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Parent Bulletin 8

18 June 2025

Principals Report

Dear Parents and Carers,
As we head deeper into Term 2, there's been a hive of activity and many important events taking place at Strathmore Secondary College. Here's a quick update on what's been happening and what's on the horizon:
Year 12 Formal: A Night to Remember!
We are thrilled to report that our Year 12 Formal, held recently at the elegant San Remo Ballroom, was a resounding success! It was a truly memorable evening for our senior students, a wonderful opportunity for them to celebrate their journey together in style. The students looked magnificent, and the atmosphere was one of joy and camaraderie. Our thanks go to the staff who worked tirelessly to make this event so special.
GAT Exam Successfully Completed
This past Tuesday, June 17th, our Year 12 students diligently undertook the General Achievement Test (GAT). We commend them for their focus and effort on the day. This is an important part of their VCE journey, and we are proud of how they approached this significant assessment.
Upcoming Year 10 and 11 Exams – Mark Your Calendars!
A reminder to our Year 10 and 11 students and their families that end-of-semester exams are fast approaching. These exams will be held in Week 10 of this term, from Monday, June 23rd to Friday, June 27th. Students should be well into their revision by now, and we encourage parents to support them in creating a conducive study environment at home. Further details regarding timetables and specific requirements have been communicated directly to students.
Bracing for the Cold: Uniform Expectations
With the colder weather well and truly upon us here in Strathmore, we wish to remind all students of our uniform expectations. It's essential that students are dressed appropriately for the winter conditions. We are pleased to announce that official Strathmore Secondary College beanies are now available for purchase from the Finance Office for $20. These beanies are a great way to stay warm while proudly representing our college.
We thank you for your continued support and engagement with our college community.
Vanessa Pratt & Michael PakakisActing Principals

Gillie Lumby Wheelchair Tennis

Gillie attended the ITF BNP Paribas World Team Cup in Antalya Turkey, representing Tennis Australia in Wheelchair Tennis 6th to 11th May.
Very exciting for the chosen Team, as it was the first international level of competition for most of them.
Gillie has also been offered the opportunity to attend and compete at a Camp/Tournament in Japan this coming July.

Year 7 Digital Technology

Microcontroller Magic
My name is Ted and I am a part of Mr O'Regan's year seven digital technology class.
This term we have been learning about how code works and how to represent it with algorithms and flowcharts. We have recently been practicing are developing coding skills with small circular microcontrollers called circuit playgrounds. They resemble disc-shaped motherboards. They have features such as motion, sound, light and temperature sensors, 2 programmable buttons, 10 RGB LED lights and a speaker to play sound.
We have been plugging them into our computers, writing code and testing it out. Similar microcomputers like this are used frequently in many fields such as toy making, costume designing, engineering and automotive systems. Therefore learning how to use these small devices could influence our careers and university courses.
Thank you to the parents for getting this far into the newsletter and to Mr O'Regan for selecting me to write this paragraph.

Reconciliation Week

For Reconciliation Week, Strathmore students created a rock garden dedicated to our ongoing commitment to First Nations representation within our school, community and country. Strathmore Secondary has deep respect and appreciation for the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land on which we learn and teach and wished to express this with a meaningful activity that students of all ages and backgrounds participated in.
Students spent a fun lunchtime creating artworks on the rocks, inscribing them with words and phrases related to truth, reconciliation and Country. All the students had a valuable experience. It is our hope that the garden’s presence in our school serves as a continuing reminder of the culture of inclusivity, respect and knowledge Strathmore Secondary prides itself on.
Bonnie Green, AJ Kieck & Amelia MacielSchool Captains

Year 7 Art

In Year 7 we are focusing on Colour and Painting. The students have been working hard on their House Paintings which are looking amazing. These very colourful paintings are inspiring to look at.
Well done year 7, you have been particularly focused and determined to achieve excellence. Thankyou for sharing your colours with the Strathmore Secondary College community.
Miss Kulyk

Year 10 Food Technology

This week, our Year 10 students took part in an exciting collaborative cooking challenge.
Their brief was to come up with a meal for Hello Fresh’s upcoming winter menu. Working in pairs, students were given a selection of pre-set ingredients and pantry staples, and tasked with designing a creative, delicious meal fit for the popular meal kit service.
The results were impressive, with dishes ranging from chicken parmigiana and gnocchi to stir-fry and Tuscan pasta bake, showcasing their focus on the learning habit of ‘communication’ as well as teamwork and innovation.
Well done Year 10s!

