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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, 12th November 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.
Dear Parents & Carers,
Book Lists and Subject Contributions for 2015
Thank you to all families who have returned their booklists. This is the final reminder for
book lists to be returned by Monday 17th November. Book packs will be available for
collection from the school on Wednesday, 28th January, 2015.
Remembrance Day
Our school captains, Ella Fitzpatrick and Ned Tate, presented information about Remembrance Day to our school assembly this week. They had researched the history and
facts and also included some of their thoughts and ideas around how important it is to
remember those who sacrificed their lives in war to protect our nation. They also informed the school community that we would stop our learning on the 11 th hour of the
11th day of the 11th month (which was Tuesday ) to observe a minute’s silence out of
respect for all the Australian lives lost and affected by all wars and conflicts.
Premiers’ Reading Challenge Certificates
Congratulations to all the students who took part in the reading challenge this year. It is
terrific to see you developing into avid readers and enjoying reading as a wonderful activity. Students will receive their certificates at next Monday’s assembly.
Cricket Practice Nets
We have engaged a company called GrassSports to construct our new cricket practice
nets. This will be a two bay cricket cage with synthetic grass. Work will begin shortly.
They will be located towards the back of the oval on the York Street side.
Walk to School Month
Congratulations to all the students and parents who made some changes to the way
they come to school. It was great to have families dropping off a couple of blocks away
and enjoying the walk to school. It was also terrific to have students riding their bikes and
scooters to school. It is healthy and fun to walk to school so lets keep up the good work.
Thank you to Miss Buckley for promoting this within our school.
Parents Club
The parents club have been really busy planning our school movie night. This is a great
family event. You can pack a picnic, blanket, chairs and nibbles and then relax and enjoy
a family movie together. The date is Friday the 28 th of November. A flyer will come out
from Parents Club with more information and the title of the movie. We hope you can
support this great community event.
What’s happening at
Strathmore PS
NOVEMBER
Friday 14th
Bike Ed Gr5/6
Monday 17th
Booklists due back at school
Friday 21st
Bike Ed Gr5/6
Prep Imax / Museum excursion
Monday 24th
School Council Meeting @ 7:00pm
Thursday 27th
School Nurse visit—Prep only
Friday 28th
Bike Ed Gr5/6
Movie Night & Shoe sale
DECEMBER
Thursday 4th
Yr. 7Parent Information evening @
Strathmore SC
Friday 5th
Bike Ed Gr5/6 concludes
Tuesday 9th
Gr. 6 Secondary School Transition
Day
Wednesday 10th
Gr. 6 Graduation
Mango deliveries—school hall
Friday 12th
Gr Prep-2 Sports Day
Wednesday 17th
Class parties
Parent Teacher Interviews
Thursday 18th
STRATHMORE 5000
Friday 19th
SCHOOL CONCLUDES FOR 2014 @
1:30PM
Parent’s Club
Parent’s Club have been very busy planning our movie night. This is a great family event. Bring along your chairs, blankets and picnics and relax and enjoy a family movie together. The date is Friday, 28th November. A flyer will come out
from Parent’s Club with more information and the title of the movie. We hope you can support this great community
event.
Bat Tennis Championships
This is a very popular event each year at Strathmore Primary School and involves students from Gr.3-6. You have
probably noticed that there has been an increase in students playing on the courts as they practise and sharpen up
their skills. The 3/4 students will begin their matches next week and the Gr.5/6 students the following week. The bat
tennis champions for 2014 will be announced at an assembly following the completion of all matches.
Victorian State School Spectacular 2015
Our school has expressed interest in the Victorian State Schools Spectacular which will be staged on Saturday, 12th
September, 2015. Our students will have the opportunity to audition for the choir once our registration is accepted.
Individual students can register separately to perform in the main vocal, dance and orchestra sections. If you have a
child who may be interested in the audition of the individual section please come and see me and I will pass on this
information. This concert is one of Australia’s largest recurring performances and brings together 3000 students from
across Victoria. It is a great experience for all involved.
Department School Scholarships
The Education Department has scholarships that students can apply for each year. They are offered to primary, secondary and tertiary students and range in value from $300 to $2500. They are generally rewarded to students who
demonstrate academic achievement, participation in their school and local community and are in financial need
(determined by the parents/guardians holding a Health Care Card, a Low Income Health Care Card or a Pensioner
