St Lawrence & Mary Immaculate Parish Balcatta:

Parish Priest: Fr Emil Ciecierega SDS Assistant Priest: Fr Leonard Macionczyk SDS

The Birth of Jesus In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.

(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)

And everyone went to their own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David,

because he belonged to the house and line of David.

He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.

She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.

An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,

and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.”

St Lawrence Primary School 386 Albert Street Balcatta WA

Telephone: 9344 4944 Fax: 9344 5099 Email: admin@stlawbal.wa.edu.au

Home Page: www.stlawbal.wa.edu.au

Newsletter No. 39 5 December 2018

School Vision Statement The vision of St Lawrence Catholic Primary School, Balcatta

is to share the message of God’s love and friendship in a community of learners, developing the full potential of each child.

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another,

“Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.

When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,

and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen,

which were just as they had been told.

I take this opportunity to wish each and every

member of our community

a heartfelt blessing for Christmas

and the New Year.

May the knowledge that Our Saviour Jesus

Christ was born in the small town of Bethlehem

bring much joy and comfort to us all

as we await His second glorious coming.

God bless you all and keep you safe

during the New Year and holidays.

Dear Parents & Friends,

Learning is what we do-we are committed to learning at every level.

Special congratulations to all the children on successfully completing another year of their educational

journey. It is a great honour to see your children grow and learn, as they scaffold their knowledge and

build upon their natural curiosity. When they are challenged to learn more by their teachers and respond

to these challenges positively with encouragement and enthusiasm for the learning journey, we give our

children the best education possible.

THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR Here we are at the end of the school year. What does this mean to us?

Let’s take a look at some of the words that say end.

MEND. This is a good time of the year to mend things before we finish

up. We might need to mend some friendships that are broken, by saying

sorry and parting on a friendly note.

SPEND. How are we going to spend the holidays? How can we use all the

lovely time so that we enjoy the sunshine, get lots of exercise, have fun

playing, spend time with friends and family, refresh our souls and our

bodies?

ASCEND. Next year we all move up a class and some will ascend into a

new school. It’s an exciting time and part of a good life – that we keep moving on and upwards.

FRIEND. We all have good friends here at school. How will we keep in touch over the holidays? How

will we keep in touch if we are in different schools next year?

SEND. The end of the year is a good time to send a message of thanks to people who have made a

difference in your life. It is also a good time to send a card or letter to someone special you haven’t seen

for a while.

DEPEND. Who and what do you really depend on to make your life happy and useful? Make sure you

keep the people and things you depend on part of your holidays too.

RECOMMEND. Find out what your teachers recommend you read over the holidays or how they think

you can prepare for next year’s work.

SPLENDID. Congratulations to you all for a splendid year. Let’s wish everyone a splendid holiday, full

of all the good things that holidays and the summer bring.

I leave you with a few words from The Grinch…something to puzzle ones puzzler about.

“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so?

It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his

puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store.

What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”

― Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

God bless our school and all who come through the entry gates.

Sheldon Carey. M Ed, B Ed, Grad Dip

Principal

PASTORAL CARE

We pray for all our community members during the Christmas and New Year periods. May you all stay safe and experience the joys of

this very holy and special time of the year.

Home Learning

Top tips to keep kids reading over the school holidays It comes as no surprise that children love school holidays! Being free of the restraints of going to school every day and being able to relax is a valuable part of growing up. The regular reading that is a part of many children’s school day suddenly comes to an end as there are far more interesting things to do on holiday than read a book, right?

Research clearly shows that when kids put down school books on their break, their reading ability also drops with it. The term “summer slide” is well established in the United States and refers to children dropping in their reading ability following a lack of reading over the summer break. Teachers in Australia also frequently report that students return to school after their break with a lower reading level and interest in books, than when they left previously. Therefore, it’s vital that we continue to encourage our children to read widely and often while they are on holidays.

Here are my top tips to make sure your kids stay engaged with reading over the school break.

1 Make reading time fun (and quick!)

It is easy and necessary to make reading together the most fun time of every day. Read together with funny voices, try humorous books to engage the reluctant readers in your family and trust that toilet humour is often a sure-fire winner for most boys. You should aim for no more than ten minutes reading together – just enough to encourage the kids to come back tomorrow. Set a timer if you need to, it will encourage them to ask for a minute or two more when reading time comes to an end.

