Dear families,

I would like to begin this newsletter by thanking Mel from the Admin team for her organisation and coordination of the Subway special lunch orders and for all of our wonderful Parents in Partnership group who came this week to organise and deliver the lunch orders to the rooms so that they were ready for our excited children after the first break. This has been one of the highlights of the children's week and we could not have done it without our Parents in Partnership Volunteers, we really appreciate your generosity of time and spirit.

Prep Enrolment interviews for 2026 have begun in earnest with almost 50% of these completed. It has been an absolute delight and pleasure to meet our prospective prep students and their families. These interviews provide time and opportunity for families to begin to establish relationships and familiarity with our school as they begin to partnership with us. Meeting with these families and having them share why they choose St Lawrence School as a school for their children is a testament to the community we have created together. Thank you to all members of our school family who continue to share the positive impact our school has on the children we teach and learn with and from. If you have a child who will turn 5 years old by April 30, 2026, and have not yet submitted an application, we encourage you to do so as soon as possible. Early enrolment helps us plan effectively and ensures your child’s smooth transition into our school community. 

As you all know our wonderful Deputy Principal Ms Taylor will be leaving us at the end of this term to prepare for her baby's arrival. We will be sad to say goodbye to Ms Taylor for a little while and we eagerly await meeting her baby. I am pleased to share the news with you and I am sure you will enjoy congratulating Ms Muscat, who will be taking over the Deputy Principal role.

This year our school is in its fourth year of our Continuous Improvement Process.  This is the final year of our School Improvement plan, therefore we are in our review year. This means that we are reviewing our growth, development, strengths and identifying opportunities for future growth. We will be working with an external school reviewer to support us in this process. The external reviewer will work with us over a number of days. During the Initial review visit and on Days 1 and 2 of the school review process, the school reviewer will engage with members and stakeholders of the school community including the principal, parish priest, families, students, teachers and the school leadership team. More information will be shared and invitations issued via Compass.

Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) is working towards becoming a leader in high-quality, Catholic education. Their goal is to offer a learning experience that is not only academically strong but also deeply connected to Catholic values. To help achieve this, MACS has developed a key document called The Vision for Instruction, which is part of their long-term plan, MACS 2030: Forming Lives to Enrich the World. This vision outlines how MACS schools can provide the best possible teaching by focusing on how students learn most effectively. It gives clear, research-based guidance to teachers on how to support every student to thrive in their learning. I have included a parent information sheet outlining the Vision For instruction, please take the time to have a look through it. More information will be shared with you in each newsletter this year.

I have also included some information in this newsletter about the two documents that were sent home with your eldest children. One is regarding our St Lawrence Community Pilgrimage to St Patrick's Cathedral in the city on St Lawrence's Feast day (Sunday 10 August) and the other is about the permission to walk letter. Please have a good read through these and feel free to email me if you have any questions.

This year is our school production year and as you know we are preparing to perform Shrek Junior the musical. Unfortunately we are no longer able to perform at Quin Theatre due to it's structural issues. We have been seeking another theatre that can accomodate us and will inform you as soon as we have confirmation about that. Thank you for your patience while we navigate this.

Thank you for your support,

God bless,

Trish Mulhern

Please add the following dates to your family calendar:

June

Tuesday 3rd June - Grades 1 & 2 Excursion - Melbourne Zoo

Wednesday 4th June - Grade 2 on-site 'Camp' Breakfast, afternoon tea and activities

Wednesday 4th June - Grades 3 & 6 Project Rockit Incursion 9.00am-12.00pm

Wednesday 4th June - CCCC visting Grade 5s 2.00-3.00pm

Friday 6th June School Closure - Team Teach - SCHOOL CLOSED

Monday 9th June Public Holiday - Kings Birthday - SCHOOL CLOSED

Thursday 12th June - St Lawrence Community Pilgrimage Information Session 6.30pm (on site and online)

