5/6S

Kii Class 5/6 Families,

Main Lesson – Roman Republic

Our Ancient Rome Main Lesson has continued over the last fortnight, and we have been learning about the Punic Wars - the long series of conflicts between Carthage and Rome as they fought for control of trade and power across the Mediterranean. In particular, we have been hearing stories about the renowned Carthaginian general Hannibal, remembered for his courage, determination and brilliant military strategies in his lifelong quest to defeat Rome. 

We have learned about the treacherous journey he undertook with his vast army of mercenary soldiers, horses and elephants across the snowy Alps into Italy from the north - an extraordinary achievement that surprised the Romans and remains one of the most famous military campaigns in history. We also explored the battles that followed, including Hannibal’s great victories against the Roman army, as well as the eventual demise of both Hannibal and his beloved city of Carthage at the hands of the Romans.

Literacy

In writing, students have continued transforming their knowledge of the Roman Republic into imaginative letters. This week, there has been a particular focus on descriptive writing, with students exploring techniques such as vivid sensory language, strong adjectives and expressive detail to bring their ideas to life. Through this work, they are not only communicating historical information but also expressing thoughts and feelings from the perspective of people living during this time. This has supported their ability to write with empathy and develop a strong narrative voice.

Students have also continued building their paragraphing skills, learning how to organise their ideas clearly so that their writing flows logically for the reader.

In Reading, we have been continuing our term-long study of the novel Black Cockatoo. Through this text, students are developing their comprehension skills by practising summarising key events and ideas, creating and answering thoughtful discussion questions, and making meaningful connections to the text. These connections include linking the story to their own experiences, other texts and the wider world, helping to deepen their understanding and engagement.

Mathematics

In Mathematics, we have continued working with decimals. Students have been further consolidating their understanding of place value to the thousandths, using partitioning strategies to represent, interpret and compare decimal numbers in different ways. Students have also been practising rounding decimals to estimate answers to addition and subtraction problems, helping them judge the reasonableness of their calculations and develop stronger number sense. In addition, we have been exploring the effect of multiplying and dividing decimals by powers of ten, with students learning how the value of digits changes according to place value patterns.

This past fortnight has also included the wet but wonderful Golden Valley Camp at Flinders. I would like to express my huge thanks to Beck from our parent body for joining us on the camp and for the enormous amount of care and support she contributed over the three days.

We have also had the lovely Tianna, a second-year student teacher, joining us in the classroom. Tianna has developed a wonderful rapport with the students and has quickly become a valued part of our classroom community. Her warmth, patience, enthusiasm and support have been greatly appreciated valued by all.

Ngoongodjin,

Robin