Year 10 Specialist Maths

This term, our Year 10 Intro to Specialist Maths students proved that calculus isn't just for textbooks—it's for thrill-seekers too!
As part of a hands-on project, students were challenged to design their own rollercoasters using principles of calculus. From steep drops to smooth loops, every twist and turn was calculated using derivatives to ensure the ride was not only exciting, but safe and mathematically sound.
This project gave students a taste of real-world engineering challenges and showed just how powerful math can be when applied to design and innovation.
Great job to all our future engineers, physicists, and theme park designers!

Wellbeing Update - ThinkUKnow

We know that children and young people receive education directly from influencers in their lives, including parents, carers, teachers and police. We also know that providing our students with resources encourages critical thinking and learnings to prevent harm, to identify safe or unsafe situations and know when and how to seek help.
The aim of the ThinkUKnow program is to reduce the incidence of online child sexual exploitation through education, and to encourage help seeking behaviours so no victim feels they are alone. The Proactive Policing Unit will be delivering the program to our Year 7s in Term 3. Your child may have questions following these sessions. The ThinkUKnow website has information and advice for parents and carers, including resources to learn more about how to help children in your care.
https://www.thinkuknow.org.au/resources-tab/parents-and-carers
ThinkUKnow Top 5 tips for Parents and Carers to prevent online child sexual exploitation:
1. Have open conversations, often.The most important tip we can give you is to start talking to your child regularly about their online activities and interactions.
2. Supervision is essential.This means knowing what your child is doing online, who they are interacting with and what platforms, apps or games they are using.
3. Be approachable if your child needs help.Coming forward isn’t always easy and your child may feel reluctant to tell you about online issues if they believe they will be punished or have their devices taken away. This also makes children more secretive about device use and at greater risk of exploitation.
4. Check privacy settings.We recommended that you research and understand app settings, including privacy settings. This could include turning off location settings, setting profiles to private, or turning off chat functions.
5. Know how to report.If something goes wrong online, it is critical your child is supported. You need to know how to take action and report.

Year 12 Formal

Year 12 students celebrated their formal at the beautiful San Remo Ballroom in Carlton.
It was a fantastic night filled with dancing, laughter, and great memories — the perfect opportunity for them to relax and enjoy themselves after working so hard this year!

The Plain English-Speaking Award

A great result for Strathmore Secondary College occurred last Wednesday on the 29th of May. A round of the PESA event, which was held at Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School, was comprehensively won by two Strathmore Secondary College students – Bonnie Green who finished first, and Joseph Thorsen who finished second. There were eleven contestants in all, made up of predominantly private school students.
Bonnie Green who spoke on the topic of Misogyny, and Joseph Thorsen whose topic was Child Literacy, were masterly in their approach during their respective speeches. They will now move on to the semi-finals.
The competition tests students’ intellectual ability, their knowledge of their subject matter, and their capacity to communicate their ideas to an audience. Students are required to present a six-minute prepared speech, and three-minute impromptu speech, for which they are given four minutes to prepare.
Both Bonnie and Joseph deserve their result as they worked exceedingly hard over many weeks to achieve such a high standard.Special thanks must also to be given to Miss Shaalu Chaudhary who spent many hours mentoring both speakers.
Mr. C. Bassios,Debating and Public Speaking Coordinator

