Middle School Bulletin - Term 1, Week 5

All parents, carers and community members are invited to enjoy a coffee, share a conversation and take the opportunity to meet and connect informally with Ms Roseanne Madden (Acting Principal) and Mr Nick Irwin (Acting Deputy Principal).

• Date: Friday, 20 March 2026
• Time: 8.30 - 10.00am
• Venue: Marnjamoortup

The coffee van will be on campus from 7.45am, and everyone is welcome to enjoy a coffee before or after drop-off while connecting with fellow parents, carers and community members in a relaxed and informal setting.

No RSVP required, please feel free to come and go as you wish.

Year 6 – Bully Zero – Understanding Bullying

Bully Zero is a Trusted eSafety Provider endorsed by the eSafety Commissioner, Bully Zero delivers certified, evidence-based content developed by psychologists, educators, and neuroscientists.

This practical workshop is designed to empower our students with the tools to prevent bullying. Your child will learn to identify different types of bullying, understand its impact, and acquire specific strategies to handle difficult situations. Crucially, the session highlights the power of the bystander, teaching students how to step up and create positive change to foster a safer school community.

https://www.bullyzero.org.au/schools

Year 7 - The Resilience Project – Lessons 1 - 2

Students will work through The Resilience Project curriculum, which introduces key frameworks and practical strategies for building emotional literacy, coping skills and positive relationships. These lessons are interactive and age‑appropriate, giving students tools they can immediately use to manage stress, support peers and contribute to a respectful, inclusive school environment.

Year 8 - The Resilience Project – INSPIRE

The Resilience Project INSPIRE content continues, allowing students to deepen their understanding of gratitude, empathy and mindfulness and to apply these ideas to everyday school life. Activities encourage students to notice positive moments, practise perspective‑taking and reflect on how small acts of kindness can reduce bullying and strengthen classroom connections.

To ensure the safety and security of all students and staff, we ask all parents and carers to follow the procedures below when visiting the school site.

Signing In

• All parents must report to Parent Reception upon arrival.
• Parents must sign in at Parent Reception before entering the school grounds for any appointment or visit.
• A visitor name badge will be issued and must be worn at all times while on site.
• Visitors must sign out at Parent Reception before leaving.

These procedures help us maintain a secure and well-managed environment for everyone in our community.

Dropping Off Items

• All items for Middle School and Senior School students must be dropped off at Parent Reception.
• Students will be contacted to collect their belongings during the school day.
• Parents are not permitted to go to Middle School Reception or Senior School Reception. These areas are designated for student use only.

We appreciate your cooperation in following these guidelines and thank you for helping us maintain a safe and orderly school environment.

There are a number of Kiss ‘n Drive drop-off points around the School, including Whitfords Avenue entrance (Gate 4), Early Learning Centre (via Gate 3), Eastern Access Road (via Gate 3) and outside the Performing Arts Complex (via Gate 3 or Gate 2). There is an additional Kiss ‘n Drive bay on St Marks Drive (travelling east to west).

To ensure the safety of all pedestrians, please ensure you adhere to the following:

• Kiss ‘n Drive bays are strictly ‘no parking’ areas whether or not you are 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 within the School grounds.
• Do not overtake vehicles who are ahead of you in the Kiss ‘n Drive queue.
• Please be patient, drive slowly and be aware of other road users.
• 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 parents with children in Years 6-12, we kindly ask that you refrain from joining the Kiss 'n Drive queue too early. Doing so blocks access for Primary traffic to the drive-thru area. We have staggered end-of-day times across the campus to facilitate smoother traffic flow.

All Year 3 students and all new students in Years 4 – 12 to St Mark's Anglican Community School have had their SmartRiders ordered and delivered to the School.

If your child has not yet received their SmartRider, please ask them to check with Junior, Middle or Senior School Reception.

If an existing student requires a replacement SmartRider, these can be purchased from Parent Reception at a cost of $5.00. Please note that payment is card only, and there is a 1% surcharge on credit cards ($5.05).

Transperth has asked schools to remind families that students must have a SmartRider to access free student travel. Student SmartRiders in WA provide primary and secondary students with free travel on all Transperth services from Monday to Friday during the school year.

Students must remember to tag on and tag off when travelling. Please note that concession fares apply on weekends and during the summer holidays.

The SmartRider also acts as a student ID, enabling discounted travel, and a photo is required for high school students.

If you have any questions, please contact Parent Reception.

The Secondary Assistance Scheme is available to parents/guardians with children enrolled in Years 7 to 12 who hold an eligible concession card (a Pensioner Concession Card or a Health Care Card).

The SAS consists of two allowances:

• $235 Education Program Allowance (payment made to the school); and
• $115 Clothing Allowance (payment made to the parent/guardian).

Parents/guardians in receipt of the ABSTUDY School Fees Allowance from Services Australia (Centrelink) are not eligible for the SAS, but they may apply for the ABSTUDY Supplement Allowance.

Applications open at the commencement of Term 1 2026 and close on 2 April 2026. Forms are available from Main Reception during Term 1 between 8am and 4pm.

Please check the eligibility criteria here.

If your child will be absent, arrive late, or need to leave early, please notify the School with a reason for the absence via the St Mark’s App, SEQTA Engage, or by emailing absentee@stmarks.wa.edu.au. This applies to all year groups; notifications sent to other email addresses may not be received.

When emailing, please include your child’s first name, surname, and class/year level in the subject line.

Absences of three or more consecutive days require a medical certificate. Requests for extended leave or holidays during the school term must be submitted in writing to principal@stmarks.wa.edu.au for consideration.

