Senior School Bulletin - Term 1

Please find attached a letter from the Head of School regarding the start of Term.

Please find attached a letter from the Hon Dr Tony Buti, Minster of Education. Wishing your year 12 student all the best for their final year of schooling.

Hon Dr Tony Buti Letter

As you are aware, we have our Year 9-12 Parent Information Session on Monday, 10 February, from 5:30-7:30 pm (Week 2).

We are excited to be able to announce that we have secured some excellent guest speakers to present to you as part of the event. You will have a series of streams to choose from, so you can design the evening to suit your family's needs and interests.

Sessions include:

• Edith Cowan University – Admission Pathways for School Leavers
• Curtin University - UniReady In-School Program
• Year 9 and 10 - Senior School Pathways
• Generative AI in Education – challenges and opportunities in a rapidly changing landscape. 
• SDERA – Talking Drugs
• School anxiety - avoidance or refusal?
• Testing Accommodations
• Year 9 Camp Information
• Year 10 Camp Information

Mr Paul Searle from SDERA will also present two sessions in the evening. These sessions will provide the most up-to-date information on alcohol and other drugs and the importance of a typical community approach.

The schedule and description of each session are attached in the link below. Please choose the sessions you wish to attend, noting the room and time. No registration is required.

Download the Information Session schedule here.

We know the beginning of a new school year is a time when stress levels can begin to rise as we prepare for the first day and week of school. To hopefully ease the pressure a little, please find below our Back to School Guide.

The Back to School Guide includes lots of information and dates to make those first few weeks a little easier to cope with. Download your copy here.

These are also available on our website should you need to refer to them throughout the year.

The Australian Government Department of Education would like to notify you that we have requested for your child’s school to provide residential address and other information.

Under the Australian Education Regulations 2023, the school is required to provide the department with the following information about each student at the school:

• names and residential addresses of the student’s parent(s) and/or guardian(s)
• student residential address (excluding student names)
• whether the student is a primary or secondary student (education level)
• whether the student is boarding or a day student (boarding status).

Can families please update their information on Consent2Go by Tuesday 11 February 2025.

More information on the purpose of collection and privacy information can be found here.

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
• $300 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 2025 and close on 11 April 2025. Forms are available from Main Reception during Term 1 between 8am and 4pm.

Please check the eligibility criteria here.

The annual Interhouse Swimming Carnival will take place at HBF Stadium, Mt Claremont. The larger capacity at the Stadium and the ability to use multiple pools will allow us to host both the Middle and Senior School Carnivals simultaneously on 7 February instead of two separate Carnivals.

All students in Years 6 to 12 are required to attend the House Swimming Carnival on 7 February.

Students must be wearing their House uniform, with School bathers, and bring a towel, goggles, hat, sunblock, water bottle, snacks and lunch. Students must also bring all personal medication (e.g. asthma puffers) with them to the Carnival. Please ensure all items are clearly labelled with the student’s name and surname.

The Interhouse Carnival is a compulsory event, and all students in Years 6 to 12 are expected to attend.

We have a group of eager and brave St Mark's students participating in this year's World's Greatest Shave.

We are calling for hairdressers within our School community to help us ensure that the event goes well. In particular, we are looking for help with the students who are cutting off their ponytails (20cm in length) or shaving heads.

We do not have the time for full fashion cuts, but we want to ensure participating students are left with enough hair to get a professional cut later.

We also require volunteers to help set up and pack down the event.

We require our volunteers to be onsite on Thursday 14 March from 12.30pm - 2.30pm and Parent Commitment Hours can be claimed.

To book your volunteer spot or for more information, please email Mrs Lia Parsons.