The Lion's Roar - 3 May 2023

GYMNASTICS STAR POWER

We are excited to share that a number of our students have been selected to represent Western Australia at the 2023 Australian Gymnastics Championships on the Gold Coast in the next few weeks. Congratulations to the following students:

• Ava, Year 8
  
• Milana, Year 10
• Shahla, Year 10
• Evan, Year 11

Talk about a fabulous representation of the maroon and blue! Good luck to each of them and the team! The St Mark's community is cheering you all on!

BASEBALL STAR

Well done to Kye in Year 6 who has been selected to take part in the National Little League Baseball Development Tournament held in Sydney in June.

Good luck, Kye!

STARRING STAFF

Congratulations to one of our St Mark's staff members (Science and HPE teacher), Ms Alice Hall, who not only competed in the Bunbury 3-Waters Marathon over the holidays but also WON the female division! She completed the 42km course in an amazing time of 3:12:21!

Well done, Ms Hall!

This Friday is St Mark's Day, a day that we not only celebrate and honour our namesake, Saint Mark but also reflect on the values we hold dear as the St Mark's community. Our values of Knowledge, Community, Respect, Responsibility and Confidence are not only underpinned by the School’s Mission Statement and Christian ethos but are interwoven throughout all elements of School life.

Over the past 37 years, the celebrations for the day have remained the same, with a religious service and a run of some sort. This year, we will start our day with a Christian Communion Service in our whole school gathering space, the Quadrangle. Our Primary School students will later be involved in a Lapathon on our School oval to raise money for a variety of charities. Our Secondary School students will walk to Mawson Park, where they will then participate in the Interhouse Cross Country Carnival.

Across the day, our students will also participate in activities reinforcing our School's values of service and community.

To read more about the history of St Mark's Day, click here.

Please note the following changes to Cafeteria services on St Mark's Day, 5 May 2023:

• There are no changes to Cafeteria operations for Early Learning and Junior School
• Middle and Senior School students will have access to the Cafeteria for recess ONLY
• Middle and Senior School students WILL NOT be able to purchase or pre-order lunch on 5 May. Instead, students should bring their own lunch or bring cash/card to purchase lunch from the St Mark's Day Sausage Sizzle!

St Mark's Day Sausage Sizzle

As part of the Year 11 Fundraiser for Anglicare WA, there will be a sausage sizzle during the lunch break on St Mark's Day this Friday. This will be the only food available as the cafeteria will be closed for the Secondary School lunchtime on the day.

The Junior School (Year 2-5) will be able to purchase a sausage sizzle only (no soft drink) after their Lapathon.

We would love to sell as many as possible, so hopefully, our students are all really hungry after running the cross country.

The cost of a sausage sizzle is $3, and there are cans of soft drinks available for $2. There will be vegetarian and gluten-free options as well.

We have seen an increase in the number of students presenting to the Wellness Centre with COVID / Cold and Flu symptoms, so please keep your child at home if they are sick.

Please be reminded that students with any symptoms should not be sent to school regardless of a negative RAT test. If your child presents to the Wellness Centre with any cold or flu, or COVID symptoms, we will have to call you to come and collect them. For information regarding the latest rulings relating to COVID cases, please click here.

Unfortunately, there are still lots of other viruses in the community, and we need to protect our staff and students.

If your child is sick with any illness, please keep them at home.

Thank you for your understanding.

Wellness Centre Team

K-12 School photos will take place during Term 2, Week 3.

Photo order forms were sent home with students during the first week of Term 2. These forms are to be completed and then returned to your child’s class teacher/PCG tutor as soon as possible.

Please also take a look at the following flyer, which contains more detailed information: 2023 Photo Day flyer

Please download the photo schedule here.

Now that the wet weather is upon us, we are sure that you've reached for the trusty umbrella only to realise it's broken from the last time it blew inside out!

Never fear. We've got you covered!

The Uniform Shop has large-sized, sturdy St Mark's umbrellas available to purchase, and at just $27.50, you can't go wrong!

