Level 5 & 6 

Welcome to Week 2! 

Currently, all Grade 5 and Grade 6 classrooms are running very low on tissues and wipes. We (and our sniffly noses) would strongly appreciate any donations of these items to see us through to the end of the year. If you are able to assist, please give these items to your child to pass onto their classroom teacher.

We’re very excited to be celebrating our school’s 130th Birthday Celebration next week! It’s set to be a wonderful community event filled with fun, food, and festivities. To help make the evening a success, we are in desperate need of blocks of chocolate for our ever-popular Lob-a-Choc stall. Any donations would be greatly appreciated. A friendly reminder too that if you’re planning to contribute to our Bake Sale, please log your donation using the QR code provided on the event information. Thank you for your support in helping us celebrate this special milestone!

TERM 4 DATES

🌱October 13th – 17th – Book Fair Week 

🌱Tuesday October 14th – Yarra Valley Grammar Transition Meeting @ 2:30pm

🌱Wednesday October 15th - Grade 5 Girls Calm Youth 

🌱Wednesday October 22nd - Grade 5 Girls Calm Youth 

🌱Friday October 24th – 130th Celebration  

🌱Wednesday October 29th - Grade 5 Girls Calm Youth 

🌱November 3rd – 7th – Expressions Week  

🌱Wednesday November 5th - Grade 5 Girls Calm Youth 

🌱Tuesday December 9th – Year 7 Statewide Orientation Day 

🌱Monday December 15th – Grade 6 Graduation @ Discovery Church  

🌱Tuesday December 16th – Grade 6 Fun Day Out @ Gumbuya World  

🌱Wednesday December 17th – Final Assembly  

🌱Thursday December 18th – Alternative Program  

🌱Friday December 19th – Alternative Program – End of Term 4 - 1:30pm dismissal  

🌱 LITERACY – Reading

This week in reading, students are continuing to explore our mentor text The History of the Computer, focusing on chapters exploring World War II and the development of the first computers from 1930 to 1949. Using the information and insights they gather, students will begin creating a detailed timeline that highlight key developments and milestones in computer technology. 

Connecting with our writing focus on public speaking, students will analyse a speech delivered by Denzel Washington. Through discussion and analysis, they will identify persuasive techniques, tone, and the ways in which word choice and delivery can inspire an audience.

What you can do at home

Ask your child to share some interesting facts they have learned about the history of computers and the use of computers in World War II.  

🌱 Writing

In writing, students will continue exploring the traits of effective public speakers, focusing on what helps a speaker engage their audience. To build confidence and fluency, students will take part in a series of rapid-fire 30-second presentations on a variety of fun topics. 

Students will begin planning, writing, and rehearsing their own speeches on the topic “A rule that needs to change is…”. This task encourages students to form opinions and focus on engagement and confidence in their presentation. Students will give and receive peer feedback student to help them refine both their writing and presentation skills.

What you can do at home

Ask your child what rule they’ve chosen to speak about and why they feel it needs to change. Encourage them to practise delivering their speech to you or a family member and share what feedback they might give or receive in class.

🌱 NUMERACY 

Grade 5 students are continuing their Data Investigation by exploring and interpreting a range of different graphs. They are learning to identify key features, make comparisons, and draw conclusions from the information presented. 

Grade 6 students are exploring Patterns and Algebra. They are recognising and applying rules that create growing patterns, including those with rational numbers, and solving equations with unknown values. Students are also designing algorithms to generate and explain number patterns, building strong foundations for algebraic thinking.

🌱 CBL 

This week, students are developing their coding and problem-solving skills through a range of hands-on activities. They write step-by-step instructions to guide a partner through a classroom ‘maze’, learning the importance of clear and precise directions.

Students also continue exploring Swift Playgrounds, using sequence commands to solve increasingly challenging puzzles. Alongside this, they are building their digital technology vocabulary, focusing on key terms such as algorithm, command, sequence, bug, and debugging. These words help students describe and reflect on their coding processes effectively.

Essential Question: 

How can we use coding to solve problems and create solutions in our world?

Guiding Questions: 

• Where do we see coding in everyday life?
• What is an algorithm and how do coders use them?
• What problems do we face at school or in our community that coding might help with?
• How can we share our coding project with others to make a positive impact?

Challenge:

Design, test and showcase a coding solution in Swift Playgrounds that solves a problem or improves an experience in our school community.

🌱 HOMEWORK

Students are expected to complete homework on a weekly basis. This consists of

- 100 minutes total of reading a novel/factual text of their choice

- 3 (minimum) Mathletics tasks, which the teachers will assign

- 2 Nessy activities

This homework is to be recorded in the Calendar App on student iPads. Your child's teacher will check this homework on Friday.

BUDDY BAGS - Grade 5 students should now only have one task left to complete for their Buddy Bags, which are gifted to their 2026 Prep Buddies. This is the 'Nameplate' task that will be completed in school, once we know our buddy's name. Please check in with your child to see which tasks they may still need support in completing.

MEMORY BOOKS - Grade 6 students will continue to work on their Memory Book to reflect on their experiences at Wonga Park Primary School. This information has been communicated to parents via email, and is available for students on Showbie. 

 🌿 REMINDERS

🌱 Please assist your child in ensuring that their iPad comes to school every day, fully charged.