Year 5/6 

Overview of Learning

Year 5 

Term 4 is upon us, and what a fantastic year it has been so far! We have plenty of exciting things to look forward to as we head into our final term.

To start things off, our Grade 5 students will be heading on a STEM excursion to Arden Street, where they will work collaboratively to create a football simulation using robots. This 'hands-on' experience combines teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving in a fun and engaging way. The excursions will take place over two weeks: 5A will attend on Tuesday 14th, 5B on Wednesday 15th, and 5C on Wednesday 22nd October.   

Later in the term, students will be preparing and presenting their 2026 leadership speeches—an exciting milestone as we look ahead to announcing our 2026 student leaders. 

Our Teaching Team:

5A - Sam Butchart (Classroom Teacher)

5B - Fran Gould (Grade 5 Team Leader and Classroom Teacher) & Katy Wheeler (Teacher of the Deaf)

5C - Abbey Fletcher (Classroom Teacher)

English

In Literacy, students will take part in a novel study of Blueback by Tim Winton. This story follows a boy named Abel who grows up by the sea and befriends a gentle blue groper. Through this text, students will deepen their reading comprehension by analysing character development, key themes, and the author’s use of descriptive and figurative language. They will explore how writer's use complex sentences and rich vocabulary to make their writing more expressive and engaging.

The novel study will also provide opportunities for persuasive writing, with a focus on choosing language that captures attention and influences an audience. Students will apply these skills when crafting and presenting their leadership speeches.

Alongside the novel study, students will continue the Spelling Mastery program and participate in weekly book club meetings to share their reading experiences.

In Speaking and Listening, students will revise effective communication skills, expressing opinions and ideas clearly and respectfully during discussions and group activities. They will also refine their presentation skills in preparation for their upcoming leadership speeches.

Maths 

In Number and Algebra, students will explore multiplication, division and financial planning. They will find efficient strategies to solve multiplication and division problems. Students will use their collective mathematical knowledge and apply this to various problems. They will develop skills to use a spreadsheet and create basic formulas to multiply numbers and find the total for a budget. There will also be a focus on mathematical algorithms that use branching (making decisions) and repetition to solve number problems and find patterns.

In Applied Mathematics, students will study angles by drawing and using protractors to measure and name different kinds of angles. In Statistics, students will draw and interpret different line graphs. In Probability, they will conduct statistical investigations by creating questions, collecting data and choosing an appropriate way to represent their data. 

Inquiry

In Inquiry, students are exploring life in colonial Australia during the 1800s. They will investigate daily life, the reasons for British settlement and the perspectives of free settlers, convicts and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Students will also examine the key events and individuals that shaped the colonies and influenced Australia after Federation.

Year 5 Specialist Timetable

We are looking forward to continuing our partnership with families to support each child. If you have any further questions, please feel free to organise an appointment to meet with us.

THANK YOU!

Grade 5 Team,

Fran Gould, Katy Wheeler, Abbey Fletcher and Sam Butchart 

Year 6 

Welcome back to school for Term Four!

It’s hard to believe we are already nearing the end of the year! Term Three was another fantastic term filled with exciting events. As we now step into the final year of primary school for our Year 6 students, we are excitedly preparing for end of year celebrations. Throughout the term, students will be creating their primary school memory scrapbooks, preparing for graduation, participating in transition to high school and, of course getting ready for their Year 6 Big Day Out to Fun Fields!

Our Teaching Team This Term:

6A - Jackson Dunstan (Classroom Teacher Tuesday - Friday) & Sarah Mclellan (Mondays)

6B - Tasleem Sahib (Grade 6 Team Leader and Classroom Teacher) & Maddi Huglin (Monday, Tuesday and Friday) & Kate Bretag ( Wednesday and Thursday - Teachers of the Deaf)

6C - Chloe Bindloss (Classroom Teacher)

As always, we look forward to working together with families to ensure we can support all students to meet their full potential. Please feel free to reach out to us should you have any information to share, questions to ask, or simply to say hello.

Teaching and Learning Overview 

English

In Literacy, students will engage in a novel study of the text, "Can You See Me," by Libby Scott and Rebecca Westcott.

Through this text, students will explore how the author uses vivid and emotive language to create mood, develop character and build tension. They will expand their own writing skills by experimenting with new vocabulary, a variety of sentence structures and the use of connectives to show relationships between ideas. Alongside this, students will deepen their comprehension by making inferences about characters, examining figurative language and reflecting on the personal and social messages within the story. 

The study will also include opportunities for persuasive writing, allowing students to analyse arguments and apply persuasive devices in their own texts.

In addition to the novel study, students will continue participating in the Spelling Mastery program and take part in weekly book club meetings where they will examine and evaluate non-fiction texts. 

In Speaking and Listening, students will make connections between their own experiences and those of characters and events represented in texts. They will refine their oral presentation skills by planning, rehearsing and delivering formal presentations for specific audiences. This will include preparing and presenting speeches at Graduation. 

Maths 

In Number and Algebra, students will develop their skills in solving real-world problems involving rational numbers and percentages. They will practise using estimation strategies, mathematical modelling and both mental and written calculations to solve practical problems, including those related to financial contexts. Additionally, students will design and use algorithms to generate numerical patterns, interpreting and explaining the results.

In Applied Mathematics (Measurement, Space, and Probability) students will explore geometric relationships, focusing on angles on a straight line, angles at a point and vertically opposite angles, using reasoning to find unknown angles. They will also develop their ability to evaluate statistical information in traditional and digital media, critiquing data representations and conclusions. Students will plan and conduct their own statistical investigations, collecting and analysing data and communicating their findings in context.

Inquiry

In Inquiry, students are exploring life in colonial Australia during the 1800s. They will investigate daily life, the reasons for British settlement and the perspectives of free settlers, convicts and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Students will also examine the key events and individuals that shaped the colonies and influenced Australia after Federation.

Year 6 Specialist Timetable 

End of Year Celebrations

Graduation

Our Year 6 Graduation will be held on Tuesday 16th December 2025 at Uni Hill Conference Centre in Bundoora. This will be a ticketed event for families to attend. A pizza dinner and disco will be held after the ceremony for the students. 

Grade 6 Big Day Out

It is tradition for our Year 6 students to celebrate the end of their primary years with a Big Day Out celebration. An excursion to Fun Fields has been booked for Wednesday 10th December 2025 . Information on the excursion will be released on Compass in the coming weeks.

Memory Books

Our Year 6 students will be creating a special Memory Book to reflect on their primary school years. They are encouraged to bring in their own scrapbook, photos, artefacts and/or their own art supplies to personalise and decorate their work.

All information relating to Year 6 events will be shared via Compass, so we encourage you to check it regularly.

Again, welcome back to school, and please remember that at RGLPS we see education as a three-way partnership between the family, teacher and child. If you have any questions or concerns we invite you to make an appointment to meet with us.

THANK YOU!

Grade 6 Team,

Tasleem Sahib, Chloe Bindloss, Sarah McLellan, Jackson Dunstan, Maddi Huglin and Kate Bretag