Year 5 News
Reading
In Year 5, students are learning how to make inferences when they read. This means using clues from the text, along with what they already know, to work out information that the author does not say directly. Students practise asking “What does this tell me?” and “How do I know?” to deepen their understanding of stories and information texts. Developing inferencing skills helps students become more confident, thoughtful readers and improves overall comprehension.
“A literal question is when you find the answer in the book” - Harry 5A
Writing
In Writing this fortnight, the Year 5 cohort has been focusing on building strong foundations in grammar and punctuation. Students have been learning about simple, compound, and complex sentences, exploring how different sentence structures can make their writing more detailed and engaging. They have also been exploring homophones in addition to the TEAM programme which they have also completed, which supported students in strengthening their teamwork and communication skills throughout the writing process.
In addition, students have been working on retelling events through recount writing. They practised organising their ideas in sequence and including key details to clearly describe personal experiences. It has been wonderful to see students applying their grammar and sentence knowledge to make their recounts more interesting and cohesive.
“We’ve been learning about complex sentences. It has been fun because we had to write down sentences and fix them” - Aysha 5A
Maths
What is the value of a number? In Maths this fortnight, we have been focusing on place value and why it is important to understand the value of a number. We have been exploring different ways to represent numbers by using MAB, Place Value Charts and Abacus’. The students began using physical materials like the MAB to gain an understanding about what the value looks like for easier numbers. They then used place value charts and an abacus to represent larger numbers, gaining a deeper understanding of number structure. Once the students explored their knowledge of place value, they used their knowledge to explore decimals.
“The abacus was easier to understand than the Place Value Chart” - Jobe 5A
Inquiry
In Inquiry this fortnight, the Year 5 students have started to look into the Federation of Australia. They began the unit by sharing what they already knew about Federation and what they wanted to find out. The students then watched some informative videos about Australia’s Federation and researched what the economy, defence, transport, government and communication was like in the 1800s (19th century) and compared what it was like in modern times (21st century).
“I learnt about Federation and learnt about how it was different now and before” - Lorenzo 5A
Social and Emotional Learning
This fortnight in Social and Emotional Learning, the Year 5 cohort has been focusing on empathy and understanding different learning styles. Students explored how to recognise and respect the feelings and perspectives of others while reflecting on their own learning preferences.
This learning linked closely to our school values of kindness, responsibility, and resilience. Students showed kindness through their support of peers, responsibility in taking ownership of their learning, and resilience when faced with new challenges. These experiences continue to strengthen our inclusive and supportive classroom community.
“Empathy means putting yourself in somebody else's shoes” - Harry 5A
Special Event - Buddies
This fortnight, the Year 5 cohort enjoyed a special event spending time with their Year 1 and 2 buddies. This buddy session provided a wonderful opportunity for students to build connections, develop leadership skills, and foster a sense of responsibility as role models within our school community.
Through shared activities and conversations, Year 5 students demonstrated kindness and patience while supporting their younger buddies. It was fantastic to see positive relationships forming, with both year levels enjoying the chance to learn, play, and grow together. We look forward to many more buddy moments throughout the year!
“It was fun and we did a lot of fun activities” - Gursirat 5A
