ELC Bulletin - Term 3 Week 10

Have a wonderful Break

As we reach the end of Term 3, I would like to thank our students, staff and families for a wonderful term. It has certainly been a full one, with many exciting learning opportunities, celebrations, performances, excursions and achievements along the way. The enthusiasm and support shown across our school community continue to make St Mark's such a special place.

I wish all families a safe and restful break and hope everyone enjoys the opportunity to recharge and spend time together. We look forward to welcoming students back for Term 4.

Although it is our shortest term of the year at just eight weeks, there is certainly no shortage of exciting events ahead. Camps, swimming lessons, concerts, the Nativity, orientation activities, celebrations, academic reports and a range of end-of-year events will make for a busy and memorable term. It will no doubt pass quickly, but we are excited about the opportunities it will bring and look forward to finishing the year strongly together.

Thank you for all you do to make our community great. Have a wonderful break.

Friendology Friendship Tip of the Week

Has your protective instinct kicked in? When parents are activated by their child’s friendship issues (especially if someone has been cruel or malicious – what we call in our Friendology curriculum, “Mean-on-Purpose”), it is common for a parent’s protective instinct to kick in. This can trigger their FIGHT/FLIGHT/FREEZE/FAWN response, thanks to the autonomic nervous system. Read more. https://urstrong.com/giving-advice-when-your-protective-instinct-has-kicked-in/

Please sign up for a FREE lifetime membership to the Friendology Program using this link if you haven’t already. https://urstrong.com/parents/

We are having a fun and busy few final weeks of Term 3 in the ELC!

Our Pre-Primary children had a wonderful time at Herdsman Lake, exploring the environment and learning all about our local wildlife.

The Kindy Turtles and Starfish have enjoyed a lovely Spring walk to the park, taking the opportunity to notice the changes that this beautiful season brings.

Our Year 1 children have also been busy showcasing their learning about Communities, with a colourful and informative display in the Imaginarium. It has been wonderful to see their learning, creativity and ideas come together.

Water Conservation Incursion

Unfortunately, the Water Conservation Incursion planned for Wednesday has had to be cancelled due to illness within the Water Corporation team. We are hoping to reschedule this experience for Term 4 and will keep families updated.

ELC House Activities

This Thursday will be our final ELC House Activities for the year. All Pre-Primary and Year 1 children will wear their House shirts and spend the morning working together in their House groups.

We kindly ask that each child bring in some recycled materials from home before House Activity Day. Materials could include items such as; Cereal boxes, Paper towel rolls, Cardboard boxes, Egg cartons and Bottle caps. These materials will be used by the children to build and create their recycled creations. Thank you for your support! We can't wait to see what the children create!

We have another exciting range of activities planned:

• Digital Learning – Mr Martin and his Year 5 class will host a music technology activity using GarageBand and Ableton.
• Sustainability – Miss Botha will encourage the children to get creative using recycled materials.
• Movement – Miss K will get everyone moving with an obstacle course and a variety of fun movement games.
• Dance – Mrs Hetherington and some of our Secondary Dance students will lead the children in dances and clapping games.

We are also very fortunate to have some of our Secondary School Duke of Edinburgh buddies joining us to provide additional support throughout the rotations. We love the opportunity for our younger and older students to connect and learn together.

Farewell to Miss Botha and Miss K

Our final House Activities morning will also mark the very last day of Miss Botha and Miss K’s ECU Internships with our ELC.

Please join me in congratulating them on an outstanding two terms at St Mark’s. They have brought enthusiasm, creativity and care to their work and have made a wonderful contribution to our ELC community.

We thank them for everything they have given to our children and staff and wish them every success as they begin their careers as fabulous Early Childhood teachers. We know they have very exciting futures ahead of them!

Wear Your Team Colours

Finally, on Friday 25 September, children are invited to come to school dressed in their favourite sporting team colours to help support the Fight Cancer Foundation, which provides vital assistance to children undergoing cancer treatment.

Our school will be making a donation to the foundation using funds raised from last year’s Lapathon, showing our continued commitment to helping kids in need.

ELC children can dress in their favourite sporting team colours or clothing to join in the fun and show their support.

