What's happening in our classrooms?
Hello to all our Mackellar families! A special hello to the Grade 5 students, parents and family members who have started the 2022 journey with us. As teachers, we have been proud to see our students have consistently displayed our school values of learning, respect, resilience and teamwork both in the classroom and the schoolyard.
Here is an overview of what we have been learning in Term 1:
Reading
This term, in Reading, Grade 5s have practised their comprehension skills in the lead up to NAPLAN next term, clarifying vocabulary, making connections, inferring and summarising in order to answer questions related to a variety of texts. They have analysed the features of Exposition texts, described the author’s point of view and identified high modality and sequencing words used by authors to persuade the reader. Students have examined digital texts and discussed global issues, recalling key facts and details. They have viewed and read narrative texts identifying the main character, plot, setting, problem and resolution in stories. Students tell us that they are enjoying reading and feel confident about the skills they have acquired.
Writing
The Grade 5 students have been busy working on their exposition and narrative writing. We have explored the features of exposition texts, which are orientation, series of arguments and a concluding statement. We have explored a range of exposition titles and experimented with a variety of exposition literary language. Our narrative writing is coming along and we have been busy using our imaginations to write our orientation, problem and solution. Great work Grade 5’s!
Numeracy
Our Numeracy learning in Term 1 started off with our Place Value unit. We have been extending our place value knowledge to 6 digits by reading, writing, expanding and renaming numbers. We then expanded our knowledge to include decimals - this is something everyone finds tricky! One important fact about decimals that we have discovered is that the longest decimal is not necessarily the largest. Have a go by checking this understanding for yourself:
Which decimal is larger? 0.345 OR 0.4
Which did you choose?
The answer is 0.4! Ask your child to explain why this answer is correct.
Below are some links to online maths games that your child might like to play at home to practice their place value skills:
Matching words to numbers: https://www.sheppardsoftware.com/math/early-math/number-words-fruit-splat-game/
Different ways to show a number: https://www.sheppardsoftware.com/math/place-value/ways-to-say-a-number/
Harmony Week
The Year 5’s celebrated Harmony Day on the 21st of March. We all celebrated and embraced all the things that are different about our cultures, like food, clothing, languages and beliefs. We ensured everyone was included and had the opportunity to share a traditional cultural dress, traditional foods, greetings or sayings at our whole school assembly and in our classrooms in small groups and in discussions.
The Year 5’s worked cooperatively and enjoyed familiarising themselves with mosaic art as found in Muslim mosques and other cultural buildings. The students thoroughly enjoyed creating their own individual mosaic using coloured paper. The students learnt the importance of each piece in making a whole, was about social cohesion and co-operation.
What a busy term the Grade 5s have had! Thank you once again for all of your support and we hope you enjoy a well-deserved holiday!
Renee Imeri, Anita Magliozzi, Judy Tanner, Rebecca West and Alecia Mayne.
