The Lion's Roar - 10 November 2021

The Honourable Kim Beazley AC, Governor of Western Australia, announced recently that St Mark's Old Scholar, Jasmine Laing (Class of 2016) has progressed to the next round to be considered for an Australia-At-Large Scholarship. The prestigious Australia-At-Large Rhodes Scholarships are announced in December each year, and are awarded to three outstanding candidates who have completed their degree with first class honours (or equivalent).

Well done, Jasmine! Best of luck for the next round!

Year 5 student Ava Hamilton recently competed in the 2021 Western Australian Superlite Championships and placed 11th with her Dad. Ava navigated competently whilst her Dad drove her Polaris RZR1000 Buggy. She is currently in training to drive the Buggy, in preparation for when she can get her Competition Drivers' Licence.

Way to go Ava!

A team of 33 Year 5 and 6 students represented the School at the Primary Interschool Triathlon at Champion Lakes on Friday 5 November. Students were put in teams with each person completing an individual leg of the triathlon, 200m swim, 6km bike and 2km run. Each student excelled in their leg, always giving 100% before handing over to their team mate. This dedicated team effort resulted in St Mark’s winning the overall Champion Schools category for the competition, the fourth time in a row the School has done this.

Across the various divisions there were a number of teams that finished high up in the placings:

A division 3^rd: Lua Wilson, Kai Bowden, Charlie Killoh

Girls Division 2^nd: Ebony Bueddemann, Sophie Hillyer, Gracie Donne

Girls Division 4^th: Hazel Foley, Scarlet Callaghan, Mackenzie Hedges

C Division 2^nd: Dylan Paap, Kai Mannion, Isaac Rome

Once the triathlon divisions were completed, students had the option to take part in the individual aquathon, consisting of 1km run/200m swim/1km run. Again St Mark’s competitors finished high in the placings including:

Boys Aquathon

1^st Oliver Browne

4th Harry Linehan

5^th Luke Booth

6^th Dylan Paap

Girls Aquathon

4^th Lua Wilson

Congratulations to all of the students who were involved and many thanks to the parents who assisted with supervision and transporting bikes to the event.

Recently a team of Year 5 Enrichment STEM students - Noah, Amber, Will and Emily, took part in the Scitech STEM Challenge Day. They were asked to solve the problem "When borders open, how might we attract tourists to Perth?". To devise a solution they used the 'Design Process Model': Understand > Define > Think > Make > Try > Refine > Share.

They created a prototype called 'The Quiz Maze' and were so pleased with their design, they are hoping someone will take it on to build on the old waterslide site at Hillarys Marina! Well done kids!

The Year 2/3 Crescendo Choir are very excited to be performing at Whitfords City Shopping Centre on Thursday 25 November!

Come along to watch our stars as they sing outside Santa's Grotto near the Coffee Club outlet between 11.30am and 12.30pm.

We are pleased to invite K-Y5 parents to the next Q&A Chat Session with Angela Byrne, School Psychologist. The topic this term will be 'Scream Time vs Screen Time'.

Adults use the word, “online”. To young people, there is no meaning to the word, “offline”. Come along to discuss how to incorporate a healthy dose of screen time into your family home and prepare for the Summer Holidays ahead! No need to RSVP - just show up!

When: Thursday, 25 November
Time: 8.45am - 9.30am
Where: International Room (located next to the Uniform shop)

All Primary School families are invited to our annual Christmas Concert, hosted by the Crescendo Kids and Take Note Choir.

Date: Friday 3 December 2021

Time: 5pm to 7.30pm

Venue: Junior School Oval

Bring: Picnic rugs and drinks

Free sausage sizzle from 5pm to 6pm. Concert commences at 6pm. Coffee van will be onsite.

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 2023 (current Year 4 students). Registrations for the 2023 program are now open and close on Friday 11 February 2022. 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 students’ 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 19 February 2022.

A Registration Fee of $95 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 11 February.

If you have any other queries regarding the 2023 Academic Scholarship Program, please email scholarships@stmarks.wa.edu.au or call (08) 9403 1342.

*Excludes international students.

We are thrilled to announce that our Ethics Team who competed in the recent Ethics Olympiad won the Silver medal, with Scotch College placing first. We have now been selected to compete in the International Middle School Ethics Olympiad Final in February.

Congratulations to Jack Sandwell, Jesse Rivers, Ashlyn Cole, Grace Barnard and Taleisha Butler who represented our School with confidence, grace and respect. You did us proud!

