Grade 5 Community News
Dear Grade 5 families,
Welcome to Week 10 of Term 4! It’s hard to believe we have just one more week until the end of term—and the end of a very busy and productive school year. The students have been wonderful, showing great resilience, enthusiasm, and teamwork as we wrap up our final learning activities for 2025.
Bush Dance Photos
Elephant Ed Incursion
Last week, our Year 5 students took part in puberty education sessions delivered by the Elephant Ed facilitators, who specialise in age-appropriate, evidence-based wellbeing education. The workshops covered key changes that occur during puberty, including the physical and emotional developments that happen as bodies mature. Students learned what periods are, why they happen, and how they can be managed safely and hygienically. They also explored how changes in the body are normal.
More broadly, the facilitators guided students through discussions about growth spurts, new body hair, skin changes, stronger emotions, and developing independence. Throughout the sessions, the Elephant Ed team emphasised that these changes are normal, that everyone develops at their own pace, and that seeking information from trusted adults is both healthy and encouraged. We invite parents to continue these conversations at home if appropriate.
Hats
All children are required to wear hats during recess and lunch playtimes during term four and term 1.
Knowledge Building
The end of term has seen us wrap up our novel ‘The Last Bear’ by Hannah Gold. Students have continued to use the knowledge they have learnt about the Arctic, climate change, and the declining habitats for polar bears to write a persuasive text. They have been heavily scaffolded on how to create strong body paragraphs and have been taught how these paragraphs build on each other. Students have been prompted to apply their learning about connectives and varied clauses to ensure that the messages in their writing are clear and sophisticated.
Mathematics
We have recently completed our 12-lesson unit on Operations, where students explored a range of mathematical operations and applied different problem-solving strategies. Throughout the year, they have built a solid toolkit of methods to help them tackle calculations and real-world problems with increasing confidence.
For the remainder of the term, we will be focusing on strengthening any areas of need identified throughout the year. Students will also have opportunities to revisit and consolidate their basic number facts to ensure they are well prepared for the year ahead.
Vocabulary
Over the past two weeks, the students have been learning new words each week from the novel and fluency reading passages. Students look at the meaning of the words, part of speech, how to use the words in sentences, word associations, and affixes. They then use these words when writing and speaking.
