The Lion's Roar - 2 February 2022

ASC INTERNATIONAL STUDENT OF THE YEAR

We are delighted to confirm that Year 11 student, Daisy Wang, was announced as the ASC's International Student of the Year (Year 10-12) at the ASCI's end of year lunch at the end of last year.

Amanda Fritz, Director of International Programs at ASCI, said that Daisy is a huge asset to the program and this award was fantastic recognition of her efforts.

Congratulations, Daisy!

ROMAN RIDING HIGH

Congratulations to Year 8 student Roman Riches-Depiazzi who received first place in the WA Freestyle BMX Championships (Intermediate Level) over the holidays. Roman had previously won the Beginner Level in 2021 and is progressing through the sport at a lightning rate! Roman was also asked to ride at the Perth foreshore on Australia Day, where he jumped over some very brave Police officers!

Well done, Roman!

SWIMMING STARS

Year 12 students Rachel McGinn and Mia Gonano spent their holidays in the water at Craigie Leisure Centre, teaching vacation swimming lessons to young children. The girls were praised by Vacswim Coordinator Louise Smith for their professionalism, ability and encouraging nature towards the swimmers. Well done Rachel and Mia on being such wonderful teachers and supportive members of the community.

A reminder that students from Years 7-12 inclusive, must wear a mask inside the classroom. Students in Year 6 are encouraged to wear a mask, given that they are part of the Secondary School, but it is not compulsory. Parents are required to provide a mask for their child. Thank you for your cooperation.

A reminder to parents to please keep students home if they are unwell. There has been cases of gastro at school this week, please ensure a student is kept home for at least 24 hours after an episode of gastro.

Please also remember to submit any new Action Plans or medication to the Wellness Centre. The Wellness Centre can be contacted via wellnesscentre@stmarks.wa.edu.au or 9403 1331.

A reminder that School Fees were due by Tuesday 15 February, unless a payment plan/direct debit is already in place.

For those families who are still to choose a payment option, please do so as soon as possible. A Payment Nomination form (found here) OR Direct Debit form is required, not both.

BPAY is only available for Option A (annual) or Option B (quarterly) payments. Monthly and fortnightly payment arrangements are by Direct Debit.

Please contact familyaccounts@stmarks.wa.edu.au if you have any queries.

Over the past few weeks, we have seen an increase in the media regarding accidents and dangerous riding behaviours involving E-Scooters and E-Bikes

The speed limit on footpaths and in pedestrian areas, however, is much lower at 10km/h reflecting the speed differential between different path user groups.

Riders are required to give way to pedestrians and keep to the left of oncoming bicycle riders or other ERD users. They are not permitted to travel on a separated footpath designated for the use of pedestrians.

Other new rules for ERDs and their users include:

• Riders of higher powered electric rideable devices must be at least 16 years of age;
• Riders must wear an approved helmet, use lights and reflectors at night and have a working warning device; and
• The same mobile phone and drink and drug driving rules apply as for motor vehicle drivers.

Under existing Western Australian rules, children under the age of 16 years are permitted to use motorised scooters that have a maximum power output of 200w and maximum speed of 10 km/h.

For more information regarding bicycle safety and rules please click here.

With the wet weather upon us, it is timely that we remind our families about accessing the school during drop-off/pick-up times as well as parking around the grounds.

Walking/Riding to School

• St Mark’s encourages students to walk or ride to school where possible, and we stress the importance of using the roads safely. Helmets must be worn when riding to and from school, as required by law.
• Remind students to take note of the traffic around them, and be aware of other road users, including cars and pedestrians.
• Be aware that, even if a cyclist rings their bell, pedestrians may not immediately recognise it as warning of an approaching bicycle. As such, when there are pedestrians on a shared pathway, cyclists should slow down and give the pedestrian time to move to safety.
• Students are not to ride their bicycles in the School grounds - they must dismount.
• Primary School students should park their bikes next to the multi-purpose court near the Primary Oval. Middle and Senior School students should park their bikes in the bike racks behind the Dunsborough (Science) buildings or next to Busselton (D&T) building.

Manned Crossings

There are manned crosswalks at a number of locations. Traffic Wardens appointed by the Children’s Crossing Unit of the WA Police are located on Whitfords Avenue (Belrose Entrance), Endeavour Road (Banks Avenue), Whitfords Avenue, and on Cook Ave.

In addition, we have a School Traffic Warden located at the Kiss ‘n Drive points outside the Performing Arts Complex. Please follow the instructions of the wardens to help keep our children safe.

Kiss ‘n Drive Locations

There are a number of Kiss ‘n Drive drop off points around the School, including Whitfords Avenue entrance (Gate 4), Early Learning Centre (via Gate 3), Eastern Access Road (via Gate 3), and outside the Performing Arts Complex (via Gate 3 or Gate 2). There is an additional Kiss ‘n Drive bay on St Marks Drive (travelling east to west). To ensure the safety of all pedestrians, please adhere to the following:

• Kiss ‘n Drive bays are strictly ‘no parking’ areas whether or not you are in your vehicle.
• Students must exit from the passenger-side doors as quickly as possible.
• Students must use the designated crosswalks located at each Kiss ‘n Drive within the School grounds.
• Do not overtake vehicles who are ahead of you in the Kiss ‘n Drive queue.
• Please be patient, drive slowly, and be aware of other road users.
• At pick up time, if your child is not at the Kiss ‘n Drive when you arrive, please follow the Traffic Warden’s directions and move forward to rejoin the queue.

