Year 5/6 - Senior Unit

Yet again, the 5/6 students have impressed us with their ability to take on challenges during the past few weeks. Their energy and enthusiasm have been evident for all to see.

CANBERRA CAMP

Last week, we headed off to Canberra to participate in an educational tour of the national capital and build on the knowledge gained from this term’s Inquiry topic into government and democracy. Students participated in a variety of educational programs with a focus on Australia's history, culture, heritage and democracy. There were many highlights to the busy schedule including; meeting the Governor General at Government House, exploring all things ‘sciency’ at Questacon, role playing introducing a bill in the House of Representatives at the Museum of Australian Democracy, pressing our own coins at the Royal Mint and finding out about the stories of important and brave Australians and at the War Memorial. Our students were a credit to our school, with the engagement and respect shown by them being commented on consistently during our visit.

The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion, the Australian Government is contributing funding to our school in the amount of $45 per student, under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards those costs. The rebate is paid directly to the school upon completion of the excursion.

Athletics 

The weather was perfect for the Athletics day on Tuesday. Students enjoyed participating in high jump, long jump, triple jump, 100m and 200m, vortex throw, shot put and discus events. Lots of students came home with ribbons and all went home with a sense of pride in representing their house. Great sportsmanship was displayed across the day. 

Leaders conference 

Yesterday, our Student Leadership Team attended the Youth Leadership Academy Australia Conference at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre. It was a very early start, but our leaders arrived eager and ready to learn! Throughout the day, they actively participated in engaging exercises designed to inspire them to become proactive leaders who create a positive impact within our school community.

Our students were excellent representatives of Woodend Primary School, demonstrating all the values we expect from our brilliant leaders. They listened intently to keynote speakers, including the CEO and founders of HoMie and RockIt, who shared valuable insights on leadership and making a difference. The team explored key topics such as empathy, resilience, self-leadership, and public speaking, while also developing a leadership game plan to drive meaningful change.

It was an inspiring and empowering experience, and we are excited to see how our student leaders apply their learning to make positive and lasting changes within our school!

Year 5/6 Teachers

Katie Cashen (56C), Brenda Elliot (56E), Ann Ireland (56I)