NOT SO MINI SUPERSTARS
Congratulations to Year 2 students Cooper and Harley who have qualified for the state final in the Mini Golf Championships of WA!
Following a qualifying round, their score placed them in the top eight pairs from across Perth in the Under 17 Division. An awesome effort for a pair of 7/8-year-olds!
We wish them all the best for 11 November when they compete in the State Final at Collier Park Golf Course.
In Term 3, our Primary Production Honk! Jr was performed by students in Years 4 and 5. Through song, dance and acting, the students beautifully told the story of the Ugly Duckling, portraying the moral values of acceptance and kindness, values we hold dear at St Mark's.
With a cast and crew of over 100 staff and students, the project involved Primary performers, Middle School students backstage as crew hands and a Senior School production intern to pull it all together.
Observing all students grow in confidence and watching them shine was the most rewarding aspect of this entire process. The community got behind the project, and we all felt a strong bond of being involved in the journey together. It was truly a special event that staff, students and parents will treasure forever.
Well done to everyone involved.
Take a look at some of the photos from the show, along with comments from our Primary students on their experiences below:
Our Class of 2024 Student Leaders held their first assembly last Friday and introduced their Year 12 value word.
SPIRIT... A sense of unity, pride, enthusiasm and shared values that bind individuals together in a positive and supportive way.
Our 2024 cohort chose the word as a call to action - they are challenging our School Community to stand up for what is right, to support one another in times of need, and to celebrate each other's achievements with genuine enthusiasm.
Our Head Prefects, Demi and Riley, with the help of our Prefect Team, took our students through the meaning of Spirit and how it relates to their fellow students at St Mark's:
Service Spirit
Service Spirit emphasises the importance of giving back to the community through acts of service and volunteering. At St Mark’s, we encourage students to develop a spirit of service by participating in community service projects, such as involving themselves on fundraiser days and keeping the school environment clean. Service spirit not only benefits the community but also fosters personal growth and a sense of responsibility.
House Spirit
The word 'spirit' isn't just about enthusiasm or pride. It's the heart of every cheer, the determination in every stroke, stride, and performance. 'Spirit' is that strong force that binds us together, propelling us towards collective success. It's the camaraderie we feel at swimming carnivals, the perseverance witnessed at athletics, the endurance at cross country, and the passion on performance nights. House Spirit isn't just about winning but about standing together and lifting each other up.
Spirit, Wellbeing and Spirituality
Spirit and spirituality have a huge impact on our inner lives, whether we believe in God or not. If you are a Christian, then the Holy Spirit helps to guide you to make the right choices in your daily life. If you aren't a Christian or don't have a religion, spirituality still impacts your life. By taking the time to meditate or reflect on yourself and your life, you will benefit by gaining a deeper sense of gratitude and appreciation.
Our Prefects reminded us that no matter where our individual paths may lead, we are forever connected by the spirit of St Mark's. Spirit is not confined to the walls of our classrooms; it extends to every corner of our school. It is that strong force that binds us together, propelling us towards collective success.
Check out the video our Prefect Team team made on what school spirit looks like in our school community HERE.
We look forward to seeing our Class of 2024 tackling their Year 12 with spirit.
We're thrilled to share that the vibrant paint strokes our Year 12 students added to our community have officially been unveiled!
You may remember that our Year 12 students embraced the chance to contribute to the Hillarys Community Garden by painting a mural for the garden. Collaborating with the Whitford Family Centre, our students, alongside the artistic expertise of St Mark’s parents, Mrs Laurelee Riches-Depiazzi and Mrs Kathy Bierma, brought the fabulous piece of art to life. Their dedication and the support of generous donors like our Local Member for Hillarys – Caitlin Collins MLA, Dulux and Bunnings Warehouse Australia - Wangara made this dream a reality.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony held as part of the Whitford Family Centre Family Day was a heartfelt celebration, marking the official unveiling of this project.
