YEAR FIVE

Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Primary School provides a range of holistic learning experiences to enable students to:

• Participate in the life and mission of the school.
• Deepen their knowledge and engagement with the Catholic faith and tradition.
• Build capacity to continuously reason, reflectively, logically and critically.
• Embrace interdependence of human existence as global citizens, who are responsible to and for themselves and others.
• Engage in learning in a multitude of ways, through personalised and self-paced learning.

“Ideas are like small plants sprouting in the compost of experience; it takes time and patience to find out if they turn into trees’.   Shaun Tan

Religious Education

Our Sacred Scripture:

The Catholic Church recognises and values the Bible as a sacred text by identifying it as a collection of books based on oral traditions and written forms. In this unit, we will be exploring: 

• The Bible as the living word of God
• The meaning behind  the ‘The Parable of the Sower’
• The importance of the Sacred Scripture in the Old Testament and the New Testament

Advent to Christmas: 

A time to prepare and celebrate. This unit explores the liturgical season of Advent. It focuses on the message of John the Baptist who prepared the way for the coming of Jesus. Students will examine Advent and Christmas customs and practices that help us prepare to celebrate Christ’s first coming.

English

Literature will be used to teach reading, writing, listening, speaking & critical thinking. The students will discover the world of Australian author and illustrator Shaun Tan. Some of the texts that will be used include, 'The Arrival' Shaun Tan & 'Skellig' by David Almond. The unit will provide students with the opportunity to develop their literal and inferential comprehension skills with the use of fictional texts. The students will be immersed in complex writing activities to explore and explain the combinations of language and visual choices that authors make to present information, opinions, characterisation and perspectives in different texts. Year 5 Soundwaves spelling program focusing on weekly phonemes and graphemes.  

Mathematics

Flexible learning groups will take place five days a week. The activities are differentiated and the children are grouped in order to cater to their needs and abilities. A Daily Review of revising previously taught concepts, so that students build fluency and automaticity of Mathematical skills, is taught for 15 minutes at the start of each lesson. During the Mathematics lesson, the students are explicitly taught concepts from the NSW Mathematics K-10 Syllabus. 

The topics taught in Term Four are:  3D Space, Patterns and Algebra, Addition and Subtraction, Position and Chance

Science and Technology

In Science and Technology this semester Year 5 will continue to explore the Material World strand. It focuses on how the properties of a range of materials as well as the way in which they are combined, determine their use and inform design solutions. Students will be given the opportunity to investigate the different properties of solids, liquids and gases, and consider combining and separating mixtures. 

History

Through inquiry-based learning students will focus on the unit ‘Australian Colonisation’. This study explores colonial Australia in the 1800s. Students investigate the founding of British colonies and the development of a colony. They learn about what life was like for different groups in the colonial period. Students will examine significant events and people, political and economic developments, social structures and settlement patterns.  

Personal Development, Health and Physical Education

This term, Year 5 students will participate in an intensive Swimming program at Caringbah Leisure Centre. The swimming program is part of the school curriculum and is compulsory for all children. The intensive program will run for 5 days. Each lesson is 40 minutes. This will commence in Week 2. 

The unit in Personal Development and Health this term will focus on factors that influence personal identity and examine the physical, social and emotional changes that occur during puberty. Students learn to accept themselves as they grow and change and appreciate that their physical, social and emotional worth and dignity development is unique. This program will take place in Weeks 6 to 10. 

Additionally, in Peer Support students will delve into a module called "Promoting Harmony." Aligned with our school's core values, this module will empower students to actively and critically construct shared values linked with our Mercy Values.

Amadeus Music Program

Students will continue with the Amadeus Music Education Program and participate in activities in listening, performing and organising sound within their regular Classroom Music lessons. 

• It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that they:
  • Arrive on time for each lesson
  • Bring their instrument and required accessories to every lesson
  • Bring their Essential Elements* music book
  • Bring a lead pencil and eraser

In music lessons, students will begin to understand music as an important medium of expression that can be shared both in groups and individually. They will develop an understanding of the roles of performer and composer and how these roles can be both separated and combined. Students will recognise that their work in class as both performers and composers can also be combined.

Creative Arts

The Visual Arts program for Term 4 will be linked to both the Year 5 religious studies on Advent and the literature studies. Children will undertake activities reflecting on Advent. 

In Drama, will engage in small group work to create a video drama news report. Students will develop their ability to use mime, movement, vocal expression and projection to create characters and engaging performances

Mandarin

Our students continue to enjoy participating in the Chinese language program called the Meg Language Program. The Meg Curriculum is written by the co-author of the Australian Curriculum. All students and teachers will participate in the digital learning platform via Zoom weekly sessions with educators in China.

Homework 

In Year 5, students are expected to complete 40 minutes of homework each night. It is expected that your child reads for 20 minutes nightly as part of their 40 minutes of homework and record their reading in their diaries. 

Homework will be sent home this week in Week 1. It will be due fortnightly on a Thursday (even weeks- Wk 2, 4, 6, & 8). Please sign and check your child's homework and make sure it has been completed to the best of their ability and presented neatly.

A homework grid will be sent home in their homework book clearly outlining the tasks. Each fortnight there will be spelling, reading, religion/wellbeing and maths tasks to complete. 

As a part of maths homework, a Maths Plus mentals and homework book will be provided to all students. A weekly task will be set and we ask that this be returned Thursday fortnightly (even weeks). Maths Plus follows a graded and spiralling approach, allowing for the revision of concepts throughout the year. It will provide students with opportunities to sequentially develop, practise and master their skills and knowledge. 

We look forward to continuing to work with you and your child this year. If you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher via a note or by appointment at the office. 

Mrs Marnie Stuart (Monday- Thursday) and Mrs Desiree Djundja (Friday) (5Blue)

Miss Chloe Tozer (5Gold)

Mrs Chonteau Poot (5White)

Important Dates for Year 5

Sports Days:

5B: Mondays and Fridays

5G: Mondays and Fridays

5W: Monday and Wednesday 

Library Days:

5B: Monday

5G: Monday

5W: Monday 

Week 2 (Monday 16th- Friday 20th)

Swimming

Week 3 (Tuesday 24th October)

Yr 5 Hazelhurst Art Making Excursion

Christmas Concert - Wednesday 29th November (Week 8) 5:30 - 7:00 pm

2023 School Term 4

10th October - 15 December 2023

Parent calendar available at this link