2 Visit bookstores and the local library

Make regular visits to bookstores and the local library part of your family’s routine. These trips are simple ways to drive reading passion. Bookstores often sell brand new popular kids’ books for less than $10, much less than a movie ticket. Many children are amazed when they discover that they can borrow sometimes up to twenty books from their local library for free (and probably will the first time).

3 Allow children to choose what they want to read

Book choice is a vital component of the reading process. As adults, we very rarely read anything that we either don’t love or enjoy. If we read a book and it takes a while to get going, or we lose interest, we simply put it down, or lend it to a friend. Why then do we insist that children must read cover to cover something that they don’t necessarily enjoy or like? Often these imposed choices on children come from a place of love – we are trying to support the children in accessing a text that is at their reading level. It is often hard to let go and let children choose their own books, however it is vital to developing strong, self-sufficient readers. If you are picking up a book at the bookstore for your child during your lunch break, grab a few different titles. Having a choice to choose from will allow your children to have control over their reading process.

4 Have a ‘screen free night’ each week

Make a screen free night part of your family’s regular routine where everyone in the family picks up something to read. Having your children see you read and talk about books adds value to this reading time. Different approaches to the screen free night may be to invest in reading lamps or book lights so that children can read in bed before sleep.

5 Give books as gifts

Birthdays for kids means presents, and more books in the house can never go astray. Gift the next book in the series that your child is loving. Encourage your child to lend and swap their books with friends once they have read them.

6 Read together using supportive strategies

When you are reading together with your child, it’s a great idea to give them the option of how they would like to read. Provide the opportunity for children to choose whether they would like to read aloud or silently. Check if they would like to try paired reading if they feel like they need extra support with the book.

When your child comes to a word that they don’t know or aren’t sure of, remember to:

1. Wait: give your child a chance to figure out the word on their own. 2. Ask: does that make sense? Does the picture give you a clue? Could you read on for more

information? 3. Then skip: if the child is still stuck on the word, ask them to skip it and read on. You can always

drop that word into the conversation as you turn the page. This has the added advantage of not making the child wrong!

Working with your child to maintain good reading habits over their school break allows you to not only establish your family as active readers, but will give them the best possible start for when they return to school.

School Holiday Tips acknowledgement. Ryan Spencer, University of Canberra.

GIVING TREE

Thank you to those families who were able to contribute to our

Giving Tree, there will be many smiles on little faces thanks to

your generosity.

St Vincent De Paul will be collecting our donations on Thursday,

please leave any further gifts under the tree by Thursday

morning. We thank you.

FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS

MASS FOR GRADUATION

There will be a Mass for our graduating Year 6 students on Thursday 6 December at 6.00pm. All students

from Year 3 to Year 6 are expected to attend this event and are required to wear their summer uniform.

Students receiving a St Lawrence Medal Award in Years 3 to 6 will be presented with their medals

following this Mass and the Year 6 awards will also be presented. We thank all the Year 6 students and

their parents for their presence and contribution to our school during their years at St Lawrence.

SWIMMING

Swimming lessons have now ended and certificates or progress reports will be sent home on Thursday.

It was very pleasing to see the older children Making Jesus Real by assisting the younger students before,

during and after swimming lessons. The holidays are a perfect opportunity to take your children

swimming so they can consolidate what they have learnt over the last two weeks.

REPORTS

Pre Primary to Year Six Reports will be electronically distributed on Friday 7 December after 3pm. All

parents are encouraged to log on and try their password before Friday. Teachers are available to meet

with parents regarding reports on Monday 10 December.The link to the website is :

https://stlawbal.coneqt-p.cathednet.wa.edu.au/ Parents of students in Year 6 will need to download their

child’s reports by the end of the year, as there will no longer be access to SEQTA at St Lawrence. Please

call Mrs Armstrong if you have any issues.

2019

Children will be bringing home 2019 book covering information this week. This information will also be

emailed to you for future reference.

Year 4 – 6 families, a reminder that the cut-off date for Booklist orders to be placed with Ziggies is 16

December. The booklists will be accessible via the school website and the office also has spare copies.

Mrs Jacki Tucker & Mrs Gabrielle Brennan

Assistant Principals

CLASS NEWS

PRE KINDY

We are finally at the end of a very exciting and wonderful year for all Pre Kindy children where we have

grown up so very much and learnt lots. It has been fabulous teaching such gorgeous, happy children

and I know that their year in Kindy will be enthralling with such wonderful staff to care and guide their

learning.

