Learning and Teaching News
End of Term Celebration of Rich Learning in Year Five & Six
Our Year 5/6 students have finished a big and rewarding term exploring Health & Wellbeing, aligned to the Victorian 2.0 Health Curriculum. Across the term, students explored how their bodies grow and change, how to make informed health choices and how everyday habits influence their wellbeing now and into the future.
A highlight was our Family Learning Night, where students and families sat together and explored human growth and development together through a guided facilitator. Students showed maturity and curiosity as they explored what these changes mean and how to stay healthy and supported during this stage of life.
Throughout the term, students also investigated health messages and learned how to read food labels with a critical eye. They compared sugar levels, fibre, sodium and serving sizes to understand how nutrition supports energy, learning and healthy body functioning. Many were surprised by what they discovered inside everyday snacks and drinks.
Students were particularly interested in exploring body systems and how they work together. They were able to rotate through a range of activities that explored different body systems and connect the learning to the importance of nutrition. A key focus was the importance of water and hydration—how it supports concentration, digestion and overall wellbeing.
The students worked in teams to generate lots of Inquiry questions they wanted to continue exploring and unpacking through the term. The teachers were able to see a big growth in the types of questions students were asking as their knowledge and understanding around health and wellbeing deepened.
It has been a rich, practical and empowering term of learning. Our Year 5/6 students have shown growing independence, thoughtful questioning and a strong ability to connect their learning to real‑life choices.
Term 4 - Biological Science at SMDP
Next term, students from Prep to Six will focus on Biological Science, with students from Prep to Year Six exploring the big ideas of living things, their needs, life cycles and the interdependence of organisms and environments.
Across the school, students will be building their understanding of what makes something alive, how living things grow and change and how plants, animals and humans rely on each other to survive. This aligns directly with the Victorian Curriculum 2.0 Biological Sciences strand.
As students move through the year levels, their learning becomes increasingly sophisticated—from Prep students exploring the basic needs of living things, to Year 3/4 students investigating life cycles and adaptations and Year 5/6 students examining body systems and the interconnected nature of ecosystems. This shared focus allows our whole school to build a strong, coherent understanding of how biological systems function and why caring for living things and environments matters.
Kathy Blythe
Learning and Teaching Leader
Sustainable News
