Dear Families,

This coming Sunday is Father’s Day, and we give thanks to those men in our lives who are fathers or father figures to us. It is a special time where we say thank you for all that they do and how they teach us and guide us, just as Jesus did.

Each year at this time I think about how lucky we are to have the men of our community who do so much for us. I also think about those in our community, children and adults, who do not have their father and those whose fathers are estranged or are now in God’s loving care.

I pray that the men of our community continue to allow the Holy Spirit to guide them and work through them.

Loving Jesus, we thank you for the gift of Fathers. We thank you for everything they do for us. Please continue to watch over them and guide them. We also pray for all fathers who are no longer with us. Please continue to keep them safe in your arms. We ask this, through Christ our Lord, Amen

Father’s Day Celebration

To all our fathers, grandfathers and father figures, please join us for our Father’s Day celebrations this Friday September 5th. We will begin with Assembly at 9.00am led by our Gr1/2 Students. Our special Father’s Day Morning Tea will commence at 9.30am following Assembly. This is our way of saying thanks to all the men in our community who do so much for us.

This year we are asking for cash donations and all funds raised will go directly to the Pancare Foundation, the agency that supports people with pancreatic cancer. Please note, that this is not an entrance fee, it is a voluntary donation.

By raising funds for Pancare we are enacting our Mercy Value of Service –

“At the same time, it enkindles within us a desire to assist others, so that they too may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10).

After Morning Tea all guests are invited and welcome to visit the children in their classrooms for Father’s Day activities.

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Tonight, eleven of our Grade 3 students will receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is one of the most unique and beautiful aspects of the Catholic Church. Jesus Christ, in His abundant love and mercy, established the Sacrament so that we can obtain forgiveness and reconcile with God and the Church when we make mistakes. The sacrament “washes us clean,” and renews us in Christ. Through this process, we are reconciled with the Church and continue to live as disciples of Jesus. As a community we pray for these children and their families and commit to supporting them in their sacramental journey.

We pray with hope in our hearts – “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, ‘do not fear, I will help you’.” (Isaiah 41:13)

What a wonderful night we had at our Family Disco last Friday. This was such a fun way to get together and enjoy each other’s company in a relaxed environment. It was lovely to see everyone getting into the spirit of the occasion. Many thanks to our volunteers who worked so hard to make the event such a success and to the staff for helping on the night.

Next Week is National Child Protection Week and this year’s theme is – ‘Every conversation matters: Shifting Conversation to Action’. To introduce National Child Protection Week, our Student Action Team members hosted a powerful assembly last Friday. Here at St Mark’s we are committed to providing a safe environment for all students and young people and we take active steps to protect them against neglect and abuse. Our commitment and responsibility to child safety is drawn from the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Gospels. At the heart of this commitment is Christ’s message of love, hope, justice and the innate dignity of each person. We implement a comprehensive range of child protection strategies, including our Child Safety & Wellbeing Policy and our Child Safety Code of Conduct. These are both available on our Website – www.smfawkner.catholic.edu.au

In the coming weeks the children of St Mark’s will be participating in discussions and activities during SEL Lessons designed to empower them with the knowledge and strategies they require to be safe in all aspects of their life. You can support this learning at home by having conversations with your children about personal safety. You might like to discuss with them questions such as:

What makes you feel safe and happy at home?
Who/where would you go to for support if you were not feeling safe?
What actions could we as a family take to further support children and young people, to help keep them safe?
What does ‘being unsafe’ look and feel like at home, in the community, online and/or at school?
What are respectful relationships and/or appropriate behaviours?

Gracious God, you said ‘let the children come to me’. We ask that you strengthen and guide all in our Catholic community. Grant us wisdom in our time to make decisions that protect children and the vulnerable. May our families and community – through love, generosity, commitment and patience – build a strong community, safe for our children. Let your grace and love fall gently upon our children giving them the inner strength, peace and resilience they will need for life’s journey. We ask you, God, to help our Catholic community of St Mark’s to be resolute in creating an environment where our children both flourish and are safe. Amen.

Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools School Improvement Surveys (MACSSIS) By now each family will have received an email containing your unique PIN to enable access to the MACSSIS Family Survey (please check your SPAM Folder). All details of the MACSSIS Family Surveys are included in the email.

The Survey opened on Monday September 1st, and will close on Friday September 19th. For families with more than one child attending our school, we ask that you focus on the eldest child attending the school. All participation is invited, welcomed and 100 per cent voluntary. The surveys are not a test; they are an inclusive way to support the work we are already doing to improve our school. There are no "right" or "wrong" answers – all responses are completely anonymous and at no point are any of the responses from students, families or staff identifiable by the school. The survey is available in English, Arabic, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Tagalog and Vietnamese.

Thank you in advance to all families for taking the time to complete the MACSSIS Family Survey as the data we gather benefits everyone within our school and provides valuable community insights on areas that we can focus on. Your input contributes to shaping the ongoing improvement of our school.

Please contact the Office if you did not receive your email this morning, or have any difficulty accessing the Survey.

Link to survey - your family's unique personal pin has been emailed to you.

ABC Music Concert

Families are welcome to join us on Friday September 12th at 9.00am for our annual ABC Music Concert where our talented ABC Music students will entertain us. The concert is being held in Term 3 this year as, sadly our wonderful music teacher Pez is finishing up at the end of Term 3. Pez has done an amazing job teaching our students and has been a valuable asset to the St Mark’s community. He will be missed. All welcome!

