Year 4/5/6

Sport – Judo and Strength Activities

For the past few weeks, we have been participating in judo-style movement and body control skills for sport. The students have been working on building strength and fundamental movement skills. A specific focus has been on mastering forward rolls, and how to land safely and protect our bodies. We even had a fun (very impressive strength demonstration!) moment when Miss O’Sullivan showed her strength by hip-throwing Pat! Some students also challenged themselves by climbing up the rope and making it right to the top, while others focused on just holding their own body weight on the rope. This has been brilliant for building confidence, coordination, core strength, agility and that practice makes progress!.

Syllabus links:

movement skill development (coordination, body control), self-management (knowing how to land safely, choosing to challenge oneself), interpersonal aspects (working with partners, listening to teacher demonstration, supporting each other).

English – Persuasive Writing

In English, we’ve been working on persuasive writing. 4/5/6 composed an email to Mrs Francis with the hope of convincing him to extend recess time. The students' email provided valid and well-thought-out reasons to support their ideas. Although we didn’t receive the wanted response (the reply was “no response”), the activity was still lots of fun and gave students an authentic audience and purpose for writing. Next, we’re moving into writing a persuasive speech. This activity aims to enhance students’ capacity to formulate coherent arguments underpinned by logical reasoning and evidence-based justification. 

Syllabus links:

Identify and use persuasive language and structure. Plan and revise their writing for a specific audience (Mrs Francis, classmates). Understand how language choices influence purpose and persuasion.

Science – First LEGO League: Explorer Builds

Our first LEGO League “Explorer” challenge is going well. Last week, students constructed vehicles that would be beneficial to archaeologists, designing, building, testing and refining their models, coding them to move around the location to different dig sites. The vehicles were also fitted with lights and sensors. This unit of work requires students to work collaboratively and encourages problem-solving, creativity, and the application of technology and design thinking in a fun context.

Syllabus links:

Identifying a problem or need (how archaeologists might travel or transport finds), designing and building a solution (the vehicle), Testing and refining their design (what works, what doesn’t) reflecting on their product’s usefulness.