Parent Bulletin 22
24 November 2023
International Student Homestay
As our International Student Program (ISP) begins to grow again we are seeking homestay providers.
The homestay experience is a wonderful opportunity to build lifelong relationships with students and their families across the globe. We have students arriving in late January and mid-July next year who require homestay accommodation.
We require both short-term and long-term accommodation. (anywhere from 3 months to 3 years). Students are coming from Vietnam, China, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Germany, Hungary, Italy, and Brazil.
Students are 15 to 16 years of age. They will either attend our English Language Centre or go straight into mainstream Years 10 or 11.
Homestay fees are $320.00 per week. They do not need to be declared to the ATO as these fees are considered reimbursement, not income. You can also have 2 students if you have two spare bedrooms.If you, your family, or your friends are interested or would like further information - www.strathmore.vic.edu.au/international-students/homestay/
Cathy Di BattistaInternational Student Manager
Cathy Di BattistaInternational Student Manager
Strathmore North Primary Music Incursion
This week Strathmore North Primary School came to visit our music department for a showcase of our year 8 Band and String work.
The Year 3s were the perfect attentive audience and asked some brilliant insightful questions at the end. Our students performed beautifully and thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to share their love of music. Some of our senior students supported our bands and demonstrated several different instruments within our program which was a treat.
We look forward to many more opportunities to share and grow a love for music.
The Year 3s were the perfect attentive audience and asked some brilliant insightful questions at the end. Our students performed beautifully and thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to share their love of music. Some of our senior students supported our bands and demonstrated several different instruments within our program which was a treat.
We look forward to many more opportunities to share and grow a love for music.
Viva Magenta
The Creative Arts, Performing Arts & Design Technology faculties would like to officially invite all parents/guardians, students, and staff to ‘VIVA MAGENTA’ on Sunday December 3rd from 10am - 12pm.
This showcase celebrates the wonderful achievements of our VCE students.
We hope to see you there!
This showcase celebrates the wonderful achievements of our VCE students.
We hope to see you there!
Year 10 Textiles
Year 10 students have finished off their semester of Fashion by completing an extension task – eye masks.
Students designed and used hand embroidery to design a unique eye mask, before utilizing all their sewing skills learn over the semester to construct the eye mask. Year 8 students have been measuring, tacking and using the sewing machine to produce a rectangular zipper-case, with their personally designed fabric paintings, to be completed after camp.
Well done to all for a successful year in the sewing room!
Students designed and used hand embroidery to design a unique eye mask, before utilizing all their sewing skills learn over the semester to construct the eye mask. Year 8 students have been measuring, tacking and using the sewing machine to produce a rectangular zipper-case, with their personally designed fabric paintings, to be completed after camp.
Well done to all for a successful year in the sewing room!
Year 9 Food Technology
Year 9 Food Technology students have been busy this term designing, investigating, producing and evaluating their response to a breakfast design brief. Here are some of their creations.
Year 11 Product Design & Technology
Our Year 11 Product Design & Technology students, engaging in the timber materials stream of the program, have been working collaboratively in small design teams this semester, to develop product ranges which reflect historical design movements and the brief of precious storage.
They used a combination of traditional woodworking techniques and more contemporary methods of production such as laser cutting and engraving to produce their designed solutions.
This work and more by our senior Technology students, along with work by our senior Visual Arts, Visual Communication and Design, Music, Drama and Media students, will be on display at ‘Viva Magenta’, Strathmore Secondary College’s creative Arts and Design expo. This exhibition will be open to students and their families on Sunday 3rd December from 10am-12pm.
We would like to extend this invitation to our entire school community. It is a fantastic opportunity to come and celebrate the efforts of our students. The event will run on the school grounds, in and around F-block.
Looking forward to seeing everyone there.
They used a combination of traditional woodworking techniques and more contemporary methods of production such as laser cutting and engraving to produce their designed solutions.
This work and more by our senior Technology students, along with work by our senior Visual Arts, Visual Communication and Design, Music, Drama and Media students, will be on display at ‘Viva Magenta’, Strathmore Secondary College’s creative Arts and Design expo. This exhibition will be open to students and their families on Sunday 3rd December from 10am-12pm.
We would like to extend this invitation to our entire school community. It is a fantastic opportunity to come and celebrate the efforts of our students. The event will run on the school grounds, in and around F-block.
Looking forward to seeing everyone there.
