The BookMark 60th Edition - July 2017 by St Mark's Anglican Community School

The

BookMark

60th Edition

July 2017

TABLE OF CONTENTS

THE BOOKMARK

A publication of St Mark’s Anglican Community School St Marks Drive, Hillarys, 6025 Postal Address: PO Box 231 Hillarys Western Australia 6923 Tel: (08) 9403 1300 Fax: (08) 9307 7577 Editor: Mandy Cosser mcosser@stmarks.wa.edu.au Subediting: Peta Sinclair & Dyan Thompson

Printed by Graphic Source

Interhouse Sport

St Mark’s Travel Diaries Day

The Arts

Principal’s Note

From the Chaplain

Community Service

Out & About

Meeting the Experts

Interschool Sport

Global Citizenship

Life in the Classroom

Bringing Words to Life

Learning Enrichment

Photo Digital Design

Principal’s Note This issue of The BookMark, the 60th edition, is the first to be available exclusively in an electronic format. The decision not to publish a printed version was based on a community survey which indicated that it was time for us to abandon producing hard copies. As most people would recognise, this is both a cost-effective and environmentally-friendly option. Whilst the format is new, the content within will be familiar in its style. The pages that follow are still another delightful record of the many activities and achievements to be celebrated at St Mark’s. Once again, the variety of activities is astounding. I thank parents, students and staff for their ongoing support of the many diverse offerings to be found at this School. As we celebrate all that has been achieved during the first semester, we also look forward to the second half of 2017 and the exciting events and activities ahead at St Mark’s Anglican Community School. Regards

Cameron Herbert Principal

From the Chaplain I love holidays. Many of us do. The chance to get away and to switch off from the regular grind and replenish the batteries is always appealing. Last year, I had the privilege of taking Long Service Leave over a period of six months. My family and I travelled in the Kimberley for five weeks and then lived in Tanzania for four and half months. It was a time of switching off and replenishing the batteries. All good. What has been interesting is coming back to work and looking in on our culture with a different lens. Seeing the differences between life in a developing nation and our highly developed nation. The differences in culture and values. They are stark in some cases and subtle in others. One of the things that has stood out to me is how we value youth and disregard age. In Tanzania, it is completely the opposite. Age is to be respected and even desired. We elevate the young and desire to be eternally young. Makeovers, cosmetic surgery and anti-aging creams litter our media and seep into our desires. The commentators for us to listen to are younger news presenters and comedians. Instead of listening to people with years under their belt and wisdom sourced from decades of experience, we want to know what a young athlete or actor thinks about how to fix the world. Age in Tanzania is respected and revered. Perhaps the older generation has some value in helping us steer clear of past mistakes both on the individual level and the community level. Secondly, it was amazing to see how people who have relatively nothing, were gripped with joy. The contrast here was marked. To return to a culture with everything, both in a consumer sense and with our geographical surrounds, we are less than satisfied with what we have. There is a cultural desire here to always want more and to be dissatisfied with what we have. The gulf between our two cultures in this regard is enormous. Why does our culture not sit back and at least ask the question why this exists? I think it is because we don’t want to hear the answer and give up our love affair with what we have. We have fooled ourselves into thinking that ‘stuff’ will fill our needs when all it does is feed our desires and then disappoint us again and again. The difficult thing about all of this is that I am a product of my culture. I am guilty of idolizing youth and idolizing stuff but I am no different to everyone else. The answer lies in realising that idols are false. They demand your affections and worship but deliver nothing. Only the creator is worthy of our worship. Any other idol will fail to deliver. How can they when they are created by us? The creator ends up worshipping the creature when we worship an idol. The creature (us) should be worshipping the creator.

By Mr Scott Rowland, Chaplain

St Mark’s Day

It was wonderful to see the St Mark’s Day spirit across the School, with all students from Kindergarten to

Year 12 involved in a number of special events.

Early Learning Centre Children in the ELC enjoyed a whole-day celebration. Activities were designed to support the children’s connection with the School and its history. They learned more about Saint Mark, why the School carries his name, and why the lion is our School emblem. ELC students participated in a fun treasure hunt to learn more about the School’s five values. They had to work together to follow clues to find hearts (respect), a key (responsibility), a stone (confidence), a ring (community) and a seed (knowledge). The day was also about connecting with their House group, and working together across the year groups. The Pre-Primary and Year 1 students joined their Year 2 to 6 peers in the Primary Lapathon at the end of the day.

Primary School Students in Years 2 to 6 started the day with classroom work, followed by a buddy activity. Our younger students love to hang out with their upper Primary buddies! During the morning, Primary students headed to the Len King Sports Pavilion for a special Chapel service, where they looked at the life of Saint Mark. The choir performed beautifully and the music added a special touch to the event. After lunch, it was time for the big event - the Lapathon. For the first few laps around the oval, our older buddies guided the little ones to their class checkpoint to get their Lapathon cards stamped. A few mums, dads and younger siblings also joined the happy throng as they made their rounds on the Oval.

Middle and Senior School It was a very busy day for students in Years 7 to 12, as students adjusted to an exciting new format for St Mark’s. Students started off with an energetic performance at Mawson Park in the Interhouse Cross Country Carnival (please see the article on page 15 for the results). The challenging track saw all our students give of their best, with House pride on the line. The students then headed back to the School to set up for a festival of fun. Pastoral Care Groups in each year level joined up with their PCG buddies to set up their stalls. There was plenty to eat, with lots of games and activities, The day concluded with a Eucharist Service, at which students welcomed Old Scholar, Dr Shani Law-Davis (Class of 2010) as the guest speaker. Shani shared her journey as a Christian through her time as a St Mark’s student, medical student and now on her rounds as a doctor. The performances from the musicians, True Voices Choir, and Senior School dancers were an excellent addition to the service and were very much enjoyed by staff and students.

Community

St Mark’s Day Fundraising

A core part of St Mark’s Day is encouraging students to consider the welfare of others and to raise funds for charities and organisations who work to provide positive outcomes for the world around us. The Primary School Lapathon was once again very successful, with students giving their all to complete the course as many times as they could, with their generous sponsors rewarding each completed lap with a donation. The Middle and Senior School St Mark’s Day Mini Fair was also a fundraising initiative. Staff and students put enormous effort into planning and preparing for the stalls, with each year group taking charge of a different element. Together, the tally from the two events was approximately, $10,000 which gave our students the opportunity to donate to the Cancer Council, as well as donate to other charities selected by the students. Our students also support St Mark’s School in South Africa for many years, and provide educational scholarships to St Michael’s School in Tanzania through the Mikono project.

