Principal's Message 

TERM 2 SEMESTER 1

Bonjour à tous.

LAST DAY OF TERM 2 

FRIDAY 26th JUNE

2.30pm FINISH

This includes students who travel on buses.  The exception is the Inverloch/Wonthaggi bus which will leave the  loop at the normal time. Please arrange alternative arrangements for traveling home.

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Did you know that going to school every day is the single most important part of your child's education? 

In primary school, some students miss on average 3 weeks of school per year.  That is half a year of school by the end of Year 6.  

We all want our students to get a great education, and the building blocks for a great education begin with students coming to school each and every day. 

If students miss school regularly, they miss out on learning the fundamental skills that will set them up for success in the later years of school. 

There is no safe number of days for missing school – each day a student misses puts them behind, and can affect their educational outcomes. 

Each missed day is associated with progressively lower achievement in numeracy, writing and reading. 

Attendance patterns are established early – a child regularly missing days in kindergarten or in the early years of school will often continue to miss classes in the later years, and receive lower test scores than their classmates. It’s vital that students go to school every day – even in the early years of primary school. 

The main reasons for absence are:

Sickness – There are always times when students need to miss school, such as when they’re ill. It’s vital that they’re only away on the days they are genuinely sick, and setting good sleep patterns, eating well and exercising regularly can make a big difference. 

Holidays - It's vital that holidays are planned during school holidays where possible, and not during the term if it can be avoided.

 “Day off” –  Think twice before letting your child have a “day off” as they could fall behind their classmates – every day counts. 

Refusal/Truancy– This is when students choose not to go to school without their parent’s permission or parent have trouble getting a child to come to school. 

There can be many reasons for truancy/refusal. The best way to address this is for schools and parents to work together. 

If for any reason your child must miss school, there are things you can do with your school to ensure they don’t fall behind: 

• Speak with your classroom teacher and find out what work your child needs to do to keep up. 

• Develop an absence learning plan with your teacher and ensure your child completes the plan.

Remember, every day counts. If your child must miss school, speak with your classroom teacher as early as possible. 

If you’re having attendance issues with your child, please let your classroom teacher know so we can work together to get your child to school every day.

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We are hoping to get some people on board with donations to assist with the sponsorship of Timtam for the Story Dog Program.     If you wish to make a donation towards Timtams  sponsorship it would be much appreciated.  Please contact the office for more information or email us on office@stlleongatha.catholic.edu.au

Donations can be made via CDFpay using the 'Payments' tab.

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Our P & F will meet on Monday 22nd June at the Leongatha RSL at 6.30pm.  Please join us   We'd love to have you on board.

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 The Blessing of Grandparents and the Elderly.On Friday, July 24, at 9:30 am St Laurence's School will celebrate our Grandparents and the elderly with a whole school mass in our Church.  We invite all families, especially grandparents to attend our special mass. 

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Merci,

Enjoy your weekend.

Liz

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DIARY DATES 2026

Dear God, 

Thank you for the gift of education. 

As we participate today, grant us the courage to ask good questions, the focus to learn, and the confidence to share our ideas. 

Help us to be kind to our peers, supportive of our teachers, and active members of our school community. 

Amen.