St Mark's was well represented in the Australian Mathematics Competition this year.

Year 12 student Alexander Nicholls received a high distinction and was rated in the 98th percentile from all Australian participants in the Senior Division, which is outstanding.

Other Year 12s Matthew Benstead and Geoffrey McQuade also received Credit awards.

Ms Katie Bye presented the Awards to Alexander Nicholls and Matthew Benstead in a recent ceremony. Geoffrey was unable to attend as he was studying for his WACE exams.

Well done to all of our participating students!

The Year 8s spent a fantastic week on tour, travelling from Whitfords to East Perth by train on Monday, into Perth City Tuesday, on Wednesday they caught a bus to Fremantle and Woodman Point, and then finally went over to Rottnest by ferry on Friday.

Highlights included the Optus Stadium Tour, QR Quest through Claisebrook, Dominos Pizza at Wellington Square, fish and chips at Cicerellos, Fremantle Prison Tour, Boola Bardup and Maritime Museums, and the Woodman Point Camp site and activities. Our Year 8s took over Rottnest Island, participating in an Amazing Race, playing Mini Golf and beach games plus swimming in Thompson Bay. Lunch at the bakery was delicious!

Woodman Point camp site included a two-night stay with many challenging activities planned throughout the day. The activities were designed to push the Year 8s out of their comfort zone, foster team building and cooperation, and also create opportunities to meet new friends and practice perseverance. Favourite challenges included the rock climbing, flying fox, raft building and archery. There was plenty of food on offer, with a Quiz/Games Night and Movie Night to keep the Year 8s busy before bedtime.

An exhausted and happy Year 8 cohort arrived back Friday afternoon, with many stories to share, new friendships formed and an excited buzz about the final weeks in Middle School. The week was spent learning new things about our City and surrounds, gaining a greater sense of independence and confidence, whilst building resilience and consolidating friendships. A deeper understanding about our culture and connections were shared with many interesting tour guides and volunteers.

Many thanks to all staff who attended the Tour and helped to create wonderful memories that will last a lifetime.

Year 8s are now looking forward to their sailing adventure on the Leeuwin this Friday!

The annual School Sport WA Triathlon took place on November 4. With the Year 8s on camp and the Year 11s sitting exams we had a relatively small team in comparison to previous years, but this did not stop the team putting their best effort forward and achieving some fantastic results.

Many of our Year 7s were competing in their first full triathlon event and despite the nerves they represented the school to a high standard. Three of our Year 7 boys competed in both the individual and team events and made us particularly proud.

Team results were 3rd Place Overall. Congratulations to all members of the team who participated!

3P Photography will be holding Family Photography Sessions in the Ken Fairfield Hall on Friday 26 November for all interested families. Get your family dressed up and get ready to update your photo walls! Grandparents may wish to have a copy for Christmas too! As a bonus for our students, 3P Photography have kindly offered to donate $20 from every order to the School's P&F Association.

To reserve a convenient time slot between 4:30pm and 7:00pm visit the 3P Photography website, go to the 'Photos' dropdown menu and select 'Order Photos'. Use the Shoot Key: FAMILY

Family Photograph Suggestions:

• Match family members in 2 or 3 complementary colour tones (eg denim/white, grey/white, black/white, earthy tones, blue/white/beige)
• Avoid clothes with large logos or writing
• Avoid patterns such as spots or stripes
• Keep makeup natural
• Most importantly - have fun!

The St Mark's Parents and Friends’ Association continually provide a high level of support to our School. The P&F generously supports 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 2022.

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:

• have a positive impact on our School community (this may include parents and the broader School community, not just students);
• not be for normal classroom resources, substitutional for, or incremental to, School budgets;
• benefit a large number of families and preferably not restricted to an individual year group or subject;
• should be considered appropriate by the School Executive (among other things, in keeping with the School’s values, manageable and maintainable); and
• should be non-recurrent in nature so that the P&F input is not spread too thinly or committed for many years.

If you have ideas that meet these criteria, please:

• research the idea;
• obtain indicative costs if possible;
• talk the ideas through with your Department Head (or similar); and
• email a letter of request, together with supporting documentation outlining the project details and costs, to treasurer.pf@stmarks.wa.edu.au by Tuesday 30 November 2021.

The P&F will consider all applications over the December 2021/January 2022 school holidays and may contact you for further details or to attend the meeting to present your proposal.

