The Lion's Roar - 18 August 2021

Rescue Hero

Mullaloo Surf Life Saving Club shared an amazing story on their Facebook page yesterday afternoon, acknowledging the work of Callum Foley (W8.2) and Brodie Lee (who previously attended St Mark's) on a successful (and unexpected) surf rescue. You can read the post here, or click on the image in the gallery below. Great job, guys!

Middle School Netball Stars

We'd like to give a shout-out to three of our Middle School students who are helping our younger students in the independently-run St Mark's Netball Club:

Charlotte Cove (C8.1) coaches a Year 2 Netball Team because they had no coach, and couldn’t play without one. Charlotte voluntarily gives up her time to train and coach the girls. She even gave up the opportunity for a paid umpire role to coach the girls, because she wanted to be on the sideline coaching throughout the game. Charlotte does not have a connection to any of the Year 2s she coaches, it's simply her community spirit and a love of the game!

Sophie Cole (C8.2) coaches a Year 3 Team, who were also without a coach. Her sister is in Year 3, but plays on on another team. Sophie is there every training session and sets positions. She does still umpire, so steps back and doesn’t coach on game day. She loves the role of coach, and her plan for next season is to focus on coaching, and not umpire games involving her team.

Xanthe Cole (6.3) is earning her stripes as an assistant coach of a Year 3 team. Her experiences of her coaching role to date have been very positive, and hopes to coach on her own in the future.

The St Mark's Netball Club is dependent on its volunteers to keep going, and appreciate the efforts of all the coaches, timekeepers and scorers that ensure the teams get to build their netball skills and develop their love of the game. A number of Middle and Senior School students act as umpires for their peers in the younger teams, and are great role models for all the players. Thank you!

Acrobatic Gymnastics

Ella Pilkington (3MAS) competed in her first Acrobatics Gymnasts competition on Saturday 7 August. Ella is part of Northern Districts Gymnastics Club and her Level 3 Trio Team placed third in their balance routine, and first in their dynamic routine. Overall, Ella finished in 2nd place, winning a silver medal! Well done, Ella.

St Mark's Music students present the Year 11 and 12 Music Recital Night on Wednesday 25 August at 7pm in the Barbara Godwin Performing Arts Complex. Complimentary tickets available here. It is always a fantastic evening, and particularly for the Year 12 students, a major milestone in their music studies at St Mark's. For many Year 12s, this may be one of their final School-based public performances.

MORE THAN 70% OF TICKETS NOW SOLD - DON"T MISS OUT!

Date: Saturday 18 September 2021

Time: Doors open 6.30pm, quiz starts at 7pm. Music and dancing to follow!

Tickets: Get them here at just $15pp

Tables will be in groups of six, so get your team together now! This event is for 18+, as alcohol will be available for purchase. You are encouraged to bring your own snacks to share with your table. If you would like to order a bottle of wine for your table in advance, you can do so using this form.

If you have your team of six all planned out, please contact Nirbhay Gupta at fundraising@stmarks.wa.edu.au with the list of names. This will help ensure that tables are set up appropriately. If you are not part of a team as yet, and are happy to be allocated to any table in need of team members, that would be helpful to know as well.

The St Mark’s Sunday Session at Badlands Bar is back for 2021!

Cert II and III Music students will be performing at this live music venue in front of family, friends and peers, with the Year 5 Rock Band 'Raging Fire' making a special appearance. Performing in a relaxed environment like this allows students to gain real life industry experience and it is a wonderful opportunity for all performers to display their skills in front of a live audience.

Tickets: Adults $9 and Concession $6. The venue has a capacity for 500 spectators and tickets will also be available at the door. All students must be accompanied by an adult (parent/carer). You can purchase your tickets here.

Our Year 12 Dance and Drama students will hold their Solo Examination Performance Evening on 15 September. We invite you to come along and support them at this special event. Tickets are free - book online at http://mytickets.co

The St Mark's Parents and Friends' Association is pleased to be welcoming Dr Prem Mudhan, Principal of Parnngurr Community School, as the Guest Speaker for the P&F General Meeting on Tuesday 14 September 2021.

Parnngurr is a remote West Australian Indigenous Community on the edge of the Great Sandy Desert. It is the home of 150 Martu people whose ancestors have been there since the beginning of the Dreaming. The community is built in the shadow of twin hills with particular significance to the people and sits at the southern end of the Karlamilyi (Rudall River) National Park, 380kms north-east of Newman on a maintained unsealed road.

Parnngurr Community School aims to develop strong young Martu men and women by ensuring they attain educational outcomes that will provide them with a wide range of life opportunities, while valuing their Indigenous culture.

St Mark's and the Parnngurr are pleased to be working together to build relationships between the young people in both schools, and this event provides a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the two-way learning program at the School. This will be of particular interest to the Year 8 families who have expressed interest in the 2022 visit to the region.

Bookings for this free event are now open - registrations are essential. Drinks and nibbles will be served.

Parents who attend this event can claim two parent commitment hours per family.

A parent information letter regarding this event was made available for Pre-Primary to Year 5 Parents earlier this week. Important reminders and updates are included below:

Thursday 26 August: Jumps, Throws, 200m and 800m events for selected Year 3 to 5 students

• Parents of participants are welcome to attend but must comply with current COVID-19 guidelines and register on arrival with the SafeWA app.
• Parent helpers are required for Thursday events (9.45am to 12.30pm). Please email Mr Barton at mbarton@stmarks.wa.edu.au if you are able to assist. Parent Commitment Hours can be claimed.

