Grade 5/6

Reading

In Reading this fortnight, students have explored the texts My Two Blankets and Malala. Through these books, students developed a deeper understanding of story themes and discussed the important messages authors communicate to readers. They practised comparing and contrasting ideas, characters, and experiences within the texts, while also

 building their vocabulary knowledge. Students examined visual literacy by analysing how illustrations support the story and help create meaning. They also worked on inferring characters’ thoughts and feelings and identifying examples of figurative language used by the authors. These activities have helped students strengthen their comprehension skills and think more deeply about the texts they read.

Writing

In Writing this fortnight, students have been working hard on developing their narrative skills. They have written two narratives, carefully planning and crafting their ideas. One of these pieces will be selected to be published, which the students are very excited about. To support their writing, we have been using a new writing planner that helps students organise their ideas and include detailed descriptions, strong characters, and engaging events. The class has shown great creativity and effort throughout the process, and we are looking forward to seeing their stories come to life when they are turned into a book.

Numeracy

During Numeracy students have been developing their understanding of place value and working with numbers in a variety of ways. They have practised expanding and compacting numbers, working with decimal places, and rounding numbers to different place values. Students have also explored highest common factors and lowest common multiples, strengthening their number sense and problem-solving skills. To help consolidate their learning, the class has enjoyed applying these concepts through interactive activities and games, including “Choose Your Own Adventure” style challenges that allowed them to make decisions and solve problems as they progressed. These engaging tasks have helped students build confidence and deepen their understanding of key mathematical concepts.

INQUIRY

This term in Inquiry, students have been exploring the theme of Identity through our “All About Me” unit. Students have been reflecting on who they are, what is important to them, and the people who inspire them. As part of this learning, they have been creating a range of projects including an “All About Me” T-shirt design, a personal report, a future collage that shows their hopes and goals, and a fandom project about someone they admire. Students are excited to share their work and celebrate their learning. We warmly invite all families to attend our Showcase Afternoon in the final week of school, where students will proudly present the wonderful work they have created about themselves.

SEL

In Social and Emotional Learning this term, students have been developing skills to help them regulate their emotions and respond positively to feedback during writing sessions. We are focusing on helping students understand that feedback is an important part of learning and can help improve their work. As teachers, we have also been working hard behind the scenes, engaging with professional readings and best practice strategies to strengthen how we give and support feedback in the classroom. By the end of Term 1, students will be working towards understanding the value of feedback by demonstrating positive feedback behaviours such as listening carefully, restating what they have heard, regulating their emotions, and applying the feedback during writing conference sessions.