Year Five
Dear Families,
As we approach the end of our final Unit of Inquiry, the Year 5 students have explored a variety of learning experiences that have built on their existing understandings and challenged their creative and critical thinking.
Reading
The Year 5s cohort have delved deeper into our Book Club text, The Boy At The Back Of The Class. Book Clubs are well under way, with regular meetings running for students to discuss the book. In related classwork, students have explored how characters' experiences and perceptions shape the way they perceive the events of the text. They considered how the characters might feel and what clues in the text gave them the basis for this inference. Students then considered how they would feel in that situation and learned to apply empathy to the characters they have been reading about.
Writing
In line with our school motto "Wisdom Begins With Wonder", students have been learning about the way humans have explored and tested their wonderings. Science as a human endeavour relies on human communication and technology, so the Year Fives have learned about the Scientific Method of undertaking experiments to explore hypotheses and record results. Students have been supported to write scientific reports about experiments they have participated in during class. They have converted observations from informal to formal language appropriate for scientific reports and written discussion and conclusion sections.
Mathematics
In Week 7, students applied their learning about shape so far to understand the connections between two-dimensional shapes and the nets that form three-dimensional objects. Students learned mathematical vocabulary to discuss the attributes of shapes and prisms. They explored various nets for cubes and determined which of these actually make cubes, analysing the key differences between working and non-working nets.
This week, students are diving deeper into statistics and probability, exploring equal and unequal probabilities. They will learn new ways to display data sets including stem-and-leaf plots. This rich topic will connect to Unit of inquiry Six when we compare expected and experimental data, and conduct chance experiments.
Inquiry
Over the past month, students have inquired into how light works through a scientific lens. They have explored the real-world issue of skyglow in developed areas, and begun to experiment with ways to reduce this in our cities. Through a series of experiments, students considered the impact of shielding and the angle of light, glare and reflection, and light scattering.
This week, students will examine how powerful the Australian sunshine truly is, exploring this through the use of Ultra-Violet Beads. They will experiment with variables such as the use of SunScreen on the Beads, the efficacy of shade-cloth as sun protection, and of course a control condition.
Other events
As the end of Year Five looms, Christmas Carols rehearsals are going well. The Year Six Polo design competition is beginning, with students able to submit their entries by the 12th of December. The winning design will be the Year Six polo shirt for 2026, with a white design on a navy blue shirt. The Beach Program is running, with students learning about water safety and activities, and the importance of having their names on their belongings.
Upcoming Reminders
Life Education Van: 25th November to 9th December 2025
Beach Program Group 1: 19th November to 3rd December 2025 (Wednesdays)
Beach Program Group 2: 21st November to 5th December 2025 (Fridays)
Hats are required for recess and lunch and any outdoor activities. Please ensure this is a broad-brim hat.
-The Year 5 Team