Learning and Curriculum Primary - Stage 3
Year 5 Geography
This term, Year 5 are building on their geographical knowledge, understanding and skills from Term 1. Students will explore how people and organisations manage places affected by environmental events such as bushfires, floods and storms. Students investigate the roles of communities, governments and environmental agencies in preparing for, responding to and recovering from these events. They will explore Macquarie Island with a specific focus on how strategies are used to reduce risk and protect people, ecosystems and infrastructure.
Students also learn how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples use seasonal calendars to organise and manage Country and Place. They explore how these calendars are based on detailed observations of weather patterns, plants and animal behaviours, and how they guide land management practices and daily life. By comparing these Cultural Knowledges with contemporary environmental management approaches, students develop an understanding of sustainable practices and the importance of caring for Country.
Year 6 Geography
In this unit, students will develop an understanding of the critical importance of protecting global environments and adopting sustainable practices for the future. They will explore the significance of the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, and the Arctic and Antarctic Circles, in relation to climate. Students will research how people rely on the environment for food and materials and examine how human activities have changed the environment.
The unit will also examine the role of World Heritage in identifying, protecting, and preserving significant natural and cultural sites. Students will research and present sustainable management practices to understand how local knowledge influences the management of environments and World Heritage sites.
Write On Competition
WriteOn is an annual writing competition for all NSW primary students in Years 1 to 6. WriteOn is held in association with the State Library of NSW. The stimulus for WriteOn 2026 is the quote: ‘It was a small thing, but it made a difference.’ Using this stimulus quote, students create an imaginative text of up to 500 words. Entries are currently open and close on Friday 19 June 2026.
Any student wishing to submit an entry can send their text to Mrs Tatola via email by Thursday, 18 June (sarah.tatola@spc.nsw.edu.au).
Please refer to WriteOn competition | NSW Government for further instructions and information. We are looking forward to as many students entering to showcase their writing skills.
ICAS Assessments
This year, we are again pleased to offer our Year 5 and 6 students the opportunity to sit the ICAS English, Writing, Mathematics and Science Assessments. This is optional and parents are required to sign their son up.
These challenging competitions present real-world scenarios where students are assessed on their ability to apply classroom learning to new contexts, using higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills. You can learn more about the ICAS Assessments at the following site: https://www.icasassessments.com/products-icas.
Parents/carers are invited to register and pay for their son to participate in either or all assessments by completing the following:
1. Go to the Parent Portal: https://shop.icasassessments.com/pages/pps.
2. Enter our school’s access code – FKS095
3. Enter your child’s details, select the tests you would like to purchase, then proceed to payment.
Registration and payment close on Monday 20 July 2026.
After payment is made via the Parent Payment System, you will receive an order confirmation email, please keep this for your records. ICAS assessments will be run before school (approximately 7:30 AM) over a number of days in Term 3.
Daniel Fields Sarah Tatola
Head of Curriculum – Stage 3 Head of Teaching and Learning (Stage 3)