Weekly
news
Term 1, Week 6
Coming up this week
Calendar
Upcoming Events
MISSION STATEMENT
To serve in a Christ-centred community, connected with families, nurturing students to grow in a love of learning and flourish in every part of life.
VIsion
Shaping faithful hearts and curious minds for a life of purpose.
Principal’s Report
The time between newsletters certainly seems to fly by each fortnight. As we move through another busy period of learning and activity, we would like to share a few updates and reminders from around the school.
ANZAC Day
We have received coomunication from the RSL Sub-Branch yesterday, that arrangements for the Wagga Wagga ANZAC Day march have changed due to the significant logistical challenges associated with the large number of school students participating.
As a result, all schools taking part in this year’s march are limited to two students per year level. For our school, this means a total of 14 students will be able to march.
Unfortunately, this restriction means we are unable to offer marching opportunities to all students who may wish to participate. More information to come as we discuss how we will manage this restriction.
Working Bee
It has been many years since the Lutheran School has held a working bee, and we are pleased to be reintroducing this opportunity.
Jobs on the day will include weeding, removing dead plants, pruning, and planting. Please bring a shovel, rake, wheelbarrow, ute, gloves and secateurs if you have them.
Please complete the link to let us know if you can attend for catering purposes (click here).
We hope to see you there!
Sports Shirts
We understand there is a current shortage of the school sport shirts. Lowes has advised that the fabric used for these shirts requires a specialised dyeing process which currently has a production lead time of approximately four months.
Students are welcome to wear a different house colour sports shirt, which will be available for purchase at Lowes at a reduced cost.
Kindergarten 2027 Enrolments
Do you have a child that will be starting Kindergarten in 2027? If so, please see the link below for an enrolment application as we will be commencing enrolment interviews shortly.
https://lpsww.nsw.edu.au/enrolment/enrol-now/
Thank you for being such an important part of our school community. We look forward to the weeks ahead and all that they will bring. Have a great week.
Blessings,
Hollie Kinning
Principal
Deputy Principal’s Report
NAPLAN
Students in Year 3 have started their NAPLAN journey. Unfortunately due to technical issues out of our control, Year 5 have yet to start their testing. We are awaiting further instructions from NESA and we remain hopeful that we can get back on track tomorrow by pushing back the Year 5 testing by a day.
All students involved are well prepared and are feeling confident about the process. Thank you to the Year 3 and Year 5 teachers who have prepared our students so well so that they are feeling confident heading into these tests. The dates for each test are listed below.
Any students who miss a NAPLAN test will be caught up next week with Mrs Davenport or Mr Richards.
Care Coordinators
Thank you to the parents listed below who have kindly volunteered to be Care Coordinators this year. It’s wonderful to see some new faces stepping into the role and giving those who have supported their grades over the past few years a well-earned break.
Care Coordinators help strengthen the connection between families, teachers and the P&F. The role includes:
- organising simple social catchups to build community among grade parents
- passing on information between the school and parents
- answering questions on the Facebook Parent group page
- helping to support a family in need within your child’s class
We still have a few grades without a coordinator or needing another person to help lighten the load. If you’re interested in helping, please contact Chaplain Darren or leave a message with the office.
Kindergarten: Lauren Waugh and 1 or 2 more volunteers required
Y1: Molly Nelson and 1 or 2 more volunteers required
Y2: 2 or 3 volunteers required
Y3: Tiana Sanders and Joe Price
Y4: 2 or 3 volunteers required
Y5: 2 or 3 volunteers required
Y6: Leah Adams and 1 or 2 more volunteers required
Easter Hat Parade – Kinder, Year 1 & Year 2
We’re excited to celebrate the creativity and Easter spirit of our students at this year’s Easter Hat Parade. Students in Kinder, Year 1 and Year 2 are invited to wear their most colourful, imaginative Easter hat or bonnet and join the fun on Thursday, April 2nd at 9:10am in the school hall.
Families are warmly welcome to come along and enjoy the parade. It’s always a highlight of the year, and we can’t wait to see the wonderful designs our students bring to life.
Premier’s Reading Challenge
This year, all students will be given the opportunity to participate in the Premier’s Reading Challenge. The Challenge aims to encourage a love of reading for leisure and pleasure in students, and to enable them to experience quality literature. It is not a competition but a challenge to each student to read, to read more and to read more widely.
During the week all students received a guide with their login details and information about how to add books to their personal reading log. Books that students read with their teacher in the classroom will also be added to their reading log.
If there are any problems logging on, please contact your child’s teacher and we will follow it up. We are looking forward to another great year of reading success.
