Grade Five

At the end of Term 3, we said farewell to Mr Huggins, who moved to Perth with his family. We will miss his calm, gentle manner and terrific sense of humour and fun, but also wish him all the very best for everything incredible that awaits him. Saying farewell to Mr Huggins has allowed us to welcome Mrs Hewitt to both 5LH and the Grade 5 Team. Mrs Hewitt has slid into her teaching life at Oatlands seamlessly; we are incredibly grateful for the energy and enthusiasm she has brought with her.

Our journey through Term 3 so far has been very busy, but also very rewarding. The experiences offered to our students are many and varied; we know they are greatly appreciated by both students and staff alike.

ATHLETICS CARNIVAL:

A wonderful day was had by all at Casey Fields on Monday July 21st. All students showed terrific effort and resilience while competing in and waiting for events to be completed. Many Grade 5 students made it through to the District competition level, where they were part of the team that won the day; what a tremendous effort! We wish all students going on to compete at the upcoming Division competition all the very best; we know they will represent our school with great pride and show terrific sportsmanship.

STUDENT CENTRED CONFERENCES:

We thank all our students and their parents who participated in our Student Centred Conferences early in Term 3. The reflections and goals set by our students enabled them to take ownership of their learning and set goals that will help them strive for greater success throughout the second semester.

OATLANDS TIME CAPSULE - 25TH ANNIVERSARY

The opening of the time capsule was certainly a step back in time for OPS! Seeing student work, photos of former students and current staff members, was eye opening and enlightening. Our students were blown away by the changes to our school and stood mesmerised by the snapshot in time.

BUDDIES:

Our Buddy sessions continue to be a highlight for our Grade 5 students. The opportunity to mentor and be role models for our Prep students is certainly not taken for granted. It is wonderful to see their positive relationships continue to strengthen and grow.

EXTENDED COOKING:

Our second group of Grade 5 students to work closely with Jodie and members of the Principal Team in the Kitchen during their extended cooking sessions have been very lucky indeed. The experiences they have while in the Kitchen allow them to work closely and collaboratively, problem solve when needed and be challenged in ways that they may not have encountered before, all with the satisfying end result being both rewarding and delicious.

BOOK WEEK:

What a fantastic time of year this is! Our Grade 5 students have Booked an Adventure with Graeme Base’s book, The Last King of Angkor Wat, using the text to explore the theme and the author himself. Showcasing our work and welcoming family to our Book Week Showcase will be fun and entertaining. This week is a highlight for everyone!

The Book Trail, Mystery and Classic Storytime readers have both entertained our students and enabled them to immerse themselves in literature and develop an appreciation for the written word. We greatly appreciate the efforts of the Grade 6 students, Mark Dinnie and Mrs Nicholas in the creation and publication of Liru’s Story; it was a very special experience for us all.

Online presentations by authors Andy Griffiths and Tristan Bancks were highlights! Both authors were entertaining and gave helpful writing tips about what goes into creating a text. The art of writing is a lengthy but very rewarding process; our students were able to ask Tristan questions, which he happily answered - that was very exciting!

Our Booknic with our Prep Buddies was a wonderful way to come together and share our favourite picture story books, while eating lunch together. We love the time we spend with our Buddies!

ENGLISH, MATHS & INTEGRATED

Literature Circles, spelling and information report writing have been the focus of our English lessons to date this term. Our students actively engage in their Literature Circle conversations and discussions, both sharing and challenging the thoughts and opinions of others in their group.

Angles, Time, The Royal Oatlands Show, Number (focusing on factors, multiples, multiplication & division by multiples of 10 & 100, estimation & rounding and problem solving) have kept our students busy in Maths. Our students continue to work on the goals they set for themselves relating to multiplication and division, while reinforcing their understanding and ability to work mathematically during both Quick Maths and given independent work.

A focus on geography during our Integrated unit on Sustainability has enabled our students to see the world around them, while also developing a greater understanding and appreciation of indigenous groups across the world and how Indigenous Australians have been sustainably caring for country over thousands of years. Our World Expo will no doubt be a highlight for our students.

We remain greatly appreciative of the ongoing support and look forward to the exciting times to come.

“I love the way that each book — any book — is its own journey. You open it, and off you go…”

– Sharon Creech