Parking Reminders

We need your help to support our local businesses at the Endeavour Business Centre. The zones indicated by the 'No Parking' signs in the map below are privately owned and may only be used by the clients of the businesses operating at the Centre. As many of these services are open outside of traditional business hours, this parking advice applies at all times. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

KINDY - YEAR 1 CLASS PARENT INFORMATION EVENING - CHANGE OF DATE
To adhere with our COVID rules, we are required to reschedule our K-1 Parent Information Evening. The new date is Tuesday 15 February. This is an excellent chance for parents and carers to meet their child's teacher and gain an insight into what learning and activities the class will experience in the year ahead.

Information sessions will take place in classrooms, commencing at 6pm until approximately 7pm.

COVID regulations require all parents to wear a mask, check-in with the SafeWA or ServiceWA App and adhere to social distancing where possible.

PLAYGROUNDS BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL
Parents are asked to keep time spent in the ELC areas before and after school to a minimum. Children are asked to NOT play on the playground equipment during this time. We appreciate parent reinforcement of this rule, ensuring the health and safety of children and the grounds to remain tidy.

REMINDER - NO HOUSE SHIRTS ON FRIDAYS

A reminder that Junior School students (Years 2 to 5) are not required to wear their House shirts on Fridays.

For ELC students, please see below:

• Pre-Primary students wear their House shirts on Friday.
• Year 1 students wear their House shirts on Thursdays.
• Kindy students are not required to wear a House shirt.

Last week the Year 12s began their final year of schooling with a retreat on campus. Over the two days, students took part in team building activities, listened to guest speakers and had the chance to spent time reflecting on themselves and their relationships. To read a full article on the retreat, please visit the news page here.

Students from Year 6-12 are invited to attend the Visual Arts Club, held each Wednesday in the Art Room from 3:30pm to 4:30pm. If you have any questions, please see Mrs Bastow. Everyone welcome!

Instrumental Tutors Meet and Greet

All 2022 instrumental students and parents are invited to a Meet and Greet with their instrumental music tutors on Friday 4 February, from 3.30pm to 4.30pm in the Performing Arts Centre Foyer (straight after the Secondary Swimming Carnival). This will be an opportunity for students, parents and tutors who are new to the Instrumental Music Program to meet each other in an informal environment and for existing students, parents and tutors to touch base and catch up with each other. Please bring a small plate of afternoon tea to share.

Instrumental Music Lessons

Most instrumental lessons will commence in Week 2 of Term 1. Your instrumental tutor will be in contact via email or phone to notify you of the date and time of your first lesson. If you have not heard from your tutor by Friday 5 February please contact Ms Eloise Thomas (Arts Administrator) on ethomas@stmarks.wa.edu.au.

If you are new to the School and would like to enrol in instrumental lessons for Term 2, please contact Eloise Thomas for an Instrumental Music Handbook. Some tutors may have limited places for new students to start immediately in Term 1, but this is subject to availability.

Secondary Ensembles

We have a large range of secondary ensembles available for students to join in 2022. Please note the ensemble rehearsal schedule has changed in 2022 due to conductor availability, so students in existing ensembles should check carefully for their new times. Information is available below regarding how to sign up for an ensemble (some ensembles are open to all, others by audition or invitation only). All ensembles will commence in Week 3 unless otherwise advised by the ensemble director. Percussion students - please speak directly to your tutors about joining one of the Percussion ensembles.

2022 Secondary Music Ensembles

2022 Music Ensembles Rehearsal Schedule

Primary Music Ensembles

To view information and rehearsal times for all Primary Music Ensembles, please click on the link below.

2022 Primary Music Ensembles

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.

The Christian Leaders Scholarship helps cultivate meritorious young Christians to be the next generation of leaders. The Scholarship is offered by a group of Christian leaders in their personal capacity to promote Christians making a positive impact in our society.

The scholarship is open to students commencing full-time university studies in 2024; and students currently in their first year of university studies. Applications to the Scholarship are currently open and will be evaluated as they are received. The Scholarship may be awarded to worthy applicant(s) before the closing date on Sunday 4 June 2023.

For more information, please visit Christian Leaders Scholarship | The Ichthys Community or contact the Scholarship Committee at christianleadersscholarship@gmail.com.

The Home Economic Team are looking for parent helpers for Cafe Raw. There are a number of scheduled spots available, so you can nominate to fill just one slot or a few in a term. Please email Mrs Katharine Gillam on kgillam@stmarks.wa.edu.au to register your interest or find out more information. The available dates in Semester 1 are:

• Mondays - Period 5 (1.35pm to 2.30pm)
• Wednesdays - Period 1 (8.55am to 9.50am)
• Thursdays - Period 6 (2.30pm to 3.25pm)
• Fridays - Period 2 (9.50am to 10.45am)

Please note that parents who volunteer more than once a week at any school are required to provide proof of vaccination status. All parents who volunteer at St Mark’s are required to sign in at Main Reception before heading to Cafe Raw (located in the Floreat Building).