Concession Card). If anyone is interested I can provide more details, or information can be found on the Department’s
website.
Early Years Learning
The Education Department has created a series of newsletters based on the Victorian Early Years Framework. This
provides information about children’s learning and development in the Early Years. I have decided to attach this information to our school newsletters and hope you find the information interesting and useful. The first one is entitled Early
Childhood Learning.
Asbestos in Schools
As part of the Department of Education and early Childhood Development’s Health & Safety Management Plan, new
labelling will be installed in all schools.
The labels remind people to contact the school reception prior to undertaking any works at the school to ensure they
have up to date information from the school’s asbestos register.
Asbestos was extensively used in building materials in years gone by. It is now banned, but is still considered safe unless damaged or in poor condition. The new labels form part of a comprehensive program to ensure Victorian Government Schools remain safe. Children’s safety is our number one priority and that is why this extra step is being taken as
a precaution.
Warm Regards,
Debbie Starpins
Principals
It takes a lot of courage to tell the truth-for anyone-at any age. It doesn't always come naturally, so it's a parent's & a
school’s responsibility to teach a child to be brave enough to tell the truth. Like so many other characteristics we'd
like our kids to have, this one depends a lot on us.
Here are three tips to help your kids learn honesty:
1. We all need to talk with the children-beginning very early- about how much we value honesty
2. Model honesty for the children-not only in our words but also in the way we conduct ourselves.
3. Let them know that we put more emphasis on their honesty than on the punishment for their dishonest behaviour.
Everyone has the ability to be honest, but if we don't practice it, we can develop the habit of cutting corners, fudging
and telling white lies-because it's easier. Adults have the opportunity to help children develop the characteristic of
being honest, but it has to be nurtured. Don't lower standards, but do understand no one is perfect every time.
Fortunately, perfection isn't one of our goals – this time.
This is still a useful site ...
http://talkingtreebooks.com/what_is_honesty.html
Andy Patch (Assistant Principal)
Walk To School Results
Congratulations to the following grades who had the highest total amount of walks for their year
level.
Prep A with 342 total walks
3/4F with 575 total walks
1/2E with 335 total walks
5/6B with 303 total walks
I hope you enjoy your free water bottle as a reward for being the most active and environmentally
friendly grades in October at Strathmore Primary School.
Ms Leisa Buckley
About you survey
Strathmore primary school has been invited (we are one of 319 schools chosen to participate) by the education
department to take part in a Student Health and Wellbeing Survey. The survey will be used across Victoria as a
way of monitoring the health development, learning, safety and wellbeing of young people from 10-18 years of
age in Victoria. It will also assist in the development of programs, resources and services aimed at meeting the
needs of Young Victorians. At our school the year 5 students will take part.
The survey asks questions about young people’s thoughts and feelings regarding their school, family, friends,
health, their experiences and about their community.
The survey is a questionnaire that you can complete online. It asks about your health and wellbeing. There are
lots of questions about things that can affect young people, including:

Family activities and relationships

Physical activity, such as how much exercise you do

Nutrition, such as what and when you eat

Your neighbourhood, including how much you like it and how safe it is

School experiences

Friendships

Your feelings about yourself and how you react to things
Young people who have completed these surveys in the past have told us that they appreciated being asked for
their views on these issues.
Students in year 5 will be randomly selected to take part in the survey which will take place on Friday 21 st November at 11:30. Documentation will be distributed to the selected students in due course.
Andy Patch
Assistant Principal
RUNNING CLUB
Over the past 10 weeks, many students have participated running
laps and raising money for our new running track.
The time has now come for Donation Booklets together with monies raised
to be sent to school.
Please forward by Friday 21st November.
Thank you to all students, families and friends for participating.
Ben Lepore
P.E. Teacher
2A Marigold Crescent,
Gowanbrae, 3043.
Ph: 9330-4667
Email: karenp@gowanbraechildrenscentre.com.au
FOUR YEAR OLD
KINDER VACANCIES
2015
Gowanbrae Childrens Centre has some
vacancies for our quality educational four
year old program, as well as before and
after kinder care.
For enquiries please contact Karen on
9330-4667