First Lego League
Big win in the First Lego League robotics competition.
On November 13th a team of Strathmore students competed in the regional finals of the First Lego League robotics competition.
The First Lego League is a global competition aimed at advancing science, technology, engineering and math education. Each year around 700,000 students participate from more than 110 countries. This program inspires young people to experiment and grow their confidence, critical thinking, and design skills through hands-on learning.
The competition has 3 parts…
• The Robot Game, where students build and program a robot to complete a series of challenges.• The Project where students research and develop an idea related to the competition theme (this year’s theme is Art). • The Robot Design section where students present their robot and discuss the design process used to build and code it.
Our team was named the “Strathmore Shockwaves” and included 8 students, from years 7 and 8. The students prepared twice a week during lunchtimes and also during some after-school session closer to the competition. On the competition day judges were impressed by the student project, which was about using a combination of robotics and artificial intelligence to make art accessible to more people. In the robot game we had some technical issues which saw us in last place before the final round. We almost had to forfeit the last round because of these issues, but another team offered to swap turns with us so we could go later.
The students showed fantastic resilience to keep working and they were able to complete an excellent final run that rocketed us into second place. After a nervous wait, the Strathmore Shockwaves were declared the overall winner with scores added from all three parts of the competition! A fantastic result for a team in our first year entering the competition and a credit to the hard work and discipline of the students.
As a result, we have qualified for the National Finals. Our final is scheduled for December 16th in Devonport, Tasmania. Thanks to Eda Arici (year 11) and Ms Mein for their support. Students on the team were Ibrahim Ansari, Anthony Falsetta, Zuber Hujale, Archie Jefford, Julian Jurista, Otis Karp, Stella Oddo-Gulinello and Steven Yeouart.
Congratulations to the Strathmore Shockwaves and best of luck for the National Finals.
Mr Stebbing and Mr O’Regan
On November 13th a team of Strathmore students competed in the regional finals of the First Lego League robotics competition.
The First Lego League is a global competition aimed at advancing science, technology, engineering and math education. Each year around 700,000 students participate from more than 110 countries. This program inspires young people to experiment and grow their confidence, critical thinking, and design skills through hands-on learning.
The competition has 3 parts…
• The Robot Game, where students build and program a robot to complete a series of challenges.• The Project where students research and develop an idea related to the competition theme (this year’s theme is Art). • The Robot Design section where students present their robot and discuss the design process used to build and code it.
Our team was named the “Strathmore Shockwaves” and included 8 students, from years 7 and 8. The students prepared twice a week during lunchtimes and also during some after-school session closer to the competition. On the competition day judges were impressed by the student project, which was about using a combination of robotics and artificial intelligence to make art accessible to more people. In the robot game we had some technical issues which saw us in last place before the final round. We almost had to forfeit the last round because of these issues, but another team offered to swap turns with us so we could go later.
The students showed fantastic resilience to keep working and they were able to complete an excellent final run that rocketed us into second place. After a nervous wait, the Strathmore Shockwaves were declared the overall winner with scores added from all three parts of the competition! A fantastic result for a team in our first year entering the competition and a credit to the hard work and discipline of the students.
As a result, we have qualified for the National Finals. Our final is scheduled for December 16th in Devonport, Tasmania. Thanks to Eda Arici (year 11) and Ms Mein for their support. Students on the team were Ibrahim Ansari, Anthony Falsetta, Zuber Hujale, Archie Jefford, Julian Jurista, Otis Karp, Stella Oddo-Gulinello and Steven Yeouart.
Congratulations to the Strathmore Shockwaves and best of luck for the National Finals.
Mr Stebbing and Mr O’Regan
Mathematical Mindset
Unlocking Mathematical Mindsets: Year 8 Pattern Exploration We are delighted to share the success of our recent Year 8 mathematical incursion, inspired by the groundbreaking work of Jo Boaler, a global leader in mathematical mindset and learning. The program was designed and implemented by our teachers at Strathmore during week 7 of term 4 which aimed to cultivate robust mathematical mindsets by challenging students to explore patterns. Instead of merely finding answers, our students were challenged to showcase mathematical thinking to represent a pattern’s evolution in diverse ways. The level of engagement, resilience and creativity displayed by our students in this event was truly inspiring. This incursion is part of ongoing work around nurturing a growth mindset in our students so that mistakes and unresolved problems can be viewed as opportunities for improvement. With a strong focus on communication and teamwork, we hope to empower our students to embrace mathematical thinking and problem solving as a lifelong skill. Paul Unkles & Anna Trang Mathematics Coordinators
Outdoor & Environmental Studies Wilsons Promontory Camp
The Year 10 students completing VCE Unit 1/2 Outdoor & Environmental Studies completed a hiking camp at Wilsons Promontory National Park this term. During their time at Wilsons Promontory, they studied the impacts that humans have on the environment and discovered the beautiful different environments Wilsons Promontory has to offer, some that we came across on our hikes were coastal, marine, heathland and rainforest.