You can read more about this labour of love and view the images here.
Year 11 student Oliver has showcased his inventive spirit by using his passion for technology to find digital solutions to real-world problems to assist his friend Nait, also in Year 11, in overcoming gaming challenges. Nait, who typically joins their gaming sessions using a console due to the ease of controller use with his mobility challenges, expressed a desire to try PC gaming using a mouse.
In response, Oliver took on the task of creating a specialised joystick controller for Nait. This unique device was designed to mimic the essential keyboard functions required for gaming, enabling Nait to utilise the mouse simultaneously.
The project demanded Oliver's expertise in various areas. He constructed an Arduino microcontroller, employing C++ programming, and additionally developed a separate Python program for the controller to establish seamless communication with the PC. As a result of their collaborative efforts, Nait now enjoys the gaming experience using a mouse.
This inspiring collaboration underscores Oliver's application of skills acquired both at school and through self-learning, demonstrating the impactful use of technology to support a friend.
Congratulations to our latest Bronze and Silver recipients of The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award.
Year 10 student, Amy, has accomplished the Silver level of achievement. Additionally, Ethan in Year 9, Dempsey in Year 10 and Chelsea in Year 11 have all successfully earned their Bronze level.
In order to achieve an Award in the Duke of Ed program, each recipient must learn a skill, improve their physical wellbeing, volunteer in their community and experience a team adventure in a new environment.
Achieving this award recognises our students' individual goal-setting and self-improvement through persistence and achievement.
Well done to our amazing students! We can't wait to see you all continue on the DoE journey and achieve Gold!
To learn more about the program and how to get involved, please speak to Mrs Upson, our Award Leader at School or head to our website https://www.stmarks.wa.edu.au/.../extra-curricular-programs
After last week’s tip of buying large packets of food items such as chips, crackers etc and putting them into a reusable container or paper bag, this week’s tip is ...
A roll of Greaseproof paper, a fully sustainable and composable alternative, is easy to use, has no tearing tussles, and is cheap and easy! At only $2 at most grocery stores, it is super easy for little fingers to unwrap too! Great for sandwiches, wraps, cookies, muffins, literally anything can be wrapped without the guilt of using a plastic that can so easily blow through the playground and out to sea.
Next year, we are introducing a series of before-school career-focused sessions for our Senior School students and are looking for Old Scholars (former students) or parents who can assist.
These career-focused sessions will provide our students with the chance to hear from St Mark's alumni or parent/community members about their careers. The sessions aim to help students decide upon their career path relating to tertiary study and General/ATAR pathways, as well as gain insight into the world of work.
If you are comfortable speaking to groups of students and willing to share your experiences of studying, working and life after high school, we'd love to hear from you. Please note that at this stage, we are looking to create a register of potential speakers with the aim of rolling these events out in Semester 1, 2024.
Please contact Amanda Kemp via email for further information or if you'd like to join the register to share your experiences.
Calling all Year 6 - 10 Coding Legends!
Just a quick note to let you know that registrations for the next Girls Programming Network Workshop are now open.
Please help to spread the word! Bring a friend!
This is a fun day where women teach girls to code in Python; we play some games and hear about how non-IT women use their coding skills in the industry. Most importantly, you also get to meet other girls with similar interests in coding/computing/gaming. Research has shown these factors play a big part in the confidence and success of girls in computing.
The date for Term 4 is Saturday 25th November - 9:30am to 3:45pm
Attendance is on a casual basis, so if you go to one, there’s no commitment to go to more. If you like it, then come back! If you don’t, then don’t. It's that simple. You can bring a friend if you like!
Our teachers are amazing! Even though we have lots of staff on camp during the time the Open Water Champs are on, Mrs Humble has put her hand up to organise our teams.
If your child is keen to participate in the OWS Schools Championships please see the information below:
Who can compete:
Trials:
Events available:
Competition Date:
Interested?:
Come to Adventure World on Monday 13 November 2023 - SMACS pupil-free day! (Please note the ticket is only valid for this day).