The Red Shield Appeal

Every year in the month of May, Moyes House works closely with the Salvation Army to raise funds under the banner of the Red Shield Appeal. On Sunday 28 May, St Mark’s students took to the streets of Hillarys to raise funds for this worthy cause. Our Year 7 volunteers headed to Hillarys Boat Harbour to shake the tin, bringing in some great donations. In total, we raised over $1,600 for the work of the Salvos.

House Activities and Clubs

Friday afternoons have been as fun and as interesting as ever with this year’s instalment of House Activities and Clubs! On top of the traditional Middle and Senior School activities, such as Robotics, Public Speaking and Debating, ,many students have taken up the chance to expand their interests, and join one of a number of new clubs. The new offerings include Nail Art Club with Ms Edwards, Braiding Club with Ms Wyatt, while Karl and Alec from Diesel Gym have joined forces with Mr Simmons and the Kickboxing Crew to provide a new level of tuition and behind-the-scenes insight into self-discipline, resilience and self-defence. While the Darts Club students hone their craft with Mr Jones, nearby, the Dance and Drama students prepare for the Term 3 Performance ‘Night of Nights’. The Yoga sessions, overseen by Mr Day, and the students doing Meditation with Mrs Gastevich continue to work on their mental and physical health and wellbeing. With over fifty different activities and clubs shooting into action school-wide at the close of each academic week, it’s clear that our students are benefiting from the social and community aspects of House Activities and Clubs. It has been great to see such an overwhelming level of involvement in what has been an extremely productive first semester. Well done everyone! By Mr Joel Martin, House Activities Coordinator

Travel Diaries

#1 WA’s South West

Early in Term 1, the Year 12 Geography class, along with five students from Swan Valley Anglican Community School, set off on a field trip to the South West. Our objective was to better understand the land cover changes that have taken place over the last century and how we can implement strategies to mitigate and adapt to these changes. Our first stop was the Beeliar Wetlands. The wetlands gained significant attention in the media prior to the recent State Election, as debate on the Roe 8 extension heated up. We saw firsthand the complex ecological diversity in the wetlands, and gained an understanding of why this important region needs protection. A volunteer Environmental Officer gave us an informative presentation on the wetland ecosystem. After our arrival at Wellington Forest Discovery Centre, we attended a lecture before donning our safety helmets to venture out into the forest guided by a Department of Parks & Wildlife (DPAW) officer. During the walk, we learned about the native flora and fauna in the area. Amy Shakeshaft was lucky enough to test out the soap bush, saving her having to shampoo that night! Along the way, we learned the skill of measuring how old a tree is without chopping it down, and then got to practise our new skill on the jarrah and marri trees in the forest. After settling in at our cottages, we ventured back into the forest for a nightlife walk, where we had to be as quiet as possible. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we did not get to see any nocturnal animals. While didn’t get to see any animals, we got an amazing view of the stars! We also experienced the forest blindfolded having to rely on our other senses to make our way through a “sensational trail”. The next day, we met some of the kangaroos that visit the Wellington Mill Cottages. Our next stop was Gnomesville. St Mark’s added our first Geo-gnome to the 10,000 gnomes already settled in this unusual attraction! Our final activity was a tour of the Huntly Bauxite Mine at Alcoa, which is located close to Pinjarra. Here we got to see the giant haul pack trucks that operate 24/7, moving millions of tonnes of bauxite annually. We again donned our hard hats, safety glasses and fluoro vests to walk out into the rehabilitation sites where the jarrah forest is sustainably managed as part of efforts to return it to its original state. The camp was an unforgettable experience in Geography fieldwork, and bittersweet, as it was our final camp with St Mark’s. By the Year 12 ATAR Geography Class

#2 Living and Learning in Reunion Island As part of St Mark’s strategic goal of increased links with the Indian Ocean region, the School is continuing to work on building relationships with other schools located on Reunion Island. The Island is a French overseas territory, known as a department, and is situated on a volcanic island approximately 200km from Mauritius. St Mark’s has a well-established relationship with Reunion through a number of international programs, such as the Tang Koala cultural exchange program, which has been running for over 40 years. New opportunities include the School’s participation in the the Erasmus+ history project, and the further development of partnerships with La Salle St Charles, our sister school in Reunion. The Erasmus+ history project is an initiative of the European Union which aims to commemorate the collective tragedy of the First World War and examine its legacy and ongoing relevance in today’s society. Participants in this project included students from Germany, Turkey, Greece, Hungary, Tahiti, and Reunion. The program took place over the course of several years in the form of international meetings in each of the host countries, the last of which was held in Reunion over a two week period in February and March this year. The final meeting was attended by three St Mark’s Year 9 students, Erin Cosser, Luca Niculae and Rylee Wilkinson, who participated in workshops designed to examine the ways in which the ‘The Great War’ was acknowledged and to propose a new collective means of commemorating the fallen and maintaining the legacy of their sacrifice. St Mark’s engagement with Reunion also provides opportunities for individual exchanges. I am currently living in Reunion on a six-month cultural exchange as an English Assistant at La Salle Saint Charles, a private high school located in Saint-Pierre in the south-west of the island.

Travel Diaries

#3 Year 5s in Point Peron

Year 5 camp is a right of passage for Primary School students. This year’s camp was no exception. The obligatory nerves at being away from everything that is normal was soon overshadowed by the excitement of sleepovers in a huge dorm with friends, late nights (9pm) and fun activities. The usual questions about how much to pack, how big a case to bring, what music to use for our “St Mark’s Got Talent” night, what the food would be like, whether lollies could be smuggled and whether witchety grubs taste good were all discussed as the buses started on the journey to Rockingham. The weather was kind. Perth may have been shrouded in drizzle but the weather at Point Peron peninsula allowed us to build and test rafts in the ocean, try out our archery skills, solve teambuilding problems, climb walls, build crate towers and prusick. Add in a quiz night, star-gazing and a fabulous talent show and we were all happy, but very tired, campers. By Mrs Jane Denham

As part of my role, I work closely with students to help them improve their written and spoken English in preparation for their exams, as well as helping teachers to prepare lessons and activities for their students. This experience has not only taught me how to effectively teach others a skill that is quite literally, second nature to me, it has also taught me a number of life skills, not the least of which is how to do my own laundry, iron my clothes, and cook my own meals.