The class was split into two groups and completed a southern circuit hike over the 4 days walking approximately 30km. The students visited some amazing places including Squeaky Beach, Norman Beach, Waterloo Bay, Oberon Bay and Tidal River.Itinerary:
Day 1: 31/10 Travelled from SSC to Tidal River (3.5 hrs), explored Squeaky Beach, Tidal River and Norman Beach
Day 2: 1/11 Group 1: Departed from Telegraph Saddle- camping at Halfway Hut (7.4km – 3hrs)Group 2: Departed from Tidal River- camping at Oberon Bay (7.6km- 3hrs)
Day 3: 2/11Group 1: Departed from Halfway Hut - camping at Oberon Bay (4.7km-1.5hrs)Group 2: Departed from Oberon Bay - camping at Halfway Hut (4.7km- 1.5hrs)
Groups met at Telegraph Junction for lunch and completed a return walk to Waterloo Bay (9.4km return- 4 hours) Day 4: 3/11Group 1: Departed Oberon Bay - Tidal River (7.6km, 3hrs)Group 2: Departed Halfway Hut - Telegraph Saddle (7.4km, 3 hrs)Left Wilsons Promontory at lunch time and headed back to SSC
Prior to the camp, the students spent time in class learning the track routes, planning their meals, organising their packing list and getting the equipment ready to take such as tents, hiking packs, sleeping mats and trangias. This was the first hiking trip for most of the students and they showed excellent resilience through the challenges faced along the way, such as carrying their packs weighing approximately 20kg, hiking steep terrain and cooking meals on trangias.
All the students had a fantastic time and an amazing experience exploring Wilsons Promontory. A big thank you to the teachers that came along to the camp; Miss Trahar, Mr Crook and Mr Bates. It has been an excellent year teaching this class and a fantastic way to finish off the unit together with this big accomplishment. Goodluck to all of the students moving into Year 12 next year.
Miss Rigden
The class was split into two groups and completed a southern circuit hike over the 4 days walking approximately 30km. The students visited some amazing places including Squeaky Beach, Norman Beach, Waterloo Bay, Oberon Bay and Tidal River.Itinerary:
Day 1: 31/10 Travelled from SSC to Tidal River (3.5 hrs), explored Squeaky Beach, Tidal River and Norman Beach
Day 2: 1/11 Group 1: Departed from Telegraph Saddle- camping at Halfway Hut (7.4km – 3hrs)Group 2: Departed from Tidal River- camping at Oberon Bay (7.6km- 3hrs)
Day 3: 2/11Group 1: Departed from Halfway Hut - camping at Oberon Bay (4.7km-1.5hrs)Group 2: Departed from Oberon Bay - camping at Halfway Hut (4.7km- 1.5hrs)
Groups met at Telegraph Junction for lunch and completed a return walk to Waterloo Bay (9.4km return- 4 hours) Day 4: 3/11Group 1: Departed Oberon Bay - Tidal River (7.6km, 3hrs)Group 2: Departed Halfway Hut - Telegraph Saddle (7.4km, 3 hrs)Left Wilsons Promontory at lunch time and headed back to SSC
Prior to the camp, the students spent time in class learning the track routes, planning their meals, organising their packing list and getting the equipment ready to take such as tents, hiking packs, sleeping mats and trangias. This was the first hiking trip for most of the students and they showed excellent resilience through the challenges faced along the way, such as carrying their packs weighing approximately 20kg, hiking steep terrain and cooking meals on trangias.
All the students had a fantastic time and an amazing experience exploring Wilsons Promontory. A big thank you to the teachers that came along to the camp; Miss Trahar, Mr Crook and Mr Bates. It has been an excellent year teaching this class and a fantastic way to finish off the unit together with this big accomplishment. Goodluck to all of the students moving into Year 12 next year.
Miss Rigden
