Classroom News – Year 5/6

It has been a flying start to the new school year, with many activities keeping us very busy.
Outside of the classroom, the Year Five and Six students put in their best efforts at our Swimming Carnival. As a result, we were well represented at the Western Region Swimming Carnival in Tumut last week. We congratulate those who will now be representing us at the Archdiocesan Swimming Carnival in Narooma. The students have well and truly been enjoying the water this term, as they have also been taking part in the Swim Safe program at the Grenfell Aquatic Centre. The Opening School Mass, held last week, was an opportunity to commend our nominated leaders and welcome our new Kindergarten students. In the classroom, The Year Five and Six students have been enjoying the new learning experiences and challenges that have been presented to them. We have delved into our new units of work with interest. The following information will briefly outline some of these.


In our Religious Education unit this term, the students are learning that God is revealed to us through the three persons of the Holy Trinity; God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Throughout the term, they will learn that God has been revealed to us in a multitude of ways throughout creation’s history, but human limitations mean that we can never fully represent God in entirety. The students will be given the opportunity to articulate an image of God and recognise God in the people and world around them. They will also learn how we are all called to be stewards of all of God’s creation.

This term, in English, the students are engaging in literacy concepts through a study of the book “Thunderwith” by Libby Hathorn. The students have been listening to the story during shared reading. Using its themes, the students are learning to construct a written exposition, using the structure and grammatical patterns typical of persuasive texts. Our reading tasks have been aimed at developing each student’s reading skills and deepening their understanding of the text by examining specific events and settings. The students will also engage in speaking and listening tasks, which will develop their listening skills and their understanding of oral narratives, discussions and expositions.

In our Geography unit this term, the students are exploring regions within Japan. More specifically, they are exploring the culture of Japan and its regions. The students have had to locate Japan and its regions and identify facts about this, such as landforms, climate, agriculture and population. They will also explore facts about the history, religions, foods, customs and celebrations typical of Japanese culture. The students will also work with a small group to research and explore a particular region in Japan. Their study of this complements our involvement in the Japanese language program.

In the coming weeks, there are many activities planned for the students to participate in. The students are especially looking forward to the upcoming senior excursion to the Jindabyne Sport and Recreation Camp. This promises to be a fun-filled and action packed learning experience for all. We look forward to continuing to keep you up to date with our latest endeavours as the year continues!

NUMERACY

Year 5/6 were challenged with the pattern block fractions assessment. Students are also exploring efficient strategies for addition and subtraction of large numbers.


Kindergarten and year 1 have been identifying a range of numbers on the 100 chart. They are getting very good at finding numbers.

Year 2/3/4 have been learning how to play Race to a Thousand. This activity involves rolling a varying number of die, they add the numbers and make using MAB. Once their one’s number goes over ten they need to trade for a ten.