CULTURAL

Performance Choir

This choir is a mixed group of 25 - 40 Year 6 - 8 children, who have successfully passed an audition. The main function of this choir is to lead school assemblies and church services, as well as performing at out of school engagements such as weddings, retirement homes, and Christmas functions.

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Festival Choir

All Year 6 - 8 children learn and practise the Christchurch Primary Schools' Music Festival repertoire, as part of the school's practical music programme. Most of this group go to perform at the Town Hall.

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Junior Choir

This choir is made up of all Year 4 & 5 children, who meet once a week in school time. The main aim of this choir is to foster a love of singing and to develop the skills necessary for progressing to the senior choirs.

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Orchestra

The St Mark's Orchestra is an auditioned group selected from Years 4 - 8, with the children playing a variety of instruments. The orchestra help with assemblies and usually perform at Church in Term 3.

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Itinerant Music Programme

All children have the opportunity to learn a variety of musical instruments during school hours.

The school is able to offer tuition in the following: Piano, violin, singing, flute, recorder, guitar, brass and drums. The fees for the above lessons are payable to individual the Itinerant teachers.

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Chess

Chess is taught in Years 4 & 5 and continues to be popular throughout the school. There are chess competitions held during the lunch hours to determine the top chess player. Students represent the school at local competitions and a Chess Master offers lessons at school each week.

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Drama

Years 5 - 8 children have the opportunity of joining a weekly drama group and engage in preparation of drama, mine, puppetry and creative dance.

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SOCIAL

The children are taught from the first day they enter St Mark's School about the importance of social behaviour. Throughout their time at school there continues to be an emphasis on the positive side of good behaviour, teaching children to consider the feelings of those around them, promoting positive self-esteem, self-motivation, self-discipline and growing children into responsible adults, who will contribute to the wider community. On entry to the school a junior child is partnered up with a senior pupil who acts as their church partner and who will look out for them in the playground, offering assistance where they can.

The School Parents' Association, as well as providing social activities for parents, also works very hard at providing opportunities for students to socialize outside of the classroom by organizing events such as family picnics, movie outings and student discos.

There are two school leaders appointed each year who represent the students and the school at various occasions. All students have a voice in the school through class councilors who collectively meet on regular occasions to discuss issues raised in the class by the students.

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SPORT

There is a diverse range of sports available at St Mark's School, with children having the opportunity to play for a school team from about 8 years of age, in one of the local competitions. Through these sporting codes the children are encouraged to develop good sporting behaviour and are taught that fitness and physical well being is a vital part to being educated at St Mark's and will continue to promote sport as an enjoyable physical pursuit. All children are required to take part in the school athletics, swimming, cross country and house sport competitions.

St Mark's is proud of the standard attained by all the children as they participate in:

• ATHLETICS
• BASKETBALL
• CRICKET
• CROSS COUNTRY
• GYMNASTICS
• HOCKEY
• NETBALL
• SWIMMING
• TENNIS
• TOUCH RUGBY
• TRIATHLON
• WATER POLO

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SPIRITUAL

St Mark's is proud to be an Anglican School and sets to develop in the children a realization that what we do affects others and that religion both provides a purpose to life and a way of living. Cultural diversity and respect for differences of race, faith and gender are expected and taught. St Mark's School is proud of its Christian traditions and association with the St Mark's Anglican Church at Opawa. Religious instruction and observances are based on the teachings and formalities of the Anglican Church.