From the Principal
Welcome back to the 2025 school year.
On behalf of the College Leadership Team and all staff I extend a warm welcome to all families, new and returning.
2025 will be an exciting year for the College, as we acknowledge 110 years of Laurie’s education in the Edmund Rice tradition. In future newsletters I will share import facts about the history of the College as well as photos and forthcoming celebrations.
To begin the school year, I would like to also welcome several key staff appointments to the College. The St Laurence’s College community welcomes our new Dean of Learning and Teaching, Ms Grace Loyden. Ms Loyden joins us from BBC and has considerable experience, having taught as both a Head of Faculty and Deputy Principal across the State. We welcome Ms Loyden and I look forward to working with her to help all students achieve their own personal excellence.
Additionally, with Mr Corfield’s departure at the end of 2024 departure, we have also welcomed Mr Lachlan Heshusius to our College Leadership Team. Mr Heshusius joins the College Leadership Team, utilising both his knowledge of the Edmund Rice Charism and his experience as Head of Sion House, in his new role. Mr Heshusius is also a former student of the College.
A full list of staff new to the College or in new positions at the College can be found below. I welcome all new staff to the St Laurence’s College community.
Holiday Update
Over the holiday break we had a number of students and staff represent the College in sport or involved in curriculum related activities. To begin the school year, could I please take a moment to congratulate the Volleyballers, Cricketers, AFL players and swimmers who either toured, participated in tournaments or camps and continued to play and train.
Could I also congratulate our Open Basketballers who completed a successful tour of the United States. Our Australian Space Design Competition (ASDC) Team who represented the College admirably at the ASDC State Championships, our musicians who attended the Cuskelly Music Summer School and our Manchester City Footballers who competed in a national tournament in Melbourne. To the staff, students and families involved, congratulations and thank you for representing the College.
Academic Success 2024
While much will be made of the academic success of our 2024 cohort at the forthcoming Academic Assembly, I would like to highlight three key celebrations for the College.
The first of these is to acknowledge our 2024 Dux of the College, Kyle Latimer, who achieved an incredible 99.45 ATAR. An amazing effort reflective of his hard work and commitment to his studies. I would like to publicly congratulate Kyle on this fantastic achievement.
Secondly, I would like to acknowledge the entire 2024 graduating cohort. For some time now, the College has been working to provide support and pathway options to ensure every student at Laurie’s graduates with a Queensland Certificate of Achievement (QCE). In 2024 cohort became the first class in recent history to achieve 100% QCE attainment. An amazing achievement, largely thanks to the personal efforts of both the students and a number of key teachers and staff who assisted students at a crucial stage of their Lauries Journey. This is definitely a moment worth celebrating and a benchmark that I hope will remain for some time.
Finally, it must be recognised that in 2024, the graduating class received over 300 Vocational Education and Training qualifications. Completing courses such as a Diploma in Business, Certificate II in Active Volunteering or a Certificate III in Business (just to name a few), many of our vocational training students achieved personal excellence on a large scale.
Facilities and Building Upgrades
For those that have been on campus this week, you may have noticed a number of building and maintenance projects. If you look from Stephens Road, you will see the Brady building and the entrance to the College has been painted to match the new school colour scheme. Additionally, the Sports Department and Book Hire have had upgrades, the College was deep cleaned and many areas were tiled and repaired. I thank Mr Lieschke and the Maintenance Team for all their work to have the College looking sharp for the first day back in 2025.
Of significant note, over the holiday break, the Middle and Senior School toilet refurbishment begun. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen complications, the construction of the new toilets have been delayed and is likely they will not be finished until the end of Term 1. As a result of the delayed construction, the College has hired temporary amenities block (located just off the quad) and will be allowing students to utilise extra toilets in ERPAC and around the College to offset this delay.
While the timeline for completion of the new toilets has been extended, the good news is that it will not be long, and we will have full use of the new toilets.
Strategic Priorities - Personal Excellence
Two strategic priorities of the College focus on excellence in learning and teaching and strengthening student formation. In 2025 the Pastoral leadership of the College has been recalibrated to best support these strategic goals.
This year, Ms Bell will take on a new role on the College Leadership Team as the Dean of Wellbeing and Engagement. Ms Bell will oversee the implementation of wellbeing at the College, many of the events at the College like the forthcoming Year 7, 8 and 9 information evenings, student camps, and assemblies and the parent engagement evenings. Ms Bell will also oversee Year 7 transition and a number of other key Year 7 events. Most importantly Ms Bell is going to work closely with other members of the College Leadership Team to develop a new Academic Care Team to link the wellbeing and academic pathways of students provide further opportunities for personal success.
The second new role is the Head of Middle School. Joining us in 2025 is Ms Guerrero who will lead the Middle School Students on a day-to-day basis. Ms Guerrero will work closely with Mr Burridge who is also in a new role as the Head of Senior School Students, looking after all things Senior School on a day-to-day basis.
As a member of the College Leadership team, Mr Knight in his role of Dean of Students, will oversee the work the Heads of Students for Middle and Senior School.
Over the coming weeks, further information around theses new roles will be shared at information evenings at the College.
2025 shapes to be an exciting year at Laurie's, a year of hope and opportunities. Celebrating 110 years as a College will also provide an opportunity for prayer and reflection.
Schools in the Edmund Rice tradition often finish prayer with the person saying the prayer stating, “Live Jesus in our hearts.” While those listening to, or partaking in the prayer, reply with, “Forever!”
This sentiment expresses a hope and belief that the presence of Jesus in our hearts is something that continues beyond the prayer, especially a sense of mission, and a knowledge that we are energised by the ongoing presence of Jesus.
As the year hastens quickly and routines and busyness become normality for all families, “Live Jesus in our hearts – Forever!”
MR BEN LOWRIE
College Principal