Junior School Bulletin - Term 3, Week 6

Student Sign out Ticket Trial

To help us keep all students safe and ensure our sign-out process runs smoothly, parents collecting a child early from school will now be given a collection ticket at Reception.

Once you have signed your child out, please take this ticket with you and present it to your child's teacher when collecting them. The ticket lets the teacher know that your child has been signed out correctly and that they can be released into your care.

If you head to the classroom before signing out at Reception, the teacher may ask you to return to Reception first to complete the sign-out process and collect your ticket. While we know this may sometimes feel like an extra step, it helps us maintain accurate records and ensures we meet our duty of care responsibilities for every child.

Thank you for your support and understanding as we trial this process. As always, our shared priority is making sure every child is safe and accounted for throughout the school day.

Thank you for all you do to support our school community.

2026 VERSE-atility Competition Finals

Poetry has the unique ability to inform, inspire, entertain and connect us—and this year’s VERSE-atility Competition Finals showcased exactly that. Our finalists captivated the audience with their confidence, passion and expressive delivery, bringing words to life through compelling performances.

Taking the stage before peers, families, staff and judges requires courage. Every finalist rose to that challenge with remarkable poise, demonstrating how powerful poetry can be when performed and how greatly their communication skills had developed throughout the competition. The encouragement of the audience made each student’s moment on stage even more special.

A significant new addition this year was the introduction of drama workshops for every Junior School class. Led by Mr Justin Lowson, Principal of Helen O’Grady Drama Academy – Northern and Western Suburbs, these engaging incursions helped students develop voice projection, expression, stage presence and confidence. Their impact was unmistakable, adding an exciting new dimension to the competition.

Our sincere thanks go to our judges—Ms Roseanne Madden, Mr Andrew Johnston, Mr John Stewart, Mrs Emma Leadon and Mr Chris McRae—who generously gave their time and expertise to selecting our winners. Special thanks also go to Mrs Tracey Toovey for coordinating the scoring process and helping the event run seamlessly.Above all, our deepest thanks go to our dedicated classroom teachers. They supported every student to choose, learn, rehearse and perform a poem, giving them the confidence to take creative risks and the courage to share their voices. The quality celebrated on finals day was nurtured in our classrooms, and this event would not have been possible without them.

I’d also like to congratulate our IPSHA Speakers’ Challenge students, whose articulate and thought-provoking speeches gave the audience much to reflect on while the judges deliberated. Delivered with maturity and conviction, each speech reflected the considerable thought and care invested in crafting and refining it.

Congratulations to every finalist, runner-up and winner of the 2026 VERSE-atility Competition. Each student should be immensely proud. This event celebrates the extraordinary power of performance while helping our students discover something equally powerful: their own voice. We look forward to seeing it flourish for years to come.

Year 2 VERSE-atility Champions

• Runner-up: Fabienne Niederberger
• Champion: Naishorua Menge

Year 3 VERSE-atility Champions

• Runner-up: Isla Pritchard
• Champion: Grace Lonie

Year 4 VERSE-atility Champions

• Runner-up: Noa Nylander
• Champion: Lucy Hoyos

Year 5 VERSE-atility Champions

• Runner-up: Maddison Westaway
• Champion: Henley Storch

A Big Weekend of Music!

One Big Voice

On Friday, 21 August, our Year 4 and 5 Choir, Take Note, had the incredible opportunity to perform at One Big Voice at RAC Arena. Joining approximately 5,000 singers from schools across Western Australia, our students came together to perform an inspiring collection of songs in two-part harmony.

The repertoire featured songs specifically written to uplift both singers and audiences, with themes of confidence, resilience, courage, strength and perseverance. Our students had been rehearsing the songs since the end of Term 1 during their weekly choir rehearsals, as well as giving up lunchtimes for additional rehearsals and to learn the choreography.

The evening featured some very special guest performers, including Archie Sebastian, son of Guy Sebastian, who wowed the audience with his beautiful rendition of A Million Dreams.

Well Done to Emma Martin from Year 4 Mason, who was successful in her solo audition and took to the RAC Arena stage to represent St Mark’s in two performances, One Big Voice and Can You Hear the Rain. It was a wonderful achievement and one that she should be extremely proud of.

Mr Martin and Ms Price were also lucky enough to conduct two songs which they thoroughly enjoyed and had the wonderful support of Mrs Van Reyk and Mr Pressley throughout the afternoon and evening.

It was a fantastic evening of music, community and celebration, and we are incredibly proud of the commitment, enthusiasm and courage shown by every member of Take Note. Well done, Take Note!

Sunday Session at the Indi Bar

On Sunday, 23 August, our Year 5 Rock Band, The Blue Cold Cucumbers, had the exciting opportunity to perform at the St Mark’s Sunday Session at The Indi Bar in Scarborough.

