Grade 5/6 News

Grade 5/6: A Fantastic Start to the Year!

We have had a busy and exciting start to the year in Grade 5/6!

Swimming at PARC

This week our Grade 6 students have been attending swimming lessons at PARC. Throughout the week, students have been developing their swimming techniques, building confidence in the water, and strengthening their understanding of water safety.

A strong focus has been placed on emergency survival skills, including safe entries and exits, floating and treading water, and responding calmly in unexpected situations. It has been wonderful to see students encouraging one another and demonstrating resilience as they challenge themselves to improve.

Rianna: “I enjoyed learning new swimming skills, especially water safety and how to survive in an emergency. It was also lots of fun swimming with my friends.”

Bella: “I really enjoyed Survivor Day, where we practiced swimming fully clothed to learn important survival skills. We also became much quicker at getting changed each day!”

Federation of Australia

Back in the classroom, our Grade 5/6 students have been diving into Australian history, learning about the Federation of Australia and the journey toward becoming one united nation in 1901.

Students explored the key roles played by important figures such as Henry Parkes, often referred to as the “Father of Federation,” and Australia’s first Prime Minister, Edmund Barton.

To bring history to life, we held mock referendums in class! Students represented one of the six colonies and debated reasons for and against federating. There were thoughtful discussions about trade, defence, identity, and independence. Western Australia was initially hesitant but, just like in history, eventually agreed to join the creation of our nation!

It has been a fantastic start to the year, with students showing curiosity, teamwork, and enthusiasm across all areas of learning. We look forward to sharing more of our Grade 5/6 journey with you throughout the year.

Eve: “I really enjoyed the mock referendum because we got to act out as a whole class what happened back in 1900. Learning the facts about each colony was also cool.”

Liam: “It was fascinating to see that some colonies weren’t initially keen to federate and had to be persuaded to come together as a nation. We also learned about our first Prime Minister, Sir Edmund Barton, and the ‘Father of Federation,’ Henry Parkes.”