Grade 5 News
Suns Smart School Program - Hats are required for the whole of Term 4
Upcoming Dates – Term 4
Monday 27th October: Summer Round Robin
Friday 31st October: PJ Fundraiser Dress Up Day
Tuesday 4th November: Melbourne Cup (Public Holiday)
Monday 10th November: Curriculum Day (Pupil free day)
Thursday 13th November: Bike Ed Session 1
Thursday 20th November: Bike Ed Session 2 (bike and helmet required at school)
Friday 21st November: Literacy UP Session 2-2:30pm
Thursday 27th November: Bike Ed Session 3 (bike and helmet required at school)
Friday 28th November: Numeracy UP Session 2-2:30pm
Wednesday 3rd December: Market Day
Thursday 4th December: Bike Ed Session 4 (bike and helmet required at school)
Friday 5th December: Colour Run
Tuesday 9th December: Statewide Transition Day (Meet the Teacher 2026)
Wednesday 10th December: Christmas Concert 5:30-6:30pm
Friday 12th December: Meet the Teacher 2:00pm (2026)
Wednesday 17th December: Class Parties
Thursday 18th December: Christmas Raffle
Thursday 18th December: Last Day for students (1:30pm Dismissal)
Friday 19th December: Curriculum Day (Pupil free day)
Learning in Action
📖 Literacy
Learning in Action
We have commenced reading our Literature Unit text, The Last Bear, by Hannah Gold. So far, we have followed April and her father, Edmund, to a very remote island situated in the Arctic Circle. We looked at the map of the world to locate approximately where ‘Bear Island’ would be situated and discovered that it is located north of Norway and south of Svalbard. After being told that Bear Island was once home to bears, but no longer is, April was amazed and excited to discover that, in fact, there was still a bear living on the island. Along with April, the students are learning more about the plight of the polar bear population and the link between the impact of human actions on the environment and the reason why the polar bears no longer call Bear Island home. Along with reading the novel, we are reading supplementary non fiction information, taking notes about key points and facts which will be referred to when writing our persuasive letters.
Word Work
In Word Work we have concluded decoding and spelling words with the Latin base spect-spec-spic, meaning to look, and have commenced learning to read and understand words with dic-dict, meaning say/tell/proclaim.
Sentence Level Writing
During sentence level writing we have been exploring complex sentences, including dependent and independent clauses, conjunctions and placement of commas.
Literacy: Preview for Learning
We will continue with our novel, The Last Bear, and begin drafting our persuasive piece about climate change and how humans have a part to play.
➗ Maths
Learning in Action
We have commenced our Decimal unit. We have been learning about:
- Writing thousandths as a decimal format
- Representing decimals on a number line
- Renaming numbers with decimals
- Comparing numbers with decimals
- Rounding numbers with more than 2 decimal places
- Money and financial planning
Students will continue to complete a Daily Review 4 times a week to revise concepts we have already covered this year or front load them for concepts we still need to cover.
Maths: Preview for Learning
Students will continue to consolidate their understanding of decimals through:
- Writing decimals as standard and non standard notation.
- Rounding decimals to whole number tenth and hundredth
- Renaming decimals
- Using decimals in real life situations such as measuring mass and length.
Resilience, Rights & Respectful Relationships (RRRR)
Recently we discussed gender and gender stereotypes and how we are often the product of norms that have been reinforced by society over many generations. One example was the link below to advertisements for toys for children. The resulting conversation was very respectful, enlightening, and thought provoking to students and adults in the room alike. It is an interesting watch, and you can't help but reflect on these norms and stereotypes and how they are changing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDhx9baqaP8
Knowledge Rich
Grade 5 Market Day
Dear Parents,
During Term 4, Year 5 students participated in a Knowledge Rich unit called Understanding Economics. As part of this unit, they investigated the difference between ‘needs’ and ‘wants’, ‘producers’ and ‘consumers’, ‘supply and demand’, and ‘goods’ and ‘services’. These understandings have been reinforced when learning about how a successful charitable business helps people in need. This unit is culminating in a Market Day on Wednesday, 3rd December, for all the students at LPS.
In the lead up to Market Day, students have been placed in small business teams and have faced the challenge of developing a business venture (good or service) that will be appealing to other students in the school (their consumers). Students are responsible for all aspects of their business and its management.
Once their business venture was approved by the Proposal and Finance Committee (teachers), their businesses had a start-up budget of $20. This money should cover all the costs associated with setting up their business venture. It is the students’ responsibility to organise all the items they need for Market Day, however if they require their parents' help, we would appreciate the support.
Some students may need to make purchases for their Market Day stall. If this is the case for your child, please keep all receipts, fill in the details on the reimbursement form (this will be sent to you through Compass), and bring them to school by the Friday after Market Day (5th December) so we can organise reimbursement. Of course, you are welcome to bring the form and the receipts in prior to Market Day. Please remember not to exceed the $20 start-up fund per group. If you are choosing to donate the items and DO NOT want to be reimbursed, please email karin.halstead@education.vic.gov.au so we know. We thank you in advance for this!
The aim of Market Day is to make a profit (once the loan has been repaid), which is to be then donated to the Grade 5’s selected charity. This is still to be confirmed.
Once again, thank you for the support of your child’s programs.
Bike Education
Later in the term, students will participate in a bike education program. Schools teach this program to equip students with the vital life skills of safe cycling and responsible road use, fostering independence, fitness, and promoting active transportation. The program covers road rules, safe riding behaviours, and bike handling skills in a controlled environment, preparing students to navigate shared roads safely as both cyclists and pedestrians.
More information will come out later this term regarding this program.
Grade 5 Teachers
Karin Halstead, Peta Alexander, Rachel Manning, Craig McKenzie