The Lion's Roar - 28 July 2021

Congratulations to our St Mark's Stars, some of whom were clearly very busy during the holiday break! We love sharing the news of what our students achieve outside of St Mark's, and would love to celebrate with them, so please feel free to email newsletters@stmarks.wa.edu.au, or use the submission form located at the bottom of this article.

Chase Tate (2BF) did himself and the Northern Gymnastics Club proud during the Bespalov Invitational Gymnastics Challenge for Level. Chase placed 2nd overall, and placed well in a number of events: 1st - Floor, 2nd - Parallel Bars, 3rd - Pommel, 3rd - Rings, 4th - High Bar and 5th - Vault. Congratulations, Chase!

Skyla Tothill (W11.2) will be representing WA in the upcoming National Junior Surfing Titles scheduled to be held in Queensland in November 2021. After a series of three State events, Skyla emerged as the Western Australia's highest ranked Under 18 Junior Female surfer! Best of luck for your prepartion, Skyla!

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.

A dying and bankrupt town receives a visit from its most successful and richest émigré 45 years after she left it penniless. Now a jet-setting celebrity, Claire Zachanassian returns in a cloud of publicity, promising a billion dollars to be shared amongst the residents and a solution to all their ills. All Claire wants in return is a small, easily accomplished favour - the murder of her first boyfriend. The town does the right thing. Doesn’t it?

The Year 12 and 11 Drama Students present this curriculum set text by Friedrich Dürrenmatt for your delectation and delight. Re-set in the Australian outback, this tragi-comic parable on justice, revenge and the root of all evil, is fun and thought-provoking. It contains some mature themes and is recommend for Year 9s and up.

Dates: 4, 5 and 6 August

Time: 7pm

Tickets: $13 each, available from mytickets.co

The Primary School Book Week will take place from 23 to 27 August, and this year's theme is 'Old Worlds, New Worlds, Other Worlds'. There will be lunchtime activities in the Primary Library for students in Years 2 to 5.

On Wednesday 25 August, the Primary School will celebrate Book Week by dressing up as their favourite book character (Kindy Cherry will dress up on Thursday 26 August). Please talk with your child/children about characters from the books they have read this year, or even some of your own favourite characters from books you have read. Children should come to school in their chosen dress up.

Book Fair

Once again, we will have Book Fair running in the Primary School Library. We encourage parents to accompany their children before or after school. It is a great time to buy some birthday and Christmas gifts! Please check the Weekly Bulletin for opening times.

A number of students have not yet returned their sports team uniforms from the Term 2 CAS and ACC events. Items not returned may incur a replacement fee. Please see Daily Notices on SEQTA for full list of students who have not yet returned their kit. Please drop off the items to the Phys Ed offices in Cottesloe as soon as possible.

Middle School Supervised Homework Club

Do you need some support to get homework done, or need some help with assessments, study skills and organisation? Come along to the weekly Middle School Homework Club.

• WHO: All students in Years 6 to 9
• WHEN: Tuesdays from 3.30pm to 4.30pm
• WHERE: Library Glass Room

We will start the term by checking that all the assessments are in the diary and recorded on the term planner, as well as checking in on our organisation for each subject. If there is something in particular you would like us to support your child with, please don’t hesitate to contact Mrs Rebecca Rourke or Mrs Kerry Kais.

ATAR Maths and Physical Sciences with Murdoch

Murdoch University offers a FREE After School Program in Mathematics and Physical Sciences (Physics and Chemistry) three times a week, from 4.30pm to 6.30pm. Download the flyer for more information.

Basic to Basic (French Beginners/Revision)

The Back to Basics revision sessions are ideal for Middle School students, no matter whether they have been learning French for a while, or whether they are new to the language. Sessions are held at lunchtime on Tuesdays in C5.

Maths

The Maths Department offers a few options:

• Maths Help for students in Years 6 to 12 takes place in S112 on Tuesday mornings at 7.30am, as well as Wednesday afternoons at 3.30pm. Attend one or both!
• Year 10 students planning to do Maths Methods in Years 11 and 12 are encouraged to attend the Maths Help/Maths Methods preparation sessions on Tuesday afternoons from 3.30pm in S112.

