Hello everyone,
It’s been wonderful to have a full class again! I’m so pleased to see most of the students back to full health, which I’m sure is a relief for you as well. Wishing you all a joyful and memorable Lunar New Year, whatever your plans may be!
Here is what Year 5/6 have been up to this week:
Maths:
Year 5
Multiplication and Division B | Spr.1.10 – Efficient division |
Multiplication and Division B | Spr.1.11 – Solve problems with multiplication and division |
Multiplication and Division B end of unit assessment | |
Fractions B | Spr.2.1 – Multiply a unit fraction by an integer |
Fractions B | Spr.2.2 – Multiply a non-unit fraction by an integer |
Year 6
Ratio | Spr.2.5 – Scale drawing |
Ratio | Spr.2.6 – Use scale factors |
Ratio | Spr.2.7 – Similar shapes |
Ratio | Spr.2.8 – Ratio problems |
Ratio | Spr.2.9 – Proportion problems |
Literacy
This week, as we continued reading Malala’s Magic Pencil, we explored the type of person Malala is. The students were challenged to find new words to describe her, which they then organized into a ‘Zones of Relevance’ chart. This activity helped them write a letter from the perspective of one of Malala’s parents, where they described her using one of their newly discovered words and supported it with examples from the text.
It’s been wonderful to see the students asking so many questions about Malala—they’re eager to learn more about someone so inspiring and such an incredible role model.
Additionally, the students put themselves in Malala’s shoes, discussing the emotions she must have experienced before and after the attack. This book has truly opened their eyes, helping them appreciate how fortunate they are to have access to education—something not everyone in the world is guaranteed.
IPC
Science Task 6 – This week, the children explored the force of upthrust and how it interacts with weight to determine if an object floats or sinks. They conducted an experiment using plastic bottles to observe how adding water affects buoyancy. The children learned that upthrust is the upward force exerted by water, and it must be greater than an object’s weight for it to float. They discovered that increasing the amount of water in the bottle made it heavier and denser, which reduced its ability to float. Working in groups, the children planned their investigations, made predictions, and recorded their results. They also discussed how upthrust, weight, and density are connected using sentence stems to guide their conclusions. The lesson encouraged scientific thinking and teamwork while reinforcing Newton’s third law of motion.
Science Extension Task – This week, we explored the concept of aerodynamics and water resistance by investigating streamlined shapes. Students discussed how air resistance affects parachutes and how streamlined designs help objects like boats, submarines, and marine animals move more efficiently through water. In groups, they predicted which boat shape would move fastest when powered by a fan and tested their designs.
Useful Information
- Student reports will be sent home in Week 4.
- Parent-teacher conferences will be held in Week 5. I will be sending a Google Form for you to book a time, if you are able to come. The reports will give you a general idea of your child’s progress, but if you would like to discuss this in more detail then I would highly recommend booking a time. 🙂
- There will be no homework sent this week, as some students will be travelling to see family members for the Lunar New Year celebrations.
I hope you all have a lovely weekend and an enjoyable Lunar New Year! 🙂
Ms. Temple