The Lion's Roar - 8 September 2021

The St Mark's Rugby Union program has continued to grow in 2021. This year saw the introduction of a Women’s Year 6-9 Northern Schools Rugby Competition. The competition consisted of three gala evenings, with the final held at St Mark’s yesterday afternoon.

The St Mark’s team competed exceptionally well throughout the competition, particularly in the final where the team defeated Joseph Banks Secondary College 40-5 to claim the inaugural Northern Schools Rugby Championship Girls Competition.

In 2022, St Mark's is hoping to expand the competition into the Year 6-8 and the Year 9-10 categories.

Congratulations to Old Scholar from the Class of 2009, Felicity Palmateer (aka Flick) on making the final three in the current season of Australian Survivor!

Not only is Flick the only remaining member of the 'Brawn' tribe, she has endured more than most, with the passing of her mum during filming. Despite this challenge, not only has she made the final three, she has raised more than $30,000 for research into Dementia and FTD research, in honour of her mum!

Flick is not the only one raising funds for this cause. On Friday 29 October, the Year 9s are organising a fundraiser for Dementia Australia. Dementia Australia represents the estimated 472,00 Australians living with dementia, and the almost 1.6 million Australians involved in their care. It is a huge undertaking, and there are a lot of misconceptions about dementia, and its prevalence. There is currently no cure.

On the day, students and teachers will be able to wear funky socks, and are asked to bring along a donation to help with finding a cure for dementia. There will also be a sausage sizzle, with all proceeds going to Dementia Australia.

Although COVID has interrupted may activities over the last year and half, we are still able to celebrate success in many various areas. Two of these student are Rivah Scadden and Banjo Stapledon, who have both achieved their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award.

In total, Rivah has been involved with over 54 hours of long distance running, debating, reading, helping at her local church and coaching a soccer team, as well as her three-day Outdoor Ed camp.

Banjo used his time to get involved with tennis, piano, jazz and choir, and has volunteered at the Canteen at his local footy club, and also participated in the Outdoor Ed camp.

About the Award

The Award is a leading structured (non-formal education) youth development program, empowering all young Australians aged 14-24 to explore their full potential and find their purpose, passion and place in the world, regardless of their location or circumstance. The Award is a fully inclusive program and has no social, political, or religious affiliations.

How is an Award Achieved?

To achieve an Award, each young person must learn a skill, improve their physical well being, volunteer in their community and experience a team adventure in a new environment. All Participants are supported by a network of adult Award Leaders, Assessors, and Supervisors.

St Mark’s Award Leader is Mrs Upson – jupson@stmarks.wa.edu.au who is available on Tuesday lunchtimes in the International Room or via email.

The key elements of our program are:

• Open to all young people aged 14 to 24.
• Three levels: Bronze, Silver, and Gold – each progressively more challenging.
• Four Sections: Physical Recreation, Skills, Voluntary Service, Adventurous Journey plus Gold Residential Project (Gold Level only).
• Achieving an Award recognises individual goal setting and self-improvement through persistence and achievement.
• Earns points towards your WACE

Time requirements:

• Bronze – minimum 6 months
• Silver – minimum 6 months if completed Bronze otherwise 12 months for direct entrants
• Gold – minimum 12 months if completed Silver otherwise 18 months for direct entrants

We are looking forward to seeing parents at the upcoming P&F General Meeting on 14 September; however, we do wish to advise of a small change to the format of the event.

Parnngurr Community School students and their Principal, Dr Prem Mudhan, have unfortunately postponed their visit to Perth. We will still go ahead with our General Meeting, and Dr Prem Mudhan is still our Guest Speaker, only in a different format! We will screen a recorded interview that our Chaplain Scott Rowland and Dr Prem Mudhan conducted earlier in the week specifically for us! Their conversation is warm and insightful, so please come along and enjoy the evening, stay for some light refreshments and a chat in the foyer after the interview ends.

Book your seat here.

A choral spectacular - We Are Family - takes place on 23 September, and will feature the choirs True Voices, Crescendo Kids, Viva Ritmo, and Take Note. This fabulous event will be a celebration of our community through song. Because we know this event will be a popular one, there will be two sessions - one at 4.30pm and one at 6.30pm.

Date: Thursday, 23 September

Venue: Barbara Godwin Performing Arts Complex

Time: 4.30pm and 6.30pm

Tickets: Tickets are free, but bookings are essential. Bookings now open to all!

