Grade 5/6

WELCOME TO GRADE 5/6 - 2026!

We are very excited to welcome all our Grade 5/6 students and their families to the 2026 school year! The Grade 5/6 teaching team and Education Support staff are looking forward to a fantastic year of learning, growth and new opportunities.

Grade 5/6 is a special time where students continue to build their independence, confidence and responsibility. Throughout the year, students will be challenged to think deeply, work collaboratively and take pride in their learning.

There are also lots of exciting experiences to look forward to in Grade 5/6. These include interschool sports, leadership opportunities, and for our Grade 6 students, the chance to be buddies with our younger students and take on important leadership roles within the school.

We are committed to creating a positive, inclusive and supportive learning environment where every student feels safe, valued and encouraged to do their best. We can’t wait to get to know our students and families and to begin a wonderful year together in Grade 5/6!

READING

We are excited to introduce our new Grade 5/6 library and updated borrowing system for 2026. Students will have regular opportunities to visit the library, explore a wide range of engaging texts, and develop responsibility through borrowing and returning books independently. We encourage families to support students by talking about what they are reading at home and helping them remember to bring their library books to school each week.

We are also introducing Focus Reading Groups. These small group sessions allow teachers to work closely with students to build key reading skills such as comprehension, fluency, vocabulary and critical thinking. Students will engage in rich discussions, ask questions about texts, and learn strategies to better understand what they read.

During our reading mini lessons, students will be learning how to deeply analyse and critique a range of texts. One of the mentor texts we will be exploring is The Big Little Book of Happy Sadness, where students will examine themes, characters, language choices and illustrations to support their thinking. This will help students develop stronger opinions about texts and learn how to justify their ideas with evidence. 

WRITING

In Grade 5/6, students have begun the year by planning and composing persuasive texts. They are learning how to form strong opinions, organise their ideas clearly, and support their arguments with reasons and evidence.

Later in the term, students will move into narrative writing, where they will focus on creating engaging stories with well-developed characters, settings and plots. Students will be encouraged to use their imagination while also applying key writing skills.

Across all writing sessions, we are extending students through a strong focus on vocabulary development, sentence structure and language features. Through explicit teaching and regular practice, students are learning how to make their writing more interesting, detailed and effective for different audiences and purposes.

Numeracy

In Numeracy, students have begun the year by revising and strengthening their understanding of place value, which is a key foundation for all areas of mathematics. Students are learning to read, write, compare and order large numbers, and to apply this knowledge in meaningful ways.

We are also focusing on worded problems and problem solving, where students are encouraged to think critically, choose appropriate strategies, and explain their reasoning. This helps students build confidence in tackling unfamiliar problems and develop strong mathematical thinking skills.

This term, we have introduced Maths Groups, where students receive targeted instruction based on their learning needs. These small group sessions allow teachers to provide more personalised support and extension, helping all students to make progress and feel successful in their learning.

INQUIRY / SEL

This term, our Inquiry focus is Identity. Students are exploring questions about who they are, what they value, and how our choices reflect our beliefs. We are examining moral dilemmas and discussing what it means to make decisions based on our personal values.

As part of this unit, students will be preparing for a showcase where they will present their understanding of identity through creative activities and presentations. This is an exciting opportunity for students to reflect on themselves, share their ideas with others, and celebrate the unique qualities that make them who they are.

This term, our SEL focus has been on building positive relationships and working together. Students have been learning how to communicate respectfully, collaborate with peers, and solve problems as a team.

We have had lots of fun engaging in games and participating in team challenges, which have helped students practise cooperation, develop trust, and celebrate each other’s strengths. These experiences support a positive classroom environment where everyone feels valued and included.