Dear families,

We are halfway through term three already and our school community has been blessed with many special moments that bring faith, joy, and learning together.

We started our week with our annual Book Week Dress up Parade. It was a colourful, imaginative and fun filled parade. Thank you to all the families that attended, we really appreciated your cooperation and support. It was wonderful to see the array of costumes and so many creative home made costumes, what a talented community we have!

Last weekend we celebrated our first St Lawrence Community Pilgrimage to St Patrick's Cathedral to celebrate the feast of St Lawrence, it was such a special day, I have included an article about it in the newsletter. The following day Monday 11 August we held our Mass at school to celebrate our Patron Saint, St. Lawrence. The Mass was a very reverent event and our Faith and Mission did a wonderful job leading us.

Our Year 6 students have had a big week of preparation for their Sacrament of Confirmation next term. They took part in a faith formation day on Tuesday and returned to school with their families Tuesday night for a Family Faith Formation evening. I would like to acknowledge and thank the families that joined us for this evening. It is wonderful to see families valuing the sacrament and sharing the preparation journey with us.

Today we were host to a number of schools as we held the Grade 4 Maths competition at St Lawrence. It was a wonderful event, our students were fantastic hosts and the team that supported Mrs Italiano did a terrific job, assisting the other students, acknowledging their efforts and helping with the different events.

Looking ahead, we are excited for our upcoming Neon Disco, run by our Parents in Partnership, which will take place on Friday next between 6:30pm and 8pm. Tickets will be available at the door and Neon products will be available to purchase at school during the week.

We are also looking forward to celebrating our Father’s Day Breakfast on Friday 5th September from 7:30–8:30am: dads, grandfathers, and special father figures are warmly invited to join us for breakfast with their children, followed by Father's Day Mass at 9am. Our Father’s Day Stall will be held from 10am. This is a lovely way for students to choose a small gift for their dad or father figure.

We are all getting very excited as we begin the countdown to Shrek Junior the Musical. Next week our first dress rehearsals will take place at school, during the day on Tuesday for cast blue and on Wednesday for cast green. We will be taking photographs for the programs, which we will be selling on the night. Each week we are so impressed by the progress we see in the character's confidence and abilities. The excitement is palpable among the cast. It is great to be able to provide opportunities for the children to shine not only in learning, sport and visual arts but in performing, singing and dancing as well. Only 4 weeks to go!

The leadership team have been preparing data and reports for our school review which begins at the end of this term and continues into term 4. This has been a wonderful way to reflect on our growth and strengths and to plan our next steps. I will be inviting famileis to take part in the review conversations in week 1 of next term please watch out for communications on Compass if you are interested in taking part. This term we also have our annual MACSSIS surveys. Surveys are randomly distributed to 100 families. If you do receive an invitation to complete the survey we would really appreciate you taking the 15-20 minutes to complete it. Please watch your emails around 1 September.

Have a wonderful weekend,

Take care and God bless,

Trish Mulhern

Please add the following dates to your family calendar:

August

Monday 25th August - KABOOM Sports Day

Monday 25th August - Friday 29th August Book Fair

Tuesday 26th August - Shrek Jnr dress rehearsal at school (Blue Cast) 9.00am-1.30pm

Tuesday 26th August - School Advisory Council meeting (6.30-7.30pm)

Wednesday 27th August - Shrek Jnr dress rehearsal at school (Green Cast) 9.00am-1.30pm

Friday 29th August - Grade 6 Transition Day (with SPC) at St Lawrence

Friday 29th August - School Disco 6.30-8.00pm

September

Thursday 4th September - Confirmation Sponsor Formation Evening (6.30-7.30pm)

Friday 5th September - Fathers' Day Breakfast 7.30-8.30am

Friday 5th September - Fathers' Day Mass 9.00-10.00am (families welcome)

Friday 5th September - Fathers' Day Gift Stall

Tuesday 9th September - Grade 2 Class Liturgies

Thursday 11th September - Fire Carrier Excursion

Friday 12th September - Whole School Assembly 2.45pm (families welcome)

Monday 15th September - Shrek Jr (Green Cast) performance at Thomas Carr 7.00pm

Tuesday 16th September - Shrek Jr (Blue Cast) performance at Thomas Carr 7.00pm

Thursday 18th September - Grade 4 Sleepover

Friday 19th September - Last Day of Term 3 - 1.00pm finish

Saturday 20th September - Sunday 5th October - School holidays

October

Monday 6th October - First Day of Term 4

Tuesday 7th October - Prep 2026 Information Night (7.00-8.00pm)

