From the Principal
Academic Assembly
On Wednesday at our Academic Assembly, we were fortunate to have 43 (of 48) young men from our graduating class of 2024 return to celebrate their achievement of attaining an ATAR above 90. The group was accompanied by our Black, Gold, Growth and NAPLAN Achievement Award winners, as a part of this annual celebration and acknowledgement. Overall, recognition was offered to more than 500 students for their outstanding academic achievement in 2024.
I would like to pay special tribute to our three Major Academic Award winners from 2024, Kyle Latimer (College Dux), Mitchell West (Proxime Accessit Award) and Alastair Greensill (The Brother Spillane Memorial Award).
At Lauries, we acknowledge that personal excellence can take many forms and be at different levels for different people. We also acknowledge that receiving an education at Lauries is a privilege and not only is it important to achieve personal success, it is also important to understand how to use your education.
During the Academic Assembly we discussed the Australian icon, Edith Cowan. Celebrated on the Australian fifty dollar note, Edith Cowan was a pioneer who fought for women's rights, social justice and education. She was the first woman elected to an Australian Parliament and went on to achieve many advancements in society based on her dedication and commitment to change and improvement. Most relevant to our Assembly, Edith Cowan was a dedicated learner from a young age and was also committed to lifelong learning.
As members of an Edmund Rice Community, we can draw inspiration from both our Liberating Education Touchstone, and stories like Edith Cowan’s, to not only pursue personal excellence, but to understand how to grow ourselves personally and to have an impact beyond the gates of St Laurence’s College.
Westcourt
This week the College received formal approval from the EREA Colleges Board and CEO to officially name the Hogan Deck Precinct, ‘Westcourt’. The area was completed in 2024 and comprises of the deck and structure behind the Hogan Deck area that are alongside both the ITAD classrooms and ERPAC. Westcourt is a combined play and learning space that provides extra shade, seating and outdoor fans for the students.
After consultation with the School Advisory Council, Staff and the Lauries Community Committee, the name Westcourt was proposed for the area. While the now approved name seems obvious with the area being a court on the west side of the College with views over Western Brisbane, the significance of the name Westcourt is much stronger in the context of an Edmund Rice School.
Westcourt was the name of the family home and farmstead of the Rice family. It was considered a peaceful place when compared to the rest of Callan in Ireland, where the home is located. Edmund Rice was born and raised at Westcourt. It would later become a place where he developed and helped those who were poor and marginalised in the Callan community.
At our 110 Year Mass next week, we will officially bless and open Westcourt. It will soon feature a new satellite canteen to supplement the work and busyness of our existing canteen and be highlighted by an ‘Inner Spirit’ Icon prayer walk. We look forward to sharing information about these initiatives as they unfold.
110 Year Anniversary Ties
In celebration of our College's 110th anniversary, every student has received a uniquely designed tie to proudly wear with this year's uniform. The tie designed by our Uniform Department is to commemorate the College’s Anniversary and can be worn as a part of the school uniform throughout 2025.
STEM Building Update
It is with some relief and much delight that I can advise that all classrooms in the STEM Building and the Sports Centre returned to full operation this week after the recent fire. Last week, the entire building was deep cleaned by a remediation team to ensure the learning spaces are fully functioning.
Unfortunately, a number of staffrooms continue to be offline, and I thank the staff in these spaces for their flexibility and understanding as we work toward having them repaired and operable.
Lauries Community Committee 2025
On Monday evening, Ms Jo Cosgrove (President) will convene the first Lauries Community Committee meeting for 2024. The Lauries Community Committee provides an opportunity for all parents and caregivers to work alongside the College Leadership Team to discuss aspects of College life through collaborative discussions.
The meeting will take place in the Primary Precinct from 5.30pm on Monday 17 February. All are welcome to attend or can connect via Teams through the link available here - https://slcqld.com/lccfeb.
AIC Sport this weekend
Best wishes to all our teams competing against St Patrick's College this weekend in the AIC.
MR BEN LOWRIE
College Principal