Year 5/6 Term 4 Overview

Year 5/6 Term 4 Curriculum Overview

Year 5/6 Term Four Overview

Welcome back to the start of Term Four! We have another busy, but very exciting term ahead with so much to look forward to. Some key events include: Super Speak public speaking program, 5/6 excursion, Art show, Mini Missions, Tournament of the Minds, Funfields and Year 6 graduation. Here are our key learning outcomes and descriptions for the term.

Religious Education

In RE this term, the students will be taking a closer look at reading Psalms and the importance of settings and the environment in some of our biblical stories. Later in the term, we will be having a Multi-Faith focus. This will include comparing and contrasting the following world religions: Islam, Judaism, Buddhism and Christianity. This will be a wonderful opportunity for all to reflect on the fundamental beliefs of different religions and the similarities and differences these have with students’ own personal beliefs. 

Throughout the term we will also be having a strong focus on Mission Month (Socktober) and how we can help others who are less fortunate through the school’s Mini Missions campaign. Finally, we will end the Term by reflecting on the season of Advent and the true meaning of Christmas. 

English

This term, the senior students will look to develop their reading, speaking and listening and writing skills through a variety of activities. Our literacy rotation activities will include activities to build deeper comprehension skills when reading and reflecting. Our literacy focus groups will utilise the reciprocal strategy with students leading in the reading of predicting, clarifying, questioning and summarising. Our independent activities will continue to focus on both comprehension and vocabulary building.

Public Speaking

This term our Year 5/6 students will be participating in a 5 week public speaking program aimed at improving their confidence and ability when speaking in front of an audience. The program will begin in Week 1 on the 6 October. Below we have included information on the structure of the program. 

Week 1 - Expressive Skills Workshop

Week 2 - Storytelling Workshop /  Impromptu speaking & introduction to persuasive speaking

Week 4 - Structuring a Speech Workshop  

Week 5 - Speech Presentation preparation

Week 6 - Presentations to parent audience 

Writing

In Writing, students will be exploring information reports. This includes developing a greater understanding of the structure and purpose behind an information report such as subheadings, labeled diagrams, glossaries and indices. The Information Reports will be written in direct correlation with our Inquiry Unit and connections with Europe and Asia and their cities.

Mathematics

The following curriculum topics will be taught this term:

Number and Algebra: Statistics and probability

• Students will conduct chance experiments and represent the possible results using fractions, decimals and percentages. They will also compare their results to those of other students to see if there are discrepancies in the results they found.

Number and Algebra: Multiplication and Division 

• Students will use factors and multiples of whole numbers to solve problems, multiply and divide large numbers by one- or two-digit numbers using efficient mental, written strategies and appropriate digital technologies

Measurement & Geometry: Location and transformation

• Students will use a grid reference and Cartesian coordinates to describe locations. They will describe landmarks using directional language

Measurement and Geometry: Volume, Capacity and Mass

• Students will choose appropriate units of measurement for volume, capacity and mass.
• Students will convert between common metric units of mass and capacity and connect volume and capacity and their units of measurement.

Inquiry

Our fourth term Inquiry unit will have a strong focus on geography and Australia’s connection with the European and Asian Continents. Students will research the geographical similarities and differences of Asia, Europe and Oceania including demographic, economic, social and cultural characteristics. 

Social Emotional Learning 

This term in SEL our 5/6 students will suggest and identify coping strategies in stressful events and the associated stress management strategies that they can use to help cope with these stressors. Following this, we will be exploring gender and identity and how social influences affect how we interpret gender differences, within a Catholic context. We will also be having a strong focus on transition for our year 6 students going to high school and for our year 5 students on transition into leadership positions and leaders of the school next year. 

Home Learning

Home learning will once again be given on a fortnightly basis beginning in Week 2 of this term.  Students will be required to complete all compulsory activities and 5 of the free choice activities, continuing the same structure they are familiar with. We see home learning as a terrific opportunity for students to develop and improve in their organisation and time management skills and greatly appreciate family support with this. 

Behaviour Management

In addition to our emphasis on our school wide behaviour expectations and associated consequence flowchart, we also use a Class Dojo rewards system for our students. Students are rewarded with a dojo when they exhibit positive behaviour. As a cohort we have decided upon and have listed the rewards both the class and individual students receive when they hit these targets. 

• Class Rewards

100 Dojos - 15 minutes outside play 

200 Dojos - 25 minutes outside play 

300 Dojos - Icy poles

• Individual Student rewards

20 Dojos - A selection from a prize Box 

Important dates to remember:

Hockey Clinic: Wednesday 12 October 

Kids Disco: Friday 14 October 

Art Show: Friday 4 November 

150 YEAR Celebration for St John's School: Sunday 6 November

School Closure Day: Friday 18 November 

SJM Fete: Saturday 19 November

Mini Mission Day: Tuesday 22 November 

Communication

Effective communication between family and school is an important factor in a student's learning. Please make contact with us if you have any questions, comments or concerns. 

rmasters@sjmitcham.catholic.edu.au

epattison@sjmitcham.catholic.edu.au 

Many thanks,

Rhett Masters and Emma Pattison