Melton West Primary School

Year 5/6 News 

 English

Reading

In Term 1 our 5/6 students will begin the year by learning about our agreed expectations when reading. They will learn how to use their reading journal, choose just-right books, establish a neat and orderly classroom library and use a book borrowing system, among other things. After the ‘First 20 Days of Reading’ concludes, students will dedicate time to learning a range of comprehension strategies to support them in their reading. At the Grade 5/6 level, the focus is on building on their understanding various comprehension strategies and understanding Tier 2 vocabulary when extracting meaning from complex novels. The comprehension strategies that students will learn include the following: making connections, inferring, determining importance, understanding text structure and features and visualising. Our students will learn to apply these strategies to a range of texts, including our class novel.

 

Writing

In Writing, students will set up their Writer’s Notebook and understand how writers go through a process when creating texts. The major text-type for this term is persuasive writing, during this unit the students will learn to create arguments with supporting facts and build on their understanding of how to use persuasive techniques using a range of language features such as rhetorical questions and emotive language. The students will be involved in planning, drafting, revising, editing and publishing their own persuasive text. 

            

Mathematics

This term in Mathematics, the students will be beginning the term by tapping into their knowledge of numbers. They will be working individually and collaboratively to explore the base-10 number system with numbers up to six digits. The students will also work on representing, comparing and ordering decimals. While learning about the value of numbers, the students will be exploring how to compare and convert 12 hour and 24 hour time. They will then move onto a focus on measuring temperatures using the scales of a thermometer. The students will then end the term learning about angles. They will explore different types of angles and use protractors as a tool for measuring angle sizes. We are looking forward to working with our students to extend their understanding of these mathematical concepts. 

 

 

Inquiry

Our students will start the term by completing the Learning to Learn program. Throughout the Learning to Learn program we will be focusing on how students can strengthen and support their ability to learn, form positive relationships by developing a growth mindset, recognise and nurture their character strengths.

Upon the completion of the Learning to Learn program we will begin our Healthy Body, Healthy Mind Inquiry unit. The students will investigate the needs of their bodies, as well as the changes that occur throughout the different stages of the human lifespan. They will explore resources to help them navigate and manage the changes, develop an understanding of the effect of substances on their bodies and how they can incorporate healthy eating to support the needs of their body. 

 

 

Science

Grade 5/6 students have an exciting start to the year in 2024 with Term 1 focusing on Biology. Students will learn that living things have structural features and adaptations that help them to survive in their environment. They will be involved in learning tasks based upon: list multiple adaptations that assist an animal or plant to survive its environment; identifying the environment, structure and function of animal adaptations; conducting experiments which explore the links between adaptations and certain environments; exploring multiple adaptations that Australian animals possess that help it survive in its environment; and research an Australian animal or plant and the adaptations it possesses.

 

 

LOTE - AUSLAN

It is with much excitement to announce that this year students at Melton West Primary School from Prep to Grade six will be learning AUSLAN as our new LOTE subject! The program will commence in due course when it is available and set up for learning to take place in classrooms. Classroom teachers will facilitate the learning and will be provided with comprehensive resources and a teaching program from Auslan Education Services. We look forward to our students learning this wonderful skill which will provide many opportunities to communicate with the broader and inclusive community. Be sure to look out for notifications in our newsletter and social media platforms for when students have begun to engage in this fantastic learning experience! 

 

 Art

Welcome to Term 1, Art, 2024! In Art, Grade 5 and 6 will begin by settling into routines and following expectations in our art room environment. This will include taking pride and care when using art materials and tools and demonstrating positive behaviours while in the classroom.

The topic for this term is Colour Theory, the students will revise their prior knowledge of Primary and Secondary colours, the students will then use this knowledge to explore warm and cool colours and how to differentiate between the two.

During the term the students will be exposed to different artist who have used various cool and warm colours to create their art work, they will then use these as inspiration to create their own fun and creative art pieces.

Looking forward to seeing lots of creativity and wonderful artworks from Grade 5 and 6 in Term 1!

 

P.E.

Welcome back to a new year of Physical Education! We have another busy year ahead with interschool sport competition which starts this term. Along with Melton schools swimming carnival the sports on offer are cricket, volleyball, and tennis that are available for our 5/6 boys and girls who wish to represent the school. All the teachers are excited and proud of the opportunities that will be available for our students this term and this year.

For this term, the focus in our learning is on football and netball and being able to apply knowledge and skills about these sports in game-based situations. We will be continuing the development of the fundamental movement skills and applying them in game situations. The major focus of the learning is centred around a games-based approach to Physical Education. This will include small-sided games and full-sized games that all students will be given the opportunity to participate in.

Our grade 5/6 students are aiming to apply creative and critical thinking when playing sport and using this to form strategies to assist them in successful outcomes. We want to create students who play fair, can follow rules and demonstrate ethical behaviour when it comes to competitive sporting contests. We have such a wonderful year ahead for Physical Education and sport for the 5/6 students. I can not wait for what is ahead and looking forward to seeing our school achieve great things in sport.