From the Principal
With students beginning their holiday today, our staff will complete a reporting and Professional Development week both onsite and as a part of our Learning Exchange (LEX) partnership with Iona College and Padua College. Professional development (PD) for teachers is an important component of their professional growth and facilitates improvement in classroom practice. The week of professional development will be highlighted by a dedicated day for our Support Staff on Monday, while on Wednesday, the LEX schools will combine resources to offer keynote speakers and meet to learn opportunities for teaching staff across thee three Colleges.
On Wednesday of this week it was National School Officers Day. At Lauries, this day will be formally celebrated on Monday during our Support Staff PD Day. While most would understand the importance of teachers in classrooms, the reality is that schools cannot operate without the support of many individuals who provide professionalism and service, in and beyond the classroom. At Lauries we are blessed to have so many amazing support staff who work in different areas of the school. It is no secret that when Year 12s reach the end of their schooling here, they often reflect on a support staff member as one of the most influential people in their Lauries Journey. I would like to personally thank all of the non-teaching staff at Lauries for bringing life to our community and for the work they do for our students.
Semester 1 Reports
Over the holidays all students will receive their end of Semester 1 report (Unit 1 Report for Year 11’s) through the parent portal on TASS. While no doubt families will take time to review this report and consider the results, what is as equally important is a period of reflection on effort and application. While the age-old adage of “what you put in, is what you get back,” is not always true for every learner, the reality is that a learners result may be lessoned through a lack of effort. Some of us take a little effort to achieve a lot, while others take a lot of effort to achieve some. If you are a family who can take a moment to reflect on your young man’s report card, be sure to reflect on his effort and application as a part of his understanding of success.
Push-Up Challenge
This week visitors to the College at lunch times may have experienced the song ‘Eye of the Tiger’ ring over the school PA System. This song has signified a call to action to be involved in the Push-Up Challenge. The Push-Up Challenge is a free fitness event focused on pushing for better mental health for all Australians. Participants complete 3,249 push-ups (or alternative exercises) over 24 days, representing the 3,249 lives lost to suicide in Australia in 2022. As a collective, the students of St Laurence’s have beaten this mark by many extra push-ups this week. I thank Mr Hurford for driving this initiative and creating awareness of this in the College.
Confraternity Shield
With AIC Term 2 Sport now concluded, our focus now shifts to holiday activity. In the second week of the student holidays, 21 Rugby League players will venture to Townsville to play in the annual Confraternity Shield. Hosted by fellow EREA school, Ignatius Park College, the competition features over 60 boys and girls teams from predominantly Catholic Schools across Queensland. Currently the carnival is attended by six of the AIC schools. Attending the carnival is a big logistical and operational endeavour. I thank Mr Butterworth, Mr Dickman, Mr Byron and Mr Boase for allowing this opportunity for our students and wish the players all the best for the week of Rugby League.
MR BEN LOWRIE
College Principal (Acting)