Primary School News
Mr Gareth Kolkenbeck-Ruh - Assistant Head of College - Primary School (Acting)
Dear Primary Parents,
Acting Head of Primary – Gareth Kolkenbeckruh
As we prepare to celebrate Mother’s Day, we take this opportunity to reflect on the deep love, strength, and compassion that mothers bring into our lives. At the heart of our Marist identity is Mary, Our Good Mother - whose example continues to guide us in faith, kindness, and humility.
Mary’s life was one of quiet strength and unwavering trust in God. She showed extraordinary courage in the face of uncertainty, gentleness in the midst of challenge, and a nurturing love that embraced all. These are the same qualities we celebrate in the mothers, grandmothers, and carers in our own school community - women who lead with heart, listen with empathy, and love without conditions.
This Mother’s Day, I invite all members of our community to celebrate the women who have shaped our lives - through their sacrifices, their smiles, and their everyday acts of love. This week, the college honours all Mums with our Mother’s Day Breakfasts later in the week and our Mother’s Day Mass on Wednesday night. Wonderful opportunities to celebrate these extraordinary people in our lives.
May this Mother's Day be a time of gratitude and a chance to spoil our mothers for all that they have done for us over the years.
I hope you all have a happy Week 3 here in the Primary School.
Primary Debating and Public Speaking
Best of luck to all boys who are attending the first of three Public Speaking and Debating evenings held at St Laurence’s College on Tuesday evening. Thanks to Ms Brown and Ms Little for all their work in preparing the boys for their speeches and their debates.
Primary Pastoral Leader – Anthony Graham
It was a full and enjoyable week in the Primary, with two standout events providing great opportunities for our boys to showcase their talents.
On Thursday, our Year 5 Musical was a fantastic success. The boys should be incredibly proud of their efforts - it takes courage to get up on stage, and they did so with confidence and enthusiasm.
This was followed by our Primary Cross Country Carnival on Friday. It was great to see the boys getting involved, supporting one another, and pushing themselves throughout the course. Events like these continue to highlight the importance of participation, effort and house spirit.
Lost Property Reminder
With the cooler mornings and training sessions ramping up, we have seen an increase in lost property, particularly in the changerooms.
I would strongly encourage all parents to check that every item of clothing is clearly labelled. This greatly assists us in returning items to their rightful owner. This includes not only uniform items, but also sports gear, jumpers and lunchboxes.
A Positive Start to Term
It has been a really positive start to Term 2, with the boys settling back into routines well and approaching their learning and co-curricular opportunities with enthusiasm.
As the term progresses, a few simple strategies can help support boys in maintaining this strong start:
- Consistency with routines - regular sleep and morning preparation helps boys arrive ready to learn.
- Organisation - packing bags and preparing uniforms the night before reduces unnecessary stress
- Encouraging independence - allowing boys to take ownership of their responsibilities builds confidence
Open communication - checking in regularly helps identify any small concerns before they become bigger issues
We look forward to continuing this positive momentum across the term.
Primary Learning Leader – Jen Little
Often, I am asked the question, “How can I best support my son in his learning journey?” As parents, I understand it is difficult to navigate when to step in and when to step back. As children mature, developing resilience becomes a necessary attribute for them.
One of the best ways to support your sons is in the language used at home. As parents, you form an important partnership with the staff of the College. Taking a keen interest in what children are learning and discussing this at home cannot be underestimated. To this end, below provides some scope regarding what students are learning in their core classes this term. For more specific detail on the content and skills covered in class, please refer to the Class One Notes that are available to all students. This also includes the term overview for each core subject.
