Welcome to our blog. Together, the Strathmore Primary School community will promote a commitment to lifelong learning. Through a stimulating and challenging environment, the school will empower its students to reach their potential and become caring and productive members of an ever-changing world.
We have had a great start to Term 1 in 5/6 with all of the students settling into their new classrooms and routines well.
In literacy students have been building on their skills and abilities. In Reading, the students are focusing on making connections such as connections to problems in society and to themselves. In Writing, we are working on creating Narrative texts and ensuring we Show, Don’t Tell!
During Maths, the students have been completing problem solving activities related to real life situations. We have also been working on using appropriate mental strategies to solve addition and subtraction problems. Our Inquiry unit exploring ‘A Wild World’ has seen us learning about adaptations of animals and plants and why they have these adaptations.
‘Learning is a constant process of discovery – a process without end’ – Bruce Lee
Welcome back to another exciting school year! The Year Five students have settled in effortlessly into their new learning environment in the BER with guidance from the Year Six students. We started off the Term with a bang and have been busy learning new routines, having fun at 5/6 sport and enjoying our new classes. This Term we are looking forward to 5/6 sport on Fridays, sport Gala Days, school events and more.
Year 5/6 Teachers
5/6A – Mr Portelli
Hi, my name is Ambrose Portelli and I teach the fantastic Grade 5/6A class. It is going to be a fun and exciting year of learning. Outside Strathmore Primary School I enjoy spending time with my family. I have two children (four and a two year old). I am also a keen musician and have been playing cello in the Heidelberg Symphony Orchestra for many years.
5/6B – Ms Vasil
Hello, my name is Ms Vasil. I am looking forward to a fantastic year with 5/6B. Outside of school, I enjoy good coffee, shopping and fast cars. I enjoy spending quality time with family and friends.
5/6C – Miss Drew
Hello! My name is Liz Drew and I am looking forward to another year teaching 5/6 . Over the summer holidays I went to Port Douglas where my partner proposed to me, we spent time with family and friends and went wakeboarding. In my spare time I enjoy playing netball, baking, going to the beach and exploring new places. I recently lived and taught in London for 2 years which allowed me to travel to some incredible places!
5/6D – Ms Boyd
Hi, I am Nadene Boyd and this is my fourth year teaching 5/6s. I know some of these students very well as I taught them when they were in Prep! 5/6D have had a smooth start to the year and are really enjoying using Google Classroom to complete their work. We have welcomed two spiny leaf insects into our class and are amazed at how much they have grown in such a short time. Outside of school, I enjoy spending time out in nature – going on a bushwalk or bike riding. Luckily, my husband and I spent the summer break exploring NZ in a campervan, which meant we spent a lot of time outside!
5/6E – Mr Lyons
Hi, I am Matthew Lyons and this year I am looking forward to working with 5/6E. My passion outside of education is sport and we have an exciting year of interschool sport events planned. Outside Strathmore Primary School, I am a member of the Therry Penola Football Club. I hope to make 2020 the best year yet for our Strathmore community.
As the bus made its way toward Canberra, the students attending the Melbourne experience were cheerfully and excitedly arriving at school (those few hours of extra sleep might have helped that!) for their first excursion into Melbourne CBD.
On the Monday of Week 6, the Melbourne Experience students were attending their first of three excursions for the week. The students rode the bus into the city and were greeted by the sight of the Eureka Tower as they arrived.
They started their day by going on a guided tour of Eureka Tower then had a snack after their walk along part of the Yarra. The students then moved onto Hammer Hall & Arts centre for a quick visit before having lunch at Queen Victoria Gardens. Once they had finished their yummy lunch, the group took in the view of Town Hall while they strolled along Collins Street to take in the sights of State Parliament House. The students then went for a walk through China Town to the State Library.
On Wednesday, the students went on their second excursion to the city. They began their day at the always beautiful Botanical Gardens before making their way to the Shrine of Remembrance for a guided tour. The students then caught the bus to Carlton Gardens to have lunch before walking to Parliament House. Little did the group know but they were on their way to meet Danny Pearson at Parliament House too. Once that had concluded the students had a tour of Victoria Parliament House. Once the tour concluded, it was time to head back to school via bus while taking in the Melbourne landscape through the windows.
Friday was another jam-packed day. The day began with a tour of the Old Melbourne Gaol and Mr Portelli was brave enough to enter the haunted cell. The students heard about the history of the gaol during the tour and were very intrigued by some of the information. Once the tour concluded, the students walked towards Lygon Street taking in the old Melbourne buildings and their structures. The group then had the absolute pleasure of having pizza for lunch at a cafe on Lygon Street before having ice cream for dessert (heaven!). The students then returned to the Old Melbourne Gaol to participate in a courtroom drama. The trial was about Ned Kelly and the students were incredible at their different roles throughout the mock trial. Then it was back to school which signalled the end of their incredible week of Melbourne Experience.
