Year 5/6 Term 4 Overview

Year 5/6 Term Four

Welcome back to term four!

We are in our final term for the year, and the last one for our beautiful cohort of grade sixes. We are going to miss them so much! Before the tears start flowing, let’s have a quick overview of what we have planned for the term. 

Let us welcome Chris Lloyd back to our team. She replaces Kristin Sardellis in 5/6C. The students came to know Chris when she stepped in while Kristin was away at the start of term 3. We are so happy to be able to provide some continuity for our students and appreciate Chris coming on board. 

Term four is always busy as we prepare our grade sixes for their graduation and also help them through their transition to high school. It’s such an exciting time for them and we can’t wait to celebrate their accomplishments and graduation at the end of term. We have a fun day planned and a memory book project to ensure they leave St John’s with lots of special moments to look back on.

Grade five will begin preparing for their leadership roles next year. There are lots of roles to choose from so now is the time to start thinking about what area they would like to represent next year.  In addition to applying for positions they have a special interest in, Grade five will also be nominating and voting for those students they feel would best represent St Johns as our school leaders in 2025. It’s a big responsibility and we are confident that our Grade fives will make excellent leaders next year.

Our classes are as follows:

5/6A - Joyce Qiu and Lipo Li. 

5/6B - Allison Bayliss, Elina Li (Thursdays), and Ruby Schneider

5/6C - Tracey Farrar, Melissa Sedony (Wednesdays) and Chris Lloyd.

Communication

Effective communication between family and school is an important factor in a student’s learning. Please make contact with us if you have any questions, comments or concerns.  

We will endeavour to respond to emails within 24 hours, during weekdays.

jqiu@sjmitcham.catholic.edu.au

tfarrar@sjmitcham.catholic.edu.au

abayliss@sjmitcham.catholic.edu.au

Important dates for your calendars: 

• Y5/6 Cricket day - 11 October
• Ausbike cycling incursion - 21 October
• Chinese Dragon Dance incursion - 22 October
• Y5/6 Downball Australia incursion - 23 October
• School closure day - 4 November
• Melbourne Cup public holiday - 5 November
• 5/6A Class assembly  - 11 November
• School closure day - 15 November
• School fete - 16 November
• Class mass - 5/6A 18/11, 5/6B 25/11, 5/6C 2/12
• Y6 Fun day at Funfields - 4 December
• Mini-missions Christmas market - 9 December
• Carols on the Green - 12 December
• School picnic - 16 December
• Y6 Graduation mass - 16 December
• Last day of term - 17 December (12:15 Assembly, 1:00pm finish)

All other school dates will be on the school online calendar

Religious Education 

In Religious Education this term, we will be examining the Catholic Social Teaching principle of Preferential Option for the Poor and how this relates to the issue of our needs and wants, both spiritually and physically. We will look at the teachings of Jesus and how he asked us to focus on things we truly need, such as love, forgiveness and relationships, rather than wants such as temporary pleasures. 

We will also create a Jesse tree in the lead up to Advent, and consider the Catholic Social Teaching principle of Care for our Common Home, examining ways we can provide gifts for Christmas by reusing or refurbishing items in order to prevent waste.

Inquiry

In our fourth term, we will focus on Business and Economics. The big question which guides our learning is, ‘How do we balance our needs and wants when we make financial decisions in a world where resources are becoming scarce?’ This unit will allow us a chance to examine what needs and wants are and what influences these in our lives. We will look at Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, and also investigate influences over our purchasing decisions such as financial considerations, desire to reduce our impact on the environment and the concept of scarcity and sustainability. Students will experience what it means to earn money and to have financial commitments such as rent, saving and other related concepts, by participating in an online financial role play called Banquer. 

English

This term, the senior students will continue to strengthen and consolidate their reading comprehension, speaking, listening and writing skills. 

Reading and Viewing: This term, students will focus on expanding their vocabulary and strengthening both literal and inferential comprehension through a range of texts. Our class novel, The Witches by Roald Dahl, conveys the important message of not judging others by appearances, as people may not always be as they seem. This theme will spark opportunities for students to engage in class discussions, make connections, and express their opinions. In addition to these activities, students will have access to Reading Eggs, Readworks and other online tools to reinforce their learning. They will also work on personalised spelling lists that incorporate vocabulary from our class novel, and punctuation practice.

