The Lion's Roar - 11 May 2022

Cheerleading Champion

Congratulations to Year 2 student Ava, who recently competed in the virtual world cheerleading championships for the title of 'Tiny Miss Cheer'. She came first in her solo routine, second place in tumbling and second place in jumps. Ava scored the highest points overall to win the 'Tiny Miss Cheer 2022' title.

Well done, Ava.

Brothers Make the State Team

Well done to brothers, Blake (Year 12) and Evan (Year 10) on their selection in the state gymnastics team for the National Gymnastics Championships being held on the Gold Coast this month.

Congratulations, boys!

Just a reminder that our Year 3, Year 5, Year 7 and Year 9 students will take part in NAPLAN between Tuesday 10 May to Friday 20 May. This year's testing is all online and we ask that you please remind your child to ensure their electronic device is fully charged and they have a working pair of earphones with them.

For further information regarding NAPLAN testing please follow this link.

Please be aware that the QUARTERLY option fees were due on 17 May 2022.

Thank you.

We are looking for a Computer Technician to join St Mark’s Anglican Community School. Check out the job advertisement and if this sounds like you, apply now!

Please feel free to share the role with your networks https://www.seek.com.au/job/56858645.

At the end of last year, staff participated in the first of four days of professional learning in the Berry Street Education Model. It is necessary to undertake the Days 2 and 3 of training together at the beginning of Term 3 this year.

As a result, students will not resume Term 3 until Wednesday July 27, one day later than has been published in this year’s planner.

We will remind families of this throughout Term 2.

The Primary Interhouse Cross Country event will take place on Tuesday 17 May from 9am starting on the Secondary Oval.

Students will need to wear their House shirts on this day.

Please click on the following links for the information letter and the Cross Country Program:

Letter to Parents/Guardians

Primary Interhouse Cross Country Program

Please note that school will finish at 1.00pm on Tuesday 17 May for all students in Years 6 - 12 to accomodate the Year 7-9 Parent-Teacher Interviews.

Thank you.

Dear Parents / Carers

Parent-teacher interviews will be held on Tuesday 17 May, for families of students in Years 7-9. These interviews form an integral part of the continuous feedback model adopted by the School.

We welcome parents and students to meet with the staff to discuss progress and improvements in various subject areas.
We have moved to an online environment for parent-teacher interviews, and interviews will be for 7 minutes. Timing is important as we need to be able to move to the next parent waiting their turn online.

Booking interviews are through PTO online.

Please access the system through this link, or you can access the link on the School website. Click “Obtain PIN/Password” and enter your email address. You do not need to book interviews with all your child’s teachers (you can be selective in your choice). Bookings will close on Sunday 15 May.

Please click here for instructions for using Microsoft Teams Meetings for the parent-teacher interviews.

Please also note that School will finish at 1pm for all students in Years 6 - 12 to accommodate the interviews.

Kind regards

Ivan McLean and Roseanne Madden
Head of Middle and Senior Schools

On Saturday, three of our Year 7 students, Emily, Ruby and Eliana, attended the Girls Programming Network (GPN) on Cyber Security - Hashing Functions.

Throughout the day, the girls followed coding workbooks (prepared by the GPN coordinators) which was interspersed with short 5 minute lectures on the basic concepts. We learned about storing passwords and hash algorithms, and even created our own secret access program in Python while listening to Disney soundtracks.

As part of the afternoon activity the girls had to try to log in as the presenter by finding her username and password using Open Source Intelligence techniques (OSINT). They researched and used social engineering techniques to better understand what her credentials might be. It was inspiring to see the girls brainstorm and attempt to crack the password ethically.

The girls had heaps of fun and will be back next term for more! .

We are excited to announce that open rehearsals for our Year 2 String program will be coming up on Tuesday 31 May and Tuesday 21 June 2022. This is a lovely chance to watch your child play their String instrument alongside their peers.

Please keep a lookout in the upcoming newsletters for the Trybooking link to book your seat!

All ensembles are now back to rehearsing together at their usual time and place.

