Principal's News

Dear families,

Welcome to our first newsletter for the year!

I hope you have all had a wonderful break and have recharged the batteries ready for the year ahead. We have had a lovely start to the school year and our assessment days were once again a fantastic way for the children and staff to get to know each other a little better, one on one, before the year commences in earnest.

A very warm welcome to our new foundation students and their families and the eleven new students who have commenced at St Mark's in other levels.

The children are looking great in their polished shoes and smart uniforms and we appreciate your efforts to ensure your children leave your house in correct school uniform each day. 

Please see the dates to remember page for all the term's important dates.

I look forward to catching up with you all over the coming weeks either at the gates or in the office. Please don't hesitate to drop in and say hi.

Parent/Teacher Interviews:

Please note that school finishes at 1.00 p.m. on Thursday 15th and 22nd of February so that interviews can start at 1.45 p.m. A booking form for either a PSG meeting or a Parent/Teacher interview was sent to each family over the weekend. Please book in a time to meet with your child's teacher as soon as possible.

Stand Up Project:

This year we have the wonderful opportunity to be part of a wellbeing project facilitated by Dr Zack Greig aimed at helping us to make our school and playground a safe and fun space for everyone. Dr Zach will be working with the 5/6 level to train the children to teach others about being an active bystander and helping to make our school a safe space for all. Please see the brochure below.

Update from St Jude’s (Africa) from Miss Garlick:

Thought it would be nice to share with you this letter I received from the School of St Jude in Tanzania. With the donation money raised, part of the funds went towards sponsoring a class.

Thank you for helping make this difference. It makes my heart so happy 

2024 Information:

This year the school day ends at 3.20 p.m.  Staff will be on gate duty until 3.40 p.m. every day. All children need to be collected by 3.40 p.m. each day.

School commences each day at 8.50 a.m. (as usual) - after which students are deemed late for school. Gates are open from 8.30 a.m. each morning at which time staff supervision commences. Please do not enter the school grounds or leave students at the  school gates prior to 8.30 a.m. unattended. 

We have before and after school care available for those families who need care for their children prior to 8.30 in the morning and after 3.40 p.m. in the afternoon.

Children are permitted to enter classrooms each morning at 8.40 a.m. to prepare for the day.

UNIFORM REMINDERS FOR 2024:

Black runners are NOT school shoes and can only be worn on PE days. Please, please, please remember that black school shoes must be worn with the school uniform and runners (of any colour) can only be worn on PE days. If you are at all unsure whether the footwear you are purchasing would be considered runners or school shoes, then please don't purchase them. Opt for a more traditional pair of school shoes. The children continually point out to me that it is unfair that some children wear runners to school for school shoes  - and I completely agree. So please support the implementation of our uniform requirements when purchasing shoes for 2024.

All school shirts - (summer and winter, boys and girls), now feature the school logo. We will be transitioning to all students being required to wear the shirts with logos over the next 12 months. If you have plain white shirts that your child is currently wearing they may continue to do so - but please do not purchase any new plain white shirts. In 2025 all children will be required to wear the school shirt with the logo.

Many items of our school uniform do not carry a logo, such as the grey school shorts and pants, green tracksuit pants, boys green sports shorts, and girls sports skorts. All these items can be purchased from the uniform shop however if you are choosing to source these items elsewhere, please ensure what you buy is the same design and same material as our school uniform. Netball/tennis skirts are not allowed to replace the girls sport skort, grey cargo shorts/pants with lots of pockets are not a suitable replacement for the school shorts/pants. Silky finish shorts or basketball shorts are not a suitable replacement for boys sports shorts. Again I ask that all families please diligently support the implementation of St Mark's uniform requirements.

Sports Uniform Days:

Here is the timetable for the days students can wear their sports uniform and runners to school (all other days students must wear full school uniform and school shoes):

Monday - 5/6 Level

Tuesday - 3/4 Level

Wednesday - Foundation Level

Thursday - 1/2 L