5-6 Class

Every morning, we engage in a routine that prepares us for a positive approach to learning for the day. We begin by taking a little time to pause, reflect and focus on something that matters. Across the term, we have explored growth mindset and positive self-talk, problem solving, wonder and awe, perseverance and recognising the strengths we bring to our classroom.

This week, our focus has been “Where am I at?” We have reflected on what we are getting better at, what is still challenging us, how far we have come since the beginning of the year, the strengths we contribute to our class, and where we would like to go next. These moments encourage us to notice our growth and think about ourselves as learners.

We then move into one of our positive primers, designed to bring energy, fun and connection into the room. These have included balancing challenges, pen flips, simple ball games, relays, knowledge relays, Quiz Shot, collaborative drawing challenges and plenty of team activities. They are often simple, sometimes competitive, occasionally hilarious, and always a great way to get our energy flowing and put us in a positive frame of mind for learning.

Our morning routine has become a much-loved way to kick off each day. Be sure to ask the students about our positive primers!

Bush Play – Survival Challenge

We had a fantastic team challenge this week, with students having some agency in deciding what they would like to tackle during Bush Play. Of course, building bush huts was high on the list!

Students were challenged to create a survival shelter that could protect them if they found themselves stranded in the bush. What followed was wonderfully inventive and creative, with plenty of teamwork and quite a bit of muscle involved! Branches were dragged across the wetlands, ideas were tested and adapted, and by the end of the session there were some truly marvellous structures taking shape.

I was incredibly proud of the energy, imagination and teamwork the students brought to the challenge, and of the way they continue to embrace and enjoy our beautiful natural environment.

I hope you enjoy the photos capturing some of the wonderfully inventive bush shelters that emerged from the challenge!

Chemical Science – The Golden Beaker Mystery

Our Chemical Science unit has been incredibly engaging so far, with students taking on the role of scientific investigators to solve the mystery of the missing Golden Beaker! Each week, new evidence is uncovered and students use their growing scientific knowledge to examine the clues and consider our different persons of interest.

So far, we have explored states of matter and the properties of substances, including investigating and comparing the density of different liquids. This week, a mysterious powder was discovered near the scene, leading us into an investigation of solubility. Students tested a range of substances, including salt, Epsom salts, talcum powder and sand, to determine whether they would dissolve in water. Importantly, we discussed the need for a fair test, keeping the amount of water, substance and stirring time consistent so that our results could be reliably compared.

When we finally tested our mystery powder, we discovered that it dissolved, but so did more than one of our known substances! Our investigators quickly realised that one piece of scientific evidence isn't always enough to reach a conclusion.