Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Next Friday will mark the end of a very busy, disjointed and most engaging term. I wrote in the first Primary Newsletter that we wanted boys and families to meaningfully engage in all of the wonderful opportunities here at Lauries. It is evident that most boys have done exactly that, despite the challenges presented along the way.  Teachers have made regular comments about the effort and commitment of the boys in all classrooms and we have seen huge levels of participation in many co-curricular activities. This week both year levels have completed fantastic units of work (albeit modified in some cases) and Open Day was a terrific event. Term 1 has certainly been hot, busy and tiring, but I am sure it has also been extremely exciting and enjoyable. I hope all families, especially those new to Lauries, have felt welcome and that they feel engaged in our community. Term 2 will be just as busy, full of great learning and community experiences. I encourage all parents to regularly check the College APP and emails during the holidays to stay up to date with any developments to the upcoming schedules, as changes may occur at short notice.

LAST DAY OF TERM 1 (Friday, 1 April)

This is a further reminder that on the final day of Term 1 (next Friday) we will be conducting the Primary Inter-House Cross Country at Runcorn.  All information was sent home last week and the key details are also listed below.

DATE:          Friday 1 April

TIME:           Bus departs SLC @ 8:30am.  (for those who have registered for the bus out to Runcorn)

                   Supervision is available from 8:00am for those going directly to Runcorn.

                   The day will conclude at 2:00pm and the bus back will return to SLC for normal departure time (2:55pm) for those who have registered.

UNIFORM:    House Uniform (HPE uniform)

TRANSPORT: As per parent registration

FOOD:        Boys need to bring morning-tea and lunch from home as there will be no canteen facilities.
The boys will be given an ice block and a bottle of water at the completion of each race.

OPEN DAY
Open Day yesterday, was a great opportunity for current and future families to experience the College.  The displays and tours are a good way for guests to see the College and for boys to share their experiences of the Lauries Journey.  I thank all of the boys and staff who contributed to Open-Day (especially in the Primary Precinct) for their time and effort.  I know the boys love to talk about our community and the school generally and I know lots of future parents were very impressed with the passion and maturity of the boys who helped….. Good job boys!

REPORT CARDS/ PARENT -TEACHER- INTERVIEWS
Interim Reports will be published in Parent Lounge and Student Café during the holidays. I hope all boys can be proud of their achievements this term and that their report reflects a strong start  to 2022.

Parent-Teacher Interviews will be conducted on Wednesday 27 April (1:45-7:00pm) and Wednesday 4 May (3:30-6:30pm).  Details for booking appointments will be emailed to parents during the holidays.

The Interviews will be delivered via “Teams” in a virtual format. The use of technology for Parent- Teacher Interviews last year was overwhelmingly successful.  We encourage the boys to be involved in these interviews to ensure consistent understanding of messages and feedback.

NAPLAN

Early next term, (10-16 May) all Year 5 boys will participate in the NAPLAN tests. St Laurence’s students sit the tests using the online platform. Parents interested in learning more about the online test format should view the public demonstration site “HERE” .These tests are important indicators for the boys and will provide useful feedback for teachers and parents. The boys will be well prepared for these tests, with Term 1 units supporting the skills and knowledge required.  

We will continue to prepare the boys for the tests next term with practice sessions using the same formats for questions and further skill development to assist the boys in feeling confident for the tests.

 Year 5 parents should avoid making appointments for boys during this testing period.

TERM 2 TRANSPORT—TUESDAYS

Tuesday afternoon sport/ activities will occur again next Tuesday, (29 March) and then recommences on Tuesday,19 April (first day back after the holidays).  All boys involved in Rugby and Football will travel to Runcorn after lunch.  Any changes to weekly transport arrangements should be communicated to the Primary Office by Tuesday morning (9:00am) to ensure rolls are correct.  All boys should continue to wear HPE uniform to school on Tuesdays next term as was the routine in Term 1.

NEW CURRICULUM ANNOUNCEMENT IN SEMESTER 2

As you would be aware, all Year 5 ,6 and 7student learn Chinese at Lauries as part of the regular curriculum. I’m pleased to advise that from Semester 2 this year, boys will also commence learning German.  It will be run on a semester rotation with Chinese, giving boys the option to select either language in Year 8 and give them further subject pathways in Secondary.

