St Mark's School is founded on the traditions of the Mercy Order and their founder Catherine McAuley. With the child at the centre of our mission, St Mark's School values the faith, academic, communal and environmental aspects of education. Having a large ESL population the school's focus is on developing literacy skills to enable the students to go forward in hope and optimism ready to engage in a diverse and complex world as responsible Christian citizens. To assist in achieving this we have both a full-time ESL and support teacher, inclusive education and a teaching staff who benchmark all students and utilize both the First Steps Reading and the Reading To Learn Programs. The school has also introduced RoleM in our Early Years classes, a hands-on approach to Mathematics, designed to present mathematical concepts to children in an engaging and meaningful way. In encouraging students to achieve to the best of their ability, extension activities are also offered including chess, visual arts, Bluearth, a holistic health program and Creative Kidz, an instrumental music program. Interschool sporting programs are also offered to assist in catering for all learning styles and abilities. The school, in collaboration with the parish, holds a biannual Multicultural Fiesta by which strong communal links are formed and strengthened. We are situated on approximately twenty hectares of land which presents many opportunities for environmental understandings.