Extra-Curricular Programs

Our vibrant Arts Department offers a wide variety of Arts Programs for students outside of the standard curriculum.

Music

Students can learn to play instruments and perform in groups, including Rock Bands. They can even play on the School's colourful piano when it is rolled out into the quadrangle in summer! Students all love to sing along with tunes from their peers!

• Instrumental Music Lessons Offered (Individual or Group)
  • Woodwind: Flute, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Oboe, Saxophone
  • Brass: French Horn, Trumpet, Trombone, Baritone Horn, Euphonium, Tuba
  • Strings: Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass, Modern Acoustic/Electric Guitar, Classical Guitar, Bass Guitar, Banjo (Irish/Bluegrass), Mandolin, Ukulele
  • Other: Piano, Percussion including Drum Kit, Voice
• Instrumental Ensembles To Join

• Vocal Ensembles To Join

• Bands To Join
  • Junior School Rock Band
  • Middle School Rock Band

• Year 2 Strings Program - St Mark’s gives nine months of free tuition and instrument hire to all students in Year 2 for violin, viola or cello.
  
• Year 5 Band Program - The Music Department offers one year of discounted tuition on selected band instruments to Year 5 students, and one year of free instrument hire to Year 6 students.

View the amazing opportunities on offer in our Music Program videos:

• ASC Schools Concert 2023
• Viva Ritmo Voices Perform at the Fremantle Choral Eisteddfod 2023
• Middle School Ensemble Eisteddfod 2023
• A Cappella Exposure 2022

MUSIC HANDBOOKS

Please find below the essential guides and handbooks for the Music Ensembles and the Music Program at St Mark's:

• Primary Music Ensemble
• Secondary Music Ensemble
• Ensemble Rehearsal Schedule
• Instrumental Music Handbook (The 2025 Handbook will be available soon.)
• Instrumental Enrolment Form
• Instrumental Withdrawal Form

Visual Arts

• Art Club for Junior Students - Develop art skills with other creative students and participate in the City of Joondalup's Annual Lantern Parade. Niche Art Clubs operate based on student interests for example 'Interior Design' Club.
• Art Club for Middle and Senior Students - Work on independent or group projects. Students have previously built a six metre-long sea dragon puppet, sewn bunting and created their own musical instruments!

Performing Arts

• Annual Musical Production for Upper Primary, Middle and Senior School students. Students can participate as actors, singers and/or dancers on stage, front of house or backstage with our thriving Tech Club and Wardrobe / Hair & Make-up Club.
• Popular past stage productions have included Beauty & The Beast, Cabaret, The Jungle Book, The Sound of Music, The Addams Family and many more!
• Senior School Productions are magnificent events aimed at those who are studying Drama.
• Junior School students can opt-in for Drama Club.
• Secondary School students can join the Rise Up: Musical Theatre Club
• View our Drama video here.

Dance

• Junior School 'Glee Club' for singing and dancing enthusiasts.
• Middle and Senior School House Activity option for dancers.
• House Performance Night - an annual event showcasing student talent.
• View our Dance video here.

Media

• Photography and Digital Design students gain real-life experience by taking photos and videos at School events before editing for publications.

We have a number of students actively involved in both the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, and the Ignite Award, which are designed to challenge and inspire young people across a number of areas.

Duke of Edinburgh's Award

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is an international program designed to empower young Australians aged 14 to 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 designed to be an individual challenge based on the unique interests of each participant in the areas of Physical Recreation, Skill, Service and an Adventurous Journey.

Students at St Mark’s will find that their sport, debating, drama, music or other co-curricular commitments will meet the requirements for Physical Recreation and Skills components of the Award. The Year 10 Outdoor Education Camp wil

l satisfy the Adventurous Journey and there are various volunteering positions available within the community. Students are encouraged to find their own volunteering commitment but assistance can be provided through the School.

For more information, visit www.dukeofed.com.au or contact Mrs Jane Upson at jupson@stmarks.wa.edu.au.

Ignite Award

The Ignite Award is modelled on the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, and is a challenging program of self-discovery for young people aged 10 to 14 years old that provides opportunities to learn valuable skills, be physically active, assist others in the community and experience adventures.

The Award benefits young people by fostering positive attitudes towards learning, complementing their school curriculum, whilst also building an environment for positive engagement and interaction between young people and the community. It promotes positive self-development and leadership skills and is a great tool for participants to transition into secondary school; hence helping to create responsible and motivated young people in Western Australia.

For further information, visit www.awardswa.org.au or contact Mrs Jane Upson at jupson@stmarks.wa.edu.au.