Examples of projects that have been funded (or part-funded) by the P&F in the past are:

• Foyer refurbishment in the Barbara Godwin Performing Arts Complex
• Sheltered area outside the Junior School Phys Ed office
• Whitfords Avenue shade shelters
• Toyota Coaster bus
• Air-conditioning in the Chapel and Barbara Godwin Performing Arts Complex
• Bike shelters
• The St Mark's App
• Outdoor seating
• Membership to the Sustainable School Shop
• SunSmart UV indicator
• Marquees (portable) for sports events
• Shade sails
• Electronic signboard on Whitfords Avenue
• Outdoor table tennis tables
• Basketball/netball rings
• Drones for the certificate program in drone piloting
• Flag poles
• Storage for play equipment
• CORE play equipment
• P&F Art Acquisition Award
• Various murals and art pieces around the school

The St Mark's Parents and Friends' Association are pleased to be introducing two members of our local community who have some inspiring stories to share:

Jason Snell, who completed the "Marathon Des Sables" aka the Ice, Water and Fire Challenge in 2019, which saw him conquer the English Channel, Mt Everest and the Sahara Desert, will be sharing some stories of his adventures and who inspires him.

Sue Oldham, a well-known member of the Mullaloo SLSC, will also be sharing her story with us. Sue is a Perth Zoo docent, and has completed multiple Rottnest Channel and other long distance swims, despite only taking up the sport later in life.

Date: Tuesday 16 November

Time: 7pm

Venue: Barbara Godwin Performing Arts Complex

Tickets: Free, but bookings are required. Book here.

Drinks and nibbles will be served at the conclusion of the talks.

Guests are entitled to claim two parent commitment hours per family for attending this event.

We have a number of parent volunteer opportunities coming up - can you help?

These, and other volunteer opportunities, are listed here. Information on how to log your parent hours and confirm previous hours are also available on that page (scroll down to below the volunteer opportunities table). Term 4 hours will be added at the end of the year.

Fete Assistance

Get involved in the 2022 Fete! We are still on the lookout for some parent volunteers to assist with the management of;

- Waste control

- COVID Safety

- Entertainment

- Setting up and packing away of the Fete

Teams of two or 3 people would be really helpful for these important tasks.

An Electrician is also needed to meet our safety requirements for the 'Electrical Safety' part of the City of Joondalup Event Application.

For more information on these opportunities or to volunteer, email the Fete Coordinator fete@stmarks.wa.edu.au

Music Department

Please contact Amy Croker if you are able to help out with some office filing and cataloguing. Amy requires help from 8:30am - 3:30pm on various days; 11-19 Nov and 22 Nov - 7 Dec (excluding Fri 26 Nov). Email acroker@stmarks.wa.edu.au.

The Anglican Schools Commission International is looking for caring families to host regional, interstate and international students intending to study at St Mark’s Anglican Community School.

A home stay provides a student with the opportunity to live in a home setting, taking away some of the stresses of living away from family. It also gives them insight into Australian culture and the chance to further build their English language skills. In return, your family with have the opportunity to learn more about your guest's home country and expand your own global horizons. Many lifelong friendships are built through home stays, and it can be very rewarding both the host family and the student. Hosts are also paid a weekly fee.

With the WA borders reopening this week, many students are looking to travel to Perth and the majority of these will need home stay families. If you would like to find out more about hosting a regional, interstate or international student, please contact the ASCI's Accommodation Coordinator at homestay@asci.edu.au.

With the Junior School currently engaged in staggered swimming and surfing lessons, there will be no formal Remembrance Day Service this year, although classes will have a minute of silence when possible tomorrow. Teachers will use this opportunity to discuss the reasons why we pay respect to our veterans and current serving military personnel.

The Secondary School will have a Commemoration Service from 10:45am in the Main Quadrangle outside the Alan Cadby Senior Academic Centre. Students from the Middle School will be leading the Service.

If you are looking to book in some holiday programs for your kids across summer, St Mark's will be hosting MBA Sports Coaching 9am - 3pm from January 17 - 21. They offer a multi-sports program for $40/day and a Specialist Sport Camp for $50/day in soccer, AFL, cricket, basketball and rugby. You can book via the MBA Sports website.

Bricks4Kidz will also run Lego and robotics day programs on Thursday 20 January. Go to the Bricks4Kidz website to book.

Monday 15 November is a scheduled Student Free Day as it is a Curriculum Planning Day for staff. Parents will need to make alternative arrangements for the care of their child/children on this day.

Should you wish to purchase uniform items, the Uniform Shop will be open for trading - great opportunity to avoid the queues next year! Opening Hours are 8am to 11.15am then 2pm to 5pm.

