Year 5/6 - Newsletter

Dear Parents and Carers, 

Where did that term go?! One minute we were beginning the term on a lovely sunny morning, and the next we’ve descended into chilly darkness to finish it. Term 2 has been jam packed with Natural Disaster Projects, Literacy Circles, Maths Groups, Factual Recounts, Athletic Day, Discos, Interschool Sport, Performance Practice and so much more. 

Literacy

Literacy Circles threw the students headfirst into a novel many of them had not experienced before. Working through weekly comprehension roles and summaries was a challenge for many but the enthusiastic banter during the meetings proved how much the students were learning from the process. Many of the students have eagerly sought out novels from the same author now. We will be revisiting Literacy Circles again in Term 4.

The students finished writing factual recounts on Jandamarra and then moved on to creating one about a Natural Disaster - the 2011 Japanese Tsunami. The students  enjoyed doing research on the topic and included appositives and adverbial phrases in their work to create wonderful recounts. 

In Morphology, we finished the term creating our own ‘Trading Cards’ with words using the morphemes we have learned this year. We then created our own words using these same sounds which the students really enjoyed.

Mathematics

Maths Groups were a wonderful way to allow the students to be challenged with work that best matched their level of understanding. This term we have been working through Additive Thinking, asking the students to use their knowledge of Addition and Subtraction to solve problems. Coupled with the Daily Reviews we do each day in class, the students' confidence and capability has soured. Next term we will be going ‘old school’, focusing on daily quick fire maths questions in an effort to improve the students speed and accuracy with numbers. We will also be introducing a program for homework that we continue to reinforce these skills. 

Inquiry

The Natural Disaster Expo was a huge hit. We had volcanoes erupting, tornadoes spiralling, floods pooling, fires burning and asteroids exploding in every 5/6 room. The students (& parents) did a remarkable job creating the projects and preparing their posters/information to share. Wandering around the rooms, you could feel the enthusiasm and excitement as students shared their knowledge and were eager to applaud each other's work. Next term we will be learning all about the Gold Rush and heading off to Sovereign Hill in Week 7. 

Reminders

Curriculum Day - Monday 13th July (first day of Term 3)

5/6 Production - Thursday 13th August

Sovereign Hill Excursion - Thursday 27th August

Thank you for your continued support. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out.

Best Wishes, 

The Fabulous 5/6 Team