Camps and tours are an exciting and important part of the student experience. Such opportunities help our students to develop their confidence, social abilities, emotional regulation and awareness of the world around them. Many camps and tours are available to students at St Mark's*. Examples of camps and tours include:

• St Mark's Chapter of the Fathering Project (POSTMEN - Papas of ST Mark's Engagement Network) Full School Campout on the St Mark’s Oval for Dads/Father-figures and Kids
• Year 4 Camp – Kerem Camp and Outback Splash
• Year 5 Camp – Point Peron Camp
• Year 6 Camp – Ern Halliday Recreation Camp
• Year 7 Camp – Rottnest Island
• Year 8 Camp - Woodman Point Recreation Camp / Perth Tour / Canberra Tour
• Year 9 Tour to Parnngurr Community School in the Pilbara region for select students
• Year 9 / 10 WALRSE French Exchange to Reunion Island
• Year 9 Adventure Studies Camp – Swan Valley Adventure Centre
• Year 10 Adventure Studies Expedition – Margaret River / Boranup Forest
• Year 10 / 11 Mikono Tour (Tanzania)
• Year 11 Adventure Studies Ski Trip (Victoria)
• Year 11 NASA Space Camp to the US
• Year 11/12 Biology / Marine and Maritime Camp - Coral Bay
• Year 11 Biology Camp – Perth Hills Discovery Centre
• Year 12 Outdoor Adventure Studies Walpole Expedition
• Year 12 Geography Camp - optional
• Year 12 Prefect Camp for select students
• Mandarin / China Tour
• Japanese Study Exchange Tour
• Multiple Music Camps and Tours

Check out the amazing things our students experience on our camps here:

• Year 9 Parnngurr Trip 2022
• Year 12 Outdoor Adventure Studies Walpole Expedition 2023
• Year 11 and 12 Marine and Maritime Studies Coral Bay Trip
• Year 11 Coral Bay Trip 2023

*Camps and tours are subject to change each year depending on facility availability and curriculum planning. Some camps and tours are optional.

JUNIOR CLUBS – There are a range of Junior Clubs available to students:

• Art Club
• Chess Club
• Connect Club - Christian and Values Education
• Cooking Club
• Drama Club
• Drone Club
• Glee Club
• Maths Explorer/Games Club
• Minecraft Club
• Philosophy Club
• Running Club
• Sustainability Squad in the Community Garden
• Times Table Club
• Triathlon Club

Junior students are also encouraged to be involved in the Australian Maths Competition, APSMO Yr 5 Maths Olympiad, Scitech STEM Challenge, University of Melbourne Mathematics and Statistics Junior Competition, IPSHA: Chess, Academic Challenge, Paper Plane Competition, the Yr 5 Da Vinci Decathlon and Yr 5 Junior Ethics Olympiad as well as participation in Service Programs and the MEG Global Citizenship Student Ambassador Program.

SECONDARY CLUBS – A range of Secondary Clubs are offered to students:

• Art Club
• Bible Study
• Chess
• Chinese Dance
• Community Service
• Da Vinci Decathlon (Years 5-10)
• Debating
• Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
• Ethics Olympiad (Year 6)
• Keys For Life Driver Education
• Philosophy Cafe
• Philosothon
• Rise Up: Musical Theatre Club
• Secondary Musical Production
• STEM Clubs
  • Science Club
  • Tech/Computer Club
  • CoderDojo
  • Participation in the Western Power Circuit Breakers
  • Robotics including participation in the First Lego League Regional Championships and the State Robocup Junior Competition
  • Participation in the Girls Programming Network, Capture The Flag competitions, National Computer Science School Competition and the AI For Good Competition
• Study Club and Homework Help Sessions
• Talented Young Writers Program
• Thinking Minds ANZ Junior Stretch and Challenge – Middle School

Secondary students are also encouraged to participate in the Australian Maths Competition, Independent Primary School Heads of Australia (IPSHA) Interschool Chess Tournament and a Speaker's Challenge. Students also receive regular Wellbeing Days and a weekly mental health check-ins via an online tool called Ei Pulse.

There are many opportunities for our students to exhibit and develop their leadership abilities. Older students are able to become Reading Coaches for younger students and other more formal leadership opportunities include:

• Year 5 Student Leadership Councils
  • Global Citizenship
  • Art
  • Sustainability
  • Cultural
  • Pastoral
  • Technology
  • Sport
• Year 6 Leaders and Homeroom Captains
• Year 7 Leaders
• Year 8 Captains
  • Head Captains
  • Academic Captains
  • Sports Captains
  • CAS Captains
  • Music Captains
  • Chapel & Community Service Captains
  • Arts Captains
  • House Activities Captains
  • House Captains
  • Wellbeing Captains

• Year 9/10/11/12 Pastoral Care Leaders
• Year 12 Prefects
  • Head Prefects
  • Academic Prefects
  • Arts Prefects
  • Chapel Prefect
  • House Activities Prefect
  • House Prefects
  • Service Prefects
  • Sports Prefects
  • Wellbeing Prefects

Each year our Leadership Teams and House Service Captains select charities and associated fundraising activities to run. Students and staff raise money to help those less fortunate in an effort to develop altruism and a rounded character.

