The Lion's Roar - 2 August 2023

TENNIS ACE

Congratulations to Year 9 student Benjamin who last week competed in the South Pacific Open Junior Championships in Lautoka, Fiji, as part of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) World Tennis Junior Tour.

Benjamin had a great result reaching the quarterfinals in the doubles main draw with Australian player Liam Kindler (from Victoria). Together they defeated players from France, Hong Kong, and Japan.

Well done, Benjamin!

SOCCER STAR

Wishing Owen in Year 10 all the best at the U16 soccer academy this week. He is playing in Singapore and Malaysia as part of the academy team.

Good luck, Owen!

MUSICAL SENSATION

We are excited to share that Year 12 student Noah has been included on Triple J's 'Unearthed' with his track 'Amends'. He is an amazing singer, rapper, songwriter, composer and producer and was one of the soloists at the recent ASC Schools Week Concert. Noah performs under the name TripTTonic, and you can check out his amazing music HERE.

Please note there is a Parental Warning on the track.

FILMING INTERLUDES

Year 12 student Mark has taken his studies beyond the classroom to work with industry professionals from WAAPA, WASA and many more to create his Media ATAR film. Now in the editing stages, the film will be finished around September, and from there, Mark intends to enter it in a number of film festivals. He is leading a 13-person crew, and as the writer, director, editor, colour grader and producer, you can't help but be inspired by what he has set out to achieve.

A special thanks to two other St Mark's Year 12 students, Jack and Banjo, who have helped within the crew and also Mr Limpitlaw for his guidance.

We can't wait to see the finished film!

Keep an eye out for its release and follow the film's progress here. Check out the behind-the-scenes photos below.

The Year 11 ‘Hoodies4Homeless’ fundraiser is this Thursday, 3 August, and it's looking to be a perfect day to wear a warm hoodie ❄️❄️❄️

The money raised will contribute to the Year 11 Anglicare Ambassadors Sleep-Out fundraiser and will go towards helping support those left homeless around WA. So far, the students have raised over $2,000.00! If you'd like to follow our students progress or make a donation, please head here.

When: Thursday 3 August

Who: Primary and Secondary staff and students

What:

• Bring a gold coin donation to wear a hooded jumper with your normal winter uniform for that day (Payable to your PCG Tutor).
• Music playing in the Quad during recess.
• Bakesale and drinks for sale at recess which will be held outside the dining area of the SAC.
• Street Connect Bus will be located in the Quad to interact with students.

Primary students, please note:

• Usual Thursday uniform with a hoodie worn over the top.
• Year 2 students attending the Cockman House excursion and students attending the State Cross Country Championships will not be able to wear their hoodie as part of the excursion.
• Primary students do not bring in a donation.

The curtains have now closed on what was an amazing season for our school production of School of Rock. The performers, crew and staff truly excelled in bringing this Broadway musical to the St Mark's stage. With many of the nights selling out, standing ovations and rave reviews, we couldn't be prouder of everyone's epic performances and assistance.

A massive thank you to the cast, crew, staff and parents. It is a mammoth effort to put on a production, and we couldn't have done it without you!

We will have the montage of photos for you soon!

It has come to our attention that a number of our students are not using the designated manned crosswalks on Whitfords Avenue and Endeavour Road. These are extremely busy roads, especially during drop-off and pick-up, and our students' safety is paramount. Please remind your child to use the designated crosswalks when crossing these roads. Our PCG teachers have also been asked to remind students.

We have also been informed that a number of our parents are continuing to use our neighbour's carparks, especially Better Pets/AutoMasters/SuperCheap etc, as their drop-off and pick-up zones. These carparks are reserved for the customers of these stores, and we ask that you please refrain from using these areas to drop-off/collect your children from school. You are welcome to use the carpark where Muzz Buzz is situated.

Each school term around Australia, GPN runs free, full-day workshops that teach high school girls and gender minorities to code using Python. Their events are all about learning together, making new friends and having fun with technology. No coding experience is required!

The Perth GPN for Term 3 2023 will be held at the University of Western Australia (UWA).

This event will be BYOD (bring your own device), so bring your laptop with you. They will have some laptops available for students who can't bring one.

Perth GPN workshops are run by volunteer tutors from Perth’s IT community - teachers, people working in industry, and students and staff from Perth’s universities.

Join them for a fun day learning to code, and meeting new people, PLUS free morning snacks & pizza lunch.

Download the flyer HERE

Book your spot HERE.

As advised in previous School communications, the St Marks ACS Uniform Shop is now independently managed by Tara Uniforms. Tara Uniforms has been supplying quality garments to the school since its inception and also provides uniforms to a number of other Anglican Schools Commission (ASC) Schools. Di Kelly and Leanne O’Connell will join the Tara team and continue to provide their high level of service and expertise to our families.

Please note that there are some changes to the opening times and contact details:

Uniform Shop Trading Hours - Term Time

• Mondays: 7:45am - 11.15am and 1pm - 5pm
• Wednesdays: 7:45am - 11.15am

The Uniform Shop has different opening hours during the School Holidays. Please check the School App or website before the School Holidays for these opening hours.

Contact Details

You may contact the Uniform Shop with any queries on 0434 211 591. Please note this phone number is only monitored during shop hours. If the matter is urgent, please email sales@matrixuniforms.com.au

With Tara Uniforms taking over the supply of our uniform items, including blazers, this will mean that our blazer fittings for 2024 enrolments will be able to occur later than the fittings that would usually have been scheduled for around Aug/Sep 2023. Tara will advise the cut-off date for blazer fittings and orders in due course.

Please find below the current Parent Commitment Hour reports logged up to 15 April 2024. You will need your family code as shown on your St Mark's account statements, to check your individual log.