Elevate Education delivers high-impact workshops to our students that help to develop their study skills, motivation, and exam preparation. Over the next term, you're invited to join their parent webinar series, where you can help support your child at home by reinforcing the skills they're learning at school.

In Term 1 we’ll cover:

1. How to Get (And Keep!) Your Child Motivated- 11th February @6:30 (AEDT)

2. How You Can Help Your Child Manage Their Time - 25th February @6:30 (AEDT)

3. How You Can Make Technology an Ally (& Not the Enemy!) - 11th March @6:30 (AEDT)

4. How You Can Help Improve Your Child’s Memory- 25th March @6:30 (AEDT)

Click here to register for free

Year 12 Drama presents a Site Specific performance of scenes from ‘Dear Evan Hansen’.

This musical about a high school senior with severe social anxiety who lies about being best friends with a classmate, Connor Murphy, who recently died by suicide. After a therapeutic, self-addressed letter is mistaken for a suicide note, Evan creates a fabricated, viral friendship, finding himself in a whirlwind of lies that ultimately lead to a journey of self-discovery, guilt, and the pursuit of connection.

Note: Sections of this performance will take place in various locations such as the Senior Academic Centre and Outdoors. Some walking to venues will be required and no stairs will be accessed. The performance will take place in one level

Content Warning: This Performance Contains Mature Themes and references to mental illness and self-harm.

BOOK HERE

Meet our two Galileo Figaros as St Mark's Theatre Company gets set to light up the stage with the epic Queen Musical 'We Will Rock You' featuring a cast of 60 Year 6-12 students, as well as Old Scholars!

Ticket information available soon, but save the date for 21-24 April. You won't want to miss this!

Students in Years 8–11 are invited to explore the exciting world of engineering these April school holidays through hands-on workshops hosted by Edith Cowan University’s School of Engineering.

These engaging sessions provide students with practical experience tackling real engineering challenges, while developing problem-solving and teamwork skills. Participants will also have the opportunity to meet current university students and academic staff and explore future pathways in engineering.

Workshop dates, costs and registration details can be found on the attached flyer.

Get ready to colour, cut or shave for a cause that truly matters. On Tuesday 24 March 2026, St Mark’s will once again take part in the World’s Greatest Shave, proudly supporting the Leukaemia Foundation.

This is a powerful opportunity for our community to come together, show compassion, and make a real difference. Last year we came so close to our fundraising target — and this year, we’re aiming even higher with a goal of $23,000. Let’s hit it together!

What’s happening on the day?

• Hair spraying and a Bake Sale at recess, run by our Year 12 students

• Main shaving event during lunch in the quad

Get involved

Students and staff are encouraged to take part by shaving, cutting, colouring, or fundraising. Families can support by donating or spreading the word.

Join or donate via our St Mark’s Team Page:
https://www.worldsgreatestshave.com/join/StMarksAnglicanCommunitySchool2180

Calling all hairdressers!

If you have a family member or friend who is a hairdresser and would be willing to donate their time on the day, we’d love to hear from you. Please email Mrs Parsons: lparsons@stmarks.wa.edu.au

Let’s start building excitement, spreading the word and encouraging our students to get involved. Together, we can make 2026 our biggest and best World’s Greatest Shave yet!

The Parents Prayer Group (PPG) meet fortnightly to pray for the students, staff and school community.

We will be meeting every second Friday at 2pm in the school chapel, starting 13 February. Please sign in at reception. All are welcome.

Please share any prayer requests by emailing parentsunitedforprayer@gmail.com or call Wing Shattock on 0433 002 151.

The St Mark’s P&F have locked in the date for the Term 1 Busy Bee!

• DATE: Sunday, 22 March 2026
• TIME: 8.30am - 12.30pm

We’d love for you to join us at the Term 1 Busy Bee! Come along, roll up your sleeves, and help us create a beautiful native garden outside the School’s Main Reception. It’s a fantastic opportunity to earn Community Participation Hours, connect with other families, and make a lasting difference to our school environment. Everyone’s welcome, no gardening experience needed, just your enthusiasm and community spirit!

We are also seeking the support of any St Mark’s families who have a landscape gardening or landscape design business and would be willing to support the project. Your expertise would be greatly appreciated as we shape this new garden space.

We’ll also be firing up the BBQ for lunch, so if gardening isn’t your thing but you enjoy cooking up a snag, we’d love for you to help out at the BBQ station. Volunteers are needed for both gardening and BBQ duties, so there’s a spot for everyone!

Volunteer Your Time. Earn Community Participation Hours. Make a Difference.

What to Bring

• Gardening Equipment – shovels, wheelbarrows, general gardening/landscaping tools (If you have any)
• Gardening gloves (if you have them)
• Hat & sunscreen
• Water bottle

If you have any questions, please contact our team at busybee@stmarks.wa.edu.au

Otherwise please sign up here:

https://signup.com/go/QQpvhdw

We're using SignUp (the leading online SignUp and reminder tool) to organize our upcoming SignUps.

Here's how it works in 3 easy steps:
1) Click this link to see our SignUp on SignUp: https://signup.com/go/QQpvhdw

2) Review the options listed and choose the spot(s) you like.

3) Sign up! It's Easy - you will NOT need to register an account or keep a password on SignUp.

Note: SignUp does not share your email address with anyone. If you prefer not to use your email address, please contact me and I can sign you up manually.

Together, we can create a vibrant outdoor space for our community to enjoy for years to come.

Hosted by the St Mark’s P&F Association