Year 5 News

Term 3!  

This week was just our third week back from holidays and it was fantastic to see everyone's smiling faces and hear all about the amazing adventures that you all had. We have hit the ground running with a bunch of exciting new topics and activities. Here's a recap of what we've been up to: 

Unit of Inquiry: How We Express Ourselves 

We kicked off our new unit of inquiry ‘How We Express Ourselves,’ thinking about our Central Idea: ‘Factors within our environment influence our perceptions and actions.’ The students have begun exploring the concept of communities and how they influence us (both positively and negatively). We've had some great discussions about what makes a community, the different types of communities we belong to, and how our interactions within these communities’ shape who we are. It's been enlightening to hear everyone's perspectives and experiences. 

Science: Illumination 

The students were very excited to begin our science lessons this term. This term, we started exploring the fascinating topic of illumination. The students have been learning about different sources of light and how light interacts with objects. The students are looking forward to conducting some fun experiments to observe how light behaves and about the importance of light in our daily lives. The excitement and curiosity in the classroom were palpable as we delved into this bright new topic 😊 

Literacy: Daily 5 Routines 

To get back into the swing of things, we revisited our Daily 5 routines in literacy – Work on Words, Work on Writing, Read to Self, Read to Someone and Listen to Reading.  

Last week, the students focused on writing about their perfect winter day. It was wonderful to see their creativity flow as they described cozy fireplaces, snowball fights, hot chocolate, and winter adventures. The writing pieces were a delightful read and it's clear that everyone had a lot of fun using their imaginations. This week we planned and executed an engaging narrative about a day in the life of a superhero. 

The students took to the task with lots of enthusiasm and the results were a joy to read. 

Numeracy: Multiples, Factors, Volume and Capacity 

In numeracy, we've been working on multiples and factors, including the highest common factors (HCF) and lowest common multiples (LCM). The students have been engaged in various activities and problem-solving exercises to understand these concepts better.  

We also spent some time thinking about the inverse relationship between multiplication and division and topped off a particularly challenging week looking at volume and capacity. It's been great to see their enthusiasm and determination to master these important mathematical skills. 

Finally, the students thought about how to identify unknown values within multiplication and division equations.  Thinking mathematically via algebraic equations is a wonderful way for the students to improve their multiplicative abilities. 

Looking Ahead 

As we move forward, we are excited about the learning and discoveries that await us this term. We have a lot of fun and engaging activities planned and we can't wait to see the students continue to grow and thrive. Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to sharing more of our adventures with you.