As the youngest band performing on the day, The Blue Cold Cucumbers kicked off the afternoon with rocking performances of Pompeii by Bastille, I Love Rock ’n’ Roll by Joan Jett and Unbreakable by local heroes Birds of Tokyo.

After their performance, the students were able to relax and enjoy performances from our Middle School and Beyond students, giving them a glimpse of what they might be capable of achieving in the years to come.

For our Year 5 musicians, performing on a professional stage, under the lights and in front of a packed house was an experience they won't forget. Mr Martin was incredibly proud of their performance and is already looking forward to seeing what this group can achieve in their end-of-year performances!

Well done to The Blue Cold Cucumbers!

Friendship Tip of the Week

Friendship is…RESPECT. Which is defined as “Honouring and accepting your friend for who they are – their thoughts, feelings, and opinions.” Read this article for more information. https://urstrong.com/friendship-is-respect/

Respect colouring page freebie: https://urstrong.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/URS-FJ22-08-Respect-Freebie-1.pdf

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

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

We remind families that there are several Kiss ‘n Drive drop-off and pick-up points available around the School, including:

• Whitfords Avenue entrance (Gate 4)
• Early Learning Centre (via Gate 3)
• Eastern Access Road (via Gate 3)
• Outside the Performing Arts Complex (via Gate 3 or Gate 2)
• Additional Kiss ‘n Drive bay on St Marks Drive (travelling east to west)

To ensure the safety and efficiency of these areas, all drivers must adhere to the following:

• Kiss ‘n Drive bays are strictly “No Parking” areas, whether or not you remain in your vehicle.
• Students must exit from the passenger side doors as quickly as possible.
• Students must use the designated crosswalks located at each Kiss ‘n Drive area within the School grounds.
• Do not overtake vehicles ahead of you in the Kiss ‘n Drive queue.
• Do not drive through car parks the wrong way.
• Please be patient, drive slowly and remain aware of pedestrians and other road users at all times.
• At pick-up time, if your child is not at the Kiss ‘n Drive when you arrive, please follow the Traffic Warden’s directions and move forward to rejoin the queue.
• For families with children in Years 6–12, we kindly ask that you refrain from joining the Kiss ‘n Drive queue too early, as this can block access for Primary traffic entering the drive-thru area. Staggered end-of-day times across the campus are designed to support smoother traffic flow.

These procedures are not optional. They are in place to protect the safety of our students and wider community. We ask all families to work cooperatively with the School and demonstrate patience, respect and consideration during busy traffic periods.

We appreciate the support of the vast majority of our families who do the right thing each day and help maintain a safe environment for everyone.

With regards,

St Mark’s Anglican Community School

Once again, the Year Three 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 shoeboxes 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 also 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 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, soaps 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.

Week 6 24 -28 August is Book Week! “Symphony of Stories”

• Wednesday 26 August the Primary School will celebrate Book Week by dressing up as their favourite book character. Kindy Starfish will dress up on Tuesday 25^th August. 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 31 August - 4 September 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

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.

Please click on the following link to open the schedule for the Junior School Clubs this term: 2026 Junior School Clubs - Term Three. Please note, the schedule contains sign-up links for these clubs and spaces go very quickly.

SALVATION ARMY 'GREAT COOK UP' (Parent Commitment Hours Opportunity)
The Term 3 Salvation Army Great Cook Up is fast 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: Thursday 27^th August 2026
Time: 3.40pm (after school) until approximately 5/5.30pm
Where: St Mark's Home Economics rooms
Who: Only 11 x family places are available (two groups per meal batch) - parents will be notified via email
Sign-up link: Cooking for the Salvation Army - 2026 Term 3 Parent Help needed – Fill in form

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 (andrewcoffin@bigpond.com) / 0415862907

The St Mark’s Community Art Show is coming up this October, and we’re looking for a wonderful volunteer to help the Art Show Committee!

We’re seeking someone who can help us with sourcing raffle prizes and approaching local businesses for sponsorship to support this much-loved community event.

This is a flexible role and a great way to get involved, connect with our local community and help make this year’s Art Show a success.

Interested in helping?
Please contact Amanda, Art Show Coordinator at artshow@stmarks.wa.edu.au

We’d love to have you help in a meaningful way.

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.

The P&F are pleased to announce that the Father's Day Stall for students in the Junior School will be open on Wednesday, 2^nd September 2026. Students will attend the stall in their class group at an allocated timeslot during the morning, between 8.45am and 12.35pm.

There will be a selection of wonderful gifts available ranging in price from $1.50 to $5.00, with a limit of 2 gifts per child.

Please note that the stall will be cash only.

All Old Scholars are invited to attend the 2026 Annual General Meeting at 7pm on Tuesday, 18 August, 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 14 August. 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 14 August.
• Members are welcome to submit items for the agenda by emailing emailed to osa@stmarks.wa.edu.au by Friday 14 August.
  
• The Agenda, Nomination Forms and Proxy forms are available by request to osa@stmarks.wa.edu.au.