By Edward Atkinson (Class of 2016)

Travel Diaries

#4 Year 8s in the Heart of the Nation Day 1 On the first weekend in June, all the Year 8 students boarded the plane to Melbourne en route to Canberra. At Perth Airport we were allowed to buy food and drinks and look around the shops. On arrival in Canberra, we got our suitcases off the bus and headed to our accommodation at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS). We headed to a meeting in the Barcelona building to find out about the AIS and where we were staying. We had a quick dinner then got our keys for our rooms which were really nice. It was a long and tiring day, but also exciting!

Day 2 The next day the teachers woke us up really early (at 6am!) to get ready for breakfast, which was really tasty. After breakfast, Bus Group 2 went to the National Capital Exhibition Centre, MOAD, National Gallery of Australia and Parliament House. It was all very interesting. When we got home we had dinner and then went for a tour around AIS.

Day 3 The next day we went to Mt Ainslie. That was really good because we could see all of Canberra. We then went to the National Museum of Australia and to the High Court of Australia where we met three people who spoke to us about each room. Towards the end of the day, we went to Questacon, a science centre, which was a lot of fun. After dinner we went bowling. It was nice because we could also get some food and hang out with our friends.

Travel Diaries

#4 Year 8s in the Heart of the Nation Day 4 On Day 4 in Canberra, we went to the National Portrait Gallery where we saw lots of different art. We heard about Ned Kelly and Captain James Cook. After that, we went to the National Australian archives, where we learned more about Federation. We also had an English dictation test. Next up was the CSIRO where we learned more about bees and "backpacks on bees". We also played a great science-related game and whoever had the most points won. The last stop off was at the National Library of Australia. This is where every book that has been written in Australia is kept. The most fascinating thing was the photo we saw of a book made of human skin!

Day 5 At the start of Day 5, we woke up and got ready for breakfast. After breakfast Luke, our bus driver, drove us to the start of the Reconciliation Walk, where we learned a lot more about Canberra. The views were amazing. We also went to the Tent Embassy where a lady told us about her life. After that, we went to the museum where we learned about the lives of soldiers during the war. We then went to the War Memorial where we paid our respects to those who lost their lives. It was very sad. Day 6 On the last day, we had to get out of our dorms by 7am and go to the Barcelona building where we had a quick meeting about the day. We put our suitcases in the bus and then headed off to the Royal Mint where all our notes are made. It was very cool. After the Royal Mint, we went to Geo Science where we learned a lot about rocks, tectonic plates and earthquakes. It was really interesting to see how all the rocks were formed, especially after recently learning about all of this in our Science classes at school. After that, we had lunch at Questacon and then went shopping for an hour before heading to the airport, and back to Perth.

To sum up our trip to Canberra: it was lots of fun, it was educational, the food was fantastic and all the places we went to were really interesting. By Georgia Davis, Year 8

Out and About

Year 11 Biology: Life’s a Zoo

Earlier this year, the Year 11 Biology students made their annual trek to Perth Zoo. The weather was kind, not too hot or cold and the animals were cooperative. We began with a one hour session in the lecture theatre where a member of the Zoo staff helped us through an understanding of the need for classification in Biology. Students spent much of the time working with skulls determining which species they belonged to, using dichotomous keys. The results were accurate, showing that we understood the methodology involved. Following this, we spent some time looking at live specimens of Bobtail and Shingle backed lizards. Students were able to touch live specimens during this process. Following this session, Zoo staff congratulated the teachers on the interactions they had with the students. Students were then given the next three hours to complete their various classification tasks around the Zoo. These tasks took us to nearly all parts of the Zoo and involved a range of different animals, all focusing on classification issues. At 2pm we re-assembled and caught the bus back to School, where we organized our notes ready for the assessment the following day.

Year 4: Exploring our World

In Term 2, the Year 4s enjoyed excursions relating to their studies of History and Science. In the first week, they went to Caversham Wildlife Park to learn more about Australian native animals. In Week 3, they went to Fremantle as part of their study of the History topic of explorers. In Fremantle they went to the Shipwreck Gallery and saw the wreck of the Batavia, and also went to the Roundhouse where some lucky students got to fire a cannon! They also did a tour of the replica of the ship ‘Dufkyen.’ By the Year 4 Teachers

Year 11& 12 Workplace Learning

The Year 11 and 12 Workplace Learning students have gained a great deal this year from being part of the CareerLink program. Term one commenced with the CareerLink Induction Day at ECU. The day consisted of a presentation from the inspirational and entertaining guest speaker, Greg Mitchell, as well as meeting lecturers from TAFE, an Occupational Health and Safety session and learning about the Logbook. The students are working hard in their chosen work placement and TAFE course and are developing excellent employability skills. By Mrs Sheryl Johnson, Careers Advisor

Darcy Moon at Atlas Divine

Jacob Beaven-Davis at IT Guys

Out and About

Year 7 Robotics: Robocup Rescue Regional Competition

An inaugural regional competition was held at Sacred Heart College on the first Saturday in June. Students from many local schools were there to develop their skills prior to the WA Robocup Championships in August. The theme for the day was Learn, Share and Have Fun, and the five Year 7 students who represented St Mark’s on the day certainly did that. They learned a lot about the competition format, developed their design and coding skills, shared ideas amongst themselves and with students from other schools, having a lot of fun in the process. They now have a few months to put their newly acquired knowledge and skills into action and prepare for the State Championships. St Mark’s has had considerable success in the competition for many years and our future success looks promising in their hands! Mr Peter Brown, Head of ICT

Connor and Ethan put their robot through its paces.

L-R: Nikolas Wurster, Luke Myers, Shaun Randeria, Connor Walton, Ethan Butler

Nikolas and Shaun watch their robot in one of the competition courses.

Year 6 Sailing

Year 6 students took part in a fun-filled sailing program over an eight-week period at Hillarys Yacht Club. The students learned a lot about general weather patterns, knots, parts of a boat, rigging boats, sailing terminology and more. At the conclusion of the program, students came away with the ability to sail a Puffin Racer boat as part of a team without any adults on board. This has been a great experience for the students so far. According to the Year 6s, “sailing was really fun and scary at the same time!”. We’re glad to hear they enjoyed their time on the water! By Mr Michael Barton, Primary Phys Ed

