Year 5/6 Term1 Overview

Year 5/6 Term One

Welcome back to the 2021 school year! It has been an exciting start to the year, with everyone glad to be back learning in person! The students have shown that they are ready and excited for the year of learning ahead. 

Andrew Brown and Emma Pattison are our 5/6 classroom teachers this year.  Our senior teaching team is supported by Julie Carroll and Melinda Kerwin this year, as the Learning Support Officers for our learning area. 

RE/Inquiry

Our first term unit of learning will have a Civics and Citizenship focus. Students will be exploring the values that underpin Australian democracy and the key institutions and levels of government. Students will investigate how state and federal laws are created and passed through parliament as well as how and why laws are enforced. 

This learning will include exploring Catholic Social Teaching Principles; Human Dignity, Subsidiarity and Participation, as we all strive to build a more just world, both globally and locally.

Please note in your calendars: 

Meet and Greet                                Thursday 11 February

Twilight Sports                                  Monday 1 March                          

Year Six Camp                                    Monday 22 February - Wednesday 24 February 

Student Led Conferences             Tuesday 24 and Wednesday 25 March

All other school dates will be on the Skool Bag app and in the school newsletter.

English

This term, the senior students will develop their reading comprehension, speaking and listening and writing skills through our weekly literacy rotations. Our literacy rotations will be guided by our recent comprehension assessment and students will be exposed to a variety of texts types, word study activities (vocabulary, spelling, punctuation and grammar), and online activities (Behind the News  and Reading Eggs) as part of this learning. In teacher focus groups, students will discuss ideas and share their opinions relating to various topics and texts, as we address specific comprehension needs for each student's learning. 

This term in writing we will be focusing on creating persuasive texts. This will include using strong persuasive strategies in their writing to convince the reader, such as expert knowledge, facts and statistics, appealing to emotions, personal experience and sense of urgency.  

Mathematics

The following curriculum will be taught this term:

Whole numbers: Place Value

• Students will identify and describe factors and multiples of whole numbers to solve problems. They will use estimation and other efficient strategies, including the use of digital technologies, to solve problems.

Addition and Subtraction: 

• Students will use efficient mental and written strategies to solve addition and subtraction problems involving four and five digit numbers.
• Students will use estimation to check the reasonableness of their answers.

Statistics and Probability: Data 

• Students will pose questions and collect categorical or numerical data by observation or survey. They will construct displays with and without the use of digital technologies and describe and interpret different data sets in context.

Social Emotional Learning

This term in SEL our whole school focus is on Self Awareness. Year 5/6 students will be exploring the links between their emotions and behaviours. Students will learn to recognise and name different emotions in themselves and others, identifying the body language and facial expressions often displayed when they are feeling a certain way. They will name positive and negative emotions and discuss how these can have different effects on us. 

Home Learning

Home learning will be given to students in the 5/6 area on a fortnightly basis beginning in week 4 of this term.  Students will be required to complete all compulsory activities and 3 of the free choice activities, continuing the same structure they are familiar with. We see home learning as a terrific opportunity for students to develop and improve in their organisation and time management skills and greatly appreciate parents and family support with this. 

Timetable

Specialist classes for Performing Arts and Visual Arts will be on Friday mornings in 2020. Students should have left their art smock at school at the end of last year - please return it if it was taken home. Students will participate in Chinese language studies on a Wednesday. Students will need to wear their sport uniform on Mondays and Wednesdays for PE and Sport lessons. 

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.

abrown@sjmitcham.catholic.edu.au 

epattison@sjmitcham.catholic.edu.au

Please make sure that you have the Skoolbag App, as many school notices and reminders will be sent via the App. 

https://skoolbag.com.au/web/?schoolid=22726

Each student has received a diary for this year. These will be used for the following purposes:

1. To develop organisational and time management skills
2. As a communication tool.
3. Record and communicate nightly reading

Please view your child’s diary weekly as they are recording their nightly reading and sign it please before it will be checked on a Friday at school.

Emma Pattison and Andrew Brown