I thank all parents for their support and interest in our programme, Mr Carey for always dropping in to

say hi and have a chat and Mrs Fiorenza for the passion, hard work and friendship she has given to me as

we work together as a team in Pre Kindy. I find it to be very rewarding and a very special day in my

week. Let me share an old proverb with you

Parents hold their children’s hands for a while … and their hearts forever. May you all enjoy and very holy, happy and safe Christmas with your loved ones. Thank you!

Mrs Kaylene Bozich, Pre Kindy Teacher

KINDERGARTEN

I can't believe we are nearly at the end of the school year! We will be completing our 'Christmas' theme

this week. The children have made some beautiful arts and crafts to take home in their special

Christmas box. The list is up for food ideas for the last day party lunch. Thank you to those parents that

have put their names down for something to bring. Please bring only a small plate of food to share for the

children’s lunch as there is always plenty to go around. We will have shared fruit as per usual.

I would like to take this opportunity to say 'thank you' to all the parents for their help and support this

year. It means a lot to me but more importantly to the children, helping them to grow and learn so much

this year. Thank you also to Mrs Seragusana and Mrs Thompson for all of their hard work this year in

providing a learning environment where the children can be nurtured and flourish.

Walt Disney once said:

‘You can dream, create, design and

build the most wonderful ideas in

the world, but it requires people to

make the dream a reality’.

.

Mrs Rachel Wake, Kindergarten Teacher

PRE PRIMARY

We have had a very busy week in Pre Primary this week. On Friday 30 November we had our class

Nativity Assembly and each and every child shone as they acted, sang and danced the very special story

about the birth of Jesus. Thank you to all the parents for their hard work at home preparing their children.

A special thank you to Mrs Tana, Mrs Baker and Mrs Frenzel for all their hard work. The Pre Primaries

were also very lucky to join in with the whole school nativity in the church on Monday. The children sang

and danced beautifully in their costumes singing a song about the animals praising God for the gift of

baby Jesus. In class we have been very busy getting ready for Christmas. We have created Christmas trees

out of pipe cleaners, built a stable from play dough and pop sticks, made Christmas tree name decorations

for our homes and drawn beautiful pictures of baby Jesus in the manger. A big thank you to all the

families for their warm welcome the last few weeks and I wish everyone a safe and Holy Christmas.

Ms Erin Healy, Pre Primary Teacher

YEAR ONE

The Year Ones had a wonderful time at Kings Park today. Thank you to Mrs Di Carlantonio, Mrs

Mucciarone and Mrs Speranza for their help. Thank you also to Mr Tonge and Mr Macri for cooking

the sausages and to all the parents who joined us for lunch. It was a great way to end our year

together. Please remember to read and write every day during the holidays to consolidate all the work

that happened this year.

It is hard to believe that we have come to the end of the year already. Where has the time gone?

Thank you to everyone for a wonderful year. We have had lots of fun, shared lots of laughs, done lots of

learning and made some very special memories. I am extremely proud to have been part of this journey

with all of you and to see how far the children have come this year. I am so very proud of all of

them. Thank you for all your support and for allowing me to be an important part of your children’s

life. It has been an absolute pleasure. I am going to miss you all. I hope that everyone has a safe, happy

and holy Christmas. Enjoy this special time with your family. Have a great week.

Mrs Roselyn Pizzino, Year One Class Teacher

YEAR TWO

As the end of the year draws close, I would like to take the opportunity to thank all of our families who

have worked alongside Mrs Bozich, Mrs Nyersh and myself to make Year Two a happy and fruitful year

for our class members. I wish everyone a blessed Christmas filled with love and a restful break with your

family. Your children have filled my bucket all year and I look forward to seeing their happy faces as big

Year Threes in 2019. May God bless you, watch over you and keep you safe always.

Mrs Jacki Tucker, Year Two Teacher

It is hard to believe it is time to send out these greetings to celebrate the very busy year I have had the

pleasure to be with the Year 2 students. I am so very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with

the children, Mrs Tucker and Mrs Nyersh who have made me feel very welcome. I have loved seeing

their enthusiasm for learning and hope they take this with them into Year 3.

Thank you for the support I have enjoyed from parents and Mr Carey.

As I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and safe and Happy New Near, shared with all your loved ones,

I would like to leave this thought with you –

Having someplace to go is home. Having someone to love is family. Having both - is a blessing.

Mrs Kaylene Bozich, Year Two Teacher (Wednesdays)

YEAR THREE

Reminders:

1. All the children are expected to attend the graduation Mass on Thursday night. Children should be

in the church and seated by 6pm. We will sit in our designated Year 3 seat. The children need to

wear their summer uniform. At the conclusion of Mass please come and collect your child from

me.

