An Introduction to Australia

With a population of more than 21 million, Australia is the only nation to govern an entire continent. It is the earth’s biggest island and the sixth-largest country in the world in land area. Australia is comprised of six states and two territories: New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia, Australian Capital Territory, and Northern Territory. Australia Day is celebrated every year on January 26. Australia’s Human Development Index (HDI) is the third best in the world, behind only Norway and Ireland (UNDP Human Development Report 2006).

Here are the lyrics to the Australian National Anthem:

"Australians all let us rejoice,
For we are young and free;
We’ve golden soil and wealth for toil;
Our home is girt by sea;
Our land abounds in nature’s gifts
Of beauty rich and rare;
In history’s page, let every stage
Advance Australia Fair.
In joyful strains then let us sing,
Advance Australia Fair.

Beneath our radiant Southern Cross
We’ll toil with hearts and hands;
To make this Commonwealth of ours
Renowned of all the lands;
For those who’ve come across the seas
We’ve boundless plains to share;
With courage let us all combine
To Advance Australia Fair.
In joyful strains then let us sing,
Advance Australia Fair."

In Australia, summer is from December to February, autumn is from March to May, winter is from June to August, and spring is from September to November. The following are the average high and low temperatures (in degrees Celsius) for the Melbourne area in the months of January, February, March, and April accordingly:

Mean Max. (°C) 26.2 26.7 24.0 20.4

Mean Min. (°C) 13.9 14.0 12.2 9.7

Mean Rain (mm) 49.0 43.1 42.4 56.8

Mean Rain Days 9.5 7.2 10.0 11.2

*To convert from degrees Celsius to degrees Farenheit, multiply by 9, divide by 5, and then add 32.

I will be student teaching at Greenhills Primary School. Greenhills Primary School is located in a quiet residential location in the city of Greensborough. Greensborough is a suburb of Melbourne with a population of 20,214 in the year 2006. Melbourne is Australia's second largest city with a population of over 3.74 million in 2007.

I was excited to hear that Greenhills Primary is heavily involved in the Sustainable Schools of Victoria project. Vegetable gardens, composting, a hot house, worm farms, water tanks and solar power units (in 2008) are all part of the curriculum and infrastructure of the school. I am passionate about environmental issues and I am very interested in environmental education and how it is incorporated into the curriculum at Greenhills.

Generosity, respect, enthusiasm, acceptance, and teamwork are the fundamental values of Greenhills Primary. There is an "open-door" policy that allows parents to get involved in all aspects of school life. This information shows me that Greenhills is a school that focuses on developing a child as a whole person who is prepared to understand and adapt to the world around them. I cannot wait to observe these values being put into practice.