With only five weeks to go until the 2022 St Mark's Community Fete, a reminder to all parents to please check the sign up page for volunteering opportunities. Almost 65% of places are now filled, thank you to everyone who has already signed up.

We are also seeking a parent who has a connection to a skip bin company, to assist with the cost of hiring a covered bin for waste from the fete.

The Fete has a long established tradition where each Year group takes up the challenge of finding items that will be available on the various stalls, for purchase and as prizes. All year groups and contributions are listed in the table below. Drop off boxes will be located in the ELC, Junior, Middle and Main Reception areas. Thank you in advance for helping make this Fete a success for our community. All donations, no matter how small, are much appreciated.

Got questions or want to find out how to get involved? Email Wes Buzza at fete@stmarks.wa.edu.au.

MURDOCH UNIVERSITY AFTER SCHOOL AND STUDY SKILLS PROGRAMS

Murdoch University After School Program in Mathematics and Physical Sciences provides classes in Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry. Each subject runs for two hours, 4.30pm to 6.30pm, and students are welcome to attend up to three times a week depending on their interests. Please see the flyer here or email Afterschoolprogram@murdoch.edu.au for more information.

In term 1 Murdoch University is also offering short Study Skills Primer courses. While the course is science based, it is also suitable for any student wishing to improve their comprehension and critical thinking skills. Click here for more information.

TRAFFIC WARDENS NEEDED

The WA Police Force Children's Crossing Unit is calling for volunteers to become Traffic Wardens. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a warden, please click on the letter below for more information.

Traffic Warden letter 2022

ECU COMPUTING, CREATING AND COLLABORATING WORKSHOPS

ECU is inviting girls in Years 7 - 12 to join them for a day of computing, creating, and collaborating! ECU is hosting four different GPN workshops over the year, catering for first time programmers and seasoned coders! Guided by women from Perth’s IT community, students will be guided through the creation of their own game or app, meet like-minded people and learn about the tech industry. The first session will be held on Saturday 19 February from 9.45am to 3.45pm at ECU Joondalup (Building 18, Level 1 and 2) Participants are asked to bring their own morning tea and lunch. To register, click here. For more information contact Mrs Chomiak (mchomiak@stmarks.wa.edu.au) or Dr Michelle Ellis at ECU via Michelle.Ellis@ecu.edu.au.

GIRLS SATURDAY SOCCER REGISTRATIONS OPEN

The Western Australian Christian Football Association (WACFA) is calling for registrations for girls interested in playing soccer in 2022. Contact your local club to register (club details can be found at www.wacfa.com.au/clubs) or email administration@wacfa.com.au.

BEFORE SCHOOL TENNIS LESSONS

Pop Tennis will be conducting before school tennis lessons at St Mark’s Anglican Community School in Term 1, for children in Years 1-6. All equipment is provided and children received a free ANZ Hot Shirts shirt when they register.

To register please email info@poptennis.com.au or text Glen on 0433 340 646 with the following information:

• Child’s Full Name
• What year your children/s are in
• Child’s Date of Birth
• Mobile number
• Email address

KALLAROO CHURCH KIDS CLUB

Kallaroo Church is once again running their Weekly Kids Club for Pre-Primary to Year 6 students on Wednesdays during school term. The classes run from 4.30pm to 5.30pm at Kallaroo Anglican Church (1 Aristride Avenue, Kallaroo). There are two separate groups: “Sparks” for PP – Year 3 and “Flames” for Year 4-6. All are welcome, cost is $2.50. For more information, contact Gordon Killow at the church office on 9401 8151.

MARK LEE SOCCER AT ST MARK'S
Mark Lee’s Before School Soccer is back in Term 1! Mark and his team of coaches are delighted to be coaching on Friday mornings from 7.30am to 8.30am. Children from Pre-Primary to Year 6 are welcome to attend and will be placed in age appropriate groups.

Each session will include Tag Games, Dribbling, Shooting, Passing, Attacking and Defending and lots of small sided games variations. The sessions will run each Friday from 18 February to 25 March, and costs $119 per child. Coaches will make sure each child is taken to class following the sessions. and although parents are welcome to stay and watch it is not essential. To register your child please email mark@mlfc.com.au or call/text 0430 788 703.

REDHAGE BASKETBALL IS BACK AT ST MARK'S

Former Perth Wildcat and Olympian Shawn Redhage is bringing his basketball skills program back to St Mark's this term. To find out more, download the flyer here.

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.

The St Mark's Parent Prayer Group will be meeting on the following Fridays this term:

• 11 February
• 25 February
• 11 March
• 25 March
• 8 April

The group meets at 9.00am in the Chapel. Why not grab a coffee after drop off and join in the session! Everyone is welcome. For more information please contact the Prayer Group coordinator via ParentsUnitedForPrayer@gmail.com.