Strathcona. Bring out her best.

Excitement characterises the Junior School years: skilled and passionate staff inspire and develop inquisitiveness and curiosity to enable students to build new knowledge and understandings of the wider world.

Strathcona Junior School

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Within a supportive and challenging environment, each student quickly feels a strong sense of belonging and purpose. The lively curriculum embraces diversity and facilitates the development of key foundation skills, personal spirit and citizenship.

Student learning experiences are enhanced by our new state-of-the-art Junior School, specifically designed to meet the requirements of primary aged students. Light filled classrooms offer flexible learning spaces, access to outdoor learning areas, reading nooks and the latest in information technology. Our outstanding specialist facilities include a library, curriculum extension area, art room, multi-purpose activity room, music room and individual music studios for instrumental lessons.

Foundation Program — Prep to Year 2

The early years are critical to the foundation of literacy, numeracy, thinking and social skills. Therefore, we place great emphasis on the development of these skills throughout our curriculum in the Foundation Program. Participating in small groups and with individual attention, students work from beginning literacy skills to developing fluency in reading, writing and speaking. In the development of numeracy, students move from working with concrete materials in mathematics, to using basic symbols. Through discussion, role play and real problem-solving, all staff assist students to develop a wide range of thinking strategies and group participation skills. Gradually, with experience and opportunity, students develop independence and responsibility, from carrying their own school bags and being organised for the next day to staying the night at the Year 2 sleepover. The Prep classroom is located in a beautiful Edwardian house where the transition from home to school is easy to make. Reading nooks, play spaces, learning centres and bathrooms are designed for just the right size. Throughout the ground level classrooms, full-length sliding glass doors and windows allow abundant natural light and warmth and open to outdoor learning and garden areas. Flexible spaces encourage an environment for exploring, experimenting and reflecting.

Explorer Program — Years 3 and 4

Effective and productive social skills are essential for successful participation in daily life. In the middle years of primary schooling, students become more aware of the needs, views and contributions of others. Our educational and pastoral care programs enhance this natural development. Programs, such as “Bounceback”, are used to teach resilience and friendship skills and that individuals have different points of view and can make contributions in different ways. The teaching of positive social and play skills assists students to develop happy friendships and make effective contributions to group activities. These are further enhanced by our outdoor education program in which students are challenged in physical activities that encourage team spirit and cooperation.

Teachers foster a love of learning, aided by excellent resources and materials for extending literacy and numeracy skills. Small class sizes enable each teacher to give individual attention when needed to assist students to develop independence in reading, speaking, handwriting and working with more complex numbers and mathematical concepts. To challenge each student to think deeply and creatively, specific thinking strategies are integrated into core subjects.

Horizons Program — Years 5 and 6

Year 5 and 6 students are ready to fly into the Horizons Program. In the primary years, these students are the leaders of our school and role models for the younger students. Therefore, they are given opportunities to be elected leaders and to be “big buddies” to Pre-Prep and Prep students. All Year 6 students undertake intensive training in the leadership model of Michael Grose centred on organisation, public speaking, confidence, responsibility and good communication skills. Such activities reinforce and extend the early foundation of social skills learning.

With two classrooms at each year level, many opportunities are given to the students to mix with the other class. Folding doors provide spaces that change to suit the needs of the learner. Small groups and independent investigations can make way for year level meetings, where big ideas are debated and analysed. Computer pods have been placed in each classroom to support our philosophy that learning Information and Communication Technology is part of the everyday curriculum. Students learn computing skills and research techniques in a meaningful context.

Students in upper primary years have an increased awareness of world events. Their experience is taken beyond the local community and their personal world to explore the history of Victoria, the government of Australia and countries in Asia and Europe. Thinking and questioning are fostered by the teaching of Philosophy. Through discussion of important concepts, each student is guided in clarifying issues, listening to others’ opinions, developing a personal view-point and articulating it clearly and respectfully.

The teaching of literacy, numeracy, thinking and communication skills is still essential through these later years to consolidate and extend student development. Students learn to critically analyse text and become more aware of context, purpose and audience. Through practice in reading and writing, they become increasingly independent in drafting, proof reading, editing, publishing and sharing personal pieces of writing. Mathematical understandings increase to more complex numbers and concepts still linked to the purposeful use of mathematics in real-life situations.

We celebrate diversity and excellence in all our students. Class gatherings, assemblies and the weekly Newsletter provide opportunities to publicly acknowledge the wide variety of achievements and efforts of our students.

Transition to Year 7

While starting a new school at Year 7 can be a challenging time, Mellor House students have the advantage of familiarity with the senior campus, using the facilities each week for swimming, physical education, lunch play and assemblies. Senior School staff also take regular lessons in Science, Art, French, Italian, Mandarin, Swimming and Physical Education. During Semester 2, all Year 6 students participate in a transition program including activities in the Year 7 classrooms, Senior Library and the Food Technology area led by Year 7 Coordinator and Senior School staff.