The Annual House Performance Night is back, and this time, can be shared with families! Last year's public performances were cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions, so we are delighted that parents and carers can come along and watch! The night will include performances from Senior School and Middle School House Dance, House Drama, House Band and House Glee!

Date: Tuesday 14 September

Time: 6.30pm

Venue: Ken Fairfield Hall

Ticketing: Please note that performers' families will get first preference on purchasing tickets. Once they have had the opportunity to secure their tickets, it will be opened up to all from 9am on Monday 13 September.

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.

Every two years, The Anglican Schools Commission celebrates the life of its 15 schools through ASC Schools Week. Last year we were unable to hold the event because of COVID restrictions. ASC Schools Week ran from 29 August to 4 September and encompassed the Eucharist last week Wednesday and the ASC Schools Concert on Friday.

St Mark's was well-represented at both events. At the Eucharist service in St George's Cathedral, we had seven St Mark's students in various roles, from prayers to readings and a liturgical drama/dance performance.

The culmination of the week's events was the amazing performance of the ASC Music Concert on Friday evening. It was an extraordinary concert, with students from all WA-based ASC schools. We had 73 students involved as performers, out of 300 students in total, as well as speaking at key intervals throughout the night.

It was an extraordinary effort (and logistical challenge) to organise this event, and to cope with the rehearsal schedule that included weekend work. Congratulations to every single student, and their supportive parents, along with our amazing Music staff, including Mrs Pamela Grubb, Mrs Cathy McCrae, Miss Leah Guelfi, Mr Chris Marquand, Mr Jasper Miller and Ms Eloise Thomas. Well done to all of out for putting together such a fantastic event.

Thank to the Anglican Schools Commission for the photos from the Cathedral, and some images from the rehearsals. We hope to share more photos from the Music concert in due course.

As part of our ongoing commitment to continuously improving the School, we believe it is critical to seek each parent and guardian’s opinion on a range of issues relating to St Mark’s Anglican Community School. Your feedback is very important to us as we continue to build a successful School and aspire to be the leading school in Perth’s Northern corridor.

As such, we have engaged the professional services of MYP Corporation (MYPCorp) to undertake a strictly private and confidential School Results Survey on our behalf. The survey should take approximately 10 - 15 minutes and will need to be completed online between 9 September 2021 and 24 September 2021. There are no right or wrong answers and we ask that you respond honestly and respectfully to each statement. The School implemented a similar survey in 2019.

Please note that this survey will be confidential. No member of the Executive team at St Mark’s will have access to your individual responses. We will be provided with a summary of collated results only. MYPCorp will undertake the following process to ensure anonymity:

1. Parents and guardians will be emailed individual survey logins.
2. Results will be collated externally.
3. A summary of collated results will be provided to the School Executive team.

On the survey start date, survey instructions and a personalised login link will be emailed to all parents. You will continue to receive friendly reminders during the survey period until you have submitted the survey. If you do not receive your survey instructions on the survey start date, please check your spam and junk email folders before contacting community@stmarks.wa.edu.au.

While we strongly encourage you to participate, the survey is not compulsory. If you decide that you do not want to complete the survey, simply click ‘Unsubscribe’ in the instruction or reminder email. Thank you for your assistance in helping to shape the future direction of St Mark’s.

If your child will be entering Year 6 next year, or if they are rapidly growing out of their current blazer (worn by all students from Years 6 to 12 in Terms 2 and 3), orders are now being taken for 2022. The Uniform Shop only stocks a limited number of new blazers, so it is essential that orders are placed by the end of the October school holidays. Please note that any order can be refunded before the start of Term 2, 2022 if you change your mind, or if you purchase a second-hand blazer.

To help families prepare for the change to summer uniform in Term 4, and to take blazer orders, the Uniform Shop is extending its trading hours as follows:

• Monday 20 September: 8am to 11.15am & 2pm to 5pm
• Wednesday 22 September: 8am to 2pm & 3pm to 5pm
• Monday 4 October: 2pm to 5pm
• Wednesday 6 October: 8am to 2pm & 3pm to 6pm
• Friday 8 October: 8am to 2pm & 3pm to 6pm

To contact the Uniform Shop, please call (08) 9307 4514 or email uniformshop@stmarks.wa.edu.au.

St Mark's School Psychologist, Angela Byrne, is hosting Q&A sessions for parents of children from Kindy to Year 5. The time for the 23 September session has been changed to 2pm to 2.45pm.