Jacob Beaven-Davis at IT Guys

Matt Polick at Specsavers

Bailey Henderson at GCR Electrical

Aiden Partridge at Goodearth

Meeting the Experts

Author in Residence: Sophie Hardcastle

Sophie Hardcastle is a remarkable 23 year old girl from the northern beaches of NSW, who has an Arts Degree, has written two books and is an accomplished surfer. She visited St Mark’s in March this year and from the moment she arrived, the students related to her and hung off her every word. As an accomplished surfer, we timed her visit so she could go surfing with the Year 10 Outdoor Adventure Studies (OAS) students and she was quickly referred to as ‘the surfer chick.’ Sophie also has bi-polar and talked about her struggles with misdiagnosed mental illness as a teenager in her final year of high school. It was this side of her life story that cemented a bond with the students that no other author has been able to do, and is the reason why we chose her as our author-in-residence. Sophie told the students what it was like for her when she first became disengaged and how her behaviour changed. She talked about her relationship with her friends, parents, sister, teachers, counsellors and doctors. Her story is harrowing but a positive one and is well documented in her memoir Running Like China; the book most students keenly sought to get a personal copy of. We knew how powerful her message was about mental health and how important it was that our students not only hear the message, but interact with her and relate to someone similar in age to them. During the week, Sophie gave great soul bearing presentations to various classes and year levels, always leaving them with a positive message to take home. She exposed how raw her life had been as a teenager but gave them hope to see her standing there, looking healthy and sounding so positive about life and her future. We have had many visiting authors in the Library, but Sophie’s time with us was by far the most powerful and meaningful for our students. On any given day, Sophie could be found sitting outside in the sun, invited by groups of students to join them for recess, or alternatively, students could be seen hanging out in the Library’s work room catching up with Sophie in a relaxed atmosphere as she ate her lunch… such was the 100% commitment to giving of her time to our very lucky students. Sophie also presented to parents, and in attendance were members of Headspace and community psychologists, who were also inspired by Sophie’s presentation and book. The following, from a Year 10 student, best sums up how successful Sophie’s visit was. “Listening to Sophie was great. She made time for everyone, and was both a listening ear and giver of advice. She made a real effort to connect with us, getting involved with school activities such as surfing and spending time in the library. Sophie was genuine, and gave us an honest account of her time as a teenager. She was not dismissive of life as a young person, but understood the struggles of adolescence, and the vital importance of good mental health.” By Mrs Shirley McKibbin, Head of the Tony Stopher Library & Information Centre

WASO Masterclass: a session with Stefan Dohr

On the evening of 7 June, Acting Director of Music, Mrs Pamela Grubb, escorted six excited lower brass players from Year 5 to12 to a West Australian Symphony Orchestra Masterclass featuring French Horn Virtuoso, Stefan Dohr, from the Berlin Philharmonic. Stefan worked with three horn players: a second-year UWA Music student, a graduate with Honours in Performance and the Principal horn of the Australian Youth Orchestra. Watching a performer of his calibre work with and improve the sound of these talented young players was enlightening for our students, particularly when Stefan demonstrated techniques on his own instrument. All of our students came away from this experience with lots of new ideas to try in their own practice time.

Meeting the Experts

Artist in Residence: Mark Tweedie

During March, the Year 11 and 12 Visual Arts students had the opportunity to participate in a two day portrait workshop with Mark Tweedie, organised by Coordinator of Visual Art, Mrs Nadine Bastow. Mark Tweedie is a Western Australian portrait artist whose practice is characterised by themes of ageing, memory and family. His paintings are autobiographical, whilst presenting universal themes articulating the human condition. Mark has been a finalist in numerous national art prizes and is the inaugural winner of the 2016 Black Swan Prize’s artist-voted award, the Tony Fini Foundation Artist Prize. In the workshop he introduced the students to his techniques, influences and process. As well as providing a snapshot of his day-to-day routine as a professional artist, the students learned about Mark’s contemporary style of portraiture. The workshop was structured to push them out of their comfort zone through experimentation with mediums and techniques. They were guided through the process of building a face through a series of acrylic-based demonstrations and experienced the application of both washes and thick paint, with Mark sharing tips and tricks that he uses on a daily basis. The workshop was process based and the activities were designed to encourage a looser and more confident approach to painting. It was a very valuable two days for our students.

Graphic Artist in Residence: José Saracho Year 11 and 12 VET Visual Art & Design students were given the opportunity to meet with, and learn new skills from, special guest, José Saracho. José is the illustrator and author of the children’s picture book The Tuggies. He is a Freelance Designer with a wealth of experience. José has worked in the design and advertising industry for more than fifteen years in Barcelona, Glasgow, and Perth. Engaging with industry professionals is an important part of the Cert II and Cert III Visual Art & Design curriculum, and Jose’s visit was a fantastic opportunity for the students to hear first hand how the design development process worked, as well as to view the final product. By Mrs Kate Howard, Visual Art/D&T

Interhouse Swimming Carnivals Middle and Senior School

The St Markâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Secondary Interhouse Swimming Carnivals were held at the HBF Joondalup Arena during the first two weeks of Term 1, with the Middle School evemt on Friday 3 February and the Senior School held the following week. Congratulations to Watkins House on winning the combined trophy for the 2017 Interhouse Swimming Carnivals! The overall results were exceptionally close. Well done to all swimmers who participated enthusiastically to earn their House valuable points. Middle School Results

Senior School results

Overall/Combined Results

1st - Carnley

1st - Watkins

2nd - Challen

2nd - Carnley

3rd - Watkins

3rd - Moyes

4th - Moyes

4th - Challen

Girls

Boys

Champion

Runner Up

Champion

Runner up

Year 7

Ebony JACKSON

Ella NEILL

Mitchell LEE

Cameron PATON

Year 8

Olivia CLARK

Rhianna HEPBURN

Jake BUEDDEMANN

Charlie FOUNTAIN

Year 9

Dayna TINDALL

Jessica MADDEN

Connor LINDSAY

Kelvin HEPBURN

Blue Ribbon Winners

Dayna TINDALL

Kelvin HEPBURN

Year 10

Meg GIBSON

Alicia GALJAARDT

Max BREMER

Joshua MORRIS-PARMER

Year 11

Soraya LEE

Jasmine GREAVES

Kane SMITH

Benjamin TINDALL

Year 12

Abbey EVANS

Luca SWART

Benjamin VAFEAS

Callan SMITH

Blue Ribbon Winners

Meg GIBSON

Callan SMITH

Primary School

On Friday 3 March, students in Years 3 to 6 participated in their annual Interhouse Swimming and Novelty Events Carnival at Challenge Stadium. The day was a huge success. In the end, bragging rights went to Moyes, who won by 164 points. Second was Watkins and the race between third and fourth was a very tight contest, but it was Carnley who got up for third, just in front of Challen. Girls