Music Theory Help Sessions

In order to help students catch up and consolidate their knowledge of basic theory concepts, Mrs McRae will be running a music theory help session every Tuesday at lunch time from Week 2 of this term. Students can bring their lunch and come to PAC2 as soon as they can. Any standard of theory will be accommodated, so please encourage your children if they would benefit from the extra help.

After School Science Support

Support is available in D1 for all students in Years 7 to 12, on Thursdays from 3.30pm to 4.30pm. For students in Years 11 and 12 undertaking ATAR courses, please check the roster to see which specialist teacher will be available each week for focused support.

English Help

The English Department will be on hand to assist students in Years 6 to 8 on Tuesday afternoons from 3.30pm to 4.30pm, in the Library Glass rooms.

HaSS Help

Students in Years 6 to 12 are encouraged to attend the before or after school help sessions for all things HaSS. For students in Years 11 and 12 undertaking ATAR courses, please check the roster to see which specialist teacher will be available each week for focused support. Sessions are held from 7.30am to 8.30am, Tuesday to Friday, and 3.30pm to 4.30pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays. All sessions are held in S225.

Parent teacher interviews form an integral part of the continuous feedback model adopted by the School. . Teachers of students in Years 10, 11 and 12 are looking forward to meeting parents at the interviews scheduled for Monday 2 August. The link to book your slot is located in the maroon bar on the top of each page of the website. We welcome parents and students to meet with the staff to discuss progress and improvements in various subject areas.

PLEASE NOTE: Families of students in Years 6 to 9 will have the opportunity to see their child's teacher at a later date. Bookings for these year groups cannot be made now - bookings will open closer to the time, and parents will be advised via email and the School App when this occurs.

Technical Support

Your log in details for PTO will remain the same as they were in previous years. Please note that the log in details are not the same as the ones you use to access SEQTA Engage. If you cannot recall your log in details, or if you are new to the School, please follow these steps:

1. On the right hand side, click on Obtain PIN.
2. Enter the email address through which you receive the majority of your communication from the School.
3. An email with your unique PIN will be sent to your registered addressed.
4. Return to the link, and enter the details as provided in the email.

If you did not receive an email after completing Step 2, or if it gives an error message in relation to your email address, please contact Carol Penney on 9403 1384.

If you are new to using PTO, the following videos may assist: Using PTO in Automatic Mode and Using PTO in Manual Mode. Videos can be viewed at any time.

Welcome back to another fun-filled musical term. The Ensemble Rehearsal schedule remains unchanged from Term 2. For your records, you can download the rehearsal schedule here.

On Thursday 12 August, our Primary music ensembles will be performing at the Winter Serenade Concert. The concert will commence at 6.30pm. Tickets are free, with a limit of five per family. The following ensembles will be showcasing their developing skills:

• Sforzando Strings
• Primo Strings
• Junior School Percussion Ensemble
• Beginner Band
• Viva Ritmo Voices
• Raging Fire (Year 5 Rock Band)
• Junior Classical Guitar Ensemble

Our large Junior School Choirs, ‘Crescendo Kids’ and ‘Take Note’, will NOT be performing at this concert.

We highly anticipate that this concert will be a sell-out. A second concert may be added at the earlier time of 5pm. All students will be required to attend both concerts, should the additional performance go ahead.

The Senior Concert Band and Symphony Orchestra will compete in the 2021 ABODA Festival on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 August respectively. Please check the documents portal on SEQTA Engage for letters outlining timing, venue and more information.

We are excited to welcome two new staff members to our Wellbeing Team to support our current School Psychologist, Sam Goldberg, in providing psychological and mental health services to our students. The referral process for accessing supports at school remains the same, with your child’s classroom teacher or PCG tutor often being the best first point of contact. Heads of Years, Deputies, and Heads of School, can make referrals to the Wellbeing Team. Should the matter be highly confidential you can contact Sam Goldberg via the Wellness Centre to discuss support options.

