Junior School Bulletin - Term 3, Week 4

Maths Week was a whirlwind of excitement and curiosity as our young students delved into the wonders of mathematics. It was inspiring to watch their engagement and enthusiasm as they tackled various challenges and activities.

Following the excitement of the Maths Show for our Year 4 and 5’s, our Year 2 and 3 students had a fantastic time solving puzzles and challenges set by the ever-entertaining Professor Maths. The teamwork and collaboration shown by these young students were commendable, as they worked together to solve each problem.

One of the fun lunchtime activities of the week was the "Regurgitating Pi" contest, run by our Culture Council, for our Year 4 and 5 students. The participants showcased their incredible memory skills, with our winner impressively recalling pi to the 51st decimal point! It was a testament to the remarkable capacity of young minds and their ability to learn and remember. I wish my memory was that good!

A personal highlight for me was witnessing the buddy maths session between our Year 3 and Year 8 students. The older students led their younger counterparts through some challenging yet fun maths problems, fostering a wonderful atmosphere of mentorship and collaboration. It was heartwarming to see the bonds formed and the learning that took place.

Throughout Maths Week, it was evident that all students were having a wonderful time. The activities not only enhanced their mathematical skills but also created lasting memories and a love mathematics.

Solutions to last week's Maths challenges can be found here.

Natasha Robertson
Literacy and Numeracy Coach - Primary School

All Year 2 – 5 students should have selected a poem they would like to recite. Students are encouraged to memorise their chosen poem at home.

The initial round of our competition will be conducted in class. The Class Round of our competition will occur no later than Thursday 22 August (the exact date will be determined by the class teacher). Class teachers will then select the three strongest poetry performers to compete against the winners from the other classes in their year level.

Our VERSE-atility Grand Finals will take place on Thursday 29 August. Up to two family members of each child who participates in the final will be invited to attend the performance.

General Rules of our VERSE-atility Competition

• Poem Selection: Poems must be pre-approved by class teachers for appropriateness.
• Respect and Inclusivity: All poems and performances must respect the school's values of inclusivity and diversity.
• Originality: While students are performing works by others, they should aim to bring their own unique interpretation to the performance.
• Encouragement: All participants should be encouraged and applauded for their effort and bravery in performing.

Rules for Participants

• Poem Selection: Choose a poem that you connect with and is appropriate for your age. All poems must be pre-approved by your class teacher.
• Time Limit: Each performance should be no longer than 2 minutes. Practice to ensure your poem fits within this time frame.
• Respectful Content: Your poem should not contain any offensive or inappropriate language and must adhere to the school's values of respect and inclusivity.
• Originality in Performance: While you are reciting someone else's work, bring your own unique style and interpretation to your performance. There may be a few students who choose to write and perform their own poem, which has been approved by their class teacher.
• Dress Code: Formal school uniform is expected for this event.
• Rehearsals: Take time to rehearse your poem, paying attention to your voice, gestures, and facial expressions.

Natasha Robertson
Literacy and Numeracy Coach - Primary School

The Ping Pongathon is back! The St Mark's Junior School is again raising funds for children affected by slavery in South-East Asia and around the world. The generosity of our Junior School families was overwhelming last year, with over $3000 raised!

Students who make a donation of any amount via this link: https://pingpongathon.com/t/stmarks will earn 10 minutes of free ping-pong outside the 4/5 area on Friday afternoon, 9 August, 2024 (Week 4, Term 3). After donating anonymously, please email your child's full name and class to jdacosta@stmarks.wa.edu.au so I can confirm that they have donated and allocate them a time to play ping-pong at the event.

Your donation will help assist eight different international organisations who work to free children trapped in slavery in South-East Asia and beyond. For more information on their important work and this cause, follow this link: https://pingpongathon.com/page/cause

If you have any questions or queries about this event, please email Mr da Costa at jdacosta@stmarks.wa.edu.au

In Term 3 our Primary Interhouse Music Eisteddfod is taking place in the PAC auditorium on Monday 19 August. An opportunity for Primary students who learn an instrument to perform in front of an audience and a live adjudicator for feedback and House points. Only one piece of music per instrument is required. All entries will receive House points and students are encouraged to wear a House ribbon or similar on the day to reflect their House. The flyer can be accessed here.

Applications are now open to students in Years 2-5 to register for the Eisteddfod. There is an early bird cost of $10 and this will close on Tuesday 7 August. All other entries cost $15 and close on Tuesday 14 August; this fee covers multiple entries on individual instruments and ensemble entries. Please make your payment and complete your child's entry details through the Trybooking website: https://www.trybooking.com/CTRIG

Note: one form/entry fee is required regardless if a student plays 2 instruments or in 2 or more items and extremely keen Year 2 String player applications will only be accepted subject to teacher approval. Please speak with the teacher first before submitting a Year 2 strings application. If you have any queries, please email Jaina at jvanreyk@stmarks.wa.edu.au

Once again, the Year 3 classes from St Mark’s will be participating in a project called Operation Christmas Child. This is a charity project run by Samaritan’s Purse, a Christian organisation which supports children in need around the world. We are seeking donations to fill shoe boxes which will be given to children less fortunate than ourselves. Items can be placed in the large boxes set up in the Year 2/3 open area. All items must be new, as per the charity guidelines.