Friday 13th June St Lawrence Athletics Carnival

Tuesday 17th June - School Advisory Council 6.30pm

Tuesday 17th July - Tuesday 24th July Parent Support Group Meetings (PSGs)

Friday 20th June - Winter Appeal Mass 9.00am (families welcome) 

Thursday 26th - Friday 27th June - Author visit - Mark Carthew

Saturday 28th June - First Eucharist Masses

July

Tuesday 1st July - Marian College Discovery Day (Grade 4 & 5 girls)

Friday 4th July - Whole School Assembly 12.15pm (families welcome)

Friday 4th July - Final day of Term 2 (1.00pm finish)

School holidays Saturday 5th July - Sunday 20th July

Monday 21st July - Learning Conversations 10.30am-7.00pm - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS

Tuesday 29th July - School Advisory Council 6.30pm

August

Friday 1st August - Author visits for Grades 4 - 6

Monday 4th - Wednesday 6th August - Grade 5 Camp to Anglesea

Sunday 10th August - Feast of St Lawrence Community Pilgrimage 10.45am-1.00pm

To help keep all our students safe at the end of the school day, we are updating our dismissal procedures.

Starting Tuesday 10 June, only students who have written permission will be allowed to leave the school grounds on their own at 3:15pm. This includes walking home, walking to meet you at a nearby pick-up point or walking to the front of the school.

We strongly believe that the safest option is for children to be picked up by an adult, especially for younger students. However, we understand that some families need their children to walk. If that is the case for your child, please complete and return the Walking Permission Form (sent home on Friday or download link) by Wednesday 4 June.

Important Dismissal Information:

• Prep – Grade 2: Students will remain in their classroom unless they are attending OSH or until they are picked up by an adult or an older sibling with permission to walk from school.

• Grades 3 – 6: Students will remain in their classes unless they are attending OSH or they have permission to walk from school.

• 3:25pm: Remaining students will be brought to the supervising teacher in the courtyard

• 3:30pm: Any students still waiting will be brought to the office. Please ensure all children are picked up by this time.

Safety First:

We ask that you talk to your child about safe walking habits, including road safety, being aware of their surroundings, and what to do if they feel unsafe.

Prior to Tuesday 10 June, students who have been granted permission will receive a yellow bag tag to show they are allowed to walk home.

Thank you for working with us to keep every child safe!

On Friday 9th May, we celebrated the special women in our lives with a Mothers’ Day breakfast and mass. Thank you to everyone who attended and made this such a lovely event. We would also like to acknowledge our amazing staff and Parents in Partnership volunteers who prepared the spaces for the day, and gave of their time to prepare and serve the food, take photos and clean up on this special morning. We are very fortunate to have such dedicated people who support our school events.

Here are just a few photos highlighting the happy faces we saw!

Grade 5 Elephant Sculpture

Our Grade 5 students are taking part in a competition for a chance to win a free excursion to Werribee Zoo as part of their efforts to welcome the new Asian Elephants. They have used the knowledge they have been learning about using recycled materials to create sculptures. To welcome the new elephants to Werribee Zoo, we created a (somewhat) life-sized baby elephant sculpture using recycled materials such as cardboard, newspaper, and plastic bottles. Our artwork highlights creativity through sustainability, transforming everyday waste into a majestic and meaningful piece. If the grade 5 students win, they will get free entrance to  Werribee Zoo.

To support us, all you need to do is click the Link and like our competition post on Padlet. The school with the most likes wins - so every like counts! 

Please share our link with all your friends and family!

Thank you so much for your support! 

Ms Lim and the Grade 5s 

 

At St. Lawrence, we are now using the new Victorian Mathematics Curriculum 2.0 for reporting.  The link to the new curriculum is here:

https://victoriancurriculum.vcaa.vic.edu.au/mathematics/mathematics-version-2-0/curriculum/f-10

There are now six strands of Mathematics, instead of three. 

