Junior School Bulletin - Term 4, Week 9

Dear Primary School Families

Thank you and see you in 2026!

As we reach the end of an amazing 2025, I want to sincerely thank all our Primary School families for your ongoing support throughout the year. It has been a wonderful journey filled with learning, growth, and celebration, and we are so grateful for the partnership we share with each of you.

As we head into the Christmas period, I wish every family a safe, joyful and refreshing break - one filled with plenty of time together, new memories, and moments to slow down and appreciate the year that has been.

To our students, here’s a challenge for the holidays! See how many of these activities you can tick off:

Christmas Activities

1. Christmas cooking – Get in the kitchen and help create something festive to share with neighbours or family.
2. Present shopping – Join in choosing gifts for family members and learn the joy of giving.
3. Christmas lights – Walk the Christmas Lights Trail in the city or take an evening drive to explore the bright and creative displays in local streets.
4. Christmas chores – If everyone is coming to your house, get involved in helping prepare for the big day.
5. Christmas Church Service – Attend a local service on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

Holiday Activities

1. Hit the beach – Enjoy Perth’s spectacular coastline: build a sandcastle, catch a wave, dig a hole, or simply soak in a sunset.
2. Keep the mind active – Visit Scitech or the WA Museum for hands-on learning and curiosity.
3. Bike riding – Ride along the coast paths or try mountain bike trails for some extra adventure.
4. Thrills and spills – Spend a day at Adventure World or Outback Splash with a picnic in tow.
5. Too hot outside? Home day! – Build with Lego, draw, read a book, write Christmas thank you cards, create a fort, or pull out the board games.

The Primary School teaching team looks forward to welcoming everyone back in 2026 and hearing all the wonderful stories from a holiday well enjoyed. Wishing you all a merry Christmas and a fantastic start to the new year!

Kind regards

Mark Pressley
Acting Head of Primary School

Year 4 student, Lachy, has just endured the toughest year of his life battling Cancer, Ewings Sarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of bone cancer. Since late January 2025 Lachy has endured more medical procedures than any child should ever have too. 14 rounds of chemotherapy, 30 rounds of radiation, over 25 blood and platelets transfusions, 100s of blood tests, biopsies, port insertions, infections and temperatures, panic attacks, general anaesthetics and endless weeks in hospital all whilst suffering an extreme needle phobia. Lachy has battled Cancer smiling and fighting with such positivity despite being separated from his family and friends.

On behalf of his parents, Vanessa and Colin and his 10 yr old brother Cailean, friends have set up a GoFundMe Page to assist Lachy’s recovery and help the family with the financial burden they continue to endure. To support this incredible young man and his family please click on the link below: Fundraiser by Sheree Phelan : Support for Lachy in his Cancer battle

As the Christmas holiday is a long one, we would love to encourage our children to continue reading. The Junior School Library will be open on Wednesday 7 January from 11am until 1pm for children to come in and change their books over the holidays. We would love to see lots of young readers get lots of books. Happy reading!

Link to: Watering Roster

The Junior School Sustainability Garden has been feeling the heat with the warmer weather, and we need a hand to keep it flourishing. We’re looking for families to water the garden over the next few weeks before Christmas.

This is a simple and enjoyable way to support the school, keep our garden looking beautiful, and earn 2 parent commitment hours. If you’d like to take part, please add your name to any available time slots using the link above. Thank you.

Please be aware that the Uniform Shop will be open during the following additional hours:

• Monday, 19/01/2026 - CLOSED
• Tuesday, 20/01/2026 - 8.30am to 3pm
• Wednesday, 21/01/2026 - 8.30am to 3pm
• Thursday, 22/01/2026 - 11.30am to 5.30pm
• Friday, 23/01/2026 - CLOSED
• Monday, 26/01/2026 - CLOSED - PUBLIC HOLIDAY
• Tuesday, 27/01/2026 - 8.30am to 3pm
• Wednesday, 28/01/2026 - 8.30am to 3pm
• Thursday, 29/01/2026 - 11.30am to 5.30pm
• Friday, 30/01/2026 - CLOSED
• Monday, 2/02/2026 - 7.45am to 1.45pm

Dear Parents/Carers,

Please note that the tuition fees letter for 2026 has been sent via the School App and SEQTA emails.

The 2026 School Tuition Charges Schedule will be released in the coming weeks, following the finalisation of subject selections, curriculum planning, staffing and timetables for 2026.

Kind regards,

Advancement Team

As a way of encouraging excellence in education and rewarding high achievement, St Mark’s is offering a limited number of Academic Scholarships for students entering Year 6 in 2027 (current Year 4 students). Registrations for the 2027 program are now open and close on Wednesday 18 February 2026. The Scholarship is open to Year 4 students in 2025, including current and waitlisted students, as well as those with no current connection to the School.

Up to four Scholarships are available, with partial tuition fee remission. The number of Scholarships awarded each year and the percentage of tuition fee remission is at the discretion of the School Council.

The Scholarships are awarded based on the performance of the student in the Scholarship examination. Shortlisted candidates will also be interviewed prior to final selection of Scholarship recipients.

The testing will be conducted independently by Academic Assessment Services at St Mark’s on Saturday 28 February 2026.

A Registration Fee of $120 will be charged by Academic Assessment Services for each child sitting the examination. Please note that an additional fee of $100 will be incurred for late registrations. Your registration will be confirmed by Academic Assessment Services.

More information, including key dates and eligibility, is available on the School website.

If you have any other queries regarding the 2027 Year 6 Academic Scholarship Program, please email scholarships@stmarks.wa.edu.au or call (08) 9403 1342.

If you are leaving St Mark's at the end of the year, please remember to download all of your child's reports from SEQTA. Access to SEQTA will be unavailable after 31 December 2025 to students and parents who no longer attend our School.

Thank you.

To assist in the planning for 2026, if your child is not planning on returning to the St Mark's, could you please inform the School in writing to the Principal at your earliest convenience.

Calling all Classes of 1996, 2006 and 2016 — your milestone reunion is just around the corner!

Join us on Saturday 21 February to reconnect, reminisce and celebrate your milestone year — plus St Mark’s 40th Anniversary!

Expect plenty of laughter, familiar faces, and maybe a few throwbacks you’ll wish stayed in Year 12.

• Save the date: Saturday 21 February 2026
• Tickets: Available soon

Update your details: https://forms.office.com/r/uq5JHeV709

Spread the word, and get ready for a night full of memories and St Mark’s pride!

Orienteering WA runs a series of events, open to the public, on Saturdays at 4.30pm over the summer months.

On 13th December, we will be holding our first-ever Sprint Orienteering Event at the St Mark's ACS. We would like to welcome St Mark's staff, students, alumni and their families to participate for the reduced price of just $5 per entry (individual or group).

Please enter online by midnight on 12 December, HERE, so we can have enough maps printed!

Orienteering is a sport in which participants have a course marked on a map and aim to complete it in numerical order as fast as possible. There are courses suitable for 8 to 80-year-olds, beginners to elite athletes.

Don’t worry if you’ve never tried orienteering before – we have friendly ‘Meet 'n' greet’ people at every event to help you out. They’ll be wearing orange vests.

We’d love you to come along and join in this event, but if you’re unavailable on the 13th, have a look at our website wa.orienteering.asn.au to find other events nearby, or contact Helen on 0409 889 944 with any queries.