Bree Gilbert is a Social Worker with a Bachelors of Exercise Sports Science and a Masters of Social Work. Bree is passionate about providing support to young people and their families and has previously worked in cancer support, foster care, and youth mental health services. Prior to joining the St Mark's Wellness Team, Bree worked at Headspace in the Youth Early Psychosis Program. Bree takes a holistic approach to a person’s wellbeing and hopes to provide a safe and nurturing space for everyone she works alongside. Outside of work, Bree enjoys family time with her husband, son, and boisterous dog. Bree has previously played competitive netball and continues to use exercise as her number one self-care strategy.

Angela Byrne is a Psychologist with a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology. Angela is thrilled to be joining the St Mark’s community. After working for the Department of Communities supporting people with disabilities and their families, Angela moved to working as a School Psychologist in the northern suburbs three years ago. She thoroughly enjoys making a difference in the lives of young people. Angela is a busy mum of four; three girls and one son. She lives locally and loves the lifestyle that we all enjoy. She is committed to supporting all students to become the best version of themselves. She believes in a holistic wellbeing of social, emotional, spiritual, and academic development and is looking forward to contributing positively to our community.

The physical impact of the pandemic has mostly spared our young people; however, as the nation remains to be on alert and in various stages of lockdown, restrictions continue to be mandated. The pandemic has had a great affect on our young people with many paying a heavy emotional and developmental price. Psychological disorders are on the rise and emergency interventions have skyrocketed.

As hard as it is being a young person today, it's also draining being the parent of one. It has been reported that many parents are struggling to keep their child's mental health afloat, often proving it is difficult to juggle parenting responsibilities whilst at the same time providing much needed emotional support for their children.

Unlike the coronavirus itself, the emotional blowback of the pandemic cannot be vaccinated away. Psychologists are seeing more depression and anxiety across all age groups, but in adolescents it seems to be on steroids, with some choosing to self-medicate using alcohol or other drugs. When they look into the future now, they're looking at one that wasn't what they envisioned before.

This report explains the current state of youth mental health in a post-COVID era and offers guidance on how best to support young people today. We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this Special Report, and as always, we welcome your feedback.

If this Special Report raises any concerns for you, a loved one, or the wellbeing of your child, please seek medical or professional help.

Read the Report

Update Your Medical Action Plans

Now is a great time to check in with the nurse to see if your child's Medical Action Plan is up to date, and to check whether medications stored at the School have reached their listed expiry date. If your child has had a recent or new diagnosis that requires a Medical Action Plan, please ensure that the Wellness is provided with a copy.

For more information, please email nurse@stmarks.wa.edu.au

Allergy Awareness

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 keep unwell children at home

Thank you to all the families who are helping us keep the School community healthy, by keeping their unwell children at home. It is essential for the health and wellbeing of our whole community - students, staff and parents - that students who are unwell be kept at home.

Healthy WA shared these tips to help prevent the spread of viruses:

• Cover coughs and sneezes with your inner elbow, or use a tissue and throw it in the bin straight away.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water or use antibacterial hand sanitisers, especially after coughing or sneezing.
• Clean surfaces and objects regularly such as doorknobs, keyboards, phones and toys.
• Stay at home and limit your contact with other people.

Learn more about hand hygiene and protecting yourself from viruses such as influenza.

Signs and Symptoms

Common symptoms of a cold include coughing, low-grade fever, a sore throat, sneezing and a blocked or runny nose. Colds are spread through droplets in the air – from coughs or sneezes, for example – and on surfaces.

Influenza, or 'the flu', commonly causes symptoms such as high fever, dry cough, muscle ache and fatigue. Less common symptoms include sore throat and a runny nose. Children may also have abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. It spreads from person to person through droplets in the air.

What does the WA Department of Health advise?

The WA Department of Health has the following information on their website:

Day care and school staff have a key role in preventing the transmission of diseases in day care and the school environment.

While it is often difficult to prevent the transmission of common respiratory (colds/flu) and gastroenteritis infections that occur, every effort should be made to minimise the spread of infection by encouraging:

• staff and children at school or childcare to stay at home in the early stages of illness as at this stage they can be infectious and shed the virus, bacteria or parasite through coughing, sneezing, contaminating surfaces and personal contact.
• school staff and students who are ill should not to return to work/daycare until they are symptom free if they have a cold or flu and for at least 24 hours if they have had gastroenteritis.
• staff and children at day care, healthcare workers and food handlers who have had gastroenteritis should not return to work until they are symptom free for at least 48 hours.
• parents to seek medical advice if their child has ongoing symptoms of illness.