2. Our excursion to AQWA is tomorrow. We will leave school around 9.15am. The children need to

bring their recess and water. A fish and chips lunch will be provided. Our parent helpers are Mrs

Faulkner. Mrs Fazari, Mrs Lubieri, Mr Rzemek and Mrs Wilson. We should be back at school

before 3pm.

As the end of the year approaches I would like to thank:

The children for the happiness you have brought into the classroom every day. Each one of you is very

special and have your own unique talents. Never lose sight of who you are and keep being the best

version of yourself that you can be.

The parents for your help and assistance throughout the year. Whether you helped with listening to

reading or joining us on an excursion, thank you. Your children are a credit to you as their first teacher.

Enjoy spending time with them and making special memories as they grow.

Have a wonderful blessed Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Mrs Marie Heavey, Year Three Teacher

YEAR FOUR What an amazing year it has been in Year Four! I am so proud of the effort, perseverance and

achievement that each Year Four student has shown this year. It has been so lovely to see each and every

student achieve their personal best throughout the school year in many different ways. Five years ago, I

had the pleasure of teaching this beautiful class in Pre-Primary and it has been so special to share their

learning journey as they have grown to be kind, generous and caring children who always look out for

each other. I began my teaching journey at St Lawrence with this amazing group of children and it has

been an honour to finish my time at St Lawrence seeing how much they have grown.

THANK YOU FROM MISS REID

To our amazing St Lawrence School Community. A very big thank you for your kindness, encouragement

and support over the past five years. I have loved being a part of this family community and will forever

remember my time at St Lawrence. You are very blessed to have amazing staff, teaching and guiding

your students throughout their primary years. I will truly miss St Lawrence and will always hold these

special memories close to my heart.

Miss Emma Reid, Year Four Teacher

YEAR FIVE

What a wonderful night of dance! Thank you for having your son/daughter dressed so appropriately and

for supporting the ballroom evening with your extraordinary dance moves, food and drinks. Students

have already brought home their book covers for next year. 2019 books will be coming home over the

next few days. It has been a truly fulfilling year for me having such interesting and enthusiastic students

to learn with. I thank you for generously supporting class activities and routines throughout the year.

May this joyful season of our Lord’s birth bring much happiness, peace and rest to your family.

Mr Phil Haydon Year Five Teacher

YEAR SIX

Well done Year Sixes, you made it to the end! The students have all worked very hard this year and

should be proud of their efforts. Assessment files were sent home on Friday, take the time to have a look

at the great many projects and tests completed this year. Hopefully the hard work we have put in this year

will make the transition to high school a little easier. I am looking forward to all students showing off

their talents and achievements tomorrow night. A reminder that Mass starts at 6pm. The students have

worked very hard on their performance piece, it should be a great night. Congratulations to all the

graduates. Have a wonderful Christmas!

Miss Anna Brenkley, Year Six Teacher

It has been remarkable to see how the students at St. Lawrence have shared the special story of Jesus’

birth with our school community over the past week. It started with our gorgeous Pre Primary’s delivering

a superb rendition of “Shine Star Shine”. Their beautiful singing and storytelling helped to remind us that

if we try, we can all shine like the brightest stars.

Mrs Annette Tana, Dance Teacher

Monday saw the school community come together to celebrate the true spirit

of Christmas.

The love and support students and teachers showed each other during the preparation of such a big event,

was a true testament to the spirit of community here at St Lawrence.

It was heart-warming to see the talent of our students and the potential they have to perform.

A huge thank you to everyone involved in making the day so memorable.

Mrs Annette Tana, Dance Teacher

PARISH CHILDREN’S NATIVITY

Thank you for all your support this year with children’s liturgies and masses. It has been wonderful to have the

children liven up our Sunday celebrations and hope to continue next year with even bigger and better participation.

Please keep in mind dates for rehearsals for the Nativity mass and play. I have a fun play with spoken parts and

narration, I would like children of all ages to fill the parts and also do readings for the mass. The youth choir will

kindly play for us this year. It should be wonderful.

Our rehearsals begin on Monday 10 December at 4pm in the church and continue on Monday 17, Tuesday 18 and

Saturday 22 December, at the same time of 4pm. We may need to have an extra rehearsal Wednesday 19 December

as the youth choir will be available on this date. Please email me if your children are able to participate in any way.

By emailing me I will then be able to contact you with any information or changes.

God bless you and wishing you and all your families a wonderful holiday season.

