Curriculum News
Portsea Year 5/6 OutdoorCamp
We are very excited to announce that the children will be going to Portsea Camp for 3 days! Camp is on Monday March 16th and returning to school on Wednesday 18th. We will send out the camp permission forms, Dietary requirements and packing list in the next few days after the Get to Know You Interviews.
During the Get to Know You Interviews you will be given a MACS Medical Authority form. Please note any medication eg melatonin, panadol, vitamins, claratine just to name a few, you must go to your doctor and have them sign MACS Medical Authority Form. If the form is not signed we cannot give medication.
We will have a Camp information evening on Thursday 5th March at 7.00pm for any questions.
Curriculum
MACS (Melbourne Archdiocese of Melbourne) have developed a new partnership with Ochre Education to produce comprehensive curriculum resources for schools. We will be using these resources in our curriculum areas this year.
English
This term, students will explore the English curriculum through a novel study. The students will use the OCHRE Program to help them develop their reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills simultaneously.
Students will be using the novel A Ghost in My Suitcase to develop their reading, writing and discussion skills. Students will analyse how the author uses language, sentence structure, figurative language and perspective to create meaning and influence readers. They will participate in discussions, ask questions, and use evidence from the text to explain ideas and viewpoints. Students also plan, write and edit persuasive texts using language features and following text structure.
Students will also explore narrative structures, including orientation, complication and resolution, and examine how characters, settings and plots are developed. They will apply this understanding by planning and writing their own narratives, using clear structure and purposeful language choices to create meaningful texts.
Mathematics
Year 5
This term in Maths, students are learning to use strategies to explain number patterns, especially when working with factors and multiples. They are also exploring data, finding the most common result (the mode), and identifying the overall shape of data groups. Students continue to strengthen their mental and written multiplication and division skills, helping them solve larger number problems confidently. They are also practising measurement by solving problems involving the perimeter and area of shapes, and using number rules to find missing values in equations.
Year 6
This term in Maths, students are learning about different types of numbers, including prime, composite, square and triangular numbers. They will continue to strengthen their knowledge of factors and multiples. The students will also use the order of operations, using brackets to help solve number sentences correctly. Students will use the area formula for rectangles in real life tasks and explore how shapes can have the same area but different perimeters and vice versa. The students will also create and interpret graphs (column, bar and line) to understand how data is spread out.
Religion
This term in Religion, students will explore the themes of Morality and Justice. They will learn about fairness, sharing, and compassion through the example and teachings of Jesus using the Project Compassion Campaign theme ‘Unite Against Poverty’. Students will consider what it means to be a disciple of Jesus and, through prayer, reflection, and discussion, deepen their understanding of the Catholic faith. They will also learn about the significance of Lent and Easter, exploring the biblical Easter story and reflecting on the importance of these events in our faith.
Science
Unit One: Animal Survival
Students explore how habitats have different physical conditions and how changes, including those caused by humans, can affect the survival of living things. They learn that organisms have evolved over time and that their features and behaviours help them thrive in their environments. Students develop questions, make predictions and plan fair, safe and repeatable investigations. They collect, organise and interpret data using tables, graphs and models to identify patterns and better understand the world around them.
Unit Two: Space Travel
Students learn about the different objects that exist in space beyond our solar system, such as stars, other galaxies and planets. They explore how living things might be able to travel and survive in space. They also look at how new discoveries and technologies have helped us understand space better and improve life on Earth. Students learn how First Nations Australians use the Sun, Moon and stars to help guide travel and find direction.
Humanities
Australia in the 1800s
This unit explores Australia’s early history, focusing on British settlement, life in the Victorian era, and the experiences of convicts, settlers and First Nations peoples. Students will investigate key events such as the Gold Rush and the Eureka Stockade and use historical sources and timelines to understand how Australia’s past has shaped society today.
Social & Emotional Wellbeing
Personal and Cultural Strengths
Students will explore Personal and Cultural Strengths. Students will develop vocabulary to help them recognise and understand strengths and positive qualities in themselves and others. They will identify the values and strengths they have learnt from role models within their families and culture and how this guidance helps them to treat others with respect. They will consider how to draw on these strengths to engage with the challenges and opportunities that life presents.