• 127cm wide canopy for extra rain protection
• Non-slip handle
• Folds down neatly for easy carrying
• Includes umbrella cover for easy storage

They are perfect for those weekends on the sporting sidelines, walking to/from school, and even make a great gift for an Old Scholar!

Grab yours today!

This a reminder that Year 7 and Year 10 Immunisations are taking place on Thursday 4 May.

Students are required to wear their sport uniform please.

Please contact the School Nurse if you have any queries.

The next quarterly payment is due on 16 May 2023.

Any queries, contact familyaccounts@stmarks.wa.edu.au

Our beloved onsite traffic warden, Marie, is leaving us! Marie has been a wonderful member of the St Mark's community, keeping our students, staff and families safe manning the PAC crossing for nearly ten years.

Marie's departure from her role creates an opportunity for someone else to step into her shoes. If you or someone you know may be interested in applying, please download the job description below and contact us at principal@stmarks.wa.edu.au

The Traffic Warden is responsible for ensuring the safe and efficient movement of students, adults, and vehicles on the School Grounds during the main drop-off and collection times of 8am to 9am and 3pm to 4pm.

Download the job description here.

We wish to inform our families that after a lengthy process in consultation with our Uniform Team, we will be outsourcing the management of our Uniform Shop to external supplier, Tara Uniforms (trading as Matrix Uniforms). We have a very good relationship with Tara Uniforms, who have been a long-standing supplier of St Mark's uniforms. As with all outsourcing opportunities, there will be some changes; however, we believe that these will benefit our School community greatly.

Here is a breakdown of the changes:

What will remain the same:

• The friendly uniform team will still be on hand to offer the fabulous assistance they always have
• Design and quality will remain the same
• Parent Commitment Hours for the uniform shop will still be in place
• The Uniform Shop will still be in the same location at school
• The Uniform Shop will still be open on Monday and Wednesday

What's changing:

• Tara Uniforms will supply and stock our uniform needs from 1 July 2023
• We will have online ordering available from Term 3 - more details to come
• Opening hours will change slightly to better accommodate peak morning trading
• There will be no capability for second-hand uniforms to be sold in the Uniform Shop

Second-Hand Uniforms

The Uniform Shop is no longer able to take second-hand uniforms. If you are chasing second-hand items, please join the Facebook group here.

Those families who have second-hand uniforms currently on consignment in the Uniform Shop will need to collect them before 30 June 2023. Any outstanding credits for items previously sold will be applied to your school account.

Those families who have items that haven't sold will be contacted, and the items will need to be collected before 30 June 2023.

Tara Uniforms will not have the option to sell second-hand uniforms on consignment.

Tara Uniforms will commence operation from 1 July 2023. We will have further information over the coming months.

You may also have heard that Lyn Waite, our Uniform Shop Manager, is currently on long service leave and on a segway to retirement, and Diana Kelly has been promoted to the position of Uniform Shop Manager to replace Lyn. If you missed your chance to wish Lyn well, we are pleased to advise that she is returning to the Shop from 15 - 24 May 2023 for staff holiday cover.

Fancy running or walking 12km with some friends, students, and teachers? St Mark's has entered a team in the HBF Run for a Reason. Please join our team for a morning of community, exercise, and fun.

Details:
Date: 21 May 2023
Time: 8am (be there at least 30 minutes early)
Start: The event starts on William St in the city near the Perth Underground station
Finish: Gloucester Park. Finishing times will vary with all hopefully finished by 10am
Transport: Students are required to find their own way to and from the run.

Think you can meet the challenge and achieve your own personal goals?
​
What next?
Chat to Mr Lehman or email dlehman@stmarks.wa.edu.au

Chat to Alex Chirico or email achirico@stmarks.wa.edu.au

More information:
https://www.hbfrun.com.au/

Don't forget:
When you are registering, register as an individual then as part of a team. Our team name is St Mark's Anglican Community School.

Hope to see you there!

After 13 and 14 years working in the St Mark’s ELC, Mrs Marian Greenhouse from the Kindergarten Turtle class and Mrs Nairina Busing from the Kindergarten Starfish class, have announced their plans to retire.

