Junior School Bulletin - Term 3, Week 6

What a wonderful time to be a Primary Schooler at St Mark's. This week we have the full spectrum of activities and opportunities for the children to participate in.

Yesterday, our Primary Eisteddfod was a huge success. With nearly 100 entrants, the event was once again very popular and showcased the results of many, many hours of practice and rehearsal. I was amazed in particular by those students who I know have learnt one instrument for many years but confidently hopped on stage to perform a complicated piece on a completely different instrument! The Eisteddfod also highlighted students at different stages of their music journey. We are not born experts on instruments and the students could see that prowess and progress occur over time and with sustained dedication. A huge thank you to Mr Martin, Mr Walker, Ms Guelfi and the music staff for all of their work in organising, encouraging and supporting our students to participate in this wonderful event.

The annual Athletics Carnival kicked off today and will continue tomorrow, giving our budding athletes a chance to shine. With the Olympics still fresh in our minds, I am certain the children will give each event their all. Our Athletics Carnival also includes many novelty events that make the day fun and engaging. This system works better than the traditional model of only doing a handful of events and having to watch for the majority of the day. For events such as the 800m, 200m and sprint races, children will be out of breath at the end of each race. It is a timely reminder for children and parents that this moment of discomfort passes quickly and after a few minutes they will feel their normal selves again. I do hope the weather stays clear tomorrow, however, I am sure the students will have great fun regardless. Thank you to Mr Barton for the many hours of organisation required for this event to run.

Friday will see all of the Primary School gather again for the Book Week parade. I love to read and really enjoy asking children what they are reading as they pass me on their way back to class after being in the library. They are normally very eager to tell me what their current book is and their thoughts on the series. I know there are some brilliant series for children and I would like to thank all of our parents for their support of their child in these pursuits. I am sure your homes are regularly visited by the print copies of Wings of Fire, Ella's Diaries and the Land of Stories. Reading brings with it the magic of imagination and is an area I hope our students continue to flourish in as they move through the school. A big thanks to Mrs Fransz an Mrs Lindsay for organising the book week event this year.

The last fortnight has also seen our ELC classes participate in their first assemblies of the year in the Performing Arts Complex. Year One led the way and I don't think there could have been a single person in attendance who was not beaming with smiles after such wonderful performances. While many children are very confident from the beginning, for others these opportunities are how they grow in this area and develop the skills they need in the wider world outside the school gates.

Mark Douglas
Head of Primary School

Tomorrow, students are to wear Sports uniform with House shirt and School hat, and please apply sunscreen before school. Parents are welcome to attend. This is an all day event and will be held on the Secondary Oval. Students must bring a packed lunch and water bottle on this day as lunch orders from the Canteen will be unavailable. Further detailed information can be found here.

This week is Book Week! “Reading is Magic”

• This Friday 23 August the Primary School celebrates 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 this Friday.

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

Most classes have now completed their classroom rounds of the VERSE-atility competition. Teachers had a tough time choosing the top poetry performers because everyone gave it their all!

Our finalists will go head-to-head in the inaugural VERSE-atility Grand Finals next Thursday 29 August. Up to two family members of each child participating in the final will be invited to come along and cheer them on. An email will be sent to these families this Friday. We can't wait to see our finalists take the stage and show off their amazing performances!

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

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.
  
  

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.

We invite you to purchase raffle tickets as part of the Hoogenkamp Spirit Cup.

Our Year 12 students and Old Scholars are gearing up for the annual Kristian Hoogenkamp Memorial AFL Match. This match honours Kristian Hoogenkamp, our beloved Class of 2020 member, who bravely lost his battle to rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare cancer, in 2019. This year, the Class of 2024 is taking it to the next level by raising funds for Sock it to Sarcoma through the Hoogenkamp Spirit Cup Raffle.

So why not help a worthy cause that is extremely close to our hearts and possibly win a prize at the same time?

The raffle will be DRAWN FRIDAY 30 AUGUST 2024 at 3.00PM.

The purchase of raffle tickets online closes at 1.30pm on Friday, 30 August 2024.

Raffle tickets will be available to purchase from Thursday, 23 August 2024, at 4.00pm via the online platform (credit card only) or from the Main Parent Reception (credit card). Our Prefects will also be selling raffle tickets during the Kristian Hoogenkamp Memorial Game.