The 6 strands of Maths are now:

• Number
• Algebra
• Measurement
• Space
• Probability and
• Data 

In grades Foundation (Prep) - Grade 2 we teach:

• Number 
• Algebra
• Measurement
• Space 
• Statistics (data)

In grades 3-6 we teach:

• Number 
• Algebra
• Measurement
• Space 
• Statistics 
• Probability

What does this mean for your child?

As part of the updated Victorian Maths Curriculum 2.0, some learning outcomes (called content descriptors) have been moved to different year levels. This means that your child may now be learning certain concepts earlier or later than in the previous curriculum. These changes help ensure a more logical and consistent learning progression.

Some learning outcomes (Indicators) have been completely removed from the Prep-Grade 6 curriculum. The area of Volume is one example of this. Because of the changes in the new Victorian Maths Curriculum 2.0, your child might find learning in some strands easier than in previous years, while other areas—especially in Number—might feel more challenging. This is a normal part of adjusting to the new curriculum, and teachers are supporting all students as they adapt to the updated expectations.

Reporting

In the past families received a progression point (dot) for the three strands in Mathematics – Number & Algebra, Measurement & Geometry and Statistics & Probability. 

In 2025 there is only one progression point for Maths and it will cover all the strands. Your child’s report will look different!

The progression point is an average of all the strands taught for that Semester. 

You will be able to use the table that will be included in reports below the progression point to see where your child sits in regards to the standard in each strand. 

At standard means they are working at the expected level. 

Below standard means they are 12 months below the expected level.

Well below standard means they are working 12+ months below the expected level. 

Above standard means they are working 6-12 months above the expected level.

Well above standard means they are working 12+ months above the expected level. 

Some areas of the Maths curriculum may not be included in the Semester 1 report. This is because those topics haven’t been fully taught or assessed yet. All strands will be reported on in Semester 2.  

If you have any questions regarding this new reporting system or the Victorian Maths Curriculum 2.0 please feel free to contact the Maths Leader, Narelle Italiano, at nitaliano@slwderrimut.catholic.edu

We are thrilled to share the wonderful news that, thanks to your incredible generosity, our St Lawrence school community raised an outstanding $2034 - $1,419 through the Project Compassion boxes and an additional $615 in online donations. This is an unprecedented total for our school! Amongst other things, this generous donation goes towards supporting the education of 10 young entrepreneurs to give them the tools they need to grow their businesses. The gift of education is perhaps one of the best supports we can provide!

Your compassion and support for those in need reflect the heart of our Catholic mission and the spirit of giving that unites us. Every coin, note, and click has helped to bring hope, dignity, and opportunity to people around the world through the work of Caritas Australia.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank our Faith and Mission team, who worked diligently to organise and monitor the Project Compassion campaign this year. Their dedication to this and the work they continue to do at our school is both inspiring and motivating. 

On behalf of myself and our Faith and Mission team, we thank you, wholeheartedly, for walking alongside us in this journey of faith and action.

Blessing to all,

Ms Severo and the Faith and Mission team

On Friday 2nd May, St Lawrence turned out in glorious sunshine for our colour fun run at Balmoral Park.  Thank you to all the Parents in Partnership for volunteering to man the colours which created such a wonderful spectical. Also thanks to Mrs Mel from the office for all her time and effort in organising the event.  Together we raised over $3000 which will go towards upgrading the school play spaces.

Here are just a selection of the many, many photos from the day courtesay of Chris Dingli.

Earlier this term, the Grade 3 students became Wildlife Explorers when they attended an excursion to the Werribee Zoo. The purpose of the excursion was to enhance the Literacy and Inquiry learning the students will be doing this term.  The students had a wonderful time exploring the Zoo, and we think the animals enjoyed showing off to our students too!

Last term, five of our talented students proudly represented St Lawrence Primary School at the Western Metropolitan Region Swimming Championships.

Izzy competed strongly in both Freestyle and Breaststroke events, while Bella impressed in Breaststroke and Butterfly. Both girls performed exceptionally, finishing in the top ten in their respective events across the entire region.

