Grade 5/6 News

Hello Wimba Primary School community,

The students of Grade 5/6 would love to provide you with a snapshot of what has been happening in our classrooms recently.

About a month ago, we moved into our new classrooms, the brand-new portables between the gym and the sports field. The students have enjoyed the spacious learning area, as well as the views outside. We were lucky enough to watch some kangaroos hop about in the nearby paddock from the windows of our classroom last week!

In English, the students have been learning about a variety of things. We have learned about some different prefixes and suffixes including ‘im-’ and ‘semi-’. We have also been practising how to construct sentences that include talking marks, as well as using the correct punctuation within those sentences. We recently read the story ‘The Lost Thing’ by Shaun Tan and discussed the importance of having a sense of belonging within a community. Lastly, we have just commenced our first ‘Talk for Writing’ unit, where we are deconstructing a short narrative called ‘The Compass’.

In Numeracy, we have been busy completing some pre and post assessments to demonstrate our understanding of our first units, including place value for the grade 5s and whole number knowledge and patterns for the grade 6s. The grade 5s are currently learning about adding and subtracting large numbers, while the grade 6s are learning about solving problems with mixed operations, by using PRIME Mathematics.

It has been a busy couple of weeks for the 5/6 students. The grade 5s recently completed their NAPLAN testing, with all students trying their hardest to complete their tests to the best of their ability. This week, our students have participated in the Organ Pipes excursion, as well as the Summer Gala Day, playing a variety of sports such as Basketball, Cricket, T-Ball and Volleystars. Students enjoyed these experiences and represented our school with fantastic integrity. We also participated in Harmony Day activities and the 5/6 teachers enjoyed finding out about our students’ cultural backgrounds and traditions.

We hope you enjoyed finding out about what has been happening in Grade 5/6!

Caring companions:

This year at Wimba Primary School, we are introducing a brand new program called 'Caring Companions'. Our senior students in the school have been paired up with our Foundation students to act as a 'buddy', to mentor them as they begin their schooling journey. 

Our students have participated in some different sessions with their buddies, completing 'get to know me' and bonding activities. We are extremely proud of our 5/6 students for being outstanding role models to the younger students of our school community!

Other news:

In 2025 students at Wimba Primary School have the opportunity to participate in the Victorian Premier's Reading Challenge. 

What is it? 

The Victorian Premiers' Reading Challenge (VPRC) is a fantastic government initiative that encourages students of all ages to read a variety of books and engage with literature in a fun and interactive way. The challenge is designed to inspire students to read more and celebrate the joy of reading.

What’s Involved:

• Students can participate by logging on to the VPRC website https://vprc.eduweb.vic.gov.au/home and registering any books that they read during the challenge period.
• Students in 5/6 are required to read 15 books (at least 10 from the challenge list).
• The challenge runs from now until September.
• Students who complete the challenge will receive a certificate.

This is a great opportunity to foster a love of reading while having some fun doing it! Please note, this challenge is OPTIONAL. If you have any questions please reach out to your child's classroom teacher.