Adventure World has kindly offered to support the St Mark's New Zealand Music Tour in 2024 by providing discounted presale tickets to attend on Monday, 13 November!
Tickets are only $57 for anyone over 4 years old (under 4 years are free), with part proceeds from every ticket going towards fundraising for the Music Tour.
Tickets need to be ordered through this LINK by Saturday 4 November by 6pm, with tickets to be distributed by Monday 13 November.
This is a ticket option only; parents are responsible for transport, supervision and all other aspects of the visit!
*Please note that a refund will only be given if minimum numbers are not met; other than that, no refunds will be processed.
With Christmas approaching, it’s time to start thinking outside the box for Christmas presents. How good would it be to not only think outside the box but also support the 2024 NZ Music Tour?
$14 from every Entertainment Book sale will go towards the 2024 New Zealand Music Tour fundraising efforts. Single City membership for 12 months is $69.99, but right now, you can get a bonus upgrade to a multi-city membership, saving $50. As a special bonus until 6 November 2023 you will get 25% off the books, and an extra $10 goes to your chosen charity!
Go to entertainment.com.au and make sure you choose ‘St Mark's Anglican Community School’ as your chosen fundraiser.
It is magpie swooping season, and we have had reports that there are a number of magpies nesting in the trees around the school. The crosswalk and pergola area near the PAC seems to be affected more than other areas.
Please be careful when moving around the school grounds.
Please check your account or contact familyaccounts@stmarks.wa.edu.au for an account balance to finalise family fees this term.
Thank you
We are excited to share that our supplier of our uniforms now offers online ordering.
Head to https://shop.tarauniforms.com.au/brand/st-marks/ to view the range and place your order at your convenience.
Please note that orders are to be collected from the Uniform Shop onsite at School during their opening hours.
Interested in starting an instrument? Studies show that playing a musical instrument lowers stress and increases well-being – why not start something new next term and enrol online? Our Instrumental Music Handbook contains all the instruments we have on offer and lots of other useful information. Enrolment is ongoing unless a withdrawal form is lodged at least two weeks prior to the end of term.
If you would like to withdraw from instrumental lessons for Term 1 2024, please complete the online withdrawal form before your tutor’s withdrawal deadline of Friday 17 November 2023. After this deadline, another term of music lessons will be charged for before the withdrawal can take effect.
As a way of encouraging excellence in education and rewarding high achievement, St Mark’s is offering a limited number of Academic Scholarships for students entering Year 6 in 2025 (current Year 4 students). Registrations for the 2025 program are now open and close on Friday 16 February 2024. The Scholarship is open to all*, inclusive of current and waitlisted students, as well as to those with no current connection to the School.
Up to four Scholarships are available, with partial tuition fee remission. The number of Scholarships awarded each year and the percentage of tuition fee remission is at the discretion of the School Council.
The Scholarships are awarded based on the performance of the student in the Scholarship examination. Shortlisted candidates may also be interviewed prior to final selection of Scholarship recipients. Scholarships will be awarded for the student’s entire secondary school career at St Mark’s (Years 6 to 12), subject to ongoing review.
The testing will be conducted independently by Academic Assessment Services at St Mark’s on Saturday 24 February 2024.
A Registration Fee of $105 will be charged by Academic Assessment Services for each child sitting the examination. Please note that an additional fee of $50 will be incurred for late registrations. Your registration will be confirmed by Academic Assessment Services.
More information, including key dates and eligibility, is available on the School website. Registration for the Scholarship testing should be submitted online here by Friday 16 February.
If you have any other queries regarding the 2025 Academic Scholarship Program, please email scholarships@stmarks.wa.edu.au or call (08) 9403 1342.
*Excludes international students.
Applications for the McIntosh Memorial Scholarship are now open to those students about to commence or currently undertaking tertiary study.