A big thank you to the teachers and parent volunteers for their help during the Melbourne Experience. The students had an incredible week learning new information and extending their prior knowledge.
The excitement was high at the end of Week 5 as we were only a few days away from attending camp either in Canberra or Melbourne.
At 6:10am on Monday of Week 6, there was a lot of tired but excited students ready to get on the bus to Canberra. We said our goodbyes to our loved ones with multiple hugs and lots of waving out the bus window as we set off up the Hume Highway. Our bags FULL of snacks!
We watched the landscape change out the bus windows as we made our way along the Hume Highway. We had our first stop at Euroa, where we had morning tea and explored the luscious green parklands. Then we were off again for a few hours before reaching our lunch spot in Holbrook. The students were quite surprised to see a large submarine at our lunch spot. We explored the submarine and read about the history of this landmark after we ate our delicious packed lunches from home.
Once back on the bus, we watched a movie before arriving at the ‘Dog on the Tuckerbox’. The students were intrigued to see the landmark and learn a bit of the history behind it.
Then we were on the home stretch to Canberra. One more movie and we were almost there!
Once we arrived at camp, we settled in our cabins before enjoying a delicious dinner then heading up to the Recreational Rooms for a movie and games before bed. The students were kept very busy over the next three days and nights in the three groups as we all attended Old Parliament House, Parliament House, National Portrait Gallery, Questacon, Rock climbing, Royal Australian Mint, ANZAC Parade Memorial, National Capital Exhibition, Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), Australian War Memorial and Mount Ainslie Lookout.
The students had the privilege of attending the ‘Last Post Ceremony’ at the Australian War Memorial before two students paid our respects by laying a wreath beside the ‘Pool of Reflection’. Whilst attending the experiences, they were engaged in role play scenarios, guided tours, hands on experiences and more. Questacon was a clear favourite with all of the students as they explored the National Science and Technology Centre at night.
Before we all knew it, the week was done and it was time to pack up our bags (lucky most items were labelled) and clean our rooms. We set off early on Friday morning towards Melbourne and the buses were quiet with whispered chatter about their favourite parts or sleeping children. The excitement returned to the bus as we arrived back at school to a sea of loved ones waiting for us with huge smiles on their faces!
The teachers, students and parent volunteers had a busy but exciting, fun, engaging and great time while on camp in Canberra. A big thanks to the parent volunteers for helping all week and joining in all the fun we had!
Blink and you’ll miss this Term and all the exciting learning happening. The students in 5/6 have been busy extending their knowledge in and out of the classroom for the last four weeks and it’s going to continue until the end of term!
The grade 5 students have started their Bike Education program. We brushed up on our bike theory in the first week during rotations. This allowed the students to discuss the importance of bike safety, be guided through how to do a thorough bike check, what to do in certain scenarios and what actions should be taken when approaching road signs.
We have now moved onto the practical elements which saw the students getting onto their bikes to participate in rotations to practice their skills. Our rotations focus on bike skills that are fundamental and will create lifelong safe habits while riding their bikes…as much as we all dread the slow ride!!
The grade 6 students have been hard at work as well getting ready for their upcoming Graduation. They have been working collaboratively to ensure that their night is nothing but spectacular and the excitement after each meeting is contagious. I wish we could disclose more information but we don’t want to ruin the surprise. You’ll have to watch this space for an update!
Inspirational quote: “Everything you don’t know is something you can learn”
The Grade 5/6 have had a fantastic start to Term 4! Now it’s time for the final term before our Grade 6 students excitedly embark on their journey to secondary school and our Grade 5 students are one step closer.
This term is going to be quite a busy one in the BER.
In Reading, we will be exploring poetry, letter writing, recounts, debating and more.
In Maths, we will be studying number and algebra, and statistics and probability.
For Writing, we will be looking at how to write poetry, letter writing, recounts, persuasive texts and more.
In Inquiry, we will be learning all about the Government which will compliment the upcoming camp experiences in Canberra and Melbourne.
Alongside all of that learning, we will also have some exciting events this term. Grade 5 Bike Education sessions will start and the Grade 6 Graduation rehearsals will run every Friday morning until the end of term. We will be participating in three health education sessions run by SEA (Sex Education Australia). In week 6, the Grade 5/6 students will have the incredible experience of going to camp in Canberra or participating in the Melbourne City experience. The Grade 6 students will be attending Funfields on Wednesday 18th December to celebrate the end of their primary school journey and the specialist showcase will also be a great event to attend in Week 8.
Strathmore Primary School 