WELCOME TO TERM 4, 2019 - Your child's last term of Primary Schooling!

It is incredible how quickly time has flown and I can't believe that we are already in our last term of the year.

I am looking forward to continuing our learning journey with such a keen and motivated group of students.  It is certainly going to be a busy term, not only with all the Year 6 Special Events, but also as we complete the Stage 3 Curriculum and our amazing Graduation Diploma Projects.

For the first 3 weeks of this term there will be no home learning tasks, other than completing all aspects of the Graduation Diploma Project.  We will be going through a checklist in class to assist students in identifying the areas that still require completion, and then they will be asked to design their own home learning plan in order to ensure all tasks are completed to a high standard and in a timely manner.  (3 weeks to go until the Expo!)

Attached is a Term 4 Calendar that details the important dates.  Most items that involve Year 6 students are highlighted in yellow.  I am unable to access names for some of the sporting items on Edumate, and as such have not highlighted these - so please check with your child as to whether they are involved with any of those items.

This term in our learning we will be covering the following subjects in class;

ENGLISH - Writing for a Live Audience

This unit of work provides opportunities for students to apply knowledge gained across the year about imaginative writing. They will plan and write a simple short story/junior fiction book applying their learning from Visual Literacy in Term 3 to illustrations. Students will also gain a deeper understanding for quality script writing and delivery as they build on their experiences from debating. Students will plan, write and deliver a reader’s theatre script across the term, and create a voice over script for a video presentation on a peer.  The Reading focus will be small group activities in independent Book Clubs, with personally chosen novels.

MATHEMATICS - Making Real World Links in Maths

This unit of work provides students with opportunities to further develop their understanding of chance situations through the use of simple experiments that produce data, so that they can make comparisons of the likelihood of events and outcomes occurring.  They will use their knowledge of equivalent fractions to assist them in determining likely outcomes when the number of trials is increased.  The students will be gathering and interpreting a range of statistics connected to our Geography unit this term.  Close analysis of the information communicated in graphs will enable them evaluate how effectively each graph type communicates information and what information is not visible when this form of representation is used.  Students will be encouraged to scrutinise survey samples and questions to identify misleading information.  Throughout this unit of work students will undertake various revision lessons consolidating past content including addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and working with fractions, decimals and percentages. These lessons take the form of problem solving, mixed problems and open-ended tasks requiring them to apply revised knowledge and skills to new ideas. 

SCIENCE - Digital Systems Unplugged

Stage 3 of the Digital Technologies strand focuses on understanding the role individual components of digital systems play in processing and representing data. Students collect, store and interpret different types of data and explain how digital systems connect to form networks that transmit this data. They define problems, and design, modify and follow simple algorithms when designing solutions that involve branching and iteration.

GEOGRAPHY - Changing Places
How do people and environments influence once another? How do we as people manage our environments well?  These inquiry questions lead the investigation into our local and school environment.  We consider climate and land-forms, and how they impact peoples' choices about the use and design of places.  Students will conduct purpose designed surveys about how our school environment is managed and will analyse and interpret the data gathered, present it in a report and make recommendations based on their findings.  Sustainability and learning how to conduct Field work are key components of the unit. This unit ties in with the creation of our gift to the school - the Green Room.

PDH - Moving into the Teen Years
Students revisit the development of the human body at puberty and the process of human reproduction is outlined.  There is a continued focus on self esteem, communication and decision making skills centred on the concept of respect for self and others.  This builds on the RAP program that the students engaged with last term with the guidance of Mrs Thompson, our counselor.  We will continue to conduct Circle Time sessions.  In these sessions we will talk about perceptions and expectations of high school.

Art, Music, Sport, Information Services, Spanish and Christian Studies specialist classes will continue as usual this term.  

On Fridays we are starting a Beach Sports program, so please ensure that students come on Fridays in their sports uniform with white shirt, and with swimming costumes on underneath their clothing.  They will need to bring a towel, and underwear to change into once back at school.  A note about this program was sent via email to parents last term.  Please check it for details of what to bring, and please ensure you return your signed Manly Surf School Registration form prior to Friday of this week.  If the form is not received your child will be unable to participate in the surf lessons until it is.

Don't forget the Parent Session for 'Inter Relate' personal development is on this evening at 7pm in the Music Room.  I hope to see many of you there.

As always if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email me on bayviewoffice@stlukes.nsw.edu.au and put in the subject line "Attention: Mrs Cutmore".

Warm regards,

Mrs Cutmore