Thursday 9th October - Review Day 1

Friday 10 October - Review Day 2

Saturday 11th October - Grade 6 Confirmation Masses (1.00pm & 3.30pm)

Wednesday 15th October - Grade 4 Class Liturgies

Friday 17th October - Prep - Grade 3 Swimming Program (every Friday)

Friday 24th October - G6 Transition Day (with SPC) at St Peter Chanel

Friday 31st October - All Saints Mass 9.00-10.00am (families welcome)

Friday 31st October - Whole School Assembly 2.45pm (families welcome)

November

Monday 3rd November - Professional Practise Day - SCHOOL CLOSED

Tuesday 4th November - Melbourne Cup Public Holiday - SCHOOL CLOSED

Tuesday 11th, Friday 14th, Tuesday 18th November - Teeth on Wheels visiting

Friday 21st November - Whole School Assembly 2.45pm (families welcome)

December

Friday 5th December - Advent Liturgy (9.00-10.00am)

Monday 8th December - 2026 Planning Day - SCHOOL CLOSED

Tuesday 9th December - Orientation morning (9.30-10.30am)

Thursday 11th December - Jingle Mingle 

Friday 12th December - Advent Liturgy (9.00-10.00am)

Friday 12th December - Grade 6 Graduation Celebration Excursion

Friday 12th December - Whole School Assembly 2.45pm (families welcome)

Monday 15th December - G6 Graduation Mass (6.30-8.30pm)

Tuesday 16th December - Last day for students (3.15pm finish)

This Jubilee year, our School Advisory Council set a goal of deepening our Catholic Identity. One of the ways we planned to do this was by organising a Community Pilgrimage to mark St Lawrence's Feast Day. After much thought and research into different pilgrimage sites across Victoria, we chose St Patrick’s Cathedral as our destination – a sacred and significant place at the heart of our faith.

Some families met at Deer Park station and travelled in together by train, while others joined us at the Cathedral. It was wonderful to see our community come together in faith, prayer, and celebration. The Cathedral’s beauty and sacred atmosphere provided a meaningful space to reflect and give thanks.

In preparation, families were invited to an online information session, where we learned about what a Jubilee year means, what a plenary indulgence is and we outlined the plan for our pilgrimage. In the days leading up to our pilgrimage we celebrated the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

On the morning of our pilgrimage, members of our school community gathered at Deer Park station, where the sense of excitement and anticipation was tangible. Together, we travelled by train into the city, sharing conversation, laughter, and the joy of being on this faith-filled journey as one community. Other families met us at the Cathedral, and it was wonderful to see so many familiar faces come together for this special occasion.

Fr John con-celebrated the Mass with Monsignor Hart, who warmly welcomed the St Lawrence Pilgrims from the pulpit. The Mass was beautiful and the choir sounded ethereal. Once Mass had concluded we gathered in prayer as a community – offering prayers for the Holy Father, reciting the Jubilee Prayer, and praying our school prayer, all to the backdrop of the Cathedral’s beautiful choir.

Then we explored the different spaces within the Cathedral and found the stamp for our pilgrimage passports. Once we had explored the interior of the Cathedral, we explored the beautiful gardens and statues on the grounds of the Cathedral.

Our time at the Cathedral allowed us to connect not only with God, but also with one another as we deepened our sense of belonging to both our parish and school community. It was a day filled with faith, joy, and togetherness – a living expression of our Catholic Identity.

We are grateful to everyone who joined us on this pilgrimage, and we look forward to continuing to walk together in faith as a community.

The chill in the air didn't dampen anyone's spirit when it came to the Book Week 2025 parade!  Many favourite book characters were represented, from the community of Hogwarts through to Dorothy and her friends all the way from Oz.  Here are just a few of the sights the staff, students and families were treated to.

On Friday 1st August, the Prep children celebrated their 100^th Day of Prep. The children had a fun day dressing up, making crafts and reflecting on their achievements thus far. The day concluded with a ceremony where each Prep student was presented with their 100 Days of School certificate. It was a great way to celebrate and recognise 100 days of learning together.

