts. As we journey through life, we must ask ourselves: What are we planting in our hearts? Are we nurturing kindness, hope, honesty, and love? Just as a blind person cannot lead another without stumbling, we are called to be people who see clearly—guided by faith, wisdom, and love. May we fill our hearts with goodness so that we may bear fruit that blesses others, leading by example in kindness and truth.

Term 1 Events

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

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

Aboriginal Education

Sports

Last Monday we held our Swimming Carnival. Congratulations to all the students who participated on the day. 

We had one record broken on the day. Congratulations to Lawson who broke the record in the 100m Freestyle, the record had been held since 2015. 

House Points

1st - McAuley1156

2nd - MacKillop 1140

3rd - Norton 1130

Congratulations to the following students who will be attending the Northern Region Carnival being held in Gulgong tomorrow (Tuesday 25th February):

Hollie A, Sophia B, Edward B, Flynn B, Sophia B, Stella B, Max C, Archie C, Isla C, Polly C, Thea C, Maddie C, Reggie C, Evie C-R, Georgia D, Kortlyn F, Uriah F, Oscar G, Ruby G, Lawson G, Mary H, Daisy J, Leo K, Tessa L, Lucy M, Miles M, Harry McL, Isaac M, Lachlan M, Oscar M, Patrick O, Tully O, Eugene P, Brianna P, Fred T, Kenzie T, Beau T, Sophie T, Lucy W

Swimming Champions

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 lunch area.

Being respectful while eating lunch means:

• We stop talking and listen to the teacher on duty

Being responsible while eating lunch means:

• We eat our lunch first before we have the snacks
• We wait for the teacher to tell us to put our rubbish in the correct bin 
• We pack up our area and put our lunch boxes in the designated areas

Being safe while eating lunch means:

• We remain seated in our set areas while eating our lunch
• We eat our own food

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 1 is available by clicking the link below: CANTEEN VOLUNTEERS ROSTER - TERM 1 2025

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.

Dates to remember

Birthdays

Curriculum Corner

Year 3

Year Three has started the year off by creating some fantastic self portraits to display around our classroom.

Awards

Happy Families

Community News