Boys

Champion

Runner Up

Champion

Runner up

Year 3

Mackenzie HALL

Kiara LAWTY

Joshua POWELL

Daniel AILAKIS Alex RICHARDS Charley WILLISON

Year 4

Natalie VAN SELM

Sophie WAYMOUTH

Harrison CLARKE

Callum GRAHAM

Year 5

Ella POWELL

Annika NEILL

Kaide HALL

Brodie LEE

Year 6

Ella ROBERTSON Darla MAVOR

Ashlynn WARD

Oscar DEES

Callum DOWNEY

Interhouse Cross Country Middle and Senior School

This year, the St Mark’s Day Cross Country event was held at Mawson Park, going back to the traditions of some of the first St Mark’s Day celebrations in the School’s early history. Spectators had an excellent view of the course, which ensured the runners were well-supported with cheers and shouts of encouragement as they gave their best around the track. The runners also gave positive feedback on the new course, with many of them achieving personal bests on the day. As always, House spirit was strong, with plenty of good-natured rivalry. The final House results saw Carnley take first place, pushing last year’s first place winners, Challen, into second place, with Moyes in third and Watkins in fourth. Congratulations to all participants - the social joggers as well as the committed athletes. Well done to our Year Group winners: Girls

Boys

Champion

Runner Up

Champion

Runner up

Year 7

Crestin EVA

Imogen BAKER

Oliver WAYMOUTH

Lachlan GRABER

Year 8

Rhianna HEPBURN

Madison TOOVEY

Lachlan COX

Harrison O’BRIEN

Year 9

Lily PREE

Sienna BERRY

Patrick ELEY

Connor LINDSAY

Overall Middle School Champion

Rhianna HEPBURN

Patrick ELEY

Year 10

Stephanie BEEVERS

Breanna HENDRY

Elliot ROBERTS

Joshua MORRIS-PARMER

Year 11

Mikaela DICKSON

Breaze JAMES

Toby SPENCER

Benjamin TINDALL

Year 12

Lucy NYHOLT

Francesca CLARIONI

Jayden BRADLEY

Callan SMITH

Overall Senior School Champion

Mikaela DICKSON

Toby SPENCER

Primary School

The Primary School’s Interhouse Cross Country competition was also held at Mawson Park. Students from Years 2 to 6 were eager to do their best for their House, making it a very successful day. The overall winning House for 2017 was Watkins, followed by Challen in second, Moyes in third and Carnley in fourth. Girls

Boys

Champion

Runner Up

Champion

Runner up

Year 2

Mackenzie HEDGES

Matilda WALLACE

Fletcher MCLEAN

Thomas BROWN

Year 3

Mackenzie DAVIS

Grace FRAZER

Maxim ALBRECHT

Jackson HARVEY

Year 4

Jasmine GRAY

Asha SCADDAN

Beau LEES

Callum GRAHAM

Year 5

Tai DUNCAN

Finlay REIMERS

Luke POWELL

Zachary WRIGHT

Year 6

Imogen LEES

Mahina WOODLEY SMITH

Oscar DEES

Louis HADFIELD

Interschool Sport

CAS Sport

After five rounds of fixtures full of outstanding team work and sportsmanship, the Summer CAS season finished on a positive note, with a number of teams playing in the finals. In our Senior competition, we fielded teams in Basketball, Volleyball and Touch Rugby. Four of our five teams made it to their respective finals, a fantastic achievement, and confirming St Mark’s status as the Senior CAS Summer Sport Champions for 2017. Both of the Volleyball teams, under the guidance of Mr Mark van Winsen and Ms Kat Tutton, went through the season undefeated. Unfortunately, only the Senior Boys Team were able to get the win against Prendiville Catholic College, with the Girls Team losing to St Stephen’s Duncraig in a tight game. Our Volleyball teams continue to improve year on year, and have consistently been one of the top schools in our region. The Senior Basketball teams continued the trend, remaining undefeated throughout the regular season, and dominating the opposition each and every week. They were led by our two super coaches, Mr Daniel Lehman and Mr John Simmons. Both teams easily accounted for their opposition in their respective finals and progressed through to the State Schools Finals. The Girls Team was able to continue their winning ways and progressed through to the next round, with a win over Belmont College. The Boys Team had a slow start against Melville and lost a very tight game by one point. The Senior Girls Touch Rugby Team had excellent participation rates, but faced a challenging season and were not able to record a win this year. In our Junior CAS Competition we fielded teams in Basketball, Tennis, Touch Rugby and Cricket. With two teams making the finals, and a number of third and fourth place finishes, we were able to finish equal second overall. Mrs LoBiundo led our Year 9 Girls Basketball Team to finish the season in second place and made the final against Irene McCormack CC. Unfortunately, they could not get the win in a very tight and competitive game. Our Year 8/9 Boys Tennis Team went through the season undefeated and recorded a number of comfortable wins. They were looking forward to facing off against Prendiville CC but some miscommunication between players on the day of the final resulted in the team being one player short and having to forfeit. It was an unfortunate way to finish off an excellent season. Overall, the combined Senior and Junior results, meant that St Mark’s finished as Overall CAS Champions. A big congratulations to all coaches, players and the officials for their commitment to representing the School and having a successful season. By Mr Patrick Squire, Head of Interschool Sport

Interschool Sport

ACC A Division Swimming Carnival

Our Middle and Senior School swimmers participated in the annual ACC A Division Carnival at HBF Arena during March. It was a great day for the St Mark’s Team, with some excellent performances by both individuals and teams. Overall, St Mark’s came fourth out of eight schools in the A Division Carnival. We particularly congratulate Cameron Paton (Champion U13 Boys), Dayna Tindal (3rd place U15 Girls), Meg Gibson (3rd place in the U16 Girls), Kane Smith (3rd place U17 Boys), and Ben Vafeas (3rd place U19 Boys). Furthermore, we congratulate the Under 13 Division II 4x50m Boys Relay Team, who placed first in their event. Well done to Aaron Cox, Anthony Jackson, Joseph McMahon and Matt Galdjaardt on their excellent swims.

ACC Cross Country

Senior Badminton Competition

Congratulations to the St Mark’s Cross Country Team on their efforts in the ACC Carnival held in Term 2. The students put a lot of effort into their preparation for the Carnival, with intense early morning training sessions. The Carnival is one of the biggest events on the sporting calendar, with more than 70 schools participating, and hundreds of students running in each category. The Cross Country Carnival is not divisional and all ACC schools compete on the same day. Well done!