Izzy, Bella, Jamie, and Ella also teamed up for the relay event, showcasing incredible teamwork and determination to finish 7th overall — a fantastic result at such a competitive level.

A special congratulations goes to Nisal, who delivered a phenomenal performance in his individual events. Not only did he place 5th in Freestyle, but he also brought home a Bronze Medal in Butterfly — an extraordinary achievement at a championship filled with elite swimmers from across the region. Winning a medal at this level is no small feat, and we are incredibly proud of Nisal’s hard work, focus, and determination.

With so many schools and competitors involved, all of our swimmers should be commended for their outstanding efforts and for representing St Lawrence with pride. Well done to our amazing team!

Second hand uniform is now available through the MySchoolConnect app (the same app you use to order special lunch orders).  Please visit the My School Uniform tab to see what is available. 

If you have uniform you no longer require and would like to see it go on to have a longer life, please drop this into the office.  Not only would you be helping other families, you would also be contributing towards the fundraising for upgrading St Lawrence play spaces.  Every little bit counts!

25 March 2025 by Monaliz Barrie

The School Advisory Council (SAC) met on the 25th March 2025, with members meeting onsite. Trish delivered the Principal’s report:
Farewelling Ms. Schutte (Grade 6S) at the end of Term 1, who has been replaced by Mr. O’Connell
Past events: Both the multicultural night and the Bunnings sausage sizzle were a great success
Upcoming events: Colour Fun Run (Friday 2nd May) and the new fundraising app, MySchool Connect.
Natalie Penza provided an update on the school production, Shrek, which has been proposed for Wednesday 10th and Thursday 11th September. Natalie has worked through the allocation of cast members, to ensure that as few families will be required to attend both nights. The school will arrange for support to be provided to families that will be required to attend both nights. Father John guided the council on the importance of a pilgrimage in a Jubilee year and provided insight on how to undertake a pilgrimage. More information will be provided to families in due time.
The next SAC meeting will be held on Tuesday 29 th April, with a hybrid format – onsite and via Google Meet.

29 April by Chantelle Yates

The school advisory council met on Tuesday 29th April 2025. This was our first
hybrid meeting of this year, with members able to attend onsite in the staff room or via Googlemeet.
The meeting focused on planning for upcoming school events, discussing the Vision
for Instruction introduced by Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS), and
reviewing school enrolment and performance. The agenda covered organizing a family information session regarding our St Lawrence Community Pilgrimage, exploring public transport options for families, and planning reconciliation sessions.
The principal reported on the school's review process, emphasizing the importance
of Religious Education, Learning and Teaching, School Community, Leadership and Management and Student Wellbeing.

The council discussed the Vision for Instruction, which promotes explicit
instruction methods to improve literacy and numeracy. The school is auditing its
current practices to align with this vision while maintaining successful existing
methods. The parent flyer will be shared with families via the school newsletter.

2026 Enrolment numbers were reviewed:

• • 73 applications received; 24 are siblings.

  • 20 places confirmed; more interviews ongoing.

  • Possibility of expanding enrolments across all year levels.

The meeting concluded with a discussion on the upcoming fun
run and the need for volunteer support.

Next meeting Tuesday 27 May 6:30pm online and in person.

Families are reminded not to use the Goodstart Early Learning Centre carpark or block their driveway when picking up or dropping off their children at St Lawrence.  It is important that families with small children and babies are able to park safely while using the centre. 

We remind St Lawrence families that as well as the parking out the front of the school, there is parking available on Windsor Blvd and that the oval gate is open from 8.30am - 8.45am and 3.10pm - 3.30pm to allow access from this area.  There is also a 5 minute no parking zone out the front of the school where families can stop briefly (without moving away from their vehicle) to drop off or pick up children.

The staff carpark is unavailable to parents during pickup and drop off times as the pedestrian crossing is in operation.

Please help keep all our children, families and neighbours safe by planning ahead and parking responsibly. 

To see what events are being held at Brimbank's libraries, please follow the link below: