Year 5/6 - Senior Unit

Well done to all of our amazing Senior Unit students on a fantastic start to Semester 2!

It’s been wonderful to have the students back at school after the holiday break. Students came into the classrooms full of stories about their holiday adventures. They have settled back into the learning and classroom routines smoothly. 

Inquiry

This term in Year 5/6, our Inquiry focus is on Economics, and students are diving into some key concepts that help them make sense of the world around them, especially when it comes to how people make decisions and use resources. We will be investigating economic decisions and how these impact individuals, communities, and the environment. 

We’ve started by exploring the difference between needs and wants. Students have been involved in some interesting discussions and activities around this concept. Students have also been investigating the different types of goods and services and how they are used. 

Be sure to ask your child what they’ve learned about needs and wants — you might be surprised by what they say next time you're at the shops. 

Literacy

Over the past two weeks in literacy, our Year 5/6 students have been engaging in a focused unit on reading and analysing websites. This has been a great opportunity to build critical thinking skills while navigating digital texts — an important literacy skill in today’s world.

We’ve explored a range of age-appropriate websites, looking at their layout, language, and features such as menus, hyperlinks, and images. Students have enjoyed working both independently and collaboratively to explore how websites communicate messages and how to read them with a critical eye. 

Students will be applying their knowledge to design an informative text of their own. 

Mathematics

Over the past week in Numeracy, our Year 5/6 students have been deepening their understanding of the relationship between fractions, decimals, and percentages. They have learned how to accurately convert between these forms using familiar values and apply this knowledge to real-life contexts. A key focus has been solving problems that involve finding a fraction, percentage, or decimal of a quantity. We also explored how these concepts connect to chance, helping students describe and interpret probability using different forms.

Year 5/6 Teachers

Katie Cashen (56C), Brenda Elliot (56E), Ann Ireland (56I)