On17 March, we were greeted by a magnificent blue sky and estimated temperature of 26 degrees, the right recipe for a wonderful day of badminton. After four months of early morning training, the Senior Badminton Team was ready for the interschool tournament. We were greeted at the State Badminton Centre at Kingsway by over 200 competitors, the largest gathering ever for the competition. With some wins and some losses, the Team battled very well against strong competition and St Mark’s matched it with the best. Unfortunately, we fell agonisingly short of making the finals. Sportsmanship was on show with St Mark’s students umpiring and scoring games, as well as competing against each other. Well done to our Team Captains, Caleb Hendry and Jayden Bradley, and to our enthusiastic team members Roman Wheildon, Karam Thethy, Jesse Morris-Parmer, Shay Paulsen, Joshua Morris-Parmer, Dayan Budhia, Ayden Bartle, Angus Clouston, Stephen Rourke, Caitlin Traill, Sashah Pawar, Cate Benstead, Angie Greenslade, Celia Zhao, Irina Marchenkov, Shanelle Hunter and Sophie Gatfield. By Mr Julian Spada, Head of D&T

NIPPSA Swimming Carnival It was another very successful year for our Primary School swimmers. For the ninth year in a row, St Mark’s came out on top. Our Year 3 to 6 students dominated the competition, winning 40 of the 89 events! Along with their excellent swimming skills, our students also demonstrated wonderful sportsmanship. Well done!

Early Learning Centre

The Kindergarten Adventurers!

The Starfish and Turtles Kindy classes have settled into their new routines beautifully and we have had lots of fun both inside and outside the classroom. The children are already investigating and learning with greater independence and their team work and collaboration skills are developing rapidly! As part of our program, we spend as much time as possible outside and the few rainy days we have had meant the children were even able to venture out in their gumboots and rain jackets! The new Year 2/3 playground and the wonderful big hill on the secondary oval are favourite places to visit when embarking on our weekly nature walks. We have been learning how to safely climb trees and the importance of listening to our bodies (like those butterflies in our tummies as we climb higher into the tree!). The children also know that if they climb up a tree they must climb down independently! By Mrs Kate Logan and Mrs Maryanne Cherry

Pre-Primaryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Critter World We have been learning about Critters and Creatures. We started getting interested in Critters when we found lots of ladybirds in one of the big trees on Groovy Grass. We researched information about Critters at home, and at school. We read books, looked at pictures, watched videos, and asked lots of questions, to discover all about them. We presented the information we learnt from our research to the class. We made our Critter from clay. We discussed the environment our Critter lives in, and painted a magnified view of it. We recorded some facts next to our Critters to tell you all about them. We made a magnificent display. We would like you to come and have a look at our Critters, and learn some information about them. We would love to tell you, and let you have a look, but they are so precious and delicate, you cannot touch them! Just like a visit at The Art Gallery.

By Ms Letissa Amadioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pre-Primary Class

Early Learning Centre

Connecting with Family

Connecting with the families of the students in the Early Learning Centre is an important part of the programs we run. We believe that developing positive relationships with our families is fundamental to achieving quality outcomes for the children in our care.

Grandparents and Special Friends

Grandparents and special family friends were invited to join the classes for a special service in the ELC ‘Imaginarium’. Our Chaplain, Mr Galvin, led the children in celebrating and giving thanks to their grandparents and special friends though songs, readings and prayer. The guests and the children then had a delicious afternoon tea in the classrooms, where they could spend precious time together enjoying the learning spaces and discovering all the ways the students had prepared for this special visit.

Celebrating Mums

The theme for the event was Mums’ Health and Happiness. The morning started with mothers or special friends visiting the ELC classrooms with their child to collect a gift – a mug especially decorated for mum! Each child then escorted their mum to the Hall, where they had a healthy juice in their new mug and a cup of fruit. Mr Galvin then led the children in prayer, readings and in giving thanks for mothers. The ELC staff then got everyone up for a series of happy and healthy dances. The morning concluded with a little massage and relaxation - something that all mums need to have!

By Mrs Linda Sweet, Director of Early Learning

Global Citizenship

Chinese Cultural Awareness

Learning a language is not only about learning to speak it, but also learning about the culture it comes from. This semester, students from Pre-Primary to Year 2 had a taste of the Chinese Spring Festival when the Wenqin Art Troupe of Zhejiang University visited St Mark’s. During the performance, students saw Chinese traditional dances and Kung Fu displays. Students also celebrated the Dragon Boat Festival. As part of this, students created their own dragon boats and raced them on water. In addition, all students had a spectacular time during the Chinese Cultural incursion, which was presented by visiting teachers from the Confucius Institute at UWA. Students learned some basic Kung Fu movements, practised how to use chopsticks, made a giant dragon, and used brushes and ink to write the Chinese Character ‘福’, which means fortune. During Terms 1 and 2, students also practised their growing Mandarin vocabulary, learning numbers, family members and even practised a Mandarin song for Mothers’ Day. By Ms Jenny Li, Mandarin teacher (PP-Y2)

On Friday the Chinese people came to make a Chinese dance. We had fun. Next we made a dragon picture. After that we played chopsticks. Finally we went back to the classroom. My favourite part was making the chopsticks move to get some toys. ~ By Lucy

On Friday the Chinese were coming in to school. They were coming to Australia. We did Kung Fu dancing. We pretended to eat food then they made a big gigantic dragon. My favourite bit was Kung Fu dancing. ~ By Jessica

Global Citizenship On Friday morning some Chinese people came to our school at the tennis court. At the tennis court the Chinese people showed us Kung Fu. Then we made dragon scales. Then we had to get chopsticks. Then we went back to our class and did some work. ~By Danny

On Friday Chinese people came to do Kung Fu with us. Also before that they told us where Australia and China was. Then we picked up teddies with chopsticks. It was hard. Finally we made a dragon. We had to have pieces of paper. My favourite part was Kung Fu. ~ By Emily W

On Friday morning we went to a Chinese Festival. We learnt where China and Australia is. Then we did some Kung Fu dancing. Then we did rotations. We picked some toys up with chopsticks. We also cut some paper so we could make scales for a dragon. ~ By Rohan

On Friday morning we went to the undercover tennis court near the oval and Chinese people visited. First they showed us where China and Australia is. Next we did Kung Fu. After we made a dragon with coloured paper. Finally we used chopsticks. My favourite part was Kung Fu. ~ By Noah R

On Friday morning in came Chinese people. And they showed us the map about China and Australia, Next we did Kung Fu and Hoo Ha and the Horse Stance. After that we did scales and a dragon with faction colours and then we swapped over and then we had to do chopsticks and they were fun and my favourite part was the chopsticks. And everything was fun. And it was the best day ever. ~ By Alexey

On Friday we went to the other side of the oval where the tennis court is. We did Chickuduche with the Chinese people. We made a big dragon with 27 scales and we tried to move toys into the bowl with chopsticks and after we got some stickers. My favourite part was Chickuduche and the dragon. ~ By William

The Rat Pack

Life in the Classroom

The Science Department welcomed four new ‘teachers’ to the School this year. They proved to be really popular with students, who are enjoying the opportunity to work with our tiny assistants! The friendly rats, two male and two female, are used throughout Science classes as a valuable teaching tool to highlight inheritance of traits, adaptations, and epigenetics. The Psychology classes have also used the rats to study conditioning and behavioural concepts. Despite the many misconceptions about rats, they have been a hit so far with many students visiting during break times (and even before school) for their daily cuddle.