The 2021 St Mark’s Fathering Project School Campout run by the POSTMEN was a roaring success. With absolutely perfect weather, kids and dads at the School were able to enjoy some time together setting up their tent, participating in the Dodgeball Tournament (which got highly competitive towards the end), running around in Capture the Flag, giving dad a makeover or just throwing the frisbee or kicking a footy together on the oval.

We had a massive 270 people along for the event with a good mix of children from the ELC, Junior and Middle school and even a handful of high schoolers who joined their dad or a father figure for the event.

Thanks to those who were able to join in building the POSTMEN community and who invested some valuable time in their relationship building with their kids last weekend.

The Uniform Shop will be offering extended trading hours to help parents prepare for Term 1, 2022. Please take note of the following dates:

FINAL TERM 4 TRADING HOURS

• Wednesday 1 December: 8am to 2pm then 3pm to 6.30pm
  
• Monday 6 December: 8am to 11.15am then 2pm to 6.30pm (Last trading day for 2021)

REOPENING TERM 1 2022

Any changes to the trading dates for back to school shopping will be sent out via the app.

• Thursday 20 January 2022 (Pick up day for pre-ordered items ONLY): 8am to 12pm then 2pm to 4pm. No other purchases can be made on this day.
• Monday 24 January 2022: 8am to 12pm then 2pm to 6pm (all sales)
• Thursday 27 January 2022: 8am to 12pm then 2pm to 6pm (all sales)

STOCK UPDATE

The Uniform Shop is expecting the arrival of the unisex sports shorts and backpacks in January. All pre-ordered items will likely be available for collection on Thursday 20 January. Please keep an eye on the app for any changes.

The P&F is inviting all students from Years 2 to 12 to enter a competition to design a poster to promote the 2022 Fete. Please share this information with your children. The details are also available in Daily Notices on SEQTA.

WIN A GOLDEN TICKET!

Design a poster to promote the 2022 Fete and you could win a Golden Ticket, which will entitle you to enjoy free food, drink and a fun activity (details to be confirmed) at the Fete! There is a prize for a Primary School (Years 2 to 5) and a prize for Middle/Senior School (Years 6 to 12).

The poster will need to include the following information:

Date: 12 March 2022

Time: 10am to 3pm

Venue: St Mark's

Special features/stall information that could be highlighted: side show rides, stalls, food and drink, Dunk a Teacher, displays, market stalls, competitions, raffles, silent auctions, Trash 'n Treasure stall, book stall, toys and games (all stalls and rides will be cash only)

Parking: Secondary Oval

Competition Entry Information

The poster needs to be A4 size and be able to be printed and produced in a digital format. It can be a scanned copy of a hand drawn poster. Email entries to the Fete Coordinator at fete@stmarks.wa.edu.au.

Closing date for entries: 17 November 2021

Thanks to the many parent volunteers who have already begun preparing for the St Mark's Community Fete 12 March 2022 - we are picking up the pace! Next we will be seeking donations of the following items for stalls:

• Plants and Garden Art: Small potted plants, garden art and cuttings, will all help to make this Garden Stall a place to visit. It is one of the most popular stalls at the Fete. Larger plant donations can be collected by arrangement. Deliveries of donations will be in the week prior to the Fete. If you have some extra time and would like the challenge of creating small plants potted in a variety of cups and saucers, we have a collection of old cups and saucers just waiting for you.
• Silent Auction/Raffle: This event is always a big draw card. Seeking items for hamper style raffle prizes and for the Silent Auction.

Please email the Fete Coordinator fete@stmarks.wa.edu.au if you are able to help in any way. Volunteer opportunities for the Fete are also listed here.

Businesses are also encouraged to get involved! Please contact us if you would like to be considered for:

• Market Stalls: Community members and businesses stalls are invited to apply for a place in our "Market Square".
• Sponsorship: If your business would like to sponsor a part of the day's events, we'd love to hear from you.

Please contact Wes Buzza - 2022 Fete Coordinator by phone on 0414884201 or email fete@stmarks.wa.edu.au.

Has your child represented Western Australia in 2021 via selection in a State sporting body? If so, please complete the attached application form and we will consider their application to be placed on the honour board in the Len King Sports Pavilion.

Sports honour Board Application 2021

You can log your parent hours online, at any time. The P&F recommend that you log your hours as soon as possible after completion of the task. A separate submission should be made for each activity completed.

