Year 5/6 - Senior Unit
Welcome back to all our students and families! It has been so lovely to see how well the Year 5/6 students have settled into the new school year. They have made a fantastic start, and it’s already shaping up to be a great year with such a positive and enthusiastic group.
The students have also done an amazing job making the classroom feel like theirs. From their bobble heads proudly displayed on our classroom door to the personal shields they created to represent themselves and their interests, the room is already full of colour, creativity, and personality.
In terms of learning, we have been easing back into routines and getting used to our new timetables. We have spent time revisiting what it means to be a great learner, what our lessons should look like, and how to show positive learning behaviours across all subjects—something this cohort has taken on really well.
In Literacy, students began the year by writing letters to their future selves. These letters have been safely stored and will be revisited at the end of the year, giving students a chance to reflect on how much they have grown. They also completed heart maps in their writer’s notebooks, capturing the people, places, and interests that matter most to them and helping spark ideas for future writing.
Students have also started exploring feature articles—what they are, what they include, and why authors write them. They even had a go at writing a feature article about a topic they know very well—themselves—which was a great way to build confidence and engagement.
In Mathematics, we have been talking about what a maths lesson looks like in Year 5/6 and completing some refresher activities. Students shared their Life in Numbers, using maths to represent different parts of their lives, and revisited the tools and strategies they can use if they are unsure. We also explored the idea of the learning pit, learning that it’s okay to feel confused sometimes and that giving things a go is an important part of learning. Students were also introduced to the Cartesian plane, which helps us locate points using coordinates on a grid.
In Inquiry, we have begun our unit on the Gold Rush and how it helped shape Australia. Students shared what they already know and what they are curious to learn as we continue exploring this topic together.
We are really looking forward to the weeks ahead, especially our upcoming camp to Sovereign Hill, which is fast approaching. It will be an exciting and memorable experience for students and a wonderful way to bring our Gold Rush learning to life.
We’re looking forward to a fantastic year ahead!
Year 5/6 Teachers
Lyndsay Adamson (56A), Sharna Ford (56F), Ann Ireland (56I) and
Alison Meggs/Iain Sparrey (56M)