Term 3, Week 8

The Lauries Journey

The Lauries Journey is a term that encapsulates the story and experiences of students, families, Old Boys and community members associated with St Laurence’s College. While it is a collective term describing much of what happens in our community, it also refers to a documented series of milestones that highlight a path from enrolment, through schooling and into life beyond Lauries.

Today, the College welcomed close to 500 students - and even more parents - who either reached a new milestone or began the educational phase of their Lauries Journey. It was exciting to welcome our newest Year 5 students, our continuing Year 6 students and those beginning Year 7 next year to the College for their 2026 Orientation Day.

Choosing to embrace the Lauries Journey is a commitment to an education in the Edmund Rice tradition. For some, particularly those with a history at the College, this is often an easy decision. For others, it marks the beginning of something entirely new. To all families beginning the Lauries Journey in Year 5 or Year 7 and to those continuing from Year 6 into Year 7, thank you for the sacred trust you have placed in St Laurence’s College. We look forward to the experiences and opportunities that life at Lauries will bring in the years ahead.

On a practical note, sincere thanks go to all the students who gave up their student-free day to come in and help make the Orientation Day experience a memorable one.

Student Leaders

In the last newsletter, I had the privilege of announcing our College Captains for 2026. Today, it is also my honour to publicly acknowledge the following students who have been named as student leaders for next year. On behalf of the Community, I congratulate:

College Leadership

• College Captain: Archibald Simmons
• College Vice Captains: Matiyas Al-Patti, Declan Hansel

House Captains

• Callan: Joseph Bock
• Duhig: Lucas Arnott
• Hogan: Will Dyer
• Kilian: Jed Hankinson
• Nagle: Josh Augustin
• Rice: George Albion
• Sion: Mitchell Elder
• Treacy: Edward Forno
• Waterford: Nash Bainbrigge
• Xavier: Montrose Hazell

Prefects

Academic

• Ryan Madappatt
• Lachlan Wintour
• Paul Nguyen

Engagement & Wellbeing

• Cooper Hodge
• Benjamin Trenow
• Toby Mann

Faith in Action

• Lewis Head
• Samuel Totterman
• Jake Lindsay

Solidarity & Culture

• Joseph Courage
• Joseph Vaseo
• Dominic Iconomidis

Spirit and School Pride

• William Bradley
• Digby Cahill
• Thomas Vaseo

In a world surrounded by logos and signs that influence our way of life, branding often doesn’t require a name, as a symbol, logo or image can represent the brand on its own. These elements can evoke emotion, convey meaning and shape the way we think.

In life, we often use symbols to represent ritual and meaning. For example, a wedding is about the commitment of love between two people; however, the wedding ring is commonly seen as the symbol of that commitment and an expression of emotional connection.

In the Catholic Church, there are also actions or rituals that give life to the unseen. The most important of these are called “sacraments.” Sacraments are means through which we experience and make visible God’s love, healing, forgiveness, nourishment and strength. They also signify an understanding of and commitment to the Catholic Faith.

On Monday night, we celebrated the culmination of the College’s Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) program—a collaboration between Lachlan Heshusius, Susan Harris, the Identity Team and Fr Will Aupito Iuliano (Parish Priest, Dutton Park). The Mass was held in the Laurence O’Toole Chapel, with over 28 staff and students receiving sacraments.

Celebrating Baptism, Confirmation, Reconciliation and Communion, those involved were joined by family members and sponsors as they were formally welcomed into the Catholic Church. Congratulations to all who made this significant and conscious faith decision.

Old Boys Weekend

As a College with 110 years of history, the importance of connection cannot be overstated. History and tradition are kept alive when the stories of the past are connected to the relevance of our current community. A school of our age has deep roots and a strong sense of belonging and purpose.

Connection, belonging and purpose were all on display last week when the College celebrated its annual Old Boys Weekend. On Friday night, the Generations of Old Boys event brought together multiple generations from families to connect on-site and relive stories and experiences. The night was attended by over 200 people, with some families spanning three generations.

On Saturday afternoon, another 300 Old Boys—from the classes of 2015, 2005, 1995, 1985 and 1975—returned for tours of the College and reunion events at nearby venues. Sunday saw a large gathering in the College Chapel for the Old Boys Memorial Mass, followed by lunch for 100 of our most senior Old Boys. Overall, the weekend was a celebration of connection and a chance to recall all things black and gold.

I thank Helen Turner and Will Pike from the Events Team for coordinating this event, plus Peter Wendt and representatives from the Old Boys Association for their organisation and collaboration throughout the weekend.