Monarch 

Dear families,

As we reflect on the month of March, our Monarch Community would like to send warm greetings to all!  We recognise this is a special month for many as there are several religious holidays and traditions being observed, so we send our best wishes and support for all the shared celebrations happening during this time. 

We’re excited to share with you what the students have been learning this month, and as we end of our first term of 2025, we thank you for your support and wish you a safe and happy holiday! 

Reading

This month in reading, students built on their prior knowledge and used reading strategies like skim and scan to read more effectively. They looked at how language, images, and descriptions can spark emotions and create vivid pictures in the reader’s mind. Students worked on visualising scenes from the texts to better understand them and developed skills to evaluate ideas, summarise key points, and ask thoughtful questions. During discussions, they practised paraphrasing, asking questions, and justifying their thoughts to communicate their ideas more confidently. 

Spelling

Students have been sharpening their spelling skills by working on a variety of word patterns and exploring the origins of words. They practised spelling regular and irregular plurals, prefixes, and suffixes. They learnt strategies relating tohomophones, commonly confused words, vowel combinations, and silent letters. They also explored Greek and Latin roots, syllable counting, and applied their knowledge of word origins in writing.

Writing 

Our Monarch students worked on expressing their ideas clearly, considering different opinions and using reliable sources when writing persuasive texts. They learnt how texts are organised and how to use language features for different purposes.  Students focused on writing clear, well-organised texts, reviewing and editing their work, and improving their fluency and neatness in writing.

Maths 

In maths, students learnt to use inverse operations to solve missing numbers and examined fact families and their connection to different operations. They also planned and conducted investigations, learning how to visually represent data. Additionally, students learnt different methods to solve multi-digit multiplication problems,  collected/recorded data, and interpreted pictographs.  

Inquiry

Students explored the impact of European settlement on the environment, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, and the development of the colonies.  They created a timeline showing how European influences changed the environment. They researched the daily lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in the 1800s and their relationships with Europeans. Additionally, they explored the impact of significant events on the development of the colonies.

Social-Emotional Learning 

Our year 5 students practiced a variety of skills to assist in their personal growth and development.   They learnt the importance of respect, rights, and responsibilities through the work of Aboriginal authors, and identified personal and cultural strengths that contribute to fair and inclusive treatment. Additionally, they investigated how people use strengths to face everyday challenges and explored resources to manage changes during puberty.

REMINDER!

Term 2 begins on Tuesday, April 22nd!