Term 3 Week 2 Newsletter 2025

Principal's Messages

BISHOP MCKENNA VISITS ST LAURENCE’S

OODIES, ONESIES AND BIG HEARTS: VINNIES WINTER APPEAL PJ DAY

Our Vinnies Winter Appeal Pyjama Day was a cosy and heartwarming success! Students and staff came to school dressed in pyjamas, oodies, and onesies - not just for fun, but to show their support for those doing it tough during the cold winter months.

As part of the day, students took part in a classroom lesson exploring the purpose of the Vinnies Winter Appeal. They learned how the money raised would assist people experiencing homelessness or financial hardship, helping to provide essentials such as warm clothing, food, and emergency support during the winter season. The students showed great compassion as they reflected on the importance of kindness, generosity, and supporting those in need.

A big thank you to all the families who donated so generously. Through your kindness and the children’s enthusiastic participation, we were able to make a meaningful contribution to those in need this winter.

THE MAGIC OF A SMILE: OUR 2025 SCHOOL CONCERT

KINDER WRITERS SHINE WITH EXPLICIT TEACHING AND EXPERT GUIDANCE

Our Kindergarten students have recently amazed us with their ability to write informative texts - a significant achievement that highlights just how much growth they’ve made across their first two semesters of school.

Using our school’s evidence-based explicit teaching model, Mrs Gain has expertly guided our youngest learners through the foundational stages of writing. Through clear learning intentions, modelled examples, guided practice, and individual feedback, students have developed the skills to independently construct informative pieces that include a subject sentence and three topic sentences - an impressive accomplishment for children in their first year of formal schooling.

This incredible progress is a testament to the impact of high-quality, expert teaching. The students were so proud to share their writing and excitedly visited my office to explain each of the five senses - their enthusiasm and confidence were a joy to witness. We are proud not only of their writing but of the strong learning culture that supports their success every step of the way.

INSPIRING ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AT ST LAURENCE’S

Last week, our school had the privilege of hosting a dedicated educator from Dubbo Regional Council who delivered a series of engaging environmental programs to our Kindergarten through Year 6 students. Through presentations such as Fight Against Food Waste, Recycle Right Together, and The Litter Problem, students gained valuable knowledge about sustainability, waste reduction, and caring for our environment.

These programs are designed to foster a strong sense of environmental responsibility and empower our students to make thoughtful choices about resource management. We are proud to support initiatives that inspire our future generation to become stewards of the planet and make a positive impact on the world around them.

NAPLAN REPORTS DISTRIBUTED LAST WEEK

Students in Years 3 and 5 received their NAPLAN reports last Thursday. If you did not receive your child’s report, please let us know. Should you wish to discuss the results with your child’s class teacher, please email them to arrange a meeting.

We spend considerable time analysing our school’s results, as this data is extremely valuable. Tracking progress over time allows us to evaluate the effectiveness of our teaching practices and school processes. We are pleased with our initial review, particularly noting continued improvements in Writing and Spelling.

BOOK CHARACTER PARADE & GRANDPARENTS DAY THIS FRIDAY!

Week 2 of this term is St Laurence’s Book Week, with the theme Book An Adventure. The Book Character Parade and Grandparents’ Day will be held this Friday, 1st August. The Grandparents’ Day liturgy will begin in the church at 9:10am, followed by the Book Character Parade in the Hall. When the parade concludes, all guests are warmly invited to join us for a morning tea kindly provided by the P&F Association and the school.

All grandparents, parents, and family are welcome to come and celebrate with us. You can look forward to some wonderful entertainment from our cleverly dressed book characters.

The Book Fair will be open all week in the library. On Monday, children will visit the fair to view the books on offer and take home wish lists. Orders can be made either online or in person, with EFTPOS available for convenience. The Book Fair will close following the conclusion of the Grandparents’ Day morning tea on Friday.

We encourage families to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to explore and purchase fantastic books for your home libraries.

JOIN OUR SOCCER GALA DAY ZOOM PLANNING MEETING - TUESDAY

Our annual Soccer Gala Day is fast approaching and will be held on Friday, 8th August. This is always a fantastic day for our students and a major fundraising event for the school.