Mrs Toni Mattiaccio toni.mattiaccio@cewa.edu.au Mobile : 0416309483

UNIFORM SHOP NEWS

Parents, please note that the Uniform Shop will be open as follows during the school holidays:

Friday, 1st February - 9am to 11am The last day that the Uniform Shop will open this term is Thursday 6th December and re-opens on

Wednesday 6th February 2019. (As per normal opening times).

SUMMER UNIFORM

Students in Year 1 to Year 6 return back to school in Term 1, 2019 in their Summer Uniform. Please

ensure correct uniform is purchased before the end of this term.

YEAR 1, 2019 STUDENTS

Orders which you have placed for your child commencing Year 1, 2019 are ready for collection. The last

day that the Uniform Shop will be open this year : Thursday 6 December. Please note that full payment is

required (cash or cheque only) on collection.

PRE-PRIMARY, 2019 STUDENTS

Orders are ready for collection. The last day the Uniform Shop will be open this year: Thursday 6

December. Full payment on collection is required (cash or cheque only). Stock which will not be

available on collection day, will be placed on backorder.

The following items are currently not available:

Red Microfibre Sport Shorts - Expected delivery mid January 19

(Size 4 only) Track Jackets - Delivery mid February 19

**Backorders may be collected on Friday 1st February ready for commencement of school or

backorders will be delivered to your child on Wednesday 6th February **

EARLY CHILDHOOD T-SHIRT

Red Early Childhood T-Shirt is available in Sizes 2,4,6 and 8 for Pre-Kindy and Kindy students for

purchase (not compulsory).

School Library Bag is compulsory and is required for students in Kindy.

Wishing all families a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

UNIFORM SHOP OPENING TIMES Wednesday 8.30am to 9.30am and Thursday 2.30pm to 3.30pm

Mrs Angie Miola, Uniform Shop Manager

P&F NEWS

Thank you everyone for your support

this year. It is very much appreciated.

I would like to welcome Adele Cirillo,

Tara O'Leary and Felicia Terriacca

our new P&F members for 2019.

We hope everyone has a safe and happy

Christmas break and we look forward to

a productive New Year.

Penny Godfrey

2019 P & F President

CANTEEN NEWS

Big thank you to my helpers last week:

Leanna Rigoli, Caroline O’Flynn, Jasenka

Mannino, Nat Macri and Melinda Pash.

And this week: Leah Ferolla, Amanda

Pham, Jen Mucciarone, Christine

Martinovich and Melissa Byrne.

Last day of term - Sausage Sizzle $4 or $5 with a juice box. If you have forgotten to order please come

and see me as soon as possible. Kindy, Year 4 and Year 6 have other arrangements for lunch. If you have

placed an order, please see me and you will be reimbursed.

This Friday we have vanilla ice cream cones for $1 or sundaes for $2.

Year 6’s please see me on Thursday to purchase yours!

Christmas Raffle is drawn this Friday, please get your tickets as soon as possible! Cost $10 each.

1st Prize - Nintendo Switch Console and Mario Kart Deluxe Game

2nd and 3rd Prize- Toy Bundles

A massive thanks to David Michael MLA who has very generously donated the Nintendo Switch!!

David has kindly volunteered his time to be here on Friday to conduct the draw at line-up.

Your support is greatly appreciated!

THANK YOU TO THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY

We take this opportunity to thank all of you for your help and support this year - we truly are blessed to

have such great families at our school and we have such a beautiful community spirit. We hope you all

have a wonderful Christmas and all the best for the New Year. Good luck to the Year Six students as they

begin their high school journey, we will miss you very much!

Christina Russo, Canteen Manager

Frances Caccamo and Antonella Crupi, Assistants

NETBALL NEWS

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FOR 2019

We are after expressions of interest from students wishing to play Winter Netball for St Lawrence in

2019. If you would like to play, please email your name and 2019 year level to stlawnetball@gmail.com by the

end of the year.

We will be holding registrations in week 2 of term one, date to be confirmed.

Please be advised that from 2019 all NetSetGo games will be played on FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

Year 6 games will be played on Saturday morning at 8.30am.

We have been asked to notify all members not to contact WDNA regarding the change of time for

NetSetGo. Please contact the club if you have any questions or comments. Thank you for your

understanding.

2019 time slots (subject to number of registrations)

Year 2 and 3- 4.30pm Friday

Year 4 and 5- 5.30pm Friday

Year 6- 8.30am Saturday

Wishing you all a safe and merry Christmas, the St Lawrence Netball Committee