Newsletter 5 - 31 March 2022

Principal's Page

Dear Parents and Guardians, 

Can you believe we are at the last newsletter for the term? Although many of our school events have been cancelled or postponed, I would like to congratulate our students and staff for their resilience this term. The wearing of masks, parents not being able to access the classrooms, the recording of assemblies and the everyday changing of rules has been a challenge for all of us. One thing I have really missed during this time is meeting together face to face at an assembly or even a staff meeting. Though we have the use of technology to get the message out and use Teams as a tool in doing so, the sense of community is certainly lost. The St Lawrence's Community is a strong faith community. With masks covering our faces for much of the day, please remember to keep talking to people as you pass them. 

'How are you?' or just a simple acknowledgement will ensure that we are still connected with each other during these trying times. 

As Pope Francis states - "Dear brothers and sisters, the Church loves you! Be an active presence in the community, as living cells, as living stones." 

Sacrament of Reconciliation 
Congratulations to our 38 Year 3 students who received the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time last Saturday afternoon. Thank you to the Miss D'Souza, Miss Burro and Mrs Waldock in preparing the children with the help of parents and Father Gerard. 

Staffing News 
Wednesday will be my last day of term as I head over east for a family wedding. It will be the first time in 3 years my family will be united together. Looking forward to the family celebrations. 

Mr O'Malley will be on Long Service Leave the first 2 weeks of Term 2. We wish him all the best during his time of relaxation. I am sure Bianca has compiled a list of things that need to be done around the house. 

Self-Reporting Form
With the school holidays commencing at the end of next week, it is important to continue to use the Self-Reporting Form during this period as required. This form can be accessed via the link below:

https://cewa-collections.powerappsportals.com/COVID-19-Self-Reporting-Form/

School Events
Due to regulations introduced state wide, the following school events have  either been postponed or cancelled for Term 1: 

• Parents attending school assemblies - cancelled until further notice (we will record and share each assembly) 
• Classes attending parish masses - cancelled 
• Year 5 setting up 'Table of Blessings' - cancelled 

Please keep an eye on the school calendar. We will continue to keep you informed of any other changes.  

Have a wonderful holiday and stay safe . The last day of school will be Friday 8 April and the first day of Term 2 will be Tuesday 26 April. 

Happy Days

David Tunchon 
Principal

Religious Education

Year 3 Reconciliation 
Congratulations to our Year Three students who made their First Reconciliation on Saturday. 

A special thank you to our Year Three Class Teachers – Miss D'Souza, Mrs Waldock & Miss Burro for all the help, support and time they have put into preparing the students to receive this Sacrament. Many thanks also to Father Gerard who spent his Saturday afternoon taking the year three children through the steps of making their First Reconciliation. 

Project Compassion 2022: For all Future Generations
Please return all your Project Compassion boxes to the office so that we can all donations to Caritas. 

Holy Week/Easter 
As we head into the school holidays let us remember that Palm Sunday occurs on the first weekend, followed by Holy Week – leading up to Easter Sunday where we celebrate the risen Christ. 

May all our families have a happy, holy and safe April holiday. 

Lord, 
May we have.... 
-The Gladness of Easter, 
         Which is Hope. 
-The Promise of Easter, 
          Which is Peace. 
-The Spirit of Easter, 
        Which is Love. 
Amen 

Year 3 News

Administration News

Easter Raffle Tickets
As the date for the Easter Raffle draws near, there are currently NO spare easter egg raffle tickets left in the office. Any families who have not sold their tickets, we would appreciate if you could please bring the books back in so they can be given to any families that request extra tickets.

2022 Student Data Collection Form
St Lawrence's Primary School, along with other Catholic, Independent and Government schools, collects Student Background Data (SBD) on behalf of the Australian Curriculum and Reporting Authority (ACARA). 

Collected student background data include the following:
   ·  The gender of your child;
   ·  The country of birth of your child;
   ·  Aboriginality, or other ethnicities;
   ·  Your occupation and educational qualifications (in very broad terms); and,
   ·  The main languages/dialect spoken at home by parents/guardians and your child.

This information may have been provided by parents and guardians when the child first enrolled at St Lawrence's Primary School. If there have been changes to your situation, or the data may not be accurate, please complete the form using the link below and submit this to the school by Thursday 7th April.

NAPLAN Practice Test 
Today our Year 3 and 5 students participated in a Practice Session, in preparation for NAPLAN  Testing in Term 2. This session enabled the students to become familiar with the online format, while also testing the technical capabilities of the school. 

School Photos
Our annual school photos are scheduled for Term 2, Week 9, 22nd and 23rd June for 2022. More information will be sent out earlier in the term about this. 

2022 School Fees
New Fee Statements will be emailed out shortly, detailing your selected payment plan and schedule of payments. If you have not yet returned your payment plan form, please do so as soon as possible. If the payment plan provided doesn't suit your needs, please contact our office for an alternative arrangement. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the following students who will be
celebrating their Birthday soon:

Alexander S,  Lily S,  Connor P,  Scarlett H,  Jack O,  Jayden D,  Hannah B,  Matilda P,  Sarthak R,  Benjamin H,  Amelie H,  Ella G,  Ayla D,  Lilly I,  Marlee L,  Logan K,  Jaegar C,  Charlie H,  Lucy H,  Asta M,  Isla P,  Ned S,  Phoenix W,  Hayden P,  Harper C,  Erica L,  Stella L,  Hudson W,  Hugh W,  Abigail P,  Asha H,  Ruby J,  Davey G,  Tanzi T,  Mackenzie C,  Max H,  Evie S,  Maverick C,  Izabella R,  Jesse M,  Kai R and Finn B.

Community Notices