Classroom News
Grade 5 & 6

Term 4, Week 2

Overview:

It’s hard to believe we’re already into our final term for the year! Term 4 promises to be a big one, full of exciting learning opportunities and important assessments as we begin to reflect on all we’ve achieved in 2025.

As we head into this busy final stretch, our 5/6 team is focused on supporting students to consolidate their learning and showcase their growth across all areas of the curriculum.

Our Curriculum This Term:

Reading

In Reading, our focus will continue to be on strengthening comprehension through a variety of texts. Students will engage in regular revision and guided practice, particularly in preparation for the upcoming assessments. We’ll revisit key strategies such as making inferences, summarising, analysing author’s purpose, and comparing texts. There will be a strong emphasis on vocabulary development, fluency, and oral language as students build their confidence in reading more complex texts across genres.

Writing

This term, students will continue to revise and practise essential grammar skills, including sentence structure, punctuation, and word choice. We will revisit compound and complex sentences, with explicit teaching around conjunctions and correct usage. Our focus on the 6+1 Traits of Writing – particularly Ideas, Organisation, Voice, and Conventions – will guide students as they prepare for a range of writing tasks. Regular writing practice and feedback will support students in building stamina and refining their personal writing style.

Mathematics

In Mathematics this term, we are exploring Symmetry and Financial Mathematics, aligning with our Inquiry unit on Market Stalls. Students will engage in real-life applications of money, budgeting, pricing, and profit as they plan and prepare for their own stalls. This will be followed by further learning in Order of Operations, Decimals, Fractions and Percentages, Probability, and Volume & Capacity.

There will be a strong focus on revision, ensuring that students consolidate key number concepts and strategies. This will also help prepare them for the wide range of assessments taking place in the coming weeks. Students will continue to build their number fluency and apply mathematical thinking in hands-on, practical ways.

Inquiry

Our Inquiry unit this term is Market Stalls, which links closely with our learning in Financial Maths. Students will work collaboratively to create, make or produce a good or service to offer to the BPS community. This will involve applying their understanding of economics, including supply and demand, needs and wants, and what makes a successful business. All profits made from the Market Stalls will go to each class's nominated charity.

As part of the process, students will conduct market research, design and deliver surveys, and collect and analyse informed data to guide their decision-making. They will also use their data to create appropriate graphs and visual representations. The unit culminates in a real-world experience where students will run their market stalls for the school community – a highlight of the term!

Reminders

Term 4 is shaping up to be an incredibly rich and rewarding time for our 5/6 students. With a great deal of assessment across all learning areas, students are encouraged to reflect on their progress, set goals, and give their best effort in all they do. This may mean sharing their learning with you (their families) and participating in rich and meaningful discussion around the content taught.

Important Dates

Thursday 16th October Year 6 + Foundation Zoo Excursion

Wednesday 22nd- Friday 26th Year 5 Camp

Friday 24th October School Disco

Wednesday October 29th Year 5 Blackburn High School Visit

Monday November 3rd Student Free Day

Tuesday November 4th Melbourne Cup Day (Public Holiday)

Wednesday 5th November Year 5/6 Market Stalls (2:00-3:30)

Tuesday 9th December Year 7 Orientation Day

Wednesday 10th December Year 6 Graduation

We look forward to seeing all their hard work pay off as we head toward the end of the school year!

The very best,