Junior School Bulletin - Term 1, Week 6

Dear Parents and Carers

Today, our Junior School students enjoyed sunny weather at the Interhouse Swimming Carnival and congratulations go to Watkins House! Like all carnivals, it was loud, it was hot and there was plenty of fun! I would like to commend the students who participated in the trials for our Interschool team - I know we have some really dedicated swimmers with us at St Mark's. The fun events were also a big success, and I am sure the smiles and laughter on display meant students had a great time. It was a new venue this year so I thank everyone for their patience.

What stood out most was the exceptional behaviour of our students. They supported each other while having a great time. For some students, the water presented a real challenge, but we were incredibly proud to see them rise to the occasion to participate in the day and ultimately, enjoy the experience. These moments in schooling when there are barriers to overcome are a growth opportunity, and we have been encouraging our students this year to charge into the challenges that arise.

A big congratulations to all participants, and a special thank you to our staff and volunteers who made the event run so smoothly. A special thank you to Mr Barton who had the added complication and guesswork of a new event location to add to his logistics. Well done, everyone!

Reflecting on International Women’s Day
Saturday 8 March marked International Women’s Day - a global celebration of the achievements and contributions of women. It was a fitting lead-up to today’s carnival where our girls shone brightly alongside their peers. This day reminds us to honour the strength, leadership, and potential in every student, and we’re proud to foster an environment where our girls can thrive.

Y3 and Y5 NAPLAN Testing This Week
NAPLAN testing begins tomorrow and will run through the next few days. This annual assessment provides valuable insights into our students’ progress across the curriculum that has been taught and helps us to reflect on our programs. We encourage all students to approach it with a calm, focused mindset.

Staff Learning
Yesterday our staff were very fortunate to participate in a professional learning session with the amazing Dr Lorraine Hammond, one of Australia's leading experts in the Science of Reading and Learning. Dr Hammond highlighted the current research and ran the staff though a workshop on what this looks like in classrooms. These professional learning opportunities allow our staff to ensure they are using contemporary best practice in their classes. After having read countless articles and watching many videos from Dr Hammond over the years, it was great to see her in person at St Mark's and learn from such an esteemed educator. We look forward to learning more from Dr Hammond in the future.

Kind regards

Mark Douglas
Head of Primary School

Years 3 and 5 students in the Primary School will be required to complete NAPLAN tests between 12 March and 17 March 2025. The NAPLAN tests include:

• Writing
• Reading
• Conventions of Language
• Numeracy.

NAPLAN DEMONSTRATION SITE

To access the NAPLAN Public Demonstration site which has Demonstration Tests please go to https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/public-demonstration-site

This will enable your child to become familiar with the types of questions that will be included in the NAPLAN tests.

NAPLAN TIMETABLE

The 2025 NAPLAN timetable for Years 3 and 5 students will be as follows:

• Wednesday 12 March – Writing
• Thursday 13 March – Reading
• Friday 14 March – Conventions of Language
• Monday 17 March - Numeracy

If students are away during a session, then catch-up sessions will be available.

Year 2 – 5 class teachers will be conducting parent interviews in Weeks 7 and 8 this term. These interviews present an opportunity for teachers to provide a summary of the past term, outlining the strengths, challenges and goals for your child.

The 'Booked' booking system (previously known as PTO) will be open from 10am Tuesday 11 March to enable parents to book a time for these interviews. The booking system will be closed three days prior to the interviews. Please follow the steps below to select an interview time with your child’s class teacher.

1. Log into SEQTA Engage after 10am on Tuesday 11 March.
2. Click on the ‘Parent Interview’ tab (this can be found on the Welcome Page of SEQTA Engage under Online Services):
   
3. Obtain PIN: Click on ‘Obtain PIN’.
4. Go to your email to obtain the details you need to log into Booked.
5. Log into the 'Booked' system.
6. Select interview time.

There will be two afternoons during Weeks 7 and 8 where students will be involved in House music and sport activities while class teachers meet to conduct interviews in the classrooms. These afternoons are Thursday 20 March and Wednesday 26 March. All Year 2-5 students are to wear their House uniform to school on these dates.