TICKETS ARE $2.00 EACH - PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS HERE

Please make your online credit card payment at the same time as registering for your raffle tickets - you cannot go back at a later date to make the payment online. For valid raffle tickets to be issued, please ensure all steps of the transaction, including payment, are completed.

• Winners will be notified by phone/email.
  
• Your ticket details will be provided directly to the event organiser to be included in the draw.
  

Grand prize:

• Framed Signed Fremantle Football Club 2022 AFLW Pride Guernsey (thanks to the Fremantle Football Club)
  

Raffle prizes:

• $200 Stax. Clothing Voucher (thanks to Stax and Matilda & Don Robertson)
• 3 x 5 free entry passes to Koalas Play Centre (thanks to Koalas Play Centre and Paula Mitchell)
• Gift Pack of funky socks, West Coast Eagles travel mug (with thanks to the Cameron family)
• 2 x $20 Mecca Vouchers (with thanks to the Cameron family)
• 1 x Pandora jewellery set (Sterling silver heart necklace and sterling silver heart stud earrings) valued at $158.00 (with thanks to the Forder family)
• 1 x Pandora jewellery box (not filled) valued at $39.00 (with thanks to the Forder family)
• 1 x $25 Alex Junior Voucher (with thanks to the Forder family)
• 5 x free coffee tokens Alex Junior (with thanks to the Forder family)
• 1 x $30 Eftpos Card (with thanks to 3 Residential and the Nolte Family)
• 5 x coffee tokens Prontissimo (with thanks to 3 Residential and the Nolte Family)
• Lots more prizes are available

If raffles aren't your thing, but you'd still like to support our cause, you can make a donation to Sock it to Sarcoma via this ticketing system.

Thank you for your support.

For any enquiries, please contact the Community Relations Office akemp@stmarks.wa.edu.au

The St Mark's community are invited to join the St Mark's P&F for their general meeting on Tuesday 27 August at 7.00pm in the Barbara Godwin Performing Arts Complex.

• Refreshments will be served after the meeting.
• Bookings are not required.
• Two parent commitment hours are available for each family who attends.

Rebecca Rourke, Head of Inclusion, Learning, and Diversity, and Samantha Goldberg, Senior Psychologist, will present on "How we address individual needs at St Mark's from a Wellbeing and Learning Diversity Perspective.

The Annual POSTMEN Games Day is on again! Saturday, September 14th, from 1pm to 5pm, presents an opportunity for Dads and Father Figures to bring along their kids to try some fun and interesting board games. Adam from BoardGamesDirect.com will help us again by bringing along some different games for us to play. The event will be suitable for kids of all ages, with something to appeal to everyone.

We’ll round the afternoon off with our much-loved Klask tournament and some pizza for an early dinner.

Come and have a blast, compete for great prizes, and enjoy some quality time with your kids.

Tickets are just $10 per person. Grab yours here.

All Old Scholars are invited to attend the 2024 Annual General Meeting at 7pm on Tuesday, 17 September, in the SAC Staffroom.

Drinks and nibbles will be served.

Parent Commitment Hours can be claimed.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

All positions will be declared vacant, and nominations are called for a new Committee. All current members of the Association are encouraged to attend the AGM, and any member may nominate to join the committee.

• Nominations can be submitted to osa@stmarks.wa.edu.au by Friday 13 September. Nominations can also be taken from the floor at the AGM.
• Any members who are not able to attend may select a proxy to vote on their behalf at the AGM. Completed proxy forms should be emailed to osa@stmarks.wa.edu.au by Friday 13 September.
• Members are welcome to submit items for the agenda by emailing emailed to osa@stmarks.wa.edu.au by Friday 13 September.
  
• The Agenda, Nomination Forms and Proxy forms are available by request to osa@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

The Newman Breakers Water Polo Club at Newman College is set to become the new hub for aspiring young athletes with the introduction of exciting water polo opportunities. The local water polo club is reaching out to the school community with an invitation to explore its programs, designed for students of all skill levels.

The club offers a range of programs, including Flippa Ball for younger players and the Water Polo WA State League Junior programs for those looking to advance their skills. The club aims to provide a supportive environment for students to either start their water polo journey or further develop their existing abilities.

To find out more scan the QR Code in Flyers!

The Hamersley Athletics Centre is excited to announce an upcoming Information Day scheduled for early September. We caters to a diverse age range, from Under 7s to Under 17s, and has recently expanded into senior athletes as well.

For more information see flyer