Parent Teacher Conferences
During the last week of term, Parent Teacher Conferences will be held.
Bookings will open Thursday 12th March at 8:00am and close Wednesday 25th March at 5:00pm. To book and appointment click https://lounge.lpsww.nsw.edu.au/parentlounge (you may need to copy and paste into a browser) Use your five-digit account number available on your fees invoice as the username. If you have not set, or can’t remember your password, click the link “Forgot Password?” at the top right and follow the instructions. The email address must be, for security reasons, the one advised to the school. You will then be able to book an appointment.
The aim of this conference opportunity is to provide parents with a planned platform to find out how their child has settled into the school year and their progress in learning. There will also of course be the opportunity to ask questions and find out how your child can make the next steps forward in their academic and social/emotional learning.
Quick Pick Up
Parents, please keep your name card clearly visible during afternoon pickup. This helps supervising teachers identify cars quickly, allows the calling out of names for students, and keeps the process running smoothly. If your name card has been misplaced, please contact the office and we will organise a replacement for you.
SRC News
Harmony Day
The SRC reps are inviting students to celebrate Harmony Day by adding a touch of orange to their school uniform on Friday 20th March. Orange is the colour that represents belonging, respect, and inclusivity which are values we strive to live out in our school community each day. There is no gold coin donation required as it is simply an opportunity for students to show their support and join in the spirit of the day.
Emma Davenport
Deputy Principal
Curriculum Corner
STEM
STEM helps children build the skills they need for school and for a world that’s changing quickly. At LSWW, every student from Kindergarten to Year 6 enjoys specialist STEM lessons with Mrs Wadley.
STEM brings science, technology, engineering and maths together so students can solve real problems in hands-on, meaningful ways. When learning connects to real life, children understand why their skills matter and how they’ll use them in the future.
It’s been a busy and exciting start to STEM learning across the school!
Kindergarten have been exploring, creating, and collaborating as they experiment with a wide range of materials. Their hands-on making sessions have encouraged curiosity, teamwork, and early design thinking.
Year 1 has been investigating sight and hearing as part of their unit on the senses. Students have been discovering how we use our eyes and ears to observe the world around us and how our bodies interpret different types of information.
Year 2 have been examining the effects of forces on Earth, exploring how push, pull, friction, and gravity influence the world around us. They also applied their engineering and creative skills by designing and building their own arcade‑style games.
Year 3 has taken a journey into space, discussing our cosmic neighbours and learning about planets, moons, and other fascinating objects in our solar system.
Year 4 have been learning how natural forces like erosion, earthquakes, and volcanoes shape our Earth. Students explored how these forces change the land over time through hands‑on activities and class investigations.
Year 5 have been studying plant adaptations, discovering the clever ways plants survive in extreme or changing environments. Students even designed their own imaginary species based on what they learned.
Year 6 have delved into electrical circuits, experimenting with components such as switches, bulbs, and motors to build working systems and better understand how electricity flows.
Across all year levels, students have shown impressive creativity, problemsolving and collaboration. It’s been wonderful to see STEM curiosity thriving in every class.
Inclusive Learning Lens
The Power of a Nightly Reading Habit: Independent Reading + Shared Reading
Building a strong reading routine at home is one of the most effective ways to support your child’s learning. Whether your child is reading independently, being read to, or enjoying a combination of both, nightly reading strengthens the skills they need to thrive at school and beyond.
Why nightly reading matters
Recent Australian research shows that children who engage in regular reading at home—either on their own or with a parent—develop stronger language, vocabulary, and early literacy skills.
A large 2025 Australian review from Macquarie University found a significant relationship between home-based book experiences and children’s language and vocabulary development, reinforcing that frequent exposure to books boosts core literacy foundations.
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/language-sciences/articles/10.3389/flang.2025.1540562/full
Another major Australian study, highlighted in Teacher Magazine in 2025, showed that children who regularly read or are read to at home are more likely to develop positive reading habits, stronger emerging literacy skills, and greater engagement with books overall. The study emphasised that having consistent access to books—and using them daily—is a powerful predictor of early literacy success.
The benefits of children reading independently each nightT
Even short bursts of independent reading (5–10 minutes) help children to:
• Practise decoding and fluency
• Build stamina, concentration, and confidence
• Apply the strategies they learn at school
• Develop a personal connection to reading
Nightly reading gives children the chance to consolidate classroom learning in a calm, predictable way. Over time, this regular practice helps transform reading from a task into a habit—and eventually, into an enjoyable part of their day.
The benefits of shared reading
Shared reading—whether you’re reading to your child, taking turns, or discussing the book together—remains equally important.