Eligibility
The closing date is 30 November 2023, and information is availablehere via the scholarship flyer.
How much sleep?
We all know that sleep is important for general health, for growth and development and for emotional well-being. However, you may not know that important memory processes take place while you are sleeping, ensuring you retain what you are learning and studying.
Perhaps you have heard that teenagers need between nine to ten hours of sleep per night. But where does this come from and how valid is this claim? In 1980, Mary Carskadon of Stanford sequestered a group of adolescents in the university's sleep laboratory for several days, letting them sleep for as long as they wanted, up to 10 hours. She found that the teenagers slept just over nine hours, with very little variation. This single "naturalistic" study is the primary basis for the adolescent sleep recommendation. However, some researchers argue that just because teenagers slept nine hours when left alone does not mean that this is the best thing for them, just like letting people eat whatever they want is not necessarily the best thing for their health. So there is no definitive answer at this point in time.
The amount of sleep needed by teenagers is most likely very individual, just like it is for adults. It is probably safe to assume that adolescents need more sleep than adults and that the average for most people is at least 8 hours of sleep per night. Pay attention to the signs and have students listen to their body. If they lie down in bed and fall asleep instantly, this is a sign they are not getting enough sleep for their body. It should take at least 15 minutes to fall asleep. If they wake up in the morning and are feeling exhausted, then check all lifestyle factors: are they getting enough sleep, eating healthily and getting enough exercise?
If teenagers are sleeping in for many hours on a weekend, unfortunately, this does not mean they are “catching up” on their sleep. According to University of Texas Southwestern sleep specialist Dr. Gregory Carter, when we think we're catching up on sleep, what we're really doing is messing with our circadian cycle -- the body's internal clock, which dictates sleep patterns. Excessive sleeping is in fact, a signal that during the week, students need to go to bed earlier. The aim is to work out the optimum bedtime so that the need to catch up on large amounts of sleep on the weekend is eliminated.
There is nothing wrong with having a power nap in the afternoon when students get home from school, as long as the nap is no longer than 40 minutes. A short nap can help students regain their energy levels and allow them to focus on the work they have to do that evening. However, a longer nap will also disrupt sleeping patterns for that night.
Check out the unit in the Study Skills Handbook on Lifestyle and Balance to learn more about sleep and other lifestyle factors for success.
Our school’s subscription details to www.studyskillshandbook.com.au are as follows -
Username: stmarksacs
Password: happystudying
Elevate Education's next free webinar will be taking place on Wednesday 8 November.
Elevate Education works with our students, delivering high-impact workshops on study skills, motivation, wellbeing, and exam preparation. By tuning into their webinar series, you will learn how you can help better support your children at home by reinforcing the skills they learn at school:
Wednesday 8th November @ 6:30pm (AEDT)
How to Help Your Child Alleviate Stress
In this webinar, Elevate will be showing parents:
The Resilience Project is thrilled to share the fifth edition of PROJECT+ with our school community!
The fifth edition of PROJECT+ and the necessary links can be found below.
In this Parent & Carer edition of Project+ we explain what mindfulness is and the importance of building habits. Families can have a go at practising mindfulness independently or together using our ‘Month of Mindfulness’ activities.
We hope you enjoy this edition of Project+.
Do you love to chat, give back to the School and are great at notetaking?
Well if this sounds like you then the OSA would love to hear from you!
The OSA are looking for an Old Scholar who would like to join the OSA Committee and undertake the role of Secretary. The committee meet once per month, and if you are a current parent, you can earn Parent Commitment Hours!
If this sounds like something you'd be interested in please contact the OSA President, Philippa Lonie via email.
The Old Scholars' Association Little Lions Playgroup is back for Term 4 , and we'd love to see your little cub there this Friday!
Join us every Friday (during St Mark's term time) from 8.45am - 10.30am for lots of fun and games. Little Lions Playgroup is a community-based group run in conjunction with Playgroup WA and caters for children up to school age.
