Junior School Bulletin - Term 2, Week 2

This week we will enjoy two special days that will enable us to gather together as a larger group here at school, one for a celebration and the other for a commemoration.

St Mark’s Day is a moment each year where we stop and celebrate the wonderful school community that we enjoy. There are not many times when we can gather the larger school and this event is one that always brings a smile to the senior students, as they see the early years children and reflect that they too were once that age and that small.

Last year’s entertaining service was led by Reverand Davis and I still use his theme for the day, ‘play for the badge’, when I talk to students now. While his Northern Ireland football references led to some head scratching, the call for pride in our school and its wider community resonated with everyone in attendance. It still does with me now. This year we are blessed to have our new Bishop, Hans Christiansen, being interviewed by Reverand Rowland. Bishop Christiansen has come to Perth from Melbourne Grammar School and I am sure he will have some wise words and stories for our students to hear.

On Friday we will have an Anzac service for our Primary School students, with the Middle and Senior Schools running their own service. Our service is age appropriate and will commemorate all of our defence force personnel who gave their lives in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping missions across the years. All parents know the day is the anniversary of the landing of Australian and New Zealand troops at Gallipoli but many might be surprised to know that we have two pine trees at St Mark’s that are the progeny of the Lone Pine from Gallipoli. I had the pleasure of listening to Mr Martin retell the story to his class of the significance of planting two small saplings that with care and maintenance, now stand as large trees in the Middle School. Dawn services will occur across the city and I encourage all families to take the time to explain the significance of this day to their children.

Next week we will be having our annual school photos. As always, our Primary students will look their very best and I thank all parents for following our uniform, hair and jewellery guidelines for this day. Further information regarding school photos can be found below.

Mark Douglas,
Head of Primary School

Students will participate in various events to celebrate St Mark's Day on Wednesday 24 April. For those Y2-5 students who have already pre-paid for a sausage sizzle, Mr Pressley will meet these students at lunchtime and escort them to the sausage sizzle stall.

For information, the Canteen will still be open for Primary School students to order their lunch on St Mark's Day, however, it will be closed to Senior School student lunch orders.

Please click on the following link to open the schedule for the Junior School Clubs this term: 2024 Term Two Junior School Clubs. Please note, the schedule contains sign-up links for some clubs and spaces go very quickly.

Photo envelopes have now been sent home with Y2-5 students; please ensure the photo envelopes are returned to your child's class teacher prior to Photo Day in Week 3 (even if you do not wish to order photos). Students are to wear full winter uniform on Photo Day (if your child's class has sport on this day then please ensure they bring their full winter uniform to school with them so that they can get changed for their photo). As Photo Day in the Junior School takes place over 2 days in Week 3, the schedule is as follows and includes Music groups:

• Tuesday 30 April – All Year 3 classes, Year 4Mason and Year 4Upson

• Wednesday 1 May – All Year 2 classes. All Year 5 classes, Year 4Martino and Year 4Hummerston. Group music photos will be also taken on this day for students in Y2/3 Crescendo Kids Choir, Y4/5 Take Note Choir, Viva Ritmo Voices and Junior Instrumental Ensembles. This does NOT include Y2 Strings. Students involved in ensemble photos should bring their instruments with them for the photo (percussionists can bring sticks or mallets).

For families that would like a siblings photo, these can be taken either before school (8.15am – 8.40am) or after school (3.25pm – 3.45pm) on 29 April – 2 May in the School Hall.

For families of Old Scholars these photos are being taken at 7.45am Tuesday 30 April in the School Hall.

For information, if your child is absent from school on Photo Day, there will be a catch-up Photo Day for absentees on Wednesday, 8 May.

Please view the Photo Day Schedule here.

Flyers went home last week from the Scholastic Book Club. If any families are interested in purchasing books, please note that orders and payments are ONLINE only at https://mybookclubs.scholastic.com.au/parent/login.aspx and need to be submitted before 3pm on Thursday 2 May 2024. If you have any queries, please email primarylibrary@stmarks.wa.edu.au

Please note that all Music Tutors use their personal email addresses to communicate with parents and students. Any old tutor emails which end in @stmarks.wa.edu.au are not active. Please contact artsadmin@stmarks.wa.edu.au if you are unsure of your tutor’s email address.

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

We will hold our annual Old Scholar Generations photo on Tuesday, 30 April 2024, at 7.45am. If you and your child/ren would like to be included in our Old Scholar Generations Photo, please book your spot by clicking the link at the bottom.

We will be hosting a light breakfast catch-up in the Quad from 7.00am - 7.45am.

Please note that students will be required to wear formal winter uniforms.

Date: Tuesday 30 April 2024

Time:

• 7.00am for light breakfast and catch-up
• 7.45am for 8.00am for the Generational Photo

Venue: St Mark's Anglican Community School Hall

Please note that we will have a videographer filming the morning to capture footage of our wonderful Old Scholars and their families to promote the Old Scholars' Association.

Book your spot here.

St Mark's is again looking for volunteers to assist with supervision for the upcoming Year 11 exams from Tuesday 29 October to Friday 8 November.

Sessions are broken up into two time slots, morning (08:00am to 12:00pm) and afternoon (1:00pm to 4:30pm).

Please sign up here. Please only choose 1 session time per family to allow all families a chance at helping.

Please find below the current Parent Commitment Hour reports logged up to 15 April 2024. You will need your family code as shown on your St Mark's account statements, to check your individual log.

Parent Commitment Hours Summary

Parent Commitment Hours Detailed

With Term 2 now underway, we thought it was timely to remind our families to be neighbourly when parking around the School and also adhere to the Kiss n Drive rules.

• Please note that both Whitfords Avenue and Endeavour Road are school zones, so the speed limit is 40km/h during school hours.
• Drive carefully and be alert for pedestrians.
  Please do not park in neighbouring business' parking bays, including the commercial complex directly next door (which includes AutoMasters and Better Pets), the Endeavour Business Centre across the road, Endeavour Child Care and the Whitfords Family Centre. The bays in these facilities are set aside for their customers.
• Older students with P-plates/Drivers licences should park across the road near Muzz Buzz
• Remind your children to cross at points where Traffic Wardens are in operation.
• Please drive with caution, as there will be lots of excited children making their way to school.
• Please do not double park at any location, including (but not limited to): Kiss ‘n Drive points, St Marks Drive, School parking areas, access gates and across our neighbours’ driveways.
• Please do not overtake stationary cars on the School grounds, especially in Kiss ‘n Drive zones.
• When exiting the School grounds, please ensure you look both left and right carefully before re-entering St Marks Dr, particularly around our neighbour’s driveways.
• Remember, during drop-off and pick-up times, the traffic in and around the School can get very heavy, and some behaviours put our students - your children - at risk.

Thank you all so much for your assistance!

Please check your account is up to date. Quarterly remaining payments are due :

• 30 April
• 30 July
• 22 Oct

For any queries, please contact familyaccounts@stmarks.wa.edu.au

Thank you

Did you know that our Old Scholars' Association Little Lions Playgroup is run on-site every Friday during term time? We'd love to see your little cub there this Friday!

Join us from 8.45 a.m. to 10.30 a.m. for lots of fun and games. Little Lions Playgroup is a community-based group run in conjunction with Playgroup WA and caters for children up to school age. Families attending our Kindy and not in session on Fridays are more than welcome to join as well.

For more information and to book your spot, please email us, osa@stmarks.wa.edu.au or join our Facebook group HERE.

Everyone is welcome - you do not need to be an Old Scholar (former student) of St Mark's to attend.