All primary classes will move from Chinese to German in Semester 2 this year and will continue to do both subjects until Year 8.

In the “Upcoming Events” section of this Newsletter you will also see the details for our first parent workshop early next term.  The topic will be “Digital Platforms used in Primary”.  This workshop will also help parents track and understand their son’s academic progress.

On the last day of Term 1, we will be conducting our monster raffle from the hundreds of raffle tickets that have been awarded to the boys this term. If you would like to donate any prizes, please feel free to send them to the Primary Office. Thank you in advance to those families who are able to assist with prize donations (big or small). The boys really appreciate it.

In this Edition of the Primary Newsletter, you can also read about Curriculum Updates, Music, Upcoming Events and Laurie Journey winners.

We are looking forward to a really positive finish to the term next week.  Enjoy the weekend off sport to relax and recharge.

Regards

Cameron Wigan

Lauries Primary Curriculum Update - Katie Jordan

What is the Importance of Vocabulary Instruction?

Research indicates that in order for children to incorporate and meaningfully use new vocabulary in context, they need to be exposed to it at least twelve times. Most children in Australia enter school with a vocabulary of 5000 words. Typically, we expect children to increase their vocabulary each year by 7000 to 10 000 words in order to be successful in their learning.

Research also suggests that the two biggest factors that impact a student’s ability to comprehend and communicate are ‘world knowledge’ and ‘vocabulary’. Exposure to, and instruction and practice of vocabulary is required before students ‘own’ (understand and use) words.

Vocabulary is the link between reading and writing. If knowledge of specific and extensive vocabulary is increased through reading and other vocabulary instruction practices, this can increase the use or transfer of specific and extensive vocabulary in writing.

Vocabulary is linked strongly to academic success because students who have large vocabularies can understand new ideas and concepts more quickly than students with limited vocabularies.

How Can You Support Vocabulary Development at Home?

Encourage Independent Reading: The more students read, the more world knowledge and vocabulary they acquire. By developing world knowledge and vocabulary through reading, it becomes easier for students to both comprehend (listen to or read) and create (speak or write) increasingly complex texts.

Clarify Vocabulary when Reading: When reading out loud to your boys, encourage discussion around unfamiliar vocabulary in texts. Discuss meanings of words and brainstorm ‘synonyms’ for the words (words that have a similar meaning).

Play Word-Guessing Games (e.g., ‘Taboo’ or ‘Articulate’): In the roles of ‘talker’ and ‘guesser’, describe key words using phrases and sentences, but avoiding the use of the actual word on the card. Add a competitive element – time rounds, points, etc.

Model Use of Sophisticated Vocabulary: Don’t be afraid to use subject-specific, sophisticated vocabulary in context when talking with your boys! Increasing exposure to more complex vocabulary will only serve to develop their own vocabulary set.

Mini Vinnies News:  Kate Flanagan

Thank you so much to the many boys and staff who supported our ‘Show Your True Colours’ day on Friday. We have managed to raise $246.50 for Caritas from this much-loved event! The fact that it coincided with our Primary Mass and acknowledging our Year 6 Leaders made it a special day.

Once again this year, we would love for students and their families to enter into the Easter spirit and donate,( if you are able to), chocolate eggs in aid of Emmanuel City Mission. Lauries has close ties to ECM, located in West End. Our secondary boys often donate time by cooking breakfasts and spending time with our friends on the street. Primary students can help make someone’s Easter a little brighter by donating chocolate eggs to be handed out at ECM over the Easter break. Chocolate can be handed in at the Primary Office, Primary Staffroom or students’ own home classes before the end of term. 

Guess the Lolly Competition

Our ‘Guess the Lolly Jar’ is also proceeding well, having already raised over $145! Our Primary boys certainly love their sweets and it couldn’t be for a better cause. Our winners will be announced in Week 10 so keep an eye out to see if your son will be the lucky recipient. 

TO DO LIST FOR WEEK 10

To help with your busy schedules please see To Do List for Week 10 

1. Year 5 & 6 Cross-Country Transport form- Please complete by Sunday3pm  https://forms.office.com/Pages...
2. Please notify Primary Office if your son has any changes to his Tuesday afternoon sport transport arrangements from Runcorn.  primary@slc.qld.edu.au