Marian has decided to slip away to retirement following her Long Service Leave in Term 1, and Nairina will finish up later this term.

It is sad to know that we won’t be seeing either Marian or Nairina at school in future years, but it is wonderful to know that they are both happily moving into the next phase of their lives, where they can take it a little easier and soak up the benefits of a lifetime of dedicated work with children.

Both Marian and Nairina are humble and do not want to make a fuss about themselves; however, as they have each been a significant part of over 350 children’s lives in their time at St Mark’s, we know some of you would like to pass on your best wishes to them. Our staff will take time to recognise their contribution to our ELC, and if you would like to forward any thoughts, cards or emails to Mrs Collie, we will ensure that they are passed onto them.

You can also add your messages to the e-cards below:

Mrs Busing's card

Mrs Greenhouse's card

To celebrate the Junior School’s Inaugural Languages Week – International Food Stall, we are seeking the assistance of families who are able to provide (either made or purchased) finger foods from the five continents of the world. Ideally, we would like to have five different food types, which can be simple taster foods from Africa, America, Asia, Australia/NZ and Europe.

Parent commitment hours can be obtained by those who are able to assist with the provision of food.

We will also require the assistance of five helpers per continent stall for the serving of the food – this can be continued help from those supplying food or those that can help to serve only. Assistance will be required for pack up and clean up.

Planning is in the infant stages, but we have a clear idea of how we would like this to succeed. The Week wil be held in Term 3 on Monday 31 July, from around 10.30am to 1pm for setup and service, clean and pack up from approximately 1 – 2.30.

We are excited to provide this opportunity to our students and hope for some enthusiastic families to participate to make this a success. Parent commitment hours are available to those who help.

Please contact Madame Woodley at nwoodley@stmarks.wa.edu.au or Stacia Higgins dshiggins6@outlook.com to offer assistance and your ideas for food provision.

Many thanks for your support.

Our Year 10 students have truly embodied our values of respect, responsibility and community when some of them were chosen to represent St Mark's ACS as student officials at the ACC Inclusive Swimming Carnival last week.

They were given jobs including Chief Marshalls, Time Keepers, Race Marshalls and Water Safety. These roles meant they had the opportunity to be in the water, supporting the swimmers with different disabilities as well as assisting on the sidelines. Our students conducted themselves enthusiastically and were great ambassadors of the School. The encouragement, thoughtfulness and care our students displayed brought joy and confidence to all the participants.

The day was filled with laughter, smiles, and so much happiness. Seeing so many students from ACC schools in the water and giving their best was fantastic. The Year 10s definitely came away with a reinforced understanding of seeing the ability, not the disability, as well as what it means to be inclusive.

I was one of the lucky ones who got to go to the 2023 ACC Inclusive Swimming Carnival. During the day, we got to help the carnival happen, including helping people swim and/or marshal for them. It was a pretty special day as I got to help people in need and see what families have to go through in their day-to-day life. Because my brother has many disabilities, it was nice to see him get out there and have fun without judgement. The students there were all so supportive of each other, which created a safe environment for everyone. They were all laughing and having fun, which put a smile on not only my face but everyone around me. Thanks for the amazing day!! ~ Maddison

Being a part of the team that provided support at the inclusive swimming carnival has been one of the best opportunities St Mark's has offered to me. I felt such joy from being the helping hand in the water or just chatting while the swimmers waited to swim. The best part of the day was to see the smiles on their faces and to give the opportunity to swim for someone who doesn't get to that often. I really recommend it to anyone who is given this opportunity, as it is extremely eye-opening and heartfelt. ~ Ella

I really enjoyed the inclusive swimming as it was nice to hang out with my peers and to help those participating in the event. I also liked it because I liked seeing smiles on everyone’s faces and everyone having a go and having fun; it made me feel happy. ~ Pippa

As the weather has provided some beautiful autumn days of late, the Secondary students have had a two-week transition where they could choose to wear either their full summer uniform OR their full winter uniform (no mixing or blending of uniforms allowed).