Thank you for helping us make a difference.

Happy Holidays!

As another busy term draws to a close, I wish all of our ELC children and families a happy and restful holiday break. I hope you enjoy some time away from the routines of school, with plenty of opportunities to relax, play and spend time together.

We look forward to welcoming everyone back for Term 4 and another wonderful term of learning, growing and having fun together.

Linda Sweet
Deputy Head of Primary – Early Learning

Please note these dates are subject to change;

• Thurs 24 Sept - House Activities (PP & Yr 1)
• Fri 25 Sept - Wear Teams Colour Day - Last day of Term 3
• Mon 12 Oct - Term 4 starts

Claims close Friday 25 September 2026.

Don't miss out on claiming your WA Student Assistance Payment.

$150 for each Kindergarten and Primary student
$250 for each Secondary student

Claim now through the ServiceWA app, online or by post in a claim form.

Visit www.education.wa.edu.au/wasap for eligibility info and how to claim.

The St Mark's office continues to receive regular feedback from businesses surrounding the School regarding the use of private parking spaces by members of our community. This includes parking while dropping off and collecting students, as well as vehicles being left in these car parks for extended periods during the day.

The areas affected include:

• Endeavour Business Centre (corner of Endeavour Road and Banks Avenue)
• Whitford Business Centre (including Mitre 10, Better Pets, Auto Masters and Supercheap Auto)
• Endeavour Childcare and Whitford Family Centre

While we understand the convenience these locations may offer, we ask all parents, caregivers and students to refrain from using private business car parks when attending the School. Year 11 and 12 students must continue to park in the Muzz Buzz car park.

St Mark's values the strong relationships we have built with our neighbouring businesses over many years. These partnerships provide valuable benefits to our School community, including access to the Muzz Buzz car park for student parking and overflow parking during major events, as well as a range of educational opportunities and community connections.

To maintain these important relationships, we ask everyone to respect the parking spaces provided for customers, staff and visitors of local businesses. Continued misuse of these areas will result in enforcement action during peak school times.

We also ask that all members of our community show consideration for our neighbours by avoiding parking on verges, across driveways, or in private car parks.

Thank you for your understanding and support in helping us maintain positive relationships with our local community.

Thank you,

St Mark's

The St Mark's Community Art Show is back, and this year we're celebrating a record-breaking exhibition featuring over 100 artists and more than 300 artworks!

Join us for our ticketed Opening Night on Friday 9 October, featuring exclusive first access to view and purchase artworks, live entertainment, raffles and the opportunity to vote for the People's Choice Award.

The exhibition will then open for free public viewing on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October.

Come along to discover incredible local talent, find a beautiful piece of original artwork and support this wonderful community fundraising event.

Event Details

• Opening Night: Friday 9 October | 6:30pm–10:30pm (ticketed) Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/art-show-2026
• Free Exhibition: Saturday 10 & Sunday 11 October | 9am - 3pm
• Venue: Ken Fairfield Hall, St Mark's Anglican Community School

We look forward to welcoming you!

Support St Mark's Anglican Community School P&F Association and enjoy more of what you love with an Entertainment Membership!

For just $75, purchase an Entertainment Membership and receive a second Membership FREE, plus a FREE $30 Visa Gift Card!

You’ll unlock thousands of offers on dining, travel, attractions and experiences across Australia, New Zealand and Bali.
Every Membership sold helps support St Mark's Anglican Community School P&F Association fundraising efforts, so don’t miss out on this fantastic limited-time offer!

Get yours today: www.entbook.com.au/83g329 - Hurry! Campaign ends: 30th September!

Thank you for your support!

Join us for a vibrant celebration showcasing the creative journey of our Students in Primary and Secondary on Friday 16 October 2026.

EVENT SCHEDULE

• 5pm - 6.15pm - Whole School Arts and Design Festival
• 6.15pm - 6.45pm - Awards and Presentations
• 6.45pm - 7.30pm - Dance, Drama and Music Performances

Venue: Busselton Building

Make an evening of it with food trucks serving snacks and refreshments along with a coffee van available.

Mark your calendars and gather your family and friends for one of the most festive nights of the year! Our Community Christmas Carols will return to the St Mark's Junior School Oval on Friday 27 November, bringing together our School and wider community for an evening of Christmas cheer.