To assist with preparations, the P&F Executive will be holding a Zoom meeting to discuss organisational details and planning for the day. Anyone interested is warmly invited to attend the meeting to find out how you can support the event and help make it a great success.

📅 Zoom Meeting Date: Tuesday 29th July
⏰ Time: 6:30pm
🔗 Zoom Link: The link will be shared via Compass.

A note seeking parent volunteers for the day was sent home last week. If you haven’t already done so, please return this form to the office as soon as possible so we can finalise roles and rosters.

We encourage as many parents and carers as possible to get involved - whether it’s helping on the day, organising supplies, or offering behind-the-scenes support. Your contribution helps make events like this possible and enjoyable for all.

100 & 150 NIGHTS OF READING SUPERSTARS

More students happy to be checking off 100 & 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.

SUPPORTING FAMILIES: WORKING TOGETHER IN A MODERN WORLD

We’re pleased to share an exciting opportunity for parents and carers of children in Catholic schools. The Council of Catholic School Parents (CCSP) is hosting a special conference as part of the Jubilee Year of Hope, focused on supporting families and strengthening partnerships between home and school.

The conference will feature engaging speakers and practical sessions aimed at informing, inspiring, and empowering parents in today’s world. Registrations are now open and further details will continue to be added as planning progresses.

For more information or to register, please visit:
🔗 2025 CCSP Conference

HELPING KIDS MANAGE ANXIETY: PRACTICAL TOOLS FOR CALMING BIG FEELINGS

Many children experience anxious moments - from nerves about a test to worries about friendships or new routines. As parents, it’s natural to want to fix these worries, but sometimes our own stress gets in the way. That’s why I found this article from parenting expert Michael Grose so valuable and worth sharing with our school community.

Michael outlines two helpful frameworks that offer practical tools to support anxious children - and just as importantly, to support parents in staying calm and connected.

FRAMEWORK 1: The SOBER Plan — For Parents

The SOBER acronym is a simple strategy to help you, as a parent, respond calmly when your child is anxious:

🛑 S – Stop
Pause what you’re doing and give your full attention.

👀 O – Observe
Tune in—What is your child saying and doing? What are you feeling?

🌬️ B – Breathe
Take a few deep breaths to regulate your own nervous system.

🔍 E – Expand
Ask yourself: Is this the best time and place to talk? Can this wait or do I need to act now?

💬 R – Respond
When you’re ready, start with empathy:

“I get it.” or “I’m glad you told me.”
This lets your child know you’re a safe person to turn to.

FRAMEWORK 2: The Anxiety Response Plan — For Your Child

Once you’re calm, it’s time to gently guide your child through their feelings using these five practical steps:

🧠 1. Recognise the Anxiety
Understand when and how anxiety shows up for your child - sometimes it appears as anger, tears, or refusal. Knowing the early signs helps you respond supportively.

💞 2. Validate Their Feelings
Your child doesn’t need you to fix everything - they need to know you understand.
Try saying: “Ahhh, you’re feeling worried about…” or “Ahhh, you’ve got one of those ‘what if’ thoughts…”

😮‍💨 3. Breathe Together
Encourage slow, deep belly breaths. This helps activate the brain’s calming systems.

🌿 4. Bring Them Back to the Present
Anxiety often lives in the future - “What if…?” Try the 5-4-3 technique:

• 5 things you can see
  
• 4 things you can hear
  
• 3 things you can feel
  

🎯 5. Guide Them Toward Action
Once calm, help your child take the next step. For example, if the anxiety is about a test, talk about what they can do - like reviewing notes or asking for help.

TEACHING TOLERANCE OF DISCOMFORT

Part of helping anxious kids is teaching them that uncomfortable feelings are normal - and manageable. Whether it's feeling nervous about public speaking or waiting their turn, these moments are opportunities to build emotional strength.

Support your child to sit with these feelings and celebrate the small wins:

“That was tricky, but you did it!”