Cross Country Team

On Thursday 29th May a team of 46 students represented Strathmore at the division event in Essendon. Strathmore had many successes on the day taking out top place in many of the age group divisions.
Congratulations to the following students on their progression to the regional finals.
13 Girls: Mia Nightingale 3rd, Natalie Dukic 8th, Rosie Dona Doni 9th, Georgia Cannard 13th13 Boys: Alex Coomber 7th, Cole Johansen 9th, Charlie Long 11th, Bei Bei Zhou 13th, Max Copland 12th14 Girls: Tilly Roberts 1st, Maddie Gilcrist 2nd, Sorrell Pakula 4th, Gemma Matthews 5th, Charlotte Walsh 6th, Alex Nicholson 7th, Alana Burlak 9th14 Boys: Aiden Lowe 1st, Finn Irwin 10th, Milind Jayakuma 9th, Finn Irwin 10th, Sam Gregory 13th15 Girls: Charlotte Maiotti 8th, Ella Brown 9th, Stella Oddo-Gulinello 10th15 Boys: Raphael Avery 2nd, Cuan Pritchard 3rd, Harry Keenan 4th, Alexander Carroll 6th, Ethan Crawford 7th, Yannick Belluoccio 8th , Julian Castelli 9th16 Girls: Amelia Hanks 3rd, Mirabelle Givogue 4th16 Boys: William Lowe 1st, Ronan Rose 4th17-20 Girls: Amelia Manefield 2nd, Stefanie Ripplinger 3rd, Maisy Gasper 4th 17-20 Boys: Aiden Davis 1st, Zac Mozjerin 3rd, Luke O’Regan 5th , Alexander Dukic
Many of these athletes have been attending training sessions Monday’s after school which continues throughout Term 2. All students are welcome to join.

World Stem Competition Award

The school community would like to congratulate Andreas Oltoumis of 11N.
Andreas participated in the World Stem Competition. He achieved 15th out of 12536 applicants worldwide and 1st place in his respective category of “Mathematics based papers” for his paper titled “analysing the theoretical equation relating to the fracture microstructure coupling equation”.
Andreas scored 1st place in his age demographic of ages 15-16 along with 1st place in the Commonwealth of Australia and 1st in Oceania region.
His paper is now being considered for publication, and he has been informed that he will be contacted by the Australian National University to discuss next step.
Congratulations Andreas!

Senior Science Olympiads

Are you considering studying a Science subject beyond school? Are you looking for opportunities to extend your learning?
Strathmore is entering the Senior Science Olympiads (biology, chemistry, physics) this year for students in year 10-12. Those who score highly can be invited to summer programs working with peers and scientists.
If you/your student thinks this may be of benefit, please ask them to join the Classroom (code: y3qq7cdh). This has a cost associated ($17/subject) and will be run during the first week of August. Please sign up soon so that we can register.
https://www.asi.edu.au/program/australian-science-olympiads/

