What's Happening in the Senior School
Year 5
What’s Happening in Year 5 in Weeks 7 and 8
It was wonderful to catch up with many of our families at our recent fantastic Family Fun Night. Well done to the painters, planters and the team players on the oval. We hope you enjoyed the Japanese games too.
Our Kitchen Garden is thriving. This fabulous learning space is being used for students to explore gardening, composting, cooking, planting, harvesting and identifying fruit and vegetable plants. There has been weeding too but the Year 5 teachers agree that our parents and carers are more likely to have their children helping out, at home, with their new pizza making skills using our garden produce.
Wellbeing
Fostering the wellbeing and development of social and emotional skills in Year 5 is a priority. Our teaching program will explore ‘intense emotions’ and the ‘rollercoaster of emotions’. Learning to recognise and regulate emotions helps develop empathy for others and improve understanding of relationships.
Literacy
The Year 5s will be completing NAPLAN Practice tests. After NAPLAN we will return to our structured and supportive literacy program which is guided by the latest research in the science of language and reading. Our typical sessions focus on the 5 areas of reading: phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. There will be opportunities for students to listen to modelled reading and to read with partners.
We will explore persuasive writing using the text War Horse with a focus on the body and conclusion paragraphs.
For literacy conventions we will correct and address misconceptions in spelling and grammar.
We will continue to implement regular, short handwriting exercises from our handwriting book. Our students have also been signed up for free ‘Typing Club’ activities which are sure to be a firm favourite.
Maths
The Year 5s will complete NAPLAN practice tests. Our students are noticeably already more confident and have been gaining a better understanding of the strategies involved in test taking. After NAPLAN, they will solve practical problems involving the perimeter and area of regular and irregular shapes. We will continue our focus on place value.
Knowledge Unit
The Knowledge Unit in Term 1 is History. Our students enjoyed the recent inquiry into the impact of the Gold Rush on Indigenous Australians and are now going to continue their ability to locate important information and summarise main points through the ‘Chinese Perspective on the goldfields’.
Homework
Our students are expected to read every night and record their progress in their personal diaries. Students need to bring their diary to school every day and take it home each night to record their reading. Classroom teachers will be checking these diaries to monitor student reading habits. The student diary will also be used to highlight important dates and reminders. Students have also all been sent home with Mathletics logins and allocated activities.
Reminders
Our students will commence NAPLAN testing this Wednesday. All students will need to ensure their laptop is charged at the beginning of the school day and that they have headphones.
Please make sure classroom novels are carried in reading pouches which come back to school so your child can select new books to read when they have finished the novel from the classroom library. They can only choose new books once they returned the novel they have read.
Year 6
What’s Happening in Year 6 in Weeks 7 and 8
The Year 6 students have returned from camp with a positive learning attitude. They spent a lovely afternoon connecting with their Prep buddies during the annual Teddy Bear Picnic. We’ve introduced diaries to keep track of important dates and ensure students take note of their daily reading. Students are starting to learn and practise good habits for secondary school. We have also embraced a new learning style that starts our lesson with a daily review, ensuring students are well-prepared and focused. The program is designed to enhance their knowledge and support long-term academic growth. Additionally, a number of students have successfully kicked off their radio career last week at Southern FM Radio. If you didn’t get a chance to yet, be sure to tune in on Thursday!
Wellbeing
During the next two weeks, students will focus on building their problem-solving skills in social scenarios, learning to navigate conflicts and collaborate effectively with peers. They will also concentrate on the Beaumaris Primary value of Respect, emphasising the importance of valuing diverse viewpoints, listening actively, and fostering positive, respectful interactions.
Literacy
Over the next two weeks, students will enhance their language skills through a structured learning program that integrates the focus of the model text Us Mob and the History Knowledge Unit. This approach allows them to build both literacy and historical understanding.
Maths
In the coming weeks, Year 6 students will continue to explore mathematical operations, focusing on enhancing their understanding of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. They will also dive deeper into the concept of area, learning how to calculate and apply it in various real-world contexts.
Knowledge Unit
Students are currently learning about the 1967 Referendum, exploring the significant events in Australia that led to this pivotal movement. They are also applying their literacy skills by encoding information, taking notes, and writing factual recounts to deepen their understanding of the historical context.
Homework
Students are expected to read for a minimum of 15-30 minutes, five times a week, to improve their reading skills. Additionally, they will receive Mathletics tasks every fortnight to reinforce and build on their mathematical knowledge.
