Term 4 Week 11 - Strathmore Primary School

Principal: Debbie Starpins
School Council President: Heidi Fitzpatrick
Strathmore Primary School Values:
Commitment to lifelong learning
Sense of Community and Belonging, Respect, Tolerance,
Resilience, Responsibility, Perseverance, Integrity
Wednesday, 17th December, 2014
From the Principal’s Desk
School Vision Statement
Together, the Strathmore Primary School community will promote a commitment to lifelong learning. Through a stimulating and challenging environment, we will empower our students to reach their potential and to become
caring and productive members of an ever-changing world.
What’s happening at
Strathmore PS
I cannot believe that we are at the end of another school year! 2014 has been a
very exciting and busy one. We have continued to make great progress with our
assessment documentation and use of student data to direct the next level of teaching and learning. As I have mentioned in other School Newsletters the teachers
have continued working at planning collaboratively and reflecting on their instructional practice, particularly in relation to extension and intervention in Mathematics.
The focus will extend to include Literacy in 2015. Students and teachers have further explored and used the flexible learning spaces and our Inquiry Learning Units
all have rich learning tasks where students have more ownership over their learning,
research and investigation. There have been many opportunities for parents to visit
the school and see our leaning programs in operation. 2014 had an Arts focus and
the Strathmore Art Exhibition and the Strathmore Shines concert proved to be very
popular. The Book Parade, Education Week and Numeracy and Literacy Weeks
Camps and Sleep Over were also highlights.
Parent’s Club worked extremely hard throughout the year with a new group of parents at the helm. Planning is well under way for the Festival of Fun planned for early
in 2015. The year was filled with a variety of fundraising events throughout the rest
of the year. They have raised just under $15, 000.
As I reflect on the student achievements and the learning throughout 2014 I feel
very proud. Students have worked really hard setting learning goals each term and
then putting a plan in place to achieve and reach their potential.
Teachers and staff have planned engaging and targeted learning programs to support each student in their academic and social development.
DEPARTING STAFF
Liz Gage has secured a position at Footscray PS.
Chelsea Peaurt will be returning to her base school, Mackellar PS.
Steve Kinrade will be taking long service leave for all of Term 1, 2015.
Heather McCarthy has resigned.
Sue Berry has resigned to pursue other interests.
I would like to thank all the departing staff for their hard work and dedication whist at
Strathmore Primary School and wish them every success in their new roles.
DECEMBER
Thursday 18th
STRATHMORE 5000
Friday 19th
SCHOOL CONCLUDES FOR 2014 @
1:30PM
No lunch or lunch orders orders
today due to the early dismissal.
2015
January
Thursday 29th
Grs 1-6 resume school @
9am
Friday 30th
Preps commence—
staggered starts
NEW STAFF
Michael Younger – 1/2 area
Nancie Green – 5/6 area
Kimberley Nicholls – 1/2 area (Leading Teacher)
Grace Marcucci – Italian
I would like to welcome the new staff to Strathmore Primary School.
GRADE 6 GRADUATION
A wonderful evening was experienced by staff, students and families as we farewelled the class of 2014 at Moonee Valley
Race Course on Wednesday, 10th December. It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening with the Grade 6 students presenting
highlights and special moments of their primary school years. School Captains, Ella Fitzpatrick and Ned Tate, and Vice Captains, Caitlyn Tritt and Harrison Gauci, did an outstanding job on their speeches and hosting the event. Each class performed
a dance and everyone was featured in a film highlight of the school year. The students sang as a whole group and performed
Que Sera. Other students presented some very creative and beautiful speeches about their teachers, funny memories and
favourite events and excursions.
I congratulate each and every one of the Grade 6 students on their presentations on the night and also for their amazing
contribution to Strathmore Primary School. The graduation ceremony included a formal ceremony where each of the students was presented with a graduation certificate and special graduation bag that included a gift, a book of special memories
and a graduation cup cake.
Thank you also to the staff and students who worked on this event. We were all extremely proud.
The 2014 Class Awards were presented to the following students
6 A Charlotte Flaim
6 B Isabelle Raines
6 C Aydin Doganer
6 D Tom Karagiannis
6 E Sumayyah Cocaj
6 F Helen Kivarkis
Congratulations to the recipients.
The 2014 Jean Pennay Awards were presented to
Kayla Nguyen
Jordan Koo
The 2014 Slocome Trust Academic Awards were presented to
Shaan Walker
Luke Lin
MEET YOUR TEACHER MORNING
Students had an opportunity to meet their 2014 teachers and classmates when they spent an hour in their new classrooms
this morning. As you can imagine, placing over 500 students into new classes is a very complex task taking into consideration a number of criteria. We aim to place each student according to academic and social needs whilst ensuring that all classes are well balanced.
It is not possible to make any changes to the classes now.
EARLY DISMISSAL
Just a final reminder that school will finish on Friday, 19th December, 2014 at 1.30. There will be no lunch orders on the last
day of school. We will have a final assembly on the asphalt at the front of the school at 1:10 weather permitting.
PRIMARY DAZE
All families will receive a copy of the 2014 Primary Daze at the end of this week. We hope you all enjoy this edition of special
highlights and memories of our learning programs. Thank you to June Shee and Connie Kenos for collating all the articles
and photos into a wonderful publication. Enjoy the read!!
Classes for 2014 will be as follows ...