Please contact the P&F's Parent Commitment Coordinator, Mrs Sam Bean, at parentcommitment@stmarks.wa.edu.au if you have any questions regarding the Parent Commitment Hours program.

Need to check how many hours you have logged?

If you have logged hours in Term 1, 2 or 3 this year, but aren't sure how many you have completed, you can now check your information in the documents below. All you need to do is search the PDF for your Family Code (as shown on your Fee Statement). Please note that the document will be updated at the end of Term 4, 2021.

• Parent Hour records (summary of total hours to date per Family Code) as at 24 October 2021
  
• Parent Hour records (detailed, includes individual entries per Family Code) as at 24 October 2021

Thank you to all Year 2 Students for their wonderful enthusiasm shown throughout the year during the String Program. In order for us to plan for 2022, we require all Year 2 families to fill out a form to let us know your child’s intentions for next year in regards to learning an instrument. Please download a copy of the letter for further information, and links to relevant forms, which must be received by the end of Week 6, Friday 19 November.

Calling all musical Year 4 and 5 students – anyone who would like to start a new instrument next year and will be in Year 5 or Year 6 in 2022 is invited to apply to be part of the 2022 Band Program! Application letters for each year group are available on the Primary Parent Portal, and you can apply online. Applications close on Sunday 14 November.

Students who are already learning an instrument this year are not eligible to learn the same instrument next year in the Band Program, as the program is designed for beginners who are just starting an instrument and includes membership of the Beginner Band. Students who wish to pick up a second instrument and are committed to learning it for the full year may apply.

All students joining the school in Year 6 who already have some experience on a band instrument will automatically join the Intermediate Band. Students do not have to take lessons at St Mark’s to be part of our ensembles – they are open to students learning an instrument privately as well. If you are new to St Mark’s and you would like to take up instrumental lessons here in 2022, please complete an enrolment form before Friday 19 November. More information on ensembles at St Mark’s (including band, choir and orchestra) will be forthcoming at the start of 2022.

If you have any questions, please contact Eloise Thomas on 9403 1350 or via email.

Has your child shown an interest in learning a musical instrument? We are delighted to offer students access to a wide range of instruments, including woodwind, brass, strings and more! Please download the flyer for more information. It includes a guideline of what instruments are recommended for each year group.

Please note that current enrolments are ongoing, unless the Music Department is notified well in advance that your child will not be continuing in the next term. The next deadline for enrolments/withdrawals is Friday 19 November. Please contact Ms Eloise Thomas at ethomas@stmarks.wa.edu.au for an online enrolment form (or a withdrawal form if your child will not be continuing lessons).

Members of The Arts Society are parents of children from K-12 (including Old Scholars) who are interested in completing parent contribution hours supporting The Arts (Dance, Drama, Media Arts, Music, Visual Arts and Production). The database of The Arts Society is growing and we are looking forward to welcoming more families to this dynamic group.

There are so many areas in which parents can commit their energy and skills including; catering for performances and rehearsals; Front of House duties; set painting/dressing; assisting visual arts staff with cleaning the art rooms; transport of equipment for concerts; helping setup and cater for the Visual Arts Exhibitions; costume department support; Music Cataloguing; backstage production support; musical instrument performance in productions and piano accompaniment...just to name a few!

Anyone interested in joining this community are asked to please contact Arts Administrator Ms Eloise Thomas on
ethomas@stmarks.wa.edu.au.

ECU is Inviting students in Years 9, 10, 11 and 12 in 2022 to come and explore Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics in an interactive and engaging environment through the CREATE program designed and developed by ECU School of Engineering.

ACTIVITIES

• Robotics
• Civil Engineering
  

DATES: 11th, 12th, 13th, 18th, 19th, & 20th January 2022

TIME: 9:15AM – 3:00PM

For more information, including registration details, please download the flyer.

Applications for Gallipoli Scholarships are invited from young Australian or New Zealanders resident in Australia, who are 25 years of age or younger on 1 March 2022, planning on undertaking their first year of a degree or diploma course (the latter at an advanced diploma at an Australian University or TAFE, commencing in 2022. They must be direct descendants of an Australian or New Zealand service man or woman who has served in any conflict or peacekeeping operation since the First World War.

As this Scholarship is aimed at young men and women who are “doing it tough” they must be able to demonstrate circumstances that exist that would prevent their attendance at University if they were not to receive a Scholarship. Receipt of a government benefit such as Youth Allowance, ABSTUDY or a similar government benefit is regarded as indicative of financial need.

Applications open on 1 November 2021 and must be received by close of business on 28 February 2022.