Subject | Year 5 | Year 6 |
English | This term, students will finalise their work on persuasive texts that they commenced in Term 1. Their written/spoken assessment will take place early in the term. Once they have completed this assessment, they will focus on reading in English classes. Specific strategies students will be focusing on are making text connections, inferencing, summarising and questioning. Students will also engage in a novel study, ‘Storm Boy.’ | During Term 2, our Year 6 students will complete a novel study on Boy Overboard. As their assessment, they will complete a book review on the novel. The book review will require them to provide information on the plot, setting, characters and themes of the novel. They will also be expected to communicate author techniques used within the novel. |
Maths | Fractions will remain a major focus of core learning in Term 2. Areas students will concentrate on in particular are comparing and ordering decimal and common fractions, equivalent fractions, finding fractions of a quantity, tenths and hundredths, addition and subtraction of common fractions with like and compatible denominators, linking percentages to decimals. Any discussion on this at home would be of great benefit. Real life applications can occur when grocery shopping, cooking and measuring quantities. Students will be expected to demonstrate understanding, procedural fluency, reasoning and problem solving within these concepts. Students will be assessed in an examination. | This term students will explore the following concepts: multiplying and dividing by 10, 100 and 1000, measuring and converting units of length and capacity, calculation and representation of area, fractions and percentages. Any discussion on this at home would be of great benefit. Real life applications can occur when grocery shopping, cooking and measuring quantities. They will be expected to demonstrate understanding, procedural fluency, reasoning and problem solving within these concepts. Students will be assessed in an examination. |
HASS | Students will learn about the Gold Rush and how it help shape the country as we know it today. They will explore the events leading up to the Eureka Stockade and understand how this event was important because it revealed the first signs of democracy in our country. As their assessment, students will be expected to pose inquiry questions, research and summarise their learning. They will then be given student agency, choosing their own method to demonstrate their learning. This could take the form of a gameboard, Minecraft presentation or PowerPoint Presentation. | Students will explore migration in Australia since Federation and the contribution of migrants to our country. As part of their assessment, they will pose inquiry questions and complete a research project, summarising their notes clearly. They will then use this to create an ‘Australian Story’ documentary communicating why people moved to Australia, their stories and how they impacted Australian society. |
Science | Science will be completed in the first half of the term. Students will learn about erosion, weathering, transportation and deposition. They will be expected to complete a PowerPoint Presentation that demonstrates their knowledge and understanding of the concepts covered. They will also be expected to include a video that models their understanding of one of the concepts covered. Included in their presentation should be information scientific mitigation strategies to minimise erosion. | Students will explore chemistry concepts. They will revise the states of matter and investigate chemical and physical changes. They will conduct a number of experiments both in class and in the Science Labs. For their assessment, students complete an examination. |
Religion | Students will learn about Pentecost and the concept of the Holy Spirit. They will explore images and symbols of the Holy Spirit and examine the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit. They will also explore the Sacrament of Confirmation and the symbols used during this rite of passage. Students will complete an examination for their assessment. | During this term, students will explore the way Christians celebrate their faith. To this end, they will examine the corporal and spiritual works of mercy and the Catholic Church’s liturgical calendar. They will learn about ways Jewish believers celebrate their faith and explore Jewish celebrations such as Passover, Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah. They will review features of Jewish and Christian prayer practices. Students will complete a graphic organiser. |
Morning Study
Please note an updated time for our supervised Morning Study arrangements. Morning Study will operate in the Primary CLE from 7:40–8:10am, Monday to Friday. This space provides a quiet environment for students to complete homework and/ or study.
Morning Study is open to all students; however, the level of support offered will vary depending on the number of students attending on any given day. Students who wish to enhance their learning through a regular weekly study routine, particularly by using resources from their OneNote, will find this an ideal venue.
Literacy and Numeracy Trophy Winners
Literacy and Numeracy continue to be a focus in the Primary. Congratulations to the following classes for their success last week.
Subject | Year 5 | Year 6 |
Literacy | 5 Gold – 82.37% | 6 Violet– 82.96% |
Numeracy | 5 Gold – 85.42% | 6 Gold – 76.53% |
Literacy and Numeracy Individual Student Acknowledgements:
In addition to the weekly class competitions for Literacy and Numeracy, teachers keep a record of individual achievements in this area in order to award student certificates at the end of each term. The awards for achievement include the following:
- Gold Achievement Award – awarded to individual students who have completed all weekly testing and achieved an average of more than 90%.
- Consistency Award – awarded to individual students who have completed all weekly testing and achieved an average of more than 90%. Students who have achieved a Gold Award cannot also receive a Consistency Award.
Progress Award – awarded to individual students who build on their previous term’s score by 10% or more. This can only be awarded in Terms 2, 3 and 4 and is not given to anyone who already receives a Gold or Consistency Award.
Congratulations to the following students on their achievements in Literacy and Numeracy last term. Certificates will be handed out in class this week.
