Year Five News

Term 1 in Year 5

Welcome to 2025! It’s been great seeing how well the students have settled into the new school year. 

We have begun the year implementing class-building activities, incorporating our school Values, along with focusing on creating the optimal environment for learning by focusing on effort and having a growth mindset. There has also been an emphasis on using digital technology responsibly.

Our exciting extra-curricular events will commence shortly. In a matter of weeks, all students will have the opportunity to represent the school in swimming. We will also have cross-country trials in week five where selected students will have the opportunity to represent our school in the interschool cross-country later in the year. Towards the end of the term, Year 5 students will have the opportunity to try the four different winter intra-school sports, (football, soccer, netball and Tee Ball), during our senior school sports program.  

In weeks seven and eight, our students will complete NAPLAN (National Assessment Program Literacy And Numeracy). A timetable is being developed and will be shared later in the term. At Footscray West Primary School, we encourage all students to participate in NAPLAN and try their personal best.

Reading

During Term 1, students will:

• Participate in reading activities that investigate different text types to answer comprehension questions
• Engage in comprehensive novel studies using Morris Gleitzman's "Boy Overboard" to develop comprehension skills, such as summarising, making connections, and critical thinking

Writing

At FWPS, the emphasis is on developing writing abilities based on the principles of The Writing Revolution and integrating them with the Writing Process to generate high-quality texts. We will enhance these skills through various writing exercises. However, we will also look towards the upcoming NAPLAN assessments and give the students an opportunity to prepare for the text type that may be presented on the day.

We will also be continuing the Spelling Mastery program, which targets students at their particular needs. Students will continue to work in spelling groups based on the assessment task that they completed in Term 4 in 2025.

Numeracy

The areas that will be covered this term are:

• Place Value - recognising, renaming and rounding whole numbers and decimals
• Addition and Subtraction - applying a range of mental strategies to solve problems
• Measurement - measuring and converting units of length and time
• Geometry - exploring 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional shapes and how their properties are connected 
• Data and Probability - interpreting data, creating graphs and investigating outcomes of chance experiments

Whilst new topics of Mathematics will be introduced throughout the year, these learning areas will be revisited multiple times in the Daily Review to give students multiple opportunities to practise their skills.

Knowledge Units

This term, our Grade 5 students will be exploring our local area through a Geography unit focused on what makes our community unique. Students will investigate the physical and human features of our area, how people have changed and manage local environments, and how our community is connected to other places.

As part of the unit, students will learn about the impact humans have on the environment, including a focus on bushfires, floods, and other climate hazards, and how communities prepare for and respond to these events. Sustainability will be a key theme, with students considering how we can care for our local environment now and into the future.

Students will also learn about the custodial responsibility of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, developing an understanding of how caring for Country influences sustainable practices today.

The unit will culminate in a group inquiry project, where students will work collaboratively to investigate a local place and share their learning.

Homework

Homework will commence in week 4 and can be found in your child’s Google Classroom. If your child does not have access to a device or the internet, a paper copy can be distributed.

Students are expected to:

• Read for a daily minimum of 30 minutes, 5 times a week 
• Complete 2 Essential Assessment (Maths) tasks per week

Wellbeing

In our Respectful Relationships and Body Safety lessons, students will be looking at:

• Emotional Literacy 
• Personal Strengths 

• Bodily autonomy, consent and our safety networks 

   

If you would like further information about Respectful Relationships, please see the Department of Education Website.

Friendly Reminders

• Students require a bucket hat/wide-brim hat during this term
• We would greatly appreciate donations of tissue boxes for your child’s classroom (thank you to those who have already donated!)
• Please refer to the Dates to Remember in the Newsletter to stay up to date with events this term

If you have any questions you can contact your child’s teacher using the email button through Compass. 

Dan, Annie and Alex

Grade 5 Team