Parent Commitment Hours Summary

Parent Commitment Hours Detailed

All Year 2-5 students are to wear House uniform on Monday; both performers and audience members. Coloured ribbons are encouraged in hair or on the music stand.

Parents and friends are warmly invited to each session, and no tickets are needed.

Primary Interhouse Eisteddfod Session times on Monday are as follows:

• Session 1 - Year 3 students 8.40am until 10.15am
• Session 2 - Year 2 students 10.40am until 11.10am
• Session 3 - Year 4MAR and 4MAS 11.15am until 12pm
• Session 4 - Year 4 UPS and 4HUM 12pm until 12.40pm
  - Lunch break
• Session 5 - All Year 5 classes 1.15pm until 2.45pm
• Winning House Assembly will be on Tuesday 8 August at 8.40am in the Year 4/5 area

If your child learns an instrument at St Mark’s, we need your input!

We are seeking feedback from parents on the St Mark's instrumental music program, and specifically the change in music tutors' status from employees to contractors in 2023. Your input is invaluable, and we appreciate you taking the time to participate in this anonymous survey.

Please complete your response by Thursday 10 August.

• ASC Piano Competition – Wednesday 30 August (entry cut-off this Friday 4 August)
• Year 11/12 Recital Night – Wednesday 30 August
• Instrumental Intermezzo Concert – Thursday 7 September 6.30pm
• House Performance Night – Friday 8 September
• Sunday Session at the Indi Bar – Sunday 17 September 1-4pm

The AVCAT scholarships, including the Long Tan Bursary, are tertiary scholarships for the children and grandchildren of Australian ex-serving veterans. Scholarships are $4000–$6000 per year for three years.

Applications open on 18 August 2023, Vietnam Veterans' Day, and close at midnight AEDT on 31 October 2023.

Apply online at avcat.org.au

The annual St Mark's Busy Bee is scheduled for 12th August - 8.00am to 12.00pm.

This event is a great opportunity to bring our community together to support the School and will be followed by a sausage sizzle.

Please bring your own tools on the day, including:

• paint brushes
• wheelbarrows
• shovels, forks and spades
• sponges, buckets and squeegees

Don't forget to bring gloves, hats and water bottles.

It would be great to see as many of our community members attending on the day. Parent commitment hours are available for each family that attends.

For more information, please contact Hamish or Wes from the P&F.

hamishsophie@gmail.com

kyrsted@hotmail.com

Our P&F Association has their Quiz Night coming up on Saturday 9 September, and like every school community-based event, we need volunteers!

If you can lend a hand, please head to the link below. This is a great way to grab some extra Parent Commitment Hours.

Sign up for P&F Quiz Night 2023 Volunteers https://signup.com/go/PjrtzjC

Neurodiversity emphasises the natural variation in how an individual’s brain functions and how they perceive and interact with the world, leading to diverse ways of learning and communicating. While most young people are neurotypical, some exhibit variations in brain development, such as ADHD, autism or dyslexia, making them neurodivergent.

Embracing neurodiversity involves accepting, celebrating, and supporting neurodivergent children and adolescents without attempting to change or treat their differences. Using respectful language, challenging unhelpful attitudes, avoiding assumptions, and actively promoting inclusivity can help embrace neurodiversity effectively.

Acknowledging the unique ways neurodiverse young people do things and then adapting tasks and activities to ensure their full participation will encourage them to develop strategies that feel natural to them. It will help improve their mental health, wellbeing and sense of self. By recognising and nurturing their strengths, parents and caregivers can contribute to building an inclusive and compassionate society where all young people can thrive.

Learning more about neurodiversity equips caregivers with insights into effective communication techniques, educational strategies, and parenting approaches tailored to the specific needs of their neurodivergent child. 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 help from a medical professional.

Here is the link to this month's edition https://stmarks.wa.schooltv.me/newsletter/neurodiversity

Join us on Tuesday 22 August 2023

We are excited to welcome Ben Pronk, DSC from The Resilience Shield as our guest speaker at the forthcoming P&F General Meeting.

• Date: Tuesday 22 August 2023
• Time: 7.30pm - 9.30pm
• Where: Barbara Godwin Perfomring Arts Complex
• PCH: 2 x Parent Commitment Hours per family may be claimed for attending

For further information regarding what The Resilience Shield is about, please head to www.resilienceshield.com.

Download the event information here.

We look forward to seeing you there!

By popular demand, we have five tables of 8-10 people available to purchase for the P&F Quiz Night on Saturday 9 September. Be quick, as once they are gone, that's it!

If you are interested in a bigger-sized table then please purchase the required tickets online and send a note to nguptawork@gmail.com with the participant details.

How's your general knowledge?

Book your tickets because our highly-anticipated P&F Quiz Night is only 1.5 weeks away, and ticket sales CLOSE 31 AUGUST!

It's time to dust off those thinking caps, gather your brightest buddies, and get ready for an evening filled with brain-teasing fun and excitement! Fantastic prizes await the victorious teams, so make sure to bring your A-game!

• Date: Saturday 9 September 2023
• Time: 6.30pm
• Location: Ken Fairfield Hall, St Mark's ACS
• Tickets: Head to the event page link here.
• Please note that no refunds will be provided after 31 August

Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity to showcase your knowledge prowess and have a blast with friends and family.

Spread the word, invite your friends, and let's make this Quiz Night an unforgettable one!

See you all there!

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 Parents Prayer Group (PPG) meets fortnightly to pray for the students, staff and school community. We will be meeting every second Friday at 9am in the school Chapel, starting 4th August (Term 3 dates are 4 August, 18 August, 1 September and 15 September).

Please sign in at reception and perhaps stop by the coffee van on the way.

All are welcome.

Please share any prayer requests by emailing parentsunitedforprayer@gmail.com or call Wing Shattock on 0433 002 151.