From 5.00pm, the oval will come alive with plenty of family-friendly entertainment and activities. Enjoy delicious food truck offerings or BYO picnic, challenge your friends and family to giant games, and make the most of the festive atmosphere before the main event begins.

For those looking to elevate their picnic experience, beautifully prepared grazing boxes from Graze Cartel are available to pre-order, making it easy to relax and enjoy the evening.

Throughout the night, our talented students will take to the stage with a range of music and dance performances that showcase the creativity and spirit of our School community. Of course, no Christmas celebration would be complete without a special visit from Santa Claus, who is sure to delight children and adults alike.

As the sun sets, everyone will be invited to join in the much-loved Christmas Carols sing-along, filling the evening with festive favourites and helping to kick-start the holiday season.

Whether you're a current family, Old Scholar, neighbour or friend of the School, we invite you to bring a picnic rug, settle in on the lawn and enjoy a wonderful evening of community, celebration and Christmas spirit.

Community Christmas Carols

• Friday 27 November
• From 5.00pm
• Junior School Oval, St Mark's Anglican Community School

We can't wait to celebrate with you!

In case you missed our email back on 22 May regarding the Term dates for 2027:

Term 1

• Students Commence: Monday 1 February
• Term Concludes: Friday 9 April

Term 2

• Students Commence: Thursday 29 April
• Term Concludes: Friday 25 June

Term 3

• Students Commence: Tuesday 20 July
• Term Concludes: Friday 24 September

Term 4

• Students Commence: Monday 11 October
• Term Concludes: Thursday 9 December

You can also view the Term Dates and Public Holidays via the link here.

The St Mark’s Community Art Show is looking for an MC for our Opening Night on Friday, 9 October, from 6:30pm–10:30pm.

It’s a fun evening celebrating and showcasing the work of local artists. We have organised Entertainment and our Welcome to Country, so the MC role will be focused on guiding guests through the evening and introducing the scheduled parts of the program.

Parent Commitment Hours will be provided for the event as well as preparation time.

If you’re interested or would like to find out more, please email artshow@stmarks.wa.edu.au.

Preparations are well underway for the 2026 St Mark’s Community Art Show, and we would love some extra help.

Raffle & Sponsorship Coordinator

We’re looking for a parent to help our committee with Raffles & Sponsorship. This is a flexible role helping us connect with local businesses and community contacts to source raffle prizes, donations and sponsorship for the Art Show.

You won’t be starting from scratch – we have previous contacts, information and a supportive committee ready to help. It’s a great way to get involved behind the scenes and make a valuable contribution to one of our wonderful P&F events.

Interested or want to know more? Contact us at artshow@stmarks.wa.edu.au.

Parent Volunteer Hours Available

If you’d prefer to lend a hand closer to the event, we also have plenty of opportunities to complete parent volunteer hours during the final week of the October school holidays, helping with preparations for the Art Show.

Sign up for volunteer hours here:
https://signup.com/go/jBfVnRs

Whether you can take on a role or simply spare a few hours, we’d love to have you involved.

ELC Parent Commitment Opportunities

Please follow the links provided below to add your name to one of the rosters if you are able to assist. Thank you.

These are shared documents which all ELC parents are able to view.

• ELC UPCYCLING ROSTER (no opportunities at the moment)
  ELC Shared Upcycling Roster
  
  

• ELC WATERING AND OTHER OUTDOOR TASKS (ongoing roster)
  ELC Outdoor Enviro Volunteer Roster
  
  
• OTHER ELC PARENT HOUR OPPORTUNITIES (no opportunities at the moment)
  Parents will be advised via the Weekly Bulletins or Class SEESAW pages when opportunities do become available. Parents will be able to access the shared roster via the link provided below to add their names for the advertised task(s).
  ELC Various Tasks Roster

The Parents Prayer Group (PPG) meet fortnightly to pray for the students, staff and school community. We will be meeting every second Friday 2pm in the school chapel, starting 23rd October. Please sign in at reception. All are welcome. For enquiries or prayer requests, please messsage Wing Shattock on 0433 002 151.