Year 5/6

English

Reading

This term in reading the 5/6 students continued their work on inferring, building their knowledge of how to infer a character’s thoughts, feelings and motivations. The students worked on using their prior knowledge and the evidence from the text to make inferences about how a character’s feelings have changed in the text. The students then worked on understanding how to infer the big idea or theme of a text by using the evidence from the text to support their inference. Throughout the term, the students also focused on making connections by connecting texts to their personal experiences, making connections between texts and connecting texts with the happenings of the world. The grade 5/6 students then finished the term off with summarising the important parts of fiction and non-fiction texts in a sequenced way, both orally and in writing. 

  Writing

This term the grade 5/6 students have worked on understanding information reports.The students successfully used the writing process which involved researching information to support their idea development, drafting, revising and editing and publishing. They chose a topic of interest to write their information report. Through this they built their understanding of the text features that are essential to information reports (introduction, description and concluding paragraph). Throughout the unit, the students also had the opportunity to extend their vocabulary through the use of subject specific vocabulary and the use of adjectives that are factual and precise. 

Mathematics

This term in maths the grade 5/6 students worked on covering a range of areas. The students began the term focusing on data, where they worked on creating data displays using numerical and categorical data, comparing and interpreting a range of data sets and explaining the difference between primary and secondary data. The students will then moved onto time, where they unpacked the difference between 12-hour and 24-hour time, interpreted timetables, measured, calculated and compared elapsed time and converted between 12-hour and 24-hour time. The major number focus for the term was addition and subtraction, where students worked on solving problems using a range of efficient strategies, recording, explaining and justifying their solutions and using mental estimation and rounding. The students also had a focus on length and perimeter, where they worked on measuring accurately and with appropriate units, converting between metric units of length by understanding the relationship of ‘10 of these is 1 of those’ in the metric system. The students also investigated efficient ways to find the perimeter of shapes. 

Inquiry 

In term 2 the grade 5/6 students have been extending their knowledge of the Australian government system. The sole focus of our ‘Decisions, Decisions, Decisions’ unit allowed students an opportunity to showcase their understanding on the role of the parliament in creating a law. Students showcased their understanding through an assessment task that explored a variety of issues related to the school environment, learning or rules of their choice that they would like to make a new law about. Grade 5/6 students unpacked the purpose of participating in the community as an active citizen. 

 Science

This term in Science, Grade 5/6 students have focused on the Earth and Space Sciences. Students have explored geological events that affect Earth’s surface (e.g. earthquakes and volcanic eruptions). They have investigated a variety of extreme weather events that affect Earth’s surface (e.g. cyclones, tsunamis, bushfire, drought, flood and tornadoes). The Grade 5/6 students have completed an individual research project focusing on a geological or extreme weather event of their choice. Students have explored the causes of the extreme weather or geological event they are researching, aiming to further understand why these events occur here on Earth.

 LOTE – Chinese

During Term 2 in Chinese, Grade5 students learnt basic colours in Chinese, such as 黑色hei se (black), 白色bai se（white), 红色hong se (red),绿色(green), 蓝色lan se (Blue) and 黄色 huang se (yellow).  They started using iPad game (Blooket) to review their learning. Also Grade5/6 students  continued to learn numbers 1-100,1000, and 10,000 in Chinese characters and pronunciation , together with pinyin song and Gongxi Gongxi song.

Art

In term 2, the Grade 3 to 6’s have been getting very messy with paint. They have been experimenting with painting on a variety of surfaces including on rocks, walls and on vinyl records. They have been learning about Australian Indigenous Art and have had the opportunity to create and replicate their own inspired versions. The students have been learning about Aboriginal Symbols, the meaning of each symbol, why they are important and how they were used by Indigenous Australians. The students experimented with dot painting using cotton buds on vinyl records and paper. They painted their favorite symbol and carefully placed dots around it. The students really enjoyed learning about Indigenous Art. I look forward to more messiness in the Art room in Term 3.

P.E.

This was a term for the grade 5/6 students that was full of success and great results in our inter school competitions. Congratulations and well done to each student who represented Melton West in interschool sport. You all did the school so proud and showed excellent sportsmanship and behaviour when competing. Thank you to all the staff who attended and supported our students. We achieved some wonderful results and I know all the students who attended these events had such a great time and experience. We look forward to the second half of the year and more opportunities to play and achieve fantastic results.

In Physical Education class, the students in 5/6 began the term with basketball. Our students took a games-based approach to learn about this sport and were able to engage and play in 3 v 3 games and full 5 v 5 competition games. They have continued to develop their skills for the game of basketball and were able to showcase these skills during gameplay. Students used strategy in the game of basketball and showed they can work in teams to solve problems. The next topic of work was track & field and being able to participate in a range of different events that showcase the fundamental movement skills. All 5/6 classes worked on a range of athletic events and were able to showcase their skills. Our class athletic competition has been postponed to the start of term 3. The events that will be included are short distance running, relay running, discuss, shot put, and hurdles. This term was so much fun and exciting to be a part of for the 5/6 students with so many opportunities in sport. I cannot wait for what is ahead for our 5/6 students in the second half of the year.