We are now coming to the end of this transition, and all students will need to be in full winter uniform from the beginning of Week 3, Monday 8 May.

With School Photos commencing next week, all students need to be wearing full winter uniform and should be looking their best on the days that they will be photographed.

This includes neat and tidy hair, long socks and ties for Primary students, ties and blazers for Middle and Senior School, and grey tights for girls wearing skorts/skirts. The dates for photos are included in this edition of the newsletter.

Supervised Homework Club

• Years 6 - 9
• Tuesday 3.30pm - 4.30pm
• Library Glass Room

We will start the term by checking 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 you would like us to support your child with, please don’t hesitate to contact us. rrourke@stmarks.wa.edu.au, kswan@stmarks.wa.edu.au

Mrs Rourke and Mrs Swan

Each school term around Australia, GPN runs free, full-day workshops that teach high school girls and gender minorities in Years 7-12 to code using Python. GPN events are all about learning together, making new friends and having fun with technology. No coding experience is required!

Date: Saturday 20 May
Time: 9am
Location: University of Western Australia (UWA).
Bring: your laptop (we will have some laptops available for students that can't bring one)
Cost: FREE
Bonus: Free Pizza lunch!!!
Register: Here via EventBrite

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, meeting new people, PLUS free pizza lunch.

On Thursday and Friday evenings last week, our Year 12 Drama class presented a series of assessed scenes from the play A Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Simon Stevens as part of their course. We invited members of the school community as an audience, and they all left thrilled with how successful the production run was. The play by Simon Stevens, which tells the story of Christopher, a 15-year-old boy who is on the autism spectrum, was sensitively explored and brought to life on stage by an exceptional cast and crew.

Annabel Cunningham, who played Christopher, was a standout performer. Her 2-hour portrayal of the character's mannerisms, tics, and sensory overload was realistic and respectful, and it was evident that she had done extensive research to ensure an accurate portrayal. Annabel's commitment to the role was truly remarkable, and she brought an incredible amount of depth and nuance to the character.

Emily Hart, Mark Zanosov, Rebecca Harvie, Daisy Wang, Aleasha Garner, Zuleika Hazli-Aluwi and Year 11 Hannah Rasmussen were also outstanding in their respective roles and helped create the world of the early 2000s.

It was a show of heartfelt performances, and all actors brought a depth of emotion to the play that was truly moving.

The third annual Middle School Music Eisteddfod will take place in Week 4 on Wednesday 17 May, from 3.30pm onwards in the Barbara Godwin Performing Arts Centre (PAC). A formal adjudicator will provide feedback to each performer, and a select number of students will be awarded medals for performances deemed Excellent and Outstanding overall.

Interested students in Years 6 to 8 should perform one piece of their own choice. If students learn more than one instrument, they can enter one piece on each instrument if they choose.

It is also open to small ensembles (2-4 members), but all students must be taking lessons. This is only open to students who learn an instrument with a tutor, either at St Mark's or privately. Vocalists are welcome to apply, but they must be taking lessons. Please confirm song details with your child's tutor before completing the entry form.

The entry fee for the Eisteddfod is $10 per entrant. This $10 flat fee covers multiple entries on individual instruments and ensemble entries. Piano accompaniment will be provided by Miss Leah Guelfi at no additional cost if requested, with a short rehearsal in the week prior to the event. Please make your payment and complete your child's entry details through: https://www.trybooking.com/CHVXO.

All entries must be received by Week 3, Monday 8 May 2023. A schedule of the performances will be sent out closer to the date.

If you have any questions, please email Leah Guelfi at lguelfi@stmarks.wa.edu.au

In case you missed the excitement at the beginning of the week, not only has the Pulse Perspectives Exhibition, which features recent graduate Sky Biesse's (Class of 2022) work, "Don't Worry Be Happy", officially opened, but this same work won 'The West Australian Editor's Choice Award' at the Pulse Launch Event!

The Editor's Choice Award is selected by Anthony De Ceglie, Editor in Chief, West Australian Newspapers, in consultation with the AGWA Youth Advisory Panel. This award is a wonderful recognition of Sky's artistic talent and extraordinary artwork.