Shrine of Remembrance and NGV Excursion

Last Tuesday, our class set off on a city excursion that turned out to be both exciting and meaningful. We started our journey by train, took a tram through the busy streets, and walked the rest of the way to our first stop. Our first stop was the Shrine of Remembrance, an iconic landmark built to honour all the soldiers who served in war. The surroundings were quiet, creating a calm and respectful atmosphere. We then paused at The Eternal Flame, which burns continuously to commemorate those who lost their lives in World War I.
Nearby, we noticed poppy flowers, a symbol of sacrifice and memory, decorated on the walls of some surrounding buildings. Inside one of them, we watched a short documentary about Australian soldiers and their lives in past wars. Although the video was brief, it was emotional and helped us gain a deeper understanding of Australia’s history and the price of peace.
Then we stopped by the Shrine gallery. There, an enthusiastic volunteer shared stories about the hardships that young, brave soldiers had to face. He didn’t just repeat facts, he spoke with care and passion, which made it easier for us to connect with a past we had only read about. In addition, we saw paintings and historical objects. Seeing real items used by soldiers made the experience feel more real and touching. The highlight of the morning, however, was seeing the Stone of Remembrance at the heart of the Shrine. Engraved on the stone were the words: “Greater love hath no man” short but deeply touching. The room was quiet, and everyone stood still, looking down at the stone to show respect.
After leaving the Shrine, we walked to the National Gallery of Victoria. We had lunch near the entrance before exploring the exhibitions. Right in the centre of the main hall, we saw an eye-catching sculpture by Yayoi Kusama named ‘Dancing Pumpkin’. It was bright, quirky, and completely different from what we had seen earlier in the day. On the first floor, we explored European abstract artworks. Many pieces expressed complex emotions and historical events. This helped us understand the big picture of Europe during that time. Upstairs, we discovered Asian artworks over a thousand years old. The Chinese and Japanese sculptures stood out with their fine elegant details and deep cultural meaning.
By the end of the day, I realised that this excursion wasn’t just about sightseeing. It helped us connect with history, culture, and creativity in ways that felt real and personal. It was a truly valuable experience that I’ll remember for a long time.Anh Tran
Our class went on a trip to the Melbourne Shrine of Remembrance. It was a very meaningful and emotional experience for me. The building was big and grand. Our guide told us stories about the soldiers’ bravery and how they sacrificed their lives for the country. I felt really touched when I saw the Eternal Flame and the Stone of Remembrance. We also watched a short movie that showed how war changed the lives of families and communities. This visit made me think about how lucky we are to live in a peaceful country today. I felt thankful for what we have now. I learned a lot about history, and I will always remember this trip.Frank Yang
Last Tuesday, we visited the Melbourne Shrine of Remembrance which is one of Melbourne’s iconic landmarks and Victoria’s memorial to the service and sacrifice of Australians in times of war. This building was built from 1927 to 1934, it was first for commemorating the soldiers in World War 1.
When I first stood in front of the building, the strong landscape made me shocked and a sense of solemnity moved from my fingers to my body. In the crypt, there was a statue ‘father and son’ surrounded by many colourful flags. The crypt commemorates the fighting units of World War 1. The different colours were a symbol of different units. Then the guide led us to a boat which was taken by the Anzac soldiers from Australia to Gallipoli. Inside, the central chamber is the Stone of Remembrance, engraved with “greater love hath no man”. We stood around the stone and saw it in silence. Suddenly a light appeared on the stone, when it moved to the word ‘love’, I felt as if history was talking to me and I was amazed.
In the end, we went to the final stairs and got a 360 - degree view of Melbourne. The cityscape and the gardens below were beautiful. This excursion was like time travel. The Shrine of Remembrance is not just a building; it's a place to remember history and cherish peace.Jinxin
Last Tuesday we went to the Melbourne Shrine of Remembrance. The entrance is filled with 4,000 medals, each representing 100 Victorians who served in war or peacekeeping operations. What I found the most amazing was that every year at 11 a.m. on November 11, the sun shines through the small hole in the roof to illuminate the word "love". That made me sad, and I think we should respect the soldiers who dies fighting for Australia. After that, I climbed up to the balcony. I could see Great views across the city centre. Even a part of the sea could be seen. That was my favourite place on this excursion.Ziyu

Road Safety Reminder for Parents and Carers

We would like to remind all parents and guardians about the importance of road safety, especially during the busy drop-off and pick-up times outside our school. Please refrain from making U-turns over double lines in front of the school. This practice is not only illegal but also poses a significant risk to the safety of our students, staff, and other road users. We understand the convenience it may offer, but the safety of our community must come first. I kindly ask for your cooperation in adhering to traffic rules and driving responsibly around the school premises. Together, we can ensure a safer environment for everyone. Thank you for your understanding and support.
Strathmore Secondary College is accredited under the Department of Education CRICOS registration (CRICOS provider name and code: Department of Education and Training, 00861K). ​For further information refer to www.study.vic.gov.au©2025 Strathmore Secondary College
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