Examples of fundraising activities include Operation Christmas Child, Ping Pongathons, World’s Greatest Shave, the MND Big Freeze, OZ Harvest Fundraiser, Disabled Surfing, Hoodies for the Homeless, The Salvation Army ‘Great Cook Up’ and the Anglicare Sleepout and Winter Appeal.

Primary Sport

• In Primary School Students can get involved in a range of sports, including swimming, cross country, basketball, soccer, football, hockey, netball, athletics, triathlon and cricket. The majority of these programs take place during school hours.
• St Mark's participates in the Northern Independent Primary Schools Sports Association (NIPSSA) and also participate in selected Champion Schools programs, amongst others.
• Running Club and Triathlon Club are also open to Primary School students.

Middle and Senior School Sport

• The mix of sporting activities for Middle and Senior School is varied, and includes triathlons, volleyball, beach volleyball cricket, football, netball, golf, surfing, badminton, touch rugby, soccer, rugby union, tennis, basketball, and hockey. For Middle and Senior School students, training and competitions take place outside of school hours.
• A Gym / Fitness Centre is open to Senior Students before school.
• Badminton Club – Members play a social game weekly and a School team is selected to play in an Interschool Tournament. Students from Year 7 through to Year 12 participate.
• St Mark’s is a member of the Associated & Catholic Colleges of WA (ACC), an independent secondary schools’ sports association. St Mark’s students from Years 7 to 12 compete in the ACC's Coastal Associated Schools (CAS) competitions. St Mark's also participates in a number School Sports WA Champion School Sports (CSS) Carnivals during the year.
  

We have a number of STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Maths) programs on offer outside of school hours at St Mark's.

The CoderDojo has proved to be a very popular option, and is open to Primary, Middle and Senior School students. Over the past three years, the CoderDojo has quickly grown into a very positive and supportive community. Projects vary from website design, 3D modelling and game design, all with an impressive level of creativity. Students challenge themselves by learning to code in Scratch, Blockly, Python, Unity and others! The Club is open to all students, even if they have no prior knowledge of coding, but who have an interest in all things 'techy', including coding, gaming, making websites and more.

In 2020, St Mark's also gave the Primary and Middle School students the opportunity to continue their exploration of coding and circuits through participating of the Western Power Circuit Breakers initiative.

Robotics programs are on offer in the Primary School, and in Middle and Senior School. The Primary Robotics Team participates in the First Lego League Regional Championships. Our older students compete at both an Interhouse level, and at the State Robocup Junior Competition each year.

Other opportunities come up throughout the year for students to participate in events such as the Girls Programming Network, Capture The Flag competitions, National Computer Science School Competition and the AI For Good Competition.

Information on the various Digital Technologies programs is available from Head of Digital Technology, Mr Rob Blair at rblair@stmarks.wa.edu.au or Digital Technologies teacher, Mrs Chomiak at mchomiak@stmarks.wa.edu.au.

Our Science Department also encourages students to get involved in outside of school hours programs, with a Science Club open to all students from Years 4 to 10. Students participate in a series of fun and hands-on STEM workshops.

Middle and Senior School students have access to a range of before and after-school Study Clubs and revision sessions hosted by the various departments and learning areas throughout the year. Students can use this time to complete homework, ask for assistance with something they worked on in class, or do revision ahead of exams. Dates, times and venues are provided to students once confirmed via SEQTA as well as the School App under the Extra-Curricuar tab.

In addition, the Tony Stopher Library and Information Centre is open to Middle and Senior School students from 7.30am to 5pm every day. During this time, students can choose to access the resources located in the Library, work independently on group assignments, complete homework, revise work or prepare for exams. Students are welcome to ask for support from any one of the teachers on duty. The Library is also open during some holiday breaks for students who wish to have a quiet place to study ahead of exams.

The Community Garden is a wonderful way to use the schoolyard as a classroom, reconnect students with the natural world and the true source of their food, and teach them valuable gardening and agriculture concepts and skills that integrate with several subjects, such as maths, science, art, health and physical education, and social studies, as well as several educational goals, including personal and social responsibility.

The Primary School's Sustainability Squad is a before-school activity that encourages students to get involved with every aspect of the Community Garden - from sowing seeds to harvesting produce. The project is self-funding, as Sustainability Squad is sells organic, fresh produce from the garden each week. Students are also encouraged to taste-test the results of their hard work, creating a new appreciation and taste for fruit and veggies!

St Mark's also offers plenty of activities that stimulate other areas of the brain, such as the Philosophy Cafe, academic competitions, strategic thinking challenges, spelling bees and more!

St Mark's students have enjoyed success in programs such as the Tournament of Minds, Perth Philosothon, Da Vinci Decathlon, Numero Challenge, Western Australian Debating League and more.

In addition, students in the Primary School students also have opportunities participate in activities through the Independent Primary School Heads of Australia (IPSHA). This includes an Interschool Chess Tournament and a Speaker's Challenge.

These activities give students the opportunity to challenge and extend themselves in new areas. Some activities are open to all, others are by invitation or by application.