Donations are for children aged 2-14 years old and can include items from the following categories:

• Something to love (eg. a small soft toy or doll)
• Something for school (eg. pencils, sharpener, eraser, pencil case, notebook)
• Something for personal hygiene (eg. a flannel, a bar of soap, a hairbrush, a toothbrush)
• Something to wear (eg. any new clothes, hats, shoes or underwear)
• Something to play with (eg. a ball, a small toy, a yoyo, a skipping rope)
• Something special (eg. a bag to carry their box, a bracelet or necklace, small books)

For postage and safety reasons, we cannot accept liquids, pastes, gels or balms or any items related to war.

Thank you in advance for your support of this important project. Please contact Mrs Greaves via email egreaves@stmarks.wa.edu.au should you have any further questions.

• Y5 Peninsula Farm excursion - 5HUE on 10 September, 5D/E on 11 September, 5MAR on 17 September, and 5DUF on 18 September. Notifications have been to Y5 parents via Consent2Go.
  
  
• R U OK Day - Thursday 12 September (Week 9)
  Primary students are invited to add something yellow to their usual school uniform on this day if they wish, i.e. a yellow hair ribbon, yellow socks.
  
  
• Y3 Gravity Discovery Centre excursion - Friday 13 September (Week 9). Notifications have been sent to Y3 parents via Consent2Go.
  
  
• Junior School Disco - Friday 13 September (Week 9). The theme will be 'Spooky' and tickets can be purchased here. Please note, scary masks will not be allowed.
  
  
• Interschool Athletics Carnival - 17 and 18 September (Week 10). Notifications have been sent to parents of selected students via Consent2Go.
  
  
• Last day of Term 3 - Friday 20 September (Week 10)
  Students will finish at their normal time on this day.
  
  
• First day of Term 4 - Monday 7 October
  Students are to wear summer uniform in Term 4.
  
  

Week 6: 19 to 23 August is Book Week! “Reading is Magic”

• Friday 23 August the Primary School will celebrate Book Week by dressing up as their favourite book character. 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.

Week 7: 26 August to 30 August is 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!
• Book Fair opening hours:
  Monday: after school 3.15pm to 3.45pm
  Tuesday to Thursday: before school 8.15am - 8.45am, lunch time 12.55pm until 1.15pm, and also after school 3.15pm to 3.45pm
  Friday: before school 8.15 - 8.45am and lunch time 12.55pm until 1.15pm

Are you a former student and/or current parent of St Mark's who is studying or working in the engineering sector?

If so, we'd love to hear from you.

We are looking for members of the St Mark's community who work in the engineering sector or study engineering to share their study/career experiences with our current students at our Career Conversations on Wednesday, August 28.

Please contact Amanda Kemp, akemp@stmarks.wa.edu.au, to learn more.

The Salvation Army Great Cook Up initiative in Term 3 is approaching! This is a fantastic initiative for a very worthy cause, run by the St Mark's Old Scholars Association once a term and gives students from Years 2 to 5 the opportunity to come together with their parents, work alongside each other and cook meals for the Salvation Army at the Alan Cadby Senior Academic Centre (Home Economics rooms in the Secondary School). It is always a great afternoon and the kitchen is continually a buzz with St Mark's community spirit. The St Mark’s Old Scholars Association will be providing all the food and ingredients, all you need to do is simply turn up and help prepare and cook the meals. Further details are as follows:

Date: Wednesday 14 August 2024
Time: 3.40pm (after school) until approximately 5/5.30pm
Where: St Mark's Home Economics rooms
Who: Only 12 x family places are available (two groups per meal batch) - parents will be notified via email
Sign-up link: Cooking for Salvation Army - Term 3

This initiative is being organised by The St Mark's Old Scholars Association and should you require any further information regarding this activity then please email Andrew Coffin at andrewcoffin@bigpond.com or telephone 0415 862 907.

On Friday 30 August, ELC dads and special friends will gather in the morning to celebrate Father’s Day. If you would like to earn some Parent Commitment Hours and help cook the BBQ breakfast, there are plenty of rolls to cut (please BYO a bread knife or two if you can spare it!) and sausages to cook. We will start at 7.45am and finish about 9am.

Please email Joe da Costa at jdacosta@stmarks.wa.edu.au if you are interested. There are about eight spots available.

Each year, our Year 12 students and Old Scholars celebrate the life of Kristian Hoogenkamp, a member of the Class of 2020, who in 2019 tragically lost his battle to a rare type of cancer - rhabdomyosarcoma, with the Kristian Hoogenkamp Memorial AFL Match.

The aim of the game is not only to honour our mate but also to raise awareness of this rare cancer. This year, our Class of 2024 are turning it up a notch and are raising funds for Sock it to Sarcoma. In doing so, they are asking for donations of prizes for their fundraising Hoogenkamp Spirit Cup Raffle.

If anyone from our School Community can help by donating a raffle item, such as gift vouchers or hampers, we would be extremely grateful!

For more information or to find out where to drop your items, please contact Amanda Kemp in the Marketing/Community Relations Office - akemp@stmarks.wa.edu.au

We are excited to announce that the Art Show returns to St Mark's for 2024!

Mark your calendar for October 4-6, and save the date now! We look forward to seeing you all at the Gala Opening Night, during which you can purchase beautiful artwork from various local artists.

To stay up-to-date with all the latest news about the exhibition, follow the St Mark's Art Show on Instagram and Facebook.

Keep an eye on the Weekly Bulletins for information about buying tickets and opportunities for volunteer hours. It promises to be a fabulous event, but we need your help to make it happen.

Artists who wish to express their interest in submitting work to the exhibition should contact artshow@stmarks.wa.edu.au