Junior School Bulletin, Term 3 Week 10

Dear Families

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/

Kind regards

Andrew Johnston
Head of Primary School

Footy Colours Day – Friday 25 September

This Friday 25 September, students 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.

Students can dress in their favourite AFL, NRL, soccer, or other sporting team jersey, scarf, or beanie to join in the fun and show their support.

Thank you for helping us make a difference.

Due to Athletics Carnivals, there will be no Running Club on Thursday morning in Week 7 (3^rd September) and Week 10 (24 September).

To ensure the safety and wellbeing of all students, it is important that play occurs only when appropriate supervision is available. Staff supervision is provided between 8:15am and 3:15pm. As such, all playgrounds and oval areas are out of bounds outside these hours.

Before School
This morning, a number of students arrived at school before 8:15am. Unless students are participating in a supervised before-school activity, they should not be on campus before this time.

We ask families to ensure that students arrive from 8:15am onwards, allowing them to be appropriately supervised as they begin their school day.

After School
Please note that all playground equipment and oval areas are also out of bounds after school.

To support families with after-school collection, teacher supervision is available in the following locations:

• PAC Drive Through
• Year 2/3 Gate Kiss 'n' Drive
• Inside the Library

Students who are waiting to be collected should remain in one of these supervised areas.

The safety and wellbeing of our students is always our highest priority. We appreciate your partnership in reinforcing these expectations with your children and thank you for your support in helping us maintain a safe environment before and after school.

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!

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.

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

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!

If you are in need of some parent hours and love spending some time outdoors, please add your name to the attached watering roster for our flourishing Junior School garden.

With the weather set to warm up in the coming months we would love to keep our crops growing strong by ensuring they are getting enough water. The following link contains all the information needed to complete this task, along with a roster for the remainder of the year.

Pick a day (or a few), fill in your name and come along before or after school to help our garden grow.

JUNIOR SCHOOL GARDEN WATERING ROSTER Term 3 & 4.docx

Emma Chadderton (Y2/3 Sustainability Squad)

Tammy Duff (Y4/5 Sustainability Squad)

Helen O’Hara (School Gardener)

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.

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!

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 31st July. Please sign in at reception. All are welcome.

For enquiries or prayer requests, please message Wing Shattock on 0433 002 151.