Year 5/6 Team News

Hello Year 5/6 families, 

Literacy

Our unit on poetry has come to an end and what a joy it was to hear our students recite their poems to the class. This week we have begun to explore research skills, in particular the art of using a search engine to find answers from reputable sources. In Writing, we have been studying the picture story book “Two Bad Ants” where students have attempted to write an ending to the story that matches the voice of the author, Allan Van Allsburg.

Numeracy

We continue to learn about fractions, with students challenging their knowledge in our M&Ms project. They have used the colours in their M&Ms packet to assign fractions and, in some cases, percentages. We have been adding, subtracting, ordering and comparing fractions as well as solving worded problems that utilise these skills. Going forward we will be covering decimals and percentages in more detail, with continued work on fractions for students who still need the additional rehearsal.

Inquiry

The passports have wrapped up and next week we will be introducing our students to their major inquiry project. Students must choose a topic to research that answers the question “What’s the difference between here and there?” Ideas for this project will be developed at school and your child will be able to come home and speak with you about this. Any additional research or resources that can be gathered at home would be greatly beneficial. At the end of the term, students will be delivering a presentation on their topic.

Respectful Relationships

This term we are learning about gender and identity. The sub-topics that we will be exploring are:

• Born or made? Thinking about gender
• From words to actions
• Gender norms in early adolescence
• Facts about gender and opportunity
• Growing awareness about human rights

Your child may come home with questions regarding this content. We encourage open and honest conversation.

iPads

Many students have been bringing their iPads to school with little or no charge. It is an expectation that all students charge their iPads overnight in anticipation of the following school day. Please ensure that your child has a reliable routine around the charging of their iPad. 

Camp

Thank you to parents who have paid their $50 deposit to secure their child’s place on school camp in Term 4. Please ensure you read the information on the Compass event and pay the deposit by the due date: Friday, 30 August.

Reminders:

• Please continue to monitor Compass for alerts and updates,
• If you think you might like to volunteer on excursions and events this year, please ensure that you have arranged a valid Working With Children Check and complete the school’s online induction module
• Please ensure your child brings a charged iPad to school each day

Warm regards,

The Grade 5/6 Team - Laura Bartholomeusz (5/6B), Christina Crosland (5/6C), Emil de Vries (5/6D), Bianca Italiano & Molly Hedditch (5/6I), Kayleen Dumic & Steven Puhar (5/6K) & Melati Cordell (5/6M)