Hatching a plan in Year 2 Year 2 had a very ‘egg-citing’ two weeks this term when each class received an incubator and ten eggs! Over three days, the children observed the hatching process as the chicks made their way out of the eggs. In the following week, students were able to hold the little chicks and learned how to look after them in the brooder boxes. By Mrs Karen Hues, Year 2 Teacher

A Taste of France

Year 1 and 2 Primary School students enjoyed a French snack (goûter) in class as a special treat to end their French lessons with Madame Woodley-Smith. They talked about how to say ‘I like” (j’aime) and ‘I don’t like’ (je n’aime pas) as well as how to say yum (miam!) and yuck (beurk!) in French. We watched a video about Van Gogh while we enjoyed our ‘pain au chocolat. We chose Van Gogh after exploring some of the artists whose works are in the Louvre, as he was most their favourite. For many children, this was the first time they had eaten chocolate in bread, even though it’s quite a common snack in some countries. The Year 2s taste-tested some croissants during their lesson, proving that learning a language is fun - and tasty! By Mme Nadine Woodley-Smith, Primary French Teacher

Life in the Classroom

Primary School’s Garden Grows

The Primary School Community Garden continues to grow from strength to strength. The worm farms, compost tumblers and some tender care has helped students reap a wide variety of fruit and vegetables throughout Terms 1 and 2. The Sustainability Squad has braved some chilly early mornings to help keep the garden looking good, and they can be proud of what they have achieved this year. As part of the program, students have recycled a variety of items. Plastic bottle tops proved to be ideal for creating colourful artworks in and around the garden.

Real life experience: Share Market Success Each year, St Mark’s students in Years 9, 10 and 11 as part of their studies in Business Education, play the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) Share Market Game. Students receive a virtual $50,000, which they can then invest in 200 companies listed on the ASX over a 10 week period. The prices students buy and sell at are the same prices as they would get in the live market, so this is as close to real life share trading as you can get. This semester, credit goes to Filip Djukic in Year 11, who finished with a portfolio value of $54,327.90, topping the St Mark’s rankings. In Year 10, Andrew Nicholson investedthe most successfully and in Year 9, Oscar Devellerez came out on top. Congratulations to all students who achieved a profit this semester! By Mr Daniel Lehman, Head of Humanities

The Arts

Media Arts & Drama Collaboration

The Year 10 Media Arts students and Year 10, 11 and 12 Drama students travelled with teachers Ms Lisa Di Mambro and Ms Melissa Farrell on a day trip to work on an assessment task in a collaborative, cross-curricular challenge. Our Media Arts students were working as a production company, with each member of the team having a specified production role. They were ‘contracted’ by the Drama Cast of the 2017 Senior Production, Antigone, to do a publicity shoot, as well as film scenes that will be used in the production. The day was a huge success. Students were taken on location along the coast of Lancelin, where they spent the day shooting scenes and imagery to bring back to the School. They continue to work on the footage in class to create something truly special. Families and friends will be able to see the results of their efforts during the production of Antigone, which will take hit the stage during August in the Barbara Godwin Performing Arts Complex.

Dance

Year 9 and 10 Dance classes were able to spend a few lessons with their time with WAAPA dance students Alex Abbott and Giorgia Schijf. As part of their course at WAAPA, Alex and Giorgia were required to teach secondary school students in the contemporary and jazz genres. The St Mark’s Dance students relished the opportunity to learn from Alex and Giorgia, as well as have their questions about the dance industry and WAAPA answered. We look forward to welcoming more WAAPA dancers in the future!

Gaz

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presents

2017 MIDDLE SCHOOL PRODUCTION BY WARREN FLYNN

JUNE 22-24 7.30PM

$23 TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM TRYBOOKING HTTPS://WWW.TRYBOOKING.COM/ BOOK/EVENT?EID=281272&

The play Gaz began life as a novel written by Albany author Warren Flynn. He adapted it in order to bring the story of fourteen-year-old Gary Green and Vietnamese refugee Kim, to a wider audience. Warren Flynn stated that “Gaz seeks to provide links between communities, by showing that teenagers from vastly different backgrounds have the capacity for mutual understanding and support”. It is through this lens that the students involved have explored the ideas of acceptance and understanding. Students, predominantly from Middle School, were involved at every level of the production, including 34 actors, 17 hair/makeup technicians, two stage managers and nine tech crew. All students working on stage or behind the scenes were from Years 7, 8, 9 and 10. The rehearsal process was designed to give students the opportunity to put forward their own ideas and suggestions for each scene, with the guidance of Directors Mr Jamie Cant (Head of the Arts) and Ms Cian McDonald (Pre-service Drama teacher). Students were able to collaborate across year levels, learn team building and communication skills and experience first-hand the world of theatre production.

The Big Gig

The Arts

Now in its second year, the Big Gig saw every musical ensemble in the School perform on Sunday 18 June, from our Beginner Strings, all the way through to the Senior Bands and Orchestra. This year we moved to the Len King Sports Pavilion to better accommodate the large (and appreciative) audience. The afternoon ended with a finale that involved every single musician, either singing or playing an instrument. It was a wonderful performance, and truly impressive to see (and hear) more than 250 students play together. The ensembles that performed in The Big Gig included the Corelli Beginners, Corelli Intermediate, Corelli Advanced, Crescendo Kids Choir, Take Note Choir, Primary Percussion Ensemble, Blast Off Band, Clarinet Ensemble, Guitar Ensemble, Marching Band, Secondary Percussion Ensemble, Intermediate Band, Secondary Choir, Senior Concert Band, Senior Jazz Band, True Voices Vocal Ensemble and the Symphony Orchestra.

