Level 5 & 6
Welcome to Week 7!
Literacy
Reading
This week, students will be preparing for their second Literature Circle rotation, building on the discussion skills, collaborative roles and reading strategies developed during their first rotation. We will conclude our reading of Via’s perspective in Wonder, examining how a shift in narrative perspective allows readers to develop a deeper understanding of characters, relationships and significant events. Students will consider how Via’s experiences differ from Auggie’s and explore how an author can use multiple perspectives to shape a reader’s understanding and empathy.
Writing
Our poetry unit continues as students develop their personal published poetry collections using Keynote. We will extend our exploration of odes, analysing their purpose, structure and use of descriptive and figurative language before students experiment with crafting their own. Students will be introduced to blackout poetry, an engaging form of found poetry where carefully selected words and phrases from an existing text are used to construct an entirely new piece. This will encourage students to think creatively about word choice, meaning and how a limited selection of language can communicate powerful ideas.
Phormes
This week, students will begin investigating the Latin base strue/struct, meaning “to build.” Students will explore how this base combines with different prefixes and suffixes to construct a family of related words, including construct, structure, instruct, reconstruct and destruction. Students will examine how understanding the meaningful parts within words can support spelling, vocabulary development and comprehension of unfamiliar words.
What you can do at home:
- Encourage your child to discuss their current reading and explain how a character’s perspective can influence the way events are understood. Ask them to retell a significant event from another character’s point of view and consider what might change.
- Encourage your child to experiment with different forms of poetry at home. They might create an ode celebrating an everyday object or try creating a blackout poem using an old newspaper, magazine or printed page, carefully selecting words to create a particular mood or message.
- Challenge your child to find words containing the base strue/struct and investigate how prefixes and suffixes change their meaning.
Maths
Grade 5 and 6 students are concluding their measurement unit, consolidating the skills and concepts explored over recent weeks before transitioning into their next areas of learning.
Grade 5 students will begin a unit on location, developing their understanding of coordinates, maps, position and directional language.
Grade 6 students will commence their location and transformation unit, using the Cartesian plane to describe and represent position before exploring transformations including translations, reflections and rotations. Students will be challenged to accurately describe how shapes and points change position while identifying the mathematical properties that remain unchanged.
What you can do at home:
- Encourage your child to explore location and transformation in everyday contexts.
- Practise reading maps, giving directions using precise positional language
- Identify examples of translations, reflections and rotations in patterns, logos and objects around the home.
CBL
Big Idea: How can we use our power to create positive change globally?
Guiding Questions:
- What is economic power?
- What makes a business successful?
- How can we use resources responsibly?
How can people use their ideas, skills and resources to improve the world around them?
Challenge: Create a small business, social enterprise or circular economy initiative that generates a profit for good.
Wellbeing
In Respectful Relationships, students will continue Topic 6: Help Seeking, with this week’s lesson focusing on “Thinking About Trust and Courage.” Students will explore the qualities and behaviours that contribute to trusting relationships and consider why asking for help can sometimes require courage. Through discussion and practical scenarios, students will examine how to identify trustworthy people within their support networks and develop strategies for seeking assistance for themselves or others when faced with challenging situations.
What you can do at home:
- Have a conversation about trust and courage and what qualities make someone a safe and trustworthy person to seek help from.
- Encourage your child to identify people within their support network and discuss why asking for help can sometimes require courage.
Important Dates
August
25th - Adolescent Health Session 3
24-29 Book Week
26th Book Week Author Visit
26th Book Week Dress Up Parade
27 – 29th VSSS Tech Rehearsal Day
September
31-4th Annual Book Fair
10th Hoop Time basketball