Literacy
Year 5 Gold Awards – Arahan Bhatia, Bruce Fisher, Henry Petie, Sean Murchison, Owen Frost, Harry Casey, Fred Hambleton, Luca Mian, Senan Moran
Year 6 Gold Awards – Sebastian Baker, Harvey Corones, James Graham, Ben Cipriano, Harrison Kerse, Caolan Moran, Jack Woollard, Roman Kaminski, James McSweeny, Xavier Fruk, Preston Gallagher-Beck, Jacob O’Connell, Harvey van Tooren, Elijah Branford, Noah Copus, Dylan McKenzie, James Macfarlane, Andre Dua, Emmet Howley
Year 5 Consistency Awards – Jack Hallo, Boyd Hope, Toby O’Toole, Ethan Blazak, Parker Brennan, Hunter Brooks, Josh Chapman, Rocco Giobbi, Oscar Hirst, Henry Mackay, Lachlan McLaren, Angus Minahan, George O’Brien, Thomas Quinn, Evan Schoch, Patrick Silec
Year 6 Consistency Awards – Harry Kim, Connor Leung, Ben Travers, Torben Zupp, Freddie Barber, Finn Burridge, Harry Carter, Joe Di Sipio, Ben Armstrong, Marcus Chandler, Maverick Gray, Ryan Noronha, James Clarke, Nate Baldwin, Colin Cooper, Jonty Lee, Cameron Browne, Adrian Daftar, Cooper Kadri, Raphy Pennisi, Henry Trebbin, Sam Curtis, Max Hammon, Jack Mannix, Daniel Perpich
Numeracy
Year 5 Gold Awards – Arahan Bhatia, Oliver Brown, Ethan O’Rourke, Toby O’Toole, Parker Brennan, Josh Chapman, Oscar Hirst, Paddy James, Lachlan McLaren, Axel Agby, Henry Burton, Boston Kelly, Oscar Mardell, Ben van de Meeberg, Harvey Crease, Caleb Rosenstengel, Zach Tohill, Fred Hambleton, Luca Mian, Finn McCarville, Matteo Avolio, Harvey Craig, Henry Laherty, Hamish McCarthy, Harry O’Flynn, Tom Rainbow, Sidney Shallcross, Thomas Hales
Year 6 Gold Awards – Seb Baker, Tom Collins, Harvey Corones, Cian Dillon, Harry Kim, Connor Leung, Ben Travers, Freddie Barber, Ben Cipriano, Harry Martin, Finn Sheehan, Jed Stevens, Roman Kaminski, Chris Pollard, Jack Woollard, Carter Gladwin, Ryan Noronha, Harvey van Tooren, Henry Tracey, Lachlan Stephen, Clayton Thompson, Nate Baldwin, Charlie Davis, Jonty Lee, Elijah Bartlett, Cameron Browne, Noah Copus, Otto Calder, Andre Dua, Daniel Perpich, Anderson Wild
Year 5 Consistency Awards – Reuben Els, Thomas McKenzie, James Pointing, Levi Price, Jack Speed, Riley Turner, Leo Ackland, Ethan Blazak, Hunter Brooks, Rocco Giobbi, Teddy Hendry, Henry Mackay, Xavier Mogridge, George O’Brien, Thomas Quinn, Nicholas Rush, Evan Schoch, Pat Silec, Phoenix Bryant, Louis Davison, Owen Frost, Arlo Swenson, Charlie Symonds, Lachlan Bradford, Patrick Carman, Edward Evans, Max Ferro, Tommy Lindner, Otis Lynn, Jack Mulcahy, Nick Shelton, Maxy Wurf, Will Sedgwick, Seb Gundry, Reise Hohn, Ryder Mourney, Harry Muir-McCarey, Patrick Muir- McCarey, Xavier Rawlins, Jacob Schloss, Matthew Tracey
Year 6 Consistency Awards – Henry Krinke, Felix van Boxel, Henry Vos, Torben Zupp, Harry Carter, Oliver Davis, Harry de Luca, Austin Given, Harrison Kerse, Ryan Wallington, Marcus Chandler, Daniel Lawrence Smith, Case Purcell, Jack Wurf, Liam Carman, James Clapham, Marlon Davies, Preston Gallagher-Beck, Will Moule, Leo Clifford, William Pringle, Sebastian Smythe, William Baker, Riley Henderson, Winston Nolan, Raphy Pennisi, Harry Russo, Patrick Beacroft, Dylan McKenzie, Hugo Danckert