Glenroy District Athletics Carnival

Congratulations to the 32 students from Grs 3-6 who represented St Mark’s at the Glenroy District Athletics Carnival yesterday. From all reports the sportsmanship shown by the St Mark’s students was excellent. Thank you to our Sports Co-ordinator Mrs Daniela Lazzaro for preparing the students so well. Thanks also to our staff members Emma Crotty, Maria Barbanera and Angela Azzato who assisted on the day and ensured our students had such a successful day.

Congratulations to Luca (LA7), Christina (LA8) and Grace (LA9) who will now go onto the Divisional Championships next week.

End of Term 3

Term 3 will finish for all students at 1.00pm on Thursday September 18th. OSHC will commence from 1.00pm. Full Day Care is also available on Friday September 19th if there are sufficient bookings. For bookings visit – www.ylv.com.au

Holiday Program @ St Mark’s

Youth Leadership Victoria has advised that they will once again be offering a Holiday Program at St Mark’s during the T3 holidays. The program will be open from 7.00am-6.30pm each day. The Activity Program is included in this newsletter. For all details and bookings visit – www.ylv.com.au

Chicken & Guinea Pig care over the Term Holidays

We require assistance with looking after our chickens and guinea pigs over the coming holidays please. If you would like to help out, please leave your name at the office and we will be in touch to explain the procedure. Thank you.

Student Free Day, Monday December 8th, 2025

On Monday December 8th, 2025 there will be a Student Free Day as staff meet together to plan and prepare for the 2026 school year. Aftercare will be available on the day, if their minimum number of bookings is achieved. Bookings with Youth Leadership Victoria are essential – https://ylv.com.au/

2025 Christmas Carols

Please set aside Thursday December 4th so you can join us at 2.00pm for our annual Christmas Carols. More details will be shared in Term 4.

Out of School Hours Care

Emergency Bookings - Youth Leadership Victoria has advised that when parents need to make a booking at short notice they can contact YLV Area Manager Karen Nava directly on the following – karen@ylv.com.au; 0400 194 859

2025 Family Fun Day Update

This year our major community event and fundraising focus is our Family Fun Day (Fete) which will be held on Saturday October 25th, 11.00am-4.00pm here at St Mark’s. Funds raised this year will be used to purchase devices to further enhance our Coding and Digital Technologies programs. We also aim to further upgrade our play spaces for the children of St Mark’s. We will need many volunteers to make this event a success and ask that community members offer their support in a variety of ways. All details will be distributed soon.

Preparations for the Family Fun Day are in full swing, and our next online ZOOM Committee Meeting is at 7.00pm tomorrow, Thursday September 4th where we will continue the organisation of the various stalls. Thank you to those people who have already volunteered to be part of the Family Fun Day Committee. It’s not too late to join.

Currently we are looking for businesses to sponsor the event. If you are a business owner, or know of a business that would like to sponsor the event, please contact the Office and leave your details.

The Family Fun Festival was a great success in 2016, 2019, 2023 and this year’s event promises to be even better. We look forward to this wonderful community event once again and I encourage all families to get involved.

2025 School Fees & Curriculum Levies

Families are reminded to please contact the Office if you have not received your 2025 Fee Statement and a new one will be sent to you. I encourage all families to consider setting up a Direct Debit to ensure that Fees and Levies are paid on a regular basis and can be paid off by early Term 4. Families experiencing financial hardship are welcome to contact me so that we can explore confidential financial support arrangements.

2026 Prep Enrolments

Please tell your friends that there are still places available for Prep 2026 at St Mark’s. I am available for School Tours, which can be booked through the Office on 8335 4100.

Intentions for 2026

It’s hard to believe that we are currently in the process of preparing our class structures for 2026. To assist, we need to know if any students (other than Gr 6’s) will be leaving St Mark’s at the end of 2025. If your child will not be returning to St Mark’s in 2026 can you please inform me in writing as soon as possible.

St Mark’s Playgroup

Playgroup is held in our Hall each Tuesday morning from 9.00-11.00am for 0-4YO’s. Please spread the word with your family and friends. All welcome! Please see the attached Flyer for all details.

PSW Uniforms Update

Families are advised that you can no longer purchase Bomber Jackets, Short & Long Sleeved Polos and Crew Neck Windcheaters as these have now been phased out. From now on families can only purchase the new uniform items. An updated storyboard that includes current prices is included in this Newsletter.

A reminder that Uniform Group (PSW) will be implementing a 2.5% price increase across their uniform range, effective October 1st, 2025. We will send out an updated storyboard in Term 4.

Congratulations Aarya (LA9)

Recently Aarya had the wonderful opportunity to be part of the Merri-bek Community Connectors Program. This program brings together people from different cultural backgrounds to share ideas, provide feedback, and help shape decisions in our local council. Aarya attended meetings alongside her mum Durga, and despite being the youngest participant, she contributed her own thoughts with confidence and enthusiasm.

Aarya shared her ideas on what children would like to see in the local community, such as safe play areas, fun activities, and family-friendly spaces. She was proud to find her suggestions for the Merri-bek Budget 2025/2026 included on the shortlist, showing that, just like here at St Mark’s, children’s voices really do matter. She also spoke about the importance of celebrating her mother language on International Language Day, which was recognised by the council.

At a special event Aarya was recognised by the Merri-bek council, Mayor Helen Davidson and presented with an Appreciation Certificate for her contributions. Not only that, she confidently delivered a beautiful speech in the council during this appreciation program in front of nearly 50 people, including the mayor and council staff.

Aarya’s involvement has shown that children can make meaningful contributions and help shape a more inclusive future for everyone.

We are very proud of you Aarya!

God Bless,

Peter Wilson

principal@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 ofthe 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.