On Friday the 1st of August eight of our Grade 3 students went to Derrimut Primary School to compete in a Maths Competition and Games Day. The students participated in team problem solving events, individual strategy games and a fun Maths relay.

Our team competed against other schools from all across Melbourne and represented St. Lawrence wonderfully well! 

Thank you for representing St. Lawrence and congratulations to Jordan, Raymond, Leonardo, Jayden, Theo, Joshua, Selina and Ethan!!

On Wednesday, July 23rd, the Grade 4 students took part in an exciting dance incursion called Multicultural Moves. As part of their learning in Literacy about multiculturalism, students explored different cultures through movement and rhythm. They were introduced to three unique dance styles from around the world - Jamaica, South Africa and the USA. This interactive and energetic experience not only got students moving but also deepened their appreciation for cultural diversity and expression through the art of dance.

St Lawrence Primary proudly represented our school at the recent Deer Park District Athletics Day, with our students showing incredible talent, determination, and sportsmanship across a range of events.

A special mention goes to Bastian, who successfully defended his first place in the 12/13 Boys High Jump, and to Eva, who was once again crowned champion in the 11 Girls High Jump, defending her title from last year. Ruby also repeated her outstanding performance from last year, taking first place in the 11 Girls Triple Jump.

Winning both the 100m and 200m sprints, Blythe’s achievements are absolutely incredible, showcasing speed and endurance across multiple events.

History was made when our 9/10 Girls Relay team of Alisha, Tenleigh, Mamfor, and Rose won their race — the first time in St Lawrence history that any 9/10 Girls Relay team has taken victory in this event!

Our results included:

Relays
1st in 9/10 Girls: Alisha, Tenleigh, Mamfor, Rose (historic first win)
2nd in 12/13 Girls: Blythe, Georgina, Zaylee, Isabella F
2nd in 12/13 Boys: Bastian, Mason, Tue, Miggy

High Jump
1st in 11 Girls: Eva (defending champion)
1st in 12/13 Boys: Bastian (defending champion)
3rd in 12/13 Girls: Zaylee

Long Jump
1st in 12/13 Girls: Georgia A
1st in 12/13 Boys: Mason
2nd in 12/13 Girls: Georgina
2nd in 11 Girls: Eva

Triple Jump
1st in 11 Girls: Ruby (defending champion)

Sprints
1st in 12/13 Girls 200m: Blythe
1st in 12/13 Girls 100m: Blythe
3rd in 12/13 Boys 200m: Bastian
3rd in 11 Girls 200m: Izzy
3rd in 9/10 Girls 100m: Alisha

All athletes finishing first and second will progress through to the Keilor Division Championships on the 10th of September — good luck to all our competitors as they continue their journey!

We are incredibly proud of all our athletes who represented St Lawrence,  you have inspired our whole school community!

On Wednesday 13th August, a group of St Lawrence Students represented the school in an AFL Handball competition at Watergardens Shopping Centre.  They also got to meet Zach Merrett and Brodie Holland.  Well done to Kobe, Mason, Kasper, Jolene, Koby and Nathan.

At St Lawrence school, there are a number of approaches and strategies we use to ensure children know their rights, that they are taken seriously and that they take part in decisions that affect them, such as:

The School Advisory Council (SAC) gathered on the 29 th July 2025, with members meeting onsite to discuss key plans and updates for Term 3.
A major focus was the upcoming Shrek the Musical school production. Natalie Penza confirmed that the production will be held at Thomas Carr College on Monday 15 th and Tuesday 16 th September. In the coming weeks, there will be a volunteer call-out for families who would like to assist with various aspects of the production. To build excitement within the school community, the main cast will also be performing snippets during Monday community prayer in the lead up to the event.

The council spoke of the upcoming School pilgrimage to be held on Sunday 10 th August at St. Patrick’s Cathedral with members expressing interest in attending together via public transport. The council also heard from Trish Mulhern, who shared her reflections from her recent pilgrimage to Greece and Turkey. Her experience provides support to her ongoing leadership in faith and community. In addition, the council assisted Trish in reviewing and providing feedback on the school rubric titled ‘Belonging, welcome and positive relationships.’

The next SAC meeting will be held on Tuesday 26 th August, with the hybrid format – onsite and via Google Meets.

Monaliz Barrie
1 August 2025