Melville Primary School cricketers get to show of skills at MCG

The Year 6 boys made the trip after beating Wembley Primary School in the final of the state competition on November 24.

Melville PS opened its account with a win against the Northern Territory representatives before slipping up against Tasmania and eventual overall winners Queensland.

The playoff for fifth spot came down to the wire, with Melville PS prevailing by just five runs over NSW’s Trinity Primary School.

The WA boys flew to Melbourne on Sunday and entered the final day of the T20 Blast School Cup boasting an unbeaten record.

Specialist physical education teacher Glenn McIntosh accompanied the students on the trip and said physical fitness was a big focus for the school.

“The classroom teachers start every day doing morning fitness with the students to get them ready for the school day,” he said.

“We also do annual testing of each of the kids through an external organisation and their results are benchmarked based on 30 years of national averages.

“It gives the parents an idea of how their child’s general fitness and strength are developing and also identifies any deficiencies.”

Mr McIntosh then delivers an age appropriate skills-based program that focuses on fitness, flexibility and core body strength.

Melville Primary School’s emphasis on physical health has paid off in 2016, with the school claiming several sporting wins, including the Interschool Swimming, Interschool Cross Country, Interschool Athletics Carnival and boys Basketball State Championships.