AROUND THE SCHOOL
We are never alone in sharing the faith, because it is the Lord with me who transmits the faith, and Jesus promised: “I will be with you every day until the end of the world.”
- Pope Francis
St Laurence O'Toole Primary School acknowledges the traditional custodians of this land, the Bunurong and Gunaikurnai people of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respects to the Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander cultures, and to the Elders, past, present and emerging.
Dates To Remember
2023
- Monday, 6 November - Whole School Closure
- Tuesday, 7 November - Melbourne Cup Day Public Holiday
- Wednesday, 8 November - Grade 3/4 Australian History Excursion
- Monday, 13 November - Mad Scientist Show School Incursion
- Thursday, 16 November - Foundation Transition Day - 11:30 am - 1:30 pm
- Friday, 24 November - French Day (all day) and Christmas Market (3:30 pm - 7:00 pm)
- Thursday, 30 November - Junior Sports Carnival
- Friday, 15 December - Last day of school for students
- Wednesday, 20 December - Last day of school for teachers and administration staff
2024
- Tuesday, 30 January 2024 - First day of Term One, 2024 for ALL students
- Wednesday, 31 January - Rest day for foundation students
- Wednesday, 7 February - Rest day for foundation students
- Wednesday, 14 February - Rest day for foundation students
- Wednesday, 21 February - Rest day for foundation students
- Wednesday, 28 February - Final rest day for foundation students
Principal’s Message
On Friday we took some time to celebrate our dedicated and kind teachers on World Teacher's Day. The teaching staff were recognised for their commitment with a delicious morning tea and our students made cards for them to remind them how wonderful and appreciated they are. I extend my thanks to each and every one of our teachers for the hard work, faithfulness and warmth they bring to their classrooms and to our community.
You may have noticed that there has been a change in the office as Kylie Vuillermin takes some well deserved time away. Yolande Buckley, a member of the learning support team in Grade 3/4 has been seconded to the role of Office Administrator in Kylie's absence and will be commanding the front desk on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. Michaela Watt, our Finance Administrator, will add another day to her roster and will be available five days a week.
As the year quickly draws to a close I would like to remind our families that there are still many school fees still awaiting payment. I understand that these fees may pose a burden in the current financial climate and I invite any families with outstanding fees to contact me to set up a payment plan that is both affordable and achievable, especially as the fee intentions for 2024 are released. We are here to support you and assure you that we will be able to work with you towards a discreet and amicable solution.
Don't forget that we are heading into a long weekend this weekend and that there is no school for staff or students on Monday, 6 November or Tuesday, 7 November 2023. Please enjoy this extra time with your families and stay safe.
Liz
ABC Awards
Acting Responsibly - Being Respectful - Caring For others
Congratulations to our ABC Award winner last week.
- Acting Responsibly - awarded to Reaghan Van Dillen
- Acting Responsibly - awarded to Phoebe Perczyk
- Being Respectful - awarded to Ava Isgro
Our ABC Award winners this week are:
- Being Respectful - Danielle Hill
- Caring For Others - Mia Glen-Weston
- Caring For Others - Ryder Pedlow
- Caring For Others - Tully Smith
Achievement Awards Pen License's
Week 4
Week 5
Australian Maths Competition
Last term 52 St Laurence O'Toole Primary School students took part in the 2023 Australian Maths Competition thanks to the coordination and assistance of Kylie Vuillermin. 172,791 students from 2,156 schools entered the competition.
We celebrate and congratulate our next generation of problem solvers who were awarded the following certificates:
- 3 Distinction Awards
- 17 Credit Awards
- 24 Proficiency Awards
- 8 Participation Awards
Athletics
State Athletics Championships
Last Wednesday, 1 November 2023, five St Laurence O'Tool students participated in the State Athletics Championships at Lakeside Stadium, Albert Park.
It had been a long drawn out journey to get there, with quite a few weather induced cancellations along the way and to make it to the State Championships was a great achievement for all involved. The environment and the quality competition at this level can be quite daunting as they come up against some of the best primary school athletes in Victoria.
| Results | |
|---|---|
| Aiden Cook | 2nd place with a jump of 1.37 meters |
| Aiden Cook | 13th place - 100 meter sprint |
| Even Hansen | 10th place - High Jump |
| Eve Hansen | 12th place - 200 meter sprint |
Aiden Cook, Leo Johnson, Ryder Pedlow and Kade White | 13th place - 10 years Boys Relay |
A big thank you to the parents for battling the city chaos to get the children to the event on time and for their unwavering support of all team members and to the team for their efforts and commitment both on the day and in the lead up to this event.
T20 Cricket Blast
Grade Five and Six students had the most amazing day on Tuesday, 1 November 2023 at the T20 Cricket competition.
The weather wasn’t very good but we pushed on and got through all of our games. Our girl’s team drew once and lost two games but they made over 100 runs each game which was an amazing effort. The boy’s team won two games which qualified them for the minor final.
The boys played extremely well but were unfortunately beaten in the minor final.
Congratulations to all our brilliant players on the day.
Swimming
Anna Mileto, Grade 5, has been busy in the pool recently, representing the District 21 team at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre. Anna also swam in the Long Course Swim Meet held at the Ringwood Aquatic Centre.
Congratulations Anna on your fantastic results:
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| 50 m Backstroke | 43.87 |
| 50 m Freestyle | 37.46 |
| 50 m Butterfly | 43.41 |
| 50 m Breaststroke | 51.33 |
| 100 m Backstroke | 1:31.17 |
| 100 m Freestyle | 1:25.82 |
| 200 IM | 3:28.13 |
Cottle Family Donation
Jess Cottle has very generously donated a range of sports equipment for the 5/6 classrooms. We’d like to thank Jess and her family very much - all the basketballs, netballs and tennis balls will be put to good use.
Spooks in the Library
The grade 3's and 4's made some ghosts for the library to celebrate All Hallows' Eve this week. Thank you to Ms Patterson for the ghostly inspiration. 👻
A Prayer for Peace
Lord Jesus Christ, You are the true King of peace. In You alone is found freedom.
Please free our world from conflict. Bring unity to troubled nations. Let Your glorious peace reign in every heart.
Dispel all darkness and evil. Protect the dignity of every human life. Replace hatred with Your love.
Give wisdom to world leaders. Free them from selfish ambition. Eliminate all violence and war.
Glorious Virgin Mary, Saint Michael the Archangel, Every angel and saint: Please pray for peace. Pray for unity amongst nations. Pray for unity amongst all people. Pray for the most vulnerable. Pray for those suffering. Pray for the fearful. Pray for those most in need. Pray for us all.
Jesus, Son of the Living God, have mercy on us. Jesus, hear our prayers. Jesus, I trust in You!
Amen.