Grade 6 Term 3 Curriculum News

This Term Newsletter will provide you with information about your child’s upcoming teaching and learning experiences in the new term. There is also plenty of additional information provided via Compass throughout the school year, so please make a point of touching base regularly.

Welcome back to all Grade 6 students and families, as we undertake the second half of 2022. We hope everyone had a happy and restful break with their families, friends and loved ones. The Grade 6 teachers are excited to see the continued growth and learning of all students in Semester 2.

Literacy
In Reading this term, the students will engage in a Roald Dahl author study. Through this experience they will use a variety of comprehension strategies to enhance their understanding. They will gain a deeper knowledge of how authors develop characters and use language features to engage their audience. Students will also continue to have access to our extensive classroom and school libraries to help them engage in independent reading activities that will foster their love for reading.

At home, you can continue to support your child by engaging in rich discussions about the books they are reading and recording in their homework log.

In Writing, students will continue to develop their passion for writing as part of the Writer’s Workshop. Students will be encouraged to experiment with different text structures and language features they have come across in their reading and include it in their own writing. A focus will be placed on the Organisation and Word Choice traits. This will help to develop students' abilities to create cohesive texts filled with rich vocabulary to engage their audience.

A spelling and phonics program will also be included in the Literacy block. This will aid the students in both Reading and Writing, by developing their ability to hear sounds and record these accurately in their independent writing.

Numeracy
In Numeracy this term, there will be a focus on problem solving strategies and real-life problems involving Fractions, Decimals and Percentages. This will include explicit teaching of the different ways fractions can be represented, such as equal parts of a whole, as a part of a collection or explored through measurement. Students will then explore how fractions relate to decimals and percentages and use these different representations fluidly. Students will continue to have the opportunity to learn through project-based tasks and open ended questions, which will cater for and extend the diverse range of learners in the classroom.

At this level we expect that most students know their times tables (1-12) and can recall these quickly.
We ask that families assist learning at home by encouraging children to complete the homework slides that will be posted each week. You can also play games that will assist their mental computation such as discussing the price of items when shopping. Please also ensure your child has access to Essential Assessment where they can complete learning modules to support their learning in our classroom.

Inquiry
In Semester 2, students will continue to explore how energy from a variety of sources, such as water turbines, solar and wind can be used to generate electricity. They will also continue to learn how energy can be transferred or transformed and investigate the efficiency of different machines.

Following this, we will begin a new unit titled, ‘My Body, My Choice’. This unit will challenge students to consider and describe factors that contribute to their health, safety and general wellbeing. They will also examine how community wellbeing is supported by celebrating diversity and connecting to the natural and built environment.

The iPads will continue to be used daily, therefore it is imperative that these are at school and fully charged every day.

Homework
We ask for your continued support in ensuring that homework is completed regularly and handed in on the due dates. It is expected that students read at home (minimum of 4 days for at least 30 minutes) and complete at least 40 minutes of maths homework from the Google Classroom slides each week. This may also be supplemented with Essential Assessment Learning Modules, or other specific materials supplied by your child’s teacher.

Each year level team has provided their families with a detailed newsletter such as this. If you are interested in reading about all the exciting things happening across the rest of the school, these can be accessed online at our school website from early next week.

Kind regards,
The Grade 6 Team.