Monarch
Grade 5
Hello Monarch Community!
As we begin this month’s newsletter, we’d like to take a moment to acknowledge and say farewell to Michele W., who will be leaving our school at the end of August. She has been a dedicated and valued member of the Year 5 team, bringing warmth, enthusiasm, and a genuine love of teaching to her classroom each day. Her positive presence and deep care for her students have left a lasting impact, and she will be greatly missed by both staff and families. We thank her sincerely for all she has contributed to our school community and wish her every success and happiness in her next chapter.
This month, it’s been exciting to witness the incredible learning happening in our classrooms. We’re proud to share the fantastic progress our students are making across all subjects—from persuasive writing to maths and reading, their hard work is truly shining through.
READING - Unlocking the Magic of Stories!
In August, we’re exploring how authors use vocabulary to help us picture stories more clearly and how the story changes depending on who is telling it.
We’re practicing spotting common letter patterns, base words, prefixes, suffixes, and roots to help read and spell new words - even tricky ones!
Lastly, we’re learning to summarise stories using the 5Ws — who, what, where, when, why — plus 1H (how) so we can share the main ideas clearly.
Family tip: When reading together, ask your child to tell you the 5Ws and the 'how' about the story. It’s a great way to check understanding and make reading fun!
SPELLING - Spot the Suffix!
In spelling, we’re focusing on words that end with the suffixes -ate, -ent, and -tion. These endings often change how words sound and what they mean. For example, words like celebrate, different, and celebration all use these endings.
Family tip: Try playing word games at home by spotting words with these endings in books or around the house.
WRITING - Speak Up and Persuade!
We are becoming experts in how to plan and write persuasive speeches. Students are practicing using rhetorical questions, repeating key points, and using feelings to convince others. They’re learning to speak clearly and confidently when sharing their ideas and to listen respectfully to different opinions.
Family tip: Encourage your child to share their speech ideas at home and practice speaking in front of the family. Ask them what they want to persuade you about!
MATHS - Percentage Power & Fraction Fun!
In maths, we’re working on understanding percentages. This includes finding percentages on grids and number lines, recognising pairs of percentages that add up to 100%, and calculating discounts. We’re adding and subtracting fractions with the same denominator and switching between mixed numbers and improper fractions.
Family tip: When shopping, point out sale signs and talk about the discounts. This helps make percentages real and useful.
INQUIRY - Imports, Exports, and What’s in Store?
We’re learning about the products countries send out to other places (exports) and what they bring in from elsewhere (imports). We are exploring what it means to have a surplus (extra) or a deficit (not enough) of these goods.
Family tip: Talk about products you buy and where they might come from. Can your child spot something imported or made locally?
SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL LEARNING (SEL) - Play, Pause, & Practice Gratitude!
The focus of our SEL lessons is to practice how to play and work together in ways that make everyone feel included and happy. Students are learning to notice when someone might need to calm down and how to use strategies for that. We’re building a habit of noticing small things we’re grateful for every day. Plus, we’re talking about when to solve problems on our own and when to ask for help.
Family tip: At dinner or bedtime, ask your child what small thing made them happy that day. It helps build gratitude and kindness.
THE RESILIENCE PROJECT - Kindness and Purpose!
Students are learning why it’s important to say thank you for everyday things—like a warm coat or a kind smile. We’re exploring how having a purpose, like being kind and helping others, makes us feel stronger and happier inside.
Family tip: Encourage your child to share something they’re thankful for each day and talk about ways to show kindness at home or school.
CALENDAR - Mark Your Diaries!
BOOK FAIR - 11-15 August
Students will have the chance to explore a wide selection of books and discover new favourites. The library will be open before school 8:35 and after school 3:20 for you to purchase books. Every purchase helps support our school’s reading programs. The school receives a commission on all sales. We then purchase more books that the students have requested for the library. Thank you for your support!
BOOK WEEK - STARTS 18th August
Book Week is a great opportunity to promote a love of reading and literature. The theme of Book Week is Book an Adventure. Here are our Book Week events:
Tuesday, 19 August - Reading Showcase 2:30-3:20
Thursday, 21 August - Book Week Choir Performance 2:40 in the gym.
Friday, 22 August - 9AM Book Parade
FATHER'S DAY
As Father’s Day approaches, we are preparing a selection of gift bags, each valued at $15. Students will have the opportunity to order a gift bag until Friday, 29th August. The gift bags will be distributed between the 4th and 5th September so students can present it to their father or carer on Sunday, 7th September. See Compass for details!
SPLASH WATERPARK - 17 September
The Year 5 students are encouraged to participate in the excursion to SPLASH in Craigieburn. This will provide students with a valuable opportunity to build teamwork, confidence, and resilience in an active, supervised environment.
Cost is $17. Payment/Consent via Compass is due by 5 September.
OTHER DATES
Friday, 29th August - Somers Camp Grade 5 & 6 Expression of Interest form cut off. Please hand forms to office.
Tuesday, 2nd September – Professional Practice Day for teachers – No students at school
TERM END/START DATES:
Friday, 19th September – Last day of term 3. Students finish @ 2.30pm
Monday, 6th October – Term 4 Commences