The term has continued at a fast pace, with plenty of activities to keep the Year 5/6 students busy. The lead up to the June long weekend was especially busy, with preparations for the Henry Lawson Festival. The students were also very fortunate to meet with author Tim Harris to learn about the craft of writing and his ever-popular books, of which we possess many of in our school. In addition, the students who visit the elderly at the Grenfell Multi-Purpose Service have valued continuing this!

In Creative Arts, the students worked on their Henry Lawson Festival Children’s Art Competition entries. The theme of their visual artwork, as set by the Henry Lawson Festival organisers, was ‘Ode to Winter’. As a result, they explored and appreciated that colour and different artistic techniques and tools can change the mood of artworks. They looked at the artworks of others and reflected on each artists’ work to consider how they can use different colour and artistic techniques and tools in their own artwork, by mixing and exploring the way colour and artistic techniques are used to create moods and designs. The students also took part in preparing for and performing the play ‘The Day the Crayons Quit’ for the Henry Lawson Festival School Play Day. All students had a part to play, requiring them to work in group situations, while using their skills to express themselves creatively. The students performed for children from the Grenfell Preschool, before performing at the Henry Lawson Festival School Play Day to an impressed audience! They can be most proud of their efforts!

This term, in Personal Development and Health (PDH), the students are coming to understand the need to accept responsibility for the health choices that they make in terms of their personal health. They have initially learnt to distinguish the difference between infectious diseases and lifestyle diseases. The students have since been examining what lifestyle diseases are, conducting some research on a chosen disease to find out more about it, and identifying some ways to prevent them.

In Physical Education (PE), all students began the term by practising for and taking part in our school’s Athletics Carnival. Since then, the students have been continuing to increase their awareness of the need to keep fit and the different ways in which we can improve our fitness. They looked at the different components of fitness and answered a questionnaire about fitness. The students then participated in a fitness test, which involved completing an endurance run, arm hangs, sit-ups and arm reaches. They have since been participating in a different activity each week aimed at increasing their fitness levels. These activities have and will include participating in an obstacle course, circuit activities, vigorous games, skipping and a health hustle. The students will then do the fitness test again and see if there have been any improvements in their fitness levels over the term. 

Please remember it is Mufti Day at school this Friday. This is also the day of the Western Region Athletics Carnival in Cootamundra. We wish all students who will be representing our school at this all the best! The SRC are also looking forward to a Pyjama Day fundraiser on Thursday the 4^th of July. Thank you also for taking the time to keep up to date with the latest goings on for the Year 5/6 class!

NUMERACY 

Kindergarten and year 1 students making ’10 sticks’ as a measuring tool to measure our gingerbread man paper chain.

Wow, it is going to take a lot of ’10 sticks’ to get to the end.

We discovered it took 223 unifix cubes to go from one end to the other. We also discovered it was easier to count the ’10 sticks’ because we made each group of ten the same colour.

Year2/3/4 have been continuing their work on developing efficient strategies for the four operations. This week we have been subtracting with trading. We used MAB blocks to help us to trade.

Year 5 and 6 have completed their unit on volume and capacity with another investigation. We investigated the size of bags of popcorn available at the movies. Students had to construct nets to make the popcorn bags to discover which size was the best value for money.

What is a trip to the movies without popcorn and of course a coffee? Fergus brought in the different size cups available at his Dad’s coffee shop. We filled each cup to measure their capacity and compared the cost of each to gauge value for money.