Research shows that shared reading:
• Strengthens language development and vocabulary
• Boosts comprehension, curiosity, and understanding of story structures
• Encourages rich conversations and bonding
• Provides a supportive scaffold for children as they develop confidence with more complex texts
These positive effects are well documented in recent Australian research, which consistently recognises shared reading as a key opportunity to build emergent literacy skills. https://www.vic.gov.au/literacy-teaching-toolkit-early-childhood/teaching-practices-emergent-literacy/reading-children
A balanced approach works best
For primary aged children, the combination of:
• independent reading, and
• shared reading with an adult
creates a powerful literacy routine. Children have time to practise skills on their own while also experiencing the joy, support, and vocabulary rich conversations that come from reading together.
A small daily habit with lifelong impact
Just 10 minutes of reading each night—alone or together—is enough to make a meaningful difference. Consistent nightly reading helps children build confidence, develop strong reading skills, and cultivate a lifelong love of books.
Thank you for supporting your child’s reading journey. If you’d like ideas for making nightly reading enjoyable and stress free, we’re happy to help!
Lauren Forsyth
Learning Enhancement Coordinator
Wellbeing Window
The Resilience Project - Lift Off!
Through our partnership with The Resilience Project, we look forward to strengthening our school community’s understanding of Gratitude, Empathy, Mindfulness, and Emotional Literacy. Our teachers will be engaging in further professional learning next week, and we are excited to begin implementing strategies that support the development of these important skills.
As part of beginning our learning with The Resilience Project, students will participate in an online survey that will provide baseline data to help us understand where LSWW students currently sit along the wellbeing continuum and allow us to measure their progress through participation in the program. A letter with detailed information about the survey will be sent home later this week, prior to student participation.
In our next newsletter, we will also share information about The Resilience Project Parent Hub, which offers practical ideas for building these skills at home and helps support shared language between school and families. Together, we are committed to building the resilience and wellbeing of all our students.
Chaplain's Chatter
I’ve had the pleasure of sharing some parables in classes this year. I love how parables engage our sense of wonder and invite us to explore together what God’s kingdom might look like.
Parables have a unique ability to haunt us, to pop into our minds and lives when we least expect it. Think of the Good Samaritan parable, and how often it appears in conversation, our politics, our culture, our family life, always asking as many questions of us, as we ask the parable.
I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again. If you’re looking at a great way to introduce your children to the teaching and life of Jesus, then there is no better way than spending a year reading and learning the parables of Jesus together.
Shalom
Darren Wright
Finance
DIRECT DEBIT
Please see below for March direct debit dates:
March – direct debit dates:
Weekly
Thursday 5, 12, 19 & 26 March
Fortnightly
Thursday 12, 26 March
Monthly
Monday 30 March
Any changes to bank accounts or credit cards please let me know as this could result in a payment being declined.
If a payment is declined this can be paid either through direct deposit, credit card over the phone, or in person at the office.
*Term 1 fees are now due for families not on a direct debit*
Feel free to email me [email protected] call 69238100 or pop into the office and see me with any queries regarding your account.
Library
Thank you to the parents who have been covering our new books for the library. The students have been enjoying borrowing and reading these new additions. There are still some books that require covering. Please let the office know if you can help as books can be sent home, or you can come in on a Friday afternoon prior to picking up your children to help.
PLEASE NOTE: Our current issue (#2) of Scholastic Book club is due by 4pm Friday 17th March. This is a couple of days earlier than previously advertised, so that books can be delivered and sent home prior to the Easter holidays.
Sports Desk
Combined Wagga Diocesan-RAS Swimming Carnival
On Wednesday 4th March, our Swimming Team competed at the Combined Wagga Diocesan-RAS Swimming Carnival, held at the Oasis Aquatic Centre.
Twenty students participated in this event who all performed exceptionally well and showed great sportsmanship on the day. Lutheran finished fourth overall. Congratulations to Kingsley Cheung and Leah Jeong who were named Age Champions in their respective age groups. Well done and good luck to the students who qualified for the CIS Swimming championships in Sydney.
A big thank you to the Swimming Carnival convenors, Wagga Swim Club Officials, the Catholic Diocese of Wagga, DIO-RAS Team managers and the Oasis team for ensuring the day was a success.
Eliza Smith
PE Teacher/Sports Coordinator
OSHC
Other Information
Families leaving the school
Please note that one full term’s written notice is required if you are withdrawing your child from Lutheran School. We purchase learning materials based on projected enrolment numbers at least one term in advance.
Uniform Shop Orders
If you would like to purchase uniforms from the Uniform Shop, please email [email protected]
We will email you once the order is ready to be picked up from the office. Thank you.
Final Notices