BUILDING LONG-TERM RESILIENCE

The more you practise these tools with your child, the more confident both of you will feel navigating anxiety together. You’re helping them develop skills that will benefit their learning, friendships, and overall wellbeing far beyond the moment of worry.

Source: “Expert Tools for Successfully Managing Kids’ Anxiety: A Guide for Parents” by Michael Grose, Parenting Ideas
👉 Link to full article here https://michaelgrose.substack.com/?utm_campaign=pub&utm_medium=web

Religious Education

GOSPEL FOCUS

In this week’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us in Matthew 5:10 that “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Sometimes, doing what is right isn’t easy. Standing up for others, choosing kindness, or speaking the truth can feel uncomfortable—especially when it goes against the crowd. But Jesus shows us that living with integrity, even when it’s hard, brings us closer to God’s heart. Let us encourage our children to be brave in doing what is right, to be peacemakers, and to trust that God walks with them in every moment of courage.

THIS FRIDAY – 1st AUGUST
We are looking forward to a special day this Friday as we celebrate our Grandparents Liturgy and enjoy the Book Character Parade, morning tea, and Book Fair.

We warmly welcome all grandparents and special friends to join us for this joyful morning. Students are reminded to come dressed as their favourite book character and to bring their morning tea to enjoy picnic-style after the parade!

The Book Fair will also be open for families to browse and make purchases during the morning.

CELEBRATION OF CONFIRMATION

A reminder that the Celebration of Confirmation will take place this weekend, with our Parish Priest presiding at the following Masses:
📅 Saturday 2nd August - 5:00pm
📅 Sunday 3rd August - 9:00am and 5:00pm

We extend our sincere thanks to our parish priests for their support and presence in preparing the candidates for this very special event.

We keep all our Confirmation candidates and their families in our prayers as they prepare to receive this important Sacrament of the Holy Spirit.

THIS WEEK – FIRST EUCHARIST PREPARATION SESSIONS BEGIN

This week marks the beginning of First Eucharist Preparation Sessions for students receiving this special sacrament. These sessions are an important part of the journey and must be attended by both parent and child.

Families are asked to attend one session per week to support their child in preparing to receive First Eucharist.

The session options for this week are:
📅 Tuesday 29th July – 6:15pm (following the 5:45pm evening Mass)
📅 Wednesday 30th July – 4:30pm
📅 Sunday 3rd August – 10:00am (after 9:00am Mass in St Brigid’s Hall)

We thank you for your commitment and support as we walk with the children on this sacred journey.

TERM 3 EVENTS

PARISH ANNOUNCEMENTS:

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 will allow Fr Greg to have a day off each week.

MASS TIMES: St. Brigid’s: Saturday - 5:00pm, Sunday - 9:00am and Sunday - 5:00pm.

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

Sports

TOUCH FOOTBALL GALA DAY

Students from Years 3 to 6 recently enjoyed a fantastic day of sport and teamwork at the NSW Touch Football Primary School Gala Day, held for primary schools across the Dubbo region. Hosted by the NSW Touch Association, the event brought together students of all skill levels for a day of friendly competition, fun, and physical activity.

The gala day provided a wonderful opportunity for our students to develop their skills, work as a team, and represent St Laurence’s with great sportsmanship.

A big thank you to Mr Long, Mrs Trimboli, Mrs Dickerson, and Miss Goodwin for accompanying the students on the day, coordinating teams, and cheering them on from the sidelines. We also extend our sincere thanks to the many parents who attended and became our enthusiastic cheering squad, as well as those who generously assisted with transporting students to and from the fields. Your support helped make the day a smooth and memorable experience for all involved.

RUGBY UNION GALA DAY 

Well done to to Eddie, Lawson, Campbell & Archie who attended the Rugby Union Gala day in Orange last week. A cold start to the day didn't stop the boys joining All Hallows Gulgong and Holy Family Kelso to participate in a great day of footy.

Congratulation boys on joining in a fun day!

NORTHERN REGION ATHLETICS

Wishing all students representing St Laurence's at the Northern Region Athletics Carnival this Wednesday 30th July the best of luck. We know they will represent our school with pride and good sportsmanship on the day.

