Principal's News

Dear families,

We had a wonderful Mothers' Day celebration last week. Enormous thanks to the wonderful members of the Parents' Association for organising such a fantastic event and to all the dads and staff who came along to help and mingle with the mums.

Our preps in PJs night was such fun and a wonderful showcase of the ways we pray with our children. It certainly was a night of great variety with quiet meditation, dancing, singing and art work. Thanks to the many, many foundation families who were present. When your child sees that you are connected to their school and interested in what happens here there is a plethora of evidence that says your child will do better at school.

Yesterday at 9.30 a.m. the whole school community came together for our 50th Anniversary photo. Mr Davies had set up witches hats in the shape of an enormous number fifty and we all filled the spaces to create a living 50! 

Congratulations to our year three children who celebrated the Sacrament of Reconciliation on Wednesday this week. It was a lovely celebration and wonderful to be able to celebrate with the children and their families, this important milestone in their faith journey.

Group Play Therapy Holiday Program - running at St Mark's if there is enough interest.

Monday 1st of July - Friday 5th of July / 9:30am-10:30am

St Mark's PS Dingley - if there are 4 or more interested families.

Also being run at: Balwyn North Clinic and Malvern East clinics

$850 for the 5 x 1 hour sessions / maximum of 6 children in each group

We are offering an intensive group play therapy program for children and an intensive group play therapy program for families (parent-child pairs). Based on Integrative Play Therapy approaches, our therapists facilitate tailored and unstructured therapy groups to meet the unique needs of all families attending. Each group has a maximum of 6 children, or 6 parent-child pairs, along with three therapists. 

The groups are thoughtfully designed to include children and families with a range of presenting needs and goals. This 'mix' of group members gives children and parents/carers the opportunity to experience therapeutic benefits from supported 'peer modelling' - that is, the opportunity to spend time with, and around, others who may have varying and unique strengths and difficulties. This allows children and parents to gain from time with peers and with play therapists.

COCO - THERAPY DOG: 

Here are some lovely photos of Coco (Ms Ryan's therapy dog) working with some of our St Mark's students. We are so lucky that Ms Ryan is happy to share Coco and her therapy training with us all at St Mark's.

PARENTING WORKSHOPS AT ST MARK'S:

On Tuesday the 4th, 11th and 18th of June from 6.30 - 8.30 p.m. St Mark's will be hosting some wonderful parenting workshops to support the mental health and wellbeing of our St Mark's families, through helping to develop optimal family relationships. The Optimal Relationship Approach is an evidence based approach that the staff of St Mark's have been learning about and using in our classrooms. We have had many of our staff become fully TORA (Teacher Optimal Relationship Approach) certified and found it a very useful approach to help us to create calm, well managed classrooms. It made sense for us to share this approach with you as parents, as we are well aware that the more we can work together to support our children the better the outcomes are for our children.

Please book in on 0478 389 793 to secure your spot. The series of three workshops is FREE for St Mark's family - normally this would cost $200 per family.

Best Teacher Competition:

Do you have a favourite teacher? Nominate them today!

For the second year, News Corp is running its Australia’s Best Teachers campaign, recognising inspirational and innovative educators across the country.

The campaign will launch on Sunday 28 April, calling on the community to nominate teachers who have had an incredible impact on our students and all our lives.

A panel of expert judges will then select and announce the top 50 teachers on Sunday 30 June.

Nominate your favourite teacher today by visiting www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/australias-best-teachers-campaign-is-back-nominate-now/news-story/f7ded458c472bc3ab10862e6735415df.