Writing: This term in Writing, the senior students will dive into the world of poetry, exploring figurative language such as similes, metaphors, and personification. They will be immersed in various poetic forms from a range of authors, analysing the language features that bring these works to life. The term will kick off with a poetry playoff and culminate in a slam poetry event, where students will showcase their own creative expressions. Along the way, they’ll experience blackout poetry and explore how music, imagery, and language evoke emotions and tell powerful stories. 

Speaking and Listening: Students will participate in a range of dynamic speaking and listening activities, including small group sessions, whole-class discussions, and interactive tasks like responding to podcasts. Throughout the curriculum, they’ll have plenty of opportunities to sharpen these vital skills through various experiences such as delivering presentations, giving reports, and practising public speaking. These activities will help students build confidence and improve their communication abilities in engaging and meaningful ways.

Mathematics 

In Mathematics this term students will review and consolidate their knowledge of measurement and geometry as well as revise their number skills and processes.

Our focus this term will be:

• Time (12- and 24- hour)
• Schedules and timetables
• Elapsed time
• BODMAS
• Revision of the four operations
• Revision of fractions and decimals
• Revision of perimeter and area

What can you do at home to support your child's maths learning? 

- Encourage continued practice of rapid recall of multiplication facts.

- Involve your child in shopping to help them use money and develop budgeting skills.

- Engage your child in cooking activities to practise using weights and measurements.

- Help your child learn to manage their personal timetable by paying attention to the time.

- Use public transport together to explore schedules, distances, and the cost of trips.

STEM 

This term in STEM, we will investigate light and shadow.  Students will record their observations and investigations in a digital eBook, examining properties of light and shadow, and classifying materials based on the amount of light that passes through them.

Students will investigate the concepts of reflection and  refraction of light, and how the surface and quality of objects affects this. They will also examine how the properties of light and shadow influence colour.

Digital Technology 

This term in digitech, students will take part in Google’s Applied Digital Skills program to improve their knowledge of software programs they utilise regularly such as Google slides and Google sheets, in order to refine their knowledge of skills and processes. 

They will continue to engage in eSmart Modules as part of their ongoing  understanding of cybersafety and to improve their understanding of the importance of balancing technology use with other activities in their lives. 

Students will continue to use programs such as the Google education suite, Canva, Minecraft education, digital eBooks as well as engaging in regular touch typing practise on their Chromebooks. They will also participate in coding activities such as using the Sphero bolt and Sphero Indy applications. 

Social Emotional Learning (SEL)

This term in SEL our whole school focus continues to be on Positive behaviour for learning (PBL) and we will continue to reinforce our modified matrix and positive behaviour strategies. For Year 5/6 students, this will include continuing to build respectful relationships with their peers and teachers, and showing persistence with their learning. Student leaders from all leadership areas will also have continued opportunities to engage in activities to further develop their leadership skills. Our SEL (Social Emotional Learning) curriculum whole school focus is on Social Management. For Year 5/6 students this will include exploring and appreciating the uniqueness of all people. They will define and recognise examples of stereotypes, discrimination and prejudice and discuss how they impact on the individual.

Weekly Specialist Timetable

5/6 A 

Wednesday - Performing Arts

Thursday - Visual Arts

Friday - P.E. and Chinese

We also have sports on Wednesday morning. 

5/6 B

Wednesday - Performing Arts, Library

Thursday - P.E.

Friday - Chinese and Visual Arts

We also have sports on Wednesday morning. 

5/6 C 

Tuesday - Chinese

Thursday - Performing Arts

Friday - Visual Arts and P.E.

We also have sports on Wednesday morning. 

Reminders

Summer uniform is required for term 4. Girls may wear either the summer tunic, or they may wear navy blue shorts and school polo shirts. Boys should wear navy blue shirts and school polo shirts. Hats should be worn everyday, please ensure your child’s hat is labelled clearly. 

The UV factor is beginning to creep up. We encourage you to supply your child with easy to apply sunscreen such as a roll-on suncream. We will also have sunscreen available for students in the classroom and will remind students to apply it before going outside. 

Water bottles should be sent in each day and be clearly labelled with your child’s name.