Based on the latest health advice, wearing masks is no longer a requirement. However, the Music Department encourages students and staff to wear masks where possible, especially in small practice rooms or large ensembles.

Asymptomatic close contacts can return to school according to WA Government requirements if they return a negative daily RAT and wear a mask. Parents must inform the school (including the Music Department if their child is a musician) of their child's close contact status. Please note that these close contacts will not be able to participate in music lessons or ensembles where masks would usually be removed, such as woodwind and brass players. Students should notify their ensemble director or music tutor to discuss alternative arrangements ahead of time.

Year 6 Art students have been busy learning about the six Noongar seasons and created some prints inspired by one of the different seasons. These beautiful artwork creations are by Mason, Kodi, Isobel, Lacey, Tyeesha and Abigail.

The Department of Education is running several workshops for parents to learn about post-school options. Career Conversations 2022 will provide information on the many opportunities available to young people. Come along to the free parent events and learn about:

• what industry want from young people
• the opportunities on offer
• young people sharing their experiences
• where to find up-to-date career information

Click here to download the flyer detailing dates and venues along with information on how to book your free ticket.

The Salvation Army Great Cook Up initiative is back on track again this term!

This is a fantastic initiative for a very worthy cause, run by the St Mark's Old Scholars Association once a term and gives students from Years 2 to 5 the opportunity to come together with their parents, work alongside each other and cook meals for the Salvation Army at the Alan Cadby Senior Academic Centre (Home Economics rooms in the Secondary School).

It is always a great afternoon, and the kitchen is continually abuzz with St Mark's community spirit. The St Mark's Old Scholars Association will be providing all the food and ingredients; all you need to do is simply turn up and help prepare and cook the meals.

Further details are as follows:

Date: Wednesday 18 May
Time: 3.40pm (after school) until approximately 5/5.30pm
Where: St Mark's Home Economics rooms
Who: Only 12 x family places are available (two groups per meal batch) - parents will be notified via email
Sign-up link: Salvation Army Great Cook Up - Term 2

This initiative is being organised by The St Mark's Old Scholars Association, and should you require any further information regarding this activity, then please email Andrew Coffin at andrewcoffin@bigpond.com

The OSA needs volunteers to assist between 7.30am and 2.30pm for the OSA's #democracysausage fundraiser at St Mark's Anglican Community School on Election Day - Saturday 21 May. All you need to do is register for a 90-minute slot here or email community@stmarks.wa.edu.au.

You don't need to be a member of the Old Scholars' Association to volunteer, as funds raised will support initiatives for current students - though we definitely would love to see some of our past students behind the BBQ! Parents (including Old Scholars who are current parents) can claim their volunteer time as Parent Commitment Hours.

As a result of the global pandemic, there has been a noticeable shift in the amount of time people spend on screen-based devices. Families are transitioning back to pre-COVID routines but many are still struggling to re-establish the boundaries and rules around screen use. Some continue to deal with digital conflict and tech-tantrums on a daily basis. The latest research found that 77% of teenagers spend more than five hours on screens per day, but it is important to note that not all screen time is considered equal.

Parents play a crucial role in modelling a positive and healthy approach to using screens and assisting children to navigate the content they watch. It is better to model and mentor screen use, rather than monitor it. Children tend to do more of what they see us do, and less of what we tell them to do. However, it is still important to outline the risks and highlight the benefits of screen use to ensure you keep a balanced attitude. Encourage discussions around the issues that people experience in monitoring their screen time and be honest about your own difficulties.

Parents need to remain firm in their approach to managing screen time. Excessive screen time can be detrimental to a child’s overall wellbeing. Ensuring the correct privacy settings are in place is vital to prevent children from being inadvertently exposed to inappropriate content or online predators. Parents need to also be mindful of the potential impact screen time can have on a child’s social, emotional, educational, behavioural, and even physical domains.

In this edition of SchoolTV, care-givers will be provided with a range of guidelines and strategies to help manage screen time at home. We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this month’s edition, and we always welcome your feedback.

If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Click here for the link to this month's edition.