Good Luck: Luisa, Hollie, Penny, Jack B, Eddie, Flynn B, Eldho, Sophia B, George C, Max C, Archie, Connor, Thea, Maddi, Evie C, Ignatius, Georgia, Matilda, Oscar D, Pippa, Kortlyn, Uriah, Sophie G, Ruby, Oscar G, Lawson, Elsie, Mary, Rigby, Tucker, Willow, Tessa, Miles, Hunter, Sophie M, Oliver, Harrison, Evie O, Eugene, Akshera, Kian, Arianna, Georgie, Fred, Kenzie, Sophie T, Bella, Eli W, Lucy W, Harvey, Hudson W, Eden Willner, Dom, Wyatt, Isaac, Oscar M, Brianna

SOCCER GALA DAY

Our annual soccer gala day is nearly here! Next Friday 8th August. 

The day will go ahead if there is light rain, but if the ovals are closed by council an alert will be sent at 7am if the Gala day is postponed.

Lunches will begin being served from 11.30 am. Depending on the draw, teams will be notified of lunch times. Children may buy snacks from the canteen during the day. 

Parents need to transport children to and from the ovals. Games commence at 9:30 am. Children are asked to be at the ovals from 8.30am so that they can be signed on under the St Laurence’s Tent, on class roll. At 9am children will be placed in teams and given to their designated team manager. Class rolls will be there for parents to sign their children on and off. Pick up is from 2pm -3pm; again, please sign off the class roll. If someone else is picking your child up, children must have written permission, other wise they will not be allowed to leave.

Children are to wear their sports uniform on the day. Please ensure that all clothing is clearly labelled, especially hats and sunscreen! Children’s backpacks can remain on tarp throughout the day or the children can take them with them to their designated field.

Children may wear shin pads and are NOT permitted to wear soccer boots. Remember this is a Gala day and participation and fun is the aim of the day.

Thank you to all our team managers who have volunteered to assist on the day. You will be required to meet at the microphone area at 9am to collect your clipboard and team list. You will also be given tickets for children who have ordered lunches to hand out at lunch time.

Helpers putting up nets will meet at the ovals at 6.45am, this is a hard job and many hands are needed. Please if you can assist before heading to work we would love to see you there.

Helpers for the canteen, please meet to assist with setting up. If you find you are free on the day you are very welcome to come and assist.

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 being safe in all settings.

Being safe in all settings means:

• We keep our hands, feet, mouths and other objects to ourselves
• We use equipment safely
• We walk safely around the school
• We are in the right place at the right time
• We walk on all hard surfaces 
• We stay in bounds

Library

Canteen

CANTEEN PRICE UPDATE

We have recently undertaken a review of our canteen pricing. Unfortunately, due to rising costs, we have made the difficult decision to increase some of our prices to ensure that the canteen can continue to operate sustainably.

It has been several years since any price changes were made, and this update is necessary to keep up with the increased cost of supplies and services.

Please refer to the below price list for the updated pricing, which will take effect from Monday 21st July.

We appreciate your understanding and continued support of our school canteen.

Dates to remember

Birthdays

Curriculum Corner

YEAR ONE

In our Living World Science unit last term, Year 1 students had immersed themselves in the wonders of animal habitats - discovering how homes help living creatures meet their essential needs. Combining recyclable materials - like cardboard tubes, bottle caps, and fabric scraps - with art supplies, each child designed and built an imaginative habitat suited to their chosen animal. With careful thought about shelter, food, and movement, they constructed colourful, creative models that reflected real-life adaptations. Through this hands-on project, the students not only explored the science behind what makes a habitat work but also practiced design thinking, sustainability, and fine motor skills - all while unleashing their artistic flair! 

This term, Year 1 students have been exploring the world of healthy eating - learning about food groups, nutrition, and the power of balanced choices. They’ve grasped how fruits, veggies, whole grains, proteins, and dairy fuel their bodies and minds.

Awards

Happy Families

Community News