St Mark's has welcomed a new Year 9 student to our community in Term 3. The student was previously attending the ASC Language School, and we hope he is settling well into life to St Mark's.

There is one more thing we can do to make him feel welcome: Anglican Schools Commission International is still seeking a host family for the student. If this is something you would like to consider doing, please see the information below and contact ASCI Accommodation Coordinator, Lia Simmonds, if you would like to chat about the opportunity.

Host families receive a payment of $265 per week and this is for a private furnished room, wi-fi, two meals per day (Mon-Fri) and three meals per day on the weekend, and inclusion in family activities.

If you would like more information on what is involved, please visit the ASCI website or contact the ASCI Accommodation Coordinator at homestay@asci.edu.au

Former Bunnings Site Update

The Westfield Centre management (the Scentre Group) has advised that the former Bunnings site and car park will be fenced off from 1 August 2021 until early 2022, to allow for development works.

Parking Reminders

Please be mindful of our neighbours in the homes and businesses around the School. Parking in the Endeavour Business Centre (cnr of Banks and Endeavour) is restricted to clients of the Centre’s tenants only. The parking areas next to the Whitfords Family Centre and Endeavour Child Care facilities are also strictly reserved for their clients. Please do not block the driveways of homes on St Marks Drive.

Student Vehicles

Older students who drive their own vehicles are not permitted to park on School grounds.

School Parking Patrols

The City of Joondalup has advised all schools that, in an effort to provide a safer environment for everyone, City of Joondalup Officers will be conducting patrols of school parking in the mornings and afternoons throughout the school term. It is imperative that drivers are aware of this, and park in accordance with the parking conditions which apply near schools, as penalties may apply. For more information on parking around schools, please visit the City of Joondalup’s website.

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.

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.

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.

The Middle School Lunchtime Knitting Club is looking for donations of size 8 (4mm) knitting needles and 8 ply yarn (pure wool or acrylic - if possible, please label if it is acrylic). The Club has some very important work ahead of them - knitting pouches for orphaned joeys (wool only, so the joeys can breathe) as well as squares for rugs, which will also be donated to those in need.

We look forward to sharing pictures of their creations in the weeks ahead!

The Parent Prayer Group resumes its fortnightly meetings on Friday 6 August, commencing at 9am in the Chapel. All parents are welcome to come along, and perhaps even grab a coffee from the coffee van on the way! It is great opportunity to meet other parents, and to pray for our School community.

For more information, please contact Debra Schroeder at parentsuniteforprayer@gmail.com.

Looking for ways to add to your volunteer hours for 2021? Check out this page for a list of all current opportunities. New opportunities added today, including support for the upcoming Senior School production of The Visit, and for the P&F Quiz, taking place in September.

A quick note from Family Accounts to advise parents and carers that tuition fee quarterly reminder emails were sent out today. If you would like to change your payment preferences, or have any other questions related to the Fee Account, please contact the Family Accounts officer at familyaccounts@stmarks.wa.edu.au. Payment plan forms and other information is available here.

The BookMark magazine, which celebrates the amazing things our young people experience in Semester 1, was released to the School community on Monday, 25 July. We hope you enjoy reading it!

The Wanneroo Joondalup Tee Ball Club ('WJTBC') 'Come & Try Day', takes place on Saturday 21 August 2021 from 1pm-3pm at Percy Doyle Reserve, Duncraig. BBQ and Canteen food will be available.

Tee Ball is a fantastic summer season sport that builds friendships and co-ordination, but most importantly is about kids getting involved and having fun! Organised activities involving sports, music, or education, have proven to be beneficial to a child’s physical, cognitive, cultural, and social development.

As a Club, we hope to see 500+ Tee Ballers on Saturday mornings from 16 October 2021 - 26 February 2022 sharing the love of this awesome game together, as we have done for the last 46 seasons. Many of our students' parents may remember playing Tee Ball as a child. Parent involvement is a vital part of running our club.

Download the registration flyer