Year 6 is a special year for our students. We continue to provide an engaging and supportive learning environment, whilst building positive relationships with and between students. Students are challenged with many open ended learning experiences,as individual learners and in a variety of cooperative group investigations. At this level, the thinking curriculum includes the use of graphic organisers to organise thinking and information, solving problems using analytical, critical and creative thinking and CORT ( Cognitive research trust) thinking.
Students are exposed to and read a variety of fiction and non-fiction texts, focusing on the structure and features of these and analysing the content. They compose their own information, explanation, biographical and narrative texts; identifying language and grammatical structures unique to each of these text types and editing their own and peer work. Students are involved in a range of oral presentations, recognising the need for differing presentation styles and interactions based on audience. In the context of the film festival, students recognise the need for differing presentation styles and interactions based on their audience.
Students work on the recognition of prime,composite, square and triangular numbers. They develop problem solving strategies to apply to real-life scenario based tasks, including those involving the order of operations, fractions, decimals, percentages and ratios. They convert between compared units of measurement, investigate transformation of shapes and make timetables including 12 hour and 24 hour time. Students interpret, make and research a variety of data sets. They use chance language and investigate how fractions, percentages and decimals relate to chance events.Students identify the properties of real numbers including integers (positive and negative numbers), rational and irrational numbers. The rules associated with algebraic equations are explored. Students decode written problems using a variety of strategies applying these to real life scenario based tasks. They investigate angles and the relationship of these to a straight line. Students examine a range of data types to produce different graphs.
A highlight of the year is the Glendal Film Festival, where students work together to write, perform,film and edit their own short films.
The school leaders are chosen in Year 5 and participate in a weekly leadership training program in Term 1. The school leaders are responsible for running the weekly assembly, various events throughout the year and implementing a Change project of their choice. As leaders of the senior school, students participate in inter school sport, our athletics carnival and cross country championships. They also write and publish the Glendal Student newsletter.
A special relationship is built with their Foundation 'buddies', using the Better Buddies program from the Alannah and Madeline Foundation.
Our students in Years 5 and 6 learn French, in addition to Mandarin.
In Term 2, the Year 6 camp is held at the Coonawarra adventure resort for two nights.
Our school student well being program is based on the 'Resilience, Rights &Respectful relationships' program. We develop mindfulness and wellbeing skills.
Our 'Swim and Survive' program is a CPR training led by qualified first aiders. This is an essential life survival skill.
The coding program teaches Spheros ( Java script), Scratch and Nao. Students investigate issues of modern communication and ‘Cyber-Safety’ through a class approach to blogging and computer use.Our students utilise a range of ICT tools to support and extend their learning in numeracy, literacy and integrated studies.
Preparation for secondary school is important throughout the year and students are encouraged to develop their independence and responsibility for their learning. Daily organisation, weekly homework and diary use are integral to this process.
During Term 4, the transition process may include a visit to a secondary school, incursions and learning skills such as timetabling and navigating the secondary environment. Students, their families and teachers celebrate their primary years of schooling with our graduation ceremony at the end of the school year.
Activities will be placed on the Year 6 Edmodo page, as they occur.
2024 SEMESTER 2 CURRICULUM
English
Year 6 students were presented with a variety of fiction and non-fiction genres, analysing their structure and content. They wrote and explored information reports based on their passions, scriptwriting, poetry, newspaper and magazine articles and creating digital media such as websites and blogs. Students were involved in identifying the language and grammatical features unique to each of these text types. They enhanced speaking and listening and persuasive writing skills through their participation in our debating unit. During the Film Festival unit, students built on their skills and recognised the need for differing presentation styles and interactions based on their audience, along with developing their digital technology knowledge through the use of applications and programs.
English as an Additional Language (EAL) students follow a pathway of development in learning English that is different from students for whom English is their first language. EAL students deepen their understanding of the English language through practical activities and focus lessons in school. The two EAL stages are A (Early Immersion) and B (Mid Immersion). EAL students work through this continuum until they have a confident grasp of the English language.
Year 6 students investigated patterns and shapes and identified the associated algebraic rules. They explored algebraic terms in their different forms and graphed equations on a Cartesian plane. Students calculated best buys and percentage discounts using money, and participated in the financial literacy project ‘The Real World - Glendal’. They examined three-dimensional shapes focusing on volume and surface area. Students graphed primary and secondary data, making statements identifying trends in their data displays. They utilised chance language and related fractions, percentages and decimals to chance events.
Humanities
Year 6 students studied the Federation of Australia and the events that led to this outcome. They investigated how our democratic government system functions, including the three different levels of law-making, the voting system and the houses of parliament. In Health, students explored the areas of drug education, human development and Rights, Responsibilities and Respectful Relationships. They connected these concepts to their own personal experiences and the necessary life skills to be responsible citizens.
Year 6 students developed an understanding of the role of microorganisms in food and medicine. They investigated the conditions that microorganisms need to grow, learned about yeast and the bread-making process, explored types of mould and how these are used in food production, and researched the development of penicillin. Students discovered that pathogenic microorganisms can cause diseases such as sore throats, influenza and AIDS, and that probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that are good for you, especially for digestive systems.
Music
Year 6 students worked towards completing their own ‘four chord song’. They analysed the structure of contemporary songs and wrote lyrics based on this. Students then determined the chord progression that they would use, added a melody and allocated their instrumentation.
Year 6 students continued to become familiar with art room practices and used the art principles of contrast, repetition, pattern, emphasis, balance, unity, movement and rhythm as well as the art elements of line, form, colour, value, space, shape and texture. They found inspiration through different cultural artists, artistic styles and each other. Students explored projects such as graffiti-written names, clay faces and skateboard-inspired street art. These were involved projects with careful planning, layering and consideration of the design.
Year 6 students participated in a Golf Clinic to build their hand-eye coordination and two-handed striking. They worked on the motor skills of dribbling, passing, catching and shooting to take part in modified basketball games. Students focused on team-based activities, teamwork and higher engagement with fitness and health decisions. Many students represented the school in a variety of sports, including athletics, basketball and volleyball.
Year 6 students continued to learn the story ‘The Three Little Pigs’ to develop their vocabulary related to hobbies and actions in Chinese. They explored some waste management words and sentences in Chinese. Students also started to make observations about similarities and differences between languages, for example, Chinese, English and the language of First Nations. They practised writing and distinguishing between similar Chinese characters and studied sentence patterns to improve their writing. Differentiated learning tasks were designed to cater for both Chinese second language learners and Chinese background language learners. Activities included games, songwriting, Chinese Moon Festival celebrations and comparisons between Christmas and Chinese New Year celebrations.
Parents are most welcome to help in our classrooms, in the library, on excursions and camps and on our parent group committee and School Council committees.
All parents who assist in any way must have a Working With Children Check. This card must be presented at the office when parents sign in