The September topic is on learning new ways to respond to your child's BIG emotions. Knowing how to stay calm and support your child to learn how to cope when they are feeling angry, sad, or nervous, is not always easy - particularly when we are felling uneasy too. We will discuss our experiences and learn how to better manage those big emotions, that can show up for everyone!

The venue is the International Room, located just behind the Uniform Shop. You can attend one or both sessions. There is no need to RSVP, but you will be requested to scan the SafeWA QR code, or complete the manual register on arrival. We recommend parking on St Marks Dr or the surrounding area.

We look forward to welcoming our Junior School students to another fun-filled School Disco on Friday 17 September. Students will attend in two sessions, based on their Year Group. The discos will be held in the Year 4/5 Open Area at the following times:

• YEARS 2 and 3 will attend from 5pm until 6.30pm. The theme is 'Disney'.
• YEARS 4 and 5 will attend from 6.45pm until 8.15pm. The theme is 'Superheroes'.

Please ensure you collect your child promptly at the conclusion of the disco from inside the Year 4/5 Open Area. The $7 ticket includes a snack and drink (please discuss with your child their choice of confectionery/drink PRIOR to the disco). In the interest of safety, children must wear enclosed shoes at all times.

Medication at Disco: If your child has asthma or anaphylaxis, please ensure they bring their medication from home to the Disco; all medication is to be labelled and passed to Mr Pressley upon arrival at the Disco.

Book your tickets here.

Challen is delighted to once again be supporting OzHarvest as their chosen charity with a bake sale and food donation drop off day taking place on Tuesday 14 September. Students in Years 6 to 12 who donate non-perishable items for OzHarvest will be allowed to wear their sports uniform for the day.

The 2021 Daffodil Day fundraiser was a fantastic success. For a gold coin donation students were able to get their faces painted or a delicious cupcake. There was also a 'Guess the number of lollies in the jar' game! All students were encouraged to wear an item of yellow on the day. In total, students raised just over $1,500!

The money raised will assist the Cancer Council with the early detection of cancer and help to provide life saving treatment for those in need. Many of our families purchased bunches of daffodils to support this cause too - a lovely way to spread the message of hope.

Photos by Year 12 student Bailey Kettle and Ms Kipps.

There was plenty happening during Wellness Day yesterday, with students in Years 6 to 8 enjoying a fantastic array of activities throughout the day.

The Year 6s covered a variety of topics, including 'Ways to Chill', 'Friendship and Social Media', "Digital Safety', 'Appreciating Others' and team-building games - including African Drumming, which is always a favourite!

The Year 7 cohort spent the day with crew from Brave Heart Wellbeing, working on the Standing Strong program, which is designed to support young people to learn how to improve their confidence and self-esteem, build inner strength and self-belief, grow friendships, improve their health and self-image as well as learn and develop strategies to manage stress, change and have the tools for living a healthy, happy and inspired life.

The Year 8s covered a variety of topics, including preparing for the transition to Senior School next year, protective behaviours and the ever-popular African Drumming workshops. Another favourite was Olivia Vivian, a former Olympic Gymnast and Australian Ninja Warrior competitor. She spoke openly about dealing with positive and negative self-talk, including her experiences at Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, and her time on Ninja Warrior.

Students in Middle and Senior School are focusing very much on wellness and wellbeing this week. In PCG time, for example, our students have looked at:

• Mindfulness Monday - students learned about the benefits of meditation and colouring
• Tasty Tuesday - students shared a healthy snack during PCG time. Eating well is good for the mind and the body.
• Wellness Wednesday - today, students looked at friendship and dealing with stress
• Talking Thursday - the focus is on RUOK Day. There is a bake sale at recess. Students may choose to wear their sports uniform and one item of yellow (socks, hair ribbon etc). No gold coin donation is required for sports uniform.
• Feel Good Friday - there will be music and good vibes in the quad.

Our Middle School students enjoyed Wellbeing Day activities on Tuesday - check out the separate article on some of those activities.

The Year 12 Cert III Photo and Digital Design students are designing skateboards as part of their course. The students have secured sufficient blanks (boards) but are still in need of the trucks (wheel assemblies). It does not matter what condition they are in - it is for display purposes only. Any size, shape or condition is welcome!

Please contact Mrs Kate Howard at khoward@stmarks.wa.edu.au if you can assist.