All students in Pre-Primary to Year 4 will participate in daily swimming lessons from 31 March to 11 April at Scarborough Beach Pool (outdoor pool).

1. Paper copies of the Government Swimming Lesson Enrolment Form will come home with your child this week. Please complete and return the form to class teachers as soon as possible. Thank you. Each child will need a completed form on Day 1 of Swimming lessons which will be given to swimming staff.
   
2. In addition, the school will need permission for your child/children to attend. Invites will go out via email from Consent2Go soon. Parents will need to respond to the invite for each of their children in Pre-Primary to Year 4. Please respond as soon as the invite is received. Thank you.

Year 5 students will take part in Surfing lessons at Trigg Beach with Surfing WA. Further information will be sent to parents via Consent2Go.

Book club catalogues went home last week. Orders can only be made online so there is no need to send any paperwork back to school. Orders are due TUESDAY 18 MARCH.

How to order Book club online

1. Log in, or create a new account at https://mybookclubs.scholastic.com.au/Parent/Login.aspx
2. New parents can follow the wizard to set up a child’s profile.
3. Click the ORDER tab and select the child’s school and issue of Book club.
4. Select your child’s name.
5. Enter the product item number from the Book club catalogue.
6. Apply promotional codes that children may have earned from previous issues.
7. Make a payment via credit card.
8. Feel great about the scholastic rewards that have been earned for the school!

Thank you

Any queries, please email primarylibrary@stmarks.wa.edu.au

Our author visitor last Tuesday was a huge success. James Foley read us lots of his books including the first book he wrote in pre-primary to his latest published picture book “Bigfoot and Yeti” which came out last week. James read his book he entered in “Make your own storybook” competition in Year 7 where he came 3^rd. This book has stirred the creativity of lots of our students to enter the competition as well. Please click on the following link for further details https://wa.cbca.org.au/entry-information.html

If you or your child would like further information, please feel free to contact me via email at jfransz@stmarks.wa.edu.au.

The Primary Interhouse Cross Country will take place at Friday 2 May at Mawson Park for our Year 2 to 5 students. Further details will be sent to parents from Consent2Go in due course. Included below are links to maps of the running courses at Mawson Park for each year level, should parents wish to take their children to the venue for practice runs in the weeks leading up to this event: Maps - 2025 Cross Country Courses - Years 2 to 5

If you have any queries, please email Michael Barton at mbarton@stmarks.wa.edu.au

The St Mark's Parents & Friends' Association cordially invites all members of our School community to join them for the annual Welcome Sundowner on Tuesday 25 March 2025. The P&F's Annual General Meeting will follow the Sundowner.

The Sundowner and AGM will be held in the Barbara Godwin Performing Arts Complex.

• 6.00pm to 7.00pm - Sundowner
• 7.00pm to 9.00pm - Annual General Meeting* in the Barbara Godwin Performing Arts Complex

As per the constitution, all office positions will be made vacant at our AGM. Nominations are open now, and nomination forms are available from the Secretary, secretary.pf@stmarks.wa.edu.au.

Please reach out if you may be interested in any of the positions.

Relevant documents are available on the Parents Portal on SEQTA.

Please send any general business items to the Secretary no later than 7 days before the meeting, secretary.pf@stmarks.wa.edu.au.

*Please note that you can claim two hours of your Parent Commitment for 2025 by attending the Annual General Meeting.

• 2024 AGM Minutes
• 2025 Notice of AGM
• 2024 Financial Statements

Thank you for your patience. The financial statements are attached above and have been uploaded to seqta for your convenience.

Put it in your calendars; the Art Show will return this October!

Opening night is October 10th, with the show running through to the 12th!

This year, we aim to have over 100 local artists showing over 350 pieces, live art demonstrations, musical performances, interactive art classes, a People's Choice Award, raffle prizes, and much more.

More information will be released as details are finalised, but this is going to be a show you won’t want to miss!

To stay up to date, register your interest at the link below. Don't forget to tell your friends!

https://forms.gle/UZx3HKNuSmVRymQi9