Prep A
Prep B
Prep C
12A
12B
12C
12D
12E
12F
34A
34B
34C
34D
34E
34F
56A
56C
56D
56E
56F
Elisha Kmiec
Louisa La Face
Nadene Boyd
Miro Graystone / Elise Miller
Cathy Crundall / Elise Miller
Leanne Bull
Michael Younger
Angela Pane
Kimberley Nicholls
Rita Di Grazia
Leisa Buckley
Rose Swindon
Peter Olm
Connie Kenos
Gary Smith
Lisette Margini
Aimee Fleming
Poppi Vounoridis / Jenny Trevean
Nancie Green
Annamaria Vasil
Room 13
Room 14
Room 9
Room 19
Room 20
Room 23
Room 24
Room 27
Room 28
Room 1
Room 2
Room 3
Room 4
Room 5
Room 6
LS1
LS3
LS4
LS5
LS6
PREP – 2 SPORTS DAY
Last Friday our Prep–2 students participated in their annual Sport’s Day and it was fantastic to see so many parents and
families attend to make this day such a huge success. The school had a surprise visit from Mr FIT Man who took all the
students and teachers through a warm up before the sports session. Congratulations to Jenny Trevean who took out the
teacher’s. Thank you to Ms Pane and all the Prep-2 teachers for organising this event.
STRATHMORE 5000
The Strathmore 5000 will be held tomorrow, weather permitting. Safety checks will be conducted early in the morning and
the actual races will be held between 11:30-1:30. Students are very excited about this event and we invite any parents to
attend enjoy and lend their support.
LOCKED GATES
Over the school holidays some of the school gates will be locked for security reasons. Of course you will still be able to
access the school grounds from the York street gate and the Lloyd Street gate on the oval.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the school community for their wonderful support and ongoing commitment to
Strathmore Primary School. Your contribution and support assists staff enormously in making exciting and engaging learning experiences for our school and students.
I wish you and your families all the best for the Festive Season. Have a wonderful holiday break and I look forward to seeing you again in 2015.
Finally, congratulations to all our graduating 2014 Grade 6 students. We wish you well with your secondary school education.
Debbie Starpins
UPCOMING EVENT
Library Lovers Day on Monday, February 16, 2015
Dear Parents,
The Strathmore Primary School Community is excited to be celebrating the 3rd Library Lover’s Day. Library
th
Lover’s Day is held bi-annually on February 14 , but we will celebrate it in on Monday, February 16 2015,
which is an initiative of the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) to promote a love of books,
reading and libraries.
The school would love to expand the number and range of library books and would like to offer all families an
opportunity to purchase a new book from a bookstore and donate it to our Library Resource Centre. The
school will acknowledge the contribution by writing your children’s name on a nameplate. This nameplate will
be put on the inside front cover of the book for all to see and be a reminder of your child’s school days at
Strathmore Primary School. You might like to donate one book as a family or one book for each child that
attends the school. We would love children and parents to select a book together to promote a lifelong love of
taking about books and reading books together. It is totally up to families to select the type of book they wish
to donate to the school. It can be fiction book, a non-fiction book, a book written by a particular author or a
book on a particular topic. If you are stuck for ideas, please come and see me.
We would like the student to bring the book they will donate to the whole school assembly on Monday,
February 16 for all to see. The school’s goal is to receive 500 new books, so that each student can take home
a book donated by a school friend early in the year. We hope that you can assist us in this voluntary activity
and help get new and exciting books into the hands of our students to read.
Thank you for your support,
Pina Bettiol
Library Technician
Art Smocks
It is the end of the year and student’s art smocks are on their way home. Please wash your child’s art smock
ready for next year. If your child does not have an art smock or has outgrown theirs, could you please ensure
they have one for the start of the 2015 school year.
Many thanks,
Sandra Damoulakis and Georgie Micheals
I wish to thank all parents who have helped throughout 2014 with the various school
carnivals and district events that they have attended. These events could not be run without
your support and assistance. On behalf of the students, staff and schooling community,
thank you!!
Strathmore 5000
The Annual Strathmore 5000 Billy Cart Race will be held tomorrow (THURSDAY 18th DEC). All
billy carts must be at school by 8:45. An invite to all families and classes to come and watch
the billy cart races at 11:30 on Thursday.
Running Club
I cannot thank students and families enough for their support of the Running Club. In total, the
school community has raised round $2,000 to kick start the funding for a running track on our school
oval. I would like to congratulate all students who participated, but special mention goes to Ella
Fitzpatrick, Aaron and Aydin Suitela and Jonah Hamilton for winning their year level competition by
running the most laps. Congratulations also go to Chloe Hamilton for collecting the most sponsorship
money. I am sure all 5 students will enjoy their Rebel Sport vouchers very much!! Well done kids.
Pink Stumps Day
On Friday the 20th February 2015, Strathmore PS will be holding a Pink Stumps Day in
support of the McGrath Foundation to help raise funds for McGrath Breast Cancer Nurses to
be placed in communities around Australia.
Families are invited to attend the celebrations between 11:30am and 1:30pm. Further
information will be available in the newsletter early next year.
For some information on Pink Stumps Day, visit
http://pinkstumpsday2015.gofundraise.com.au/cms/home
To donate to the Strathmore Primary page, visit:
http://pinkstumpsday2015.gofundraise.com.au/page/strathmoreps
I wish all of the school community a safe and happy festive season.
Mr. Lepore ☺