Jesus Christ Superstar

Our 2017 musical, Jesus Christ Superstar, was performed at the Barbara Godwin Performing Arts Complex over four nights, playing to an audience of over 700. A global theatre phenomenon that has enthralled audiences for over 40 years, Jesus Christ Superstar was re-imagined at St Mark’s as a 21st century interpretation of what some regard as a fictional, yet influential series of events, as seen through the eyes of a duplicitous and be-devilled Judas Iscariot and Christ’s bewildered, but loyal apostles. The devil follows Judas and inflicts an every-increasingly malevolent influence on events. The production was set in a contemporary Middle Eastern urban wasteland, costumed in hip hop street clothes and incorporates bold multi-media elements. Propelled by a stirring score, by turns driving and majestic, satirical and tender, Jesus Christ Superstar illuminates the transcendent power of the spirit with a passion that goes straight to the heart and soul. The production featured students in Years 8 to12, with choreography by Dance Teacher, Ms Carissa Tucker, and the Production Orchestra that included current students, Old Scholars, parents and staff, conducted by Acting Director of Music, Mrs Pamela Grubb. It was produced and directed by Head of the Arts, Mr Jamie Cant. Production week commenced with the Community Matinee of ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ where we invite guests from local Seniors’ groups, as well as from the congregations of the local parish churches. The production team was delighted to receive the following message after the event: “On Tuesday 21st March together with two of my friends we were privileged to attend the matinee of Jesus Christ Superstar. What an amazing production, which depicted the passion and death of Jesus Christ with a slightly modern approach.The emotion and feeling that came through from the talented actors, especially the young man who performed the role of Jesus. He really lived that role and his expression of pain and sorrow was so real. Jesus would have been proud of him. We left the theatre with tears in our eyes but left so grateful for the amazing experience.”

Articles by Ms Eloise Thomas and the Arts Faculty

English

Bringing Words to Life

The Creative Writing Club has run every Thursday afternoon, with a small but enthusiastic group of students coming together to have a laugh while writing, being creative and eating biscuits! Mrs McGibbon has continued her amazing work with the Pride Talented Young Writers program with these students again visiting the Literature Centre in Fremantle to work with an exciting array of published and prominent authors as they refine their writing skills. In Term 1, we had the very exciting opportunity to have as our guest, Archie Fusillo, acclaimed author of Dead Dog in the Still of the Night, The Dons and a number of titles in the Aussie Bites series. He spent a week with us presenting informative, entertaining and engaging talks and workshops designed to help English students in Years 8, 9, 11 and 12 develop their creative writing skills. The Year 10s had a visit from Barking Gecko Theatre Company who presented a ‘Living Lecture’ on Romeo and Juliet, which both the students and teachers found to be an invaluable tool in unpacking the story, context and language of this classic Shakespeare text. In class, students have been doing a whole array of exciting things. Whether they are writing horror stories, blogs or poetry; or analysing advertisements, feature films or picture books, the students at St Mark’s have again been given opportunities to extend themselves as they develop their literacy, critical and creative thinking skills. By Mrs Justine McGinnis, Acting Head of English

Debating St Mark’s has once again participated in the West Australian Debating League and pitted their debating skills against some formidable opponents. The students who are part of this activity have become very confident public speakers, good team players and also able to structure a convincing argument. The students give up their lunch times to prepare and attend the debates at St Stephen’s Duncraig on Tuesday evenings during the debating season. The Novice Team consists of Nikki Butler, Ethan Butler, Teagan Crockett, Beau Scaddan and Stefan Tollis. Thus far, the team has had one win, while very narrowly losing their other debates. There is no doubt that with continued practice, these students will go from strength to strength. The Junior Team includes Katie Knight, Cameron Crocker, Kayden Morgan, Karam Thethy, Mikaela West and Caleb Tilson. Patrick Kenny proved to be an engaging and effective chairman on several occasions. The Junior Team has lost two debates, and won two. The Senior Team of Jessica Watson, Benjamin Del Borrello, Matthew Jankowski, Piers Forder and Isabelle Hassell, after competing in two prepared debates, moved on to the Senior Impromptu Debates in which teams are given the topic and an hour to prepare their argument. This team has also lost two debates and won two. While we have had a mixed bag of results, we feel very proud of our debaters who show enormous potential as speakers and thinkers. By Mrs Joan Rice, English Teacher

Learning Enrichment

Primary School Extension

Always with the students’ needs and best interests at the heart of what we do, the Extension program has undergone a few refinements. The first is an obvious one: the name - Learning Enrichment. This clarifies what the programs offer to students. A second refinement was to recognise the children’s social and emotional needs, particularly amongst the younger students in Year 2. This meant that rather than being withdrawn from their home classes, the students remain with their peers, whilst I operate alongside the class teacher, supporting and extending the students in both Mathematics and Writing tasks. Within Year 3, the focus has also been on Mathematics problem-solving and Literacy Skills. The students stay close to their home class, working in small groups on tasks set by the class teacher, but with higher expectations of quality, depth of understanding, degree of independence and at a greater level of challenge. In addition to Mathematics problem-solving, 4 Walker students have experienced extension within Writing, covering a range of integrated applications such as poetry, Greek Myths and Legends and geographical descriptions. They are becoming quite adept at the use of IT within their work, inspired by their class teacher, Mr Walker. 4 Pressley and 4 Toovey students prepared individual investigations based on the inventive Aboriginals. Ahead, a greater degree of independence and collaboration is expected within a challenge based on the theme of Sustainability with links to the United Nations – very exciting! Both Year 5 and 6 Extension Mathematics students have worked on two problem-based competitions. The first, the Australian Mathematics Trust Challenge, required the students to work in teams on a series of problems over a period of a few weeks, with no human assistance! Most reported much enjoyment from the experience. The second set of contests is still underway, with the Maths Games for Year 5s, and the Maths Olympiad for Year 6 students. These are based on individual effort and skill and students will continue to work on these until September. A new initiative this year has been Virtual Debating. So far, two debates have taken place with opposition teams in both NSW and Victoria. New skills and experiences are being gleaned by the upper Primary students involved in this opportunity. In May, Dianne Wolfer, a renowned WA author, worked with a group of talented writers, inspiring them through her own work and challenging them to write stories that were limited to only 100 words. Try it yourself – it’s harder than you think! By Mrs Ros Ferrier, Primary Academic Extension

Photo Digital Design

Erin Cosser,Year 9

Danielle van Heerden, Year 9

Ruby Jansz,Year 10

Joey Andrews,Year 10

Leon Martin,Year 11

Kade Torrance,Year 11

Vivienne Hollands,Year 12

Tayla Delavale, Year 12