Dean of Primary-14 March
Dear Parents and Caregivers,
After a particularly unusual and eventful end to last week, it was terrific to have the boys back at school on Tuesday. We hope all families came through the damaging weather ok and that any impacts were minimal. Please reach out if there are any serious impacts that are requiring ongoing support for your son/family. Please also ensure you are across all the important information as a result of some events needing to be rescheduled.
I wrote at the beginning of this term, in the Primary Newsletter, that we wanted boys and families to meaningfully engage in all of the wonderful opportunities offered here at Lauries. It is evident that most boys have done exactly that so far in Term 1. Teachers have made regular comments about the effort and commitment in all classrooms and we have seen huge levels of participation in many co-curricular activities. As we near the end of the first term, and assessment becomes more of a focus, I encourage the boys to keep working hard. Staff are available to assist and will support them during the closing stages of the term, but the boys can help themselves by asking for help when required and maintaining high levels of focus.
YEAR 5 NAPLAN
As communicated earlier this week, the NAPLAN tests have been re-scheduled for Years 5,7 and 9 students to start next week (Week 8 -17,18,19,20 March & 21 March catch-up). Year 5 classes have completed multiple practice sessions, with questions using the same language, and in the same format as those in the official tests. These sessions were guided by teachers and they complement the excellent teaching done in the classrooms every day. It is essential for the boys to have the correct equipment, including a fully charged laptop and earphones each day, as the tests will be completed using the “ONLINE PLATFORM”. We also suggest a good night’s sleep and a solid breakfast to ensure the boys are feeling good each morning.
Year 5 parents should avoid making appointments for boys during this testing period please.
REPORT CARDS and PARENT /TEACHER- INTERVIEWS
Interim Reports will be published in Parent Lounge and Student Café at the end of term. I hope all boys can be proud of their achievements this term and that their report reflects a strong start to 2025.
Parent-Teacher Interviews will be conducted on Monday 28 April (1:45-7:00pm) and Wednesday 7 May (3:30-6:30pm). Bookings will open on Friday, 17 April at 8:00am and close on Thursday, 24 April at 4:00pm. Please note that school concludes at 1:10pm on April 28 to facilitate the interviews.
The Interviews will be conducted via “Teams” in an online format. The use of technology for Parent- Teacher Interviews in recent years has been overwhelmingly successful. We encourage the boys to be present and involved in these interviews, to sit with parents if possible, to ensure consistent understanding of messages and feedback.
TERM 2 TUESDAY SPORT TRANSPORT REGISTRATION
Tuesday afternoon sport/activities (for Term 2 Sports: Rugby & Football) will commence on Tuesday, (25 March Week 9) before pausing in Week 10 while camps are happening. They will recommence on Tuesday, 29 April (second week back after the holidays).
All boys involved in Rugby and Football will travel to Runcorn after lunch each Tuesday by bus. Any changes to weekly transport arrangements should be communicated to the Primary Office each Tuesday morning by (9:00am) to ensure rolls are correct. You will receive a separate App notification next Wednesday to nominate transport arrangements. It is essential this form be completed for boys to attend Runcorn for sport.
Boys not involved in Rugby or Football will remain at school with teachers for various activities and will be dismissed at 2:55pm as usual. All boys should continue to wear HPE uniform to school on Tuesdays next term as was the routine in Term 1 and bring boots, mouthguards etc. in a separate bag.
END OF TERM RAFFLE
On Friday, 28 March (Week 9), 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 send them into 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 in the few weeks.
Regards
Cameron Wigan
Dean of Primary