Wonga Weeklies
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Level 5 & 6 

A Wonderful Week in Our Community

Thank you to all of the families who attended our Open Afternoon last Thursday as part of Education Week. It was wonderful to see so many parents and family members engaging in classroom activities alongside the students and experiencing the learning taking place across our school. We greatly appreciate your ongoing support and involvement in our school community.

 

We are also looking forward to our second day at Clifford Park this coming Friday. Students thoroughly enjoyed their first visit and we are excited for them to continue building their understanding of Country through another day of rich, hands-on learning experiences.

Literacy

In Literacy, students will continue exploring the conventions of language, with a focus on direct and indirect speech. Students will learn how speech can be represented in writing, including the correct use of punctuation and how spoken language can be rewritten in different ways to suit purpose and audience.

 

Students will continue reading our class novel, Who Am I? by Anita Heiss, building vocabulary, comprehension skills and thoughtful responses through class discussion and written activities. Students will also explore My Place by Nadia Wheatley. This text will support students in examining perspectives of Australia’s history and making connections between people, place and events over time.

 

As part of our writing focus, students will begin exploring biographies by reading about notable Australians and examining the structure and features of biographical texts. Students will first have the opportunity to reflect on their own lives by writing an autobiography, before researching another Australian and creating a biography based on their findings. This unit will support students in developing their research, note-taking and informative writing skills.

 

In spelling, students will continue their work in the PhOrMes program, focusing on the Latin root “rupt” (meaning break). Students will explore how this root appears in a variety of words and how understanding word origins can support vocabulary and spelling development.

 

What you can do at home:

  • Encourage your child to identify examples of speech in books they are reading.
  • Discuss interesting or inspiring Australians and what makes their stories significant.
  • Explore words related to “rupt” (e.g. erupt, interrupt, rupture) and discuss their meanings.
  • Continue encouraging regular reading and discussions about texts.

 

Numeracy

This week in Numeracy, students will begin exploring probability, developing their understanding of chance and likelihood through practical investigations and rich mathematical tasks.

 

Grade 5 students will focus on identifying chance outcomes that are equally likely, naming probability outcomes as fractions, and conducting chance experiments while recording and analysing results. Students will apply this understanding through a rich task titled What Is It Likely to Look Like?

 

Grade 6 students will explore probability using numerical scales, estimating probabilities and applying probability concepts to real-life situations. Students will also complete a rich task titled A Day at the Fair 2: The Greater Race, encouraging strategic thinking and mathematical reasoning.

 

Throughout these lessons, students will be encouraged to explain their thinking, make predictions and justify their reasoning using mathematical language.

 

What you can do at home:

  • Discuss probability in everyday situations using words such as certain, likely, unlikely and impossible.
  • Play simple games involving dice, cards or spinners and talk about the likelihood of different outcomes.
  • Encourage your child to make predictions and explain their reasoning.

 

CBL (Challenge Based Learning)

In CBL, students will continue exploring the Stolen Generations and the significance of National Sorry Day. Through respectful and age-appropriate discussions, students will deepen their understanding of the experiences and impacts of these events on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities.

 

Students will also participate in their second learning day at Clifford Park, continuing to build their understanding of Country, culture and community through immersive, hands-on experiences.

 

What you can do at home:

  • Encourage your child to share their learning and reflections from Clifford Park.
  • Discuss the importance of empathy, respect and understanding different perspectives.
  • Explore trusted resources together to support conversations about Australia’s history.

 

Bullying Prevention

This week’s Bullying Prevention focus is Help Seeking. Students will explore the importance of seeking support from trusted adults and recognising when to ask for help in challenging situations.

 

Term Two Important Dates

May

  • 25th – Assembly
  • 26th – National Sorry Day
  • 27th – National Reconciliation Week
  • 27th – Teddy Bear’s Picnic (Grade Six and Prep students only)
  • 29th – Clifford Park Excursion

June

  • 1st – Curriculum Day
  • 2nd – Division Cross Country
  • 3rd – Mabo Day
  • 4th – Gala Sports Day 1
  • 9th–17th – Somers Camp (selected students)
  • 19th – Gala Sports Day 2