Maths

The Minimbah Maths Talent Quest! What a way to kick-start the term! In week one, parents and families were invited to explore the many varied mathematical investigations researched and conducted by the Year 5 and 6 students. Maths was literally everywhere, and the Homestead was alive with curious parents and students learning and asking questions of the Maths experts.

We will extend our learning in math this term in the following areas:

Number and Algebra – our Central Idea is that fractions & decimals are ways of representing whole-part relationships.

Statistics and Probability – our Central Idea is that the probability of an event or outcome can be expressed using numbers in particular fractions.

We are excited to delve into the world of literature with the establishment of our Homestead Literature Groups. Our initial focus will be analysing the author's purpose and exploring ideas and differing viewpoints within texts. We will engage with different visual language formats, appreciating and describing why particular formats are selected to achieve particular effects.

Literacy

In writing, we will maintain this conceptual focus and explore the way we structure and organize our own written work to help others to understand and appreciate it. We will write for a range of purposes, both creative and informative, using specific structures and styles according to the purpose of the writing.

Inquiry

Albert Einstein once said, “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when one contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvellous structure of reality”. Throughout our unit on How the World Works, we have used our curiosity to question how science can be used to understand and solve problems. In week 2 we will travel to Senior Campus to undertake some greater learning in science with student mentors.

Our final Unit of Inquiry for the year How We Express Ourselves follows 3 main lines of inquiry:

• How creativity can be used to express ideas
• Purposes and perspectives of creative expression
• Using our creativity to express ideas

Camp Licola

Risk-taking, open-minded, principled, caring, communicators, and inquirers. These are the learner profiles that we aim to embody as we strengthen our relationships with the Year 6 students at Camp Licola Wilderness Village in week 4. Licola is a beautiful small village nestled beside the Macalister River east of Melbourne. There will be a range of outdoor challenges such as the flying fox, orienteering, archery, raft making, canoeing, high ropes, and bush-cooking to name a few. Throughout the week, we hope to deepen our connection to and our respect for ourselves, others and our environment.

Activities

This term, Activities return on Wednesday afternoons. Students will rotate through a range of sessions focused on developing fine motor skills, following instructions closely and carefully, coordination and teamwork.

Homework is a tool that we use to develop our self-management, time-management, and communication skills, all of which are important as we move toward year 6. In the early weeks of this term, the focus of homework will be on preparation for the 5/6 Licola camp that will take place in week 4. Following the camp, our homework tasks will support our learning in our new unit of inquiry on How We Express Ourselves. We look forward to being open-minded, creative and flexible as we navigate the last weeks of learning as a Year 5 group.

ANDY and ZARA
Year 5 Teachers