From the Acting Principal

Dear families,

ANZAC Dawn Service at Fawkner RSL - once again this year St Mark’s students have been invited to participate in the ANZAC Day Dawn Service at Fawkner RSL on Saturday April 25th at 6.00am (arrive 5.45am). Our Students will be singing the National Anthem. A note has been sent home to all families and we have had a great response so far. It’s not too late to respond. It would be appreciated if we could have a couple of parent volunteers to come along, support the children to sing, and to attend on the morning to organise and support the children. I encourage all families to come along to support this significant National event where we give thanks to those who have done so much to allow us to live in peace in our wonderful country. Breakfast will be served after the service. Children eat free and adults pay a gold coin donation. We will also be hosting our own ANZAC Day Service on Friday April 24th in the school playground.

KidsMatter @ St Mark's Action Team Hot Cross Bun Fundraiser

Orders will be sent home next Wednesday the 1st April with the eldest child in each family. Those families who placed a large order might like to send in a suitably sized bag on the day. Happy Easter from the KM@SMAT!

St Mark’s Enrolment Tours for 2027 Prep Students – This year we will once again be offering personalised School Tours in March and April for families wishing to enrol their children at St Mark’s for Prep 2027. Please tell your family, friends and neighbours to contact the Office on 8335 4100 to arrange an Enrolment Tour. It has been great to see the siblings of current St Mark’s families being enrolled for a start in Prep in 2027. It is important we know these numbers so that the school can determine how many places are available for new families wishing to enrol their child at St Mark’s next year. Enrolment Applications for Prep 2027 close on April 30th, 2026.

Assemblies - Please join us for assembly in the Hall each Friday morning beginning at 9am. Please note, Term 1, 2 & 4 Assemblies will be held on Friday mornings at 9.00am, while Term 3 Assemblies will commence at 2.50pm. This week's assembly will be hosted by LA3, LA4 and LA5.

Holy Week Liturgies @ St Mark’s - Our teachers and students are busy preparing for our Holy Week Liturgies which will be held next week (Week 10). I encourage families to attend these liturgies to reinforce the message of Easter and the hope it brings us. All details of dates and times are included in the Dates to Remember page.

NAPLAN 2026 - Congratulations to our Gr3 & 5 students who completed NAPLAN last week. All students are to be congratulated on the way that they applied themselves to the tasks and did their very best. We are so proud of the way each and every one of the students showed persistence, courage and resilience throughout the NAPLAN testing period. We will receive the results from these tests in the near future and will use them to guide future learning at St Mark’s. A huge thank you also to all teachers, staff and families who supported the students through what can be a stressful time for some.

Change over from Summer to Winter Uniform - As our School Photos are being held on Wednesday May 20th, (Week 5 of Term 2), all students need to be wearing Winter Uniform by the week beginning Monday May 11th. This will allow a three week transition period at the beginning of Term 2. Please see the uniform page of this Newsletter to ensure that your child has the correct Winter uniform items.

End of Term 1 and Beginning of Term 2 - Term 1 will finish for all students at 1.00pm on Thursday April 2nd. On that day we will host our Holy Thursday Liturgy at 9:00am followed by the Good Friday Liturgy at 12:00pm. All are welcome! After care will be available from 1.00pm. Bookings with Youth Leadership Victoria are essential – https://ylv.com.au/

Term 2 will commence for all students on Monday April 20th.

Vacation Care/Holiday Program @ St Mark’s – Youth Leadership Victoria will once again be offering a Holiday Program at St Mark’s during the Term 1 holidays. The program will be open from 7.00am-6.30pm each day. See the OSHC (YLV) page of this newsletter for a detailed program. Bookings are essential to secure a place.

God bless,

Miss Claire - Acting Principal and Learning & Teaching/Literacy Leader

claire.white@smfawkner.catholic.edu.au

‘The St Mark’s Catholic Primary School, Fawkner Community promotes the safety, wellbeing and inclusion of all children.’

St Mark’s Catholic Primary School respectfully acknowledges the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation, who are the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we live, learn, work and play. We pay our respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.