The West Australian Pulse Perspectives celebrates the art of WA's talented graduating high school artists from 2022. The 61 selected works display a variety of subject matter and media, ranging from painting and drawing to sculpture, digital moving image, photography and textiles. This year, the Pulse artists explored themes of mental health and social pressures, gender and culture, environmentalism and technology.

Sky's work 'Don't Worry Be Happy', which was also awarded the St Mark's P&F's Art Excellence Award, is on display until 20 August 2023 at The Art Gallery of Western Australia - AGWA.

You can read more about Sky's work and her Editor's Award here https://thewest.com.au/.../the-west-australian-pulse-2023...

Make sure you support Sky when you visit the exhibition by voting for your favourite artwork in the People's Choice Award. You can also cast your vote online: https://artgallery.wa.gov.au/.../west-australian-pulse-2023.

On Monday, the Year 12 General Art and ATAR Art students had a day filled with creativity. They visited the Pulse Perspectives and the Yoshitomo Nara Exhibitions at the Art Gallery of WA, and the Lester Youth Prize Exhibition at the WA Museum, then lastly, onto the ECU campus at Mt Lawley, where they had a Visual Art and WAAPA facility tour and life drawing workshop.

It was a wonderful sunny day and a highly productive one. Two big highlights of the day were seeing Rebecca Harvie’s work and Sky Biesse’s work at the two exhibitions in the city and then doing a life drawing class in a large university art studio guided by the drawing lecturer from ECU.

Entries are now open for the twenty-first annual Shaun Tan Award for Young Artists 2023, run by The City of Subiaco.

This visual art award is open to all Western Australian school students and encourages imagination, innovation and creativity.

To enter, visit > http://www.subiaco.wa.gov.au/.../shaun-tan-award-for...

Entries close Monday 22 May.

Mrs Wharton encourages students to submit artworks completed either at school or at home.

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 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.

Calling all Old Scholars who have children currently attending St Mark's ...

We will be holding our annual Old Scholar Generations photo on Tuesday 9 May 2023 at 7.45am. If you and your child/ren would like to be included in our Old Scholars Generations Photo please book your spot by clicking the 'Book Tickets' button.

Please note that students will be required to be in winter uniform.

Date: Tuesday 9 May 2023

Time: 7.30am for 7.45am photo

Venue: St Mark's Anglican Community School Hall

Book your spot here.

The POSTMEN invite you to our FIRST EVER ELC ONLY event - Paper Planes and Pizza on Saturday 20 May 2023.

Come along for an epic afternoon of friendly competition and learning as we design, build and fly paper planes in a test of speed and distance! A great opportunity to spend some quality time with your children and have some fun!
There will be a variety of challenges, including the longest flight time and greatest distance travelled.

We hope to see you along at an event all kids and fathers/father figures can enjoy, no matter their talent or experience.

Remember, paper planes are more than just an activity; they signify forward movement, soaring high and reaching for the stars!

Tickets are $5 each, and bookings can be made here.

The Parents Prayer Group (PPG) meet fortnightly to pray for the students, staff and school community.

We will be meeting every second Friday 9am in the school chapel, starting 5 May. The meeting dates this term are Friday 5/5, 19/5, 2/6, 16/6 and 30/6.

Please sign in at reception.

All are welcome.

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

On Wednesday 10 May, Elevate Education will be hosting its first free webinar of the term for parents. Elevate Education works with students, delivering high-impact workshops on study skills, motivation, wellbeing, and exam preparation.

By tuning into their webinar series, you will learn how you can help better support your children at home by reinforcing the skills they learn at school: Wednesday 10 May | 6:30 - 7:30 pm (AEST) How to Help Get (& Keep) Your Child Motivated

Here’s what Elevate will be covering on the night:

• What impact does praise and reassurance have on your child’s motivation?

• What are the best type of goals to be setting with your child?

• How can you help your child create meaningful and lasting motivation?

Click on the link to register for free https://get.elevatecoaching.info/au/schoolwebinar.