Those families attending our Kindy and not in session on Fridays are more than welcome to join as well.
For more information and to book your spot, please email us, osa@stmarks.wa.edu.au or join our Facebook group HERE.
Everyone is welcome - you do not need to be an Old Scholar (former student) of St Mark's to attend.
The P&F's final General Meeting for 2023 is fast approaching, and we'd love to see you all there.
This meeting, aptly titled 'Beyond the Schoolyard, ' features two presentations that share the experiences of our students and staff away from the classroom but which are still very much entrenched in learning.
Parrngurr Perspectives
During the early morning of Saturday, 2 September, an excited group of twelve Year 9 students and five staff members started their long 1600km journey by road to Parnngurr in the East Pilbara desert country, and what a trip it was.
On Monday morning, the Parnngurr students and St Mark’s students were introduced, and by Wednesday night, they were saying goodbye as good friends. In those few days, they had camped together on country, built humpies (shelters), swam in a remote rockpool, sung karaoke, learnt Martu words from an Elder and eaten kangaroo tail and grubs. They played, chatted, and learnt from each other.
The 2022 trip was the start of a strong friendship between our schools, and 2023 cemented that friendship.
Presenting, Sharing and Learning in Philadelphia
Join our Head of Library and Information Services, Shirley McKibbin, and Head of Digital Learning, Kelly Curran, as they recount their recent trip to the ISTE Conference in the United States (International Society for Technology in Education). Shirley and Kelly proudly promoted St Mark’s at the conference by presenting a session about our Learn curriculum in Middle School and how they maximise the use of technology applications to enhance and transform student learning. Their minds were buzzing with the huge range of workshops and presentations on offer, and they returned freshly inspired and invigorated with exciting new concepts and projects to share with our staff and students.
BEYOND THE SCHOOLYARD - P&F General Meeting details:
The P&F want to remind our families to please log their hours. Please see the attached letter regarding Parent Commitment Hours for 2023. PCH Letter.
If you have completed hours this year, log them here 2023 Parent Hours Log.
You can also check the hours you have logged by clicking on Parent Commitment Hours Detailed and entering your family code. This document is updated at the end of each term.
If you have any questions, please contact Sarah McCormack at parentcommitment@stmarks.wa.edu.au
Next year, all current P&F positions will be dissolved, and the P&F Association will be looking for fresh nominations for the 2024 committee.
If you have considered joining the Committee or someone who would love to be involved please send an expression of interest for the P & F 2024 committee to secretary.pf@stmarks.wa.edu.au or email them for more information.
The St Mark's Parents and Friends' Association (*P&F*) continually provides a high level of support to the School by funding projects that are not essential for education, but have a positive effect on our School community.
The P&F is inviting staff, parents and students to submit project proposals for funding in 2024.
Criteria for Project Funding Project ideas are being sought from the School community.
Funding applications and projects will be assessed against criteria set by the P&F in conjunction with the School Executive.
As a general guide, projects should:
If you have ideas that meet these criteria, please:
The P&F will consider all applications over the December 2023/January 2024 school holidays and may contact you for further details or invite you to attend a meeting to present your proposal.
Examples of projects that have been funded (or part-funded) by the P&F in the past are:
We look forward to hearing from you.
The St Mark's Fathering Project Committee is busy planning again for the annual campout on the school oval. There will be lots of activities to enjoy and meals organised for you too.
Scheduled for the weekend of 4-5 November, it's an easy way for dads or father-figures to make some fun memories with their kids and to meet other school dads.
Event Details:
Ticket Options:
Want to get a sense of what the day is all about? Check out last year's event on YouTube: https://youtu.be/_9icHakAl7Q?si=Cml_vML82OC7lyw0
Ticket bookings: https://www.trybooking.com/CLRGJ
For more details, contact Josh Newton, 0403 466 132 | josh.newton@r-group.com.au.