Year 5 News
Our Learning Celebrations
Welcome to Year 5’s First Newsletter of 2026!
What an incredible start to the year it has been. Our Year 5 students have already impressed their teachers with their curiosity, enthusiasm and growing sense of responsibility in their learning.
Here is a summary of what we have been up to already!
Literacy
Our young writers have begun the year by exploring persuasive writing and learning to use techniques such as rhetorical questions and emotive language. In spelling, they have confidently applied the 2–1–1 rule, and they are developing their understanding of independent and dependent clauses to construct simple, compound and complex sentences.
Their growing control of language is already strengthening the quality of their writing.
Text Studies
Literacy has been buzzing with excitement as students immerse themselves in Blueback by Tim Winton. As we read, students have been learning to build background knowledge, analyse characters and events, interpret themes, and evaluate the author’s message.
They have also been exploring figurative language and learning to identify and use metaphors, similes and personification to bring their own writing to life.
Mathematics
In Mathematics, our Year 5 students have been exploring the world of decimal fractions. Through a range of hands‑on activities, they have been exploring how decimals connect to real‑life measurement. Students have measured classroom objects using metre rulers, compared and ordered decimal fractions, and played a variety of interactive games to deepen their understanding. It’s been wonderful to see them confidently applying their knowledge in practical ways.
Unit of Inquiry
Transdisciplinary theme
Who we are
Central idea
Different perspectives influence the way people treat each other.
Lines of inquiry
The meaning of perspective
Understanding perspectives
Characteristics of respectful relationships
Establishing a a harmonious community
Description
This term, students are examining how different perspectives influence the way people treat one another. They are learning about stereotypes, discrimination and prejudice, and exploring how these ideas appear in literature and real‑life situations. Through discussions and text analysis, students consider multiple viewpoints and reflect on how they can challenge stereotypes and promote fairness within our community.
Buddies
The Year 5 students have taken on their roles as Prep Buddies with maturity and enthusiasm. They have been warmly supporting our newest learners as they settle into school life, guiding them through daily routines and ensuring they feel safe and included during breaks.
Cyber Safety Project
The Year 5s were thrilled to be a part of the Cyber Safety Project Incursion on Tuesday. The Cyber Safety Project is designed to teach students how to use digital technologies safely, responsibly, and confidently.
The incursion focused on:
The importance of not sharing personal information online
What personal, private and public spaces
How to check default settings
Navigating group chats safely and preventing cyberbullying
Year 5 Bin Responsibilities!
Our Year 5s have taken on the important role of "Bin Monitors." We have had some amazing students volunteer this term to be responsible for ensuring our bins are out in the morning and safely returned after lunch. We are thrilled to see our young leaders stepping up!
What We Are Learning Next
Mathematics
Students will continue building on their understanding of decimals fractions. Students will begin looking into measurement. They will explore a range of skills, including calculating and comparing lengths, working with combinations of length, and investigating how shapes can have the same area but different perimeters or the same perimeter but different areas. Students will also learn to identify and measure mass and capacity, work with combinations of these units, and apply their measurement skills to practical problem‑solving tasks.
Literacy
The year 5’s will continue to build their knowledge about the class text, Blueback, by looking at the difference between facts and opinion, how dialogue reveals character traits and interpreting the meaning of metaphors.
Children will be homing in their abilities to use figurative language to engage their audience in narrative writing and refining how they use grammar and punctuation.
Here's to an incredible year!