Friday 27 August: Track and Novelty Events for all Pre-Primary to Year 5 students

• Parents and spectators are welcome to attend but must comply with current COVID-19 guidelines and register on arrival with the SafeWA app.
• A Coffee Van will be available on the Secondary Oval on Friday.

St Mark’s Media and the Old Scholars' Association are proud to accept entries to the 2021 iRoar Film Competition from students in Years 6 to 12.

Create a 2-5 minute film that uses the School’s value of COMMUNITY as the primary theme, to win wonderful PRIZES valued up to $500!

Your film can be funny, serious, live-action, or animated. All entries must be submitted to Mr Limpitlaw in the Media Department by the end of Week 1, Term 4. Winners will be screened at a School event and awarded prizes by the Old Scholars' Association.

To help students edit their wonderful creations, the Media Room will be open on Tuesdays after school, during Term 3.

Our Year 11 Anglicare Ambassadors did a fantastic job with their fundraising efforts yesterday, selling what seemed like a mountain of sausage sizzles in aid of Anglicare WA and the School Sleepout.

There was also the opportunity for students from across Middle and Senior School to come along and chat to Youth Workers from Anglicare’s Street Connect services, to learn more about how the funds raised are used to support other young people in difficult circumstances.

Well done to everyone involved in the fundraising efforts, and a special thank you to the team from Street Connect for giving us insight into the very important work they do.

This is the final week our Year 10 and 11 students can make changes to their course selection for 2022. For those looking for an external guide as to what will suit their child best, independent news website, The Conversation, has recently shared some very useful articles that may be of interest:

• Maths Matters: In Western Australia, it is recommended that students have at least one maths course in the Year 11 and 12 program. Figuring out which one is right for each student can be challenging, as some aspects of the courses have changed since the parents of those students were at school. We found this simple explainer on The Conversation website, which echoes the information shared by our Head of Maths in the Course Selection Guide.
• ATAR Myths and Misconceptions: A short video debunking some of the myths/misconceptions about ATAR studies.
• VET/General Courses: This article explains how taking a VET subject in Year 11 and 12 can help secure your child a job.

The Watkins House fundraiser for the Cancer Council will take place on Friday 27 August. Cupcakes will be available for sale at recess, with a 'guess the number of lollies' competition and face painting also available at recess and lunch. Students are to wear House uniform as normal on a Friday, but can add a splash of yellow (scarf, hair ribbon, socks etc).

For those who pre-ordered daffodils, please go to the collection point linked to the year group of the student named in your order). The orders can be collected from 2.45pm onwards:

• Early Learning Reception
• Junior School Reception
• Hall (for Middle and Senior School orders)

We have a number of students with severe nut allergies (anaphylaxis) at St Mark's. We encourage all families to be 'allergy aware' and avoid sending nut-based products (including cashew nuts and peanuts) to School. Anaphylaxis is a potentially life-threatening health condition, and our risk-minimisation strategy needs your support.

Please remember to let the School know if your child will be absent, late to class, or if they will need to leave early to attend a medical appointment, by emailing absentee@stmarks.wa.edu.au.

Please include your child’s name and class/PCG in the subject line of the email. You can also call 9403 1300 (voicemail facility is available). Please do not send absentee/appointments/late information to any other email address - it must go to absentee@stmarks.wa.edu.au no matter what year group your child is in.

Students who are late to school, or need to leave early, are to go to the Middle School Reception (Years 6 to 8), located in the Cottesloe Building, or Senior School Reception (Years 9 to 12), located in the Senior Academic Centre to sign in/out. For Primary School students, parents must go to the relevant Reception to sign the child in/out.

For those who pre-ordered daffodils for the Watkins Daffodil Day Fundraiser, please go to the collection point linked to the year group of the student named in your order. The orders can be collected from 2.45pm onwards:

• Early Learning Reception
• Junior School Reception
• Hall (for Middle and Senior School orders)

In today's Community Notices section, we share some information on the Young Carer Bursary Program and the Australian Veterans' Children Assistance Trust Scholarships, as well as an upcoming Hymn and Choral Singing Festival in the city.

Young Carer Bursary

The Young Carer Bursary Program (YCB) supports young carers to continue with their education. The program offers 1,000 bursaries of $3,000 each year.

The Young Carers' Team have spent the last 12 months improving the application process and developing materials to support young carers, young carers’ family and friends, teachers and professionals to understand the application process and support services available. Applications open on Monday 16 November. For more information:

• Read the YCB Information Pack for Young Carers available in 9 languages
• Listen to The Secret Life of Carers podcast featuring a young Kamilaroi carer
• Check out the Frequently Asked Questions that our team have created for the YCB
• Join the YCB Wait List
  
• Subscribe to the YCB e-newsletter

Australian Veterans' Children Assistance Trust (AVCAT)

Applications for 2022 AVCAT Scholarships are now open. Apply online at www.avcat.org.au/apply before midnight, EDST, 31 October 2021. For more information about the application process read AVCAT's Application Guide and here for FAQ’s.

If you experience any difficulties completing the online Application Form, please contact AVCAT by email at info@avcat.org.au well before 31 October 2021. AVCAT staff are working from home, in lockdown, if you would like to speak to us over the phone please email us with your phone number and we will give you a call.

Applications open on Vietnam Veterans’ Day, 18 August 2021, and close on 31 October 2021 at midnight ESDT. To apply click here or type www.avcat.org.au/apply into your browser.

Hymn and Choral Singing Festival

The Welsh Free Church of Western Australia and the Perth Male Voice Choir invite you to a Gymanfa Ganu, Hymn and Choral Singing Festival on Sunday 22 August, at 2.30pm in the Trinity Uniting Church at 72 St George's Terrace, Perth. Free entry, all are welcome.