Year 5/6 News
Learning Centre Four
What a fantastic and busy term it has been for our Year 5 and 6 students! From settling into new routines to making new friendships and embracing challenges, it has been wonderful to see the enthusiasm and growth in our cohort. We cannot believe how fast it has gone!
Our students have worked incredibly hard, showing resilience, curiosity, and teamwork in all areas of learning. A big thank you to our amazing teachers for their dedication and to our families for their ongoing support—it truly makes a difference.
As we head into the holidays, we encourage everyone to take time to relax, recharge, and enjoy time with loved ones. Wishing all our students and families a safe and restful break. We look forward to another great term ahead!
Year 5
Literacy: Year 5 students have continued to explore how to plan and develop their writing particularly looking at how we develop a setting and our characters. Students listened to a section of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, then they viewed the same section in both the 1971 and 2004 film adaptations. We later discussed the similarities and differences between the viewings.
Numeracy: We finished out the term exploring area and perimeter, students used hands-on activities as well as open ended tasks to find the solutions to their math problems. We continue to encourage the students to practise their times tables at home and real life math activities. This could be by helping to cook dinner, measuring how much of something, how long it will take or did it take, did we receive the correct change or simply do we have enough money to purchase the item.
Inquiry: This term students have explored healthy diets, habits and how to be physically active, we also explored the changes in our bodies during puberty. This week the students celebrated their learning by viewing Inside Out 2 and comparing the emotions that Riley and other characters felt to the feelings we have felt as we notice our bodies change.
Religion: Students continued to explore prayer, what prayer looks like, feels like and sounds like, students have continued to explore the theme of this year's Jubilee - The Year of Hope exploring what it means to be a pilgrim and how we can participate on a journey. To help us understand the elements of the Mass students have worked in small groups to plan and participate in a liturgy that will continue into term 2.
Wellbeing: This term students have continued to explore the Respect Relationships Program particularly this fortnight we have unpacked - Personal & Cultural Strengths “Talk can harm, talk can heal” discussing how we can say sorry and how our message is received when giving an apology.
Special Events: In week 8 the OLSC Senior students participated in the Summer Gala. This was a very successful day for all involved, even those who were outside in the pouring rain. Our Tennis, Bowls and Cricket teams won their events and our Netballers and Volleyballers also had a successful tournament. Our Year 5’s and Prep’s continue to work together in our Buddy Program. This week we painted our hands to form hand prints, at the end of the year we are going to repeat this to see how much we have grown.
Year 6
Lenten Reflections
Students have been actively engaged in various religious education activities, deepening their spiritual journey through multiple practices. Their work has included Lectio Divina exercises, studying Iconography, and exploring each Station of the Cross. The Stations of the Cross (Via Crucis) are especially significant during Lent and Fridays throughout the year, particularly on Good Friday, as preparation for Easter. This devotional practice invites students to journey with Jesus and reflect on his suffering, which continues in people's lives today. The class has participated in regular prayer sessions and reflections on the Stations of the Cross. They have also created a shadow performance about Christ’s crucifixion.
For students, the Stations are a powerful reminder of Jesus's humility in setting aside his divine privilege to provide salvation through his ultimate sacrifice and love.
Maths - Area and Time
For the last few weeks, year six students have focused on area and time concepts in mathematics. Students have been exploring the relationship between area and perimeter, learning that perimeter is calculated as (L + W)×2, while L×W determines area.
Students have understood that area measures the surface of a two-dimensional figure, representing the space within a boundary. They've learned that area is always expressed in square units, as it counts how many squares of a specific size (1 cm × 1 cm) fit inside a shape.
The different math groups have been working on specialised content tailored to their learning needs, with each teacher focusing on particular aspects of these mathematical concepts. In Math Extension with Milla, students apply their knowledge to real-world scenarios, including solving problems related to maximising area when designing a school garden- They also had an AMAZING RACE event where they had to go around the school, collecting clues and solving problems in order to win a prize.
Inquiry - Mental Health and Body Image
For the past few weeks, Year 6 classes have been immersed in learning about mental health and its physical effects. Students have created various projects, including posters and mind maps, to explore different aspects of mental health, showing genuine interest and engagement with these critical topics. Students have discovered how mental health influences behavior, emotional responses, and one's world perspective. They've learned that mental wellbeing can be affected by various factors, including trauma, past experiences, and physical health conditions. The curriculum has expanded to include discussions about body image, examining both positive and negative aspects. Students have learned that positive body image correlates with better self-esteem, self-acceptance, and healthier lifestyle behaviors, while negative body image can contribute to conditions like depression and anxiety. These lessons are helping Year 6 students develop a more comprehensive understanding of mental wellbeing and its significance in everyday life.
Literacy - Mulga Bill’s Bicycle
The Year 6 classes have been exploring "Mulga Bill's Bicycle," a classic poem by A.B. Paterson set during the gold rush era. Through careful analysis, students discovered that the bicycle featured in the story was a penny-farthing, recognized by its distinctive large front wheel.
Their investigation revealed that the penny-farthing was historically significant as one of the first bicycle designs. Students learned to identify characters' emotions by recognizing visual and textual clues, a skill they've begun incorporating into their own writing. The text presented vocabulary challenges, with numerous unfamiliar words. Students tackled these by researching meanings, synonyms, antonyms, syllable patterns, and graphemes. Despite the difficulty, they successfully completed these language exercises with enthusiasm. This literary study connected historical context with reading comprehension, vocabulary development, and creative writing skills. The engaging activities have sparked excitement among Year 6 students, who are eagerly anticipating further learning opportunities in the coming term.
Wellbeing - emotional roller coaster
Year 6 students have been exploring the complex emotional landscape that teenagers experience. Through collaborative investigation, they've worked to identify and categorise various emotions into positive and negative feelings. Students thoughtfully examined how individuals might react to different emotional states and discussed constructive ways peers can provide support during challenging times. This exploration has fostered greater empathy and understanding among classmates. Working in groups, students created visual representations of emotions as roller coasters, illustrating how daily events and interactions can cause significant emotional fluctuations for adolescents. These creative models demonstrated students' growing understanding of emotional dynamics. This project has helped students recognise that emotional ups and downs are a normal development. It has also equipped them with strategies to navigate feelings and support their peers. The activity has provided valuable tools for emotional literacy that will serve students well as they mature.
Some friendly reminders:
- Easter Monday 21st April- No School
- ANZAC Day Friday 25th April- No School
- Athletics Day on Monday 28th April
- District Cross Country Friday 2nd May
- Winter Gala practice will begin next week and is on a Friday
- Monday is Subway Day
- Friday is Baker's Son Day
- Please ensure you have signed the ICT user agreement
Please ensure you are connected to Class Dojo
*Child safety is at the core of our mission in educating your child/ren and we kindly ask that any photos you see on the Newsletter or Class Dojo are not uploaded to your personal social media. Thank you for your understanding and support.
Blessings and a Happy Easter from the Year 5/6 Team: Alison, Ann, Ben, Beth, Cheryl, Danielle, Elizabeth, Janeen, Jordan, Krystin, Milla, Rita, Scott and Tian.