We have a number of parent volunteer opportunities coming up - can you help? These, and other volunteer opportunities, are listed here. Information on how to log your parent hours, and to confirm what hours you completed in Term 1, 2 and 3 is also available on that page (scroll down to below the volunteer opportunities table). Term 4 hours will be added at the end of the year.

Exam Supervision - 2 to 12 November

Our Senior School team are looking for parent volunteers to supervise the Year 11 exams, between 2 November and 12 November. Morning and afternoon sessions are available. For more information, email absentee@stmarks.wa.edu.au and put 'Exam Supervision' in the subject line.

Fete Assistance

Get involved in the 2022 Fete! We are still on the lookout for some parent volunteers to assist with the management of;

- Waste control

- COVID Safety

- Entertainment

- Setting up and packing away of the Fete

Teams of two or 3 people would be really helpful for these important tasks.

Electrician: to meet our safety requirements, we are looking for the services of an electrician to check and sign off our "Electrical Safety" as part of the City of Joondalup Event Application.

For more information on these opportunities or to volunteer, email the Fete Coordinator fete@stmarks.wa.edu.au

Uniform Shop

The Uniform Shop is in need of volunteers - click here to find a slot that matches your schedule! New slots added this week.

WE ARE ACCEPTING ENROLMENTS FOR TERM 4!

Has your child shown interest in learning an instrument at St Mark's?

We offer: Flute, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Oboe, Saxophone, French Horn, Trumpet, Trombone, Baritone Horn, Euphonium, Tuba, Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass, Modern Acoustic/Electric/Classical Guitar, Bass Guitar, Banjo (Irish/Bluegrass), Mandolin, Ukulele, Piano (no group lessons), Percussion (including Drum Kit) and Voice.

Contact Ms Eloise Thomas at ethomas@stmarks.wa.edu.au for a copy of the Instrumental Music Handbook and an online enrolment form.

Please be advised that the deadline with Withdrawals/Commencements is Friday 10th September. Notifications after this deadline may not be accepted.

Every student in Years 2-5 who learns an instrument (including voice) is warmly invited to enter the 2021 Primary Music Eisteddfod. Individual entrants are required to perform one piece and will receive feedback from an experienced adjudicator, and a certificate of participation. If students learn two instruments, they may enter individually for each instrument. Ensembles from any mixture of year groups are also invited to enter and may perform one piece. 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 note: this Eisteddfod is not for students in the Year 2 String Program.

Please see the Weekly Bulletin for information on how to enter.

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

There are a few key events coming up for all our Old Scholars, as well as for the newest members of the Association, the Class of 2020, and the Class of 2021!

Annual General Meeting: 7pm on Tuesday 21 September

The Old Scholars’ Association's Annual General Meeting will take place at 7pm on Tuesday 21 September 2021, in the staff room of the Alan Cadby Senior Academic Centre. All members of the Association are encouraged to attend.

Old Scholars who are also current parents at St Mark's can claim their attendance at the AGM as Parent Commitment Hours. Involvement in the OSA Committee, or volunteering to help at an OSA event, may also be claimed as parent hours.

All positions will be declared vacant, and nominations are called for a new committee. The minutes of the 2020 Annual General Meeting, the agenda for 2021, committee nomination forms and proxy forms are available here. If you aren’t able to attend, please provide another Old Scholar with your proxy.

Class of 2020 One Year Reunion: 12pm on 17 October

The St Mark's Old Scholars' Association invites last year's graduates to celebrate one year since their Valedictory on Sunday 17 October from 12pm in the Ken Fairfield Hall. Please RSVP to osa@stmarks.wa.edu.au by Tuesday 12 October for catering purposes. The 2021 Dodgeball Challenge will follow at 1pm, and we'd love to have the newest Old Scholars stay on - and this year, they'll be on the Old Scholars' Team!

Old Scholars vs Year 12s Dodgeball: 1pm on 17 October

The soon-to-graduate Class of 2021 will take on the Old Scholars (both those who are 'more experienced' as well as more recent graduates) in a game of dodgeball on 17 October. It includes a free sausage sizzle, and the chance to unwind after mocks, and to chat about life after St Mark's.

Milestone Reunion: 7pm on 6 November

The OSA is hosting the 2021 Milestone Reunion, where past students from the Class of 1991, 2001 and 2011 can come together and reminisce about life at St Mark's back in their day! Ticketing details and information on what's planned will be shared soon. In the interim, make sure your contact details are up to date - simply email community@stmarks.wa.edu.au.