Class 5/6 Steiner 

Kii 5/6S Families,

Welcome back to the 2026 school year! Class 5/6S has gotten off to a great start for the year. Class 6 has warmly welcomed the Class 5s into the classroom and the two year levels are working together beautifully.

Main Lesson

We have begun the year with an Ancient Rome Main Lesson, starting with the powerful founding story of Romulus and Remus. Through storytelling, discussion, drawing, and writing, students are exploring how myth and history intertwine, and how Rome emerged from legend into an extraordinary civilisation. This opening story sets the scene for deeper learning about Roman life, values, law, and leadership, while also inviting students to reflect on themes of courage, conflict, responsibility, and the shaping of community. It has been a rich and engaging start to our Roman journey.

The class has been working hard on their Main Lesson bookwork, putting a great deal of care and effort into their title pages and accurately reproducing a map of the Roman Empire at its peak. Students then wrote a summary of part of the story of Romulus and Remus, focusing on stripping the narrative back to its main points by identifying and recording key events. This writing task has supported the development of important literacy skills, including paragraphing, sequencing ideas, and the use of time-order words to clearly show the progression of events. Through this integrated approach, students are building historical understanding while strengthening their ability to organise and communicate information effectively.

Acknowledgement of Country 

The class have also begun the year by revisiting the importance and purpose of an Acknowledgement of Country. Students thought deeply about its intent, discussing why acknowledgements matter and how they express respect, connection, appreciation and responsibility to Country. They then wrote, edited, and published their own Acknowledgements, carefully considering language, meaning, and tone. Students were then given the opportunity to have the experience of reading their Acknowledgements out to the whole class. Throughout the year, some students may also take up the opportunity to read out their Acknowledgement at school assembly.

Mathematics

In Mathematics, we began the year with an assessment focusing on the recall of multiplication tables. Students discussed why knowing their tables is important and how working towards instant recall supports confidence and efficiency in mathematics, allowing them to focus on problem-solving rather than basic calculations.

The purpose of this assessment was for students to identify which tables they know well and which ones they need to continue working on. This encourages students to take ownership of their learning and set personal goals.

Alongside daily class practice, we encourage students to spend a few minutes each day at home practising their tables. Short, consistent practice is far more effective than occasional longer sessions. This might include oral recall, quick quizzes, skip-counting, or using flashcards or games. Consistency is key to building strong recall and confidence.

Meet the Parents/Carers Meetings

Meet the Parents/Carers meetings will be held next Tuesday, 10 February, from 12:00pm to 6:00pm. These meetings provide an opportunity for us to connect and for you to share information about your child that will help me better understand them and support their learning and wellbeing throughout the year. I look forward to meeting with you all and working together to ensure a positive and successful year for your children.

I am very much looking forward to a great year with Class 5/6S!

Robin